Los Angeles Clippers at Atlanta Hawks (-2, 192.5)
The Cllippers' chances of securing the third seed in the Western Conference are hanging by a thread as they visit the Hawks on Tuesday night. The Clippers need victories over the Hawks and Knicks, combined with a loss by the rival Lakers to Sacramento.
While the Clips may not be able to overtake Kobe Bryant and Co., they aren't entirely secure in the fourth spot, either. They need a win in either of their final two games to ensure they'll open the playoffs at the Staples Center, with a first-round meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies awaiting them. Two losses, combined with two Memphis wins, would give the Grizzlies the edge.
Point guard Chris Paul helped keep the Clippers' Pacific Division title hopes intact Sunday, scoring 33 points and adding 13 assists and eight steals in a 107-98 win over New Orleans.
Atlanta is enjoying a strong finish to the season, going 7-3 in its last 10 games. Two of those losses have come by two points or less -- an 88-86 defeat in Boston on April 11 and a heart-wrenching 113-112 defeat against New York on Sunday. The back-and-forth affair left team scoring leader Joe Johnson with a decidedly bad taste in his mouth. "It's frustrating that we're still playing for something and defensively we were non-existent," he said. ''There was no help (on defense). If you were guarding somebody 1-on-1, you were definitely guarding 1-on-1."
The Clippers prevailed 96-82 in the previous meeting on March 14. They are 6-2 ATS in their last eight visits to Atlanta.
Pick: Clippers ---
New Orleans Hornets at Golden State Warriors (2, 192.5)
Two franchises that can only lament falling short of expectations meet Tuesday night in Oakland when Golden State hosts New Orleans. The Hornets are last in the Western Conference, one game behind Sacramento. They need a win tonight and at Houston on Thursday and two losses by the Kings to avoid the cellar. Golden State has been decimated by injuries in coach Mark Jackson’s first season, and has started four rookies the past five games. Rookie Charles Jenkins had 24 points and nine assists to rally the Warriors from 21 down for a 93-88 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
The Warriors’ huge rally ended an eight-game losing streak and fellow New Yorker Jackson was pleased with Jenkins. “He's a tough New York City kid,” Jackson said. “A tough, hard-nosed kid who has no quit. Totally competes, gets after it. He was banged up, bruised up, battered up, but found a way to gut out a big-time performance.” They could use more of that since the Warriors are just 5-11 in games decided by three points or fewer.
Eric Gordon led the Hornets with 17 points on 4-for-13 shooting but also had six turnovers in his first game against the Clippers since the Chris Paul trade. Gordon has missed 55 games this season after knee surgery and it no doubt impacted the Hornets’ record. “All I can do is look forward to trying to win,” Gordon said. “One thing I wanted to create is that I can help this team win games whoever is on the court.”
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
Pick: Warriors push
The Cllippers' chances of securing the third seed in the Western Conference are hanging by a thread as they visit the Hawks on Tuesday night. The Clippers need victories over the Hawks and Knicks, combined with a loss by the rival Lakers to Sacramento.
While the Clips may not be able to overtake Kobe Bryant and Co., they aren't entirely secure in the fourth spot, either. They need a win in either of their final two games to ensure they'll open the playoffs at the Staples Center, with a first-round meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies awaiting them. Two losses, combined with two Memphis wins, would give the Grizzlies the edge.
Point guard Chris Paul helped keep the Clippers' Pacific Division title hopes intact Sunday, scoring 33 points and adding 13 assists and eight steals in a 107-98 win over New Orleans.
Atlanta is enjoying a strong finish to the season, going 7-3 in its last 10 games. Two of those losses have come by two points or less -- an 88-86 defeat in Boston on April 11 and a heart-wrenching 113-112 defeat against New York on Sunday. The back-and-forth affair left team scoring leader Joe Johnson with a decidedly bad taste in his mouth. "It's frustrating that we're still playing for something and defensively we were non-existent," he said. ''There was no help (on defense). If you were guarding somebody 1-on-1, you were definitely guarding 1-on-1."
The Clippers prevailed 96-82 in the previous meeting on March 14. They are 6-2 ATS in their last eight visits to Atlanta.
Pick: Clippers ---
New Orleans Hornets at Golden State Warriors (2, 192.5)
Two franchises that can only lament falling short of expectations meet Tuesday night in Oakland when Golden State hosts New Orleans. The Hornets are last in the Western Conference, one game behind Sacramento. They need a win tonight and at Houston on Thursday and two losses by the Kings to avoid the cellar. Golden State has been decimated by injuries in coach Mark Jackson’s first season, and has started four rookies the past five games. Rookie Charles Jenkins had 24 points and nine assists to rally the Warriors from 21 down for a 93-88 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
The Warriors’ huge rally ended an eight-game losing streak and fellow New Yorker Jackson was pleased with Jenkins. “He's a tough New York City kid,” Jackson said. “A tough, hard-nosed kid who has no quit. Totally competes, gets after it. He was banged up, bruised up, battered up, but found a way to gut out a big-time performance.” They could use more of that since the Warriors are just 5-11 in games decided by three points or fewer.
Eric Gordon led the Hornets with 17 points on 4-for-13 shooting but also had six turnovers in his first game against the Clippers since the Chris Paul trade. Gordon has missed 55 games this season after knee surgery and it no doubt impacted the Hornets’ record. “All I can do is look forward to trying to win,” Gordon said. “One thing I wanted to create is that I can help this team win games whoever is on the court.”
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
Pick: Warriors push
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