Now it's official! Spurs clinch #1 seed in the west

[TVI]

Rest or go for HCA in the finals?

[Crookshanks]

Couple more wins and they'll secure the #1 spot for the playoffs. I say go for it!

[Tinystarz]

the last few games appear fairly easy wins. I believe spurs will go for it. For bulls sake...hope they don't :lol

[Budkin]

:clap:clap:clap:clap:toast:toast:toast:toast:whine :whine:whine:whine:spin:spin:spin:spin

:flag:

[Dex]

Rest. Through a lot of hard work and a bit of good luck, they have earned the chance to take a few games easy and not have to grind through the end of the year. No reason to push for 3 out of last 4, just on the off chance that both the Spurs AND the Bulls manage to make it to the Finals.

Spurs will still try to get three wins, but I'd be highly surprised if they play any of the Big 3+ extended minute to do it. Expect to see some Green, Anderson, and Novak time. Hell, maybe even Splitter will get some minutes.

[sananspursfan21]

just play duncan 40 min..... just because

[TVI]

So what are the odds that The Big Three all come down with plantar fasciitis tomorrow? :)

[JR3]

So what are the odds that The Big Three all come down with plantar fasciitis tomorrow? :)
I would say pretty good. lol

[Killakobe81]

Props to the Spurs, 6 game losing streak withstanding they have been the most consistent team all year ...

[Spursfan092120]

Props to the Spurs, 6 game losing streak withstanding they have been the most consistent team all year ...
:toast

[DesignatedT]

Go full effort vs Utah, get that W and then rest up for playoffs.

[Splits]

Go full effort vs Utah, get that W and then rest up for playoffs.

Yup. Toss the Laker game, if the Suns game is required to get HCA over the Bulls, then maybe take it seriously.

[SnakeBoy]

No way the Bulls win the east so the Spurs really have HCA throughout. Rest the old men and give the young guys more time.

[baseline bum]

I'd hate to not have homecourt vs Chicago, but this team seriously needs some rest with homecourt clinched vs LA. I say rest everyone and forget these last three games. Besides, the Spurs have homecourt clinched over Miami and Boston if the Spurs can find a way to take LA out and one of those teams comes out of the east.

[Doe]

You don't want to rest them too long since they'll come out rusty, but now is the ideal time for guys to heal from their bumps and bruises. Hopefully this extended rest can get Timmy's ankle close to 100%. Like others are saying, if the Spurs beat LA, they'll have supreme confidence going in against anyone from the east.

[Splits]

The road to the championship must officially go through San Antonio. For all the pundits, haters, and other doubters, the Lakers are vulnerable and I think we have a great shot at taking them out in the WCF.

Artest, Fisher, Barnes, Blake and Brown as role players is pretty fucking weak. Even when they shorten the bench and Barnes/Brown don't play that many minutes, it still means Blake needs to backup Fisher and that guy is horrible, shooting 36% from the field all season and can't stay in front of anybody, much less Tony/Hill/Manu.

[blizz]

They always rest at the end of the season and end up dropping the first game of the opening round. One of these days, it's gonna come back to kick us in the ding ding.

[LakerHater]

So whats the number to get HCA throughout the Finals?

[crc21209]

The road to the championship must officially go through San Antonio. For all the pundits, haters, and other doubters, the Lakers are vulnerable and I think we have a great shot at taking them out in the WCF.

Artest, Fisher, Barnes, Blake and Brown as role players is pretty fucking weak. Even when they shorten the bench and Barnes/Brown don't play that many minutes, it still means Blake needs to backup Fisher and that guy is horrible, shooting 36% from the field all season and can't stay in front of anybody, much less Tony/Hill/Manu.

+1. Their bench is definitely their weak spot. The starters + Odom have to play about 35+ minutes a game in order for them to win, and in the Playoffs, that will definitely catch up to you sooner or later...

[Obstructed_View]

So whats the number to get HCA throughout the Finals?

The Bulls have five games to go and a better division record, so I think it's three.

EDIT: Sorry, division record is only for teams in the same division. The page I pulled up neglected to mention that.

There's no telling what the conference record will be for each team at this point, so the Spurs need three to win HCA outright.

[Splits]

So whats the number to get HCA throughout the Finals?

