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**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:25 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Hornets (46-33) at Wizards (38-41)

Date: April 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Last season in the Southeast Division, it was Washington pushing for home advantage in the first round of the playoffs at this time. This season, it's Charlotte doing so with the Wizards already set on watching the postseason from home.

The Hornets head to Washington on Sunday for their third-to-last game with no worse than the No. 6 seed secured while seeking something better.

Charlotte (46-33) kept on the trails of Atlanta and Miami with Friday's 113-99 home win over Brooklyn for its second straight victory after dropping two to the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

"No matter what, this group of guys has done a great job," said coach Steve Clifford, whose team finished fourth in the division last season with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs by five games. "We are becoming more relevant in the NBA. We've made the playoffs two out of the last three years - and that is what good teams do."

And a good team is more and more what the league must come to accept them as. It didn't look that way on Jan. 10 when they lost their seventh straight game, but they ended that with a 107-84 home win over Atlanta three days later and are 29-13 since.

Charlotte's .690 winning percentage in that time trails only Golden State, San Antonio and Toronto, and its 46 wins are tied with 2000-01 for the city's most since winning 49 in 1999-00.

Kemba Walker had 22 points against the Nets, which came two nights after scoring 34 in a road win over New York, and the guard has shot 51.4 percent and hit 11 of 21 from 3-point range in that time.

"I just wanted to be aggressive and take the best shots available," Walker said. "I got a few on the fast breaks and my teammates did a great job as well. We came out and got a great lead and never looked back."

The Hornets have won two of three in the season series, though Walker has been limited to 17.4 points on 33.8 percent shooting in his last eight games against the Wizards and 14.1 on 28.8 percent in eight career games in Washington.

The Wizards (38-41) fell short in their bid to open last season's playoffs at home yet managed to advance to the second round with a sweep of Toronto. That's why this season can only be looked at as a major regression.

After a five-game winning streak March 14-21 gave them some hope, they've gone 3-6 and failed to string together wins. Friday's 112-99 loss in Detroit officially eliminated Washington from the postseason after consecutive appearances.

"It's tough to miss out with the talent we have on this team," Markieff Morris said. "We didn't have our best player (John Wall), and their best player stepped up for them."

Granted, injuries have been a part of it with players such as Bradley Beal missing large chunks, while Wall missed his second straight game with a knee injury.

Morris had 29 points and has averaged 17.5 in the last six games, though it's difficult to call his embattled season anything but a backward step.

The forward, who was acquired from Phoenix on Feb. 18, is averaging 12.0 points per game after a career-best 15.3 a season ago, while his 42.4 field-goal percentage is down from 47.5 over the previous two seasons.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:26 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Lakers (16-63) at Rockets (38-41)

Date: April 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets didn't go into their final four games in control of their playoff chances, but they did enter that stretch knowing that facing four of the worst teams in basketball gave them a great chance to keep the pressure on.

So far, so ugly.

After blowing a big lead in their first game against a lottery-bound lightweight, the Rockets desperately need to bounce back Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers or they may be bidding farewell to their postseason hopes along with Kobe Bryant.

The Rockets (38-41) blew a chance to pull even with Dallas in Wednesday's 88-86 road loss, then went out and blew a 13-point second-half lead to woeful Phoenix in a 124-115 defeat a night later. They're now three games behind the seventh-place Mavericks and a game behind eighth-place Utah.

"It's frustrating," James Harden said after Houston shot 56.8 percent in a loss for the first time since 1993. "Sums up our season."

Considering the competition, a lack of effort seems to be at least partly to blame. The Rockets were outrebounded 47-26 and allowed 36 second-chance points. No NBA team has given up more since November 2009.

"We've been doing too much talking," Harden said. "Now we've got to go out there and actually play well."

Houston could have been facing a two-game deficit for the eighth spot had Utah not managed to lose at home Friday to a Clippers team that rested Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick.

That reprieve won't mean much if the Rockets can't close with wins over the Lakers (16-63) and fellow lottery clubs Minnesota and Sacramento. Utah visits Denver and the Lakers with a home game against Dallas in between, and Houston will win the tiebreaker should they finish even due to a better conference record.

First, the Rockets get their chance to spoil one of Bryant's last few days in the NBA. He shot 54.1 percent in the first three meetings and had games of 25 and 22 points, but that made very little difference as Houston won three blowouts by an average of 22.

