NOH @ BRK: We liked Robin Lopez (15 PTS, 8 REB) against his brother, but Brook Lopez (26 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK) was better than expected. Deron Williams (21 PTS, 13 AST, 2 REB, 3 STL) was great in this back-to-back and Andray Blatche (18 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST) played very well off the bench. Ryan Anderson (illness) got the night off, but Yahoo box scores show him playing one minute. Don’t panic, Roto owners. You didn’t lose a GP, assuming that error is corrected. Greivis Vasquez (15 PTS, 14 AST) and Anthony Davis (17 PTS, 11 REB, 5 BLK) did all they could and Eric Gordon scored a team-high 24, but the Nets were determined.
ATL @ MIA: Once again, LeBron James (15 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL) was less than superhuman but his teammates stifled the Hawks and consecutive victory number 19 was never in doubt. Dwyane Wade (23 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB, 5 STL) led all scorers and Mario Chalmers drained another four 3-pointers. Udonis Haslem (6 PTS, 11 REB) grabbed ten boards in the first half. Al Horford (12 PTS, 6 REB) had his first quiet night in weeks and Josh Smith (15 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST) played less than 24 minutes as coach Larry Drew conceded the fourth quarter.
DAL @ MIL: In a must-win game without Shawn Marion (calf), Dallas got the job done. Dirk Nowitzki (19 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST) and Vince Carter (23 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST) were the scoring stars and rookie Jae Crowder (14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST) filled in capably for the Matrix. Larry Sanders (13 PTS, 12 REB, 4 BLK) returned in fine form, but Ersan Ilyasova (7 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL) wasn’t quite himself. Monta Ellis (32 PTS, 9 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL) kept the Bucks close; Brandon Jennings (4 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST) didn’t play well and lost most of ‘his’ minutes to J.J. Redick (17 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST) in the second half.
MEM @ POR: Two guys aren’t enough to beat Memphis. LaMarcus Aldridge (28 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 4 BLK) showed no sign of a sore ankle and Damian Lillard (27 PTS, 7 AST) shook off a sore shoulder but the rest of the Blazers shot 14-for-43 (32.5%) and the playoff dream is fading away. Zach Randolph (19 PTS, 10 REB) made a timely return after missing four games with an ankle sprain and Marc Gasol (20 PTS, 5 AST, 2 REB, 2 BLK) is as consistent as they come. Mike Conley (14 PTS, 15 AST, 4 REB, 4 STL) was also a major factor and Ed Davis (14 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK) didn’t lose all his value.
Wednesday Previews
MIL @ WAS: For a while, Washington was playing extremely well at home. Bradley Beal (ankle) was crucial to that success but has missed four games, and Trevor Ariza (knee) is questionable. Motivation for the Bucks these days is to escape eighth place and get an easier first-round matchup; they played well last night but lost to a desperate team.
MIA @ PHI: The 76ers shocked the Nets (and me) on Monday with their best effort in ages. Can they be giant-killers tonight? Well, the Heat could be overconfident, and this is a back-to-back, but it’s unlikely. Jrue Holiday and Spencer Hawes will need to be superb to give them a chance. Thaddeus Young had 25 points when these teams met last week in Miami; that game was only a 9-point final margin but was never really in doubt.
LAL @ ATL: This is a tough one to predict. Both teams played elsewhere last night, with opposite results. The Lakers handled Orlando fairly easily while the Hawks got their wings clipped by a great team. Jeff Teague left with a sprained ankle in the third quarter, so it could be up to Devin Harris to run the show. The difference could be Dwight Howard, whose confidence must be sky-high as he visits his hometown.