Wednesday NBA Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their NBA picks and predictions for Wednesday, March 25.
Golden State at Dallas, 8:35PM ET
In the crowded Western Conference race, Dallas still has a chance at hosting a first-round playoff series, but could also find itself out of postseason play for the first time since 1999-2000.
Hosting a Golden State Warriors team that has dropped six straight on the road could be exactly what the Mavericks need Wednesday night to pad their playoff position.
Dallas (42-28) currently holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, but is only 2 1/2 games out of the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round. That could be key for the Mavericks, who have won a season-best eight in a row at home.
Their most recent longer winning streak at home was Dec. 29, 2007-Feb. 29, 2008, when they posted 12 straight victories.
With the surging Phoenix Suns trailing Dallas by just three games for the final playoff spot, the Mavericks need to take care of business against the Warriors (25-46), who have lost their last three visits to the American Airlines Center by an average margin of 23.6 points.
NBA Free Pick: Golden State – View Game Matchup | Best Line:
Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns, 10:35PM ET
When the Phoenix Suns lost six straight games earlier this month, they didn’t appear to have any chance of making the playoffs.
It turns out the Suns aren’t quite ready to go away.
Phoenix seeks its sixth win in a row Wednesday night when it hosts the Utah Jazz, who haven’t beaten a Western Conference rival with a winning record on the road all season.
The Suns (39-31) dropped six full games behind Dallas for the West’s eighth playoff spot after falling 119-111 at home to Cleveland on March 12, their sixth consecutive loss.
Still, Phoenix, which has been a part of the last four postseasons, hasn’t given up hope of extending that streak to five. The Suns have averaged 126.4 points while winning their last five games by an average of 16.0 points.
Their only closely-contested win during the streak came Monday, when they had to rally from a late four-point deficit to beat visiting Denver 118-115.
NBA Free Pick: Utah – View Game Matchup | Best Line:
Los Angeles Clippers at New York Knicks, 7:35PM ET
The New York Knicks would certainly like to avoid a sixth straight loss. They had no luck trying to do so against the Los Angeles Clippers last month.
Collapsing down the stretch as their playoff hopes slip away, the Knicks look to end their struggles against the Clippers as the teams conclude their season series Wednesday night.
New York (28-42) is in danger of matching a season high for consecutive defeats, virtually ending its postseason aspirations with 12 games to play.
The Knicks have lost six in a row on two occasions this season. The final loss of their last such skid was against the Clippers (17-54), 128-124 in overtime Feb. 11.
Los Angeles, which has the league’s third-worst record, has won three straight and seven of eight against New York. The Clippers will try to continue their success in the series against a Knicks team that has matched a season high with four straight home losses, including a 106-102 defeat to Orlando on Monday night.
NBA Free Pick: New York – View Game Matchup | Best Line:
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Posted: 3/25/09 12:38PM ET