OKC @ BOS: One of the marquee matchups on a 12-game card is Russell Westbrook against Rajon Rondo; you assume that both will be stellar every game. Kevin Durant, who has stepped up his scoring of late, is impossible to shut down, so the Celtics will try to stop everyone else. If Kevin Martin gets hot off the bench and Serge Ibaka contributes offensively, I like the Thunder.
For Boston, Kevin Garnett has a decided advantage in quickness over ex-teammate Kendrick Perkins, but the key is Paul Pierce, who has been slowed somewhat by an ankle injury without missing any games. If The Truth doesn’t hurt, he could be a difference-maker. The SG position is unsettled; Jason Terry is more of an attacker when he comes off the bench, but Courtney Lee was a disappointment as the starter.
LAC @ BRK: The Nets are glad to be back home after dropping back-to-back road games on the west coast. Deron Williams and Chris Paul know each other well and are a tossup, but Kris Humphries is no match for Blake Griffin and the Clippers’ supporting cast has been great. In particular, Jamal Crawford is shooting a career-high 48.3% and averaging almost 20 points per game. DeAndre Jordan is now a force at both ends of the floor, and with Caron Butler (shoulder) unavailable, Matt Barnes stepped in as starting SF and scored 19 points against OKC on Wednesday.
Brooklyn needs a healthy Gerald Wallace to be at full strength; Crash returned from an ankle injury on Tuesday, then sat out the following night. He’s done very little for his patient fantasy owners so far this year, but don’t panic. Brook Lopez gets his 20 every night and blocks a couple of shots, but his rebounding is intermittent.
SAS @ IND: After a couple of truly horrible games, the Pacers may have righted a sinking ship. Paul George exploded for 37 points on Wednesday and Roy Hibbert had the first triple-double of his career, thanks to 11 blocked shots. On the other hand, Indiana’s modest two-game win streak came against Washington and New Orleans; the Spurs are a much sterner test.
Tony Parker (26) and Tim Duncan (20) were crucial to a win in Boston the other night. Injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson meant Gary Neal (12) stepped in as starting SG and Manu Ginobili is getting more minutes as the sixth man. Though he didn’t start, Tiago Splitter had a monster line (23 points on 9-of-11 shooting) that should keep him prominent in the ever-flexible rotation.
NYK @ HOU: This could be a two-man show. Carmelo Anthony figures to have his way at one end, James Harden at the other. The Knicks have superior talent elsewhere; Raymond Felton has been more than adequate at PG, especially compared to the struggles of Jeremy Lin in Houston. Shooting just 33.3% on the year, Lin had more turnovers than points last game and was replaced by Toney Douglas down the stretch. He’ll be motivated against his former team, but he may not be good enough.
Omer Asik has cooled off dramatically after a string of double-doubles; he had his hands full with Al Jefferson and Joakim Noah in his last two and Tyson Chandler will be no picnic. I don’t think Jason Kidd can repeat his inspired, vintage line from Wednesday in Dallas, but J.R. Smith is a must-start. Rasheed Wallace has been a very pleasant surprise for an old man still working his way into game shape.
LAL @ MEM: Game of the night, as Mike D’Antoni’s Muppets will be fired up to atone for a lethargic loss to the lowly Kings. There is no brotherly love for 48 minutes between Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol, who are always psyched for these meetings. Pau will match up against Zach Randolph while Marc takes on Dwight Howard in two of the most critical matchups.
Memphis has defensive-minded Tony Allen to try to slow down Kobe Bryant, and an underrated point guard in Mike Conley. The Lakers are still waiting for Steve Nash (leg) to return, so Conley’s advantage over fill-in Darius Morris might prove the difference.