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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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05-06-21 | Nets -3.5 v. Mavs | 109-113 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Mavericks ended a long winning streak for the Nets the last time they were matched up. Dallas forced 19 turnovers in that win, were a plus 7 in steals and a plus 4 in blocks. In that game, Kristaps Porzingas had 18 points, a steal and 3 blocks but he will be missing in action for this. As talented at Brooklyn is across the board, there still is only one ball and that issue may come up when the Big Three on the Nets get on the court at the same time. Brooklyn just lost a pair to the Bucks and will be trying not to drop their fourth straight game. The motivation should be there. In that Dallas win in February, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant didn’t play and only one player for Brooklyn had more than 12 points. This is an important game for both clubs as the Nets are eyeing the top Eastern seed and Dallas is trying to avoid ending up in a ‘play in’ situation. |
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05-05-21 | 76ers -13.5 v. Rockets | 135-115 | Win | 100 | 6 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Houston’s Christian Wood is dealing with ankle and quad issues and he indicated on Sunday that he could miss a couple of games. Wood has been a rare bright spot for Houston and there is no need to push the guy as the Rockets are dead last in the West. Philly will be trying to get that Number One seed in the East and these are the kind of games they must have. Of the 6 games after this one, the Sixers have 4 games against teams that are not in the playoff picture. Philly was in a tricky spot when they placed Houston in February. They were in the first game back home after going 2 and 2 on the road and they beat the Rockets without Ben Simmons. The Rockets also got a big game that night from DeMarcus Cousins, who has since moved on to the Clippers. |
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05-05-21 | Blazers -12 v. Cavs | Top | 141-105 | Win | 100 | 6 h 59 m | Show |
Rating: 5 Unit NBA Game of the Week Lots o’ guys on the Blazers can put the ball in the hole, from many different places on the floor. The Cavaliers, not so much. They score the fewest points per game in the NBA (103.9). Although they are scoring at a better rate lately (1.097 points per possession the last two weeks, better than eight other teams), their defense in this span has been the worst: 1.194 points per possession for the other guys. Cavaliers’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Mr. “Good Problem to Have,” has asked the team that has made the fewest three-pointers per game in the league to take more of them. Nothin’ like taking a bad team and asking it to do more of something it hasn’t done well -- 34% on that shot, next to last on the season and only 34.5% in their 1-9 SU stretch the last 10 games, which includes last night’s overtime loss vs. Phoenix in which they took +12.5 points and did not cover. That’s what bad teams do – lose in a manner you’d think is close to impossible. |
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05-05-21 | Celtics -11 v. Magic | 132-96 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units A two-game win streak for Orlando. Will wonders ever cease? They actually began the season 4-0 and then injuries and losses piled up, then trades. The most they’ve won consecutively is three (New York, Golden State, Detroit), one time, in late February. They’ve lost by 27 and 16 points to Celtics so far, when Boston played without Jason Tatum and Kemba Walker the first time, then held the Magic to 38.1% shooting when those guys played and Orlando still had Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier in the starting lineup. |
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05-04-21 | Raptors +10 v. Clippers | 100-105 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The home side has lost three straight but drops in class from Phoenix-Denver in the last two, to the East’s #11 Raptors. Toronto’s desperation and revenge paid off on this floor vs. the Lakers the other night. At this point, what are the Clippers playing for? At #4 in the West, they lead the #5-6-7 Dallas-Lakers-Portland cluster by 6.5 games with seven to play. Do they seem like a team that would bust its ass to get back to #3, or #2, or #1 in this span? Heck no. Lakers and Knicks are on deck prior to four road games to close out the regular season, the final two gimmes at Houston and OKC. |
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05-04-21 | Hornets -4 v. Pistons | 102-99 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 38 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Magic were in MoTown on Monday. They caught Detroit flat-footed in the middle quarter and that led to an Orlando victory. The Hornets hosted Miami on Sunday and the Heat cruised to victory but the Hornets still moved the ball with 30 assists. Charlotte also played good perimeter defense in defeat. The Hornets have 3 games after this matchup and they will need help to get to that 6th seed. Charlotte just handled the Pistons last Saturday when they got 29 points from Terry Rozier. That game marked the return of LaMelo Ball and he had 11 points, 7 boards, 8 assists, a steal and 2 rejections. |
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05-04-21 | Suns -12.5 v. Cavs | 134-118 | Win | 100 | 5 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units OKC was saving it up for the Suns and the heavily favored Suns could beat that |
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05-03-21 | Blazers v. Hawks -2 | 114-123 | Win | 100 | 8 h 53 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Four-for-four! The Blazers’ revenge tour is a success, as they have beaten Indiana, Memphis, Brooklyn and Boston in a six-day span on the road. All four had beaten them in Portland. Crazy, stuff, eh? But not at all unpredictable, as we’ve selected the Blazers in a few of these. But the six-game trip is a guaranteed winning one. Atlanta did not beat them in Portland. The Blazers won yesterday in Boston, while the Hawks were off. Only eight fellas played for them. Now that the Blazers have pulled even with the Lakers for the #6 spot – the “last in” to avoid the play-in series – this arena becomes the invisible force field to stall their momentum and help Lebron avoid the indignity of a king needing to play his way into the postseason fray. |
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05-03-21 | Pacers v. Wizards -3 | 141-154 | Win | 100 | 7 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Pacers lost to the D.C. Boys in March in a game where Washington missed Bradley Beal. Russell Westbrook had a monster line with 35 points, 14 boards and 21 assists. The Wizards were a plus 16 in points in the paint in that contest and a plus 7 in fast-break points. Washington has been rolling along. They have won 10 of 12. One of the losses in this time frame was in overtime and the other was by a point. Washington is a top 10 team in rebounding and they put pressure on teams since they score 115 a night. |
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05-03-21 | Magic v. Pistons -1.5 | 119-112 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Victimized by the mildly advertised return of Malik Monk and the surprise return of LaMelo Ball, the Pistons went down in flames at Charlotte on Saturday. Head coach Dwayne Casey has been less inclined to lose home games, in which his “rebuild” is an underrated 17-12 ATS. Orlando identifies more as a “torn down” team than a rebuild at the present time, is 9-21 SU away and coming off a home instant-revenge win vs. Memphis. Before the Magic traded half the team, they split two home games in three days with the Pistons in February, Detroit making the necessary adjustments to win the second. |
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05-02-21 | Knicks -10.5 v. Rockets | 122-97 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Houston with 16 wins is dead last in the West. The Rockets hosted the Warriors on Saturday and Golden State went into their former championship mode and crushed Houston in the third quarter. The Rockets only scored 12 points in the third stanza. The defense has been there all season for the Knicks but only 4 teams in the league are better at offensive three-point field-goal percentage. New York had every right to go through the motions the other time they met Houston this season. The Knicks were coming off a win over Washington 24 hours earlier but they held Houston to 8 for 43 shooting from downtown. That stat is no fluke as New York is the best in the business guarding the deep ball. The Knicks only failed to cover twice in April. |
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05-02-21 | Blazers +1.5 v. Celtics | 129-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Celtics scored 143 points on this floor the other night, but didn’t cover the spread. Portland is loaded with more dangerous scorers than that San Antonio team and takes just as good care of the rock. If Portland is looking at their current road trip as a revenge tour, then it’s going very well so far with wins at Indiana and Brooklyn, who’d beaten them at home, as did Boston. |