Bryant went just 4 of 15 from the field in 22 minutes Friday at New Orleans, where a 110-102 loss overshadowed 32 points from D'Angelo Russell and 26 from Jordan Clarkson.

Byron Scott wasn't paying much attention to his starting backcourt's offense, however.

"Defensively they were both awful," he said. "And two assists between the two of them ain't good. We've got to do a better job sharing the ball."

Scott's logic hasn't quite held up in this series. The Lakers have assisted on 63 percent of their field goals against the Rockets - well above their Western Conference-worst 51.1 season rate - but they've still only managed 93 points per 100 possessions against one of the league's worst defensive clubs.

Houston has outrebounded Los Angeles by 12.3 per game and held a 66-26 edge in second-chance points. Dwight Howard has averaged 16 points and 14 boards while Clint Capela is at 12.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Howard's offense has virtually disappeared of late, though, even prompting speculation that his teammates are freezing out a player who's expected to opt out of his contract in the offseason. He's averaged 8 points and just 5.4 field-goal attempts in his last eight games, going 12 for 40 (30 percent) from the free-throw line.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:26 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Mavericks (41-38) at Clippers (51-28)

Date: April 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle wishes he had Doc Rivers' luxury of resting multiple players with the Los Angeles Clippers locked into their playoff spot.

The Mavericks still have work left in order to secure a postseason berth, and an injury to J.J. Barea might leave them even more shorthanded.

It's unclear who will be on the floor for either side Sunday as Dallas looks to wrap up a 15th playoff appearance in 16 seasons against the Clippers at Staples Center.

Chandler Parsons is out for the season after right knee surgery and Deron Williams has missed eight straight with a sports hernia, leaving the Mavericks (41-38) in rough shape with the playoffs approaching.

They've overcome those issues to win a season-high six straight, though, with 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki playing in 28 of the last 29. He scored 21 points in Friday's 103-93 victory over Memphis to help Dallas come within a victory or a Houston loss of securing a playoff berth. The Rockets host the Lakers at the same time Sunday.

Barea averaged 25.8 points over the previous four, but he left midway through the first quarter with a right groin strain. He returned later before leaving for good, and his status is in doubt for this contest.

"We are going to figure it out," Carlisle said. "That's all I can tell you. When you lose guys, you lose versatility. We are going to have to be resourceful."

Raymond Felton stepped up in Barea's absence and finished with 11 points and a season-high 14 assists, and rookie Justin Anderson scored a career-high 19 with 10 rebounds.

Felton would get the start against the Clippers (51-28) if Barea can't go. Williams likely will sit out the final three in hopes of being healthy for the playoffs.

"My shots weren't necessarily falling, but at the same time I was getting into the paint, getting shots for other guys and just being aggressive," Felton said. "Sometimes that's all it takes."

It took Jamal Crawford's 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in overtime for Los Angeles to beat Utah 102-99 on Friday as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick rested. Wesley Johnson sat out with plantar fasciitis and Austin Rivers also didn't play because of a sore ankle.

Doc Rivers made it clear he plans to give his players as much of a break as possible with the Clippers having already secured home advantage in the first round with the Western Conference's fourth seed.

Crawford, a front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year, made his ninth start in the last two seasons and finished with 30 points, and Cole Aldrich had season highs of 21 points and 18 points while adding a career-high five steals.

Jeff Green had 18 points, while Pablo Prigioni finished with 13, seven rebounds and seven assists as nine players dressed.

"We have all the confidence in the world with our second group," Aldrich said. "We moved the ball and we had a bunch of guys out. We could have just said, 'You know what? We got six guys out. Let's just get through this one and get home.'

"We fought hard. That's a big thing for our group - getting through those tough times."

The Clippers finish with a back-to-back set against Memphis on Tuesday at home - a possible first-round preview - and at Phoenix on Wednesday. Rivers hasn't announced how he will handle his lineup.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:26 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Jazz (39-40) at Nuggets (33-47)

Date: April 10, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets have been the gift that keeps on giving for the Utah Jazz as they pursue their first playoff berth in four years.

The Jazz caught a break when the Rockets dropped two in a row this week, but with Houston hosting a favorable matchup Sunday, the Jazz probably need a win against the Denver Nuggets to maintain sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference.

Although Utah (39-40) was handed two tough results at home this week, losing a tight battle with San Antonio 88-86 on Tuesday before falling 102-99 in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, it remains one game ahead of Houston in the standings.

