NBA Western Conference Playoff Race

RSS
Email

0 Kudo

Author	Comment
rdkapp	NBA Western Conference Playoff Race	Lead	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1763 (03/29/2008 1:54 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None I thought I'd make a general thread about a topic that a few of us discuss on a regular basis in other related threads. After losing on their home court last night to a 6 road-win Bobcat team, the LA Lakers choked another one at home tonight to the lowly (5-road win) Memphis Grizzlies, despite Kobe's 53 points. At least Kobe stayed in this game (referencing his 2 technicals last night with the game still somewhat in question). In other games, as I expected, the Spurs won at home vs. the T-Wolves, Utah won at home vs. the Clippers, and Boston beat the Hornets in Boston. I was surprised by the Lakers choke job, and a little surprised (although disappointed is probably a better term) by Phoenix's win over the 76ers in Philly. Unfortunately, the Laker loss doesn't help the Rockets much in the standings because, even though the Rockets now have a better record, the Lakers are still leading their division and keep a hold of a top 4 seed, similar to the Jazz. The Rockets now have the 3rd best record in the Western Conference, but hold only the 5th seed, because the Hornets and Spurs (both teams in the Rockets' division both have better records) and the Jazz and Lakers get top 4 seeds because they're leading their divisions. The Laker loss does help the Suns, however, because now the Suns are only a 0.5 game out of the Pacific division lead and thus a top 4 seed. Here's the standings after figuring in last night's games: Tomorrow night (er, Tonight), the Suns play the New Jersey Nets in a back-to-back game. I don't give the Nets much of chance, although they are 1.5 games out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, so maybe they'll surprise a tired Shaq and Suns' team. Nevertheless, I still expect a Suns win and thus a tie with the Lakers for the Pacific division lead. Another game of slightly less significance (right now) pits the Warriors vs. the Nuggets in Denver. I expect Denver to win that game, which will move them ahead of Golden State into the 8th seed and move the Warriors out of the playoffs for that moment. The entire Western Conference playoff race is a complicated mess, but it's really pretty simple when you focus on a goal for the Rockets' to obtain a top 4 seed. The Rockets simply must maintain a better record than either the Lakers or Suns (which they currently have a better record than both), and then somehow pass either the Hornets or the Spurs. And guess what? The Rockets can start this Sunday by beating the Spurs in San Antonio. That would do the trick and put the Rockets in the #2 spot at that time. Tough task, and I've picked the Rockets to lose that game, but I'm hoping to be surprised by a win! Go Rockets!!!!! Last Edited By: rdkapp 03/29/2008 2:20 AM. Edited 2 times.
rexerexer		#1	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 481 (03/29/2008 5:46 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Good to see the Rockets finally back in the middle of things this late in the season. The Western Conference is fun this year. Too bad Yao's not along for the ride...right about now is when he was expected to be "blooming" into the player he can be. And how 'bout them Hornets? Two years ago, when I had the chance to cover them when they were here in OKC, Byron Scott predicted they would become a contender with the Paul/West combo. Guess he knows a thing or two about basketball, huh? The Scott has just got to be tickled pink...this will be the first trip to the playoff for this team, since he came over, barring a complete collapse. "Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." --Douglas Adams
RyanED		#2	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 27964 (03/29/2008 6:50 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The Hornets simply lucked out with Chris Paul. He's simply the best point guard on the planet and he's absolutely sensational! Chris Paul is my pick for the MVP of the NBA this year -- not Kobe, not LeBron, not Kevin Garnett and certainly not Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming ( if he were still healthy )... Take Chris Paul away from the Hornets and they would be a lottery-bound team. Of course, you can probably say the same thing about Kobe Bryant with the Lakers and LeBron James with the Cavaliers. Unlike the Houston Rockets, if you took the Hornets' best player away, they wouldn't have the heart, depth, talent and tenacity to win many games after that. In fact, the Hornets weakness right now is their depth. They have Bonzi Wells who is starting to be a big-time scorer for them off the bench, but other than that... They pretty much have nothing. We'll see whether or not Mike James can contribute anything for them come playoff time. I know he's been fighting some tough-luck injuries lately. As far as the Rockets go... That's a huge game Sunday afternoon in San Antonio. It will be a 12 noon game on ABC, and needless to say, we really need to win this game!