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05-02-21 | Nets +2 v. Bucks | 114-117 | Loss | -102 | 6 h 34 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Bucks rebounded to win in Chicago after losing in Houston but the Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic gagged with 1-for-9 from three-point range. Blake Griffin won’t be spending much time out on the perimeter for the Nets, who shoot from the outside a whole heck of a lot better no matter who wins their nightly game of spin the bottle and gets to leave the court for a night. |
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05-01-21 | Pelicans v. Wolves +4.5 | 140-136 | Win | 100 | 9 h 23 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units New Orleans had lost 6 of 8 before travelling to Oklahoma City on Thursday. In that game the Pelicans got good games out of their two stars but they got a break when OKC turned it over 22 times. Minnesota has won 4 in a row, 5 of 6 and the loss during this team frame came at Sacramento when they blew a fourth-quarter lead. D’Angelo Russell has embraced his current role off the bench as he is a legit starter. The Wolves dynamic rookie Anthony Edwards continues to improve. In Anthony’s last 7 games he has had 23, 28, 16, 23, 14, 19 and 25 points. |
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05-01-21 | Heat -11 v. Cavs | 124-107 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of home back-to-backs for the crummy Cavaliers, with the Heat rested since Wednesday night’s 116-111 home win vs. the Spurs. Miami has had some sort of voodoo over the Cavs in recent seasons, 27-7 SU and the set-up is obviously no help to Cleveland’s chance of bettering their fortunes in the alleged series. East #7 Miami would be in a play-in slot if the season ended today, so they have a reason to show up. |
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04-30-21 | Jazz v. Suns -4.5 | 100-121 | Win | 100 | 9 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Part of Utah’s “peaking too soon” is beating the lousy Sacramento Kings by 51 points Wednesday night, scoring 154 in the process, one game before a rematch against the Suns. “All of us were a little bitter after losing two straight to Minnesota, so we really wanted to come out here and make a point,” Georges Niang said. You could respect them if they hadn’t lost two straight to Minnesota in the first place. When you play when you want to play – against bad opposition – the basketball gods don’t let you win when you want to play against a much better opponent. A Suns win forges a temporary tie for best record in the West/NBA. Like Minnesota, they’re already 2-0 vs. Utah before this third meeting. Like Minnesota |
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04-30-21 | Bucks v. Bulls +1 | 108-98 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Off their latest “most embarrassing loss of the season” (so many of them!) at worst-record Houston, this is second of back-to-backs, fourth game in six nights, for the Bucks, concluding a four-game road trip here against rested Bulls before going home for two games in three days vs. Brooklyn on Sunday and Tuesday. After much dicking around, a sweep of Brooklyn could actually help propel the Bucks back up to #1 in the East when all is said and done. And a lot is being said about them, but little is being done by coach Budenholzer or the players, who seems content with the status quo. Maybe he’s sandbagging for the playoffs. But first things first. Giannis, the Meek Greek Freak, got injured again last night. |
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04-30-21 | Wizards -6.5 v. Cavs | 122-93 | Win | 100 | 7 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Cleveland wasted a double/double from Jarrett Allen in the loss to Orlando on Wednesday. Collin Sexton missed the game as he was under concussion protocols. Cleveland has won 12 of 29 games at home this season. Washington has won 9 of their last 10 and the loss in that frame came in a barn burner when the Spurs prevailed in extra minutes. Russell Westbrook notched another triple/double in the win over the Lakers on Wednesday. For all the adversity the Wizards have gone through this season, they are holding on to a ‘play in’ spot and taking advantage of a favorable schedule stretch. |
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04-28-21 | Blazers v. Grizzlies -1 | 130-109 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units After two wins at Portland last week, the home side has an opportunity to make a real statement by denying the Blazers the satisfaction of getting revenge for the double-dose they were forced to swallow. On Monday night, the Grizzlies gave a handicapping lesson on what happens to teams after they complete a two-game sweep of Portland in Portland but are forced to play in Denver the next night, against an allegedly “depleted” backcourt: 120-96, Denver. Memphis sank only 4 of 32 on three-pointers, which high school girls could have bettered. The situation got ’em. Bounce-back time with rest, as Blazers go back-to-back after beating a team that can’t win at home. |
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04-28-21 | Bulls v. Knicks -4 | 94-113 | Win | 100 | 7 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Chicago faced Miami on Monday and the Bulls got a break when Miami failed to show up for the fourth quarter. They Heat lost the last stanza by 14 points and the game by 8. The Bulls are currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture. Chicago is 12 and 18 at home this season. This is a different Knicks team that split 2 games with Chicago in February. New York had won 9 in a row before hosting the Number 2 team in the West, Phoenix, on Monday. In that game that streak ended thanks to a clutch performance by Chris Paul. The New York defense is there every night but during that winning streak, the Knicks were scoring 119 points per 100 possessions. The best in the league. Look for Julius Randle to be in tune here after going just 6 for 17 from the floor Monday. |
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04-27-21 | Blazers -5 v. Pacers | 133-112 | Win | 100 | 2 h 30 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Pacers were 9-17 SU home before winning two in a row against a terrible twosome: OKC, Detroit. They somehow managed to win 111-87 in Portland back in January, but the Blazers got an in-game distraction that night when Jusuf Nurkic was lost to injury and now the Pacers have been without the two frontcourt players who played well in that win – Sabonis and Turner – for the |
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04-27-21 | Bucks v. Hornets +9.5 | 114-104 | Loss | -110 | 1 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Milwaukee’s P.J. Tucker is dealing with an ankle issue and he is a solid two-way player. The Bucks had a let down on Sunday against the Hawks after beating Philly in consecutive games. This is Milwaukee’s third game in 4 nights and they just might be looking ahead to the back-to-back games to open May against Brooklyn. This is a much more important game for Charlotte as they try to sweep the 3-game season series with Milwaukee here and with only 11 regular season games left after this contest. They beat Milwaukee back in January despite playing the second of a back-to-back game and in spite of the fact Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 18 boards and 9 assists. Charlotte Coach James Borrego wrote ‘be unselfish’ on the whiteboard in the locker room before Charlotte played the Celts on Sunday. His team listened with 39 assists in the powerful win. |
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04-26-21 | Bulls v. Heat -6 | 110-102 | Loss | -103 | 8 h 22 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Chicago was in South Beach on Saturday and the Bulls came out flat and that was pretty much the game. They were down by 19 with 12 minutes to go and could not make up that gap. Miami needs every single game from here on out and they figure to be in tune to play 48 minutes after holding off the Bulls rally Saturday. They sit just outside the 6th spot in the East and that is the key seed in both Conferences. Duncan Robinson is coming off a solid game on Saturday as he became the third player this season to hit six 3-pointers by halftime in multiple games joining Steph Curry and Zach LaVine. |
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04-26-21 | Cavs v. Raptors -9.5 | 96-112 | Win | 100 | 8 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Cleveland had lost 4 of 5 before travelling to D.C. on Sunday. The win during this time frame came against the 25-35 Bulls. On Sunday Cleveland fell about when it counted in the last stanza. It’s been a forgettable season for Toronto but they still are just a game and a half out of a ‘play in’ possibility in the East. This is a game they need too with only 11 games left in the season and the next 5 against teams that are solidly in the playoff picture. The Raptors had a nice 4-game winning streak halted by the Knicks on Saturday but even in that defeat, Toronto was well within striking distance with 12 minutes to play. Look for Kyle Lowry to be focused after scoring just 4 points Saturday. When Toronto beat the Ohio Players 16 nights ago, Lowry and Pascal Siakam didn’t play for the Canadians but Gary Trent was in a zone scoring 44 points. |
