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**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:15 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

NBA notebook: Warriors sign C Varejao, waive F Thompson
By The Sports Xchange

The Golden State Warriors signed center Anderson Varejao on Monday and waived forward Jason Thompson.
Varejao, 33, agreed to join the Warriors on Sunday after clearing waivers, he confirmed to Cleveland.com. Varejao was traded by the Cavaliers to the Trail Blazers last week, and Portland immediately waived him.
Varejao has career averages of 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 12 NBA seasons, all spent with Cleveland. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 31 games this season.
Thompson, 29, appeared in 28 games (one start) with the Warriors this season, posting averages of 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per contest. He owns career averages of 9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 569 games over eight seasons, including spending the first seven years with the Sacramento Kings.

---The Dallas Mavericks officially signed power forward David Lee, who cleared waivers after receiving a buyout from the Boston Celtics.
Lee will join the Mavericks for the rest of the season. To make room on the roster, the Mavs waived reserve guard John Jenkins.
Lee, 32, averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 30 games for the Celtics this season. He last appeared in a game on Jan. 10 and Celtics coach Brad Stevens recently said the lack of action was due to differences in Boston's style of play and Lee's skills.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Lee has career averages of 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds over 11 NBA seasons. He is a two-time All-Star and played with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors before joining the Celtics prior to this season.

---The Detroit Pistons opted to rescind a trading-deadline deal with the Houston Rockets due to concerns over the health of power forward Donatas Motiejunas.
The Pistons acquired Motiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton from Houston last Thursday in exchange for center Joel Anthony and a first-round draft pick. Numerous reports claim Motiejunas failed his physical due to back problems.
Motiejunas underwent back surgery late last season and his recovery has been slow. He made his season debut on Dec. 5 and last played in an NBA game on Dec. 31.
Detroit's voiding of the deal also wipes out a second deal. The Rockets shipped Anthony to the 76ers after acquiring him and Anthony's rights once again belong to the Pistons.

---The Milwaukee Bucks signed free agent forward Steve Novak and requested waivers on forward Chris Copeland.
Novak, 32, appeared in seven games for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season prior to being traded to Denver last Thursday. The next day, Novak secured a buyout from the Nuggets.
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound Novak has appeared in 456 career games (six starts), averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range in 10 seasons with Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas, San Antonio, New York, Toronto, Utah and Oklahoma City.
In 24 games (one start) for the Bucks this season, Copeland averaged 2.1 points in 6.5 minutes per game.

---The New York Knicks signed guard Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract.
Fredette was the No. 10 pick in the 2011 NBA draft after leading the nation with 28.9 points per game at BYU. He spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Sacramento Kings before finishing the 2013-14 campaign with the Chicago Bulls. Fredette played 50 games with New Orleans last season and was with the Pelicans for four games earlier this season.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Fredette holds career averages of 6.0 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 233 games (seven starts) over five seasons with Sacramento, Chicago and New Orleans.

---The Denver Nuggets signed forward JaKarr Sampson to a two-year contract.
The 6-foot-9, 214-pound Sampson appeared in 47 games (18 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers this season, averaging 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game before being waived last week. The second-year player has appeared in 121 career games (50 starts), all with Philadelphia, averaging 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.1 minutes.

---The Phoenix Suns waived forward/center DeJuan Blair, the team announced. Phoenix acquired Blair in the trade last Thursday that sent forward Markieff Morris to Washington.
Blair averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 29 games this season. In seven NBA seasons, he has career averages of 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Washington.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:15 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Magic (24-30) at 76ers (8-47)

Date: February 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

In the wake of a move he hopes will get the Orlando Magic closer to the playoffs, coach Scott Skiles faces the difficult challenge of mixing in newcomers in the middle of the pursuit.

In a road matchup he says they "can't afford to lose," Skiles will try to find the right mix Tuesday night when the Magic look to avoid a second straight loss to the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers.

Orlando had visions of its first postseason appearance in four years during a 19-13 start, but the front office felt it needed to make a change last week after the club dropped 16 of its next 20.

The Magic, 4 1/2 games out of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, traded Tobias Harris to Detroit for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova. The move paid immediate dividends Friday when the additions teamed for 34 points in a 110-104 overtime home win over Dallas.

Jennings and Ilyasova, however, couldn't match that effort Sunday when they scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting in a 105-102 loss to visiting Indiana. The Magic (24-30) have played a league-high 14 games decided by three points or fewer, and have lost nine of those contests.

Skiles says Jennings compliments starter Elfrid Payton well, though now he's also trying to find minutes for C.J. Watson. He's played just 18 in his first two games since early November due to a calf injury.

"This is not the ideal way that you'd like to be (working guys into the lineup), right in the middle of the season when you're trying to play well - but it happens," Skiles said.

