Sched Ahead Daily Update, Games of 3/2

Not much happening yesterday, but lots of action today.

Yesterday's update.

Most recent weekly update, including game category definitions.

Yesterday's Games

Kind of a blech day in the Western race. 

1. Indiana @ LA.  The Pacers didn't exactly hang tough in the first half, but they scored enough points to stay in the game.  That ended in the third, when they got worse on both offense and defense.  Lots of guys had good stats for LA, I won't bother with details.  Troy Murphy had 17 points and 13 rebounds, but Granger was only 2-9 for 9 points, so he'll be looking for a bounce back game tonight, and we'd better be paying attention.  There's no reason to let these guys stay in the game.  In the "Former Blazer" category, McBob was the third leading scorer for Indiana with 15.
2. Sacramento @ OKC.  The Kings gave the "Blunder" all they wanted, battling them down to the wire, in a offensive battle.  Kevin Durant scored 39 with 10 rebounds, and Westbrook had 30 with 13 assists.  Tyreke Evans had 27 and Carl Landry 17 for Sacramento.

Big night for Dallas, Portland, and San Antonio, while Phoenix moves within a game of a top four spot and home court advantage in the playoffs.  There figures to be a lot of interesting games before this season is over.

Projections

1. L.A.  61.4 wins.   
2. Dallas.  54.2 wins.
3. Denver.  53.3 wins.
4. Utah.  51.2 wins.
5. Phoenix.  50.9 wins.  
6. OKC.  49.4 wins (up from 49.4).
7. Portland.  47.5 wins.
8. S.A.  47.2 wins.
9. Houston.  42.6 wins.
10. N.O.  41.4 wins.
11. Memphis.  39.7 wins.

Tonight

Definitely more of interest around the West tonight.

1. Indiana @ Portland.  A Cat 1 "Cream Puff" for us, with the Pacers on the tough LA to Portland back to back.  We should not let these guys hang around, because they have enough players to be dangerous.  Just go after them and get it done early, and don't let up.
2. Memphis @ New Orleans.  Cat 4 "Rocky Road" for Memphis, Cat 2 "Jawbreaker" for the Hornets.  A loss for the Grizzlies puts them below .500.  They've won four straight road games, while losing seven straight at home.  A win lets them hope for another day that they might catch San Antonio.  A loss for New Orleans puts them at .500, and would be their fifth loss in six games.  In all probability, this game doesn't matter, and neither team will make the playoffs.  Hollinger puts their odds at 4.9% and 2.4%.  The loser drops to below 1%, probably.
3. Minnesota @ Dallas.  A Cat 1 "Cream Puff" for the Mavs.  This should be nine straight wins for Dallas.  Al Jefferson is suspended, perhaps that means Minnesota will play some defense.  Perhaps it won't do any good.
4. Sacramento @ Houston.  Another Cat 1 "Cream Puff", this time for Houston, but this one is worth keeping an eye on.  Houston has hardly been dominant since adding Martin and losing Landry, and Sacramento is dangerous.  It's a back to back for the Kings, and Houston will push the pace, so fatigue could be a factor.  Ariza is now listed as day-to-day.  The wild-card in this game is how Martin and Landry will play against their old teams.
5. OKC @ Denver.  A Cat 4 for the "Blunder", who are on a back to back, a Cat 2 for the Nuggets.  This one could prove interesting, as the Nuggets have lost two straight, and both Utah and OKC are not that far behind.  Look for Denver to come out and try to teach the young kids a lesson.  Keep an eye on this one, it could be significant in the seedings battle.  If OKC loses, they really aren't that far ahead of us, and we get two more chances against them.  Both Anderson and Lawson are listed as day to day for Denver.
6. Phoenix @ Clips.  The Clippers have been playing much better recently, have won their last four home games, and knocked off Utah in their last game, so this truly is a "Banana Peel" for the Suns.  It's nice to be able to cheer for Travis and Steve again.  A loss in this game would drag Phoenix back down to where we can think about catching them.

The main thing tonight is not scoreboard watching, but winning.  Bank this win, then look around and see where it puts us.  This is the fun part of the season.

Later today, I'll try to post a comparative chart of the rest of the season for the three teams chasing us for a playoff spot.