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**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:17 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

NBA notebook: Grizzlies' Gasol has season-ending surgery
By The Sports Xchange

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Tuesday that center Marc Gasol underwent successful surgery on Saturday to repair a midfoot fracture in his right foot and will not return this season.
Gasol finished the year with averages of 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.35 blocks in 34.4 minutes in 52 games.
"Marc remains a cornerstone of our franchise and we are pleased to hear that the surgery went according to plan," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said.
Gasol is believed to have been injured in a Feb. 8 game against Portland.

---Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic remains sidelined as he continues recovering from surgery to his right Achilles.
The former first-round pick had surgery on April 8, 2015, and was able to return to action on Jan. 6 against Denver. He played in 12 games and averaged 4.5 points and 1. 8 rebounds. But he has been inactive the past eight games and the team confirmed that he will remain out indefinitely.
The team indicated the typical recovery period from that type of surgery is anywhere from nine to 15 months.

---Forward DeJuan Blair was a member of the Phoenix Suns for less than five days. As expected, the seven-year veteran was released late Monday after being acquired from the Washington Wizards in a deal that involved forward Markieff Morris last Thursday.
In addition to Blair, the Suns acquired forward Kris Humphries and a protected first-round draft pick for Morris.
Blair averaged 2.1 points and two rebounds in 29 games for the Wizards this season. For his career, Blair is averaging 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The move Monday leaves Phoenix with an open spot on the 15-man roster.

---After Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving was bitten by bed bugs during the weekend in Oklahoma City, Hilton Hotels apologized.
Irving played only nine minutes in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after he said he got only three hours of sleep because of his encounter with the little critters on his pillow at the Skirvin Hilton forced him onto a couch, leading to tightness in his back.
The Hilton chain said in a statement that health inspectors found no other signs of bed bugs in Irving's suite or adjacent rooms and that it was sorry about the inconvenience.
The Cavaliers said Sunday that Irving was suffering from flu-like symptoms, forcing him to leave the game. But, in reality, he was dealing with a lack of sleep and the aftereffects of bug bites.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Knicks (24-34) at Pacers (30-26)

Date: February 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers were left lamenting a costly defeat in their quest for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs their last time out.

That advantage has been evident when they have faced the New York Knicks.

The Pacers have beaten the Knicks nine straight times at home including the postseason heading into Wednesday night's first 2015-16 matchup between these clubs.

Indiana (30-26) fell short in its bid for a perfect three-game trip with Monday's 101-93 overtime loss to Miami. The Pacers blew an early 14-point lead and fell two games behind the Heat and Boston - teams they are chasing for a top-four Eastern Conference finish.

'We control the game for so long and then it's always late in the game where it gets away from us," star forward Paul George said. "It's always been the story and really our history here.'

The Pacers' recent history against New York (24-34) has been kinder with a four-game sweep last season that included two more wins in Indianapolis. Indiana's nine-game run at home in this series includes three victories in the 2013 conference semifinals.

Indiana only faced Carmelo Anthony once a season ago and is getting its first look at Kristaps Porzingis, who is third among rookies with 13.9 points per game.

Porzingis has been a bright spot during a stretch in which New York has dropped eight of nine and 12 of 14. The Knicks were blown out at home Monday by Toronto 122-95.

"We just weren't connected defensively all night," interim coach Kurt Rambis said.

The Knicks allowed the Raptors to shoot 52.9 percent and spent a good portion of Tuesday's practice working on defense, with team president Phil Jackson observing. They have struggled to defend the 3-point arc in the last four games, allowing foes to make 40 of 80 attempts.

Prior to this dismal stretch, New York was in contention for a playoff spot and now seems likely to miss out for the third straight season. This is its fifth game since Rambis replaced Derek Fisher as coach.

"Regardless of the record, just losing, accepting that, it is hard to accept that," Anthony said. "You can't be satisfied with losing basketball games."

Porzingis is averaging 16.5 points on 46.4 percent shooting in his last six games. His worst effort in that span was a six-point performance in Saturday's 103-95 win over Minnesota that ended New York's seven-game road slide.

It won't be easy for New York to prevail in Wednesday's return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Its last win there was a 102-88 victory March 17, 2012, that came when Jeremy Lin was enjoying his flash-in-the-pan success for the Knicks.

George is averaging 25.3 points in his last seven after scoring 31 with 11 rebounds against the Heat. The Pacers were hurt by Monta Ellis going 2 of 17 for seven points after he totaled 48 in the first two games of the trip as Indiana dropped to 0-6 in road games on the second of back-to-back days.

