Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spot

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Four teams will battle for two spots in the NBA Finals this weekend in Orlando, Fla., while golfers hit the course for the 2020 U.S. Open, two NHL teams fight for the Stanley Cup and MLB teams compete for playoff spots.

• Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spot Game
• Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spots
• Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spot 2019

NASCAR's playoff format also continues with the round of 16 Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. A gauntlet of college football and NFL games fill the remaining space on the weekend sports slate.

1. The NBA will recall 22 teams to each play eight games in the NBA playoff schedule. How will it work? The new structure will reportedly be based on teams’ existing schedules, teams playing their.
2. San Antonio still hasn't clinched a 22nd consecutive playoff spot, which would tie Philadelphia (1950-71, some of that as the Syracuse Nationals) for the league record, though the Spurs are well.

With four seeding games down and four to go, Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts found some commonality Thursday night among the six teams vying for the final postseason spot in the Western.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets face off in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside Walt Disney World Resort.

'We are just playing good basketball at the right time,' Lakers forward LeBron James told reporters this week. 'We want to continue that. All we have is each other in the bubble.'

The Boston Celtics battle the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night in Orlando. Miami owns a 2-0 lead in that series. The Lakers and Nuggets return to the court for Game 2 of that series Sunday.

The Heat-Celtics game will air on ESPN. The Lakers-Nuggets games will air Friday and Sunday on TNT.

The Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions will play in Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals at the end of September.

U.S. Open

The first golf major of the 2020-2021 PGA Tour season is underway this week at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson opened as the betting favorite to capture the U.S. Open Trophy and is fresh off his 2020 FedEx Cup championship.

No. 2 Jon Rahm, No. 3 Justin Thomas, No. 7 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Rory McIlroy and No. 5 Collin Morikawa are among the other favorites to win at Winged Foot.

The 144-player field teed off Thursday. Thomas shot a 5-under par 65 to earn a first-round lead ahead of Friday's second round.

McIlroy was two shots behind Thomas at 3-under par. Johnson, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth each shot 3-over par 73s to open the tournament.

The third round airs from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT Saturday on NBC. The final round airs from 10 a.m. to noon EDT Sunday on the Golf Channel and from noon to 6 p.m. EDT on NBC.

Gary Woodland is the defending champion and was paired with Andy Ogletree and Shane Lowry for the first two rounds. Woods is grouped with Thomas and Morikawa early on. Johnson is grouped with Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau.

Stanley Cup Final

The Dallas Stars will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final after both teams advanced out of their respective conferences this week at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The Stars and Lighting remain in the same arena for Game 1 of the title series, which starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT Saturday and airs on NBC.

Game 2 will air Monday on NBC Sports Network. The series continues with Game 3 on Wednesday on NBC Sports Network. Game 4 will be Sept. 25 on NBC. Games 5, 6 and 7 will air Sept. 26, 28 and 30, if they are necessary.

Tampa Bay is the betting favorite to win the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

Saturday

College football

Tulsa at Oklahoma State at noon EDT on ESPN

Austin Peay at No. 13 Cincinnati at noon EDT on ESPN+

Syracuse at Pittsburgh at noon EDT on ACC Network

Louisiana at Georgia State at noon EDT on ESPN2

South Florida at Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. EDT on USA

UCF at Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC

Appalachian State at Marshall at 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBS

The Citadel at Clemson at 4 p.m. EDT on ACC Network

Miami at Louisville at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC

Golf -- U.S. Open

Third round from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC

Hockey -- Stanley Cup Final

Stars vs. Lightning at 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC

Baseball

Braves at Mets at 7:07 p.m. EDT on Fox

White Sox at Reds at 7:07 p.m. EDT on Fox

Rays at Orioles at 7:35 p.m. EDT on FS1

NASCAR

Cup Series: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBCSN

Basketball -- NBA playoffs

Game 3: Celtics vs. Heat at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Sunday

NFL

Jaguars at Titans at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Panthers at Buccaneers at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Broncos at Steelers at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Rams at Eagles at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

49ers at Jets at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Bills at Dolphins at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Vikings at Colts at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Lions at Packers at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Falcons at Cowboys at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Giants at Bears at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spot Game

Washington Football Team at Cardinals at 4:05 p.m. EDT on Fox

Chiefs at Chargers at 4:25 p.m. EDT on CBS

Ravens at Texans at 4:25 p.m. EDT on CBS

Patriots at Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. EDT on NBC

Baseball

Yankees at Red Sox at 1:07 p.m. EDT on TBS

Twins at Cubs at 7:08 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Golf -- U.S. Open

Fourth round from 10 a.m. to noon EDT on Golf Channel; Noon to 6 p.m. EDT on NBC

Basketball -- NBA playoffs

Game 2: Nuggets vs. Lakers at 7:30 p.m. EDT on TNT

You probably know that the Portland Trail Blazers took a huge step toward a possible playoff spot by jumping into the No. 8 seed as of Wednesday morning after another unreal Damian Lillard performance.

But the race toward the West’s play-in games is hardly over. And the scenarios for who could end up fighting for the final playoff spot in the conference are bonkers heading into play on Thursday.

It couldn’t have turned out better for the NBA. The Blazers have been must-watch, the Grizzlies — who previously held the No. 8 seed — are still in it, the Spurs have figured out how to win without LaMarcus Aldridge and the Suns still haven’t lost a game at Disney World.

Let’s break down the remaining contenders, who are all within a half-game of the No. 8 spot.

Portland Trail Blazers

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

REMAINING GAMES: vs. Nets

Wow. The Blazers are not only in the driver’s seat at No. 8 — which is huge, because all the eighth seed has to do in the play-in is win one out of two games and they move on — but they play a Nets team that, while they’ve been impressive in the bubble without much of their usual lineup, is still a pretty good matchup to have when you’re playing like the Blazers are.

Basically, if they win, they’re in at No. 8 and await the game(s) against the No. 9 seed.

If they lose and the Grizzlies, Spurs and Suns lose, they’re still in at 8. They would drop to ninth if two of the teams on this list lose.

Memphis Grizzlies

(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)

REMAINING GAMES: vs. Bucks

Normally, you’d say “Welp.” The Grizzlies have only won once in Disney World, and the Bucks are the NBA’s best team. But maybe Milwaukee — locked in at No. 1 in the East — sits The Greek Freak and others.

That said, they need a win and a Blazers loss to vault back into eighth. They can clinch No. 9 by winning or if both the Suns and Spurs lose.

UPDATE: Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for this game no matter what.

Phoenix Suns

Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

REMAINING GAMES: vs. Mavericks

Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spots

The hottest team in the bubble has arguably the toughest matchup with the way Luka Doncic has been playing. But Phoenix did beat the Mavs on Aug. 2.

They need to win this one and both the Grizzlies and Blazers need to lose to get the eighth seed. They reach the play-in if they win and either the Grizzlies or Blazers lose.

San Antonio Spurs

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

REMAINING GAMES: vs. Jazz

The Suns have been stealing all the bubble headlines, but how about what Gregg Popovich has done without Aldridge? He stuck Lonnie Walker IV into the lineup and created a small-ball group with Jakob Poeltl in the middle. It’s worked!

Nba Teams Fighting For Playoff Spot 2019

They beat the Jazz already earlier in the month, so it could happen again. But they need help to get into No. 8: a win plus every other team on this list needs to lose. They grab No. 9 with a victory and two of the other teams here need to lose.