Posts tagged ‘Playoffs’

50 wins is the number being tossed around as the minimum entry fee for the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Warriors’ current record is 39-23 with 20 games left in the regular season. Tomorrow night against Toronto will be the Dubs’ last game against the East.

The final stretch of games against the West falls into 2 categories: Contenders, and Lottery Bound. I’ve kept Portland in the contender category mainly because I’m a naturally cautious person and this whole exercise in augury is making me crazy nervous. 

Contenders      Lottery Bound

DAL x2               LAC x2

DEN x2              MEM x2

HOU                   SAC x2                

LAL x2                SEA

NO

PHX x2

POR

SAS

That’s 12 games against Western Conference players vs. 7 against the scrubs (with 1 against the East). We’re 11 games short of the semi-arbitrary goal of 50 wins. Can you find the path to the promised land amidst that daunting landscape?

Webber’s knee ain’t happy. The big guy is going to be watching the rest of the road games on the tube like the rest of us - I can’t say I’m too broken up about this development. MTII covers the situation:

“The Warriors’ forward will stay in Atlanta to have his left knee checked out, skipping tonight’s game at Charlotte and the following games at Miami and Orlando. He wasn’t in attendance for the Warriors’ 135-118 win over the Hawks on Tuesday at Philips Arena.”

Don Nelson has been publicly stating that he thinks 50 is the magic number of wins needed to make it into the Western Conference playoffs. GL has a detailed breakdown of the Dubs’ remaining games and how that number might be achieved:

“We know that 50 wins is definitely what it’s going to take to get in, and we’re on pace,” forward Al Harrington said. “So we’ve just got to find a way to get it done.”

Nelson said Golden State’s remaining schedule is “as hard as anybody’s.” It features 14 road games and 10 at home, with seven instances of games on consecutive nights. In five of those situations — at Orlando, at Phoenix, at the Los Angeles Clippers, home versus Dallas and then in Dallas — the Warriors will be playing for the second day in a row while the opponent has had a chance to rest.”

Lastly, just for fun, here’s what it looks like on the other side of a Warriors blow out win. Sekou Smith provides us with a Hawks’ eye view on last night’s game:

“The Golden State Warriors lured the Hawks into deep waters in the first half Tuesday night, tricking the home team into thinking that they could keep up a blistering pace.

But in the second half, the NBA’s most explosive team feasted on the Hawks en route to a 135-118 victory, snapping the Hawks’ modest two-game winning streak at home with a mesmerizing offensive showcase that left even those who watched a bit tired from all the back and forth.”