The set-up: The Raptors saw the Bucks come into Air Canada Centre for Game 1 of this series and win by 14 points. That was not exactly something new, as the Raptors are now 0-9 in opening games of first-round playoff series (also just 1-11 in Game 1s of any series). However, the Raptors did bounce back to win their first two playoff series last postseason after losing Game 1 and Toronto was able to even this series in Game 2 by winning 106-100 (non-cover). The series now shifts to Milwaukee for the next two games and the pressure is now on the Bucks to 'hold serve.'

Toronto: After an 'ugly' Game 1 (2 of 11 for four points), PG Kyle Lowry scored 22 points and backcourt mate Demar DeRozan has averaged 25 points and 7.5 rebounds in the first two games. However, the 'star' of Game 2 for Toronto was its pressure-packed defense which held Giannis Antetokounmpo to shoot 9-of-24 from the floor, despite scoring 24 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. "The Greek Freak" made 13-of-18 shots in Game 1! The Raptors rely heavily on their two All Star guards but let's not forget Serge Ibaka, the trade deadline pickup from Orlando, who has averaged 17.5 & 10.5 in the first two games, while shooting a team-best 48.3% from the floor.

Milwaukee: Antetokounmpo knows he will need to make adjustments to deal with Toronto's change in defensive tactics. "They didn't allow me to go in the paint," he told reporters. "Every time I drove the ball, everybody was sucking into the paint. They were more physical. I still have to make the right plays and try to find my teammates." While Antetokounmpo struggled in Game 2, it was good news that SG Khris Middleton scored 20 points, after struggling to 10 on 4-of-15 shooting in the opener. Head coach Jason Kidd's rotation changed slightly down the stretch in Game 2 as he left Tony Snell on the bench while using PGs Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova in tandem. The move raised some eyebrows, but Kidd insisted that it was just a matter of matchups and rhythm and nothing against Snell, who played only 21 minutes.

The pick: Could it be as simple as this? The Raptors shot 5-of-23 in the opener from three-point range and lost by 14. They were 14-of-29 from three-point range in Game 2 and won by five. The Bucks are hoping to capitalize on a raucous home-court advantage to pull ahead in the series, but Kidd has been urging his young squad to not get too comfortable in front of its home crowd. "You can't think about having two games at home," Kidd said. "You have to stay in the moment. We're all excited to be home. For us, we had an opportunity in Game 2. We had some good looks at the end, but the ball didn't fall for us. We're focused on the first possession of Game 3 and trying to find a way to win." The Milwaukee Bucks haven't won a playoff series since the 2000-01 season and I'm backing the more playoff-tested Raptors in this one. Make Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: The Wizards own a strong starting-five and all reached double digits in the team's 114-107 Game 1 win over the Hawks. All-Star PG John Wall scored a playoff career-high 32 points to go with 14 assists and while SG Bradley Beal went 2-of-11 from three-point range, he added 22 points. Washington was able to pull off the seven-point win despite sending the Hawks to the free-throw line 39 times (Atlanta made 32). "The difference in the game was we were playing basketball and they were playing MMA," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap told reporters. "They were physical. When the game is like that, we have to match their physicality. But again, we've got to go get some moves and bring them back to the court." Washington likely has no intention of letting up after watching its aggression lead to 69 second-half points in the Game 1 win.

Atlanta: Head coach Mike Budenholzer knows his team can't commit 21 turnovers again, or allow 25 fast-break points! "Transition. Same since day one. If we do not get back, it is going to be hard for us to win games, so they took advantage of that," Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "John Wall is a blur out there, and when you have (Beal) and Otto Porter out there ... when he is in transition, those are his outlets. You know he puts so much pressure whenever he has those outlets and he knocks those shots down, it is kind of hard to (cover him)." The Hawks have spent the past two days of practice focusing on correcting just that. We'll see. Also, the Hawks are going to need more than seven points from center Dwight Howard, who had finished the regular season with a streak of 13 straight double-digit scoring efforts.

Washington: The Wizards trailed 48-45 at halftime in Game 1 but with Wall in control, the Wizards outscored Atlanta 38-28 in the third quarter and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth. Help came in the form of 22 points from Beal and 21 from Morris, who also had four blocked shots. The Wizards could always use some extra help off the bench and they anticipate having center Jason Smith (knee) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) available for Game 2, as both returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out Monday's session.

The pick: Washington's Game 1 win lifted them to 31-11 SU at home this season and that's after opening the season 5-6 SU at home. Atlanta lost Game 1 to Washington in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals before recovering to win the series on six games. However, that Atlanta team was the East's No. 1 seed, while this year's edition is a No. 5 seed, which ended the regular season on a 6-10 run. Make Washington an 8* play.

The set-up: Utah center Rudy Gobert (14.0 & 12.8) had a breakout season in 2016-17 and was a huge reason the Jazz returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. However, he suffered a knee injury on the opening possession Saturday's Game 1 against the Clippers. The game was an emotional roller coaster for the Jazz but all's well that ends well and veteran reserve Joe Johnson's buzzer-beater lifted the Jazz to a 97-95 victory in the opener of this best-of-seven series. Meanwhile, the Clippers are left to wonder just how they lost the homecourt advantage in the series by falling to a Utah team in Game 1 at Staples Center playing without its starting center? "The series doesn’t start until somebody loses at home," guard Chris Paul told reporters after producing 25 points and 11 assists. "I guess that [loss] started it. … Now we've got to see what we're made of."

Utah: Gobert's status for the rest of the series is in doubt. "I don't think we're ready to say today, tomorrow, a week, two weeks," head coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "I think it's literally that wide open." Johnson led all Utah scorers with 21 points plus Favors added 15 points off the bench, as well. Utah's best player, SF Gordon Hayward (21.9 & 5.4), had 19 & 10, and the team's new PG, George Hill (16.9 & 4.2 APG), added 16 points. Utah's reserves outscored LA's 47-20!

LA Clippers: The Clippers are insisting that there is no need to panic following the Game 1 loss."A lot of guys have played enough playoff games to know it's truly a series," forward Blake Griffin told the Los Angeles Times. "Everybody says that. But we've been up 2-0 several times and lost a series [to Portland]. We've been up 3-1 and lost a series [to Houston]. We've lost a first game and won a series. So it doesn't really matter, you know?" Griifin must be in denial. The Clippers' playoff history is filled with nothing but failure and as for Chris Paul, who so many think so much of, he's never even played on a team which has won a second round playoff series. Let that sink in! Griffin (26 & 7), Paul (25 & 11 assists) and Jordan (10 & 15) all had good stats but the Clippers struggled to free up their shooters, as guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford combined for 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-7 from three-point range. Then there was LA's bench getting pummeled by Utah's, 47-20!

The pick: Should LA bounce back and take Game 2? The Clippers should but I'll take the points and make Utah an 8* play.

The set-up: The Spurs allowed the Grizzlies to score 30 points in the first quarter of their Game 1 series but Memphis never had more than 19 points in any of the final three quarters, with An Antonio pulling away for a 111-82 win. "They just took over the game," Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph told reporters. "They started to hit shots and put pressure on us. We couldn’t get the ball where we wanted to get it. We just couldn’t get shots." A 19-0 run over a five-minute span bridging the third and fourth quarters turned the reasonably tight contest into a rout.Kawhi Leonard (25.5 & 5.8) not surprisingly led all Spurs with 32 points plus Popovich had to like Parker (just 10.1 PPG on the season) looking 'young again" with 18 points in minutes.

Memphis: The key to San Antonio disrupting Memphis was getting PG Mike Conley out of his rhythm. Parker helped in that regard, as Conley (20.5 & 6.3 APG) managed just 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting. "They forced other guys to handle the ball," Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told reporters. "We went over it, we expected it, but we just didn't respond well to it. I thought Mike missed some chippies in there in the paint. But give them credit; they really turned the game around defensively against us." In an overall poor offensive effort by Memphis, the bright spot was center Marc Gasol (19.5 & 6.2), who scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

San Antonio: Leonard and PF LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points / six rebounds) were the only players to log more than 25 minutes for San Antonio on Saturday, so "Pop's" team will be well rested. "The best part was the team keeping its composure, not going off in different directions and just trying to do what he planned execution-wise on both ends of the floor," Popovich said. "I thought we got better as the game went on."

The pick: The Spurs rested their starters for the entire fourth quarter, which could be a huge advantage in a series that is expected to be a physical one between grind-it-out teams. Still, Memphis was awful after the first quarter, yet trailed just 74-64 with 1:53 to play in the third quarter. Memphis scored only 33 points in the second half and missed nine of its 10 three-point attempts after halftime. Memphis will be better in Game 2. The Spurs were just 19-22 ATS at home during the regular season and I'll take the points here with The Grizz. Make Memphis an 8* play.

The set: The OKC Thunder against the Houston Rockets (Westbrook vs. Harden) is one of two excellent opening round series in the West. The Jazz and Clippers is the other and that one didn't disappoint Saturday night, with the Jazz edging the Clippers 97-95 on a game-winning buzzer beater! Westbrook and Harden are the two leading MVP candidates (Kawhi seems left out and I'm not sure why?) and for that reason alone, this has to be the first round's most appealing. The Thunder went 47-36 (No. 6 seed) and the Rockets had a 55-27 regular season mark, giving them the West's No. 3 seed but also note that Houston also owns a better record than any team in the East, as well

Oklahoma City: Westbrook led the NBA in scoring (31.6), ranked third in assists (10.4) and was 10th in rebounding (10.7) to join Oscar Robertson (1961-62) as the lone players to average a triple-double over an entire season. He also had 42 triple-doubles during the season to break the Big O's single-season record of 41. OKC was 33-9 in his triple-double games but head coach Billy Donovan is well aware that OKC will need more than Westbrook to advance in the playoffs. There is no doubt that Oklahoma City is armed to the teeth with bigs in Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Taj Gibson and Domantas Sabonis.

Houston. The Rockets were just 41-41 last season with Harden and the unhappy Howard not meshing. With Howard gone to Atlanta, Harden made this "his team" and Houston won 14 more games this season. Harden finished second in scoring (29.1), led the NBA in assists (11.2) and averaged 8.1 rebounds during the regular season and he is eager to compete with the tenacious Westbrook. Houston set an NBA record with 1,181 three-point FGs, an average of 14.4 per game. Harden (262) led the way, while backup SG Eric Gordon (246) and forward Ryan Anderson (205) all over 200. SF Trevor Ariza (190), just missed that mark.

The pick: Here's the rub. While the Rockets "fill the air" with three-point attempts, they finished just 15th in three-point percentage (35.7). The Thunder led the NBA in rebound percentage (53.4) but managed only a plus-1.8 rebounding margin against the Rocket, losing three of four. Obviously, OKC.was unable to overwhelm the Rockets with its advantage in size and bulk during the regular season. However, Houston was unable to stop Westbrook, who averaged 36.3 points, 9.3 assists and nine rebounds against Houston. Meanwhile, Harden experienced some struggles against OKC, averaging just 20.5 points on 34.3 percent shooting. Like with the Jazz/Clippers, the points could be YUGE. Make OKC a 10* play in Game 1.

The set-up: The 49-33 Washington Wizards did win the franchise's first division title since the 1978-79 season in winning this year's Southeast title but the Wizards enter the playoffs having lost five of eight. The team's late-season "mini slump" (just 8-9 since March 13th) saw them fall to the East's No. 4 seed and the team will open the postseason with Southeast Division rival, Atlanta. The 43-39 Hawks know all about poor play the last 1 1/2 months, as they lost nine of 11 from Mar. 13 through Apr. 2nd, before the return of All-Star power forward Paul Millsap helped the team turn things around. The Hawks secured the No. 5 seed with four straight wins, then lost their meaningless regular season finale at Indiana, while resting most of the its key players. .

Atlanta: Millsap (18.1 & 7.7) scored over 20 points in two of the four games after his return but was limited to an average of 16 points on 41.5 percent shooting in three games against Washington this season. Center Dwight Howard was pretty much a forgotten man this season but averagd a double-double at 13.5 points and 12.7 boards. He will playing in his 90th career playoff game in Tuesday's Game 2. on Tuesday. Dennis Schroeder (17.9 & 6.3 APG) ably replaced Teague at PG and no player on the Hawks benefited more from Korver's trade to the Cavs than Hardaway, who was one of the NBA's most improved players this season (ended the season averaging 14.5 PPG). Injuries shook up the team's lineup the second half of the season and the Hawks are expected to start SG Tim Hardaway and SF Taurean Prince, while bringing former starters SF Thabo Sefolosha and SF Kent Bazemore off the bench.

Washington: The Wizards own a clear backcourt advantage with Wall (23.1 & 10.7 APG) and Beal (23.1), plus all three frontcourt players average in double figures. Center Gortat (10.8 & 10.4) is surrounded by forwards Morris (14.0 & 6.5) and Porter (13.4 & 6.4) . A lack of scoring off the bench was addressed at the trade deadline, with the acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged 12.7 PPG in 26 games with Washington. Backup center Ian Mahinmi (calf) will not be available for the start of the series.

The pick: Neither team was very impressive after the All-Star break but both have All-Star talent. Washington lost its first meeting with Atlanta this season but then won the final three meetings, giving them five wins over the last seven between the two rivals. The Wizards also have the revenge card on their side, having lost the series 4-2 to the Hawks in 2015 but note, Atlanta was the East's top-seed in that season. At least for Game 1, it's all Washington. Make the Wizards a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak and while they did catch the Cavs at 51-31, Cleveland earned the No. 2 seed due to its series win over Toronto. So, the third-seed Raptors open the 2017 playoffs against the 42-40 Milwaukee Bucks, who are the East's No. 6 seed. The Bucks finished above .500 for the first time since going 46-36 in 2009-10 and the team is looking to halt a stretch of six consecutive first-round playoff exits. The Raptors reached the East Finals last year (lost 4-2 to the Cavs) and are expecting another sustained postseason run. However, the Cavs will almost assuredly be waiting for them in the second round, if Toronto beats Milwaukee. Toronto is the clear favorite to do just that, as the Raptors were 3-1 against the Bucks this season and have won 13 of the past 15 meetings between the two clubs.

Milwaukee: All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be counted on to carry Milwaukee in the postseason, just like in the regular season. He became the fifth player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring (22.9), rebounding (8.8), assists (5.4), blocked shots (1.9) and steals (1.6) in the same season. The Bucks were expected to fall out of the playoff race after losing Jabari Parker (20.1 & 6.1) to a torn ACL on Feb. 8th. However, just the opposite happened. The Bucks lost their first game without Parker, allowing 122 points the Lakers, but from then on won 21 of their final 30 games. The return of last years leading scorer Khris Middleton (18.2) was surely huge, as he averaged 14.7 PPG in 29 games, plus rookie guard Brogdon (10.2 & 4.2 APG) has played well enough to be considered for ROY honors.

Toronto: The Raptors are led by their All Star backcourt of DeRozan (27.3 & 5.2) and Lowry (22.4-4.8-7.0) but the addition of Serge Ibaka could be the difference in this year's anticipated second-round showdown with Cleveland. Ibaka has averaged 14.2 & 6.8 in his 23 games with Toronto and gives center Valanciunas (12.0 & 9.5 plus a team-best 55.7% shooting percentage) some much-needed inside help.

The pick: Yes, the Raptors are favored to win this series but it's not as if Toro pnto has a long history of playoff successes. In fact, the Raptors lost Game 1 of each of their playoff series last year. Take the points and make Milwaukee an 8* play.

The set-up: The 32-49 Dallas Mavericks have limped to the finish line, as they have dropped five in a row and nine of 10, including a 109-91 loss to Denver in their home finale Tuesday. The 43-38 Memphis Grizzlies are locked into the seventh seed in the West and will open the playoffs against the Spurs but first, they get their final tune-up when they host the Mavericks on Wednesday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Dallas: The Mavs are resting players, even though all have nothing but free time on their hands starting April 13th. Leading scorer Harrison Barnes (19.2) and guard Wesley Matthews (13.5) both sat against the Nuggets while the team gave a ceremonial spot on the bench to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Several other Mavs are expected to sit out Wednesday, including star forward Dirk Nowitzki (14.2), who scored 21 points against Denver.

Memphis: The Grizzlies aren't exactly racing to the finish line themselves, with four losses in their last five games. Head coach David Fizdale gave his reserves loads of playing time in the team's last game, although he has suggested that he might take a different approach in the finale Wednesday. "I don't even know if we're giving a guy the game off," Fizdale told reporters. "We want to keep them in rhythm and keep the cardio up and still let them get the contact and execution and all the stuff you get with playing a real game."

The pick: Memphis will be making its seventh consecutive playoff appearances, which represents the league's third-longest active playoff streak (Spurs have made 20 in a row and the Hawks, 10 straight). Everything points to Memphis showing some interest in this one,m while the Mavs 'mail it in.' Make Memphis a a 10* play.

The set-up: Russell Westbrook now stands alone in the NBA record books with 42 triple-doubles on the season. Westbrook's triple-doubles equate to winning for the Thunder, who are 33-9 when he records a triple-double and just 13-25 when he doesn't. The 45-34 Thunder are locked in to the West's No. 6 seed, playing tonight in Minnesota and back home tomorrow against the Nuggets. Meanwhile, The 31-49 Minnesota Timberwolves are limping to the finish with four straight loses on a just-concluded road trip, including a 110-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Oklahoma City: Westbrook scored 50 points and added 16 rebounds plus 10 assists in Sunday's 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets, capping the record-breaking triple-double with a game-winning, 36-foot three-pointer as time expired. "I only know one way to play, honestly," Westbrook told reporters. "I don't know any other way to play. When I get on the floor, I try to leave everything I have, regardless of seedings, records, the time of day, whatever. It doesn't matter to me. Basketball is basketball, and I try to go out there and leave it all on the floor."

Minnesota: There are wif any teams more disappointing this season than the Timberwolves. A season filled with promise and moments of hope ends without the playoffs for the 13th straight season. Minnesota received standout play from second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns (25.1 & 12.2) and third-year scoring wing Andrew Wiggins (23.7) plus got a big step forward from PG Ricky Rubio (11.1 & 9.1 APG). However, mainly due to defensive inefficiencies (106.6 PPG ranked 18th), the Timberwolves are locked out of the postseason, again.

