duncan228
04-13-2009, 02:36 AM
Much to be decided in NBA season’s final days (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30185035//)
Teams trying to move up in seedings, avoid dangerous matchups
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com
Apparently, eighty games is not enough.
At least that's the case when it comes to this season's races for playoff seeding.
The final Monday of the season matters, as will the final Tuesday.
Heck, closing night on Wednesday could be a by-the-numbers exercise on who plays where and when as the playoffs open this coming weekend.
With that in mind, we offer a look at the games that still matter and run through the permutations.
What we know for sure right now is this:
In the Eastern Conference, the top five seeds are settled, with Cleveland No. 1, Boston No. 2, Orlando No. 3, Atlanta No. 4 and Miami No. 5. Beyond that, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit are in, with their positioning at Nos. 6-8 still be to be determined. The only set playoff matchup is Atlanta hosting the Heat in the best-of-seven first round.
In the West, the Lakers at locked into No. 1. From there, Denver, Houston, Portland and San Antonio are fighting for seed Nos. 2-5, with New Orleans, Dallas and Utah also guaranteed playoff berths, in a fight for seeds Nos. 6-8.
Monday
Cleveland at Indiana: Even with the Lakers defeating the Grizzlies on Sunday night, the Cavaliers' magic number for clinching the overall top playoff seed is one. Win this one and everyone gets to rest until the playoffs, with Ben Wallace then getting the opportunity to work his way back with some valuable minutes.
Securing homecourt in a potential NBA Finals against the Lakers could be considered somewhat of a priority, considering Kobe & Co. stand as the lone opponent to win in Cleveland this season.
Chicago at Detroit: Consider it the who-doesn't-want-to-face Cleveland bowl, with the loser looking at a first-round series against LeBron and his increasingly supportive cast.
Should the Pistons lose, they would be locked, at 42 losses, into the No. 8 seed in the East, since they lost the season series 2-1 to Philadelphia and enter Monday night down 2-1 in the season series to Chicago.
A Pistons victory, however, could have seeds Nos. 6-8 in play until Wednesday's finales.
From a television perspective, there is something to be said about first-round intrigue between the fading Pistons and rising Cavaliers.
Minnesota at Dallas: The goal for the Mavericks and anyone else in the Nos. 6-8 race in the West clearly is avoiding Kobe and the Lakers in the first round. That means avoiding No. 8.
To that end, Sunday's loss to the Hornets certainly didn't help. Dallas is one game up on No. 8 Utah, with the teams having split their four-game season series. Utah, however, holds an insurmountable lead in the second tiebreaker, conference record.
This game with the 'Wolves is huge for Dallas for so many reasons. Because New Orleans sealed the season series with Sunday's victory, Dallas would have to win its remaining two and New Orleans would have to lose its remaining two for the Mavericks to rise to No. 6.
New Orleans at Houston: A game that matters for both sides, but a little more for the Rockets.
The best New Orleans can do is No. 6 in the West, which means opening on the road against an opponent at No. 3 that likely won't be determined until Wednesday. That opponent very well could be Houston, so don't expect New Orleans to show much in this one.
The Rockets not only are tied with San Antonio for the Southwest lead, but also finished the season series tied 2-2 with the Spurs. That would bring it down to the next tiebreaker of division record (since the teams are in the same division).
Considering the Spurs close against the Hornets, New Orleans well could determine the division champion.
L.A. Clippers at Utah: At least it's not a road game for the Jazz. At this point, Jerry Sloan can't take too many more of those.
At 47-33, the Jazz have to find a way to extricate themselves from No. 8. It won't be easy with the season finale coming on the road against the Lakers.
Trailing the Mavericks by one game for No. 7 in the West, Utah does have the advantage of holding the tiebreaker against Dallas by virtue of a superior conference record.
Sacramento at Denver: The Nuggets control their own fate when it comes to No. 2 in the West, but it could come down to winning out, with this a huge one.
Denver has to be careful, as it already has lost the tiebreaker to the Rockets.
The Nuggets, though, do hold the tiebreaker against both the Spurs (2-1 season series) and Trail Blazers (division record). A win here would, at worst, lock up the Northwest Division for the Nuggets.
Oklahoma City at Portland: While Denver could wrap up the division with a win earlier in the night, the Blazers still would have plenty to play for, including potential homecourt advantage over the Southwest runner-up in the first round.
The Blazers hold the tiebreaker over San Antonio, but not over Houston.
Homecourt in the first round for the Blazers? Who would have thought?
San Antonio at Golden State: Yes, seeding matters for the Spurs, but not as much as nursing Tim Duncan back to the top of his game, which is why Duncan was given Sunday off in the tougher-than-expected victory at Sacramento.
Considering the timing of this game, the Spurs well could play the results of the Rockets and Blazers games to see if there is a dire need to push Duncan, who is expected to play.
