Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post - Are the lakers gonna throw that last game against Utah?

vinylstar · 04-14-2009, 12:45 PM

From SI.com

Jazz (48-33) at Lakers (64-17)

What's at stake: Utah would clinch the No. 8 seed with a loss.
Skinny: Utah has lost six of eight and owns only one road victory against a Western Conference playoff team (at New Orleans on April 5). The Jazz need a win at Los Angeles to avoid, at least for the moment, a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Lakers, who eliminated Utah in the conference semifinals last season. Utah, which trails Dallas and New Orleans by one game but holds the tiebreaker over both teams, can still climb as high as No. 6 with a victory and losses by the Mavericks (vs. Houston) and Hornets (at San Antonio) in their season finales Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Lakers' bid for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs ended Monday when Cleveland beat Indiana. Nevertheless, coach Phil Jackson plans to play his starters in a game in which the Lakers can help determine their first-round opponent.
"I wouldn't think of sitting players," Jackson told Los Angeles reporters. "I don't think that's the right thing to do when people buy season tickets, special-game tickets and things like that. The league has asked us not to do that, so we have to [respect] that."

04-14-2009, 12:45 PM	#68
vinylstar Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 761	From SI.com Jazz (48-33) at Lakers (64-17) What's at stake: Utah would clinch the No. 8 seed with a loss. Skinny: Utah has lost six of eight and owns only one road victory against a Western Conference playoff team (at New Orleans on April 5). The Jazz need a win at Los Angeles to avoid, at least for the moment, a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Lakers, who eliminated Utah in the conference semifinals last season. Utah, which trails Dallas and New Orleans by one game but holds the tiebreaker over both teams, can still climb as high as No. 6 with a victory and losses by the Mavericks (vs. Houston) and Hornets (at San Antonio) in their season finales Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Lakers' bid for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs ended Monday when Cleveland beat Indiana. Nevertheless, coach Phil Jackson plans to play his starters in a game in which the Lakers can help determine their first-round opponent. "I wouldn't think of sitting players," Jackson told Los Angeles reporters. "I don't think that's the right thing to do when people buy season tickets, special-game tickets and things like that. The league has asked us not to do that, so we have to [respect] that." Last edited by vinylstar; 04-14-2009 at 12:47 PM.