The Rockets, who have lost three of four, have a great chance to pick up a win with a home matchup against the 16-63 Lakers, whom they've beaten three times this season by an average of 22 points, so it appears crucial for the Jazz to again handle Denver.

Houston has a slightly more favorable final two games with a visit to Minnesota and a home matchup against Sacramento, while the Jazz have to contend with seventh-place Dallas at home before visiting the Lakers.

"We got to move on from this one," Gordon Hayward said after Friday's loss. "We've got a three-game season coming up. I think that's the way we've got to look at it. We have to win each one of these next three games if we want to get in.

"You go from there and you just put this one behind you."

The Nuggets (33-27), who are well out of the playoff race, lost the first three meetings with Utah this season while scoring an average of 84.3 points, which marks the second lowest the Jazz have allowed against a West opponent this season.

Another win will not only help Utah's playoff push but also mark its first season sweep of Denver since 2002-03 - when Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton were still working that perfect pick-and-roll in the Jazz starting lineup.

The guard-forward tandem this time is Rodney Hood and Hayward, and though no one will ever compare them to Stockton and Malone, they've been instrumental down the stretch for Utah during an 11-7 span since a five-game skid Feb. 25-March 4.

Hayward, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds against the Clippers, has played in 16 of those games and averaged 20.2 points in the nine wins and 15.7 in the seven losses, so getting him good looks will be key in the club's final three games.

The agile forward has gotten plenty of good looks against the Nuggets this season with 62 total points on 20-of-42 shooting. He's played clean basketball with a 4.00 assist-to-turnover ratio and hit 16 of 17 free throws in the three meetings.

Denver may be simply playing out the string before watching the playoffs from the living room, but during a season in which two West powers have been smashing records, the Nuggets claimed a unique distinction with a 102-98 win over San Antonio on Friday.

Sure, every Spurs starter took the night off except Tim Duncan, but Denver ended a 10-game skid in the series and is now the only team to have beaten San Antonio and Golden State this season. The Nuggets, who have been experimenting with their lineup with an eye on the future, beat the Warriors 112-110 at home on Jan. 13.

"That's a pretty cool accomplishment," guard Gary Harris said. "But we still have a lot of ways to improve. I'm happy with the way everyone is progressing."

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:26 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Bucks (32-47) at 76ers (10-69)

Date: April 10, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

With or without Sam Hinkie, the Philadelphia 76ers are headed toward a historically bad finish on the way to multiple first-round draft picks in June.

The Milwaukee Bucks seem to be doing their best to drop into better draft positioning, too.

With nothing left to play for other than higher lottery odds, the visiting Bucks can finish off a season sweep with a ninth straight victory over the league-worst 76ers on Sunday night.

Philadelphia (10-69) already has the worst record wrapped up but avoided its own all-time mark for fewest victories in an 82-game season with Tuesday's 107-93 win over New Orleans. Still, the 76ers would finish with the NBA's worst record since its 1972-73 nine-win team with an 0-3 final week - discounting Charlotte's 7-59 mark in a shortened 2011-12 season.

Hinkie won't be with the team for the end of it after resigning from his general manager position on Wednesday, giving way to Bryan Colangelo - a former NBA executive of the year and Philadelphia chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo's son.

However, the 76ers will continue stockpiling first-round draft picks without their three-year GM. Four more might be theirs for the taking at the June 25 draft.

"We're committed to the path that we said we were going to be on three years ago," coach Brett Brown said. "We're committed to that, no matter who was going to be in charge this draft, next season."

The 76ers were denied their first winning streak with Friday's 109-102 loss to New York, falling to a league-worst 7-33 at home. They have lost 13 of 14 games and 26 of 28.

Though not as pronounced as Philadelphia's woes, the Bucks (32-47) have dropped three straight at the tail end of a 2-8 slump.

They sit a half game ahead of the Knicks for 12th place in the Eastern Conference while Sacramento, Denver and the Pelicans hold similar records out West.

Milwaukee has played without leading scorer Khris Middleton in its last three losses due to a left thigh strain. Although there have been murmurs about Milwaukee playing it safe with Middleton for its final three contests, there are reports he could play on Sunday.

The Bucks averaged only 94.7 points during a 3-8 stretch through the first week of April, but defensive troubles haunted them in Friday's 124-109 loss at Boston. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Jabari Parker added 18 points, but the Celtics became Milwaukee's fourth straight opponent to shoot at least 52 percent by finishing at 56.4.

