It was the Russell Westbrook show in L.A., especially in the third quarter, when he scored 17 of his 36 points. Kevin Durant missed eight of his first nine before heating up; he finished with 21 PTS and 11 REB, plus 5 AST and 2 BLK. The Lakers — except for Andrew Bynum (25 PTS, 13 REB, 4 BLK) — did not shoot well. Kobe Bryant had 23 points on 25 FG attempts.
Elsewhere
WAS @ IND: Hardly a classic, but a relief to the Pacers. Danny Granger bounced back with 25 points to lead all scorers. David West (14 PTS, 8 REB) and George Hill (14) also contributed. For the Wizards, Jordan Crawford scored 20 and Nene played a strong 33 minutes with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
DAL @ MIA: Despite 25 from Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas was outplayed in the second half. Jason Terry had an awful night, missing 9 of 10 shots. Delonte West (finger) returned but saw just eight minutes of action. The banged-up LeBron James and Chris Bosh each had 19 PTS and 9 REB for the Heat; strong bench play from Udonis Haslem (16) and Norris Cole (10) was a big help.
NOH @ POR: LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 & 12 despite a sore hip and Wesley Matthews, playing through an assortment of injuries, added 18 as the Blazers won. Raymond Felton was back from personal leave with a 12-point, 10-assist, 4-rebound, 3-steal line. With the Hornets still missing Chris Kaman (flu) and Jarrett Jack out with a sore ankle, Greivis Vasquez (14 points) started and it was Mario Belinelli (27) Carl Landry (24) stepping up to keep it close.
Friday Night Lights
DEN @ CHA: The Nuggets are in a dogfight just to make the playoffs in the West, and that should be enough motivation to play well tonight. Ty Lawson is the engine, not to mention a hero in North Carolina, but he needs someone else to score. JaVale McGee could have a big night against the Bobcats’ weak front line. For Charlotte, Kemba Walker looked good on Wednesday and D.J. Augustin has been terrible for five games.
MIA @ TOR: After a solid win at home last night, Miami tries to build some momentum. The Raptors have a way of surprising good teams when they visit Toronto, and if Andrea Bargnani can duplicate that last 26-point effort, they may keep it close. If Joe Johnson (illness) can’t go, expect Linas Kleiza to get another start.
PHI @ WAS: The Sixers are hoping Andre Iguodala (knee) returns, but he’s a game-time decision, with Jodie Meeks standing by. More on that situation — and how you might take advantage in the Freeroll — in the DraftStreet segment below. The Wizards are in a back-to-back and Trevor Booker is playing hurt; I’m not too keen on their chances.
NYK @ ATL: We don’t have a clear timeline on Amare Stoudemire (back) and there’s word that Jeremy Lin (knee) will see reduced minutes when he returns. This is terrific news if you own Iman Shumpert, a great defensive guard who had 25 points in 32 minutes two nights ago. Carmelo Anthony has been playing with a sore groin and must face Josh Smith tonight in this interesting battle.
MIL @ CLE: The Bucks and their fans finally saw the “real” Monta Ellis on Tuesday, as he blistered Atlanta with 33 points. Now Milwaukee is rested and still hoping to make the playoffs. Ersan Ilyasova (back) practiced yesterday, so we’re expecting him to play. Although Kyrie Irving has been consistently great, the rest of the Cavaliers have looked tired lately.
MEM @ HOU: Marc Gasol (ankle) is expected to return and Rudy Gay has been hot, but this will not be easy, as Houston has been getting great play from Goran Dragic and Luis Scola.
DAL @ ORL: Some pundits thought the Magic players might have stayed out too late in Manhattan the night before that embarrassing loss to the Knicks. Back home tonight, expect Dwight Howard to make amends. The Mavs will be tired from a tough loss in Miami last night.
DET @ CHI: With a few Pistons guards hurting, Brandon Knight may be a good fantasy play and Tayshaun Prince is coming off a 29-point game. That said, the Bulls should have no problem. Taj Gibson has been strong off the bench if coach Thibodeau decides to rest any starters.
BOS @ MIN: The Celtics have been playing much better recently, even without Ray Allen (ankle) who is a game-time decision tonight. However, you can never count out the Timberwolves, as Kevin Love is on a mission. The MVP candidate is averaging 31.3 points and 14.1 rebounds in March. We’re starting to worry about Nikola Pekovic (ankle) but he’s too good to cut hastily.
SAC @ UTA: The Jazz should win, but the Kings generally make things exciting. Gordon Hayward is playing well as the starting SF, while big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are always tough. For Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas usually put up numbers.
POR @ LAC: Almost everyone (including me) was down on the sinking Clippers a couple of weeks ago. They seem to have righted the ship, with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin leading the way. Portland did win at home last night, but Jamal Crawford is in a truly horrible shooting slump (9 of his last 55) and fatigue may be a factor for other Blazers.
NJN @ GSW: The Nets have no center, as Shelden Williams suffered an eye injury on Wednesday. The Warriors will go small anyway; they have no choice. I like David Lee to have a big night, and of course Deron Williams will be the best player on the floor. If you’re watching this one, you are indeed a hoops junkie.
The Spin is here every morning before 8:00 Eastern except for Sundays, when we post by noon. Follow me on Twitter for updates.
DraftStreet of Dreams
| Sure Things | Over $14,000 |
| K. Love | $22,147 |
| D. Howard | $18,791 |
| P. Millsap | $16,322 |
| C. Paul | $18,568 |
| Bargains | Under $9,000 |
| C. Maggette | $8,827 |
| I. Shumpert | $8,505 |
| C. Lee | $8,364 |
| J. Meeks | $6,536 |
| Hunches | $9,000 to $14,000 |
| C. Bosh | $13,293 |
| L. Deng | $12,136 |
| L. Williams | $13,073 |
| G. Hayward | $10,981 |
There’s still $52 left in the $100 bankroll for Week 4; last night I finished 32nd of 165 in the $5 Salary Cap league, mostly because Kobe Bryant missed 18 FG and James Harden was surprisingly quiet. It’s a game of skill, but a little luck never hurts.
With a dozen NBA games to choose from, I’m going to try a Snake-Draft or two later in the afternoon, and may pick multiple teams (you can have up to three) in a $2 Salary Cap league with a $600 prize pool and a $5 GPP that pays out a guaranteed $750.
The always exciting Sheridan Hoops weekly Freeroll is tonight, and you can join right now.
Note that dollar amounts listed in the chart at right are not exactly the same as in the Freeroll, as the DraftStreet computers make adjustments each day. For example, I’m calling Jodie Meeks a Bargain at his $6,536 salary (unless Andre Iguodala decides to play) but Meeks is an even better deal in the Freeroll at just $5,491 — his 31-point outburst hadn’t been factored in when those prices were set.
Chris Sheridan will be in the Freeroll, and so will I. There’s absolutely no charge to register or play, and in addition to invaluable bragging rights for beating us, you can win $125 cash for first place, with another $225 divided among the next six finishers.