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  • NBA Betting Info. 4/13

    StatFox Super Situations


    NBA | SACRAMENTO at HOUSTON
    Play Against - Favorites (HOUSTON) in a game involving two explosive offensive teams (>=102 PPG), after a combined score of 215 points or more 3 straight games
    49-20 since 1997. ( 71.0% | 27.0 units )
    13-7 this year. ( 65.0% | 5.3 units )


    NBA | UTAH at LA LAKERS
    Play Against - Any team vs the money line (LA LAKERS) revenging a road blowout loss vs opponent of 30 points or more, a terrible team (<=25%) playing a team with a losing record
    23-5 since 1997. ( 82.1% | 17.6 units )


    NBA | PHILADELPHIA at CHICAGO
    Play Under - All teams where the first half total is 100.5 to 105 good 3PT shooting team (>=36.5%) against an average 3PT defense (33-36.5%) after 42+ games, after a game where a team made 55% of their shots or better
    62-28 since 1997. ( 68.9% | 31.2 units )
    1-2 this year. ( 33.3% | -1.2 units )

  • #2
    Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

    NBA notebook: Knicks could consider Blatt
    By The Sports Xchange


    David Blatt is on the short list of candidates under consideration to be head coach of the New York Knicks.
    According to the New York Post, Blatt, who was 70-48 with the Cleveland Cavaliers before he was fired in January, is very high on the list of general manager Steve Mills. Mills and Blatt were teammates on the Princeton basketball team.
    Interim coach Kurt Rambis, former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton are thought to be targets of Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson. The Knicks haven't made the playoffs in three years and lost 50-plus games for the second consecutive season.


    ---NBA owners are expected to approve advertisements on uniforms starting with the 2017-18 season, according to an ESPN report.
    The owners were presented with a proposal during a meeting at the NBA All-Star Game in February in Toronto for 2.5-inch by 2.5-inch patches to be placed on the left shoulder of player jerseys.
    The report indicated that the patches would be approved at the NBA Board of Governors meeting to be held Thursday and Friday in New York.


    ---The Miami Heat signed forward Dorell Wright, the club announced.
    Wright spent the season in China and averaged 24.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in 37 games. He topped 40 points on four occasions.
    Wright, 30, has averaged 8.4 points in 549 career NBA games. He was the 19th overall selection by the Heat in 2004 draft and was a member of Miami's 2006 NBA championship squad. Wright has also played for the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers.


    ---Center Sasha Kaun and guard Jordan McRae were assigned back to the Canton Charge by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
    Both players are available to the Charge for the first game of the NBA Developmental League Eastern Conference finals.
    Kaun played in 23 games for the Cavaliers this season. McRae played in 20 NBA games (13 for Cleveland) this season.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

      Preview: Kings (33-48) at Rockets (40-41)


      Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


      "See you in Golden State," was Jason Terry's message following the Houston Rockets' latest win, alluding to a possible postseason matchup against Stephen Curry and the top-seeded Warriors.


      Maybe not if the Rockets can't slow down that other Curry first.


      Seth Curry and the depleted Sacramento Kings hope to play spoiler Wednesday night when they visit Houston, which can clinch a playoff spot with a win on the regular season's final day.


      The Rockets (40-41) regained control of the Western Conference's eighth and final postseason berth with Monday's 129-105 victory at Minnesota, one day after beating the Los Angeles Lakers 130-110.


      They pulled even record-wise with Utah, which lost 101-92 to Dallas, but hold the tiebreaker based on conference records. Houston can wrap up a spot in the first round against Golden State with a victory Wednesday or a Jazz loss to the Lakers later in the night.


      It has been a largely uninspiring season for the Rockets after they reached the West finals a year ago. But they played with a sense of urgency Monday when James Harden scored 34 points and Dwight Howard added 19 and eight rebounds.


      Houston, which has traded wins and losses in its last eight home games, shot 55.8 percent as Harden made 12 of 21 shots, including 5 of 7 3-pointers. Howard finished 8 of 11, as did Trevor Ariza on the way to 21 points.


      'We're trying to make the playoffs. The fire is under us and it's lit,' said Patrick Beverley, who chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. 'It's not how we wanted it to be at the end of the season where we start to try to do the right things, but better late than never.'


      The easy way for the Rockets would be pushing aside Sacramento (33-48), which will be without DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison. All three are being rested after dealing with several nagging injuries this season.


      The Rockets won the first two games of the season series, but Sacramento's 107-97 home win Dec. 15 snapped its seven-game skid against Houston.


      Harden has averaged 38.7 points in the last seven games of this series, including 35.7 on 52.7 percent shooting this season. He has made 13 of 24 3s with 28 assists in the season series, though he has turned the ball over 19 times.


      With a combined 52.8 points, 19.8 rebounds and 19.3 assists missing from their lineup from Cousins, Rondo and Collison, the Kings will likely turn to Curry again.


      The third-year pro combined for about 36 1/2 minutes against the Rockets in the season series, but he has ignited Sacramento with an uptick of playing time down the stretch. Curry has scored 20 points in consecutive wins and has averaged 17.5 his last six games, up from 5 per game in his first 37.


      He made 6 of 10 3s in Saturday's 114-112 victory over Oklahoma City and tripled his previous career high with 15 assists in Monday's 105-101 win at Phoenix.


