Announcement

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

NBA notebook: Mutombo unhurt in attack at Brussels airport
By The Sports Xchange

Former NBA player Dikembo Mutombo was unharmed Tuesday morning at the Brussels airport during the deadly attack that left 31 dead and more than 200 injured.
The Basketball Hall of Famer posted on social media from Belgium after the tragedy: "I am safe here. God is good."
Mutombo was passing through Brussels' Zaventem International Airport, where two bombs went off during an attack carried out by ISIS terrorists.
The 7-foot-2 Mutombo is a global ambassador for the sport and a humanitarian who works with his charitable foundation in his native Congo.
The 49-year-old Mutombo was an eight-time NBA All-Star during his 19-year career that ended in 2009. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

--Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons probably will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee that will end his season.
Parsons has been diagnosed with a meniscus tear. He is expected to get a second opinion, but reports out of Dallas indicate Parsons is done for the season meaning that both of Parsons' first two seasons in Dallas ended prematurely with right knee problems.
In the past 27 games, Parsons has averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

--Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, the club announced.
The procedure was to repair a slight tear of meniscus cartilage in Okafor's right knee. He will immediately begin his rehabilitation program.
Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 53 games this season. He hasn't played since Feb. 28.

--Indiana Pacers point guard Ty Lawson, won't serve any jail time for driving while drunk in 2015. Instead, the 28-year-old was sentenced to one year of probation.
Lawson avoided serving time despite being admonished by the judge in Tuesday's hearing in Denver County Court. He was a member of the Nuggets when he was stopped
"You have a terrible history," Judge Olympia Z. Fay told Lawson as she sentenced him. "You are going down a bad path."
In addition to one year of supervised probation, she ordered him to refrain from drinking alcohol and using marijuana during that period. He also must undergo sobriety checks and pay court costs.

--LeBron James created a stir this week when he unfollowed the Cleveland Cavaliers' Twitter account.
Was that a sign that the all-star forward wanted to out of Cleveland? That he's not happy with management? That he was trying to motivate his teammates?
None of the above. James said that it's part of his annual social media blackout as the playoffs near to help him focus on trying to lead the Cavaliers to an NBA championship. Only this year his social media fast is coming a little earlier than normal.
Championship-starved Cleveland hasn't won a title in any of the major professional sports since 1964.

--The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Ray McCallum to a second 10-day contract.
McCallum has appeared in six games and made two starts with the Grizzlies after signing his first 10-day contract with the team on March 12.
He has averaged 8.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 24.3 minutes. He has shot 38.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Hawks (41-30) at Wizards (35-35)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Wizards began the week by staying hot and cooling off the Atlanta Hawks.

Looking to move above .500 for the first time in four months, the Wizards can extend their season-high winning streak to six by sweeping this home-and-home series with the visiting Hawks on Wednesday night.

John Wall had 27 points and 14 assists and Bradley Beal scored 25 as Washington (35-35) snapped Atlanta's five-game win streak with Monday's 117-102 victory. The Wizards, last above .500 at 6-5 on Nov. 24, are 1 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

'We know our backs are against the wall with what we're trying to accomplish,' Wall said. 'We've just got to keep grinding and competing.'

The Hawks (41-30) lost for just the third time in 13 games as they remain in the mix with Miami and Charlotte for the top spot in the Southeast Division. Atlanta last dropped two straight during a three-game skid Feb. 19-22.

After hitting half of their shots in each of the previous two contests, the Hawks made 48.7 percent Monday. However, they missed all five 3-pointers while being outscored 28-16 in the fourth quarter.

'(The Wizards) were very aggressive,' said Hawks center Al Horford, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. 'They were all over us, a lot of pressure.'

Atlanta also couldn't handle the Wizards' hot shooting, with Washington hitting 50.5 percent overall and 13 of 25 from beyond the arc.

'It wasn't one of our better nights,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. 'I'm sure (Washington) had a lot to do with that.'

The Wizards have averaged 111.2 points and shot 49.1 percent in the last five games. Monday marked the first time during the streak that an opponent reached 100 points or shot better than 40.5 percent.

'This probably is the best stretch we've ever played, to be honest,' Wall said.

The star point guard has totaled 51 points in two games and averaged 12.2 assists in the last six. He's averaged 23.5 points in the past four regular-season games against the Hawks, and recorded 25 assists while the teams split this season's first two meetings - both at Atlanta.

After winning for the second time in 16 regular-season games at Philips Arena, Washington returns home where it's won three in a row and nine of 10.

Though the Hawks won the last two matchups at Washington en route to a six-game second-round playoff series victory last year, they've dropped four of five regular-season matchups there.

Jeff Teague averaged 21.3 points and 7.3 assists in the three playoff games at Washington last season. He also scored 28 in the Hawks' most recent regular-season victory at the Verizon Center on Nov. 25, 2014.

