2009 NBA Playoff Matchups & Discussion

[Fool]

The Bulls

[Zekyl]

Hopefully it gets them good and pissed off for the conference finals and they stomp the crap out of Cleveland. Only situation I can imagine that I'd root for Boston.

[Glenn]

Blaha made it sound like a Saturday game for the Pistons was a given. Does anyone know more about the playoff schedule? everywhere I look it says "schedule will be determined after the matchups are finalized".

[Tahoe]

I don't know shit about any of that

[Glenn]

From TrueHoop...

There is one evening of NBA basketball left, and yet only three of the eight playoff matchups are set. Three teams in the West don't even know if they'll get homecourt advantage. It all comes down to five games that really matter tonight, and four of them are happening at exactly the same time.

So, how can you follow all that craziness? Right here on TrueHoop, we'll do our best to cover it all with a team of overcaffeinated channel-hopping contributors liveblogging every darned thing that matters all night long, starting at 8pm ET. Hope you'll join us as we cover these games and more.

• Raptors at Bulls 8 pm ET (The Bulls can clinch the East's sixth seed -- and avoid Boston in the first round -- with a win.)
• Sixers at Cavaliers 8 pm ET (If the Sixers can beat the Cavaliers' scrubs, and the Bulls lose, Philly gets the dubious prize of facing the Magic.)
• Hornets at Spurs 8 pm ET (The Spurs need the Rockets and/or Blazers to lose to get homecourt, and can be the West's third, fourth or fifth seed. The Hornets can sixth or seventh -- depending on this and the Maverick game.)
• Rockets at Mavericks 8pm ET (The Rockets are another team with homecourt in play -- if they win, they have it. They can finish second, third, fourth or fifth. The Mavericks will be watching the Hornets and worrying about being sixth or seventh.)
• Nuggets at Blazers 10:30 pm ET (The Nuggets can be second or third. The Blazers can be third, fourth or fifth, but guarantee homecourt advantage with a win.)

Peter D. Newman, NBA Information and Statistics Research guy at ESPN lays it all out:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Cavaliers Locked in as the No. 1 seed
2. Celtics Locked in as the No. 2 seed
3. Magic Locked in as the No. 3 seed
4. Hawks Locked in as the No. 4 seed
5. Heat Locked in as the No. 5 seed
6. Bulls Clinch #6 seed with win OR PHI loss. Clinch #7 seed with loss AND PHI win
7. 76ers Clinch #6 seed with win AND CHI loss. Clinch #7 seed with loss OR CHI win
8. Pistons Locked in as the No. 8 seed

WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Lakers Locked in as the No. 1 seed
2. Nuggets Clinch #2 seed with win OR HOU loss. Clinch #3 seed with loss AND HOU win
3. Rockets
Clinch #2 seed with win AND DEN loss
Clinch #3 seed with win AND DEN win
Clinch #3 seed with loss AND POR AND SA losses
Clinch #4 seed with loss AND POR win AND SA loss
Clinch #4 seed with loss AND SA win AND POR loss
Clinch #5 seed with loss AND POR AND SA wins
4. Blazers
Clinch #3 seed with win AND HOU AND SA losses
Clinch #4 seed with win AND HOU win
Clinch #4 seed with win AND SA win
Clinch #4 seed with loss AND SA loss
Clinch #5 seed with loss AND SA win
5. Spurs
Clinch #3 seed with win AND HOU loss
Clinch #4 seed with win AND HOU win AND POR loss
Clinch #5 seed with win AND HOU AND POR wins
Clinch #5 seed with loss
6. Hornets
Clinch #6 seed with win OR DAL loss
Clinch #7 seed with loss AND DAL win
7. Mavericks
Clinch #6 seed with win AND NO loss
Clinch #7 seed with loss OR NO win
8. Jazz Locked in as the No. 8 seed

[Glenn]

What an awesome lineup of games tonight. It would be a great night to have the league pass thingy, for sure.

I wish that I had the testicular fortitude to stay up late to watch the Nuggs at the Blazers.

[Glenn]

I tried setting up a group for the NBA.com bracket contest like we normally do, but they don't have it posted yet (assuming that they'll be doing it again this year).

[Tahoe]

What an awesome lineup of games tonight. It would be a great night to have the league pass thingy, for sure.

I wish that I had the testicular fortitude to stay up late to watch the Nuggs at the Blazers.

If the Wings game is over, I'm there.

[Glenn]

That was yesterday, homie.

[Tahoe]

LOL @ ME!