NBA Betting Info. 3/30

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

StatFox Super Situations


NBA | GOLDEN STATE at UTAH
Play Against - Home underdogs (UTAH) after leading in their previous game by 20 or more points at the half
70-33 since 1997. ( 68.0% | 33.7 units )
4-1 this year. ( 80.0% | 2.9 units )


NBA | ATLANTA at TORONTO
Play Against - All teams with a money line of +135 to -155 (ATLANTA) after a close win by 3 points or less against opponent after a combined score of 205 points or more
56-28 over the last 5 seasons. ( 66.7% | 29.5 units )
11-8 this year. ( 57.9% | 3.5 units )


NBA | PHOENIX at MILWAUKEE
Play Under - All teams where the first half total is greater than 100 in a game involving two good offensive teams (98-102 PPG) after 42+ games, after allowing 120 points or more
54-23 since 1997. ( 70.1% | 28.7 units )
4-4 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.4 units )

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

NBA notebook: Paul withdraws from Olympic consideration
By The Sports Xchange


Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul is withdrawing his name from consideration for the 2016 USA Olympics squad, Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday.
Paul, who played in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, cited the physical demands of playing in the Olympics between two NBA seasons.
"I feel my body telling me that I could use the time," Paul told SI.
Paul, 30, also cited spending more time with his son as a factor.
Point guard is a deep position for Team USA so Paul's withdrawal won't cause a hardship. Among the point guards in the mix for a roster spot are Golden State's Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, Washington's John Wall and Memphis' Mike Conley.


---Paul Pierce and the Los Angeles Clippers dodged a bullet on Monday when the veteran forward suffered a sprained ankle and a bruised knee.
Pierce landed awkwardly after making a second-quarter layup. He crumpled to the floor, right leg pinned beneath him, writhing in pain.
The Clippers said Pierce suffered a sprained right ankle as well as a bruised right knee. He is expected to miss about a week.


---The New Orleans Pelicans announced that guard Jrue Holiday and forward Alonzo Gee will miss the remainder of the season, forward Ryan Anderson has a sports hernia that will require additional evaluation and guard Norris Cole is day to day while dealing with a lower back injury.
Holiday fractured the right interior orbital wall of his right eye with 56.1 seconds left in Monday night's game against the New York Knicks. He finishes the season with averages of 16.8 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 65 games, including 23 starts.
Gee ruptured his right quadriceps during the second quarter in the same game against the Knicks. Anderson is going to Philadelphia to see a specialist later this week for a second opinion on his injury.


---What appeared to be a cute incident during the New York-New Orleans game on Monday night left Knicks' forward Carmelo Anthony "shocked."
A boy, who appeared to be about 10, ran onto the court during a timeout in the final minute of the fourth quarter and hugged Anthony, who patted the boy on the head.
"It was a little kid," Anthony told the New York Daily News. "I was shocked. I didn't really know who was it until I actually looked over and saw it was a kid."
The boy ran back off the court and left the arena with a woman who was believed to be his mother. It is unclear if the boy and the woman were asked to leave.


---The Atlanta Hawks assigned guard/forward Lamar Patterson to the Austin Spurs of the Development League.
He has played 16 games in the D-League in five stints with Austin and Canton. He averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 27.8 minutes.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Hawks (45-30) at Raptors (49-24)


Date: March 30, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


The greatest obstacle to Atlanta securing a second straight Southeast Division title is going to be the Eastern Conference's other two division leaders.


Tracking down the second seed might be unrealistic at this point, but Wednesday night's visit to Toronto is the first of four remaining games against the Raptors and Cavaliers for the streaking Hawks.


Atlanta (45-30) is completing a three-game road trip after it stayed a game up on Miami in the division race with Monday's 102-100 win in Chicago. Jeff Teague scored 26 points after a six-game stretch during which he'd been limited to an average of 13.8 points and 35.4 percent shooting.


It was Atlanta's 12th win in 14 games and fourth straight, as well as the kind of tune-up coach Mike Budenholzer is seeking heading into the playoffs.


"You want to have some close games and execute and do some things defensively and offensively, feel the pressure a little bit and make some free throws," said Budenholzer, whose team plays the Raptors and Cavaliers twice each down the stretch. "So it was good to find a way to win on the road in a close game."


It hasn't happened all that often lately with their last 12 wins coming by an average of 14.3 points. It was essentially already a playoff game for Chicago, furthering the kind of environment Atlanta is after.


"We knew they were going to come out tonight and throw a big punch early, their season's kind of on the line right now," Kyle Korver said. "We heard that they had a big meeting. They came out and really got on us early.... We were able to hold on and those are the things you got to do to make the playoffs."


Toronto isn't in anywhere near the same kind of situation, but the Hawks can now switch focus to beating top teams. One of the losses during Atlanta's hot streak was a 104-96 defeat in Toronto on March 10, its third straight loss in the series. The Raptors have held the Hawks to 87.3 points per game on 37.3 percent shooting in those contests, while DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points in the latest meeting and has averaged 25.2 on 51.8 percent in his last 11 games in the series.


