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**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

3-pointer: Crowded East greets March
By Tony Mejia

In this space last week, we detailed the need for Memphis, Houston and Sacramento to ramp up their intensity level due to Utah and Portland unexpectedly emerging as potential locks to land among the Western Conference’s top eight. This week, we’ll take a look at the East squads that need to beef up their intensity level.

Spoiler alert: there are far more than three candidates.

While the Cavs and Raptors appear locked in a two-team race for the No. 1 seed, the only teams that don’t currently harbor postseason aspirations are woeful Brooklyn and Philadelphia. To properly illustrate how bunched up all these East teams are, third-place Boston opened Tuesday 11 games up on 13th-place New York. There’s basically a four-way tie for spots Nos. 6-9, while Washington and Orlando are a mere winning streak away from crashing the party.

Outside of the phenomenally-coached Celtics, who seem to keep an even keel in following Brad Stevens’ lead, the crop of East playoff contenders can be separated into three categories: the panicked old guard, those currently surging, and lastly, longshots with little to lose.

Panicked Old Guard

Paul George entered the week questioning the toughness of his Indiana teammates. More accurately, he said there’s no backbone at all.

“There’s no toughness,” George told the Indianapolis Star following Sunday’s 111-102 home loss to Portland. “If you look at playoff teams 1-8, that’s one thing that every team has in common. That’s what we’ve got to find.”

Indiana gave up 117 points to Charlotte just before the All-Star break and, according to George, teams with shooters “spread us out and they do what they want with us.” Despite making a concerted effort to play faster, the Pacers have been as successful as they’ve been over the past few seasons because they lock down defensively. It appears they’ve taken a step back guarding the perimeter without Roy Hibbert around as a security blanket to protect the rim, which allowed defenders to be more aggressive in closing out on shooters.

They followed up George’s tough talk with a strong effort in Monday’s loss at Cleveland, but covering the spread only helped Pacers backers, not the team’s playoff aspirations. The game started a stretch where six of Indiana’s next seven games will be played on the road. Its only home game will come against San Antonio on March 7, so things could get away quickly unless they take George’s challenge to heart and respond. If they don’t, implosion awaits.

Chicago continues to hang around despite Derrick Rose joining Jimmy Butler in a fancy suit on the team’s bench due to hamstring trouble. Rose is expected to play in the team’s road games this week at Miami and Orlando to open March, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. While Doug McDermott has played extremely well given increased touches, the Bulls could be without enough ammunition to survive this Florida trip, which would knock them back to .500 with just 22 games to go.

The Heat are still holding out hope that they’ll get Chris Bosh back from his blood clot issue at some point before the season ends, but Plan B is well underway. Joe Johnson has been plucked off the waiver wire after being bought out by the Nets and will be starting in a veteran-laden lineup featuring point guard Goran Dragic and fellow former All-Stars Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng and Amar’e Stoudemire. Erik Spoelstra is adjusting on the fly, but does have the luxury of difference-makers in Hassan Whiteside and elite rookie defenders Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson on the second unit. If Josh McRoberts can stay healthy and remain productive, Miami has enough to win the Southeast Division even if Bosh doesn’t return. The schedule these next couple of weeks should also help its cause, starting with depleted Chicago coming into town on Tuesday before a date with the awful Suns and a home-and-home with the 76ers. The Heat are working with a deck they never anticipated being dealt, but in the midst of making the best of it. Their first game together produced a 98-81 win over New York, so the addition of Johnson may make the Heat a half-court team prone to unders, further wrestling away control from Dragic, who wants to play faster. Keep an eye on this.

Finally, there’s Atlanta, whose team reached the conference finals for the first time ever last May. After getting swept by the Cavs, watching DeMarre Carroll walk in free agency and starting slow this season, the Hawks were almost broken up at the trade deadline. Jeff Teague was shopped, while Al Horford was available. Both stayed put, but they were on the market could create an uncomfortable atmosphere going forward, especially if there are tough times. The best thing that can happen to the Hawks is an extended winning streak that re-ignites their flame, but they begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday at Golden State that also features games against both L.A. teams, Utah and Toronto. Extending their modest two-game winning streak is going to be dicey since the Hawks figure to be underdogs in four of those five. Atlanta is 0-3 SU and ATS in games it hasn’t been favored in so far in 2016.

Surging

The Wizards hoped they were going to be able to make up ground after the All-Star break due to the league’s lightest schedule, but seeing it come to fruition with wins in six of their first eight (5-3 ATS) is definitely gratifying. They’ll always be winning in spite of head coach Randy Wittman’s presence, but John Wall is playing the best basketball of his career, not to mention more talent on the roster with Markieff Morris on board and Bradley Beal now healthy. They’ll hit the road for five of the next six, including a rematch at Cleveland and contests at every Northwest Division team but Oklahoma City.

The Pistons came out of the break with consecutive losses, but won and covered their final four games of February, a stretch that included victories over the East-leading Cavs and Raptors. Detroit will open March in San Antonio to begin a run of six of seven games on the road, so Stan Van Gundy will have to get a little extra from his young team in order to stay on pace. So far, they’re just 13-18 (13-17-1 ATS) outside of Auburn Hills.

Although it closed out the month with a loss at Atlanta, Charlotte went 8-3 in February and opens March against lightweights Phoenix and Philadelphia. The Hornets will be home for 11 of their first 13 games in the month and have Al Jefferson back as a factor off the bench, so they’re one of the deeper teams in the East despite losing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the season. We’ll see whether the Bees have some killer instinct to them. Charlotte is 19-9 at home, the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference, so this is certainly the time for it to create some separation and cement itself as a playoff team.

Longshots

Orlando, Milwaukee and New York can make things interesting for its respective fan bases if it can run off a few victories in early March, but there’s less pressure on all of these franchises. The Magic cleared cap space to be a player in free agency and have stability in place in the front office and on the coaching staff with Scott Skiles still in his first year. Young talented pieces Victor Oladipo, Nik Vucevic and Aaron Gordon have made great strides over the past few weeks.