The pick: Head coach Billy Donovan said he will let Westbrook decide if he wants to play in either of the final two regular-season games. Westbrook has just one triple-double in three contests against Minnesota this season while averaging 26.7 points, 11.7 assists and eight rebounds. Yes, the Timberwolves beat the Thunder 96-88 back on Jan. 13 but that comes after losing 26 of the previous 30 meetings with them. Make OKC an 8* play.

The set-up: The 49-31 Utah Jazz will be in Oakland tonight to take on the 66-14 Golden State Warriors. K.D. returned for the Warriors in Saturday's 123-101 home win over the Pelicans and played a team-high 31 minutes while scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Warriors have now won 14 straight since their three-game losing streak (Mar. 8-11), going 11-2-1 ATS. Meanwhile, the Jazz are involved in one of the few races still to be decided with three days left in the regular season. The No. 4 seed in the Western Conference has yet to be determined, as the 49-1 Clippers are battling the Jazz for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Utah: The Jazz enter Monday with a record identical to the Clippers' but sit in the No. 5 spot due to its head-to-head tiebreaker disadvantage. Making things even more difficult is that Utah finishes the regular season against the top two teams in the West, Golden State and San Antonio. "We don't really care," Jazz point guard Shelvin Mack told the Salt Lake Tribune regarding the team's desire for home-court advantage. "We're not going to get the No. 1 overall seed. So at some point, we're going to have to win a game on the road." Word is that Utah is more concerned with being healthy heading into the playoffs and All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward (quadriceps), shooting guard Rodney Hood (rest) and power forward Derrick Favors (rest) all are candidates to sit on Monday.

Golden State: Durant made his return on Saturday and collected 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. "It felt normal again," Durant told reporters. "I'm a basketball player. I love playing basketball. That's my favorite thing to do. So, to feel like I’m part of the team, to feel like I’m a part of this energy that we have, it feels great." Curry averaged 26.9 points and 7.8 assists with Durant out of the lineup, including a pair of 42-point performances in his last three games. Curry is expected back from a knee contusion on Monday, meaning Curry and Kevin Durant will take the floor together for the first time since Durant went down with a knee injury on Feb. 28

The pick: The Warriors no longer are playing for anything after locking up the top seed throughout the playoffs but they have two regular-season games to find the chemistry the team enjoyed prior to the injury to K.D. The Warriors have won seven straight at home over the Jazz, dating to April 2013. That streak includes four consecutive victories by 15 or more points, capped by a 104-74 spanking in December. Make Golden State an 8* play.

The pick: Oklahoma City has won eight straight meetings with Denver and gets a 'triple-double' here, the win, the cover and Russell's 42nd triple-double of the season. Make OKC a 10* play.

The set-up: The 39-40 Indiana Pacers are currently in the East's playoff field but just barely. Home wins this week over the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, which marked the team's first back-to-back wins since early February, have the Pacers and Bulls tied at 39-40, with the Heat lurking at 38-41, one game behind in the No. 9 spot. The Pacers play in Orlando tonight, against the 28-51 lottery-bound Magic. The Magic snapped a five-game slide with a 115-107 win over the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday but sit tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. "

Indiana: From the "strange but true" category of NBA life, Indiana got a boost in the last two games from the return of Lance Stephenson, who has energized the home crowd and is proving to be a key member of the rotation off the bench. He was part of Pacers' teams that went to the conference finals in 2013 and 2014. In the team's two home wins this week, he combinied with Aaron Brooks to form a potent backcourt on the second unit. "With Lance and Aaron Brooks in the game together, we have the versatility to move them from point to wing," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "Aaron is a good three-point shooter and with Lance at the point, that gives us another option on the wing." You can't make this stuff up!

Orlando: The Magic are coming to the end of their season and are intent on building chemistry heading into the summer and looking ahead to next season. PF Aaron Gordon and PG Elfrid Payton are developing a strong connection. "It's something that is growing with us and we want it to keep growing through the summer," Payton told the team's website of the chemistry he has with Gordon. "We're definitely trying to make an imprint and establish a way that we’re going to play. We’re finding an identity and we’ve got to just continue to get that defensive identity down." Payton and Gordon combined for 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. Gordon (12.5 & 5.0) is averaging 20.0 & 9.6 his last five games and Payton (12.7-4.7-6.4) is averaging 15.4-6.8-10.2 over the same time frame.

The pick: From "Ripley's Believe it or Not," we have Stephenson is averaging 8.3 points, two rebounds and 3.7 assists in 22 minutes per game in three appearances for the Pacers so far. Pacers PF Thaddeus Young has also recorded a double-double in two straight and three of the last five contests. plus as always, Paul George (23.3 & 6.6) leads the charge. Make the Pacers an 8* play.

The pick: The Spurs have often played very well in games like this (when significant players have been kept on the bench) plus the Mavs have no reason to win anymore. The Mavericks snapped a seven-game losing streak in the overall series with a 105-101 comeback win in January, which ended a Spurs' run of 117 straight wins at home when leading by least 10 points at the half. Dallas had lost 12 in a row in San Antonio going back to 2010. Despite the loss, San Antonio has still won 21 of the last 26 regular-season matchups, including three straight and seven of the last nine in Dallas. Even with the "second team" playing, make the Spurs a 10* play.

The set-up: The 50-28 Boston Celtics limp into Atlanta for tonight's game with the 39-38 Hawks, licking their wounds form a 114-91 thrashing at the hands of the Cavs last night in Boston. As for the Hawks, they are barely clinging to a playoff spot, having lost nine of their last 11.

Boston: The Celtics really covet the No. 1 overall seed in case of a potential Game 7 against the Cavaliers in the postseason, so the blowout loss was a huge setback. PG Isaiah Thomas (29.1 & 5.9 APG) had 26 points against Cleveland (he has topped 20 in 13 of his last 14 contests) but shot just 1 of 8 from three-point range. Boston was a combined 7 of 33 (21.2%) from beyond the arc and defensively, had no answer for LBJ (36-10-6). Love added 15 & 16 and Kyrie 19 and five assists. Is it "back to the drawing board" for the Celtics?

Atlanta: All-Star power forward Paul Millsap (18.1 & 6.3) returned from an eight-game absence due to a knee issue on Sunday but scored just 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting in a 91-82 loss to lowly Brooklyn. Millsap won't be operating at full strength but has had time to recover from Sunday's contest with a three-day stretch without a game. The Hawks are currently clinging to the No. 6 seed but are only 1 1/2 games ahead of Chicago, Miami and Indiana, who are all at 38-40.

The pick: Expect the Celtics to bounce back after last night's hugely disappointing effort (Atlanta is not Cleveland!). The struggling Hawks are 1-8 ATS their nine at home and look for them to play the perfect foil. Make Boston an 8* play.

LA Clippers: The Clippers are headed toward a first-round playoff matchup with the Jazz but the team with home-court advantage will be teh favorite to win that matchup, as both teams have won more than two-thirds of their home games (Jazz are 27-12 at home and the Clippers 26-12). Los Angeles hasn't played since Saturday so the team should be well rested. The Clippers play three of their final four games at home but the road contest is at San Antonio and one of the homes games is against Houston. That makes this game vs. Dallas a must.

The pick. However, the Mavericks have actually won the last two meetings with the Clippers, after dropping 12 of the previous 16. Sure LA is likely to win but note that the Clippers are just 2-8 ATS at home their last 10 as double digits favorites, with one of those ATS wins coming against the Cavs, when they rested LBJ, Kyrie and Love. Make Dallas an 8* play.

The Denver Nuggets have won two straight while the Portland Trail Blazers have lost their last two. The 37-40 Nuggets are in Houston tonight and with a win over the Rockets, can move into a tie with the 38-40 Blazers for tehepot in the West (Blazers are idle). The Rockets are 52-25, after ending a three-game losing streak with Monday’s 123-116 victory at Phoenix. Houston is locked into the West's No. 3 seed and won Monday's game without three starters in the lineup.

Denver: The Nuggets have gotten back in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West by winning back-to-back road games. They edged the Heat 116-113 in Miami on Sunday and then won 134-131 at New Orleans on Tuesday. Denver used just eight players with Will Barton (foot) and Jameer Nelson (calf) out at New Orleans, but seven of the eight scored in double figures. The team shot 53.5 percent from the floor. Center Nikola Jokic (16.6 & 9.7) had 21 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double to go along with a pair of triple-doubles in the last 10 contests while Danilo Gallinari (leading scorer at 17.9) is averaging 28.5 points over the past two games. PG Emmanuel Mudiay (11.0 & 4.0 APG) has received more playing time the last two games with Nelson out and averaged 16 points and eight assists after scoring 23 total points in March.

Houston: MVP candidate James Harden (sore wrist), Ryan Anderson (ankle) and Trevor Ariza (personal) all missed Monday’s victory at Phoenix. "It’s what you’re paid for,” Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters of his patchwork lineup. “They came out, as professional as heck. They got the job done. That’s what we just talked about.” Harden (29.2-8.1-11.2), who is averaging 33 points and 10 assists in three wins against Denver this season, could sit out another game or two to help his wrist recover for the playoffs.

The pick: How D'Antoni handles his rotation on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center remains to be seen. However, we know Denver desperately needs this one (Nuggets still have two more road games left on this five-game trip), while the Rockets No. 1 priority has to be getting healthy for the playoffs. Make Denver a 10* play

The pick: This game with the Knicks is the first of five remaining games against non-playoff teams for Chicago. Hard to argue with Chicago's recent success but the Bulls are just 15-23 SU on the road this season. New York has won the first two meetings with Chicago, taking a 117-104 win in Chicago back on Nov. 4 and posting a 104-89 win on Jan. 12 in New York. Chicago as a road favorite?? Make the Knicks a 10* play.

The pick: No doubt that the Nets are playing their best ball of the season and will be motivated to avoid a series sweep at the hands of the 76ers but I've been riding Philly lately and ahas rewarded its backers to the tune of going ATS its last . Make Philadelphia a 10* play.

Rogers' complete analysis by 12 pm et (10*)

The set-up: The 35-40 Denver Nuggets have lost three straight and five of seven. That slump, coupled with Portland's late rush (), has Denver falling 2 1/2 games back of the Blazers for the West's No. 8 seed. Denver had been sitting on that eighth spot for a long time but now the Nuggets are running out of time (just seven games left in their season). The 37-39 Miami Heat know all about battling for a playoff spot. The Heat are one of three teams in the Eastern Conference with identical 37-39 records, and only two of them will make the postseason. Due to tiebreakers, the Chicago Bulls are in seventh place, the Heat are eighth and the Indiana Pacers are ninth. The Bulls are 6-4 over their last 10, the Heat are 5-5 and the Pacers are 3-7.

Denver: The Nuggets have allowed an average of 119.7 points during a three-game losing streak, including 122 in each of the first two games of their five-game road trip. Denver got outscored 52-35 in the paint and allowed Charlotte to make 17 three-pointers in Friday's 122-114 loss. "Definitely losing like this the last two it makes it tough, but we still have to do our job," forward Danilo Gallinari told the media. "Have fun with each other, have fun playing basketball and keep focusing on our job every game." Denver's five starters combined to score 95 points and shoot 56.1 percent but its four reserves were 8-for-24 from the floor. Losing is not fun, especially when a playoff spot is slipping away.

Miami: The Heat lost 98-94 at home to the sad-sack Knicks on Friday, the team's fourth loss in seven games. Is this a "must win" game for Miami? Maybe not but the Heat have a three-game road trip up next, visiting the Hornets on Wednesday before going to Toronto and Washington. They then return home to finish the regular season with a game against Cleveland. PG Dragic (20.1 & 5.9 APG) and center Whiteside (16.8 & 14.1) have led this team all season, with Whiteside having recorded 52 double-doubles on the season.

The pick: The Knicks Friday came into AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday with a 28-47 record and without the services of two of their top three scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose. Plus, Joakim Noah and Lance Thomas, who have started 61 games combined this season, were unavailable. Still, the Heat couldn't defnd their home court. Make Denver an 8* play.

The set-up: The 35-41 Charlotte Hornets have six games left and currently sit two games back of the East's final playoff spot. They will be in OKC on Sunday, taking on the 43-32 Thunder, who are 2 1/2 games back of the Clippers for the West's No. 5 seed. However, the Thunder are hoping to move closer to clinching the West's No. 6 seed with a win, as they are currently 1 1/2 games better than the No. 7 Grizzlies.

Charlotte: The Hornets got a much-needed 122-114 win against Denver amade 17 three-pointers.Frank Kaminsky () led the way with five and has made multiple three-pointers in four consecutive games, shooting 20-of-35 (57.1%) from the floor in the last three outings. PG Kemba Walker () had 31 points on Friday and has 23 assists versus just three turnovers in the last four games. The Hornets are currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs and need every win they can get. Charlotte is two games behind the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat for seventh and eighth place in the East. With only two spots open for the five teams in contention, Charlotte is in "must win" mode from here out.

Oklahoma City: The Thunder fell Friday at home to Spurs, as Russell Westbrook (31.8-10.6-10.4 was not up to his MVP form. He shot just 8-of-22 in Friday's loss, although he still finished with a triple-double (35-15-12), his 39th of the season, two shy of the all-time record. The Thunder got 16 points from Victor Oladipo (16.3) against San Antonio and 13 from Steven Adams (11.6 & 7.6) and it's an ongoing issue. They continue to look for a consistent second option alongside Westbrook. Enes Kanter (14.5 & 6.9), who splits time at center with Adams, has scored in double figures in 16 of the last 17 games with six double-doubles over that stretch.

The pick: Still, this team is just too reliant on Westbrook. Want a perfect example? Westbrook dominants the ball, especially in the fourth quarter, leaving no other playmakers. Westbrook is averaging 10.4 APG but the next closest on the team is Victor Oladipo at 2.5 per game. That said, the Thunder can handle a team like Charlotte here at home, without much trouble. Look for Westbrook to dominate with his sixth straight triple-double and for OKC to win and cover. Make OKC an 8* play.

The set-up: The 29-47 Sacramento Kings have been eliminated from postseason contention and the 30-44 Minnesota Timberwolves will join them shortly. Not much was expected of the Kings this season and when Rudy Gay (18.7) was lost to a season-ending injury and the Kings traded Cousins (27.8 & 10.6) at the All Star break, Sacramento 'turned the page" and has now sat out 11 straight postseasons. However, Minnesota's season began full optimism with two of the NBA's finest young players in Towns and Wiggins plus a proven scorer in LaVine. The addition of head coach Tom Thibodeau was expected to get this team into the playoffs. Instead, the T-wolves are now on the brink of playoff extinction, which will mark the 13th straight non-playoff season for this franchise.

Sacramento: The Kings enter Saturday's game at Target Center coming off a lopsided 117-89 road loss against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was Cousins' first game against the team which traded him away and he scored 37 points. Rookie Buddy Hield was the key piece in the Cousins trade and after averaging just 8.6 points in 57 games with New Orleans, he's averaged 13.9 points in 19 games with the Kings, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor.

Minnesota: Towns (24.7 & 12.1) and Wiggins (23.1 & 4.0) have had outstanding seasons plus LavVne (18.9) was close to a 20-point average before getting hurt. Veteran PG Rubio (10.9 & 9.0 APG) has put together a solid season and so has PF Dieng (10.1 & 7.9). There is just no excuse for this team to be 14 games under .500!

The pick: The T-wolves ended a six-game slide with a 115-114 Monday win at Indiana and then won again Thursday night at home, 119-104 over the Lakers, who aren't trying to win. Yes, the Kings are just 4-15 since trading Cousins but they are still trying. I want no part of laying a huge number with Minnesota. Make the Kings an 8* play.

The set-up: The 39-36 Atlanta Hawks and the 36-39 Chicago Bulls are both in the middle of the East's logjam at the bottom of that conference's playoff picture. Each team has just seven games left but the Hawks' playoff chances look good, with them sparring over positioning. Atlanta is just a half-game back of No. 5 Milwaukee plus owns a 2 1/2-game edge on Miami and Indiana (37-39) , who are tied for the East's final two spots. As for the Bulls, who missed last year's postseason despite a 42-40 record, they currently sit a half-game back of the Heat and Pacers and own the unenviable position of being "the last team out!" (just like last year when Chicago finished two games back of the No. 8 seed).

Atlanta:The Hawks had lost seven in a row from Mar. 13th through Mar. 26th but have put together back-top-back wins over two of the NBA's worst teams this year, edging the Suns 95-91 at home on Tuesday and then winning the next night at Philly, 99-92. Swingman Kent Bazemore (11,2) scored 19 points and hit four three-pointers in 20 minutes off the bench against Philadelphia after missing five games with a right knee bone bruise. Getting Bazemore back surely helps, as starters Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha continue to miss. Not having Millsap is huge, as the PF leads the team in scoring (18.1) plus averages 7.7 RPG. Millsap had a non-surgical procedure performed to relieve the soreness in his left knee and will miss Saturday's game against the Bulls, his eighth straight. You don't hear much about center Dwight Howard (13.5 & 12.9) these days but he led Atlanta with 22 points and 20 rebounds, his 17th straight double digit rebounding game.

Chicago: The Bulls cleared out players in the off-season and brought in some new ones but things have not gotten better. At the trade deadline, they then shipped out two solid players, PF Gibson (11.6 & 6.9) and the team's best three-point shooter, McDermott (10.2). Of course, Butler (23.5-6.2-5.5) is still the heart of this team but Wade's return to Chicago has been underwhelming (he's was shut down for the year in mid-March) and the signing of Rondo (7.5-5.0-6.6) has not helped the team at all.

The pick: The Hawks have dominated the Bulls recently, having won seven straight in the series, including all three this season. However, the Hawks are down two starters and the Bulls are a shell of the team which began the season. The Under is a 10* play

The set-up: The Sacramento Kings traded their franchise player, DeMarcus Cousins, to the New Orleans Pelicans at the trade deadline and tonight, Cousins plays against his former team or the first time, as the 32-43 New Orleans Pelicans host the 29-46 Sacramento Kings on Friday. The All-Star center played six-plus seasons with the Kings until being traded to the Pelicans during the All-Star break for a package that included shooting guard Buddy Hield.

