The NBA’s new play-in tournament begins Tuesday night, and it took until the 146th and final day of this compressed season to determine who is going where for the playoffs.
The Eastern Conference matchups are set: The No. 7 Boston Celtics will host the No. 8 Washington Wizards, and the No. 9 Indiana Pacers host the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets in the NBA’s first elimination game this season. Both of those games are Tuesday.
The Celtics-Wizards winner goes straight into the playoffs as the East’s No. 7 seed; the loser of that game will host the Pacers-Hornets winner Thursday to determine the East’s No.