Official number is 3, but Boston plays at Chicago Thursday. If CHI wins, they basically lock up the 1 seed in the East and will most likely shut it down. If they lose, the magic number would be 2 with the Spurs facing Utah at home and LA & Phoenix on the road, while the Bulls have a home game and 3 road games, including 1 against Orlando.

If they end up tied, both teams have the same record against the opposing conference, so the tiebreaker is a coin flip (literally).

I think it is pretty safe to assume the Spurs will finish with the best overall record in the NBA.

[howbouthemspurs]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Go Ducks!

[100%duncan]

Props to the Spurs, 6 game losing streak withstanding they have been the most consistent team all year ...

classy. as for the OP I would say try for it but don't overdo by letting the big three play for many minutes I would say 25 mins is the maximum amount tp,manu,td each can play

[ata]

...If they end up tied, both teams have the same record against the opposing conference, so the tiebreaker is a coin flip (literally)...

I'd like to see that. Did coin flip ever happened before for HCA?

When coin flip occurs? At beginning of PO or at the beginning of NBA finals - if SA wins West and Chichago East?

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

so what does our playoff road look like as of now ???? grizzlies ...dallas....lakers? chicago?

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

:worthy: TIAGO

bring him out you dumb ass!

[TMTTRIO]

I'd say shut Manu down for the rest of the games so he has something left for the playoffs and play Tim and Tony very limited minutes.

[Bruno]

That's great. Regular season has been a success for Spurs this year. The more important is coming with the playoffs.

After the 6 games losing streak, it looked like Spurs would have to battle until the end of the season to clinch the first spot. They have clinched it 10 days before the start of the playoffs which gives way enough time to fully rest the team. It's up to Pop to find the right balance between rest and keeping players in rhythm.

Getting HCA over Chicago is borderline useless. Boston and Miami seems better suited to win the east and Spurs already have clinched HCA over them. The only way Spurs should try to get HCA over Bulls is if it takes a minimal effort to get it.

[tim210g]

Id say to just limit minutes for the big three but still try to pull off the wins.. th bulls have a tough stretch coming up anyway they play boston tonite n still hv to play new york and orlando..hopefully they lose to boston tonight...I say spurs end season as top overall seed

[Obstructed_View]

The discussion should really be about how to deal with RJ. If he can get refocused and rolling by the playoffs there's nobody the Spurs can't beat, but do you throw him out there or give him a couple of games off? Fortunately there's plenty of time to rest the vets and plenty of depth to play the young guys and get them some confidence.

[Cry Havoc]

Rest. What good will it do to have HCA against the Bulls if our guys are weary in the playoffs? We won't even see the Finals in that case. And then there's always the chance of an unlucky injury the more you play your players late in the season when they're already gassed.

Rest them. This team's core isn't young. The Lakers should be resting too, I don't know why Kobe is still playing 35 minutes per, but I like seeing it.

[Spurs Brazil]

Play normal minutes against the Jazz. And rest guys in the last 2 games

[igruex]

Play normal minutes against the Jazz. And rest guys in the last 2 games

I would cut 10-15% of playing time of the starters against the Jazz. But yeah, the game will be next Saturday there's no reason to not play the starters at all, we need to be rested but rolling.

[itsamanuthree]

Play them limited minutes.

[Agloco]

Rest or go for HCA in the finals?

They have one more game that matters........

[hater]

Priority #1: Rest the big guys
Priority #2: Get Tiago into a rotation
Priority #3: Get RJ's head out of his ass

Agree with Bruno, pointless to try to get HC over Bulls. The probability Bulls vs. Spurs Finals is probably less than 5%

[boutons_deux]

If Celts beat Bulls tonight on TNT, Spurs will have HCA throughout.

[Shifty]

I say Pop should play everyone but with limited minutes, specially if the second unit is doing well. Then, if things go well, sit TD, Manu and Dyess for the final 2 games.

BTW: I just checked ESPN and the NBA front page is about the Heat losing last night. The second page, Lakers are no longer in the run for HCA! I know how BSPN handles stories but come on! If the Spurs win the title, they would make a headline saying X-East-team loses!

[jmanu20]

IMO, let's worry about the teams in the Western conference before we talk about finishing ahead of the Bulls. If we do, cool, if we don't, no big deal.

