The Race for Eighth

[HolyBackboard]

If Portland just would've taken care of business against the Clippers - tonight game would be meaningless.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but if the Clippers loss doesn't happen and happen in the manner in which it did, then I don't think we see back to back 51 and 61-point performances from Dame. We can't cherry-pick results and expect everything else to stay the same.

 

[B-Roy]

Is that right? Do the Suns have the tiebreaker against San Antonio?

They cannot tie due to winning percentage. SA has played 2 less games.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Is that right? Do the Suns have the tiebreaker against San Antonio?

I may be wrong here, so take this with a grain of salt. The Spurs have played 2 fewer games than the Suns. If both win today, the Suns will still have 1 more win than the Spurs. Their win % may only be .001 higher (as it is going into today), but that is enough that it isn't considered a tie.

 

[tester551]

Is that right? Do the Suns have the tiebreaker against San Antonio?

Only the Grizz & Suns can 'tie'. Everything else is based on wining percentage

Assuming Blazers, Grizz, Suns, & Spurs all win - this is how it breaks down.

#8) Blazers 35-39 (0.473%) - best winning percentage
#9) Grizz 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #9 based on H2H series with Suns.
#10) Suns 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #10 based on H2H series with Grizz.
#11) Spurs 33-38 (0.465%) - looses out based on winning percentage.

 

[DDolla]

Is there any team out there that wants to help the Blazers? C’mon Nets, rest your players!

 

[twobullz]

looking at home some of these teams are playing today, it looks like some don't want the Blazers in the playoff's.

 

[blazerkor]

OK we know we have a must win tonight. Time to get down to business. This team has not shown enough killer instinct all season and maybe never has under Stotts but tonight is the time to bring that out. Our guys need to step on the Nets from the tip and not let off. If we get up really really big then our subs need to not let off otherwise, our rotation players need to be on their opponents and going hard until the final buzzer. Lets go... let's get that eighth spot so we can beat the Grizz in one game and get some rest heading into the Lakers series.

 

[Labinot41]

The Spurs are out, maybe we go for Aldridge in the offseason

 

[KSF-ERIC]

OK we know we have a must win tonight. Time to get down to business. This team has not shown enough killer instinct all season and maybe never has under Stotts but tonight is the time to bring that out. Our guys need to step on the Nets from the tip and not let off. If we get up really really big then our subs need to not let off otherwise, our rotation players need to be on their opponents and going hard until the final buzzer. Lets go... let's get that eighth spot so we can beat the Grizz in one game and get some rest heading into the Lakers series.

Stotts has coached several big wins. I agree that it'd be nice to have a blowout victory tonight. All 7 seeding games have been close for us. I can't take anymore of that.

 

[blazerkor]

Only the Grizz & Suns can 'tie'. Everything else is based on wining percentage

Assuming Blazers, Grizz, Suns, & Spurs all win - this is how it breaks down.

#8) Blazers 35-39 (0.473%) - best winning percentage
#9) Grizz 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #9 based on H2H series with Suns.
#10) Suns 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #10 based on H2H series with Grizz.
#11) Spurs 33-38 (0.465%) - looses out based on winning percentage.

The Spurs may just play their young guys because they have now been eliminated, assuming the Suns don't somehow majorly shit the bed here.

 

[CupWizier]

Only the Grizz & Suns can 'tie'. Everything else is based on wining percentage

Assuming Blazers, Grizz, Suns, & Spurs all win - this is how it breaks down.

#8) Blazers 35-39 (0.473%) - best winning percentage
#9) Grizz 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #9 based on H2H series with Suns.
#10) Suns 34-39 (0.466%) - Gets #10 based on H2H series with Grizz.
#11) Spurs 33-38 (0.465%) - looses out based on winning percentage.

Exactly the reason they should have made it with all teams ending with the same amount of games as we had to play more before the shutdown. Spurs should have played 10 and Grizzlies and Suns should have played 9 while we played 8.

 

[Orion Bailey]

How gutted are y'alls going to be if we lose to the Nets?

yet another bannable offense

Low blow man....

right in the nards!!! Both of them!!!!

devastated

absolutely crushed.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Exactly the reason they should have made it with all teams ending with the same amount of games as we had to play more before the shutdown. Spurs should have played 10 and Grizzlies and Suns should have played 9 while we played 8.

i couldnt agree with this more.
Of all the things they have done right so far they really screwed the pooch on this one.

 

[SIeepwalker]

The crazy part is that if we win the Suns will have gone 8-0 just to win a ticket back home

 

[Pinwheel1]

How gutted are y'alls going to be if we lose to the Nets?

This whole bubble thing was a nice diversion regardless if we get in the playoffs or not. If we lose tonight I will be pissed for about 24 hours. But I can't say facing the Lakers with CJ being less than 100 % sounds pleasant. If we had more depth it would be a different story....but we don't. Either way, I will be fine by tomorrow night and focused on the draft.

 

[DDolla]

Why is it always hard for the Blazers? Damn, nothing is easy. Can’t catch a break.

 

[Orion Bailey]

The crazy part is that if we win the Suns will have gone 8-0 just to win a ticket back home

When dame said he didnt want the bubble unless thwy have a chance at the playoffs im pretty sure he meant he didnt want that scenario.
I would be pretty pissed to go undefeated yet still not have a chance Nd have to go home. Its like... what was the point?

 

[blazerkor]

Stotts has coached several big wins. I agree that it'd be nice to have a blowout victory tonight. All 7 seeding games have been close for us. I can't take anymore of that.

