Looks like Toronto are gonna leave Miami with a win. Up 3 with 9 seconds left! Making it official. Raptors by 3. A win tomorrow will put us again in =8th with the Heat and Celtics!
After squandering the last opportunity against the Bulls by not even coming out the compete, I hope Cleveland tries to jump down Atlanta's throat and compete from the jump. But with their win over Los Angeles, their confidence will be up and Atlanta will be rather live against Cleveland.
Cleveland being blown out by the Bulls should be enough motivation to go out and compete against the Hawks.
Let's run through tonights games... Hawks @ Cavaliers: Must win, end of story Toronto @ Washington: I like Arenas & the Wiz in this one Philadelphia @ New York: Tough one, but I would want Phili to win We can't have a night where everything goes wrong again, if the Cavs lose this game, I just may agree with "Mark Price".
I think in the must win situation that the Hawks are in they will be able to pull it out. The next week or so they will be able to get there share of wins, but starting on the 14th against the Pacers they will have a difficult schedule. Thats why we need to get as many wins as we can now. The Cav's will have a though road ahead of them if they want to make the playoff's, but anything can happen. The Cav's are a young team, thats why I have my doubt's, but that also make them a good team. I have to wait and see what happens.
I don't see this as a must winner quite yet, but if we lose, this will definately be a big step in the other direction. I mean a loss is still a lose no matter who it is too. I look back on the bulls game and say "Well, I guess someone has to lose the Bulls." Don't worry to much about tonights game if they lose, they still have time to come back. Although I would agree that it would hurt the teams moral but, again, I don't see this as a must-winner quite yet.
As it stands now......... 6th : Knicks (27-35) 7th : Raptors (26-35) 8th : Celtics (26-36) 9th : Cavaliers (25-36) 10th : 76's (24-37) 1/2 game out of 8th 1 game out of 7th 1.1/2 games out of 6th! Creeping closer. At Hornets and home to Bucks! Must win 1!
Check out who the Knicks play.. Beat Phili tonight, then play @ Toronto, @ Washington, Boston, @ Philadelphia, @ Milwaukee, Washington, then New Jersey. Important games if you ask me! Raptors got beat by the Wizards tonight, then play... Knicks, Hornets, @ Indiana, Cleveland Celtics play the Wizards, then @ Minnesota, @ New York, Lakers, Pacers, @ Washington, Denver, @ Dallas, @ San Antonio, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and then @ New Jersey. Celtics are DONE. The 76ers don't have all that tough a schedule, they play the Kings, Bucks, Pistons, Grizzlies, Hornets, Mavericks, Heat, and Cavs this month. The question will be Iverson's health and attitude. The Heat don't have all that tough a road either, they play the Kings, Nets, Hornets, Mavericks, and Pacers this month. I like our chances people, I really do.
When you are a below 50% win team, every schedule is tough! But that Boston schedule is awful for them. We should finish ahead of them and Toronto. Miami, NY, Phili and us are all wild cards! Isn't it great to be involved in playoff talk in March and most probably April!
The Celtics are still toast. They beat up on the free falling Raptors twice and then beat the Magic. Thats not a very impressive 3 game win streak. Once their schedule picks up, they'll be out of the race. The Sixers just don't have the fire power. AI is too banged up to carry the team on his shoulders again this year (He missed his last 18 shots in tonight's game. Ouch.). I think the Raptors will probably have slipped too far out of the race by the time Rose gets back. Hopefully, the Cavs can get a few games up on them before they get healthy again. I look for the Knicks, Heat, and Cavs to battle it out for the final 3 seeds. Wade keeps getting banged up, and its tough for the Heat to win without him.
Here are the standings people... <font size="1">Seed, record, record against</font> 6: New York, 27-35, 3-0 7: Toronto, 26-35, 2-0 8: Boston, 26-36, 1-3 9: Cleveland, 25-36 10: Miami, 25-36, 1-1 11: Philadelphia, 24-37, 3-0 Boston we all agree will fall well out of it, so the big question here is the health or Wade, Iverson, Carter, and Rose. 2 huge playoff type games here against the Hornets and Bucks fellas, at the very least we need one of the 2.
The positive from that is our records against those teams vying for that spot if we shall tie with them. Actually King, Toronto are 2-0 against us, not the way you've got it! I dont think we are a good enough team to get there alone. We will definately need the Raptors and Celtics to continue to lose and other results to continue to assist us! Tonights game! Sacramento visit Philidelphia. C'mon Kings Milwaukee travel to Miami. I hope the Bucks improve their road form!
I think the cavs will make the playoffs , only if the Knicks and Raptors have a really bad run it should look something like this: 6:Miami 7:Knicks/Raptors 8:Cavs I don't think the Sixers and Celtics will make it to the playoffs , just looking at their schedule gives me that idea. Only way for the Cavs to be in the playoffs is winning A LOT of the remaining games and Raptors I think will be the team that goes out.
This playoff run is hard to predict!!! Celtics : to me the only team who I definately think cant make it! Heat : how will they respond with Wade out! Can they continue with no front court? 76's : can you ever count out AI? No way. There is some talent there if they can get it together! Raptors : will Vince last? Will Rose, Williams return it time? Many question marks! Knicks : good schedule, but playing badly! Should get there! Cavaliers : playing some good ball when it matters. Will it last??? Good and bad news thus far tonight! The Webber lead Kings are hurting the 76's in the second quarter 46-36. But the Heat are smashing Milwaukee 43-29 lead by Rafer Alston!
Milwaukee is a bad team away from the Bradley Center. Thats good news for us since we have them at the Gund on Saturday. I believe the Raptors and Knicks play tomorrow night, so the Cavs are guaranteed to move up one game on somebody above them if they win against the Hornets.
Games to watch tonight... Knicks @ Raptors Cavs @ Hornets Wizards @ Celtics I think it's clear we want the Knicks to beat Toronto and the Wizards to beat the Celtics, even more so if the Cavs have trouble with the Hornets and the Bucks (2 playoff style games here fellas)
New Orleans currently have the edge over Toronto in the second quarter! Boston are at Minny! That should also go our way! And NY have just tipped off at Washington! The Wizards have pretty much given up! Could be a another good night