Teague had 23 points Monday.

Teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. has averaged 19.0 points and gone 11 of 16 from beyond the arc in the last three.

Kyle Korver, however, has scored 10 while attempting just five 3-pointers and making two against the Wizards this season. His only points Monday came while hitting one of those two chances.

"We've got to find a way to get Kyle cleaner, more free,' Budenholzer said.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Bucks (30-41) at Cavaliers (50-20)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

There's no question LeBron James' latest effort on the court suggests he is doing all he can to help the Cleveland Cavaliers hold onto the Eastern Conference's top seed.

With a few inquiries lingering about his recent work on social media, James will try to turn the outside talk back to basketball with another strong performance against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

With the Internet abuzz about his social media habits, James dropped 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Monday's 124-91 rout of Denver, helping the Cavaliers regroup from an ugly blowout loss to his former team in Miami two nights earlier.

James' 41st triple-double helped Cleveland (50-20) clinch its second straight Central Division title and 50-win season. His 19th of the 30-point variety - five more than Michael Jordan and seven more than Magic Johnson - softened the blow of Saturday's embarrassing 122-101 loss in which the Cavs trailed by as many as 33 points while James sat the entire fourth quarter.

However, the discovery that the four-time MVP unfollowed his own team on Twitter earlier in the day had the Internet exploding. When asked why by a reporter, he responded, "Next question."

James, though, had plenty to offer beforehand on the Cavaliers' accomplishments.

"Along the journey you never want to take things for granted and accomplishments that happen along the way,' he said. 'You've got to take it in. It's not given every year, obviously, that you can win a division title, win 50 games in a league where it's so hard to win."

The latest victory pushed Cleveland's advantage in the East 1 1/2 games over Toronto.

James carried the load against the Nuggets without Kevin Love, who sat with an illness, while Kyrie Irving made just 4 of 12 shots for eight points.

Love has missed three games this month, though he is expected to play against the Bucks. He averaged 23 points and 14.5 rebounds in two November meetings with Milwaukee.

James averaged 32 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists while the Cavs and Bucks split those games. Cleveland has won three of four in this series and five of six at Quicken Loans Arena, where it's 29-6.

James has scored at least 30 points against the Bucks 18 times in 45 career meetings, reaching 40 five times and 50 twice. He has two triple-doubles against them.

Milwaukee (30-41) was searching for its fifth win in seven games Monday but coughed up a 13-point third-quarter lead before Andre Drummond's tip-in with 2 seconds left sealed a 92-91 loss at Detroit.

The Bucks fell to 9-27 on the road with their third loss in four games.

'We play great defense on their last shot, force a miss and the ball bounces to the best offensive rebounder in the league,' coach Jason Kidd said. 'We did just about everything right and still lost the game.'

Giannis Antetokounmpo has four triple-doubles in the last 15 games, and he posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists against the Pistons. The third-year pro poured in a career-high 33 points - making 12 of 15 shots - in a 115-100 loss at Cleveland on Nov. 19.

The Cavs' Channing Frye, acquired from Orlando at the trade deadline, has averaged 12.6 points while making 22 of 37 3s over the last seven games.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Raptors (48-21) at Celtics (41-30)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs doesn't weigh on the Toronto Raptors' minds as much as some might believe. Their goals extend way beyond any superficial regular-season accomplishment.

That includes setting a franchise record for victories in a season, something Toronto can match by sweeping the four-game series with the host Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

The Raptors (48-21) set the mark each of the last two seasons, but both playoff runs ended with first-round defeats. They've made it clear during a successful 2015-16 that advancing deep in the postseason is the main focus.

Still, home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs would be a nice luxury. Toronto trails Cleveland by 1 1/2 games for the top spot and has won four in a row after beating Orlando 105-100 on Sunday.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 25 points and Luis Scola added 20 and eight boards for the Raptors, who will play for just the third time on the road in 12 games this month.

'I really don't look at it like we're chasing Cleveland,' DeRozan said. 'At the end of the day, we're going to have home-court advantage regardless (in the first round). Our biggest focus is just getting everything we need to get together, especially defensive-wise, as a team.'

Toronto decided to rest reserve point guard Cory Joseph against the Magic despite also playing without Patrick Patterson, who was nursing an ankle injury. Coach Dwane Casey said holding out Joseph was a "strategic" move and he hasn't ruled out resting others as the regular season draws to a close.

'Eventually when we get to the seventh game of the conference final - if we get there - we'll worry about (home-court advantage) then,' Scola said. 'We're fighting for it, because it's the right thing to do, but we can't lose sleep over it.'

