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The Pistons could realistically finish the 2023 calendar year with nine wins.
In-Season Madness
What’s at stake tonight?
Tonight is the last night of group play for the inaugural In-Season Tournament (FYI, cool kids are calling it “IST” for short)! Yes, the courts have been weird, but the IST is building momentum as we reach the single-elimination portion of the tournament. Here’s what to know:
And much remains in the air, with tonight’s action deciding it all. We have the potential for three-way ties to determine group winners, which means tiebreakers! Oh, man, do people love tiebreakers! Head-to-head record trumps all before weighing point differential, total points scored, last season’s record and a random drawing (that last part wasn’t a joke).
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Here’s what’s on the line for tonight’s games:
Bulls (0-3, minus-21 point differential) at Celtics (2-1, 0): Boston could get into a three-way tie with Orlando and Brooklyn for East Group C, but the Celtics may need to beat the Bulls by 30.
Raptors (1-2, minus-9) at Nets (2-1, plus-8): Brooklyn wins East Group C by beating Toronto and Boston losing to Chicago. Otherwise, a win for both Brooklyn and Boston gets us into point differential deciding the group. Brooklyn already beat Orlando in group play but lost to Boston, which lost to Orlando.
Hawks (1-2, minus-9) at Cavs (2-1, plus-6): Cleveland need a big win for a shot at the East wild card. Atlanta likely can only be spoiler.
Bucks (3-0, plus-39) at Heat (2-1, plus-11): A Milwaukee win takes East Group B. A Miami win and a New York loss gives the group to the Heat. A Miami win and a New York win creates a three-way tie decided by point differential. We love big games!
Hornets (1-2, minus-30) at Knicks (2-1, plus-18): New York gets the wild card with a big win, even if Milwaukee beats Miami.
Thunder (1-2, plus-27) at Wolves (2-1, minus-3): Minnesota needs a 38-point win over OKC to win the West wild card over Phoenix. This is also for first place in the West.
Rockets (2-1, plus-16) at Mavs (1-2, minus-14): A Rockets win takes West Group B since they already beat New Orleans. The Mavs can only spoil. Houston is out of the wild card with a loss.
Warriors (2-1, plus-5) at Kings (3-0, plus-29): Sacramento takes West Group C with a win over Golden State, which falls to 8-10 with a loss. A Warriors win with a Minnesota win creates a three-way tie. Golden State wins the group with a win and Minnesota loss.
This is exactly what NBA fans love: Basketball and math infused together! Still confused? Just follow John Hollinger on Twitter. He’ll explain it all in real time.
The Latest From Shams
Pelicans’ lineup awaits boost
The Pelicans (9-9) could be getting one of their best players back on the court this week.
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CJ McCollum has been out since Nov. 4 due to a small collapse in his right lung, but league sources tell me that the Pels and McCollum are aiming for his return sometime on their upcoming two-game homestand. New Orleans plays host to the 76ers on Wednesday and Spurs on Friday.
McCollum, 32, has averaged 21.7 points and 5.7 assists per contest in six games this season. The Pelicans’ big three of McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram only played three games together this season and 10 in 2022-23.
Missing the Point … Differential
Is the tourney’s style disrespectful?
On Friday night, DeMar DeRozan was ejected with 1.4 seconds left in the Bulls’ 121-108 loss to the Raptors. Why? He had a massive problem with the Raptors still launching 3s with the shot clock off while up 12 points. It’s one of sports’ unwritten rules you’re not supposed to violate.
However, this was an In-Season Tournament game, where point differential matters for tiebreaker reasons. Granted, Toronto (1-2 IST record) would have need a miracle to grab the East wild card, but rules are rules. And an Orlando win actually eliminated the Raptors from the tournament. After the game, DeRozan explained:
“I don’t care about no In-Season Tournament points or none of that. Just respect for the game.”
Yesterday, Celtics star Jayson Tatum echoed those sentiments:
“The point-differential thing, I’m not the biggest fan of it. There are certain instances, I guess last Friday, where the game was already over and guys still trying to score. It’s all about respecting the game and respecting your opponents.”
He was referring to Orlando beating the Celtics by 17 in that game with starters still in and Franz Wagner scoring with 9.1 seconds left, with the Magic up 15. (It’s interesting to say something like this after Boston beat the Pacers by 51 points a couple weeks prior – IST or not.)
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I believe DeRozan is upset about the 5-13 Bulls, not the Raptors gunning for meaningless point differential. I’m guessing Tatum didn’t like losing to Orlando at all, not the way the Celtics lost at the end. If, for four games during the season, the IST demands a point-differential strategy, then players should get over it and ignore the unwritten rules.
Did Tatum have an issue with Lamar Stevens, Payton Pritchard, Dalano Banton and Svi Mykhailiuk keeping the margin above 50 against Indiana? Just play the full 48 minutes and deal with point differential for only 4.8 percent of your season. It’s not so bad.
Detroit BasketLOLs
Pistons keep losing
Make that 14 losses in a row for the 2-15 Detroit Pistons, who got hammered by — of all teams — the 3-14 Washington Wizards. The game was close for a while, but Detroit dropped last night’s Toilet Bowl showdown 126-107. Here’s how the Pistons’ 2023 schedule ends:
- Next three: Home vs. Lakers, at Knicks, home vs. Cavs
- Their schedule during the IST after this stretch remains unknown
- Dec. 11-13: Home vs. Pacers before hosting the 76ers
- Dec. 15-18: Three-game road trip at 76ers, Bucks and Hawks
- Dec. 21: Home vs. Jazz
- Dec. 23-26: Home-and-home with Brooklyn
- Dec. 28-30: At the Celtics before hosting the Raptors
Jordan Poole even gave them this hilarious mess-up to capitalize on. Detroit just can’t win.
More from last night:
Bounce Passes
Klay Thompson showed edginess when asked about his slow start.
Jim Trotter wrote on Draymond Green demonstrating self awareness.
LeBron believes “a lot” needs to change after the Lakers’ 44-point loss.
Screen Game (All times Eastern)
- Main Screen: Bucks-Heat (7:30 p.m. TNT). Could very well determine the winner of East Group B.
- Second Screen: Warriors-Kings (10 p.m. TNT). Even without the IST implications, this is a great game.
- League Pass Game of the Night: Rockets-Mavericks (8:30 p.m.). One of the league’s best defenses against one of its best offenses. Full schedule here.
(Top photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
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