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Friday, April 20, 2007

Playoff Format Bullish On Chicago

It's amazing what one two-hour period can do in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, division rivals, couldn't have claimed the second and third seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs because they're both in the Central Division.

And because we live in America, where we're a bunch of soft little bitch boys obsessed with sensitivity and fairness toward and inclusion of everybody, the four divisions have to represent each of the top four seeds, even if, say, Team 2 from Division B has a far better record than the winners of Division C and D. Got me?

So, because Chicago won the regular-season tiebreaker with Cleveland, the Bulls would have claimed the No. 2 seed and an opening-round series with a fast-fading Washington team. The Cavs, meanwhile, were headed toward a Miami Heat team that just got Dwyane Wade back from injury, and those fools are clicking at the perfect time.

But all that changed on Wednesday night, the final evening of regular-season games. The Bulls had their stranglehold on that No. 2 seed for the last two weeks of the season, and all it needed was a win at New Jersey or a loss by Cleveland to Milwaukee.

Neither of those things happened, so Cleveland gains the easy first-round waltz over Washington, then probably a second-round defeat of Toronto. Sorry, Marcus.

Chicago will lose to Miami in the first round, and the Heat and Pistons will beat each other up in the second round, the winner of which will face the Cavaliers in the conference finals. Either of those squads would probably beat the Cavs, but it's insane how just two hours had such a drastic effect on the postseason fortunes of two divisional rivals.

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4 Comments:

At 11:36 AM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No comments because nobody gives two shits, let alone one, for the NBA. Between the end of the Tournament and the start of training camp, there is a void in sports. And please don't mention baseball. It's really just an excuse to drink beer outside. Us hardcore alcoholics don't need such excuses to get drunk...in the daytime...alone.

 
At 12:04 PM EDT, Blogger Big Primpin' said...

Millions -- Until about eight years ago, I agreed that there was such a large void, but if you can ever find an NHL playoff game on the telly -- not an easy feat since ESPN snipped its partnership with the NHL -- check it out. The Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win in all sports at any level. Screw the Super Bowl.

 
At 8:55 PM EDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yo, I like your cavs scenario. if only we had a point guard and a power forward that doesn't 'forget which play is being run' as has been reported on gooden.

btw, jeremy sowers was always my cat. you know how I've always liked Vanderbilt.

 
At 11:51 AM EDT, Blogger Marcus Riley said...

Nice call Nostradamus

 

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