I'd rather have our Big 3 get some rest for the postseason.

Now that we have the #1 seed locked up, what do I hope for most? That Memphis finishes 7th and Portland 8th.

Why do I want this? Memphis has two tough defenders in Allen and Battier who can really make Kobe work all series long. They also have enough size to throw at Gasol and Bynum. Plus, they've managed to win a few against LA already this season. In the end, I still think the Lakers' experience will be the deciding factor, but it'd be better to tire them out as much as possible before round 2.

As far as the Blazers are concerned, our guys at the end of the bench were able to hold the Blazer starters to a 9 point third quarter and even managed to build an 8 point lead before running out of steam last Monday. This alone inspires more confidence in Portland being a better matchup for the Spurs than Memphis.

[Whisky Dog]

Insane that with 3 games left and only 19 losses they don't have HCA throughout locked up. Fucking crazy records these days

[duncan228]

Spurs clinch home court advantage in the West (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/)
by Andrew A. McNeill
48 Minutes of Hell

I was still driving back to Austin after the game last night (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/san-antonio-spurs-124-sacramento-kings-92-lackluster-first-half-big-second-half), so I can’t confirm with my own eyes. But they tell me that the Lakers lost to the Warriors last night, clinching the number one seed in the Western Conference for the Spurs.

I doubt there was much of a celebration from the Spurs, as they’ve said year after year that you have to win on the road to win an NBA championship.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-clinch-home-court-advantage-in-the-west#more-13564)

*********************

Kick your feet up and relax, make yourselves at home (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-hit-60-clinch-top-seed-in-the-west)
by Jesse Blanchard
48 Minutes of Hell

Remember a week ago when the sky was falling, the Los Angeles Lakers were unquestionably going to overtake the top seed, and the San Antonio Spurs were surefire cannon fodder for either the Memphis Grizzlies or Portland Trailblazers in the first round?

Keep the umbrellas out if you must, but it turns out the Spurs scorching start was not for naught after all. Last night’s 124-92 drubbing of the Sacramento Kings (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-clinch-home-court-advantage-in-the-west), coupled with the Golden State Warriors 95-87 victory over the Lakers (http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2011/04/06/lakers-at-warriors-turnovers-tell-the-tale/) means the Spurs clinch the top seed in the West and home court advantage in a possible Spurs-Lakers Western Conference Finals.

From ESPN Stats & Info (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/27173/playoff-picture-getting-a-little-clearer):


The San Antonio Spurs clinched the one-seed in the West after the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Golden State Warriors. During the Tim Duncan era the Spurs have held the one-seed five times including this season. On three of those occasions the Spurs have at least made the Conference Finals and twice have taken home the NBA title. On Wednesday, the Spurs also became the first team this season to reach 60 wins as it is the fourth 60-win season in team history and third since drafting Duncan in 1997. The only other teams with three 60-win seasons in that span are the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks (three each).

Rest, if not rejoicing, is in order. Especially considering around this time a year ago the Spurs were going full tilt just to keep out of the eighth seed.

Keep reading → (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-hit-60-clinch-top-seed-in-the-west#more-13563)

[PDXSpursFan]

Spurs should definevely rest the 5 starters on the game against the Lakers :toast

[xmas1997]

Play them limited minutes.

We want them to be rested, but not rusty. There is a fine line there!
:flag:

[TampaDude]

We want them to be rested, but not rusty. There is a fine line there!
:flag:

Yup...in a way, it was good that the Spurs lost some games near the end. Had they started resting a week ago, there would be a danger of rust and and possibly losing Game 1 of the first round instead of winning it. 10 days is just about right. Shut down the starters completely, or only play them very limited minutes. It's the perfect time to give Splitter and the bench some burn before the real season begins. Pop should have the Spurs fresh and ready to rock for the playoffs. :hat

[dbreiden83080]

Shut it down.. Big 3 need the rest they are banged up

[johnnyblues]

We need to rest the Big Three. No sense winning HCA throughout if we lose either of them in an unfortunate (God forbid) injury in a (IMO) non-bearing season game. :nope

[Duncan2177]

Rest the big 3

[DPG21920]

It is quite obvious what needs to be done. The benefits of said strategy and plan are clear. Which means Pop will do the opposite.

