NBA Rebounds From Tank-Plagued Regular Season With Play-In Drama
Portland’s victory, Charlotte’s strong showing, and Golden State’s up-and-down games were a great warmup for the playoffs.
Deni Avdija (8) of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Collin Gillespie (12) of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 14, 2026. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Play-In Tournament was exactly what the NBA had been missing this season, even before the All-Star break.
The epidemic-level of tanking, otherwise known as non-competitive behavior, had combined with load management—reducing court time for healthy stars prior to the playoffs—and so-called schedule losses to drag some NBA games this season down to unwatchable status at times.
Donald Laible
Author
Don has covered pro baseball for several decades, beginning in the minor leagues as a radio broadcaster in the NY Mets organization. His Ice Chips & Diamond Dust blog ran from 2012-2020 at uticaod.com. His baseball passion surrounds anything concerning the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and writing features on the players and staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Don currently resides in southwest Florida.
