The plot thickened somewhat last night with the Pistons trouncing the hapless Bobcats and the Warriors eking out a hard-fought loss against the fatigued Mavericks. Tied for #8 still ain't great (unless you're a Jazz fan), but it's better than #9.

Tonight's games of interest:

• MIL @ DET 5:00 pm

• CLE @ IND 4:00 pm

• NJ @ PHI 4:00 pm

• BOS @ TOR 4:00 pm

• SAC @ OKC 5:00 pm

The Pistons look like the best shot for a W, but the Bucks, currently only two games out of the 8th playoff seed, have a lot to play for. And hey, even if they fall short of the playoffs, old friends Ekpe and Monta may derive some quiet satisfaction from delivering a direct hit to the Warriors' tank.

The other games look somewhere between bleak and hopeless for Warriors FanTankers. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if even one of our competitors pulls out a W -- doubly so if it’s Detroit or New Jersey, who at this point look like the Warriors' only realistic saviors.