The Western Conference playoff teams are set and as if it were planned, each playoff team plays another playoff team in its final game of the season. Those games are: UTA@LAL HOU@DAL NO@SA DEN@POR There are 16 possible scenarios. I worked them all out and figured out the playoff seeding for each. UPDATE 4/14: LA beat Utah. So there are now 8 scenarios left. I've grayed out the ones that are no longer applicable. Here's a breakdown of the number of scenarios in which the Rockets got a particular seed: #2 seed - 2 scenarios #3 seed - 3 scenarios #4 seed - 2 scenarios #5 seed - 1 scenario Here's a breakdown of the number of scenarios in which the Rockets faced a particular opponent vs New Orleans - 3 scenarios vs Portland - 2 scenarios (1 of them without home court advantage) vs Dallas - 2 scenarios vs San Antonio - 1 scenarios EDIT: Here are the breakdowns applicable to whether the Rockets win or lose in Dallas. WIN vs Dallas: #2 - 2 Scenarios #3 - 2 Scenarios vs. New Orleans - 2 scenarios vs. Dallas - 2 scenarios LOSS vs Dallas: #3 - 1 scenario #4 - 2 scenarios #5 - 1 scenario vs. Portland - 2 scenarios (1 without home court advantage) vs. New Orleans - 1 scenarios vs. San Antonio - 1 scenario Below is a list of all the scenarios and the playoff seeds that accompany them. The Rockets and first round opponent are in RED BOLD. Lakers beat Utah, Houston beats Dallas, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Denver beats Portland. -OR- Lakers beat Utah, Dallas beats Houston, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Denver beats Portland -OR- Utah beats Lakers, Dallas beats Houston, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Houston 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Dallas 8. Utah Lakers beat Utah, Houston beats Dallas, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Houston 4. San Antonio 5. Portland 6. New Orleans 7. Dallas 8. Utah Lakers beat Utah, Houston beats Dallas, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Porland beats Denver -OR- Lakers beat Utah, Houston beats Dallas, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Portland beats Denver 1. LA Lakers 2. Houston 3. Denver 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Dallas 8. Utah Lakers beat Utah, Dallas beats Houston, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. San Antonio 4. Houston 5. Portland 6. Dallas 7. New Orleans 8. Utah Lakers beat Utah, Dallas beats Houston, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Portland beats Denver -OR- Utah beats Lakers, Dallas beats Houston, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Portland beats Denver 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Portland 4. Houston 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Dallas 8. Utah Lakers beat Utah, Dallas beats Houston, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Portland beats Denver 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. San Antonio 4. Portland 5. Houston 6. Dallas 7. New Orleans 8. Utah Utah beats Lakers, Houston beats Dallas, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Houston 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Utah 8. Dallas Utah beats Lakers, Dallas beats Houston, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. San Antonio 4. Houston 5. Portland 6. Dallas 7. Utah 8. New Orleans Utah beats Lakers, Dallas beats Houston, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Portland beats Denver 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. San Antonio 4. Portland 5. Houston 6. Dallas 7. Utah 8. New Orleans Utah beats Lakers, Houston beats Dallas, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Houston 4. San Antonio 5. Portland 6. Utah 7. New Orleans 8. Dallas Utah beats Lakers, Houston beats Dallas, San Antonio beats New Orleans, Portland beats Denver 1. LA Lakers 2. Houston 3. Denver 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. Utah 7. New Orleans 8. Dallas Utah beats Lakers, Houston beats Dallas, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Portland beats Denver 1. Lakers 2. Houston 3. Denver 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Utah 8. Dallas
Just win. Let the chips fall where they may. This will be our first Division title since we won some nice NBA Champion rings. It's time for some updated bling.
there is a thread up top with over 1200 posts talking about THIS VERY SUBJECT. it's awesome! there are so many scenarios being discussed!
But I know that thread. If I posted it in there, as soon as the thread extended another page, somebody would pop in and say "what would happen if X happened". Here, it's all there in the first post. Every possible outcome.
after the lakers/jazzholes game tomorrow you can cut out half of those scenarios. hopefully we end up with #2 and face the hornets. there's only one scenario in which that would be the case, but i think it's VERy likely. as long as the rockets win they will be in GREAT shape.
Very good post. Thanks for the information. I hate, hate, hate to say this, but I'm afraid the refs / Stern will pull a 2005 and give Dallas the win here, "forcing" us to a 4th seed to lose to the Lakers in the 2nd round. Still mad at that San Antonio "win."
The good news is the only scenario without homecourt advantage is possibly the most advantageous opponent for the Rockets to play (Portland).
Although the most likely scenario is Utah beats Lakers, Dallas beats Houston, New Orleans beats San Antonio, Denver beats Portland 1. LA Lakers 2. Denver 3. Houston 4. Portland 5. San Antonio 6. New Orleans 7. Dallas 8. Utah
No, there are other scenarios where beating Dallas would result in playing New Orleans or Dallas. Rox should play to win every game and let things fall in place.
this is awesome. and more complicated than i realized. i have no idea who to root for. ill be going for the lakers, but even if utah wins, there are pretty favorable matchups possible. my favorites are vs NOLA in the first round, i really dont care how it has to happen.
Agreed. Also, the outcome of that game may greatly affect how Dallas and New Orleans approach their respective games the next day. If the Lakers win, Utah is the 8th seed. Then Dallas and NO may choose to rest their players rather than compete too hard. If Utah wins, Dallas and New Orleans are still in danger of falling to the 8th seed and facing LA, so they will certainly look to win.
lol i must have posted in the wrong thread, because yours is a resourceful tool for working out all the scenarios. there were way too many what if threads and I think I am going a bit crazy with the pretty situation the Rockets are in. I just wish all the fans were more optimistic about our team's outlook this postseason...
exactly, and both the hornets and mavericks games are very winnable. i think we're gonna end up the 2nd seed and play the hornets, or at least i hope. something about playing dallas i don't like.