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04-26-21 | Suns v. Knicks +2 | 118-110 | Loss | -106 | 8 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of back-to-backs for the Suns against rested home pup that is just about |
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04-26-21 | Spurs -3 v. Wizards | 146-143 | Push | 0 | 7 h 20 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Second of back-to-backs for the Wizards off yesterday’s eighth straight win, in which Beal, Westbrook and Robin Lopez were all limping around (and they were still without starting forward Rui Hachimura). They trailed in the fourth quarter against Collin Sexton-less Cleveland yesterday and were able to pressure a bad ball-handling team into fourth quarter turnovers to get over the hump. They’ll have less energy to press tonight, against an opponent that won’t turn it over much anyway. In a relatively short time, Washington has leapfrogged and put air between themselves and the sorry-ass, crunch time clown Chicago Bulls to be #10, final play-in spot, in the East. They can afford a little slip-up. |
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04-25-21 | Kings v. Warriors -7.5 | 113-117 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 32 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The guy who has led the Kings in scoring in eight of their last nine games, DeAaron Fox, is one of life’s latest victims of what is termed “healthy and safety protocols.” Won’t see him for 10-14 days. Considering how the team has lost seven of those nine games, one could say that they can lose with him, or lose without him. Warriors are too hot, Kings too cold to give serious consideration to the home dog with Fox out. However, there were Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes sightings on Thursday. Both have been cleared to resume basketball activities for garbage-time action, during which they will undoubtedly excel under no pressure. Whether or not they’re ready to play tonight remains unclear. |
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04-25-21 | Bucks -6 v. Hawks | 104-111 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Mike Budenholzer’s player management patterns have made it seem like the Bucks are not interested in moving up any higher than their current #3 spot, which is a relatively safe four games in front of #4 New York. The Bucks have had ample opportunities to be a first-place team but that didn’t work for them in the playoffs last year so they’ve handled this regular season with a different |
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04-25-21 | Cavs v. Wizards -8 | 110-119 | Win | 100 | 9 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Cleveland has lost 4 of 5 with the win in this span that came against Chicago, a team that had won an emotional game over Boston 24 hours earlier. The Cavaliers make it hard on themselves as every other team in the league scores more points nightly. Washington has won 7 in a row and like the way they kept their foot on Oklahoma City’s throat on Friday winning every single quarter. The Cleveland season is over for all intents and purposes but Washington still has the post season in sight and you can bet your bottom dollar teams will not want to face this club. The Wizards are clinging to the 10th spot in the East but are only 3 games out of the 8th seed. |
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04-24-21 | Lakers +3 v. Mavs | 93-108 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Lakers’ Anthony Davis played more like late-career Hubert Davis (17 minutes, 2-for-10, 0 offensive rebounds) in his Thursday night return from a long injury absence. Obviously, next time out, against the same opponent, he can be much more effective. Dallas’ alleged “big man,” oversized, 7’3” guard Porzingis, rolled an ankle and left that win/cover early. The worm turns. |
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04-24-21 | Bulls +4.5 v. Heat | 101-106 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Home invasion situation for the Bulls, who woke up in South Beach Friday morning following Thursday’s insect-spraying of the Hornets, as the Heat was in Atlanta last night. That makes this a second of back-to-backs, road to home, for Miami in a fifth game in seven nights. Not quite the ideal situation, eh? For all the lame things the Bulls have done this season – pre-trades and post-trades – they’ve managed to be 14-6 ATS as a road underdog. They’ve won only 8 of the games straight-up, but they’ve so often at least shown up and hung around until the end. The NBA rules prevent them from partaking in the abundant night life in the great state of Florida. Confined to their hotel, they no doubt can get a tad creative to find trouble but it’s still one less serious distraction for them. |
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04-24-21 | 76ers +7.5 v. Bucks | 94-132 | Loss | -102 | 6 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Everything went exactly right for Milwaukee in the win over Philly on Thursday. They scored 77 in the first half and as well as Robin Lopez and Bobby Portis have played this season, it’s hard to see them again go 15 for 21 from the floor right back. The Sixers were soft in the loss to this team on Thursday. The Milwaukee players got to their spots with very little resistance and that figures to change here. Look for Danny Green to be aggressive for Philly in this game after getting up just one shot on Thursday. |
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04-23-21 | Grizzlies v. Blazers -3 | 130-128 | Loss | -106 | 10 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units In Staples Center on Wednesday the Grizzlies hung with the Clippers for 24 minutes and then only scored 43 points in the second half to lose by a dozen points. Memphis will be tired of this team in the next few days as they match-up with Portland in 2 of the next three outings after this one. Portland got Damian Lillard back on Wednesday against Denver but Lillard didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. Portland should be pumped up for this one as they have lost 3 in a row. |
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04-23-21 | Cavs v. Hornets -1.5 | 102-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Cleveland would need a minor miracle to reach the post season. They have only won 9 of 30 games on the road this season. Charlotte still has to attempt to secure the 6th seed in the East and they are within a few games of getting to the 5 slot. They lost to Cleveland 9 nights ago but they were playing 24 hours after facing the Lakers. |
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04-23-21 | Heat -5 v. Hawks | Top | 103-118 | Loss | -111 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Rating: 4 UnitNBA Play of the Day Atlanta lost to the Knicks in overtime on Wednesday while Miami stepped on the Spurs in Texas. Trae Young is out for this game and Clint Capela is iffy. This is a big game for both clubs. Teams cannot not blow games at this juncture of the season with only a handful of opportunities left. Atlanta beat this club in March but Miami had excuses. The Heat had the lead after three quarter and then they could only muster 14 points in the last 12 minutes. Jimmy Butler did not dress for that game. |
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04-22-21 | Pelicans -8.5 v. Magic | Top | 135-100 | Win | 100 | 8 h 31 m | Show |
NBA Play of the Day Orlando has lost 10 of 11, most recently scoring 24 points in every quarter, the wrong type of consistency. The Magic played way too much one-on-one basketball and only had 13 assists. The Pelicans have lost four straight, three of them at the wire. Orlando is an opponent that usually isn’t around at that point. Naji Marshall is a New Orleans bright spot coming out of that defeat. The New Jersey product was 6 for 15 from the floor, with 6 boards, 7 assists and a pair of thefts vs. Brooklyn. The Pelicans lost to the Magic earlier this month in overtime but there were reasons. New Orleans blew a fourth-quarter lead in that game and they turned it over 24 times. On top of those incidents, Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson never got into the game. |
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04-21-21 | Grizzlies +2 v. Clippers | 105-117 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 60 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units For as successful as the Clippers have been this season, they are in the bottom half of the league in assists. When they lost to Memphis in February L.A. played horrible perimeter defense allowing the Grizzlies to shoot 58% from beyond the arc. Memphis had won three of 4 before facing Denver in the Mile High on Monday. In that game the Grizzlies had Denver just where they wanted team but eventually fell in double overtime in an instant classic. It could be a true learning moment for Memphis as they were up a dozen points with nearly 4 minutes to play. The emphasis will be on playing the entire game. Memphis will not be intimidated here. |
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04-21-21 | Jazz -11 v. Rockets | 112-89 | Win | 100 | 7 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Houston has won 3 times since March 27. Two of the wins came against teams that have won 33 games combined this season. One thing stood out in the Houston loss to Miami on Monday and that was that Christian Wood and Kelly Olynyk, who were on the floor for 64 minutes combined, had 0 assists between them. This should be a good stretch for Utah. They have Minnesota (twice) and Sacramento waiting in the wings to face the Jazz. Utah has won 3 of 4 and in the loss during that span vs. the Lakers, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell didn’t play. |
