Scenarios for Playoffs-So we are all on same page

B.A.R.

B.A.R.

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PHOENIX -- The Los Angeles Clippers had to beat the best of the Phoenix Suns, if not the Suns at their best, to keep their playoff hopes alive with one game to go.

Elton Brand scored 21 points to lead six Clippers in double figures and Los Angeles beat the Suns 103-99 on Tuesday night.

Jason Hart made two free throws with 7.8 seconds left to seal the win and deprive the Suns of a 62nd victory, which would have tied the franchise record.

Los Angeles needs to win Wednesday night at home against New Orleans and have Golden State lose at Portland to get the No. 8 seed in the West and a first-round playoff date with Dallas.

While Dallas, with the No. 1 playoff seed locked up, rested its stars in a game at Golden State on Tuesday night, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni stuck with his regular rotation, despite being assured the West's No. 2 slot.

Still, the Clippers pulled away to win in the fourth period.

Leandro Barbosa scored 22 for the Suns, including a 3-pointer that cut the Clippers' lead to 99-97 with 32.2 seconds left. Raja Bell added 17 points, including four 3s. Bell finished tied with the injured Gilbert Arenas for most 3-pointers in a season at 205.
 
PHILADELPHIA -- LeBron James might want to send a good luck text message to his buddy and Nets part-owner Jay-Z.

James will certainly be scoreboard watching in the season finale, doing all he can to help Cleveland win while pulling for New Jersey to keep alive Cleveland's shot at the No. 2 seed.

"We've got to take care of business on our home court," James said. "We'll be rooting for the Nets."

Larry Hughes scored 22 points and James had 18 to lead Cleveland to a 98-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, allowing the Cavaliers to play for second in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers could move up to No. 2 if they beat Milwaukee on Wednesday night and New Jersey beats Chicago, also on Wednesday. If they play like this against the Bucks, they'll surely be counting on the Nets to win and bump them up a few pivotal spots in the playoff race.

"Milwaukee is not going to lie down for us," coach Mike Brown said. "It's going to be a tough game at home and we have to come in with the right mind frame to get a win."

Brown has called earning the No. 2 seed "critical," but the surging Bulls have won three straight and eight of 10.

While the Cavs would surely rather be No. 2 than seeded fifth, James said the Cavs are primed for a deep postseason run no matter what team they play.

"We're real confident. We believe we can beat anyone no matter who we match up against," he said. "We've got guys in the inside and outside. Defensively, we're one of the best teams in the NBA, so that's not a problem."

James added six assists in an all-around solid game and led a well-balanced Cavaliers attack that had six players score in double figures. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 14 points.

Joe Smith had 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Sixers. Willie Green scored 24 points, and Samuel Dalembert added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

"We all know that we're looking forward to next year based upon the players that have and the effort that they've given this year," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Hughes keyed a 13-4 run to start the fourth period that gave the Cavs some needed room and guaranteed their season finale will mean something. The Cavaliers won their 20th road game, tying them for third most in team history.

Hughes got the Cavs rolling to open the fourth quarter. He hit a 3 and a jumper, then Donyell Marshall scored for a 10-point lead. Marshall followed shortly after with his only other basket of the game, a 3-pointer that gave the Cavs an 86-74 lead.

Every game down the stretch has been like a playoff game for the Cavaliers. Closing out games, even with so much at stake, has been a recent problem, and they almost folded again.

Green pulled the Sixers within 92-85 with a 3-pointer, but there was no need for James to bail out Cleveland with some late-minute heroics in this one. The Cavs held on for the road win, but they'll play a tougher team than the Sixers in the postseason.

"It was a game we needed to win," Hughes said.

The 76ers played again without Andre Iguodala (strained lower back) and Kyle Korver (sprained wrist) and finish the season at Toronto on Wednesday night. They were able to finish above .500 at home (21-20) and need to beat the Raptors to end the season with a winning record since trading Allen Iverson in December (29-29).

"I see positives with the players that we have," Cheeks said. "They are young and they understand going in that they have to take another step to be good."
 
WASHINGTON -- Amid all the head-scratching permutations for seedings and playoffs matchups as the NBA regular season enters its final day, two facts stand clear: The Orlando Magic will enter the postseason with some momentum, and the Washington Wizards are a mess.