      'I had the ball, I was able to make some plays and show a different part of my game,' he said after playing 38 minutes Monday, 'and guys were doing a great job screening for me, finishing shots, stuff like that so they made me look good.'


      It's possible this is the final game as Kings coach for George Karl, who has been under fire for much of the season and has had his share of problems with Cousins. The 63-year-old Karl is fifth all-time with 1,175 wins, 35 shy of Pat Riley.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

        Preview: Spurs (65-15) at Mavericks (42-39)


        Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


        The Dallas Mavericks know they will avoid the NBA's best team when they open the postseason and now they are in good position to avoid the second-best club as well.


        The Mavericks can secure at least the Western Conference's No. 6 seed when they host a short-handed San Antonio Spurs club in the regular-season finale Wednesday night.


        Dallas (42-39) clinched its 15th playoff berth in the last 16 years with Monday's 101-92 victory at Utah. The Mavericks have won seven of eight after Deron Williams scored 23 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 22 and 11 boards.


        'Well, it's been a lot of work,' coach Rick Carlisle said. 'It's been an amazing two weeks. Our guys looked like they were down and out, and we all dug in. Everyone dug in, especially the players, and we found a way to get into the playoffs."


        There's little doubt that Dallas wants to avoid being the seventh seed for a matchup with San Antonio (66-15) after losing 14 of the previous 16 regular-season meetings, including all three this season.


        "You know, this team wants to be as high of a seed as possible, and that's what we're going to try to do," Williams told the Mavericks' official website. "And we'll try to take care of business at home against San Antonio."


        Now the only way the Mavericks can finish seventh is with a loss to the Spurs and an upset victory by Memphis at Golden State later Wednesday. Dallas will gain the sixth seed with a victory or a loss by the Grizzlies and will be fifth with a win and a loss by Portland at home to Denver.


        Although the Mavericks have enjoyed little success against one of their Lone Star state rivals, the task should be easier in this one. The Spurs won 102-98 in overtime over Oklahoma City on Tuesday and figure to rest many of their stars one night later, with Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker confirming they won't be making the trip.


        One player who also probably won't be there is LaMarcus Aldridge, who exited three minutes into the third quarter and didn't return. He doesn't appear to be injured, with coach Gregg Popovich saying Aldridge left because he needed to use the restroom.


        'He's fine,' Popovich said. 'He went in to take a leak.'


        Considering the break lasted most of the second half, Popovich was again pressed to explain Aldridge's absence.


        "Let me say it differently,' Popovich said. 'He went into the locker room and used the latrine.'


        Leonard scored 26 and Parker added 20 for the Spurs, who tied an NBA record by going 40-1 at home after being down by 10 points at halftime.


        "Just try to stay in rhythm obviously, because we're not going to play until Saturday or Sunday," Parker said. "The second half was a lot better."


        The Spurs have dropped three straight regular-season finales.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

          Preview: Pelicans (30-51) at Timberwolves (28-53)


          Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


          Although they were supposed to take another step forward, the injury-ravaged New Orleans Pelicans are mercifully closing out a highly disappointing season.


          Expectations weren't nearly as high for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the emergence of their young talent has them feeling good about the future.


          As Karl-Anthony Towns looks to put an emphatic stamp on his bid for the Rookie of the Year award, the Timberwolves try to finish with a fourth victory in five games when they host the severely short-handed Pelicans on Wednesday night.


          With a potential MVP candidate in Anthony Davis, a solid roster around him and Alvin Gentry taking over as coach after helping Golden State win the NBA title as associate coach, the Pelicans were expected by many prognosticators to return to the playoffs after last season's first-round exit.


          Instead, they dropped 11 of their first 12 games and never recovered while dealing with a ton of adversity. Davis had a 59-point, 20-rebound performance at Detroit in February but has missed 20 games and is out at least three months following knee surgery.


          New Orleans (30-51) is also playing without valuable contributors Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Quincy Pondexter, Alonzo Gee and Norris Cole. The club had eight players available in Monday's 121-116 home loss to Chicago.


          James Ennis scored a career-high 29 points while Toney Douglas had 21 and Tim Frazier added 21 with 11 assists and six rebounds. Douglas has averaged 20.8 points while going 9 of 22 from 3-point range over his last four.


          General manager Dell Demps refuted a report last month that alluded to friction between he and Gentry and that he had been second-guessing the firing of former coach Monty Williams. Gentry has said recently that he expects to be back next season.


          "Every guy that is injured, or rehabbing and (is) trying to get himself back healthy, the one thing they've got to do is come back and compete at the same level as these guys did. If we do, we'll be fine," Gentry said after Monday's game.


          The Wolves finished near the bottom of the Western Conference, but they showed glimpses of a promising future by beating Golden State and playoff-bound Portland during a season-high three-game winning streak.


          After averaging 17.1 points in the first half, Towns has put up 20.5 over his 27 games since the All-Star break. The favorite for Rookie of the Year scored the final of his 27 with 1.8 seconds remaining in Saturday's 106-105 road win over the Trail Blazers, but is looking to bounce back after scoring 12 in Monday's 129-105 home loss to Houston.


          Towns did pass Christian Laettner for the team rookie record with 1,475 points.


          "We're doing a great job this year," he said. "We've all made tremendous strides, so I think that this is the year that we've learned everything we need for next year."