rdkapp		#3	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1766 (03/30/2008 12:40 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Just like I thought, the Suns beat the Nets (110-104), even though it was a back-to-back game on the road. Stoudemire had 33 points and 15 boards. He's the man, and probably deserves some MVP consideration, especially if the Suns end up with a top 4 seed. Also as predicted, the Nuggets beat the Warriors (119-112) to push the Warriors out of the playoff seeding for the time being. Here's the updated standings: Tomorrow, there are some big games, including the biggest one pitting the Rockets vs. the Spurs in San Antonio at 12:00 noon on your local ABC channel. This is about as big of a game as it gets for the Rockets and for that matter, the Spurs, although I think the Rockets need the game more than the Spurs. I think the Spurs can win in the playoffs no matter what seed they are, but I think the Rockets sorely need home court advantage to win a 1st round series. Despite the Rockets' excellent road record during the regular season, I think against the upper echelon teams in the Western Conference playoffs, they cannot win a series without Yao Ming and home court advantage. So, tomorrow is a huge game, because as I said in my initial post, the Rockets need to stay in front of one of either the Lakers or Suns and somehow get in front of either the Hornets or the Spurs. Again, I'm picking the Rockets to lose, but hoping for a huge, huge, huge win. Go Rockets! In other games, Utah plays at Minnesota. I've picked the Jazz to win this game in other threads, but the T-Wolves have been playing better lately and the Jazz are not a good road team (except earlier this month when they won at Boston); at least they haven't been most of the year. So, I'm picking the Jazz but hoping for a T-Wolves surprise. New Orleans continues their long road trip through the Eastern Conference cities vs. Toronto. Now, Toronto has some incentive to win this game. They are currently in the 6th seed of the Eastern Conference, 0.5 game ahead of the 76ers. If they hold the 6th seed, they likely open the playoffs against Orlando. If they fall to the 7th seed, then they likely open the playoffs against Detroit. I know which one I'd choose. OTOH, the Hornets are coming off a loss to the Boston Celtics, so they may be more focused on getting back on the winning track. I'm hoping the Hornets are still reeling from the Celtic whipping and suffer some post-Celtic whipping blues like the Rockets did a couple of weeks ago. I'm picking the Hornets to win, but I think Toronto has a decent chance to pull it off. Toronto did beat the Pistons this past Wednesday in Toronto, so maybe they'll have the mojo going to beat another quality team on their home court. Dallas plays at Golden State. I expect the Warriors to beat the Dirk Nowitzki-less Mavs, which will create a 3-way tie for the 7th and 8th seeds between the Mavs, Nuggets, and Warriors. I don't know how the tie-breaker system works in the event of a 3-way tie and at this point I really don't care, because there are more games to play. Finally, Washington plays at the LA Lakers. Could the Lakers lose a 3rd straight home game? Ordinarily, I'd say no, but the Wizards are not a bad road team (at 17-19) and have won 2 straight on the road (vs. Seattle and Sacramento). The Seattle win is nothing to get excited about, but the Sacramento win is a nice feather in their cap. Regardless, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers know that the Suns have pulled even atop the Pacific division, and I think the Lakers will win the game, but I'm certainly pulling for the Wizards. Edit: Also of note, is that tomorrow, if the Rockets lose and the Lakers win, then the Suns and Rockets will have identical records and the Suns will move up to the #5 spot and the Rockets will hold the #6 spot, because the Suns currently hold the tie breaker with the Rockets, leading the head-to-head series 2-1, pending their next matchup in Houston on April 11th, which bodes as another potential huge game for the Rockets. Last Edited By: rdkapp 03/30/2008 2:23 AM. Edited 2 times.
RyanED		#4	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 27993 (03/30/2008 7:11 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The 2008 NBA Playoffs will be exciting no matter who the Houston Rockets play -- Spurs, Suns, a healthy Lakers team with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol back, I don't care... Bring them all on, baby! I don't care if we play the Jazz, Hornets, Warriors, Nuggets or Mavericks in the first round either. The Houston Rockets will play their guts out and they'll give it all they have and then some extra tenacity and toughness on top of that. If we lose in a 7-game series, it's not going to be because a lack of effort, but it's going to be because the other team was simply more talented. As of right now, even without Yao Ming, I think the Houston Rockets have a fighting chance against any team in a 7-game series -- home court advantage or no home court advantage. It's win or go home! For today's game, I hope the Rockets give us all a nice feel-good win at San Antonio! This is the type of game that could really spark a lot of confidence into the entire team if we win.
RyanED		#5	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 27994 (03/30/2008 1:19 PM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The Spurs are simply too good and peaking at the right time. Oh well, I'm not going to feel bad about a loss to the Spurs today. I'm just ready for the 2008 NBA Playoffs to start. I hope we can avoid the Spurs and Suns in the first round though... I'd really like to see the Houston Rockets have a fighting chance to advance past the first round, and I'm not sure we can avoid getting swept or losing 1-4 in 5 games if we played the Spurs or Suns in a 7-game series. Any other team, we can probably make it an exciting 7-games series and extend it 6 or 7 games.
RyanED		#6	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 27999 (03/30/2008 7:25 PM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	If the Houston Rockets end up the 6th seed, I hope the Utah Jazz move up to the 3rd seed. If the Utah Jazz move up to the 1st or 2nd seed, I hope the Houston Rockets fall down to the 7th or 8th seed. If the Houston Rockets end up the 5th seed, I hope the Utah Jazz stay the 4th seed. At this point, I'll take our chances with another first-round matchup against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Playoffs. I think a Yao Ming-less Houston Rockets team would matchup the best against the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets and Golden State Warriors. I'm pretty sure we can take any of those teams to a full seven games and possibly win our first playoff series in eleven years. Without Yao Ming, I absolutely don't think we can win even one game in a 7-game series against the Spurs, Suns and a healthy Lakers team with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol back. Perhaps we could win one or two games against those three teams in a 7-game series, but that's a stretch for me to say with an honest face... I don't know about the rest of you guys, but that's how I'm feeling right now.
