Down the Stretch they come...

[WigNosy]

As we enter the final 16 days of the PBSL regular season, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what teams are still playing for. So let's get to it!

THE STAKES: HOME COURT THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS

Lead Horses: The Hawks and Pistons are running neck-and-neck here as we come down the stretch, separated by half a game. Barring a major stumble by either team in Sim 11, I expect they'll both be chasing homecourt hard which means no resting players as the season winds down.
Dark Horse: The Suns are only a couple of games out and have a chance to get back into this race with a relatively soft finishing schedule.
Key Game: Suns at Pistons on 4/8. In a race this tight, any loss is going to hurt your chances and one of these teams is guaranteed a loss in this game.

THE STAKES: HOME COURT IN THE FIRST ROUND (EAST)

Lead Horse: The Bobcats hold a two-game edge on the Bulls and though 5 of their 8 games against other teams are on the road, none of those eight opponents are even close to the .500 mark. They have also won the season series against the Bulls so they should win any tie-breakers.
Dark Horse: The Bulls, who have to find a way to make up three games (the two games they trail plus another game since the Bobcats should have the head-to-head tiebreaker).
Key Game: Bobcats at Bulls on 4/2. Should the Bobcats manage to win this one, they knock the Bulls yet another game off the pace and force them to try to make up a virtual four-game deficit with only 7 to play.

THE STAKES: HOME COURT IN THE FIRST ROUND (WEST)
Lead Horse: The Kings have a one-game lead on the Trailblazers. Since the head-to-head season series is tied 2-2 it's not clear who would finish ahead in the event of a tie. Six of the Kings' nine remaining games are road games, including away games at playoff locks Dallas, Atlanta, and New York.
Dark Horse: The Trailblazers may be a game back, but despite the fact they too have 6 of 9 games on the road, their path is a little easier - they have to play three playoff teams as well but at least get the Timberwolves at home.
Key Game: Probably Blazers at Clippers on 4/7. The Blazers need to grab a game like this against a team that is decent at home but will be a tough matchup if they're going to make up the one-game deficit they have to overcome.

THE STAKES: SEEDS 7 AND 8 IN THE EAST
Lead Horses: The Wizards and Pacers. The Wizards own the tiebreak between the teams - we know this because they're currently ahead of the Pacers in the standings despite being tied. In addition they have 5 of 8 remaining games at home (compare to the Pacers' 4 of 8 at home) but the Pacers face only three playoff teams in their final 8 games while the Wizards face four.
Dark Horses: The Nets are a bit of a longshot in this race, currently 3 back of both squads in the loss column, and have a brutal schedule (6 road games versus 3 home games, and the only teams they play not currently in the playoffs are the Clippers and Cavaliers). The only saving grace for the Nets is they have a head-to-head with the Wizards that could let them close the gap if they are able to keep in striking distance. The Magic are 4 back in the loss column but face both the Wizards and Pacers in Sim 12.
Key Games: Nets at Wizards on 4/13 and Magic at Wizards on 4/15 - it's late enough the Wizards should already have clinched by the time we get here, but if they're still competing for a playoff spot this late in the season, a loss in either game would be disastrous.

THE STAKES: TOP THREE DRAFT POSITION PRE-LOTTO
Lead Horse: The Spurs are 17-56 and will have an opportunity to affect a lot of the previous races (they play the Blazers twice, the Kings once, and the Suns once) but their real goal at this point is probably not to play spoiler. They have a one game "lead" in the win column on the 18-57 Bucks and have an incentive to play for a pick and not for wins.
Dark Horse: The Bucks, as mentioned, actually have one more loss than the Spurs... but also one more win. The good news for the Bucks is almost every one of their games is against a playoff foe.
Key Game: Bucks at Warriors, 4/1 - This is an eminently winnable game since the Warriors are even worse than the Bucks are this season. A Bucks win - and putting themselves 2 wins ahead of the Spurs - could finish this race before it even starts.

[ballsohard]

5 Points wig!