PHI @ PHO: We said this could go either way, but Luis Scola (21 PTS, 9 REB) took over in the second half and Goran Dragic (20 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB, 3 BLK) rose to the challenge against a tired Jrue Holiday. Jrue still had a triple-double (16 PTS, 10 AST, 10 REB, 2 BLK, 2 STL) and is a deserving all-star, but he missed ten shots and committed six turnovers. It appears that P.J. Tucker (10 PTS, 6 REB) will remain in the starting five for Phoenix, with Shannon Brown (12 PTS) becoming the sixth man. Grab Tucker in mid-sized and especially deep leagues, then hope for the best.
LAC @ GSW: After a perfect December, the Clippers are 0-for-2013. Blake Griffin (10 PTS on 2-for-10 shooting) had a very rough night at the office, including a sore head and shoulder after a hard foul sent him crashing to the floor. Matt Barnes (19 PTS, 7 REB) started for Caron Butler (personal leave) and Jamal Crawford (24 PTS, 5 AST, 2 STL) was sharp off the bench, but the Warriors won easily. Stephen Curry (31 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL) is the gift that keeps on giving to his fantasy owners, and David Lee (24 PTS, 13 REB, 7 AST) is amazingly consistent.
January 3 Games
SAS @ NYK: The Knicks will need more than two players to beat the Spurs. Carmelo Anthony (45) and J.R. Smith (28) scored 73% of their points in a loss to Portland on Tuesday; Jason Kidd went 0-for-5 in that one and must play better tonight. It would also help if Amare Stoudemire improves on his dull first game. While fatigue could be a factor for San Antonio, they are an excellent road team with versatility and depth. I’ll take Parker and Duncan for the win.
MIN @ DEN: Based on their apathy last night, the Timberwolves will get run out of the mile-high gym this evening. The Nuggets didn’t even miss Ty Lawson (Achilles) in beating the Clippers on Tuesday, as veteran PG Andre Miller was excellent. Now 10-1 on their home court (they have played a ridiculous 22 games on the road already, with less success), Denver is a very solid favorite. Kenneth Faried will be hounding Kevin Love, so I like Andre Iguodala to score against the iffy Minnesota backcourt, and Corey Brewer could have a nice game off the bench.
The Spin is here by 9:00 EST, every day. Be sure to join this week’s Sheridan Hoops Freeroll. It’s a 1-day contest (this Friday, January 4) that’s absolutely free to enter and you could win up to $100 cash! More details to come in my DraftStreet Diary, which appears later each morning. Follow us on Twitter — @SheridanFantasy — for updates and roster advice.