2013-2014 Magic Numbers against the Western Conference

Unstable · Mar 7, 2014

Thanks Scribo,
can't add much to your work but thought it would be nice if we could sneak in our "name-changing" for the other teams as well.

i.e.
OKC Thunder --> OKC Thieves
Spurs --> Spuds
Clippers --> Slippers
Blazers --> Blouses
Warriors --> Warts
Suns --> Stunned
Mavericks --> Maids
Grizzlies --> Ghastly
Wolves --> Woofs
Nuggets --> Nuts
Pelicans --> Punched
Kings --> Kinks
Jazz --> j*zz
Lakers --> Fakers

or any other nicks you think more suitable... :grin:

wfeebs · Mar 7, 2014

I had confidence that we'd catch the spurs. Now not so much, so my new thinking of how I hope the playoffs turn out:

1. Spurs
2. OKC
3. LAC
4. Hou
5. Port
6. GS
7.Dal
8. Pho

That way, one of LAC or GS get knocked out right off the bat, then the winner of that has to face OKC and one of those teams gets knocked out. If Houston gets better than 4th I wont complain, but I think this would be a great scenario for us.

count_dough-ku · Mar 7, 2014

wfeebs said: ↑

I had confidence that we'd catch the spurs. Now not so much, so my new thinking of how I hope the playoffs turn out:

1. Spurs
2. OKC
3. LAC
4. Hou
5. Port
6. GS
7.Dal
8. Pho

That way, one of LAC or GS get knocked out right off the bat, then the winner of that has to face OKC and one of those teams gets knocked out. If Houston gets better than 4th I wont complain, but I think this would be a great scenario for us.
Click to expand...

I hope the Rockets don't give up on catching anyone just yet. Granted, it would require losing maybe only 3 more games the rest of the season, but even first place is no longer a pipe dream given OKC's struggles since Westbrook's return. We'd have to win both remaining games with the Thunder though for that to even be a possibility.

ScriboErgoSum · Mar 7, 2014

wfeebs said: ↑

I had confidence that we'd catch the spurs. Now not so much, so my new thinking of how I hope the playoffs turn out:

1. Spurs
2. OKC
3. LAC
4. Hou
5. Port
6. GS
7.Dal
8. Pho

That way, one of LAC or GS get knocked out right off the bat, then the winner of that has to face OKC and one of those teams gets knocked out. If Houston gets better than 4th I wont complain, but I think this would be a great scenario for us.
Click to expand...

I've been wondering if this might happen as well.

I think 6,7,8 will be Warriors, Grizz, Mavs. So if SA got the #1 seed, maybe #4 wouldn't be so bad.

1) Spurs
2) Thieves
3) Clippers
4) Rockets
5) Blazers
6) Warriors
7) Grizz
8) Mavs

We'd get the Blazers and Spurs the first two rounds. If we were #3, we'd play the Warriors and Thieves.

It's way too early to aim for a lower seed, but our dream path to the WCF involves the Clippers and Thieves on the other side of the bracket.

BullRider · Mar 7, 2014

thanks for bringing this back scribo!!! a clutchfans classic.

JayZ750 · Mar 7, 2014

One, thanks for bringing this back. Awesome thread and makes it really easy to see where the Rockets might end up and how.

Two, didn't realize you were a single dad. I thought you had a wife who was a chef or something...

wfeebs said: ↑

I had confidence that we'd catch the spurs. Now not so much
Click to expand...

Don't give up hope yet.
Yes, the Spurs did just beat the Heat, but the Heat are kind of on cruise control a little bit. But not for the Rockets pathetic bench performance, they would have had an easier win against the Heat, too.

But the Spurs finish the season on a tougher schedule then the Rockets, with more back to backs, against better teams. And then they face each other one time, I think second to last game of the season.

So the key to the Rockets really will be this next stretch: Pacers, Blazers, @Thunder, @Bulls, @Heat. They need to pull out 3-2 worst case.... 4-1 ideally. Protect home court. Beat the Bulls. Split with Thunder/Heat.

