NBA Betting Info. 3/25

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Charlotte At Detroit
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
The Detroit Pistons are trying to hang onto the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and secured their fourth straight win on Wednesday to move one game ahead of the ninth-place Chicago Bulls. The Pistons will try to make it five in a row when they run up against one of the hottest teams in the NBA in the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Detroit improved to 4-1 on its nine-game homestand with a 118-102 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday but will face four straight winning teams over the next four contests. “We know what’s on the line,” Pistons forward Tobias Harris told reporters. “We have to handle our business and I think if we handle our business and play the best we can play every single game then we’ll be alright.” The Hornets are trying to handle their business as well and are an East-best 17-4 since Feb. 6. Charlotte knocked off San Antonio on Monday and avoided a letdown on Tuesday by opening a four-game road trip with a 105-100 at Brooklyn to stay in the race for the No. 3 spot in the East.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE HORNETS (41-30): Charlotte is currently tied for the No. 5 spot in the East with the Miami Heat, a half-game behind the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics knotted for the No. 3 spot, and all four teams are tied in the loss column. The only thing going wrong for the Hornets of late is an injury to starting forward Marvin Williams, who missed Tuesday’s game after suffering a sprained ankle against San Antonio and is day-to-day. Rookie Frank Kaminsky stepped into his spot in the starting lineup and delivered 14 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (38-34): Detroit lost to Atlanta to open the homestand before picking on four straight teams with losing records and looked its best in Wednesday’s triumph. The Pistons are beginning a stretch of six straight against winning teams on Friday and will face only two more opponents (at Orlando on April 6 and home to Washington on April 8) currently under .500 over the final 10 contests. “We have to protect the home court,” Harris told reporters. “We’ve got a couple tough teams coming in here soon the next few games, and those are games that we must win.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets G Jeremy Lin is averaging 25 points on 19-of-30 shooting in the last two games.
2. Pistons G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and F Reggie Bullock each sat out Wednesday due to illness and are day-to-day.
3. Charlotte took each of the previous two meetings this season – both at home – by an average of 17.5 points.
PREDICTION: Hornets 110, Pistons 108

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Orlando At Miami
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
One loss can drop a team from third to sixth in the tightly-clustered Eastern Conference and the Miami Heat are part of that four-team mix. The Heat will try to avoid back-to-back losses on Friday when they host the Orlando Magic, who have not had a lot of success trying to play spoiler of late.
Miami lost its grip on the No. 3 spot with a 112-88 loss at San Antonio on Wednesday and is trying to measure itself against the elite teams in the league. “We’re trying to get to another level, and we’re not quite there yet,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “We’re going to keep on plugging away and keep on working at it. We’ve still got three weeks to get better, improve and get to our best version by the playoffs.” The Magic have dropped five in a row – all to teams battling for playoff position in the East. Orlando’s 118-102 setback in Detroit on Wednesday helped catapult the Pistons into the No. 8 spot in the conference, and the Magic will play seven of their final 11 games against East teams currently in the top nine.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), FSN Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (29-42): Orlando didn’t expect to be measuring its final months this season on individual progression but that is the way it has played out, and the organization had to be excited about second-year point guard Elfrid Payton’s performance on Wednesday. The 22-year-old came off the bench for the third straight game since returning from an elbow injury and delivered 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season. “I’d much rather win than have that,” Payton told reporters of the accomplishment. “Losing (stinks). Forget triple-doubles.”
ABOUT THE HEAT (41-30): Miami is tied for fifth with the Charlotte Hornets, a half-game behind Boston and Atlanta, and all four teams are tied in the loss column. The lopsided nature of Wednesday’s loss allowed the Heat to play Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade just 25 minutes each, and keeping players healthy is key down the stretch. “We’ve been able to manage guys’ minutes, Dwyane and Joe (Johnson),” Spoelstra told reporters. “Dwyane, I think he’s getting stronger, moving better, more explosive as the season goes on. I love to see it. His conditioning level is going up to another level. Hopefully, we can remain healthy, but we’ll make decisions as we need to.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Heat F Luol Deng (thigh bruise) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.
2. Magic F Aaron Gordon is shooting 32.6 percent from the field in the last five games after shooting 61.1 in the previous five contests.
3. Miami has taken three straight in the series and will face Orlando three times in the final 11 contests.
PREDICTION: Heat 112, Magic 99