          Andrew Wiggins, the 2015 Rookie of the Year, is averaging a team-high 20.7 points. Backcourt mate Zach LaVine has scored 16.6 per game over his last 36 while forward Shabazz Muhammad has averaged 20 and 54.2 percent shooting in his last four.


          Towns had 30 points and 15 rebounds, LaVine scored 25 and Wiggins hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds left as Minnesota (28-53) snapped a seven-game losing streak in this series with a 112-110 road win Feb. 27.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

            Preview: Raptors (54-26) at Nets (21-60)


            Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


            The Toronto Raptors will enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference after accomplishing what they set out to do: improve defensively and win a third straight Atlantic Division title.


            The Brooklyn Nets' run of three playoff appearances since relocating will end following their worst season since playing in New Jersey.


            With nothing left to play for, Toronto concludes the regular season Wednesday night against a Brooklyn team that will finish with one of the worst records in the NBA but won't have its first-round pick in June.


            After earning the fourth seed in the East last season, the Raptors were swept by Washington in the first round and allowed the Wizards to average 110.3 points.


            Toronto has shut down opponents this season, ranking among the league leaders with 98.2 points allowed per game in going 55-26 to establish a team record for wins for the third straight year.


            However, that hasn't led to any postseason success after the Raptors also lost in the opening round to Brooklyn in 2014. Toronto has appeared in the playoffs seven times with its only series win coming in 2001.


            The Raptors finished their home slate Tuesday with a 122-98 rout of league-worst Philadelphia behind seven players scoring in double figures. They open the playoffs against Indiana after taking three of four in the season series and seven of the last eight meetings.


            "We know what happened and there's definitely a thought, but it's past," point guard Kyle Lowry said of the last two postseason failures. "We've got to worry about the future and continue to grow."


            The 76ers are the only team in the East with fewer wins than Brooklyn (21-60), which entered this season hoping it could return to the playoffs despite a less-than-stellar roster.


            Deron Williams was bought out in July, five months after the Nets traded Kevin Garnett and a year after they decided to not re-sign Paul Pierce. That left Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson as the go-to players, but Johnson was bought out in February.


            The Nets' worst season since going 12-70 in 2009-10 won't result in a high draft pick because they sent their first-round selection - unprotected - to Boston in the deal for Pierce and Garnett in the summer of 2013.


            Brooklyn also reassigned general manager Billy King and fired coach Lionel Hollins in January following a 10-27 record. Interim coach Tony Brown has gone 11-33.


            "I feel like the situation has been tough from the beginning, I've tried to make the best of it and I'm going to continue to do that ... and whatever happens, happens," Brown said. "I'm not worried about my fate with this organization."


            Brooklyn lost its ninth straight Monday, 120-111 to visiting Washington. The Nets, who have reached 60 losses for the fifth time, haven't dropped 10 in a row since an 11-game slide in January 2010.


            They've averaged 91.0 points in losing all three meetings with Toronto this season.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

              Preview: Hawks (48-33) at Wizards (40-41)


              Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


              The Atlanta Hawks' nine-year playoff run stands as the longest in the Eastern Conference, and they know they'll open the postseason at home after making a run to last year's conference finals.


              The Hawks, though, firmly reside in the second tier of NBA postseason teams - a clear reality with six of their last seven defeats coming against some of the league's top competition.


              Washington is the only non-playoff team to beat them in that span, and the Wizards will try to send last year's second-round opponent into the postseason on a sour note with a home victory in Wednesday's night's season finale.


              Atlanta (48-33) has gone 17-7 in its last 24, a stretch that includes two losses apiece to Golden State, Cleveland and Toronto. It had a three-game winning streak snapped with Monday's 109-94 road defeat to the Cavaliers, but it's guaranteed to finish third or fourth in the East after Boston fell to Charlotte later that night.


              The Hawks will face one of those teams when the first round begins this weekend depending on how Miami finishes. They'll be looking to make another deep playoff run after Cleveland swept them out of the East finals last year despite a franchise-record 60-win season that gave them the No. 1 seed.


              Monday's contest proved they have some work to do to reach the Cavaliers' level. Kent Bazemore scored 23 points, Jeff Teague had 21 and nine assists and Al Horford finished with 20 and 11 boards, but the Hawks' reserves managed only 18 points.


              "We've got to find a way to get more from them," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "That's important to find some kind of rhythm with that group. I can do a better job with that."


              Bazemore shot 1 of 5 and scored two points in the second half.


              "I've got to grow as a player," Bazemore said. "Great players do it for 48 (minutes). I've got to tap back into that focus and try to keep it going."


              Bazemore shot 3 for 11 and totaled eight points in the previous two meetings with Washington (40-41), which won at Atlanta 117-102 behind 27 points and 14 assists from John Wall and 25 from Bradley Beal on March 21. The Hawks earned a split of the home-and-home set two nights later with a 122-101 victory.


              Wall is hurting, though, much like he was when he missed three games in Atlanta's six-game victory in the second round last year. Right knee soreness has sidelined him for the last four after playing the first 77 games, and it doesn't appear he'll play in the season finale.


              Beal also sat out Monday's 120-111 win over Brooklyn after injuring his pelvis early in Sunday's victory over Charlotte. The Wizards are still playing hard despite finishing up a disappointing season, as Ramon Sessions scored 21 points and added 12 assists on his 30th birthday.