"I thought late in the game we were a little fatigued," George said. "Guys were banged up. We tried, this is a game that we felt we should've won."

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Hornets (29-26) at Cavaliers (40-15)

Date: February 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James has played more games than any player in the league since the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the No. 1 overall pick out of high school in 2003.

He prides himself on his durability and habits to quickly heal his aching body, but it's becoming apparent he'll need some rest before the Cavs attempt another deep playoff run.

James certainly doesn't have plans to take himself out of the lineup, though, despite Cleveland playing its third game in four days Wednesday night against a Charlotte Hornets team trying to win five straight on the road for the first time in more than 14 years.

James played his 1,143rd career game on Monday, a total that includes six trips to the NBA Finals and two championships with Miami. After 14 consecutive 20-point games, James tied his season low with 12, shot 5 of 18 from the field, missed all four of his 3-point attempts and committed six turnovers as Cleveland (40-15) fell 96-88 to Detroit at home.

Coach Tyronn Lue admitted he considered resting James for the second of a back-to-back set after the Cavs beat Oklahoma City on Sunday, then decided against it.

"One night he doesn't have the legs and that's fine," said Kyrie Irving, who scored 30 points after playing only nine minutes against the Thunder following an overnight battle against hotel bed bugs. "We just have to pick it up from everybody on the team."

Kevin Love scored 24 points, but the performances from him and Irving weren't enough to overcome come James' struggles. Cleveland has a three-game lead on Toronto atop the Eastern Conference, and Lue seems to have plans to rest multiple players, including James, if it gets closer to locking up home-court advantage in the playoffs.

"There's nothing to talk about," James said. "I mean, obviously, if coach Lue wanted to sit me I'll follow his orders, but for me I'm available every night, unless I'm injured. I've been hurt all year, but unless you injured, you play, so I'm OK with that."

Charlotte (29-26) lost Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the season following shoulder surgery last Wednesday and didn't have Kemba Walker or Al Jefferson on Feb. 3 against Cleveland, but Jeremy Lin finished with 24 points to help beat the Cavaliers 106-97.

That victory was the second of seven during an eight-game stretch for the Hornets, who are tied with Chicago for seventh in the East.

Jefferson returned for Friday's win over Milwaukee after missing the previous 23 following knee surgery, then hit 9 of 13 from the field and scored 18 points in Sunday's 104-96 win over Brooklyn.

Walker scored 28 for Charlotte, which has won a season-high five straight overall and the first three of a six-game trip.

"You've got to get ready for the next game,' Jefferson said. 'It's a great feeling as of right now. We're playing well, especially winning games on the road, but we've still got a long road trip to go.'

The Hornets are on the verge of winning five consecutive road games for the first time since Jan. 29-Feb. 20, 2002, and were 6-17 away from home prior to this run. They lost 129-90 in their last trip to Cleveland on Jan. 23, 2015.

"We know that we have to play better on the road, and that's what we're trying to do,' Walker said.

Irving didn't play Nov. 27 in Charlotte as James finished with 25 points and 13 boards and Love added 18 and 16 rebounds in Cleveland's 95-90 win.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: 76ers (8-48) at Pistons (28-29)

Date: February 24, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Stan Van Gundy, president of basketball operations, had every right to take into account health concerns when he vetoed a trade that could've added to the Detroit Pistons' depth.

He had no idea how that would affect Stan Van Gundy the head coach.

Detroit suddenly is without two forwards for at least the next couple of weeks of its playoff push, but it will try to build on a victory over the Eastern Conference's top team when the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers visit Wednesday night.

Van Gundy acquired Tobias Harris from Orlando last week before agreeing to send Joel Anthony to Philadelphia at the trade deadline in a three-team deal that would give Houston a protected first-round pick in exchange for big man Donatas Motiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton.

Motiejunas, though, failed a pair of physical exams because of lingering back problems, and Van Gundy voided the deal. It was a good thing there were no issues with the Harris trade.

Anthony Tolliver will miss two to four weeks because of a right knee sprain, and Van Gundy said in a radio interview Tuesday that rookie Stanley Johnson will be "probably out a couple weeks" after injuring his shoulder in the second half of Monday's 96-88 win at Cleveland.

That's bad news for the Pistons (28-29), who are two games back of Charlotte and Chicago for the East's final playoff spot. Reggie Bullock, who has appeared in only 19 games and hasn't played more than seven minutes since Nov. 15, is expected to see time in place of Johnson.

