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**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:54 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Nuggets (29-41) at Cavaliers (49-20)

Date: March 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Cavaliers are on the cusp of the ninth 50-win season in franchise history and have an outside shot at 60, but as the playoffs approach there's no reason for the rest of the Eastern Conference to raise a white flag.

These days in Cleveland, there seem to be a few red ones.

The Cavs look to bounce back from a lopsided loss Monday night against the visiting Denver Nuggets as they open a softer stretch looking to maintain their dwindling lead for the East's top seed.

Whether it's boredom, fatigue, some inconsistent lineup patterns or just the occasional bout of bad basketball, Cleveland (49-20) hasn't often resembled a title contender in recent weeks.

There was a loss to the under-.500 Wizards in late February in which the Cavaliers trailed by as much as 30, a bizarre 106-103 home defeat to a Memphis team missing the top half of its roster and, most recently, Saturday's 122-101 rout at Miami that saw the Heat basically lead wire-to-wire.

"It is what it is," LeBron James said after finishing with 26 points - one fewer than the rest of Cleveland's starting five. "You would like to be playing extremely well in late February going into March, but if not then you just work your habits, continue to work what you've been doing over the season and then get ready for the postseason."

The Raptors have almost caught the top-seeded Cavs, who have allowed 106.8 points per 100 possessions over their last 15 games. In their first 54, that number was 100.9.

"There's a number of reasons why (Saturday's loss) went down the way it went did," Kevin Love said. "But more than anything we just want to get back home."

That's where Cleveland will play four of its next six in what looks like a pretty forgiving stretch. A .500 Houston club is the best team the Cavaliers will see in the midst of visits from the Nets and Bucks and trips to Brooklyn and New York.

First up is Denver (29-41), which dropped the first three of its five-game trip before beating Charlotte 101-93 on Saturday. D.J. Augustin led seven Nuggets in double figures with 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench.

Augustin has averaged 14.8 points, shot 48.7 percent and posted a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last 12 of 16 games in a Denver uniform. The Nuggets have a 114.4 offensive rating with him on the court in that stretch as opposed to 104.4 with him on the bench.

'Big plays, not afraid of the moment, makes open shots - makes the right play most times,' coach Michael Malone said. 'He's been a great pickup. He's had a big impact in a lot of the wins we've had since we've gotten him.'

Augustin could have another big night if he finds himself sharing the court with Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith. Cleveland's allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions with its starting backcourt on the floor since the All-Star break.

Tyronn Lue seems to be tinkering with the Cavs' frontcourt before the playoffs begin. Love started at center Saturday in a smaller lineup that also included Iman Shumpert while Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson came off the bench.

"I like the small-ball lineup," Lue said. "I like it probably more when we have a chance to go to it in the flow of the game rather than starting like that because offensively we can't run what we want to run when we start small. We have to keep working on it, keep adjusting to it."

The Nuggets could have another big body back Monday in Kenneth Faried, who has missed two games with lower back soreness.

Irving and Denver's Emmanuel Mudiay missed Cleveland's 93-87 win at Pepsi Center on Dec. 29. James led the way with 34 and Will Barton had 29 off the bench for the Nuggets.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:54 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Spurs (59-10) at Hornets (39-30)

Date: March 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While they're coming off perhaps their best win of the season against mighty Golden State, the San Antonio Spurs are making certain not to get too full of themselves.

That's likely because they're hitting the road to face a Charlotte Hornets team that has nearly been as good as the Warriors and Spurs over the past seven weeks.

With a chance to reach 60 wins for the sixth time in its history, San Antonio chases a seventh straight victory overall and 11th in a row versus Charlotte on Monday night.

The Spurs (59-10) easily lead the NBA with 92.3 points allowed per game, but they put together their most impressive defensive effort Saturday when they held the Warriors 36.9 points below their league-leading average in an 87-79 victory.

Danny Green helped limit MVP front-runner Stephen Curry to 4-of-18 shooting as San Antonio won its 44th straight home game - tied for the second longest such run in NBA history - while slowing Golden State's drive for a league-record 73 victories. The Spurs, however, aren't pounding their chests despite moving within three games of the Warriors.

"I think we have to be very humble because of the situation, the way they got here. With all of that, they are a very tough team to beat," guard Manu Ginobili said.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 13 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard added 18 and 14 as the Spurs owned a 53-37 advantage on the glass. Now they'll play their only road contest over an eight-game stretch after extending their latest winning streak to six.

Aldridge has been a catalyst, averaging 24.2 points over his last 10 games. Leonard has scored 24.3 per game in his past 12.

