PHI @ ORL: The 76ers have lost 12 straight on the road and were embarrassed on their own court by the Magic a couple of weeks ago. They gave up Nikola Vucevic, who is having a monster season, to get Andrew Bynum, who leads the league in weird hairstyles but hasn’t set foot on a court. In a meaningless game, Orlando might have more energy. Arron Afflalo is consistent and Tobias Harris was stifled by the Indiana defense in his first start at PF; he figures to bounce back tonight.
CLE @ TOR: I won’t be watching any other 6:00 games because we have good seats for this one. Seeing Kyrie Irving in person will be a treat, and it’s sort of a home game for Tristan Thompson, who grew up in a Toronto suburb. There’s no update yet on the elbow of Andrea Bargnani; don’t expect him to play. Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson will both see an uptick in minutes. If Rudy Gay is a bit more efficient —he shot 7-for-26 against the Lakers — the Raptors should prevail.
POR @ NOH: What a battle out West for the final playoff spots. With all eyes on the Lakers trying to pass Utah, the Blazers are just two games back of L.A. and they just pounded the Spurs on Friday. New Orleans lost on the road last night, so the visitors will have fresher legs, not just greater motivation. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge are must-starts, J.J. Hickson might have his way with Robin Lopez and don’t overlook Eric Maynor, who has been contributing off the bench.
DAL @ MIN: Every bit as desperate to survive but one game back of Portland, the Mavericks catch a break in the schedule here, as the Wolves lost in Denver last night. Shawn Marion (calf) might miss another game, but O.J. Mayo and Dirk Nowitzki can score enough and the second unit has been playing well. Center is normally a Dallas weak spot, but it’s an even bigger problem right now for Minnesota.
MIL @ SAC: It’s a road back-to-back for the Bucks, who have just about clinched a playoff berth and are trying now to avoid a first-round matchup with Miami. You never know what to expect from the Kings; DeMarcus Cousins could give Larry Sanders fits if in the mood, or get distracted and disappear. A fairly high score is my best prediction, with Ellis and Jennings staying hot.
DET @ LAC: The nightcap is a mismatch. Greg Monroe is Detroit’s best player, but he’s slowed by a tender ankle. Jose Calderon is no match for Chris Paul, and the Clippers’ bench is superior even if Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamal Crawford (ankle) misses another game. While you could take a chance on Brandon Knight, and Blake Griffin is always a must-start, I’m leaning toward a blowout and looking at guys like Matt Barnes and Lamar Odom to take advantage of extra minutes.
You don’t really believe Amare would only be out for 6 weeks? He had the same debridement before, and he was out for 8 weeks and slow to get PT.
However, the 8 weeks clock doesn’t start until after the surgery, which we don’t know when that will be.
May 15, is more like the earliest Amare will see game time play. Will the Knicks be sent Fishing by then? Knicks fans are known to be overly optimistic.