The Rockets are suddenly winning on the road, even though leading scorer Martin (18.0) has been having his problems. This game marks the FIFTH of a six-game road trip for Houston, a team which opened the trip with a 100-91 loss at Minnesota back on Feb 4. That loss dropped the Rockets to 3-8 SU on the road TY with all wins coming over sub-.500 teams. However, the Rockets have won and covered their last three games of this trip, winning at Denver, Portland and Phoenix. All this, despite the fact that Martin has ben held to a combined 16 points in the team’s last four games (4.0 per), shooting 19.2 percent from the floor overall, including missing all NINE of his three-point attempts. Martin isn’t the only starter struggling, as center Samuel Dalembert entered Feb averaging 11.7 PPG and 11.5 RPG over the team's previous 11 games but in the team's six games this month, has averaged just 3.3 and 3.8! However, the Rockets reserves have picked up the slack. They outscored their Suns counterparts 57-13 on Thursday, led by 14 points from Patrick Patterson and 12 from Chase Budinger. Goran Dragic (8.1-3.8 APG) added 11 points and matched a career high with 11 assists. The night before, in a win at Portland, Houston’s bench provided 66 points! In fact, Budinger (9.3-3.9) is averaging 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds during the team’s three-game winning streak (10-of-19 on threes) while Patterson (7.3-3.8) has 25 points and 13 rebounds over the last two games while shooting 11-of-15 from the floor. Guard Courtney Lee (9.9) has been the team’s leading scorer off the bench all season and has scored in double figures in a season-high three straight games (12.0 PPG). Houston has won 12 of 13 against Golden State (including six of seven at Oracle Arena) but here’s why I believe it will be different, tonight. The Warriors are beginning to get their act together, now that Curry is back healthy. He had his best game of the season with a season-high 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting in the team's 109-101 win at Denver on Thursday. Curry’s line reads 17.7-4.4-6.8 and along with Ellis (22.2-6.1 APG) forms a great backcourt duo. Nate Robinson was a great pickup (signed with Curry on the shelf), as the ‘sparkplug’ has averaged 10.4-4.6 APG in his 16 games with the Warriors. More good news comes in that Wright, who struggled badly to open the season (coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 16.4 PPG), is back on track, scoring in double digits in 11 of his last 13 games (14.2 PPG in that stretch). Rush (9.1-3.3) is a solid producer on the perimeter plus rookie Klay Thompson (7.3) is beginning to make his presence felt, shooting 71.4 percent (15 of 21) from the floor in February. David Lee (18.4-9.9) needs more help inside but let me note that the Warriors have beaten Chicago and Miami here at home. I’m not ‘sold’ on the Rockets away from home and I expect the Ellis/Curry duo to ‘trump’ that of Martin/Lowry and for that to be the difference in a game which won’t be nearly as close as the pointspread indicates.

Good luck...Larry

I feel a little like I’m “chasing” with this selection but I’m going to risk that. The Lakers are at the end of of a six-game, 10-day road trip and this is a team which has allowed 96.1 PPG on the road this year, as opposed to just 85.2 PPG at home. However, they also seem to be running out of gas on offense, as their longest road trip of the season winds down. The Lakers needed OT to reach 88 points in a one-point win over the Celtics on Friday and then Friday night vs the Knicks and their current “Lin-sanity tour,” shot 34.2 percent in the first half and 37.5% for the game in a 95-82 loss. LA’s three-point shooting woes continued, as they were just 6-of-24 from beyond the arc. LA shoots 28.4% on threes for the year, the worst percentage of any team in the league. The Raptors will be without their top-scorer Bargnani (23.5) and more bad news comes in that Bayless, who was averaging 16.1 PPG over his previous seven games, missed Friday's game against the Celtics after leaving Wednesday's game against the Bucks with a sore left ankle. He’s listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Lakers. Does this mean under? Here’s why I say N-O! Note that in the two meetings between these teams last year, the final scores were 108-103 and 120-110, both LA wins. That’s not exactly news, as the Lakers are 24-6 all-time against the Raptors. That includes LA having won SEVEN of the last eight in the series while averaging 113.4 PPG and scoring no fewer than 105 in any one of those games. Let me add here that the Raptors lost 100-64 on Feb 1 at Boston but in the five games since, have averaged 97.6 PPG, a pretty hefty average in the NBA these days. Yes, the team played an OT game in there but scored just THREE points in that lone extra period, hardly helping the cause very much. This total is ‘teasingly low’ and I’m ‘biting!’

Good luck...Larry

UMass is off a 15-15 season and lost the team's lone double digit scorer from last year in Gurley (18.7) but most believed that Derek Kellogg had plenty of talent this year and that position has proven correct. The Minutemen are 18-6 overall, including 13-0 at the Mullins Center in Amherst. Chaz Williams (15.8-3.9-5.9) is a Hofstra transfer and he’s been outstanding at PG. Joining him in the backcourt is Morgan (9.4) with the 6-8 Putney (10.3-5.7), the 6-7 Vinson (9.2-5.5) and the 6-9 Sean Carter (7.7-6.3) making up the frontcourt starters. UMass has overcome the losses of the 6-8 Sampson Carter (8.7-4.8 after 12 games) and the 6-8 Lelanne (6.7-5.6 after 14 games) to injury, which has been impressive. Guard Riley (7.5), swingman Farrell (5.9-2.5 APG) and 6-8 freshman Esho (4.5-3.2) are the top reserves. Phil Martelli had his youngest team in his tenure at St Joe’s last year and it resulted in an 11-22 season. However, this guy’s a basketball coach and I expected this year’s team to be “movin’ on up” in the Atlantic 10. Martelli’s an “old master” and this year’s team is 15-10 overall (5-5 in the A-10), including 10-2 at home. Guards Jones (15.9-3.5-3.4) and Galloway (15.4-4.5) comprise a dynamic backcourt duo. A pair of 6-8 players, Aiken (11.2-5.3) and Roberts (11.2-6.0) also score in double digits. Rounding out the group of contributors are 6-8 Hofstra transfer Kanaczvic (8.0-7.5), the 6-6 Quarles (4.7-2.3) and freshman guard Wilson (3.5-2.8-2.8). This ISN’T the Mullins Center and while St Joe’s lost at home to St Louis 72-60 this past Wednesday, I believe that makes the team even more dangerous. St Joe’s shot poorly Wednesday night (39.2% overall, including a woeful 4-of-16 on threes) while the Billikens made 10-of-20 three-pointers. UMass is right in the ‘hunt’ at 7-3 in the A-10 standings (tied with StL and Xavier, just behind 7-2 Temple) but the Minutemen will find the this trip to '”Hawk Hill,” very unpleasant. Lay it!

Good luck...Larry