Signed, Jeff van Gundy at the end of the 2007 season. Too bad we didn't get to count that last game of the regular season or else the series woulda been over in five games. Instead, we went full bore while Sloan played his bench and hid his trump cards; we gave them a preview while they gave us smoke and mirrors. I'm not in favor of looking at the standings before the final game since too much can happen in the meantime. But if it comes down to the last game, and we get to pick and choose between say a 4 seed with home court vs. Portland and a 3 seed vs. Utah, time to suit up Brian Cook and James White! Looking at the second round is absurd for a team that hasn't been there in over a decade.
Only game to throw would be the last game against Dallas. The West is too tight to predict more than a game ahead, and even then it's still iffy. If losing to Dallas will guarntee us someone other than Utah in the first round, and winning will guarnte Utah, we need to lose. And by lose, I mean not play any starter.
Wow, you couldn't get more of a 50-50 split than this! I actually don't mind them "blowing" a game to get a better matchup and get out of the first round. I think Utah did it last year to get the Rockets.
Only loser worry about matchup problem. WC need 16 wins in playoff. Doesn't matter you are #1 or #8 seed. Rockets' 2nd WC was the most amazing run. They beat exactly top 4 of league.
It is pretty interesting about the split in public opinion. Personally, I think it's bad mojo to tank a game for a better match up. I think going into the playoffs with a winning streak, whether those wins were meaningful or not, is a huge advantage in terms of confidence. Let's just win every game and see how it shakes out.
