The Spurs return from their 5 game road trip and get the winless Atlanta Hawks. Game time is 7:30 central.
Starting lineups:
ATL (0-6,0-3 away)
SF#1 Tyronn Lue
SF#2 Joe Johnson
SF#3 Josh Childress
SF#4 Al Harrington
SF#5 Zaza Pachulia
SA (5-2, 2-0 home)
PG Tony Parker
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Tim Duncan
C Rasho Nesterovic
ATL traded Boris Diaw and two conditional first round picks for Joe Johnson and a max contract. This is only mildly asinine. What pushes the deal into "mind-numbingly stupid" territory is the fact that EVERYONE KNEW PHX WASN'T GOING TO MATCH A MAX DEAL.
If I were the Spurs I would play Nazr and Rasho 30 minutes each and give them the ball at every opportunity. Show highlights of them during every time out. Perform live medical physicals of them during halftime. Sweep Zaza Pachulia's leg and put him out for the year. Send Eva to Josh Childress' hotel room to "pull his groin muscle" and convince him that it's in his best interest to be "out for the year." Whatever has to be done to convince ATL that they should trade one of their 57 swingmen for Nazr or Rasho.
Tonight's line: SA -16.5
My pick: ATL
SA is 4-3 ATS this year with an average margin of +0.2. I am 1-6. That's hard to do folks.
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