The same can be said about the Bucks, a team that saw Jabari Parker score a career-high 36 points while Giannis Antentokoumpo went for 18-17-11 in Monday’s win over the Rockets. Milwaukee is also blessed with one of the longest-tenured GMs in the game in John Hammond, and has Jason Kidd firmly entrenched as head coach.

Phil Jackson will get at least another season to try and turn around the Knicks, faced with a coaching hire to make this offseason if Kurt Rambis doesn’t prove he deserves the job over the next six weeks. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis has appeased disgruntled New York fans with his emergence, but there’s still not enough around Carmelo Anthony to expect a playoff appearance.

Orlando will be on the road for five of its first seven to open the month, while Milwaukee will be home for eight of the next 10. Following Tuesday’s home date against Portland, the Knicks will play at Boston, return home for Detroit and head to the West Coast for over a week, likely ending their chances to qualify for the postseason.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Jazz (28-33) at Pelicans (23-37)

Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While the Utah Jazz's longest losing streak in 15 months has delivered a major blow their playoff chances, the New Orleans Pelicans' slide has all but put an end to theirs.

Facing the club that started their fall from a postseason spot, the visiting Jazz hope to avoid their sixth consecutive defeat Saturday night against the injury-ravaged Pelicans.

Utah appeared to be headed to its first playoff appearance since 2011-12 on Feb. 9 when a season-high seven-game winning streak put it seventh in the Western Conference.

Anthony Davis took it upon himself to halt that run the next night, hitting a hook shot and a 3-pointer in the final minute of New Orleans' 100-96 home victory. Starting with that contest, the Jazz have dropped eight of 10 to fall two games out of postseason position.

Gordon Hayward had 18 points and Rudy Gobert added 13 and 18 rebounds Friday when Utah (28-33) led by as many as 14 but couldn't hold on in a 94-88 loss at Memphis. The club's five-game losing streak is its longest since dropping nine in a row from Nov. 21-Dec. 8, 2014.

'Our guys hurt,' coach Quin Snyder said after the team's third stop on a four-game trip.

Utah's biggest struggles have been offensively as they've averaged just 90.2 points on 41.6 percent shooting during the slide. Rodney Hood has scored 9.8 per game with a 30.8 field-goal percentage in his last five after averaging 19.9 points in the prior 15.

The Pelicans (23-37) had been within 5 1/2 games of a postseason spot after a 5-2 push capped by an impressive 123-119 home win over Oklahoma City on Feb. 25. However, they've since lost three in a row to fall into 12th place and 6 1/2 back with only 22 remaining.

New Orleans seemed to have San Antonio on the ropes Thursday before the Spurs closed out the contest with a 12-0 run over the final 3:10 for a 94-86 road win. The Pelicans also lost a six-point lead in the final five minutes of Wednesday's 100-95 loss at Houston.

'We have to find a way to figure out who we can go to at the end of the game that can get us those baskets,' coach Alvin Gentry said.

Eric Gordon has been a bright spot, averaging 22.7 points while hitting 11 of 24 from 3-point range in three games since missing 16 because of a broken finger. Davis has scored just 17 per game on 43.3 percent shooting in his last four while trying to overcome a toe injury.

The Pelicans have already lost Quincy Pondexter, Tyreke Evans and Bryce Dejean-Jones to season-ending injuries. Now Alexis Ajinca is sidelined indefinitely because of a fractured sternum, while fellow center Omer Asik is questionable with a sprained ankle.

Still, New Orleans will try to begin a late run by winning its third straight against Utah.

Davis has an opportunity to set a franchise record with his 128th game of at least 10 points and 10 boards. He's averaged 29.2 on 62.8 percent and 10.2 in his last five meetings with the Jazz.

Derrick Favors did not play in Utah's 101-87 home win Nov. 28, but he's totaled 51 points on 21-of-30 shooting in the past two matchups.

The Jazz have lost 16 of 20 on the road and seven of the past nine at New Orleans.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Celtics (38-25) at Cavaliers (43-17)

Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

For all the talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers playing faster under Tyronn Lue, they've been at their best when they're moving at a more deliberate pace.

Quite the opposite for the Boston Celtics.

Tempo could be key in deciding Saturday night's winner in Cleveland in the final regular-season meeting between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

Last season's first-round series was played at a pace more to the Cavaliers' liking, an average of 95.9 possessions per 48 minutes that suited the league's sixth-slowest team much more than its fifth fastest and unsurprisingly led to a Cleveland sweep.

Those extremes have become greater in 2015-16, with Boston (38-25) third in the league in pace (101.4 possessions) and Cleveland at 29th (95.3) with nothing more than a tiny uptick since David Blatt was fired.

It's hard to argue with either's preference. The Cavaliers (43-17) are 37-8 when using fewer than 100 possessions while the Celtics are 12-5 when at 105 or more.

There were 92 possessions when Cleveland suffocated Boston in an 89-77 win at TD Garden on Dec. 15 - the Celtics' 32.2 percent shooting remains their worst in the last two seasons - but 102 on Feb. 5.

That game came down to the final one, when Avery Bradley's 3 at the buzzer capped a comeback from four points down with seven seconds left in a 104-103 victory that remains Boston's most impressive of an outstanding seven-week stretch.

The Celtics are 19-6 since Jan. 13 after rallying from eight down in the final four minutes to beat New York 105-104 on Friday, capping a five-game homestand with their 13th straight win at TD Garden.

"The sky's the limit," Evan Turner said after scoring 21 points off the bench. "... I think when it comes down to a four-game series and all of us are healthy and everything, I think we'll give a lot of teams a lot of problems."

The Cavs are 16-8 since Boston's jumping-off point in mid-January, with off-the-court question marks serving as a sideshow to their somewhat inconsistent play.

They put together one of their more complete performances in a while Friday despite resting Kevin Love, who sat out as Cleveland kicked off a stretch of seven games in 11 days across four time zones but was hardly missed in a 108-83 rout of Washington.

