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Philippines, 26 Apr 2025 |
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OKC, Cleveland on Target for Season Best Marks, Record Plus 60 Wins, Sub-20 Losses By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Sat, 05 Apr 2025  If memory serves, this may be the first time we will have two teams from the East and the West that will post plus 60 wins and below 20 losses at the end of a regular season in the NBA. That is still probability at this point, though. Be that as it may, Western Conference and league topnotcher Oklahoma City Thunder and Eastern Conference tops Cleveland Cavaliers are both on target to set their respective season best records and be among the teams to finish with plus 60 wins and sub 20 losses marks in more than 50 years of NBA history. This despite OKC losing to Houston Rockets, 125-111 today bringing its record to 64-13, still within the target finish. On the other hand, Cleveland fought back a fierce rally by San Antonio Spurs to eke out a 114-113 win raising its record to 62-15, also within the target 60+ 20- finish. Since the 82 games schedule was first instituted starting in 1967-68 covering 57 seasons as of last year, only 27 teams have finished with plus 60 wins and below 20 losses including the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors which reset the best record of 73 wins and only 9 defeats from the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 finish. Previous to these, 1971-72 Los Angeles held the record of 69-13. But only LA and Chicago went all the way to win the NBA championship in those seasons as the Warriors were beaten by Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The 2016 Golden State and the 1996 Chicago teams were the only NBA clubs to notch at least 70 wins in a season. What are the chances of Oklahoma City and Cleveland of joining the top 27 plus 60 wins and below 20 losses teams with just five games left in their schedule? Given their respective opponents in their last five games, it appears Oklahoma has the better chance. The Thunder meets the Lakers in its next two matches then winds up against the Phoenix Suns, the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans which are all considered as lighter assignments. But then, the Phoenix may also be very tough as the Suns by that time could still be entertaining hopes of getting the last play-in spot in the West despite losing today versus the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers meanwhile will have Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and the Pacers again. The Kings will be dangerous as they are fighting to stave off the Phoenix Suns for the final play-in spot. Though the mentioned Eastern Conference teams have more or less clinched their respective playoff spots, the motivation is there for all four to beat Cleveland as morale boost heading to the best of eight rounds, especially for Chicago which could be a first round opponent. Oklahoma could lose two or three of the last five and still end up with a respectable 67-15 or 66-16 record, tying it up with the 2014-2015 Golden State or the 2012-2013 Miami Heat which both were NBA titlists. If the Thunder sweeps, it will end up with 69-13 tying the 1972 Lakers but that's too much to ask. Meanwhile Cleveland has to win at least one or two of its last five to finish at 63-19 or 64-18 and not slide down to 20 losses. A tall order still given the expected highly competitive nature of its opposition and the team's understandable desire not to risk injuries especially to its main players. It will be very interesting to see how the saga of both teams end up by mid April. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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