Gah. How do they not play till Friday!?!
Looking at the rest of the year because I don't feel like shoveling the driveway...
Obviously, there's no way to catch MIL at this point, but it would certainly be better to have the 2 (and play the Nets or Magic in round 1) than the 3 (Pacers, probably, but who knows what the Sixers/Heat will do), and the 4 would be unfortunate for a variety of playing-too-many-good-teams reasons.
At 38-16, they're 3 up on the Heat and 2.5 behind Toronto, with a game in hand on the Raptors.
Assuming Brad continues to manage loads, and no major injuries in the interim, so that we don't see full-strength Cs very often, but also generally have everyone available, this is my prediction for the rest of the season:
2-21 @ MIN: W (blowout city)
2-23 @ LAL: L (seems like Bron will be pissed about the last time out)
2-25 @ POR: W (tough game, but Cs are better)
2-26 @ UTAH: L (back-to-back finishing up a long trip, seems ripe for a loss)
2-29 Vs. HOU: W (they should have won the last one)
3-3 Vs. BKN: W (will Kyrie play?)
3-4 @ CLE: W (weird back to back, but still)
3-6 Vs. UTAH: W (back home and rested)
3-8 Vs. OKC: W (a tough one, but it's home)
3-10 @ IND: L (could be a big game for Indy, who'd like to jump the Sixers, 19-10 at home)
3-12 @ MIL: L (almost unbeatable at home)
3-13 Vs. WAS: W (back to back, and they lost to them earlier, but 3 losses in a row seems unlikely)
3-15 @ CHI: W (they're not good)
3-18 Vs. NYN: W (LOL)
3-20 @ TOR: W (I think this is a statement game)
3-21 @ BKN: L (I think this is a schedule loss)
3-23 @ WAS: W (they're still not good)
3-25 @ MEM: L (Grizz are tough, end of a long trip)
3-27 Vs. POR: W (tough trip for Portland)
3-29 Vs. MIN: W (they stink)
4-1 Vs. MIA: W (could be a big game, Brad plays to win this one, home with two days off beforehand)
4-3 Vs. ORL: W (basic home win)
4-5 Vs. MIL: L (maybe they get too pumped up for this one and let it slip away at home)
4-8 Vs. IND: W (Indy feels their wrath)
4-10 @ ORL: L (I think this means more to ORL at this point)
4-11 @ MIA: L (back to back, Miami beach, Miami's pissed)
4-13 @ DET: W (Detroit has packed it in by now)
4-15 Vs. CHI: W (easy playoffs tune-up, and they may need the game)
So, that's 19 and 9 the rest of the way, finishing up 57 and 25. I think that keeps them in the 3 seed, and the Cs open against the Pacers.
They beat them again, and then face ... the Raptors, without home court advantage. If everyone's healthy, I think they take that series, too.
Seems like the Bucks' year, but C's have a puncher's chance in that one.
C's-Lakers finals? Just like old times?
That'd be pretty fun.