Magic Number for the Rockets against West Playoff Contenders

.................and while all this goes on, Boston and Detroit sit around waiting for all the smoke to clear while they size their rings. The West has just beat itself up and is going to be all softened up for the East when the Finals roll around.

 

KUDOs on this thread, btw ...

 

We are only 1 game out of first in the entire Western Confernce, how crazy is that?

DD

 

I will have to reread this a few times to understand it. But thanks for this thread, I'd hate to have to come up with this stuff on my own.

 

Ok, got it, 'preciate it. That is crazy!

 

Thanx alot scribo... i have a feeling its going to be a 3 way tie, with us the lakers and hornets.... KNOCK ON WOOD.

 

I guess for all of this to work.

1)We'd have to win out, giving us a record of 57-25.
2)The Hornets would have to go 2-1 to finish 57-25 with their loss probably coming against Dallas in their final game.
3)The Lakers would have to go 2-0 to finish 57-25 beating both SA and SAC.
4)The Spurs would have to go 1-2 to finish 56-26 with their losses likely coming against Lakers(necessary) and Utah in their final game.

So, prior to our game against Denver on Sunday, all this hinges first on the Lakers beating the Spurs which is ABC's afternoon game on Sunday. If that doesn't happen, nothing else will matter.

HOU: @DEN W; @UTA W; LAC W
NO: @SAC W; LAC W; @DAL L
LAL: SA W; SAC W
SA: @ LAL L; @SAC W; UTA L

Sacramento could play a huge roll in all of this. We need them to lose to the Lakers. But they could beat San Antonio and New Orleans and do us a huge favor.

 

In this three way tie, the Lakers would get the number one seed, New Orleans number two, and Houston number three. In three way ties, division winners must first be determined (if applicable). We split 2-2 with New Orleans, but they have a better division record than we do. This eliminates us from the three way tie. New Orleans split 2-2 with the Lakers so you go to conference record. The Lakers would have a better conference record giving them the number one seed, New Orleans #2, and Houston #3.

 

As I understand it, first the division winners are determined. In this 3 way tie scenario, that would be Utah, LA, and New Orleans. Then they take next team with the best record, in this case the Rockets, and those are the top 4 seeds. They then seed those 4 teams according to record. This is where the 3 way tiebreaker between Houston, LA, and New Orleans comes in and the head to head records amongst all teams determines the seedings. We have the best record between the 3 teams, therefore we get the #1 seed.

 

This thread is a gem. Are you actually Morey,Scribo?

 

Since the seedings arent division winners first, then best record after that, this is possible. After all, this was done so a 27 loss Utah team wouldn't be able to have a higher seed than a 25 loss Houston team. Or at least, if they met in the play-offs the better record would have HCA. Although if Houston hosted the Hornets in the WCF, NO would have home court due to having the tie breaker.

 

I hope you're right, but my understanding is that you have to break the ties between division winners before anything else. This is right off of NBA.com...

"(1) (a) Since the three division winners receive the first three playoff positions, ties to determine the division winners must be broken before any other ties.
(b) When a tie must be broken to determine a division winner, the results of the tie-break shall be used to determine only the division winner and its playoff position, not any other playoff position(s)."

 

Yeah, and this would guarantee NO a top 4 seed, along with LA and Utah. But the actual seeding adds in the next best record and you go 1-4 in order of record. Thats why Utah is in 4th and not 3rd.

 

MORE THAN TWO TEAMS TIED

1. If applicable, division champions must be determined first.

2. Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams.

3. Better winning percentage against teams in own division (only if all tied teams are in same division).

4. Better winning percentage against teams in own conference.

5. Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including team that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position).

6. Best point differential between offense and defense.

Note: If a multiple team tie is reduced to a two-team tie at any point using the above criteria, the two-team tie will be resolved in accordance with the existing two-team tie procedure.


The way I read that, New Orleans would eliminate us from the three team tie-break.

 

This is why we NEED a better record than San Antonio. If it's a 4 way tie between us, LA, San Antonio, and New Orleans then NO and SA are automatically in and it comes down to a tie break between us and SA for who gets into the top 4. We lose that tiebreaker.

The most important part of this is us passing up San Antonio to secure a spot in the top 4. THEN, if it's a 3 way tie with LAL and NO, we come out #1.