The teams that have locked up their playoff spots – Cleveland has clinched the Central, Boston the Atlantic and the Lakers the Pacific – will continue to be cautious with injured players or veterans that need rest. Kevin Garnett was back on the floor for the Celtics on Friday, but he played just 15 minutes. Don’t expect KG to break 30 until the playoffs start.
Here’s a quick rundown of the teams that are more or less locked in to their playoff spots: Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles Lakers.
On the other end of the spectrum, Washington, Golden State, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Memphis, the Clippers and Sacramento have officially been eliminated, and hope is fading fast for the Knicks sorry, playoff teams don’t get beat – at home – by the Devin Harris-less Nets and the Sacramento Kings, Pacers and Raptors.
Things don’t look too good for the Suns, either – Phoenix is now four games behind Dallas for the final playoff spot in the West. This will be a make-or-break week for Phoenix. The Suns have five games and four – Denver, at Portland, and a home-and-home with Utah – are against playoff teams.
Charlotte, Milwaukee and the Nets still have something to play for – they’re all within two games of the eight spot in the East – currently held by the Bulls. And Philly and Detroit are playing for positioning – they’re separated by percentage points in the six and seven spots, respectively.
via Fantasy Basketball SOS: March 23-29 – Fantasy – Yahoo Sports.