Since surrendering an average of 111.6 points over a 1-7 stretch, the Magic have tightened things up by allowing 102.2 on 43.8 percent shooting in their last five. They've been tougher down the stretch over the past two, limiting Dallas and Indiana to a combined 34.1 mark in the fourth quarter.

"When we haven't guarded, we've given ourselves no chance to win hardly," Skiles said.

Orlando now seeks its fourth win in six games overall and fourth in a row at Philadelphia. It'll certainly have to keep a watch on rookie center Jahlil Okafor and former Magic point guard Ish Smith after they loomed large in a 96-87 loss to the 76ers on Jan. 20.

Okafor led the way with 20 points and Smith added 13 with 11 assists as the 76ers (8-47) shot 48.6 percent and hit 9 for 19 from 3-point range. Okafor has shined in the last five games, averaging 21.4 points and 9.8 rebounds after scoring a season-high 31 in Sunday's 129-103 loss at Dallas.

'The team was giving me the ball in great position to score, and I was just trying to keep being aggressive,' said Okafor after Philadelphia's fourth straight loss and eighth in nine games.

The 76ers have averaged 109.0 points and hit 43.3 percent from 3 in the last three, but they've allowed 121.3 points per game.

Payton has played well for Orlando in the season series, totaling 41 points and 15 assists. He led the way with 20 points in a 105-97 win in the most recent meeting at Philadelphia on Nov. 7.

Former 76ers center Nikola Vucevic, who did not play in that contest, has averaged 22.0 points and 12.8 rebounds over four consecutive double-doubles.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Pelicans (22-33) at Wizards (25-29)

Date: February 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Coach Alvin Gentry could not enjoy Anthony Davis' historic performance over the weekend until it was over and his team had won. All that matters to Gentry, Davis and the rest of the New Orleans Pelicans is that they continue to progress.

They can improve to 3-0 since the All-Star Break by keeping the Washington Wizards from a season-high fourth consecutive home victory Tuesday night.

Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points and pulled down 20 rebounds as New Orleans (22-33) won for the fourth time in five games, 111-106 at Detroit on Sunday.

"I did as much as I can to help the team win," said Davis, who two days prior scored 34 in 38 minutes of a 121-114 win over Philadelphia. "After a while it felt like anything you threw up was going to go in."

Eclipsing Jamal Mashburn's team-record 50-point effort set exactly 13 years ago to the day and joining Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber as the only players with 50 and 20 boards in a game since 1983, Davis went 24 of 34 from the field and scored 19 in the fourth quarter.

When it was finished, Gentry could finally feel good about the show Davis put on.

"After, you really appreciate what he's done and the magnitude of which he played and some of the things he did," Gentry said.

Sitting 11th in the Western Conference and 5 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot, New Orleans needs a serious run for a chance to even flirt with the postseason. While Davis' dominance provided some entertainment, Gentry's only concern is piling up the victories.

"Use the 29 games after the All-Star break as our own season and try to see if we can be a playoff team," Gentry said.

The Pelicans have shot 49.1 percent in the two contests since the break and Sunday won for the first time in eight road games this season against an opponent from the East. New Orleans has dropped three straight at Washington, but the last two were by a combined four points. It snapped a seven-game overall series skid with a 107-105 win Dec. 11.

Though the Wizards (25-29) hit half of their 80 field-goal attempts, the Pelicans made 16 of 27 3-pointers and overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter hole. Tyreke Evans scored 27, but has since undergone season-ending knee surgery.

Davis, who had 18 with 11 boards in that contest, has shot 11 of 18 each time while totaling 56 points plus 24 rebounds in the last two at Washington.

Fellow star John Wall had 26 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds against the Pelicans in December.

Like the rest of his team, Wall struggled to sustain some energy while scoring 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting as the Wizards failed to win a rare three games in three days with Saturday's 114-94 loss at Miami. Washington was facing such a daunting stretch because Thursday's 103-89 win over Utah was originally scheduled Jan. 23 when a severe snow storm blanketed the East Coast.

"If you can win two of three out of it you can feel good about yourself," Wall said. "To get three would have been great for us. But we get two days off to rest and look forward to Tuesday."

Washington has shot 49.2 percent while holding its last three home opponents to an average of 89.7 points and 41.9 percent shooting.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Rockets (28-28) at Jazz (27-28)

Date: February 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Houston Rockets are treating the season's second half like a fresh start, the Utah Jazz want to regain the momentum they carried into the All-Star break.

Both look to start a push to separate themselves from the Western Conference's bubble Tuesday night when the visiting Rockets seek a fourth straight win over the Jazz.

