Is it really all that scary aside from the LA, Dallas, OKC stretch? We'll be underdogs in all three of those, but I like our odds to win at least one of them. Nothing else on that list is unmanageable. That said, we have also proven more than capable of losing manageable games... I'd say 3 more losses is the most likely outcome from here on out.
4 games against those 3 teams. You're right in that the winning percentages for New Orleans and Utah are overstated because both have come down in the second half of the season. On the other hand, Memphis has come up and is better than advertised at .556.
True -- I stand corrected. It's also worth noting, though, that 3 of those 4 tough games are at home, as is the Memphis game.
Since February 14th, we've gone 17-9 with two remaining. If we split (Memphis Loss / GS Win) we will finish 18-10, find ourselves in the 7th seed, and (most likely) facing the Lakers! (predicted February 14th)