rdkapp	NBA Western Conference Playoff Race and Rockets vs. Spurs	#7	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1770 (03/31/2008 1:26 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Well, I was 4-1 on my picks for today's games, although I would have been glad to have ended up 1-4. As expected, the Spurs beat the Rockets, and they did it pretty handily (109-88), and I will have more on this game later in the post. Further, as expected: (1) New Orleans beat Toronto (118-111) and it wasn't as close as the score would indicate, as the Raptors were down by more than 20 in the 4th quarter before making a furious comeback; (2) Golden State beat Dallas (114-104) to force a 3-way tie at the 7th and 8th playoff seeds; and (3) the Lakers beat Washington (126-120) in overtime and obviously, it wasn't an easy win for the Lakers, who were in danger of losing a 3rd straight game on their home court to a lesser opponent. My only miss turned out to be a good result, as Minnesota beat Utah (110-103), which was the 2nd time the T-Wolves beat the Jazz in Minnesota. So, here are the updated standings as I understand the tie-breakers only as to the top 6 seeds: Now, with regard to the Rockets vs. Spurs game. The Rockets were beaten pretty soundly. In the first half, the Spurs shot lights out (64% ) and had an 18 point lead. Tony Parker and Michael Finley were just hitting shots right and left. Some of them were the result of bad defensive decisions by the Rockets, but others (that took lots of paint off the rim) just showed that the Spurs (and those 2 in particular) were just hot. T-Mac looked good driving to the bucket for several dunks and layups, but his outside shot was not on at all. He scored 13 points on 5 for 22 and 3 for 7 from the FT line (both very poor), but he still had 6 assists and 5 rebounds with no TOs. The announcers (I don't recall the play-by-play guy, but JVG and Marc Jackson were doing color) were commenting that the Spurs (mainly Bowen) were playing poor defense on T-Mac by taking away the outside shot, so it was good to see T-Mac go to the basket with authority, even with an injured shoulder. But overall, the Spurs just play excellent "team defense," even though they may not have been playing T-Mac well on those occasions. I found it ironic, but par for the course (in the national media's constant downplay of Houston sports' teams) that during the 1st half of the game, JVG and Marc Jackson were having a little spat about whether T-Mac deserved some MVP consideration. JVG said he definitely deserves it, because of what he's done, and has been doing since Yao went down and how he took a team with lesser talent than both the Lakers and Hornets, and led them to a 22-game winning streak and to the top of the Western Conference standings, right along side of those same teams. Marc Jackson looked really silly by arguing against it by saying that T-Mac has not taken the Rockets to the same level as Chris Paul has taken the Hornets and Kobe Bryant has taken the Lakers. JVG just responded with the fact that all three teams have had nearly identical records at the top of the Western Conference for the last few weeks and then Jackson said something about the fact that JVG lives in Houston and the discussion ended. No, I don't think T-Mac should win it, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation, if you're using the same criteria for all three guys. I thought Jackson looked really stupid in that dialogue, but then of course, T-Mac goes out and has a below standard performance game. Now, back to the game - the Spurs cooled off some in the 2nd half, shooting an overall 53% for the game, while the Rockets shot 40.2% for the game. The Rockets just couldn't seem to get many open shots. IMO, Adelman did a very strange thing by starting Luther Head in lieu of Battier. According to the announcers, the reasoning was that he wanted to save Battier to play defense on Ginobili when he entered the game. Well, Battier did not play well. Oh, sure he was always there defensively, but he committed several fouls that he normally doesn't commit, which either resulted in 3-point plays or 2 free throws by the Spurs (Ginobili). I think he was out of his element coming off the bench. Further, I think Battier could have been used to limit Finley's open shots in the 1st quarter when he got going before Ginobili entered the game. I understand that Ginobili is a tough guard, but Battier is fully capable of starting and guarding Finley and then switching to Ginobili when he comes in the game. I don't know that this would have changed the result, but I do think it was a bad decision by Adelman. The Spurs won this game with excellent defense and some very hot shooting, some of which you could blame on the Rockets' defense, but some not, as the Spurs were just red-hot. Tomorrow, there are 3 games (involving 4 teams) that affect the Western Conference Playoff Race: 1. Washington plays at Utah, which is a back-to-back game (after travel) for both teams. However, the Jazz just doesn't lose at home, and I don't think the Wizards are good enough to overcome that home-court advantage, especially in a back-to-back situation. I'll be pulling for the Wizards, but Utah should get back on the winning track after today's loss to the T-Wolves on the road. 2. Dallas plays at the LA Clippers, which is a back-to-back game for the Mavs. I expect the Mavs to overcome Nowitzki's absence and the back-to-back after travel and win this game. I'll be rooting for the Clippers, but they just beat Memphis at home on Saturday, to end a 9-game losing streak. They are not playing well at all and are missing Elton Brand, who is scheduled to return on Wednesday, just in time to get acclimated for the Rockets' game on Sunday. Remember how the Rockets caught some breaks during the 22-game win streak? Well, those breaks could be going the opposite direction now, but the Rockets should still win that game, regardless. 3. Denver plays at Phoenix. I think the Suns will win this game, because it is being played on their home court, but I'm not so confident about this pick, because I think the Nuggets, with Iverson and Anthony, have flipped the switch, and are playing well right now (especially at home), winning 5 in a row and 8 of their last 10. Whether they can do it on the road in Phoenix is the question, but they are fighting for one of the final 2 playoff spots. I'll stick with my Suns' pick, but I would not be terribly surprised with a Nuggets' upset, after the Suns just finished a tough 4-game Eastern Conference road trip. But, a factor to consider is that this game is the front end of a home and home, back-to-back, as the 2 teams travel to Denver on Tuesday for another game. Both of those games could be interesting for both the top and bottom of the Western Conference playoff seedings. A split is probable, but a sweep by the Suns could be detrimental for the Rockets' hopes of home-court advantage in the playoffs. OTOH, a sweep by the Nuggets would put them in a pretty good position to make the playoffs, after being out of the picture (in the 9th spot) for so long, and would help the Rockets out toward obtaining home-court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs. Go Nuggets!!!! Now for some responses: RyanED wrote: I'm just ready for the 2008 NBA Playoffs to start. I hope we can avoid the Spurs and Suns in the first round though... I'd really like to see the Houston Rockets have a fighting chance to advance past the first round, and I'm not sure we can avoid getting swept or losing 1-4 in 5 games if we played the Spurs or Suns in a 7-game series. Any other team, we can probably make it an exciting 7-games series and extend it 6 or 7 games. RyanED, see my post in the thread entitled Rockets hosting Kings tonight - Chance to move from 5th seed to 2nd seed tonight. Specifically, this is what I said: As of right now, the teams I would least like to face in the 1st round of the playoffs would be the Suns and the Spurs. Of course, I reserve the right to change my opinon on this subject over the next couple of weeks (as I've already shown a propensity to do just that). The Suns, with Shaq and Stoudemire (who is playing out of this world right now), are a nightmare matchup problem for the Rockets, especially if their shooters are hot like they were the other night. The Spurs; even though I think the Rockets match up pretty well with them; well, they're just the Spurs. Nothing else needs to be said, IMO. Finally, RyanED wrote: If the Utah Jazz move up to the 1st or 2nd seed, I hope the Houston Rockets fall down to the 7th or 8th seed. RyanED, be careful what you wish for, because with only 9 games left to play and a 4 game lead on the Mavs, Nuggets, and Warriors, the only way I see the Rockets falling to the 7th or 8th seed is if T-Mac gets hurt. If that happens, then it won't matter who they face in the playoffs, because they'll probably get swept by any of the teams they may face, including the Jazz.
