With the 2023/24 NBA regular season now over, the competition gives way to the long-awaited Play-In. In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks will be the two teams competing in the 9th-10th place match-up, where the winner will then face the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat for the last playoff spot. The stars of the matchup will be DeMar DeRozan and Trae Young.
The Hawks will be the visitors after a regular season that ended with a 36-46 record. The good news for the Georgia franchise is that Young is now fully recovered from his finger injury, especially considering that the challenge is gigantic: beat Chicago at home and then also beat the Sixers or Heat on the road.
The Bulls, on the other hand, have a better chance than Atlanta to win this first game of the Play-in. It is worth remembering that both teams only aspire to the eighth playoff spot, so if they want to be in the playoffs for the ring they will have to face Boston Celtics in the first round, no matter what.
Expert predictions (Possible starting fives and result).
The main predictions for the play-in game place Chicago Bulls as the favorite to win. The home court factor, in a duel between two teams that have had very similar performances in the regular season, can be decisive and affect the Atlanta Hawks.
In addition, the potential starting fives will be as follows:
Schedule and TV.
The game will be played on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET, and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Injury Report.