Halftime Hype

Just been waiting for the right time to post - and it's almost come. Tonight will definitely be influential in making playoff predictions. Here are the game I'll be keeping an eye on and why:

Update: I made a mistake. A Bulls win tonight (which they got), clinched the 8th seed for Chicago. Toronto only had a chance if the Bulls lost and they won.

1) Cleveland @ Atlanta: Although it's a longshot, the Hawks and Cavs may end up playing against each other sometime after the first round. Also, another oppurtunity for Lebron's supporting cast to showcase its talent.

2) Milwaukee @ Boston: I'd like to see how Boston and Milwaukee look coming into the playoffs. The Celtics just lost to Chicago last night and haven't been looking too sharp lately. The Bucks haven't been a good road team at all this season (17-23), but let's see if they can pull off a W tonight.

3) San Antonio @ Dallas: With a win vs. the Mavs, the Spurs could potentially move from #7 to #6. A loss (and a Portland win) pretty much keeps them at #7.

4) Phoenix @ Utah: Besides the excitement of Nash vs. D-Will, these teams have identical records with Utah holding the tiebreaker for the #3 seed. A victory for Phoenix will cause a swap in seedings (Utah=#4, Phoenix=#3).

5) Golden State @ Portland: The Warriors are 7-33 on the road, so this should be an easy win for the Trailblazers, but hey, nothing is ever certain in sports.

6) New York @ Toronto: A win for the Bosh-less Raptors keeps them in the running. A loss (and a Chicago victory) will end Toronto's playoff hopes.

7) Chicago @ Charlotte: The current #7 and #8 teams, respectively, in the East. A Bulls loss really helps out the Raptors, who are presently a game behind for the 8th seed, though if I'm not mistaken, Chicago has the tiebreaker.

Plenty to watch for, which means plenty to write about - soon.