Bulls got waxed by NOP; now only 1 game up on CLE and TOR. 1 seed to play-in tournament in just over a month (CHI was tied for 1st with a 39-21 record on February 25)?
NBA Standings Watch
- Thread starter lexrageorge
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You are mistaken, their opponents have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
If they were able to take the 1 seed then the whole league is on notice, because their remaining schedule really is a fucking gauntlet.You are mistaken, their opponents have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
Vs Timberwolves - 19-7 in their last 26
@ Raptors - always play hard, away game, 2nd of a back to back.
Vs Heat - 1 seed
Vs Pacers - meh
Vs Wash - meh
@Bulls - playoff team
@Bucks - top team, away game, 2nd of a back to back
@Grizzlies - quality opponent, 3rd road game in a row.
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I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!You are mistaken, their opponents have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
I think the league is already on notice but the schedule isn't as tough as you make it. The next three are important, but two are at home. The Bulls are fading fast and the last game is unlikely to matter to the Grizzlies (they are 3 games up right now on the 3 seed and can't catch the Suns).
Outside chance the Bucks game doesn't matter to them, too. They play @Memphis, @philly and then @brooklyn in the next three so that is huge for them.
C's @Toronto will certainly be tough, if they can grind that out I think they have a great shot for #1.
Regarding tiebreakers, which can matter down the stretch:
Celtics have clinched 2-way tiebreaker against:
Miami (Head-to-head)
Philly (clinched division record)
Cleveland (Head-to-head)
Brooklyn (H2H)
Charlotte (H2H)
Hold edge against:
Milwaukee (2 game conference record lead and lead H2H 2-1 with 1 remaining, although the Bucks have a better shot of winning their division)
Toronto (Lead H2H 2-1, with 1 matchup remaining; conference tiebreaker favors Celtics, but Raptors could still win division record tiebreaker. But there are 4 games separating the 2 teams so a tie seems less likely).
TBD:
Bulls (1-1 with one deciding matchup remaining in Chicago)
Some of the 3-way scenarios could favor Milwaukee or Miami in the event the Celtics should finish a game behind the Sixers, as both the Bucks and Heat are highly likely to win their respective divisions. And I haven't bothered gaming out the various H2H scenarios among 3- or 4-way ties.
Celtics have clinched 2-way tiebreaker against:
Miami (Head-to-head)
Philly (clinched division record)
Cleveland (Head-to-head)
Brooklyn (H2H)
Charlotte (H2H)
Hold edge against:
Milwaukee (2 game conference record lead and lead H2H 2-1 with 1 remaining, although the Bucks have a better shot of winning their division)
Toronto (Lead H2H 2-1, with 1 matchup remaining; conference tiebreaker favors Celtics, but Raptors could still win division record tiebreaker. But there are 4 games separating the 2 teams so a tie seems less likely).
TBD:
Bulls (1-1 with one deciding matchup remaining in Chicago)
Some of the 3-way scenarios could favor Milwaukee or Miami in the event the Celtics should finish a game behind the Sixers, as both the Bucks and Heat are highly likely to win their respective divisions. And I haven't bothered gaming out the various H2H scenarios among 3- or 4-way ties.
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For all the discussion about the Nets getting into the top 6, they are just a half game ahead of Charlotte for the 8th spot (and still 3 games behind both Cleveland and Toronto, needing to jump over both to avoid the play in game). This is a huge weekend for Brooklyn, playing @ Miami today and home against Charlotte tomorrow.
I just don't want the Celtics to get Brooklyn in the first round. Yeah, I know, Simmons probably won't be playing this season because of his back, but Durant and Kyrie + a bunch of ring chasers will still be a problem, especially if the New York mayor just happens to lift the vaccination restriction prior to the NBA playoffs, which I bet he does ...
It's already lifted for athletes and performers. Kyrie can play home games, though he still can't play at Toronto.
Yeah, maybe. I mean, win/loss percentage says the Cs have the hardest remaining schedule. We can't just shrug games off and say "eh, maybe the game won't matter and they'll sit players". We can't predict that.
RAPTORS - That Raptors game is one of the toughest game they have left. Second game of a back-to-back, an away game, and they have to travel from Boston to Toronto.
T'WOLVES - The Wolves lost their last two, but up until those 2 games, they were the hottest team in the league right behind the C's. That's a tough game.
HEAT - The Heat are the number one seed. Yes, there's some dysfunction, but they've been the #1 seed wire to wire. Let's not pretend this is some middle of the road team. #1 seed is very likely on the line with this matchup. It'll be playoff atmosphere.
BUCKS - They're healthy, they have an MVP candidate who wants the wins and the numbers, and this is an away game that is also the 2nd game of a back to back. This could be their toughest game of the stretch, but that highlights how hard this stretch is. A loss to Toronto on an away B2B, the #1 seeded Heat, or an away B2B game against the Bucks shouldn't be a surprise or shock to anyone. Those are tough games for any team.
GRIZZLIES - Again, we have no idea if this game means anything to the Grizzles, so let's not pretend they'll be rolling out scrubs. This is an away game against a top team in the western conference. Would a loss here really be super shocking?
Those 5 games really could go either way. While I think the Celtics are playing the best basketball in the league right now, if they get through the next 8 games at 5-3, I'll consider that a victory.
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Is it too much to ask for Memphis to beat the Bucks today (without Morant) and Brooklyn to beat Miami?
It's a little weird that at this point i'd rather see a Miami loss than a Nets loss.