"We're going to have to play really well right now," Van Gundy said. "We're very thin up front. We came out of the game (Monday) with Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris as our only forwards to play the 3 and 4 spots."

The game went well overall, though. Detroit had lost a season-high five straight, with the disappointment lingering over the All-Star break. It hadn't won since beating New York on Feb. 4

Reggie Jackson scored 23 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 19 and Andre Drummond added 16 and 15 rebounds. Morris and Harris scored 14 points apiece.

'We're desperate, man,' Jackson said. 'We've got to be hungry for every last win after dropping the last five. We've been trying to find a way to battle and be resilient, and I couldn't be more proud of the guys for stepping up with us so shorthanded.'

The Sixers (8-48) have lost five in a row while allowing an average of 124.7 points over their last three after falling 124-115 to Orlando on Tuesday. Their 54.4 field-goal percentage marked their third-highest of the season, but they fell behind early and couldn't recover.

Ish Smith finished with 22 points, and Nerlens Noel had 16 and 11 boards. Rookie Jahlil Okafor had 17 points after finishing with a season-high 31 in Sunday's loss to Dallas.

'The energy's not where we need it to be,' coach Brett Brown said. 'That starting group's got to get going, really. We need better defense from that starting group.'

The Sixers have shown that a good start doesn't mean much, though. They led Detroit by eight after the first quarter in the last meeting Jan. 27, but Jackson scored 27 points and Drummond finished with 25 and 18 rebounds in a 110-97 win. The Pistons led by 21 after the first 12 minutes and won 117-95 in the first matchup Dec. 11.

Philadelphia might be short a reserve in this one. Rookie guard T.J. McConnell left in the third quarter with a sprained ankle and didn't return, leaving his status against the Pistons unclear.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:18 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Timberwolves (18-39) at Raptors (37-18)

Date: February 24, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

DeMar DeRozan has now played in more Toronto Raptors' victories than anyone, including a bevy at home recently.

The Raptors will seek to match the longest single-season home winning streak in franchise history Wednesday night by adding to the Minnesota Timberwolves' woes in Toronto and on the road in general.

DeRozan played in his 233rd victory in his seventh season with the Raptors in a 122-95 rout in New York on Monday. He scored 22 points to tie for team high with Kyle Lowry, who also had 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double this season.

DeRozan broke a tie with Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson to become the team's winningest player.

"It sounds good saying it, honestly," DeRozan said. "I mean, it's an honor for me, man. I've been here, it felt like since the beginning, and just to have that, that's big."

He could help Toronto (37-18) make more history this week. The Raptors have won eight consecutive home games and haven't had a longer streak in one season since a franchise-record run of nine straight March 7-April 4, 1999. They won 10 in a row across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 campaigns.

It would seem they are getting the ideal opponent. Minnesota (18-39) has lost 13 of 14 on the road and 11 straight in Toronto, currently its longest road losing streak versus any opponent. The Timberwolves are 3-17 there all-time.

The Raptors, however, blew an 18-point lead and lost 117-112 in Minnesota on Feb. 10 despite DeRozan matching a season high with 35 points.

Toronto native Andrew Wiggins had 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter in the comeback win and has totaled 51 in the past two matchups. Wiggins, regularly cheered in the recent Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend in Toronto, scored 15 in his only previous regular-season game in his hometown March 18. He's averaging 23.0 in eight contests this month.

Rookie Karl-Anthony Towns had a career-high 35 points against the Raptors and scored 28 in a 124-122 victory over Boston on Monday, when the Timberwolves nearly blew a 10-point lead in the final 75 seconds.

"It's great to have a 'W,' but for me personally I'm just not happy with the way we played at the end," Towns said. "That's us, especially me. We've got to do a better job."

Towns has averaged 23.8 points and 12.7 rebounds in the last six games. All but one of those was at home, however, and he is averaging 14.0 points in three road games this month.

Ricky Rubio is averaging 6.7 points on 28.0 percent shooting in his last seven road games.

The Timberwolves might need to keep leaning on Towns as they'll have a depleted frontcourt for their three-game road trip.

Nikola Pekovic remains out indefinitely as he continues to deal with discomfort from Achilles surgery in April, which has limited him to 12 games. Reserve forward Nemanja Bjelica has a strain in his right foot and is not expected to return until next month at the earliest. Kevin Garnett is doubtful for Wednesday's game because of a sore right knee that's kept him out since Jan. 23.