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04-21-21 | Thunder v. Pacers -9 | 116-122 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units When a kid can’t hit the ball, you have the pitcher move up and soft-toss it underhanded. Tonight’s match-up is the NBA equivalent to that improvement-enabling tactic, as a 9-17 SU home team meets a visitor that’s 11-18 SU on the road and enters on an 11-game los-ing streak. In most of their recent defeats, the "player development" Blunder, er, Thun-der, has lost contact on the scoreboard. Desperate, blind squirrel bumps into nut. |
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04-21-21 | Suns v. 76ers +1 | 116-113 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Suns were coming off a stinker, a season-low offensive game in a home loss to the Spurs, when they – as we expected – rebounded to beat Milwaukee in Milwaukee the other night. In their very next game, they meet the 76ers as Philly exits their own home-court stinker vs. Golden State. The Sixers shot 39.3% for the game. At Phoenix earlier this sea-son, they shot 52.1%... and lost as the Suns shot 60.8%. More power to the Suns if they can shoot like that again |
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04-20-21 | Clippers -7 v. Blazers | 113-112 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units We’ve mentioned this before: the Blazers have been fodder for the higher echelon teams in the Western Conference. The most recent failures were at the Clippers and Jazz on Apr. 6 and 8, 133-116 and 122-103 losses. They lost and didn’t cover here vs. Phoenix on Mar. 11, lost by 32, 5, 9 points in three straight games at Phoenix, Denver and the Lakers Feb. 22-26. After a 47-point first quarter in L.A., the Clippers still won two of the next three quarters against the Blazers. Over the last two weeks, Portland is scoring 1.12 points per possession, allowing 1.17; L.A. is scoring 1.26 per possession, allowing 1.11 |
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04-20-21 | Magic v. Hawks -12 | 96-112 | Win | 100 | 8 h 20 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Orlando had lost 7 of 8 before playing Houston on Sunday. In that game the Rockets improved their record to 15 and 42 and when a team loses to a club that has only won 15 games, things become a bit clearer about the talent level and the concept of competing. Despite playing the second of a back-to-back game, Atlanta beat the Magic last month and Clint Capela didn’t play. This is a much more important game for Atlanta. They are currently in the middle of the Eastern standings but still only 2 games removed from being in the precarious 7th seed. Orlando has only Detroit beat in the East. Atlanta is a well-balanced team and they defend the perimeter. The Hawks just beat Indy on Sunday behind 24 points and 25 rebounds from Capela. |
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04-19-21 | Grizzlies v. Nuggets -7.5 | 137-139 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Memphis lost to the Nuggets in March despite the fact they shot it at 50% from beyond the arc. Neither the Nuggets nor the Grizzlies that night were aggressive going to the rim and Jonas Valanciunas was outplayed by Nikola Jokic. On top of that, Denver won that close game although the starting Denver guards were just 3 for 22 from the floor. When Jamal Murray went down for Denver, Jokic was obviously disappointed but he was also realistic as he said he had been an underdog all his life and would adjust. Denver is 2 and 0 since Murray got injured. Since April 6, Murray had missed 6 game for Denver and the Nuggets won 5 of them. |
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04-19-21 | Thunder v. Wizards -12 | 107-119 | Push | 0 | 8 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units OKC had only won one game since March 24 before facing Toronto in Tampa on Sunday. In that game Chris Boucher and Gary Trent Jr. carried the day and OKC tasted defeat once again. Washington had won three in a row before hosting the Pistons on Saturday. In that contest the Pistons didn’t win one quarter. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook were both efficient, shooting a combined 20 for 39 from the floor. Robin Lopez and Ish Smith were solid off the bench and the Wizards forced 18 turnovers. |
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04-19-21 | Suns +2.5 v. Bucks | 128-127 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Suns scored 85 points in defeat at home against the Spurs the other night, |
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04-19-21 | Warriors v. 76ers -8.5 | 107-96 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 40 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The road trip wall gets steeper for the Warriors here. After Steve Kerr’s highly anticipated cupcake thefts at Oklahoma City and Cleveland, they had to try to sneak in and out of Boston with a W and couldn’t quite get there. Fourth game into the trip, against a slightly better opponent, whose defensive FG% of 45.3% is #4 in the league, while the Warriors are last in offensive rebounding percentage, suggests that there will be too many one-and-dones for the road dog to overcome after it gets torched inside by Embiid and/or Simmons. Neither Embiid nor Curry played when the 76ers won 108-98 at the Warriors last month so consider it a wash if/when both play |
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04-18-21 | Blazers -4 v. Hornets | 101-109 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Blazers rested Damian Lillard at San Antonio but came back from a 16-point second half deficit to win. They beat the Hornets 123-111 in Portland when Charlotte played without Hayward, Zeller and Graham. Charlotte is pretty much in worse shape now, because all three missed the last game, as did P.J. Washington. When the starting lineup for a home team is Jalen McDaniels, Caleb Martin, Mikal Bridges, Vernon Carey, Jr. and Terry Rozier, and the other side has plenty of scorers on it even if Lillard doesn’t play, then there is probably only one thing to do: play the other side. |
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04-18-21 | Pacers +2.5 v. Hawks | 117-129 | Loss | -105 | 3 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Atlanta was on a minor roll before facing the Bucks on Thursday. In that game the Hawks got crushed off the glass and they watched as 7 Milwaukee players got to double figures. This is a big game for both teams. Atlanta is clinging to a tie for 4th in the East but they are only 3 games ahead of the current 9th seed, Indy. The Pacers have already beaten the Hawks in Georgia this season and Indy comes into this game 17 and 13 on the road. Myles Turner has been dealing with an ankle but he is getting closer to suiting up. His replacement, Goga Bitadza, had 13 points in 12 minutes in the Pacers loss to Utah on Friday. |
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04-17-21 | Warriors v. Celtics -4.5 | 114-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Kelly Oubre is iffy here with a sore right wrist. He has been averaging 15 a game for the Warriors this season. Both of these teams have been playing well. Golden State has won 4 in a row but only one of the wins could be considered a quality victory. The quality win was against Denver, who lost Jamal Murray for the season late in the game. The three wins during this span came against teams that were at least 15 games below .500. Boston is seeking their fourth win in a row. During this span they won a pair of close games and also blew out Denver by 18 points. When the Celts beat the Warriors early in the season they controlled the glass and after losing the first quarter by 11 points, Boston swept the other 3 stanzas. |
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04-17-21 | Jazz -4.5 v. Lakers | 115-127 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of back-to-backs, third game in four days for the Jazz, whose leading scorer Donovan Mitchell was helped off the floor during yesterday’s win/no-cover vs. Indiana with an ankle sprain. But if Mitchell is out, then the Lakers will still be spotting the Jazz one 20+ ppg scorer with the Lebron/Lebrow double-injury dose. L.A. is just a 6-9 SU team since Lebron made it two guys down, and the Jazz have proven that they can win and cover games without Mitchell during the regular season. Also, the Lakers are a mere 3-11 SU as the underdog, losing the games they are supposed to lose -- usually by more than the spread |
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04-16-21 | Knicks +6 v. Mavs | 117-109 | Win | 100 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Both sides are in similar positions in their respective conferences and it’s a relatively big game for both since neither team wants to fall out of the 6th seed. Dallas had lost 3 of 4 before meeting the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday, where Luca Doncic hit an unbelievable leaning three-pointer at the buzzer for the win. The Knicks were riding on a nice wave going into the Wednesday game at New Orleans, and now they have won four straight, five of seven. The two losses in this span were each by a mere 2 points. When Dallas beat New York early in the year Julius Randle was only 5 for 20 from the floor yet the Knicks were only down 3 points going into the last quarter. Randle is a 46% shooter from the field this season, one of only 6 players in the league averaging |