If they can do that, I'd say the Spurs are still within reach. The Spurs are in a little bit of a soft spot in their schedule now. With the exception of the Blazers next Wednesday (win-win for us), the only loseable games they have the rest of the month are the Bulls, Warriors and Pacers. But starting with that Pacers game at the end of the month, it gets tough for them. Pacers, Warriors, Thunder, Grizzlies, Wolves, Mavs, Suns, Rockets, Lakers is how they finish their season,

DarkRock · Mar 7, 2014

We have a real chance for #1 or #2 if we keep improving and hope the Thunder or Spurs plays a few bad losing games.

I think the top 5 teams right now is almost guaranteed to stay top 5. Any of the last 3 teams (Warriors, Mavericks and Suns) could drop out when the Grizzlies is making the Playoffs. It would be interesting to see who couldn't make it.

ScriboErgoSum · Mar 7, 2014

It’s time for an edition of the State of the Western Conference Playoff Race. I haven’t done one of these in a while, but I’m pretty freaking stoked about this playoff race and how we’ll match up. This team could rise to a pretty high seed and advance far. Avoiding the Thieves and Clippers certainly seems to give us the most favorable road to the conference finals.

For the purpose of forecasting Magic Numbers, I group teams into Contenders (shaded blue) or Probables. In the Western Conference that’s the top 10 teams. In the East it’s through the Nets. Those 16 teams can legitimately beat any team if they are on their game. The other 14 are a mix of wannabe East teams and teams hellbent on getting a great pick in this year’s draft. For the most part, the top 16 teams should always beat these scrubs.

I’m using Magic Numbers from March 6 in this post.

Rockets: Pacers, Blazers, @Thieves, @Bulls, @Heat, Jazz, Wolves, @Cavs, @Bobcats, 76ers, Clippers, @Nets, @Raptors, Thieves, Nuggets, @Lakers, @Nuggets, @Wolves, Pelicans, Spurs, @Pelicans

Last Week: 3-0
@ROCKETS 118, Pistons 110
@ROCKETS 106, Heat 103
ROCKETS 101, @Magic 89

The Rockets have been damn impressive this calendar year, but there was a bit of restlessness following a 3-2 road trip and the start of Six and a Bit Games of Doom. Clutch City certainly found their groove this week. They blew open and held on for a win against the hapless Pistons, led wire to wire over the defending champion Heat, and ground out a win against a scrub Magic squad on tired legs. The Rockets didn’t get much help at the top of the standings, but at least they held their own.

Houston has a scary gauntlet of games on tap this next week. I’m hoping they go 2-2 (with a victory over Portland), but 3-1 would be amazing.

The Rockets have 12 Contender (6H, 6A) and 9 Probable (4H, 5A) games left on their schedule. They’ve been pretty good against the top teams this season and seem to have corrected playing down to their competition when they face scrub teams. With the exception of the Cavs and Bobcats, the Probables left on our schedule don’t want to win. I’ll say 9-0 for the Rockets. As well as the Rockets have fared against Contenders, we face a top 10 team five times and the Bulls have been playing really well. 6-6 wouldn’t be terrible, but I’m hoping the Rockets will go 7-5. That would be a 16-5 close to finish 58-24 and all Magic Numbers would drop 16. Let’s see how that would stack up against the competition.

 The Top Five

Thieves: @Lakers, Houston, Lakers, Mavs, @Bulls, @Cavs, @Raptors, Nuggets, @Mavs, Kings, Jazz, Spurs, @Rockets, @Suns, @Kings, @Clippers, Pelicans, @Pacers, @Pelicans, Detroit

Last Week: 3-1
@THIEVES 113, Grizz 107
@THIEVES 116, Bobcats 99
@THIEVES 125, 76ers 92
@Suns 128, THIEVES 122

All that talk about Westbrook hurting the Thieves died down a bit since they won an impressive game over the Grizz followed by beatdowns over a pair of scrub teams in the 76ers and Bobcats. Then despite impressive efforts by Westbrook and Durant, they lost a high scoring game in Phoenix. The loss drops them to 3-4 since Westbrook’s return, and the Thieves are now tied with the Spurs in the loss column.

The Thieves have 10 Contender (3H, 7A) and 10 Probable (6H, 4A) games left on their schedule. The Thieves should destroy their Probable competition, especially with 6 of them at home. I’m forecasting a 10-0 record here. Their Contender games left are interesting, especially since 7 of 10 are on the road. I’ll say they go 6-4 for a 16-4 finish and a 62-18 finish.

