Sched Ahead Daily Update, Games of 2/19

Allegedly, there was a game in Portland last night. 

Around the rest of the conference, we got some much needed help.  The other day, I said, "The Eastern Conference is useless, and provided no help to us at all last night."  Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say, as an Eastern team beat us last night, but at least other Eastern teams stepped up and knocked off some of the other Western teams.

Yesterday's update.

Most recent weekly update, including game category definitions.

Yesterday's Games

1. Boston @ .  Enough said. 
2. S.A. @ Philadelphia.  San Antonio takes a Cat 3 loss, their first of the year.  They've lost to borderline teams that dipped below .500 previously, but this is their first loss, home or away, to a team that is clearly a losing team, and it significantly hurts their projections.  Philly went on a tear in the fourth to put the game away.  Parker was 1-9, and is still struggling with injuries, which doesn't bode well for the Spurs. 
3. Denver @ Washington.  As I said yesterday, "Denver should crush them, but...."  It's those "buts" that make the NBA fun.  A classic let-down in a "Banana Peel" game.  Al Thornton scored 21 less than 24 hours after joining his new team, and held Carmelo Anthony scoreless in the fourth as Washington outscored Denver by 19 to come from behind and put the Nuggets away.  Birdman didn't play and is day-to-day with back spasms.
4. Indiana @ New Orleans.  Darren Collison had a triple double (two turnovers short of a not-as-coveted quadruple double) and the Hornets blew out to a big lead, then held on to win a Cat 1 "Cream Puff" as their quest to stay in range until CP3 returns continues.  This is the kind of game they simply cannot lose if they want to have any chance, and they got it.  David West chimed in with 29/9/7.
5. Dallas @ Orlando.  A big Cat 4 "Rocky Road" win for the Mavs, using a 19-0 run in the third and fourth to turn the game, then sealing it with a Kidd 3 pointer.  Dwight Howard had 29 and 16, with five blocks, but it wasn't enough.
6. Miami @ Memphis.  Another loss for Memphis, their eighth in their last ten.  Their next game is at NJ, and it would be no shock if they lost that, the way things are going for them.  This one came at home (in double OT) to a Miami team missing Wade and Alston.  Zach had 16 points and 19 rebounds, but gave up 30 to Beasley.  Brewer went out for Memphis with a hamstring strain in the third quarter.  Conley had two straight games without a turnover, but made up for it with five in this game.  Four of Memphis' starters played over 50 minutes.
7. Atlanta @ Phoenix.  Nice Cat 2 win against a tough opponent for Phoenix, who had their lowest scoring (88) victory in two years.  Channing said, "We're taking a lot more pride in our defense," and they should after holding Atlanta to 80.  Nash had a triple 6 -- six points, six assists, and six turnovers.  When is the last time he had as many turnovers as assists, or as many turnovers as points?  Has he EVER had a game were neither points nor assists were higher than TOs?  
8. Utah @ Golden State.  Utah keeps rolling, stomping on a Cat 3 "Banana Peel" without trouble for their sixth straight road win.  They were talking about #7 in Portland after the game, with Boozer (who scored 30 with 16 rebounds) saying if they win it, "That would be monster."  Deron Williams was only 3-13 shooting, but Monta Ellis returned from injury to exceed him in futility, hitting 2-14.  Ellis had six points and six assists, just like Nash, but only managed 3 turnovers.  Sorry, Monta, you are no Steve Nash.

Projections

1. L.A.  60.0 wins (down from 61.0).   
2. Utah.  53.6 wins (up from 53.3 in 3rd).
3. Denver.  53.5 wins (down from 54.1 in 2nd).
4. Dallas.  50.8 wins (up from 50.0).
5. Phoenix.  50.2 wins (up from 49.5).  
6. OKC.  48.7 wins.
7. Portland.  46.3 wins (down from 46.9, up from 8th).
8. S.A.  45.6 wins (down from 47.0 in 7th).
9. Houston.  44.6 wins.
10. N.O.  42.3 wins (up from 42.0).
11. Memphis.  40.5 wins (down from 41.4).

Utah and Denver trade places again (this is getting to be an every-day occurrence).  Dallas and Phoenix both get a nice boost.  We drop due to our loss, but San Antonio drops further.  This is because the spreadsheet isn't surprised if we lose a Cat 2 game (we've lost lots of them) and is very surprised if San Antonio loses a Cat 3.  Memphis drops further towards the abyss (also known as the lottery).

Tonight

1. OKC @ New York.  Classic "Banana Peel" (Cat 3) game for the "Blunder".  How do you scout this game, with all the new players in NY?  Will T-Mac play, and if so, how will he play?  Will Sergio play much?  What about the guys from Boston?  This is not the kind of game you want if you are OKC -- when you are hot, you want to know what to expect, and go in and keep doing what you've been doing.  But when you don't have any clue what to expect, that can really throw you off.  This could be a blowout, but could also be an upset.
2. Miami @ Dallas.  Cat 2 "Jawbreaker" for the Mavs, a back to back for both teams.  Miami played 2 OT last night, but they used their bench, so won't be as tired as they might be, and they only had to travel from Memphis, while Dallas had to go all the way from Orlando.  If Wade is ready to go, he'll be rested, since he didn't play against Memphis, and that could be crucial.  Interesting matchup, unlikely to go against Dallas, but if Wade is healthy, who knows? 
3. Indiana @ Houston.  A Cat 1 "Cream Puff" for Houston, with the Pacers on a BtoB.  How will the new look Rockets do without Carl Landry?  This game probably isn't a good test of how they'll fare, but big makeovers in mid-season can take a few games to come together.  A loss here wouldn't say anything about the success of the trade, but it would cost them dearly in the playoff hunt.

Three games involving our rivals, and it will be a break if we get any help in any of them.