Houston (28-28) was one of the NBA's bigger disappointments in the opening three and a half months and stumbled into the break with three consecutive double-digit losses at the tail end of a 2-6 slump. Utah (27-28) took advantage with wins in seven of eight during that stretch, leapfrogging the Rockets for the West's No. 8 spot.

But that order reversed again last week when Houston returned with Friday's 116-100 win at Phoenix while the Jazz opened the second half with losses in two of three games.

Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over for the fired Kevin McHale in November, called the Rockets a "broken team" prior to the hiatus, but he acknowledged that the win over the lowly Suns was a good start fueled by tight defense and domination in the paint, improving Houston to 12-15 away from home.

The Rockets held Phoenix to 36.6 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers while holding a 56-30 scoring advantage in the paint and 51-40 edge on the boards.

"We've got an opportunity in the second half to make a push," said James Harden, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. "That's one of (26) left. A good start."

The Rockets seemed poised for a turnaround the last time they faced Utah, sweeping an home-and-home set in early January to open a season-high five-game win streak.

While Houston shot 50.3 percent between the two games - a 93-91 win at Utah on Jan. 4 and a 103-94 home victory three days later - Utah finished at 44.4 with 35 turnovers. Harden totaled 63 points, but he had 12 turnovers and was 4 of 19 from 3-point range.

The victories gave the Rockets three straight in this series and a 10-2 mark since December 2012, including wins in four of six in Salt Lake City.

The latest matchup will include one of their leading scorers after it appeared he'd been traded away. Detroit, though, rescinded a three-team deal Monday after Donatas Motiejunas was not cleared medically, sending him and Marcus Thornton back to Houston.

Thornton is the Rockets' fourth-leading scorer with 10 points per game over 47 contests, but Motiejunas hasn't played since Dec. 31 due to back problems that stem from surgery last April. That issue ultimately voided a deal in which the Rockets had acquired veteran Joel Anthony and a protected, first-round draft pick from the Pistons as well as the draft rights of forward Chukwudiebere Maduabum from Philadelphia.

Utah's acquisition at the deadline, Shelvin Mack, made an immediate impact in his first action, though the Jazz fell 115-111 at Portland on Sunday for their third loss in four games to follow a seven-game winning streak from Jan. 27-Feb. 9.

Mack finished with season highs of 16 points and six assists after coming over from Atlanta last week for a second-round pick.

"I felt comfortable," the point guard said. "It is a similar system to what we ran in Atlanta."

Utah, which has won its last six home games to improve to 18-10 at Vivint Smart Home Arena, is one of the league's top defensive teams by allowing 96.8 points per game, but the Trail Blazers shot 46.7 percent and scored 68 in the second half.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Kings (23-31) at Nuggets (22-34)

Date: February 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings have had another nice layoff since returning from the All-Star break with a home win over the Denver Nuggets, who followed that meeting with a 20-point loss.

Their second matchup in five days comes Tuesday night with the Kings seeking a fifth win in seven games in the series, while both teams' coaches try to defeat their former employers.

Sacramento's 116-110 win over the Nuggets (22-34) on Friday has it averaging 115.0 points in consecutive victories after a crippling span of eight losses in nine games. The Kings (23-31) have shot 50.0 percent in the two wins, but they've also allowed at least 104 points in every game of the 3-8 span. Opponents have averaged 116.6 points and shot 48.2 percent while hitting 44.4 from 3-point range, though for a game at least, that was overshadowed by an individual performance.

DeMarcus Cousins had 37 points and 20 rebounds on 12-of-20 shooting, notching his ninth career double-double with 20-plus points and rebounds to break the previous franchise record set by Chris Webber.

"(Cousins) was flat-out amazing. They couldn't stop him," backup point guard Darren Collison said. "He's been playing like that all season."

Cousins hasn't been held under 30 points in his last three games against the Nuggets, all of which have been double-doubles with averages of 33.0 points and 14.7 rebounds.

Rajon Rondo also had a big game, coming one assist short of his sixth triple-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. The point guard has increased his offense in the last 10 games, averaging 14.6 points on 47.1 percent shooting while remaining consistent around his season average with 12.0 assists.

"I thought Rondo had great control of the game, not only down the stretch, (but) I think understanding who we were playing and what we had to do to be successful," coach George Karl said.

This is Karl's second trip back to Denver since being fired by the Nuggets in June 2013 and hired in Sacramento last February. The first was a 122-111 Nuggets victory April 12, though the Kings were without Cousins and Rudy Gay.

After Sunday's 121-101 home loss to Boston, the Nuggets have allowed 108.5 points over a 1-3 span with opponents shooting 48.1 percent and 39.4 from 3-point range.

