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NBA Betting Info. 3/28

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  • NBA Betting Info. 3/28

    NBA notebook: Clippers PF Griffin begins suspension
    By The Sports Xchange


    Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been medically cleared for all basketball activities and will begin serving his four-game suspension, the team announced Sunday.
    The team-imposed suspension began with Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers said Griffin will return to action on Sunday, April 3 against the Washington Wizards.
    Griffin missed 41 games due to the partially torn left quad tendon and right hand fracture.
    The suspension is for a Jan. 23 incident in which Griffin broke his hand while punching equipment manager Matias Testi during an argument at a Toronto restaurant.
    Griffin was suspended for four games by the team and also docked five games' pay of $859,442 for the altercation.


    ---The Brooklyn Nets signed center Henry Sims to a second 10-day contract.
    Sims, originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 17, has appeared in four games with the Nets, averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes.
    The 6-foot-10, 248-pound Sims, 26, has appeared in 125 NBA games (57 starts) in parts of three seasons with New Orleans, Cleveland and Philadelphia, recording averages of 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.


    --The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Xavier Munford to a second 10-day contract.
    The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Munford has appeared in five games with the Grizzlies after signing his first 10-day contract on March 16 and has averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.2 minutes.
    The 23-year-old Munford was called up from the NBA Development League's Bakersfield Jam, where he appeared in 41 games (37 starts) and averaged 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 33.7 minutes.

  • #2
    Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

    Preview: Nets (21-51) at Heat (42-30)


    Date: March 28, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


    With a motivated Hassan Whiteside performing at his best, the Miami Heat opened an advantageous stretch in their schedule with a much-needed victory.


    The Heat will try to give themselves another boost in two hotly contested races by topping the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.


    Whiteside matched a career high with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked five shots in a 108-97 victory against Orlando on Friday. Miami's super sub is averaging 18.0 points and 13.7 rebounds while shooting 60.5 percent in his last 18 games.


    "I think about the days I sat out of the league and everybody said I couldn't do this, I couldn't play here," he said. "It was just a journey just to get here."


    The win helped keep the Heat (42-30) within one game of Atlanta for the Southeast Division lead and one-half game back of Boston for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Miami is also one-half game ahead of Charlotte in both races.


    Miami appears to have a good chance to make a push with three more matchups against teams well out of playoff contention. The Heat visit the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento later this week as part of a three-game Western trip.


    Brooklyn, though, has beaten a pair of playoff-contending teams in its last two games, including East-leading Cleveland 104-95 on Thursday. The Nets then rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 120-110 victory against Indiana on Saturday.


    "I think we have made a lot of strides the past couple of weeks," said center Brook Lopez, who is averaging 24.7 points in his last three games. "We've got guys out here that want to work, want to play. They realize the chance we have these last two weeks to get better and make our team better."


    Brooklyn (21-51) has lost five straight on the road and dropped two of three overall against the Heat this season. The Nets, however, ended a seven-game skid against Miami - including the playoffs - with a 111-105 victory in Florida on Dec. 28.


    Wayne Ellington matched a career high with seven 3-pointers while scoring 26 points, and Lopez also provided 26 in Brooklyn's end to a five-game losing streak in South Beach, including the postseason.


    The Heat have won eight of 10 at home heading into this matchup.


    "No game is guaranteed. We know we have to come out here and still play Miami Heat basketball," Whiteside said. "We're not looking at the team we're facing. We're playing by our standard."


    Whiteside has totaled 38 points on 14-of-20 shooting in two games against the Nets this season. He sat out a 102-98 victory in Brooklyn on Jan. 26 because of a strained left hip.


    Dwyane Wade is averaging 26.3 points while connecting at 62.0 percent in this season's series, his highest scoring mark and best shooting accuracy versus any East opponent.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

      Preview: Thunder (51-22) at Raptors (49-23)


      Date: March 28, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


      Oklahoma City doesn't have much to play for between now and mid-April, and that lack of pressure is leading to a whole lot of winning. Toronto still has a chance at the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but is trying to balance rest with a postseason mentality.


      The Raptors might have to sacrifice one or the other Monday night with the Thunder visiting as the hottest team in basketball as Toronto goes for the season sweep.


      Oklahoma City (51-22), which will play seven of nine remaining games on the road, pushed its winning streak to seven with Saturday's 111-92 home victory over San Antonio to complete a three-game homestand. And while the win looks more impressive at first glance than it actually might have been with the Spurs resting Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, the Thunder only concerned themselves with their own momentum.


      Though they're no chance of tracking down the Spurs for the West's No. 2 seed and clinching the No. 3 spot is a mere formality, the Thunder matched their longest winning streak of the season.