"Whoever wins the (Golden State) game doesn't automatically advance to the finals, so it's just another game," Leonard said. "We're just trying to get better each and every game going into the playoffs."

The Spurs will need to be focused as they take on the Hornets, whose 17-5 record since Jan. 31 is the NBA's third-best behind to San Antonio (20-2) and Golden State (19-3).

Charlotte (39-30), in a tight four-team race between third and sixth in the Eastern Conference, looks to regroup after Saturday's 101-93 loss to Denver - only its third in 15 home games. Nicolas Batum had 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, but Kemba Walker and Courtney Lee scored a combined 22 on 9-of-28 shooting.

The Hornets shot 42.2 percent and were outrebounded 51-38 after they had averaged 113.8 points with a plus-4.7 rebounding margin in winning nine of the prior 10 games.

'If we're not going to have everybody pretty much engaged and playing well, we don't beat anybody," coach Steve Clifford said.

That's been the case more often that not against the Spurs, who have won 10 in a row and 20 of the past 22 in this series. Leonard finished with 23 points Nov. 7 when San Antonio shot 55.6 percent in a 114-94 win at the AT&T Center.

Walker has totaled 56 points over his last two meetings.

"You have to play well in every aspect (to beat the Spurs)," Clifford said. "They're great on offense. They're great on defense. They're high-execution, so you have to do everything."

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:55 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Bucks (30-40) at Pistons (36-34)

Date: March 21, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons are perfect halfway through this four-game stretch against some of the NBA's worst teams, but don't try telling coach Stan Van Gundy that things are going to be easy.

His Pistons are in a tight race for a playoff spot and can't afford to lose Monday night against a Milwaukee Bucks team that has been terrible on the road.

Detroit (36-34) began this nine-game homestand with a 118-114 loss to Atlanta before it got much easier with four straight losing foes. The Pistons beat Sacramento 115-108 on Friday and Brooklyn 115-103 the next night.

Up next are Milwaukee (30-40) and Orlando, although Van Gundy pointed out that the weekend will be difficult with the Hawks and Charlotte coming to town.

"We've still got a tough stretch here next week," the coach told the Pistons' official website. "Milwaukee's been playing well and then we've got Orlando and then Charlotte and Atlanta. So it's not going to be an easy week and we're going to have to compete harder at the defensive end of the floor."

Detroit is one percentage point behind Chicago for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, with both teams one-half game behind Indiana.

There is concern since the Pistons allowed the Kings to shoot 50.6 percent before a Nets team playing without leading scorer Brook Lopez connected at 52.5.

'We got the win tonight, against not a great team that was down on people, but if we're going to make a push at the playoffs, we're going to have to defend,' Van Gundy said Saturday. 'If we keep defending the way we've been defending, we will not make it.'

Milwaukee starts a three-game trip looking to improve on a 9-26 road mark after falling for the second time in six games, 94-85 to Utah on Sunday. The Bucks shot 52.3 percent but were undone by being outrebounded 44-27 and conceding 16 offensive rebounds.

"That slowed the pace down and gave them second and third opportunities," coach Jason Kidd said.

The coach felt the team played well when reserves John Henson and Miles Plumlee were on the floor together and said he wished he had given Greg Monroe more minutes than the 22 the center had.

"Those two were good tonight so we've got a game tomorrow so we'll probably see those two, if not those three at one point," Kidd said.

Monroe made his return to Detroit with 14 points and 13 boards in a 102-95 loss Dec. 4 after spending his first five seasons with the Pistons.

Detroit is 2-1 versus Milwaukee this season, with Andre Drummond averaging 18.3 boards. Former Pistons guard Khris Middleton is averaging 21.0 points in the season series to lead the Bucks.

These teams have the least productive benches, with Bucks reserves averaging 27.2 points and Pistons backups at 26.5.

Detroit, however, got a season-high 52 bench points Saturday with a career-high 21 from Aron Baynes and a season high-tying 17 from Anthony Tolliver.

'That's why you don't have just five guys on a team,' Van Gundy said. 'That's why you've got 15."

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:55 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Magic (29-40) at Celtics (40-30)

Date: March 21, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics felt more like themselves after their best scoring performance in nearly a month. More importantly, they ended one of their longest skids of the season and avoided dropping back in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Celtics will try to keep heading in the right direction by continuing their home dominance against the scuffling Orlando Magic on Monday night.

The Celtics (40-30) dropped from third to sixth in the East during a season high-tying four-game losing streak and would have allowed Charlotte to pass them again if they failed to end that skid Sunday. Boston prevented that with a 120-105 victory in Philadelphia, and Isaiah Thomas led six players in double figures with 26 points.