"Our defense is still somewhere in the Caribbean," said Mike Malone, who's seeking his first win against his former team after coaching Sacramento in 2013-14 and through 24 games last season. "It was a lot more than just a lack of energy. It was a lack of fight, a lack of togetherness. ... I thought we were a very selfish team, two things that I hate to see from any team, so hopefully we can find a way to straighten that out in the very near future."

What happened against the Celtics had plenty to do with Boston outrebounding Denver 48-36, including 15-6 on the offensive glass, as well as the Nuggets matching a season high with 24 turnovers.

The issues on the glass might have had something to do with top rebounder Kenneth Faried being limited to 13 minutes due to illness.

Rookie Nikola Jokic handled much of the interior load, finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds. It was his sixth double-double in the last 12 games, over which he's averaged 11.9 points and 8.3 rebounds.

The Kings will have Marco Belinelli back, and fellow reserve Omri Casspi practiced Monday after both were sidelined Friday because of tooth extractions during the break.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Nets (15-41) at Trail Blazers (29-27)

Date: February 23, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Damian Lillard has been nearly unstoppable during the Portland Trail Blazers' midseason tear, though the turnaround hasn't completely been a one-man show.

The NBA's hottest team has a chance to earn a season-high sixth straight win and further its playoff case Tuesday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.

Lillard has been on a mission since his early January return from plantar fasciitis, and his team has as well during a 14-3 stretch that's moved Portland (29-27) within a half-game of sixth place in the Western Conference.

A perceived All-Star snub has only increased that determination, as the Blazers proved with Friday's 137-105 rout of league-leading Golden State behind a career-high 51 points from their standout guard.

Portland maintained its focus Sunday against surging Utah, rallying from a 13-point second-half deficit to record a 115-111 victory for its 10th win in 11 games.

Lillard finished with 30 points to become the first Blazer since Clyde Drexler in 1991 to reach that number in four straight, while C.J. McCollum capped a 31-point night with two game-sealing free throws in the final seconds. The backcourt duo combined for five 3-pointers during a 15-1 third-quarter run that got Portland back in it.

'If one gets going, a team can load up on him,' Lillard said. '(Both of us) kind of kept them off balance.'

Maurice Harkless' recent production has made the Trail Blazers, averaging 120.0 points over their past four, even tougher to defend. Out of the rotation at the start of February, the forward has shot 63.0 percent over five consecutive double-digit scoring efforts.

'He's been huge,' Lillard said of Harkless, who added 17 points against Utah. 'He's changing every game for us.'

Lillard's scoring binge seems to have a good chance of continuing. He's averaged 32.3 points and shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range in the last three meetings with Brooklyn (15-41), among the NBA's worst teams in field-goal percentage defense (47.0).

The Blazers shot 50.5 percent in a 116-104 win at Barclays Center on Jan. 15, with Lillard scoring 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter.

After splitting their last four at home, the Nets embark on a season-high nine-game trip that runs through March 11. They've dropped six straight on road, are 4-19 as the visitor this season and have lost 16 of 19 in Portland.

The Nets will likely need a proficient offensive performance to end those struggles, as they've lost 21 straight when scoring under 100 points since a 94-91 win over Phoenix on Dec. 1. That streak was extended with Sunday's 104-96 defeat to Charlotte.

Brooklyn was able to trim a 15-point deficit to four with 4:42 left before the Hornets used a 9-0 run to pull away.

"When we started to get aggressive on defense, things started to change for us," interim coach Tony Brown said. "That got us back in the ball game in the second half, but offensively we weren't really in sync. We just didn't make enough plays on offense to get back in the game and take the lead."

The Nets finished 5 of 22 on 3-point tries after hitting 50.5 percent over their previous five games. Bojan Bogdanovic was 15 of 23 during that stretch but was 1 of 9 from the field for three points against Charlotte.

Brooklyn should be able to rely on Brook Lopez, who had 25 points in the last matchup and is averaging 26.5 in his past four against Portland.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:17 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Magic at 76ers – 7:05 PM EST

Orlando (24-30 SU, 30-23-1 ATS) wrapped up a three-game homestand at 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS after dropping a 105-102 decision to Indiana on Sunday. In spite of the that loss, the Magic have put together a 7-2 ATS record the last nine games, including three straight road covers at San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta. Scott Skiles’ club has split a pair of matchups with the 76ers this season with the road team winning each time, including Orlando picking up a 105-97 victory at Philadelphia in November.

Through 55 games, the 76ers (8-47 SU, 26-28-1 ATS) are two wins shy of the double-digit mark. Philadelphia has lost eight of its past nine games, including road setbacks to start the second half at New Orleans and Dallas. The 76ers have been impressive at home since January by posting an 8-2 ATS record in the last 10 games at the Wells Fargo Center, but have lost five straight games in the role of a home underdog. Philadelphia has scored at least 100 points in three consecutive contests, but also allowed at least 114 points in each defeat, resulting in three straight ‘overs.’