Tuesday
Boston at Philadelphia: The 76ers' desperation, beyond their current five-game losing streak, likely will be a factor of the Bulls-Pistons results the night earlier.
If Detroit loses Monday to Chicago and is locked into No. 8, the 76ers will know that their playoff fate can't involve the Cavaliers.
Considering the way Boston went through the motions Sunday in Cleveland, and considering Kevin Garnett is not expected back for this one for Boston, Philadelphia just might be able to keep alive its hopes for No. 6 — and a first-round meeting with the Magic instead of the Celtics — for one more night.
Remember, the 76ers do hold the tiebreaker on the Bulls by virtue of superior conference record.
Utah at L.A. Lakers: Should the Cavaliers win Monday in Indiana, the Lakers will have nothing to play for here, having been eliminated for a shot at homecourt in the Finals but also being locked into No. 1 in the West.
Utah had better hope so, in light of its dreary 15-25 road record.
The irony here is with a victory, the Jazz would finish 2-1 against the Lakers, yet a victory also could help Utah avoid opening against the Lakers in the first round.
Wednesday
Detroit at Miami: There are several scenarios where Detroit could be locked into No. 8 in the East at this point. But there also are a few that could leave an escape hatch open to avoid Cleveland in the first round. There might not be much resistance in this one, especially with the Heat already locked into No. 5 in the East.
New Orleans at San Antonio: Games such as these are why it won't be much before midnight in the East before anyone has a clue about the West seedings. This very well could have seeding significance to both teams. The Spurs trail 2-1 in the season series.
Houston at Dallas: Ditto. We're talking last place in the West and potentially first place in the Southwest. The Rockets lead the season series 2-1. This one figures to be as insane as Ron Artest.
Philadelphia at Cleveland: Unless it slips up Monday in Indiana, Cleveland figures to have the top playoff seed locked up by this one. But there is that temptation to try to match the all-time record for homecourt success. For the second night in a row, Philadelphia finds its seeding hopes at the whim of how hard its superior-but-locked-in opponent chooses to play.
Toronto at Chicago: Remember, Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker on the Bulls by virtue of conference record, so Chicago figures to have something a stake here in the quest to elude the Cavaliers and Celtics in the first round. But also remember that the Bulls stand among the league's hottest teams at home.
Denver at Portland: At worst, the Blazers could have a shot at homecourt advantage in the first round here, even if Denver has wrapped up the Northwest. This figures to stand as far more important to Portland.
Teams trying to move up in seedings, avoid dangerous matchups
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com
Apparently, eighty games is not enough.
At least that's the case when it comes to this season's races for playoff seeding.
The final Monday of the season matters, as will the final Tuesday.
Heck, closing night on Wednesday could be a by-the-numbers exercise on who plays where and when as the playoffs open this coming weekend.
With that in mind, we offer a look at the games that still matter and run through the permutations.
What we know for sure right now is this:
In the Eastern Conference, the top five seeds are settled, with Cleveland No. 1, Boston No. 2, Orlando No. 3, Atlanta No. 4 and Miami No. 5. Beyond that, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit are in, with their positioning at Nos. 6-8 still be to be determined. The only set playoff matchup is Atlanta hosting the Heat in the best-of-seven first round.
In the West, the Lakers at locked into No. 1. From there, Denver, Houston, Portland and San Antonio are fighting for seed Nos. 2-5, with New Orleans, Dallas and Utah also guaranteed playoff berths, in a fight for seeds Nos. 6-8.
Monday
Cleveland at Indiana: Even with the Lakers defeating the Grizzlies on Sunday night, the Cavaliers' magic number for clinching the overall top playoff seed is one. Win this one and everyone gets to rest until the playoffs, with Ben Wallace then getting the opportunity to work his way back with some valuable minutes.
Securing homecourt in a potential NBA Finals against the Lakers could be considered somewhat of a priority, considering Kobe & Co. stand as the lone opponent to win in Cleveland this season.
Chicago at Detroit: Consider it the who-doesn't-want-to-face Cleveland bowl, with the loser looking at a first-round series against LeBron and his increasingly supportive cast.
Should the Pistons lose, they would be locked, at 42 losses, into the No. 8 seed in the East, since they lost the season series 2-1 to Philadelphia and enter Monday night down 2-1 in the season series to Chicago.
A Pistons victory, however, could have seeds Nos. 6-8 in play until Wednesday's finales.
From a television perspective, there is something to be said about first-round intrigue between the fading Pistons and rising Cavaliers.
Minnesota at Dallas: The goal for the Mavericks and anyone else in the Nos. 6-8 race in the West clearly is avoiding Kobe and the Lakers in the first round. That means avoiding No. 8.
