Monday, March 24th:
Phoenix @ Detroit - Great offense meets great defense. Whenever these two play each other, it's always a blowout. Last time they met, Detroit won by 30 in Phoenix. However, the Suns have won seven in a row. If Shaq's presence is really going to be a factor down the stretch, Phoenix should fare better in this game.

LA Lakers @ Golden State - This is as good a time as any for the Warriors to play a back-to-back with the Lakers: No Bynum, no Gasol. Hopefully Nellie won't play his starters the whole way like he did against Houston. Golden State needs to collect as many wins as possible with Denver creeping behind them.

Tuesday, March 25th:
San Antonio @ Orlando - When San Antonio played in Orlando last year, the Magic won on a last-second, game-winning, ally-oop dunk from Dwight Howard. No, this game won't be nearly as good, but it's a chance to see two of the best bigmen in the league. How about Rashard Lewis? Orlando's $110 million free agent signing has yet to score 30 in a single game. Money well spent?

Wednesday, March 26th:
Phoenix @ Boston - This matchup would certainly make a highly entertaining and highly rated NBA Finals. The Celtics have proven themselves to be the beast of the league with their sweep of the Texas triangle. Phoenix has been better of late but has yet to attain a quality road win with Shaq. The Suns get major dap if they can win in either Beantown or the Motor City.

New Orleans @ Cleveland - A face-off between Chris Paul and LeBron James, two of the four big MVP candidates. It's too bad Houston's win streak took the attention off of New Orleans. Paul deserves serious consideration as does Byron Scott for Coach of the Year. The Hornets are a flat out better, more well-rounded team. The Cavs will need an MVP performance from LeBron to win.

Thurday, March 27th:
Dallas @ Denver - Dallas is only a feet inches ahead of #9 Denver in the loss column, and no Dirk spells big trouble. This is as good a time as any for the Mavs supporting cast to step up. This is a must-win game for Denver. If they're going to get into the playoffs, they need to clean up at home, especially against a Dallas team without Dirk Nowitzki.

Friday, March 28th:
Phoenix @ Philadelphia - It was not long ago that the Sixers went in to the Valley of the Sun and utterly embarrassed the Phoenix Suns. This is a revenge game for Phoenix. How about Mo Cheeks for Coach of the Year? Sans Webber and Iverson, the 76ers were once a dozen games under .500, and now they sit safely in the playoff picture.

New Orleans @ Boston - Normally at this time of the year, the Hornets would be in desperate need of wins to make a late playoff push. This year they're healthy and at times they have been just as impressive as the Celtics. You can't understate how important it is for the C's to be relevant. Just look how they filled the badly-attended New Orleans Arena when they visited there a week ago (a game they lost by the way).

Saturday, March 29th:
Phoenix @ New Jersey - Yeah, another Phoenix game. But when these two teams played in East Rutherford last year, the result was the fourth-highest scoring game of all time.

Golden State @ Denver - BIG, BIG game for both of these teams. Only one of these teams can get in the playoffs (assuming Dallas rights the ship). If you like offense, hate defense, and love three-pointers, this is the game for you! Over-under 10 three-pointers attempted by Stephen Jackson...

Sunday, March 30th:
Houston @ San Antonio - If you hate offense, love defense, and think the Warriors/Nuggets game is bad basketball, this is the game for you. The Rockets need major contributions from the role players in every game from now on. Alston, Landry, Battier, Scola - who among them will step up against the defending champs?

Mavericks @ Warriors - How ironic would it be if the Warriors, who play Dallas twice in the span of a week, prevented Dallas from making the playoffs. Well, it'd be ironic if it was Dallas forcing the Warriors out of the playoffs and not the other way around, because Golden State beat them last year... Anyway, these are huge games for the Mavs without Dirk Nowitzki.

Washington @ LA Lakers - Agent Zero is back baby! Last year, Arenas went for 60 in Los Angeles. With rumors of him heading to LA next year, this could be the last time we ever see Kobe Bryant and Agent Zero go mono y mono. This is a huge measuring stick for the now-healthy Wizards, who are trying to establish themselves as a contender.