SAS @ NOH: So far, since Eric Gordon has returned, Greivis Vasquez has been terrific. I don’t think the Hornets can win, but they might make this interesting. Anthony Davis owners must be a little concerned after he played just 12 minutes on Saturday; Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith were the best N’Awlins bigs in that surprise OT win in Dallas. The Spurs are a very good road team (13-7) with veterans Tony Parker and Tim Duncan enjoying wonderful seasons; tremendous depth and a Hall-of-Fame coach are other assets.
ORL @ POR: A word of caution. Sometimes, when a team plays as well on the road as the Blazers did last week — going 3-1, with big upsets against the Knicks and Grizzlies — they come up flat in the first home game. Orlando has lost eight in a row, but they hung tough against the Heat, Bulls and Knicks in the last three. LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum could be unstoppable, and Wesley Matthews seems to be over his hip injury, so I’m not actually predicting a Magic win, just reminding you that stranger things have happened in the NBA.
CLE @ CHI: Fresh off an impressive win in Miami, fully rested and at home, it’s hard to go against the Bulls. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer have years more experience than Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson. This could be a familiar story for Cleveland — Kyrie Irving scores 30 and they lose. Things could get better as soon as Wednesday, when Anderson Varejao (knee) is expected to return.
DAL @ UTA: The Mavericks, losers in 11 of their last 13 games, are still finding their identity. Dirk Nowitzki is still finding his legs and wind. I’m not a big believer in Darren Collison, but he’s all they have. The same applies to Jamaal Tinsley, doing his best to fill in while Utah PG Mo Williams recovers from hand surgery. This is the type of game Al Jefferson can take over, and the Jazz are 10-4 at home.
MEM @ SAC: Having played in Phoenix last night, the Grizzlies won’t be at their very best. The way the mercurial DeMarcus Cousins has been playing — and staying out of trouble — means Marc Gasol is a key for Memphis. There’s talk of Tyreke Evans (knee) returning to the Kings, presumably off the bench after missing 16 of the last 20 games. That might not totally ruin the fantasy value of John Salmons; it’s Francisco Garcia who can be dropped. Sadly, the PG situation remains a timeshare, with Aaron Brooks playing more minutes than starter Isaiah Thomas in two of the last three games. Neither will see the ball as much when Evans is up to full speed.
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