The Lakers solidified a one-game lead over the Jazz for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. They managed to pick up a win in Portland, a place they’ve historically struggled.
Celtics stagger toward playoffs

USA TODAY SportsThat could be a hellaciously weird lineup with an obvious matchup advantage, or it could get bulldozed on the boards and overrun with backcourt pressure. No one really knows and what’s more, no one’s really all that worried about it. Que sera, sera and all that.
Some of this was by design thanks to injuries and proscribed rest to their two remaining stars. Garnett is back after missing two weeks with what the team was calling an ankle inflammation and Pierce has also been in and out of the lineup. Without Garnett, the Celtics looked ominously like that post blow-up disaster scenario everyone around town knows is coming eventually.
Read Article >Heads up, Reggie Evans!


BRAAAAAAAAINS Yeah, Crawford may have pushed off Evans’s giant, glistening scalp just a bit. He couldn’t resist. He needed the assistance, anyway. It’s kinda like dunking tee-ball. And like I said, Evans didn’t exactly take the non-call in stride:
Read Article >Vince Carter turns back the clock, revs the bike


And you’ve gotta have the motorcycle rev for good measure.
Read Article >Brandon Bass dunked so hard on Brook Lopez


John Wall’s pretty athletic


Short-handed Spurs, Nuggets tip off

Soobum Im-USA TODAY SportsTake a look at the injury reports, however, and those pictures become a bit less rosy. Both teams are banged up and trying to patch things back together going into Wednesday night’s game at the Pepsi Center.
Even though both the Spurs and Nuggets have over 50 wins, neither club has settled down for the rest of the season quite yet. San Antonio is still battling with OKC for the top seed in the conference, while Denver is in the midst of a tight race for home-court advantage.
Read Article >Brooklyn eyes homecourt advantage in Boston

Mike StobeBack in November, three players were ejected in a 95-83 Nets win. The chippy play continued in the team’s Christmas Day game, a 93-76 Celtics beatdown that included four technical fouls and a minor fight in the fourth quarter.
Both those games included Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, who has been out since February.
Read Article >Lakers face Blazers, Nuggets host Spurs Wednesday

USA TODAY SportsHere’s the full 10-game NBA schedule for Wednesday via SI.com (all times Eastern):
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics, 8 p.m.
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