Playoff Race Updates
With only three days left in the regular season the playoff picture is finally coming into focus. The field is set in the East but only Detroit, Toronto & Miami are locked into their seeds (#1, #3 & #4 respectively). Out West the top three are set (Dallas, Phoenix & San Antonio in order) as well as #6 (Denver). This means we already know what one first round series will be…Nuggets at Spurs.
I won’t be putting out one giant playoff preview this year. Instead I’m going to post them on the blog one by one as they are set. So keep checking in regularly!
(Back-to-back games have an “&” in between them.)
EAST
2. Chicago (49-32) - @NJ
For the Bulls it’s simple. Beat New Jersey on the last day of the season and #2 is theirs. If Chicago loses they open the door for Cleveland, which would mean the Bulls fall to #5 and get the Heat in round one. Chicago owns the tiebreaker over Toronto, so even if the Bulls finish up at #2 with 33 losses, they’d have home court over the Raptors in round two.
5. Cleveland (48-32) - @Phl & Mil
The Cavaliers need to win out and have Chicago lose in order to move up to #2. If Cleveland loses at Philadelphia on 4/17, the Cavs are automatically #5 because they lose the second tiebreaker to the Bulls on division record (9-6 to 12-4). I’m sure the league office is salivating at the chance to market a LeBron James – Dwyane Wade first round match up. I’m sick of it already.
6. Washington (40-40) - Orl & @Ind
The Wizards continue their downward spiral without Gilbert Arenas & Caron Butler. Washington could still finish at #8 if they lose the rest of their games. I suspect they’ll find a way to go 1-1 and avoid Detroit in the opening round.
7. New Jersey (39-41) - & @NY, Chi
The Nets hold the tiebreakers over both Washington & Orlando, so they have the best chance to move up to #6. NJ taking care of business tonight at The Garden against the Knicks would put the pressure on the Wiz & Magic. The Nets could also get lucky and end up facing a Chicago team with nothing to play for on the final night of the season (if the 76ers beat the Cavs).
8. Orlando (38-42) - @Wsh & Mia
The Magic are in but they need to maintain their focus for their 4/17 showdown in Washington. The reason being that if the Magic beat the Wiz & Heat they would win the second tiebreaker (division record, 9-7 to 8-8) over Washington. The other bonus for the Magic winning out is that they can pass the Nets should NJ lose out.
WEST
4. Utah (49-31) - Por, Hou
If the Jazz win out, and Houston loses to Phoenix, Utah gets home court in round one by virtue of winning the season series with the Rockets (3-1). Otherwise the Jazz open the playoffs at the Toyota Center.
5. Houston (51-29) - Phx, @Uth
The Rockets can sew up home court in the first round by beating a Phoenix team with nothing to play for tonight. I suspect the Suns will rest some of their key players, so if Houston blows this game they deserve what they get in Utah on 4/18.
7. Lakers (41-40) - @Sac
Los Angeles is already in because they hold the tiebreakers over both Golden State and the Clippers. The Lakers need to take care of business at ARCO on the final day of the season because a loss to the Kings could mean Dallas in round one. LA coach Phil Jackson has already gone on record saying he doesn’t like the way his club matches up against the Mavericks.
8. Golden State (40-40) - Dal & @Por
Two more wins is all it will take for the Warriors to break their 12 year post season drought. I read where Dallas coach Avery Johnson said that he is going to continue to rest his players, but I have to wonder about that. The rationale being that he didn’t yesterday against the Spurs, so why would he want to risk going 0-3 on the season against GS when they are likely to face each other in the opening round? The Warriors just need to continue to play free & easy and they should be fine.
Clippers (39-41) - @Phx & NO/OKC
Los Angeles was outscored 60 to 41 in the first half yesterday at home yesterday against a Sacramento squad with nothing to play for. That’s called not being ready to play, just a terrible loss. The saving grace for the Clips is that they hold the tiebreaker over GS by virtue of a better division record (7-8 to 6-10) should they finish tied. Another thing LA has going for them is that both the Suns & Hornets should be resting guys when they get together.
