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March Madness may be over, but our thirst for bracket challenges is wholly unquenchable. Join our NBA bracket challenge (password is HOO75HX3) if you think you have what it takes to see the future…

And before we get into our hoops spiel, our biggest announcement yet is dropping today on @enjoybball & @notbpod… stay tuned. 📺 👁️

Today’s Lineup

Full-Court Coverage

Coby White’s Bulls down Atlanta 131-116 to stay alive for 8-seed

Last night was one of those moments where the entire basketball community rallies around one man, and that man was Coby White. He sliced and diced the Hawks and powered his Chicago Bulls to an impressive 15-point victory at home over Atlanta, ending with a would-be-career-high 42 points.

But this wasn’t just a carry-job, either! Nikola Vucevic (24 PTS, 12 REB) played really well in the midrange, DeMar DeRozan poured in 22 of his own, and Ayo Dosunmu rained in an efficient 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-4 3PT).

Philly squeezes by Miami 105-104, will face NYK in first round

At this point, we’re ready to cement the play-in tournament as one the best innovations in basketball history. This game was an incredible defensive battle, with highlight after highlight proving why BOTH of these teams deserve a playoff spot. And even after being down big in the first half, Philly stormed back to get the W thanks to Joel Embiid (23 PTS, 15 REB) and an incredible shooting night from Nicolas Batum (20 PTS, six 3PM). This is why he’s in, folks.

As for the Heat, they were killed by their own shooting efficiency and an inability to hit a few crucial free throws when it mattered most. Tyler Herro (25 PTS, 9-27 FG, 4-14 3PT) led the Heat in scoring, but we can’t help think that Jimmy Butler (19 PTS) would have helped fill that role if he hadn’t have gone down with an MCL injury in the first half. But once again… more on that later.

Hoops News Roundup

• Calling all sneakerheads! After his incredible MVP-level season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just inked a multiyear contract with Converse. Not only is he set to have his own shoe and apparel line releasing in 2025, but he will also serve as the creative director of Converse Basketball. Not bad, SGA!

• And late last night, Woj confirmed the worst for Miami fans: that Jimmy Butler’s MCL injury was a serious one and that he’ll have to miss a few weeks before returning to basketball activities. That means he’ll be inactive for tonight’s matchup against Chicago and, if they win, for their first round series as well. We hate to see a team’s best player go down at crucial moments like this—prayers up to Butler and the rest of the Miami faithful! 🙏

Play-In Preview

Four games down, two to go. Let’s take a look at both of tonight’s play-in tournament matchups:

9 Chicago Bulls @ 8 Miami Heat: The Bulls will look to get revenge against the Heat for last year’s play-in, when Miami sent them home in this very same scenario. This game will come down to two things—can Coby White continue to dazzle opposing defenses on all three levels, and will the rest of the Heat be able to replicate Jimmy Butler’s contributions on the court after his injury on Wednesday? Chicago and Miami split their season series, with the biggest margin of victory being the Heat’s 118-100 win on Nov. 20th.

9 Sacramento Kings @ 7 New Orleans Pelicans: The tale of the tape with these two teams has been pretty clear throughout this season—the Pelicans went 5-0 in their matchups against the Kings this year with an average margin of 19 points. But in all fairness, Zion Williamson averages 24 points in games against the Kings and he’s unavailable tonight. After dethroning the Warriors dynasty, could SacTown overpower the weakened Pelicans and advance into the first round?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

That’s all for us! This weekend, we’re gonna challenge you to focus on being thankful. Thankful for the people in your life, thankful for the privileges you have, and thankful that the playoffs are right around the corner—there’s a lot to appreciate. Talk soon!

-Austin Zeglis

WAIT! Before we go… happy birthday to Enjoyers DJ, Alec, Sam, Jeremy, and Fuller! We hope you had a great time celebrating, and from us to you, thanks for being part of the Enjoy Basketball movement! 🎂 💙