RyanED		#8	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 28014 (03/31/2008 1:43 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	RdKapp, I think the Mavericks will lose four or five more games and miss the playoffs. The Mavericks will lose to the Warriors again, and they'll definitely lose to the Lakers and Suns during three of their next four games. Also, I think the Mavericks will lose to the Jazz and Hornets during two future games as well. I just want to play the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs for a second straight year, and it appears the only way we can do that is if we finish in the 5th seed -- ahead of the Lakers or Suns. I don't see the Spurs or Hornets losing a top 4 seeding at this point, and I certainly don't see the Utah Jazz losing a hold of their division lead, which means they're going to be the 4th seed automatically as a division winner. This time, even without Yao Ming, I think we may beat them in a 7-game series.
rdkapp		#9	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1778 (04/01/2008 3:03 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Well, I was 3-0 on my picks for yesterday's games. As expected, the Jazz not only beat the Wizards, they put a beating on them 129-87. Somebody or something must have pissed the Jazz off, or the Wizards were just too tired from their hard fought overtime game the night before against the Lakers. Also as expected, the Mavs beat the lowly Clippers (93-86) in a game that I don't think was really ever in doubt, and oh, by the way, Jason Kidd scored 27 points, but only had 4 assists and 3 rebounds (not a typical game for him). Finally, in the most interesting game of the night, the Suns overcame a 19-point halftime deficit (70-51) and beat the Nuggets by scoring 81 second half points for a final score of 132-117. Talk about your defensive struggle, and these 2 teams play again tomorrow night in Denver, and we'll probably see similar scores. I was keeping an eye on this game through Yahoo while watching the Astros-Pads game, and all the way through the 3rd quarter, I really thought the Nuggets were going to pull it out, but was losing confidence little by little, as they kept missing free throws (ending the game shooting 16 for 27 from the FT line, while Phoenix shot 33 for 36), and the Suns kept chipping away at the lead, finally taking the lead in the game with about 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Stoudemire had 41, Nash had 36 (including 8 3-pointers), and Shaq had 20. Hopefully, Denver will get some revenge tomorrow night. So, here are the updated standings after yesterday's games: We're now going into the final month of the regular season, and here is my take on tomorrow's pertinent matchups: 1. New Orleans at Orlando. Originally, I thought the Magic would win this game, but after glancing at the Eastern Conference standings, I may change my mind and here's why: Orlando has the 3rd seed pretty much wrapped up. They are 5.5 games behind Detroit for the #2 seed and 6.0 games ahead of Cleveland in the #4 seed. The Magic are probably just playing to stay in shape with a focus on staying healthy. I would expect them to be more competitive against Eastern Conference playoff teams, than a Western Conference playoff team. Nevertheless, they are 7-3 in their last 10, but the Hornets have been playing out of this world on their long 6-game east coast road trip. I picked them to go 4 and 2, and they're currently 3-1 with games against the Magic tomorrow and then the Heat on Wednesday remaining. Only Boston has beat them on this trip. I have changed my mind and do expect the Hornets to win this game. I hope I'm wrong. 2. Golden State at San Antonio. I expect San Antonio to win this game with relative ease. They are playing very well right now and the Warriors will not do well against the Spurs' defense in San Antonio. 3. Phoenix at Denver. I'll pick Denver to avenge their loss last night against Phoenix (see above), and to move back into the #8 spot, ahead of the Warriors. 4. Houston at Sacramento. This game scares me, because of Ron Artest, Kevin Martin, and company, and the fact that it's always tough to win in Sacramento. The Rockets need to play better defense than they played against San Antonio and they need to shoot better also. The fact that the Kings cannot match the Spurs' in "Team Defense," should make it easier for the Rockets to improve their play on the offensive end, but Artest is one of the best on the ball defenders in the NBA and I'm sure he'll give T-Mac some problems. Others will have to step up, namely Rafer, Scola, Battier, and Landry. It would be nice if we also saw a good game from Bobby Jackson in his return to Sacramento. I think with the importance of this game, as well as how well Phoenix is playing and the fact that the Jazz are only 2 games behind the Rockets in the loss column, the Rockets will play well (better than in San Antonio) and get a hard fought win in this game. They need to; as it's crunch time. At some point, I plan to post the remaining Home and Away schedules of all 9 Western Conference teams fighting for playoff spots. Last Edited By: rdkapp 04/01/2008 3:13 AM. Edited 1 times.
RyanED		#10	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 28032 (04/02/2008 12:21 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	That was a tough 99-98 loss at Sacramento tonight. The Rockets lose a big game by one point -- thanks in large part to an effortless 30 points, 5 steals and 4 rebounds by the soon-to-be Free Agent, Ron Artest. I thought Tracy McGrady was going to win the game at the buzzer, but he missed a 15-footer as time expired and he had to pump fake two defenders in order to get a good look at the basket on that final shot. That was the type of shot that superstars tend to make, and Tracy McGrady has been known to make those big-money shots in the past, but tonight wasn't meant to be... The Houston Rockets have now lost five of their last eight games since the 22-game winning streak, and at this point I'll glady take the 6th seed, but only if the Utah Jazz move up into the 3rd overall seed. I want a first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz, and it's either going to be as a 3 versus 6 or 4 versus 5 seeding-matchup. So basically... If we finish the 6th seed -- I hope the Jazz are the 3rd seed. If we finish the 5th seed -- I hope the Jazz are the 4th seed. Yeah, I know... Be careful what I wish for, but the Utah Jazz may be the only team we can beat in a 7-game playoff series without Yao Ming. Heck, they beat us in 7 games during last year's first-round playoff series even when we had Yao Ming, but Yao Ming actually hurt us on the defensive end in that series. Carlos Boozer's quickness and toughness exposed some of Yao Ming's shortcomings on defense. Mehmet Okur commands a center or power forward to defend his pretty ass on the 3-point line, and that's a mismatch for most teams. I think we're better prepared to defend Carlos Boozer right now, but I think how well we can defend guys like Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko and Deron Williams will more or less determine whether or not we can win a 7-game playoff series against Utah. The only question will be... Can we score enough points to win a playoff series against a team like the Utah Jazz in the playoffs? We'll need to win a game at Salt Lake City, and that's proven to be nearly impossible for all road teams this season. At this point, I'm a little excited about a possible first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz. Perhaps a chance at redemption for what happened last year, and we'll do our best to win it for an injured Yao Ming. I'll be a little disappointed if we don't get a first-round matchup against the Utah Jazz. EDIT - Also to note... We can still have the home court advantage over Utah in the playoffs, even if we're the 5th or 6th seed and they're the 3rd or 4th seed. In that case, we may be able to win all four games in Houston to win the series in 7 games -- unlike what happened last year when we lost Game 7 inside of Toyota Center. In that scenario ( having home court advantage ), we wouldn't need to win at Salt Lake City, Utah as long as we can win all four games in Houston. We couldn't do it last year, but I'd certainly take my chances this time around. Anyway, that's how I feel right now. I hope the Houston Rockets can get a decent matchup in the first round of the playoffs, and at this point in time... I'm liking our chances against the Utah Jazz the best. Regardless, I'm just ready for the 2008 NBA Playoffs to start. We'll see what happens... Last Edited By: RyanED 04/02/2008 12:40 AM. Edited 7 times.
