Wednesday Previews
TOR @ CHA: This is a rematch of a meaningless game last Friday in Toronto, where the Bobcats fell apart in the final ten minutes. Rudy Gay scored 28 that night, and Amir Johnson grabbed 21 rebounds, so you might want them in your lineups. For Charlotte, it’s mostly about the guards. Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker are must-starts and off the bench, Ben Gordon and/or newcomer Jannero Pargo could get hot.
MIA @ CLE: Any time Akron native and former Cavalier LeBron James returns to Cleveland, it’s a big deal. Tonight, it’s gigantic, as the Heat goes for a 24tth consecutive victory against a team missing its three best players. Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao have been out for a while, now rookie Dion Waiters (knee) might need surgery. This makes Wayne Ellington the new starting SG and C.J. Miles is the main scoring threat. Yikes. Tristan Thompson and Shaun Livingston might be worth owning down the stretch, as there will be much better matchups.
ORL @ NYK: Somehow, the shorthanded old Knicks salvaged a win in Utah on a disastrous road trip. Back home, and with Carmelo Anthony (knee) expected to return, they should handle the Magic, who are tired from playing — quite poorly — last night. Tyson Chandler (neck) is out for another week, so Kenyon Martin will get extra minutes, and you can count on Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith to contribute. The only Orlando player I might use is Nikola Vucevic.
MIL @ ATL: On Monday, the Hawks got out-hustled by the desperate Mavericks and gave up a season-high 127 points. You can be sure they will be working on defense tonight. Al Horford and Josh Smith are pretty good at both ends, and Jeff Teague is the key against the speedy Milwaukee guards. If the Bucks hadn’t played last night, I’d call this a tossup, but the old crystal ball sees a determined Atlanta team wearing them down in the second half.
UTA @ HOU: We know the Jazz are usually tough at home (24-9) though they were terrible there on Monday. On the road, they are just 10-24, and with three games in Texas this week, a dark cloud is looming over their playoff chances. The Rockets were strangely out-of-sync while getting blown out by Golden State on Sunday and they have been getting off to slow starts. Tonight, look for James Harden to press the accelerator early and never let up.
BRK @ DAL: There’s no quit in the Mavericks, although they need a minor miracle to make the postseason. With 15 games to go, they are three back of the 8th-place Lakers. That sense of desperation makes them the choice tonight, as the Nets are comfortably in the playoffs, battling only for home-court advantage in the first round. You can start all the usual suspects on both teams; Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter each scored 20 when Dallas won in Brooklyn three weeks ago, but they can’t stop Deron Williams or Brook Lopez.