The Raptors are relatively healthy, aside from DeMarre Carroll's knee injury, as they enter a stretch in which they'll play nine of 10 at home.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Warriors (50-5) at Heat (32-24)

Date: February 24, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

(AP) - In Dwyane Wade's mind, only two things have to happen for teams to beat the Golden State Warriors.

'You have to play near-perfect,' Wade said, 'and they have to play very bad.'

Sounds simple, but of course, Wade knows such a combination doesn't happen often.

That doesn't mean Wade and the Miami Heat aren't excited for the challenge. They play host Wednesday night to the defending champion Warriors - who are 50-5, the best 55-game start in NBA history - in a game that would be best described as a clash of styles, Miami's defense-first ways against Golden State's offensive juggernaut.

'You want to be measured and tested as a competitor,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday after a film session instead of a full-fledged practice. 'You're playing against the best. This is what you want. This is why we're in the business. We're not here just to play games where you're given a result. That's not this business. They've earned the respect and gotten to require that you play your best game.'

And as Wade said, even that might not be enough.

No team averages more fast-break points than Golden State, and no team in the league has given up fewer points on the break per game than Miami (32-24). Golden State leads the NBA in 3-point accuracy; Miami is sixth-best in 3-point defense. The Warriors also lead the league by a wide margin in points per game; Miami is giving up the second-fewest points per game in the NBA, behind San Antonio.

'The best way to describe it is they're the best open court run you can have,' Wade said. 'They've got the best players at their positions to play in the perfect offensive system for them. It's like open gym, but they're well-coached and they've got smart players and very good players.'

There's no blueprint to beating Golden State, other than trying to keep Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors' sharpshooting corps from making better than 40 percent of their tries from 3-point range.

When the Warriors shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc, they're 29-0. When that doesn't happen, they're a not-exactly-vulnerable 21-5 - but that would figure to give opponents at least some sense of hope.

'They've got two of the best shooters in the NBA,' Heat center Hassan Whiteside said, referring to Curry - who has made a 3-pointer in 126 consecutive regular-season games, one shy of matching Kyle Korver's NBA record - and Thompson. 'And their other guys are not bad, either.'

Miami didn't have Whiteside - the NBA's leader in blocked shots - for its first meeting with Golden State this season, a 111-103 loss Jan. 11 in which the Heat trailed by only three entering the final quarter. The Heat won't have Chris Bosh on Wednesday, the All-Star forward sidelined while he determines if he can return to the court this season after a new bout with a blood clot.

Still, Wade is looking forward to Wednesday.

'We get the champs coming in,' Wade said. 'These are the games you want to play in.'

Curry scored 36 points Monday when the Warriors became the fastest team in NBA history to 50 wins in a season with a 102-92 victory over Atlanta.

They surpassed the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who needed one more game to reach the milestone. Of course, that's the team Golden State is chasing for one of the league's most iconic marks.

Seventy-two wins.

'It's really cool,' Thompson said. 'Just being in the conversation with that Bulls team, it's humbling and it's surreal.'

Thompson scored 12 of his 27 points in the final period Monday, when the Warriors bounced back after blowing a 23-point lead in the third quarter.

Golden State has won three in a row over Miami as Curry has averaged 34.3 points, hitting 19 of 32 from 3-point range.

The Heat have won nine of 12 and are 3-0 since the All-Star break.

'We're staying in the moment,' Curry said. 'It's a special group, and we understand the potential we have, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Fifty wins is great, but we've got to keep plugging away and staying hungry, because no one wants to talk about that in June.'

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Lakers (11-47) at Grizzlies (32-23)

Date: February 24, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Although Kobe Bryant's injured finger has given him some trouble recently, the retiring superstar has made a point of playing when visiting an arena for the last time.

The new-look Memphis Grizzlies have other things to worry about besides Bryant's retirement tour Wednesday night when they go after their eighth straight win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first of a home-and-home set.

Bryant suffered a dislocated right middle finger at the end of a 119-113 home loss to San Antonio on Friday, but managed to play at least 24 minutes in his final appearances at Chicago on Sunday and Milwaukee on Monday. Playing with a splint on his hand, Bryant said the injury passed a good test when he banged it going after a loose ball against the Bucks.

"It felt good to take a good hit and to know that the finger kind of (stood) up to that," he said.

Expect Bryant to be in the lineup. Since sitting out back-to-back November contests at Miami and Orlando because of a back injury, he hasn't missed a final game on the road.

