NBA Hoops

Nets’ matchup with Hawks has major play-in implications

Nets' matchup with Hawks has major play-in implications

ATLANTA — The Nets started this regular-season looked at as a superteam. They’re all but assured of ending it as a play-in team. All that remains is to determine where, and against whom. 

With five games left on the schedule, the Eastern Conference’s 10 postseason participants are already etched in stone. The Nets can’t fall out of the play-in, which starts April 12; and they would need to run the table — as well as have Toronto lose out — to climb out of the play-in and into sixth. 

Still, the Nets (40-37) still can finish anywhere from seventh to 10th, and Saturday’s game in Atlanta should go a long way to deciding where they end up. They entered Friday two games behind seventh-place Cleveland, and even with Charlotte and Atlanta — whom they play Saturday — in eighth only via tiebreaker. 

The benefit of holding onto eighth instead of falling to ninth or 10th is huge. 

The No. 8 seed plays double-elimination needing just a lone victory. The bottom two play-in squads face the daunting prospect of single-elimination needing not one but two wins. And the reward is facing the No. 1 seed in the first round. 

Hawks star Trae Young. USA TODAY Sports

While Thursday night’s nationally-televised overtime slugfest against defending champ Milwaukee got all the attention, it’s easy to see why Saturday’s tilt against Trae Young and the pick-and-roll heavy Hawks — winners of four straight — will have the greater impact. 

Kevin Durant is expected to shake off Thursday night’s twisted ankle to play in Atlanta, while Seth Curry (ankle) and Bruce Brown (illness) are questionable. 

Meanwhile, their remaining slate (at Atlanta, vs. Houston, at the Knicks, vs. Cleveland and vs. Indiana) is the easiest in the entire NBA according to Tankathon at a .418 winning percentage. Atlanta’s is 21st and Charlotte’s is 14th. 

In short, there are no excuses. 

“I just worry about Saturday,”…

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