Not even the rosiest optimist could have expected the treat that awaits on Wednesday night: an unexpected high-stakes clash between LeBron James and Stephen Curry
When the NBA first introduced the play-in tournament, the idea was to further incentivize the normally humdrum final days of the regular season by giving more teams something to play for. That vision was realized on Sunday’s frenetic final day that saw all 30 teams in action and implications up and down the standings.
But not even the rosiest optimist in the NBA’s league office could have expected the treat that awaits on Wednesday night: an improbable high-stakes clash between LeBron James and Stephen Curry as the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers host the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors in a Western Conference play-in game.
Related: NBA play-in tournament: Tatum’s 50 lift Celtics to No 7 seed as Pacers romp
