HANDICAPPING THE NBA PLAYOFF RACES

Follow the NBA and get in depth playoff coverage at SPORTZ' HOOPS LAND.  I will be updating these races every day until they are decided. 

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The NBA has about one week left.  So teams are battling for playoff position.  The divisions are pretty much settled, but it is home court and just matchups that loom large.  Here is what to look for....

This may be a mega battle between these teams for the #4, #5 and #6 seeds.. The Pacers and Wizards are both just a game behind the Bulls for fourth. Indiana has Philly, at Miami, at Orlando and Chicago left. Chicago has Orlando, at Atlanta, New York and at Indiana left. Washington has Cleveland, Charlotte, at New Jersey and at New York left. The Bulls-Pacers tiebreaker is up in the air. Indy plays Chicago on the final day of the season..and could decide which team gets home court between them. Most likely, if Indiana wins then they will get the higher seed. They would tie 2-2 head to head. If they had the same record, they’d have the same conference record [tiebreaker #2]. However, both teams are 8-7 against Central Division foes [tie breaker #3]. That game will be their final divisional game, meaning whomever wins it will get the tie breaker. The Wiz own the tie breaker over the Bulls but not the Pacers. Despite all of that, the Bulls still have a one-game edge over both the Pacers and Wiz. They need that game over Indiana bad. But, Indiana has that Miami game staring right at them. So an Indy win may pull the Wiz [with their easier sked] to the #4 seed. ADVANTAGE: Washington.

This is a fight for the final two playoff spots. Right now, the Sixers and Cavs are tied for the #7 and #8 seeds and the Nets two games back. Philly has at Indiana, at Jersey, Milwaukee and Atlanta left. Cleveland has at Washington, at Detroit, Boston and at Toronto left. New Jersey has at Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington and at Boston left. The Sixers own the tiebreaker over the Cavaliers. However, New Jersey owns the tiebreaker over Cleveland. They’d own the tiebreaker over Philly with a win over them this week [a must for the Nets to even be in this thing]. The Cavs play two division leaders and the Nets have a lot of work to do. ADVANTAGE: Philadelphia.

  

Huh? Barring a complete collapse, the Celtics have the #3 seed on lock down. The Wiz are in that battle the Bulls and Pacers for the #4 and #5 seeds. However, getting that #6 seed may not be all that bad. Especially if the C’s struggle. With the new realignment and the old NBA seeding rules, if the Wizards finish with a better record that the Celtics...the Wiz get home court advantage even if the Wiz are a #6 seed and the Celtics are a #3 seed. The NBA’s practice has been the team with the better record gets the home court...not the team with the better seeding. The Wizards have the advantage. Boston’s next three games are on the road. They have to go to Miami first...then on to Toronto then Cleveland before closing out at home against New Jersey. All are dangerous games...and only the Raptors game seems to be a lock. Washington hosts Cleveland and then expansion Charlotte before heading to New Jersey and New York. And don’t forget that Chicago or Indiana might get into this mix. ADVANTAGE: Wizards.

   

This is a fight for the top spot in the West. The Spurs have the Grizzlies [twice] and at Minnesota. The Suns have the Clippers, Kings [twice] and Nuggets. Ouch. All tough games. San Antonio owns the tiebreaker...so both teams must win. But, the Spurs have two more losses than the Suns. ADVANTAGE: Suns.

 

This is a battle for the #5, #6 and #7 seeds. The Kings are at Lakers, at Utah and has the Suns twice. The Rockets play the rest of their games at home against the Nuggets, Clippers and Sonics. The Nuggets have Memphis, at Houston, at Phoenix and Portland remaining. Tiebreakers? Kings over Nuggets. Rockets over Kings. The winner of the Nuggets-Rockets game will determine that tiebreaker. All roads seem to be pretty tough. ADVANTAGE: Nuggets, since no one is as hot as them.

   

To get into the playoffs....the Timberwolves must win their last four games and have the Grizzlies lose their last four games.  Impossible?  Well, the Wolves have at Utah, Seattle, at N'Awlins and San Antonio left.  The Grizzlies have at Denver, San Antonio twice and Dallas left.  Tough road for the Grizz.  However, any slip up by Minnesota knocks them out.  ADVANTAGE:  Grizzlies.