Spurs Notebook: How the Spurs can lock up the 6 seed in the West

[duncan228]

Spurs Notebook: How the Spurs can lock up the 6 seed in the West (http://www.kens5.com/sports/Spurs-Notebook-How-the-Spurs-can-lock-up-the-6-seed-in-the-West-90578329.html)
by Dan Oshinsky / KENS 5

Kobe Bryant's inability to make free throws has just opened up the playoff race in the Western Conference.

Not for the Lakers, though.

Perhaps you missed it, so a brief recap: the Trail Blazers led by five with two minutes remaining against the Lakers. And then weird things starting happening. Weird things like Derek Fisher running Student Body Right to clear open the three-point line for Bryant. Like Bryant and Fisher going 1 for 4 from the line in the final minute. Like Martell Webster somehow coercing Bryant into fouling on a three-pointer with fewer than four seconds remaining. Like the Lakers inbounding the ball to Pau Gasol (a career 18-81 three-point shooter) to attempt a game-tying buzzer-beater.

So despite all that Portland finished off a huge 91-88 win, causing all sorts of chaos in the race for the six seed in the West.

The five seed is mathematically out of reach for the Spurs. So here's the race for the 6-7-8 seeds. Your remaining games:

Spurs
vs. Minnesota
at Dallas

Oklahoma City
at Golden State
at Portland
vs Memphis

Portland
at Oklahoma City
vs. Golden State

So let's make some assumptions:

1. The Spurs will beat Minnesota
2. Oklahoma City and Portland will both beat Golden State

And for the sake of simplicity:
3. Oklahoma City will beat Memphis, who have lost four of their last five

That puts the Thunder at 51-30, the Spurs at 50-31 and the Trail Blazers at 50-31. What it'll come down to is two games: Oklahoma City-Portland on April 12, and San Antonio-Dallas on April 14.

The Spurs get the 6 seed if:
-Spurs beat Dallas
-Portland beats Oklahoma City
-In this scenario, Oklahoma City gets the 7 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

The Spurs get the 7 seed if:
-Spurs beat Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

OR

-Spurs lose to Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

The Spurs get the 8 seed if:
-Spurs lose to Dallas
-Portland beats Oklahoma City
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 7 seed.

That last scenario is the doomsday one for the Spurs, who'd end up in a match-up with the Lakers. On Saturday, reporters asked coach Gregg Popovich: on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad do the Spurs want to face the Lakers in the opening round?

Popovich's answer: "Minus-5."

[dbestpro]

Something looks wrong because it seems they keep giving the tie breaker with Portland to SA. Portland wins the tie breaker with SA.

[HarlemHeat37]

The best case scenario, IMO, would be Spurs beat Dallas, Portland beats OKC and Denver beats Phoenix..

Spurs would get the 6th and Denver would get the 3rd, according to this..

[jestersmash]

the best case scenario, imo, would be spurs beat dallas, portland beats okc and denver beats phoenix..

Spurs would get the 6th and denver would get the 3rd..

+1

[itzsoweezee]

this looks weird



The Spurs get the 7 seed if:
-Spurs beat Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

OR

-Spurs lose to Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed



why not just say, if OKC beats Portland, the Spurs get the 7 seed?

[poop]

as long as we dont line up with Dallas im ok with it.

[Martin R]

summing up, we need to beat _allas

[Spurs Brazil]

MORE THAN TWO TEAMS TIED

1. If applicable, division champions must be determined first.

2. Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams.

3. Better winning percentage against teams in own division (only if all tied teams are in same division).

4. Better winning percentage against teams in own conference.

5. Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including team that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position).

6. Best point differential between offense and defense.

Note: If a multiple team tie is reduced to a two-team tie at any point using the above criteria, the two-team tie will be resolved in accordance with the existing two-team tie procedure.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/7164305

[DesignatedT]

Isn't it conference record the 1st tiebreaker in a 3way tie?

Blazers has a better record, Spurs 2nd, Thunder 3rd.

i think its overall winning % between the 3 teams head to head. Unless i'm totally off.

[Spurs Brazil]

i think its overall winning % between the 3 teams head to head. Unless i'm totally off.

You're right, I think it'd be Blazer, Spurs and then Thunder

blazers - 5-1
spurs - 3-4
thunder 2-5

So the KENS article is wrong

[DesignatedT]

You're right, I think it'd be Blazer, Spurs and then Thunder

blazers - 5-1
spurs - 3-4
thunder 2-5

So the KENS article is wrong

how surprising :lol

[Amarelooms]

I will be pulling for the Spurs as long as not playing the Mavs. Best of luck my friends :elephant

[Spurs Brazil]

I think our best chance to get the 6th seed is a Warriors win against the Thunder today and then Thunder beat Blazers tomorrow. Very unlikely

I think we'll finish 7th

[DesignatedT]

anything but 8. I'm not buying the matchup vs the lakers.