Pelicans at Wizards – 7:05 PM EST

Even though reaching the playoffs may not be in the cards this season, New Orleans (22-33 SU, 23-32 ATS) is coming back to life after a four-game skid by winning four of its past five contests. Anthony Davis lit up the Pistons in Sunday’s 111-106 victory as five-point underdogs by scoring a career-high 59 points and pulling down 20 rebounds. However, the Pelicans have lost four of their last six games away from Smoothie King Center with three of those defeats coming at Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and San Antonio.

The Wizards (25-29 SU, 28-26 ATS) have been off for two days since playing three games in three nights. Washington won the first two contests in that set at home against Utah and Detroit, but showed signs of fatigue in Saturday’s 114-94 setback at Miami. Randy Wittman’s squad has split its last six games at the Verizon Center, while allowing 94 points or less in each of the past three home victories. The Wizards are looking to avenge a 107-105 loss at New Orleans as 3 ½-point underdogs in December, snapping a seven-game winning streak against the Pelicans that dated back to 2012.

Rockets at Jazz – 9:05 PM EST

Following a seven-game winning streak, Utah (27-28 SU, 28-27 ATS) has fallen back to Earth by dropping three of its past four contests. The Jazz squandered a 13-point second half lead in Sunday’s 115-111 setback at Portland, as the Blazers squeezed out a cover as three-point favorites. Quin Snyder’s team has allowed at least 100 points in five straight games, while cashing the ‘over’ four times in this span. Utah begins a three-game homestand as the Jazz play with double-revenge against the Rockets, while losing six of the past seven matchups with Houston since 2014.

The Rockets (28-28 SU, 24-32 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak by cruising past the Suns, 116-100 on Friday as 7 ½-point favorites. Houston continues its road trip as it looks to stay in the top eight of the Western Conference playoff race, while trying to improve on a 2-4 record in its past six away games (both wins against Phoenix). Nine of the last 10 road contests for the Rockets have eclipsed the ‘over,’ while Houston is seeing its lowest away total since sailing ‘over’ 196 ½ in a 107-91 win at Memphis on January 12.

Kings at Nuggets – 9:05 PM EST

Sacramento (23-31 SU, 24-30 ATS) begins a killer homestand on Wednesday when the Kings host the Spurs, followed by the Clippers and Thunder invading Sleep Train Arena over the next week. However, George Karl’s team hits the road on Tuesday to face the Nuggets for the second time in four days after Sacramento outlasted Denver at home on Friday, 116-110. The Kings have allowed at least 100 points in 11 straight games, resulting in a 9-2 mark to the ‘over’ in this stretch.

The momentum built at the end of the first half for the Nuggets (22-34 SU, 30-34-2) hasn’t carried over to the second half yet as Denver has lost to Sacramento and Boston. In Sunday’s home setback to the Celtics, the Nuggets fell behind by 18 points after the first quarter and never recovered as Denver fell to 3-4 in the past seven games at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets split a pair of home matchups with the Kings last season, as Mike Malone’s club has lost four of their last five home games against Western Conference opponents.

Nets at Blazers – 10:05 PM EST

It will be a nice getaway for Brooklyn (15-41 SU, 27-28-1 ATS), who embarks on a nine-game road trip with the first seven games taking place against Western Conference foes. The Nets have alternated wins and losses in each of the past seven contests, coming off a 104-96 home defeat to Charlotte on Sunday as seven-point underdogs. Brooklyn has dropped six consecutive games away from the Barclays Center, while going 1-4 ATS as a road underdog of eight points or more in this stretch.

The Blazers (29-27 SU, 32-24 ATS) have turned the corner in a major way since January by winning 14 of their last 17 games, including posting a 10-2 mark at the Moda Center in this stretch. Portland rallied past Utah on Sunday night, 115-111 to pick up their fifth straight win and cover as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 61 points in the victory. The Blazers go for the season sweep of the Nets after beating Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, 116-104 last month, while Portland has won four of the past five meetings.

**TheGame** · 02-23-2016, 07:17 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

NBA

Tuesday's hot teams
-- Washington won its last three home games (3-5 last 8HF). New Orleans won four of its last five games (6-3 last 9AU).
-- Kings won last two games after losing seven of previous eight (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Portland won nine of its last ten games (9-2 last 11HF).

Cold teams
-- Orlando lost three of last four road games (4-0AF). 76ers are 1-8 in their last nine games (7-2 last 9HU).
-- Rockets lost three of their last four games (3-7 last 10AU). Jazz lost three of last four games.
-- Denver lost three of its last four games (1-5HF).
-- Brooklyn lost seven of its last ten games (2-5 last 7AU).

