The 20-8 Flight will play host to the 19-8 Dynamos in a battle that has big implications for seeding at the top of the playoff picture.
The Flight come into the game currently seeded #3 with the Dynamos right behind at #4. The Flight won the first matchup this season 127-116. Thus, if they complete the sweep, the Dynamos would have to have an outright better record at regular season's end in order to be seeded higher than the Flight in the playoffs. On the other hand, a Dynamos win would leapfrog them over the Flight for the time being.
But the elephant in the room is the underlying battle to not be on same side of the bracket as the currently top-seeded and 3x defending champion Rebels. In other words, if and when the Rebels go in as the #1 seed, teams seeded 4,5 and 8 will be on the same side of the bracket as them. Sources tell me that side is being called the "Death Side," as beating the Rebels in a series looks as bleak as ever.
So the goal for teams is to avoid that side and try to make their way to the championship to presumably face said Rebels, trying their luck against them as late in the process as possible.
Everyone on the outside can see this for what it is. Not so much on the inside.
When asked about making sure to avoid the "Death Side," Flight coach (who recently returned to the sidelines) Ill Jackson said this:
"Well you know I have the utmost respect for the Rebels and what they've been able to do the last few years. They're as tough an outing as you'll get in this league. But I emphasise every day to the team that what we control is all that matters, and that's winning as many games possible. If you do that well, the seeding will reward you. I know it's cliche, but we feel like we can go to war and compete with any squad out there and that's what we'll do the best we can, including for this big game tonight. We never go in scared of a team, a side, a league, nothing. We'll be fine."
Dynamos coach Godettest:
"We look at any side as the 'Death Side.' And what that means is every playoff game is win or go home, even if it's not an elimination game. You can't really afford to give any ground to your opponent or else you're making things harder on yourself. Obviously you can't win them all, but that's how we approach it."
Similar sound bytes were given by the teams' players. So even though the teams won't say it, its about winning, but winning smart, and avoiding an early death.
