Watered-Down East - NBA Basketball News And Picks

Watered-Down East
By Martin Gitlin
Posted 2:00 am PDT 2007-01-01

The Western Conference is wide open.

Why? Because of the prominent number of premier teams.

The Eastern Conference is wide open.

Why? Because of the lack of same.

Two of the many good, but not great, Eastern Conference rivals clash Saturday night when Cleveland plays in Chicago. The teams are tied for second place in the tight Central Division, one game behind Detroit.

WagerWeb.com lists the Bulls as 4.5-point favorites. They have won 15 of their last 18 games, primarily at home. Chicago and Cleveland boast the two best home records in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers will be without key power forward/center Anderson Verajao (neck strain), which means they will need another strong performance from inconsistent Donyell Marshall. Marshall had been averaging 2.8 points in his previous five games before exploding for a season-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in a 109-99 win over Milwaukee on Friday night.

Indiana's win in Detroit on Friday night further tightens the Central. The Pacers are in fourth place, just 2 1/2 games out of first.

NO PAUL BALL: The Hornets were hopeful point guard Chris Paul's sprained ankle wasn't as severe as first indicated.

Those hopes have been dashed.

Paul will be out at least a month, which further decimates the Hornets. He leads the team at 18.9 points and 9.0 assists a game.

New Orleans was just fortunate it played another short-handed team Friday night. The Hornets won, 99-89, in Denver, which was playing without suspended Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

The Hornets were also fortunate Allen Iverson followed up his best game with Denver with his worst. He scored 44 points in a 112-98 win in Seattle Thursday night, but managed just 22 points on 6-of-22 shooting in the loss to the Hornets.

The competition gets much tougher Saturday night for the Hornets, who are 16.5-point underdogs in Dallas, according to WagerWeb.com.

DRIBBLES: What are the Heat like without Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. The home fans found out to their dismay Friday night when the defending NBA champions lost to struggling New Jersey, 91-81. The Nets scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter. Wade is expected to miss tonight's game in Orlando as well. WagerWeb.com lists the Magic as 10-point favorites... For much of the season, Kobe Bryant was sharing the ball. He's gotten over it, though. He shot 45 times and scored 58 points in a 133-124 overtime loss to Charlotte on Friday night. No teammate took more than 10 shots. Charlotte hopes to win consecutive games tonight in Indiana, which is a 10.5-point favorite, according to WagerWeb.com. Emeka Okafor yanked down 25 rebounds for the Bobcats in the victory... Washington has overtaken slumping Orlando for first place in the Southeast Division. The Wizards remained the hottest team in the Eastern Conference with a 112-111 defeat of the Magic on Friday night. Gilbert Arenas, who is seeking his first NBA Player of the Month award, racked up 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Wizards. Washington can solidify its hold on first place with a win at Milwaukee Saturday night. WagerWeb.com lists the Bucks as 4.5-point favorites.

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