[Man In Black]

I want the LAL. Outside of the injury issues, their lax play for the last month, their continued issues with defending pick & rolls. There is also this. Playing them means the league schedules out the games for a maximum of rest and air time.
LA last year went Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Thursday, Saturday.
That's a lot of rest.

2 Sundays in a row, Kobe rested, Lakers playing like garbage. There ain't no switch.

[DesignatedT]

Lakers and Kobe will be a different beast in the playoffs. I'm not saying we can't beat them but it's not the safe choice IMO.

+ out of the 4 games between the spurs and lakers this season there have been a total of 0 games where both teams were at full strength. It's hard to take anything from any of those.

[Flux451]

I don't buy into the Lakers lax play recently. Playoffs will change their ways quickly. I don't understand a lot of ideology on this board.

[Mel_13]

So let's make some assumptions:

1. The Spurs will beat Minnesota
2. Oklahoma City and Portland will both beat Golden State

And for the sake of simplicity:
3. Oklahoma City will beat Memphis, who have lost four of their last five

That puts the Thunder at 51-30, the Spurs at 50-31 and the Trail Blazers at 50-31. What it'll come down to is two games: Oklahoma City-Portland on April 12, and San Antonio-Dallas on April 14.



Once those assumptions are made, the Spurs can't finish 6th. That can only happen if OKC and/or Portland lose one or more games that this article assumes those two teams will win.

Easiest way to look at it:

If the Spurs win both remaining games then they cannot finish 8th. So if the goal is to avoid the Lakers, the Spurs control their own destiny.

[ffadicted]

Spurs (6) @ Nuggets (3) would be a dream

[Frenzy]

Money is on spurs being 7th. I think okc will beat portland easy.

[sa_kid20]

Allow me to post this one more time :lol

And yes the article is wrong about the tiebreaker.


Here's how it all breaks down for the Spurs finishing 6-8:

Spurs get 6th if:
SA 3-0, OKC 2-1 or worse, POR 2-1 or worse
SA 2-1, OKC 1-2 or worse, POR 1-2 or worse

Spurs get 7th if:
(If there is 3-way tie, the order would be POR, SA, OKC)
SA 3-0, OKC 3-0, POR 2-1 or worse
SA 3-0, OKC 2-1 or worse, POR 3-0
SA 2-1, OKC 1-2 or worse, POR 2-1 or better
SA 2-1, OKC 2-1 or better, POR 1-2 or worse
SA 1-2, OKC 1-2, POR 0-3
SA 1-2, OKC 0-3, POR 1-2

Spurs get 8th if:
SA 2-1, OKC 2-1 or better, POR 2-1 or better
SA 1-2, OKC 1-2 or better, POR 1-2 or better
SA 0-3

[DJ Mbenga]

im confused. anyways a 6th seed would be an automatic 1st round advance for the spurs. the nuggets are close to done. matchup wise the spurs are a good matchup. spurs lack big men depth but so the thuggets. jr smith is stupid so jeffesons trash play wont be magnified.

[spursfan1000]

Spurs can lock up 6th seed if we win and Thunder lose. Period.

[Mel_13]

Spurs can lock up 6th seed if we win and Thunder lose. Period.

no

[Flux451]

Pretty simple. Focusing on highest seed.

6th seed if Spurs 3-0, OKC losses one and Portland loses one.
Doesn't look likely.

[Josh810]

Thunder 31, Warriors 13 with 5:04 left in the 1st. *sigh*

[sa_kid20]

Pretty simple. Focusing on highest seed.

6th seed if Spurs 3-0, OKC losses one and Portland loses one.
Doesn't look likely.

Basically this is what it's probably gonna come down to.

It would be great if OKC lost to GS tonight and then beat POR tomorrow. That would be ideal.

[daslicer]

I'm really going to put this on Pop if the spurs end up as 8th seed playing the lakers because this could have been avoided had he not fucked up that memphis game by not playing Tim and Manu big minutes when they were up by 13-15 to put them away. We wouldn't be even thinking about the 8th seed if the spurs win that game.

[SPURS vs NBA media]

Does not matter who plays the Lakers David Stern and the NBA will NOT allow the Lakers to LOSE in the first round

[Death In June]

How's it looking that Dallas ends up with the 2 seed? The spurs are most likely gonna finish 7th. OKC is not gonna lose to a Portland team minus Roy.

[sa_kid20]

OKC 94 GS 95 with 9:04 left in the 4th.

Man it would be great if GS could hold on and win this one.

[DesignatedT]

damn lets go GS!

Warriors:102
Thunder: 99

5:12 remaining

[Flux451]

Basically this is what it's probably gonna come down to.