The 18-time All-Star will make one last appearance in Memphis, where he had 60 points in March 2007. He's scored 53 or more against the Grizzlies three times - more than any other foe.

Bryant, averaging 23.4 points over his last nine games, led the Lakers (11-47) with 19 in a 112-96 loss at Memphis on Dec. 27. He scored 15 and Nick Young had a team-high 19 on Monday when Los Angeles shot 36.8 percent in its sixth straight defeat.

Memphis, which averaged 105.5 points over a 14-game stretch before Sunday's 98-85 loss at Toronto, should fare better offensively against a Los Angeles team that has allowed an average of 118.3 points on 53.0 percent shooting - including a 47.4 mark from beyond the arc - in its last four games.

The Grizzlies (32-23) shot 56.3 percent in December while extending their longest winning streak in this series dating to their time in Vancouver. However, they shot 36.8 percent and missed 17 of 20 3s against the Raptors.

Lance Stephenson had 16 points off the bench in his Memphis debut after arriving in last week's trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. P.J. Hairston and Chris Andersen totaled just three points in their second game since coming over in deadline deals.

'For having a group that's just coming together... to go 1-1, that's pretty good,' said coach David Joerger, whose club beat Minnesota on Friday. "They're fighting and competing and they're doing it together. We'll get better at the technical parts of learning how to play together.'

The Grizzlies fell to 2-1 without Marc Gasol, and the team announced Tuesday that the two-time All-Star center will miss the rest of the season following surgery to repair a broken foot.

Fellow big man Zach Randolph is picking up the scoring for the Grizzlies, averaging 19.2 on 53.2 percent shooting over his last five games.

Mike Conley has scored 19.3 per game in his last six in this series after finishing with a team-high 19 points in December. He was held to eight against the Raptors after averaging 24 points over his previous three games.

The teams meet again Friday at Staples Center.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Wizards (26-29) at Bulls (29-26)

Date: February 24, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Once a must-see matchup, the Derrick Rose-versus-John Wall showdown has lost a little luster in recent years. That may change with both playing well heading into this meeting.

In a clash between former first overall draft picks, Rose will try to stay hot while leading the suddenly high-scoring Chicago Bulls to a third straight win Wednesday night when Wall looks to help the Washington Wizards pick up their seventh victory in eight visits to the United Center.

Rose and Wall have been linked since both entered the NBA, not only because of their attacking style, but because Rose was selected first overall in 2008 after playing one season for coach John Calipari at Memphis and Wall was the '10 top pick after playing one year under Calipari at Kentucky.

Rose has always been motivated for the rivalry, averaging 25.6 points while leading the Bulls to four wins early on when both played until injuries forced him to miss eight consecutive meetings. He's also played well in the series recently, scoring 24.8 per game on 53.5 percent shooting in his last four.

"Derrick's playing at a high level right now," Wall said. "They're a team that's going to play physical. They're going to play up-tempo and you have to be ready to have your hard hat on."

Wall's Wizards have gotten the better of the matchup lately, winning nine of the past 13 - including a first-round playoff series victory in 2014 when Rose was out. Wall had 17 points and 10 assists and Rose scored 23 in Washington's 114-100 win Jan. 11 that marked its sixth victory in seven visits to the UC.

Rose is on a roll heading into this meeting, averaging 26 points over his last three games. Since scoring 92 per game with a 40.9 field-goal percentage in the last three of a five-game skid, the Bulls have averaged 121 on 53.5 percent shooting in back-to-back wins to open this three-game homestand.

"The biggest thing is Derrick, his consistency, ability to attack," forward Mike Dunleavy told the team's official website. "He's doing a good job with that. Let him keep rolling."

Chicago (29-26) hopes to continue that production against a Washington team that has allowed an average of 110.1 points and 48.1 percent shooting during a 2-5 road stretch. The Wizards (26-29), though, held New Orleans to 34.9 percent in Tuesday's 109-89 home victory.

Wall finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists for his fifth career triple-double despite shooting just 5 for 17. Marcin Gortat contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds and Jared Dudley added 18 points as Washington improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break.

Gortat and Bradley Beal did not play in the first meeting with Chicago, which holds a three-game lead over 10th-place Washington for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Gortat has averaged 16.5 and 11.1 over the past eight games, while Beal had scored 19.7 over his previous nine before finishing with nine on 3-of-10 shooting on Tuesday.