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Milwaukee At Atlanta
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta Hawks are doing everything they can to earn the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference and are among four teams fighting for the position. The Hawks will try to keep pace in that race when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
Atlanta has won nine of its last 11 games and used a 25-5 run bridging the final two quarters on Wednesday to race to a 122-101 win at the Washington Wizards. The victory left the Hawks tied with the Boston Celtics for the No. 3 spot, a half-game ahead of the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, with all four teams tied in the loss column. The Bucks are struggling to play spoiler with three straight losses but battled the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers into the fourth quarter in a 113-104 setback on Wednesday and are experimenting with different lineups down the stretch. Milwaukee used centers John Henson and Miles Plumlee at the same time against the Cavaliers and gave 11 different players at least two minutes.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (30-42): Henson and Plumlee each logged 20 or more minutes off the bench and Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd vowed to keep trying different groups on the floor. “I want to see those guys play,” Kidd told reporters. “No matter what the score is, those guys have to find a way to score the ball. It might be a limited shooting group on the floor. I thought John (Henson) and Miles playing big-big, they played well together, being able to pass and look for each other.” One player who figures to get plenty of minutes every game is budding star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (42-30): Atlanta fell at home to the Wizards on Monday but bounced back on Wednesday behind a season-high 17 3-pointers. Sharpshooter Kyle Korver scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc and five different players hit multiple 3-pointers in the win. Dennis Schroder only nailed one 3-pointer but went 7-of-9 from the floor en route to 23 points and keyed the second-half rally with a combination of drives to the basket and pinpoint passes which resulted in eight assists.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawks G Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 17.8 points in the last four games.
2. Bucks G Khris Middleton handed out a season-high 11 assists on Wednesday – two more than his total from the previous four games.
3. Milwaukee took each of the first two meetings this season, both in overtime.
PREDICTION: Hawks 103, Bucks 95

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Toronto At Houston
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
The Toronto Raptors have clinched their third straight playoff berth, while the Houston Rockets are looking more and more like a team that will miss out on the postseason for the first time since 2012. The Raptors continue a three-game road trip Friday with a visit to the sinking Rockets, who are coming off perhaps their worst loss of the season.
In a matchup at home with its closest competitor for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Houston led Utah by 15 points at the break before falling 89-87. The setback, the Rockets’ third straight and fifth in seven games, dropped them a half-game behind the Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks in what could be be a three-team race down the stretch for two playoff spots. While the Raptors did not fare much better in falling 91-79 at Boston, they did clinch the playoff spot by virtue of a loss by Chicago, which didn’t matter much to coach Dwane Casey. “The beat us, they spanked us.” he told reporters following his team’s second-worst offensive showing of the season, which dropped it 2 1/2 games behind East-leading Cleveland.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), TSN 4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (48-22): One reason for the lackluster effort at Boston was the absence of star point guard Kyle Lowry, who rested his sore right elbow, an injury that is not considered serious. Cory Joseph got the start in place of Lowry but was 4-of-16 from the floor, part of a 34.8 percent effort by the Raptors. Toronto may be looking for a little bit of payback after blowing a 15-point second-half lead at home in a 113-107 loss to Houston earlier this month.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (35-37): James Harden flirted with the rare quadruple-double against Utah by finishing with 26 points, 10 assists, eight steals and seven rebounds. The rest of the starters combined for 31 points on 12-of-31 shooting as Houston produced its lowest offensive output since before the All-Star break. Harden keyed the comeback in Toronto on March 6 with 12 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, and he is averaging 24.3 points in 11 career meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Houston has defeated Toronto eight straight times at home.
2. Raptors SG DeMar DeRozan is shooting 37.5 percent in four games since being rested March 15 at Milwaukee.
3. Harden had 14 assists against one turnover in the earlier win over the Raptors.
PREDICTION: Raptors 107, Rockets 104

