MEM @ WAS: Losers of three straight on the road, the Grizzlies will not rush Marc Gasol (abdominal tear) back into action, so Zach Randolph becomes more important than ever. Both Ed Davis and Darrell Arthur will get extra minutes while Gasol is out. For Washington, John Wall is the main man, but Mike Conley is no easy opponent. Emeka Okafor should be fully recovered from the flu, though Trevor Ariza might not be 100% yet, so rarely-used Cartier Martin might have another good game.
MIA @ ORL: Both previous meetings went down to the buzzer and the amazing win streak would have ended three weeks ago in Miami if LBJ hadn’t hit a clutch layup in the dying seconds. The biggest problem for the Magic this time is the absence of Nikola Vucevic (concussion) and Arron Afflalo (hamstring) — Jameer Nelson and Beno Udrih are the only veterans left standing. Rookie Maurice Harkless has been playing great, but especially if Wade returns, Orlando should lose its seventh in a row and the Heat should make it 27 straight.
DEN @ NOH: Complacency is the enemy in games like this. The Nuggets, winners of 15 in a row, know they are the better team. They might even have Ty Lawson (heel) and Wilson Chandler (shoulder) back, extending their huge advantage in depth. However, the Hornets have become giant-killers lately, with surprising, hard-fought victories over Boston and Memphis. Robin Lopez and Anthony Davis are playing extremely well. I’m not calling them to win, but this may not be as easy as it looks on paper.
PHI @ UTA: At this time of year, it’s supposed to be about motivation. Obviously Utah is desperate and “should” win, but more than any other team in the playoff hunt, they appear to be choking, with 12 losses in their last 15 games. Home cooking might be the answer against the Sixers, who played last night and are out of the East race. Al Jefferson had only three rebounds in a must-win game last night and Mo Williams may have his hands full with young Mr. Holiday, so there are no guarantees.
LAL @ GSW: The nightcap is huge for both teams. Golden State is trying to hang on to the sixth playoff seed and the eighth-place Lakers can’t afford another loss. Stephen Curry (ankle) seems to think he will play; without him it would be up to Jarrett Jack to run the team. Andrew Bogut will need to be at his best against Dwight Howard in a heavyweight tussle, and the Warriors will have a problem if Kobe Bryant is anywhere near 100%. Pau Gasol can’t be much worse than he was in his first game back; if he improves against David Lee, I’ll give L.A. the edge.