NBA Playoffs Countdown: 2 Day Preview of the Fight for Western Conference Playoffs and Seedings
By Matt Miller
April 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) walks off the court at the end of the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center. Lakers won 118-116. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
There are only two days of regular season games remaining. Ty Lawson’s runner with 9 seconds left and Greg Popovich benching players decided the seedings of several teams on Monday night. There is a little more definity on who will face who in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Here is a chronological preview of the games and outcomes in the next 2 days.
Tuesday April 16th
Portland at LA Clippers
The Clippers are the only team playing Tuesday that has any playoff implications. Ok the only team in the West. They are the only Western playoff team with 2 games still to play as they end their season on a back to back. NBA Coach of the Year candidate (along with Bernie Bickerstaff of course) Vinny Del Negro is unlikely to sit his starters anymore than he normally does with a chance at the 3 seed, and Memphis close on their heels for home court advantage. The Clippers need to take down Damian Lillard who lit up the Lakers on the road last week, and/or win Wednesday to protect home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers own the tiebreaker against Memphis.
Wednesday April 17th
Utah at Memphis, 5pm PST
The Lakers have Memphis’ bench to thank heading into this matchup. Memphis Coach Lionel Hollins rested his starters Monday, but the bench got the win anyway and can still earn the 4th seed in the West with 2 Clippers losses. Last week’s loss to the Clippers was Memphis’ only loss at home since early February. Utah needs to win on the road in order to have a chance at earning the eighth and final spot in the West. If the Clippers lose Tuesday against Portland, Memphis will have something to play for hours before the Clippers take the court. Given their home record too, they could earn the 4 spot; that would spell problems for Utah, and provide an excellent safety net for the Lakers. But if the Clippers win, Lionel Hollins will rest his starters akin to Greg Popovich, and Utah’s chances increase decidedly.
Milwaukee at Oklahoma City, 5pm PST
The Thunder clinched home court advantage throughout the Western Conference Playoffs. San Antonio is 2 games back with only 1 game to play. The Thunder will rest their starters, and scoreboard watch to see if they face the Lakers, Jazz, or Rockets.
Minnesota at San Antonio. 5pm PST
San Antonio has clinched the 2nd seed in the West, and will do what Greg Popovich did last night and sporadically throughout the season–bench everyone. I’m surprised he doesn’t contract the Washington Generals to stand in on Wednesday That doesn’t mean the Spurs won’t win since Popovich won’t take the night off. But they will also be scoreboard watching for the Lakers and Rockets.
Phoenix at Denver, 5pm PST
The Suns would have had the opportunity to play the spoiler again had Ty Lawson‘s runner not dropped with 9 seconds remaining on Monday against the Bucks. The Suns beat the Rockets Monday at home, but now they go to Denver to face one of the NBA’s toughest teams at home. . .when they’re healthy. Danilo Gallinari is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Kenneth Faried is currently out with brutal ankle sprain. Denver owns the tiebreaker over the Clippers. So even if the Clippers win out and the Nuggets lose this game they will hold on to the 3 seed.
Apr 13, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) and Memphis Grizzlies point guard Jerryd Bayless (7) collide during the game at FedEx Forum. Los Angeles Clippers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 91-87. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden–USA TODAY Sports
Golden State at Portland, 7:30pm PST
One of the three night cap games, Steph Curry and the Warriors head to Portland to hold onto the 6th seed. No one wanted to face Denver in the playoffs, but without Gallinari and now possibly Faried the Nuggets are a much more attractive matchup. If the Warriors lose and Houston wins, they will have the same record. But Houston owns the tiebreaker after they won 3 of the 4 matchups throughout the season. The Warriors with a win are destined to begin their postseason in Denver as the 6 seed, with a loss and Houston loss in Denver as well. But if they lose and Houston wins they will be in San Antonio.
Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento, 7:30pm PST
Closing the season in Sacramento would seem like an easy win. Think again. When the Sacramento Kings have at least one step out of Sacramento is when they are the most dangerous. This is the annual last game in Sacramento. The Clippers would be wise to win Tuesday at home, to avoid having to win this game in Sacramento to clinch the 4th seed in the West. They will know how Memphis fares pretty early on in this game, and depending on the result in this game and Tuesday night could take the pressure off the Clips to go for the win here.
Houston at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30pm PST– ESPN
The 8th seed in the conference is up for grabs in the nationally televised last game of the NBA season. The Rockets clinched the playoffs, but now they are fighting for seeding. If the Rockets lose to the Lakers, the Lakers will doubly get their wish–they will make the playoffs and play San Antonio as opposed to Oklahoma City. Houston and James Harden might be the only team who wouldn’t mind playing OKC, as James Harden would want a shot at his old team. But a Texas showdown would be a desirable matchup for the Rockets as well. But if Houston wins and the Warriors lose at Portland, the Rockets will have a shootout with Denver in the playoffs. The opportunity to face the Spurs for the Lakers is a boost to a must win game anyway for the Lakers anyway.
The Lakers will know what they have to do to make the playoffs before the 1st quarter is through, but they do not want to face OKC either. If the Rockets win, the Lakers need a Utah loss in Memphis. But if the Lakers win, they are going to San Antonio.
How is it all going to shakeout Hubsters?