i think both kings and warriors are winning. they have portland and utah. so we're either finishing 8 and playing at NO twice in a row at NO or finishing 10th and having to beat the warriors on the road and then one of NO/sac on the road. if we do manage to beat NO tomorrow (doubtful), we won't turn around and do it again, so we'll have a home game against sac/gs winner for the 8 seed. this is possible. if we lose to NO, we're almost certainly missing the playoffs, imo.
After how last night went across the league, I'm more invested in how the OKC/MINNY/DEN 1-3 shakes out. If it's Denver at #1 then it doesn't matter whether we even make it to the playoffs. We're getting our a**** handed to us in another likely sweep (or 5 at best, like I mentioned in another thread). At that point, I'd rather not even make it and that boosts the chances of canned Ham. But if it's OKC or Minny, then we have a real chance again... somehow. Don't think we make it back to another WCF run cause everything broke our way last year and law of averages and all....
I believe NO plays better as a team without BI.It frees up the ball for McCullum,Zion and Murphy.Better spacing and ball movement
Oklahoma not going to lose in last game of the season to Dallas at home. Kyrie and Luka are done for regular season. Irving will get around a full week to rest his hamstring until the Mavericks begin their postseason run ,Same for Doncic. The Mavericks have elected to rest the star point guard for the next week before the playoffs begin. I just don't get how this load management bs works ,they weren't injured vs Miami
I don't know, man. After barely eeking out a must-win against a team filled with guys destined to be managers of Denny's, Customer Service at Home Depot, and wearing a headset for 8 hours a day and saying "How may I direct your call?"...I've already mentally packed my bags for Cancun. A team filled with Honorable Mention for the McDonald's High School All-American team would've brought us down to the wire, too. Broadcaster: "Call you believe this kid who just stole a pass from Russell then went coast-to-coast for a slam dunk over Taurean Prince of the Lakers is only a 16 year old junior out of Calvin Coolidge High in Redneck, Missouri, Jim? He has a very bright future...but he's yet to pick a college!" "Yes, his dad just stopped by the table here at the timeout and told us how proud he was and that his kid just got his driver's license and asked his best girl to the prom!" Caveat: this '23-'24 Lakers team is nothing if not bipolar, so ya never know. Keep the bags packed, but don't call the airport shuttle just yet?
BTW: Mad Props to Wemby and the Spurs for beating the Nugs and causing absolute mayhem in the race for HCA throughout the playoffs in the West. But more so for making Mike Malone almost break down in tears. Did you see his postgame interview? He really had to work to hold his jit together. Wouldn't even mention it if he hadn't been such a perennial d*** about the Lakers. Also: (sarcastic) Mad Props to the schedule-makers for inserting the NO NBA GAMES day just before Game 82: hat's off; you really know how to give a mass of NBA fans playoff-blue balls and whatever the female equivalent of that is. EDIT TO ADD: according to WebMD, it's "blue vulva." Really? Okay...
That day the Blue Mulva tried out for Puppetry of the Penis and didn't get a call-back and when Blue Mulva stormed into the producer's office to ask why, they said she had too much "attitude." Sexism! On Broadway, yet!
Obviously we need to win. Secondly, pulling for the Suns today. Pelicans lack the experience and not having to travel will be helpful. In a 7 game series, Suns don't concern me nearly as much as they do in a one game series.
I'm trying not to let myself even think about which of the Pelicans or Suns I would prefer in the 7/8 game until we win today. But I do think its a toss-up, frankly. I think the Pelicans are the better matchup for us, but I do not like playing the same team twice in quick succession like that. Whenever this happens in a regular season its almost always a split, and in a playoff series teams rarely win two straight games on the road unless they're just far superior from a talent perspective (which we are not). The Suns are the more difficult matchup with our suspect perimeter defense, but I think we're just a fundamentally tougher and more physical team than them. If we control pace and hunt the Beal/Grayson Allen mismatches on defense, I think we can really dictate that game. It's ironic that the two potential matchups are the Pelicans and Warriors, you could argue that this team played its basketball of the year against those two in the play in. In contrast, the Kings and Warriors represent some of the lower points of the season (the latter mostly due to ill-timed injuries).
lol. Jazz tanking obviously. Warriors will win. After the 2 minute report, I doubt the Lakers get close calls their way today - even though they get screwed by the refs at the end of games far more than most teams in the league. Likely to be Steph vs Bron and loser goes home, again. Can’t wait for Ham to be gone.