With their stretch-4 out, the Cavs went with a smaller lineup. LeBron James started at power forward and Iman Shumpert played the 3, and James matched a season high with 13 boards while still dishing out seven assists and scoring 19 points.

"It worked to our favor for sure," James said. "Our offense is a lot faster, a little bit more precise with me at the four. I'm going to be setting a lot more transition and half-court pick and rolls. I know I can either get my guy open or if they put two on the ball I'm able to make a play, able to be a quarterback."

Lue said Love will likely see time at center Saturday, but banging down low against Boston can't sound too appealing to him. After his postseason ended following Kelly Olynyk's Game 4 shoulder yank, Love exited last month's loss with a thigh bruise that ultimately didn't prove to be serious.

Kyrie Irving has averaged 22.4 points in five games in this series since the playoff opener, while the Celtics' star point guard hasn't been able to find his shot. Isaiah Thomas, who has totaled 62 points in his last two games, is shooting just 31.7 percent in nine against the Cavs since arriving in Boston at last season's trade deadline.

"This team, they got a curse on me," Thomas said after finishing with 22 points but shooting 5 for 19 last month. "With this team, nothing falls for me. Hopefully the next time we play them I have even a better game."

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Pacers (32-30) at Wizards (30-31)

Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Despite a rough loss in their last game, the Washington Wizards have surged into the Eastern Conference playoff hunt and have a shot to close in on a team they're chasing.

The Wizards sit just below the postseason cutoff in the East's 10th spot ahead of Saturday night's home matchup against the Indiana Pacers, whose hold on seventh place should be considered tentative with a slew of tough opponents on the horizon.

Washington (30-31) lost nine of 13 entering the All-Star break but has gone 7-3 since to pull within one game of eighth-place Detroit and one and a half of Indiana (32-30) in the standings. Chicago is also giving chase and sits a half-game above in ninth.

The good news is that the upcoming schedules for the Pistons and Pacers aren't favorable. After this contest, Indiana faces a tough six-game stretch that features San Antonio, Toronto and Oklahoma City, while five of Detroit's next six are on the road.

The Wizards, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to climb the ladder if those teams stumble through those slates. Washington gets to face sub.-500 teams Utah, Denver, Philadelphia and New York over its next seven games following the Pacers.

Getting off to a good start against Indiana is paramount, and making things tough on Paul George should be the key.

George scored 40 points on 14-of-19 shooting, including 7 of 8 from 3-point range, in a 123-106 win in D.C. on Nov. 24, but when the teams met in Indianapolis on Jan. 15, he scored 21 but shot 6 of 19 and went 1 for 7 from long range in a 118-104 loss.

John Wall was the star for the Wizards that night with 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting, eight assists and seven rebounds after taking only nine shots and finishing with 18 points and five assists in the November loss.

Washington's recent four-game winning streak featured two weak opponents - the 76ers and twice and one against Minnesota - but it couldn't duplicate the biggest of the bunch in Friday's rematch with Cleveland. After beating the Cavaliers 113-99 in the nation's capital Sunday, the Wizards were throttled 108-83 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The point total was their lowest since a 97-75 loss to Miami on Jan. 3 and ended a six-game stretch of topping 100. Wall shot the ball well, going 8 of 14 with 17 points and seven assists, but the rest of his teammates were at 35.8 percent.

"It's not a step back," Wall said. "It's just an old-fashioned tail-whipping. That's what they gave us."

Wall may again have a chance to put up big numbers against the Pacers, who had a hard time containing another All-Star caliber point guard Friday, allowing Kemba Walker to dictate the pace with 33 points and 10 assists in Charlotte's 108-101 victory.

Wall has seemingly had his way with Indiana, averaging 24.2 points and 7.3 assists in the last six meetings while shooting 52.4 percent or better in five of them, but his strong play in those games has only resulted in a 3-3 split.

George had a strong line Friday with 35 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, but he scored only six in the fourth quarter. He also didn't get much help from George Hill and Monta Ellis, who shot a combined 10 of 31 for 27 points.

"We failed to get stops and failed to score," coach Frank Vogel said after Indiana was outscored 28-19 in the fourth to lose its fourth in five games after a 8-4 span.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Pistons (31-30) at Knicks (25-38)

Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Stan Van Gundy knows the key to the Detroit Pistons success has to do with ball movement. A matchup with a crumbling opponent should also help.

The injury-riddled Pistons look to do a better job of sharing the ball Saturday night when they try to capitalize on a meeting with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Detroit (31-30) is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008-09. The Pistons have a tenuous hold on eighth place in the Eastern Conference, one-half game ahead of Chicago and one in front of Washington.

Their attempt to widen that gap fell short Wednesday as their season high-tying four-game win streak ended with a 97-81 loss at San Antonio. Detroit was held to 30 points on 9-for-36 shooting in the second half, while totaling five assists compared to 14 in the opening 24 minutes.

The Pistons are last in the NBA in assists percentage at 49.6.

"All I know is when it starts for us, a lot of times it never stops," Van Gundy told the team's official website of the lack of ball movement. "Once one guy's not moving it, then the next guy's not moving it and then we're ending up in a one-on-one game. I don't know why it starts, but when it does we have a hard time getting ourselves out of it."

Injuries are posing another problem with Stanley Johnson (shoulder), Anthony Tolliver (knee) and Jodie Meeks still out. Tolliver has missed five games and Johnson four, while Meeks is nearing a return from a broken foot suffered in October.

With all the injuries, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond are under even more pressure to produce. Jackson was limited to 11 points on 4 for 13 from the field Wednesday after averaging 23.0 on 54.3 percent in his previous five games.

Drummond, meanwhile, had his career-high streak of 13 straight double-doubles snapped with nine points and 14 rebounds.

Both had little trouble in a 111-105 win over the Knicks on Feb. 4. Jackson scored 21 points, while Drummond had 17 and 13.

Detroit has won five of seven against New York with a 54.2 assists percentage.

The Knicks (25-38) are on their way to missing the playoffs for a third straight season thanks to a 3-16 stretch during which they've surrendered 104.8 points.

