The Spurs and the Pistons are both in a tricky spot. Neither team particularly needs HCA over their conference opponents. I happen to think both clubs could advance to the finals no matter what their seeds were. So in that respect, both clubs should be thinking about resting their starters and taking it easy for a bit.
However, the reason both must play so hard and scratch and claw like a team just trying to sneak into the playoffs is because of the prospect of facing each other in the finals. Whoever gets the HCA will lets face it, be the decided favorites to win it all. Could the team without HCA beat the other? It could. But I think it's unlikely.
So whenver the Spurs or the Pistons lose a game, any game, the fans aren't really panicking because of what happened that day, but rather because of what it means in to the big picture in June. I mean, just because you lost one game to the Knicks or the Hawks, so what? Everybody knows you'd squash a team like that in the playoffs.
So the paradox of this season plays on. I think fans of both teams would be a lot more patient and relaxed about the occasional speed bump if the top team in the other conference had a record that was 6 or 7 games worse and HCA was already assured.

1 game is "a lot of games" and "hefty"?
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