Gun-slingin' wild horse in a 9-deep horse race. Yikes, mixed metaphors.
I used to think 8 seeds per conference was overkill, seeming to invite EVERYBODY to post-season. Well I don't recall such a wild neck-in-neck race in the West. The Lakers had surged to #1 of course, 10 in a row. Then lost one to Portland. Triumphed in an OT thriller at home against the Mavericks on Sunday. Vis-a-vis the stately Spurs in the West as of March 3rd, 10pm? Spurs 41-17, .707; Lakers 42-18, .700. #2 now by a percentile sliver. We can live with that. And regain #1 pronto. Lakers-Spurs conference final would be cool, depends on the scheduling.
I almost pity the Southwest division. The hard luck Mavs are in FOURTH place, a mere 3.5 games out of 1st where the Spurs reign, the tightest division in the tight West. Utah and the Lakers in their divisions actually have 2.5 to 3 games breathing room on Denver and Phoenix, by comparison.
The Lakers do look the strongest for the past month, though the Spurs are right there, ever the champs if the Lakers slip up.
It is amazing to consider how easy it would be to fall from grace. Something like a mere 6 games separates the 9 best records in the Conference. I can't recall the wild Western Conference ever being so tight. You snooze, you go from first to worst.
The Lakers got the most Mustang Sally in their sauce to rock hardest in the Western Conference Playoffs, as madly tight a wild horse race it is. Cool, actually. And the Spurs are still better than the rest of the thundering herd.
Lakers, Spurs still rule despite the tight race 8 or 9 deep. And yeah I know the Rockets have the hottest streak, even post Yao-injury, but I don't think it'll stand up to the gunslinger Lakers and Spurs.
Notice how the Lakers don't have quite as good a home record as other Western Conference front-runners -- yet they have the strongest road record? Have Win, Will Travel. Call 'em the Paladins. The Spurs have the gun-for-hire colors, the Lakers have the royal record. Call 'em 1 or 2 games better than the Spurs come playoff crunch time.