Sacramento: The Kings beat Denver 116-100 in their first game without Cousins but after getting trounced 112-82 by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, have lost 13 of their last 17 games. Hield was the player Sacramento most wanted in the trade but he sure struggling against Utah, scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting. However, he had averaged 16.8 points over the previous six contests and in his 18 games with the Kings, is averaging 14.0 PPG on 47.7 percent shooting.

New Orleans: The addition of Cousins was supposed to allow the Pelicans to climb up and snag the West's No.8 playoff spot but that hasn't been the case. New Orleans is just 9-9 since the All Star break and with only seven games left in their season, is five games out (slim just left town!). Cousins returned from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury to record 29 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday's 121-118 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He's averaging 22.9 & 11.9 in 14 games with the Pelicans. Davis 27.9 & 12.0) also had a huge game against Dallas with 30 points and 13 rebounds and he is the first player to record at least 30 points and 13 rebounds in four consecutive games since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. He and Cousins get along well - they are both Kentucky products - and the duo is committed to making their budding partnership work, and point guard Jrue Holiday has noticed. "They for sure have a groove," Holiday told reporters. "They pass to each other kind of like they've done it before. I think it's a lot easier when you see coming off a screen one person diving and one person popping. (They're) definitely figuring that out."

The pick: Holiday is entitled to his opinion but in the 14 games Cousins has played in for the Pelicans, they are just 6-8 SU and 6-7-1 ATS. That's not playoff-level basketball. The Kings have won the previous two meetings against the Pelicans this year and just who is New Orleans to be laying this much wood? Make Sacramento an 8* play.

The set-up: Denver lost their showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, the team's fourth loss in six games. That defeat dropped the 35-39 Nuggets one game back of the Blazers for the West's No. 8 seed and Portland's win last night over Houston, added a half-game to that lead over the Nuggets. Denver still has time to make up ground on Portland but this game at Charlotte marks the second of a five-game road trip. The 34-41 Charlotte Hornets have a bigger gap to make up in the East, as they are three games behind the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers (who are tied for the final two playoff spots), with seven left to play.

Denver: The Nuggets are well aware they came up short in Tuesday's game at Portland. "It’s what we've been all year: inconsistent," Barton told the Denver Post after the loss. "Good in moments. (Portland) wanted it more, point blank. From top to bottom, they wanted it more. Everything - the coaches, the players - they just wanted it more." Adding insult to injury, the man most responsible for Tuesday's loss was former Nugget Jusuf Nurkic, who was traded in February to Portland. The 7-foot center scored a career-high 33 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots as Portland claimed its 12th win in 15 outings.

Charlotte: The Hornets lost at home Tuesday night to teh hecks but pulled off an amazing in-game turnaround the following night at Toronto. Charlotte scored 44 fourth-quarter points at Toronto, after managing just16 in the third, to pull out a 110-106 win and remain on the fringe of playoff relevancy.

The pick: Charlotte's barely alive in the playoff race (three games out with only seven to play) and if the Hornets come up short, they'll look back at the team's 1-12 run from Feb. 23 through Mar. 23 . The Hornets have no margin for error and are going to need some help. Don't expect them to get it here, as I ethe Nuggets get the much-needed win. Make Denver a 10* play.

The set-up: The 45-31 Los Angeles Clippers currently own the No. 5 seed in the West, 1 1/2 games back of No. 4 Utah and just one game better than No. 6 OKC. The Clippers have been an up-and-down team since the All-Star break and head to Phoenix just 10-10 since returning to the court on Feb. 23rd. Meanwhile, the Suns are in a race to the bottom of the Western Conference with the LA Lakers, entering this contest on a nine-game losing streak, although they remain a half-game better than LA entering tonight's play at 22-53 (Lakers are 21-53).

LA Clippers: The Clippers are off an impressive 133-124 win over the visiting Wizards last night, as four starters scored over 20 points in the same game for the first time in franchise history. J.J. Redick led the way with 31, followed by PG Chris Paul (27), PF Blake Griffin (26) and center DeAndre Jordan (23). The foursome combined for 107 points. It marked a season-high in points for Redick, Griffin just missed a triple-double by adding 10 rebounds and nine assists plus Jordan added 18 rebounds for his 36th double-double of the season.

Phoenix: The Suns shut down Bledsoe (21.1-4.8-6.3) in mid-March for tehe season plus center Chandler (8.4 & 11.5) and backup PG Knight (11.0 & 2.4 APG) have been held out since the All Star break, as the Suns have been looking at their young players. Many felt that head coach Earl Watson gave too long of a look to Booker, when he kept him on the floor in the final minutes against Boston to help him get to 70 points back on Mar. 24th (last Friday). Booker apparently tweaked an ankle during that contest or the ensuing game against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. He sat out Tuesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The pick: All of LA's key players are healthy now, with the possible exception of key reserve Austin Rivers, but still this team hardly inspires confidence. After all, they've lost to lightweights like Dallas and Sacramento in the last days.The Clippers will be playing the second night of a back-to-back for the 13th time Thursday night and they went just 3-9 in their first dozen second-night affairs. Laying points here makes little sense, even against the Suns. Make Phoenix an 8* Play

The set-up: The Warriors rested their key players the last time they were in San Antonio (Mar. 11) and caught 'hell.' However, after last night's 113-106 win at Houston, Golden State has gone 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS since losing badly that night in San Antonio. The Warriors will be back in San Antonio tonight and while they are 0-2 vs. the Spurs this season, they own a 60-14 record, 2 1/2 games better than San Antonio's 57-16 mark. The Spurs also come in playing well (so what else is new?), having won five in a row.

Golden State: Steve Kerr drew the ire of the league and ABC officials when he didn't play guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, forward Draymond Green and swingman Andre Iguodala in Golden State's last trip to San Antonio but has said, "The guys are good to go," while revealing his plans to reporters after the win over Houston. Stephen Curry (24.9-4.5-6.5) had 32 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Warriors last night, while Klay Thompson (22,3) and Draymond Green (10.4-8.1-7.1) added 25 and 19 points. It was the 11th time this season that both Curry and Thompson scored at least 25 points in the same game. The Warriors never trailed on Tuesday, setting the pace by building a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter and leading by as many as 22 points.

San Antonio: Let's not forget that San Antonio was without its two best players, Kawhi Leonard (26.0 & 5.9) and LaMarcus Aldridge (17.6 & 7.5) were out with injuries, in that Mar. 11 rout of the Warriors. San Antonio comes into this showdown with the Warriors on the heels of a dominating 103-74 victory over defending league champion Cleveland on Monday. Kawhi Leonard, surely a legitimate MVP candidate, had 25 points in the win despite sitting out all but the first minute of the fourth quarter.

San Antonio is 6-0 against the league's three other teams (Golden State, Boston and Cleveland) that can earn conference titles plus the Spurs have prevailed in 34 of their last 35 home games against the Warriors, with Golden State's win coming last season to end a 33-game slide. I guess that means SA is the play but just like last night, I'm not passing up the Warriors as an underdog. Make Golden State a 10* play.

The set-up: The Atlanta Hawks finally halted a seven-game slide with an unimpressive 95-91 home win last night over the Suns. The 38-36 Hawks remain tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with Milwaukee but they are just one game up on the seventh-seeded Pacers and two up on the eighth-seeded Heat (Chicago, at No. 9, is still within three games of Atlanta). The 28-49 Philadelphia 76ers won 106-101 last night in Brooklyn over the NBA-worst Nets and return home for this game having played well recently (5-4 SU over their last nine), despite numerous injuries

Atlanta: PG Dennis Schroder (18.0 & 6.3 APG) fueled Tuesday's victory with 27 points. "It feels great to get a win," Schroder told reporters. "Now it's time to start a winning streak." Atlanta's recent struggles are partially due to injuries, including All-Star forward Paul Millsap (18.1 & 7.7), who has missed six consecutive games knee tightness and will miss at least two more. Swingman Kent Bazemore (11.0) has sat out five consecutive games with knee issues as well, but may return against the 76ers. However, forward Thabo Sefolosha (7.3 & 4.4) will miss his third straight contest with a groin injury. You don't hear much about center Dwight Howard (13.4 & 12.8) these days but he had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots against Phoenix for his 16th consecutive double-digit rebounding game.

Philadelphia: With Embiid's season having been cut short (he played in just 31 games), forward Dario Saric continues to emerge as a leading Rookie of the Year candidate. He scored 23 points for his seventh 20-point outing of the month in last night's win and has averaged 12.9 & 6.4 on the season. Saric is averaging 19.4 points over the past 20 games, with six double-doubles. Philly's injury issues continue to be widespread, as second-year center Jahlil Okafor (knee) has missed four of the past five games with a knee problem, although head coach Brett Brown insists he won't be shut down. Former Hawks center Tiago Splitter played his first game since Jan. 31, 2016 last night, contributing two points and three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench for Philadelphia. Splitter, acquired from Atlanta in exchange for Ilysova in that Feb. 22 deal, had been out with hip and calf problems. Splitter was one of just nine players available to Sixers coach Brett Brown.

The pick: OK, the Hawks finally won a game after seven straight losses (2-5 ATS) but it came against the sad-sack Suns and Atlanta won by just four, as a 10-pont favorite, Yes, the Hawks are 3-0 against the 76ers this season and have won the past six meetings but this Atlanta team has gone just 3-7 SU over its last 10 road games while the 76ers continue to be a money-making investment, despite a steady stream of injuries. The numbers say it all. Philly is 18-5 ATS its last 23. Make Philly an 8* play.

The set-up: The Golden State Warriors have 'righted the ship,' having put together a seven-game winning streak since the team suffered a 5-7 stretch from Feb. 28th (the game in which K.D. got hurt) through Mar. 11th. The Warriors are 59-14 and lead the Spurs by two games with nine games remaining for both teams. The 51-22 Rockets are streaking as well, having won four straight and seven of eight.

Golden State: The Warriors have survived a disjointed period following Kevin Durant's knee injury with Stephen Curry taking control of the offense and Klay Thompson burying three-pointers to compliment an improvement on the defensive end. The Warriors needed someone to step up when Durant went down and are getting a strong run from veteran Andre Iguodala, who went 7-of-8 from the floor in a win over Memphis on Sunday. He's averaged 12.6 & 4.4 over his last five. However, it sure also helps that Curry's averaging 24.3 PPG and 8.0 APG during the team's seven-game streak, with Thompson leading the way with 24.9 PPG, while making 52.3% of his threes. Oh yeah, you may remember Green, whose line reads 11.1-7.9-7.1 in the seven straight wins.

Houston: James Harden (29.4-8.0-11.3) continues to build his MVP resume. The All-Star point guard is averaging 36 points, 12.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor over the last five games and was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Houston's supporting cast is also stepping up around Harden as well. Four different players scored at least 22 points in Sunday's 137-125 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lou Williams led the way with 31 points off the bench and he's averaging 15.0 PPG in about 24 minutes of playing time since coming over from the Lakers.

The pick: Golden State doesn't plan on resting players this week and can basically wrap up the top spot in the West with a good week while playing Houston (twice) and San Antonio over the next three games. Meanwhile, the Rockets are locked into the No. 3 spot in the West but are looking to test themselves against the best in the West heading into the postseason. Houston won the first meeting between the two teams in double overtime at Oracle Arena back on Dec. 1, kicking off a 10-game winning streak. However, they didn't make their three-point shots in the rematch at home on Jan 20th, hitting just 7 of 35 three-pointers while falling 125-108. The Warriors sure don't want to visit San Antonio tomorrow off a loss. Make Golden State a 10* play.

The set-up: The 37-36 Milwaukee Bucks are in a three-way tie with Atlanta and Indiana for the East's No. 5 seed in the upcoming playoffs. To say it's a logjam is an understatement, as 2 1/2 games separate the No. 5 team and the No. 9 team plus Detroit is one game back of the No. 9 team (Chicago) at No. 10 and the 33-40 Charlotte Hornets are just a half-game back of the Pistons. The Hornets have won four of their last five and enter their final nine games of the regular season with some momentum.

Milwaukee: The Bucks worked their way up into a tie for the No. 5 spot with wins in 11 of 13 but failed to take advantage of a chance to move up more with a 109-94 home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. They will need to stay sharp, as six of their final nine games on the road, including two trips to Boston, which now leads the Cavs by a half-game for the East's No. 1 seed (wow!). The Bucks have "played through" the season-ending injury to Jabari Parker (20.1 & 6.2), led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (23.1-8.3-5.3) and buoyed by the return to health of last year's leading scorer, Khris Middleton, who has averaged 14.9 PPG in 21 games (15 starts).

Charlotte": The Hornets opened the season 8-3 but quickly fell into mediocrity. Charlotte was 23-21 on the morning of Jan. 23rd but then lost 12 of 13 and seemed 'dead in the water.' However, the team has shown some life recently. The Hornets are playing their best basketball since November and sit two games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat, just four games behind a cluster of teams tied for the No. 5 spot. Still, the team has been plagued by inconsistency and time is running short.

The pick: The teams have not seen each other since opening night, when Charlotte earned a 107-96 win at Milwaukee. A win tonight for the Hornets is a 'must' and I'll make Charlotte an 8* play.

Sacramento: Willie Cauley-Stein (7.5 & 3.7 on the year) had 14 rebounds to go along with the game-winning shot in the closing seconds against the Clippers (two of just eight points) and Buddy Hield made all three of his three-pointers in the final three-plus minutes to fuel the rally. Hield was the player GM Vlade Divac coveted most from New Orleans in the Cousins deal and he's averaging 14.8 PPG in his 16 games with the Kings, shooting 49.4% from the floor. Sacramento also reacquired Tyreke Evans in that deal and when he's played (10 games), he's averaged 13.4 PPG and shot 50.0% on threes.

The pick: Yes, Sacramento's win l on Sunday showed grit but remember, the Kings are just 4-12 since trading Cousins and get set to host Memphis, having gone only 1-7 SU in their last eight at home. Gasol led the way with 28 points and nine rebounds when these teams last met Jan. 20 in Memphis, a game the Grizzlies won which gave them 19 wins in their last 22 encounters with the Kings. Gasol or not, make Memphis an 8* play.

The set-up: The 41-31 Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to catch the Utah Jazz in the Northwest Division (currently trail by 2 1/2 games) plus are also still alive to catch the Clippers for the No. 5 seed in the West (trail by 1 1/2 games). However, they also know that the Grizzlies are only 1 1/2 games back of them for the sixth-seed. The Thunder stay on the road tonight and the team's 14-21 record away from home, the third-worst mark in the NBA among the 16 teams that entered the day holding down a playoff spot, keeps holding them back. The 31-41 Dallas Mavericks welcome OKC tonight but they've gone just 3-5 in their last eight, falling 3 1/2 games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Oklahoma City: The Thunder limp into Dallas having dropped their last two outings against marquee opponents at home, badly. Houston shot 63.3 percent (made hit 20 three-pointers) in Sunday's 137-125 victory over OKC (Thunder were down 20 at the half). Last Monday at home, the Thunder also came up woefully short against the Durant-less Warriors 111-95, as Curry and Thompson (57 points) outscored OKC's entire starting-five (53 points). Russell Westbrook (31.3-10.5-10.4) just may finish the season averaging a triple-double but if OKC is to win even one playoff series, Oladipo, Kanter and Adams, plus ex-Bulls Gibson and McDermott will have to consistently play better..

Dallas: The Mavs have been experimenting with different players, lineups and also tried Seth Curry at PG, instead of SG, plus Harrison Barnes at PF instead of SF, the last two games. Curry had 23 points in a win over the Clippers but finished with 11 points, two assists and a minus-11 rating in 30 minutes in a loss to Toronto. Yogi Ferrell , who started 14 consecutive contests before the change, had 10 points and four assists with a plus-14 rating in just 18 minutes against the Raptors. As for Harrison Barnes (19.7), he averaged 22 points in that span.

The pick: The Thunder lost their last visit to Dallas earlier this month by 15 points and while they've been an inconsistent road team all season (see above), off Sunday's beat down, I expect a bounce back. Dallas is one defeat away from securing its first losing season since 1999-2000. The run of non-losing seasons beginning in 2000-01 coincided with Mark Cuban's first full season as owner.Make OKC a 10* play, as they hand Dallas a 42nd loss.

LA Clippers: LA's win over Utah was its fourth in five games and reserve guard Jamal Crawford led the way with a season-high 28 points on 8-of-12 from the floor. Fellow reserves Marreese Speights (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Austin Rivers (11 points) also helped out, as LA's starting-five shot a collective 36.5 percent. Los Angeles clinched its franchise-record sixth consecutive postseason berth with Saturday's win but it's right back out on the court, this afternoon.

The pick: Yes, Los Angeles has won 18 of its last 21 games against Sacramento but the Clippers are a modest 18-17 ATS at Staples Center on the season. This is a big number. Take the points and make Sacramento an 8* play.

analysis soon

The set-up: The 26-45 Philadelphia 76ers are lottery-bound yet again but will still have a few more opportunities to influence the playoff seedings. Philadelphia beat Boston on Sunday and still has two games each remaining against the Bulls and the No. 7 Indiana Pacers, as well as games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto and Milwaukee down the stretch. They will be in Chicago tonight to take on the 34-38 Bulls, who moved into a tie for ninth with Detroit, after romping over the Pistons 117-95 in Chicago on Wednesday. Both Chicago and Detroit are one game back of the eighth-seeded Heat.

The pick: Chicago enjoys a 12-game winning streak in the series (six straight home wins) but I'll take the points with the 76ers, who play the roll of spoiler in this one. Make Philly an 8* play.

The set-up: The 34-37 Denver Nuggets currently hold down the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference but there is little room for error, as they own a slim one-game lead over the Blazers. After losing both ends of a home-and-home with Rockets, the Nuggets got a much-needed 126-113 home win over the Cavs on Wednesday. Now it's off to Indiana to take on the 36-35 Pacers, who are tied for sixth in the East with Milwaukee but just one game up on the 8th-place Heat, who are just one game up on both the Bulls and Pistons. Things are getting tight!

Denver: Shooting guard Gary Harris (14.9) had 21 points on 8-of-14 against the Cavs, as the Nuggets shot 53.1 percent as a team. Rising star Nikola Jokic (16.2 & 9.4), added 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Harris has played very well recently (he's averaging 16.9 PPG in March,) and the Nuggets have won eight of their last 12 games, reaching 100-plus points in each one.