Doug McDermott has totaled 46 points while hitting 7 of 9 from 3-point range in the last two games for the Bulls, who are playing without Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic. Pau Gasol has put up 20 per game over his past six and is expected to be in the lineup despite dealing with flu-like symptoms.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Thunder (40-16) at Mavericks (30-27)

Date: February 24, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder are insisting everything is fine despite back-to-back home losses, capped by their most lopsided defeat.

They should be right given how they have fared this season against the Dallas Mavericks, who may be able to close a significant rebounding gap between these teams this time.

The Mavericks may debut former All-Star forward David Lee on Wednesday night at home as they try to avoid getting swept in four meetings by the Thunder.

Oklahoma City (40-16) starts a stretch of six road games out of seven after a 101-98 setback to Indiana on Friday and a 115-92 rout by Cleveland on Sunday.

The Thunder trailed by nine at halftime against the Cavaliers before shooting 35.6 percent in a 39-point second half. Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Russell Westbrook had 20, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

'We aren't going to go home and think it's the end of the world,' Durant said. 'We lost a game against a good team. We've got to regroup and figure out what we need to do better and move on.'

It's not hard to figure out that Oklahoma City needs to do better than Sunday's 49-39 disparity on the boards, which was humbling for a club that leads the NBA in average rebound margin at plus-7.2.

The Thunder have enjoyed an average rebound margin of plus-10.7 in three wins over the Mavericks (30-27) this season. They played without Durant in one of these games and Westbrook only lasted 14 scoreless minutes in a 108-89 rout Jan. 13 after he was ejected for an incident with Dallas guard J.J. Barea. The Mavericks also rested all five starters in the second game of a back-to-back set in that contest.

Dallas made a move Monday to bolster its frontcourt by signing Lee three days after he was waived by Boston. Lee, an All-Star with New York in 2010 and Golden State in 2013, has career averages of 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds but also had limited minutes with the Celtics this season.

"Sometimes we have issues with our rebounding, so he should help us there," superstar Dirk Nowitzki told the Mavericks' official website. "And I just think it's another solid veteran that wants to win and knows how to play."

Dallas went 1-2 in a stretch of three straight overtime games before crushing league-worst Philadelphia 129-103 on Sunday. Wesley Matthews scored 21 and Nowitzki added 18 as the Mavs led by as many as 30 to end a three-game home slide in the first of six straight in Dallas.

'We were playing with a swagger and a confidence that we haven't done often enough at home,' Matthews said. 'It's tight right now as far as the playoff picture. The season is a marathon, and we're in the sprint part right now.'

The Mavs also got healthier with Devin Harris returning. He had eight points in 17 minutes after missing 10 games with a left big toe strain.

Thunder newcomer Randy Foye, acquired Thursday from Denver, had two points in 13 minutes in his club debut Sunday.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:19 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Nuggets (22-35) at Clippers (37-19)

Date: February 24, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers opened a favorable stretch with some gaudy offensive numbers, and they figure to flash some more while extending Denver's dull defensive spell.

While the Clippers look to keep lighting up the scoreboard without their leading scorer Wednesday night, the Nuggets hope they can put an end to their defensive woes to snap a six-game skid in this series at Staples Center.

Los Angeles (37-19) has split its last four games but is on an offensive roll that led to the third-largest margin of victory in franchise history on Monday. The Clippers shot 55 percent and made 13 of 24 3-pointers in a 124-84 rout of lowly Phoenix - a scoring differential only smaller than wins of 48 points and 45 points over the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia in 2013-14.

The blowout victory opened a four-game stretch against under-.500 teams.

"There are going to be a lot of teams we play down the stretch that aren't really playing for anything," J.J. Redick told the team's official website. "For us, we have to value each possession more than the other team."

The Clippers have done plenty with their offensive possessions the last four games, averaging 118.8 points while shooting 50.1 percent against Boston, San Antonio, Golden State and the Suns.

The latest victory highlighted just what Los Angeles has become the last two months without Blake Griffin. Chris Paul tallied his 14th double-digit assist game in the last 26 with 14 along with 16 points, while DeAndre Jordan logged his 23rd double-digit rebounding game in the same span, finishing with 11 boards and 17 points. Redick extended his streak of games with a made 3-pointer to 33 by draining 4 of 6 on the way to 22 points.

All three did it while sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

Paul, Jordan and Redick have combined for 47.8 percent of the Clippers' points and Redick has made 50.3 percent of his 3-pointers while LA has gone 20-6 without Griffin since Dec. 26.

