Having clinched the 6th seed in the West outright when they beat the Grizzlies yesterday evening, Portland Trail Blazers now await the results of the Lakers, Mavericks, and Thunder games this evening. L.A. plays at Sacramento, Dallas is at home versus New Orleans, Oklahoma City hosts Milwaukee. Here's how it works:
OKC Will Be Portland's Opponent If...
- Dallas loses, OKC wins no matter what L.A. does.
L.A. Will Be Portland's Opponent If...
- Dallas wins and L.A. loses no matter what OKC does.
Dallas Will Be Portland's Opponent If...
- All three teams lose
- Los Angeles wins UNLESS OKC ALSO WINS AND DALLAS LOSES.
So...Questions to ask yourself:
1. Did Dallas win? If so, Portland will face Dallas if L.A. also won, L.A. if L.A. lost.
2. Did Dallas lose? If so, Portland will face OKC if OKC wins, Dallas if OKC loses.
The game to watch under this scenario is Dallas-New Orleans. Everything flows from that.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)