The Spurs clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row with their victory over the Blazers tonight. Now they'll concentrate on trying to avoid another upset like the one they suffered against the eighth-seeded Grizzlies last year. Here's the rest of the news from the Southwest Division:
- Eric Gordon will be a restricted free agent this summer, and is showing glimpses of why he'll be a commodity even as he's working his way back from injury for the Hornets, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- The company that operates the New Orleans Arena is seeking an extra $10MM from the Louisiana state government for upgrades to the building or other Hornets expenses, Ed Anderson of The Times-Picayune reports.
- With the Rockets eliminated from playoff contention, owner Leslie Alexander and coach Kevin McHale had little to say about where the team goes from here, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, who also takes a look at the team's muddied backcourt situation.