The Bucks also committed 21 turnovers while dropping to 9-30 away from home with their fourth straight road loss.

'They put the pressure on us and we turned the ball over," coach Jason Kidd said. "When you do that here, it can be a long night.'

The Bucks logged a pair of wins over the 76ers back in November and December and can sweep their second straight season series with their fourth consecutive win in Philadelphia.

Milwaukee closes the season at Orlando on Monday night and at home against Indiana on Wednesday night. The 76ers finish at Toronto on Tuesday and Chicago on Wednesday.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Nets (21-58) at Pacers (42-37)

Date: April 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Paul George couldn't make sense of it. With an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth and playing against a team resting most of its starters, Indiana laid an egg in a performance that just won't cut it during the postseason.

The Pacers still control their own destiny, though, and can secure a playoff spot with a win at home Sunday night, but another dud against the lowly Brooklyn Nets certainly won't be tolerated.

Indiana (42-37) fell into eighth in the Eastern Conference after Friday's 111-98 loss to Toronto, which elected not to play Luis Scola or All-Star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. It was mostly reserves carrying the Raptors, who shot 54.4 percent from the floor and 45.5 from 3-point range.

The Pacers came in allowing opponents to shoot an average of 44 percent and leading the NBA in 3-point defense at 33.1. Allowing undermanned Toronto to shoot so well - especially after Indiana beat East-leading Cleveland 123-109 on Wednesday - didn't sit well with George.

"When we think as a group we're making progress and progressing as a team, to have a letdown like (Friday), it's frustrating," he said after the Pacers had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Monta Ellis scored 17 points and George added 14 for the Pacers, who will face either the Raptors or Cavaliers in the first round. They trail Detroit by one-half game for the seventh spot, and coach Frank Vogel realizes his team needs to play much better considering the competition awaiting in the playoffs.

"It doesn't really matter who we're playing," Vogel said. "We didn't play well enough. We weren't sharp in any area. We wouldn't beat anyone (Friday)."

Indiana didn't play well enough to beat Brooklyn (21-58) in the last meeting, either. The Nets shot 54.5 percent from the field - the third-highest percentage the Pacers have allowed this season - as six players scored in double figures.

Brooklyn has lost seven straight since that win by an average of 18.6 points, though, and has dropped 11 in a row on the road.

The Pacers will play a second straight game against a team sitting out its best players as interim coach Tony Brown has elected to shut down his top duo of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young with an eye on the future.

Wayne Ellington scored 21, Thomas Robinson had 16 and 17 rebounds and Sean Kilpatrick added 16 points off the bench in Friday's 113-99 loss at Charlotte. Brown especially was impressed with Robinson, who is averaging 15.3 points and 13 rebounds over his last six.

Robinson, playing for his fifth team since being drafted fifth overall by Sacramento in 2012, averages 4.9 points and the same amount of rebounds in his career. He didn't play in the last meeting with the Pacers, who have won three of the last four matchups in Indianapolis.

"He's got a great motor," Brown said of Robinson, who had a career-best 12 offensive boards. "He plays hard when he's out there. He's always on the glass on both ends of the floor. He's putting himself in positions where he can finish around the rim or get fouled. He's been very productive with his minutes, showing people he belongs in the league."

George scored 27 points in the last matchup, but he's shooting just 38.9 percent while committing 15 turnovers in the three meetings this season.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Magic (34-45) at Heat (46-33)

Date: April 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic aren't ready to let go of their season, and that is directly affecting the Miami Heat.

With time running out on their fourth straight non-playoff campaign, the Magic will try to hinder the Heat in their push for a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference when they go for a sweep of a home-and-home set on Sunday night in Miami.

Orlando (34-45) has long been eliminated from postseason contention but has piled up three wins over teams that are in during a 5-2 stretch. The latest was Friday's rare victory over its in-state rival.

Nikola Vucevic posted 29 points in his return to the starting lineup and Evan Fournier had 28 to lift the Magic to a 112-109 win over the Heat (46-33), just their second victory in the last 16 games of this series. That stretch includes Miami's two wins earlier this season and a 7-1 mark for the Heat at home.

But Orlando was the aggressor late on Friday when Vucevic - starting for the first time since March 4 - threw down a go-ahead dunk with 21 seconds remaining and reserve Devyn Marble stole Luol Deng's inbounds pass with 3.4 left to seal it.

