Thanks to the recent resurgence of Jalen Green, the Houston Rockets are posing a serious threat to the Warriors in the Western Conference standings, menacing the last NBA Play-In Tournament spot.
The Rockets mustered up an impressive 11-win streak, orchestrating a convincing tail-end run to the regular season. This emergence caught the league by surprise, as most, this SBOTOP writer included, thought that their season would’ve ended when their budding star, Alperen Şengün, went down with a knee and ankle injury against the Kings midway through March.
22-year-old fire cracker Jalen Green had other plans, though. The absence of Şengün allowed Ime Udoka to play through his dynamic shooting guard, forcing Green to carry the offencive load for the striving Rockets, and boy did Green deliver.
With a more high-paced style of play, Jalen Green and the Rockets bagged win after win to end the month of March, garnering notable victories against the Kings, Cavaliers, and Thunder. With this stellar run, they managed to close their gap to the Golden State Warriors, who are desperately holding on to the last spot in the Play-In Tournament.
True resilience is shown when you have your back against the wall, and the Warriors’ backs are stuck on that wall like peanut butter on the roof of your mouth.
With the Rockets breathing down their necks, the Warriors evidently pulled the fire alarm, tapped in to their championship pedigree, and proceeded to go on a tail-end run themselves.
The Dubs have gone on a five-game winning streak and are 7-3 in their last 10, successfully fending off the red-hot Rockets, for now at least.
They’ve managed to make a not-so-comfortable three-game cushion from Green and the surging Rockets, and their upcoming clash at Toyota Center could very well be the trendsetting match that will ultimately foresee which team will make it to the Play-In.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat
To everyone’s surprise and to the confusion of many, Joel Embiid has returned to the parquet against the OKC Thunder in their recent bout at Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers have gone from Eastern Conference favourites to a potential Play-In Tournament outfit predicated by the injuries of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
The reigning MVP was sidelined for months dating back to January 30, when he suffered a left meniscus injury. But to the delight of the City of Brotherly Love, their superstar big man is now healthy and immediately contributed to their thrilling 109-105 victory against the Thunder.
Embiid was capped at 29 minutes of play, but it was enough for him to post 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists to lead the ailing Sixers to a much-needed win. It helped that he was matched up with a young buck, Chet Holmgren, who only weighs 94 kilograms.
His availability for their next clash is still up in the air, but if Embiid does play, he’ll be having a tougher matchup in All-Star Bam Adebayo. As the Heat play host to the Sixers at Kaseya Center, they will definitely put Embiid to work.
Spo’s outfit boasts just 1.5 games ahead of the Sixers from the seventh seed, the last playoff spot in the East, so this upcoming game will be a pivotal one in the grader scheme of things.
Atlanta Hawks @ Dallas Mavericks
It’s finally happening; the duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic is finally clicking on all cylinders. The Mavs have been one of the hottest teams in the league as of late, going 8-2 in their last 10. Tied with the Pelicans with a 45-30 record, their upcoming match against the lowly Hawks will be instrumental in keeping their playoff spot intact.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are fresh from a 113-101 win against the Bulls yesterday, and they’re keen on keeping the momentum up when they host the Pistons tomorrow. Star point guard Trae Young is still out with an injury, so expect an uptick in production from Dejounte Murray.
The Hawks will enter their clash against the Mavs on Friday as the NBA 2024 odds underdogs, but fans can expect a spirited and steady effort from Murray, Hunter, and the rest of the Hawks at the American Airlines Center.
Sacramento Kings @ New York Yankees
After back-to-back wins, the Kings will feature on the marquee of MSG as they play the Knicks in the Mecca of Basketball.
Jalen Brunson dropped 61 points against the Spurs to cap off the month of March and then proceeded to produce significant contributions against the Thunder and Heat, respectively.
Elsewhere, Kings big man Domantas Sabonis recently broke Kevin Love’s post-merger single-season record for the most consecutive double-doubles by notching his 54th when they played host to the Sixers last week.
It’s a shame that the basketball world will be robbed of a Sabonis-Randle matchup, but this bout is still worth watching and primed for NBA 2024 highlights.
It will be a clash of two of the best floor generals in the game, as Jaylen Brunson and De’Aaron Fox will spearhead their teams in front of a passionate, roaring New York crowd.
Denver Nuggets @ LA Clippers
The Timberwolves and the Thunder have finally conceded the top spot in the West to the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets. It was only a matter of time until the Nuggets reigned supreme in the Western Conference once again, and their recent 110-105 win against the Spurs finally put them back on top.
They’re not out of the woods just yet, as they’re currently just half a game away from this year’s surprise packages, the Timberwolves and OKC. A win against the Clippers will go a long way, but it’s easier said than done.
The Clips are 5-5 in their last 10, and they’d really need to muster up a win streak if they want to keep their claim for home court advantage in the playoffs.
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