"Our guys came out ready, came out focused," coach Brad Stevens said. "We knew it was an important game to play well. You can't always control the results, but you can control your input into it. Guys played with good purpose."

The Celtics' 120 points were their most since a 124-122 loss in Minnesota on Feb. 22, and they had averaged 99.0 in their four straight losses.

"We still had some lulls, but for the most part we got some confidence back and got close to Boston Celtics basketball," said Thomas, averaging 26.3 points in nine games this month. "Back to the winning ways as quick as you can to gain confidence and gain momentum going into the playoffs. We have to lock in these last 12 games."

Boston has scored at least 113 points while splitting its past two games against the Magic, losing 119-114 in the latest Jan. 31. The Celtics have lost four of the last six matchups - two of three this season - but have won 11 straight over Orlando at the TD Garden, a streak that dates back to the 2010 playoffs.

They handled the Magic 113-94 in Boston on Jan. 29 and will next face a team that's lost seven of nine. Orlando also dropped to 4-16 on the road since the beginning of 2016 and suffered its 13th overall loss by five points or fewer this season with a 105-100 defeat to Toronto on Sunday.

Those close losses are one reason why Orlando (29-40) is 12th in the East and 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

"It actually drives me crazy when I think about it, but it's too late now, we can't change anything," forward Evan Fournier said after the opener to a four-game trip.

Marcus Smart matched a career high with 26 points in the latest game against Orlando. He had 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting Sunday after averaging 6.1 points on 27.3 percent in his previous seven contests.

Thomas had 23 points in the most recent meeting with the Magic but was held to 14 in the home victory in January.

The Magic's Victor Oladipo is averaging 28.5 points on 58.7 percent shooting in his last four games after scoring 21 on Sunday. He's been held to 11 points on a combined 7-of-19 shooting in his last two games against Boston.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:55 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Wizards (34-35) at Hawks (41-29)

Date: March 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A month ago, the Atlanta Hawks appeared to be riding out a terribly disappointing season. Now they're playing a lot like the team that won 60 games last season.

The Washington Wizards were plummeting from the playoff race only a week ago before resuscitating their chances with a season high-tying winning streak.

In a matchup between two of the Eastern Conference's hottest teams, the Hawks will go after their ninth victory in 10 games by continuing their home dominance of the Wizards on Monday night in the opener of this home-and-home set.

Atlanta fell to sixth in the East and two games behind Miami in the Southeast Division on Feb. 22 after a 5-10 stretch. The Hawks, however, have turned things around by winning 10 of 12 to take over the division lead and No. 3 spot in the conference.

They're leading a tight four-team race for that seed, which would help them avoid a potential meeting with East-best Cleveland until the conference finals.

On Saturday, Al Horford led the way with 22 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 points with five 3-pointers in a 109-97 home win over Houston. Horford has averaged 18.5 points while hitting 10 of 21 from 3-point range in his last six games.

Hardaway has chipped in with 41 points in the past two games for the Hawks, who have averaged 114.3 in the last three of a five-game winning streak. They've also limited opponents to 91.8 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting over their last 12.

'I think we're just peaking at the right time as a team,' Horford said. 'It feels very different. I feel like we're a much better team. We're much more focused.'

Atlanta (41-29) has averaged 113 points while limiting Washington to 94.7 over a three-game home winning streak in this series. Kent Bazemore, who returned from a one-game absence due to a bruised knee on Saturday, finished with 25 points and Paul Millsap added 21 with seven assists and six rebounds in a 114-99 victory Nov. 7.

The Hawks have won 14 of the past 15 home meetings since the 2008-09 season.

Washington looked like an easy win on the schedule a week ago after a season-high five-game losing streak left it two spots and 3 1/2 games back of a playoff position. The Wizards have since won four in a row to move 1 1/2 games behind the eighth seed.

Washington has tightened things up defensively, allowing an average of 90 points during the streak after it had surrendered 110.8 over its previous five defeats. Markieff Morris, acquired from Phoenix on Feb. 18, has led that effort.

"It's going to be a great matchup with him going up against Millsap," point guard John Wall said. "We've got someone who can guard (guys like him) one-on-one."

Wall recorded his fifth consecutive double-double with 24 points and 10 assists Saturday when the Wizards (34-35) rallied from an 18-point deficit for a 99-89 home victory over New York. The All-Star has hit 15 of 31 from 3-point range in his last seven games against Atlanta, though he's also committed 34 turnovers in the past five.

