The West has been a wild ride all year, and the final spot came down to a showdown on Monday for the rights to the Playoffs.
Note: All records and data are accurate through April 14, 2014.
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| Team | Season Record | Last Week’s Record |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 49-32 | 4-0 |
| A lot of talk has surrounded the playoff format in the NBA this season, and for good reason. A lot of proponents of change have had many valid points this season especially when comparing the Western Conference to the East. For example, under a “non-conference” playoff format, Memphis would currently be a 10-seed (out of 16) and matched up against Portland in the playoffs. However, Memphis instead has the misfortune to match up against the Spurs (ironically the team they beat in the historic 8-over-1 upset during the 2011 Playoffs). But before Memphis was able to give the reformation of the Playoffs a legitimate argument, they had to finish out the season strong enough to beat out the Suns for the 8th seed.
April 9 – Memphis Grizzlies 107, Miami Heat 102 The first challenge along the road to the playoffs was against the defending champions, the Miami Heat. Although Miami was without Dwayne Wade, Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, Lebron James is still Lebron James. He led all players with 37 points, but Memphis’ big three of Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley all scored over 20 points to help the Grizz upset the Heat. Z-Bo and Gasol both put up big double-doubles and Conley was clutch down the stretch to ensure the victory with some huge shots of his own. April 11 – Memphis Grizzlies 117, Philadelphia 76ers 95 In a game that almost every team in the league would be expected to win this season, Memphis made sure to not let the Sixers have any thoughts at an upset bid. Six of the Grizzlies scored in double figures, including three off the bench, and Memphis was able to handle the Sixers without Conley scoring more than 2 points. It was an impressive victory nonetheless, but the Sixers aren’t exactly the defending champs either. April 13 – Memphis Grizzlies 102, Los Angeles Lakers 90 After the past game against the Sixers, Memphis was tied with the Suns for 8th spot and faced a date with them on Monday. It would have been very easy for them to overlook the Lakers and start preparing for the Suns, yet that’s not the way a team makes it into the playoffs. The Lakers had the game tied in the 3rd quarter at 61-61 until the Grizz went on a 30-8 run that sealed the victory about midway through the fourth quarter. Conley was superb with 24 points on 9-12 shooting, and the team outrebounded the Lakers 52-32 with a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint as well. April 14 – Memphis Grizzlies 97, Phoenix Suns 91 In arguably the most important game of the past few weeks, Memphis rolled into the desert looking to clinch a playoff berth and simultaneously move into a tie with the Mavericks for 7th place in the West. Phoenix was clinging to its playoff lives after having dropped its last two and falling a game behind the Grizzlies for 8th. Mike Miller (21) and Zach Randolph (32) both went for season-highs in points and helped the Grizzlies knock the Suns completely out of the postseason. This game had all the drama and excitement you could ask for, including 22 lead changes and 6 ties, including a tie game at the end of the 3rd quarter that presumably built the anxiety of all the Suns fans in attendance. Highlights: Grizzlies vs. Suns, April 14, 2014 |
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| Lottery Spin | ||
| Very simply, the Grizzlies have secured a playoff berth and will not have a representative attend the lottery this year. They barely escaped with their postseason lives though. | ||
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| Team | Season Record | Last Week’s Record |
| Phoenix Suns | 47-34 | 1-3 |
| Phoenix began this season as one of the hottest teams in the league. By late February, the Suns were 33-21 and looked to be a near-lock for the postseason. 27 games later, the Suns have cooled off and entered this week on the verge of losing out on the postseason to the surging Grizzlies.
April 9 – Phoenix Suns 94, New Orleans Pelicans 88 Things were looking up as the Pelicans hosted the Suns. 5 players scored in double figures and Bledsoe (aka Mini-Lebron) had a clutch second half to the tune of 7-7 shooting that helped the Suns secure their third straight victory and maintain their one-game lead over the Grizzlies. However, the Pelicans featured a starting five that essentially had one even semi-regular starter in Tyreke Evans. Without Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Anthony Davis, the Pelicans were more than shorthanded for this contest. April 11 – San Antonio Spurs 112, Phoenix Suns 104 This was the turning point. This was essentially the make-or-break game for the Suns, aside from their head-to-head matchup against the Grizzlies on Monday. Phoenix stormed out to a 37-24 lead at the end of the first quarter and looked to be on the right track to pull a major upset and maintain their lead. However, Danny Green’s career-high of 33 points helped the Spurs mount a major comeback and steal this win out from under the Suns’ noses. April 13 – Dallas Mavericks 101, Phoenix Suns 98 It’s as if the same song is on repeat. The Phoenix Suns yet again blew a large lead en route to a heartbreaking loss to the Mavericks. Phoenix was up by 11 at the half and managed to let the Mavericks come back and steal a game that had a ton of playoff implications in the Western Conference as well. Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki combined for 60 points for the Mavs on 23-38 shooting from the field, including 6-10 from deep. Dallas’ veteran leadership showed that it was prepared for a tough run to the playoffs, which the Suns’ inexperience showed a bit as only 3 players scored in double figures. April 14 – Memphis Grizzlies 97, Phoenix Suns 91 As stated above, this game was paramount to the postseason hopes of both teams. In the end, Memphis prevailed and Phoenix was completely eliminated from the hunt. Despite the tough loss, Phoenix still looks poised to make some noise with their young roster within the next year or two. |
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| Lottery Spin | ||
| This loss puts the Suns back in the lottery securely at pick number 14. The Suns will keep this pick, but they’ll also get the Pacers’ first-round pick (from the Luis Scola trade) and the Wizards first-round pick (from the Okafor-Gortat trade). Their own pick will be the only lottery pick unfortunately for them, but having three picks in one of the best drafts in decades is never a bad thing. | ||
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