The Raptors (49-24) have matched last season's team-record win total, though they've lost three of four after falling 119-100 to visiting Oklahoma City on Monday.


If 19-point losses come with positives, this one's might have been a career-high 18 points from Norman Powell. The rookie has started the last eight games and averaged 15.3 points in the past three while hitting 9 of 19 from 3-point range.


"It means a lot that the coaches are trusting me, putting me out there, trusting me to guard their best players," he told the team's official website. "... There's more work to be done for me."


Kyle Lowry had his right elbow drained after the game stemming from inflammation he first experienced in January. The All-Star wasn't going to use that as a reason for his 4-of-14 shooting performance, but he might want to considering he's been limited to an average of 14.5 points on 26.2 percent in his last four games.


"I'm not going to make excuses," Lowry said. "It's definitely something I don't want to play with and I don't like playing with, but it is what it is. This time of year you just play through it."


Whether that continues remains to be seen. Coach Dwane Casey said last week he's not going to risk anyone's health during the regular-season stretch run, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Lowry sidelined for the second time in five games.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Nuggets (31-44) at Grizzlies (41-33)


Date: March 30, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


The question surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies is no longer how healthy they'll be for the playoffs, it's whether they'll even get there.


Though still in a relatively good position, the Grizzlies enter Wednesday night's game with the Denver Nuggets again hoping their short-handed group can create some sorely needed momentum.


Memphis (41-33) enters its final eight regular-season games fifth in the West but only 2 1-2 games above Portland, allowing the Trail Blazers to draw closer by losing seven of nine with a roster depleted by a slew of injuries.


"We have to come out with a better focus and come out with a better sense of urgency," guard Tony Allen said. "We need to understand that these next eight games, they just need to mean more to us to either stay at the fifth seed or possibly move up. We just need to approach each 48 minutes as they come."


With Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph among the missing, the Grizzlies did play San Antonio tough in a 110-104 road loss on Saturday. They were no match for the powerhouse Spurs in Monday's rematch, however, trailing nearly throughout a 101-87 defeat for their third consecutive loss.


"It is very challenging," guard Lance Stephenson said of the injuries. "We got a lot of guys out but we just got to keep playing hard. No excuses. We got the talent. We just got to come in focused."


Stephenson has helped ease the burden by averaging 17.7 points over his last nine games, though he was held to four on 2-of-8 shooting in Monday's loss. JaMychal Green has scored 32 in two straight starts in place of Randolph, whose return from a sprained right ankle remains uncertain.


Randolph has played a big part in the Grizzlies' three victories over Denver, averaging 19.7 points for the season series. The veteran forward had 24 in a 91-84 home win on Jan. 8, Memphis' fifth straight over the Nuggets.


Denver (31-44) also has dealt with the absences of key contributors, with leading scorer Danilo Gallinari sidelined the last month with an ankle injury and Kenneth Faried (back) missing six straight before returning for Monday's 97-88 loss to Dallas.


The Nuggets come in attempting to bounce back from a sloppy performance against the slumping Mavericks, committing 21 turnovers that led to 29 points in their second straight loss.


"We beat ourselves," coach Mike Malone said. "We made mistake after mistake.'


Denver, which has averaged 15.8 turnovers over its last five, will need to improve in that area to avoid a seventh consecutive loss in Memphis. The Grizzlies rank among the NBA leaders with 7.0 steals and 16.3 takeaways per game.


Memphis recorded 30 points off 20 Denver giveaways en route to a 103-96 win when the teams last met on Feb. 29.


The Grizzlies haven't been up to their usual defensive standards of late, with each of their three opponents shooting over 50 percent.


Denver is shooting a subpar 42.9 percent while averaging 97.8 points over its last five, with rookie Emmanuel Mudiay hitting just 30.3 percent over that stretch.


Faried, who finished with nine points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes on Monday, is averaging 16.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting and 11.5 rebounds in two 2015-16 matchups with Memphis.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Clippers (46-27) at Timberwolves (25-49)


Date: March 30, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


Chris Paul is pouncing on every possible opportunity for some extra rest, no matter how boldly presumptuous the reasons.


The bench has been comforting at the end of blowouts, and taking himself out of consideration for the Olympics aligns with his plan for the Los Angeles Clippers to make a deep postseason run.


The exuberant Minnesota Timberwolves hope to put a wrinkle in that process at home Wednesday night, just as they did in a surprising victory at Staples Center last month.


Paul's 33.1 minutes per game would be a career low in his 11th season, and coach Doc Rivers hopes to play him even less as the regular season winds down. He played about 26 minutes in each game of a back-to-back set against Denver and Boston and finished with 13 points and 14 assists in Monday's 114-90 rout of the Celtics.


The Clippers (44-24) have won three in a row while opening a 5 1/2-game lead on Memphis for the Western Conference's fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round. Even though Paul isn't playing as many minutes as in previous years, he said Tuesday that he "could use the time" this summer to recover rather than play for Team USA in Rio.


'It's great. It's amazing,' Paul said. 'Not only do we get a chance to rest, it's all about everybody getting into a rhythm and a flow. We have to make sure everybody has that as we get ready to play in the playoffs.'