They squandered an eight-point lead in the final 3 1/2 minutes Friday in a 105-104 loss at Boston.

"We have to build better habits," guard Arron Afflalo said. "It's our shot selection and turnovers, uncharacteristic turnovers - whether it be from myself or anyone else. ... The more we minimize those things the better we will be."

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points Friday and is averaging 26.0 in his last three games, but was held to 19 while missing 14 of 18 shots against the Pistons last month.

Offense has been hard to come by lately at home for New York, which has lost eight of nine at MSG while averaging 93.6 points on 41.4 percent shooting.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Nets (18-44) at Timberwolves (19-43)

Date: March 05, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Brooklyn Nets don't often present matchup problems but are coming off one of their better offensive efforts of the season.

They're also heading into a meeting with a team that seems incapable of limiting anyone, and Saturday night's stop in Minnesota threatens the Timberwolves with their seventh losing streak of at least four games this season.

Making its sixth stop on a season-high nine-game trip, Brooklyn (18-44) needed overtime for Friday's 121-120 win in Denver but shot 50.5 percent and made 13 of 22 from 3-point range.

Over a 6-6 span during the last month, the Nets have averaged 105.1 points on 47.8 percent shooting overall and 44.1 from beyond the arc after managing 95.6 on 44.7 and 32.8 in 50 games until that point.

"We had so many great looks from 3 over the course of the game," Brook Lopez told the team's official website. "Definitely in the first half and it really opened things up for us and got us a lot of stuff inside."

That included Lopez's tip-in with 0.4 seconds left in overtime as the Nets, whose next stops are Toronto and Philadelphia, gave themselves a chance to match or improve on the four away wins they had in 23 games before this trip in a single road stretch.

They're also trying for consecutive wins of any kind for the second time in six games after going their previous 35 without stringing wins together.

That's due in part to some fresh faces contributing. Markel Brown scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and hit 3 of 4 from long range with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and is averaging 17.2 in five straight games as a starter.

"I was just playing in the flow of the game," Brown said. "The bigs set awesome screens, there was a road to the basket and I was able find on the pocket pass. We made open shots and it opened up the inside."

Minnesota won 100-85 in Brooklyn on Dec. 20 behind 24 points and 10 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Since the start of February, the Timberwolves (19-43) have allowed an average of 112.3 points in 13 games - all ending in regulation - on 48.7 percent overall and 38.4 from 3-point range. The last six have hit at least 10 3-pointers, and the Bucks went 14 of 24 in Friday's 116-101 final in Milwaukee. Minnesota's last three opponents have shot at least 50.0 percent overall.

"They have to understand, every single night you've got to earn it, you don't get to sleepwalk your way through 20, 25 minutes of the game and then decide you've got to play," coach Sam Mitchell said.

There's also the matter of turnovers with Minnesota averaging 17.7 in the last six games, including a season-high 26 against the Bucks.

"That's something that obviously we've got to fix," said Towns, the February Rookie of the Month who's averaged 21.4 points and 11.9 rebounds over his last 19 games.

"You can't beat teams like this, especially a team that was a playoff team last year, looking to be a playoff team this year, with those kinds of mistakes happening over and over and over again."

Zach LaVine has started the last four games and averaged 19.0 points.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Kings (25-35) at Spurs (52-9)

Date: March 05, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

A sparkling record, an absurdly long home winning streak and Kawhi Leonard as an MVP candidate continue to go seemingly unrecognized compared to that one team from northern California.

Too bad it's the other one coming to San Antonio on Saturday night, and the Sacramento Kings aren't expected to get in the way of the Spurs improving to 30-0 at home.

Sacramento did end a 22-game losing streak in Dallas with a 104-101 victory Thursday. But that came against a Mavericks team just trying to reach the playoffs, whereas the Spurs (52-9) wrapped up a berth this week.

That wasn't a surprising achievement but impressive nonetheless because it came with six weeks left in the season, though it came days after Golden State clinched. San Antonio's record at this point is the best in franchise history but 3 1/2 games worse than a Warriors team on pace for the best in NBA history.

Plus, Golden State tied Chicago's league record for the longest regular-season home winning streak at 44 on Thursday, leaving San Antonio's run of 38 straight an afterthought. Still, that streak is tied for fourth-best all-time with Boston's run from 1985-86. And since the Warriors have played three fewer home games, it's the Spurs who could join the 1995-96 Bulls and Orlando Magic as the only teams to open a season 30-0 at home.

While Stephen Curry remains the MVP favorite, Leonard might be in line for runner-up. His 48.4 3-point percentage tops Curry (46.5) and everyone else, but Leonard's scoring average of 20.8 is nearly 10 below Curry. Leonard, though, is significantly better on defense, and his worth at that end has been further proven since the All-Star break.

He missed the first three games with a calf injury as the Spurs allowed 109.7 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting. In five games since he returned, they have surrendered averages of 86.2 points and 40.8 percent as Leonard has totaled 12 steals.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been just as good offensively, with at least 27 points in four consecutive games while shooting 59.7 percent. His 3-pointer with 35 seconds left Thursday sealed a 30-point night and a 94-86 win in New Orleans.

'I'm just playing in the flow of the game. It doesn't matter what quarter it is. I'm going to play the right basketball so we can get the right shots,' Leonard said.

He's forming quite a tandem with LaMarcus Aldridge, averaging 25.0 points and 11.3 rebounds in the last three games. Aldridge is scoring 21.1 per game since the beginning of February after averaging 15.8 in his first 43 games with San Antonio.

'Being able to play with him ... I see how good he really is and I'm just starting to learn more about him,' Leonard said.

Despite the two All-Stars combining to shoot 7 for 27, San Antonio had little trouble winning 108-92 in Sacramento on Feb. 24. Tony Parker had 23 points, a star who scored only two Thursday.

'It's tough to defend them because they don't have a one-man ego person. I mean that team is a team,' Kings coach George Karl said. "... They have a lot of weapons."

