215 Comments

Was looking at the NBA standings and randomly noticed; guess who has the third-best home record in the NBA? The Los Angeles Lakers, that’s who, with only nine losses at home this season.

Here’s hoping we hang that 10th loss on them tonight.

Expand full comment
1dEdited

Just for fun I was trying to see how many teams could end up tied with 32 losses at the end of the year: the answer is 6!

Assuming everybody beats below 0.500 teams, this is what needs to happen for the other games:

HOU(27)

- Win: none

- Lose: OKC, @GSW, @LAC, @LAL, DEN

LAL (29)

- Win: HOU

- Lose: GSW, @OKC, @OKC

DEN(30)

- Win: IND, @HOU

- Lose: @GSW, MEM

GSW(31)

- Win: @LAL, DEN, HOU

- Lose: LAC

MIN(32)

- Win: @MIL, @MEM

- Lose: None

LAC(32)

- Win: HOU, @GSW

- Lose: None

Can the Rockets really lose 5 straight to end the season after how hot they have been? Well, since mid January, they have played the other top 8 Western teams 7 times and are 1-6 with the lone win against MIN, so there is a chance...

Though I don't like the Warriors chances of winning many tiebreakers in this scenario. Of course just winning that last game against the Clippers would give them the 2 seed outright, even if Houston wins 1 other game.

Expand full comment

The West #3 and #8 seed are separated by 2.5 games.

I just want to know when we can clinch the Playoffs and avoid the Play-In

Expand full comment

Sadly, I don’t think there’s any magic way to clinch 6th place or better. Just win a bunch. But this could easily come down to the last game of the season.

Expand full comment

The biggest surprises tonight were the Heat routing the Celtics, the depleted Spurs beating the depleted Nuggets, and the tanking Wizards beating the Kings who are struggling mightily.

Expand full comment

NOP hanging in there against LAC. Now in single digits, just close enough to get your hopes up. My guy Antonio Reeves is starting too…

Expand full comment

Never mind. A bad team trying to lose is just painful to watch.

Expand full comment

Rooting for OKC to keep winning. As long as they have 70 as a possible goal, they'll keep playing hard. If that falls by the wayside, they may ease up.

Pels are still in it against the Clips. Hoping they can mount a challenge.

Don't know who wanted Westbrook in Denver, but that person should seriously lose their job. He is not a winning player in a tight situation, and I would not want him on the floor in a playoff game.

Expand full comment

I read somewhere that Jokic was all in for Westbrook.

Expand full comment

Another in the list of players who would make lousy GMs...

Expand full comment

Their next games are against the Rockets, Lakers (x2), Suns, Jazz, and Pels. I think there's a high chance that OKC will rest their starters in the last three games since they're against bad teams.

Expand full comment

That would make sense. They could even rest them now, given how far ahead they are. But I'm just wondering if the ego of wanting to get 70 wins will entice them to keep their starters in more than they need to.

Expand full comment

OKC has three more wins than the Cavs. So I would assume they would try and grab as many wins as early as possible so that they can hopefully get the home court advantage in the NBA Finals assuming both teams make it there.

Expand full comment

Braxton Key named g league DPOY. Can he be signed to the big squad for the final roster spot?

Expand full comment

I'm assuming he will be signed on the last day of the season. I think they were setting this up ever since they signed him out of the G-league.

Barring an injury that requires us to pull a guy out of SCW for need, it would be either him or Taran or Rowe, I would guess (they're certainly not going to grab a guy outside of their system).

Having another Luka/Lebron sized body to throw at guys defensively could be a really big deal, to take some of the load off of Draymond.

Rowe didn't really do enough to justify adding him as another shooter, IMHO.

Expand full comment

I want to hear that guys birth story.

Expand full comment

And his brother Cesar

Expand full comment

Depleted Spurs beat the depleted Nuggets 113-106

Expand full comment

Spurs are closing it out. Westbrook is helping us tonight.

Expand full comment

Pels tied with Clipps, 10 -10. enjoy it while you can

Expand full comment

Hope springs eternal. They haven't lost it yet.

Expand full comment

I take it back. Pels are down 10 halfway through the 2nd q.

Expand full comment

still holding at 10! But. . .I don't have much hope

Expand full comment

ESPN posts the regular season series in the lower right corner. I never noticed that before or this is a new thing.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401705677

Expand full comment

Dillon Brooks got his 16th technical foul of the season by kicking Collin Sexton in the groin. He will be suspended for the Rockets next game, which is against the Thunder on Friday.

https://old.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1jq4m7a/highlight_tony_brothers_awards_dillon_brooks_his/

Expand full comment
2dEdited

I'm sure it was an accident. The Dillon I know would never break the code.

(Yes, that is verbal irony.)

Expand full comment

Dillon is such an incredible asshole that even the cutesy coverage of him in Court of Gold did nothing for me. What dude did to Mr. My Bad My Bad Truly shall never be forgiven.

Expand full comment

That T could be rescinded and upgraded to flagrant.

Expand full comment

It sure looked flagrant.

Expand full comment

Wait a sec. Denver might just lose tonight, it looks like. We would then be two games back of them. We also play them. Should I delude myself into rooting for overtaking them?

Expand full comment

I was saying after yesterdays game that the Spurs weren't going to be a sure win as the Nuggets starters had to be completely beat after the double overtime. As it turns out, none of the starters played. The Nuggets remaining games are against playoff contenders and even the Kings have hope for the playin. If the Warriors take care of business it isn't inconceivable that they finish ahead of the Nuggets.

Expand full comment

As a therapist, certainly you know what it takes to be solidly deluded?

Expand full comment

No downside in rooting for this.

Expand full comment

Rooting requires mental fortitude, a very finite resource for me

Expand full comment

I don't think that would rank in my top 20 delusions. :)

Expand full comment

'Tis the season of delusions, why the hell not?

Expand full comment

Nuggets resting starters after last nights game so we’ll get them on 2-days rest. I say leave it all on the floor vs Lakers and then play Knox, Gui, TJD, and Spencer 40 minutes against Denver.

Expand full comment

Heat rout the Celtics 124-103

Expand full comment
2dEdited

The Heat have quietly won 6 in a row, including a trouncing of the Celtics on the road tonight… so we’re getting their SRP! maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss anyways?

Expand full comment

> maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss anyways?

Yeah, no... definitely still a terrible loss! Particularly given it was on the heels of another bad loss. Had we not blown that game, we wouldn't be in such danger of getting passed by the wolves and clippers for avoiding the play in

Expand full comment

Also the loss didn't have any benefits, we don't want Miami to win we just wanted them to hold off the Raptors if the Raptors got really hot. The pick is getting worse and the Warriors losing to the Heat contributed to that. No silver lining at all tbh.

Expand full comment

Yeah, keeping the pick has been a given for a couple games now. Now the bigger concern is that it drops to like #44-45. It’s #42 now; at one point it was #38.

Expand full comment

Not to beat a dead post but what selection number was Quinten Horse?

Expand full comment

52

Expand full comment

Low-key big deal!

Expand full comment

Ah, when has Mike ever found anyone decent in the second round?

Expand full comment

Not only that, but it's our only pick.

Expand full comment