Los Angeles will get another body back when Blake Griffin is eligible to return from suspension Sunday against Washington. Rivers, though, said Paul Pierce will "be out for a little bit" after leaving in the second quarter against Boston with ankle and knee injuries.


Rivers is hoping to solidify playoff rotations, but he's more excited with how well the Clippers have defended lately. They've allowed averages of 91.3 points and 38.0 percent shooting in the past three games after opponents shot 49.0 percent and scored 110.7 per game over the previous six.


"Our defense had taken a vacation, but the last three games it's been off the charts - active hands, deflections, creating turnovers," Rivers said. "When we defend like that, we're pretty good."


Minnesota (25-49) didn't have much trouble solving the Clippers on Feb. 3. Andrew Wiggins scored 31 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 as the Timberwolves shot 50.6 percent in a 108-102 victory that snapped a 14-game losing streak in the series.


They hit that same percentage in Monday's 121-116 victory over Phoenix and have shot at least that well in each of their three victories over the last four games. Wiggins had 32 points while hitting 17 of 21 free throws, and Towns finished with 27 and 10 rebounds.


'It's a process, and this can lead into next year,' Wiggins said. 'We don't want to stop. We play hard for a reason. We're building something here.'


Interim coach Sam Mitchell wasn't happy following the latest victory, though. The Wolves let a 20-point lead slip away and fell behind with less than three minutes left.


"I just think when we got up, there's a natural tendency to relax. We keep harping on these things," Mitchell said. "I don't like yelling at our guys, but it's the same things every night that you just have to keep drilling home until the light bulb comes on."


The Clippers have won seven straight meetings in Minnesota, but four of the last five have been decided by six points or fewer.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Suns (20-54) at Bucks (30-44)


Date: March 30, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


Six straight seasons missing the playoffs is a team record for the Phoenix Suns. At least Devin Booker's emergence has them feeling good heading into next season.


Booker looks to cap the highest scoring month by a Suns rookie in 38 years as they try to halt a three-game skid Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.


The only win Phoenix (20-54) can hope for in May involves the draft lottery, and the Suns could end up with their best chance to win the first overall selection for the first time.


Booker, the 13th pick out of Kentucky in last summer's draft, is turning into Phoenix's best offensive threat. He's averaging 13.3 points on the season to rank fifth all-time among Suns rookies, closing in on Amar'e Stoudemire's 13.5 from 2002-03.


The guard, though, is averaging 22.7 points this month for the best production in a month by a Phoenix rookie since Walter Davis had 25.1 in March 1978.


Booker is trying to win Western Conference Rookie of the Month, an award won by former Wildcats teammate Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota in each month this season.


"I told him, 'Let me get one Rookie of the Month (award), at least,'" Booker told the team's official website. "He's taking all of them!"


Stoudemire is the last Suns rookie to win the award in April 2003, but Booker is making his case with 26.3 points per game over the last four. However, his 30 points weren't enough against the Timberwolves on Monday since Towns countered with 27 while adding 10 rebounds and five assists to drop the Suns 121-116.


Brandon Knight matched Booker's 30 points while hitting a career-high seven 3-pointers. He's averaging 24.7 over his last three games. The guard is returning to Milwaukee (30-44) for the first time since averaging 17.9 points over 124 games from 2013-15 before being dealt to Phoenix at last year's trade deadline.


Knight had nine points and Booker added seven off the bench in a 101-95 loss to the Bucks on Dec. 20. The Suns, though, have won seven of their last nine in Milwaukee.


The Bucks, who are also missing the playoffs, have dropped five games in a row after opening this five-game homestand with a 115-91 loss to Charlotte.


Like Booker for Phoenix, Giannis Antetokounmpo is giving Milwaukee hope for improvement in the future. The 21-year-old forward is averaging 16.6 points, ranking behind Kris Middleton's team-high 18.1.


Antetokounmpo, though, has only made 8 of 23 from the floor while totaling 19 points over the last two games after averaging 20.6 on 52.5 percent shooting over the previous 12.


He missed the last meeting with the Suns with knee soreness, but Middleton had 27 points and seven assists. Middleton, who is averaging 10.7 points in his last three games, was averaging 14.7 over the three prior meetings with Phoenix.


Middleton joined Milwaukee from Detroit as part of the trade that landed Knight before the 2013-14 season.

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Preview: Pelicans (27-46) at Spurs (62-12)


Date: March 30, 2016 8:30 PM EDT


Gregg Popovich has the luxury of resting his stars and more often than not still having enough talent for San Antonio to succeed. It's something Alvin Gentry certainly envies.


New Orleans sits 34 1/2 games behind the Spurs in large part because numerous contributors from last year's playoff team have succumbed to injuries throughout the season, and Gentry is open to anything that will end the so-called curse.


Whatever lineup Popovich trots out Wednesday night in an attempt to win a 47th straight home game likely will look better than the Pelicans', which won't include Jrue Holiday after he was lost for the season.


The Spurs (62-12) have continued the tradition of sitting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in certain situations toward the end of the regular season so they can better handle the playoff demands in their advanced ages. Popovich also sat stars Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge in Saturday's loss at Oklahoma City.


