[Izulde]

We've got a lot of nagging injuries to start our last 10 games. Zelipe Gama and Mateen Yeaton are both pretty banged up and Emeka Okafor's still hobbled some as well. So I'm predicting we'll lock up the top seed in the West, but guessing we won't pass Toronto for the top overall seed.

Indeed, we split the opening doubleheader, winning 98-94 over Memphis on Marcelino Augusto's 43 points and 11 rebounds, Andrew Bogut's 13 points and 13 rebounds and Victor Gipson's 10 bench boards. Lowly New Orleans beats us 90-81, Marcelino Augusto's 20 points and 9 rebounds not enough to prevent the loss.

The free fall continues as Minnesota and Seattle sweep us in the next back-to-back. The Timberwolves triumph by a frustrasting 121-120 margin in OT, even though we had 26 points from Mateen Yeaton, 25 points and 9 rebounds from Marcelino Augusto, David Jackson's 14 points and 11 rebounds, Zelipe Gama's 21 points and 16 bench points from Rico Wolfe. It's nowhere near that close in a 111-96 drubbing by the Supersonics, even though Marcelino Augusto was red-hot with 41 points and 15 rebounds. Zelipe Gama garnered 11 points and 10 assists, Victor Gipson 10 bench boards.

Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton combine to give us the narrow 90-88 win over Golden State to snap the three-game skid. Augusto scores 26, Yeaton 20. I just hope we're back to full strength by the playoffs, because we're playing like crap right now.

We avenge ourselves against the Hornets and get a much-needed 108-71 blowout thanks to our usual juggernauts. Marcelino Augusto's first with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but Mateen Yeaton's right behind with 24 points. Zelipe Gama finishes the night with 10 points and 12 assists.

Andrew Bogut sprains his toe in practice before the first game of our next back-to-back and Victor Gipson gets the start against Memphis. We destroy the Grizzlies by 50 points, 118-68, as Marcelino Augusto and Mateen Yeaton score 27 and 22 points a piece and Rico Wolfe scores 13 off the bench. True to our season-end form though, we lose the next night, 108-103 in Houston despite Marcelino Augusto's 40 points and Rico Wolfe's 11 reserve points.

Finally the doubleheader sweep comes with the last two games of the season. The Suns try their damndest, but we come out on top 121-117 on Marcelino Augusto's 38 points and 11 rebounds, Andrew Bogut's 17 points and 18 rebounds and Rico Wolfe's 17 points to lead the reserves. The bad news is, Mateen Yeaton bruises his sternum and he's going to be iffy for some time. Still, we manage to put away Portland 118-104 in the final game of the season, Marcelino Augusto putting up 29 points and 10 rebounds, Zelipe Gama 20 points and 11 assists. The second team comes to the rescue as Rico Wolfe and Victor Gipson score 18 and 14 points respectively.

West Conference Playoffs Seeding
1. Denver Nuggets (61-21)
2. Dallas Mavericks (55-27)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)
4. Sacramento Kings (47-35)
5. Seattle Supersonics (44-38)
6. San Antonio Spurs (41-41)
7. Portland Trailblazers (40-42)
8. Utah Jazz (39-42)

Utah's a much better team than their record indicates, so it's going to be an interesting first round matchup, probably the worst one for us, actually. If we avoid the colossal upset, we should be sitting pretty well for the rest of the field, as long as there's no major injuries.

Mateen Yeaton's back to full health, which is going to be critical.

East Conference Playoffs Seeding
1. Toronto Raptors (69-13)
2. Atlanta Hawks (61-21)
3. Orlando Magic (50-32)
4. Milwaukee Bucks (47-35)
5. New York Knicks (50-32)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37)
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37)
8. Detroit Pistons (45-37)

Absolutely nasty field in the East. The Raptors have a lot of landmines to navigate if we're going to end up with Toronto/Denver V. 41-41 Boston and Chicago had to go home. How the Celtics and Bulls long to be in the West.

The Heat finished at 29-53, ahead of Indiana and the damned tankmaster Wizards in the East and the Hornets, Suns and Clippers in the West. So we're currently sitting with the #6 overall pick if I have my math right. I'll take that for sure.

Scoring
1 Marcelino Augusto (DEN) - 26.9
2. Nigel Abel (MIA) - 25.1
3. Corey Neal (NJ) - 24.1
4. Mateen Yeaton (DEN) - 23.3
12. Paulinho Buboltz - 20.6

My first ever scoring title winner. How cool is that! I'm going to send Larry Brown a thank you note for convincing me to draft Augusto. Yeaton's late-season injuries knocked him out of the #3 spot but that's okay.

Assists
1. Bernard Kelly (MEM) - 11.5
T2. Calvis Graham (LAL) - 10.9
T2. Kenny Graham (DET) - 10.9
8. Zelipe Gama (DEN) - 10.0
T14. Paulinho Buboltz (IND) - 8.1

Rebounds
1. Greg Oden (TOR) - 15.4
2. Jonte Jones (DAL) - 12.9
3. Patrick Riley (SAC) - 12.2
T12. Andrew Bogut (DEN) - 10.5

Blocks
1. Patrick Riley (SAC) - 3.6
T2. Marcelino Augusto (DEN) - 3.0
T2. Derrick Robinson (LAL) - 3.5

Steals
T1. Derrick Sterett (NJ) - 1.9
T1. Brian Metcalfe (PHI) - 1.9
T3. Kyle Smith (CLE) - 1.8
T3. Bernard Kelly (MEM) - 1.8

Rookie Leaders

Points
1. Devone Allen (DAL) - 15.9
2. Keith Attaway (IND) - 15.4
3. Filip Mikulic (HOU) - 12.8
4. Carlton Goree (SAC) - 10.4

Assists
1. Carlton Goree (SAC) - 7.9
2. Filip Mikulic (HOU) - 5.9
3. Keith Attaway (IND) - 4.9

Rebounds
1. Dylan Clark (CHI) - 7.9
2. Charlie Joseph (POR) - 6.7
3. Jeremy Bellairs (GS) - 6.1

Blocks
T1. Louis McNeish (MIL) - 1.5
T1. Walter Hicks (NJ) - 1.5
3. Devone Allen (DAL) - 1.4

Steals
1. Carlton Goree (SAC) - 1.3
T2. Keith Attaway (IND) - 1.2
T2. Devone Allen (DAL) - 1.2
4. Walter Hicks (NJ) - 1.1
5. Jeremy Bellairs (GS) - 1.0

D-League
Tzvetan Kishishhev finished tied for 5th in scoring in the D-League at 15.8 points per game. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 steals. As the Timberjacks' leading scorer, he led them to a 31-19 record and West conference champions by 3 games. They face off against the Los Angeles Sea Dogs in the D-League playoffs and hopefully I'll have the luxury of keeping him down there to see if he be the first Nugget of my tenure to win a D-League title.