RESULTS:

Portland took care of business.

New Orleans got an "unexpected" win and Orlando and OKC let us down.

Tonight, it's all about the Blazers handling some "unexpected wins" business in SA!

TONIGHT'S KEY GAMES:

Portland @ San Antonio (upset special #1)

SO FAR SO GOOD

It is still possible to take homecourt advantage away from the Rockets and/or San Antonio with a win vs. San Antonio.  Just handle your business boys, and the future looks rosy (especially if Popp rests some starters!!!)

Here's how the possibilities shake out with Portland win vs. San Antonio:

PROJECTED FINAL STANDINGS if Portland beats San Antonio, all else holds steady:
2. DENVER (tiebreaker v. SA/POR)	54-28
3. SAN ANTONIO (division winner)	54-28
4. PORTLAND	54-28
5. HOUSTON	53-29
6. NEW ORLEANS (likely TB)	50-32
7. DALLAS	50-32
8. UTAH	48-34
OUT: PHOENIX	46-36

Here's how the possibilities shake out with Portland loss vs. San Antonio:

(for Portland loss, all other expected results (see above)

In other words, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Portland loses to SA, thus moving two losses behind them, and losing a tiebreaker, and still ends up anywhere other than the 5 seed.  Even if San Antonio were to lose THREE games to other teams, and I just don't see that happening if they beat Portland, they would still have the tiebreaker over Portland for the 4 seed. 

Given a loss to SA, the most plausible scenario that has Portland in the 4 seed is if Portland wins out and Houston loses TWO games, including one currently not projected for them, or Portland drops SA plus one, and Houston drops three games, including TWO not currently expected.  But, of course, in either of those last two scenarios, we have to face Houston in the first round.  Only winning in SA likely gets us anyone other than Houston in a matchup where we have homecourt advnatage.

KEY REMAINING GAMES WHERE UNEXPECTED RESULTS COULD HELP THE BLAZERS LISTED BELOW

As I was responding to a post below, I realized that bolding key games where we DON'T WANT THE EXPECTED "TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS" TO HAPPEN might give us more games of interest, so I have bolded games for each team in the hunt where rooting for a "non-traditional" outcome should help the Blazers:

SAN ANTONIO

(current:  50-27)  (projected:  55-27) 

(2 seed)

• Wed, Apr 8 Portland W  (lost TWICE to POR already, b2b for both teams, but Portland has a better record in those games and Popp might just help us out and rest guys)
• Fri, Apr 10 Utah W
• Sun, Apr 12 at Sacramento W
• Mon, Apr 13 at Golden State W  (2d of back to back)
• Wed, Apr 15 New Orleans W

DENVER

(current:  52-26)  (projected:  54-28)

(3 seed)

• Wed, Apr 8 Oklahoma City W
• Thu, Apr 9 at LA Lakers L
• Mon, Apr 13 Sacramento W
• Wed, Apr 15 at Portland L

HOUSTON

(current:  50-28)  (projected:  53-29) 

(wins tiebreaker with POR, earning the 4 seed)

• Thu, Apr 9 at Sacramento W
• Fri, Apr 10 at Golden State W  (2d of back to back)
• Mon, Apr 13 New Orleans W (lost to them once already)
• Wed, Apr 15 at Dallas L

PORTLAND

(current:  49-28)  (projected:  53-29)

(loses tiebreaker to HOU, meaning a likely 5 seed)

• Wed, Apr 8 at San Antonio L  (beat them TWICE already, b2b for both teams, but Portland has a better ercord in those games and Popp might just help us out and rest guys)
• Fri, Apr 10 LA Lakers W
• Sat, Apr 11 at LA Clippers W
• Mon, Apr 13 Oklahoma City W
• Wed, Apr 15 Denver W

NEW ORLEANS

(current:  48-29)  (projected:  50-32)

(6th seed) (likely tiebreaker over Dallas)

• Wed, Apr 8 Phoenix W  (2d of back-to-back)
• Fri, Apr 10 at Dallas L  (beat them TWICE already)
• Sun, Apr 12 Dallas W
• Mon, Apr 13 at Houston L
• Wed, Apr 15 at San Antonio L (possible W if Spurs rest guys?)

DALLAS

(current:  46-31)  (projected:  50-32) 

(7th seed)

• Wed, Apr 8 Utah W  (lost to them TWICE already)
• Fri, Apr 10 New Orleans W  (lost to them TWICE already)
• Sun, Apr 12 at New Orleans L
• Mon, Apr 13 Minnesota W  (2d of back-to-back)
• Wed, Apr 15 Houston W

UTAH

(current:  47-30)  (projected:  49-33) 

(8 seed)

• Wed, Apr 8 at Dallas L  (beat them TWICE already)
• Fri, Apr 10 at San Antonio L
• Sat, Apr 11 Golden State W  (2d of back-to-back)
• Mon, Apr 13 LA Clippers W
• Tue, Apr 14 at LA Lakers L (possible W if Lakers rest guys?)

PHOENIX

(current:  42-35)  (projected:  46-36) 

(OUT)

• Wed, Apr 8 at New Orleans L  (2d of back-to-back for NO)
• Fri, Apr 10 at Memphis W
• Sat, Apr 11 at Minnesota W  (2d of back-to-back)
• Mon, Apr 13 Memphis W
• Wed, Apr 15 Golden State W

Recent events and the upcoming schedule have really pushed Utah, Dallas and NO into a tier behind Houston and Portland.  Phoenix is just a spoiler at this point, unless Dallas or Utah continues to falter and Phoenix wins out.

What that means is, we continue to hope for those teams to get wins against Houston, San Antonio or Denver to help us out, but other than that, it really becomes Portland taking care of ITS business to earn homecourt...beat San Antonio, and you really turn the race around, because you have the tiebreaker, so it's really a FOUR game swing depending on whether we win at San Antonio.  How so?  If we win, we get a tiebreaker on them, plus a game gained in the standings.  If we lose, we fall a game behind in the standings and lose the tiebreaker, too.  So, it's the difference between being TWO up or TWO down...no pressure though, Portland, no pressure.

Putting that aside, we can still: 

BEAT SAN ANTONIO!!!

Of Course, God helps those who help themselves, so the best thing Portland could do for itself would be to steal one of the Texas games, and hold serve on the other "should wins," as Portland would gain a game on San Antonio with a win, and would earn the tiebreaker based on the head-to head records if Houston passes San Antonio and wins the division. 

ROOT FOR ADDED LOSSES FOR DENVER, HOUSTON OR SAN ANTONIO IN BOLDED GAMES ABOVE, AND/OR PRAY FOR MORE LIGHTNING TO STRIKE THE TEAMS ABOVE US WITH UPSET LOSSES.

BOTTOM LINE:

What we as Blazers fans should be rooting for (and that's really the question here, right?) in any game between playoff contenders in the West is that the third tier guys (or spoiler Phoenix) win a couple against the first tier guys, specifically, San Antonio, Denver, and Houston.  Other than that, everything going to plan means we get a four or five seed, and us beating San Antonio likely gives us homecourt in the First Round.

All clear now?