Aldridge was the only one of the five who played in Monday's 101-87 win at Memphis, and he finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds. David West dressed but got the night off as all 10 Spurs who entered the game scored.


'LaMarcus was great,' Popovich said. 'After a few days' rest, he looked spry and ready to go.'


Popovich hasn't tipped his hand about who will be available against the Pelicans (27-46). The Spurs don't play again until Saturday against Toronto, which would give Duncan, Parker and Ginobili more than a week away from game action if they don't dress for this contest.


'It's all based on the schedule and how many minutes they've played,' Popovich said. 'Three in four nights. Back-to-backs. It doesn't matter who we are playing. That's not what we do with it. We don't pick games out.'


Gentry isn't nearly as relaxed about his situation a year after serving as an assistant on the title-winning Warriors.


Anthony Davis has been shut down for the season to have surgery on his left knee after sporadically missing time earlier. Tyreke Evans has played only 25 games because of knee issues and isn't expected to play again, and the Pelicans lost Eric Gordon for good to a fractured right ring finger earlier this month.


Norris Cole is day to day with lower back soreness and Ryan Anderson is still nursing a sports hernia, but Holiday returned after a two-game absence from a toe injury and finished with 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in Monday's 99-91 win over New York.


Holiday, though, suffered a fractured right orbital bone during a collision with 56.1 seconds remaining and will miss the final nine games, adding to Gentry's frustration.


'I'm going to send out an all-points bulletin to anybody in the French Quarter or anywhere else - we need a voodoo doctor or something here,' said Gentry, who has penciled in 36 different starting lineups. 'We've got to find the bones under this place or do something.'


The Spurs are off to the best home start in NBA history (37-0) and haven't lost a regular-season home game since March 12 of last year. They beat New Orleans 110-97 at AT&T Center on Feb. 3 behind a season-high 36 points from Aldridge.


Leonard had 30 points and 11 rebounds while Aldridge added 26 in a 94-86 win on March 3.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Knicks (30-45) at Mavericks (36-38)


Date: March 30, 2016 8:30 PM EDT


A lineup change delivered the spark the Dallas Mavericks have desperately needed. A matchup with the struggling New York Knicks could help them sustain it.


While the Mavericks return home seeking to build on a crucial win, the Knicks enter Wednesday night's meeting attempting to put behind another puzzling loss.


Displeased with his team's effort in Sunday's embarrassing 133-111 loss at Sacramento, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle shook up the rotation by inserting Dwight Powell as the starting center and rookie Justin Anderson in place of J.J. Barea for Monday's visit to Denver. The Mavericks got the message, halting a three-game skid with a much-improved all-around performance in a 97-88 victory, just their third win in 13 contests.


Powell had a season-high 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting and Barea added 18 and 11 assists off the bench to help Dallas offset a 4-of-17 night from Dirk Nowitzki.


'I felt, right now, we've got to make the point that anything other than your best effort and your best energy is unacceptable,' Carlisle said. 'These two guys (Powell and Anderson) you know are going to go hard, unconditionally. They delivered (Monday). We still need everybody, each game is critical."


Perhaps more encouraging was the Mavericks' work on the defensive end. After allowing the Kings to shoot 62.2 percent in Sunday's rout, Dallas forced 21 turnovers that led to 29 points while committing just four giveaways.


'We played some amazing basketball defensively,' guard Raymond Felton said. 'The way we took care of the ball and the way we defended, we gave ourselves a good chance to fight for this (playoff) spot.'


Dallas (36-38) still sits a half-game behind rival Houston for eighth in the Western Conference. It hosts the Rockets next Wednesday after following this matchup with stops in Detroit and Minnesota.


The Mavericks stand a good chance of earning a second straight season sweep of New York (30-45) if they can duplicate Monday's defensive effort. The Knicks are 28-18 when shooting above 42 percent and 2-27 when falling below that mark.


New York shot a combined 51.5 percent and made 27 3-pointers in consecutive wins over Chicago last week, but it's gone 41.1 percent from the field in losing its last two. The Knicks missed 18 of 21 attempts during a 10-point third quarter that led to Monday's 99-91 defeat to injury-depleted New Orleans.


'We should have won this game. There's no if, ands or buts about that,' forward Carmelo Anthony said. 'Most of the (healthy) guys on their team - no disrespect to them - they play a limited role. They play limited minutes.'


The Knicks continue to search for consistent options to complement Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis during a stretch in which they've dropped five of seven. Anthony is averaging 25.0 points and gone 16 of 35 on 3s over his last four, while Porzingis is averaging 20.8 over that span.


Porzingis had 28 points in the rookie's first encounter with Dallas on Dec. 7, but Anthony was held to 6-of-18 shooting as the Mavericks won their fourth straight over New York with a 104-97 victory at Madison Square Garden.


Deron Williams had 20 points and seven assists for Dallas but will miss a fourth straight game with an abdominal strain.