Indiana: The Pacers are coming off a 109-100 loss at Boston on Wednesday and have now alternated wins and losses over their last 15 games! Indiana is 4-5 in its last nine, with the five losses (all on the road) coming by an average of 13.2 PPG and the four wins (all at home) coming by an average of 12.3 points. All-Star forward Paul George (22.5-6.4-3.3) admitted that Indiana was playing like a lottery team on the road and a playoff team at home before Wednesday's game at Boston. George scored 35 points while only one other Pacers player reached double figures in the loss. "From what I see, everyone is giving it everything they

The pick: Yes, the Pacers are an impressive 25-10 SU at home (compared to 11-25 on the road) but I want all the points I can get with the high-scoring Nuggets. Make Denver an 8* play.

The set-up: The 40-31 Memphis Grizzlies have 11 games left and are hoping to chase down the OKC Thunder, who are currently just one game ahead of them for the West's No. 6 seed. They will be in San Antonio tonight to face the 54-16 Spurs, who are 2 1/2 games back of the Golden State Warriors, who own the NBA's best record at 57-14. The Spurs have 12 games remaining (seven of next eight are at home), while the Warriors have 11 games left in their season.

Memphis: The Grizzlies lost 95-82 on Tuesday at New Orleans, as a four-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. "Everything we built over the last four games, we threw away," All-Star center Marc Gasol told reporters. "I can't find the reason why, but the consistency we built was really fragile." The team's top-three players all struggled. Gasol (20.0 -6.2-4.6) had only 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting and PG Mike Conley (20.0 & 6.3 APG) had 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting. PF Zach Randolph, who now comes off the bench but still averages 14.0 & 8.2, had only four points on 2-of-11 shooting. "Our three big guns didn't have it for whatever reason," Memphis head coach David Fizdale told reporters. "We can't win games with our big three down like that." He's sure right about that. Memphis had averaged 104.5 points during its four-game winning streak but even a 28-point fourth quarter left them with just 82 on the game, as Memphis shot 40.5 percent!

San Antonio: The Spurs had to overcome a double-digit deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-93 on Tuesday and still have an opportunity to make one last run at overtaking the Warriors. LaMarcus Aldridge (17.5 & 7.4) scored 26 points against the T-wolves and now, after missing two games due to a heart arrhythmia issue, has scored at least 18 points in all four games since he returned, averaging 21.0 points during the stretch. Concerns over his health are dissipating. All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard (26.0 & 5.9) scored 22 points against the Timberwolves and has now reached 20-plus points in 15 of the past 18 games. Can you say MVP?

The pick: When K.D. went down, many felt as if the Spurs could catch the Warriors for the West's top seed. However, games haven't come easy for SA since Durant was lost in a Feb. 28th game at Washington. The Spurs may be 8-3 in March but ATS the team is a money-burning 3-8! The Grizzlies are 2-0 against Spurs this season, so make Memphis a 10* play.

The set-up: The 36-34 Indiana Pacers currently own the No.6 seed in the East but they are just one game up on No. 7 Milwaukee, 1 1/2 games up on No. 8 Miami and just 2 1/2 games up on Detroit, which currently is on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Boston's All-Star point PG Isaiah Thomas (29.1 & 6.0 APG) returned from a two-game absence due to knee issues on Monday and led the Celtics to a 110-102 victory with 25 points, as the 45-26 Celtics moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Wizards in the East standings (Boston is the No. 2 seed and Washington the No. 3 seed).

Indiana: The Pacers beat the Jazz 107-100 on Monday, keeping their streak alive that has seen them alternate wins and losses over their last 14 contests. It's also noteworthy that in its last eight games, Indiana has alternated wins and losses with each of the wins coming at home where the Pacers are 25-10. The Pacers are on the road here (11-24 SU), so if form holds, Indiana is in for a rough night.The good news for the Pacers is that standout SF Paul George (22.4-6.4-3.3), who returned from the break in a shooting slump, has put that in the past, as he's averaged 25.7 PPG in March on 48.9 percent shooting from the floor, including 41.1 percent on threes.shooting

Boston: The Celtics are actually within reach of the 46-23 Cavs for the No. 1 seed (Boston is two games back) but have said that they will prioritize the health of Thomas and others down the stretch. Thomas was not 100 percent on Monday but wanted to play in an important game in terms of the standings and came away without any further issues physically. "I think it's about playing good basketball," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters before Monday's game. "That stuff sorts itself out. Obviously, you want to be as good of a seed as you can. I think that there's no question about that. But, again, I'd like to have some healthy games here to play some good basketball and see if we can figure ourselves out as we head into the next month-plus."

The pick: The Celtics have won both games against the Pacers this season, despite each of them being played in Indianapolis. Yes, the Pacers have alternated wins and losses their last 14 and are coming off a win (they are do for a loss) and yes, the Pacers are a woeful 11-24 SU on the road. However, the Pacers are from from having secured a playoff seed, no less even assured themselves of one of the East's eight playoff spots.As noted above, the Celtics will be cautious with their players down the stretch (especially with Thomas) and I want all the points we are getting tonight. Make the Pacers an 8* play.

The set-up: The 34-36 Detroit Pistons are clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and after Sunday's 112-95 win over the Suns snapped a three-game slide, Detroit is hoping (expecting?) that a visit to the NBA-worst 13-56 Brooklyn Nets will result in a two-game win streak. The Nets have played better since the return of PG Lin (13.7 & 4.9 APG), who seems finally to be over his hamstring problems. However, he tweaked his ankle against Dallas and is listed as doubtful for this contest.

Detroit: The Pistons scored 65 points in the second half of their win over the Suns and that kind of offensive effort was a welcome relief. After all, Detroit had averaged a woeful 84.7 points during it three-game losing streak. The Pistons were an awful 34.9 percent from the floor in an 87-75 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, so the effort vs. the Suns was definite plus. Detroit is tied with Miami Heat for the eighth spot, just one game ahead of ninth-place Chicago and a half-game behind seventh-place Milwaukee. It's quite a battle for the final two playoff spots in the East.

Brooklyn: Sure, the Nets have long since worried about the playoffs but the team has been much more competitive lately, splitting six games before back-to-back close home losses to the Celtics and Mavs. Lin being out is not good news (he had averaged 16.5 points in the eight games prior to going down in the first quarter against the Mavericks) but center Brook Lopez, the team's leading scorer at 20.7 PPG, has scored at last 23 points in each of his last five, averaging 24.8 PPG in that span.

The pick: The Pistons have six double digit scorers plus backup PG Ish Smith just misses at 8.3. However, this team averages a modest 101.7 PPG, ranking just 26th out of 30 teams. Detroit has underachieved all season and why lay points on the road with a team just 11-22 SU in its away games? Make the Nets a 10* play.

The set-up: The 43-27 Utah Jazz are hoping to hold off the LA Clippers and secure the No. 4 seed in the West (Jazz currently lead the Clippers by two games). The 35-34 Indiana Pacers are currently sixth in the East but teams are bunched at the bottom of the East's standings, as the Pacers lead the ninth-place Pistons by only 1 1/2 games. Indiana has 13 games remaining (seven at home) and gets set to host Utah having alternated wins and losses over its last 13 contests

Utah: The Jazz lead the league in scoring defense (96.3 points) but one couldn't tell it this past Saturday, when Utah allowed 34 points in the fourth quarter of 95-86 loss to the Bulls. In fact,the jazz have been outscored 58-38 in the final 12 minutes of their last two games (both losses). Utah is having a fine season but injuries continue to plague this team. Currently, the Jazz are missing SG Hood (13.1 points) and PF Favors (9.6 & 6.2) plus backup PG Mack (7.3) also is listed as questionable with an ankle problem.

Indiana: Pacers' standout Paul George (22.4-6.4-3.3) returned from the break in a shooting slump but that's all in the past now, as he's averaging 26.4 PPG in March. However, PG Jeff Teague (15.0 & 7.9 APG) is just 15 of 45 shooting over his last four games while center Myles Turne (14.6 & 7.1) has scored a total of nine points over his last two. Then there is small forward C.J. Miles (10.8), who is also struggling of late, averaging 7.6 points on 14 of 39 shooting over his last five games.

The pick: Yes, Indiana is 24-10 at home but the Pacers are playing the second game of a back-to-back (got creamed 116-91 Sunday in Toronto) and are just 4-11 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season. The Jazz have won three straight meetings with the Pacers and will try to sweep the season series with Indiana for the second straight year.That's the bet. Make Utah an 8* play.

The set-up: The 26-43 Philadelphia 76ers will be in Orlando to take on the 25-45 Magic on Monday night. Both teams have been going nowhere for quite some time now but neither appears to be playing like it is readying for the draft or trying to increase their lottery odds. Both the Magic and the 76ers are coming down the stretch run of their respective seasons and look focused on wanting to win.

Philadelphia: Injuries have made it a long season for the 76ers, with No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons never 'seeing' the court. Joel Embiid (20.2 & 7.8), after sitting out two years with foot problems, was on pace to win rookie-of-the-year, before having his season cut short (31 games), because of yet another injury setback. However, fellow rookie Dario Saric's bid for ROY continued with a 23-point effort in Sunday's 105-99 victory at home over the Celtics, Saric is now averaging 12.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG on the season and will enter tonight's contest looking to score in double digits for the 20th consecutive game!

Orlando: The Magic were out West while the NCAA played games at the Amway Center. They wrapped up a three-game road trip with a 109-103 triumph at Phoenix on Friday, a victory which ended an overall four-game slide. Six players scored in double figures against the Suns, led by Evan Fournier's (16.9 PPG) 25 points. Center Nikola Vucevic (14.6 & 10.2) is averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds in his last four games, after scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in Phoenix.

The pick: Well-known for their "tanking" strategy to stockpile high draft picks in recent years, the Sixers seem to be taking a different route this season. They've passed the Magic for the fifth-worst record in the league and have shown plenty of potential with some impressive victories. Yes, the Magic won at Phoenix in their last outing but in losing the previous four games, Orlando had allowed a whopping 119.8 points. Make Philadelphia a 10* play.

Dallas: The Mavs beat the Nets 105-96 on Mar. 10th for a fourth straight win, but three losses in four games have followed, two of them being of the 'ugly' variety. The Mavs lost 100-78 on Mar. 13th at Toronto and then just this past Friday, lost 116-74 in Philadelphia to the 76ers. Incredibly, Dallas actually led by two points after the first quarter on Friday, before suffering its most lopsided loss of the season. The Mavericks shot 34.5 percent overall (including 21.7 percent from three-point range), while the 76ers shot 52.5%, making 12 of 29 from three. "Tonight, was by far the worst of the year in terms of energy, effort, togetherness and we all own it," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "We all own it. There is not a lot to say we got outplayed in every way possible."

Brooklyn: The Nets are playing their best basketball of the season of late with two wins over the crosstown rival New York Knicks and a close 98-95 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. Granted, Friday's loss was the Nets' 18th in their last 19 home games but Brooklyn is 4-8 since the All-Star break, when Jeremy Lin returned from a second strained left hamstring. Lin (14.1 & 5.1 APG) is finally over his hamstring problems and he makes a difference. In fact, Brooklyn is 7-14 (.333) with Lin in the lineup and 6-41 (.128) without him.

The pick: When the Mavs bested the Nets in Dallas back on Mar. 10th, Brooklyn led the Dallas in the fourth quarter of that contest, despite playing without leading-scorer, center Brook Lopez (20.6).  Lopez returned from an ankle injury in the Nets' next game and is averaging 24.3 points in the last four contests while going 12-of-24 from three-point range. The last time the Mavs visited Brooklyn was back on Dec. 23, 2015, when the Mavs won 119-118 in OT. Why lay points on the road with a team struggling as much as the Mavs currently are? Make Brooklyn a 10* play.

The set-up: The 30-37 Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to track down the Denver Nuggets for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers are currently in ninth-place but have fallen 2 1/2 games back of the Nuggets. Portland will be in Atlanta tonight to take on the 37-31 Hawks, who are the East's No. 5 seed, 2 1/2 games back of Toronto (No. 4 seed) and two games up on Indiana (No. 6 seed).

Portland: The Blazers won the opener of their five-game road trip at Phoenix on Sunday but suffered an 'ugly' 100-77 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday. However, they were able to win 110-106 the very next night at San Antonio. "Well, that had to be to be probably our best win of the year," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "To beat a team like San Antonio on the road, and not only that, but how we won, I thought it was one of our better games as far as staying focused throughout the game. Withstanding some of their runs, the crowd, a lot of good performances." All season long, the Blazers have been led by the backcourt duo of Lillard (26.5-4.9-5.8) and McCollum (23.3) However, if Portland is able to catch Denver, the reason will likely be the play of the 7-0 Nurkic, who Portland acquired from Denver in a swap of centers (Plumee was sent to the Nuggets). It was an "under the radar deal," but Nurkic is averaging 14.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 BPG in his 12 games (11 starts) with the Blazers.

Atlanta: The Hawks are close enough to the fourth-place Raptors to consider homecourt advantage in the first round if they can pull out of their current rut but then again, Atlanta is just 19-16 at home this year (18-15 on the road). Unlike Portland, Atlanta didn't have much luck at San Antonio (a 107-99 loss on Monday) plus then followed that with another homecourt disappointment, losing 103-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The Hawks had just beaten the Grizzlies by 17 points in Memphis five days earlier!

The pick: Portland is one of eight Atlanta opponents in the next nine games that has a losing record, but the Blazers are 6-2 in March. Also, while the Hawks have won five straight against the Trail Blazers, including an OT win at Portland back on Feb. 13, the Blazers now have an inside presence in Nurkic. Make Portland a 10* play.

The set-up: The 43-25 Boston Celtics are 1 1/2 games up on the Washington Wizards for the East's No. 2 seed. They are also just 2 1/2 games back of the top-seeded Cavs but head out on a two-game road trip tonight (first stop, Brooklyn), playing without star PG Isaiah Thomas (29.2 & 6.0 APG). Thomas will not travel with the team on the trip as he rests a right knee bone bruise, the team announced Thursday. The Nets are an NBA-worst 13-54 but continue to show some level of improvement, having won four of their last nine.

Boston: Playing without Thomas makes life tough but fortunately Avery Bradley looks to be back near 100 percent. The team's seconding-leading scorer (16.9) and rebounder (5.2), is also the team's best perimeter defender. It's also goods news that center Al Horford (14.0 & 5.4) is back to playing well. He was slumping offensively before sitting out a pair of games earlier this month but he has bounced back nicely, averaging 14.3 points while shooting 65.8 percent from the floor and making 5-of-7 three-pointers in a four-game span. Marcus Smart (10.8 & 4.4 APG) is expected to fill Thomas' role at the point.

Brooklyn: Making the Nets' recent so-called "surge" even sweeter is that they've beaten their in-city rivals (New York Knicks) twice in a span of five days. Brook Lopez led a balanced attack with 24 points in Brooklyn's 121-110 victory at Madison Square Garden last night. Jeremy Lin (14.3 & 5.0 APG) is finally over his hamstring problems and he makes a difference. In fact, Brooklyn is 7-13 with Lin in the lineup and 6-41 without him. Swingman Hollis-Jefferson (8.3 & 5.3) finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds last night, for his second double-double in a span of three games (he is shooting 54.3 percent since the All-Star break!).

The pick: The Celtics have been able to use their preferred starting-five just 28 times this season, going 21-7 (.750) but with variation of that lineup they are a more modest 22-18 (.550). The last time Thomas missed time, the Celtics were just 1-3, averaging 102 PPG, down from 107.2 on the season. Lin is back, Lopez (team's leading scorer at 20.5 PPG) has scored at least 24 points in three straight contests and the entire team seems to much looser. Make Brooklyn a 10* play.

The set-up: The 40-28 LA Clippers figured that Chris Paul's return would spark the team but since his return, the Clippers have gone just 5-6 after last night's one-point home loss to the Bucks. Paul (17.7-5.1-9.2) had scored 30 and 33 points in his previous two games but had just six points last night, on 2 of 10 shooting. LA travels off that one-point loss to Denver, to take on the 32-25 Nuggets, who still cling to the West's eighth and final playoff spot by two games.

LA Clippers: Head coach Doc Rivers kept power forward Blake Griffin (21.3-8.5-5.1) and center DeAndre Jordan (12.5 & 13.5) home to rest with Saturday's home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers looming on the agenda, so the Clippers will be short-handed. The Clippers are now three games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West, after suffering that 97-96 home loss to the Bucks on Wednesday. The absences of Griffin and Jordan will open up playing time for nearly everyone on the roster and that might not be a bad thing in the mind of Rivers. "Young players have to be taught how to win," Rivers told reporters after the loss to the Bucks. "They know how to play. They haven't figured out how to do it and win at the same time."If you ask me, Rivers is trying to "sell something!"

Denver: The Nuggets are working hard to secure that No. 8 seed in the West and will be looking for their fourth consecutive win and eighth in the past 11 games tonight against the Clippers. Like LA, Denver will be shorthanded as well, as forwards Danilo Gallinari (knee), Wilson Chandler (groin) and Darrell Arthur (rest) will all miss the contest. Power forward Kenneth Faried (back) returned to practice Wednesday after missing the previous nine games and is listed as questionable. Gallinari is the team's leading scorer (17.7) and Chandler is tied with Jokic at 16.1 PPG. Center Nikola Jokic recorded 18 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers in Denver's 129-101 Monday win, falling one rebound shy of his seventh straight double-double. He's really come into his own this year, averaging 16.1 & 9.4.

The pick: Both teams will be missing key players but I'll side with the home team, which is playing much more consistent basketball at this time. Denver is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 37-30 Memphis Grizzlies broke a five-game losing streak by winning their last two games and now sit just one-half game behind sixth-place Oklahoma City in the West. The 37-30 Atlanta Hawks are currently 5th in the East but have hopes of catching the Toronto Raptors for fourth place in the East, which would give them homecourt advantage in a potential first-round playoff series.