Next, the Clippers seek their fifth straight win in this series and seventh in a row against Denver in LA. They extended the former with a 111-94 victory at Denver on Nov. 24. Jordan finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, while Paul had 15 points and 10 assists.

Denver (22-35) dropped its third straight game out of the All-Star break with Tuesday's 114-110 home loss to Sacramento. The Nuggets rallied from a 17-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead but couldn't regroup from another poor defensive showing.

The Kings made 51.8 percent of their shots and scored 91 points through three quarters. Sacramento also beat the Nuggets 116-110 on Friday and Boston downed them 121-101 on Sunday.

"You can't play one quarter in this league and expect to win and be a consistent winner," coach Mike Malone said. "Our defense is still nowhere to be seen."

Denver's leading scorer Danilo Gallinari has made just 38 percent of his shots while averaging 19.8 points over the last six games. He grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against the Clippers in November, though he made just 2 of 10 shots while sinking 16 of 17 free throws for 20 points.

Gallinari went to the bench in the second quarter Tuesday to tape up a healing cut on his hand and returned to finish 5 of 14 from the floor. He offered little insight into his status when asked if his hand was OK.

'Not really, but I'll say yes."

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

Preview: Spurs (47-9) at Kings (24-31)

Date: February 24, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs have the best record in franchise history at this point in a season. Coach Gregg Popovich, however, isn't happy with their recent efforts without Kawhi Leonard.

With Leonard potentially out for a fourth straight game, the Spurs will try to tighten things up defensively and continue their domination of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

San Antonio (47-9) trails only Golden State's 50-5 record for the best in the NBA, and the Spurs have returned from the All-Star break to win two of three. However, they've allowed an average of 109.7 points over that stretch, a far cry from their league-low 92.7 on the season.

The defensive issues, which were on display in Sunday's 118-111 win at lowly Phoenix, have come without Leonard - the reigning defensive player of the year. He's also the team's top scorer at 20.2 points per game, and the league's top 3-point shooter at 48.2 percent.

"I'm concerned. It's terrible," Popovich said. "We stink on D right now. We'll see if we can get better."

If Leonard is unable to play, Kyle Anderson is expected to start in his place again. Anderson has averaged 9.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting in three games in Leonard's spot.

Tony Parker has helped compensate for Leonard's absence, averaging 20.3 points during that span after scoring 22 against the Suns. Patty Mills is also picking up the slack with 36 points over the last two games, matching his career best with six 3s Sunday.

Parker - unlike Popovich - isn't too worried about the recent defensive woes, which include allowing teams to shoot 48.4 percent from the field and 43.7 from long range.

"We know we're not going to beat everyone by 20 or even win every game," Parker said, "but it's definitely good to go through this experience and learn from it."

The Spurs rarely have problems with the Kings (24-31), winning 34 of the past 38 matchups, including 17 of 19 in Sacramento.

They extended their overall winning streak in the series to four with a 106-88 victory at Sleep Train Arena on Nov. 9.

The Kings have followed a 1-8 stretch with a three-game winning streak, averaging 114.7 points.

DeMarcus Cousins is scoring 34.7 points per game over that stretch, hitting 54.8 percent from the floor. The All-Star poured in 39 points in a 114-110 victory at Denver on Tuesday, sweeping the home-and-home set coming out of the break.

"I'm just playing my game," said Cousins. "That's the best way to put it."

He's also fourth in the league with a career-high 27.3 points per game, and has scored 42.8 on 59.6 shooting in his past four home contests.

Cousins scored 21 against the Spurs in November but missed 15 of 20 from the field. His career 16.6 scoring average against San Antonio is his second-lowest against any opponent after Memphis (15.6).

Rudy Gay was limited to 10 points in that meeting, but he's averaging 20.7 points and made 7 of 14 3-pointers over the last three games. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks Tuesday.

The Spurs are 4-1 on this stretch of eight straight road games caused by the annual rodeo at AT&T Center.

**TheGame** · 02-24-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

NBA

Wednesday's hot teams
-- Indiana won four of its last six games (10-5 last 15 HF).
-- Cavaliers won five of their last six games (3-6HF with Lue as the coach). Charlotte won seven of its last eight games (10-9AU).
-- Minnesota is 4-3 in its last seven games (3-5 last 8AU). Toronto won five of last seven games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Warriors won nine of their last ten games (4-6 last 10AF). Heat won five of their last seven games (3-1HU).
-- Chicago won its last two games, scoring 121 ppg (8-16HF). Wizards won three of their last four games (7-3 last 10AU).
-- Clippers won five of their last seven games (7-4 last 11HF).
-- Spurs won eight of their last nine games (2-6 last 8AF). Kings won their last three games, scoring 114-116-114 (3-5HU).