Boston (41-30) probably tossed and turned a bit after Friday's 105-91 loss to the Raptors, wondering how Kyle Lowry got free so often. Lowry scored 32 points and made five 3-pointers, giving him a four-game stretch in which he's averaged 29.5 points and shot 50.0 percent from the floor.

Lowry had 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting against Orlando, and the Celtics hope he's off again as they try to avoid being swept in the season series. They've won back-to-back games since that defeat, beating Philadelphia 120-105 on Sunday and Orlando 107-96 the following night.

Kelly Olynyk had 22 points against the Magic in his fourth game back after missing 11 with a right shoulder sprain. He scored 17 while going 5 of 22 from the field over the previous three.

'When (the bench is) playing well it's even tougher for the defense to figure out who to stop,' said guard Isaiah Thomas, who finished with 28 points. 'Kelly stepped in and had a hell of game. He made shots and we need him to do that.'

Thomas has averaged 26.5 points in 10 games this month, although his 20 against Toronto were the fewest in that stretch.

Amir Johnson, who spent his previous six seasons with the Raptors, had a season-high 18 points against the 76ers before finishing with 11 and 11 boards against Orlando.

Coach Brad Stevens said forward Jae Crowder will miss his sixth straight with an ankle injury, but that he could return sometime during Boston's five-game road trip that begins Saturday against Phoenix.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Magic (29-41) at Pistons (37-34)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Since coming over from Orlando last month, Tobias Harris has been a key contributor to the Detroit Pistons' push toward the playoffs.

Facing his former team for the first time since that trade, Harris and the Pistons try for a fourth straight victory Wednesday night against the visiting Magic.

Detroit (37-34) acquired Harris for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova on Feb. 16 in a move intended to provide a proven scorer for this season's playoff push and a young building block for the future. On his third team in five seasons, the small forward who turns 24 in July signed a $64 million, four-year deal last summer that now belongs to the Pistons.

'God closes one door to open up another,' he posted on Instagram at the time of the trade.

After breaking in with Milwaukee, Harris played parts of four seasons with the Magic (29-41) and averaged a career-high 17.1 points in 2014-15. That slipped to 13.7 in 49 games before the trade, but he's averaging 16.6 points and shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range in 17 games with Detroit.

More importantly, the Pistons are 10-5 since Harris joined the starting lineup Feb. 22. Though he's shot 40 percent in the last three contests, Harris had five of his 13 points in the fourth quarter Monday before Andre Drummond's tip-in with 2 seconds left gave Detroit a 92-91 victory over the Bucks.

One percentage point behind Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Detroit improved to 3-1 on a nine-game homestand despite its last three opponents shooting 52.3 percent.

"Every game from here on out are big games for us," Harris said. "We need every single one, win or lose it's going to affect us and it's going to affect the seeding so we need every game."

Detroit, which won four straight on two other occasions, has averaged 115.8 points while taking the last four from Orlando by an average of 18.3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 and Drummond added 17 with 12 boards in a 115-89 home rout of the Magic on Jan. 4.

Jennings had 17 points with six assists for Detroit in that contest, but has averaged 7.5 and 4.1 assists over 17 games while Orlando has gone 6-12 since the deal. He's totaled 13 points and gone 6 of 20 from the field in the last three games.

Jennings has started five straight but could return to the bench soon after fellow point guard Elfrid Payton played 31 minutes in Monday's 107-96 loss at Boston - his second game since missing five with an elbow injury.

'I just hope to continue to get back into the flow of things," said Payton, who sat out the first meeting with Detroit because of a ankle issue.

Ilyasova has averaged 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds all off the bench in 17 games since the trade.

Victor Oladipo scored 25 points Monday but the Magic shot 41.9 percent and went 5 of 18 from beyond the arc to lose their fourth in a row and eighth in 10. Though the Magic continue to slide, Oladipo has averaged 27.8 points in five games and shot 55.8 percent in his last 10 contests.

"Just going out there playing, playing as hard as I can," he said. "Letting the game come to me."

Oladipo has totaled 41 points on 16-of-29 shooting in the last two at Detroit.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Knicks (28-43) at Bulls (36-33)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Considering all the Chicago Bulls have endured this season, they finally appear healthy and confident now that it matters most.

Looking to complete a sweep of their four-game homestand, the Bulls could have an easier time if Carmelo Anthony isn't available for the New York Knicks in Wednesday night's opener of a home-and-home series.

Despite lingering injuries to key players, frequent stretches of underachieving and a failure to always buy into the philosophy of first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, Chicago (36-33) has won three in a row and holds a .001 percent lead over Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We've had some ups and downs, but we are finding ways to win games," guard Derrick Rose told the Bulls' official website.

In Monday's 109-102 win over Sacramento, Rose and Taj Gibson each scored 18 and Pau Gasol added 14 with 14 rebounds in 24 minutes, making his return after missing four games with a knee problem. Though the Bulls blew a 12-point lead, they overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the eighth time in 10 home games.