While it will be difficult, I’m starting to think the Thieves could be caught if the Rockets play very well. However, the Thieves have too much of a good cushion, and there’s just not that much road left to make it realistic. If we take both remaining games against them, we have a chance, but 16 wins for us and 4 losses for the Thieves still leaves us 5 games short. The Thieves hold the tie break over the Spurs and Rockets but not the Clippers and Blazers.

Likelihood: Grim unless we take both remaining games against them
Magic Number: 25 (-4)
Magic Number over Rockets: 17 (-4)
Magic Number over Spurs: 21 (-3)
Magic Number over Clippers: 17 (-3)
Magic Number over Blazers: 18 (-4)
Projected Record: 62-20
Projected Seed: #1

Spurs: Magic, @Bulls, Blazers, Lakers, Jazz, @Lakers, @Kings, @Warriors, 76ers, Nuggets, @Nuggets, Pelicans, @Pacers, Warriors, @Thieves, Grizz, @Wolves, @Mavs, Suns, @Rockets, Lakers

Last Week: 4-0
@SPURS 92, Bobcats 82
@SPURS 112, Mavs 106
SPURS 122, @Cavs 101
@SPURS 111, Heat 87

The wobbling Spurs got healthy and seem to be rounding into playoff form as usual. They sandwiched solid wins over Probables around an impressive victory over the Mavs. The Spurs ended the week with a wire-to-wire beatdown of Miami. This team looks so much better when they are healthy, and like he always does, Pop now has their bench seasoned and ready for the final stretch.

The Spurs have 11 Contender (4H, 7A) and 10 Probable (7H, 3A) games left on their schedule. San Antonio is great at taking care of bad teams and should win all 10 of their remaining Probable games, especially with 7 at home. It’s the Contenders they have problems with. The Spurs have fared poorly against top teams this season, and they face 7 of their 11 on the road. But, of course, they just hammered the Heat so make of that what you will. We’re getting close to the end of the season, so it’s also time for Pop to rest his starters on back-to-backs. They’ve got @Bulls-Blazers, Warriors-@Thieves, Mavs-Suns, @Kings-@Warriors, @Nuggets-Pelicans for their back-backs. I’m going to say they go 6-5 on these games for a 16-5 finish and a 61-21 record.

I’d love to catch the Spurs and take the Southwest, but that three game difference is going to be tough to close, especially with them playing so much better. We do have one game left against them and have clinched the tie breaker over the Spurs. Still 16 Rocket wins and 5 Spur losses leave us 3 games shy of the Southwest division crown. The Spurs own the tie break over the Clippers and are in the driver’s seat over the Blazers, but lose to the Rockets and Thieves.

Likelihood: Very Difficult
Magic Number: 24 (-3)
Magic Number over Rockets: 19 (-5)
Magic Number over Thieves: 22 (-5)
Magic Number over Clippers: 17 (-4)
Magic Number over Blazers: 19 (-5)
Projected Record: 61-21
Projected Seed: #2

Clippers: Hawks, Suns, Warriors, @Jazz, Cavs, @Nuggets, Pistons, Bucks, @Pelicans, @Mavs, @Rockets, @Wolves, @Suns, Mavs, Lakers, Thieves, Kings, Nuggets, @Blazers

Last Week: 3-0
@CLIPPERS 108, Pelicans 76
CLIPPERS 104, @Suns 96
CLIPPERS 142, @Lakers 94

I had some hopes that Chris Paul would prove disruptive when he returned and Blake’s game would fall off, but that clearly has not happened. The Clippers had a dominant 3-0 week and extended their winning streak to 6 games. Two of those victories were against Probable teams, but they racked up a team record 48 point win over the Lakers. They also won an impressive victory in Phoenix.. I’m curious what Danny Granger and Big Baby will add to this team and how well they can be integrated in the short time left.

The Clippers have 9 Contender (4H, 5A) and 10 Probable (5H, 4A) games left on their schedule. As well as the Clippers have played, they have dropped a number of games to scrub teams. I think they’ll drop one more and finish 9-1 against the remaining Probables on their schedule. They have a good record against most of the remaining Contenders they face, and I see them going 6-3 to finish 58-24. That would see us and the Clippers wind up tied. The Clippers own the tie break over us with their 3-0 record, and the NBA also automatically gives them the tie break edge since the Clippers would be a division winner over the Rockets who would lose out to the Spurs for the Southwest.