The Knicks have lost 13 of 15 visits to Dallas since 2000.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Preview: Warriors (67-7) at Jazz (37-37)


Date: March 30, 2016 9:00 PM EDT


Coming off their best offensive performance of the season, the Utah Jazz feel they're ready to take on the NBA's highest-scoring team.


The Golden State Warriors still have much at stake as well in Wednesday night's matchup with a Jazz team that's gaining confidence during its push for a playoff spot.


Utah has put itself into the postseason mix largely by shutting down opponents, but it couldn't be stopped in Monday's record-setting 123-75 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz made a franchise-best 17 3-pointers in 32 attempts to record a season-high point total.


Rodney Hood led the perimeter binge by going 8 of 9 from beyond the arc while scoring all of his 30 points in the first half, tying Jeff Hornacek and Randy Foye's team record for most 3s in a single game.


"I got a couple of clean looks and from there I just kept on shooting,' Hood said. "The hoop looked really big."


Though such prolific displays have hardly been the norm for Utah (37-37), 28th in the NBA in scoring at 97.9 points per game, it's averaging 10.7 3-pointers and shooting 40.4 percent from distance over an 8-2 stretch that's vaulted it into seventh in the Western Conference.


The Jazz still can't match the marksmanship of Golden State, the league's leader with 963 triples and a 41.6 percent accuracy from long range. They haven't in three prior losses this season, in which the Warriors have gone a combined 36 of 82 on 3s, compared to 21 of 59 for the Jazz


While Utah, one game ahead of ninth-place Dallas, attempts to keep its tenuous hold on a playoff spot, Golden State (67-7) continues to chase history. The reigning NBA champions moved within six games of breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' single-season mark of 72 victories with Tuesday's 102-94 win over Washington.


'As you go through the season and kind of get lost in the journey, we should be able to accomplish both: be a better team and better our record, which we're on our way to doing," Stephen Curry said. "For us to be playing at such a high level for two straight years and have our eyes set on the ultimate goal, it's fun.'


The Warriors weren't at their best offensively, finishing 43.7 percent from the field, but came through with a 13-1 run to take an 87-73 lead with 9:32 remaining en route to their 54th straight regular-season home win.


Golden State, which lost at San Antonio on March 19 in the second half of its last back-to-back, plays five of its final eight at home.


Curry had 26 points and ended 6 of 8 from 3-point range. The 2015 league MVP has been mostly held in check by the Jazz this season, with his 18.0 scoring average and 39.1 field goal percentage for the series his lowest marks against any West team.


Klay Thompson has given Utah more trouble, hitting 12 of 22 3-pointers and averaging 21.0 points in the three wins. The All-Star guard was coming off consecutive 40-point outings in wins over Dallas and Philadelphia before being held to 16 on 7-of-19 shooting by the Wizards.


The Jazz counter with a defense that's yielding 88.2 points over their 10-game surge and limited Los Angeles to 30.6 percent in a loss that matched the worst in Lakers' history.


"As much as anything, you find emotion and energy when you play defense," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "As much as we were making shots, we were getting stops, too."


Golden State has won four straight and 10 of 11 in the series, including a 106-103 victory in Salt Lake City on Nov. 30, behind a tiebreaking 3-pointer from Curry with 52 seconds left.

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Preview: Wizards (36-38) at Kings (29-45)


Date: March 30, 2016 10:00 PM EDT


Time is running out on the Washington Wizards' playoff hopes, but facing a couple teams out of the race could help them begin closing the gap.


John Wall attempts to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the season as the Wizards try to capitalize on a meeting with the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.


Washington (36-38) is trying to reach the postseason for a third straight time, but it trails eighth-place Indiana by three games with eight remaining. Four of those games pit the Wizards against teams out of playoff contention, including Friday's visit to Phoenix following this matchup with the Kings (29-45).


They struggled with the league's best team Tuesday, shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 5 for 23 from 3-point range in a 102-94 loss at Golden State. Washington squandered a nine-point lead in the final 2:24 of the first half en route to a third loss in four tries following a season-best five-game win streak.


"Against a team like this that's fighting for history, 12-0 at the end of a half when you're up nine hurts," coach Randy Wittman said.


Wall was limited to eight points on 4-of-14 shooting with 11 assists Tuesday, ending ended his run of nine straight double-doubles - the longest such run by a guard this season.


Wall had 12 points and a career-high 19 assists in a 113-99 win over Sacramento on Dec. 21, while Marcin Gortat contributed a season-best 27 points and 16 rebounds.


With eight games left in another disappointing season, the Kings are 7 1/2 behind Houston for eighth place. That was far enough from contention to lead coach George Karl to rest DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo on Monday, when Sacramento lost 105-93 at Portland.


While the trio should be back in the lineup, Karl is planning more days off for his stars.


"I think it will happen some more," Karl said. "I don't think there's an exact schedule yet but I think you'll see us do it a little bit more, especially in back-to-back situations."


A layoff could be in Karl's future, too. Reports have surfaced that he's been asked to resign multiple times this season as the Kings attempt to save the $10 million remaining on his contract.


For now, Sacramento is aiming for its first 30-win season since finishing with 38 in 2007-08.


