NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is a strong supporter of the league’s integrity. Reduce rest time for starters in order to protect ticket buyers who have paid full price. To protect the league’s reputation, teams should always give it their all in an effort to win.

Except on the last day of the regular season, when a club tries to manipulate the standings. It seems that losing a game can save a club from facing a more deserving opponent in the first round of the playoffs, hence it’s acceptable to not prioritize winning. It’s a sensible, if not noble, tactic.

When the sun rose on April 14, the Cavaliers were fourth in the NBA East. When the sun fell, coach J.B. Bickerstaff made sure they would still be fourth. 48-33 for the Cavaliers.

Prior to the game, the Cavaliers decided not to start Donovan Mitchell (knee), Darius Garland (back), and Caris LeVert (knee). After three quarters, their lead over the Hornets was 96-88. By then, Damion Jones, Emoni Bates, Pete Nance, Isaiah Mobley, and Isaac Okoro were on the floor with the starters who had taken the position of the normal starters on the bench. At 10:25 remaining in the fourth, Max Strus replaced Oroko.

“We were aware of some of that stuff (other games) going on, but once we sat our guys at the end of the third quarter and they had the mindset they weren’t going to go back in, I didn’t want to take any risk putting them back in the game,” Bickerstaff said.

The Hornets defeated the Cavaliers 120-110 after outscoring them 32-14 in the fourth quarter. The Magic defeated the Bucks 113-88 by maintaining a sizable advantage. After a comeback, the Knicks defeated the Bulls 120-119 in overtime. On the TV in their locker room, the Cavs watched the conclusion of the Bulls vs. Knicks game.

The Cavaliers now know that they will play the Magic, who are ranked fifth, in the opening round of the playoffs. But the Cavs would have finished second if they had defeated Charlotte and the Knicks and Bucks had both lost. As it stands, the Knicks are the second seed behind the Celtics, who are ranked first. The Bucks are ranked third, and the Cavs are ranked fourth.

In the NBA East this year, finishing with a higher seed would normally be preferable.

On April 17, eighth-seeded Miami and seventh-seeded Philadelphia square off in a one-game play-in. In the opening round, the victor of that matchup will take on the second-seeded Knicks.

Though Bickerstaff would never admit it, the Cavaliers have a greater chance of making it through against the Magic than they would have against Miami or Philadelphia.

Normally, it would be better to finish with a higher seed in the NBA East this year.

Eighth-seeded Miami and seventh-seeded Philadelphia will play a single game play-in on April 17. The winner of that game will face the second-seeded Knicks in the first round.

The Cavaliers have a better chance of winning against the Magic than they have against Miami or Philadelphia, even though Bickerstaff will never acknowledge it.