I do like that Lamar Odom is back in the starting lineup for L.A., but if Boston can get him in foul trouble, it should be a Celtics' victory.

Then again, I can't count Kobe out.

Cavaliers 101, Raptors 83

Quicken Loans Arena is where under-achieving teams go to die.

The Raptors shouldn't have bothered making the flight down to Cleveland -- home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- as they got rocked 37-15 in the first quarter, and rolled by 18 points at the end of regulation.

Toronto was well below their turnover average, committing only seven in the game. They tied Cleveland in rebounds, and won the assist battle. Their star Chris Bosh had 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting.

So why the blowout?

Must have been jetlag. Toronto shot a frightening 1-of-12 from behind the arc while Cleveland hit on 11 of 24 triple tries.

The Raptors are in the middle of rough stretch, and they desperately want it to end. After losses to Orlando and Cleveland, they will face the Lakers on Feb. 4 and the Hornets on Feb. 6.

The NBA's favorite dinosaur was expected to be one of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They have stars, role players, and a great bench. They have no continuity however, and now all critics can talk about is where Bosh is going in 2010.

Nothing could be further from LeBron James' mind it appears. The NBA Player of the Month in Nov. and Jan. has posted 33 points in both of his Feb. victories.

As NBA stars continue falling with injuries, James and Kobe Bryant remain bright. They will battle Feb. 8 when the two teams meet in Cleveland as the Lakers challenge the Cavs' home winning streak.

Nuggets 104, Spurs 96

One night after an overtime win against Golden State, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich conceded a victory to the Nuggets by not playing Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Michael Finley.

Although the Spurs were playing their second string, things were not as easy as they should have been for Denver.

Chauncey Billups only played 17 minutes before leaving the game with a rolled ankle, which left all of the weight on Carmelo Anthony's shoulders.

Luckily for Denver, 'Melo was ready.

Anthony scored 35 points, including 14-of-15 on free throws, and he grabbed nine rebounds against the lesser Spurs' lineup.

Coming off of an injury, Anthony not only played very well, surpassing expectations. He's thinner than ever and it shows in his athleticism and stamina.

The Nuggets are poised, and playing their best defense since the Mutombo-days. The emergence of Nene and Chris Anderson has Nuggets fans saying, "Marcus Who?"

Timberwolves 116, Pacers 111

The T-Wolves rallied to score 38 points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind victory in Indianapolis.

Minnesota didn't have anyone score over 20 points but All-Star snub Al Jefferson and rookie Kevin Love both double-doubled.

Nets 99, Bucks 85

Vince Carter ruined Richard Jefferson's return to Jersey by registering a triple-double in the Nets' victory.

Carter had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists for a triple-double that reminded Nets fans of Jason Kidd.

Jefferson played 47 minutes and scored a team-high 27 points but injuries have caught-up to the Bucks, and the Nets are primed to take over the eighth spot in the East from them.

Rockets 107, Bulls 100

In a rare event, all of Houston's top players were available for Rick Adelman Tuesday night.

Yao Ming led the effort with 28 points and Aaron Brooks came off the bench to score 18 points in 24 minutes.

The Bulls played good basketball, limiting turnovers and hitting the glass, but it showed how dominating the Rockets can be when all of their pieces are in place.

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