NFL: 2013 Playoffs, Outcomes // NBA: Status Report, First Week of the New Year; Denver Nuggets & L.A. Clippers    

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.  .  .   SPORTS NOTEBOOK posts its columns Tuesday and Friday of each week. Ed. & Publ., Marvin Leibstone; Copy & Mng. Ed., Gail Kleiner.

NFL:    IT’s now about 12 NFL franchises vying for post-season conference championship positions and a Super Bowl slot. The six per conference are (American Conference:) the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, and the Cincinnati Bengals; (National Conference:), the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks. Except for the Colts, Bengals, Seahawks and the Vikings, all finished the regular NFL season leading their respective divisions, the aforementioned four being second place holders and so wild card teams, a common factor among the 12 franchises being that each completed the season with 10 or more wins, the Broncos highest within the American Conference with 13 wins, the Falcons atop the National Conference also with 13.

Too, during the regular season no team among the 12 post-season competitors lost more than the six given up by the Ravens and the Redskins respectively, both now 10-6. An average record for the 12 post-season franchises sits roughly at around 12-4, which is the Texans season finish.

            Within the American Conference this weekend, the Bengals will face the Texans, and the Colts will play against the Ravens. The following weekend, either the Bengals or the Texans will challenge the Broncos, and either the Colts or Ravens will face the Patriots. The winners of these contests will then compete for the post-season conference championship crown, the winner Super Bowl-bound (February 3).

            Within the National Conference, this weekend the Redskins will face the Seahawks, and the Packers will challenge the Vikings. During the following weekend, either the Redskins or the Seahawks will face the Falcons; and either the Packers or Vikings will challenge the 49ers. The winners of each will then compete for conference numero uno and going to the Super Bowl.

            The differences among these teams are not like that between, say, the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs, the former defeating the latter 38-3 on Sunday, and 17-9 earlier in the season. The end-of-season numbers tell us that the Broncos and the Falcons are likely to prevail and be the Super Bowl competitors, and that the Broncos, having won 10 games straight, can best the Falcons come February. BUT---the Broncos three losses during the regular season were to teams that they could face in the conference playoffs and perhaps at the Super Bowl, losing to the Texans, 31-25, to the Patriots, 31-21, and to the Falcons, 27-21.

            For the National Conference launch to the Super Bowl, the Falcons could have a tougher go than Denver, in that of the five other conference playoff teams, the Falcons have faced only one during the regular season, defeating the Redskins prior to mid-season, 24-17.

            Too, the numbers show that the Patriots could trip up the Broncos, and latter season data advises that the 49ers or the Redskins could undo the Falcons.

So, the better informed bettors aren’t eager to go with the high odd differentials.

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NBA:     Except for the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers, no division leading team is ahead of second place teams by fewer than three games, the Western Conference Northwest 24-6 Oklahoma City Thunder being ahead of the 18-15 Denver Nuggets by six, the Eastern Conference New York Knicks atop the Brooklyn Nets by five wins. The Heat is above the Atlanta Hawks by only one game, and the Pacers are above the Chicago Bulls also by one win.

The Los Angeles Clippers are leading the Western Conference’s Pacific Division with three wins above second place Golden State Warriors (21 wins, 10 losses), and after winning 17 games straight the Clippers are leading the Western Conference and also the Eastern Conference, thus the entire NBA, with 25 wins and seven losses, the Western Conference Southwest division-leading San Antonio Spurs directly behind, 25-8.

Atop the Eastern Conference sits the Heat, 21-8, next the Knicks, 21-10. Only one franchise in the Western Conference is below double digit wins, the conference’s Southwest Division New Orleans Hornets, at 7-24. Three franchises within the Eastern Conference have fewer than 10 wins, the 4-25 Washington Wizards (EC Southeast, and worst within all of the NBA), the 8-23 Charlotte Bobcats (EC Southeast), and the 7-25 Cleveland Cavaliers (EC Central). Twelve NBA teams are still below .500, and only one franchise has reached .800, the Thunder.

Denver Nuggets. Last night, the now 18-15/.545 Nuggets defeated the 17-game winning streak 25-7/.781 L.A. Clippers, 92-78, reflecting performance corrections made early enough in the NBA season that sustained can guarantee a post-season berth for the Nuggets, and this without the strong and steady contributions usually provided by guard, Ty Lawson, now benched from physical injury, the older Andre Miller surely a powerful replacement. Among the Nuggets corrections shown were speed of transition to a much-tightened though still flexible defense, a steady flow of rebounds leading to shots becoming points instead of wasted heaves, and improved shooting accuracy at close as well as distant ranges, three pointer accuracy still needing a broader spread among starters.

The Nuggets led the Clippers in number of rebounds attempted and secured, in field goals completed, in assists and in free throw percentage, though the Nuggets allowed more FT attempts to go to opponents, and six Nuggets players scored in double digits versus four Clippers achieving double digit points, the games highest scorers being Nuggets forward, Danilo Gallinari, with 17, and Nuggets forward, Kenneth Faried, 14, the Clippers best being 12 ppg.

The next five games confronting the Nuggets before meeting the 21-10 Golden State Warriors will be against teams with marginal records, two vs. teams that are at last place within their divisions, the 15-17 Utah Jazz (WC Northwest) and the 7-25 Cleveland Cavaliers (EC Central)---it’s possible that the Nuggets will be narrowing the gap soon between its second place hold and Western Conference Northwest Division leading franchise, the 24-6 Oklahoma City Thunder.

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