Dec. 26 vs Clippers L Dec. 28 vs Heat W Dec. 30 @ NO L Dec. 31 @ OKC L It's a possible 0-4 stretch there, so as much as I'd like to keep up the "let's get greedy" mindset, I'd happily take 2-2 but my prediction is 1-3. NO played us well tonight and we barely beat them. If we lose all four, we could possibly be dropped to the 4th seed (ouch!).
I think we beat LA, NO, and maybe Miami. OKC is going to be tough. It's on their floor and they're playing excellent ball.
4-0. I will be at all four games. If you've watched how we've played against great teams (3-0 vs Indy, SA, and OKC) and you've watched how confident and poised we are on the road (NBA best 12-3), you would understand that we'll go at least 3-1. No joke. Pay attention.
Well, shit. We do then have a chance of going 4-0. Hey, you going to be in Portland on the 29th? Or you already going to be heading down to NO?
We've played excellent so far against teams where we had consecutive games in a short span of time, but those teams consisted of the Jazz and Kings. The Pelicans are a team that is better than their record suggests, it will be on their floor, and they will unfortunately have greater motivation than us because of the close loss. Honestly, I have more confidence that we could win the OKC game.
The Clips and Heat will be on the second of back to backs. I think we'll be favored in both those games but a slight underdog in New Orleans and a massive underdog against the undefeated at home Thunder. So I'll say 2-2, and I would be happy with that. We should win the following 6 games to open January, all at home against the East except for Sacramento.
First of all, the two games against NO are 9 days apart. Second of all, NO is 7-5 at home. Third of all, we're 12-3 on the road. Getting all these road wins early, no matter who they were against, has been huge for our confidence. Gives us poise when we play in OKC on New Year's Eve.
I'm hoping we out a smack down (4-0), but the slight realist in me thinks 2-2. I really want at least 3-1, but 2-2 is good for this tough stretch
How is it a tough stretch? We beat Miami at home last year, we are better than the Clippers top to bottom (check out THEIR record agains the Heat!), we just beat the Pelicans who are a lottery team, and we've already beaten OKC. Who else is going to beat OKC in OKC but the best road team in the league? I'm honestly not concerned. That's why I'm paying the money to go to all of them.
4 games in 5 nights. That's what's tough. I'm willing to give up a Nola loss for wins against Miami, okc and clippers.
How is it not tough? Beating Miami last year does not mean we suddenly have their number. The Clippers have been improving defensively a lot recently and Doc Rivers always give us headaches. We barely beat NO. Minnesota has a similar record and we saw how that turned out. OKC is undefeated on their home floor.