Bradley Beal returned Saturday after missing four of the previous six games with a pelvic sprain and said it was "probably the best I've felt since coming back."

Washington will host Atlanta on Wednesday.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Kings (27-42) at Bulls (35-33)

Date: March 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Bulls have so far taken advantage of a homestand against lackluster competition while keeping their playoff hopes afloat.

They'll try to maintain possession of one of the Eastern Conference's final spots by getting past the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Derrick Rose had 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting as Chicago (35-33) topped Utah 92-85 on Saturday and moved one percentage point ahead of Detroit for eighth place in the East.

"We just have to focus on getting wins. You get a nice win streak here and there, you can end up in the sixth seed. You can't just focus on everybody else. You just have to focus on yourself," forward Taj Gibson said. "The East is tight, but you never know. Anything can happen. It's up to us to get a nice smooth winning streak and get guys in the right mode."

The Bulls have gone 2-1 in a string of seven straight matchups against below-.500 teams and earned both of those wins to start a four-game homestand. They'll next try to claim a sixth straight at the United Center against Sacramento (27-42).

Chicago has won the past two overall meetings but its leading scorer from the most recent matchup, guard E'Twaun Moore, is currently out. Moore is expected to miss at least a week because of a hamstring injury, and Pau Gasol (knee) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) are also among the Bulls' missing players.

Chicago won 107-102 in Sacramento on Feb. 3 with Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Nikola Mirotic missing. Moore scored a career-high 24 points, which he matched in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 21.

Rose contributed 21 points and nine assists, and he has averaged 22.5 and 7.7 in his past six matchups.

He'll face a team that's lost 11 of 14. The Kings, though, earned an 88-80 win in New York on Sunday, their fifth in nine road games, despite shooting just 39.8 percent.

Sacramento, allowing a league-high average of 109.2 points, held the Knicks to 35.2 percent shooting in its stingiest effort this season.

"I thought our activity was better. We made good reads. When we had tough double teams, we rotated aggressively and got some steals," coach George Karl said. "It was not a stellar basketball game, but for us to get a win on the road is always a happy place. We had good composure and good control of the game for most of the game."

DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 points and matched a season high with 20 rebounds for Sacramento, which improved to 13-22 away from home.

Cousins had 30 points in last month's loss to the Bulls but has averaged a more pedestrian 18.0 in his last three games in Chicago. He was held to 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting in last season's lone visit.

Sacramento rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein's status is unclear because of flu-like symptoms that have kept him out of the past two games.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Warriors (62-7) at Timberwolves (22-47)

Date: March 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Stephen Curry was not his typical self as the Golden State Warriors' spot atop the Western Conference suddenly became less than a foregone conclusion.

There is little doubt as to who owns the next series.

The Warriors will try to avoid their first losing streak of the season Monday night as they go for their ninth straight road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, whom Curry torched in November.

An uncharacteristic shooting performance by the reigning MVP and Golden State (62-7) led to a huge scoring disparity from the first and second games of the weekend's back-to-back set.

Klay Thompson made 10 of 15 3-pointers for 39 points and Curry had 31 in Friday's 130-112 win at Dallas, where the Warriors shot 50 percent for the fourth straight game and made 22 of 38 3s to open a three-game road trip. One night later, they made 37.8 percent for their second-worst shooting game of the season in an 87-79 loss at San Antonio.

Curry had his worst regular-season shooting performance in 170 games - dating to Feb. 26, 2014 - making 4 of 18 and 1 of 12 from deep for 14 points as the Warriors' win streak ended at seven games. Thompson finished 7 of 20 for 15.

The result was Golden State's lowest point total since a 91-75 loss to Charlotte on Feb. 4, 2014. In the bigger picture, it tightened the Warriors' West lead to just three games over the Spurs, whom they see twice in the season's final week.

The Warriors played without Andrew Bogut after he strained his left big toe on Friday, and Andre Iguodala (sprained left ankle) missed his fifth straight game. Results of Bogut's MRI are not yet available.

"This is the NBA, injuries happen," coach Steve Kerr said. "They got us in the paint and we didn't make enough 3s. But that's the way it goes, we'll make 'em next time."

Golden State can still set the NBA's single-season record with 73 victories if it finishes 11-2 - which would clinch the top seed.

Curry didn't miss often in a 129-116 win at Minnesota on Nov. 12, the Warriors' sixth straight victory and 13th in the last 14 games of this series.

