NBA Playoff Preview: 16 Kentucky Wildcats set to play in NBA Postseason

The NBA Playoffs start tonight with a couple of play-in games. The 7th and 8th-placed teams on each side of the bracket will play for their respective conference’s seventh playoff seed, with Orlando hosting Atlanta in the East and Golden State hosting Memphis in the West. The loser of each game will get one more opportunity to play their way into the field, while each of tonight’s winners will advance to the main bracket.

Play-In Schedule

Tuesday: (7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks – 7:30 p.m., TNT
Tuesday: (7) Warriors vs. (8) Grizzlies – 10:00 p.m., TNT

Wednesday: (9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat – 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday: (9) Kings vs. (10) Mavericks – 10:00 p.m., ESPN

Friday: Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Friday: Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10

Wildcats in the Play-In Tournament

Eight of the 16 former Kentucky Wildcats participating in the NBA’s postseason will have to play their way through the play-in tournament to advance to the NBA Playoff bracket. One former Wildcat plays tonight; another six play in Wednesday night’s games:

— Kevin Knox averaged 3.8 minutes across the Golden State Warriors’ last four games of the regular season after the Warriors extended his 10-day contract in March. Tonight, Knox will be ready if needed as a reserve forward on the Golden State bench as the Warriors play to get back in the field for the first time since 2022-23.

— On Wednesday, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo will help the 10th-place Miami Heat try to get back to the first round, where Miami lost to Boston last season after reaching the NBA Finals in 2022-23. Herro led Miami in scoring in the regular season (23.9 ppg), earning his first All-Star selection. Adebayo averaged 18.1 and 9.6 rebounds for the Heat. Miami is a 1.5-point underdog at Chicago.

— In the second Wednesday game, the ninth-place Sacramento Kings, featuring Malik Monk and Trey Lyles, host the Dallas Mavericks in the West’s 9/10 play-in. This game is full of former Wildcats as Dallas rides Anthony Davis and PJ Washington into the first postseason of the post-Luka era. Washington was a key piece in the Mavs’ run to last year’s NBA Finals, while Davis makes his postseason debut as a Mav after the blockbuster trade that shook up the NBA in February. The winner of this game advances to Friday’s play-in; the loser heads to the beach.

— One more play-in note: Fresh off his 17-point game against the Magic in the regular season finale, Jacob Toppin is ineligible for Monday’s play-in game with the Hawks, a rematch against the Magic. Toppin signed a two-way contract with Atlanta in March. Sunday was his one and only game in an Atlanta uniform this season. He will not suit up in the postseason.

Wildcats in the West

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on MVP Watch with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the betting favorite to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year. Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace helped OKC to the league’s best record (68-14) and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder will host the second team to come out of the West’s play-in tournament in the first round. (Game 1: Sun. April 20, TBD)

— Rookie Reed Sheppard will make his NBA Playoff debut with Houston, the No. 2 seed in the West, against the West’s other play-in team. Sheppared averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 12.6 minutes per game in his first season; however, he made the most of extended time late in the season, scoring 20 and 14 in back-to-back games last week. (Game 1: Sun. April 20, TBD)

— The addition of Luka Doncic pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to a No. 3 seed in the West, the Lakers’ best seed since the bubble championship in 2020. Former Wildcat Jarred Vanderbilt will come off the bench for the Lake Show after playing 16.1 minutes per game throughout the regular season. The Lakers host Minnesota in Game 1. (Game 1: Sat. April 19, 8:30 ET, ABC)

— Rob Dillingham and Julius Randle will be on the other side of L.A.’s first-round series, playing for the Timberwolves. It will be the postseason debut for each former Wildcat in Minnesota. Dillingham was drafted to the Wolves last summer and Randle was traded from New York in October. (Game 1: Sat. April 19, 8:30 ET, ABC)

— Playing for the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets, Jamal Murray hopes to help Denver recreate its 2023 run to the championship. Murray signed a four-year, $208 million contract extension this season. Denver hosts the Clippers. (Game 1: Sat. April 19, 3:30 ET, ESPN)

Wildcats in the East

— Karl-Anthony Towns shined in his first season as a New York Knick, averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds in his fresh start away from Minnesota. Towns led the Knicks to a No. 3 seed in the East, playing the Detroit Pistons in the first round. (Game 1: Sat. April 19, 6:00 ET, ESPN)

— Isaiah Jackson is out for the season with a torn achilles, so he can only watch on from the sideline as his Indiana Pacers play Chris Livingston‘s Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Indiana is the East’s No. 4 seed; Milwakuee is the No. 5. (Game 1: Sat. April 19, 1:00 ET, ESPN)

Every Wildcat in the NBA Playoffs

1. Bam Adebayo (Heat, Play-In)
2. Anthony Davis (Mavericks, Play-In)
3. Rob Dillingham (Timberwolves, West 6-Seed)
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunders, West 1-Seed)
5. Tyler Herro (Heat, Play-In)
6. Kevin Knox (Warriors, Play-In)
7. Chris Livingston (Bucks, East 5-Seed)
8. Trey Lyles (Kings, Play-In)
9. Malik Monk (Kings, Play-In)
10. Jamal Murray (Nuggets, West 4-Seed)
11. Julius Randle (Timberwolves, West 6-Seed)
12. Reed Sheppard (Rockets, West 2-Seed)
13. Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks, East 3-Seed)
14. Jarred Vanderbilt (Lakers, West 3-Seed)
15. Cason Wallace (Thunders, West 1-Seed)
16. PJ Washington (Mavericks, Play-In)

NBA Playoff Bracket

Wildcats at home

— Surprisingly, Devin Booker, Nick Richards, and TyTy Washington missed the postseason with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns were expected to contend in the West this year but failed to qualify for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

— The Philadelphia 76ers, featuring Tyrese Maxey and Justin Edwards, were expected to be in the conversation in the East, but Philadelphia missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.

— Immanuel Quickley (Raptors), Shaedon Sharpe (Blazers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), Keldon Johnson (Spurs), Johnny Juzang (Jazz), Oscar Tshiebwe (Jazz), Antonio Reeves (Pelicans), Brandon Boston (Pelicans), and Keion Brooks (Pelicans) will also watch from home.