              Marcus Thornton started in place of Beal and finished with 19 points, helping Washington jump out to a 20-0 lead before hanging on.


              'We knew at the end of the game if we continued to play that pace we'd be fine,' said Sessions, averaging 16.5 points and 10.5 assists in Wall's absence. 'We just had to get some stops and we did in that second half.'


              It's uncertain if Beal will be able to play as Washington attempts to finish .500 in three straight seasons for the first time since a four-year run from 2004-08.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                Preview: Pacers (43-37) at Bucks (33-48)


                Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


                The Indiana Pacers will head north of the boarder later this week in their return to the playoffs. For now, they'll go as north as Milwaukee to cap the regular season.


                With their postseason fate determined, the Pacers are afforded the luxury of resting key personnel Wednesday night against the last-place Bucks.


                Indiana (44-37) is one game ahead of Detroit in the Eastern Conference, but it went 3-1 in the season series to give it the tiebreaker, the seventh seed and a first-round series with Atlantic Division champion Toronto.


                The Pacers avoided a possible matchup with reigning East champion Cleveland by winning five of six after beating New York 102-90 in their home finale Tuesday.


                "It's the best feeling. Just putting it in perspective from last year. Last year we had a different feeling on this night because we had one more game ahead of us to (try to) get in the playoffs," said forward Paul George, citing last year's failure to reach the postseason.


                This time, Indiana gets a chance to plan ahead for the Raptors, but coach Frank Vogel hasn't decided if he'll give anyone the night off.


                George could be a candidate since he's finishing his first full season after suffering a horrific broken leg with Team USA ahead of the 2014 Olympics. He's averaging a career-high 23.1 points.


                George had 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a career high-tying seven turnovers as seven Pacers scored in double digits in a 104-99 win at Milwaukee on March 2.


                Indiana has won 10 of its last 13 against the Bucks (33-48), including four of five at Bradley Center.


                George Hill is averaging 16.5 points while hitting 13 of 27 from 3-point range in his last four meetings with the Bucks. He enters this one after making 7 of 11 from long range while totaling 37 points over the last two games, matching George with a team-high 19 against the Knicks.


                The Bucks are concluding a sixth straight season without a winning record while missing the playoffs for the fourth time over that stretch.


                They've dropped nine of 12 after never leading and trailing by as many as 20 in a 107-98 loss at Orlando on Monday.


                "When you're down in this league, you have to be perfect," coach Jason Kidd said. "Whether it's two minutes or three minutes, your defense has to be perfect. And offensively you have maybe a small margin of error because of the 3-point shot."


                Greg Monroe had 23 points after being rested a day earlier as Milwaukee won 109-108 in overtime at Philadelphia. The center was averaging 11.8 points over the previous 12 games.


                Monroe has totaled 39 points during the past two meetings with Indiana, while Khris Middleton has put up 56 over that span.


                The guard is averaging 26.5 points on 20-for-35 shooting during the past two games after sitting out three in a row with a thigh injury.


                Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points against the Pacers last month. He managed three more combined in the last two games after averaging 27.7 during the previous three.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                  Preview: Pistons (43-37) at Cavaliers (57-24)


                  Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


                  The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons are about to see plenty of one another, therefore expect neither to show its cards during a now-meaningless regular-season finale.


                  Both teams figure to rest most or all of their regulars in Wednesday night's prelude to an opening-round playoff series.


                  LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love earned their expected nights off after Cleveland (57-24) clinched the East's No. 1 seed with Monday's 109-94 win over Atlanta. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy could follow suit with his stars with Detroit (43-38) locked into the eighth seed and a matchup with the Cavaliers following Tuesday's 99-93 home loss to Miami.


                  The Pistons could have surpassed Indiana by winning their final two games and if the Pacers lost at Milwaukee on Wednesday. Still, an opportunity to face the East's defending champions in the franchise's first postseason trip since 2009 remains appealing.


                  "Nobody's picking us anyway. They're supposed to be the title contenders from the East. If we're not favored anyway we might as well get a crack at them, right?," guard Reggie Jackson said. "I don't want to fight Goliath's homeboy or little brother, I want to go and fight Goliath. I think that's how this locker room feels."


                  Detroit has reason to be confident despite its lack of experience relative to the playoff-tested Cavaliers. The Pistons have won two of three previous meetings between the Central Division rivals this season, including a 96-88 victory in Cleveland on Feb. 22 in which James was held to a season low-tying 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting.


                  James has been much tougher to stop of late, having averaged 28.4 points, 8.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 62.0 percent over a noticeably focused 10-game stretch. The four-time MVP was in top form during Monday's clincher, finishing 13 of 16 from the field and amassing 34 points in three quarters against one of the league's best defensive teams.


                  'I hope he can keep it up,' Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. 'If he plays like this, man, we're going to be tough to beat. He's just taken it to a whole other level the last three or four weeks, playing at a very high level, shooting the ball very well, shooting it with confidence and also getting it to the basket."


                  Irving also appears to be ready after matching a season high with 35 points against Atlanta and bouncing back from a 5-of-17, 11-point performance in Saturday's 105-102 loss at Chicago.