Cold teams
-- Knicks lost eight of their last nine games (5-2 last 7AU).
-- 76ers lost last five games, are 4-2 vs spread in last six. Detroit lost five of its last six games (12-4 last 16HF).
-- Memphis is 2-3 in its last five games (9-4-1 last 14 HF). Lakers lost last six games, but covered seven of last eight.
-- Thunder lost three of its last five games (1-8 last 9AF). Dallas lost five of last seven games (5-3HU).
-- Denver lost four of its last five games (7-2 last 9AU).

Series records
-- Knicks lost seven of last eight games with Indiana.
-- Cavaliers won four of last five games with Charlotte.
-- 76ers are 4-3 in last seven games with Detroit.
-- Raptors won eight of last nine games with Minnesota.
-- Warriors won four of last five games with Miami.
-- Lakers lost their last seven games with Memphis, but are 5-1-1 vs spread in those games.
-- Wizards won five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Thunder won last three games with Dallas by 3-19-3 points.
-- Clippers won their last four games with Denver.
-- Spurs won nine of last ten games with Sacramento.

Totals
-- Last five New York-Indiana games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Charlotte-Cleveland games.
-- Seven of last ten Philly-Detroit games went over.
-- Seven of last eight Minnesota games went over total.
-- Three of last four Golden State games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Memphis games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Chicago-Washington games.
-- Six of last eight Thunder-Maverick games went over.
-- Under is 8-2 in last ten Denver-Celipper games.
-- Last six Sacramento games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- 76ers are 2-6 vs spread last eight times they played night before.
-- Washington is 6-4 vs spread last ten times they played nite before.
-- Denver covered five of last seven if they played night before.
-- Sacramento is 7-6 vs spread if it played the night before.

**Satch** · 02-24-2016, 09:03 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, February 24

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (24 - 34) at INDIANA (30 - 26) - 2/24/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 5-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 6-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARLOTTE (29 - 26) at CLEVELAND (40 - 15) - 2/24/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 19-28 ATS (-11.8 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 6-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA (8 - 48) at DETROIT (28 - 29) - 2/24/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-57 ATS (-29.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-66 ATS (-24.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 65-38 ATS (+23.2 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.
DETROIT is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-4 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (18 - 39) at TORONTO (37 - 18) - 2/24/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 59-77 ATS (-25.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 330-391 ATS (-100.1 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
MINNESOTA is 30-48 ATS (-22.8 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 188-235 ATS (-70.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLDEN STATE (50 - 5) at MIAMI (32 - 24) - 2/24/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-22 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 81-58 ATS (+17.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-32 ATS (+16.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-33 ATS (+11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 2-1 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA LAKERS (11 - 47) at MEMPHIS (32 - 23) - 2/24/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 6-1 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 8-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (26 - 29) at CHICAGO (29 - 26) - 2/24/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 22-33 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
CHICAGO is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-5 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-4 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY (40 - 16) at DALLAS (30 - 27) - 2/24/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 20-30 ATS (-13.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in road games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 337-273 ATS (+36.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 302-247 ATS (+30.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
DALLAS is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 30-43 ATS (-17.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 11-26 ATS (-17.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-27 ATS (-15.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-5 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DENVER (22 - 35) at LA CLIPPERS (37 - 19) - 2/24/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 161-209 ATS (-68.9 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
DENVER is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
DENVER is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
DENVER is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 101-137 ATS (-49.7 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 79-115 ATS (-47.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-4 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 6-3 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

**Satch** · 02-24-2016, 09:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/24

NBA

Wednesday, February 24

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing New York

7:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Charlotte's last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. DETROIT
Philadelphia is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Detroit's last 21 games at home
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TORONTO
Minnesota is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 12 games when playing Minnesota
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. MIAMI
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Miami is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Golden State

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Chicago is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games when playing at home against Washington

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS
LA Lakers are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Memphis
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 1-7-2 ATS in their last 10 games when playing LA Lakers
Memphis is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers

8:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games

10:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games
Sacramento is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games

10:30 PM
DENVER vs. LA CLIPPERS
Denver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Denver's last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 10 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 6 games at home

Announcement

NBA Betting Info. 2/24

NBA Betting Info. 2/24

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