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Game Thread # 72 -- vs. Utah

By sungo

Odds and ends:

-From the "Should have mentioned this weeks ago" file, PtR member Seth is now an official member of the SB Nation Network. His new site, PoastingAndToasting.com, is quality. Insert Knicks <---> quality joke here.

-Semi-entertaining interview with Matt Bonner (via SpursTalk):

Q: What was it about the Pontiac that caught your eye?

A: I don't know. When I was test driving cars, I sat in it and it just felt right. Great leg room, good gas mileage, and I just felt at home inside that car. It's indescribable.

What kind of interviewer doesn't get the car model??? What kind of Pontiac? And is he the only guy in the NBA who drives a freaking Pontiac?

---

Let's take a look at where the Spurs are in the standings.

  1. PHX 53-18
  2. SA 51-20 -2.0
  3. UTA 47-24 -6.0
Obviously I would love the 2 seed. Having home court would be especially valuable against a team like the PHX. At least, one would think it would. You would think it would be easier for them to push the tempo and play their type of game at home. But they actually score more points on the road (though the totals are similar). GS is vastly superior offensive at home. WAS, the third of the offensive triumvirate (who also defend offensively), is better at home but the difference is not as spectacular as the Warriors. Conclusion? Having the home court against PHX would be valuable, but not especially valuable.

So, two games behind PHX, with a home game against them this approaching Thursday. It's the last matchup of the season, with the series currently at 1-1. The winner gets the tiebreaker; it would extremely difficult for the Spurs to earn the 2 seed without winning that game.

As for the Jazz, who we play tonight, we currently trail the season series 1-2. The second tiebreaker is conference record, which finds us ahead by 2.5 games. A win tonight gives us a 5 game lead on UTA and virtually guarantees us the tiebreaker --> in other words, we can pretty much lock up at least the three seed with a win tonight.

So what's the difference between the 2nd and 3rd seeds?

  1. LAL 38-33
  2. DEN 35-35 -2.5
  3. LAC 34-37 -4.0
  4. GS 34-39 -5.0
Yeah, we should beat any of those teams, but if I had to choose my preference would be:

GS..DEN....LAC..............LAL

In other words, I don't want to play the Lakers. We don't have anyone to guard Odom, and Kobe can single-handedly win playoff games better than anyone in the league (Wade, though a spectacular player, has yet to prove he can do it without the help of the refs. It's really a disservice to him, sort of like Manu's flopping. Neither of them need their unsightly baggage to be offensively successful (and just to be clear, Wade >>> Manu (>>> Ray Allen)).) (God, I love parenthetical statements. And if statements. If I ever get married again I want Nested If Statements to be one of my groomsmen.) Oh, the Lakers also have Phil Jackson, who doesn't worry me from a strategic standpoint. I just know at some point he would call out the refs in the press and the next game the Lakers would have a 20 FTA advantage and I would be back to hating him with a fiery passion.

Considering their lead and easier remaining schedule, the Lakers should remain in the 6th spot (they ain't catching the Rockets), but DEN has a chance thanks to two remaining games against Kobe and crew.

Horry is still listed as day-to-day. Rest assured his voodoo doll is still stuck full of pins in his abdominal region. I'll take them out once the playoffs start.

ok. That's all. I have to get back to packing. Post away.

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