                  Detroit received a taste of a playoff-like atmosphere Tuesday against a Heat team still in the mix for a Southeast Division title. Despite missing Jackson due to an abdominal strain, the Pistons trailed by one midway through the fourth quarter before Joe Johnson scored eight straight to help Miami pull away.


                  Jackson, coming off a 39-point effort in Friday's playoff-clinching 112-99 win over Washington, is expected to return for Game 1. Detroit's leading scorer had 23 points and three of the Pistons' 10 steals in the Feb. 22 victory.


                  Irving had 30 that night and 28 in a 114-106 win at Detroit on Jan. 29. He missed a 104-99 road loss to the Pistons on Nov. 17 while still recovering from last June's fractured kneecap.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                    Preview: 76ers (10-70) at Bulls (41-40)


                    Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


                    It isn't surprising the Philadelphia 76ers won't be going to the playoffs thanks to a horrific rebuilding project that led to the resignation of general manager Sam Hinkie last week.


                    That the Chicago Bulls are missing out is a much bigger surprise given the club had made seven straight trips and won 50 games a year ago before losing a tight series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.


                    These teams are disappointing for far different reasons and the Bulls seek their 10th straight win in this series Wednesday night at home to close the season.


                    Philadelphia's wretched three-year run with Hinkie's imprint on the team will come to a merciful end. He quit last Wednesday after running an analytics-minded front office and stripping the organization of all major talent with the idea of bottoming out in the standings and acquiring lottery picks. A loss Wednesday will make this season's edition the second-worst team in NBA history to the 1972-73 Philadelphia club that went 9-73.


                    While the 76ers (10-71) are badly in need of a new direction, the road forward for Chicago is less clear. The Bulls (41-40) fired popular coach Tom Thibodeau and brought in Fred Hoiberg before 2015-16 to guide a squad considered a leading contender in the East after a six-game loss to Cleveland in last year's playoffs.


                    Instead a season full of turmoil has ensued that saw star guard Jimmy Butler criticize Hoiberg in December while injuries to Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose hampered the club's rotation.


                    Rose and Pau Gasol opted to sit out the final two games once the Bulls were eliminated, and that decision caused controversy when Butler played through a sore knee Monday and had 23 points and 11 assists in a 121-116 victory at New Orleans.


                    'I don't want anyone to think I'm quitting on my team,' Butler said. 'I love this game and I'm fortunate to play every day. I don't care if we're in the playoffs or out of the playoffs. I don't like to lose, period. I play to win.'


                    Butler, who had a career-high 53 points in a 115-111 overtime win in Philadelphia on Jan. 14 in the last meeting, later clarified that his comment didn't mean that he thought Rose and Gasol had quit for the last two games.


                    Rookie Cristiano Felicio, who has totaled 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting in his last two games, will get major minutes in this contest. So will Bobby Portis and Justin Holiday, who combined for 27 points Monday.


                    The word quit is what the 76ers used to describe how Hinkie parted ways, although the club was clearly headed in a different direction once Jerry Colangelo was named chairman of basketball operations Dec. 7. That move came in the wake of an embarrassing stretch for the organization when star rookie Jahlil Okafor was attached to a string of off-court incidents that included reckless driving and a fight in Boston.


                    Colangelo helped bring in veteran players like retiring center Elton Brand, who will play his final game Wednesday if he gets into this contest. Brand, the No. 1 overall pick by the Bulls in 1999, sat out Tuesday's 122-98 defeat to Toronto


                    Philadelphia, which has dropped 15 of 16, is 0-11 in road games in the second half of a back-to-back.


                    Robert Covington, who grew up outside Chicago, is averaging 24.3 points in his last three games and scored 25 in the last meeting.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                      Preview: Heat (47-33) at Celtics (47-34)


                      Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


                      The race to win the ultra-competitive Southeast Division has fittingly come down to the final day, and the Miami Heat have the simplest path.


                      It's not necessarily the easiest, however.


                      The visiting Heat can wrap up a fifth division title in six years Wednesday night by earning this season's first win over the Boston Celtics, who are seeking to secure home-court advantage for the opening round of the playoffs.


                      Miami (48-33) moved into a tie atop the Southeast with Atlanta with a 99-93 win in Detroit on Tuesday, its fourth in five games but just its second in six road contests. Joe Johnson provided 25 points, his second-most in 23 games with the team.


                      "To get a win on the road at this time of the year, when you're desperate, is good as we go into the playoffs," guard Dwyane Wade said. "There are going to be moments like that in the playoffs, where you go on the road, and you might need a win. The mentality that we had today was very good. I like to see the growth in us."


                      The Heat hold the tiebreaker over the Hawks by going 3-1 in the season series. Charlotte is one game behind both teams, and Miami would also win out in the event of a three-way tie.


                      The Heat can avoid the latter scenario by beating the Celtics (47-34) for the first time in three tries.


                      "We're a desperate team at this point. We know what's at stake. We've got to treat it like a Game 7," Johnson said.


                      Miami has lost each of the previous two meetings by double digits, falling 101-89 at TD Garden in the most recent matchup Feb. 27, part of a 14-game home win streak for the Celtics.


                      Boston suffered just its third loss in the past 21 contests on its own floor Monday, 114-100 to Charlotte, matching a season low for points in a quarter with 13 in the second. The Celtics were also beaten 118-107 in Atlanta on Saturday and are one game behind the Hawks for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.