The Magic beat the Wizards 95-89 Tuesday night, keeping up their last-minute push to move up the standings. Orlando has won three straight and five of six, and will take the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a victory over Miami combined with a Washington loss to Indiana on Wednesday.

"From a professional standpoint, it's very rewarding and gratifying to play in April and have these games mean something," said Grant Hill, who scored 13 points. "Just six weeks ago, it didn't look like we were going to get in. We focused, we got serious, we started playing with a purpose and we put it together."

Hedo Turkoglu scored 26 points, and Dwight Howard added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Magic. They closed the game with a 7-1 run as the Wizards again stumbled and bumbled in the final minutes without injured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Washington has lost eight of nine, six straight at home and could finish anywhere from sixth to eighth, pending the outcomes of Wednesday's games.

The Magic didn't emerge unscathed, however. Backup center Darko Milicic sprained his right ankle fighting for a rebound in the second quarter and was walking on crutches and wearing a protective boot after the game. He'll have an MRI on Wednesday and his status is uncertain for the playoff opener this weekend.

"It's a bad sprain," said Milicic, who is averaging 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. "It hurts really bad, but we'll see what the MRI shows."

Antawn Jamison tried to carry the Wizards on Tuesday with a season-high 48 points, but he got scant help from his teammates. He went 14-for-26 from the field, while the non-Jamison Wizards went 14-for-54.

But Washington's biggest problems had nothing to do with the absences of Arenas (knee) and Butler (hand). The team went 25-for-44 from the free-throw line, including Jamison's 15-for-24. In the final minute, Brendan Haywood muffed an easy offensive rebound off his chest with Washington trailing by two, and Jamison missed an easy putback when the deficit was four.

"We don't have a lot of room for error," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "When we get to the line and miss that many, it is like rolling uphill or going upstream with one oar."

Tuesday's loss dropped the Wizards into a tie with the idle Nets, but New Jersey holds the tiebreaker over Washington. The Wizards wrap up the regular season at Indiana on Wednesday, while the Nets finish at home against Chicago.

The Wizards have been close in every game since Arenas and Butler were hurt, with the exception of Sunday's 101-68 disaster against Chicago when Antonio Daniels' bruised back forced Washington to start a third-string point guard. Daniels was back Tuesday, but he went 0-for-10 from the field.

The Magic led at halftime but went cold in the third quarter, when they had nearly as many traveling calls (3) as made field goals (4). Jamison's 3-pointer capped a 16-1 run that gave the Wizards a four-point lead.

The game was tight the rest of the way. The score was tied at 88 when Carlos Arroyo's layup gave the Magic the lead for good. A free throw by Hill and a jumper from Turkoglu pushed the lead to five while the Wizards were making error after error.

"The reason we've been in this funk lately," Jamison said, "is we do a great job for the majority of the game, but the last two or three minutes we're not playing smart."
 
New Jersey owns tiebreaker with Washington as well. They get sixth seed if both teams lose or if both win on Wednesday. Washington can still possibly be 6, 7 or 8.


If Lakers loses, they will drop out of the playoffs with both a GS and LAC win.
 
Last edited:
well...there won't be anything soft whatsoever as far as Clips, Warriors and Orlando are concerned.

Now, I believe in not letting numbers scare one off this time of year but also know that the inflation tomorrow will be absurd.

Your best move is to be in constant contact with your book until the numbers get released. My guess is they will hold off as long as possible.

The best play just may be a 4 team parlay of CLE-ORL-GSW-LAC

LOL
 
Basically..these are teams that want/have to win tomorrow. Throw everything else out.


LA Clippers
LA Lakers
Golden State Warriors
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls
New Jersey Nets
Washington Wizards
Orlando Magic
 
B.A.R. said:
Basically..these are teams that want/have to win tomorrow. Throw everything else out.


LA Clippers
LA Lakers
Golden State Warriors
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls
New Jersey Nets
Washington Wizards
Orlando Magic
Click to expand...

I think the strongest plays here with what will be okay lines are lakers and Warriors. The reason. Road games. It lessens the line enough to make it playable. Thats just my thought for now.
 
