And down the stretch they come … T-wolves or Spurs? Mavs or Griz? Cavs or Knicks? Get the lowdown on the hottest races as the finish line comes into view

Sporting News, The, March 22, 2004 by Sean Deveney

Ah, the middle of March. What better time to get out your fedora, your $1.50 stogy and your Daily Racing Form? It's stretch-drive time in the NBA--the time when division titles are won and lost and the league's playoff seeds are sown. The losers (there will be 13) get a crack at winning the lottery (the draft lottery, that is), but the real gamblers are staking their claims on the postseason. Got a team you're backing? Well, we've got the lowdown on all the NBA races on this early-spring card--what's ahead, what's at stake, who's going to be deciding the races and, of course, who's going to win.

THE RACE

Midwest Division

The contestants: Minnesota and San Antonio.

The terrain: Nine of Minnesota's final 15 games are on the road, but the Timberwolves have been one of the league's best teams on the road. San Antonio is at home for nine of its final 14 games. These two teams face off twice in the second half of March.

The stakes: There still is a chance that the winner can catch Sacramento and win the No. 1 seed. In addition, the MVP race is Kevin Garnett's to lose, and if the Timberwolves hold off the Spurs, the award should be a no-brainer. The Timberwolves also would like the psychological edge of having won the division heading into the playoffs. The Spurs, generally, are unconcerned about the division race--they let forward Tim Duncan take plenty of time to rest an injured leg early this month.

The key horses: Hedo Turkoglu leads the league in 3-point shooting, and he seems to get better as the year goes on. The Spurs need him to space the floor and make teams pay for double-teaming Duncan. Manu Ginobili finally might have found a role as the backup point guard. Michael Olowokandi, who has not done much this season for Minnesota, must do a better job of anchoring the team's zone defense and rebounding if the Timberwolves are to win the Midwest.

The best bet: Spurs. Even when Duncan rests, San Antonio finds ways to win--the consistency of the team's motion offense has been impressive. It's a team that always hits its stride at this time of year.

THE RACE

East's No. 4 seed

The contestants: Milwaukee and New Orleans.

The terrain: A five-game road trip beginning this weekend is daunting for Milwaukee, but not as difficult as the Hornets' upcoming six-game swing through the Western Conference. The two teams will meet in Milwaukee on April 10.

The stakes: Both teams have been bad on the road, so getting the No. 4 seed--and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs--will be big.

The key horses: Bucks coach Terry Porter gave rookie T.J. Ford the starting point guard spot but prefers to rely on veteran Damon Jones late in games. Jones has excelled as a starter with Ford injured--Ford hurt his spine on February 24--and had a 17-assist game against Orlando. Power forward P.J. Brown is the biggest asset Hornets coach Tim Floyd has because he is a veteran and a fence-mender. Floyd is having trouble with point guard Baron Davis. Players who don't listen to Floyd will listen to Brown. With small forward Jamal Mashburn hurt again, keep an eye on George Lynch. His defense as a starter was key to the Hornets' hot start and was missing with Mashburn in the lineup.

The best bet: Bucks. They're young and inexperienced, but the Hornets are looking old and slow. The teams will meet in the postseason.

THE RACE

West's No. 6 seed

The contestants: Dallas and Memphis.

The terrain: The Mavericks struggle on the road, so a five-game trip in late March won't help. But nine of Dallas' final 15 games are against teams under .500. Memphis has no major trips left but must go to Dallas on April 13.

The stakes: This might look like a battle for No. 5, but No. 6 could be the better seed. The Lakers are likely to land at No. 4 or No. 5, so either the Grizzlies or the Mavericks will be forced to play L.A. in the first round, depending on which team finishes higher. The Lakers have struggled, but they're still a team no one wants to play in April.

The key horses: What happened to Mavericks forward Antoine Walker? After a productive start, he has lost his shot and is averaging just 11.8 points on 39.4 percent shooting since the end of January. For Memphis, Bonzi Wells continues to get a larger share of the offense with Mike Miller out, and Wells is rewarding the team with consistent shooting

THE RACE

East's Nos. 6, 7 and 8 seeds

The contestants: Boston, Cleveland, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto.

The terrain: The Celtics have been on a roll and have the benefit of a rare five-day break in March. That's valuable practice time. The schedule is not kind to the Cavs, though, with five back-to-backs down the stretch and a game in New York to close the season. The Knicks finish with a brutal April that features five of seven games on the road. Miami has a do-or-die, six-day stretch in April in which the Heat plays Boston and Cleveland twice each. Philadelphia has the easiest road of this group, with just one back-to-back set and 10 of its last 13 games against sub-.500 teams. Toronto is on the flip side--10 of its last 15 are against teams over .500.