NBA Game Action: 3/31/2017

only the last three games are worth a damn. gonna be another late night.

 

The Celtics and Cavs games matter too. Although I'd be stunned if either of those teams lost at home.

Anyway, go Magic, Sixers, Grizzlies, Spurs(I feel sick typing that), Wizards, and Rockets.

 

yeah, they matter but they're not very interesting or exciting though. I'm having a hard time watching the Cavs these days.

 

If OKC doesn't beat SAS, I don't give them much hope of overtaking LAC. LAC has the tie-breaker and has wrapped up a better Road Record. And since each team plays the same amount of Home and Away games, OKC will be left hoping LAC loses some home games ... (LAC has 4 home and 1 away, left)

Also, with a loss to SAS, MEM still has a chance to catch them, since they have one more H2H (in MEM) left with OKC. A win by MEM (combined with OKC losing tonight) kinda wraps up the tie-breaker for MEM, and leaves them one game behind in the loss column. OKC has a 4-game roadtrip left, including a playoff hungry Denver team, and ending the season with DEN....so I give MEM the easier schedule.

 

Just realized the Spurs are going to have a big impact on the playoff seeding. Check out this schedule

75 Fri, Mar 31, 2017 8:00p ET @ Oklahoma City Thunder
76 Sun, Apr 2, 2017 3:30p ET Utah Jazz
77 Tue, Apr 4, 2017 8:30p ET Memphis Grizzlies
78 Wed, Apr 5, 2017 8:30p ET Los Angeles Lakers
79 Fri, Apr 7, 2017 8:30p ET @ Dallas Mavericks
80 Sat, Apr 8, 2017 8:30p ET Los Angeles Clippers
81 Mon, Apr 10, 2017 10:00p ET @ Portland Trail Blazers
82 Wed, Apr 12, 2017 10:30p ET @ Utah Jazz

Will the Spurs sit everyone if POR and UTA are fighting for playoff positioning? Kinda sucks the schedule played out this way where four teams LAC/UTA and POR/DEN might greatly be impacted by Spurs just shutting down. Especially considering SAS will fight to win that last Home game of the season vs LAC, since last home games are celebration nights for the fans, and likely roll-over away vs UTA and POR

Last year their Apr games had little to no impact on the playoff races.

 

That's what worries me. Unless the Spurs think they still have a shot at catching the Warriors(they have to make up 3 games in the loss column), they have literally nothing to play for the rest of the season. Even Kawhi's MVP chances seem pretty much dead at this point. I don't hear anyone being mentioned other than Westbrook and Harden. So if they're locked into 2nd place, can't catch the Warriors or be overtaken by the Rockets, and have homecourt clinched over everyone in the East, why wouldn't Pop rest a bunch of his guys?

The good news is if the Spurs do still think they have a shot at Golden State, the most important games left on their schedule(for us Rockets fans at least) are their next two: at OKC and home for Utah. After that, I honestly don't care what they do. In fact, I'd prefer they rest a bunch of guys and concede a loss to Memphis. And if we're sweating the results of that season finale at Utah, then the Rockets likely ain't gonna be the 3rd seed anyway.

 

^ I doubt Pops sits anyone until final week. Thinking he'll give up April 4th games to Memphis, a likely first round matchup, is overthinking things, imo. I'd want to strike fear in them and destroy my 1st round opponent ... inb4 "but Pops will not want to reveal his secrets"

IMO, it is merely will Pops feel some sort of duty to try against POR and UTA if they are important to seeding, especially UTA since Pops likely ties to win game 79 vs LAC for Fan Appreciation Night, or completely not care.

I can't remember what he's done in past situations where honor to be fair to others was a question.

 

okc playing some good defense to start....

 

OKC going to win this game because nothing good happens to the Rockets

 

The thing is...

Every Rockets win is treated like an expectation. Every OKC win is treated like Westbrook accomplishing an act of God.

The narratives write themselves

 

the rockets aren't expected to beat the spurs.

 

I'm talking macro-level

 

It would impressive if OKC actually beat the Spurs a 2nd time, really because of my respect of the Spurs to win games.

 

Westbrook gonna Westbrook.

 

16 points for the spurs, ouch

 

Spurs trying to give Westbrook the MVP.

 

Westbrook already with 6-5-5 and its only the 1st Q

Its over guys. Time for us start moving on.

 

look at all these trash players for OKC..

 

Ariza is so much better than all of them