The 2018 NBA Playoffs are right around the corner, which means there are some key games to take a look at before the regular season ends.
NBA fans were given a treat on Friday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers battled things out for third place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The Sixers prevailed in the end, winning 132-130, overcoming 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists from LeBron James.
Rookie Ben Simmons went off for 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for Philadelphia, showing he’s ready for the NBA Playoffs. He also had four steals as the Sixers moved to 49-30 and now currently lead Cleveland by half a game for third place.
The Philadelphia 76ers used a strength in numbers approach to overcome James’ 44-point performance. J.J. Redick led all scorers for Philadelphia with 28 points. Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli finished with 23 points and 17 points respectively, showing that this team’s depth may be its biggest strength as the playoffs approach.
As the NBA regular season schedule comes to its conclusion, close games and big performances should be expected. The Toronto Raptors clinched the East’s No. 1 seed, but below them, other teams continue to jockey for playoff position.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are still in playoff contention. Denver trails the Minnesota Timberwolves by half a game for the eight spot. The Clippers trail the Timberwolves by 2.5 games for the eighth spot.
Go figure, Denver and Los Angeles face off on Saturday afternoon. That’s where we begin as we take a look at five regular season matchups with major playoff implications.