Cousins is fourth in the NBA with 27.0 points per game and fifth with 11.6 rebounds.


It's unknown if the Kings will have Marco Belinelli available after he sat out two games with a sore right foot. The guard had 15 points against the Wizards in December.


Sacramento has won five straight at home against Washington since a 110-107 loss on Jan. 21, 2009.

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Preview: Heat (43-30) at Lakers (15-59)


Date: March 30, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are closing in on a playoff spot, while Kobe Bryant's final season is entering the Los Angeles Lakers' record books for all the wrong reasons.


Wade and Bryant will face off for the last time Wednesday night when the Heat continue their pursuit of first place in the Southeast Division.


Miami (43-30) is fourth in the Eastern Conference, 6 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Chicago with nine left in the regular season. The Heat are also one-game back of Atlanta for the Southeast lead with Charlotte lurking one-half behind Miami.


Wade played through a wrist injury to score 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting and handed out nine assists in Monday's 110-99 win over Brooklyn.


It was the 11th win in 15 games for the Heat, who overcame the absence of point guard Goran Dragic (illness), who was ruled out just prior to the game.


Rookie Josh Richardson started in place of Dragic, scoring 16 points and connecting on 3 of 4 3-pointers.


"We all had to breathe collectively, without our point guard, without somebody who puts pressure around the rim and attacks," said Wade, who jammed his wrist early. "I took it upon myself to be that one to attack."


That's usually a recipe for success for the Heat, who are 12-4 when Wade has at least 25 points.


He only needed to score 12 as Miami cruised to its seventh straight win over the Lakers, 101-88 on Nov. 10.


The conference-worst Lakers (15-59) look incapable of ending that skid, losing eight of their last nine after being hammered 123-75 at Utah on Monday to match the worst loss in team history and the most lopsided defeat of Bryant's career.


"I didn't say anything," coach Byron Scott told the team's official website when asked how he addressed the team. "I'd hope they would do a little soul searching and just think about what happened and think about how we just didn't come to play and how we didn't compete.


"Sometimes it just comes down to having some pride."


Los Angeles is in serious danger of finishing with the fewest wins in a single season in franchise history. It needs to win five of its final eight games to surpass the 19 victories from 1957-58 when the Lakers were based in Minneapolis.


Bryant is trying to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the season. He had five points while missing 10 of 11 shots Monday after averaging 20.5 while hitting 41.4 percent from 3-point range over the four previous games.


He's averaging 25.8 points over his last nine meetings with Miami, but he's missed four of the last five with injuries, including the November matchup with back pain.


Now, Bryant faces the Heat for the last time and should find himself matched up with Wade. The two were teammates on the gold medal team at the 2008 Olympics.


Bryant and the Lakers will also have to worry about Hassan Whiteside, who had 19 points and 15 rebounds in this season's first meeting. The center has totaled 53 points on 22-of-31 shooting, 20 boards and six blocks over the last two games.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

Game of the Day: Hawks at Raptors


Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors (-2, 200)


The Atlanta Hawks are trying to separate themselves from the pack in the race for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference and have done their best with wins in four straight games. The Hawks will try to make it five in a row when they visit the team directly in front of them in the standings, the Toronto Raptors, on Wednesday.




Toronto does not have to worry much about Atlanta with a five-game cushion on the No. 3 spot but would like to be playing better as it preps for the playoffs. The Raptors were trounced 119-100 at home by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and have dropped three of their last four with All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry ailing. The Hawks are one game ahead of the fourth-place Miami Heat and 1 1/2 up on the fifth-place Boston Celtics after knocking off the Chicago Bulls 102-100 on Monday to pick up their 14th win in the last 17 games. Atlanta will have to earn the No. 3 spot with a tough closing schedule that includes two games against the Raptors, two against the East-leading Cavaliers and one against the Celtics.


TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), TSN (Toronto)


LINE HISTORY: The Toronto Raptors opened as 1.5-point favorites over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. The public hit the Raptors early on and the books were forced to raise the line slightly to -2. The total debuted at an even 200 and hasn't moved.


INJURY REPORT:


Hawks - SF T. Sefolosha (Probable Wednesday, ankle).


Raptors - SF T. Ross (Questionable Wednesday, thumb), PG K. Lowry (Probable Wednesday, elbow).


POWER RANKINGS: Hawks (-7.2) - Raptors (-7.7) + home court (-3) = Raptors -3.5


ABOUT THE HAWKS (45-30, 40-34-1 ATS, 35-40 O/U): Atlanta has gone over the century mark in each of its last nine games and credited the pace with helping them edge the Bulls on Monday. “We played with a lot of pace tonight,” point guard Jeff Teague told reporters after the win. “It played into our hands, playing a little faster. Those guys have so many big guys and we were able to get in the paint and make plays.” Teague and backup Dennis Schroder combined for 40 points in the win, with all of those points coming from inside the 3-point arc.


