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ESPN: Who will nab the 8th spot?

https://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-130402/nba-grab-western-conference-no-8-seed

3 out of 5 think the Jazz will make it.


Anyone have the "inside" story on that article from Tom Haberstroh?

He says that the Jazz have a bigger lead over the rest due to tie breakers. He also said that if they go 5-2 the rest of the way they cant miss. He thinks the Lakers will win the games they are "supposed" to win. he said one really funny thing: The jazz essentially have a 2 on 1 fast break but its like Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson are running it.
 
2. Fact or Fiction: The Jazz will make the playoffs.

Arnovitz: Fiction, although this five-game winning streak gives me pause, even if it did come against a cupcake schedule. Utah is scoring in bunches and should finish the season with some gusto, but if the Lakers win the games their supposed to, figure the Jazz need to finish their final seven games 5-2. I think they'll fall one game shy.

Cavan: Fact. Utah boasts a five-game winning streak, a favorable home stretch and the all-important tiebreaker with the Lakers. If the Jazz can take three of those home games, and maybe steal a fourth in Golden State or Minnesota, the Lakers will be hard-pressed to make up the necessary ground for a last-minute blitz.

Hall: Fact. It's possible I'm simply intoxicated with the euphoria of the first five-game Utah win streak of the season, but the Jazz are finally playing like a team that could make noise in the playoffs. The memory of the recent 3-12 stretch is all but gone and the team is peaking at the right time with a healthy Mo Williams.

Levy: Fact. They have a half-game edge over the Lakers and have righted the ship, winning their past five after an extended, brutal stretch of play that threatened to drop them out of contention. Mo Williams is finally back into the swing of things and Al Jefferson has been devouring opponents on the interior. While the Lakers' performance continues to swing wildly back and forth, the Jazz are trending upward.

Soriano: Fiction. The Jazz are hot at the right time and control their own destiny. But they play three of their final seven games on the road, including their final two games. Combine those contests with tough home games versus the Thunder and Nuggets and I see them falling
 
Idiots the all of them.
Thurl Bailey could do a better job.

Kobe essentially getting two injuries while they are trying to work in a player that won't in D'Antoni's system couldn't have anything to do with reality changing. In case anyone was wondering, the reality was that the Lakers controlled their own destiny and were playing MUCH better basketball than the Jazz.
 
I was fine making the playoffs when it came to were we would be drafting because it would only be about a 2 pick difference. Now if we win these games that we are going to need to win to make the playoffs it could drop us 4 spots in the draft. Looking at the mocks that takes us out of the range of all the PG's. I still want the Jazz to win and go as far as they can but the cost (pick wise) is getting steeper every game.
 
Believe it or not....I'm actually pulling for the Jazz to make the playoffs! Why? I don't have the foggiest! Could be my Stockton/Malone roots are kicking in? Could be it means the Lakers DON'T make the playoffs if the Jazz get in? Could be the 3 scotches I just had before typing this?
 
Jazz will make the playoffs because of their tie breakers. And because they have the easiest schedule out of the 3
 
I was fine making the playoffs when it came to were we would be drafting because it would only be about a 2 pick difference. Now if we win these games that we are going to need to win to make the playoffs it could drop us 4 spots in the draft. Looking at the mocks that takes us out of the range of all the PG's. I still want the Jazz to win and go as far as they can but the cost (pick wise) is getting steeper every game.

We're currently sitting at #17 (and making the playoffs). If we missed the playoffs, we're sitting at #14. So the cost is currently 3 picks.

Everyone has their price, but that price is getting higher by the minute.
 
Jazz will make the playoffs because of their tie breakers. And because they have the easiest schedule out of the 3

Lakers
vs Mem (loss)
at LAC (loss)
vs NO (win)
at POR (win)
vs GSW (loss)
vs SA (loss)
vs HOU (win)

Jazz
vs DEN (loss)
vs NO (win)
at GSW (loss)
vs OKC (loss)
vs MIN (win)
at MIN (win)
at MEM (loss)

Yep - by my calculation, 3 wins each, we should go through.
 
Maybe it's just me, but if I were some of these teams (memphis/minnesota/okc/denver) I would want to lose on purpose just to see the Lakers miss the playoffs. There has to be people in those organizations that have those kind of thoughts...
 
Two weeks ago, it didn't look like the Jazz could string together a two-game win streak, let alone what we've seen the past few games. Of course, back then felt like an eternity until the end of the season and a lot more opportunities to further fall behind. But there just isn't much of the season left, which helps Utah's standings a bit because they're still hanging in there. Gotta beat Denver tonight, though.
 
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