LA currently has the tie break over the Thieves and Rockets and lose to the Spurs. The Clippers and Blazers face off in Portland on the last game of the season. That tips the head to head tie break, but the Clippers automatically win this tie break since they would win the Pacific and the Blazers lose the Northwest to the Thieves.

Likelihood: Dog Fight
Magic Number: 21 (-3)
Magic Number over Rockets: 20 (-3)
Magic Number over Spurs: 24 (-4)
Magic Number over Thieves: 23 (-5)
Magic Number over Blazers: 21 (-5)
Projected Record: 58-24
Projected Seed: #3

Blazers: @Mavs, @Rockets, @Grizz, @Spurs, @Pelicans, Warriors, Bucks, Wizards, @Bobcats, @Heat, @Magic, @Hawks, @Bulls, Grizz, @Lakers, Suns, Pelicans, Kings, @Jazz, Warriors, Clippers

Last Week: 2-1
@BLAZERS 102, Nuggets 96
Lakers 107, @BLAZERS 106
@BLAZERS 102, Hawks 78

The Blazers have been very up and down lately, and this past week saw them win a close one over the Nuggets, drop a 1 point game to the Lakers at home, and blow out a sputtering Hawks squad on the road. The top 5 in the West seems locked in, but the Blazers are wobbling at the bottom of that group and could fall out if they can’t right the ship, especially with an upcoming 10 game stretch that sees them face 7 contenders.

The Blazers have 12 Contender (6H, 6A) and 9 Probable (3H, 6A) games left on their schedule. For the last two months the Blazers have been holding their own against the scrub teams (except that Lakers loss), and I expect them to do well down the stretch. 6 of their remaining Probable games are on the road, and I think they’ll drop one to finish 8-1. The Contenders on their schedule are daunting, and the Blazers have not looked good against Contending teams since mid January. I’m going to predict a 4-8 Contender record and a final record of 54-28 for the Blazers.

16 Rocket wins and 9 Blazer losses would give us the edge over Portland. The Rockets host the Blazers on Sunday for a huge matchup. If the Rockets win, they claim the tie break, but if they lose, it’ll be a close call on the conference record and won’t be decided until both teams finish their Eastern Conference games. The Blazer tied the Thieves head to head and have the divisional record advantage for the tie break. They play in San Antonio next Wednesday with the tie break on the line with the Spurs. They lose the tie break to the Clippers.

Likelihood: Dicey, but slightly optimistic
Magic Number: 22 (-4)
Magic Number over Rockets: 22 (-2)
Magic Number over Thieves: 25 (-3)
Magic Number over Spurs: 25 (-2)
Magic Number over Clippers: 21 (-2)
Projected Record: 54-24
Projected Seed: #5

 The Second Tier

Warriors: Hawks, Suns, Mavs, @Clippers, Cavs, @Blazers, Magic, Bucks, Spurs, Grizz, Knicks, @Mavs, @Spurs, Kings, Jazz, Nuggets, @Lakers, @Blazers, Wolves, @Nuggets

Last Week: 3-1
WARRIORS 126, @Knicks 103
@Raptors 104, Warriors 98
WARRIORS 98, @Pacers 96
WARRIORS 108, @Celtics 88

The Warriors look to have righted their ship the past month. They won a pair of Probable games handily and followed up a tough loss in Toronto with an impressive victory in Indiana. They only have a 1 game lead on the Suns and 2 on the Mavs and Grizz, but it seems like the Warriors are the team to beat for the #6 seed.

The Warriors have 10 Contender (5H, 5A) and 10 Probable (8H, 2A) games left on their schedule. While they have been destroying Probable teams lately, I’m still going to say they’ll go ice cold and blow one of their remaining 10. They’ve played Contenders pretty evenly this year, so I’ll guess they go 5-5 with their contenders for a 14-6 close to finish.

With our 16 wins and their 6 losses, we should easily close out the Warriors. We own the tie break over them, and have a 5 game lead with under 20 to play. The Warriors will be in a dog fight for seeds 6-8 down the stretch and currently do not own any tie breaks over their competition for those spots. They will be facing all of them again (and the Mavs twice) to decide those tie breaks.