                      They also have the same record as Charlotte but occupy fifth place because they won two of this season's three meetings.


                      Boston can gain home court with a victory and an Atlanta win in Washington on Wednesday night, which would give the Hawks the Southeast crown.


                      "We'll do everything we can to control that and it starts with a win (Wednesday)," guard Isiah Thomas told the team's official website. "Hopefully we can get fourth place and have home court in the first round because it will definitely help us."


                      Wade is averaging 27.7 points in his last three games against Boston. He scored 30 in a 105-95 home defeat Nov. 30.


                      Celtics guard Avery Bradley had 25 points in that game but was held to nine against the Heat in February. Thomas is averaging 10.7 points on 26.8 percent shooting - including a 2-of-11 performance from 3-point range - in his last three matchups.


                      Boston hasn't swept a regular-season series from Miami since winning three games in 2009-10. The Celtics haven't gone 4-0 against the Heat since 2007-08.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                        Preview: Magic (35-46) at Hornets (47-34)


                        Date: April 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


                        Charlotte is back in the NBA playoffs thanks in large part to the improved play of Kemba Walker.


                        The fifth-year point guard has improved dramatically in nearly every statistical category this season for the Hornets, who go into Wednesday's matchup against the Orlando Magic tied for the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 47-34.


                        Not bad for a team that only won 33 games last season.


                        Just as Walker has improved, so have the Hornets - the correlation in their success is undeniable.


                        Walker has upped his scoring average to 21.1 points this season - 15th in the NBA - compared to 17.3 in 2014-15. The biggest improvement has come in his 3-point shooting which is at 37.4 percent after he shot 30.4 percent last season. His true shooting percentage is up 7 percent to 48.6, and even his rebounding numbers and free throw percentage have climbed.


                        'He's playing at an All-Star level,' teammate Nicolas Batum said.


                        Walker's notable improvement over last season prompted the Hornets public relations staff to put together an online spoof based off this year's political campaigns featuring Walker as a prime 'candidate' to win the NBA's Most Improved Player.


                        Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Walker's competitiveness is 'contagious' and he's never met anyone who has worked harder in an effort to take his game to the next level.


                        'He's done everything he could to make himself a better player,' Clifford said.


                        He scored a career-high 52 points in a win over Utah on Jan. 18 and had 40 in a win at Orlando four days later, among his 13 30-point games this season. Walker said he's finally found the consistency he lacked during his first four NBA seasons.


                        He's scored 20 or more points in 40 games this season, doubling last year's total. He's one of only five NBA players with at least 1,600 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds, 100 3-pointers and 100 steals.


                        'The last couple of years, I have always had stretches where I have played pretty well, but this year I have had multiple stretches where I was just on fire - just playing really well for a long period of time,' Walker said.


                        The Hornets will finish either fifth or sixth in the East and play Atlanta, Miami or Boston in the first round.


                        Charlotte won 114-100 in Boston on Monday behind Jeremy Lin's 25 points, but he's shot 7 of 22 for a combined 20 points in three meetings with the Magic (35-46). The Hornets have won the last two, including a 107-99 home victory March 16 as Batum and Marvin Williams each scored 26.


                        Orlando's Victor Oladipo averaged 27 points in those defeats, but he and Aaron Gordon are likely to miss a third straight game due to concussion symptoms. Fellow starter Nikola Vucevic (groin, leg) may also sit out the season finale for a team that has had some too little, too late success.


                        The Magic have won six of nine following a 10-30 stretch that took them out of playoff contention. Still, Orlando will post its highest win total since 2011-12 in coach Scott Skiles' first season at the helm.


                        "We're going the right way,' point guard Elfrid Payton told the team's official website. "I honestly thought that everybody in this locker room got better (from last) summer and I expect the same thing this year.'


                        Payton, averaging 8.6 assists in the last 11 games, has been joined in the backcourt lately by rookie Mario Hezonja with Oladipo sidelined. The No. 5 overall pick had 19 points along with career highs of seven assists and five steals in Monday's 107-98 win over Milwaukee.

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                        • #13
                          Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                          Preview: Jazz (40-41) at Lakers (16-65)


                          Date: April 13, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                          (AP) - Kobe Bryant is down to one last shot, and everybody knows he's going to take it.


                          After two decades spent dazzling the world, Bryant will end his basketball career at home with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz. He'll walk off the court in front of his devoted fans in the building where he hung five championship banners.


                          He retires this week as the third-leading scorer in league history. Nobody ever got to spend 20 seasons with one NBA team before the 37-year-old Bryant, and he intends to thank Los Angeles with one last display of his transcendent talent.


                          'It means everything' to finish at home, Bryant said.


                          'I grew up a die-hard Laker fan, so it's like a dream come true for a kid to grow up and play for his favorite team, and play here for 20 years, his entire career,' he added. 'I've seen the city grow. I've seen the city develop, and vice versa. There's no place I'd rather end my career.'


                          Tickets are reselling for hefty sums, and merchandise commemorating the day is moving briskly. Fans without seats will gather downtown to show love for Bryant, a globally admired athlete who both fearlessly represented and strongly resembled LA.


                          Flashy. Confident. Clever. Combative. Bursting with ambition.


                          And always entertaining.


