By “Nunnie” Robinson, Westside Gazette Sport Editor
The Marlins have started the ‘24 baseball season with 5 consecutive losses at home, enabling the Pittsburgh Pirates to begin the season 4-0, then lose a fifth game at home to the Los Angeles Angels. They play the second game in the series against the Angels at Loan Depot today, April 2. Hopefully they can right the ship, stop the bleeding and get on a winning streak. In baseball losing 3-4 game series is tough enough, but losing at home to teams that aren’t clearly your superior can be devastating. The obvious trend so far with the Marlins is getting ahead, in most, if not all of the games, only to suffer comebacks by the opposing teams. They currently sit in last place in the National League East with an 0-5 record, a full game behind the Mets who are almost as bad with an 0-4 record. The bullpen must improve or this could be a recurring theme throughout the Year.
The Miami Heat Although the Heat are technically in position to avoid the Play In with approximately 2 weeks remaining in the regular season, the Orlando Majic and the Indiana Pacers are unyielding in their effort to maintain their current positions of fifth and sixth places respectively. The fact that Joel Embiid‘s return to the 76ers is imminent makes holding on to the seventh position uncertain and tenuous. The postseason is set to begin April 16 with the Play-In Tournament followed by the playoffs which begin April 20. Important decisions surrounding the regular season’s conclusion include seeding, home-court advantage and avoiding the dreaded Play-In Tournament. All are undecided but will be answered between now and April 14. As a reminder, the NBA’s Play-In Tournament will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences. Four teams in each conference (the 7-10 seeds) will enter the Play-In Tournament, while the top six seeds will automatically qualify for playoff spots. The seventh- and eighth-placed teams will face each other for the No. 7 seed. The ninth- and 10th-placed teams will face each other in another game, and then the loser of the No. 7/No. 8 game will face the winner of the No. 9/No. 10 game for the No. 8 seed.
Perhaps a quick glance at the Eastern Conference standings will simplify things based on the above criteria.
If the season ended today, the #7 Heat would play the #8 76ers and the #9 Bulls would play #10 Hawks. The Heat/76er winner would earn the 7th seed and the loser would play the winner of the 9th and 10th seed to determine the 8th seed placement.
Like I said last week, the best thing to do at this stage of the season is to keep winning. NBA fans are enjoying the best, highest caliber basketball of the year!
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