NBA Betting Info. 2/26

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/26

Preview: Orlando At New York
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony keeps losing faith in his team and the New York Knicks keep dropping games as they enter Friday’s home tilt against the Orlando Magic. Anthony is frustrated with the stretch in which New York has lost 13 of its last 15 games since possessing a 22-22 record.
Anthony vented his frustration after a 27-point home loss to the Toronto Raptors earlier this week and then was 5-of-20 shooting and missed a tying, last-second 3-point attempt in Wednesday’s 108-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers. “Guys really did step up, played well and responded well,” Anthony told reporters after the loss to the Pacers. “On a night everybody stepped up, I had one of my worst nights. I don’t have any excuses.” Orlando has also experienced a lot of bad nights and Thursday’s 130-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors was its 18th loss in the past 24 games. The 130 points were the second-most allowed by the Magic this season as reigning MVP Stephen Curry made 10 3-pointers while hanging 51 points on the board.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (25-31): Backup point guard Brandon Jennings has struggled in the past two games – averaging 5.5 points on 3-of-10 shooting – after averaging 15 points and making six 3-pointers in his first two outings with the club. Jennings was acquired from the Detroit Pistons as part of the package for forward Tobias Harris and is still rounding into form from the Achilles’ tendon injury that cut his season short after 41 games last season and forced him to miss the first two months of this season. Starting point guard Elfrid Payton had 12 points against the Warriors after averaging 5.3 points on 5-of-18 shooting in Jennings’ first three games on the team.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (24-35): Promising rookie center Kristaps Porzingis is concerned about rumblings Anthony might seek a change of scenery in the offseason despite having three seasons remaining on his five-year, $124 million deal. “Obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis told reporters. “He is who he is on our team. He’s very special. And we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him, so that would obviously not be something that I want.” Anthony has repeatedly stated in the past that he wants to be on a championship-caliber team in New York but the club is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive campaign.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Magic are 2-0 against the Knicks this season and have won five of the past seven meetings.
2. Orlando F Aaron Gordon matched his career best of 19 points against Golden State and is averaging 10.6 points and 11.1 rebounds over the past seven games.
3. New York SG Arron Afflalo (thigh) is averaging 5.5 points on 4-of-17 shooting over the past two games.
PREDICTION: Knicks 102, Magic 99

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/26

Preview: Cleveland At Toronto
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
The Toronto Raptors are winners of nine straight at home and are trying to make a move toward the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. The second-place Raptors will try to chop one game off the three-game deficit when they host the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Toronto began a stretch of nine of 10 at home by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-105 on Wednesday and is aware of what’s in front of it on Friday. “It’s going to be a test for us,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry told reporters of the Cavaliers. “We know how good they are. We know they are the (defending) Eastern Conference champions. They have a (heck) of a team and a great coach. We just have to take it step by step and prepare very well and stay locked into the game.” Cleveland is not leaving much room for the Raptors to sneak through by winning six of its last seven. The Cavaliers introduced another offensive weapon in Wednesday’s 114-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets when forward Channing Frye broke out for 15 points.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (41-15): Frye managed two points in nine minutes in his debut with the team on Monday – a 96-88 home loss to the Detroit Pistons – but caught fired and buried four 3-pointers in 18 minutes on Wednesday. “It’s tough coming in on the fly like that but (Frye) knows the traditional NBA sets, which we’ve been trying to run when he’s in the game,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. “Get to your spots and let Kyrie (Irving), LeBron (James) and (Matthew Dellavedova) hit you. He did a good job (Wednesday). He was able to get some open shots.” Frye is shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range on the season and will stretch the floor for the second unit.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (38-18): Toronto is led by its All-Star backcourt of Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, and it was DeRozan taking over against a scrappy Minnesota squad on Wednesday. The 26-year-old went for 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting and is averaging 24.6 points in the last 20 contests, during which the Raptors have gone 17-3. That 20-game surge came directly after the Raptors were crushed 122-100 at Cleveland on Jan. 4 despite a combined 42 points from Lowry and DeRozan.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers G Iman Shumpert (shoulder) has missed the last three games and is questionable for Friday.
2. Raptors PG Cory Joseph is 16-of-25 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, in the last three games.
3. The teams have split two games this season, with Toronto grabbing a 103-99 home win on Nov. 25.
PREDICTION: Raptors 106, Cavaliers 104