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Memphis At San Antonio
When: 8:30 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
The San Antonio Spurs own the second-longest homecourt winning streak in NBA history and look to add to the total when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. San Antonio is 36-0 at home this season and has won 45 straight dating back to last season as Wednesday’s 112-88 rout of Miami allowed the Spurs to pass the Chicago Bulls (44 over two seasons, ending in 1996).
All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard matched his career high of 32 points against Miami but suffered a bruised quadriceps and it appears he will be available on Friday. “He had to come out when he did because it was a good contusion and it was just stiff,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said afterward. “It wouldn’t work. To put him back in wouldn’t have made any sense.” The Grizzlies have lost five of their last seven games, including a demoralizing 107-100 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Power forward Zach Randolph recently returned from a knee injury and he sprained his right ankle against the Lakers but is expected to play against San Antonio.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (41-31): Guard Tony Allen has picked up his scoring due to the injury issues plaguing the squad and he made all 12 of his field-goal attempts and scored a season-best 27 points in the victory over the Lakers. The defensive-minded veteran has scored in double digits in five consecutive games and has recorded three 20-point efforts in March after previously not reaching 20 points since the 2011-12 campaign. “Some nights are better than others, but that ain’t my mode coming into the game, trying to score,” Allen told reporters. “If the opportunity comes, I’m going to take advantage. But for the most part, I’m a glue guy trying to fill in the gap.”
ABOUT THE SPURS (60-11): San Antonio has reached 60 victories for the sixth time in franchise history and needs four more wins to set the franchise record. The Spurs have won seven of eight games after routing the Heat and Leonard did his damage on 21 shots in just 24 minutes of action. “As time goes on, he’s learning how and understanding how to feel his oats and channel it wisely,” Popovich told reporters.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs are 2-0 against the Grizzlies this season, winning by an average of 15 points.
2. San Antonio PF LaMarcus Aldridge had just eight points against Miami after scoring in double digits in each of his previous 12 games.
3. Memphis SF Lance Stephenson is averaging 19.7 points over the past seven games.
PREDICTION: Spurs 104, Grizzlies 91

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Phoenix At Sacramento
When: 10:00 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
The Sacramento Kings’ once-promising season is in full disintegration mode and they could be without All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins for the second straight game when they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Kings lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday for their 13th defeat in 16 games and are 17 games below .500 after being just three games below the break-even mark on Jan. 23.
Cousins is dealing with a bruised right knee suffered on Monday against the Chicago Bulls and his presence was once again missed. “I looked at the stats,” Sacramento coach George Karl told reporters. “It wasn’t very nice. We score less points without him and we’re worse defensively.” Phoenix is 6-7 over its last 13 games after producing a 119-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. The Suns have been bolstered by the return of point guard Brandon Knight, who had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against the Lakers.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE SUNS (20-51): Rookie shooting guard Devin Booker was motivated to play in front of boyhood idol Kobe Bryant and had 28 points and seven assists against Los Angeles. “That is the first and last time I got to play against him,” Booker said afterward. “That is the memory that I get to tell everybody and there is going to be proof of it. Thank God it wasn’t an off-night and I would have had to remember it as one of my worst games. Luckily I played pretty well and we came out with a win. I am 1-0 versus Kobe.” Booker is averaging 22.7 points with three 30-point outings over the past 11 games while displaying that Phoenix can count on him to be a key figure in the rebuilding process.
ABOUT THE KINGS (27-44): Cousins averages 27.1 points and 11.6 rebounds and Sacramento is just 2-9 when he hasn’t played this season. Point guard Rajon Rondo put together a superb outing in the 113-104 loss to the Timberwolves as he scored a season-best 25 points to go with 12 assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Rondo hadn’t scored more than 14 points in any of his previous five games and was in single digits in three of those contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams have split two meetings this season and the Kings recorded a season high for points in a 142-119 rout of the Suns on Jan. 2.
2. Phoenix F Mirza Teletovic made five 3-pointers against the Lakers – the second time in five games that he’s knocked down five.
3. Sacramento SF Rudy Gay was just 4-of-15 shooting for 11 points against the Timberwolves.
PREDICTION: Kings 113, Suns 105

