LA CLIPPERS: While their biggest ailments appear to be bruised egos, they need the return of Chauncey Billups (groin) as a stabilizer if they want to snap out of their late-season funk and make any 
postseason noise. This can be a rowdy group that is susceptible to playing on emotion, and Chris Paul can’t be expected to be the only calming influence. CONTENDER
LA LAKERS: They’re already without Jordan Hill and Metta World Peace. Now Steve Nash can’t seem to work through nagging hamstring and hip ailments. Pau Gasol (foot), Dwight Howard (shoulder) and Kobe Bryant (ankle, foot) are walking the health tightrope and won’t get any rest because the playoffs actually started a month ago for the Lakers, who still aren’t in. Old and hurt is no way to play in May. PRETENDER
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Unless there is a disaster in the final 10 days, the Grizzlies will be entirely healthy for the playoffs, which they could not say in each of the last two years. That’s pretty phenomenal when you watch how hard all of them play every single game. Keep in mind that Marc Gasol is playing through an abdominal tear. But the Grizzlies are positioned very well. CONTENDER
MIAMI HEAT: Dwyane Wade (ankle) and Chris Bosh (knee) both have issues, and Wade may sit out the rest of the season. But the Heat need just two wins to secure home court throughout the playoffs, and then they can rest everybody. And let’s be honest. They don’t need their Big Three to be healthy until Game 3 of the conference semifinals. CONTENDER
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Yeah, they’re healthy. So what? PRETENDER
NEW YORK KNICKS: All of their 18-5 start came without Stoudemire. Their entire current winning streak came without Stoudemire. And they were just 16-13 with Stoudemire. So it’s kind of hard to argue that they would be better with Stoudemire. At the same time, veteran big men Kenyon Martin, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace all missed Sunday’s game with injuries, and a legitimate third scorer might be necessary for a deep playoff run. CONTENDER
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: There was a collective gasp Friday when NBA minutes leader Kevin Durant limped to the locker room with a calf injury. But he returned and will join current iron man Russell Westbrook in leading the league’s most durable team. The Thunder’s top seven players have missed a combined six games. If they have home court with their health, they may be unbeatable until the Finals. CONTENDER
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Given the speed he plays at and his willingness to attack the basket, Tony Parker’s health is a wonder. But the ankle that cost him eight games now is secondary to a strained neck that has coach Gregg Popovich considering shutting down his point guard until the postseason. Manu Ginobili (hamstring) likely will not be ready until the conference semifinals, and it should be noted that over the last four postseasons, San Antonio is 16-13 when he plays and 1-5 when he doesn’t. Duncan and the increasingly indispensable Kawhi Leonard both have sore knees. Their path will be easier if they start with the Jazz, whom they own. CONTENDER
UTAH JAZZ: Enes Kanter’s dislocated shoulder leaves the Jazz with three healthy bigs and certainly doesn’t help a team with very little margin for error. Even if they get into the postseason, they won’t be around long. PRETENDER
TRIVIA: With the Clippers clinching the Pacific Division, only two franchises have not won a division title. Who are they? Answer below.
THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT: Heat forward Chris Bosh had a party for his 29th birthday Wednesday night in South Beach. He arrived by helicopter and yacht to the event where guests wore Saharan attire, were greeted at the door by a pair of camels and entertained by belly dancers and fire eaters. The cake was a bejeweled chocolate elephant with a miniature Bosh 
figurine riding it. And while Bosh partied, his house was robbed of $340,000 in jewelry.
THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT, PART II: For the framed jersey and the banner hoisted to the rafters of Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers put Shaquille O’Neal’s name and No. 34 on the front of the jersey rather than the back.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Dallas Mavericks center Chris Kaman, on the beards he and his teammates are growing until they reach the .500 mark:
“I just let it go. It’s like a Chia Pet.”
LINE OF THE WEEK: Carmelo Anthony, New York at Miami, April 2: 40 minutes, 18-26 FGs, 7-10 3-pointers, 7-8 FTs, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, zero turnovers, 50 points in a 102-90 win. Anthony got to 50 without a single point in the paint; every one of his shots came from at least 15 feet. In a bizarre spin on the trillion watch, he had 37 points before notching a rebound, assist, steal or block. Afterward, Miami’s Shane Battier noted, “It’s an inopportune time to announce my candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year.”
I agree with you that Lawson is the more important of the two, over the sporadic Gallinari, but they will both be missed. Lawson is projected to return a game or two before the playoffs begin, and I not only hope he DOES, but hope he’ll have enough time against a few mediocre opponents to get his game back in line. I’ve been working a lot of late nights at DISH lately, and haven’t seen too many live games these past few weeks, but my new app is letting me stay connected as soon as work is done. My DISH Anywhere app lets me take my live TV and DVR wherever I go, and while I missed the game where Gallo got hurt, I won’t miss a thing going forward.