Tracking who's where in the playoff hunt

[CubanMustGo]

NBA.com has a nice web site for keeping track of who's where:

http://www.nba.com/features/2006niftynumbers.html

With 14 games remaining, oddly enough SA's magic number to clinch the division (and HCA during the WC) is ... 14. Imagine that :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

Most important thing to come from that site -- 2nd tiebreaker is now division record. If the Spurs can't beat the Mavericks on 4/7, they also must make sure that they have no other division losses (with games left at home vs. Memphis and at Houston). If the Mavs win on 4/7, and the teams end up tied, they'll have identical division records if neither team loses another game against the Southwest. The Spurs would get the tiebreaker in that scenario by virtue of the 3rd tiebreaker, which is conference record.

Also, Sacramento and the Lakers appparently do not control their own playoff fates at the moment for some reason. The Kings have a magic number of 15, with only 14 games left; the Lakers magic number is 13 with 12 games left. Neither can clinch a playoff birth without getting at least some help along the way. I'm sure they'll get it, but it's odd to see that.