The Road to catching the Spurs

#31
So I guess this is the playoff race watch thread. Clippers were getting blown out in Boston but somehow came back and won the game. Jazz beat the Spurs, so this makes things interesting. Everybody is assuming the Clippers are going to tank, but they shouldn't be written off yet.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#34
I thought the clippers were in tank mode? Looks like the players didn’t get the message.
To be fair, this game was more on the Celtics completely doodooing their pants once Kyrie got injured than the Clippers trying super duper hard to win.

For all the hype Brad Stevens got the last couple of years, he deserves a lot of the blame for the Celtics sucking eggs all this year
 
#35
I saw lakers big hug after they won celtics so I suppose lebron won't be isolated on bench anymore. how people easily forget
hope I'm wrong...

clipps will go down sooner or later, fakers should be our biggest concern.
 
#40
Denver is 23-4 at home. Best in the league. I hope the Kings win, but that seems like one of the toughest, if not the toughest, of the 6.
they do have some injuries, but they have kind of played injured this whole season so maybe you are right.

So you're saying there's a chance.

I think Okc on a back to back, in Minnesota, vs. Milwaukee and Clippers at home are their best chances for upsets.
I have a bad feeling about Milwaukee. They really bother us.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#47
I’m hoping Giannis will at least notice we have someone new guarding him this time.
I don't think that dude notices ANYONE who's "guarding" him!

Anyways. I think we go 2-4, which isn't the end of the world considering how rough this upcoming stretch is.

I got us beating Minny, and then one of OKC (who we play tough) or Clippers (who we're due to beat, dammit!).

Denver, GS, and the Bucks are just too elite, but I'd be ecstatic if the Kings catch one of them slipping! The Warriors are another team that this squad seems to get up for.
 
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#49
Too bad our next 3 games are brutal. If we could only steal one, it would be huge.

I was checking our schedule, if we can take care of the games we are supposed to win, we can get 14 more wins. 44-38 might get us into the post season. Now it would be really great to steal some games, but most important we need to take care of the games we must win.
 
#50
Denver, GS, and the Bucks are just too elite, but I'd be ecstatic if the Kings catch one of them slipping! The Warriors are another team that this squad seems to get up for.
IDC what records say, I just don’t believe Denver is an elite team nor do they belong in the same sentence with GSW. Honestly, once things play out, I think we’ll see that Houston is also better in the West — even though I hate that team and the way they play.

I believe GSW, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Houston, OKC are all better. Indiana and a healthy Boston might be.

I could really see Utah and Portland beating Denver in a series too. I’m not saying they will, I just would have it fairly close should they play.

I’m just not sold on them. I think they’re a lot like that 60 win ATL team from 2014/15 except their more likely to be out in the 2nd round.
 
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#51
IDC what records say, I just don’t believe Denver is an elite team nor do they belong in the same sentence with GSW. Honestly, once things play out, I think we’ll see that Houston is also better in the West — even though I hate that team and the way they play.

I believe GSW, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Houston, OKC are all better. Indiana and a healthy Boston might be.

I could really see Utah and Portland beating Denver in a series too. I’m not saying they will, I just would have it fairly close should they play.

I’m just not sold on them. I think they’re a lot like that 60 win ATL team from 2014/15 except their more likely to be out in the 2nd round.
Agreed. Denver is not as good as their record indicates. They are better than Portland though. I think Portland will fall in the standings
 
#52
Denver lost their "win and your in" final game of the season against the T-Wolves. Fast forward to this season, and they are not the same team. This was accomplished from within, not personnel changes.

"We spent two weeks after the season ended, figuring out how can we be better," Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said. "How can we not be a team that is 30th in three-point percentage defense? How can we be a team that is not almost dead last in paint defense? It's conversations, a lot of film work looking at us, and more important it's looking at other teams – looking at the teams that do it well. How do they do it? Why do they do it? What can we take from those teams and apply to our team?"
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...-on-the-defensive-end-thanks-to-nikola-jokic/

Not to mention Jokic has elevated his game even more this season.

I think we can beat anybody on any given night, my point is that I personally don't see this Nuggets team fading into the night this year as easily as others do. This isn't the same team of the last few seasons. Malone is a hell of a coach when the players buy in, and his father was one of the best defensive minded coaches the league has seen.

The good thing for us is, we are not the same team that played them earlier this season either. I hope we stomp em'. Raise some more eyebrows and keep the purple talk loud.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#53
IDC what records say, I just don’t believe Denver is an elite team nor do they belong in the same sentence with GSW. Honestly, once things play out, I think we’ll see that Houston is also better in the West — even though I hate that team and the way they play.

I believe GSW, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Houston, OKC are all better. Indiana and a healthy Boston might be.

I could really see Utah and Portland beating Denver in a series too. I’m not saying they will, I just would have it fairly close should they play.

I’m just not sold on them. I think they’re a lot like that 60 win ATL team from 2014/15 except their more likely to be out in the 2nd round.
agree on Denver not being elite, they are a good regular season team this season after barely missing the Playoffs last season. How they fare in their first round mathchup should tell us a thing or two whether they are for real or one and done.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#54
IDC what records say, I just don’t believe Denver is an elite team nor do they belong in the same sentence with GSW. Honestly, once things play out, I think we’ll see that Houston is also better in the West — even though I hate that team and the way they play.

I believe GSW, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Houston, OKC are all better. Indiana and a healthy Boston might be.

I could really see Utah and Portland beating Denver in a series too. I’m not saying they will, I just would have it fairly close should they play.

I’m just not sold on them. I think they’re a lot like that 60 win ATL team from 2014/15 except their more likely to be out in the 2nd round.
I have a soft spot for Malone ball (rebounding, defense, scoring in the paint), so maybe I'm a bit biased in saying they're elite.

Jokic is a monster though. Dude doesn't get enough press.

But IT is coming back, so that might totally **** chemistry and defense for them (but here I go with my bias again. I never liked IT). It'll be interesting to see what happens.
 
#57
Spurs won by ONE stinking point. But on a high note the Lakers lost again! That team is the definition of dysfunctional. I don't think they will be catching us. So there are 9 teams in the west vying for 8 playoff spots.. If we keep playing hard we will get one of them!

GO KINGS!