      A victory Monday would give them their best stretch since a 10-game run from Jan. 16-31, 2014.


      "Another opportunity for us to keep growing and building our habits," said Kevin Durant, who scored a game-high 31 points with 10 rebounds and hit 5 of 7 from 3-point range. "It wasn't on us that they didn't play their starters. We just had to continue to play our game and do what we do."


      Oklahoma City shot 51.8 percent for its fifth effort over 50 on the winning streak, during which it's averaged 117.0 points. Durant has shot 58.1 percent in his last five, while Russell Westbrook is three total rebounds off averaging a triple-double on the streak - 20.0 points, 11.0 assists and 9.6 rebounds.


      The Raptors (49-23) started the season series with a 103-98 win in Oklahoma City on Nov. 4, but the teams have traded wins and losses for the last six. DeMar DeRozan had 28 points in the first meeting and has averaged 25.3 in the last four.


      Dwane Casey said last week he's not going to risk any of his players' health to chase anyone in the standings, but DeRozan sounded intent on making the most of every minute after Saturday's 115-91 win in New Orleans.


      Toronto, which remains 2 1/2 games back of Cleveland for the top spot in the East, now takes its first shot at the first 50-win season in franchise history.


      "We've got to understand the second half of the season is where it counts, where it matters, where we understand who we are and what we've got to do to win," DeRozan said. 'Because it's not just for the season, it's for the postseason going in and understanding we've got to be a defensive team and have to get stops."


      It was the fifth time on a 5-2 span the Raptors have held an opponent to 94 points or fewer. At the other end, DeRozan had 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting as the Raptors shot 53.4 percent and bounced back from just their second set of consecutive losses dating to Jan. 6.


      Kyle Lowry, who was part of Casey's rest plan three games ago in Boston, brought that shooting percentage down some. The guard was 3 of 13 from the field and has averaged 14.7 points on 25.5 percent in his last three games, including 4 of 22 from 3-point range.


      He's also been limited to 14.1 points while shooting 35.0 percent in his last seven against the Thunder.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

        Preview: Suns (20-53) at Timberwolves (24-49)


        Date: March 28, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


        The Minnesota Timberwolves had their run of high-scoring efforts snapped this weekend but could get another streak going with a matchup against one of the league's worst defensive teams.


        The Timberwolves have usually had no problem scoring in recent home games against the Phoenix Suns and will try for another such performance Monday night.


        Minnesota (24-49) averaged 113.0 points on 50.6 percent shooting over a 3-3 stretch, 11.7 more than in its first 66 contests, but connected at 38.1 percent in a 93-84 loss to Utah on Saturday. With 23 points, Ricky Rubio was one of three Timberwolves in double figures in his team's fourth game in six days.


        "The thing I like about our guys, the focus was there, the effort was there," coach Sam Mitchell said. "The bodies just weren't there."


        Minnesota will next face a team that's giving up 107.6 points per game and an average of 114.5 in its last four road losses.


        The Timberwolves beat the Suns 117-87 at home Jan. 17, and are averaging 114.8 points in the last four meetings at the Target Center. Minnesota shot 56.5 percent in the January matchup and had seven players in double figures, led by 18 from Rubio and Andrew Wiggins.


        Rubio had a career high-tying 17 assists and Zach Levine scored 28 at Phoenix on March 14, but the Suns won 107-104 on Mirza Teletovic's 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left.


        Phoenix (20-53) dropped back-to-back games this weekend, coming up just short from a 20-point third-quarter deficit in Saturday's 102-99 loss to Boston.


        "We understand the way we played the second half is the way we need to start the game," coach Earl Watson said.


        Devin Booker scored 21 points, giving him an average of 25.0 in his last three contests, but Phoenix is shooting 25.4 percent from 3-point range in its last two.


        The Suns are on track for their worst finish since going 16-66 in their inaugural 1968-69 season.


        They need at least five wins in their final nine games to avoid matching the 2011-12 team for the second-worst in franchise history. Playing five of those on the road wouldn't appear to help their cause as they're 7-29 away from home and have lost 21 of 24 there.


        Minnesota could face a short-handed team in this game as the statuses of big men Tyson Chandler (back spasms) and Jon Leuer (illness) are unclear for Phoenix.


        If those players are missing, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns will try to take advantage and boost his 24.6-point average in his last five games.


        In three games against the Suns, however, the rookie is averaging 13.0 points - tied for his lowest against any Western Conference foe.


        LaVine has helped pick up the scoring slack, averaging 22.3 points in three matchups - his best against any West club.