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Preview: Chicago At Atlanta
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
The Chicago Bulls’ reserves are stepping up with some of the stars ailing and have led the team to three straight wins. Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson and company will try to push that winning streak to four when the Bulls visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Chicago is without center Joakim Noah (shoulder), forward Nikola Mirotic (abdomen) and guard Jimmy Butler (knee) for the time being, and guard Derrick Rose (hamstring, day-to-day) joined the players in street clothes on Wednesday. All-Star center Pau Gasol (illness) was a game-time decision on Wednesday as well but battled through and nearly pulled off a triple-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in a 109-104 triumph over the Washington Wizards. The Hawks are percentage points behind the Bulls in the battle for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference but are moving in the opposite direction with three consecutive losses. Atlanta has had three full days off since Monday’s home loss to the Golden State Warriors to iron out the kinks.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Chicago, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE BULLS (30-26): Gibson and E’Twaun Moore led the way with 17 points apiece on Wednesday as Chicago balanced out the scoring with the stars out. “Really, really proud of the guys for stepping up and finding a way,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. “We’ve got four or five of our main guys out, our rotation guys, and you have to have everybody step up and be ready to play. And that’s why you practice, that’s why you put in the extra time – is for opportunities and moments like this.” McDermott added 14 points and is averaging 20 over the last three games.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (31-27): Atlanta is having trouble executing at the end of games since the All-Star break, resulting in three tight losses. The Hawks went into the fourth quarter with a lead before falling 115-111 at home to Miami on Feb. 19 and lost in double-overtime the next night to the Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta battled all the way back from a 23-point deficit against the NBA-best Warriors on Monday but fell apart down the stretch in a 102-92 loss that dropped the team to 0-3 on a five-game homestand.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawks G/F Kent Bazemore is averaging four points on 22.9 percent shooting in the last five games.
2. Moore is averaging 20.5 points on 18-of-30 from the field in the last two contests.
3. Atlanta took the first two meetings this season by an average of 19 points.
PREDICTION: Hawks 106, Bulls 99

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Preview: Denver At Dallas
When: 8:30 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Mavericks are slipping down toward the .500 mark with six defeats in eight games and will try to end their slide when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Dallas has struggled on defense during the stretch by allowing an average of 110.1 points and sits just two games above the break-even point.
The Mavericks lost 116-103 to Oklahoma City on Wednesday and are now bunched with Portland, Utah and Houston as part of a pack of four teams battling for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. “I don’t look at the standings that much,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “I’m looking at how we’re playing.” Denver certainly stepped up its play on Wednesday by delivering an 87-81 win over the Los Angeles after allowing an average of 117 points over the previous three games. “We have beaten some of the best team in the NBA when we defend,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. “And this is the first game, post All-Star break, where we defended for four quarters.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (23-35): Power forward Kenneth Faried set the tone for Denver’s victory over the Clippers by contributing 21 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the month. Faried had averaged just 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the previous four games before popping loose with 10-of-15 shooting despite playing just 23 minutes against Los Angeles. “We won, and that is all that matters,” Faried told reporters after his team ended a six-game road losing streak in the series. “I’m happy. We got the monkey off our back.”
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (30-28): Point guard Deron Williams should be in the lineup after X-rays on the left ring finger he injured Wednesday came back negative, but he certainly is aware Dallas needs to step up its play. “We’re going to make the playoffs,” Williams insisted to reporters. “We’ve got to get moving, though, because there’s teams that are playing really well right now. We’re not locked in. We’re not a lock. We’ve got to realize how important every game is going forward.” Power forward Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-best 33 points in the loss to Thunder and said the following in regards to the 1-1 start of a six-game homestand: “We’ve got to get some wins, and we’ve got to get some traction.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks have won four of the past five meetings, including a 92-81 home victory on Nov. 28.
2. Denver rookie PG Emmanuel Mudiay had just four points on 1-of-12 shooting against the Clippers.
3. Dallas SF Chandler Parsons is averaging 10.5 points on 7-of-20 shooting after averaging 24.7 points over the previous three games.
PREDICTION: Mavericks 112, Nuggets 107