"We have to continue to go out and battle and hopefully play more consistently the next game," Hoiberg said. "The big thing was the overall urgency we showed down the stretch whereas before if we had a lead and it got cut it would continue to spiral the wrong direction. ... (Monday) the guys showed some toughness."

Perhaps that perseverance came from Monday's starting lineup of Gibson, Gasol, Rose, Mike Dunleavy and leading scorer Jimmy Butler. The configuration was the Bulls' desired one to start the season, but opened a game for just the second time.

Chicago won both of those contests.

"That group is pretty good," Dunleavy said. "Hopefully, if we can get healthy and stay healthy that's the key, round into form and give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs.

"There's a sense of confidence and comfort level with that group."

Rose has averaged 19.9 points and 52.4 percent shooting while playing 12 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Gibson has averaged 15.0 points in three games and second-year reserve Doug McDermott is averaging 19.4 while going 17 of 28 from 3-point range in the last five.

Chicago has averaged 106.9 points and shot 48.3 percent in the last 10 at home.

The Bulls went 5 of 21 from beyond the arc in a 107-91 loss at New York (28-43) on Dec. 19, but hit 10 of 16 to rout the Knicks 108-81 at home New Year's Day.

Anthony totaled 47 points in those games but could sit after a migraine forced him to miss Sunday's 88-80 loss to the Kings. Averaging 84.7 points and shooting 38 percent in a three-game skid, New York trailed 28-12 after one quarter Sunday en route to falling to 0-8 without Anthony.

"You take 'Melo out of the scenario, you can be a little more chancy and risky because you don't get maybe blown up because of your decisions," Sacramento coach George Karl said.

New York's Robin Lopez had 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds after totaling 11 and 11 boards in the previous two contests. He has 12 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers in the two games against the Bulls this season.

The teams conclude the season series Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Kings (27-43) at Timberwolves (22-48)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a couple of wins over playoff teams and a near victory in a thrilling contest against the defending NBA champions over their last five games. That stretch, though, also includes a loss to one of the two clubs below them in the Western Conference.

It's all part of a growing process for the Timberwolves, who are trying to gain confidence from any positive they experience.

The visiting Sacramento Kings have dealt with plenty of their own issues, and they'll look to avoid a third straight loss to Minnesota on Wednesday night.

The Timberwolves' youthful nucleus features Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns as the team tries to build for the future.

Minnesota (22-48) sits in last place in the Northwest Division, but it scored uplifting victories over Oklahoma City and Memphis despite also losing to lowly Phoenix during a recent four-game road trip.

It returned home Monday and held an eight-point lead over Golden State in the third quarter before the Warriors rallied for a 109-104 win. Wiggins finished with 25 points, Towns had 24 and 11 rebounds and LaVine scored 19.

"When you lose, you're always mad, but I still think we did good things," said Ricky Rubio, who had 20 points and 11 assists. "We played a really good game, but we made some mistakes. It's a good learning process. The atmosphere, it was a playoff game. We controlled our tempo pretty well. We can take a lot of good notes out of this game."

There's been some reported friction between the players and interim coach Sam Mitchell, leaving Mitchell's job status up in the air following the season. He only added LaVine to the starting lineup full-time over the last 12, a stretch during which LaVine is averaging 19.2 points after averaging 12.9 while starting nine of the first 58 games.

Rubio and others discussed the positives from Monday's contest, but Mitchell wanted to see his team close it out.

"There are no moral victories in professional sports," Mitchell said. "We had some opportunities and I just think we had some lapses in focus at times. They're used to this, they're used to being in tough games."

Minnesota has gotten past the Kings (27-43) in each of the previous two matchups this season, winning 101-91 on Nov. 27 and 99-95 on Dec. 18 behind 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Wiggins.

DeMarcus Cousins didn't play in the first meeting because of a sore back, and he finished with 24 points and 12 boards in the last one. He's put up his usual solid numbers but has also been at the center of controversy with coach George Karl and recently served a one-game suspension following an altercation between the two.

Cousins posted his fourth straight double-double with 19 points and 18 rebounds Monday as Sacramento lost for the 12th time in 15 games, 109-102 at Chicago.

'What helped us is the way we were moving the ball,' Cousins said. 'I think in the last couple of minutes the ball got stagnant and their defense took advantage of us. We weren't able to make any plays down the stretch.'

The Kings will be looking to earn a split of a four-game road trip.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Jazz (34-36) at Rockets (35-36)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

James Harden and Gordon Hayward are playing through injuries in hopes that their teams will still be playing past the regular season.

One will be feeling a little better about his playoff prospects following Wednesday night's critical matchup between the Houston Rockets and visiting Utah Jazz.