Oh, Stotts wins but his teams have always let other teams back in, rarely do we get to walk across the finish line winners, we almost always have to sprint. For some reason Stotts coached teams tend to come into games they are supposed to win and let other teams take big leads in the first or get big leads in the first half only to give them up in the third quarter. Championship teams with the exception of the 1994 Houston Rockets who almost lost to everybody, get ahead and stay ahead in most of their wins. Tonight we need to get ahead and stay ahead, which should set a precedent for how we play the Grizz and the intensity we bring to the Lakers.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Oh, Stotts wins but his teams have always let other teams back in, rarely do we get to walk across the finish line winners, we almost always have to sprint. For some reason Stotts coached teams tend to come into games they are supposed to win and let other teams take big leads in the first or get big leads in the first half only to give them up in the third quarter. Championship teams with the exception of the 1994 Houston Rockets who almost lost to everybody, get ahead and stay ahead in most of their wins. Tonight we need to get ahead and stay ahead, which should set a precedent for how we play the Grizz and the intensity we bring to the Lakers.

when was our last second half blowout where we could put the end of bench in for the second half of the fourth?

maybe when we still had LMA?

not called the cardiac kids for nothin!!

 

[blazerkor]

The Suns winning eight in a row and going home is nice. I don't want to have to play them. I didn't think they deserved to be here. They got to show the league what kind of beast they're going to be if healthy going forward. Finally it's just funny that the only team in the bubble with a perfect record won't get into the playoffs. I know this is bad juju and some of you might blame me if we don't win tonight and the Suns do make it in but I don't believe in that shit. The fact is the Suns didn't handle business in the earlier season and too many teams did better than I thought they would... I didn't think it would take 6 wins from us to make it in and I thought Memphis would lose a lot more without Jackson but they didn't and we will get those 6 wins.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Did the Spurs just get eliminated?

 

[B-Roy]

Did the Spurs just get eliminated?

Yep, they're done.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Blazer fans should be at peace either way.

They win: awesome (obviously)
They lose: they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs

 

[andalusian]

Blazer fans should be at peace either way.

They win: awesome (obviously)
They lose: they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs

Unfortunately, this year, that's my stance.

Would be delighted if the Blazers make it in, but would not be surprised if they do not. I just do not trust this year's team - and sooner or later Dame's heroics will run short.

At least F1 is interesting this year.

 

[julius]

The Suns winning eight in a row and going home is nice. I don't want to have to play them. I didn't think they deserved to be here. They got to show the league what kind of beast they're going to be if healthy going forward. Finally it's just funny that the only team in the bubble with a perfect record won't get into the playoffs. I know this is bad juju and some of you might blame me if we don't win tonight and the Suns do make it in but I don't believe in that shit. The fact is the Suns didn't handle business in the earlier season and too many teams did better than I thought they would... I didn't think it would take 6 wins from us to make it in and I thought Memphis would lose a lot more without Jackson but they didn't and we will get those 6 wins.

the same can be said about the Blazers though.

Portland has to win, and imho, it's not a given they will. They lost to a Clippers team that ended the game by putting out the 8th grade boys team from a local middle school in Orlando, and barely beat the 76ers who were missing their 2 best players (1 for the entire game, the other for the last 41 minutes of the game).

Let's not forget that if Dame DIDN'T score 51 and 61, chances are they'd be already eliminated.

 

[Labinot41]

Unfortunately, this year, that's my stance.

Would be delighted if the Blazers make it in, but would not be surprised if they do not. I just do not trust this year's team - and sooner or later Dame's heroics will run short.

At least F1 is interesting this year.

Who is your favourite driver?

 

[B-Roy]

Last two games against Brooklyn have both gone into OT.

Last one: Dame had 60 and we lost. Nets had Kyrie though and both teams had vastly different rotations.

The one before: Nurk broke his leg.

Both times though their PGs killed us. Dinwiddie had 34 last time and 22 the one before. Kyrie and D'Angelo killed us too. Today, they're facing Tyler Johnson...

 

[EGame]

If we win, great, we have a chance for the playoffs. If not it sucks, but we wouldn't deserve it. We hadn't played super well all year not to mention we were never once at full health. I just dont know about tonight, I feel like it is asking too much to ask Dame to go nuclear again so in order to win we need a balanced effort, and if Stotts and CJ choose he needs to play, he needs to help out massively, stop disappearing or don't play. With that said, assuming good health, we should be a playoff team next year.

 

[blazerkor]

Exactly the reason they should have made it with all teams ending with the same amount of games as we had to play more before the shutdown. Spurs should have played 10 and Grizzlies and Suns should have played 9 while we played 8.

I only think we can start complaining about how things weren't fair if we talk about addressing all of the inequities. Our strength of schedule down the stretch of the regular season was the weakest in the league and we had one of the hardest strength of schedules in the bubble... that wasn't addressed either. So I don't feel bad for the Suns or the Spurs.

 

[blazerkor]

the same can be said about the Blazers though.

Portland has to win, and imho, it's not a given they will. They lost to a Clippers team that ended the game by putting out the 8th grade boys team from a local middle school in Orlando, and barely beat the 76ers who were missing their 2 best players (1 for the entire game, the other for the last 41 minutes of the game).

Let's not forget that if Dame DIDN'T score 51 and 61, chances are they'd be already eliminated.

The fact is we had the easiest strength of schedule in the league down the stretch of the uninterrupted regular season, we had Nurk and Zach weeks away from coming back, we would have still had Ariza... I don't want to hear about how we'll be lucky to get in or the teams that didn't make it in got a raw deal. If we win tonight, we deserve to be in position to be one more win away from being in the playoffs.