HUGE Overall Night for Us Tonight!

[jpotter33]

The end of the season is so fun, because it seems that almost every game is important somehow, especially when you're a Celtics fan and have many different interests throughout the league.

The following relevant games are played tonight:

Atlanta @ Cleveland (race for 3rd seed OR avoiding Cleveland in 2nd round)

Charlotte @ Boston (race for home court advantage)

Washington @ Brooklyn (Brooklyn pick)

Houston @ Minnesota (Dallas pick)

Dallas @ Utah (Dallas pick)

Sacramento @ Phoenix (Brooklyn pick)

Most of these are obvious why they're relevant to us. But here's the interesting thing about the standings with the Atlanta and Cleveland game: we're not necessarily guaranteed to face Cleveland in the second round. There's two different paths that would change the standings. Firstly, if Atlanta loses out (@Cleveland and @Washington) and we win out (vs Charlotte and vs Miami), then we would move up to the third seed. Also, though, secondly Cleveland hasn't secured the first seed yet, and Toronto is in range of surpassing them. With Toronto's win in New York last night, if Cleveland loses out (vs Atlanta and vs Detroit) and Toronto wins out (vs 76ers and @ Brooklyn), then they can overtake the Cavs with the first seed due to owning the tiebreaker.

Both of those options are unlikely, though they're not as unlikely as you would think. Cleveland is 2-0 vs Atlanta, but both games were close with the last one going into OT. Cleveland is also only 1-2 vs Detroit this year and have struggled with their guards and Drummond down low. With Atlanta playing some top-notch ball right now, it's not inconceivable to see them lose both games, especially if Coach Lebron decides he values rest over seeding again. On the flip side, you'd expect Cleveland to beat Atlanta at home, and Washington just beat Charlotte today. There are reports that Wall should be back to play against Atlanta in Washington, and Atlanta lost to Washington a couple of weeks ago in Washington.

This means that 6 out of the 9 games tonight involve Boston in one way or the other. Like we always say, it's a great time to be a Celtics fan!

[mmmmm]

Interesting observations, jp3.

The obvious question then is:  Is it better to face Toronto or Cleveland earlier in the playoffs?

[jpotter33]

Interesting observations, jp3.

The obvious question then is:  Is it better to face Toronto or Cleveland earlier in the playoffs?

I think Toronto is the easy answer. We're 1-2 vs Cleveland and 1-3 vs Toronto, but I think it's much more likely that we can knock off Toronto than Cleveland.

[D Dub]

Interesting observations, jp3.

The obvious question then is:  Is it better to face Toronto or Cleveland earlier in the playoffs?

Toronto.

The league needs Lebron to at the very least make the conference finals to avoid the whole 'leastern conference' storyline and associated poor television ratings for that half of the bracket. 

It's been like that for a couple years now; with the officials hand-waiving him through to the Finals only to call things more fairly once his team gets there. 

[D Dub]

double post...

[vjcsmoke]

Well Brooklyn just lost to Washington, so the first domino has fallen.  Now if the Suns can win tonight, then we are locked into the #3 seeding for lotto pick!  Pretty sweet consolation prize!

 Looks like we are going to be #4 seed though, now that we losing to Charlotte UNLESS we turn around and beat the Bobcats, then Atlanta loses their last game, and we win our last game!

[jpotter33]

Well Brooklyn just lost to Washington, so the first domino has fallen.  Now if the Suns can win tonight, then we are locked into the #3 seeding for lotto pick!  Pretty sweet consolation prize!

 Looks like we are going to be #4 seed though, now that we losing to Charlotte UNLESS we turn around and beat the Bobcats, then Atlanta loses their last game, and we win our last game!

Are you ahead of us or something? I still have 4 minutes left and only an 8 point game for Brooklyn and Washington.

[Roy H.]

Well Brooklyn just lost to Washington, so the first domino has fallen.  Now if the Suns can win tonight, then we are locked into the #3 seeding for lotto pick!  Pretty sweet consolation prize!

 Looks like we are going to be #4 seed though, now that we losing to Charlotte UNLESS we turn around and beat the Bobcats, then Atlanta loses their last game, and we win our last game!

Are you ahead of us or something? I still have 4 minutes left and only an 8 point game for Brooklyn and Washington.

Ha.  I thought I was on tape delay, too.

EDIT:  Nets down by 12 with a minute left.  I feel safe.

[jpotter33]

Well, even with our pretty abysmal performance tonight, we're still having a pretty good night so far.

Cleveland winning combined with our loss takes away our shot at the three seed, so we're pretty much set to see them in the second round, if we even get past the first round. However, if we'd somehow fall to 6th, then we'd avoid them, though playing an away series in Atlanta isn't much better.

Brooklyn lost, Houston is stomping Minny, and it's a close game in Utah with Dallas right now.

We REALLY do need a Suns win tonight to lock up the third worst seed, though, because now the Raptors have nothing to play for in their last game against Brooklyn.