        Booker is averaging 13.5 points in the last two games versus Minnesota.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

          Preview: Hawks (44-30) at Bulls (36-36)


          Date: March 28, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


          They won't finish with a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference, but it's tough to find anyone playing better basketball over the past month than the Atlanta Hawks.


          It's nearly as hard to find a team playing worse than the Chicago Bulls.


          The visiting Hawks can punch their playoff ticket Monday night with a ninth win in their last 10 games as they try to complete a season sweep of a Bulls team that looks like it can make other mid-April plans.


          The East's Nos. 3-9 teams were separated by 4 1/2 games in the standings on Feb. 26, a point at which the Hawks (44-30) were closer to finding themselves out of the postseason picture than the Bulls (36-36).


          That's certainly not the case a month later. Atlanta beat Chicago 103-88 that night to kick off a 13-3 stretch that has it currently occupying the conference's third seed, while the Bulls have lost 10 of 16 to fall into the ninth spot.


          A win Monday would ensure that the Hawks can't finish worse than Chicago, so they'd clinch a playoff berth.


          The Bulls looked so inept during a stretch of three losses in four days - two to the New York Knicks and Saturday's 111-89 no-show in Orlando - that a certain dirty word keeps popping up surrounding the team.


          "I don't think anybody's quit," guard Jimmy Butler said. "We've just hit adversity at the wrong time and we've got to fix it. It better carry over from in this locker room out to the court. That's the only way to get this thing fixed."


          Chicago has allowed 108.5 points per 100 possessions over the last 16 games - 6.4 more than it gave up over its first 56. The Bulls' minus-7.0 net rating in this stretch is better than only New Orleans, Phoenix and Philadelphia.


          "Obviously, we're really struggling right now," forward Mike Dunleavy said. "We look like a team that's lost in terms of doing the things you need to do. It's a lot of stuff. We have to find our way. We've had success in the past, but it's going to be tough right now."


          It's going to be even tougher with seven of the next eight games against likely playoff clubs, starting with a Hawks team that's been arguably the best in basketball in this stretch. Starting with that Feb. 26 game against Chicago, Atlanta's plus-11.4 net rating is the NBA's best - just ahead of San Antonio and Golden State - and its 94.8 defensive rating is easily leading the league.


          Eight Hawks posted double figures in Saturday's 112-95 rout at Detroit, with Paul Millsap becoming the fifth player in six games to lead Atlanta in scoring. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks, a line only four other NBA players have reached since 2000.


          All that came in just over three quarters after Millsap needed 10 stitches above his eye. He's expected to play Monday.


          "He's a heck of a player. We're very fortunate to have him," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We actually want more. We're on him and think he could do even more for us. When he plays with great energy and great force, his impact on the game is huge, and he knows that."


          Millsap has blocked 12 shots as the Hawks have won all three from the Bulls by an average of 17.7 points, while it's been Al Horford who's done the bulk of the scoring damage with 22.3 points per game on 69.8 percent shooting.


          Atlanta has owned this series largely because of its defense, forcing a combined 62 turnovers that have led to 77 points.


          Derrick Rose has eight in the two he's played while going 11 of 33 from the field.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

            Preview: Spurs (61-12) at Grizzlies (41-32)


            Date: March 28, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


            After resting every key player in a throwaway loss to another Western Conference power, Gregg Popovich is planning on doing it again in Memphis.


            The injury-ravaged Grizzlies aren't exactly a threat to his San Antonio Spurs.


            Before heading home and trying to set a new NBA record, the Spurs on Monday visit a Grizzlies team on pace for a unique distinction of its own.


            San Antonio (61-12) rested Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker during Saturday's 111-92 loss in Oklahoma City.


            If any of those players takes the floor against the Grizzlies (41-32), it would only be Aldridge with Leonard nursing a bruised quadriceps and Popovich set to give Duncan, Parker and Ginobili additional rest.


            Popovich was OK being short-handed against the third-place Thunder, so it's not surprising that he's fine with the same versus Memphis, which is fifth in the West but playing without Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and three others due to injury.


            David West and Jonathon Simmons each scored 17 points against Oklahoma City, which dealt the Spurs only their second loss in 10 games.


            Popovich said his team played hard, but he was his typical blunt self when addressing the lack of punch in his lineup.


            "They did what they were supposed to do in the end and they kicked our butt," he said of the Thunder. "We hung in there really well and did a good job. You learn from everything. Win or lose, it doesn't matter."


            And ultimately it doesn't for San Antonio, which is locked into the No. 2 seed in the West and seems to be fine with that even though it does have a real chance to catch defending champion Golden State for the top spot with nine games left. The Warriors and Spurs play two more times before the postseason begins.