RyanED		#11	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 28056 (04/03/2008 8:22 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	The Houston Rockets play on National TV tonight. It will be a late game, but the Rockets play at Portland at 9:30 P.M. on TNT tonight. We need to win our next four games against the Trail Blazers on the road tonight, the SuperSonics on the road on Friday Night, the Clippers on the road on Sunday Night and the SuperSonics in Houston on Wednesday Night. These four wins in a row -- assuming the Rockets take care of business against less-than-great competition late in the regular season -- will give the Rockets a good record of 53-25 and that will likely move us up to the 5th overall seed. Either way, the Rockets look like they're going to end up with the 5th or 6th seed and a first-round matchup against the Lakers, Suns or Jazz. Out of those three teams, I like our chances against the Utah Jazz the best. I wouldn't be against a first-round matchup against the Lakers, but with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol back in their lineup... They're going to be too strong inside the paint for a Yao Ming-less Houston team, albeit I'd rather play the Lakers instead of the Suns with Shaq and Amare inside. Last Edited By: RyanED 04/03/2008 8:24 AM. Edited 1 times.
rdkapp		#12	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1782 (04/03/2008 11:50 AM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I've been too busy to make any lengthy posts, so here's my update from the April 1st games, my take on the April 2nd games, and the current standings: April 1st games I ended up 3-1, with the lone loss being the most important game (Houston at Sacramento). As I expected, the Hornets beat a Magic team that put up a good fight, but is really not fighting for much of anything in the way of playoffs or playoff seedings. So, I really wasn't surprised by the close win. The change of my pick from the Magic to the Hornets turned out to be correct, much to my chagrin. It doesn't look like the Hornets are going to lose too many more games. They're winning at home (9 in a row) and they just finished a pretty tough 6-game road trip 5-1 (with the lone loss being at Boston). At this point, I'd have to say that the top seed in the West is going to come down to either New Orleans or San Antonio. Speaking of San Antonio, they spanked Golden State pretty good (116-92), just as I thought they would. Denver did avenge it's loss against Phoenix in the back end of the home and home, back-to-back games (126-120), in another defensive struggle. This put Denver back into the #8 seed and pushed Golden State out of the playoff picture in the #9 seed. Houston at Sacramento Now, for the disappointment. As I feared was a possibiltiy, Sacramento defeated our Rockets 99-98. I was correct that the game was hard fought, and I did think the Rockets gave it their all, but they didn't shoot very well and they didn't play the level of defense that helped them win 22 straight games. I think there's a plausible reason for the lesser defense, but you can't really blame the refs for the loss (or can you?). More on that later. The parts of the game that I was proud of were: (1) Rebounding - the Rockets outrebounded the Kings 49-28 (21-4 on the offensive end). This normally spells a W, but 21 offensive rebounds also shows poor shooting, which is one of my negatives; (2) T-Mac drove to the basket quite often, but unfortunately didn't convert as much as he normally does, and his passes to open shooters from driving the lane, didn't result in scores as much as they should have, but OTOH, he did get a significant number of fouls called on the Kings; and (3) T-Mac shot well from the FT line (surprise!) going 7 for 8. The negatives: (1) they shot 40.2 % from the field and 4 for 16 (25%) from the 3-point line, and many of those shots were open shots; and (2) they allowed the Kings to shoot 50.7% from the field and 6 for 14 (42.9%) from the 3-point line, many of which were between late 3rd quarter through the 4th quarter. Now for the "Ref effect." The refs were very inconsistent with their calls in this game and made many calls that were either wrong, or should have been no-calls. As a result, there were several Rockets that had foul problems; namely Battier, Scola, Hayes, and Landry, which includes 2 of our best on-the-ball defenders in Battier and Hayes, and thus, they weren't able to play the type of defense they normally play. One play in particular really upset me and evidences my point. Hayes was guarding Artest on a Martin/Artest pick and roll. Hayes stepped up on the other side of the pick just like you're supposed to, and established his position. Martin came around the pick, lowered his shoulder and plowed right in to Hayes and fell down, 30 feet from the basket. There couldn't have been a more obvious offensive foul, but they called it on Hayes. Normally, you would see the guard dribble around that defender (we see T-Mac do that all the time), because the defender has just as much right to that space as the offensive player and Hayes had clearly established his position in that space. Anyway, Hayes was now in more foul trouble and couldn't defend Artest the way he needed to and Martin knocked down both free throws for a possible 4-point turnaround. The Refs didn't cause the Rockets to lose the game, but they did change the way Rockets could play defense, which I think is one of the reasons it appeared the Rockets played a subpar defensive game. But that's the NBA, and it's not going to change. The Rockets just need to overcome it in those situations. One other thing to note on this game is that Landry took only 1 shot in almost 16 minutes of play and did not get any plays or passes from T-Mac or others under the basket for one of his patented slam dunks. It could be that foul trouble took him out of his game, but I noticed he really wasn't that involved in the Spurs game either. Maybe his knee is still not completely healed, maybe there's a psychological factor with the injured knee, or maybe defenses are keying on him more. I don't know, but it would be good if the Rockets could get him back to his performance level before the injury. April 2nd games: New Orleans whipped the Heat in Miami 106 to 77. The Jazz beat Minnesota in Utah 117 to 100. The Lakers beat Portland in LA 104 to 91. No real surprises