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The Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks shocked us all, and we went 3-2 on a night that seemed to be a tad backwards. New York pushing the defending champion Spurs into overtime and actually winning was something few could see coming, and even had Gregg Popovich calling San Antonio’s effort “pathetic”. We couldn’t agree more. The Memphis Grizzlies weren’t much better, as they let a struggling Reggie Jackson drop 20 dimes on them as the Pistons snapped an ugly 10-game losing streak.
Had those two ugly games gone the way we probably all agree they should have, we’d have had a perfect 5-0 run on Tuesday night and most everybody would have had a fantastic night of NBA betting. Those are the breaks in the betting world, though, so we’ll swallow our pride and stroll into a very busy Wednesday night with a still stout 583-300 season record:
Nets @ Cavaliers
Brooklyn has picked things up a bit with two wins in a row, bu the Cavs are going to have a bad taste in their mouths after losing in Miami. Cleveland is also 24-9 on their home floor and has a 2-0 season series lead.
Pick: Cavs 102, Nets 97
Pistons @ 76ers
Reggie Jackson went off last night and Detroit should enter Philly with some serious confidence. This is basically a toss up that the Sixers could easily still win at home, but the Pistons are meaner and stronger down low and they’ll be on a high after last night’s win.
Pick: Pistons 103, 76ers 96
Trail Blazers @ Heat
Miami just had a huge win over the Cavs and is slowly chipping their way back up the ladder, but Portland is a different beast. The Blazers are well rested and easily beat Miami the last time they faced, so they’re the easy pick.
Pick: Blazers 101, Heat 94
Timberwolves @ Raptors
Ricky Rubio could return tonight but the T’Wolves are too banged up overall and Toronto plays it’s best ball at home. The Raptors have been struggling lately (3-7 over last 10), but this is the type of game they take.
Pick: Raps 106, Wolves 101
Pacers @ Bulls
Indiana is sliding with two straight losses after going on a tear in February and the beginning of March, while the Bulls are just trying to get by as they wait for the returns of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. Indiana has a 2-1 series lead, so look for the Bulls to even things up at home tonight.
Pick: Bulls 98, Pacers 95
Magic @ Mavericks
Rajon Rondo is finally getting it and has looked sharp in his last two outings – both Dallas wins. That’s bad news for the visiting Magic, who struggle against top flight offenses and have dropped five games in a row.
Pick: Mavs 107, Magic 101
Spurs @ Bucks
The Spurs are going to come out mad after losing to the Knicks last night, which is horrible news for a Bucks team that is struggling mightily (2-8 over last 10 games).
Pick: Spurs 104, Bucks 97
Celtics @ Thunder
Kevin Durant remains out but Russell Westbrook can’t be stopped. Serge Ibaka is also down, but luckily OKC is at home against a Celtics team that doesn’t play any defense.
Pick: Thunder 107, Celtics 102
Clippers @ Kings
Blake Griffin is back and looks good, but that may not completely change the Clips’ struggles on the road (just 18-15 on the year). The good news is DeMarcus Cousins is banged up and both Darren Collison and Rudy Gay are out, so L.A. catches a break in Sacramento.
Pick: Clippers 109, Kings 104
Hawks @ Warriors
In what figures to be the game of the night, the Hawks head to Golden State to try to take down the Warriors for the second time this year. The first meeting in ATL had these teams combining for 240 total points, and even with Klay Thompson and Kyle Korver out, we could see that again. Stephen Curry will have to carry more of the scoring load but for a Warriors team that has lost at home just twice all year and should be out for revenge, that’s probably a great thing.
Pick: Warriors 115, Hawks 111
Wizards @ Jazz
The other night capper game features the Wizards and Jazz, two teams that can buckle down on defense with the best of them. This may be another classic pick’em affair, as Utah has won a staggering six straight games and the Wiz also come in hot with four wins in a row. The advantage has to go to Utah, who have been a defensive menace with Rudy Gobert in the middle and have been at their best at home.
Pick: Jazz 94, Wizards 89
