Sunday Previews
ATL @ MIL: This is a 3:00 Eastern matinee. It’s also the final day of the regular season in most Head-to-Head leagues and you don’t want to miss the playoffs (or get a worse seed) because you forgot to have Al Horford or Josh Smith active. Both teams are playing for real-life seeding; the Hawks are clinging to fourth in the east while the Bucks try to climb up from eighth. If Brandon Jennings and J.J. Redick bounce back from their horrible shooting on Friday (a combined 2-for-26) Milwaukee has a chance, and the possible return of Ersan Ilyasova (back) would help.
CHA @ MIA: Losing is inevitable for the Heat, but it won’t happen today. They keep coming out of the gate slowly, but have rallied from double-digits behind to win their last three games and extend the second-best streak in NBA history to 25 straight victories. Facing a last-place team that’s 6-28 on the road and tired from a home loss last night, #26 should be easy. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will try to save some energy for tomorrow night in Orlando, so don’t expect huge numbers in this one. Chris Bosh might be the go-to guy against the weak Bobcats’ frontcourt.
SAS @ HOU: Getting back from his severe ankle sprain at least a week early and just in time for one of my H2H teams, Tony Parker will be hard for Jeremy Lin to stop. Tim Duncan is matched up against a pair of rookies at PF and should get whatever he wants. It will take a superstar performance from James Harden for the Rockets to win. Just a reminder of how lucrative this matchup can be for fantasy owners — their last meeting in Houston finished 134-126 in overtime and they combined for 240 points in regulation. Start everyone you own.
CHI @ MIN: The visitors will likely be without Noah, and exhausted from winning a physical battle last night against a divisional rival. The Timberwolves are waiting at home to ambush them. Nikola Pekovic is a great play, Ricky Rubio could be dazzling and even though his calf is still tender, Andrei Kirilenko looked very good on Friday. Chase Budinger is being brought along carefully after missing four months to knee surgery; he already has deep-league value and that will rise if and when he gets more minutes.
POR @ OKC: While the Blazers remain mathematically alive in the West race (2.5 games back with 13 to play) this is their fifth road game of the week and the toughest opponent yet. LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews have been tremendous on the trip, and I’m amazed at the team’s determination. That said, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have led the Thunder to a 30-5 mark at home and they never take a night off. This could turn into a high-scoring track meet and another fantasy bonanza.
UTA @ DAL: There’s plenty at stake here. A loss would drop the Jazz behind the Mavericks for ninth place in the West. Utah does have eight of their next ten at home, but have dropped eight straight on the road to fall behind the Lakers in the playoff race. Dallas is playing well at home, they got glue guy Shawn Marion back last game and Dirk Nowitzki is in a zone, making 31 of his last 46 shots. You never know who will play C, but Brandon Wright was excellent on Friday and deserves another start.
BRK @ PHO: Though it’s a back-to-back in the ‘wrong’ time zone, the Nets are much better than the Suns, who are pathetic. Jermaine O’Neal (calf) is doubtful, so Luis Scola will play heavy minutes again at C, and Goran Dragic is the only other Phoenix player worth owning. Don’t expect huge numbers from your Brooklyn players, who will do only what is necessary. Someone like C.J. Watson or Andray Blatche could get hot off the bench.
PHI @ SAC: The Sixers are hard to figure. With nothing to play for, they had a fantastic home stand and almost knocked off Miami. When they began this Western road trip with a 29-point loss, I completely wrote them off the next night in Denver, yet they almost won. Now they are well-rested and playing a tired team. Spencer Hawes and Jrue Holiday could have big games, Thaddeus Young is a must-start and to the surprise of almost everyone, Damien Wilkins has become productive as the starting SG. The Kings do tend to play better at home, where they have won four of their last five, and defense will be an afterthought.
Wow, lots of important injuries happening to a lot of contending teams right now; it’ll probably come down to the team with the fewest injuries at this point, considering how close a race the West has become. I love the Nuggets, who are currently without Chandler and Lawson, and it’s interesting to see Gasol and Curry go out with injuries at just the wrong time. This tight race has prompted me to record as many games as I can to keep tabs on the other teams above and below Denver’s #3 spot. I work late at DISH usually, but my new Hopper DVR can store up to 2,000 hours of shows no problem. I love coming home and flipping from one game to the next, but the injuries, fatigue and play of different young players on each team has made the quality of basketball a little worse lately, lol.