BEST BET
*SACRAMENTO over L.A. LAKERS by 2
If the Lakers don’t pay attention, the Kings could creep up on them. After all, you know it’s a big game for the home team, if not necessarily for the defending champions, who just played the Cavaliers on national television on Christmas. A one-day sojourn to Sacramento isn’t exactly easy to focus on after a day like yesterday, and the young talent on the Kings – including uber-rookie Tyreke Evans – could surprise the Lakers by virtue of effort and intensity. SACRAMENTO 99-97

RECOMMENDED
ATLANTA over *INDIANA by 8
The Hawks have made a slight improvement on their road record this season – of course, it’s really too early to draw any conclusions about where the Hawks stand on the team progression ladder, but it seems safe to say that the grown-up Hawks have the talent and wherewithal to withstand a mediocre Eastern conference team in an easy road game. ATLANTA 98-90

RECOMMENDED
SAN ANTONIO over *MILWAUKEE by 9
Inexperience is showing up in the final box score, as Milwaukee recently lost games to the Lakers, Cavaliers and Kings by a combined 5 points – some more experience, and a healthy Michael Redd, could have resulted in three wins instead of three losses, but this is a team still learning how to play together and win in the NBA on a consistent basis. There is no team that has mastered those two concepts better than the Spurs, who have the public questioning them after a slow start to the season. It truly feels like this happens every year, and every year right about this time, the Spurs get their act together and rip off a string of victories that launches them back into the championship equation. SAN ANTONIO 91-82