there, and not much to note other than the fact that Pau Gasol returned to the Laker lineup, played almost 32 minutes and scored 10 points on 3-8 shooting and 4 for 6 from the FT line, pulled down 6 rebounds, had 7 assists (wow!), 1 steal, 1 blocked shot, and 2 turnovers. Other than the low scoring and high assists, it sounds like a normal game for Gasol. In the game of the night, the Mavs easily beat the Warriors in Dallas 111 to 86, knocking the Warriors farther out of the playoff seedings. Contrary to RyanED's earlier prediction that the Warriors would defeat the Mavs in this game, I was not surprised by Dallas' win, as they play well at home, they're playoff lives are at stake, Coach Avery's job may be on the line, and Nowitzki returned to the lineup. Nowitzki played 27 minutes, scored 18 points on 6 for 15 (1 for 2 on 3-pointers) shooting and 5 for 6 from the FT line, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 turnovers, and 1 blocked shot. Typical soft Nowitzki game, but I am surprised that he returned this quickly, however, the Mavs are desperate. However, the Mavs are by no means secure in makeing the playoffs. They still have a significant number of road games and games against quality opponents that could knock them out of the playoffs. Here's the current standings: As you can see, the Rockets are currently in the 6th seed, 3.0 games back of the #1 seed, 0.5 game back of the Suns in the #5 spot, and maybe most importantly, tied with the Utah Jazz, with a better record (1 less loss), but only by percentage points. The Rockets are also now closer to the 7th seed than the 1st seed, which hasn't been the case in a while. RyanED, I think it is impossible for the Rockets to have home-court advantage in the 6th seed, whether it is against the Jazz or the Lakers or Suns. With regard to the Lakers or Suns (both of which are in the same division), if the Rockets have a better record than the winner of that division (who will thus attain the #3 seed), then they'd have a better record than the 2nd place team in that division, and thus, the Rockets would attain the 5th seed over the 2nd place team in that division. So, it is not possible for the Rockets to have home court advantage against either the Lakers or Suns in the #3 vs. #6 matchup. With regard to the Jazz in the #3 seed, if the Jazz play well enough (i.e. better than the Lakers and Suns) to move up to the #3 spot, and the Rockets stay in the #6 spot (i.e. maintain a worse record than the Lakers and Suns), then there's no way the Rockets will have a better record than the Jazz come playoff time. Unless there is some tie-breaking scenario, in the event of a 4-way tie (record-wise) between the Rockets, Jazz, Lakers, and Suns, which I highly doubt, it is not possible for the Rockets to have home-court advantage from the #6 seed, whether it's against the Jazz, Lakers, or Suns. Home-court advantage can only be achieved with the 1st - 5th seeds, and in the #5 seed, is conditioned upon having a better record than the #4 seed. Tonight's game - Houston at Portland The Rockets need to win tonight. The Rockets must win tonight to maintain any hope of attaining a top 4 seed or the Southwest Division title (hopes for either which are growing pretty faint). The game will be a back-to-back game for the Blazers after losing in LA to the Lakers last night. The Rockets had the day off. Portland should be without their best player (arguably), Brandon Roy, although they have several other really good players, namely LaMarcus Aldridge, who is really coming into his own this season, and should pair with Greg Oden to form a very formidable front line next season. That is, if Oden doesn't reinjure himself while playing pick-up basketball with his buddies. I think the Rockets will buckle down on defense as long as the refs allow it, and they pull out another hard-fought road game with the final margin of victory to be under 10, but the game won't be won or lost on a last-second shot.
RyanED		#13	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 28059 (04/03/2008 12:35 PM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	rdkapp wrote: RyanED, I think it is impossible for the Rockets to have home-court advantage in the 6th seed, whether it is against the Jazz or the Lakers or Suns. With regard to the Lakers or Suns (both of which are in the same division), if the Rockets have a better record than the winner of that division (who will thus attain the #3 seed), then they'd have a better record than the 2nd place team in that division, and thus, the Rockets would attain the 5th seed over the 2nd place team in that division. So, it is not possible for the Rockets to have home court advantage against either the Lakers or Suns in the #3 vs. #6 matchup. RdKapp, I believe my point was always about having home court advantage for a possible 5 versus 4 or 6 versus 3 matchup versus the Utah Jazz only -- not the Lakers or Suns. But you're right about it being impossible to have home court advantage as the 6th seed in this particular situation, because for Utah to move up to the 3rd seed, it would imply the Lakers-Suns division winner fell down to the 4th seed, which means the Rockets would be the 5th seed and automatically ahead of the second-place team in that Lakers-Suns division which would be the 6th seed. I see what you're saying... We would be the 5th seed in that instance. I just want the Houston Rockets to play the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
