Dallas has rested Dirk, Stackhouse, and Dampier for tonights game and played Terry and Howard very sparingly. This doesn't bode well for Houston fans because even in their slump, does anyone think Utah will be bad enough to lose to the Mavs without Dirk, Stackhouse, Dampier and limited playing time for Terry and Howard? Phoenix might still have something to play for when they face the Jazz since they are not that far ahead of the Spurs, but even so, Phoenix hasn't beaten the Jazz in 3 tries this season apparently. Hopefully Phoenix has no reason to play their starters against us, and hopefully we can take that game. We have to win the New Orleans game though if we don't want the last game in Utah to count. The best record the Jazz CAN get is 52-30. They would need to win all 4 of their remaining games. (vs. DAL, PHO, POR, and HOU) If they do, we need to go 3-0 to put us at 53-29. The last game would count against them. If we lose, they get HCA. Our ideal situation: We win the 2 games until the final game in Utah, and Utah goes 2 - 2 in their final 4. Because if they go 3 - 1 and they beat us in the final game, they get HCA. Basically, if we can beat Phoenix and New Orleans, and the Jazz lose just 1 game before their matchup with us, it's over. We have the HCA for the playoffs. Bottom line of this update: Since Dallas is being, well, Dallas (and resting their stars)...the chances of the final game of this season deciding homecourt is really high. PHOENIX AND DALLAS: BEAT THE JAZZ. PHOENIX: LETS US BEAT YOU. Then we're all good. Yao doesn't want to stay a week in Utah, so we won't!!
Avery is going to play Nowitzki and Stackhouse against Utah and he will most likely rest Terry and Howard.
It doesn't matter, the Rockets just need to win. And playing the Hornets and the Suns in the next two games is going to be tough.... The Rockets have to be completely focused to beat either of them. The Hornets are still playing for a shot at the playoffs....and the Suns are trying to hold off the Spurs..... I still say it will come down to the last game, unless Utah continues to tank. DD
Utah will lose the HCA. They are free-falling right now. Houston is not playing particularly well, but man Jazz is a mass. It is hard to tell how the series will play out though. First two games will be the key. Rox can't give Jazz any confidence in these two games. But anyway, I will certainly pick Rox to win the series based on how bad Jazz was playing the last two or three weeks. Regarding the Suns and Spurs series, it doesn't matter who gets the home court, the Spurs will win the series in 6. Book it.
It's all about Apr 18th. That's it. Right now we have more of a cushion than I'd expect, since the Jazz lost to both the Nugs and Warriors when I thought they'd go 1-1. We WILL beat them in SLC. Period. We clearly want it more right now, and it will be a revenge game thanks to Apr Fools Day. The entire locker room KNOWS that they HAVE to win that game to be in the right mindset for the playoffs. We're displaying urgency right now - especially McGrady. Dallas might/should play Utah full force, as it would give them a feel for a potential second round opponent. I'm honestly surprised AJ is allowing his team to kick back and rest even if they have nothing left to play for. We're up 1.5 games and if we were to beat NOK, that just might be enough - but I'm expecting the Hornets to come at us harder than anyone we've faced this month. Evan
We will beat NOK as CP3 is hurt and not playing. I also doubt that the Suns will rest their starters as they are still a race for 2nd best overall against the Spurs. Either way, we hold our own destiny and thats all you can ask for.
I do NOT want the final game v Utah to have any meaning, and I would bet cash $$$s that neither Sloan nor JVG would want it to, either.
I agree with you from our perspective, but I'd bet Sloan would love to be within a game where they can take home court in the last game. He knows he has a major superstar disadvantage with us, and needs his role players to kill our role players, their shot to win the series is a lot worse with 4 games in Houston. Plus they have played crappy lately, with a lot on the line, I am sure he wants his young team to enter with their psyche turned around and their fans behind them.
I don't "want" that either, but I think it's what it'll come down to. We have to be 2 games up going into it for it not to matter (1 game up + a loss = tie = Utah homecourt via winning the series). That'll be possible but tough to bank on. Also, a part of me thinks we NEED to play that game with something on the line to get our guys fully into a kill Utah mindset. Evan
I don't think Dallas will want to lose at home to a potential playoff foe with 4 games left. I don't think they will press superhard either, but an 85% Dallas team at their place is still not easy to beat. I don't think they will really mail it in until the road games at GS and at Sea, after their pair of home games with Utah and SA (I don't see Dallas giving SA a gift game in Dallas either). An interesting race is Phx. They can afford 1 loss among LAL, at Utah at us, and LAC. But if SA loses 1, they have one more extra margin for error. Phx I am pretty sure will give a full effort Saturday at Utah. We can hope that by Monday their game with us is less meaningfull (SA lost at Minny or at Dallas). Hou_____________NOK (Sat), ____________PHO (Mon),_____ @UTA (Wed) Jazz___@DAL (Fri), PHO (Sat), ____________POR (Mon)_______HOU (Wed) Phx____ LAL (Fri), @UTA (Sat), ___________@HOU (Mon), LAC(T) Spurs__@MIN (Fri),___________@DAL (Sun),@MEM (Mon)______Den (Wed) One thing is for sure it was great scheduling by the NBA, still a lot of stakes with most of the stakeholders against each other. The best scenario is Utah loses their back to back versus Dallas and Phx, we beat NOK, and then for us neither final two games matter. I think it is better than 50/50 in round 1 we have homecourt regardless of what happens in the final Utah game.
Nah, the last thing we need IMO is in effect another playoff game. Phx and us use depth less than others--we want the fewest possible cumulative high minute playoff type games for the superstars.
Yes, you're right. If the Rockets want to beat the Jazz we have to go out and get it done on their homecourt in the last game as well as in the playoffs.
So our 'fears' have been confirmed so far. Dallas didn't care for the game enough to beat the Jazz. Now they are only a game behind. Hopefully the Jazz are either (1) too tired to win tomorrow or (2) get outplayed by phoenix tomorrow. We need them to lose ,and if we win, that's 2 games ahead of them. It's the cushion we need to keep.
we needt the game against pheonix as utah has a pretty easy one against portland. I dont want our last game to be a must win, don't need any injuries.