[Brazil]

Priority #2: Get Tiago into a rotation



denial evidence

[duncan228]

Spurs are West’s No. 1. Now what? (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/07/spurs-are-west%e2%80%99s-no-1-now-what/)
Jeff McDonald

The Spurs, with more than a little help from the Los Angeles Lakers, have gone and sucked all the drama out of the final week of the season, securing the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed with three games to spare. Express-News staff writer Jeff McDonald examines what it all means:

Keep reading... (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/07/spurs-are-west%e2%80%99s-no-1-now-what/)

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/07/spurs-are-west%e2%80%99s-no-1-now-what/

********************

Spurs can take foot off gas, but when? (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/07/spurs-can-take-foot-off-gas-but-when/)
Jeff McDonald

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/07/spurs-can-take-foot-off-gas-but-when/

[GrandeDavid]

Rest or go for HCA in the finals?

Spurs beat the Lakers ain't nobody in the East who will stop them in the Finals, homecourt or not....

[Bruno]

Bulls remaining schedule is @Cle, @Orl, @NY and vs NJ. Dwight Howard will be suspended against them. If Bulls want to go after the first overall seed, it's realistic to think they can win all these games quite easily.

It's looking more and more than chasing HCA against Bulls isn't worth the investment. Rest should be the priority.

[JustinJDW]

No way the Bulls win the east so the Spurs really have HCA throughout. Rest the old men and give the young guys more time.


Getting HCA over Chicago is borderline useless. Boston and Miami seems better suited to win the east and Spurs already have clinched HCA over them. The only way Spurs should try to get HCA over Bulls is if it takes a minimal effort to get it.This.

I'll be shocked if Pop keeps his foot on the gas, just to stay in front of the overhyped Bulls. Time to shut her down Pop.

[1Parker1]

After watching the Bulls vs. the Celtics last night, gotta say I am liking their chances of coming out of the East. Yes, they are young and unproven, but I think the Perkins trade will ultimately come back and bite the Celtics in the behind. They still are having a hard time incorporating Jeff Green into that group...and the two O'Neal's still aren't completely healthy. HCA advantage for a young team in the playoffs can do wonders.

[guzmangm]

After watching the Bulls vs. the Celtics last night, gotta say I am liking their chances of coming out of the East. Yes, they are young and unproven, but I think the Perkins trade will ultimately come back and bite the Celtics in the behind. They still are having a hard time incorporating Jeff Green into that group...and the two O'Neal's still aren't completely healthy. HCA advantage for a young team in the playoffs can do wonders.

This. I think it would be a mistake to piss away HCA throughout the playoffs. Home court is really one of the only advantages the Spurs have in the playoffs besides experiences. If the Spurs were as good defensively as they were in the past then I'd say home court wouldn't matter as much. Chicago's home court record matches ours and they are much better defensively then us.

[duncan228]

Just Manu's quote, hit the link for the whole piece.


Spurs won’t strain for NBA’s top mark (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/08/spurs-won%e2%80%99t-strain-for-nba%e2%80%99s-top-mark/)
Mike Monroe

...“The most important thing was clinching No. 1 in the West,” Ginobili said. “You never know, first, if you are going to make it to the Finals and then if the other (No. 1 Eastern seed) will make it to the Finals. We usually don’t care what happens in the East.

“Now that we are so close, of course we want to get it. The best way to do it is just to concentrate on the next opponent. Just concentrate on Utah. Then we’ll see.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/04/08/spurs-won%e2%80%99t-strain-for-nba%e2%80%99s-top-mark/

[Dex]

I just think it helps, especially if you have a Game 7. We went through that in 2005. It’s better to have that game at home, not on the road. You saw what happened last year with the Lakers. It helps when you’re at home.”

Parker's got a point. Spurs probably don't get #3 if Game 7 is in Detroit.

And after watching Chicago shut down Boston last night, I'm not entirely sure they won't go all the way.

[jimo2305]

I'd like to see that. Did coin flip ever happened before for HCA?

When coin flip occurs? At beginning of PO or at the beginning of NBA finals - if SA wins West and Chichago East?

as long as david stern doesn't provide the coin..

but yea hope they go for it.. especially against utah this saturday cuz i'll be there :p: