EAST http://www.nba.com/features/forecast2004_east.html
April 1 -- While overall trends and patterns that have been developing throughout the year are beginning to give us a clearer picture of which teams will be enduring the postseason pressure systems, there is still a variety of stormy activity on several fronts in each conference. Take a look at the squads still mired in flurries for playoff position and NBA.com's outlook for their season.
AT STAKE: NO. 4 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
4. Miami 37-38 -- W2 (9-1) 7 (3/4) Excellent: Miami's one loss in its last 10 games? Just first-place Indiana.
5. New Orleans 37-38 -- L4 (3-7) 7 (2/5) Poor: They've lost six of seven and started five-game West trip 0-2.
6. Milwaukee 37-38 -- L1 (3-7) 7 (4/3) Fair: Back to playing .500 ball, even splitting a home-and-home with Indy.
NOTES: Talk about muddled -- there is currently a three-way tie for fourth place in the East, in which case the tiebreaker goes to the team with the "best cumulative winning percentage in games among tied teams." Suffice to say that would be Miami right now, but with the way the Heat are playing, they won't need to be referencing any convoluted tiebreaker rules -- they're 12-2 since March 2.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are without Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn and the Bucks have lost T.J. Ford and Keith Van Horn, but Milwaukee has the more favorable schedule ahead, as they will face struggling Cleveland and Toronto twice each down the stretch.
MATCHUPS: Hornets at Bucks (April 10)
AT STAKE: NO. 7-8 SEEDS
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
7. New York 35-40 -- W1 (6-4) 7 (2/5) Good: Getting terrific play from recently acquired role-players.
8. Boston 34-41 -- L1 (5-5) 7 (3/4) Good: Should lock the eight-spot by attrition as Cavaliers and 76ers fade.
9. Cleveland 32-42 1.5 L2 (4-6) 8 (4/4) Poor: They've lost six of seven and now defense has become lazy.
10. Philadelphia 32-43 2 W1 (5-5) 7 (4/3) Poor: Still hanging around, but now Iverson is officially out for the year.
NOTES: New York and Boston aren't doing anything special -- just winning the games they should. Both teams went 9-5 in March simply by beating inferior squads and mixing in one or two upsets, and as the season winds down it appears that will be enough to vault both into the postseason.
Cleveland has been in a tailspin since losing Jeff McInnis and now their defense has taken a seat, allowing 110.3 ppg over the team's last three games. Philadelphia, though still within shouting distance, has never been a serious threat, and Toronto has fallen well off the pace after dropping five in a row.
MATCHUPS: Knicks at Sixers (April 3); Cavs at Knicks (April 14)
WEST http://www.nba.com/features/forecast2004_west.html
AT STAKE: NO. 1 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
1. Sacramento 52-22 -- L1 (4-6) 8 (3/5) Fair: Increasingly vulnerable, Kings couldn't handle Lakers or Spurs.
2. Minnesota 52-24 1 W3 (6-4) 6 (3/3) Good: Riding a three-game win streak, should hold on to No. 2 seed.
3. L.A. Lakers 51-23 1 W9 (9-1) 8 (5/3) Excellent: Looking unstoppable after destroying Kings and Wolves.
NOTES: Sacramento, on the road for two more games against Dallas and Houston, were never in it last night at San Antonio just one week after getting schooled by the Lakers -- the Kings have now lost three of four and all indications are that the streaking Lakers are going to finish the season on top. L.A. is 13-2 since March 2 with five of their remaining eight games at home.
The Timberwolves have rediscovered their winning ways after a brief lull, taking three straight, but they'll need to be careful with two more matchups against the dangerous Grizzlies or they could conceivably be caught by the fourth-place Spurs for the Midwest title.
MATCHUPS: Wolves at Kings (April 8, TNT); Lakers at Kings (April 11, ABC)
AT STAKE: NO. 4 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
4. San Antonio 50-25 -- W4 (7-3) 7 (3/4) Good: Nearly in championship form -- could rise higher if Wolves stumble.
5. Memphis 48-26 1.5 W6 (8-2) 8 (3/5) Fair: Tough matchups and travel could sabotage homecourt hopes.
NOTES: With the way both these teams are winning -- and therefore not gaining or losing ground -- this wouldn't really be a race to watch, particularly with San Antonio only a game and a half back of the No. 3 seed, but the Grizzlies took the season series against the Spurs 3-1 and own the tiebreaker. So the situation could get very interesting if Memphis extends its streak and San Antonio drops a game or two. However, since the Spurs have a decided advantage in ease of schedule, it would take an unlikely collapse on their part.
MATCHUPS: None
AT STAKE: NO. 8 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
8. Utah 39-36 -- W1 (6-4) 7 (4/3) Good: Head-to-head win over Nuggets on Saturday was huge.
9. Portland 38-36 1 W1 (7-3) 8 (4/4) Fair: Four of remaining eight are against Spurs and Lakers.
10. Denver 39-37 1 W1 (5-5) 6 (3/3) Fair: Just 3-4 since March 14 with tough schedule ahead.
NOTES: This one is going to be close: The remaining games for all three of these teams will be very tough, with plenty of matchups against Western Conference playoff teams looming. With that in mind, the one-game advantage that Utah currently holds over Portland and Denver is in actuality a huge cushion, but also key is the fact that Denver holds the tiebreakers against both the Jazz and Blazers, and if they can emerge from their slump just enough to pick up a game, they'll slip into the postseason.