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04-16-21 | Blazers v. Spurs +2.5 | 107-106 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units This seems like a pretty important game for the Spurs. They just played five straight on the road. They’re a lousy 4-11 SU in their last 15 games and lead New Orleans by only 2 games for the #10 spot in the West, the last post-season slot. They go right back out on the road tomorrow night to play at Phoenix (uh-oh!), then to Indiana Monday. They were done in at Toronto the other night when the Raptors played a physical inside game with a handful of new players, tough to prep for or to respond against. The Blazers? They know the Blazers and the Blazers don’t change things up much. The Spurs won 125-104 in San Antonio on Jan. 18, pulling away in a 38-22 fourth quarter despite using mostly non-starters for those final 12 minutes. |
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04-16-21 | Clippers +3 v. 76ers | 103-106 | Push | 0 | 4 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units ‘What’s up, Doc?,’ ask most of the Clippers players of the 76ers’ head coach, their former head coach, whose current team didn’t have Joel Embiid when it lost 122-112 to the Clippers out West. Plenty of people will figure that by plugging in Embi-id and switching floors that Doc and the 76ers will get their revenge. Maybe they will. But maybe they won’t. The 76ers shot 50.6% overall, got to the free throw line 33 times, still lost the prior meeting by 10 points. Tobias Harris has an achy knee and Embiid tweaked his against the Nets |
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04-16-21 | Pacers +10 v. Jazz | 111-119 | Win | 100 | 2 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Utah does a lot of things right but they don’t always show up. They did just lose to the Wizards 4 nights ago. Utah could also be in a ‘look ahead’ mode with the next three on the road including two games against Conference foe the Lakers. Indy came out flat when they lost to the Jazz in February. They were only down 7 points entering the fourth quarter despite the fact that two Pacers starters were a combined 14 for 39 from the floor. The Pacers have won 4 of their last 5 with the loss coming at the hands of the Clippers. |
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04-15-21 | Kings v. Suns -12 | 114-122 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Kings are a top 10 scoring team but they are in the bottom half of the league in offensive three-point field-goal percentage. Opponents have to dare Sacramento to jack it up from outside. Only one team gives up more points nightly than the Kings. Sacramento beat the Suns early in the season but this is an entirely different Phoenix team. In that Kings win in December, the Suns center Deandre Ayton only took 5 shots and only had 9 points. In the last 6 games, Ayton has had 19, 18, 14, 18, 18 and 27 points. Chris Paul makes sure Phoenix takes good shots. The Suns have been able to win close games and they have been able to blow teams out of the water. Phoenix has won 10 of its last 11 games. Several have been by 5 points or less, a couple of wins have come in overtime and they are coming off a win over Miami by the score of 106 to 86. |
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04-15-21 | Celtics -6 v. Lakers | 121-113 | Win | 100 | 9 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Celts lost 96-95 when the Lakers visited Boston on Jan. 30. Anthony Davis had 27 points, 14 rebounds. Lebron James had 21-7-7. As you know, neither will play tonight. Boston’s Marcus Smart got hurt and exited early in the fourth quarter of that game. The Celtics have been out West winning while the Lakers’ B squad was scrapping during a 3-2 up-and-down Eastern trip that ended with an “up” in Charlotte. “We’ve got guys that have now played a little bit together, are getting in a rhythm together,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens says. “When Smart, Jaylen [Brown}, Jayson [Tatum], Kemba [Walker] are all out there, of course we’re gonna look a little different.” L.A. hasn’t won two in a row since downtrodden Cleveland and Orlando visited here March 26 and 28. |
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04-14-21 | Warriors -11 v. Thunder | 147-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units "That was a big game for us," Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said after beating back Denver prior to this trip. "We have a chance to get on a little run. It was important for us to get a win, especially against a really good team." Unlike Doc Rivers, who doesn’t know who his next opponent is, Steve Kerr knew where they’d be flying with a good opportunity despite missing James Wiseman and Kelly Oubre – to this first of three remaining games with lousy OKC this month. It takes place with rest after the Blunder, er, Thunder, lost at Utah last night with Lu Dort taking 31 of the team’s 93 shots against a scrimmaging home favorite. The Golden State mindset will be very different. |
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04-14-21 | Magic v. Bulls -9.5 | 115-106 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units On Feb. 5 and 6, the Bulls scored 119 and 118 points here against the Magic in |
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04-14-21 | Nets v. 76ers -6.5 | 117-123 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 19 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Nets rolled to victory in Minnesota yesterday afternoon game against an opponent with off-court city distractions. They were fortunate that Karl Anthony-Towns didn’t play along with the fact three Minnesota starters had only 12 points combined. The Sixers lost to the Nets in January on a night when Joe Harris put up 28 points, double his average this season. Philly destroyed the Nets in February. They had twice as many steals, 7 guys got to double figures and Brooklyn allowed the Sixers to shoot 51% from the floor. Shake Milton has been instant offense for Philly off the bench and he can get his own shot whenever he wants it. One thing that can’t be overlooked is how often Joel Embiid gets to the free-throw line. In the 51 games Joel played last season, he got to the line 435 times. He has already attempted 419 free throws in 36 games This allows the defense to set up and avoid being caught in a bad transition situation. |
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04-14-21 | Cavs +3.5 v. Hornets | 103-90 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Charlotte will be without Malik Monk and Gordon Hayward here. Gordon has been out for a while but when Cleveland beat the Hornets early in the season, Gordon was 11 for 18 from the floor. The Lakers were in North Carolina on Tuesday and Charlotte had to fight tooth and nail. When the smoke cleared the Hornets could not shake off the fact they only scored 16 in the third quarter and it cost them the game. Okay, Cleveland has trouble putting it in the hole but they are just outside the top ten in allowing points and they should be focused here. Cleveland has not played since Sunday when they blew a fourth-quarter lead against New Orleans. The emphasis will be on playing 48 minutes. |
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04-13-21 | Hawks -1.5 v. Raptors | 108-103 | Win | 100 | 6 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Hawks can do very little wrong these days. They’re now 15-6 SU since Bogdan Bogdanovich returned from a two-month absence. Nate McMillan took one look at that Charlotte team against whom we made Atlanta a big play on Sunday and said, “Ah, let’s make it interesting and sit Trae Young and Danilo Gallinari when we’re already missing John Collins, Cam Reddish, Tony Snell and Kris Dunn, watch the number on us shift from -4 to +2, see if we can’t get a game up on these guys in the standings while the injury chasers load up on the Hornets!’ Well, maybe he didn’t say it exactly like that but it sure worked out his/our way! |
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04-13-21 | Clippers -3 v. Pacers | 126-115 | Win | 100 | 6 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Indy has split their last 8 games but only one of the wins was against a team playing over .500 ball. Myles Turner has missed three games in a row and he has been a force all season protecting the rim. Myles didn’t practice on Monday. Even though the Clippers are a little banged up, they continue to do the little things that equate to wins. They have won 5 in a row and this is a game they need with Detroit on deck in 24 hours and then a trip to Philly. L.A. just beat Detroit on Sunday without Kawhi Leonard and Leonard is not expected to play here. Look for Marcus Morris to again step up. When the Clips beat Indy in January, Paul George had a pedestrian games but they held the Pacers to 29% from beyond the arc. |