Just a half-game separates Houston (35-36) and Utah (34-36) for the Western Conference's eighth seed, with the Jazz tightening the race by winning five of six as the Rockets have lost four of six.

Though Utah comes in as the hotter team, it also owns the more difficult path to the postseason. While Houston will play six of its next nine at home, the Jazz enter the midway point of a season-high five-game trip and faces Southwest Division champion Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Utah opened the trek with a 92-85 loss to Chicago but bounced back with Sunday's 94-85 win over Milwaukee. Hayward, in his second game after missing two with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, scored 13 of his 18 points in the third quarter to help turn a 42-41 halftime edge into a 14-point advantage.

'(My foot) is fine,' said Hayward, held to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting by the Bulls. 'It is going to be sore the rest of the season. That is just the nature of that injury."

Harden didn't miss any time after spraining his left ankle in Saturday's 109-97 loss at Atlanta, logging 40 minutes and compiling 24 points and a career-high 16 assists Tuesday at Oklahoma City.

"I had to be out there. For us, every game counts," said Harden, who's missed only one game the past two seasons. "I had to put whatever I've got going on to the side and just try to go out there and get the win."

That effort still wasn't quite enough to prevent a tough 111-107 defeat to the Thunder, who used a late 9-2 run to overcome a 99-97 deficit with 3:20 remaining.

'We felt like we were in it the whole game,' Rockets center Dwight Howard said. 'We had great opportunities to win. (Kevin Durant) made some tough shots, Russ (Westbrook) made some tough shots and they got some stops down the stretch. That won them the game.'

The Jazz have had trouble containing Harden this season, with the All-Star guard averaging 35.0 points over the three meetings. He had 42 in Salt Lake City on Feb. 23, but Hayward's 28 points helped Utah halt a three-game series skid with a 117-114 overtime victory.

Utah, which has lost six straight in Houston since a 103-91 win on April 11, 2012, has been solid defensively of late. The Jazz are yielding 87.2 points and holding opponents to 29.1 percent from 3-point range over their 5-1 stretch.

They're also shooting well from the outside, averaging 11.2 3-pointers on a 38.6 percent success rate over their last five. Shelvin Mack is 14 of 24 while averaging 16.8 points and 8.7 assists over his past six.

Houston, 22nd in 3-point percentage defense (36.2), is 6-20 when opponents shoot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Heat (41-29) at Spurs (59-11)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

An offense operating with remarkable precision has kept the Miami Heat atop a crowded Southeast Division.

That efficiency will be put the test when the Heat conclude a brief road trip Wednesday night against the NBA's premier defensive team, the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite having Chris Bosh sidelined since the All-Star break with a recurrence of blood clots, the Heat continue to fend off challenges from Atlanta and Charlotte in the competitive Southeast. Miami (41-29) has remained a half-game ahead of both by winning nine of its last 12 behind a resourceful offense averaging 113.4 points per game in March.

The Heat shot at least 50 percent for the sixth time in seven games in Tuesday's 113-99 victory at depleted New Orleans, receiving another dominant outing from Hassan Whiteside to complement Dwayne Wade's 25 points and Goran Dragic's 21.

Whiteside added 24 on 10-of-11 shooting along with 14 rebounds. The league's leader in blocks owns a 75.7 field goal percentage while averaging 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds over a four-game stretch.

'I got hot,' Whiteside said. 'I felt like they were kind of relaxed and I was getting a couple wide-open jumpers and I was trying to take advantage of them.'

Tuesday's win was Miami's 10th in its last 14 road games, the NBA's second-highest winning percentage behind Golden State since Jan. 25. Obtaining another, as well as maintaining its recent shooting pace, figures to be a difficult task, however.

The Spurs lead the league in scoring defense (92.3) and field goal percentage defense (43.1) and haven't lost a regular season game at home in over a calendar year. They earned a 44th consecutive win at AT&T Center - tying the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the second longest in NBA history - by holding Golden State's high-powered attack to 37.8 percent in Saturday's impressive 87-79 victory.

San Antonio (59-11), four games back of the Warriors for the Western Conference lead, has struggled on the other end of late. After shooting 41.0 percent against Golden State, the Spurs sputtered in the second half of Monday's 91-88 loss at surging Charlotte.

The Spurs shot 36.6 percent while managing 37 points over the final two quarters to squander an early 23-point lead, their largest in a loss during the 19-year Tim Duncan era. They also were hurt by 10 second-half turnovers the Hornets converted into 13 points.

'We turned the ball over a little too much - just inconsistency throughout,' said Duncan, who had his highest scoring effort since Jan. 6 with 16 points. 'It was an unfortunate loss, but we will move on from it and hopefully become better from it.'