> Philadelphia, New Orleans/Oklahoma City & Indiana were all officially eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend.
I won’t be putting out one giant playoff preview this year. Instead I’m going to post them on the blog one by one as they are set. So keep checking in regularly!
(Back-to-back games have an “&” in between them.)
EAST
2. Chicago (49-32) - @NJ
For the Bulls it’s simple. Beat New Jersey on the last day of the season and #2 is theirs. If Chicago loses they open the door for Cleveland, which would mean the Bulls fall to #5 and get the Heat in round one. Chicago owns the tiebreaker over Toronto, so even if the Bulls finish up at #2 with 33 losses, they’d have home court over the Raptors in round two.
5. Cleveland (48-32) - @Phl & Mil
The Cavaliers need to win out and have Chicago lose in order to move up to #2. If Cleveland loses at Philadelphia on 4/17, the Cavs are automatically #5 because they lose the second tiebreaker to the Bulls on division record (9-6 to 12-4). I’m sure the league office is salivating at the chance to market a LeBron James – Dwyane Wade first round match up. I’m sick of it already.
6. Washington (40-40) - Orl & @Ind
The Wizards continue their downward spiral without Gilbert Arenas & Caron Butler. Washington could still finish at #8 if they lose the rest of their games. I suspect they’ll find a way to go 1-1 and avoid Detroit in the opening round.
7. New Jersey (39-41) - & @NY, Chi
The Nets hold the tiebreakers over both Washington & Orlando, so they have the best chance to move up to #6. NJ taking care of business tonight at The Garden against the Knicks would put the pressure on the Wiz & Magic. The Nets could also get lucky and end up facing a Chicago team with nothing to play for on the final night of the season (if the 76ers beat the Cavs).
8. Orlando (38-42) - @Wsh & Mia
The Magic are in but they need to maintain their focus for their 4/17 showdown in Washington. The reason being that if the Magic beat the Wiz & Heat they would win the second tiebreaker (division record, 9-7 to 8-8) over Washington. The other bonus for the Magic winning out is that they can pass the Nets should NJ lose out.
WEST
4. Utah (49-31) - Por, Hou
If the Jazz win out, and Houston loses to Phoenix, Utah gets home court in round one by virtue of winning the season series with the Rockets (3-1). Otherwise the Jazz open the playoffs at the Toyota Center.
5. Houston (51-29) - Phx, @Uth
The Rockets can sew up home court in the first round by beating a Phoenix team with nothing to play for tonight. I suspect the Suns will rest some of their key players, so if Houston blows this game they deserve what they get in Utah on 4/18.
7. Lakers (41-40) - @Sac
Los Angeles is already in because they hold the tiebreakers over both Golden State and the Clippers. The Lakers need to take care of business at ARCO on the final day of the season because a loss to the Kings could mean Dallas in round one. LA coach Phil Jackson has already gone on record saying he doesn’t like the way his club matches up against the Mavericks.
8. Golden State (40-40) - Dal & @Por
Two more wins is all it will take for the Warriors to break their 12 year post season drought. I read where Dallas coach Avery Johnson said that he is going to continue to rest his players, but I have to wonder about that. The rationale being that he didn’t yesterday against the Spurs, so why would he want to risk going 0-3 on the season against GS when they are likely to face each other in the opening round? The Warriors just need to continue to play free & easy and they should be fine.
Clippers (39-41) - @Phx & NO/OKC
Los Angeles was outscored 60 to 41 in the first half yesterday at home yesterday against a Sacramento squad with nothing to play for. That’s called not being ready to play, just a terrible loss. The saving grace for the Clips is that they hold the tiebreaker over GS by virtue of a better division record (7-8 to 6-10) should they finish tied. Another thing LA has going for them is that both the Suns & Hornets should be resting guys when they get together.
> Philadelphia, New Orleans/Oklahoma City & Indiana were all officially eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend.
posted by D$ at 10:25 AM
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