The Kings (25-35) have lost both meetings as Aldridge helped limit DeMarcus Cousins to 30.2 percent shooting and 21.5 points - 5.5 below his season average.

Cousins' 16.9 career mark against the Spurs is his third-lowest versus any opponent, one reason Sacramento has lost 26 of 28 in the series.

Rajon Rondo had 18 assists in last week's matchup, part of a 10-game stretch in which he's averaged 14.1, but he shot 3 for 10. Rondo was 8 of 14 for 18 points Thursday as the Kings improved to 11-4 when shoots better than 50 percent.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Rockets (30-31) at Bulls (30-30)

Date: March 05, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Having fallen out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls are hoping the expected return of Jimmy Butler will inject some life into their fading playoff hopes.

The problem with that is the Bulls weren't playing that great before Butler's injury.

Butler looks to help Chicago avoid dropping under .500 this late in a season for the first time in six years when it hosts the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

While his teammates were in Florida suffering a pair of blowout losses, Butler put the finishing touches on his rehab for a sprained left knee. The coaching staff reportedly won't be monitoring his minutes in his first game action since Feb. 5.

The Bulls (30-30) lost that night and then dropped eight of the next 11. Another defeat and they'll fall under .500 after 60 games for the first time since they were 40-41 on April 13, 2010.

While Chicago will certainly welcome the return of Butler, who averages a team-leading 22.4 points and is one of the league's premier defenders, its struggles began long before the two-time All-Star went down.

The Bulls lost 10 of the last 14 games Butler played, averaging 99.8 points in those contests. They're averaging 101.4 points in his absence but their defense has really taken a step back.

Chicago has yielded at least 100 points in 15 consecutive games, its longest such streak since allowing opponents to reach triple digits in 25 straight contests in Michael Jordan's second season of 1985-86.

A night after facing an 11-point first quarter-deficit in a 129-111 loss to Miami, the Bulls fell behind by 14 less than 10 minutes into Wednesday's 102-89 defeat to Orlando.

'It's frustrating because we dig ourselves a hole again coming out of the gate,' coach Fred Hoiberg said. 'It's a trend that must stop if you want to make any kind of push. ... We've got 22 games left to figure this out.'

The Bulls will be tested by the high-powered Rockets (30-31), who have averaged 117.5 points in their last four road games and managed to reach the century mark Wednesday even though they had an historically bad shooting performance.

By going 3 of 35 from 3-point range, Houston became the first team in NBA history to make fewer than four 3s on 30 or more attempts, but still beat New Orleans 100-95.

James Harden went 1 of 9 on 3-pointers but was 10 of 15 from inside the arc while making 16 of 18 free throws to led all scorers with 39.

The Rockets, who trailed by nine in the second half, clamped down defensively late to pull away, limiting the Pelicans to 19 points while forcing five turnovers in the fourth quarter.

'Even though our shots weren't falling, we still relied on our defense, and that's what got us the win,' said Harden, averaging 36.0 points in the last five games.

Houston improved to 13-3 when allowing 100 or fewer points. The Bulls have averaged 90.7 in three of the four games during their losing streak.

Derrick Rose picked up the scoring slack for a while when Butler was out, averaging 26.0 points over a three-game stretch, but sat out the next three with a hamstring injury. He has totaled 33 points in two games since returning.

'There are no excuses,' Rose said. 'The season is not over. We still have a shot to be in the playoffs. This is foreign ground to a lot of us. We've got to find ways to make it up.'

The Rockets, holding onto eighth place in the West, have won five of seven against the Bulls.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Hawks (34-28) at Clippers (40-20)

Date: March 05, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Blake Griffin is nearing a return, but the Los Angeles Clippers have done just fine without him.

The Clippers may need to overcome Griffin's absence again as they go for a four-game winning streak Saturday night against the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Griffin has missed 34 games with a torn left quad and a broken hand he sustained when he punched a member of the Clippers' equipment staff in January.

The All-Star power forward is showing signs that a return is near, participating in a pregame warmup Wednesday in Oklahoma City. However, he remained out and watched the Clippers erase a 22-point deficit to beat the Thunder 103-98.

Coach Doc Rivers speculated that Griffin hasn't been cleared by doctors yet.

"That's probably why he's not playing," Rivers told the team's official website. "My guess is that he's healthy, but the hand doctor probably has not cleared him for contact as far as getting hit. That's the only thing. Honestly, watching him (Wednesday), I was thinking that has to be the only reason is they're worried it's not healed properly yet.

"That's the only thing I can come up with."

Griffin is averaging 23.2 points and 8.7 rebounds, but Los Angeles (40-20) hasn't missed him much during a 23-7 stretch in which it has scored 107.7 points per game.

Chris Paul has been vital to that production, averaging 21.8 points and 10.3 assists with Griffin out. He's been even better with 28.0 points and 12.7 assists per game while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor during a three-game winning streak.

Paul, however, had 11 points and missed 10 of 15 from the field at Atlanta on Jan. 27, but Jamal Crawford picked up the slack with 21 points, while DeAndre Jordan added 13 with 19 rebounds.

Crawford is averaging 19.8 points over the last four games, and his 14.0 season mark gives his a chance to become the NBA's first to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the third time.

"It's never happened before, so I honestly don't know," Crawford said. "I'm so locked in just trying to get wins. I mean, obviously those types of things come when you're winning."

The Hawks (34-28) have won three of their last four, yielding an average of 80.3 points on 34.6 percent shooting and 21.5 from long range in the victories.

Atlanta dominated the Los Angeles Lakers in every facet Friday, forcing them to shoot just 5 of 27 from 3-point range en route to a 106-77 win and the club's first sweep of the season series since 1973-74.

The Hawks, who shot 28.9 percent from beyond the arc in their previous five games, went 13 of 28 from deep and outscored the Lakers 27-2 on the fast break.

"When you start making 3s and then transitioning quickly, then you're scoring and getting stops, then getting another one on top of it, it can add up quickly," coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Balanced scoring isn't new for Atlanta, which has five players averaging double-digits on the season. That includes reserve Dennis Schroder, who has put up 15.6 points per game over the last eight while connecting on 54.1 percent of his shots.

