Whether or not players enjoy the play-in tournament, now in Year 2, the Nets finished the regular season in seventh. That means they are not a lock for the postseason just yet.
Instead, they will have to defend their playoff positioning in a showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
“I think somebody’s in the back room, hip-hip-hooraying, whoever created the tournament,” Nets star Kyrie Irving said after Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Pacers. “I guess somebody’s in the back room saying that this works, but as a competitor, it feels like one of those Game 6s, Game 5s, Game 7s where it’s a must-win.”