San Antonio, which hasn't lost consecutive games this season, had little trouble producing in a 119-101 win at Miami on Feb. 9, receiving 28 points from LaMarcus Aldridge and 23 from Kawhi Leonard while outscoring the Heat 58-44 in the paint.

While Leonard is shooting just 39.3 percent over the last two games, Aldridge is averaging 23.6 points and 9.9 rebounds over his past 11.

Miami, 3-24 all-time in San Antonio in regular-season play, has been held to 88.5 points per game and averaged 18.5 turnovers in four straight losses to the Spurs.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: 76ers (9-62) at Nuggets (29-42)

Date: March 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Wednesday night represents one of the Philadelphia 76ers' best chances over the next two weeks to finally avoid ignominy and post a 10th victory.

The Denver Nuggets have a poor recent history at home against the 76ers, although they are in position for their first five-game win streak at Pepsi Center in two seasons.

Philadelphia (9-62) has lost six straight and 11 more defeats to end the season would result in matching the 1972-73 76ers for the worst record over an 82-game schedule. This is the only contest over the next six for Philadelphia against a losing team.

The 76ers have won four of their last five visits to Denver, including double-digit victories in each of the two previous seasons.

The problem is that besides the obvious point that Philadelphia is among the worst teams in NBA history, it is short-handed as well. Rookie star Jahlil Okafor is out for the season, third-leading scorer Robert Covington has missed six straight games with a concussion and Richaun Holmes has sat the last six with a right Achilles strain.

Those absences contributed to an anemic showing in Monday's 91-75 loss to Indiana in the opener of a four-game trip. Philadelphia shot 38.8 percent, with no one scoring more than 15 points.

'We have played four games in five nights, you come into it without Jahlil but the Covington, Richaun bodies, just that energy is a trick to manage,' coach Brett Brown said.

Denver (29-42) will be eager to return home after capping a 1-4 trip with Monday's 124-91 loss to Cleveland. The Nuggets gave up 68 second-half points.

'It was embarrassing,' coach Mike Malone said. 'An embarrassing effort. A very good team, obviously, a team that went to the finals, but I thought in the second half we quit. I haven't seen that from our team most of the year. I'm very disappointed with that. I did not like our effort, out focus, our intensity and our fight for 48 minutes.'

Will Barton scored 27 for Denver, which looks to recover at home where it is averaging 114.5 points during the four straight wins.

The Nuggets won't have too much sympathy for the 76ers' injury woes since top scorer Danilo Gallinari may not return this season due to two torn ligaments in his ankle. Forward Kenneth Faried has missed the last three games due to a nagging back injury while veteran guard Jameer Nelson has not played since January due to a sprained wrist.

Denver rallied from 11 down for a 108-105 win at Philadelphia on Dec. 5. That may not mean much for this one since Gallinari, Nelson, Faried, Covington and Holmes all played.

Jakarr Sampson will face the 76ers for the first time since joining Denver as a free agent Feb. 22, four days after he was waived by Philadelphia. Sampson, who has started the last 12 of his 15 games with the Nuggets, played 121 games with the Sixers since his rookie season in 2014-15.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Lakers (15-55) at Suns (19-51)

Date: March 23, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Kobe Bryant hasn't played the last four times the Los Angeles Lakers have met the Phoenix Suns, but that will change Wednesday night.

Bryant has taken part in eight straight road games as he continues his retirement tour and will be on the court one final time in the desert against the Suns.

Like with many teams, Bryant became a nemesis to Phoenix with his Lakers splitting four postseason series with the Suns. A seven-game loss in 2006 may be the most memorable since he and Raja Bell were ejected from Game 5 after a flagrant foul by Bell, who was suspended for Game 6 as the Suns rallied from a 3-1 series deficit.

Phoenix (19-51) hasn't been to the playoffs since losing the 2010 Western Conference finals to Los Angeles, which got 37 points from Bryant in a series-clinching Game 6 road win. The Lakers went on to win their most recent NBA title with Bryant that season.

Bryant sat out two games due to his ongoing shoulder problems before he returned with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting in Tuesday's 107-100 victory over Memphis, as the Lakers (15-55) ended a four-game slide.

'My shoulder feels great,' Bryant said. 'I didn't have any aches or pains.'

The Suns have won nine straight at home over the Lakers, although Bryant has played in just three of those games. They are looking forward to seeing him on the floor one final time.

'This would be my only chance to play against him,' rookie Devin Booker said. 'That's a story I can tell for the rest of my life, playing against Kobe Bryant.'

Bryant is the NBA's worst shooter at 35.6 percent overall and 27.5 on 3-pointers.

Phoenix fans may actually be rooting for Bryant given what is at stake for the Western Conference's worst teams. A victory by the Lakers would cut the gap to three games between these clubs battling for lottery position.

