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If there's a year to do it, this is the one. I'm not sure I remember a season where seeds 2-8 finished within 6 games.
The Spurs started out this decade with a 2-7 match-up upset, so it would be fitting for them to end it the same way.
The NBA Playoffs expanded from 12 to 16 teams in 1984, pitting all teams in a first round Best-of-5 match-up. After 19 seasons, the league changed to a Best-of-7 first round in 2003. The following data from those past 35 seasons provides a snapshot of how tough of a climb it is for a 7th seed in particular.
Only 5 of the 70 teams (7%) seeded at 7 advanced to the next round, and just once (Spurs) in the 32 Best-of-7 match-ups (3%):
- 1987 - Seattle (Also beat Rockets in Semi's 4-2, then were swept by LA in WCF)
- 1989 - Golden State (then lost to Phx 4-1 in Semi's)
*** 2nd seed Utah had worse record than 3rd seed Phx- 1991 - Golden State (over the Spurs, and then lost 4-1 to LA)
***2nd seed Spurs had worse record than 3rd seed LA- 1998 - New York (then lost in 5 to Pacers)
***Pacers had better record than 2nd seed Miami- 2010 - San Antonio (Swept by Suns in 2nd Rd)
As you can see from above, winning Round 1 leads to a big beating in the subsequent round(s). A thought to consider if the Spurs prevail vs Denver.
Other Notes:
- There have been 23 sweeps in the 70 match-ups.
- 5 of the 32 Best-of-7 match-ups went to a Game 7; 9 were 4-0 sweeps, 11 went to Game 5, and 6 ended up 4-2
- The 7th seed is 90-232 W-L overall (.279), and 42-126 (.250) since the '03 format change, on average a five game series
- This is the 3rd time the Spurs have been the 7th seed. 1985 (lost in 5 to Denver) and 2010 were the first two occasions.
- Miami Heat are the only team in the league to have never been a 7th seed (OKC has neither, but they own Seattle's history); GSW won the only 2 times they were the 7th seed
***Note: from 1984-2015, division winners were given preference in seeding, so there were several instances where Seed 7 did not face the 2nd best record in its conference, and as listed above, was applicable to 3 of the 5 upsets. This only further illustrates the difficulty San Antonio is facing in trying to advance.
(Coincidentally, there have also been 5 out of 70 8th seeds to win a series. Though an asterisk could be assigned to the 1999 Knicks (lockout) and 2012 Sixers (DRose injury))
If there's a year to do it, this is the one. I'm not sure I remember a season where seeds 2-8 finished within 6 games.
Well we all the know the cir stance on this series. We all know it won't be easy. But there are a lot of variables here.
The nuggets were a Houston win away from being 3rd seed. And spurs were one okc loss away from being 6th.
This isn't a typical 2 vs. 7 matchup though. You could make the case that the Nuggets are not as good as their seed suggests and the Spurs are not as bad as theirs.
peak george hill tbh
There's a really narrow range separating most of the WC playoff teams in the loss column.
Nuggets are one of the weakest 2 seeds in the West that I can recall, their record is inflated due to their success earlier in the season..
GS and Houston are by far the 2 best in the West, nobody else is close, the rest of the teams in the conference are on the same level IMO, there isn't much separating them..
Man DRose was a beast back then. Forgot about how his injury destroyed the Baby Bulls
All "injury ed my career" team:
Oden
DRose
Grant Hill
Penny
Brandon Roy
Livingston
Oden and Roy came into the league with injury red flags. They were already damaged goods.
Forgetting last year?This is the 3rd time the Spurs have been the 7th seed. 1985 (lost in 5 to Denver) and 2010 were the first two occasions.
But the Knicks made it to the Finals in 1999.
*
If DD didn't fumble away about 5 games this year with his poor ball security down the stretch, we are a top 4 seed. Please keep the ball in the hands of White, Forbes, or Mills to close out games.
Good stuff, spurs1990. The five rings cloud our pleasure sensors but that 2010 victory as a seventh seed over the Mavs was a pretty sweet one. That Spurs team was pretty damn bad (that was probably the low point of Duncan's mid-career, knee-pain-induced swoon) and the Mavs went on to win the championship the next season, so it looks even better in retrospect.
Agreed the 2010 series with the Mavs was pretty fun. If you can't win a le beating your hated rival is always a great consolation prize.
Yeah 2010 was the first year of RJ and Dice. It was nice to get revenge on the Mavs for 2006 and 2009. George Hill's length caused problems for the Mavs guards.
For the next series against hte Suns I think if Pop had gone back to TP starting they might have won and gone to the WCF.
The Nuggets are finished.
That dunk by White on top of the Nugget's leader Milsap says it all. The Spurs are going to take candy from a baby!
What a great start to the playoffs! Three first day upsets by lower seeded teams, & Durant picking up 2 techs-- meaning every opposing player will be needling him from here on in, trying to get him to seven techs & a Draymond-Styled suspension in the finals, or before.
I remember Ginobili was on fire that series. Good memories.
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