Looking at Utah's schedule, I think we can seriously send them crashing out of the playoff picture if we beat them next game. Suns are currently 9th spot. Upcoming schedule: Mar 24 vs Houston 10:30 pm TNT Buy Tickets Mar 25 at Phoenix 10:30 pm ESPN, FSAZ Buy Tickets Mar 28 vs Phoenix 9:00 pm My45, KJZZ Buy Tickets Mar 30 vs New York 9:00 pm MSG, FSUT Buy Tickets Mar 31 at Portland 10:00 pm FSUT, CSNW Buy Tickets Apr 2 at Denver 10:30 pm TNT Buy Tickets Apr 3 vs Minnesota 9:00 pm FSNO, FSUT Buy Tickets Apr 5 at New Orleans 7:00 pm FSUT, CST Buy Tickets Apr 8 at Dallas 9:30 pm ESPN, KTXA Buy Tickets Apr 10 at San Antonio 8:30 pm KJZZ, FSSW Buy Tickets Apr 11 vs Golden State 9:00 pm CSBA, KJZZ Buy Tickets Apr 13 vs LA Clippers 9:00 pm KTLA, KJZZ Buy Tickets Apr 14 at LA Lakers 10:30 pm TNT, FSW Buy Tickets Not to mention there are FIVE back-tobacks in there. If we beat them, and Phoenix know that they have to take the two games after that, this could turn out nicely. There are 5 games between Utah and Phoenix, but that could be down to 2 or 2.5 in 5 days, with 10 games to play (including a Dallas game and 4 more back to backs). This is a HUGE game IMO. If we take care of business, we can really put a dent in their armour to begin a long crash. Here's hoping that we fight to the death to keep 2nd place in the West and send the Jazz crashign out in the process.
Hope Dallas can win more games and send Utah to Num8 seed. Let Jazz floppers play with Fakers in the 1st round
f@#k that. utah is the last team other than the lakers i want us playing. we definitely need to beat them, but there's no way they are slipping out of the playoffs and i don't think dallas will pass them either. there's no way of knowing who winds up where in this thing but if we're 2 and utah is 7, ouch.
If we win Tuesday, we would be up 3-1 on them this season, AND be damn near guaranteed HCA against them when/if we play them. Not to mention that we were RIGHT there in the one game we lost to them (so far), if not for some bad calls. I don't see why they would look so scary in that case. I mean even last year, we probably would have beaten them even without Yao if the rest of our roster had been healthy. Having Rafer alone would have been enough to put us over the top in at least a couple of those games, let alone if Battier, Landry, and McGrady weren't playing with injuries.
Utah stand a decent chance of dropping to 8th and facing the Lakers in the first round. But I doubt they're going to lose their 5 game lead over the Suns with only 13 games left. If Utah loses to us and drops both games to Phoenix then maybe. But I doubt it.
If Phoenix wins those two games, it could happen. That's a very, very large if though. I do think that it is very likely they could end up in the 8 seed though looking at that schedule and knowing how much they suck on the road. That would pretty much be instant doom for them, and that makes me giggle like a school girl. Here's how I expect them to end the season. W Mar 24 vs Houston 10:30 pm TNT Buy Tickets W Mar 25 at Phoenix 10:30 pm ESPN, FSAZ Buy Tickets W Mar 28 vs Phoenix 9:00 pm My45, KJZZ Buy Tickets W Mar 30 vs New York 9:00 pm MSG, FSUT Buy Tickets L Mar 31 at Portland 10:00 pm FSUT, CSNW Buy Tickets L Apr 2 at Denver 10:30 pm TNT Buy Tickets W Apr 3 vs Minnesota 9:00 pm FSNO, FSUT Buy Tickets L Apr 5 at New Orleans 7:00 pm FSUT, CST Buy Tickets L Apr 8 at Dallas 9:30 pm ESPN, KTXA Buy Tickets L Apr 10 at San Antonio 8:30 pm KJZZ, FSSW Buy Tickets W Apr 11 vs Golden State 9:00 pm CSBA, KJZZ Buy Tickets W Apr 13 vs LA Clippers 9:00 pm KTLA, KJZZ Buy Tickets L Apr 14 at LA Lakers 10:30 pm TNT, FSW Buy Tickets That's 7-6. Here's Dallas' remaining schedule W Wed, Mar 25 Golden State 8:30 PM KTXA+HDNet Tickets | Travel W Fri, Mar 27 Denver 8:30 PM KTXA+HDNet Tickets | Travel L Sun, Mar 29 @ Cleveland 1:00 PM Tickets | Travel W Tue, Mar 31 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM Fox Sports Southwest HD Tickets | W Wed, Apr 1 Miami 8:30 PM KTXA+HDNet Tickets | Travel W Fri, Apr 3 @ Memphis 8:00 PM Fox Sports Southwest HD Tickets | Travel W Sun, Apr 5 Phoenix 3:30 PM Tickets | Travel W Wed, Apr 8 Utah 9:30 PM L Fri, Apr 10 New Orleans 8:30 PM KTXA+HDNet Tickets | Travel L Sun, Apr 12 @ New Orleans 1:00 PM Tickets | Travel W Mon, Apr 13 Minnesota 8:30 PM Fox Sports Southwest HD Tickets | L Wed, Apr 15 Houston 8:00 PM 8-4 That's how I expect those two teams to finish the season, and that would put them dead even in the standings. It's a real possibility the j*zz could get the Lakers. Not so much them falling out of the playoffs though. BTW, sorry I have the j*zz beating us on Tues. I tried to be objective. Here's to hoping we stick it to them and ensure their doom.
Yes it is. But they do have a decent chance of dropping a spot. They also have a decent chance of overtaking Denver and winning the division.
Exactly... but because it's the Jazz and we're the Rockets... those things just don't matter to people. We need the W's.
All of that may be true, but they still cause specific problems. Mainly, Yao is almost completely ineffective against them as he has no one to guard (Boozer and Okur will burn him from the outside), and those who guard him are quicker and...floppier. Also, DWill is amazing. He single handedly routed us in Game 6 last year. Whenever you have two problems like that and they are absurdly good at home..it's just not a good matchup for ut.
Not sure if that game will really count, as the Lakers will probably rest their starters if the best overall record for HCA has been decided by then.
If Utah and Dallas are neck and neck for the 7/8 spots, the Lakers might be able to use that game to influence who their first round opponent will be.
I doubt that, at least i wish the Utah j*zz will fail to make the playoffs this season. we need suns to take Utah's place in the postseason in order to let them kick lakers' bottoms, suns are no longer a good team but they're the only team of the west that holds the possibility to wipe out the lakers. Go Rockets
And that would be a very bad match up for the Lakers; I wouldn't be surprised if the Jazz ruined their season.
We have take care of them first at their home first before thinking about anything else. It is no easy task to play them away.