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Preview: L.A. Clippers At Sacramento
When: 10:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
The Los Angeles Clippers are coming off a dreadful performance and look to bounce back strongly when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Los Angeles hoisted a franchise record 46 3-point shots against Denver on Wednesday but made just 13 while suffering an 87-81 defeat to a team that allowed an average of 117 points over its previous three games.
The Clippers have hit a mini-funk with three losses in five games but coach Doc Rivers is downplaying any suggestions that his club isn’t playing well. “I mean, listen, it’s a long season, honestly,” Rivers told reporters. “We played with the right intentions. We missed wide-open shot after wide-open shot. It’s going to happen. This wasn’t one of those games where I thought we just didn’t show up and didn’t play.” Sacramento aims to make a run at a Western Conference playoff spot and had won three straight games before being outclassed 108-92 by the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. “The system and what they do – run everything perfectly, it’s the most perfect team,” Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins said afterward. “I think we kind of ran out of gas at the end. They’re a tough team, man, a tough team.”
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (37-20): Los Angeles does a lot of chirping about being a team that can compete with Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference but a home loss to the lowly Nuggets certainly raises obvious red flags. “It was a tough loss,” Clippers point guard Chris Paul told reporters. “You have to give them a lot of credit for playing hard but at the same time, we have to win games like this. I came out before the game started and said, ‘We have to bring our own energy.’ It was kind of flat out there, kind of dead.” Paul had 17 points and 10 assists for his fourth double-double in five games and he is averaging 24 points and 11 assists during the stretch.
ABOUT THE KINGS (24-32): Cousins had 22 points and 10 rebounds for his 33rd double-double of the season but his performance rates as a severe drop-off after averaging 38 points and 14.5 boards over the previous two games. “They made it tough for me at rim,” Cousins told reporters after going 8-of-23 from the field. “I missed a lot of bunnies in there. Some of the lobs from (Rajon Rondo) I could have come down with and finished.” Rondo handed out 18 assists despite those few that got away for his 38th double-digit performance of the season, one shy of the club record held by Reggie Theus (1985-86).
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers have emerged victorious in six consecutive visits to Sacramento.
2. Los Angeles SG J.J. Redick has made 10-of-18 3-pointers while averaging 21 points over the past two games.
3. Kings backup SG Marco Belinelli is 7-of-26 shooting over the past three games.
PREDICTION: Clippers 118, Kings 112

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Preview: Memphis At L.A. Lakers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Memphis Grizzlies won the first part of a home-and-home with Los Angeles and look to defeat the host Lakers for the ninth consecutive time when they meet on Friday. The Grizzlies set a season high for points scored and 3-point baskets (17) while speeding to a 128-119 victory over the Lakers on Wednesday in Memphis.
The Grizzlies are opting to quicken the pace due to center Marc Gasol being lost for the season with a broken right foot. It paid off in Wednesday’s game as small forward Matt Barnes scored a season-best 25 points while point guard Mike Conley had an all-around stellar game with 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds. “We’re taking the wide-open shot. We’re not just settling,” Conley said afterward. “I think everybody’s having a lot of fun. And, as you can see, when you have fun, we put up points.” The Lakers have dropped seven straight games and aren’t playing a lot of defense – they have allowed an average of 120.2 over the past five contests.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (33-23): Memphis preferred a deliberate pace that fed into the styles of Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph, so pushing the tempo is a radical departure for a team that is attempting to make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Six players scored in double digits and the Grizzlies shot 56.5 percent from the field while scoring 30 or more points in each quarter to take advantage of one of the NBA’s worst teams. “We felt like we should be able to beat the Lakers, especially at home,” Conley told reporters. “And that’s what we did.”
ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-48): Rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell produced 22 points and a season-best eight assists in Wednesday’s loss in his third game since returning to the starting lineup. Russell started the first 20 games of the season before coach Byron Scott turned him into a reserve and Scott decided Sunday that Russell will be a starter for the remainder of the season. “I feel like earlier in the year, I probably was given that starting spot and didn’t have to work for it,” Russell told reporters after Wednesday’s game. “I don’t really know about now, if I worked for it or whatnot, but I’m not going to try to give (Scott) a reason to bench me again.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lakers SF Kobe Bryant has struggled in two games against the Grizzlies this season, averaging 16 points on 11-of-29 shooting.
2. Memphis SF P.J. Hairston scored 17 points on Wednesday after having just two in each of his first two games upon being acquired from the Charlotte Hornets.
3. Los Angeles SG Jordan Clarkson made six 3-pointers while scoring 28 points on Wednesday and is averaging 21 points over the past five games.
PREDICTION: Grizzlies 109, Lakers 103