The guard, however, is averaging 5.8 points in four career meetings with the Clippers after scoring seven in January.

Jeff Teague had 16 points and Paul Millsap had 14 with 12 boards in that meeting as every Hawks starter scored at least 12. Millsap, though, has averaged 18.7 points in the past six matchups with the Clippers.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 08:00 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Pace of play is simply your first stop when betting NBA totals
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

At times, we as human beings have the unfortunate habit of making life more difficult than necessary.

The various technological advancements made around the planet may have presented us with intriguing, time-saving opportunities such as the ability to order booze and cigarettes to our front doorsteps (an app we have here in San Francisco that I'm still not sure how to feel about), but we still require 45 minutes of precious time in order to herd 100 people onto an airplane and into their respective seats. Seriously, have you ever noticed how long it takes humanity to both embark and debark an aircraft?

Stand up, grab your bag, walk 50 feet. That process shouldn't take 10 minutes for each individual passenger.

Life doesn’t always need to be this complicated. And while the abundance of data and other forms of information available to the sportsbooks has made Las Vegas sharper than ever, it has also presented an opportunity for sports bettors to become more sophisticated in the ways of the trade. You don’t always need to unearth a trend that is hitting at 87 percent in order to pick a winner. Sometimes worthwhile data exists within just a few keystrokes, completely free of charge.

John Hollinger currently serves as the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, but he used to work as an analyst at ESPN where he created a proprietary NBA metric known as Player Efficiency Rating (PER) that helped lead to his hiring in Memphis. But the impact Hollinger made at the Worldwide Leader was significant enough for ESPN to create an NBA information page known as “Hollinger Team Statistics” that just so happens to include a statistic we have found to be quite useful in our daily pro hoops handicapping this season.

“Pace” is a metric defined as the number of possessions a team uses per game. For example, the Chicago Bulls have a pace metric of 98.9 this season, which means Derrick Rose and company are averaging 98.9 offensive possessions per game during the 2015-2016 season. For some perspective, a pace metric of 98.9 currently ranks 11th in the NBA.

Pace is significant because it’s simple to understand, yet tells a very detailed and important story. The higher the pace, the more possessions a team has. The more possessions a team has, the more opportunities said team has to shoot the basketball and score points. The more points a team scores, the more like the Over hits by the sound of the final buzzer.

Here’s a breakdown of the Top 5 and Bottom 5 NBA teams this season in terms of Pace (as of Thursday afternoon), as well as each team’s overall over/under record, over/under record for the last ten games and money won or lost had you bet every single over (for the top-five teams) or under (for the bottom-five teams) this season, based on a $110 wager to win $100.

TOP 5 NBA TEAMS IN PACE

*Note: Over/under records list the “Over” first, followed by the Under, followed by ties.

Sacramento Kings: 102.4 (1), 31-27-1, 8-2, +$130
Golden State Warriors: 102.2 (2), 35-24, 6-4, +$860
Boston Celtics: 101.4 (3), 31-31, 7-3, -$310
Phoenix Suns: 100.4 (4), 31-28-1, 6-4, +$20
Washington Wizards: 100.3 (5), 31-27-2, 4-6, +$130

Not only are each of the Top 5 NBA teams in terms of Pace at .500 or better when it comes to betting their respective Overs, but with the exception of the Wizards, each club has continued to churn out respectable results over their last 10 games. Of this group, only the Celtics have failed to turn a profit for fans of the Over.

So how do things shake down for the five teams that rank at the bottom of the NBA in terms of Pace? For these teams, are the Unders hitting as frequently as the Overs are hitting for the top-five franchises?

BOTTOM 5 NBA TEAMS IN PACE

*Note: Over/under records list the “Under” first, followed by the Over, followed by ties.

Utah Jazz: 93.4 (30), 33-26-1, 4-6, +$440
Cleveland Cavaliers: 95.2 (29), 31-28, 6-4, +$20
Toronto Raptors: 95.3 (28), 27-31-1, 3-7, -$710
Memphis Grizzlies: 95.4 (t-27), 27-32-1, 4-6, -$820
Miami Heat: 95.4 (t-27), 37-22-1, 5-5, +$1,280

While the results are not nearly as dominant with the Bottom 5 teams and their respective Unders as they are with the Top 5 teams and their respective Overs, it’s still clear that teams with a slower pace are scoring fewer points and cashing more Under tickets almost as frequently as the teams with a faster pace are scoring more points and cashing more Over tickets.

On a micro scale, just look at the Sacramento Kings - the team with the fastest pace - and compare them with the Utah Jazz - the team with the slowest pace. There’s a direct correlation here: teams with more possessions score more points and cash more Overs. Teams with fewer possessions score fewer points and cash more Under tickets.

This is the point in the story where we note that you can never rely solely on just one slice of intel when preparing to place a wager. The goal here is simply to identify helpful pieces of information that, when put together, present an accurate and insightful picture to handicap NBA games.

Pace is clearly an important tool when handicapping NBA totals. But you’ll also have to analyze the opponent, the schedule and other integral factors in the build-up to your final decision.

That is, assuming you have enough time to devote to such an endeavor after waiting 45 minutes to exit the plane.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 08:00 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 5 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

How well do you remember the 2008 NBA Draft? There were two clear favorites to go No. 1 overall that year: Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose and Kansas State freshman forward Michael Beasley. You have to remember, big men were still somewhat preferred then with all things being equal. And some scouts definitely would have taken Beasley No. 1. But the Chicago Bulls improbably won the lottery and didn't think twice about taking the hometown Rose. Sadly, it looks like neither player's career will live up to expectations. Rose was Hall of Fame-caliber great for a few years but can't stay healthy (as it turns out, Bulls should have taken Russell Westbrook). Beasley was never very good and out of the league for a while but is back after signing with Houston on Thursday fresh off being named MVP of the Chinese Basketball Association. So maybe we will see Rose and Beasley for a rare time on the same court Saturday night.