I think the strongest plays here with what will be okay lines are lakers and Warriors. The reason. Road games. It lessens the line enough to make it playable. Thats just my thought for now.

You very bright man Mr. BAR. I'm just wondering how high Vegas will make these must win road favorites. Could we see DD with Warriors tomorrow?

I think Lakers get up to -7 at the most.
 
We could very well see near DD for GSW. I don't know enough about what PORT is doing for tomorrows game yet. Thats the next step to see what their plans are. Young team, they could be feisty.
 
I have watched them very closely these past few games. They are emptying their bench which means more minutes for Dickau and even Luke Schinsher.
 
Wait, what's a Luke Schinster?

I'd just like to throw in that because I think the NBA is quasi-fixed, your first round Western Conference 1 vs. 8 playoff matchup will be the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Golden State Warriors.
 
Golden State is going to lose to Portland tonight. I just have a feeling that it's going to happen. I'm not betting on it but the Blazers haven't been mailing it in at home down the stretch.
 
i actually think handy might be right, this is the game where books collect and people cannot believe what happened =)
 
i somewhat agree with you handy. gs will have difficulty tomorrow in portland, but i still think they pull the W out of their asses. this team is too focused and motivated right now to lose...but who knows. that's why they play the games. :shake:
 
I could also see the Clips losing - GDS gets in despite a loss. Books collect it all back.

Thou realisitically I see a POR cover in a SU loss, and LAC lose SU.
 
Bets4Bucks said:
Lakers have already clinched a spot
Click to expand...

That is correct. I'm interested to see what Phil has planned for the Lakers myself. You'd think he'd want to get the victory to avoid the 8th seed if the Warriors happen to win. Warriors win/Lakers loss and the Lakers will be facing the Mavs in the 1st round. Lakers loss/warriors loss regardless of Clippers game and the Lakers are the 7th seed. Is it worth getting Kobe some rest and playing the Mavs or would you throw Kobe out their for another 48 minutes and take your chances with the Suns???? I'm guessing Phil runs Kobe out their and they still lose to the Kings. I'd certainly not feel confident about the Lakers laying points at Arco. The Lakers are the Western Conference Wizards.
 
It think this game could go both ways..we all know how the fakers & queens hate one another.. i think with this in mind kobe will suite up..this game could go both ways..well thats just me talking..


ideas guys?

:4_12_12:
 
if they keep the numbers up again, I like under in the Bullets game...I hate it when they refuse to put the lines out tho...I'll be out of the house for most of the day...

:angry:
 
btw, Schenser couldn't play in the ACC. He's skinnier than that 8 foot tall mormon from a few years ago... and shoots about as well.
 
The one thing Im sure of is the Cavs will go all out tonight..Its fan appreciation night here, Gilbert blows a shitload of money for the fans so they will be hype,which should feed the cavs to a huge win
 
handy said:
Golden State is going to lose to Portland tonight. I just have a feeling that it's going to happen. I'm not betting on it but the Blazers haven't been mailing it in at home down the stretch.
Click to expand...

I had the same feeling. Now I think they'll give the Warriors a scare in the first half, until the Warriors get their shit together.'an_horse'
 
B.A.R. said:
I think the strongest plays here with what will be okay lines are lakers and Warriors. The reason. Road games. It lessens the line enough to make it playable. Thats just my thought for now.
Click to expand...

Lakers are a small dog, but the Warriors are at -10.5 on the road.

While I think they'll manage that, for crying out loud, that's just too much chalk for even me to choke on...
 
redbearde said:
btw, Schenser couldn't play in the ACC. He's skinnier than that 8 foot tall mormon from a few years ago... and shoots about as well.
Click to expand...


so am I too assume that you WON'T be ranking him up there with the great G Tech triple threat trio of Oliver, Anderson and Scott?!?!? :(
 
"Milwaukee is not going to lie down for us," coach Mike Brown said. "It's going to be a tough game at home and we have to come in with the right mind frame to get a win."

mike brown is horid. milk is not going to lie down? hahahahahahahah
 
Retburj said:
so am I too assume that you WON'T be ranking him up there with the great G Tech triple threat trio of Oliver, Anderson and Scott?!?!? :(
Click to expand...

Perhaps not, but the powerful Jarrett Jack might make Luke get that double single he's always been working for....
 
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