            Memphis is on pace to become the first NBA playoff team with 24 or more players taking the court during the course of a season. The Grizzlies trail the Los Angeles Clippers by 4 1/2 games for the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but making up that ground does not appear likely.


            They also face the possibility of tumbling out altogether with sixth through ninth place in the conference all falling within two games of each other.


            Memphis has lost 244 games to injury this season, the most in the league. The 27 players the Grizzlies have suited up in 2015-16 mark the most by an NBA team since Dallas used the same amount in 1996-97.


            "When the playoffs come, we're going to do like we do now, go out and fight all 48 minutes," said forward JaMychal Green, who started against the Spurs on Friday and scored a team-high 20 points in a 110-104 loss.


            "Just give our best and leave it all on the court."


            Aldridge had 32 points and 12 rebounds in that victory to help the Spurs match the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the best home start in league history at 37-0.


            Before trying to eclipse that mark Wednesday against New Orleans, San Antonio will try to sweep the season series with Memphis for the second time in three seasons. The Spurs rolled to a 103-83 win in their last visit to FedExForum on Dec. 3.


            San Antonio finished with a season-high 37 points in the first quarter Friday and shot 63.4 percent in the first half.


            "It's the Spurs, that's all you need to say," Green said. "You've got to come ready against them."

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

              Preview: Knicks (30-44) at Pelicans (26-46)


              Date: March 28, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


              While both the New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks are playing out the string over the next few weeks, the Pelicans are having a hard time finding enough bodies to do just that.


              The two also-rans meet Monday night at Madison Square Garden looking to build some momentum for the final weeks of the season.


              The Pelicans (26-46) have resembled a walking wounded unit for most of the season, with their 253 man-games lost to injury trailing only Washington and Memphis. That has resulted in Alvin Gentry using 35 different starting lineups, and at least three of his top scorers - Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans - are out for the season with various injuries.


              Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson, though, also have been battling injuries and both sat out Saturday's 115-91 home defeat to Toronto. Gentry had only nine players available, and that was only because Tim Frazier signed a contract through the end of the season before the game. Frazier had 12 points off the bench and is averaging 14.2 in six games since joining the team.


              It was the third straight game the Pelicans have been held under 100 points and continued their season-long inability to win games when held under the century mark. New Orleans is 0-33 when failing to reach 100 and the only team without a victory in such games.


              "We have to be better offensively," Gentry said. "Scoring over 100, we get into a flow and that fuels our defense. When you play well offensively it has a tendency to pick up the defense as well."


              One player trying to get the Pelicans over that hump is Alonzo Gee, who has been pressed into a starting backcourt role with Gordon and Evans sidelined. He's had season highs in points and minutes in each of the last two games, including 18 on 8-of-12 shooting in 41 minutes in Saturday's loss.


              "Those are a lot of minutes but he is playing better," Gentry said. "He's playing good, solid basketball for us. He's taken what's available, finishing strong at the basket. He's taking advantage of those extended minutes."


              While the Knicks (30-44) don't have a long list of injuries, a third straight season outside the playoffs is all but a certainty. After playing spoiler by sweeping a home-and-home series against Chicago, New York couldn't sustain that momentum Saturday at home against Cleveland, losing 107-93 as LeBron James posted a triple-double.


              "We can try to win every game, that's our goal," said Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who is averaging 22.3 points in his last three games. "I don't know if it's still possible for us to make the playoffs, probably not, but (we can) just go out there, play every game at 100 percent, give our all and then we finish the season with no regret and giving our all."


              Porzingis may benefit from not having Davis around this game considering the All-Star forward had 36 points and Porzingis was held to 10 while shooting 4 of 15 in New York's 95-87 victory Nov. 15. New York has won 11 of the last 14 between the teams and seeking its first season sweep since 2012-13.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                Preview: Mavericks (35-38) at Nuggets (31-43)


                Date: March 28, 2016 9:00 PM EDT


                An ongoing defensive decline has the Dallas Mavericks also plummeting in the standings.


                With the losses continuing to mount, the reeling Mavericks attempt to reverse a lack of recent success in Denver in Monday night's increasingly important matchup with the Nuggets.


                Sixth in the West on March 2, Dallas (35-38) has since dropped a half-game behind eighth-place Houston by losing 10 of 12 during a swoon that's endangered its chances of a 15th playoff appearance in 16 seasons.


                'We've got to decide if we want to go home after the last (regular season) game or not,' guard Wesley Matthews said following Sunday's 133-111 loss at Sacramento. '(Do) we want to keep playing for something or not? Do we want to lay everything out on the line every single night nine more times and let the chips fall?'