Curry made 15 of 25 shots and 8 of 13 from deep for 46 points, and Draymond Green finished with 23 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Curry has totaled 80 in the last two games against the Timberwolves on 56.5 percent shooting while making 13 of 24 3s.

After Monday, the Warriors play nine of their final 12 games at home, where they are 32-0. They have lost two of three on the road.

While Golden State hasn't lost consecutive games since the NBA Finals, Minnesota (22-47) is riding a six-week stretch without back-to-back victories.

The Timberwolves traded wins and losses on a four-game trip, which they closed with Friday's 116-111 loss at Houston. They followed Wednesday's 56.3 percent shooting performance in a 114-108 win at Memphis with a 50.6 showing, but the Rockets finished at 56.5 - a season high for a Minnesota opponent.

Zach LaVine made 3 of 5 3s to continue his hot shooting from deep, though he finished 6 of 15 overall for 15 points. He has made 12 of 22 3s while averaging 23.7 points in the last three games.

However, coach Sam Mitchell said he wasn't about to start letting LaVine shoot at will with a statement that possibly overlooks his next opponent.

'I don't think anybody in the history of the league has had the green light,' Mitchell said. 'If that were the case, we'd let them put shots up at half court.'

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Preview: Grizzlies (40-30) at Suns (19-50)

Date: March 21, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies may have just played a first-round playoff preview with a far healthier outlook than they've had in weeks.

The Phoenix Suns have zero thoughts of the postseason, though they insist they also have none when it comes to this summer's draft lottery.

The Grizzlies seek their first winning streak in nearly three weeks Monday night when they visit the Suns, who look for their third win in four games - something they haven't done since mid-December.

Battered Memphis (40-30) has struggled without most of its core pieces this month, losing four straight games without Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and several key reserves.

The skid included losses on back-to-back days to lowly Minnesota and Milwaukee last week, the latter Memphis' fourth straight road defeat.

Randolph returned over the weekend, though, and carried the Grizzlies to Saturday's 113-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers with his first career triple-double. The 15-year veteran finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists after missing the previous seven games while nursing a sore knee.

Randolph started slow this season and trudged through a January slump but has made a larger impact since Gasol was lost for the season in early February. Around his own injury, Randolph has averaged 18.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 13 games since Feb. 6, two days before Gasol went down.

While Vince Carter also returned with nine points Saturday after missing four games with a calf injury, the Grizzlies expect to get Conley back from an Achilles injury before the playoffs - though likely for just a few games down the stretch.

Memphis currently has four players on 10-day contracts to fill the void, including Ray McCallum who started and scored 14 points against the Clippers.

'It was a culmination of all the hard work these guys have put in,' coach Dave Joerger said. 'They've stuck together and just stayed with it.'

Despite the recent regression, Memphis still holds the Western Conference's fifth seed and would play No. 4 Los Angeles in the postseason with their spots unlikely to change in the final three weeks.

Phoenix (19-50) will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season, but the Suns aren't tanking to increase their odds for a top draft pick in June.

The Suns, tied with Brooklyn for the third-worst record in the league, have won two out of three games and are 4-4 since March 4.

'We're not trying to get ping-pong balls. That's not a big deal to us,' rookie Devin Booker said after scoring 21 points in Friday's 95-90 win at the Los Angeles Lakers. 'We're trying to build and get ready for next year. Hopefully the guy we get will be able to come in and work with us. But we're trying to take this thing to the next level and turn it around.'

Phoenix's recent stretch of better basketball started with back-to-back wins at Orlando and Memphis from March 4-6. A 109-100 win over the Grizzlies was its second in nine days against Memphis, and Conley and Randolph were around for both.

Alex Len has averaged 17.7 points and 13 rebounds in three games against Memphis this season, while Booker had 27 points and nine assists in the most recent matchup.

Randolph has shot just 34.1 percent while averaging 11.7 points and 7 rebounds.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Game of the Day: Spurs at Hornets

San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets (+6, 199.5)

The Charlotte Hornets hope to be catching San Antonio at the right time and will be attempting to halt a 10-game losing streak against the Spurs on Monday. San Antonio posted an 87-79 victory in its showdown with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and will have to guard against a letdown.

The Spurs have won six consecutive games and are just three games behind the Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference after the impressive victory in which it held Golden State to a season low in points. All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 13 rebounds to top 20 points for the ninth time in 10 games and he is averaging 24.2 points during the stretch. Charlotte has won 15 of its last 19 games but put together a substandard effort while suffering a 101-93 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. "There are only four or five teams in this league who are good enough to show up, not play their A-game and win," Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "If we're not going to have everybody pretty much engaged and playing well, we don't beat anybody."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as 6.5-point favorites on the road and the total debuted at 199.5 on Sunday afternoon.

