The Race for Eighth

[tlongII]

New Orleans gets the win over Memphis.

 

[Labinot41]

We need to win tomorrow so badly

 

[B-Roy]

New Orleans only plays bubble teams from here on out. That is crazy. Meanwhile our schedule is literally insane.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

New Orleans is coming up on a string of easy games. If they win this one they've got a very good chance of passing us. Meanwhile we're unlikely to pass Memphis even if they lose. I want New Orleans to be out for the count.

I think we have to pass Memphis to make it. Winning two play-in games seems far fetched. So I'm happy with the Memphis loss today. And I wouldn't say New Orleans' opponents are easy. All those teams are fighting for their lives and have a similar or better record than theirs. It's not like they're playing the Hawks or the Cavs.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

View attachment 32792

Suns are only 3.5 games behind 8th and 2 (maybe 1.5 by the end of tonight) games behind 9th. Suns are very much in this.

 

[AldoTrapani]

New Orleans only plays bubble teams from here on out. That is crazy. Meanwhile our schedule is literally insane.

How did they get that schedule ? Was it random ? Or was that what was left for them at the end of the season

 

[KSF-ERIC]

How did they get that schedule ? Was it random ? Or was that what was left for them at the end of the season

It's what was left for them at the end of the season. We've already finished our season series with those teams. They have not. That simple. We had games against Cavs, Pistons, etc that aren't in Orlando.

 

[damianlillard]

Spurs lost to 76ers

 

[AldoTrapani]

Spurs lost to 76ers

Huge for Blazers

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Spurs lost to 76ers

Shake Milton for three. So far, he and Rudy Gobert have been big Blazer heroes in the restart.

 

[damianlillard]

Shake Milton for three. So far, he and Rudy Gobert have been big Blazer heroes in the restart.

Seriously haha. So the blazers need a win tomorrow to get that 9th seed back

 

[Chris Craig]

Seriously haha. So the blazers need a win tomorrow to get that 9th seed back

They are 9th now. Need to win tommorow to keep it

 

[damianlillard]

They are 9th now. Need to win tommorow to keep it

Let’s go! Sorry the nba app was too slow to update it for me haha. But they just did it

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Here is what it appears looking at the standings;

If the Blazers win out, 6-0 they are guaranteed 9th seed.
If Blazers go 6-0 and Memphis goes 3-2 or worse Blazers will have 8th seed (playin vs Memphis who is 9th)

It the Blazers go 5-1 they need SAS to lose one game (4-1) to get 9th seed.
If the Blazers go 4-2 they likely need SAS to lose two and possibly one loss from NOP or SAC

NOP and Sac play each other twice, so it would only be if one of those teams won both games and all of their other 3 games they would finish above Portland. NOP and SAS also play each other.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[damianlillard]

Here is what it appears looking at the standings;

If the Blazers win out, 6-0 they are guaranteed 9th seed.
If Blazers go 6-0 and Memphis goes 3-2 or worse Blazers will have 8th seed (playin vs Memphis who is 9th)

It the Blazers go 5-1 they need SAS to lose one game (4-1) to get 9th seed.
If the Blazers go 4-2 they likely need SAC+NOP to each lose and SAS to lose two.

So basically have a better record than everybody below us

 

[SharpesTriumph]

So basically have a better record than everybody below us

Blazers have 6 games left.

Win out they are guaranteed 8th or 9th.
Lose one probably get 9th but could be 8th-10th
Lose two and probably becomes more likely than not they are out of the playoffs.

 

[damianlillard]

Blazers have 6 games left.

Win out they are guaranteed 8th or 9th.
Lose one probably get 9th but could be 8th-10th
Lose two and probably becomes more likely than not they are out of the playoffs.

Which is why a win against Boston would’ve been huge

 

[Labinot41]

Houston, Denver, Clippers and Sixers are just brutal. I don't know what to say about this monster schedule, before that we had the fucking Celtics. Give us a break Silver

 

[damianlillard]

Houston, Denver, Clippers and Sixers are just brutal. I don't know what to say about this monster schedule, before that we had the fucking Celtics. Give us a break Silver

Tbh I am not too scared about the rockets, Nuggets, or sixers. We always have a good matchup against them. I am really excited to watch the Nurkic vs Jokic battle though. It’s the clippers that scare me the most. They’re literally a better version of the Celtics

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Houston, Denver, Clippers and Sixers are just brutal. I don't know what to say about this monster schedule, before that we had the fucking Celtics. Give us a break Silver

Nurk is great against great centers. I see us beating Denver and Sixers easily. Rockets are probably the toughest but we've beaten them 2 times before. I don't want to think about Clippers. They are shorthanded and don't have the size to contend with Nurk.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Next game against Houston and then Denver are huge. I think both opponents will still play hard to win.

Clippers are on first of back to back when they play us... maybe they sit stars or get locked in their seed and only play stars 20ish minutes. Would they sit starters against us if they think we have the chance of giving LAL the toughest 1st round?

Dallas may not have anything to play for and final game against Brooklyn they could likewise not care...

Normal end of seasons for these last games teams are trying to get guys rest from months of too much play. Who knows, with the covid break maybe teams are more worried about getting ramped up for the playoffs and don't want to rest. Still even if teams try harder than at most end of season games I think the last few games could be easier for us as opponents probably won't play starters huge minutes or such.

But that could also make it much easier for the teams we are battling, MEM, SAS, NOP, etc to win out on their final games.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Denver will be on the second of a back to back after playing the Spurs.

 

[BlazerBeav]

It will be interesting to see if teams get locked into spots how they approach games late against the teams fighting for the last spots.

 

[trailblazer18]

I don't see NO losing any more games.

Definitely a possibility, but Memphis might not win any games.

 

[illmatic99]

I don't see NO losing any more games. They will finish 34-38.

Memphis has: UTA, OKC, TOR, BOS, MIL.

Hard to imagine what will happen in those last three if seeding is already in place, but even on a generous estimate, that can 2-3, leaving them at 34-39, putting them behind NO.

Spurs look ridiculously good with Demar at PF, but they have DEN, UTA, NO, HOU, UTA. I would project them to go 3-2, putting them at 32-39. So unless they win all of their remaining games, think they're pretty much done.

PHX and SAC are too far away.

So in summary:

8. NO-- 34-38

?. MEM-- 34-39
?. SAS-- 32-39

We have to go at least 4-2. Tall order. We have to hope like hell for NO to keep losing.

 

[Serbian]

If you want to get in playoffs, and talk about upsetting the Lakers, we have to smash all teams in front of us. I think we must go 5-1 and we will get 8th seed. I dont care about tough schedules, if you get in playoffs your playing Lebron and AD, so these other teams can not be a threat to us.

 

[kjironman1]

Blazers have 6 games left.

Win out they are guaranteed 8th or 9th.
Lose one probably get 9th but could be 8th-10th
Lose two and probably becomes more likely than not they are out of the playoffs.

Been saying all along they need to go 6-2.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Sacramento loses to Dallas, falling further back.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Phoenix is unbeatable!