                          'I've grown up in front of this crowd from the age of 17,' Bryant said. 'A lot of faces that I saw in the crowd in my very first game are still here. That's very special. Kids that are sitting there now, that were kids when I first came in, now come to the game with their kids. You know, that's pretty cool to see.'


                          While Bryant's fellow Nike athletes around the globe wear shoes honoring the event they've dubbed 'Mamba Day,' the Lakers will attempt to send Bryant out in style against the Jazz, who could be eliminated from the playoff race shortly before tipoff.


                          Utah (40-41) can only claim the Western Conference's last remaining playoff spot if it wins this game and Houston loses earlier in the night to Sacramento. The Rockets enter with the same record but hold the tiebreaker over the Jazz, who lost control of their destiny by falling 101-92 to Dallas on Monday for their third loss in four games.


                          "We gotta go to Los Angeles and try to win a game under very different circumstances, with it being Kobe's last game, and see what happens elsewhere and hope for the best," Utah coach Quin Snyder said.


                          Lakers coach Byron Scott expects Bryant to play more than 37 minutes, and Kobe's teammates will be feeding the ball to him on practically every possession - admittedly not much of a change from most games during this otherwise horrific season.


                          With two 30-point performances this month, Bryant has proven he's still capable. He'll have every opportunity to run up the score one last time.


                          'I think it's going to be crazy,' Scott said. 'We got a chance to celebrate one of the greatest to ever play the game this season, and I think we did it the right way.'


                          Although some things went very wrong, they turned out all right for Kobe.


                          Bryant said last week that every season is a failure unless it ends with a title. The 15th such failure of his career has been comically bad, yet the ineptitude of the worst team in Lakers history (16-65) actually has made it easier to enjoy his farewell tour.


                          'We're not playing for a championship, and I'm pretty black-and-white on where I stand with that sort of stuff,' Bryant said. 'I've allowed myself to take the blinders off and enjoy the fans, enjoy the crowd. Laugh a little bit more. Engage a little bit more.'


                          Indeed, the Lakers' recent games effectively have been tribute evenings for Bryant, with opponents shaking his hand and lining up for turns to guard a player who profoundly inspired most of the current NBA.


                          When Bryant was asked to name his greatest basketball accomplishment Monday, he didn't cite his rings. Instead, he chose his ability to find the motivation to return from three consecutive season-ending injuries from 2013-15.


                          Bryant hasn't had a major health setback this season, although he sat out 16 games, constantly iced his joints, rarely practiced and hardly ever attended morning shootarounds.


                          He reached the finish line on his feet.


                          'He didn't take nights off,' Scott said. 'I think his competitive nature and the way he went about his business gained him a lot of respect around the world.'


                          Scott calls Bryant's farewell tour 'much-deserved and much-needed.' He has even fantasized about the perfect walk-away moment for Bryant: A patented fallaway jumper in the final seconds of a tied game.


                          'I would love for that to be the ending of the story,' Scott said.


                          Bryant knows he can't have an ideal finish because he isn't playing for a championship in his final game. He won't join Peyton Manning, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Russell, John Elway, Ray Bourque, David Robinson, John Wooden or the other sports icons who ended their careers at the Pinnacle.


                          Instead, Bryant's finale is the conclusion of a 20-year competition with himself.


                          One last time, Kobe just wants to play.


                          'For me, it's coming out in front of the fans and competing hard, and playing against Utah and them not taking it easy at all,' Bryant said. 'To me, that is the greatest form of competition. That's the best last game to have. A very competitive one. A physical one. That's the way basketball should be.'


                          Bryant has had dreadful performances in the Lakers' last two matchups with Utah, scoring five points in each while shooting a combined 3 of 19 from the field in blowout losses. The most recent marked the most lopsided defeat of his career and tied the worst in franchise history, 123-75 on March 28.


                          Rodney Hood, who went 1 for 11 in the Jazz's loss to Dallas on Monday, led Utah with 30 points in last month's meeting - all in the first half.

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                          • #14
                            Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                            Preview: Grizzlies (42-38) at Warriors (72-9)


                            Date: April 13, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                            (AP) - Stephen Curry never figured the Chicago Bulls' 72-win mark could be matched or eclipsed.


                            Twenty years later, the reigning MVP and his defending champion Golden State Warriors are on the brink of doing just that and making yet more history this season.


                            'I knew what it was but you never really thought about it in perspective of anybody chasing it. It was kind of that number that was out there that seemed invincible,' Curry said after practice Tuesday. 'Even at the beginning of this year, even when we started 24-0, it was kind of: 'Well, maybe we can do it. We're going to keep playing every night with the intention of winning as many games as possible,' but it just sounded kind of ludicrous, 72-10, how much good play has to go into it. We're there now, 72-9, and we've got one more chance to beat it.'


                            That comes Wednesday night, when the Memphis Grizzlies visit Oracle Arena as Golden State goes for win No. 73 to best the 1995-96 Bulls.


                            'It's a big deal for sure,' Curry said. 'It's our last regular-season game, our last tuneup before the playoffs and nobody wants to lose their last game going into the playoffs if you can avoid it, and obviously 73. We want to get that number. Why not?'


                            Curry had 37 points as the Warriors ended a 33-game skid in San Antonio with a 92-86 victory on Sunday for their 72nd victory.


