It really seems to me that it's in the best interest of the Clippers and Nuggets to lose tomorrow. It assures the Clippers of not seeing the Lakers until the WCF and it would assure the Nuggets of not playing the Lakers in the first round. This scenario also gives us a matchup with the Nuggets. It's a win win win!
the monkey wrench to your win-win is if Dallas decides to tank the Minny game...they get Denver and send Portland to LA
If Dallas loses, Portland wins, and the Lakers win, Dallas is the 5th seed still. It would have to be a Dallas loss, Portland win, and Laker loss for Dallas to move to 6th correct? That scenario is possible. If Dallas only cares about the best 1st round matchup, they might consider it. However, they don't know if the Clippers are going to lose heading into their game so it's also possible them slipping to 6th puts them in a 1st round matchup with the Clippers and likely the Lakers in the 2nd round. I think locking in the 5th seed is their best overall option given the imperfect information they have.
I'm chill, this stuff doesn't get to me at all. I'm just tired of it being nonchalantly referenced as an accepted truth when there's absolutely no merit to it. I'm not some kind of league apologist. There are plenty of benefits the league lets go unchecked for big market teams. If both of you or one of you actually believe that the league rigs games, I just need it explained to me in a way that makes sense. Why it would be worth the risk? Why is there zero evidence of the actual conspiracy to do it? How does it work? Why is it anything more than the thousands of other baseless conspiracy theories out there?
That isn't true. Yes we want them to win tomorrow but it is not "At All Costs". I'll give you this. Terry Stotts seems to agree with you.
which is why, unless Dallas really really wants a matchup with the Clippers, there is no cost to Dallas losing the game. Resting players, especially Porzingas who is injury prone, and losing the game, doesn't change their situation any, other than give them a chance they'd play the Murray-less Nuggets. A team they beat during the regular season 2-1. of course there are no guarantees in the other games. LAC might not be able to out-tank OKC; who is in a 5-way tank contest for #2 in the lottery (while everybody has been focused on the race for top-6 seeds, the race to the bottom has been heated too!). Denver/Portland may be a toss-up (although I think the Blazers are going to win). And the Pels could jump up and bite the Lakers who knows....maybe LAC's obvious attempt to tank for Dallas will make the Mavs want the Clippers as a point of pride. But, Minny won't be a pushover either and a lot of lottery teams go all out to win their last game. Of course, Minny is one of those teams in the 5-way race to the bottom
Did you not read Donaghy's account of how the refs are influenced before games? The league distanced themselves from that narrative, but it is well documented that he put it out there.
Oh I remember Donaghy saying a lot of things including that but why couldn't he furnish any documentation at all showing that the league engaged in this behavior. You can't look at Donaghy as a reliable source and no media outlet did. Sometimes where there's smoke there still isn't a fire but in this case there seriously isn't any smoke. Just fans looking for a reason for inconsistent reffing, when the answer is simply human error. Don't get me wrong the refs in this league really do let their feelings get involved and call certain teams different than others on purpose. I just don't see the league taking actions to get certain wins in certain games without someone at some point finding actual hard evidence.