'We're not giving up. That's for sure,' Jason Smith said. 'We're not folding this season. We're continuing to play hard, play hard every night, and really go out and finish this season with a bang.'

Miami still has hopes of closing with a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round, but trails Southeast Division-leading Atlanta and Boston in that race while tied with Charlotte for the fifth spot.

The Heat finish the season on the road at playoff-bound Detroit on Tuesday and at the Celtics a night later.

First, they will try to win their 12th home game in 14 tries in their final contest at AmericanAirlines Arena. Orlando has lost 11 of 13 road games.

'At this time of the year, you're not concerned about a loss here and there. This team keeps fighting,' Dwyane Wade said. 'Losing is part of basketball. As long as you go out and compete, and I thought we did that.'

Wade led seven Heat players in double figures with 17 points on Friday, but a recently dynamic Miami scoring attack was slowed by an improving Orlando defense.

The Magic held the Heat to 45 percent shooting to lower that number to 45.8 for their last seven opponents, directly following a stretch of five of eight that reached 50. Miami was the last team on that list by shooting 50 percent in a 108-97 home win on March 25.

Hassan Whiteside has made 16 of 27 shots for 39 points with 28 rebounds and nine blocks in the last two games of this series.

The 7-footer went against an Orlando frontcourt missing Aaron Gordon on Friday, and that may be the case again two days later. Gordon missed his first game in four months with a concussion suffered in Wednesday's 108-104 loss to the Pistons, and his season is in jeopardy while he goes through the NBA concussion protocol.

Another Magic starter could be out as Victor Oladipo left Friday's game with a concussion, his second of the season. Oladipo, averaging 16 points, also needed stitches over his left eye after colliding with Whiteside.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Warriors (70-9) at Spurs (65-14)

Date: April 10, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's only fitting that if the Golden State Warriors are going to match the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' single-season record for wins, they need to get it at a place where they've always left with losses for almost a generation.

The Warriors seek their 72nd victory Sunday at San Antonio, where a well-rested Spurs team is waiting and ready to put a pair of lengthy home winning streaks on the line in arguably the highest-profile game of this regular season.

Golden State (71-9) didn't get to the precipice of history without some drama, outscoring Memphis 20-9 in the final 6:08 in its 100-99 road victory Saturday night. Draymond Green scored seven of his 23 points in the closing 3:32 as the Warriors survived a rare off night from the Splash Brothers as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson went a combined 5 for 24 from 3-point range.

And the Warriors won within coach Steve Kerr's framework of not extending minutes for any of his core players with Green and Thompson both logging a team-high 35.

A reserve guard on that '95-96 Bulls team, Kerr is trying to keep his rotations intact and balance letting his players chase history - Green has been adamant about wanting the record.

"He's been more outspoken about this record than anybody," said Kerr, who said after the game he doesn't care about the record. "He wants it more than anybody I think.

"These games are tricky because you're not sure what you're trying to accomplish. You want to get some guys rhythm, some guys rest. This record is out there, it's important to a lot of people, so there's a lot to process."

Processing a win in San Antonio during the regular season, however, has been impossible for a while now. The Warriors have lost 33 consecutive regular-season games there since a 108-94 win Feb. 14, 1997, a date so long ago Spurs forward Tim Duncan was still honing his trademark low-post skills at Wake Forest.

It's the longest active home winning streak by one team over another and the second-longest in NBA history behind the Lakers' 43-game dominance over the Kings from 1975-92. Golden State led early in the fourth quarter of an 87-79 loss at San Antonio on March 19, when the Spurs closed on a 9-2 run and held the Warriors to 37.8 percent shooting.

A common thread from Golden State's win Saturday carrying into this game was that Curry and Thompson struggled from distance, going 2 for 19 from beyond the arc, and this is on the second day of back-to-back games. While Curry reminded reporters the Warriors won Game 4 of their 2013 conference semifinal series at San Antonio, he also realizes his best is going to be needed to get this landmark victory.

"It's a big game for us to come out and play aggressive, play smart and overcome the schedule," said Curry, whose team is 17-2 on the back end playing consecutive nights. "It's hard to win on the road in the league in general, but when you face a team that 99 percent of the time doesn't beat themselves ... you have to go and take those games. We know what kind of challenge we have in front of us."

As the Warriors have chased 73 wins and established a new standard for consecutive home wins at 54, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich could not care less about being two wins shy of being the first team to run the table in a season and go 41-0 at home.

He provided one of his vintage, withering retorts Friday when asked if San Antonio's current 48-game run at home in the regular season means anything.

'What does that get you if you're undefeated? Does it win you anything? That's why it's meaningless," Popovich opined.

The Spurs (65-14) are on their first losing streak of the season after a 102-98 defeat at Denver on Friday night in which Popovich rested all of his starters except Duncan. It also may have been a hangover effect of being locked into the No. 2 seed following its 112-101 loss at Golden State on Thursday.

Duncan responded to his increased workload with a season-high 21 points in 34 minutes, but given the matchup problems the Warriors create when they play small, the veteran forward may see his minutes range closer to the 19 he logged Thursday night.

'You can't make mistakes against these guys,' Popovich said after Thursday's defeat. 'Best team on the planet. If you lose your concentration defensively or you shoot ill-advised shots or don't move the ball and give it back to them quickly, you're in big trouble.'

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Raptors (53-26) at Knicks (32-48)

Date: April 10, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Should they have to deal with an injury or choose to keep resting their regulars before the postseason, the Toronto Raptors might remain in good hands if their latest game was any indication.

Still holding a faint chance at the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, the Raptors will try to keep those hopes alive while breaking their single-season mark for road victories Sunday night against the New York Knicks.

Toronto (53-26) showed the strength of its roster while three usual starters and DeMarre Carroll sat out Friday against playoff-hopeful Indiana. The Raptors were led by Norman Powell, Delon Wright and Cory Joseph in a 111-98 victory.

"It just shows how deep we are when guys like Kyle (Lowry) and DeMar (DeRozan) and (Luis) Scola can take a game off and we have a big team win like that," said Powell, who scored a career-high 27 points. "It just shows how good and talented we are when we all play together and lock in."

It's unclear what lineup coach Dwane Casey will use Sunday with Toronto locked into one of the top two seeds in the East but still in contention for the top spot. The Raptors' chances were kept alive Saturday with Cleveland's 105-102 loss in Chicago.

They trail the Cavaliers by 2 1/2 games and hold the tiebreaker by going 2-1 in the season series.

The Raptors can remain in contention for at least another day by surpassing their 22 road wins from each of the past two seasons. They have come up short in their last two attempts to break that mark, falling to San Antonio and Atlanta.

Toronto, which has set a single-season mark for overall victories, won 122-95 in its only other trip to New York this season Feb. 22 and has taken two of three overall matchups.

It's unclear if the Raptors will have to face Knicks star rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis in this one. He's missed the past five games because of an ailing right shoulder.

Jose Calderon (quad) and Lance Thomas (knee) have also been out.

Although the Knicks have nothing to play for, Porzingis is hoping to return in one of the final two games and New York (32-48) will play its home finale Sunday.

"I want to come back, but it's not really in my hands," he said. "If I can recover and be 100 percent before the season is over, then I'll play."

Carmelo Anthony was dealing with a stomach illness during the Knicks' visit to Philadelphia on Friday and sat out the final 17-plus minutes. He still chipped in 20 points in a 109-102 victory while Robin Lopez had 24 points and 15 rebounds.

"I believed in my teammates that they were going to pull it out," Anthony said. "It felt good to sit in the fourth."

Lowry is averaging 24.1 points on 51.2 percent shooting and has connected at 47.7 percent from 3-point range in his last eight games against the Knicks.

**TheGame** · 04-10-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

'Western Showdown'

With the top two teams in the NBA locking horns Sunday the eyes of most basketball fans, as well as those focused on basketball betting will be on the showdown between host San Antonio Spurs (65-14, 43-36 ATS) and visiting Golden State Warriors (70-9, 43-34-2 ATS).

Home-court advantage is certainly something San Antonio can tap into. Spurs looking to become the first undefeated home team in league history have been tough nuts to crack on AT&T Center hardwood. This year, they've won 39 consecutive games (23-16 ATS) in front of the friendly crowd defeating opponents by 14.7 points/game and 48 straight regular season games (31-17 ATS) dating back to last season. Additionally, Spurs have also shown a habit of handling Warriors in Alamo City during regular season winning 18 of the past 19 matchups with a profitable 13-6 mark against the betting line.

**Satch** · 04-10-2016, 10:28 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Charlotte At Washington
When: 12:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 10, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
The Washington Wizards had their playoff hopes come to an end with a loss at Detroit on Friday and will play out the string in the final three games. The Charlotte Hornets, who visit the Wizards on Sunday, already punched their ticket to the postseason but are still fighting over positioning in the Eastern Conference.
Washington was expected to take a step forward this season after reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring but instead dealt with consistent breakdowns on the defensive end and an offense that relied heavily on All-Star John Wall while Bradley Beal battled various injuries. It was Wall who ended up sitting out the last two games after having his knee drained and watched on Friday as his teammates were outscored 26-15 in the fourth quarter of a 112-99 loss that officially eliminated them from contention. The Hornets are assured of at least the No. 6 seed and are tied with the division-rival Miami Heat for fifth while Boston and Atlanta sit just ahead. Charlotte will have to work to not overlook the fading Wizards with a trip to Boston looming on Monday.
TV: Noon, ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (46-33): Charlotte missed an opportunity to assert itself in the race with back-to-back losses at Cleveland and Toronto last week but bounced back by picking on the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets in consecutive wins. Starting guard Nicolas Batum (knee) was hurt in the loss to the Cavaliers and missed the next two games but returned on Friday and delivered 14 points, six rebounds and six assists in the 113-99 triumph versus the Nets. “(We’ve) got to win three games,” Batum told reporters. “You never know, you may get homecourt advantage, too.”
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (38-41): Washington can still have an impact on the race with remaining games against Charlotte and Atlanta but is disappointed with the way the season played out. “We had some tough losses,” Wizards forward Markieff Morris, who was acquired Feb. 18, told the Washington Post. “It’s tough with the talent and the expectations they had even before I got here. It’s definitely a tough way to end the season. But we have to finish these last games strong and start looking forward.” Washington has dropped six of its last nine.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets reserve SG Troy Daniels went 5-of-7 from 3-point range in 25 minutes off the bench on Friday after not playing in any of the previous four games.
2. Wall is questionable to play any of the remaining three games.
3. The home team has taken each of the previous three meetings this season, with Washington earning a 109-101 win in its arena on Dec. 19.
PREDICTION: Hornets 116, Wizards 101

**Satch** · 04-10-2016, 10:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: L.A. Lakers At Houston
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 10, 2016
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
A favorable stretch run that figured to give the Houston Rockets a good chance to sneak into the playoffs has played out in embarrassing fashion. The Rockets will try again to take advantage of a lesser opponent when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
After a big win over Oklahoma City last Sunday, Houston was a game out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference but faced a closing stretch with one game against Dallas – one of the teams it was trying to catch – and four against some of the worst teams in the conference. A disappointing loss to the Mavericks was followed up by a late collapse at home against struggling Phoenix in Thursday’s 124-115 defeat, which leaves the Rockets still a game behind eighth-place Utah and spoke volumes as to how disappointing the season has become for last year’s runners-up in the West. “It’s frustrating,” guard James Harden told reporters. “Sums up our season.” Three games remain in the career of Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, whose team has dropped four in a row – including a 110-102 loss at New Orleans on Friday – and eight of its last nine.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles) , ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (16-63): Bryant has a storied history with just about every opponent and the Rockets are no exception. He scored at least 30 points in 25 of his 75 career games versus Houston, recorded two of his 19 career triple-doubles and knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs twice. The 20-year veteran is averaging 17.8 points over his last four games and 17.3 – on 54.1 percent shooting – in three meetings with Houston this season.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (38-41): Harden scored 30 points and Houston shot 56.8 percent against Phoenix, but the hosts were clobbered on the glass by a 60-38 margin, which led to a 36-8 disadvantage in second-chance points. Harden is averaging 28.7 points against the Lakers this season, helping the Rockets win all three games by an average of 22 points. After Los Angeles leaves town, Houston visits Minnesota and then hosts Sacramento – two teams against whom the Rockets are 4-1 – to end the regular season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets SF Trevor Ariza had 22 points with five 3-pointers, four steals and three blocks versus Phoenix.
2. Lakers PG D’Angelo Russell scored 32 points against New Orleans and is 7-of-15 from 3-point distance in his last three games.
3. Houston has won four in a row versus Los Angeles and has held the Lakers below 100 points in six straight.
PREDICTION: Rockets 110, Lakers 98

**Satch** · 04-10-2016, 10:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Dallas At L.A. Clippers
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 10, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Dallas Mavericks have put themselves on the brink of a postseason spot but are not taking anything for granted as they try to wrap up a strong final two weeks and the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks will try to clinch their spot when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Dallas could wind up as high as No. 6 in the West with a strong final three games, standing one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies entering Saturday. The Mavericks did some of the work themselves by knocking off the Grizzlies 103-93 on Friday and need one win in the final three games or a loss by the Houston Rockets to lock up a playoff position. “I’m not proud of anything yet,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “We’ve got to get to the playoffs and we’ve got to get the best possible seed. That’s really what this is about. This is no time to pat ourselves on the back.” The Clippers are already locked into the No. 4 spot and are spending their time tuning up for the postseason by working forward Blake Griffin slowly back into the rotation while getting everyone else plenty of rest.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, TXA 21 (Dallas), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (41-38): Dallas has won six straight and was sparked by the play of point guard J.J. Barea, who averaged 24.2 points in the first five of those wins before exiting Friday’s game early with a groin injury. Raymond Felton (season-high 14 assists) and Devin Harris (16 points) stepped up in his place and the Mavericks kept up a defensive intensity that has transformed the team of late. “You’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to win,” Felton told reporters. “We’re all in this dogfight together, fighting to make the playoffs, which we’ve put ourselves in a great situation now. But we’ve still got to continue to win games, no matter what.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (51-28): Los Angeles damaged the playoff hopes of the Utah Jazz with a 102-99 overtime win on Friday and are cruising to the end of the regular season with wins in four straight and eight of nine. Starters Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick all sat out the game but Jamal Crawford stepped up with 30 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in 49 minutes and Cole Aldrich collected 21 points and 18 rebounds. “Just continues to give us confidence,” Aldrich told reporters. “For us to come in here and just continue to fight the way we did shows character.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Barea is questionable while PG Deron Williams (sports hernia) is unlikely to play at least the rest of the regular season.
2. Clippers F Paul Pierce is 11-of-20 from the field in two games since returning from a knee injury.
3. Los Angeles has taken four of the last six in the series, including a 109-90 win at Dallas on March 7.
PREDICTION: Mavericks 100, Clippers 95

**Satch** · 04-10-2016, 10:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/10

Preview: Milwaukee At Philadelphia
When: 5:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 10, 2016
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
If the last three games are any indication, Giannis Antetokounmpo is beginning to fully assert his position as the focal point for the Milwaukee Bucks moving forward. The 21-year-old from Greece looks to continue his productive run in the final week of the season as Milwaukee visits the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
The versatile 6-11 Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and eight assists over the past three games despite a trio of losses for the disappointing Bucks, who won 41 games to make the playoffs in 2014-15. Antetokounmpo scored 27 in the 124-109 loss at Boston on Friday without leading scorer Khris Middleton (thigh), who could miss his fourth consecutive game. The 76ers have lost 13 of their last 14 overall and eight straight against Milwaukee, including two this season. Robert Covington had 30 points and 11 boards in Friday’s 109-102 loss to New York and has three double-doubles in the last seven contests for Philadelphia.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin Plus (Milwaukee), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE BUCKS (32-47): Middleton’s 18.2 points per game were missed the last three games while double-figure scorer Jerryd Bayless (knee) has missed the past four and is not on the final road trip of the season. Jabari Parker joins Antetokounmpo (17 points per game) as a bright light for the future and has been especially impressive of late, averaging 21.6 points over the last five outings. Rookie guard Rashad Vaughn has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (10-69): The resignation of GM and president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie on Wednesday provided another chapter to another tumultuous season in Philadelphia. The 76ers avoided matching the worst record in NBA history (9-73 by the 76ers in 1972-73) with Tuesday’s win over New Orleans, but time will only tell if Hinkie’s many moves will sprout future success. Offseason pickup Nik Stauskas has begun to show progress, averaging 12.1 points the last seven games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Milwaukee is one of seven teams in the league averaging fewer than 100 points and it has allowed 111.7 per during its losing streak.
2. Philadelphia F Carl Landry missed the last game with a sore back and is day-to-day after averaging 19 points the previous three.
3. In the Bucks’ eight-game winning streak in the series, seven of the wins have come by double digits.
PREDICTION: Bucks 106, 76ers 100

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NBA Betting Info. 4/10

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