It's a little weird that at this point i'd rather see a Miami loss than a Nets loss.
Minn won last night against Dallas and those two previous losses were to the Suns and Dallas (by 2 in Dallas) so, yeah, it's a tough game as you said.
Love the story about our juggernaut team racing up the standings, but I'm going to be ok if Ime starts giving guys maintenance days and limiting minutes. Honestly I'd prefer that he start easing off on the gas pedal a little.
He says he's going to start ramping UP Tatum's minutes to get him ready for the workload he'll see in the playoffs. But he plans to give him some games off to compensate.
Edit: Here's where I saw it.
For those who keep track of JT's minutes per game, please be aware that Ime is about to ramp his minutes up. https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/03/23/0323-bh-s-celtsnotes/
That's right. Ime is going to look to play JT more minutes per game down the stretch because Ime wants to get JT used to playing playoff minutes. However, to offset this, Ime will look to give JT some nights off.
But Ime Udoka is also looking to ramp up the intensity as his team approaches the playoffs, with a legitimate chance to land the conference’s third or second seed. He’s looking, for example, to increase Jayson Tatum’s minutes once the first series starts.“It’s a balance, for a few reasons. You want to, obviously, be well rested and healthy going into the playoffs but not take away what we’ve improved on and areas we still need to get better at,” said the Celtics coach. “As well as building up playoff minutes. And so it’s a balance there. The 36 or 37 that (Tatum is) at, that’s going to probably increase to 39 to 40 in the playoffs. So we don’t want him to be too rested, where he’s going into the playoffs and take that spike in minutes and he’s tired after a seven-game series or whatever. So it’s a balance there. But nights off, you want to find a full night off, not a 25-minute night. And so that’s what we’ll look at over the next few games.”
Or course, getting JT up to 39-40 mpg is going to require the Cs not to blow out every opponent for the rest of the season.
The top 10 in the east has been set for awhile, but the continued awfulness of both the Lakers and Pelicans (9th and 10th in the west) has opened the door, and San Antonio has finally made a little run. 3 wins in a row and 6 of their last 10, the Spurs just beat the Pelicans and are now just 1 game behind NO for 10th and 1.5 games behind the Lakers for 9th. It still seems almost impossible that the Lakers could miss out, but their remaining schedule is brutal and their margin is gone.
The way Miami is melting down they are likely ticketed for the 4 seed now. Odds are good that the Nets land the 7. Really strong incentive for the C’s to land the 1 seed.
Wonder if Ime rests Tatum in the Monday b2b Toronto game given his statement about rest days. I have a feeling he won’t.
Pretty exciting stretch run.
Wonder if Ime rests Tatum in the Monday b2b Toronto game given his statement about rest days. I have a feeling he won’t.
Pretty exciting stretch run.
We should travel with 8 guys to Toronto and leave everyone else home to get ready for the stretch run. It’s a schedule loss so let’s take advantage of it and we ready for the rest of the schedule. Based on Ime’s words Tatum won’t be making the trip so leaving the rest of the starters behind makes sense too.
Think so? You’re probably right but Horford is out tomorrow so hopefully he’s available Monday. Tatum is almost certainly resting against Indiana or Washington and probably the Milwaukee game which is the b2b road game after a road Chicago game.
if tomorrow is a low tax game I could see Ime going for it Monday.
Getting the 1 vs. CLE with likely BKN and 3 of PHI, MIA, MIL, TOR on the other side of the bracket would be amazing.
On behalf of Philly and Boston fans, we’d like to thank Jimmy Butler for doing what Jimmy does.
And the Sixers are playing the Suns in AZ, Suns are favored by 5. Celts would be sitting in the 1 seed with 7 games left and control of their own destiny.
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Yeah I had seen that too.
I guess what I mean is that Ime should do whatever is best for the team to start getting ready for the playoffs, regardless of seed. For Tatum, that may mean ramping up. For Al, it probably means more rest. Maybe it's time to test PP and Theis, give white some more minutes, etc. We're well out of the play-in at this point. Let's focus on whatever sets up the team for the tournament.
Lakers at Pelicans tonight. Would be big win for New Orleans if they can pull it off.
It is nice to see the 76ers on top, if only for one day. They worked hard after Ben dropped out. They got better. Maxey bloomed. After trading for Harden, nothing less than a championship is expected. Embiid and Harden.
Fun slate of games tonight.
Fun slate of games tonight.
quietly a huge game in BRK tonight.
BKN is 1 game up on CHA for the 8, AND... winner of tonight's game gets the tiebreaker.
So CHA wins and they are in the 8 spot
BKN is 1 game up on CHA for the 8, AND... winner of tonight's game gets the tiebreaker.
So CHA wins and they are in the 8 spot
Charlotte up 2 in the 3rd after being down early. Would love to see them overtake the Nets.
In the West....
Laker blew a 20+ point lead and now trail NOP by 5 with 2:20 left in the battle for 9th.
Spurs are doing everything in their power to tank out of the race for 10th, but the Lakers/Pels refuse to create any space.
If NOP hold on the Lakers will be only a single game up on SAS for the final play-in spot.
Laker blew a 20+ point lead and now trail NOP by 5 with 2:20 left in the battle for 9th.
Spurs are doing everything in their power to tank out of the race for 10th, but the Lakers/Pels refuse to create any space.
If NOP hold on the Lakers will be only a single game up on SAS for the final play-in spot.