INJURY REPORT:

Spurs - No injuries to report.

Hornets - PF S. Hawes (Questionable Monday, back)
C C. Zeller (Questionable Monday, knee)

POWER RANKINGS: Spurs (-16.5) - Hornets (-5.7) + home court (-3) = Spurs -7.8

ABOUT THE SPURS (59-10, 41-28 ATS, 30-37-2 O/U): Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan came off the bench for only the third time in 1,383 regular-season games on Saturday when San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich decided to counter Golden State's smaller athletic lineup by starting Boris Diaw at center. Duncan only played eight minutes and had one point and two rebounds and Aldridge was among the Spurs who felt his acceptance of the lineup change was a big factor in the contest. "He's such a great person," Aldridge told reporters. "He didn't pout. He was very positive. He was talking to me. I don't know if many guys in that position would have handled it as well as he did."

ABOUT THE HORNETS (39-30, 36-32-1 ATS, 32-35-2 O/U): Charlotte is part of a four-team battle to finish third in the Eastern Conference and that made the home loss to the lowly Nuggets even harder to accept. The Hornets trailed by 17 points at halftime and coach Steve Clifford was dumbfounded by the lack of effort and the team's body language. "Whenever there was a mistake, heads were down," Clifford said. "Again, you're going to play the game you're prepared to play, just like every game. You get up with the right attitude in the morning. You get up with a bad attitude, something goes wrong and it screws your whole day off. Playing sports it's the same way."

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 7-0 in Spurs last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 4-1 in Hornets last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

CONSENSUS: The public is favoring the Spurs by a slight margin (55 percent to 45 percent). The early consensus on the total is under 199.5 which may have something to do with the snail's pace that the Spurs played at Saturday night against the Warriors.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

NBA

Monday's hot teams
-- Cleveland won five of its last seven games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Charlotte won nine of its last 11 games (5-3-1HU). Spurs won their last six games (3-5 last 8AF).
-- Pistons won three of last four at home (14-3-1 last 18HF). Bucks won four of their last six games (3-6 last 9AU).
-- Hawks won eight of last nine games (4-1 last 5HF). Washington won its last four games (0-5 last 5AU).
-- Chicago won three of its last four games (6-3 last 9HF).
-- Warriors won seven of their last eight games (2-4 last 6AF).

Cold teams
-- Indiana lost three of its last four games (3-6 last 9HF). 76ers lost their last five games (3-4 last 7AU).
-- Nuggets lost three of their last four games (2-4 last 6AU).
-- Celtics lost four of their last five games (9-5 last 14HF). Orlando lost four of its last five games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Sacramento lost seven of its last nine games (2-5 last 7AU).
-- Minnesota lost seven of its last ten games (5-3 last 8HU).
-- Memphis lost four of its last five games (4-1 last 5AF). Suns lost four of their last six games (2-5 last 7HU).

Series records
-- 76ers lost seven of last eight games with Indiana.
-- Nuggets won three of their last four visits to Cleveland.
-- Spurs won their last ten games with Charlotte.
-- Bucks lost three of last four visits to Milwaukee.
-- Home side won last ten Orlando-Boston games.
-- Hawks won five of their last six games with Washington.
-- Bulls won three of their last four games with Sacramento.
-- Warriors won their last six games with Minnesota.
-- Suns are 2-8 in last 10 games with Memphis, but won last two.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Indiana games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Denver games went over the total.
-- Under is 3-1 in last four games for both Spurs/Hornets.
-- Six of last eight Milwaukee games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Orlando games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Washington games stayed under the total
-- Last five Sacramento-Chicago games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Golden State games.
-- Seven of last nine Memphis games went over.

Back/backs
-- 76ers are 3-7 vs spread last 10 times they played night before.
-- Bucks are 7-5 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Celtics are 5-2 vs spread last seven times they played the night before. Orlando is 3-6 vs spread last nine times they played night before.
-- Sacramento is 8-7 vs spread if it played the night before.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

'San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets'

Every team has that one team where it's always a struggle. That's the case for the Charlotte Hornets when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs. In seventeen meetings the result has been one win for the Bugs with a money-burning 5-11-1 record against the betting line. Going against Spurs might be considered sacrilege by some but the Spurs may lack focus after dealing NBA Champion Warriors a loss Saturday night.