ABOUT THE RAPTORS (49-24, 39-34 ATS, 38-34-1 O/U): Lowry had his inflamed right elbow drained after Monday’s loss and is shooting 26.2 percent from the field in his last four games. “We just drained it,” Lowry told reporters. “We thought it would calm down over the next few days … hopefully we get a good reaction to it. I’m not going to make no excuses, but it’s definitely something I don’t want to play with. I don’t like playing with (it). But it is what it is. This time of year, you just play through it.” Lowry is even struggling at the free-throw line, connecting on 60.4 percent of his tries in his last five games.


TRENDS:


* Hawks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Raptors are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Raptors are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.


CONSENSUS: The public is crushing the Raptors -2 at a lofty 75 percent clip and the over 200 is getting almost as much love, getting hit by 72 percent.

BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors F Patrick Patterson is 14-of-20 from the field in the last three games.
2. Atlanta G Tim Hardaway Jr. is 2-of-16 in the last two contests.
3. Toronto has taken the last three meetings by an average of 14.3 points.
PREDICTION: Hawks 106, Raptors 101

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 30 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews


If you happen to live in Los Angeles or another NBA city in which the Lakers will visit the rest of the season -- so New Orleans, Houston or Oklahoma City -- then good news if you are planning to see Kobe Bryant play in person before he retires. Bryant has said he plans on playing every game the rest of the way "unless something drastic happens." And that's how it should be. There's no reason at this point for Lakers fans to even attend their home games other than to see Kobe. Ditto the fans in those cities listed above unless they like blowouts. I know it was big deal to me to get to be able to see Michael Jordan in one of his last games. Even the refs appear to be enjoying Kobe's final ride as Bryant hasn't gotten a single technical foul yet. He used to get quite a few with his penchant for arguing calls.


Hawks at Raptors (-3.5, 202.5)


Atlanta won a fourth straight Monday, 102-100 in Chicago. Jeff Teague scored 26 points, including four free throws in the final 22.2 seconds. Al Horford and Paul Millsap had double-doubles. The Hawks swept the Bulls for the first time in seven years. Toronto lost 119-100 on Monday to Oklahoma City in perhaps its worst home game of the season. DeMar DeRozan had 19 points for the Raptors, who are one victory shy of their first 50-win season in team history. Forward Terrence Ross missed a third straight game. Toronto is 2-0 against the Hawks this season, winning the most recent game 104-96 at home. Overall, the Raptors have won three straight in the series.


Key trends: The Hawks are 1-6 against the spread in the past seven meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in the past four.


Early lean: Raptors and under.


Nuggets at Grizzlies (TBA)


Denver lost 97-88 at home to Dallas on Monday. Will Barton had 23 points for the Nuggets, who finished with 21 turnovers. Kenneth Faried returned from a four-game injury absence but center Jusuf Nurkic was out with an illness. Memphis dropped a third in a row Monday, 101-87 at home to San Antonio. Zach Randolph missed his second straight game with a right ankle sprain. Memphis is 3-0 vs. Denver this season, has won five straight overall vs. the Nuggets and six in a row at home.


Key trends: The home team is 9-4 ATS in the past 13 meetings. The under is 7-1 in the previous eight.


Early lean: Wait on Randolph.


Suns at Bucks (-7, 212.5)


Phoenix dropped a third in a row Monday, 121-116 at Minnesota. The Suns turned it over 21 times, leading to 26 Wolves points. Devin Booker and Brandon Knight each had 30 points in the loss. Tyson Chandler played after being questionable with back spasms but only 19 minutes. Milwaukee lost its fifth straight Saturday, 115-91 against Charlotte. Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to eight points. Milwaukee won in Phoenix 101-95 on Dec. 20. The Bucks scored the final six points of the game.


Key trends: The road team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 10-4 in Phoenix's past four road games.


Early lean: Bucks and under.


Clippers at Timberwolves (+6.5, 212.5)


L.A. won its third consecutive game Monday, 114-90 over Boston. Chris Paul had 13 points and 14 assists and DeAndre Jordan 15 points and 13 rebounds. Paul Pierce injured his ankle in the game and likely will miss a few. Minnesota beat Phoenix on Monday, 121-116 behind 32 points from Andrew Wiggins and 27 points and 10 boards from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Clippers lead the season series 2-1 but lost the last meeting, 108-102 at home. It was Minnesota's first win there in four years. The Wolves have dropped seven straight at home vs. the Clippers.


Key trends: The Clippers have covered eight of their past 10 at Minnesota. The over is 7-1 in the past eight meetings.


Early lean: Clippers and over.


Knicks at Mavericks (-6, 203.5)


New York lost 99-91 in New Orleans on Monday. Carmelo Anthony scored 22 for New York. He was spooked briefly when a little kid ran onto the court late in the game to meet Melo. But all was well. Dallas ended a three-game losing streak with a 97-88 win in Denver on Monday. J.J. Barea scored 18 points and had 11 assists off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki had just 10 on 4-for-17 shooting. The Mavs played without point guard Deron Williams due to an abdominal strain. He's questionable at best here. Dallas won 104-97 in New York on Dec. 7. The Mavs have won four straight against the Knicks overall.


Key trends: The Mavericks are 4-1 ATS in their past five after a win. The under is 7-0 in New York's past seven playing on one day of rest.