Likelihood: Excellent
Magic Number: 16 (-4)
Magic Number over Rockets: 26 (-3)
Magic Number over Grizz: 19 (-5)
Magic Number over Mavs: 19 (-6)
Magic Number over Suns: 20 (-4)
Projected Record: 52-30
Projected Seed: #6

Suns: @Warriors, @Clippers, Cavs, @Celtics, @Raptors, @Nets, Magic, Pistons, @Wolves, @Hawks, @Wizards, Knicks, @Lakers, Clippers, @Blazers, Thieves, @Pelicans, @Spurs, @Mavs, Grizz, @Kings

Last Week: 3-1
@SUNS 116, Pelicans 104
@SUNS 129, Hawks 120
Clippers 104, @SUNS 96
@SUNS 128, Thieves 122

The Suns beat two Probables at home and then followed up a loss to the Clippers with a high scoring win over the Thieves. That’s a pretty nice week for a Phoenix team that’s playing 500 ball since the start of February. Memphis remains right on their heels, but the Mavs are cratering.

The Suns have 12 Contender (3H, 9A) and 9 Probable (4H, 5A) games left on their schedule. It’s certainly a road heavy finish for Phoenix. They should fare well on their Probables, but based off their recently play, I’m going to say they lose at least 1. The Contenders are a whole other story. Suns haven’t fared that well against Contenders on the road, and they close with 9 of 11 away from home. I’m going to pick them to go 5-7 in these games for a 12-8 finish and a 49-23 record.

We own the tie break over Phoenix and should easily close out the Suns. The Suns lose the tie break to the Grizz, and it’s still a toss up with the Warriors and Mavs. The Suns play all three teams one more time before the end of the season, including a tie a matchup with the Mavs on the second to last game of the season that decides the tie break (4 game swing here).

Likelihood: Excellent
Magic Number: 15 (-5)
Magic Number over Rockets: 28 (-3)
Magic Number over Warriors: 5 (-4)
Magic Number over Mavs: 23 (-4)
Magic Number over Grizz: 5 (-4)
Projected Record: 50-32
Projected Seed: #7

Mavs: Blazers, Pacers, @Warriors, @Jazz, @Thieves, Celtics, Wolves, Nuggets, Nets, Thieves, Clippers, Kings, Warriors, @Clippers, @Lakers, @Kings, @Jazz, Spurs, Suns, @Grizz

Last Week: 0-3
Bulls 100, @MAVS 91
@Spurs 112, MAVS 106
@Nuggets 115, MAVS 110

The Mavs had been humming along, winning 10 of 12, before last week’s plummet. The Mavs lost to hot Bulls team and a resurgent Spurs in San Antonio. Those two losses are understandable, but they ended the week with a bad loss to the free falling Nuggets. Just when it looked like the Mavs would put some separation between themselves and the #9 spot, they now find themselves teetering on falling out of the top 8. They don’t really get to rest with Blazers, Pacers, @Warriors coming up.

The Mavs have 13 Contender (9H, 4A) and 7 Probable (3H, 4A) games left on their schedule. The Mavs are drawing teams that are all tanking for better picks with their 7 Probables and should go 7-0. I’m chalking the Nugget loss as an abberation. However, they have 13 tough Contender games left, although they do get 9 at home. I see them going 7-6 in these games for a 14-6 finish and a 50-32 record.

We should easily close the Mavs out, even though the tie break is still up in the air. The Mavs own the tie break on the Grizz and will decide their tie break with the Suns when they face off on April 12 in a huge matchup.

Likelihood: Excellent
Magic Number: 15 (-5)
Magic Number over Rockets: 27 (0)
Magic Number over Warriors: 23 (-1)
Magic Number over Suns: 20 (-1)
Magic Number over Grizz: 20 (-2)
Projected Record: 50-32
Projected Seed: #8

Grizz: @Bulls, Bobcats, Blazers, @Pelicans, @Raptors, @76ers, Jazz, @Heat, Pacers, Wolves, @Jazz, @Warriors, @Blazers, @Nuggets, @Wolves, Nuggets, @Spurs, Heat, 76ers, @Lakers, @Suns, Mavs

Last Week: 2-2
@Thieves 113, GRIZZ 107
@GRIZZ 110, Cavs 96
GRIZZ 110, @Wizards 104
@Nets 103, GRIZZ 94

The Grizz picked up wins against the hapless Cavs and a nice victory in DC. They did drop a pair of games on the road to the Nets and Thieves. There’s no shame in those two losses, but the Grizz are just 8-6 since their 6 game winning streak with a few nice victories and bad losses to scrub teams. A healthy Memphis team should claim one of the final 3 spots, but they certainly don’t seem like they want to take it.