Not suggesting Spurs drop this one outright but could get stung at the betting window. Spurs have struggle cashing last fifteen off a win going 6-9 ATS and are a cash-burning 1-4 ATS last five off a win vs a team off a loss. Additionally, Bugs have been solid bets at home recently vs teams with a winning record cashing six of seven tickets.

**TheGame** · 03-21-2016, 08:00 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

StatFox Super Situations

NBA | SACRAMENTO at CHICAGO
Play On - Road teams (SACRAMENTO) terrible defensive team - allowing 103+ points/game on the season, after trailing their last 2 games by 10+ points at the half
112-60 since 1997. ( 65.1% | 46.0 units )
12-14 this year. ( 46.2% | -3.4 units )

NBA | GOLDEN STATE at MINNESOTA
Play Against - Any team vs the money line (MINNESOTA) revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more, off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog
766-320 since 1997. ( 70.5% | 189.7 units )
27-10 this year. ( 73.0% | 10.2 units )

NBA | PHILADELPHIA at INDIANA
Play Against - Road underdogs of 6 or more points vs. the first half line (PHILADELPHIA) revenging a home loss vs opponent, off 2 covers where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog
49-20 since 1997. ( 71.0% | 27.0 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% | 1.0 units )

**Satch** · 03-21-2016, 05:17 PM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Game of the Day’San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets (+6, 199.5)
The Charlotte Hornets hope to be catching San Antonio at the right time and will be attempting to halt a 10-game losing streak against the Spurs on Monday. San Antonio posted an 87-79 victory in its showdown with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and will have to guard against a letdown.
The Spurs have won six consecutive games and are just three games behind the Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference after the impressive victory in which it held Golden State to a season low in points. All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 13 rebounds to top 20 points for the ninth time in 10 games and he is averaging 24.2 points during the stretch. Charlotte has won 15 of its last 19 games but put together a substandard effort while suffering a 101-93 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. “There are only four or five teams in this league who are good enough to show up, not play their A-game and win,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “If we’re not going to have everybody pretty much engaged and playing well, we don’t beat anybody.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
LINE HISTORY:
The Spurs opened as 6.5-point favorites on the road and the total debuted at 199.5 on Sunday afternoon.
INJURY REPORT:
Spurs
No injuries to report.
Hornets
PF S. Hawes (Questionable Monday, back)
C C. Zeller (Questionable Monday, knee)
POWER RANKINGS:
Spurs (-16.5) – Hornets (-5.7) + home court (-3) = Spurs -7.8
ABOUT THE SPURS (59-10, 41-28 ATS, 30-37-2 O/U):
Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan came off the bench for only the third time in 1,383 regular-season games on Saturday when San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich decided to counter Golden State’s smaller athletic lineup by starting Boris Diaw at center. Duncan only played eight minutes and had one point and two rebounds and Aldridge was among the Spurs who felt his acceptance of the lineup change was a big factor in the contest. “He’s such a great person,” Aldridge told reporters. “He didn’t pout. He was very positive. He was talking to me. I don’t know if many guys in that position would have handled it as well as he did.”
ABOUT THE HORNETS (39-30, 36-32-1 ATS, 32-35-2 O/U):
Charlotte is part of a four-team battle to finish third in the Eastern Conference and that made the home loss to the lowly Nuggets even harder to accept. The Hornets trailed by 17 points at halftime and coach Steve Clifford was dumbfounded by the lack of effort and the team’s body language. “Whenever there was a mistake, heads were down,” Clifford said. “Again, you’re going to play the game you’re prepared to play, just like every game. You get up with the right attitude in the morning. You get up with a bad attitude, something goes wrong and it screws your whole day off. Playing sports it’s the same way.”
TRENDS:
* Spurs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 7-0 in Spurs last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 4-1 in Hornets last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
COVERS CONSENSUS:
The public is favoring the Spurs by a slight margin (55 percent to 45 percent). The early consensus on the total is under 199.5 which may have something to do with the snail’s pace that the Spurs played at Saturday night against the Warriors.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs posted a 114-94 home win over the Hornets on Nov. 7 and haven’t lost to Charlotte since Jan. 15, 2010.
2. Charlotte C Cody Zeller had a career-high five blocked shots against Denver after having just one over the previous four games.
3. San Antonio All-Star SF Kawhi Leonard had 18 points and 14 rebounds against Golden State after scoring 20 or more points in 10 of the previous 11 contests.
PREDICTION: Hornets 103, Spurs 97