MATCHUPS: Blazers at Nuggets (April 10)
April 1 -- While overall trends and patterns that have been developing throughout the year are beginning to give us a clearer picture of which teams will be enduring the postseason pressure systems, there is still a variety of stormy activity on several fronts in each conference. Take a look at the squads still mired in flurries for playoff position and NBA.com's outlook for their season.
AT STAKE: NO. 4 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
4. Miami 37-38 -- W2 (9-1) 7 (3/4) Excellent: Miami's one loss in its last 10 games? Just first-place Indiana.
5. New Orleans 37-38 -- L4 (3-7) 7 (2/5) Poor: They've lost six of seven and started five-game West trip 0-2.
6. Milwaukee 37-38 -- L1 (3-7) 7 (4/3) Fair: Back to playing .500 ball, even splitting a home-and-home with Indy.
NOTES: Talk about muddled -- there is currently a three-way tie for fourth place in the East, in which case the tiebreaker goes to the team with the "best cumulative winning percentage in games among tied teams." Suffice to say that would be Miami right now, but with the way the Heat are playing, they won't need to be referencing any convoluted tiebreaker rules -- they're 12-2 since March 2.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are without Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn and the Bucks have lost T.J. Ford and Keith Van Horn, but Milwaukee has the more favorable schedule ahead, as they will face struggling Cleveland and Toronto twice each down the stretch.
MATCHUPS: Hornets at Bucks (April 10)
AT STAKE: NO. 7-8 SEEDS
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
7. New York 35-40 -- W1 (6-4) 7 (2/5) Good: Getting terrific play from recently acquired role-players.
8. Boston 34-41 -- L1 (5-5) 7 (3/4) Good: Should lock the eight-spot by attrition as Cavaliers and 76ers fade.
9. Cleveland 32-42 1.5 L2 (4-6) 8 (4/4) Poor: They've lost six of seven and now defense has become lazy.
10. Philadelphia 32-43 2 W1 (5-5) 7 (4/3) Poor: Still hanging around, but now Iverson is officially out for the year.
NOTES: New York and Boston aren't doing anything special -- just winning the games they should. Both teams went 9-5 in March simply by beating inferior squads and mixing in one or two upsets, and as the season winds down it appears that will be enough to vault both into the postseason.
Cleveland has been in a tailspin since losing Jeff McInnis and now their defense has taken a seat, allowing 110.3 ppg over the team's last three games. Philadelphia, though still within shouting distance, has never been a serious threat, and Toronto has fallen well off the pace after dropping five in a row.
MATCHUPS: Knicks at Sixers (April 3); Cavs at Knicks (April 14)
WEST http://www.nba.com/features/forecast2004_west.html
AT STAKE: NO. 1 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
1. Sacramento 52-22 -- L1 (4-6) 8 (3/5) Fair: Increasingly vulnerable, Kings couldn't handle Lakers or Spurs.
2. Minnesota 52-24 1 W3 (6-4) 6 (3/3) Good: Riding a three-game win streak, should hold on to No. 2 seed.
3. L.A. Lakers 51-23 1 W9 (9-1) 8 (5/3) Excellent: Looking unstoppable after destroying Kings and Wolves.
NOTES: Sacramento, on the road for two more games against Dallas and Houston, were never in it last night at San Antonio just one week after getting schooled by the Lakers -- the Kings have now lost three of four and all indications are that the streaking Lakers are going to finish the season on top. L.A. is 13-2 since March 2 with five of their remaining eight games at home.
The Timberwolves have rediscovered their winning ways after a brief lull, taking three straight, but they'll need to be careful with two more matchups against the dangerous Grizzlies or they could conceivably be caught by the fourth-place Spurs for the Midwest title.
MATCHUPS: Wolves at Kings (April 8, TNT); Lakers at Kings (April 11, ABC)
AT STAKE: NO. 4 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
4. San Antonio 50-25 -- W4 (7-3) 7 (3/4) Good: Nearly in championship form -- could rise higher if Wolves stumble.
5. Memphis 48-26 1.5 W6 (8-2) 8 (3/5) Fair: Tough matchups and travel could sabotage homecourt hopes.
NOTES: With the way both these teams are winning -- and therefore not gaining or losing ground -- this wouldn't really be a race to watch, particularly with San Antonio only a game and a half back of the No. 3 seed, but the Grizzlies took the season series against the Spurs 3-1 and own the tiebreaker. So the situation could get very interesting if Memphis extends its streak and San Antonio drops a game or two. However, since the Spurs have a decided advantage in ease of schedule, it would take an unlikely collapse on their part.
MATCHUPS: None
AT STAKE: NO. 8 SEED
TEAM W-L GB STK (L10) GR (H/A) OUTLOOK
8. Utah 39-36 -- W1 (6-4) 7 (4/3) Good: Head-to-head win over Nuggets on Saturday was huge.
9. Portland 38-36 1 W1 (7-3) 8 (4/4) Fair: Four of remaining eight are against Spurs and Lakers.
10. Denver 39-37 1 W1 (5-5) 6 (3/3) Fair: Just 3-4 since March 14 with tough schedule ahead.
NOTES: This one is going to be close: The remaining games for all three of these teams will be very tough, with plenty of matchups against Western Conference playoff teams looming. With that in mind, the one-game advantage that Utah currently holds over Portland and Denver is in actuality a huge cushion, but also key is the fact that Denver holds the tiebreakers against both the Jazz and Blazers, and if they can emerge from their slump just enough to pick up a game, they'll slip into the postseason.
MATCHUPS: Blazers at Nuggets (April 10)
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