Menu

NBA Western Conference playoff race

The Denver Nuggets Look To Challenge In The West

, , , , ,

The middle of the NBA’s Western Conference playoff standings might get a little shook up, as fourth-place Memphis will be undergoing a transition period after their trade of Rudy Gay. A team that stands to benefit from any problems in Memphis would be the Denver Nuggets. And really, the way Denver has been playing of late, they might not have needed any help move up to the #4 spot, secure homecourt for the first round of the playoffs and position themselves as the challenge to the San Antonio/Oklahoma City/LA Clippers troika that serves as the West’s ruling class.

Are The Portland Trail Blazers Playoff Material?

, , , , ,

When you look at the bubble of the NBA Western Conference playoff race, almost all the talk is about whether the Los Angeles Lakers can recover and make it into the playoffs. None of the talk seems to surround the team that’s actually holding the #8 spot in the West right now and is playing good basketball. That would be the Portland Trail Blazers. With the Blazers getting some national attention tonight, as the back end of the Thursday night TNT doubleheader when they host Miami, let’s take a look at what they’ve done, what they’ve got and what the prospects for getting into the playoffs.

NBA Western Conference: Four Teams On The Playoff Fringe

, , , , ,

The NBA Western Conference has produced the best low-seeded playoff teams in recent years, with quality competition showing up in the 7-8 spots. Today, TheSportsNotebook is going to take a look at four contenders for those spots in Dallas, Utah, Minnesota and Houston.

Veterans Rising: Celtics & Lakers In The NBA Stretch

, , , , ,

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be too old to contend for an NBA title, not to mention too thin on the bench. They may still be, but each team looks every bit the contender—maybe not favorite, but contender—as the opening of the playoffs looms next Saturday. TheSportsNotebook takes a look at the NBA’s two traditional powers…

The Los Angeles Clippers Try And Own The Town

, , , , ,

The Los Angeles Clippers are hot on the heels of the crosstown Lakers for first place in the NBA’s Pacific Division, trailing only by a half-game and tied in the loss column. On the flip side, though the Clips are currently #4 in the West, they are just two games up on the Memphis Grizzlies for that spot, which means homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs that start next Saturday. Los Angeles is playing well right now—extremely well in fact, having taken 13 of their last 15, so today they get the up-close look from TheSportsNotebook as we continue to prepare for the NBA playoffs.

Memphis Grizzlies Look To Move Up In The West

, , , , ,

The end of the NBA regular season is now eight days away and the Memphis Grizzlies are one of several teams in the Western Conference playing good basketball going into the postseason. The Grizzlies are 8-3 in the month of April, and at 36-25 overall, they sit in the #5 position for the playoffs, two back of the LA Clippers for fourth and two ahead of the Denver Nuggets. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at the Grizzlies, the team who upended San Antonio in last year’s playoffs as a #8 seed, to see if a bigger postseason run might be ahead this time…

The San Antonio Spurs Move To The Top Of The West

, , , , ,

It was just last week that the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to have control of the NBA’s Western Conference. They were featured in TheSportsNotebook last Monday with the thought being that the #1 seed in the West was all but theirs. Talk about jumping the gun. Because the San Antonio Spurs just refuse to lose. They’ve now won 11 in a row and as of Monday morning it’s the Spurs who have nudged ahead of the Thunder in the West, are even with Miami and San Antonio has pulled even with Chicago in the loss column for the best record in the NBA overall (though the Spurs are three back in the win column). TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at the Spurs—who they have, how they’ve got here, what they’re doing well right now and what lies ahead.

Oklahoma City Thunder Come Charging At The East’s Big Two

, , , , ,

The Oklahoma City Thunder have led the way in the NBA’s Western Conference all season, but have been seen as operating a step below of Eastern powers Chicago and Miami. The Thunder took at least a small step toward dispelling that notion with a 92-78 beating of Chicago yesterday that was far worse than the score made it look. This followed up a win over Miami the previous Sunday. The Thunder are three games ahead of San Antonio in the West. They are 2.5 games ahead of Miami for homecourt if those two teams should meet in the NBA Finals. And Oklahoma City is now tied in the loss column with Chicago for the best record in the league overall. TheSportsNotebook dives into the Thunder to see if they can really follow in the footsteps of nearby Dallas and first make the Finals, then topple whoever’s best in the East.

The Surging San Antonio Spurs Climb The Ladder In The West

, , , , ,

San Antonio is climbing the ladder in the Western Conference. With seven straight wins under their belt, the Spurs come into tonight’s game with lowly Detroit sitting on a 19-9 record, first place in the Southwest Division and second in the West overall. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at the Spurs—how are they put together and what specifically has been going so well the last couple weeks?