rdkapp		#14	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1784 (04/03/2008 1:17 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Here's the remaining schedule of the 9 teams vying for playoff positions: New Orleans Hornets - 8 games remaining w/3 back-to-backs (4 Home / 4 Road) (likely overall record 59-23; reasonable alternative record 57-25 to 58-24) Home Games: Knicks, Warriors, Jazz, Clippers (likely record 4-0; reasonable alternative record 3-1) Road Games: @T-Wolves, @Lakers, @Kings, @Mavs (likely record 3-1; reasonable alternative record 2-2) San Antonio Spurs - 7 games remaining w/1 back-to-back (3 Home / 4 Road) (likely overall record 57-25; reasonable alternative overall record 56-26 to 57-25) Home Games: Suns, Sonics, Jazz (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Road Games: @Jazz, @Blazers, @Lakers, @Kings (likely record 2-2; reasonable alternative record 2-2) Los Angeles Lakers - 7 games remaining w/0 back-to-back (4 Home / 3 Road) (likely overall record 58-24; reasonable alternative overall record 55-27 to 57-25) Home Games: Mavs, Hornets, Spurs, Kings (likely record 4-0; reasonable alternative record 2-2) Road Games: @Kings, @Blazers, @Clippers (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Utah Jazz - 6 games remaining w/0 back-to-back (3 Home / 3 Road) (likely overall record 53-29; reasonable alternative overall record 52-30 to 54-28) Home Games: Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Road Games: @Hornets, @Mavs, @Spurs (likely record 0-3; reasonable alternative record 1-2) Phoenix Suns - 7 games remaining w/1 back-to-back (4 Home / 3 Road) (likely overall record 55-27; reasonable alternative overall record 54-28 to 56-26) Home Games: T-Wolves, Mavs, Warriors, Blazers (likely record 4-0; reasonable alternative record 3-1) Road Games: @Grizzlies, @Spurs, @Rockets (likely record 1-2; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Houston Rockets - 8 games remaining w/2 back-to-back (3 Home / 5 Road) (likely overall record 55-27; reasonable alternative overall record 54-28 to 56-26) Home Games: Sonics, Suns, Clippers (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Road Games: @Blazers, @Sonics, @Clippers, @Nuggets, @Jazz (likely record 3-2; reasonable alternative record 4-1) Dallas Mavericks - 7 games remaining w/1 back-to-back (3 Home / 4 Road) (likely overall record 51-31; reasonable alternative overall record 50-32 to 52-30) Home Games: Sonics, Jazz, Hornets (likely record 2-1; reasonable alternative record 3-0) Road Games: @Lakers, @Suns, @Blazers, @Sonics (likely record 2-2; reasonable alternative record 1-3) Denver Nuggets - 7 games remaining w/2 back-to-back (3 Home / 4 Road) (likely overall record 51-31; reasonable alternative overall record 50-32 to 52-30) Home Games: Kings, Rockets, Grizzlies (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Road Games: @Sonics, @Clippers, @Warriors, @Jazz (likely record 2-2; reasonable alternative record 3-1) Golden State Warriors - 7 games remaining w/0 back-to-back (4 Home / 3 Road) (likely overall record 50-32; reasonable alternative overall record 49-33 to 51-31) Home Games: Kings, Nuggets, Clippers, Sonics (likely record 4-0; reasonable alternative record 3-1) Road Games: @Grizzlies, @Hornets, @Suns (likely record 1-2; reasonable alternative record 2-1) Conclusion: If the season ends with each team achieving its likely overall record, the Hornets will have the #1 seed, the Lakers #2, the Spurs #3, and the Jazz #4. The Suns and Rockets will have the same record and tie for the #5 seed, which will be determined by the tie-breaking system. I'm not sure what it would be if they're even Head-to-Head, which is what I expect. Nevertheless, that will be a huge tie-breaker, because whichever team loses that tie-breaker (#6 seed) will have to play the Spurs, and we all know the Rockets do not want that matchup. Since the Suns obtained Shaq to supposedly get by the Spurs in the playoffs, then let the Suns see if their plan worked in the 1st round, while Shaq is fresh. The winner of the tie-breaker (#5 seed) will then play the Jazz with home court advantage. The Mavs and Nuggets will also tie for the #7 seed, which will be determined by a tie-breaking scenario. I don't know who has the tie-breaker advantage in that matchup either, and I don't think it really matters because both will be out in the 1st round. Obviously, the Warriors would be left completely out of the playoffs in that scenario.
rdkapp		#15	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1785 (04/03/2008 1:21 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	RyanED wrote: rdkapp wrote: RyanED, I think it is impossible for the Rockets to have home-court advantage in the 6th seed, whether it is against the Jazz or the Lakers or Suns. With regard to the Lakers or Suns (both of which are in the same division), if the Rockets have a better record than the winner of that division (who will thus attain the #3 seed), then they'd have a better record than the 2nd place team in that division, and thus, the Rockets would attain the 5th seed over the 2nd place team in that division. So, it is not possible for the Rockets to have home court advantage against either the Lakers or Suns in the #3 vs. #6 matchup. RdKapp, I believe my point was always about having home court advantage for a possible 5 versus 4 or 6 versus 3 matchup versus the Utah Jazz only -- not the Lakers or Suns. But you're right about it being impossible to have home court advantage as the 6th seed in this particular situation, because for Utah to move up to the 3rd seed, it would imply the Lakers-Suns division winner fell down to the 4th seed, which means the Rockets would be the 5th seed and automatically ahead of the second-place team in that Lakers-Suns division which would be the 6th seed. I see what you're saying... We would be the 5th seed in that instance. I just want the Houston Rockets to play the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. As you noted, I covered it either way.
RyanED		#16	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 28064 (04/04/2008 2:12 AM) Golden Boy Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	rdkapp wrote: Utah Jazz - Home Games: Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) RdKapp, I think the Jazz will go 1-2 in those three home games and maybe 0-3. I realize the Jazz are nearly impossible to beat at home, but the one team who usually beats them in Salt Lake City, Utah are the Spurs who play the Jazz on ESPN tonight. The Nuggets are fighting for their playoff lives and I can see them going into Salt Lake City and winning as well. The Rockets will probably lose on the road against the Jazz, but you never know... Tracy McGrady may want to make a statement in that game and if he goes off for 40 or 50 points -- we'll always have a chance to beat the Utah Jazz -- home or away. In fact, that game we won earlier this season in Utah... Tracy McGrady went off for 47 points. And just to add... Yao Ming only scored 11 points and had 7 rebounds in that game. He had only played 27 minutes due to foul trouble, and he picked up too many fouls inside the paint by doing a poor job defending Carlos Boozer who had 30 points and 16 rebounds that game. No matter what happens, I just hope we play the Utah Jazz in the first round.