Series records
-- 76ers lost five of last seven games with Orlando.
-- Wizards won seven of last eight games with New Orleans.
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Utah.
-- Kings won four of their last six games with Denver.
-- Trailblazers won four of last five games with Brooklyn.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Philly-Orlando games stayed under.
-- Four of last five New Orleans games went over total.
-- Eight of last ten Houston games went over the total.
-- Last five Sacramento-Denver games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Brooklyn games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- None

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

NBA ATS

NBA > (705) HOUSTON@ (706) UTAH | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 52 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (+26.7 units)

NBA > (709) BROOKLYN@ (710) PORTLAND | 2016-02-23 22:05:00 - 2016-02-23 22:05:00
Play AGAINST BROOKLYN against the spread in All games after playing 3 consecutive home games
The record is 3 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-13.5 units)

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

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (707) SACRAMENTO@ (708) DENVER | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play AGAINST DENVER using money line in Home games after a loss by 10 points or more
The record is 5 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.15 units)

NBA > (709) BROOKLYN@ (710) PORTLAND | 2016-02-23 22:05:00 - 2016-02-23 22:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 28 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.95 units)

NBA > (701) ORLANDO@ (702) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-23 19:05:00 - 2016-02-23 19:05:00
Play AGAINST ORLANDO using money line in All games in a road game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points
The record is 18 Wins and 55 Losses for the since 1992 (-40.7 units)

NBA > (703) NEW ORLEANS@ (704) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-23 19:05:00 - 2016-02-23 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NEW ORLEANS using money line in Road games off an upset win as an underdog
The record is 2 Wins and 14 Losses for the last three seasons (-14.15 units)

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

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (709) BROOKLYN@ (710) PORTLAND | 2016-02-23 22:05:00 - 2016-02-23 22:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.8 units)

NBA > (703) NEW ORLEANS@ (704) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-23 19:05:00 - 2016-02-23 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NEW ORLEANS ?>in the first halfin Road games off an upset win as an underdog
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.1 units)

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

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (705) HOUSTON@ (706) UTAH | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 8 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+24.2 units)

NBA > (703) NEW ORLEANS@ (704) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-23 19:05:00 - 2016-02-23 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin Road games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 0 Overs and 13 Unders for the last three seasons (+13 units)

NBA > (705) HOUSTON@ (706) UTAH | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 12 Overs and 38 Unders for the last two seasons (+24.8 units)

NBA > (707) SACRAMENTO@ (708) DENVER | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play OVER SACRAMENTO on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 16 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.8 units)

NBA > (707) SACRAMENTO@ (708) DENVER | 2016-02-23 21:05:00 - 2016-02-23 21:05:00
Play OVER SACRAMENTO on the totalin Road games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 26 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+18.3 units)

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:34 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Orlando At Philadelphia
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Consistency eludes the Orlando Magic, who can’t seem to string together the wins they need to get back into the race in the Eastern Conference. The Magic will try to push past another frustrating loss when they visit the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Orlando battled back from a 21-point deficit to earn a win over the Dallas Mavericks in its first game after the All-Star break on Friday but could not muster the same effort in a 105-102 home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. “It just kind of comes down to little things,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic told reporters, “and with us it’s like history keeps repeating itself with us not doing the little things at the end to finish games off.” The 76ers have fewer short-term goals and continue to be focused on future development. “I often say this in our meetings, ‘If I’m not thinking about the future, who is?’” Philadelphia general manager Stan Hinkie told reporters. “Whose job is that to think about what happens in 12 months or 36 months or, god forbid, 60 months? If it’s not me, tell me who that person is around here to do it.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE MAGIC (24-30): Orlando coach Scott Skiles has been honest in his assessment of his team since taking over the job before the season and was not happy about Sunday’s performance. “We just didn’t play a really professional game beginning to end,” Skiles told reporters. “We had a chance to win, but that was almost like a miracle. But the missed layups, the missed free throws, a ton of busted defensive coverages, the turnovers and throwing silly lobs on the break – not a professional performance. We had a chance to win, as I said miraculously, but we couldn’t take advantage of it.” The Magic allowed Dallas to make a franchise-record 19 3-pointers on Friday and let Indiana shoot 50 percent from the field on Sunday.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (8-47): Rookie center Jahlil Okafor found himself in trade rumors last week but Philadelphia ended up keeping him around at the end, and he showed why that was a good decision on Sunday. The Duke product went for a season-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting and added eight rebounds in the 129-103 loss at Dallas. Okafor could have used more help from forward Nerlens Noel, who scored 24 points at New Orleans on Friday but was limited to 19 minutes by foul trouble on Sunday and finished with four points and five boards.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic F Aaron Gordon has recorded double figures in rebounds in five straight games.
2. 76ers G Nik Stauskas (sore shin) was on a minutes restriction Sunday and ended up with eight points in 20 minutes.
3. Philadelphia picked up a 96-87 win at Orlando on Jan. 20 behind 20 points from Okafor.
PREDICTION: Magic 102, 76ers 99

