Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their NBA picks and predictions for Saturday, March 14.
New Orleans Hornets at Chicago Bulls, 8:35PM ET
It's taken a few seasons, but the New Orleans Hornets have emerged as one of the league's elite teams thanks to the play of All-Star point guard Chris Paul.
The Bulls are hoping in time Derrick Rose can achieve similar success for Chicago.
In the first meeting between two of the best young point guards in the NBA, Paul looks to lead the Hornets to their 10th win in 11 games when they visit Rose and the Bulls, who are trying to avoid losing their fourth in a row.
In his fourth season in the league, Paul has developed into one of the league's most exciting players and has New Orleans (41-23) poised for its second straight playoff berth.
The Hornets, who lost to San Antonio in seven games in last season's Western Conference semifinals, are fifth in the conference, just one-half game back of third-place Houston.
NBA Free Pick: Chicago – Best Line: PK SPORTSBETTING.COM
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets, 8:35PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs fell short in their last outing against the only team ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. They hope to fare better against the team right behind them.
The Spurs look to tighten their hold on the Southwest Division lead and second place in the West when they visit the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.
San Antonio (43-21) had a three-game winning streak snapped with a 102-95 loss to the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Tony Parker and Michael Finley scored 25 points apiece and the Spurs shot 52.1 percent as a team, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 35-17 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
NBA Free Pick: San Antonio – Best Line: +2 SPORTSBETTING.COM
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets, 9:05PM ET
The Denver Nuggets won convincingly their last time out, but eight losses in their last 12 games is hardly the type of play that's going to put them over the top in a tight Northwest Division race.
A visit from the reeling Los Angeles Clippers might be just the place to start a winning streak.
The Nuggets will try to make it six wins in a row over the Clippers on Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, while Los Angeles will be looking to snap a six-game slide that included an almost unfathomable loss in their latest contest.
Denver (41-25) is in a crowded three-team race for the Northwest title along with Utah and Portland, but the recent play of coach George Karl's team has hardly resembled a division champion.
The Nuggets had dropped three in a row and eight of 11 to fall out of first place for the first time since December heading into a home game against Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Karl used eight players with Kenyon Martin sitting out due to a lower back strain, and seven scored in double figures in a 112-99 win. The one who didn't, backup guard Anthony Carter, had a season-high 12 assists in his return after missing four games with a sore left hip.
NBA Free Pick: LA Clippers – Best Line: +13.5 SPORTSBETTING.COM