Memphis has 13 Contender (5H, 8A) and 9 Probable (4H, 5A) games left on their schedule. With 5 on the road and their recent play, I’ll say Memphis goes 7-2 against their Probables. A road-heavy Contender schedule looks daunting for the Grizz. I’m going to pick them to finish 6-7. That’s a 13-9 finish to close at 47-35.

With our 16 wins and 9 Grizz losses, we would easily close out the Grizz. Memphis owns the tie break over the Suns but loses to Dallas. They close the season with @Suns, Mavs, which could very likely decide their playoff fate.

Likelihood: Outstanding
Magic Number: 14 (-5)
Magic Number over Rockets: 30 (-2)
Magic Number over Warriors: 25 (-3)
Magic Number over Mavs: 23 (-5)
Magic Number over Suns: 22 (-3)
Projected Record: 47-35
Projected Seed: #9

Projected Matchups:
#1 Thieves hosting #8 Mavs
#2 Spurs hosting #7 Suns
#3 Clippers hosting #6 Warriors
#4 Rockets hosting #5 Blazers

This isn’t a rose colored path to the WCF, but I at least think we are likely to get home court in the first round. I really want to see us move into the 2 or 3 spot so we can avoid the Thieves and Clippers through the first two rounds. LA is going to be mighty tough to catch. The Rockets need to ace this upcoming tough portion of their schedule to keep pace. It’s going to be a mighty interesting week.

This Week’s Key Head to Head Matchups:
Friday: Grizz at Bulls
Friday: Blazers at Mavs
Friday: Pacers at Rockets
Sunday: Blazers at Rockets
Sunday: Pacers at Mavs
Sunday: Suns at Warriors
Monday: Suns at Clippers
Tuesday: Spurs at Bulls
Tuesday: Blazers at Grizz
Tuesday: Mavs at Warriors
Tuesday: Rockets at Thieves
Wednesday: Blazers at Spurs
Wednesday: Warriors at Clippers
Wednesday: Nuggets at Blazers
Thursday: Rockets at Bulls

ScriboErgoSum · Mar 7, 2014

JayZ750 said: ↑

One, thanks for bringing this back. Awesome thread and makes it really easy to see where the Rockets might end up and how.

Two, didn't realize you were a single dad. I thought you had a wife who was a chef or something...
Click to expand...

It's great to be back! I'm really looking forward to this final month of basketball and tracking how it all goes down.

I had a wife who was a chef, but we're divorcing. It's all amicable, but it's been a very hectic past year. Dating for the first time in 15 years is a lot of fun though!

LonghornFan · Mar 7, 2014

SCRIBO!!! Finally the guy with the excellent Rox talk back in the GARM! You've been missed bruh, even when you're barely gone lulz.

Hakeemtheking · Mar 7, 2014

Post #28 of this thread should be voted Post of the Year and be sticked. Just awesome.

CheezeyBoy22 · Mar 8, 2014

I can't wait for tonight's recap.

ScriboErgoSum · Mar 8, 2014

Games  H2H        Div         Con   Overall   Magic       
   Team           W/L   L10   H2H   Left   TB   Div   TB   Conf   TB  TieBreak  Number  Diff
 1 OKC Thieves  46-16   6-4   0-2  1H,1A    L             27-10    L        No      24   (-1)
 2 Spurs        45-16   8-2   3-0     1H    W   9-3    L  25-10    L      Yes*      23   (-1)
 3 Rockets      43-19   8-2                     9-4       23-16
 4 Clippers     43-20   8-2   0-3     1H    L             26-11    L       No*      20   (-1)
 5 Blazers      42-20   6-4   2-1     1H    W             23-16    T       Yes      20   (-2)
 6 Warriors     39-24   8-2   2-1   None    W             21-16    W      Yes*      15   (-1)
 7 Suns         36-25   6-4   2-1   None    W             23-17    W      Yes*      14   (-1)
 8 Mavericks    37-26   6-4   2-2   None    T   9-5    W  19-17    W       Yes      14   (-1)
 9 Grizzlies    35-26   7-3   2-2   None    T  2-11    W  19-19    W      Yes*      13   (-1)
10 Wolves       31-30   7-3   2-0  1H,1A    W             17-22    W       Yes      10   (-1)
11 Nuggets      27-34   3-7   1-0  1H,1A    W             15-22    W       Yes       6   (-1)
12 Pelicans     25-37   2-8   2-0  1H,1A    W   3-9    W  10-27    W      Yes*       2   (-1)
13 Kings        22-40   5-5   2-2   None    T             12-27    W       Yes        Deposed
14 Jazz         21-41   2-8   1-1     1H    T             11-26    W       Yes       Silenced
15 Lakers       21-42   3-7   2-1     1H    W             11-26    W       Yes        Drained