Memphis: Wins on the road this week over Milwaukee (113-93) and Chicago (98-91) have been sparked by a return to playing better defense. Defense has been a Memphis trademark for years but during its five-game slide, it had become a liability with the Grizzlies allowing 114.0 PPG during its slide. "We're getting there," Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told reporters after the win. "I like the way our defense is starting to come back to us, but I'm never going to get comfortable with our group. They haven't been consistent enough to show me that I can let off the gas now." Memphis will be without forward Chandler Parsons for the rest of the season. He was diagnosed with a partial tear of his left meniscus. He was averaging 6.2 points and had started 34 games. That will likely put more pressure on 40-year-old Vince Carter to pick up the slack.Center Gasol (20.2-6.1-4.5) and PG Conley (20.0-3.6-6.2) each had 27 points against Chicago and that duo will be counted on heavily down the stretch.

Atlanta: In order for the Hawks to catch the Raptors, they will need to start taking care of business in their home arena. Atlanta is just 19-15 on its own floor as it begins a two-game homestand against the Memphis on Thursday. The Hawks are only 5-7 over their last 12 overall games, after falling 107-99 at San Antonio on Monday. The defeat was the Hawks' 16th straight in San Antonio! Millsap (18.2 & 7.8) and center Howard (13.2 & 12.9) are both having solid seasons but PG Schroder (17.9 & 6.3 APG) and backup SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.7) may have more to do with Atlanta catching Toronto. Schroder is looking to score more and he has finished in double digits in points in a career-best 16 consecutive games. Hardaway has taken advantage of an increased role since the trade of Kyle Korver to Cleveland by scoring in double digits in 21 of his last 22 games.

The pick:The Hawks posted a 107-90 victory over the Grizzlies just this past Saturday (their third straight win in the series). The Hawks connected on 15 of 30 three-pointers in that game, while the Grizzlies shot an abysmal 5 of 29 (17.2 percent) from beyond the arc! The door is open for the Hawks to make a run at fourth-place Toronto, as only two of Atlanta's next 10 opponents have a winning record. That's not the case with Memphis but the Grizzlies haven't won in Atlanta since Feb. 8, 2014 and are playing the second of back-to-back games here. Make Atlanta an 8* play.

The set-up: The 42-25 Utah Jazz open a four-game road trip in Detroit against the 33-34 Pistons. The Jazz have won five of their last six and currently own the No. 4 seed in the West, sitting two games up on the Clippers. Detroit sits seventh in the Eastern Conference and had won 12 of 18 games prior to being smoked 128-96 in Cleveland on Monday. "It was just a bad night," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "They were great, we were terrible. That is why you get a lopsided game."

Utah: The Jazz have had a superb season, despite numerous injuries to key players. New PG Hill (17.4 & 4.2 APG) has missed 20 games, SG Hood (13.4) has missed 19 plus two key players from last year, PF Favors (16.4 & 8.1 LY) and SG Burks (13.3 LY) have not been the same. Favors has missed 20 games (he's expected to miss his fourth straight contest tonight) and he's off last year's numbers at 9.6 & 6.2. Burks didn't get back on the court until Jan. 2 and his scoring has been cut in almost half (7.5). The team's best player, SF Hayward (22.0-5.5-3.5) sat out the season's first seven games but he's missed just one since and is producing a career year. Center Rudy Gobert missed Saturday's game against Oklahoma City but returned to post 11 points and 10 rebounds versus the Clippers in Monday's 114-108 home win, his fourth straight double-double and 46th of the season. Gobert averages 13.1 & 12.7 on the season and makes 65.0 percent of his FG attempts!

Detroit: The Pistons own an excellent seven-man rotation but as I've said before, the total seems less than the sum of this team's parts. Leading scorer forward Tobias Harris (16.4 & 5.2) is averaging 20.0 points in three games since returning to the starting lineup and 19.2 PPG over his last six contests. Center Andre Drummond (14.8 & 13.9) collected 14 rebounds against Cleveland but fell two points short of his ninth double-double in the last 10 games. PG Reggie Jackson (14.9 & 5.4 APG) had only six points on 3-of-13 shooting against Cleveland and has been streaky this month, scoring 19 or or more four times and eight or fewer in the other three games. This team is an enigma!

The pick: The Pistons won the season series a year ago but the Jazz crushed the Pistons in the first meeting this year, 110-77 back on Jan. 13 in Salt Lake City. Note that the Pistons have lost eight of their last 10 home games to the Jazz. Make it nine of theri last 11, as Utah is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 28-38 Dallas Mavericks have been trying to climb into the No. 8 spot in the West but it hasn't much helped that they have lost their last two, including an 'ugly' 100-78 defeat at Toronto on Monday, in the opener of a four-game road trip. It surely doesn't get any easier for Dallas tonight, as the Mavs face the 41-25 Washington Wizards, who are battling the Celtics for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference (currently trail Boston by a half-game) and also hold out hope that they can still catch the East's top-team, the 44-22 Cavs.

Dallas: Monday's setback dropped Dallas 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets with just 16 games to play. It was the team's second straight poor shooting performance, as the Mavs shot 36.5 percent from the foor in Toronto, after only shooting 37.8 percent in a 100-98 home loss to the Suns on Saturday. The Mavs have gotten steady paly all season from Harrison Barnes (20.0 & 5.2) and Dirk (14.2 & 6.8) has gotten healthier as the season has progressed. Recently, Seth Curry and Yogi Farrell have added a spark out of the backcourt plus Nerlens Noel, acquired from Philly, averaged 9.1 & 5.6 in about 24 minutes in his first six games with Dallas. However, he has missed the last three games due to soreness in his left knee. That said, he is expected to return for Wednesday's game.

Washington: The Wizards are just back from a five-game road trip and after winning the first four, ran out of gas in Minnesota on Monday, falling 119-104. The Wizards have an excellent starting-five, led by the guard duo of Beal (23.2) and Wall (23.1-4.4-10.7) plus a trio of frontcourt starters all averaging in double digits (center Gortat averages a double-double, at 11.4 & 11.0). Washington had been missing a scoring punch off the bench but solved that problem by trading for Bojan Bogdanovic, who has averaged 15.6 PPG in his 11 games with the Wizards, connecting on 45.6% of his threes.

The pick: The Mavs beat the Wizards 113-105 in Dallas back on Jan. 3 but Washington has gone 25-7 since that contest. Scoring has been an issue for the Mavs all season (98.1 PPG ranks 30th) but note that on its recent five-game road trip, the Wizards allowed at least 113 points in each game, despite going 4-1. Take the points and make Dallas an 8* play.

The set-up: The 37-29 Oklahoma City Thunder are 4 1/2 games back of the Jazz in the Northwest Division and currently own the 6th-seed in the West, just a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies. They visit Barkley Center tonight (weather-permitting) to take on the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets (12-53) but the Nets have won three of their last seven games, which matches their best seven-game stretch of the season.

Oklahoma City: The story all season in OKC has been Russell Westbrook's run at history. He passed Wilt Chamberlain for second place on the single-season list with his 32nd triple-double in Saturday's 112-104 win over the Utah Jazz and now trails only Oscar Robertson's 41 in 1961-62, when the Big O averaged a triple-double for the season. Westbrook (31.9-10.5-10.1) is on pace to match Oscar's triple-double season and it's hard to ignore that Oklahoma City is 26-6 when Westbrook notches a triple-double and 11-23 when he doesn't this season. However, the team is sure better off when Victor Oladipo (16.3 PPG) is healthy and Westbrook's backcourt partner is averaging 19.3 points on 55.3 percent shooting in three games since returning from a back injury (OKC is 2-1 SU & ATS)..

Brooklyn: The Nets snapped a 16-game home losing streak that spanned 75 days (going back to Dec. 26) when they beat the Knicks 120-112 on Sunday. As noted above, they are on a 3-4 run, which had been preceded by a 16-game losing streak, overall. Jeremy Lin is finally recovered from that hamstring injury (he's been back the last nine games) and he is averaging 16.6 points in the last five games despite playing 27 or fewer minutes in each of those contests (Nets have covered four in a row).

The pick: Yes, the Nets are playing better but with Oladipo back healthy plus the additions of Gibson and McDermott from Chicago, I don't expect the Thunder to get derailed by the league's worst defensive team (Nets allow 114.1 PPG). OKC is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 24-43 Orlando Magic have won just eight of their last 31 games and will shortly be officially eliminated from playoff contention, as the team is nine games out with just 15 remaining. The Kings are closer in the West but having gone 1-8 since trading away All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins (note: the Kings won their first game after the trade but have now lost EIGHT in a row), Sacramento is almost surely lottery-bound as well.

Orlando: Center Nikola Vucevic (14.4 & 10.2) returned from an Achilles issue to produce 20 points and 16 rebounds in Saturday's game with the Cavs bit the Magic lost anyway, 116-104. However, the Magic are eager to see if Vucevic's return improves things (he played for the first time in five games). Before that absence, he and starters Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton were outscoring opponents by 22 points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break, the best mark in the NBA, according to the league's official statistics.

Sacramento: The Kings have not only lost eight in a row overall but they've lost six straight at home and are now six games behind the eighth-place Nuggets in the West. "We're still trying to figure everything out," forward Skal Labissiere told reporters. "It's been a tough stretch. It's just a matter of learning how to finish games with us." No kidding!

The pick: The Kings will take an eight-game losing streak into this matchup with the Magic and the team's next loss will clinch its 11th consecutive losing season. That "next loss" will certainly come but not here. Cauley-Stein is averaging 34 minutes, 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in nine games since Sacramento traded forward DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break and backup Skal Labissiere is averaging 15.1 minutes, 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Meanwhile, the focal point of the deal was guard Buddy Hield. He is averaging 13.9 points in 26 minutes, while shooting 51.2 percent from three-point range since joining the Kings. Make the Kings an 8* play.

The set-up: The Chicago Bulls were embarrassed Sunday at Boston on ABC, losing 100-80 to the Celtics. It was the team's fifth straight loss (a season-high) and now it's on to Charlotte to take on the 29-37 Hornets, who are two games back of the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings Chicago is 10th at 31-35 and Charlotte 11th, with both teams chasing 32-35 Miami and all three teams chasing 32-33 Milwaukee, which currently owns the final playoff spot in the East.

Chicago: It doesn't get much worse than it was for the Bulls on Sunday, as they scored nine first-quarter points and had just 26 at the half. All Star Jimmy Butler (23.4-6.2-5.1) was limited to five points on 2-of-11 shooting, as Chicago was held under 100 points for the sixth straight time. Dwyane Wade (18.7-4.6-3.9) joined Butler with a poor performance of his own Sunday, as he was held to eight points and failed to hand out an assist for the first time since Nov. 5.

Charlotte: The Hornets know all about slumps, as they lost 12 of 13 from Jan. 23-Feb. 23. However, since a six-point overtime loss in Detroit, the Hornets are 5-4. Still, by going 6-16 in their last 22 games, the Hornets has dropped to 11th, two games behind Chicago and 3 1/2 behind Milwaukee. I'm not sure what to make of the Hornets, who opened 8-3 and looked like a solid playoff team early on. Walker (23.2-4.1-5.4) is an All Star and backcourt partner Batum (15.4-6.7-5.9) has produced excellent numbers. The team has excellent depth but the whole seems less than the sum of this team's parts.

The pick: The Bulls scored nine points in the first quarter on Sunday plus missed their first 12 shots and 19 of their first 22 attempts, all in front of a national television audience. That makes five straight losses (three by double-digits) and six straight games of failing to reach 100 points. It CAN'T get worse, right? The underachieving Hornets, who are on a 7-14-2 ATS run, may be just what the doctor ordered. Make Chicago a 10* play.

The set-up: The 41-25 Boston Celtics return home after a 2-3 road trip and have fallen behind the streaking Wizards (41-24), for the East's second-best record. They begin a favorable stretch of games Sunday, when they host the visiting Chicago Bulls, who are 31-34 on the season and currently in 10th-place in the East (one game back of the final playoff spot).

Chicago: The Bulls hung on to their best player, Jimmy Butler (23.7-6.2-5.2), at the trade deadline but moved Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. Not that trading Butler was a good idea but I'm not sure how trading Gibson and McDermott was a plus. Dwyane Wade (18.9-4.6-3.9) returned from a thigh injury to score a team-high 21 points but his teammates combined to shoot 36.3 percent from the floor in Friday's 115-94 home loss to Houston. It marked Chicago's fourth loss in a row and the fifth consecutive game in which the Bulls have scored less than 100 points.

Boston: The Celtics suffered a dramatic at Phoenix (steal and three-pointer at buzzer by Ulis for the Suns) and an ugly 119-99 setback in Denver on Friday, just two nights after a 99-86 victory at Western Conference-leading Golden State. However, Boston will play 11 of its final 16 games at home and 12 of the last 16 against teams that entered the weekend with sub-.500 records. Thomas (29.3 & 6.1 APG) has led Boston all season but head coach Brad Stevens just indicated that Avery Bradley (16.9 & 6.3), who has been on a minutes restriction in the wake of a recent Achilles injury, is just about all the way back. The defensive stalwart has played a total of 59 minutes over the last two games. Bradley getting back to full strength is no small deal. Also, rookie forward Jaylen Brown (6.5 PPG) had 14 points off the bench in Denver and is averaging 11.6 - nearly twice his season average - while shooting 55.7 percent since returning from a hip injury in February.

The pick: The Bulls may rank 10th in the East but they are only two games out of sixth-place. Chicago's still very much alive but the team is 3-5 since moving Gibson (the team's starting power forward) and McDermott (the team's best three-point shooter). FYI...Chicago ranks last in the NBA in made three-pointers per game at 6.8. Chicago's woes continue here in Boston. Make the Celtics a 10* play.

The set-up: The 23-41 Philadelphia 76ers will be in LA to take on the 39-26 Clippers in an afternoon game at Staples Center. Injuries have again caught up with Philly (Simmons never got on the court this year and Embiid's season was limited to just 31 games) and the Sixers will again be lottery-bound. As for the Clippers, like Forrest Gump's favorite box of chocolates, "you never know what you are going to get." They look like NBA title contenders one night and a lottery team the next.

Philadelphia: Embiid was the presumptive rookie of the year before a knee injury ended his season but Dario Saric is stepping up to make his own run at the award. He had 28 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's 114-108 OT loss in Portland, his 214th straight game in double figures.However, the starting backcourt of T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas combined to go 0-of-14 from the floor in the loss (hard to believe Philly took the game into OT!). The loss was the third straight and sixth in seven games for the 76ers.

LA Clippers: The Clippers are two games behind the Jazz in the race for the No. 4 spot in the West and have a showdown with Utah looming Monday in Salt Lake City. Both Griffin (21.2-8.5-5.1) and Paul (17.4-5.1-9.4) have missed time this season but both are healthy now, so LA has no excuse not to make a late push. Then again, Blake Griffin had 14 points and 12 rebounds on Thursday, giving him just his first double-double in six games this month. Paul, who recently returned from a thumb injury recently, broke out with 20 points to lead the reserves on Thursday but that's after averaging 7.3 points in the previous four contests.

The pick: As noted, you are never quite sure which Clipper team will show up. Yes, the Clippers are healthy, but inconsistency has plagued them, as they are 4-5 SU & ATS since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the 76ers are 10-3 ATS their last 13 games. Philadelphia is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 52-12 Golden State Warriors still own the NBA's best record but the team sure looks vulnerable as it heads to Minnesota for a game with the 26-37 Timberwolves. The Warriors turned from a five-game road trip after flying cross country from Atlanta and had their lowest-scoring game of the season on Wednesday, a 99-86 home loss to the Celtics in which they were outscored 27-12 in the fourth quarter. The Warriors now hit the road for two more games, tonight at Minnesota and Saturday at San Antonio, contests which could end up determining homecourt advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are just hoping to make the playoffs as an 8-seed, which would mean a series against either Golden State or San Antonio in the first round. Minnesota currently sits 2 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets, although Minnesota must first pass Dallas and Portland.

Golden State: The travel-weary Warriors are coming to the end of a 13-day stretch in which they will have played eight games. Are tired legs the reason that "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have combined to shoot just 25.4 percent from three-point range in the last six games. Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged after Wednesday's game that his team was tired, and that the injury to Kevin Durant (knee) is causing the team to lengthen minutes of some of the other players. "We still have the No. 1 seed, but I won’t run guys ragged to get it," Kerr told reporters. "We have to manage this stretch right here and get through this week."

Minnesota: The Timberwolves are coming off an impressive 107-91 home win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday, the team's third victory in four games. Minnesota has held each of its last four opponents under 100 points, with the lone loss in that span coming in a 97-90 overtime setback at San Antonio. "I think we’re feeling like a team that’s playing with confidence," star center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters. "I don’t know what a playoff team feels like, but my wild guess I think we right now are playing with the confidence, with the demeanor of a playoff team. We’ve got to continue to build. We can still be a playoff team." Towns (24.1 & 12.3) is having a terrific season and so is Wiggins (23.2 & 4.1). Throw in SG LaVine (18.9), power forward Dieng (10. & 8.0) and PG Rubio (9.2 & 8.7 APG), who has recorded double-digit assists in eight of the last 10 games, and most observers wonder how this team is 11 games under .500!

The pick: The Warriors had gone 146 regular season games without losing back-to-back contest when they lost at Chicago on March 2nd but now look to avoid back-to-back losses for the second time in a little more than a week. The T-wolves have won seven of their past 11 games and Tom Thibodeau's defensive approach is finally starting to take hold in his first season with the team. Minnesota has held its past four opponents -- Sacramento, Utah, San Antonio and Los Angeles -- under 100 points. That said, I'm not about to 'bury' the Warriors just yet, especially against the still-underachieving Timberwolves. Make Golden State a 10* play.

The set-up: The 38-26 LA Clippers own a two-game lead over the 36-28 Memphis Grizzlies in the West. The Clippers currently own the No. 5 seed and Memphis the No. 6 seed. Both teams are struggling as they get set to square off tonight in Memphis, with the Clippers having lost five of eight and the Grizzlies having lost five of seven.

LA Clippers: PG Chris Paul (17.3-5.1-9.4) returned to the court on Feb. 24 but the Clippers are just 3-4 since his return (they were 6-8 in the 14 games he missed). LA is coming off a bad loss at Minnesota, as the Clippers were out-rebounded 50-36 and outscored 62-40 in the paint, in a 107-91 loss. Paul had 10 assists but scored just seven points while being outplayed by counterpart Ricky Rubio (15 points & 12 assists). Sixth-man Jamal Crawford (12.3) had scored 44 points in his previous two games (both wins) but was 2 of 9 (0-3 on threes) with just seven points.