Winning may be too much to expect Wednesday for the Lakers, who are 1-13 in the second half of back-to-back games and losers of seven straight on the road. They have dropped 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Suns, including the last four that Bryant has played in.

Los Angeles is also dealing with the distraction of a Hollywood incident Sunday between Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson and a woman who accused them of harassing her. The club says it has dealt with the situation.

Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell is questionable after he suffered a bruised left shin Tuesday. Los Angeles expects to have another rookie available in forward Larry Nance Jr., who sat out versus the Grizzlies to rest his sore knees.

The Suns also played Memphis in their last game, falling 103-97 on Monday after leading by as many as 13 points. Phoenix's hopes were hurt when center Tyson Chandler sat out the second half with back spasms. Chandler's status Wednesday is uncertain.

Phoenix led by as many as 19 points before holding on for last Friday's 95-90 win at Los Angeles. Brandon Knight scored 22 and Booker added 21.

Lakers reserve Lou Williams is averaging 25.3 points in three games against Phoenix.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Mavericks (35-35) at Trail Blazers (36-35)

Date: March 23, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Dallas Mavericks turned in one of their top performances to slow a miserable stretch and can sweep a home-and-home set that holds heavy playoff implications for an encore.

Another win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night would do wonders for the visiting Mavericks' postseason outlook while tightening the race for the Western Conference's final three spots - and lessening the blow of a key injury.

Dallas (35-35) seemed comfortably in playoff position to start March but entered Sunday's home contest against the Trail Blazers (36-35) mired in a 1-7 slump.

A dominant overtime period provided the Mavericks some relief as they pulled away for a 132-120 win to inch closer to sixth-seeded Portland. They also gained a tiebreaker by winning the first two of the three-game series while leaving the teams in the West's Nos. 6-9 spots - including Houston and Utah - separated by 1 1/2 games.

Dallas avoided its third straight loss thanks to season-best performances from Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams. Nowitzki turned back the clock with 40 points and Williams had 31 with 16 assists, all season highs.

Williams drained a tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime before eight straight points from Nowitzki, all off passes from the point guard.

Nowitzki made 16 of 26 shots for his 20th career 40-point game and first since Jan. 11, 2014. It was the NBA's first by a 37-year-old since Karl Malone in 2000-01. Nowitzki has averaged 26.8 points while shooting 54.4 percent in eight consecutive 20-point performances.

Williams logged his first 30-point game since Dec. 1 - also against the Trail Blazers - and first 15-assist game since Feb. 20, 2015. It was just his second career performance reaching both of those numbers and the first for a Maverick since Jason Kidd in 1996.

The two starters stepped up with Chandler Parsons out, but so did little-used rookie Salah Mejri off the bench. He posted 13 points with 14 rebounds and six blocks in nearly 33 minutes. He logged just over 198 minutes in his first 23 games.

'Everything's in play,' coach Rick Carlisle said. 'We're a team that needs all of our pieces.'

Even moreso after Tuesday's news that Parsons will likely undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus tear in his right knee. Parsons, who averaged 18.9 points in his last 27 games, will not make Dallas' four-game road trip, though Carlisle declined to discuss the specifics.

Parsons is expected to seek a second opinion.

Dallas is opening a stretch with eight of 12 games away from home to close the season. The Mavericks are 15-18 on the road, losing seven of their last 10.

Portland, meanwhile, lost seven of eight road games during a 3-7 funk but plays eight of its final 11 at home, where it is riding a 13-3 stretch.

The Trail Blazers have cooled since an 18-4 spurt from Jan. 10-March 1. Damian Lillard had a chance to give Portland its first win streak since then with a good look at a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer in Dallas, but it bounced off the front rim.

Lillard finished with 26 points but needed 26 shots to get there, making only eight.

'I shot a shot that I'm really comfortable shooting and it just didn't go in,' Lillard said. 'I was kind of disappointed I couldn't end the game right there.'

The Mavericks also earned a 115-112 overtime victory in Portland on Dec. 1, their third straight victory in this series. Williams finished with 30 points, eight assists and six rebounds while Nowitzki added 28, six and seven.

Lillard had 25, 10 and eight.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Clippers (43-26) at Warriors (63-7)

Date: March 23, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

There's no denying that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are in a shooting slump, though both may be catching the Los Angeles Clippers at the right time.

As the Warriors attempt to extend their record home winning streak, the scuffling Clippers conclude a frustrating trip Wednesday night seeking to avoid a season sweep by the defending NBA champions.

Though still on pace to eclipse the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' league record of 72 wins, Golden State (63-7) did show some vulnerability during a three-game trek. After being shut down by San Antonio's stifling defense in Saturday's 87-79 loss, the Warriors had to work hard for Monday's 109-104 victory against determined Minnesota.