* Indicates the Tie Break is final

Clinched the #12 seed

Here is the latest batch of Magic Numbers after all games were played on 3/7.

Off to an awesome start!
The Rockets faced another top Contender (albeit one who is not playing well) and blew the game open in third quarter, coasting to a 112-86 win. It was great to see us run it down the throat of one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. If we can play like that and cut down on the truly careless turnovers, this team is scary good. We’re now off to a 3-0 start on our Six and a Bit Games of Doom. All Magic Numbers drop 1.

It’s truly one of life’s joys to listen to Jeff when the Rockets are playing well.

Dallas survives a near epic collapse
The Mavs went from playing really well to losing three straight. When they opened a 30 point second quarter lead, it seemed all had been set right in Dallas. The Blazers naturally erased that lead by the third quarter, and the two teams settled in for a close game that Dallas ultimately won 103-98. Dirk had 22 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, and Monta Ellis added 17 points and 7 dimes for the Mavs, who keep pace for a spot in the Playoffs. LaMarcus Aldrige scored 30 points and collected 17 rebounds, and Wesley Matthews chipped in with 26 points for the Blazers who drop an additional Magic Number.

Everyone keeps pace in the 6-8 scrum
The Grizz went into Chicago and outlasted a tough Bulls team 85-77. Marc Gasol had 18 points and 10 rebound and ZBo scored 10 points and collected 11 rebounds for the Grizz. Joakim Noah scored 15 to go with 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Warriors continued their winning ways, beating a sputtering Atlanta team
111-97. David Lee led the Warriors with 18 points, and Jermaine O’Neal added 17 points and 8 boards. That’s three straight wins for the Warriors. Paul Milsap had 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Hawks.

Cellar Dwellers
The Wolves kept their dismally faint Playoff hopes alive by beating the visiting Pistons 114-101. Free Kevin Love! had 28 points, 14 boards, and 5 assists, and Kevin Martin put up 24 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist for the Wolves. Greg Monroe scored 20 points and collected 15 rebounds in the loss.

The Bucks continue their assault for the top pick, losing 112-104 to the Pelicans. They gain a Magic Number on Sam Hinkie’s tanking machine. Anthony Davis put up an impressive 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Tyreke Evans scored 25 points to go along with 7 assists. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 25 points.

Jazz and Kings, please exit to the left, thank you very much
The Lakers were eliminated yesterday, and today it’s time for the Utah Jazz. New York opened an early lead and cruised to a 108-81 victory. The Rockets have officially clinched over Utah. It feels damn nice to take out two of our hated opponents right off the bat. Carmelo scored 29 points and dished 8 times, and Tyson Chandler had a double double with 16 points and 11 boards. Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks each scored 18 for the Jazz.

The Raptors continue to lead the pack for the #3 spot in the East, beating the Kings 99-87. Patrick Patterson scored 15 and collected 6 boards, and Kyle Lowry had 12 points and 7 assists in the victory. Boogie put up 24 points and 7 rebounds, and Rudy Gay scored 15 but shot 5-13. The Kings lose an additional Magic Number, and the Rockets officially clinch over them as well.

Saturday Games
A few relevant teams are in action, but I’m not expecting any help for the Rockets at all.

Spurs at Magic, Hawks at Clippers, Bobcats at Grizz, Jazz at 76ers

Saturday Numbers
I have a promising date with a really cool woman Saturday and am taking a night off. I’ll post them sometime Sunday morning with minimal write up.

peleincubus · Mar 8, 2014

Scribo your post several back is more interesting to read then mostly anything and everything on espn nba related.