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:34 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: New Orleans At Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Anthony Davis has taken the momentum from a strong All-Star game and turned it into a pair of sterling performances, including the best game in the NBA this season. Davis will try to follow up a 59-point, 20-rebound performance when the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Davis, who went 12-of-13 from the floor as the Western Conference cruised to a win in the All-Star Game on Feb. 14, scored 34 points in a win over Philadelphia in the Pelicans’ first game back and put up an NBA season-high 59 on 24-of-34 shooting against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. “I wasn’t keeping track, but the bench definitely was telling me during timeouts,” Davis told reporters. “They said, ‘You might as well get 60’ and things like that. I just tried not to worry about it. I was just worried about winning the game.” The Wizards, like New Orleans, are trying to make a run at a playoff spot in their respective conference as the season enters the stretch drive but ran out of gas while playing three nights in a row and suffered a 114-94 loss at Miami on Saturday. The schedule crunch was the result of a makeup game against Utah that was squeezed into Thursday, and Washington knocked off the Jazz and the Detroit Pistons on back-to-back nights before going down in Miami.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN New Orleans, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (22-33): Davis, 22, is the youngest player ever to post at least 59 points in a game and joined Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in the last 50 years to collect at least 55 points and 20 rebounds in a game. “After a while, you feel like any shot you put up is going in,” Davis told reporters after the 111-106 win. “I guess it felt like that tonight.” Davis’ big night, which included franchise records for field goals made and attempted, helped give New Orleans its fourth win in five games as it attempts an unlikely run at a playoff spot in the West.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (25-29): Washington will need to tighten some things up defensively in preparation for Davis after letting a different opposing big man, Miami’s Hassan Whiteside, go off for 25 points and 23 rebounds in Saturday’s loss. “The reality is it was the third game of three in a row,” Wizards guard Garrett Temple told the Washington Post. “We saw what we’re capable of. Now we’re going back home to get some rest. I don’t see it being a problem for us to get back to the team that we were the last two games.” All-Star point guard John Wall looked like the schedule was catching up to him as he struggled to 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting and four assists in the setback.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards F Markieff Morris is 4-of-15 from the field in two games since being acquired from the Phoenix Suns.
2. Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday is averaging 22 points and 10.5 assists off the bench in the last two games.
3. Davis put up 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 107-105 home win over Washington on Dec. 11.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 102, Wizards 101

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:35 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Sacramento At Denver
When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
DeMarcus Cousins terrorized Denver with a huge game last Friday and looks for another stellar effort when the Sacramento Kings visit the Nuggets on Tuesday. Cousins had 37 points, 20 rebounds and four blocked shots as Sacramento overcame 22 turnovers while recording a 116-110 home victory.
Cousins, fresh off his second All-Star appearance, ranks fourth in the NBA in both scoring (27.0) and rebounding (11.3) and Denver knows it needs to slow him down in the rematch. “He dominated us and we couldn’t stop him,” Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari told reporters. “I guess we are going to have to do something different the next time we see them. We have to do something.” Denver suffered a 121-101 home drubbing against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, falling behind by 18 points after one quarter while losing for the third time in four games. “All I know is we all, individually, just got to look at ourselves in the mirror and just figure it out,” rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay told reporters.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE KINGS (23-31): The stellar performance against Denver marked the ninth time Cousins has posted at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, surpassing the Sacramento era record he shared with Chris Webber. Point guard Rajon Rondo torched Mudiay for 24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and five steals in Friday’s matchup to fall one assist shy of his sixth triple-double of the campaign. Small forward Rudy Gay scored 24 points in that encounter and he is averaging 21.l points and shooting 53.8 percent from the field during victories and 16 points and 42.7 percent in defeats.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (22-34): Denver coach Michael Malone was seething after Sunday’s loss to Boston due to his squad’s lack of defense and effort. “Our defense is still somewhere in the Caribbean,” Malone told reporters. “It was a lot more than just a lack of energy. It was a lack of fight, a lack of togetherness. … I thought we were a very selfish team, two things that I hate to see from any team, so hopefully we can find a way to straighten that out in the very near future.” One player who produced offensively was center Nikola Jokic, who had 23 points and 13 rebounds after scoring just seven total points over the previous three contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kings SF Omri Casspi and SG Marco Bellinelli both missed Friday’s game due to having teeth pulled during the All-Star break.
2. Sacramento SG Ben McLemore had just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 24 minutes against the Nuggets.
3. Denver PF Kenneth Faried (illness) was limited to 13 minutes on Sunday but isn’t expected to miss Tuesday’s game.
PREDICTION: Kings 113, Nuggets 109