Memphis. The Grizzlies come in on a three-game slide, hitting 'rock bottom' the last time out in a 122-109 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA's worst team. Memphis head coach David Fizdale shook up the starting lineup against the Nets by inserting guard Andrew Harrison and forward Brandan Wright in favor of standout defensive guard Tony Allen and forward JaMychal Green. It sure didn't work but Fizdale indicated he would give the lineup a couple of games to see how it fares because he feels the squad has been "a mediocre basketball team" since Jan. 1. "We're stale. Right now, we're 14-14 since January 1," Fizdale told reporters. Fizdale sure can't blame PG Mike Conley (20.1 & 6.2 APG), who is averaging 29 points over the last five games and has four 30-point outings in the past eight contests.

The pick: Neither team is playing well but the belief here is that Memphis almost HAS to rebound off that 'ugly' home loss to the Nets. Make Memphis a 10* play.

The pick: The Wizards are 22-6 over their last 28 games but this marks the second game (in a back-to-back situation) of a five-game road trip, one of two tough five-game trips in March. The Nuggets are playing for their playoff 'lives' (own the 8th spot but have a modest 1 1/2 game lead) and have won 10 of their past 13 home contests against the Wizards. Make Denver an 8* play.

The set-up: The 25-38 Sacramento Kings visit San Antonio to face the 49-13 Spurs. What's the likelihood that the Kings will stand in the way of San Antonio reaching the 50-win plateau for the 18th consecutive season? Here's hint. It's a rhetorical question. FYI...The Spurs have had just one losing season (20-62 in 1996-97) in 28 years, while over that same 28-year span, Sacramento has had just eight winning seasons, all in an eight-year run from 1998-99 to 2005-06.

The pick: The Spurs win tonight but it should not go unnoticed that while the Spurs have won four straight since K.D.'s injury, those four wins have come by one and two points plus in two OT games. The Spurs haven't come close to covering! Make Sacramento an 8* play.

The set-up: The 37-24 Washington Wizards have moved four games ahead of the Hawks in the Southeast Division and currently hold down the No. 3 seed in the East, plus are actually tied in the loss column with the second-seeded Celtics (Boston has played three more games than Washington, owning 40 wins to the Wizards' 37). The Wizards are in Phoenix tonight to take on the 21-42 Suns, who unlike the Lakers, seem to be 'sprinting to the finish line,' as opposed to 'tanking,' as long as we are "telling like it is!"

Washington: The Wizards were the NBA's hottest team entering the All Star break, winning 18 of 21 prior to the break. Washington lost its first two games coming out of the break but ha gone 3-1 since. The Wizards own a starting-five in which all players average in double digits. Guards Beal (22.9) and Wall (22.6-4.6-10.8) lead the way, while forwards Morris (14.6 & 6.7) and Porter (14.1 & 6.6) nicely complement center Gortat (11.7 & 11.2). However, reserve scoring was a major issue and Washington addressed that in acquiring Brooklyn's Bojan Bogdanovic, who was the leading scorer at the Rio Olympics. Bogdanovic exploded for 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 115-114 win over the Magic and he's now averaging 15.5 PPG in his six games with Washington.

Phoenix: While Bogdanovic is the only real change for Washington, the changes in Phoenix have been dramatic. The Suns seemed to be "mailing it in" after trading away P.J. Tucker and benching veterans Tyson Chandler (8.4 & 11.4) and Brandon Knight (11.0) in favor of younger players. However, it's turned out that the exact opposite has come to pass. The younger players are stepping up and proving they belong. Rookie PG Tyler Ulis, whose recent uptick in playing time has come at the expense of Knight, scored a season-high 20 points on Sunday and buried the winning three-pointer at the buzzer after a steal. 6-7 power forward Alan Williams has posted a double-double in three straight and four of the last five contests (he's averaging 13.8 & 11.6 in that span). Then there is 6-11 rookie Marquese Chriss, who recorded a season-high five blocks on Sunday and has averaged 12.1 PPG his last seven.

The pick: The Wizards have an excellent backcourt but let's not dismiss the Suns' backcourt duo too quickly. Most NBA teams would love to send out guys like Bledsoe (21.2-4.9-6.4) and Booker (20.7) night-in and night-out. This game begins a brutal stretch for the Wizards, who have two five-game trips remaining. They also play five sets of back-to-backs in March, the first of which concludes tomorrow night at Denver. Meanwhile, the Suns have already beaten two Eastern clubs -- Charlotte and Boston -- on their current homestand and they are 13-9 against Eastern opponents on the season. Phoenix is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Pacers are 32-30 after Sunday's 97-96 win at Atlanta, leaving them with the No. 6 seed in the East. They travel to Charlotte tonight, to face a Hornets team which will be playing its first home game since Feb. 13, after going 3-4 on their longest trip of the season. Charlotte enters a stretch in which it will play nine of 12 at home. The Hornets are currently three games behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Indiana: Paul George (21.7 & 6.1) is the Pacers' main man but the All Star forward had averaged only 14.3 PPG (on 28.6 percent shooting) in a six-game span before breaking out against the Hawks on Sunday. George was 12-for-19 from the floor, en route to 34 points, his best total since Dec. 28. PG Jeff Teague, in his return to Atlanta where he spent seven seasons, added 16 points and six assists. Teague (15.3 & 8.0 APG) and 6-11 center Center Myles Turner (15.4 & 7.1) have been Indianas top-two supporting players all season but Turner had a string of 22 straight double-digit scoring efforts snapped when he was held to a season low-tying five points in 30 minutes (also just five rebounds).

Charlotte: The Hornets' 112-102 win in Denver on Saturday, allowed them to return 3-4 (not 2-5) from their recent road trip. The win also came in the team's first game since losing red-hot center Frank Kaminsky III to a shoulder injury two nights earlier. Forward Johnny O'Bryant III stepped up with a career-high 15 points on 7-of-9 from the from, as he reportedly earned a second 10-day contract. "Johnny O'Bryant was great," head coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "It's a little bit difficult because he hasn't been here very long, but he hit a big shot and we were fairly organized when he was on the floor. He gave us a big lift."

The pick: The Hornets had lost 12 times in a span of 13 games (Jan. 23-Feb. 23), averaging only 101.7 PPG. However, in the last five games (3-2), the Hornets are averaging 108.8 PPG. Seven points per game more is nothing to sneeze about, as Indiana improved to 4-1 in games decided by three points or fewer with Sunday's win. Charlotte last won consecutive games Jan. 18-21 when it posted three straight home wins. Those wins gave the Hornets a 23-21 record, but since then Charlotte is 4-14 and returns home in 11th place and three games out of the final playoff spot. However, the Pacers are off a one-point win on Sunday, which was just the team's third in 11 games. More importantly, Indiana is only 11-20 SU on teh road this season and isn't getting nearly enough points to back them here playing on consecutive nights. Charlotte is an 8* play.

The set-up; The 31-30 Indiana Pacers have lost eight of 10 and currently own the No. 6 seed in the East but are just a half-game ahead of the Bulls and 1 1/2 up on the Pistons. They visit Atlanta this afternoon to take on the 34-27 Hawks, who have slipped to fifth in the East, three games ahead of the Pacers.

Indiana: There was talk around the trade deadline that the Pacers would move their best player, but Paul George (21.7 & 6.1) is still around. However, maybe all the distractions surrounding that talk has contributed to his slump, which has become very real. George is mired in a shooting slump that's lasted five games, as he's connecting on only 31.4 percent of his FG attempts while averaging just 13.6 points in that span, 8.1 points below his season average! Former Atlanta Hawks PG Jeff Teague will return to Philips Arena for the first time as a member of the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The Hawks saw Teague as expendable and sent him to Indiana in a three-team deal that sent George Hill to Utah. Teague's had an very good season (15.3-4.2-8.1), joining George and the 6-11 Turner (15.5 & 7.2) as the 'heart' of this Indiana team in 2016-17.

Atlanta:The Hawks had snapped a three-game losing streak with wins over Boston and Dallas but were ripped for 135 points and an NBA single-game record 25 three-pointers in a five-point loss at home to the Cavs on Friday. The Hawks have been getting much improved play recently from Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.4) plus the pickup of veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova (9.8 & 5.0 in about 21 minutes over five games) has also been a plus. Atlanta also will probably have a new backup PG for the game. The Hawks were expected to sign veteran Jose Calderon to a free-agent deal, as he has obtained a buyout from the Lakers and has changed his mind about going to Golden State. Millsap (18.0 & 7.8) and Howard (13.4 & 12.8) have been steady all season up front and the Hawks were right about Schroder (17.4 & 6.3 APG), who has replaced Teague without missing a beat.

The pick: Atlanta has not done much at home this season, as the Hawks are is just slightly better at home (17-13) than they are on the road (17-14), something few teams can say (or want to say). It's hard to see George's shooting slump continuing much longer and I want the points. Indiana is a play.

The set-up: The 29-32 Detroit Pistons are still holding onto the No. 8 seed in the East but they are just 1 1/2 games up on both the Heat and Bucks. They will be in Philadelphia tonight to take on the 23-38 76ers, who recently announced that Joel Embiid's season is over and that the team's top draft pick, Ben Simmons (league's overall No. 1 pick), would also be held out until next season (Simmons has not played at all this season).

Detroit: The Pistons have been on a roller coaster as of late, following a 114-108 OT win against the Hornets bu scoring just 98 points in their next game, in a loss to the Celtics. The Pistons then scored 120 points (again in OT) in beating the Trail Blazers but once again 'crapped out' by scoring 86 points in a 23-point loss at New Orleans this past Wednesday. PG Reggie Jackson's (14.7 & 5.5 APG) struggles continued in the loss to New Orleans, as he was 4-of-16 overall in an eight-point effort. Backup Ish Smith (8.3 & 5.0 APG) also had eight points but in just 19 minutes off the bench. Head coach Stan Van Gundy has indicated he may give Smith the start over Jackson. "We haven't ruled it out -- I'm still thinking," Van Gundy said. "We've got to get better energy off the start of games." Smith started the first 21 games while Jackson was recovering from tendinitis in his left knee. He moved into a reserve role when Jackson returned, but outplayed Jackson in February. The Pistons have talent, as outside of Jackson and Smith, five other Detroit players average between 11.1 and 16.2 PPG.

Philadelphia: The 76ers have not only lost Embiid (20.2 & 7.8) for the season but they've traded Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova. Stepping up has been rookie Dario Saric (11.4 & 6.2), who has averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game since the All-Star break. His nine double-doubles match Embiid's total for the most among first-year players.Justin Anderson, a second-year forward who was acquired from Dallas as part of a deal that cost the Sixers center/forward Nerlens Noel, made his first seven shots en route to an 8-of-12 performance against the Knicks,matching a career high with 19 points. The 105-102 home win snapped Philadelphia's three-game slide.

The pick: The Pistons are a woeful 10-20 SU (11-119 ATS) on the road and all season have underachieved considering the team's talent (Van Gundy's fault?). Anyway, just why should they be laying points at Philly, where the 76ers are a money-making 23-9 ATS on the season? Philadelphia is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 35-26 Oklahoma City Thunder lost 114-109 last night in Portland and now visit the 19-42 Phoenix Suns, who scored 120 points last night at home in beating the Hornets by 17 points. The Thunder are battling the Jazz for first-place in the Northwest Division (OKC currently trails by two games), while the Suns are going head-to-head with the Lakers (also 19-42), to see which team finishes with the West's worst record (will the loser actually WIN in that race?).

Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook (31.4-10.6-10.1) just may match the Big O's triple-double season of 196-62 but his 45-point effort Thursday wasn't enough as the Thunder suffered a 114-109 road loss at Portland. He's now scored 40-plus in seven of the past 15 games. However, for OKC to seriously threaten in the postseason, the Thunder will need more than Westbrook. The team's second-leading scorer, Victor Oladipo (16.1), will sit out his fifth consecutive game tonight with a back issue, which is NOT good news. Center Kanter (14.4 & 6.9) did not miss as much time as was feared and returned four games ago. He's averaged 17.7 & 9.3 the last three, which is great news. The 'wild card' for OKC's playoff hopes could be the Chicago duo of Gibson and McDermott, which OKC recently acquired. Gibson's averaged 10.0 & 4.5 and McDermott 8.8 & 4.5 in their four games.

Phoenix: The Suns ended a three-game slide by shooting a season-high 59.7 percent from the floor in Thursday's 120-103 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Six different players scored 14 or more points in a well-balanced offensive effort that also featured a defensive charge that held the Hornets to 12 fourth-quarter points. Defense is not something we see often from the Suns, who allow 112.6 PPG, ranking 29 of 30 NBA teams. The youthful but very talented backcourt duo of Bledsoe (21.2-5.0-6.4) and Booker (20.8) remain the Suns' core but center Tyson (8.4 & 11.4) and Knight (11.0), who was the first guard off the bench for most of the season, have both been benched. Neither has played at all in the last four games and the standout recently has been the 6-7 Williams, who in just under 24 minutes per game, has averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in these last four. Also, rookie power forward Marquese Chriss scored a team-best 17 points last night and has now reached double digits in four of the past five contests. Backup PG Tyler Ulis played 23 minutes last night, handing out a season-high eight assists wile scoring eight points.

The pick: The Suns are playing loose and while I like the additions of Gibson and McDermott, I've never been much on either Westebrook or OKC. The Thunder are a poor road team (12-18 SU), so why play them as a road favorite? Make Phoenix an 8* play.

The set-up: The 35-25 OKC Thunder are trying to catch the Utah Jazz in the Northwest and just beat the Jazz 109-106 Tuesday night at home, closing to within 1 1/2 games of Utah. They head to Portland tonight to take on the 24-35 Trail Blazers, who find themselves in a virtual three-way tie with the Kings and T-wolves (both are 25-36), 2 1/2 games back of the No. 8-seeded Denver Nuggets.

The pick: There was a time when opposing teams dreaded coming to Portland but no longer. The blazers are just 14-13 SU & 12-15 ATS at home this season. OKC is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 31-29 Indiana Pacers are in San Antonio Wednesday night to face the 45-13 Spurs. The Pacers limped into the All-Star break on a six-game losing skid but have won two of three since getting back on the court, beating the Grizzlies and Rockets. The Spurs are finally back home after the annual Rodeo Road Trip, during which they went 6-2. “It was a good trip,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “We had one bad night out of 11 or 12 days. I thought they maintained their focus really well, especially coming back off the break and playing the last couple of games. I thought we did a good job."

The pick: There's an advantage to being on the road for most of February (San Antonio's annual Rodeo Road Trip), as the Spurs will play 12 of their 17 games in March at home and 16 of their final 24 regular-season games will be contested at the AT&T Center. However, the Spurs are a modest 14-11 ATS at home this season and the Pacers should expect George to break out of his current slump, anytime. How about tonight? Make the Pacers an 8* play.

The set-up: The 24-36 Knicks are off back-to-back one-point games (a win and a loss) as they travel to Orlando to take on the 22-28 Magic. The Knicks have lost seven of nine overall, while the Magic have lost six of eight.

New York: Carmelo Anthony nailed a jumper with 0.3 seconds left in Saturday's 110-109 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers but could not knock down an open three-pointer at the buzzer on Monday, as the Knicks dropped a 92-91 decision to the Toronto Raptors. It's been a uneasy time for Anthony (23.5 & 6.0) as of late and a season of frustration. However, but he is still playing heavy minutes (an average of 38.7 in three games since the All-Star break). The Knicks are promising they are not trying to lose and get a better draft position, something head coach Jeff Hornacek addressed before Monday's game.r New York is hoping Kristaps Porzingis (18.1 & 7.1), who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, will return soon, taking some of the scoring burden off of 'Melo.

Orlando: Like New York, Orlando is not looking ahead to a playoff berth and signaled its intention to play small by trading away power forward Serge Ibaka for athletic wing Terrence Ross before the All-Star break. Ross, who is starting for Orlando after coming off the bench in Toronto, scored a team-high 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the team's 105-86 Saturday home win over the Hawks.

The pick: The Magic have played more energetic basketball since the All-Star break, while the Knicks are a woeful 9-20 SU on the road this year. At this price, this is an excellent spot for the home team. Make Orlando an 8* play.

The set-up: Washington had positioned itself for a run at Kevin Durant a few years ago, hoping he would look to "return home" as a free agent. It turns out, the Wizards never had a chance, as Durant spurned the Wizards and his former OKC coach (Scott Brooks) during his free-agency situation last July. Durant now returns to D.C. with the 50-9 Golden State Warriors to take on the 34-23 Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Golden State: Durant (left pinkie) returned from a one-game absence to score 27 points in Monday's 119-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, a game in which Steph Curry shot 0 for 11 from three-point range."I forgot to adjust to the thickness of the air," Curry joked to reporters after the contest. "It happens but you have to find other ways to impact the game." It shows just how dominant this Warriors team is, as despite Curry's misfires, Golden St. won by double digits. The Warriors come to Washington having won 19 of their last 22 games. Golden St. ranks first in scoring (118.2 PPG) and in FG percentage (48.9%) plus third in three-point percentage (38.6). The Warriors allow 105.4 PPG ( to rank 13th but rank first in both opponents' FG (43.6) nd three-point (32.5) percentage!

Washington: Th Wizards won 18 of 21 games prior to the All-Star break but are 0-2 since play resumed. They lost 120-112 at Philly on Friday and then had a streak of 23 consecutive games of 100 or more points halted by Utah, when the Jazz beat them 102-95 in Washington on Sunday. The loss to the Jazz was only the team's second in its last 21 home games. Washington owns a terrific starting-five (all five average in double figures), led by guards Wall (22.9-4.5-10.7) and Beal (22.6), but needs more production off the bench. The team is hoping the addition of Bogdanovic, who averaged 14.2 PPG in 55 games for the Nets, will add that needed bench scoring.