                Though injuries - Chandler Parsons underwent season-ending knee surgery on Friday and Deron Williams will miss a third straight game with an abdominal strain - have played a role, an inability to stop opponents has been the biggest factor in the Mavericks' drop-off. Dallas is allowing a league-worst 112.3 points per game since Feb. 5 and 124.0 per game over its last five.


                The Mavericks may have reached rock bottom in the most recent one, when they let the Kings shoot a season-high 62.2 percent - the worst they've allowed since January 2010 versus the Los Angeles Lakers - to fall to 0-3 on this four-game trip.


                "We've got enough manpower here. We've just got to find a way to do better collectively, that's the bottom line," coach Rick Carlisle said.


                Dallas has lost four straight overall as the visitor and is nearing its longest road skid since a six-game slide in December 2012. Preventing another could prove difficult, as Denver (31-43) has won five straight at Pepsi Center and five of the series' last six matchups at home.


                The Nuggets posted a 116-114 home victory in overtime over the Mavericks on March 6, avenging a 122-116 overtime defeat in Dallas nine days earlier.


                Denver's hopes of earning a split of the four-game season set may be compromised as well if Kenneth Faried (back) misses a seventh consecutive game. The forward amassed 25 points and a season-high 20 rebounds in the teams' last meeting and 20 and 12 in the Feb. 26 loss.


                Faried's presence was missed in Sunday's 105-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in which Denver's starting five shot a combined 22.4 percent (11 for 49) - the worst performance by its starters since shooting 12.2 percent against Indiana in November 2003. The Nuggets were 6 of 25 from the floor and committed five turnovers while outscored 25-12 during a pivotal third quarter.


                'That third quarter killed us,' coach Mike Malone said. "If we didn't turn the ball over, DeAndre (Jordan) blocked our shot it felt like. We just could not score.'


                Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay finished 2 of 15 and is shooting 28.1 percent over the last four. Darrell Arthur, starting in Faried's place, was 2 of 13 and has shot 23.7 percent during that span.


                Dallas will be counting on bounce-back performances from Dirk Nowitzki and Matthews. Nowitzki, who averaged 26.1 points over a nine-game stretch before resting in Friday's 128-120 loss at Golden State, was held to 14 on 6-of-15 shooting by Sacramento. Matthews, 19 of 33 from 3 over his last four, had 12 points after scoring 48 over the previous two.


                Three of the last four meetings have been decided in overtime. The Mavericks have played a league-high 12 OT games this season.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                  Preview: Lakers (15-58) at Jazz (36-37)


                  Date: March 28, 2016 9:00 PM EDT


                  Kobe Bryant's last game in Salt Lake City will be a pretty big deal for the Utah Jazz as well.


                  Seeking to maintain their hold on a playoff spot, the Jazz begin a critical homestand Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers as they host Bryant for the final time.


                  Vying for just their second postseason berth since falling to the Bryant-led Lakers in the 2010 conference semifinals, the Jazz have climbed to seventh in the West by winning seven of nine. Their grasp remains tenuous as they return home for a three-game stay, however, with ninth-place Dallas still one game back.


                  The NBA's second-lowest scoring team, Utah (36-37) has compensated for its offensive deficiencies by excelling on the defensive end during its surge. It's held opponents to 89.7 points and 7.0 makes from 3-point range - both league bests - in its nine games since March 11.


                  Utah was stingy again in its most recent outing, limiting Minnesota to 10 first-quarter points and 38.1 percent shooting overall to close a grueling five-game trip with Saturday's 93-84 win.


                  The Jazz also struggled to score in their third road game in four days, but broke out with a 33-point fourth quarter to earn their third win on the trek. Gordon Hayward, held to two points over the first three quarters, scored 16 on 6-of-9 shooting during the fourth.


                  "The early part of the game we weren't scoring, but we were defending. And that's just what we've tried to say: 'Let's just guard, let's guard, let's guard, and eventually find a way to score,'" coach Quin Snyder said. "Not only did we score, we got a little hot there. Gordon, in particular, found his rhythm and gave us some buckets."


                  Utah has used its defensive prowess to win both previous meetings with cold-shooting Los Angeles (15-58) this season. The Lakers, last in the NBA in 3-point percentage (31.7), were 3 of 21 from beyond the arc in an 86-74 home loss on Jan. 10 and shot 34.4 percent overall in a 109-82 defeat in Salt Lake City six days later.


                  Rudy Gobert was a major factor in the last matchup, compiling 18 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots to help the Jazz hold Los Angeles to 28 points in the paint.


                  Bryant had just five points in 15 minutes that night and missed the first meeting with an Achilles injury. Utah's arena hasn't been one of the retiring superstar's favorite facilities, as Bryant's 41.5 field goal percentage in 28 career regular-season games there is his lowest of any West venue.