Early lean: Mavericks and over.


Pelicans at Spurs (TBA)


Poor New Orleans. The injury-ravaged Pelicans welcomed Jrue Holiday back from injury in Monday's 99-91 win over New York but then saw him get blasted accidentally in the eye near the end of the game, so who knows if he plays here. Alonzo Gee also left in the third quarter with a quad injury. Ryan Anderson missed his fifth straight game with a left groin injury, and Norris Cole was out for his 11th in a row with a lower-back injury. The Pelicans have used 36 starting lineups this season, the most in the NBA. San Antonio won 101-87 in Memphis on Monday playing without Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The original plan was for those latter three to play here as the Spurs want to stay unbeaten at home and they were simply resting for a second straight game. Leonard is dealing with a minor injury, so he's questionable. San Antonio leads the season series 2-1. The most recent was a 94-86 win in the Big Easy on March 3.


Key trends: The Pelicans have covered only six of their past 19 in San Antonio. The under is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings.


Early lean: Wait on all those Spurs.


Warriors at Jazz (+6.5, 206)


Golden State hosted Washington on Tuesday. I could actually see this as a potential loss for the Warriors if pushed hard by the Wizards and in the second of a back-to-back. Utah beat the visiting Lakers by 48 points on Monday. Rodney Hood scored all 30 of his points in the first half. Utah shot 51.7 percent in scoring a season high. Golden State has won 10 of the past 11 meetings vs. the Jazz but barely escaped at Utah on Nov. 30.


Key trends: The home team is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 7-2 in Utah's past nine overall.


Early lean: Jazz and under.


Wizards at Kings (TBA)


Washington was in Golden State on Tuesday. Good luck with that. Sacramento lost 105-93 in Portland on Monday as Coach George Karl rested DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo. He says he will continue to rest those guys down the stretch, but I would imagine mostly in road games. Marco Belinelli missed a second straight game due to a sore right foot. Washington took the first meeting 113-99. The Kings have won five straight at home vs. the Wiz.


Key trends: The home team is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 5-2 in the previous seven.


Early lean: Wait on all the Kings and to see what the Wizards do Tuesday.


Heat at Lakers (+9, 208)


Miami won a second straight Monday, 110-99 over visiting Brooklyn. Dwyane Wade played one of his best games of the year with 30 points on 14-for-19 shooting. In his last seven games against Brooklyn, Wade is averaging 27.1 points. The Heat were without starting point guard Goran Dragic, who was ill. The Lakers officially hit rock bottom in the worst season in franchise history with a 123-75 defeat at Utah on Monday. It tied the worst loss in franchise history and was the worst for Kobe Bryant, as he missed the other 48-point defeat on March 7, 2014, against the Clippers. Kobe was just 1-for-11 from the field vs. the Jazz in his final game in Salt Lake City. L.A. was outscored by a whopping 43 points with him on the court. That was his worst plus/minus rating ever. This will be the final matchup between future Hall of Famers Kobe and Wade. The Lakers lost 101-88 in Miami on Nov. 10. Kobe missed that one. The Heat have won seven in a row against Los Angeles.


Key trends: The Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their past seven at home. The over is 6-0 in Miami's past six on the road.


Early lean: Lakers and over.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/30

NBA


Wednesday's hot teams
-- Hawks won nine of their last ten games (5-1 last 6AU).
-- Clippers won their last three games (8-3 last 11AF). Minnesota won three of its last four games (1-3 last 4HU).
-- Spurs won eight of their last ten games (12-6-1 last 19HF).
-- Warriors won their last five games (3-5 last 8AF). Utah won eight of its last ten games (6-3HU).
-- Miami won four of its last five games (4-5 last 9HF).


Cold teams
-- Toronto lost three of its last four games (4-7 last 11HF).
-- Denver lost six of its last nine games (2-6 last 8AU). Memphis lost seven of its last nine games (4-3 last 7HF).
-- Suns lost four of their last five games (5-3 last 8AU). Milwaukee lost its last five games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Pelicans lost seven of their last ten games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Knicks lost five of their last seven games (2-4 last 6AU). Dallas also lost five of its last seven games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Kings lost five of their last eight games. Washington lost four of its last five games.
-- Lakers lost eight of their last ten games (1-5 last 6HU).


Series records
-- Raptors won five of last six games with Atlanta.
-- Memphis won seven of its last eight games with Denver.
-- Clippers won nine of last ten games with Minnesota.
-- Suns won four of their last five games to Milwaukee.
-- Pelicans are 4-3 (6-1 vs spread) in last seven games vs San Antonio.
-- Knicks lost five of their last six games with Dallas.
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games with Utah.
-- Kings won five of their last eight games with Washington.
-- Lakers lost their last seven games with Miami.


Totals
-- Last four Atlanta-Toronto games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last eight Denver-Memphis games stayed under.
-- Last four Clipper games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Phoenix games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight New Orleans games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine New York games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Warrior games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Laker games went over the total.


Back/backs
-- Golden State is 1-5 vs spread last six time they played nite before.
-- Washington is 2-8 vs spread last 10 times they played night before.