Good luck on your date homie

ScriboErgoSum · Mar 9, 2014

Games  H2H        Div         Con   Overall   Magic       
   Team           W/L   L10   H2H   Left   TB   Div   TB   Conf   TB  TieBreak  Number  Diff
 1 OKC Thieves  46-16   6-4   0-2  1H,1A    L             27-10    L        No      24       
 2 Spurs        46-16   9-1   3-0     1H    W   9-3    L  25-10    L      Yes*      23       
 3 Rockets      43-19   8-2                     9-4       23-16
 4 Clippers     44-20   8-2   0-3     1H    L             26-11    L       No*      20       
 5 Blazers      42-20   6-4   2-1     1H    W             23-16    T       Yes      20       
 6 Warriors     39-24   8-2   2-1   None    W             21-16    W      Yes*      15       
 7 Suns         36-25   6-4   2-1   None    W             23-17    W      Yes*      14       
 8 Mavericks    37-26   6-4   2-2   None    T   9-5    W  19-17    W       Yes      14       
 9 Grizzlies    36-26   7-3   2-2   None    T  2-11    W  19-19    W      Yes*      13       
10 Wolves       31-30   7-3   2-0  1H,1A    W             17-22    W       Yes      10       
11 Nuggets      27-34   3-7   1-0  1H,1A    W             15-22    W       Yes       6       
12 Pelicans     25-37   2-8   2-0  1H,1A    W   3-9    W  10-27    W      Yes*       2       
13 Kings        22-40   5-5   2-2   None    T             12-27    W       Yes        Deposed
14 Jazz         22-41   3-7   1-1     1H    T             11-26    W       Yes       Silenced
15 Lakers       21-42   3-7   2-1     1H    W             11-26    W       Yes        Drained

* Indicates the Tie Break is final

Clinched the #12 seed

Here is the latest batch of Magic Numbers after all games were played on 3/8.

No help for the Rockets
It wasn’t expected to be a night to help the Rockets, but it looked for a while like the Magic and Hawks might pull an upset. It wasn’t meant to be as the Spurs downed the Magic 121-112 and the Clippers edged out the Hawks 109-108.

The Grizz kept pace with the 6-8 scrum, beating the Bobcats 111-89, and the pathetic Jazz met their match in Sam Hinkie’s tanking machine, winning 104-92.

Huge game against Portland
We’re 3-0 so far on the Six and a Bit Games of Doom, and we face our next Contender tomorrow night when the Rockets host the Blazers. Portland has been feasting on bad teams, but they have stumbled against good competition. They’re fresh off a loss to Dallas. We lead the series 2-1 and can clinch the Tie Break, knock the Blazers’ Magic Number down 3, and take an effective 3 game lead with a victory tomorrow. A loss doesn’t necessarily give the tie break to Portland, but they’d have a game advantage in conference record.

Sunday Games
Only one other elite team in action when the Thieves play the Lakers. A lot of action for seeds 6-8. Phoenix can claim the tie break over the Warriors with a win.

Thieves at Lakers, Pacers at Mavs, Suns at Warriors, Raptors at Wolves, Nuggets at Pelicans, Kings at Nets

declan32001 · Mar 9, 2014

Great read, as always. I agree with your analysis too, but one thing jumps out at me: I've never seen the top 10 teams in any conference have winning records in their last 10 games.

It's probably happened before several times but I think it's incredibly fluke-ish in March when so many teams are looking at seeding or desperately trying to make the playoffs.

OT: The top 7 seeds in the East have winning records over their last 10. The NBA has never been this pathetic.

I'm impressed with the Rockets, but if I had to guess I think we're going to be the 4th seed. I do agree getting to the 3rd seed would be huge, or not.

jtr · Mar 9, 2014

Scribo, I knew about magic numbers before reading your posts. You have made them fascinating to me. Great work!

RCPM · Mar 9, 2014

I love this thread! Thank you Scribo!

tmacfor35 · Mar 9, 2014

The possibility looms that the Rockets could play Por first round, and Sa in the second.

Yonkers · Mar 9, 2014

Awesome man. I love this thread and your book threads. Thanks.

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