                  The 37-year-old turned back the clock with a 28-point performance in Friday's 116-105 loss to Denver and had 17 in 23 minutes Sunday against Washington. However, the Lakers mustered only 32 between the second and third quarters after building an early 12-point lead in a 101-88 defeat.


                  "Even with the good start, I just didn't feel we had any zip (Sunday) at all," coach Bryon Scott said after his team's third consecutive loss and seventh in eight games. "For 48 minutes I just didn't see it, for whatever reason."


                  One positive over the last two losses has been the performances of Los Angeles' two expected future stars. D'Angelo Russell had 22 points on Sunday despite playing through an ankle sprain, while Julius Randle notched his first triple-double with 13 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists against Denver.


                  The teams will close out the regular season in Los Angeles on April 13 in Bryant's final game.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                    Preview: Kings (29-44) at Trail Blazers (38-36)


                    Date: March 28, 2016 10:00 PM EDT


                    The Portland Trail Blazers' playoff push was recently aided by the Sacramento Kings. They're hoping Monday night's matchup with a Kings team they've dominated at home in recent years will further help their cause.


                    The Trail Blazers (38-36) are sixth in the Western Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of seventh-place Houston and 2 1/2 up on ninth-place Dallas.


                    Seeking a third straight playoff appearance, Portland got some help from the Kings on Sunday when they beat the Mavericks 133-111.


                    Portland, however, has helped itself by winning 13 of 15 games at home while averaging 112.5 points. The Blazers won a fourth straight there Saturday when C.J. McCollum converted a three-point play with 7.6 seconds left to break a tie in a 108-105 win over Philadelphia. They were opening a four-game homestand and play six of their final eight in Portland.


                    "We didn't do a lot of things well," said McCollum, who had 25 points and a career high-tying five steals, "but we did enough toward the end of the game to withstand their run and finish them off."


                    Fellow backcourt mate Damian Lillard is fifth in the NBA with 25.5 points per game, and he's putting up 30.2 while sinking 41.9 percent from 3-point range over the last nine at home. He only made 5 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 6 from behind the arc in a 112-97 home win over Sacramento on Jan. 26, but had a career high-tying 13 assists to go with 15 points.


                    Portland has won five straight at home against the Kings, its longest such streak since reeling off nine in a row from 1996-2000.


                    Sacramento (29-44) is on the verge of its first 30-win season since finishing with 38 in 2007-08. While they're all but mathematically out of playoff contention, the Kings are relishing the role of spoiler.


                    "Yeah, I want them to get their plane ticket as soon as we get ours," said guard Rajon Rondo, who had 11 points and 11 assists Sunday. "So any time we can help, that's what I try to get these guys (his teammates) to focus on. If we're not going to make the playoffs then let's help some of these guys go home with us."


                    Perhaps that resonated with rookie Willie Cauley-Stein, who had 21 points and seven rebounds against the Mavericks after scoring a season-high 26 in a 116-94 win over Phoenix on Friday.


                    The center is averaging 6.7 points on the season, and had 12 with seven boards and four blocks at Portland in January.


                    "We're seeing what Willie can do. It's the end of the season and he's playing with a lot of confidence," Rondo said. "There's not too many restraints on him as there were when he first came in as a rookie. So now he's a little more relaxed and able to do things that we haven't seen him do all year."


                    DeMarcus Cousins is fourth in the NBA with 27.0 points per game, but he only managed to get 17 at Portland while missing 17 of 21 from the field. That 19.0 shooting percentage is the worst out of the 100 games he's played when attempting at least 20 shots.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                      Preview: Celtics (43-30) at Clippers (45-27)


                      Date: March 28, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                      A pair of victories at Staples Center has the Los Angeles Clippers back on track toward capturing home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.


                      The Boston Celtics have also done their best lately to try to claim that reward in the Eastern Conference.


                      The Celtics will seek to match their season-high win streak Monday night while ending their recent road woes against the Clippers.


                      Los Angeles (45-27) secured its spot in the postseason with a 105-90 victory against Denver on Sunday. That win also moved the Clippers 4 1/2 games ahead of Memphis for fourth in the West.


                      "It does matter when you consistently just assume you're going to the playoffs, but we want to do more than that, obviously," coach Doc Rivers told the team's official website. "That's why no one knew that we clinched, which is good. It's a good sign when you don't know anymore, maybe that's the sign we're looking for."


                      The Clippers will try to take another step toward wrapping up a top-four spot with a fourth consecutive home win over the Celtics (43-30). Boston, however, is heading to L.A. having won four in a row after holding on for a 102-99 victory in Phoenix on Saturday.


