Template, as observed, predictions and analyzes

All eyes are focused on Atlanta’s Trae Young, which achieved an average of 28.3 points and eight templates per game against Orlando this season.

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The first day of this year’s Sofi Play-in tournament in every conference is number 7 and No. 8.

The 2025 NBA late season taps the AB Sofi game tournament. Get ready for the campaign with preliminary views and predictions for the matchups on Tuesday, which will determine the No. 7 seeds in the eastern and western conferences and two of the four teams on Friday for No. 8 of East and Wests No. 8.

Ost: (8) Atlanta Hawks @ (7) Orlando Magic (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

The winner: Progress to face Boston in the first round as No. 7 seeds

The loser: Play the winner of the heating clutch game on Wednesday to determine the seed no. 8 of the east

Results of the regular season: Series bound, 2-2

Keep your eyes: contrast in styles

The Magic shows a killer -tandem young striker in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, which combined for 61.3 points per game against Atlanta. For comparison: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard from Milwaukee Bucks have teamed up for an NBA-Obst 55.3 this season. The Hawks are more dependent on their guards and their wings. Orlando plays slowly and recently ranked at speed. Atlanta took third place. Magic is the physical team, although the Hawks were called up more fouls in the season series. The markers it becomes, the more it prefers Orlando and vice versa.

Key Matchup: Trae Young against a train

Jalen Suggs, the first option of the Magic at Point Guard, was not even faced with Atlanta this season after the outcome (Quadriceps operation) in early January. As a result, the Trae Young problem leaves other defenders in Orlando, from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anthony Black to Gary Harris and Cole Anthony.

Young thrives on large stages, and with the entire league application, this game could be played as well in the Madison Square Garden. His usual figures (24.2 ppg, 11.6 APG) tended more towards the goal against Orlando: 28.3 ppg, 8.0 APG. He had a total of 51 points/assists double double, and when the game gets tight, Young gets better. He led the league in Clutch Assists and Clutch free throws, while he took third place at clutch points and Clutch 3-pointer.

Predict: magic

The Hawks know what they are doing in game situations that have been 3-1 in the setup at the end of the season to achieve their last first two rounds in 2022 and ’23. You drive up and won four of your last five games. But Orlando could have the advantage in despair and try to save a season that should stand up and up and up against Cleveland against Cleveland last spring. The magic won five of her last six and 12 out of 18 and reached a division. They survived Banchero and Wagner injuries and dropped when Suggs and Moritz Wagner were lost, but they settled around the strikers and the defense.

(8) Memphis Grizzlies @ (7) Golden Condition (10 p.m. ET, TNT)

The winner: Progress to face Houston in the first round as No. 7

The loser: Plays the winner of the Dallas Sacramento game on Wednesday to determine the seed No. 8 of the West

Results of the regular season: Golden State won 3-1

Keep up your eyes: Play Jimmy

He and his would prefer to mirror the nickname “Playoff Jimmy”, but facts speak loudly: This is the third season in a row that butler helped/hindered his team in play-in. His habit of sitting Miami in the regular season forced himself to play through the ranks in 2023 and ’24, and this year he did it again before he flees. Sure, his game was an elixir for Golden State because they were 25-26 before his arrival … and 23-8 afterwards. In his 30 games, he scored more points from the foul line than every warrior with the exception of Steph Curry over 82. But his shootout took off inside and outside the arch. And now he is on an injury observation after taking a knee to his left thigh in the final on Sunday against the La Clippers.

Key Matchup: Yes Morant against Steph Curry

If you are one of these lovers of strong defense, you have two of the best on the square in Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. and Draymond Green of Golden State. Both can receive votes for the KIA defensive player of the year and are on the question of how their teams try to clamp themselves against opponents. But it will be more fun to concentrate on the strong, under-sized points: the electrical, attacking morans compared to the eternally moving, deep threat curry.

Coincidentally, both received their points in the season series, but both went to the extremes. Morant scored nine points in his first meeting with the Warriors, then 36. Curry went for 13, then only two and finally 52. The operations of one-and-dons could choose the intensity.

Prediction: Warrior

Memphis did not reach exactly for the off -season and six of his last 10 (coach Taylor Jenkins’ finale, then five of the substitute tuomas Iisalo’s nine). Also note that the grizzlies went 0-to-California this season and lost all eight games in the state. Golden State fell No. 82 to miss a safe seed, but in the past two months it was about expanding the competitor window for curry and green. Butler helped them to bring them so far, and with two shots to get a legitimate series in the first round against Houston or Oklahoma City, the warriors do not seem to end this week.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can send it by email Herefind His archive here And Follow him on X.