The pick: Bogdanovic has averaged a modest 8.5 PPG in his two games with Washington but he is a proven scorer (it will take time). However, after a great run heading into the break, all of a sudden the Wizards need to beat the NBA's best team in order to avoid their first three-game losing streak since Nov. 11-16, when they fell to 2-8. I don't like their chances, as the Warriors have won six consecutive visits to Washington and have won 10 of their last 11 overall meetings with the Wizards. What's more, the Wizards are catching Curry off that 0 for 11 three-point performance last night. The last time he shoot so poorly was when he missed all 10 three-point attempts against the LA Lakers back on Nov. 4 and then set an NBA record with 13 three-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans in Golden State's next game. In Golden State's win at Washington last year, he had 51 points and 11 three-pointers. OUCH! Golden St. is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 35-24 Toronto Raptors opened February 2-5 but have put together three straight wins (over Charlotte, Boston and Portland) as they head to Madison Square Garden tonight, to take on the 24-35 NY Knicks. The Knicks are coming off a 110-109 win over Philadelphia on Saturday, when Anthony bailed them out with a game-winning jumper with under one second to go, after the Knicks had blown a double digit lead.

Toronto: The Raptors have won the last two of their three-game winning streak without the services of PG Kyle Lowry (22.8 & 6.9 APG), who has a sore wrist. All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan (27.7) has totaled of 76 points in those two games, while newly acquired forward Serge Ibaka has fit right in by averaging 16.5 and 8.5 rebounds in his first two contests with the team. DeRozan ws quicjk to add that there is little doubt that the defensive presence of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker is making a difference. "I think it's obvious," he said in his postgame on-court interview with Sportsnet after Sunday's 112-106 win over the Trail Blazers. "What P.J. brings and what Serge brings, it makes a big difference."

New York: 'Melo is hitting on all cylinders lately, averaging 28.4 points over his last seven games to push his season mark to 23.5 PPG (adds 6.0 RPG). However, the Knicks could be without second-leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis (18.1 & 7.1) for a second straight game, as he sat out the Philly win with an ankle injury. Despite all of New York's woes, the Knicks are still just four games out of a playoff spot. Derrick Rose, who like Anthony had trade rumors surrounding his name, has shot 53.4 percent over his last six games and is averaging 17.6 PPG and 4.4 APG on the season.

The pick: Toronto is on a five-game winning streak against the Knicks, with four of those wins coming by double digits, but it's my belief that with the trade deadline passed, the Knicks will be a 'tough out' down the stretch, especially at MSG. Make the Knicks a 10* play.

The set-up: The 18-40 Phoenix Suns come off a 128-121 OT loss Friday at Chicago and continue to own the West's worst overall record (Lakers barely edge them out at 19-30). As for the 25-31 Milwaukee Bucks, they entered the All Star break on a three-game winning streak but saw that end Friday at home against the Jazz, falling 109-95

Phoenix; The Suns allowed 108 points in regulation to Chicago (a whopping 128 for the entire game) and only the woeful Nets allow more points game in and game out than Phoenix (112.7 PPG ranks 29th). The Suns own a terrific backcourt duo in PG Bledsoe (21.5-5.0-6.3) and Booker (21.2) plus the first guard off the bench is Brandon Knight (11.0), who was once a solid starter in this league. The 20-year-old Booker scored 27 points vs. the Bulls and has now scored 20 or more in 21 of his last 23 games but Knight was held out of Friday's game to give Tyler Ulis (3.2) more minutes. Ulis is auditioning to be the team’s backup PG and had six points to go along with four assists in 13 minutes. Center Tyson Chandler (8.4 & 11.4) also sat out to give Alex Len (7.5 & 6.4) extra time but the ex-Maryland player struggled in scoring four points and and grabbing seven rebounds in 35 minutes.

Milwaukee: The Bucks took a huge hit when Jabari Parker (20.1 & 6.1) was lost for up to 12 months right before the All Star break with a torn ACL. Milwaukee is not out of the postseason discussion just yet, sitting two games back of No. 8 Detroit, although the red-hot Heat are a half-game in front of them, as well. However, Milwaukee badly needs to find some consistent scoring help from players other than Giannis Antetokounmpo (23.5-8.7-5.4), who is a true All Star. Michael Beasley (9.5 & 3.6) has come through by averaging 19.7 PPG in Milwaukee's last three contests but Greg Monroe (11.5 & 6.8) has been a season-long underachiever and Khris Middleton, last year's leading scorer at 18.2 PPG, has just returned to the court to average a modest 10.2 PPG in five games (hamstring injury had kept him all season).

The pick: With all the Suns' problems, it's hard to trust Milwaukee as any kind of a favorite when only Antetokounmpo can be counted on to produce regularly. Yes, the Bucks won easily in Phoenix earlier this season (137-112) but the Suns have won 14 of the last 21 games against Bucks. Take the points and make Phoenix a 10* play.

The set-up: The Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins era opened with a thud, as the two stars combined for 56 points and 23 rebounds in their first game together, yet the 23-35 New Orleans Pelicans lost by 30 points in Thursday's home game with the Rockets. Adding insult to injury, the Rockets toyed with the Pelicans despite James Harden scoring just 13 points on 3 of 9shooting. The Pelicans look to regroup Saturday night in Dallas, where they will take on the 22-35 Mavericks.

New Orleans: No one was predicting the Pelicans were ready to challenge the Warriors after they traded for Cousins but Thursday's result represented a cold reminder of just how much work New Orleans has in front of themselves. Cousins put it best. "For some reason, I guess people expected a championship," he told reporters afterward. "I know the reality of it. We've had one practice and a shootaround. This isn't something that is just going to happen overnight. Do we look good on paper? Yes. But being good on paper doesn't win games."

Dallas: The Mavs returned frrom the break last night and lost 97-84 at Minnesota, their third straight loss and fifth in seven games. Dallas acquired center Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers prior to Thursday's trading deadline and the expectation is that he will be available for Saturday's contest. The Mavericks expect Noel to be the starting center in the very near future, which would allow veteran Dirk Nowitzki to move back to his natural position of power forward. We'll see. To be sure, the 22 year-old Noel adds to a young nucleus that includes Harrison Barnes (24), Seth Curry (26) and rookie sensation Yogi Ferrell (23).

The pick: New Orleans gave up three guards (Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway) in the deal for Cousins and the lack of backcourt players contributed to 20 turnovers against the Rockets. Expect things to improve greatly in this one. New Orleans won 111-104 win over the Mavericks back on Dec. 26 and I expect the first "W" of the Davis-Cousins era to come tonight. New Orleans is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 32-25 Atlanta Hawks have fallen 2 1/2 games back of the surging Washington Wizards in the Southeast and currently own the No. 5 seed in the East. They lost for the third time in four games Friday, shooting just 38 percent in a 108-90 home loss to the Heat. The 21-38 Orlando Magic were quiet on trade deadline day and continued their free fall that night by coughing up a lead in Thursday’s 112-103 home loss against Portland, their sixth loss in seven games.

Atlanta: Dennis Schroder (17.5 & 6.3 APG) has replaced the traded Jeff Teague at PG without missing a beat but was suspended one game for being late in returning back from the break. He should be back in the lineup tonight, joining PF Millsap (18.0 & 7.8) and center Howard (13.4 & 12.8). Glenn Robinson Jr. (13.0) has really come on lately plus the Hawks added Ersan Ilyasova in a trade with the 76ers. He scored nine points in 16 minutes last night but has averaged 14.2 & 5.8 on the season and will help this team down the stretch.

Orlando: The Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross but that surely didn't improve a team which is going nowhere, fast. Swingman Evan Fournier leads the team ins coring at 16.8 PPG and center Nikola Vucevic (14.1 & 10.0) is a solid player but the Magic's home record speaks for itself. Orlando is 9-19 SU in Amway Arena and 7-20-1 ATS.

The pick: Schroder gets back in the lineup and the Hawks cruise past Orlando, just kike they have in two earlier meetings, winning 131-120 and 111-92. Atlanta is an 8* play.

incorrectly entered play....NOT a play!

The set-up: The 34-21 Washington Wizards opened the season 2-8 but slowly got things turned around. They then 'sprinted' to the All Star break on an 18-3 run, taking over the top spot in the Southeast Division and climbing to the East's No. 3 seed, just two back of the Celtics. Washington gets back on te heourt tonight in Philadelphia against the 21-35 76ers. Philly's record may not look very good but when one considers this team won just TEN times all of last season, it's been quite a turnaround for this franchise.

Washington: The Wizards own a terrific starting-five, led by guards Wall (22.8-4.6-10.6) and Beal (22.2). Up front, center Gortat (11.9 & 11.4) is surrounded by forwards Morris (14.9 & 6.8) and Porter (14.6 & 6.7). However, an anemic bench has been the team's Achilles heel. Washington surely helped themselves on Wednesday, acquiring veteran shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic (14.2 PPG) from the Brooklyn Nets to spread the floor and give the bench a proven scorer. "Bojan is a very good shooter and a talented overall scorer whose versatility gives us an added dimension as we gear up for the stretch run," Washington president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement. "He is a proven starter that will provide us an added boost off the bench and allow us to be creative with our lineups."

 Philadelphia: Center Jahlil Okafor (11.4 & 4.8) seemed to be rumored to be going to a different team every day over the last few weeks but in the end remained in a 76ers uniform while fellow center Nerlens Noel (8.9 & 5.0 in just under 20 minutes) was sent to Dallas in exchange for center Andrew Bogut, who is expected to be waived. The 76ers also sent PF Ersan Ilyasova (14.8 & 5.9) to Atlanta in an effort to open up minutes for promising rookie Dario Saric, who will likely move into the starting lineup in the spot vacated by Ilyasova. Saric has averaged 10.8 & 5.9 in just over 24 minutes.

The pick: Of course, rookie center Joel Embiid (20.2 & 7.8) has been the key to the team's turnaround but he sat out the last 11 games with a knee injury. He made it through a full practice on Wednesday but has yet to be cleared and likely will sit out the next two contests. However, the 76ers closed the first half of the season going 3-2 SU and 5-0 ATS heading into the break, all without Embiid. Note that Saric averaged 20.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting in those last five games, giving a window into why the 76ers moved Ilyasova. Love the way Washington is playing and picking up Bogdanovic is "just what the doctor ordered" but the 76ers are a money-making 20-9 ATS at home. Philly is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 24-33 Sacramento Kings begin life without DeMarcus Cousins when they return from the All Star break to host the 25-31 Denver Nuggets. Cousins was traded to New Orleans with the Kings getting Buddy Hield (sixth overall pick of the 2016 draft) and Tyreke Evans (played his first four NBA seasons in Sacramento), Langston Galloway and a 2017 first-round draft pick.

Denver: The Nuggets currently hold down the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot but five teams return from the break within 3 1/2 games of Denver, including the Kings and Pelicans. Injuries have left Denver shorthanded during parts of (most of?) February but the Nuggets were on an 11-8 run heading into the break and just may be getting healthy. Leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (17.2 points, groin injury), fellow forward Kenneth Faried (ankle) and point guard Emmanuel Mudiay (back) may return after missing the final four games before the break plus forward Wilson Chandler (illness) also should be back. Faried averages 9.9 & 8.0, Mudiay 11.8-3.5-4.2 and Chandler 15.6 & 6.7. 6-10 center Jokic (16.3 & 8.9) is quickly becoming the team's MVP, as he averaged 23.4 & 14.4 in the five games prior to the break. Speaking of the All Star break, second-year player Jamal Murray (8.9) scored 236points in the Rising Stars Challenge to earn MVP honors.

Sacramento: The Kings can't replace Cousins' 27.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game but they won't miss his NBA-leading 17 technical fouls. Rudy Gay (18.7) has been lost for the season so that means PG Darren Collison leads Sacramento in scoring (13.7 PPG) and center Kosta Koufos is its leading rebounder (5.4 RPG). Cauley-Stein (5.8 & 2.7 in about 13 MPG) figures to get a heavy share of the 34 minutes per game Cousins averaged and Sacramento GM Vlade Divac has always loved Buddy Hield saying, "His work ethic is exactly what we want here."

The pick: The Kings had won four straight before getting blasted 109-86 by the Warriors to close the first half and also own four straight wins over the Nuggets.The Nuggets are 10-18 SU on the road and now they come in at about a 'TD' favorite on the road?? I think not. Make Sacramento a 10* play.

The set-up: The NBA's All Star weekend concludes with tonight's East vs. West All Star game from New Orleans. Brad Stevens (East) and Steve Kerr (West) are the coaches but as they noted, coaching is not an integral part of this game (exhibition?). Kerr will have the unique opportunity to put four of his players on the court at the same time, PG Curry, SG Thompson plus forwards Durant and Green. However, as most likely know, the 'drama' will be not if Kerr chooses to play his four Warriors at the same time but whether Kerr will put OKC's Russell Westbrook on the court with Durant. I think all know the history.

The pick: The West won 196-173 last year and 163-158 the year before, as Westbrook walked away with MVP honors both times. In a game loaded with stars, the West stars will shine brighter again tonight and maybe Russell will once again walk away with that 'cherished' MVP trophy. The West is an 8* play.

The set-up: Two All Stars square off Thursday night as Isaiah Thomas (29.9 & 6.3 APG) leads the 37-19 Boston Celtics into Chicago to take on Jimmy Butler (24.4-6.3-4.9) and the 27-29 Bulls. Boston's PG looks to record a team-record 41st consecutive 20-point performance, as last night he scored 33 points in a 116-108 home win over Philly to match John Havlicek's franchise mark of 40 set back in 1971-72. Chicago swingman Butler, who had missed four of five games, scored 19 points and matched his season best of 12 assists in Tuesday's 105-94 victory over Toronto. Adding a little more suspense to the mix, the Celtics have been linked to Butler in trade speculation.

Boston: Thomas' backcourt partner Avery Bradley (17.7 & 6.9) has been sidelined by an Achilles problem, missing 19 of Boston's last 20 games. He's out again tonight but led by Thomas' superb play, Boston has won 14 of the 19 games Bradley has missed, with the Celtics surging to a 4 1/2-game lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division plus currently own the East's No. 2 seed, just 2 1/2 games back of the Cavs. Thomas has topped 25 points in 10 consecutive contests (averaging 33.9 PPG during that span) and has scored 35 or more on 14 occasions this season. After some early season injury issues, center Horford (14.8-6.7-5.0) and SF Crowder (14.0 & 5.7) have settled in to deliver Boston consistent efforts in support of Thomas' outstanding play.

Chicago: The Bulls shook things up after missing last year's playoffs with Rose and Noah going to the Knicks and Gasol to the Spurs. However, the "new-look" Bulls (Wade and Rondo were the big additions) are sub-.500 and while they currently own the East's 7th-seed, they are uncomfortably only 1 1/2 games inside the playoff 'cut line.' Wade has averaged 19.1-5.2-3.8 and Rondo a very disappointing 6.6-5.2-6.5. Wade's wrist has kept him out of the last two games (three of the last four) and his availability for tonight's contest will be determined after Thursday's shootaround. Forward Nikola Mirotic (9.0 & 5.1) also has missed the last two contests with a back issue and appears unlikely to play on Thursday.

The pick: The Bulls are barely hanging onto one of the last two playoff spots in the East plus find themselves surrounded by trade rumors involving not just Butler (the team's lone All Star) but power forward Taj Gibson and center Robin Lopez, as well. Meanwhile, the Celtics have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 games. Boston is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 32-23 Toronto Raptors head to Chicago having lost 10 of their last 14 games. Meanwhile, the Bulls return home off a 2-4 road trip in which they lost the final three games by an average of 25.7 PPG. The final loss of that trip, 117-89 at Minnesota on Sunday, leaves them at 26-29 and with the East No. 7 seed. However, the Bulls are just 1 1/2 games inside the playoff 'cut line!'

Toronto: The Raptors were last in action on Sunday and hadn't played since the previous Wednesday, the team's first three-day break of the season. Toronto seemingly had its game with the Pistons in hand but somehow let a 16-point fourth-quarter lead disappear in a 102-101 loss. It wasn't all that long ago that Toronto was putting pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers atop the East but the team's recent slump has seen them fall four games behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division and currently, the Raptors hold the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. "We can (get back to our previous form) but it has to be quick," All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "Like I said, 27 more games and that's going to fly by. We haven't got much time. When it comes to practice time, we have to be able to take things on the go and run with it." DeRozan is averaging 27.9 PPG on the season and 29.0 PPG in three games since returning from an ankle injury but missed the potential game-winning jumper in the final seconds on Sunday. His backcourt partner Lowry (22.8-4.7-7.0), is in another one of his shooting slumps, connecting of just 35.5% from the floor the past five games.

Chicago: When the Bulls lost Sunday at Minnesota, they played without Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Paul Zipser and Nikola Mirotic. Wade (wrist) and Zipser (ankle) are questionable to return for Tuesday's game, Butler (heel and head contusion) will be evaluated after Tuesday morning's team shootaround and Mirotic continues to deal with back spasms. Jimmy Butler (24.5-6.4-4.9) has sat out four of the last five games coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after Sunday's loss that he isn't certain if shutting Butler down for games this week against the Raptors and Boston Celtics is the solution.Future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade (19.1 & 4.5) missed two of the last three and role players Nikola Mirotic (9.0 & 5.1) and Paul Zipser (4.1 & 2.3) are day-to-day as well.

The pick: Chicago looks like a M*A*S*H unit but here's the rub. The Raptors seem to have lost all confidence and here, as a fairly sizeable road favorite, will be looking to snap a 10-game losing streak to the Bulls. Maybe they will break that streak but I'll make the home dog an 8* play.

The pick: The 76ers roll into Charlotte off back-to-back wins but without their best player and with trade rumors swirling. As for the Hornets, despite the team's poor play in 2017, a playoff spot is still there for the taking. The 76ers won 102-93 over the Hornets back on Jan. 13 in Philly but that victory snapped a six-game losing streak for t Shes in this series. Hornets repay the favor here at home. Charlotte is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 25-29 Detroit Pistons are in Canada tonight to take on the 32-22 Toronto Raptors. The Pistons are off a 103-92 Friday home loss to the Spurs, after having started to trend in the right direction with four wins in the team's previous five games. In contrast, not much has gone right for the Raptors, who enter this contest off a 112-109 Wednesday loss at Minnesota, the team's ninth in its last 13 games.