Celtics at Cavaliers (TBA)

Cleveland hosted Washington on Friday. Keep in mind that Coach Tyronn Lue has said he will rest LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and/or Kevin Love when possible going forward. Not saying he will do so with one here in the second of a back-to-back especially at home against a good team. But maybe -- early reports are Love will sit out Friday's game instead. Boston hosted New York on Friday. This is the final regular-season meeting between the Celtics and Cavs. They have split the first two, each winning at home.

Key trends: The road team is 5-0 against the spread in the past five meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in the past five.

Early lean: Wait and see which Cavs play.

Pistons at Knicks (+4, 198.5)

New York was in Boston on Friday. Detroit's four-game winning streak ended with a 97-81 loss at San Antonio on Wednesday. The Pistons' Andre Drummond was held to nine points -- but did have 14 rebounds -- to see his NBA season-high streak of 13 straight double-doubles end. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was held to four points. The Knicks and Pistons have each won at home against one another this season. Detroit has lost 10 of the last 12 games on the road against New York.

Key trends: The Pistons have covered only six of the past 21 in the series. The over is 4-0 in the past four.

Early lean: Pistons and over.

Pacers at Wizards (-2.5, 208)

Washington was in Cleveland on Friday, while Indiana was in Charlotte. This is the final meeting of the season between Indiana and Washington and thus could prove an important playoff tiebreaker. They have split the first two, each winning on the road. In the Pacers' win in D.C., they set a franchise record while making 19 3-pointers and shooting 73.1 percent from long range, an NBA record for a team that made at least 19.

Key trends: The Pacers are 6-0 in their past six in D.C. The over is 6-0 in the past six meetings overall.

Early lean: Wizards and over.

Jazz at Pelicans (pick'em, 199)

Utah was in Memphis on Friday. New Orleans lost a third straight Thursday, 94-86 at home to San Antonio. It was the third straight game the Pelicans blew a fourth-quarter lead. New Orleans missed its final six shots in this one. Anthony Davis finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Omer Asik (sprained right ankle) and Alexis Ajinca (fractured sternum) both sat out, and Ajinca is out weeks. New Orleans leads the season series against Utah 2-1.

Key trends: The Jazz are 4-1-1 ATS in their past five at New Orleans. The over is 8-2 in the past 10 meetings.

Early lean: Pelicans and under.

Nets at Timberwolves (-4.5, 214)

Brooklyn was in Denver and Minnesota in Milwaukee on Friday. The Timberwolves won in Brooklyn 100-85 on Dec. 20. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Gorgui Dieng added 20 points with 10 boards. Brook Lopez topped the Nets with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Minnesota has won nine of the past 13 meetings overall. It did lose at home last season to Brooklyn, however.

Key trends: The road team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over has hit in eight of Minnesota's past 10 in the second of a back-to-back.

Early lean: Timberwolves and over.

Rockets at Bulls (+1.5, 216)

This is the Saturday night ABC game of the week and should have live betting at sportsbooks. Probably not the matchup ABC was hoping for when the schedule came out. The Rockets and Bulls were both fringe title contenders last year but are fighting for their playoffs lives this year. Houston ended a two-game losing streak with a 100-95 win over New Orleans on Wednesday despite shooting a ridiculous 3-for-34 from 3-point range, an NBA record for futility. James Harden led Houston with 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Chicago's free-fall continued with a 102-89 loss in Orlando on Wednesday, the Bulls' fourth straight defeat. They played without an injured Taj Gibson, and he's questionable here. Cameron Bairstow actually started. That's how bad things are right now in the Windy City. But there is some good news coming: All-Star guard Jimmy Butler is likely to return Saturday after missing 11 games with a knee injury. This is the first meeting of the season. Houston has lost five of its past seven in Chicago.

Key trends: The home team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The over is 5-0 in the past five in Chicago.

Early lean: Rockets and over -- even if Butler plays, he's not 100 percent yet.

Kings at Spurs (-12.5, 209.5)

Sacramento ended a four-game losing streak with a very surprising 104-101 win in Dallas on Thursday. Rajon Rondo had 18 points and 12 assists in his first game back in Dallas after last season's debacle, and DeMarcus Cousins also had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Sacramento had lost 22 straight regular-season games in Big D. San Antonio won a seventh straight Thursday, 94-86 over New Orleans. Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs clinched a playoff spot for the 19th straight season. The Spurs have blown out the Kings twice this season and have won six in a row in the series at home.

Key trends: The Kings are 0-4 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 6-2 in the previous eight.

Early lean: Spurs and under.

Hawks at Clippers (-4.5, 204.5)

Atlanta won't even have to switch locker rooms as it was at the Lakers on Friday. The Clippers won their third in a row Wednesday, 103-98 over Oklahoma City. Los Angeles was down 22 at one point and closed the game on a 26-5 run. Chris Paul had 21 points and 13 assists for Los Angeles, and DeAndre Jordan had 20 points and 18 rebounds. It was only the second time in Clippers history that they won a regular-season game in which they trailed by at least 17 points entering the fourth quarter. The Clippers won in Atlanta 85-83 on Jan. 27. The Hawks' Paul Millsap missed a good look in the final seconds. Atlanta turned it over 23 times.

Key trends: The Hawks are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 6-0 in the Clippers' past six at home.

Early lean: Clippers and under.

**TheGame** · 03-05-2016, 08:00 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

NBA

Saturday's hot teams
-- Celtics won their last five games (2-5 last 7AU). Cleveland won seven of last ten games (3-6HF with Lue).
-- Washington won four of its last five games (3-6 last 9HF).
-- Detroit won four of its last five games (3-8AF).
-- Spurs won their last seven games (12-6 last 18HF).
-- Clippers won four of their last five games (7-5 last 12HF).