                            Curry and coach Steve Kerr expected the Warriors to be better this season, but this good? No way. This many wins? Hardly. Not with every opponent bringing its best every night.


                            Triple-double machine Draymond Green can't believe Golden State's position now, either.


                            He wishes the record hadn't come down to the regular-season finale.


                            'It would have been cool to take care of the games we were supposed to take care of and have it already out of the way,' Green said. 'The way this thing has played out, to be at home with one shot at it, it's pretty amazing. You can't not talk about it at this point. The whole world's talking about it now. It's everywhere. There's no way to hide from it now. Honestly, realistically, I didn't think it could be done.'


                            The Warriors received a serious test from the Grizzlies just Friday, needing to rally from 10 points down in the fourth quarter for a 100-99 road win. Green scored the game's final points on a tip-in with 1 minute left as Golden State won its first one-point game of the season.


                            'It should be a fun 48 minutes and hopefully a night we'll remember for a long time,' Curry said.


                            The Grizzlies (42-39) are also about to make NBA history, though, their milestone has not received nearly the same recognition as the Warriors'.


                            No team in league history has ever reached the postseason having used more than 23 players, and Memphis will be the first having already used a record 28 in an injury-riddled season.


                            In a season dominated by Golden State's chase of the league's single-season wins record, Kerr calls what the Grizzlies have accomplished simply remarkable.


                            'I think it's one of the most impressive stories in the NBA this year,' Kerr said.


                            A total of 12 different Grizzlies have missed a combined 291 games to injuries or illness this season, second only New Orleans.


                            'We've gotten hit over the head with everything you can get hit with,' Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said.


                            As a result, Memphis has lost nine of 10 to drop into a tie with Dallas for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks own the tiebreaker, so the Grizzlies must beat the Warriors and have Dallas lose to a San Antonio team likely resting most of its veterans to capture the sixth seed.


                            Memphis lost its grip on fifth place with Tuesday's lackluster 110-84 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers.


                            'Emotionally, there have been times where we are just kind of out of gas,' Joerger said. "You can't be high for every single game. We took a couple hits in some games where you wish they had been closer or we had given ourselves a chance to win.'


                            Joerger credits veterans Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Matt Barnes and Vince Carter for helping Memphis through the rotating cast both by playing better individually and embracing their new teammates.


                            Randolph said this season has been tough, yet the Grizzlies know nobody in the NBA feels sorry for them.


                            'We got to start the playoffs,' Randolph said. 'We ain't got our team, and we made the playoffs. Everybody count us out and look where we are now.'

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                            • #15
                              Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/13

                              Preview: Nuggets (33-48) at Trail Blazers (43-38)


                              Date: April 13, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                              The team Portland is most likely to face in the first round just did it a favor and made it impossible for the Trail Blazers to fall to the seventh seed.


                              Now all that's left for them to clinch the No. 5 spot is an 11th win in the last 12 meetings with the visiting Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night or a Dallas loss to San Antonio.


                              The Los Angeles Clippers defeated Memphis on Tuesday to ensure the Blazers won't have to face San Antonio, but a loss and a Mavericks win would still place Portland sixth to face Oklahoma City.


                              Scenarios aside, Damian Lillard was more focused on simply playing well after Portland (43-38) fell 106-105 at home to Minnesota on Saturday.


                              "I mean, we're in the playoffs," Lillard said "We just want to do the right things every game. That's the biggest thing is play the right way and give ourselves a chance every night, the best chance. Tonight we didn't do that. 'But like I said, we're in and whoever we end up playing, that's what it is. We want to push ourselves to get as high as we can and finish the season off the right way."


                              The loss came despite the Blazers shooting 50 percent, and over a 2-2 span, Portland opponents have averaged 116 points while shooting 51.3 percent and 49.4 from 3-point range.


                              "After the first quarter, we really never were as good as we needed to be defensively," coach Terry Stotts said. "Give credit to Minnesota. They played well. They've been playing well lately. They got momentum, they made big shots and they made big plays. So it's a disappointing loss."


                              Lillard at least showed some individual improvement. He had 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting after a an eight-game stretch on which he'd been limited to an average of 18.8 points on 32.1 percent.


                              The last five meetings have been decided by single digits, but four have gone Portland's way as part of three seasons of domination in the series. Lillard hasn't played in the last two - both Blazers wins - and the latest was a 112-106 win in Denver on Jan. 3. C.J. McCollum had 25 points after posting 29 in a December victory, and he's shot 61.1 percent in those games.


                              The Nuggets (33-48) will finish either 10th or 11th in the West, and while their lottery slot isn't yet locked in, the pick goes to Toronto. They're more concerned with how New York and Houston finish because Denver potentially has both of those draft choices along with Portland's. If Houston doesn't finish in the top 14 slots, the Nuggets will have three first-round picks among the top 20.


                              They're coming of a 100-84 home loss to Utah to fall to 5-10 since a four-game winning streak from March 6-12.


                              "You can't let a team go on a run where you don't get stops, you don't score, don't execute," coach Michael Malone said. "That one stretch to close out the third and the fact that we gave them (18) second-chance points and they outrebounded us by eight was the story of the game."


                              Emmanuel Mudiay scored 19 points and has averaged 16.4 on 40 percent from 3-point range in his last seven. He missed the losses to Portland but scored 18 points in a 108-104 win in Denver on Nov. 9.

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