Didn't deserve its own thread, but was reading the ESPN Daily Dime (weekend) section and came across this which I found absolutely laughable: James, SinCity: Too much love for the Rockets. Utah has a better group, bench, coach, record, etc. They will sweep the Yao-Mac combo and present a real problem for the Mavs. Thankfully the reply was much closer to reality: Stein: Sweep? Good one. You forget that the Yao/T-Mac combo went seven games with the Mavs two short years ago and have a better team now than they did then, if only because Yao and T-Mac are better than they were. The Jazz are going to be a tough out for anyone and can certainly get to Round 2, but sweep? Please. Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-070317-18 (at the end of Box 8)
Utah is having a great season...but I kno they have lost about 4 games recently. WE CAN CATCH THEM, and we will play them on the last game of the season
Only 1 1/2 games behind now. Now it's simple. Beat Utah in both of our remaining meetings, and otherwise match them win for win and homecourt is ours. We control our own destiny.
Jazz Record: 43-23 / Houston Record: 42-25 Jazz Schedule: vs. Golden State @ LA Clippers vs. Memphis vs. Washington vs. Minnesota @ San Antonio @ Houston @ Portland @ Sacramento vs. Seattle @ Golden State vs. Denver @ Dallas vs. Phoenix vs. Portland vs. Houston 9 of the 16 games are against sub .500 teams, the Jazz have a combined record of 22-10 against remaining opponents. Houston's Schedule vs. Indiana vs. Detroit @ New Orleans/Oklahoma City vs. Milwaukee @ LA Clippers @ LA Lakers vs. Utah vs. Golden State vs. Portland @ Sacramento @ Seattle @ Portland vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City vs. Phoenix @ Utah 11 of the remaining 16 games are against sub .500 teams, but the Rockets are only 11-13 combined against these teams so far this season. The two most important games for these teams are against one another and could determine the tie breaker if either team were to win both games. Both teams have a game at home and one on the road including what should be a very crucial final game of the season in Utah which could determine playoff seeding and homecourt advantage.
I changed the thread title from "Only 2 1/2 back of Utah after tonight" (didn't seem applicable anymore) to "Utah Jazz Watch" ...
This will be an exciting thread to keep up with over the last month. Homecourt advantage would be unreal considering all the injuries this season.
Damn we're only 11 - 13 against the remaining teams? That's not encouraging. The teams we've lost to previously that we could probably take now or when we play them (because of injuries): LA, Portland, Detroit (maybe), Indiana (T-Mac was rusty last time + no Yao), Utah twice (I think we can take them, unless they're playing out of their mind). We never seem to beat New Orleans and I doubt we can win agaisnt Phoenix but the other games, give or take one or two, should be all wins. If we can take both games against Utah, that would be huge.
Looking at the schedules and the current state of the teams (Houston getting healthier - Utah looking fragile) - I'd say we have a great shot at homecourt. It may very well come down to the last game of the season as well! I am encourage enough that I feel we will indeed have a good shot of breaking through to the seond round to face a powerful Dallas team... Thinks are looking a bit brighter.
I don't know how much you guys have been watching the jazz play, but from what I've seen, you take away easy shots right under the basket and they got nothing to fight with. Literally half their shots come from exploiting lazy defences, thats why they are having so much success right now. You put battier on okur, T-mac on boozer, they'll fold like a deck of cards.
do u remember the easy thread schedule? lets keep this hush, hush. You'd think we'd learn but we never do, always get carried away.
Exactly, lets not get too carried away with seeding, the point is we have to play the best we possibly can down this stretch with everyone healthy. The next fifteen games will go a long way to show if we can actually get to the western conference finals or if we are just cannon fodder for Dallas and Pheonix. Last nights games was about as flawless a game as they've played all season, naturally the Sixers aren't very good (even though they have beaten some good teams) but they are going to have to soildify that identity in these last fifteen games, if we do that catching Utah should be a given. But there is no sense in jinxing us with that kind of talk.