It would be great if OKC lost to GS tonight and then beat POR tomorrow. That would be ideal.

Well, a half of your equation is right. Can't believe OKC lost tonight. Good game by the Warriors shot around 30 shots less and still won. Go OKC manana!!!!!

[boutons_deux]

Thunder lose, 3 teams with 31L

[kaji157]

So as of now, we have to win both games, and there is a better chance that we finish 7th still, but making Dallas end 3rd and not 2nd. Than we have of making the 6th seed and Dallas the 2nd. Because us beating Dallas will likely prevent them to finish 2nd.

[kaji157]

Just realised that Dallas owns all the tiebreakers (im quite sure) so Dallas will basically be able to choose who to play if they win their next game.

[DesignatedT]

Just realised that Dallas owns all the tiebreakers (im quite sure) so Dallas will basically be able to choose who to play if they win their next game.

even if it comes down to a 3 way tie?

[Dex]

So let's make some assumptions:

1. The Spurs will beat Minnesota
2. Oklahoma City and Portland will both beat Golden State

So much for assumptions.

Now the Spurs need to not make any assumptions, and take care of business against Minnesota.

[DesignatedT]

watch the spurs lose to minnesota :lol

[weebo]

If the Spurs want to get anywhere, they'll have to beat all good teams. So, realistically speaking, who cares who they play.

[Supergirl]

Soooo...OKC blows it against GSW, throwing the race into a 3 way tie once again. that bumps Spurs to the #7 seed for now, and Portland to #6, since that's how the tiebreaker breaks down, right?

Now, if the Spurs win out both their games (neither of which should be viewed as cake walks, and if the Spurs come into either expecting to coast they will likely lose) then I think they can't do worse than #7, right? And we want OKC to beat Portland now, right, so we can land the #6 spot?

This is all making my brain hurt.

[Tigole Bitties]

I'd rather play the Lakers in the first round rather than go through a gauntlet of playoff games.

[superjames1992]

So let's make some assumptions:

1. The Spurs will beat Minnesota
2. Oklahoma City and Portland will both beat Golden State

And for the sake of simplicity:
3. Oklahoma City will beat Memphis, who have lost four of their last five

Oops. :lol

[jiggy_55]

Spurs Notebook: How the Spurs can lock up the 6 seed in the West (http://www.kens5.com/sports/Spurs-Notebook-How-the-Spurs-can-lock-up-the-6-seed-in-the-West-90578329.html)
by Dan Oshinsky / KENS 5

Kobe Bryant's inability to make free throws has just opened up the playoff race in the Western Conference.

Not for the Lakers, though.

Perhaps you missed it, so a brief recap: the Trail Blazers led by five with two minutes remaining against the Lakers. And then weird things starting happening. Weird things like Derek Fisher running Student Body Right to clear open the three-point line for Bryant. Like Bryant and Fisher going 1 for 4 from the line in the final minute. Like Martell Webster somehow coercing Bryant into fouling on a three-pointer with fewer than four seconds remaining. Like the Lakers inbounding the ball to Pau Gasol (a career 18-81 three-point shooter) to attempt a game-tying buzzer-beater.

So despite all that Portland finished off a huge 91-88 win, causing all sorts of chaos in the race for the six seed in the West.

The five seed is mathematically out of reach for the Spurs. So here's the race for the 6-7-8 seeds. Your remaining games:

Spurs
vs. Minnesota
at Dallas

Oklahoma City
at Golden State
at Portland
vs Memphis

Portland
at Oklahoma City
vs. Golden State

So let's make some assumptions:

1. The Spurs will beat Minnesota
2. Oklahoma City and Portland will both beat Golden State

And for the sake of simplicity:
3. Oklahoma City will beat Memphis, who have lost four of their last five

That puts the Thunder at 51-30, the Spurs at 50-31 and the Trail Blazers at 50-31. What it'll come down to is two games: Oklahoma City-Portland on April 12, and San Antonio-Dallas on April 14.

The Spurs get the 6 seed if:
-Spurs beat Dallas
-Portland beats Oklahoma City
-In this scenario, Oklahoma City gets the 7 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

The Spurs get the 7 seed if:
-Spurs beat Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

OR

-Spurs lose to Dallas
-Oklahoma City beats Portland
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 8 seed

The Spurs get the 8 seed if:
-Spurs lose to Dallas
-Portland beats Oklahoma City
-Oklahoma City gets the 6 seed and Portland gets the 7 seed.

That last scenario is the doomsday one for the Spurs, who'd end up in a match-up with the Lakers. On Saturday, reporters asked coach Gregg Popovich: on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad do the Spurs want to face the Lakers in the opening round?

Popovich's answer: "Minus-5."

WOW. Whoever wrote this has serious issues lol. This is horribly wrong.