tlongII
04-12-2011, 06:01 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/04/trail_blazers_stretch_run_2_ga_1.html
The season has been filled with everything from season-ending injuries to trades, but the never-say-die Trail Blazers remain in the thick of the playoff race. Here's a look at where things stand today in the Western Conference as the Blazers continue their playoff run:
Today's game to watch
There are just three games on the NBA schedule tonight, but two will have huge ramifications on the Blazers' playoff positioning. First, at the Rose Garden, the Blazers control their own destiny in a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Win and wrap up the No. 6 seed. Lose and things will go down to the final night of the regular season. Meanwhile, in the final game of a TNT double-header, the Los Angeles Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs in a game that will help determine the Blazers' first-round foe. The Lakers are in third place in the West, one-half game ahead of Oklahoma City and one-half game behind Dallas. A win would give the Lakers the inside track at the No. 2 seed.
Who's hot
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their torrid late-season run Monday night with a 120-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder own the NBA's longest-active win streak in the West at five games and are 19-4 since March 1. The hot streak has propelled them into the race for the West's No. 2 seed.
Who's not
Only a day off prevented the once-invincible Lakers from losing a game Monday night. Since winning 17 of 18 after the All-Star break, the Lakers have lost five in a row — their longest losing streak since 2006-07. They remain in the driver's seat for the No. 2 seed, however, because they own the tiebreaker over both the Dallas Mavericks and the Thunder. Wins in their final two regular season games would lock the second seed; two defeats could drop them all the way to the fourth seed.
Fight for the sixth seed
After back-and-forth jockeying for weeks, things have become clear with two games left. Thanks to New Orleans' 90-78 loss Monday night to the Utah Jazz, the sixth seed is there for the Blazers' taking — they just need a win tonight over the Grizzlies. Entering tonight's play, the Blazers lead the seventh-seeded Grizzlies by one game and the eight-seeded Hornets by 1 1/2 games.
The season has been filled with everything from season-ending injuries to trades, but the never-say-die Trail Blazers remain in the thick of the playoff race. Here's a look at where things stand today in the Western Conference as the Blazers continue their playoff run:
Today's game to watch
There are just three games on the NBA schedule tonight, but two will have huge ramifications on the Blazers' playoff positioning. First, at the Rose Garden, the Blazers control their own destiny in a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Win and wrap up the No. 6 seed. Lose and things will go down to the final night of the regular season. Meanwhile, in the final game of a TNT double-header, the Los Angeles Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs in a game that will help determine the Blazers' first-round foe. The Lakers are in third place in the West, one-half game ahead of Oklahoma City and one-half game behind Dallas. A win would give the Lakers the inside track at the No. 2 seed.
Who's hot
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their torrid late-season run Monday night with a 120-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder own the NBA's longest-active win streak in the West at five games and are 19-4 since March 1. The hot streak has propelled them into the race for the West's No. 2 seed.
Who's not
Only a day off prevented the once-invincible Lakers from losing a game Monday night. Since winning 17 of 18 after the All-Star break, the Lakers have lost five in a row — their longest losing streak since 2006-07. They remain in the driver's seat for the No. 2 seed, however, because they own the tiebreaker over both the Dallas Mavericks and the Thunder. Wins in their final two regular season games would lock the second seed; two defeats could drop them all the way to the fourth seed.
Fight for the sixth seed
After back-and-forth jockeying for weeks, things have become clear with two games left. Thanks to New Orleans' 90-78 loss Monday night to the Utah Jazz, the sixth seed is there for the Blazers' taking — they just need a win tonight over the Grizzlies. Entering tonight's play, the Blazers lead the seventh-seeded Grizzlies by one game and the eight-seeded Hornets by 1 1/2 games.