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Don't look now, but with a win tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies will pass the Clippers in winning percentage. The Grizzlies have been feasting on teams with losing records lately -- they've won 12 of 13, with exactly two of the wins coming against teams with winning records. That pattern continues tonight as the Grizz host the struggling Hornets.
Brooklyn at Atlanta, 4:00 PM
Utah at New York, 4:30 PM, NBA-TV
Charlotte at Washington, 5:00 PM
New Orleans at Memphis, 5:00 PM
Minnesota at Denver, 6:00 PM
Houston at Phoenix, 6:00 PM
Milwaukee at Golden State, 7:30 PM
In addition to the Grizzlies, Denver, Houston, Golden State and Utah are all in action tonight. Those are the fourth through eighth teams in the Western Conference at present, and the games have major implications for the Lakers, who currently sit in ninth position. The Lakers get a bit of bad luck tonight though (after dodging bullet after bullet in their own games) when Utah plays in New York on NBA-TV. The Knicks will be playing without either Carmelo Anthony or Amare Stoudemire, leaving them completely devoid of any front court scoring.
Back to Memphis for a moment. If they win tonight, they'll remain a half game behind the Clippers, but move percentage points ahead in winning percentage. They also hold a one game lead in the loss column. However, the Grizzlies have only played 28 road games this season compared to 33 for the Clippers. The Clippers also currently lead the season series 2-0. If Memphis can beat the Clippers in STAPLES Center next Wednesday, it will get interesting, but I'm not particularly concerned until then.