Domantas Sabonis will be key in the Mavs-Kings matchup in Wednesday’s SoFi Play-In Tournament showdown.
The first day of this year’s SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament pits the No. 9 and No. 10 finishers in each conference.
The 2025 NBA postseason tips off with the SoFi Play-In Tournament. Get ready for the action with previews and predictions for Wednesday’s matchups, which will determine who will face the Grizzlies and the Hawks for the No. 8 seed in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.
East: (10) Miami Heat @ (9) Chicago Bulls (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The winner: Advances to face Atlanta for right to play Cleveland in first round as No. 8 seed
The loser: Eliminated
Regular-season result: Bulls, 3-0
Keep your eye on: Josh Giddey’s hot streak
His ascent was captured in that dramatic victory over the Lakers a few weeks ago when he sank a half-court shot at the buzzer to win it. Over his final 19 games, he averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists. In that span, he had a 28-point triple-double against the Heat, perhaps giving a preview of what could come in tonight’s matchup.
Giddey compiled over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists this season. That matches Nikola Jokić and LeBron James as the only players to do so in 2024-25, and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only Bulls in team history.
Key matchup: Tyler Herro vs. Coby White
This is an interesting duel between a pair of promising guards who delivered this season. With the game on the line, chances are high that the ball will find these two designated go-to scorers who posted career highs across the board.
White has adopted a more aggressive approach since the departures of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, which is good for a Bulls team searching for identity. Same goes for Herro since Miami jettisoned Jimmy Butler as he is averaging 28 points over his past 10 games.
Prediction: Bulls
The Bulls couldn’t avoid the Play-In but were one of the league’s hottest teams down the stretch, winning 13 of their final 18 games as Giddey, White, Nikola Vučević and rookie Matas Buzelis all played key roles.
On the other hand, the Heat suffered a 10-game losing streak while searching for answers in the post-Butler era. The good news is that Bam Adebayo raised his game after a rough start to the season. Erik Spoelstra is also a proven big-game coach, and Miami once reached the NBA Finals from the Play-In. But this team appears wayward in a season that never felt right.
West: (10) Dallas Mavericks @ (9) Sacramento Kings (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The winner: Advances to face Memphis for right to play Oklahoma City in first round as No. 8 seed
The loser: Eliminated
Regular-season result: Kings, 3-0
Keep your eye on: The 3-point duel
Not to bring up unpleasant memories, but Sacramento was the setting for Klay Thompson’s last game as a Warrior and it didn’t go well. He missed all 10 of his attempts in a 118-94 Play-In loss to Sacramento last year, a sour ending to a brilliant career. Now he has a chance to atone and it would be much appreciated by a Mavericks team that’s craving backcourt scoring.
Meanwhile, LaVine ended the regular season ranked eighth among all players in 3-pointers made and shot a sparkling 44.6%. That sounds like Thompson during his prime with the Warriors.
Key matchup: Domantas Sabonis vs. Anthony Davis
The Mavericks can throw a variety of big men in the path of Sabonis — Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II — but the shine will be brightest when it’s Davis. Both are two of the league’s most versatile big men because of their ability to stray beyond the perimeter.
When that happens, Sabonis’ best weapon is his passing; for Davis, it’s his outside shooting. The key for the Mavericks is to use their platoon of centers to overwhelm Sabonis and maybe draw fouls. At the very least, he’ll have his hands full with Davis — and vice versa.
Prediction: Kings
It was a rocky season for both teams. The Kings fired coach Mike Brown early and traded De’Aaron Fox at midseason. Meanwhile, the Mavericks crumbled under the fallout from the Luka Doncic trade (after which they went 13-20), coupled with Kyrie Irving’s season-ending ACL injury and Davis missing 18 straight games with an adductor strain.
One of these teams will be put out of their misery, and the leading candidate seems to be Dallas. The Mavs will be at a severe backcourt disadvantage and must find something from Naji Marshall, Dante Exum and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Kings bring better balance even without the injured Malik Monk. It might be the final time the beam is lit, but still.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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