The NBA Playoffs are around the corner and a pair of teams who expect to be there meet up on Saturday, April 5 when the Detroit Pistons host the Memphis Grizzlies at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial, or FuboTV, which also offers a free trial and up to $25 off your first month. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available.
The Grizzlies are coming off a huge win that snapped a four-game losing streak and moved them to 45-32. A recent rough stretch has Memphis tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves and LA Clippers, but thanks to tiebreakers, the Grizzlies are in eighth while the Timberwolves hold the last automatic playoff spot at sixth and the Clippers are set to host a play-in matchup with Memphis as the seven seed.
The Pistons have a spot in the postseason clinched, but they only have a half a game lead on the Milwaukee Bucks. Detroit is 43-34 and in the fifth seed currently which would have them likely facing the Indiana Pacers in the first round while the six seed likely gets a date with the New York Knicks.
Who: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Detroit Pistons
When: Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m. EDT
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
Stream: FuboTV (free trial); Sling; DirecTV Stream (free trial)
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $25 off the first month for new customers.
What is DirecTV Stream?
DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is SlingTV?
SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation.
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The NBA’s playoff chase enters its final days. Here’s a look at what’s happening
By The Associated Press
It’s playoff-positioning time in the NBA.
Going into Saturday, there are 73 games left in the season. The 10 Eastern Conference postseason teams are set; Cleveland, Boston, New York, Indiana and Detroit are in the playoffs, Milwaukee is on the brink of joining them, while Atlanta still has a tiny bit of hope of escaping the play-in tournament. Orlando, Miami and Chicago have clinched play-in spots.
In the Western Conference, Oklahoma City is the No. 1 seed and Houston is in the playoffs. the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Golden State and Minnesota enter Saturday holding playoff spots, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis chasing them and trying to stay out of the play-in. Dallas and Sacramento have the inside track for play-in berths, with Phoenix (two games back entering Saturday), Portland (3 1/2 back) and San Antonio (five back with five to play) still alive for those as well.
Add it up, and 23 of the 30 teams are still playing for something other than lottery odds with just about a week to go in the regular season.
Saturday’s games
New York at Atlanta — Jalen Brunson is on the brink of returning for the Knicks, while the Hawks are fighting for play-in positioning.
Memphis at Detroit — The Grizzlies want to avoid the play-in, and Detroit is trying to hang on to the No. 5 seed.
Minnesota at Philadelphia — The Timberwolves are in a logjam of teams trying to finish 5th or 6th in the West, not 7th or 8th.
Milwaukee at Miami — The Bucks are eyeing the No. 5 seed in the East, and the Heat might have to win out to avoid the 9 vs. 10 play-in game.
Dallas at L.A. Clippers — The teams met Friday night there as well. The Clippers are in that 5-6-7-8 mess out West, and the Mavericks are likely headed to the 9 vs. 10 play-in game.
National TV schedule
Saturday’s Memphis-Detroit game is on NBA TV. There are four games on NBA TV on Sunday — Bulls-Hornets, Lakers-Thunder, Kings-Cavaliers and Rockets-Warriors.
Betting odds
Oklahoma City (+175) is favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Boston (+200), Cleveland (+500), then the Lakers (+1000), Golden State (+1200) and Denver (+1600). Nobody else has odds shorter than 35-1.
Key dates
April 11 — All 30 NBA teams play.
April 12 — No games.
April 13 — All 30 NBA teams play, end of regular season.
April 15 — The No. 7 and No. 8 finishers in both conferences play to start the play-in tournament. Winners are the No. 7 seed for the playoffs; losers will host play-in elimination games on April 18.
April 16 — The No. 9 and No. 10 finishers in both conferences play. Winners move on to April 18; losers are finished for the season.
April 18 — The April 15 game losers play host to the April 16 game winners. Winners are the No. 8 seed for the playoffs; losers are finished for the season.
April 19 — NBA playoffs begin.
Numbers watch
— Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now has 70 consecutive 20-point games, something only Wilt Chamberlain (who twice had 80-game single-season streaks) and Oscar Robertson (who had a 76-game single-season streak) have done in a single season. Michael Jordan’s single-season best was 69; Gilgeous-Alexander passed that on Friday.
— The NBA record for total 3-pointers made in a season is on pace to fall on Sunday. There have been 31,281 made 3s so far this season; the record is 31,579, set last season. The single-season record for attempts was broken on Friday; teams have tried 86,831 3s this season going into Saturday, which is 296 more than the mark set in 2021-22.
— Boston (1,370) has broken the single-season team record for 3-pointers, set two years ago by Golden State (1,363). The Celtics set the mark Friday night. The Celtics are now four 3-point tries from breaking the single-season attempts record of 3,721, set by Houston in 2018-19.
— For the first time, the NBA could have three players make 300 3-pointers in a season. Detroit’s Malik Beasley has 298, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards has 297 and Golden State’s Stephen Curry has 293.
— There have been four instances of teammates each having 250 3-pointers in a season: Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson did it four times when they were the Warriors’ “Splash Brothers.” That was it — until now. Boston could have three players reach that number this season: Derrick White is already there with 253, Jayson Tatum has 243 and Payton Pritchard has 242.
Stat of the day
Golden State is now 14-0 when it uses this starting lineup — Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody.
Only two other starting lineups this season have a 10-game winning streak: Oklahoma City’s group of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace went 11-0, and Boston has a current 10-game streak when it starts Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