Detroit: Despite the loss to the Spurs, the Pistons are back to playing well at home with seven wins in their last nine contests at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Center Andre Drummond (14.7 & 13.8) posted his 35th double-double of season in Friday's loss and is surrounded up front by the trio of Harris (16.4 & 5.1), Morris (14.2 & 4.5) and Leuer (11.1& 5.6). Harris is the team's leading scorer but recently, Van Gundy has been starting Leuer. The starting backcourt is PG Jackson (15.5 & 5.6 APG) and SG Caldwell-Pope (14.1), with Ish Smith (8.4 & 4.9 APG) coming off the bench. Despite some recent problems, the Pistons still rank 5th in points allowed (101.5 per) but note that Detroit ranks 20th in opponents' FG percentage (45.9%)

Toronto: The Raptors made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and were tied at 2-all with the Cavs but then got blown out in Games 5 & 6. They opened this season 22-8 (thru Dec. 26) but have since been a sub-.500 team, falling behind both Boston and Washington into the 4th-seed in the East. The backcourt of DeRozan (27.9 & 5.3) and Lowry (23.0-4.7-7.0) can be deadly but DeRozan has had nagging injuries and Lowry is capable of going into prolonged shooting slumps. Other than center Valanciunas (12.3 & 9.9), steady contributions by the remaining roster have been few and far between.

The pick: The Pistons' starters were outscored 82-54 and outrebounded 39-27 by Spurs' and you know that's bad news with Detroit's lack of depth. Yes, Detroit has six double digit scorers plus Smith just misses, but the Pistons rank only 24th in points scored (101.5 PPG) and that's not good enough against the Raptors, who rank 5th at 109.2 PPG. Toronto averages 112.7 PPG at home, while the Pistons are just 9-18 SU and 10-17 ATS on the road this season. A key component to this YUGE play on the Raptors is that Toronto has been off since Wednesday, the team's first three-day break of the season. 10* on Toronto.

The pick: The Heat just keep winning but as noted above, they also are dealing with a number of key injuries. The 76ers were off last night while the Heat travel from Brooklyn, setting up a very live home dog. Make Philly a 10* play.

The set-up: The 40-12 San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of their annual annual "Rodeo Road Trip," which this year takes them on an eight-game trek. They lost at Memphis on Monday on the first leg of the journey, then bounced back with a 111-103 victory at Philadelphia on Wednesday. The 25-28 Detroit Pistons come in off lopsided home wins over the 76ers and the Lakers but will not be able to get away with making just 9 of 38  or 23.7% of their triples (as they did in those two wins) against the Spurs and expect to win.

San Antonio: SF Kawhi Leonard (25.5 & 5.9) sat out the Spurs' loss at Memphis due to a quadriceps injury but returned at Philadelphia to score 32 points. He has now scored in double digits in 81 consecutive games, the longest streak by a San Antonio player since Tim Duncan had a 91-game stretch over 2002-03." Leonard stands out as the team's best player these days, although PF Aldridge (17.4 & 7.9) is a solid No. 2. Then there is that San Antonio depth, with seven players chipping in between 6.5 and 11.7 PPG. It must be noted that Gasol (11.7 & 7.9) is the biggest contributor of that group and is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery to fix the fourth metacarpal in his left hand. He hasn't played since Jan. 17 (is expected to be back in late-Feb.) but the team is 8-3 in the 11 games he's missed. As expected, the 7-0 Dedmon is getting more time and in three of his last four games (averaging 25 minutes per in those contests), he's topped double digits in rebounds.

Detroit: The Pistons are back to playing well at home, with seven wins in their last eight contests at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Center Andre Drummond (14.8 & 13.8) posted his 34th double-double of season in Wednesday's win over the Lakers with 24 points, 17 rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. Harris (16.4 & 5.1) and Morris (14.2 & 4.5) start in the frontcourt with Drummond, while PG Jackson (15.6 & 5.6 APG) and Pope (14.2) are the starting guards. The 6-10 Leuer (11.1 & 5.7( is a part-time starter and makes it six double digit scorers for Detroit, plus backup PG Ish Smith (8.2 & 5.0 APG) is a quality contributor.

The pick: Despite some recent problems, the Pistons still rank 5th in points allowed (101.9 per) but they are not quite in San Antonio's class, as the Spurs allow 98.8 PPG (2nd) on 44.2% shooting (4th). Note that Detroit ranks 20th in opponents' FG percentage. The Spurs are 21-6 SU on the road this year and have won four straight in the series, including 109-99 and 104-87 wins in their last two visits to Detroit. Make San Antonio a 10* play.

complete analysis soon

The pick: The Clippers are struggling but it's hard to make the case the Knicks even care.The Clippers have won their last eight meetings with the Knicks, including four straight here in MSG. What changes tonight? Nothing. Make LA a 10* play.

The set-up: The 22-30 Portland Trail Blazers will be in Dallas tonight to take on the 20-31 Dallas Mavericks. Both teams are chasing Denver, which at 23-28, currently owns the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Dallas: The Mavs lost 110-87 last night in Denver but had won four straight and six of seven, prior to that. Recently, the insertion of PG Yogi Ferrell, an undrafted FA signed to a 10-day contract, into the starting lineup has sparked Dallas. Monday's game was Ferrell's fifth consecutive start (team is 4-1), as starting PG Deron Williams is out with a toe sprain. He had 15 points and five assists against the Nuggets and is averaging 17.2 PPG and 5.0 APG since joining Dallas. Ferrell had 32 points and nine three-pointers in Dallas' 108-104 victory in Portland on Friday. The owrd is that the Mavericks plan to sign him to a two-year contract.

The pick: The Mavs are playing better ball than the Blazers recently (have won nine of 13) but are playing on back-to-back nights while the Blazers are looking for a some "instant revenge" from their Friday home loss to this team. I'm taking the points and making Portland a 10* play.

The pick: The bad news for Indiana is that the Pacers are just 3-7 in the second night of back-to-back games but the good news is that they have won their last two such games and OKC comes in 3-7 in the second half of back-to-back sets. I had taking OKC over Portland on Sunday and note that the are now 14-2 SU at home vs. Western Conference foes but they are just 11-9 in all venues against East teams so far this season. As for the Pacers, they are 19-6 SU at home and the price is right here to make Indiana a 10* play.

The pick: Defense has not been an OKC strength this season but they held to Grizzlies to just one basket in the final 3 1/2 minutes of Friday's game, turning a three-point deficit into a 12-point win by closing on a 15-0 run! Friday's win ended a three-game slide for OKC and the Thunder get a Portland team here playing its first road contest since Jan. 21.  Portland is just 7-15 against winning opponents and will likely want to get this game out of the way quickly, to watch the Super Bowl. Make OKC a 10* play.

The set-up: The 23-27 Charlotte Hornets wrap up a three-game road trip tonight in Salt Lake City, taking on the 31-19 Utah Jazz. The Hornets have dropped the first two games of their trip (at Portland and Golden State) and hope to snap a six-game overall slide. For the Jazz, they are looking to wrap up a four-game homestand at 3-1, after beating the Bucks 104-88 on Wednesday.

The pick: The Jazz have made a real name for themselves this season but along with that comes 'heavier' prices. The Hornets own an outstanding backcourt duo in Walker (22.9 & 5.5 APG) and Batum (14.9-7.3-6.0 plus own a host of credible role players. The Hornets are still "right in" the battle for that final playoff spot in the East. Take the points and make Charlotte a 10* play.

The pick: While LaVine has struggled lately for Minnesota, the other two members of the team's "Big 3" have have had no such problems. Center Towns (23.0 & 11.9) and SF Wiggins (22.1 & 4.2) are the envy of most teams. However, Towns has not beaten the Pistons in his short NBA career in large part because Pistons center Andre Drummond has won the matchup of the talented young big men. The Pistons have defeated Minnesota in their last three meetings with Drummond averaging 22 points and 17 rebounds, while Towns has posted averages of 18 points and 9.3 rebounds in those games. I expect that to change here and will make Minnesota an 8* play.

The pick: Here's the bottom line. The Clippers haven't defeated the Warriors since recording a 100-86 decision back on Christmas Day in 2014. Since then, it's been nothing but misery for them, as the Warriors own eight straight wins over the Clippers, including the past four meetings at Staples. Golden State has an average margin of victory of more than 13 points in the past eight contests against the Clippers, averaging 117.5 PPG and shooting 49.9 percent during that stretch. Golden State rolled to a 144-98 romp at Oracle Arena in the teams' most recent meeting, this past Saturday. The Warriors shot 62 percent from the floor and made 17 three-pointers, with Curry scoring 43 points (in three quarters!). It was the most points allowed by the Clippers this season. The Warriors have won 11 of their last 12 contests overall and they are 8-1 against division opponents this season. Make Golden State an 8* play.

The pick: The Spurs and Thunder will meet for the first time this season, with the last "get together" being when the teams faced off in the 2016 playoffs, where the Thunder beat the Spurs twice in San Antonio to capture that Western Conference semifinal series (of course, KD was on OKC then!). However, it's hard to ignore that after matching the league record with a 40-1 SU home mark last season,  the Spurs are "just" 16-6 SU at home this season, going 12-10 ATS. Take the points and make OKC a 10* play.

The set-up: The 28-21 Memphis Grizzlies will make the third stop on their current six-game road trip Monday night in Phoenix, to face the 15-32 Suns. Memphis will try to make it back-to-back triumphs in tonight's game, something it has done just once this month. the Grizzlies haven't won as many as three in a row since a six-game winning streak to open December. The Suns come the losers of three in a row, as defensed continue sto be an issue. The Suns rank 29th in points allowed (112.0 PPG) and have not held an opponent under 100 points in any of their last 10 contests.

Memphis: The Grizzlies could not stop Damian Lillard in the fourth quarter of a 112-109 loss at Portland (Friday) to begin the trip but were able to win 102-95 in Utah on Saturday, aaginst the up-and-coming Jazz. PF Zach Randolph (14.1 & 8.4) has a season-high 28 points and added nine rebounds. "He was really disappointed with the loss the night before," Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told reporters of Randolph. "He really wanted that game in Portland. I saw it on his face after the game and the things he said after the game. He was really upset. I expected him to come out and play really well (Saturday)." Randolph, center Marc Gasol (20.8 & 6.1) and PG Mike Conley (18.7-3.8-6.2) combined to score 69 points on 28-of-46 shooting in the win at Utah. "We really did a good job of moving the basketball tonight," Conley told reporters. "Really playing off one another, especially when one guy has it going. We didn’t go away from that. (Randolph) had so many opportunities down low early and just kept trying to exploit that as long as we could, and when they took that away we went to Marc and when they took that away we went to me. We were just trying to go down the line and find different areas to try and attack them."

Phoenix: PG Bledsoe (21.4-5.0-6.3) scored a career-high 41 points on Saturday against Denver (besting his previous best of 40 set six days earlier) and is averaging 31.8 points in the last four contests. His backcourt mate, second-year Devin Booker (20.8) of Kentucky, is thriving on the offensive end as well and added points. He has now scored at least 20 points in each of his last 12 contests, averaging 26.7 PPG in that span. Let's also not forget center Tyson Chandler, who earlier this month broke the Phoenix franchise record with seven consecutive games with 15 or more rebounds. His current average (12.2) is his highest in 10 years and is well above the full-season record for a 16th-year NBA player. That mark is held by Moses Malone at 10.0 per game.

The pick: One has to love the guard combo of Bledsoe and Booker plus Chandler's numbers speak for themselves but "oh those defensive woes." Phoenix surrendered an average of 125.0 PPG in back-to-back losses to the Denver Nuggets in the team's last two games, Thursday in Denver and back at home on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies rank 3rd in the NBA in points allowed ((99.6), opponents' FG percentage (43.7) and opponents' three-point shooting (34.1). Make Memphis an 8* play.

Philadelphia: The 76ers won 10 of 13 games from Dec. 30 through Jan. 25 but lost 123-118 at home to teh Rockets and Sunday lost 121-108 in Chicago, the team's 12th straight defeat against the Bulls. Joel Embiid (knee) has missed four of the last five games, including not even making the trip to Chicago. However, the 76ers hope to have their star center back in the lineup when then they host the Kings. Embiid leads the team in scoring (20.2), rebounding (7.8) and blocked shots (2.45). Sixers backup center Jahlil Okafor (11.2 & 4.8) dressed but did not play Sunday against Chicago. He has been held out of 10 of the last 14 games, most recently because of a sore right knee. However, all five starters for Philadelphia scored at least 12 points in Sunday's loss, led by Ersan Ilyasova's 31. He's averaging 15.5 & 6.1 on the season. PG McConnell (5.6 & 6.0 APG) continued his impressive play with12 assists, giving him an average of 10.8 over the past five games.

The pick: The insertion of McConnell into the starting lineup at PG back on Dec. 30 is what has sparked Philly's recent run. Yes, the 7ers have lost back-to-back games but this is the Kings' seventh game in 11 nights. Make Philly a 10* play.

The pick: Curry showed no ill effects of a quad injury by piling up 43 points in just three quarters of action in last night's rout of the Clippers.The 144-point total is the second-highest of the season for Golden State. The Warriors have won the first three meetings this season against Portland and five straight overall, by an average of 25.3 points. The Warriors were able to rest their starters down the stretch in last night's rout of Clippers, so what changes here? Nothing. The Warriors are a 10* play.

The pick: Obviously, I'd prefer the 76ers to have had Embiid for this one but Philly's playing with confidence while the Bulls are riddled with in-fighting and several players criticizing one another. Take the points with Philly and make them an 8* play.

The set-up: The 27-21 Memphis Grizzlies will be in Salt Lake City to face the 30-18 Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies are 10 games out in the Southwest and the Jazz lead the Northwest by 1 1/2 games. The Jazz currently own the West's no. 5 seed and while the Grizzlies are 7th, they are well inside the playoff 'cut line,' six games clear of the 9th-place Blazers.

The pick: Indiana is 23-22 on the season but one thing which has been fairly consistent has been the team's play here at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. While the Pacers are 7-16 SU on the road, they are 16-6 SU at home. Yes, it's a back-to-back situation for Indiana but they catch the inconsistent Kings off their Wednesday upset of the Cavs. The Pacers just won in Sacramento (106-100 on Jan 18) and this time around a win should come more easily. Make Indiana at 10* play.

The set-up: The 20-26 New York Knicks are in Dallas on Wednesday night to face the 15-29 Mavericks. The Mavericks just routed the Lakers by 49 points last Sunday, simultaneously setting a Dallas franchise record for the largest margin of victory and worst loss ever by the Lakers. The Mavs haven't played since while the Knicks come in after almost blowing another late lead Monday at Indiana. New York had lost three games by a total of six points in the previous week and squandered a 17-point lead against the Pacers, before Carmelo Anthony knocked down a go-ahead jumper and the defense held in the final seconds of a 109-103 triumph over the Pacers.

The pick: The Mavericks are just 15-29 but they are 9-9 over their last 18. split their last 18 games overall. "Right now we are in a spot where we have to dig ourselves out a hole that we dug ourselves in earlier in the season," PG Deron Williams said. "We have to be more aggressive on both sides of the floor and get some more wins." They are hoping momentum from Sunday carries over into the finale of a three-game homestand in this one and I'm 'biting.' Make Dallas a 10* play

The pick: The Suns are on a 5-4 run, a big deal for a team that's 14 games under .500 but the Timberwolves beat the Suns 98-85 in Phoenix in November and repeated the result in a 115-108 victory in Minneapolis on Dec. 19th. I'm not ready to give up on Minnesota's playoff chances just yet, as the T-wolves are just 2 1/2 games back of the eighth spot with just less than a half-season remaining. For Minnesota to catch Denver (or any of the handful of teams slightly ahead of them at the moment), winning on the road against a team like the Suns is a must. Make Minnesota a 10* play.

The set-up: the 25-19 OKC Thunder find themselves trailing the Utah Jazz by 3 1/2 games in the Northwest Division and also own just the West's No. 6 seed, tied with Memphis. The Thunder have a chance to make up some ground Monday night when they travel to Salt Lake City to face the 29-16 Utah Jazz.

Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook did not claim a starting spot in the upcoming NBA All-Star game, That, despite leading the NBA in scoring (30.6 PPG), ranking second in assists (10.4) and 11th in rebounds (10.6). He has posted 21 triple-doubles so far this season and is the first player to average a triple-double this late into a season since 1963-64. Westbrook says he won't be looking to make any special statement over being denied a starting spot. "I don't play for All-Star bids," Westbrook told reporters on Friday. "I play to win championships, and every night I compete at a high level, and it'll work out. I just continue doing what I'm doing and play the game the right way, and everything else will work out." I guess the follow up question should have been, "Just how many championships have you won?" The again, that would be journalism!

Utah: The Jazz are riding a season-best six game winning streak after beating Indiana 109-100 on Saturday. The Jazz led the Pacers wire-to-wire behind a season-high 30 points from George Hill (18.4-3.8-4.1). Meanwhile, teammates Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert both added more evidence to build their respective all-star cases. Hayward finished with 27 points, a career-best 16th straight game with 16 or more points. He is averaging career highs in points (22.2), rebounds (5.7) and free-throw shooting percentage (87.1). Gobert scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds for his 31st double-double of the season and his 30th consecutive game with 10 or more rebounds. He is averaging 14.1 points, 15.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in January and 12.9 & 12.7 on the season. Gobert leads the league in blocked shots per game (2.51), ranks second in field-goal percentage (66.9) and fifth in rebounds (12.7).

The pick: Westbrook's "I play for championships" quote was a classic and it's my belief he will be highly motivated here, as will his teammates, as the Jazz have proven to be one of this season's "breakout teams!" Oklahoma City swept all four meetings with Utah last season (of course that was with Durant) but I'm taking the points. Make OKC a 10* play.

The pick: "We just have to find our way out of this slump," Parker said after Milwaukee's loss on Friday. "We'll find our way out of it. We need more enthusiasm. After the first quarter, we didn't have any momentum. We need to move on and win the next game." That sounds good but the Bucks are struggling. Meanwhile, Miami has shown some signs of life this week by beating the Houston Rockets 109-103 and the Dallas Mavericks 99-95 here at home. Let's also note that in two games against Miami this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging just 16.0 points. In 12 career games against Miami, his numbers are even more modest at 14.2 PPG. Miami is a 10* play.