To that end, Sunday's loss to the Hornets certainly didn't help. Dallas is one game up on No. 8 Utah, with the teams having split their four-game season series. Utah, however, holds an insurmountable lead in the second tiebreaker, conference record.
This game with the 'Wolves is huge for Dallas for so many reasons. Because New Orleans sealed the season series with Sunday's victory, Dallas would have to win its remaining two and New Orleans would have to lose its remaining two for the Mavericks to rise to No. 6.
New Orleans at Houston: A game that matters for both sides, but a little more for the Rockets.
The best New Orleans can do is No. 6 in the West, which means opening on the road against an opponent at No. 3 that likely won't be determined until Wednesday. That opponent very well could be Houston, so don't expect New Orleans to show much in this one.
The Rockets not only are tied with San Antonio for the Southwest lead, but also finished the season series tied 2-2 with the Spurs. That would bring it down to the next tiebreaker of division record (since the teams are in the same division).
Considering the Spurs close against the Hornets, New Orleans well could determine the division champion.
L.A. Clippers at Utah: At least it's not a road game for the Jazz. At this point, Jerry Sloan can't take too many more of those.
At 47-33, the Jazz have to find a way to extricate themselves from No. 8. It won't be easy with the season finale coming on the road against the Lakers.
Trailing the Mavericks by one game for No. 7 in the West, Utah does have the advantage of holding the tiebreaker against Dallas by virtue of a superior conference record.
Sacramento at Denver: The Nuggets control their own fate when it comes to No. 2 in the West, but it could come down to winning out, with this a huge one.
Denver has to be careful, as it already has lost the tiebreaker to the Rockets.
The Nuggets, though, do hold the tiebreaker against both the Spurs (2-1 season series) and Trail Blazers (division record). A win here would, at worst, lock up the Northwest Division for the Nuggets.
Oklahoma City at Portland: While Denver could wrap up the division with a win earlier in the night, the Blazers still would have plenty to play for, including potential homecourt advantage over the Southwest runner-up in the first round.
The Blazers hold the tiebreaker over San Antonio, but not over Houston.
Homecourt in the first round for the Blazers? Who would have thought?
San Antonio at Golden State: Yes, seeding matters for the Spurs, but not as much as nursing Tim Duncan back to the top of his game, which is why Duncan was given Sunday off in the tougher-than-expected victory at Sacramento.
Considering the timing of this game, the Spurs well could play the results of the Rockets and Blazers games to see if there is a dire need to push Duncan, who is expected to play.
Tuesday
Boston at Philadelphia: The 76ers' desperation, beyond their current five-game losing streak, likely will be a factor of the Bulls-Pistons results the night earlier.
If Detroit loses Monday to Chicago and is locked into No. 8, the 76ers will know that their playoff fate can't involve the Cavaliers.
Considering the way Boston went through the motions Sunday in Cleveland, and considering Kevin Garnett is not expected back for this one for Boston, Philadelphia just might be able to keep alive its hopes for No. 6 — and a first-round meeting with the Magic instead of the Celtics — for one more night.
Remember, the 76ers do hold the tiebreaker on the Bulls by virtue of superior conference record.
Utah at L.A. Lakers: Should the Cavaliers win Monday in Indiana, the Lakers will have nothing to play for here, having been eliminated for a shot at homecourt in the Finals but also being locked into No. 1 in the West.
Utah had better hope so, in light of its dreary 15-25 road record.
The irony here is with a victory, the Jazz would finish 2-1 against the Lakers, yet a victory also could help Utah avoid opening against the Lakers in the first round.
Wednesday
Detroit at Miami: There are several scenarios where Detroit could be locked into No. 8 in the East at this point. But there also are a few that could leave an escape hatch open to avoid Cleveland in the first round. There might not be much resistance in this one, especially with the Heat already locked into No. 5 in the East.
New Orleans at San Antonio: Games such as these are why it won't be much before midnight in the East before anyone has a clue about the West seedings. This very well could have seeding significance to both teams. The Spurs trail 2-1 in the season series.
Houston at Dallas: Ditto. We're talking last place in the West and potentially first place in the Southwest. The Rockets lead the season series 2-1. This one figures to be as insane as Ron Artest.
Philadelphia at Cleveland: Unless it slips up Monday in Indiana, Cleveland figures to have the top playoff seed locked up by this one. But there is that temptation to try to match the all-time record for homecourt success. For the second night in a row, Philadelphia finds its seeding hopes at the whim of how hard its superior-but-locked-in opponent chooses to play.
Toronto at Chicago: Remember, Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker on the Bulls by virtue of conference record, so Chicago figures to have something a stake here in the quest to elude the Cavaliers and Celtics in the first round. But also remember that the Bulls stand among the league's hottest teams at home.
Denver at Portland: At worst, the Blazers could have a shot at homecourt advantage in the first round here, even if Denver has wrapped up the Northwest. This figures to stand as far more important to Portland.