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04-12-21 | Wizards +11.5 v. Jazz | 125-121 | Win | 100 | 8 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This game is actually a revenge outing for the NBA’s current #1, as they lost 131-122 in Washington on May 18, a game in which Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook both showed up, then scored 43 and 35 points while taking 47 of the Wizards’ 86 field goal attempts. Another indication of where heads are at in Wizard World: 8-23 vs. Eastern Conference, 11-10 vs. the West including wins against the current #1 through #6. After carrying Washington at Golden State, Beal took off for their next-night sacrifice to Phoenix, making him a decent candidate to show up tonight. |
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04-12-21 | Kings +2.5 v. Pelicans | 110-117 | Loss | -103 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units It’s a home invasion situation: Sacramento arrived in New Orleans yesterday as the Pelicans were leaving town flying to Cleveland for their Sunday road matchup. Losing a home game, outright, to a rested road underdog that needs to beat them to keep any hope alive of getting the #10 play-in spot, as #11 New Orleans has a leg up on them for it, is definitely within the Pelicans’ losing-tendency scope. The Kings’ misery streak (0-6 SU, 1-5 ATS run) only makes it more of an opportunity for the Pelicans to do their thing and blow it. Sacramento won here 118-109 on Feb. 1. |
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04-12-21 | 76ers -2.5 v. Mavs | 113-95 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Dallas hosted Texas rival the Spurs on Sunday and the Mavericks got 60 points from Luca Doncic and Kristaps but it wasn’t enough for a victory. Philly won in OKC on Saturday and they kept their foot on the gas the entire game winning every quarter including the last stanza by 10 points. The Sixers were poor in the loss to the Pelicans on Friday but they learned from the game. They took New Orleans lightly and didn’t compete for the 50-50 balls. Embiid had the lowest point total in months vs. New Orleans and he showed dedication after the game. He was on the court in the Big Easy for nearly 15 minutes after the game working on his shot. |
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04-11-21 | Hawks v. Hornets +3 | 105-101 | Loss | -107 | 2 h 56 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Hornets have won 4 of 6 including a clever win over Milwaukee on Friday. In that game five Charlotte players had at least 18 points. Charlotte is currently in position to have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs but they need to compete nightly as they have 6 teams climbing down their neck. One of the best assets for the Hornets is they share the ball as only 4 clubs have more assists on average. Atlanta doesn’t match up great with Charlotte. They lost back-to-back games to the Hornets early in the season by an average margin of 8 points. |
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04-10-21 | Wizards v. Suns -12 | 106-134 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Even with just a few well-known players, Washington has no problem scoring. They do have problems defending and protecting the ball. They are 24th in the league to Phoenix’ 6th in turnovers and they give up more points than any club. Phoenix had every right to lay down on Thursday against the Clippers after beating Utah in overtime the night before. Instead, they were only down two points with 12 minutes to go before succumbing by 10. Deandre Ayton has been sensational in the last 2 games. Against Utah he had 12 rebounds. Seven of them were offensive and he deflected a number of balls to his teammates when they were 50-50 possessions. Against the Clippers, nearly half of his rebounds were of the offensive variety. Phoenix is third in the league in point differential ahead of clubs like Milwaukee, Denver, Philly and Brooklyn. |
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04-10-21 | Raptors v. Cavs -1 | 135-115 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Cavaliers should assist in putting the Raptors, exiled and unwanted by that |
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04-09-21 | Hornets +9 v. Bucks | 127-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 52 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dealing with a left knee issue and there is really no positive to rushing him back to extended action with 21 games left to play before the end of the season. Milwaukee is in a great position to have the home-court advantage in the first round as they are currently the 3rd seed in the East, several games ahead of the 4th seed. Milwaukee might be able to coast a little. Charlotte will not be intimidated by Milwaukee. The Hornets beat them in January despite the fact Giannis had 34 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Charlotte played the right way that night with 32 assists. That stat is no fluke as only 6 teams have more assists nightly. Charlotte has won 3 of 5 on this trip and one loss was to Brooklyn. |
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04-09-21 | 76ers -6 v. Pelicans | 94-101 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Pelicans seem to have too much talent to only be 22-29. This is a tricky game for them in the first back after going 2 and 1 on the road. New Orleans has lost 4 of 5 and the win during this span was against the grounded Rockets. The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram has missed several games and they will be without Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. This is not a good match-up for Steven Adams. Adams has held his own on the glass in the last 2 games he has faced Joel Embiid but he has been outscored by 28 points the last couple of times these players have met. |
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04-09-21 | Grizzlies v. Knicks | 129-133 | Loss | -116 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units As the Knicks have slipped below .500, the Grizzlies have made a gradual climb above it to 25-23, with convincing victories against teams that have recently beaten the Knicks. Nobody else will use the tired and often-inappropriate cliché that this match-up is “two teams headed in different directions,” because it’s not obvious enough to them. But we’ll say it: These are two teams headed in different directions. Memphis won last season’s only meeting 127-106 and in the teams’ last ten games, Memphis is averaging 119 ppg vs. the Knicks’ 105.0. It’s nice to play defense and all that, but ball’s gotta get through basket, too. |
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04-09-21 | Wolves +9 v. Celtics | 136-145 | Push | 0 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units A trio that is probably the T’Wolves’ three most explosive players – Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley -- haven’t played many games together this season. But Beasley is recently back from a suspension, Russell returned from his injury earlier in the week in grand style, Towns is finally playing himself into shape and rhythm, and a new head coach has the three of them to use for the first time since taking the reins as an upgrade to Ryan Saunders (anyone was going to be better). Therefore, Minnesota – NBA-worst straight-up record notwithstanding -- could be a sneaky-profitable team from here on out. |
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04-08-21 | Pistons v. Kings -7 | 113-101 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Kings beat the Pistons only 110-107 at home in late February, but Marvin Bagley, III was still weighing them down at that point. Sacramento was ambushed by the return of D’Angelo Russell in Minnesota on Monday night but has had two days since to shake it off and prepare for what should be a must-win game in their minds, given that they’re still only 2 games behind Golden State for the #10 play in spot in the West. The Pistons are essentially out of contention in the East, and 6-21 SU on the road. |
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04-08-21 | Cavs -4 v. Thunder | 129-102 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 9 assists, Al Horford 16 points, 8 rebounds, when OKC walloped the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 117-101. Immediately after that game, Cleveland won four straight games. New or old faces for them now, who weren’t playing in that loss, include Kevin Love, Taurean Prince, Larry Nance, Jr., Dean Wade, Isaiah Hartenstein, Matthew Dellavadova. Not making Thunderous noises for the home team tonight: the aforementioned stars of the earlier meeting, Gilgeous-Alexander and Horford |
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04-08-21 | Bulls -3.5 v. Raptors | 122-113 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Toronto was life and death to beat the 17-32 Wizards on Monday and then could not stave off the Lakers on Tuesday. L.A. was playing without their two best players and the Lakers won despite turning it over 21 times. Toronto used to be a force when teams had to travel to Canada but now playing their home games in Tampa, the Raptors are just 11-13 at ‘home’. Chicago took care of the Raptors last month and they were horrible from long range shooting just 27% from beyond the arc. The Bulls played the right way and in that win in March as a total of 9 Chicago players got to double figures. The Bulls also had 35 assists. |
