03-31-2022, 10:02 AM
(03-31-2022, 06:56 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: Denver's last 5 games of the season: MIN, @LAL, SAS, MEM, LAL
Utah has 6 games remaining which are: LAL, @GSW, MEM, OKC, PHX, @POR
The fact Utah has 1 more game than Denver means they can kinda control their destiny. Denver to me has 4 games that should be easy wins and the other depending on if Memphis is resting everyone by that point.
Utah also has it easy. Warriors are fighting for their lives right now and won't be an easy win at all, even without Steph. Lakers, OKC, and POR should all be pushovers.
Based on schedule and records alone, Utah should be the 5th seed at least. But who knows what's going to happen and if their locker room turmoil will lead to some upsets?
1. "The fact Utah has 1 more game than Denver means they can kinda control their destiny."
Yeah, that was the point of my post.
In any situation where Team #1 and Team #2 are tied in the loss column and Team #1 has clinched the first tie-breaker against Team #2 ...
Team #1 will "control [its own] destiny" (at least vis-à-vis Team #2).
2. As of this morning ...
Denver's remaining schedule has four home games and one road game, all five against teams with apparent [???] playoff aspirations.
Utah's remaining schedule has four home games and two road games, including one game against almost-dead Portland and one game against possibly-tanking OKC.
Utah plays the Lakers in Salt Lake City tonight. LeBron is OUT. Anthony Davis is "doubtful." Utah is a 12½-point favorite.
The Laker team that Denver will face on both of the next two Sundays (April 3 and April 10) might be hard to beat, or they might be a pushover (especially by April 10).
On April 5, Utah plays Memphis (locked-in at #2 and just trying to "get healthy") in Salt Lake City.
On April 7, Denver plays Memphis (still locked-in at #2 and still just trying to "get healthy") in Denver.
Blah blah blah, ... blah blah blah ....
Assuming the Mavs have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, how much does it matter who their opponent is? Personally, I just want the Mavs to lock up the third seed so that they can delay their showdown with the Suns (the best team in the NBA, in my opinion). Yeah, that's the ticket — as much time as possible for the wheels to fall off the old man (Chris Paul).
Then ...
Mavs over the Bucks in seven games. QED.