Orlando Magic at Portland Trail Blazers (N/A)
Things are starting to get ugly in the Magic Kingdom.
After Orlando lost to the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night, the team’s fifth loss in the past seven games, the finger pointing began. Perhaps the biggest wagging sausage is directed at small forward Rashard Lewis.
Lewis has been almost invisible in recent games. He scored just six points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Nuggets, including going 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Over the last seven contests, Lewis is averaging under 10 points per game – scoring in single figures five times.
“Every night in order for me to have a good game I feel like I have to make every shot, every last one of them because I’m not getting very many of them,” Lewis told reporters. “Not to blame it on me not getting shots because we’ve still got to play defense, but we’re just not getting in a good offensive rhythm as a team.”
Lewis isn’t solely to blame for the team’s troubles. In the loss to Denver, the Magic turned the ball over 19 times and gave up constant easy buckets to the Nuggets, who finished shooting nearly 56 percent from the field.
Orlando is 12-9 on the road this season and has covered in 10 of those 21 contests.
Pick: Trail Blazers
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (N/A)
No one can question Kobe Bryant’s heart after the scoring dynamo battled a broken finger and back spasms in recent games.
Bryant, who played despite an aching back, knocked down a game-winning shot for the Lakers in a 100-95 win over the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday. He took just one shot and played only 11 minutes in the first half but played the entire second half, scoring 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
“I asked Kobe before the game, ‘Are you all right?’ He said, ‘No, I might not make it.’ So everybody said, ‘We’ve got to step it up.’,” Ron Artest told the Orange County Register.
“In the second half, I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m good now.’ But Dallas didn’t know that, so they played him 1-on-1 - and he hit that big shot.”
Bryant’s efforts have helped carry the Lakers during the absence of star forward Pau Gasol, who is questionable for Friday. His injury has also given Los Angeles a bit of value towards the line – which is something Lakers bettors aren’t used to.
Bettors should expect some Kobe updates before tipoff Friday, but can be sure that No. 24 will put his body on the line again.
Pick: Lakers
