It's becoming crystal clear that no one wants to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Play-In Tournament. The Golden State Warriors announced earlier on Friday they would sit both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Memphis Grizzlies, who are tied with the Dubs for the eighth seed in the West, followed suit:
Grayson Allen, Kyle Anderson, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr., Sean McDermott, Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas are ALL out tonight for Grizzlies vs. Kings.
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) May 14, 2021
Needless to say, both teams are going to be extremely shorthanded for their respective games. As it stands, it's shaping up that LA will likely play the Grizzlies or Warriors in the Play-In. But, Morant and Curry will also go toe-to-toe on Sunday night in the season finale, which will certainly have major implications for where each squad finishes up in the standings.
However, the Lakers could still lock down sixth place. Portland has just one game left and if they lose while LeBron James and co. win their last two contests, the defending champions would avoid the Play-In altogether.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, despite sitting the likes of Morant and Dillon Brooks against the Kings, have been on fire. They've won four straight and even destroyed the Mavs on Tuesday by 29 points.
Memphis is getting hot at the best possible time, but their unbeaten streak could very well end on Friday. Nonetheless, expect Curry, Green, and Morant to all be taking the court in a crucial meeting over the weekend.
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