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04-07-21 | Jazz v. Suns +2 | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units People who go around saying that the Utah Jazz have been in the process of peaking too soon should stay consistent and pick the #2 team behind them in the Western Conference to beat them. You know those people – oh, wait, they is us! The Suns are suddenly only 2.5 games out of first place in the West, eyeing “NBA best record” territory. They’re a good defensive team, on their home floor, and they’ve already beaten the Jazz 106-95 in Utah. What’s not to like? |
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04-07-21 | Mavs -11 v. Rockets | 93-102 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Experienced, trustworthy, productive guards are lacking on the home underdog, who happens to have the NBA’s worst pointspread record (16-34 ATS, 32.0%). Should you choose to go their way, against a decent bottom-feeder of a road favorite 7-3 SU last 10 games, who was also good enough to beat league-leading Utah the other night – as we expected – then good luck to you, for you shall probably need it. |
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04-07-21 | Pelicans v. Nets -8.5 | 111-139 | Win | 100 | 9 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This is the third game in four nights for the Pelicans. Atlanta hosted New Orleans on Tuesday and Zion Williamson did his part with a monster game but the Pelicans missed Brandon Ingram in the defeat. New Orleans is 3 and 6 in the second of back-to-back games this season. And they lost to some challenged clubs like Houston and Chicago. Brooklyn had won 4 in a row before losing to Chicago last Sunday. James Harden tested his injured hamstring against the Knicks on Monday but he only lasted a few minutes before leaving the game for good and he will miss extended time. In that Monday win Jeff Green had a ‘glory days’ night with 23 points, 4 boards, an assist, a block and a couple of long-range bombs. Brooklyn can throw a lot of bodies at the Pelicans big men with Jeff Green, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan among others. The Nets are also expected to have Kevin Durant set for this game. |
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04-06-21 | Bucks -6 v. Warriors | 121-122 | Loss | -114 | 12 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It’s a home invasion in the first degree, with Milwaukee having set up an Oakland base camp in full case-the-joint mode before the Warriors had even tipped it off 2,800 miles away in Atlanta on Sunday night. The Bucks are 3-1 on a six-game trip so far. A win would guarantee a winning Western excursion, always a good goal for a good team to achieve; Warriors have lost 12 of their last 16 and they haven’t been tanking games so they can surprise the Bucks with a revenge spanking for the 138-99 loss suffered in Milwaukee on Christmas Day. Sure, they might do it, but they haven’t been saving themselves for it. |
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04-06-21 | 76ers -1 v. Celtics | 106-96 | Win | 100 | 9 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Off 16- and 30-point wins on this floor vs. the perpetually addled Rockets and the suddenly semi-depleted Hornets, the Celtics could be in for a rude awakening as the healthy 76ers come to town with Joel Embiid in his second game back from his mid-season vacation spent while his teammates were going through the motions out West and actually, not disgracing themselves in the least. But they disgraced themselves when he sat out their second of home back-to-backs against Memphis the other night, shooting 8-for-34 on three-pointers in defeat. More than likely, he’ll be back and off that loss, and falling out of first place by a half game, with the memory of being outsted from the post-season by the Celtics still there… |
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04-05-21 | Baylor v. Gonzaga -4 | 86-70 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Gonzaga survived a miraculous effort from UCLA on Saturday night, as Jalen Suggs closed a terrific game with an all-time shot at the buzzer. The Bulldogs held off a UCLA offense that made an incredible amount of mid-range shots and produced 1.22 points per possession. Gonzaga was not at their best, making 7-of-21 three point attempts while missing eight additional free throws. Gonzaga’s ability to win such a game should bode well for their ability to close out their perfect season. Gonzaga’s 6’10 standout Drew Timme will continue to lead the way against a Baylor attack that is headlined by a group of guards. While the Bears backcourt is sensational, their frontcourt components lack a bit when stacking up next to Timme on this stage. The starting duo Flo Thamba and Mark Vital have shown to be the weak link of the Baylor chain this postseason. Timme has rolled through the NCAA Tournament, scoring at least 22 points in the last four games, converting on 70.1% of two point attempts during that stretch. Gonzaga’s guards are also well suited to negate the strength of Baylor’s defense as well. Gonzaga ranks 34th-best in turnover rate, while the Bears defense ranks 3rd in generating turnovers. Without doing so, Baylor’s defense only grades out as adequate, raking 113th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Gonzaga’s perfect season should be completed with Timme controlling the interior and the Bulldog guards keeping the offense humming. |
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04-05-21 | Jazz -4.5 v. Mavs | 103-111 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Dallas has lost twice to Utah so far this season and neither game was pretty for the Texans. They came out flat in both contests and the ball stuck in both games with 22 assists in one loss and 20 in the other. That is not fluke. Only three teams have fewer assists nightly than the Mavericks. Utah figures to want this game with the next pair back-toback on the road against teams currently in solid playoff position. Utah just held Orlando to 2 for 23 from deep in the Jazz win on Saturday. The average winning margin of Utah’s victories over Dallas this season is 16 points. |
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04-05-21 | Knicks v. Nets -5 | 112-114 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Second of back-to-backs for the Nets while the Knicks are rested. But the Knicks, as you know, don’t beat good teams. Brooklyn must be a good team, because they are 34-16, tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia. We figured the Nets for a loss yesterday in what appeared to have been, and was, a circled game for the semi-desperate Bulls when tonight’s no rest, intra-city date was on deck for Brooklyn. The Knicks used the Pistons for false confidence the other night in New York’s most dominant win of the season, 125-81. They are due back on planet Earth. |
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04-04-21 | Pelicans v. Rockets +6 | 122-115 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 47 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Rockets have some pick-and-roll finishers now, with Christian Wood back from injury and Kelly Olynyk acquired via trade. Head coach Stephen Silas wants to experiment with both on the floor for short segments, which doesn’t exactly strike fear in anyone’s heart but could be something that confuses Stan the Man and his lazy, 7-14 SU on-the-road Pelicans enough to matter. A coach who cannot manage his personnel so that he can put a competitive team on the floor against an opponent playing an eighth straight road game (Atlanta, 23-point home loss for New Orleans despite no Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari and John Collins!) should be fired on the spot. That won’t happen. But it’s on the list of reasons why we think that Van Gundy is the worst. |
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04-04-21 | Hornets v. Celtics -8.5 | 86-116 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Charlotte is just really banged-up with LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward out for quite some time and Malik Monk out of action with a sprained ankle. In their last 3 defeats, the Hornets failed to reach 100 points. If Boston is going to make a move, they have to get this game against Charlotte. Five of the next 6 Celtics games are against teams currently in position to make the playoffs. Even though Boston is clinging to the 8th spot in the East, they are only a game and a half of out of the 4th seed, now held by Charlotte |
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04-04-21 | Nets v. Bulls +3.5 | 107-115 | Win | 100 | 5 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Bulls had 58 points in the paint through three quarters at Utah the other night, with no fear of Rudy Gobert. It was a good workout in advance of this game, in which Brooklyn’s interior defense, patched together on the fly after several trades, will be tested. Chicago has yet to win (0-4 SU) since acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Magic but they are off 5- and 7-point losses at on-fire Western Conference clubs Phoenix and Utah, despite playing without Zach Lavine (at Phoenix), and Garrett Temple (at Utah). Vucevic has had 22-14, 28-12 and 34-10 games against Brooklyn already this season. |