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Dallas At Golden State
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
The Golden State Warriors have won nine of their past 10 games and continue their pursuit of the all-time wins mark when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Golden State won its 64th game when it beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and needs to go 9-2 over its final 11 to surpass the NBA-record 72 wins compiled by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
The Warriors have won a record 51 consecutive home games – including 33 straight this season – and eight of their final 11 are at home as they attempt to reach 73 wins. “Honestly, if we take care of homecourt the rest of the way, that’s going to be a good thing for whatever record it is,” Curry said after the win over the Clippers. “We don’t want to limp into the playoffs. We want to continue our winning mentality.” Nailing down victory No. 65 could be a mere formality as Golden State is 9-1 in its last 10 regular-season games against the Mavericks. Dallas also is fading fast with eight losses in 10 games after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday and is tied for seventh place with the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference playoff race.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (35-36): Dallas opened a four-game road trip with a 109-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday and the contest began a stretch in which eight of its final 12 games are on the road. Forward Dirk Nowitzki was concerned about some of the defensive issues in the loss while coach Rick Carlisle disapproved of the amount of miscues. “The turnovers were a big problem,” Carlisle told reporters. “They were a big problem from the beginning. Seventeen (turnovers) for 22 points is too many.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (64-7): Guard Stephen Curry scored 33 points against the Clippers to break out of a two-game mini-slump in which he scored 33 total points on 10-of-35 shooting. Curry was just 3-of-21 shooting from 3-point range during the games against San Antonio and Minnesota and bristles at the use of the word slump to describe his struggles. “I never thought I was in one personally,” Curry said afterward. “The ball didn’t go through for a couple games and you got to stick with it and just play better. I’m looking forward to what’s coming up.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have won their last six home matchups with the Mavericks.
2. Dallas SG Wesley Matthews is averaging 18.5 points and made 11-of-17 3-point attempts over the past two games.
3. Golden State SG Klay Thompson made seven 3-pointers and scored 32 points against the Clippers – matching the 32 total he scored in his own two-game shooting funk (12-of-34).
PREDICTION: Warriors 127, Mavericks 100

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/25

Preview: Denver At L.A. Lakers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Denver Nuggets are out of the Western Conference playoff race but they are looking to build momentum for the future. Denver aims to record a second consecutive victory when it visits another team well out of the playoff race in the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
The Nuggets were on the verge of losing to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday before rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay drained a game-winning 35-foot shot at the buzzer for a 104-103 victory. “Honestly, I just want to win as many games as we can this year, whether we don’t make the playoffs or not,” Mudiay told reporters. “We are trying to change the culture because it’s been down for about two years now. But my whole thing is to make it to the playoffs and one day win some championships.” The Lakers dropped a 119-107 decision to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday for their fifth loss in six games. Retiring Kobe Bryant averaged 18.5 points in the past two games while playing through shoulder pain and is expected to play against the Nuggets.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (30-42): Mudiay’s off-balance heave saved Denver on Wednesday and it was part of a solid effort that included 27 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. “I couldn’t be happier for him, I couldn’t be happier for our guys,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. “This is only going to breed confidence for those guys, knowing they have been out here in game-tying, game-winning situations. We cannot replicate that in practice, on the floor, or in a film session.” Mudiay is enjoying a solid month with five 20-point outings and a 17.5 average in 12 games.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-56): The shin injury that rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell suffered on Tuesday turned out to be minor and he played against the Suns but struggled to 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting. In fact, Russell has struggled since his stretch of seven 20-point outings in eight games, averaging 10.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting over the last five contests. Young power forward Julius Randle is averaging 16 points and 14.5 rebounds over the past two games and has been in double digits on the boards in seven of 11 games this month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have won two of this season’s three meetings and have held Bryant to an average of 15.7 points.
2. Los Angeles backup SG Lou Williams is just 6-of-17 shooting over the past two games.
3. Denver PF Kenneth Faried (back) will likely miss his fifth straight game.
PREDICTION: Nuggets 123, Lakers 113