It lasted 174 days, required the usage of more players than any season in history primarily because of the ongoing challenge of playing through a pandemic, and saw playoff-positioning chases go all the way down to the final moments. Now, move over, regular season. The NBA's postseason is finally here.
Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving, right, and Kevin Durant celebrate after a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at the Barclays Center, April 10, 2022, in New York. The Nets defeated the Pacers 134-126.
That matchup wasn't set until Sunday, nor was the other Eastern Conference play-in matchup: No. 9 Atlanta will play host to No. 10 Charlotte on Wednesday night. The winner of that game will play the Nets-Cavaliers loser on Friday to determine who'll face No. 1 Miami in an East first-round series. Charlotte will be without forward Gordon Hayward, announcing Sunday that he's "out indefinitely with continued discomfort in his left foot." Hayward's foot will be placed in a cast for at least two weeks, meaning if the Hornets win twice in the play-in tournament and get into the postseason, he'll likely miss most of Round 1, at minimum, as well.Defending NBA champion Milwaukee will be seeded No. 3 in the East and will play No. 6 Chicago in a first-round series.