                      Isaiah Thomas had 28 points in the opener to a five-game Western trip and bumped his average in 12 games this month to 26.3. Boston went 8 of 29 from 3-point range but helped offset that poor shooting by making 24 of 27 free throws to stay a half-game ahead of Miami for fourth in the East.


                      "I'm just glad we got the win," Thomas said. "This time of year, no matter how you get wins, it's just about staying on top and we did that."


                      Thomas scored 36 points - two shy of matching his career high - in a 139-134 overtime win against the Clippers on Feb. 10 and is averaging 26.7 while shooting 50.0 shooting in his last three matchups.


                      Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul had 35 points - tied for his second-best performance this season - and 13 assists. DeAndre Jordan also had one of his highest scoring efforts with 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.


                      Jordan, who is averaging 16.3 points on 75.9 percent shooting in his last seven games, had 16 points, 16 boards and six blocks in the win over Denver.


                      "He's our energy guy, the captain of our defense," forward Paul Pierce said. "He gets the rebounds obviously, but we have been going to him a little bit more in the post on offense. He's starting to fulfill a lot of his potential. He is still young and still has a lot of room to grow. He's showing that he can keep getting better and better."


                      J.J. Redick will try to use a matchup with the Celtics to break out of his three-game slump in which he's averaged 10.7 points on 36.1 percent shooting. Although Boston leads the league in 3-point defense at 32.6 percent, Redick has scored 27 points in each of his last two meetings while making a combined 20 of 29 shots and 7 of 11 from 3-point range.


                      Blake Griffin was out for the latest matchup with the Celtics and will miss this one while serving the second of a four-game team suspension. The Clippers star broke his hand in a fight with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi on Jan. 23, when he was already out with a partially torn tendon in his left quad.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                        Game of the Day: Thunder at Raptors


                        Oklahoma City Thunder at Toronto Raptors (+3, 211)


                        The Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder have both already clinched playoff spots and are both relatively secure in their spots in their respective conferences but that doesn’t mean that either team has started slowing down. Both teams will try to continue a sprint to the finish when the Raptors host the Thunder on Monday.




                        Toronto sits in second place in the Eastern Conference, six games clear of third-place Atlanta and 2 1/2 behind the Cleveland Cavaliers with 10 games left in the regular season. The Raptors tied the franchise record – set last season – with their 49th win on Saturday, crushing the New Orleans Pelicans 115-91 to bounce back from a pair of tough losses. Oklahoma City sits comfortably in the No. 3 slot in the West and ran its winning streak to seven straight with a 111-92 destruction of the second-place San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The Thunder are averaging 117 points during the winning streak and got a combined 60 points from stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on Saturday.


                        TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, Sportsnet One (Toronto)


                        LINE HISTORY: The spread for this Monday night matchup opened with the Raptors getting two points from most books. The betting public immediately hit the Thunder and they were bumped up to three-point favorites. The total began at 211 and has been steady since release.


                        INJURY REPORT:


                        Thunder - No injuries to report.


                        Raptors - SF T. Ross (Questionable Monday, thumb).


                        POWER RANKINGS: Thunder (-9.9) - Raptors (-7.7) + home court (-3) = Raptors -0.8


                        ABOUT THE THUNDER (51-22, 32-40-1 ATS, 33-40 O/U): Oklahoma City did not face a full-strength San Antonio team on Saturday but made the most of its time against the Spurs’ backups and avoided a letdown by leaning on Durant, who went for 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting. “There’s a balance for him because he’s so unselfish,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters of Durant. “He’s such an efficient player. He’s as good as anybody in the word from that 15- to 18-foot range, whether he’s facing up or with his back to the basket. He’s just an incredible scorer from there.” Durant’s efficiency has been on display of late as he is shooting 58.1 percent from the field in the last five games.


                        ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-23, 39-33 ATS, 37-34-1 O/U): Toronto may have squandered its best chances to hang with the Cavaliers in the fight for the No. 1 spot with losses in Boston and Houston to begin the road trip but started looking like a contender again in Saturday’s drubbing of the Pelicans. The Raptors shot 53.4 percent from the field in the win while All-Star DeMar DeRozan led the way with a 9-of-11 effort. DeRozan managed to keep his cool in the contest after drawing a pair of technical fouls and getting ejected with three minutes remaining in the 112-109 loss to the Rockets on Friday.


                        TRENDS:


                        * Thunder are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
                        * Raptors are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
                        * Under is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.
                        * Over is 9-1-1 in Raptors last 11 vs. Western Conference.