Cold teams
-- Utah lost eight of its last ten games (3-9 last 12AU). Pelicans lost four of last five games (1-6 last 7HF).
-- Indiana lost four of its last five games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Knicks lost nine of their last 11 games (0-5 last 5HU).
-- Brooklyn lost four of its last six games (9-6 last 15AU). Minnesota lost five of its last seven games (3-9HF).
-- Sacramento lost four of its last five games (1-5 last 6AU).
-- Houston lost six of its last nine games (5-7AF). Chicago lost its last four games (2-3HU).
-- Atlanta lost six of its last nine games (6-6AU).

Series records
-- Pelicans won six of last nine games with Utah.
-- Cavaliers won five of last six games with Boston.
-- Pacers won three of last four games with Washington.
-- Knicks lost five of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Nets lost five of last eight games with Minnesota.
-- Spurs won nine of last te games with Sacramento.
-- Rockets won five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Clippers lost four of last six games with Atlanta.

Totals
-- Eight of last ten Utah-New Orleans games went over.
-- Eight of last nine Boston-Cleveland games stayed under.
-- Last six Indiana-Washington games went over the total.
-- Five of last six New York-Detroit games went over.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in Minnesota games if it Wolves played night before.
-- Six of last eight Sacramento-San Antonio games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Houston games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Clipper games stayed under the total.

Back/backs
-- Utah is 7-5 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Cleveland is 3-5-1 as a favorite if it played night before. Celtics are 9-5 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Wizards covered two of last seven gmes if they played night before. Indiana covered twice in last nine games if it played night before.
-- New York is 7-6 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Minnesota is 2-6 vs spread in last eight games if it played nite before. Nets covered one of last five games if they played night before.
-- Atlanta is 3-8 vs spread in lsst 11 games if it played night before.

**Satch** · 03-05-2016, 08:56 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Indiana At Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 5, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
A pair of Eastern Conference teams battling for their playoff lives clash when the Washington Wizards host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Pacers lost for the fourth time in five games Friday with a 108-101 decision against Charlotte while Washington saw its four-game winning streak come to an end the same night in a 108-83 rout at Cleveland.
Indiana is 1-8 in the second of back-to-back games since mid-November and hopes to turn that around with the leadership of All-Star Paul George, who scored at least 30 for the 19th time this season after recording 35 on Friday. The Pacers, who are seventh in the East with a one-game lead on ninth-place Chicago, have three of the next four on the road where they are 14-15 with a home game against red-hot San Antonio in the middle. The Wizards had averaged 109 points during their four-game winning streak before turning the ball over 16 times and making 3-of-20 from behind the arc against Cleveland. Washington is 7-3 since the All-Star break and stands a game behind Detroit for the final playoff spot in the East.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, CSN Plus (Washington)
ABOUT THE PACERS (32-30): Indiana, which came into Friday’s action fifth in the league defending the 3-point shot, allowed 13 from beyond the arc and Charlotte’s guards Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker combined to score 64. Rookie Myles Turner, who was the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in February, has cooled off of late while making 12-of-34 from the field the last four games. The Pacers are showing that they miss C.J. Miles (12.0 points per game), who could miss his eighth straight contest with a calf injury.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (30-31): Point guard and leading scorer John Wall, who scored 17 on Friday, told reporters he jammed his left foot and ankle but should be ready to go Saturday. Recently acquired forward Markieff Morris is averaging 11 points over the last five encounters and Bradley Beal is scoring 15.9 per game while coming off the bench in the last 10 contests. Otto Porter Jr. is 3-for-10 from the field to total nine points in the last two games for Washington, which has lost in its last four tries after reaching .500.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Washington C Martin Gortat (32) and Wall (35) are both in the top eight in the league in double-doubles.
2. Indiana C Ian Mahinmi is averaging 10 points and 11 rebounds over the past two games.
3. The teams split the first two meetings in the three-game season series with each winning on the road.
PREDICTION: Wizards 104, Pacers 100

**Satch** · 03-05-2016, 08:56 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/5

Preview: Utah At New Orleans
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 5, 2016
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Utah Jazz have seen their season-worst losing streak reach five games and aim to salvage the finale of a four-game road trip when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Utah has lost eight of its last 10 games after dropping a 94-88 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to slip two games behind the eighth-place Houston Rockets for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The loss to Memphis was painful for the Jazz, who scored 11 points in the second quarter and 16 in the fourth quarter to help the Grizzlies rally. “Our guys are hurting,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. “We have a game (Saturday) night. This is the toughest part of the year from a scheduling standpoint for us. We’re on a road trip and hopefully we can bounce back and get a win in New Orleans.” The Pelicans have lost three consecutive games and let a fourth-quarter lead get away in each – versus Minnesota and Houston before San Antonio on Thursday. “Three quarters we’re just beating the team. I mean, it just boils down to the last three minutes,” shooting guard Eric Gordon told reporters. “We get stagnant and we’re not really scoring the ball. We just got to fix that. Once we fix that, we’ll run off a lot of wins.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE JAZZ (28-33): Small forward Gordon Hayward is befuddled over how Utah can play superbly over one stretch of the game and extremely dismal over another portion. “It’s hard to talk about over and over,” Hayward told reporters. “It’s just something we have to figure out or we’re going to be looking at going home early. So we have to figure this out.” Hayward scored 18 points against the Grizzlies to fall just shy of a 20-point outing – he had eight in the previous 11 games.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (23-37): All-Star power forward Anthony Davis has been badgered by opponents since his epic 59-point, 20-rebound effort against the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 21. He scored more than 17 points once in his past four games and didn’t attempt a shot in the final 3 1/2 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Spurs when New Orleans missed its final six attempts. “When he comes baseline, there’s going to be a double-team situation,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. “As I said earlier when I spoke, in those situations then he’s got to become a facilitator. But we’ve got to try to get him the ball in the post there in those situations, yes.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz are 2-4 against the Pelicans during Quin Snyder’s two seasons as coach.
2. Utah SG Rodney Hood is averaging 9.8 points on 30.8 percent shooting during the five-game losing streak.
3. New Orleans backup SF Ryan Anderson is averaging 11 points on 8-of-30 shooting over the past two games.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 103, Jazz 97

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NBA Betting Info. 3/5

NBA Betting Info. 3/5

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