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:35 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Houston At Utah
When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
The Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz are part of a three-team race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference and the two squads square off in a crucial contest on Tuesday in Salt Lake City. Houston holds a half-game lead over the Jazz for the final playoff spot and has already won the first two games of this season’s four meetings.
Another victory would give the Rockets the tiebreaker edge over Utah and place the Jazz in a tough position when it comes to the three-team tussle. Utah lost to Portland 115-111 on Sunday, and that allowed the Trail Blazers to win the series 3-1 and hold the tiebreaker over the Jazz. Houston has been underachieving most of the season and the players have been talking about forging a strong final third of the season. The Rockets began that task by beating the lowly Phoenix Suns 116-100 on Friday for only their third victory in nine games.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston, Utah)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (28-28): One win over Phoenix doesn’t mean Houston is about to blast off but the defensive effort was encouraging as the Rockets forced 21 turnovers, held the Suns to 36.6 percent shooting and scored 37 fast-break points. “I thought our defense was great, despite us missing shots early in the game,” center Dwight Howard told reporters. “We still played defense. Our communication was key throughout the game, and that’s something we need to continue.” All-Star guard James Harden is averaging 32.8 points over the last four games and he has twice reached 30 against the Jazz this season, averaging 31.5 points in the two victories.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (27-28): Utah acquired backup guard Shelvin Mack from that Atlanta Hawks at Thursday’s trading deadline and he impressed in his club debut with 16 points and six assists against the Trail Blazers. The Jazz are hoping for better production than what Trey Burke and Raul Neto have been providing and Mack arrives with a comfortable feel as Snyder formerly was an assistant in Atlanta and small forward Gordon Hayward was a college teammate of his at Butler for two seasons. “What we’re looking for more than anything is consistency from that position,” Snyder told reporters. “We traded for him to help us and he is different than the other guys. He is going to play and how much or how little is going to depend on a lot of other things, including him, including other players, including who we’re playing against.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets have won 10 of the past 12 meetings.
2. Utah PF Derrick Favors has topped 20 points in three of the past four games and is averaging 21.3 points during the stretch.
3. Houston SF Trevor Ariza scored 25 points against Phoenix after tallying in single digits in five of the previous eight games.
PREDICTION: Jazz 105, Rockets 102

**Satch** · 02-23-2016, 09:36 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/23

Preview: Brooklyn At Portland

When: 10:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, Portland, Oregon
The Brooklyn Nets are just 4-19 on the road as they begin a season-long nine-game excursion against the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. The Barclays Center is unavailable due to a circus and the Atlantic 10 basketball tournament, and Brooklyn doesn’t play in its home building again until March 13.
The lowly Nets don’t get an easy start to the trip by visiting Portland, which has won 14 of its past 17 games. “We definitely are going to have to stick together being on the road so long and just take it a game at a time,” Brooklyn center Brook Lopez said. The Trail Blazers have won five consecutive games to move into seventh place in the Western Conference, a stunning rise for a team that was nine games under .500 before the impressive streak. “We’re a playoff team,” star guard Damian Lillard told reporters after scoring 30 points in Sunday’s 115-111 home win over the Utah Jazz. “We’ve got to put our hard hats on and to go work.”
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, YES (Brooklyn), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE NETS (15-41): Lopez isn’t known for piling up assists but he handed out six while compiling 16 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s 104-96 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Brooklyn badly wanted a victory before leaving on its long road swing and twice recovered from double-digit deficits but was unable to get over the hump. “It was a tough loss,” small forward Joe Johnson told reporters. “I thought we had some stretches where we played great basketball but we also had stretches where we didn’t play so great. A lot of turnovers – we gave them a lot of easy fast-break points. It’s hard to win like that.”
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (29-27): Lillard is averaging 36.3 points over the last four games and is the first Portland player since Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler (1991) to score 30 or more points in four consecutive games. The backcourt pairing of Lillard (25 points per game) and C.J. McCollum (20.9) has ignited the Trail Blazers’ rise and both players reached 30 points in the win over the Jazz. “There’s no give and take,” McCollum told reporters after his 31-point effort. “You gauge the game, you read the game. If somebody has a hot hand, you give them the ball. It’s simple math. You read the game, you look at it and you see who’s hot and who has mismatches.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets are 6-34 all-time when playing in Portland.
2. Lopez, who scored 25 points in a 116-104 home loss to the Trail Blazers on Jan. 15, has reached 20 points in seven of the last 10 contests.
3. Portland backup SF Maurice Harkless has scored in double digits in five consecutive games and is averaging 14.4 points during the span.
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 112, Nets 96

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NBA Betting Info. 2/23

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