                        CONSENSUS: The early Sunday night consensus action was split 50/50 on both the side and the total.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                          NBA


                          Monday's hot teams
                          -- Miami won three of its last four games (1-3 last 4HF).
                          -- Oklahoma City won its last seven games (4-1 last 5AF). Toronto won five of its last seven games (3-0HU).
                          -- Hawks won eight of their last nine games (5-3 last 8AF).
                          -- Spurs won eight of their last ten games (3-6 last 9AF).
                          -- Denver won three of its last five games (5-2 last 7HF).
                          -- Jazz won seven of their last nine games (3-4 last 7HF).
                          -- Portland won three of its last five games (5-3 last 8HF). Kings won last two games, by 22 points each (0-3-1 last 4AU).
                          -- Celtics won their last four games (2-8 last 10AU). Clippers won three of last four home games (3-6 last 9HF).


                          Cold teams
                          -- Nets lost their last five road games (2-4 last 6AU).
                          -- Suns lost three of their last four games (4-3 last 7AU). Minnesota lost three of last four home games (4-2 last 6HF).
                          -- Bulls lost their last three games, to NY (2), Orlando (4-4HU).
                          -- Memphis lost six of its last eight games (5-1 last 6HU).
                          -- Knicks lost four of their last six games (4-2 last 6A). New Orleans lost eight of its last ten games (1-3 last 4H).
                          -- Mavericks lost eight of their last ten games (4-1 last 5AU).
                          -- Lakers lost seven of their last eight games (4-2 last 6AU).


                          Series records
                          -- Nets lost eight of last nine games with Miami.
                          -- Thunder won five of last eight games with Toronto.
                          -- Suns won six of last eight games with Minnesota.
                          -- Hawks won five of last six games with Chicago.
                          -- Spurs won their last four games with Memphis.
                          -- Pelicans lost five of last seven games with New York.
                          -- Mavericks won four of last five games with Denver.
                          -- Lakers lost four of last five games with Utah.
                          -- Kings lost their last four games with Portland.
                          -- Clippers won four of last five games with Boston.


                          Totals
                          -- Last four Brooklyn-Miami games went over the total.
                          -- Eight of last nine Thunder-Raptor games stayed under.
                          -- Five of last six Phoenix-Minnesota games stayed under.
                          -- Four of last five Chicago games stayed under the total.
                          -- Five of last seven Memphis games went over total.
                          -- Seven of last eight New York games stayed under; eight of Pelicans' last ten games went over.
                          -- Six of last eight Dallas-Denver games went over the total.
                          -- Seven of last eight Utah games stayed under the total.
                          -- Seven of last nine Sacramento-Portland games stayed under.
                          -- Six of last eight Boston games stayed under the total.


                          Back/backs
                          -- Dallas is 3-6 in last nine games if they played night before; Denver is 6-3 in last nine if they played night before.
                          -- Lakers are 8-6 vs spread if they played the night before.
                          -- Kings lost five of last six games if they played night before.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                            'Quest for franchise-best'


                            Toronto Raptors (49-23, 39-33 ATS) will be aiming for a franchise-best 50 win campaign when they host Oklahoma Thunder (51-22, 32-40-1 ATS) Monday evening north of the border. Home-court advantage is certainly something Toronto can tap into. The Raptors are tough nuts to crack in front of its friendly crowd. On the year, the Raptors have compiled a sharp 28-8 (19-17 ATS) record and have an eye-opening 17-2 stretch on Air Canada Center hardwood (11-8 ATS) since the middle of January.


                            A few telling basketball betting stats leap out favoring Toronto in this contest. The Raptors have shown a penchant for cashing tickets facing a visitor with a winning record. In the last 10 situations the Raptors are a profitable 8-2 against the betting line. Additionally, Raptors have cashed five consecutive vs Thunder. Finally, visiting Oklahoma has struggled vs the betting line when facing an Atlantic Division team. The Thunder are a money-burning 2-7 this season, 2-12 last fourteen such encounters.


                            It's mission accomplished for Raptors as they notch win number 50 on the campaign. Raptors getting little respect in the betting market have opened +2.0 point underdogs.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/28

                              StatFox Super Situations


                              NBA | ATLANTA at CHICAGO
                              Play On - Home underdogs (CHICAGO) revenging a road loss vs opponent, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite
                              46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )


                              NBA | BROOKLYN at MIAMI
                              Play On - Any team vs the money line (MIAMI) off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, playing with 2 days rest
                              51-23 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.9% | 27.5 units )
                              7-4 this year. ( 63.6% | 3.0 units )


                              NBA | SACRAMENTO at PORTLAND
                              Play Against - Road underdogs of 2 to 5.5 points vs. the first half line (SACRAMENTO) off a win by 20 points or more over a division rival, second half of the season
                              46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )

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