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Tuesday's NBA Guide: Testing Millsap

Jan 27, 2009 – 4:45 PM
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Tom Ziller

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FanHouse's NBA Guide gives you a daily look at all the games that matter ... and some that don't.

HEADLINER
San Antonio at Utah, 9PM ET


The Spurs couldn't overcome a deeper, more talented Lakers team in L.A., no matter the moxie that runs through those San Antonian veins. The Jazz dropped back-to-back home games against the Cavaliers and Nuggets, and haven't come a shred closer to good health. This can't possibly be the shot in the arm Utah needs, can it?

No, probably not. Even when Utah is healthy, the Spurs provide the right type of foils. And as we said, Utah isn't close to healthy. Where the intrigue does come, however, is in a personal match-up between Paul Millsap and Tim Duncan.

Carlos Boozer had mixed results in the 2007 Western Conference Finals against Timmy, but overall the past two seasons have seen S.A.'s defense mute Boozer a bit. How well Boozer and Millsap can deal specifically with the West's best pivots should be an important consideration in any decision the Utah front office makes this summer. In that regard, Millsap has quite a task this evening.

UNDERCARD
Charlotte at L.A. Lakers, 10:30PM ET


Speaking of moxie, look out for the Bobcats here. The 'Cats are 7-5 in January, only two games out of eighth place (but admittedly with several teams in the way).

As I've written ad nauseum, you keep waiting for the team to shoot itself in the foot with a Gerald Wallace trade. The deadline is only weeks away. Meanwhile, the Wallace-Boris Diaw-Emeka Okafor triumvirate could pose problems for a Lakers frontline that, while versatile, long and quick, can be exposed by deft passing. Working the ball around long enough should result in an easier shot, especially if it's Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom manning the pivot.

Sacramento at Cleveland, 7PM ET
Indiana at Orlando, 7PM ET
Denver at Memphis, 8PM ET
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