rdkapp		#17	[-]
Astros Fan Posts: 1788 (04/04/2008 6:20 PM) Astros Fan Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	RyanED wrote: rdkapp wrote: Utah Jazz - Home Games: Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets (likely record 3-0; reasonable alternative record 2-1) RdKapp, I think the Jazz will go 1-2 in those three home games and maybe 0-3. I realize the Jazz are nearly impossible to beat at home, but the one team who usually beats them in Salt Lake City, Utah are the Spurs who play the Jazz on ESPN tonight. The Nuggets are fighting for their playoff lives and I can see them going into Salt Lake City and winning as well. The Rockets will probably lose on the road against the Jazz, but you never know... Tracy McGrady may want to make a statement in that game and if he goes off for 40 or 50 points -- we'll always have a chance to beat the Utah Jazz -- home or away. In fact, that game we won earlier this season in Utah... Tracy McGrady went off for 47 points. And just to add... Yao Ming only scored 11 points and had 7 rebounds in that game. He had only played 27 minutes due to foul trouble, and he picked up too many fouls inside the paint by doing a poor job defending Carlos Boozer who had 30 points and 16 rebounds that game. No matter what happens, I just hope we play the Utah Jazz in the first round. RyanED, we disagree on the Jazz Home record in remaining games. They're 34-4 at Home this season. Their 4 losses are: (1) to Houston on November 1, the 1st game of the year for both teams - T-Mac and The Rockets may have been out for revenge, and I wouldn't put too much into that game, regardless of what T-Mac and Yao did, as the Rockets are playing totally different now, and I'm sure the Jazz are too; (2) to Portland on December 11, which was during Portland's 13-game winning streak, when the Blazers were playing extremely well; (3) on December 29th to Boston, the team with the best overall (and Road) record in the NBA; and (4) on March 20th to the Lakers. I'm pretty sure the Jazz are still stinging from that last loss to the Lakers. I watched that game and the Lakers got up early and gave complete and total effort for the entire game (which is required to win in Utah) and it was very clear that the Jazz did not want to lose that game. San Antonio has the best chance of beating the Jazz in Utah and they were my primary consideration for the 2-1 "reasonable alternate record" at Home for the Jazz. I'd give the Rockets a slim chance, but that will be the last game of the season, and that chance will increase or decrease depending upon the meaning that game has to either or both teams. The same scenario (Houston @ Utah last game of the season) happened last season, and the game had no bearing on the playoff seedings. Therefore, neither team took it seriously. In fact, neither T-Mac or Yao played in the game and the Jazz won the game 101-91. If this season's game has meaning for the Jazz (i.e. Home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs vs. either the Rockets or the Suns in the 4 seed vs. 5 seed matchup) you can bet your bottom dollar that the Jazz will play to win and if I were a betting man, I'd put my money squarely on the Jazz in that game, considering their Home record. I don't believe that game will have much meaning, however, because the Jazz are not playing that well on the Road and they have a very tough remaining Road schedule (@Hornets, @Mavs, and @Spurs, with the only possible W being in Dallas). IMO, their road record in remaining games will keep them from Home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs, against either the Suns or the Rockets. So, the 2-1 "reasonable alternate record" at Home for the Jazz has the Rockets in consideration for winning that game, but obviously, I don't think the Jazz will lose both to the Spurs and the Rockets at Home. I think you can forget the Nuggets beating the Jazz in Utah. I know they're fighting for their playoff lives, but they're already a game up on the Warriors, and the Nuggets play absolutely no defense (see the recent games vs. the Suns) and you can't win in Utah if you play no defense, IMO. Plus, the Jazz have only a 3.5 game lead on the Nuggets for 1st place in their division, and a top 4 seed in the playoffs. Unless Utah has clinched their division by that game, then it will have meaning, and the Jazz don't want to lose their hold on the top spot in the division. Personally, I'd rather see the Warriors and Mavs (despite my disdain for the Mavs) make the playoffs over the Nuggets, because I think there is less of a possibility of them giving either of the top 2 seeds (whether the Hornets, Spurs, or Lakers) a good series in the playoffs. That's just my opinion, however. April 3rd game: I was 1-0, as the Rockets did pull out a hard fought game against Portland. I even predicted that they'd win by less than 10, but it wouldn't be so close that a last second shot would win (for the Rockets) or lose (for the Blazers) the game, and they won by 9 (95-86), and reached the 50-win mark. They blew a 16-point lead in the 1st half, as their shooting went cold and the Blazers began playing better. The Blazers even had a 2-point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter, but then T-Mac hit a 3-pointer and got red hot, after a cold shooting night to that point. He finished with 35 points on 14 for 29 from the field (4 for 6 from behind the arc), 3 for 3 from the FT line, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. A really good statistical game for T-Mac. Rafer Alston didn't play because of hamstring issues. Thus, Bobby Jackson started, and Aaron Brooks saw the Court for significant time (25 minutes) and played well, scoring 12 points on 4 for 10 shooting (2 for 5 from behind the arc) 2 for 2 from the FT line, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steals, and 0 turnovers. I'm really excited about his future with the Rockets. Here's the current standings: The Rockets, although they have the same record as the Suns, maintain the 6th seed by reason of their 1-2 record vs. the Suns. They do have one game remaining with the Suns in Houston, so that will be a big game against a team that I think is their worst matchup in the Western Conference, but it's at home, so I'd give them a chance. April 4th games: 1. San Antonio at Utah - I think Utah will win this game, although I do give the Spurs a chance. I just think Utah is pretty much unbeatable at Home and they're looking at their road schedule and how close the Nuggets are to them at the top of their division, plus the fact that they're facing the defending champs, and a higher seeded playoff team right now, and I think that is more than enough incentive for Jerry Sloan to have his team play one of its patented good Home games and pull a tough one out. 2. Golden State at Memphis - Golden State should win this game. I think it's a must win for them, as they are 1 game out of the playoffs right now, and must beat the lesser teams on their schedule. 3. New York at New Orleans - the Hornets will win this game against one of the worst teams in the NBA, easily. 4. Minnesota at Phoenix - the Suns will win this game against one of the worst teams in the NBA (although I'd give the T-Wolves alot more credit than the Knicks, as they've played pretty well at times). 5. Dallas at LA Lakers -

Yuku free message boards

NBA Western Conference Playoff Race

NBA Western Conference Playoff Race