**Satch** · 03-21-2016, 05:21 PM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21

Where to find the best value betting the aftermath of Warriors-Spurs
By Joe Fortenbaugh
Last Thursday, I went on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area and floated the notion that Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr should rest Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut for Saturday night’s marquee showdown at San Antonio.
At that time, the Warriors held a 3.5-game lead over the Spurs in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with just 15 contests remaining on the schedule. Additionally, Golden State was playing at Dallas Friday and has a layup at Minnesota Monday. Use the Spurs game as an opportunity to get Harrison Barnes more time as the top scoring option while resting your stars for the upcoming playoff push. After all, Golden State hadn’t won in San Antonio since 1997.
As you could no doubt imagine, this idea wasn’t well received by Dub Nation.
In the end, Kerr chose to rest only Bogut and the Spurs (-4.5) went on to notch their 33rd consecutive regular season home victory over the Warriors by the final score of 87-79. The reigning MVP connected on just one 3-pointer (1 for 12) in 38 minutes in Golden State’s worst offensive showing since suffering a 91-75 home loss to the Charlotte Bobcats back on February 4, 2014.
In the grand scheme of things, this game meant very little. But at the very least, basketball fans should be stoked on the idea that the high-flying defending champs finally appear to have an adversary worthy of being called a rival.
Magic had Bird and Jordan, for a time, had the Bad Boy Pistons. The NBA desperately needed somebody to rise up and challenge the Warriors.
From a gambling perspective, however, there are three essential takeaways from Saturday night’s Golden State-San Antonio showdown:
1. Pace: We talked about the importance of this metric in this column a few weeks back and it played a significant role in San Antonio’s win Saturday night.
When the Warriors hammered the Spurs by 30 points back on January 25, it was the fastest pace the Spurs had played all season. Advantage: Golden State.
However, Saturday night’s rematch featured the slowest pace the Spurs had played at all season. Advantage: San Antonio. You’re performing a great disservice to yourself if you aren’t including this metric in all of your basketball handicapping.
2. Response off a loss: The Warriors are 4-2 ATS off a loss this season, with the Over cashing in four of those six matchups. That’s important to keep in mind for Monday’s matchup at Minnesota. However, Golden State isn’t the only NBA team turning a sizeable profit this season when faced with a bounce-back situation:
NBA TEAMS OFF A LOSS (ATS) IN 2015-2016
San Antonio: 8-2 ATS
Golden State: 4-2 ATS
Memphis: 19-10-1 ATS
Portland: 22-12 ATS
Miami: 17-11-1 ATS
Denver: 24-16-1 ATS
What do all six of these teams have in common? They’re covering the spread at least 60.0 percent of the time when coming off a loss.
NBA TEAMS OFF A LOSS (OVER/UNDER) IN 2015-2016
Golden State: 4-2
Portland: 22-12
Milwaukee: 25-14
Denver: 24-15-2
Sacramento: 24-16-1
The Over cashes more than 60 percent of the time for all five of these teams when they are coming off a loss. But there’s another profitable angle you should be considering for teams coming off a loss and it’s just as simple:
NBA TEAMS OFF A LOSS (UNDER/OVER) IN 2015-2016
Los Angeles Clippers: 16-7-1
New York: 26-15
Charlotte: 18-11
Miami: 17-11-1
The Under is hitting more than 60 percent of the time for each of these four teams when coming off a loss.
3. Stephen Curry: The reigning MVP scored only 14 points in over 37 minutes of action Saturday night against the Spurs while connecting on just one of 12 3-pointers (.083). Here’s a breakdown of how Curry bounces back this season in the next game out after shooting 20 percent or worse from 3-point range:
November 7 at Sacramento: 2/10
November 9 vs. Detroit: 3/7
January 2 vs. Denver: 1/5
January 4 vs. Charlotte: 5/10
February 6 vs. Oklahoma City: 1/9
February 9 vs. Houston: 7/16
March 6 at Los Angeles Lakers: 1/10
March 7 vs. Orlando: 7/13
As you can tell, Curry bounces back with a bang off a poor effort, as the Golden State point guard is averaging 5.5 successful 3-pointers while shooting .478 from deep in the four games following a performance of .200 or worse from three-point range.
Keep this in mind as it pertains to Curry prop bets for Monday night’s game at Minnesota.
But the real kicker here as it pertains to Monday night prop bets in the Golden State-Minnesota matchup focuses on Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, who is averaging 22.1 points per game this season. If you eliminate the six matchups Thompson has played coming off a loss, the two-time All-Star is averaging 21.5 points per game.
But in the six games coming off a loss, Thompson’s scoring average soars to 27.8 points per game.
Just a little nugget to consider when trying to get next week off on the right foot.

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NBA Betting Info. 3/21

NBA Betting Info. 3/21

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