Golden State overcame a second straight off game from Curry by excelling defensively down the stretch, holding the Timberwolves to 6-of-24 shooting in the fourth quarter to break an 89-all tie after three.

'We got the win, and it proves we can win ugly, or if we have to win by a large margin we can,' said Klay Thompson, who finished 5 of 14 from the field but made each of his five 3-point attempts.

The Warriors, the NBA leaders in 3-point percentage (41.4), shot 28.3 percent from beyond the arc over those two games. Curry went 3 of 21 while averaging 16.5 points - well below his league-leading mark of 30.1 per game - during that span.

'It's been a tough stretch for us, and it's not going to get any easier,' forward Draymond Green said. 'It's something we'll fight through. It's not something we haven't been through before, and it's not something we won't go through again, so we'll be fine.'

Los Angeles (43-26) has bigger problems at the moment. It's allowed 110.0 points per game in losing four of five and continues to be outworked on the glass, having been outrebounded in 10 consecutive games. The Clippers own a league-worst minus-12.9 margin during that stretch.

A short-handed Memphis team recorded a 44-30 advantage on the boards in Saturday's 113-102 loss, and New Orleans owned a 54-35 edge while without Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson to hand Los Angeles a 109-105 defeat the following night.

Coach Doc Rivers attributed Sunday's loss to fatigue with the Clippers playing their fourth road game in six nights, though point guard Chris Paul wasn't buying the notion.

'There are no excuses. There is no fatigue,' Paul said. 'We lost. No excuses. We didn't defend well enough. We waited too late to put our imprint on the game.'

The Clippers figure to be in a tough spot again, with Golden State having won an NBA-record 50 consecutive regular-season home games and five straight overall in the series. Los Angeles has lost in eight straight and 18 of its last 20 regular-season visits to Oakland.

Golden State has won all three 2015-16 meetings, though each have been by seven points or less. Curry is averaging 31.3 points and Thompson 24.3 in the season series.

The Warriors may not have Andrew Bogut available for a third straight game due to a sprained left toe and Andre Iguodala (ankle) remains sidelined. Los Angeles is expected to get Jeff Green back after he missed Sunday's loss with a forehead laceration.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Game of the Day: Clippers at Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors (-10, 225.5)

The Golden State Warriors are back home after a tough three-game road trip and still have the NBA’s single-season wins record in sight. The Warriors will try to draw a step closer and stay undefeated at home when they host the rival Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Golden State suffered just its seventh loss of the season in San Antonio on Saturday and had more trouble than it would have liked in a 109-104 win at Minnesota to close out the 2-1 trip on Monday. Presumptive MVP Stephen Curry has looked almost human in the last two games, going a combined 3-of-21 from 3-point range, but made up for the shooting slump with 11 assists on Monday as Draymond Green shouldered more of the scoring load. The Clippers are going through a slump at the wrong time with losses in four of their last five games but still sit comfortably in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is playing the finale of a five-game road trip at Golden State after falling 109-105 at the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as ten-point faves at home against the Clippers. The total hit the board at a lofty 225.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Clippers - SF J. Green (Probable Wednesday, head)
PF B. Griffin (Late March, quadricep)

Warriors - C A. Bogut (Questionable Wednesday, toe)
SF A. Iguodala (Early April, ankle)

POWER RANKINGS: Clippers (-7.9) - Warriors (-15.1) + home court (-3) = Thunder -10.2

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (43-26, 32-34-3 ATS, 30-39 O/U): Los Angeles has dropped six of its last nine games and the first five of those losses came against playoff teams until the letdown at New Orleans. “I just think our spirit isn’t great right now,” Redick said. “We’ve just got to be more together and fight more. You can talk about Xs and Os all you want, but as a player, you can feel it when your spirit isn’t right.” The Clippers have allowed an average of 110 points in their last five games and are still awaiting the return of star forward Blake Griffin (quad/hand/suspension).

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (63-7, 39-29-2 ATS, 40-29-1 O/U): Curry went 6-of-17 from the floor at Minnesota but Green was an efficient 10-of-13 as Golden State played its second straight game without center Andrew Bogut (toe). “He missed a lot of shots he normally makes and over the course of an 82-game season, that’s going to happen,” Green told reporters of Curry. “And it hasn’t happened much for him, so it’s unbelievable for everybody, but it happens. It’s our job to pick him up.” The Warriors need to go 10-2 over the final 12 games to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 wins and could use Bogut, fellow center Festus Ezeli (knee) and forward Andre Iguodala (ankle) back.

TRENDS:

* Clippers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 6-1 in Clippers last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

CONSENSUS: The early consensus numbers are split right down the middle on the point spread and the public is pounding the over at a rigorous 80 percent pace.

Announcement

NBA Betting Info. 3/23

NBA Betting Info. 3/23

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment