By Mel Greenberg

Well, forget about waiting for mid-September and the postseason. Playoff mode is in full swing with teams scrambling to break out of the gridlock.

Tuesday night, with a five-game slate, was exceptionally noteworthy.

The big winners with two steals from underdog status were second-year Atlanta with an 84-79 win at Los Angeles, while Detroit knocked off Western leader Phoenix, 101-99, to enhance the defending champions' chances to make the postseason . San Antonio gained a big win with its 84-82 double overtime win against Minnesota to go one up for the last available playoff berth. Seattle's 65-58 win in New York moved the Storm to within one game of first place behind Phoenix in the West. And Sacramento kept a faint playoff pulse alive in the bottom of the West with a 90-70 win over Connecticut that dealt some damage to the Sun.

Atlanta's win temporarily held up the champagne party in Indiana for its first-ever Eastern crown, though the Fever can take care of its own celebration by beating Phoenix in the Midwest.

  Besides the Sun, New York and Minnesota obviously suffered major setbacks.

So with that adjustment let's go back to the board, which will not be adjusted in the next post because the outcome either way will be mute to what's being tracked. If not mentioned in the previous post, the Guru plans to be in Washington Thursday for a huge game with Seattle.

Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (3):  at Sacramento - Sept. 4; at Phoenix - Sept. 5; at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (3) at Chicago - Sept. 4; at Indiana - Sept. 5; at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (2) Seattle - Sept. 3; Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (1) ar Detroit - Sept. 6.

Home (3) Washington - Sept. 4; Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (2) New York - Sept. 4; Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (3)  Indiana - Sept. 4; Chicago - Sept. 6; New York - Sept. 10.

New York: Road (2) at Connecticut - Sept. 4; at Detroit - Sept. 10.

Home (2)  Indiana - Sept. 8; Washington - Sept. 13.

Summary: New York is closer to the draft lottery because the Liberty needs three teams in front to all slide, which mathematically can't happen bcause they meet each other toward the finish.

Here are best-case scenaio forecasts without regard to upsets. Wild card will be how Indiana finishes out. Also, remember that while each is looked at as team's best hope, those that success will be costly to others' best hopes.

Atlanta: 1-3 The Dream reduced one anticipated loss and easily could  to 2-2 while 3-1 is not out of the question.

Washington: 3-2 but could easily be forecasted anywhere from 0-5 to 2-3.

Chicago: 0-4 but could steal here and there and get to 2-2.

Connecticut: lost a forecasted win and now could be either 2-1 or 1-2 with help needed. Being right behind a bunched ground of Washington, and Chicago, the Sun may have to go 3-0 because Detroit does not appear likely to take a deep slide and Connecticut needs to minimize tie-breakers for the last spot.

Detroit: 4-1 picked up a steal from a projected loss but could also fall to 3-2 or 2-3.

New York: 0-4 but a a few steals could mean 2-2, which doesn't appear good enough when looking at the probables in front of the Liberty.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2)  at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (2) Seattle - Sept. 5; Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 8; at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (2)  Los Angeles - Sept. 5; Seattle - Sept. 12.

Sacramento: Road (0) 

Home (3)  Atlanta - Sept. 4; Sacramento - Sept. 10; Minnesota - Sept. 13.

Summary: It's still wild with long odds on Sacramento despite beating Connecticut.

Minnesota: 1-3 but could lose all 4. The Lynx really needed to beat San Antonio.

San Antonio: 3-1 is not out of question but more likely 2-2 although nothing is a lock in projected wins.

Sacramento: 1-2 but could go 2-1. However, won't be good enough to pass two teams in front.

 -- Mel