82 (Games in the Season) + 1 (Finishing Ahead of Phoenix) 83 (Magic Number on Opening Night) - 47 (Number of Blazer Wins) - 34 (Number of Phoenix Losses) = 1 (Number of Blazer wins or Phoenix losses needed to clinch a playoff birth) I love our chances!
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 The Suns going .750 could happen but it would be several standard deviations away from their mean ... whatever happens with Phoenix though, the Blazers really need to play .500 ball minimum from here on out which is doable, but certainly not guaranteed.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 Looks like 8th is the worst Portland can do now. But making it in as the 8th seed will not be magical. We'll get our asses kicked by LA. What Portland really needs to do is win the division. If we have home court we can get to the 2nd round. Making the playoffs was the goal for this team from the beginning of the season, but actually winning a playoff series would like winning a championship for this team.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 A small part of me wants the 8th seed so that we can boot the Lakers out of the playoffs. That would be so fucking awesome.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 oh. hell. yeah. you don't know the joy and elation I would have in that scenario.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 However, we would have to win on the Lakers home court at least once for us to win 4-3 (with our 3 home wins). This scenario would be sweet but unlikely.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 If you have a plan to deal with the officials let's hear it. Otherwise, the Lakers in the playoffs are as close to a lock as you can get.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 I'd rather have us get the 2nd seed, and boot the Lakers out in the WCF, with the Lakers blowing a huge lead in the 4th quarter of game seven.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 Wouldn't we have to do it on their home court too? NBA refs would not allow it if at all possible!
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 I think even with HCA we'll need to win one on the opponents court because we'll probably lose at least one at home. But then that means we'd probalby have to win two on the road if we don't have HCA. Game 7 usually goes to the team playing at home and that's when HCA really helps as well. Otherwise we best win in 6 to have a chance.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 14 Down to 14 tonight! Mavs will win and lower it to 13, then we beat the Mavs and drop it to 12 by Wednesday night!!!
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 The magic number has dropped 1 game each day since I started the thread! We are less than two weeks from clinching at this rate!
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 We got the magic number to 12 now. Playoffs just got a little closer.
Re: Portland's Magic Number: 17 Magic number is now 11!!!! I am predicting we will clinch on March 31st against Utah.
