duncan228
03-30-2009, 10:42 PM
Spurs thisclose to playoff berth (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/03/spurs-thisclose.html)
By Jeff McDonald
There won't be champagne on ice at the AT&T Center on Tuesday night. No streamers. No confetti. No big party plans.
The Spurs can clinch their 12th consecutive playoff berth with a victory over Oklahoma City, but it won't be cause for much of a celebration. Around these parts, playoff berths are expected. The Spurs would no more celebrate a playoff berth than they would their next breath.
It's a mere formality this time around, too.
The Spurs are nine games ahead of ninth-place Phoenix in the loss column. They have nine games to play. The Suns have eight. The best record Phoenix can muster is 48-34. The worst record the Spurs can post is 48-34. The Spurs own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The only reason the Spurs haven't already clinched: If they go 0-9, and the Suns go 8-0, there are still scenarios in which the teams wind up in a multi-team tie. The Spurs, technically, could still lose such a tiebreaker.
One more Spurs victory -- or one more Suns loss -- renders such a scenario impossible. One more Spurs victory -- or one more Suns loss -- and the Spurs are in the playoffs again.
Let the party begin. Or not.
By Jeff McDonald
There won't be champagne on ice at the AT&T Center on Tuesday night. No streamers. No confetti. No big party plans.
The Spurs can clinch their 12th consecutive playoff berth with a victory over Oklahoma City, but it won't be cause for much of a celebration. Around these parts, playoff berths are expected. The Spurs would no more celebrate a playoff berth than they would their next breath.
It's a mere formality this time around, too.
The Spurs are nine games ahead of ninth-place Phoenix in the loss column. They have nine games to play. The Suns have eight. The best record Phoenix can muster is 48-34. The worst record the Spurs can post is 48-34. The Spurs own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The only reason the Spurs haven't already clinched: If they go 0-9, and the Suns go 8-0, there are still scenarios in which the teams wind up in a multi-team tie. The Spurs, technically, could still lose such a tiebreaker.
One more Spurs victory -- or one more Suns loss -- renders such a scenario impossible. One more Spurs victory -- or one more Suns loss -- and the Spurs are in the playoffs again.
Let the party begin. Or not.