PICKS & PARLAYS

The Memphis Grizzlies (22-36) limp into Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, March 1, tipping at 5:00 PM ET against the Indiana Pacers (15-45), with GG Jackson averaging 21.8 points over his last five games carrying a roster that's lost Ja Morant (elbow), Zach Edey (ankle), and six others to the injury report, while Pascal Siakam's day-to-day wrist status has the Pacers, already operating without Tyrese Haliburton (achilles, season), Aaron Nesmith (ankle), and Ivica Zubac (ankle), looking thinner than a preseason game. The Grizzlies opened as -1 to -1.5 favorites depending on the book, with totals sitting at 237.5 to 238.5, and the spread is as close to a pick'em as it gets, which makes Siakam's availability the only number that actually matters in this one.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (37-23), sitting fifth in the Western Conference, travel to Ball Arena to face the Denver Nuggets (37-23) on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 3:30 PM ET on ABC, with Julius Randle listed as questionable after going 1-for-10 from the field against the Clippers on Thursday and now dealing with low back spasms, putting the matchup's second-best player very much in doubt. Denver is laying a short number at home, a 2.5-point favorite coming off a Friday loss to Oklahoma City, while Minnesota brings Anthony Edwards, three straight road wins, and a two-day rest advantage into one of the league's toughest road environments. Two identical records, one standings spot separating them in the Northwest Division, and a high-scoring collision that projects right at the posted total of 237.5.

The Milwaukee Bucks (26-32), clinging to the Eastern Conference play-in conversation, visit United Center on Sunday, March 1, to face a Chicago Bulls (24-36) roster that just went 0-11 in February, traded away Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline, and currently has six players sitting out, all in the same breath. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out for Milwaukee with a right calf strain, but Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. have been carrying the Bucks through the Giannis absence, going a combined 8-2 in their last ten with a backcourt that is legitimately cooking. The line sits at Bucks -3.5 (-105), and this is about as clean a fade-the-tank setup as you'll find on the Sunday slate.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) close out a three-game road trip at Barclays Center against the Brooklyn Nets (15-44) on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 3:30 PM ET, with Donovan Mitchell confirmed out (groin) and James Harden listed as questionable (fractured thumb), putting a significantly undermanned Cleveland squad on the road against a Brooklyn team that has dropped seven straight and is broadcasting loud and clear that winning is not the priority right now. The Cavs, sitting fourth in the East and nursing a two-game skid of their own, arrive as 11 to 11.5-point favorites in a matchup where the spread number might actually be the least interesting story on the board.

The New York Knicks (38-22), sitting third in the Eastern Conference, host the San Antonio Spurs (43-16) at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, March 1, tipping off at 1:00 PM ET on ABC, with both squads near full health in a matchup that has "future Finals preview" written all over it. San Antonio arrives riding an 11-game winning streak, the longest active run in the NBA, as the league's hottest team by every meaningful metric over the last ten games, while New York brings a 23-8 home record and one of the most efficient half-court offenses in the league. The Spurs are installed as 1.5-point road favorites, practically a pick'em, and for good reason: six of their last seven meetings with the Knicks have cleared 230 combined points, the total is set at 228.5, and both starting lineups are locked and loaded for what shapes up as the most compelling early afternoon tip of the season.