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04-03-21 | Thunder v. Blazers -11.5 | 85-133 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Men vs. Boys, Part II for Portland shortly after they did a number on the Pistons in Detroit, with last night’s loss to the Bucks in between to angry them up. The Blazers are a now-healthy, veteran group that has won 60.4% of their games. The Thunder is a young group headed nowhere special with its best scorer out, its veteran “leader” Al Horford shut down for the season, another alleged veteran leader (George Hill) traded, Lu Dort banged up. They play a second of road back-to-backs coming out of Phoenix last night, where, given our ***BEST BET on Phoenix, we expected them to get killed. They sure enough did, 140-113, losing two more quarters after the Suns’ 43-13 first. |
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04-03-21 | Magic v. Jazz -14.5 | 91-137 | Win | 100 | 8 h 22 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Few opponents take Orlando seriously, which poses a problem for handicappers/bettors. They are 4-0 ATS since trading away three mainstays and using a starting lineup including guys like Chasson Randle, Chuma Okeke, Khem Birch and Dwight (Save Our) Bacon. When some opposing coaches see them coming, they say, ‘Oh, I think I’ll rest my leading scorer, and my second leading scorer… and maybe one or two other guys! However, Utah rested Donovan Mitchell earlier in the week. Aha! The Magic shot 5-for-25 on threes yet still won outright by 5 points in their last game, at New Orleans, who showed up with essentially nobody. No such luck here, probably. |
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04-03-21 | UCLA v. Gonzaga -14 | Top | 90-93 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 8 m | Show |
Rating: 5 Unit Final Four Game of the Week Gonzaga has been full throttle throughout the NCAA Tournament, defeating Oklahoma by 16 points, Creighton by 18 and USC by 19. All three of those teams certainly would have been favored over this UCLA team before the Bruins magical run. While the Bruins have caught lighting in a bottle and are playing well, their lack of explosiveness on offense is going to make for an uphill climb against the Zags. UCLA’s Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez have been tasked with carrying the load for the Bruins, with marginal help from elsewhere. Gonzaga on the other hand has the luxury of multiple players who can create and make shots. Remarkably, Gonzaga now owns three of the Top 10 players in KenPom’s Player of the Year race. That trio of Drew Timme, Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert will prove to simply be too much to keep up with. As best as he will try, Mick Cronin will be the next coach in line who unsuccessfully attempts to slow the tempo against Mark Few’s bunch. Look for UCLA’s three point defense to run out of luck, as the Bruins have been fortunate to see opposing teams during this run make only 27.7% of attempts from downtown. |
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04-03-21 | Cavs v. Heat -12 | 101-115 | Win | 100 | 7 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Cleveland may not know if they are coming or going. They just went 1 and 3 on the road, came home to Ohio to lose to Philly, and now travel for this game and 2 more on the highway. When Cleveland lost to Miami last month they were held to 29% from beyond the arc and JaVale McGee was 8 for 10 from the floor. McGee has moved on to Denver. The Cavaliers are dead last in the league in points per game. Miami is coming around. They have won three in a row and Victor Oladipo started in his Miami debut and it’s only a matter of time before he feels more comfortable in his new surroundings. Youngsters Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have also heated up. They were 16 for 28 from the floor in the win over Golden State on Thursday. |
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04-03-21 | Wolves v. 76ers -12 | 113-122 | Loss | -106 | 7 h 24 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Going into Friday’s game vs. Memphis, Minnesota had won 4 of 10 games and 3 of the wins came against teams that are currently in the playoff pictures. A major problem for the Wolves is the matador defense they play as they give up 117 a game. Minnesota is 3 and 6 this season in the second of back-to-back games. In the Friday game Minnesota was horrible in the second half in the facile Memphis victory. Philly just went 4 and 2 on a road trip and the losses came against the current 4th and 5th seeds in the West. The Sixers kept their foot on the gas beating Cleveland on Thursday as they won every quarter. They were victorious despite the fact 2 Philly starters were just 3 for 16 from the floor. |
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04-02-21 | Thunder v. Suns -13 | 103-140 | Win | 100 | 10 h 23 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units OKC head coach Mark Daigneault: "Where we are vulnerable is in details, and it shows up on both ends of the floor, and it takes time." Phoenix is the NBA’s most underrated team. They have the best pointspread percentage (31-16, 66.0% ATS) to prove it. They probably want to right a wrong: a 102-97 home loss to OKC, in which Al Horford had 21 points, 11 rebounds, Shai Gilgeous Alexander 21 points, and the Suns had a 10-point second quarter playing without Devin Booker. Horford has been "shut down for the season," SGA is out injured. Booker should be in. |
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04-02-21 | Hornets v. Pacers -4 | 114-97 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Charlotte was in Brooklyn on Thursday and they must have not been in the right frame of mind. The Hornets scored just 11 points in the first quarter and that doomed their fate. These teams splits the 2 games this season in January. In the Indy loss to Charlotte two of the Pacers starters were a combined 6 for 18 from the floor and the Pacers bench was outscored. Miami visited Indy on Wednesday and Indy was right there with 12 minutes to go but they lost the last stanza by 7 points and the game by 5. |
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04-02-21 | Mavs -6 v. Knicks | 99-86 | Win | 100 | 8 h 58 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Inconsistency has plagued the Knicks. They beat Milwaukee 6 nights ago and then they lost to the 12 and 36 Timberwolves last Wednesday. Both R. J. Barrett and Derrick Rose are iffy for New York with ankle issues. Dallas has won 2 of their last 3 games and the loss last Saturday was in the second of a back-to-back game when the Mavericks could not handle Zion Williamson. Look for Kristaps Porzingas to be primed to stick it to his former club. |
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04-01-21 | Hornets +2.5 v. Nets | 89-111 | Loss | -109 | 5 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units At #4 in the East, the Hornets are closer to #14 Toronto (6.5 games in front of the Raptors) than to #1 tie Brooklyn and Philadelphia (7.5 games behind). They beat the Nets at home, 106-104, in the third game of the season. ""We have to treat every team like it’s Brooklyn," Gordon Hayward said afterwards. "We had this sense of urgency." They figure to treat this opponent like it’s Brooklyn. Because it’s Brooklyn. The Hornets are 14-6 ATS as a road underdog; Nets are 2-7 ATS last nine games, during which their only two covers have been when they were +2 underdogs at Portland and Indiana. As the chalk in this span, they’re 0-6 ATS. |
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04-01-21 | Wizards -3 v. Pistons | 91-120 | Loss | -107 | 5 h 2 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Detroit has lost to some bad teams this season like Houston, Cleveland and Orlando. The Pistons try to defend but their offense kills them. They are 25th in scoring and rebounding. Detroit just lost to this club on Saturday despite Bradley Beal having to leave the game. Russell Westbrook just took over the game. Detroit hosted Portland on Wednesday and after competing for 12 minutes, the Pistons faded into sunset in the loss. Washington should have an edge in the middle with Detroit’s Mason Plumlee going against Alex Len and Robin Lopez. In the loss to Charlotte on Tuesday Alex and Robin combined for 26 points and 16 rebounds. |
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04-01-21 | 76ers -9.5 v. Cavs | 114-94 | Win | 100 | 5 h 58 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units A first-place team 32-15 overall (but 0-2 vs. Cleveland!) has lost the last two games of a six-game road trip in Denver and L.A., to a couple of 60%+ straight-up winners. The 76ers are 3-2 on this trip. Good teams take care of business in situations such as this. Doc Rivers was looking at his watch after the first quarter in Denver Tuesday night with the scoreboard 43-22 against his team, and let the bench players take it from there. The Cavaliers have used 22 different starting lineups in 47 games, and were without Larry Nance, Jr., Jarrett Allen, Matthew Dellavadova for the 39-point loss at Utah. Kevin Love didn’t play, either, but does he count anymore? |
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03-31-21 | Bucks -8.5 v. Lakers | 112-97 | Win | 100 | 4 h 8 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Like we said earlier, no good team ‘wants’ to lose three straight, but the Bucks have. They didn’t ‘want’ to lose five straight in January, but they did. They don’t ‘want’ to lose a fourth straight game tonight, and with the Lakers 2-4 SU since Lebron went down while Lebrow was already out, they probably won’t. The Lakers have scored 100 and 96 points beating downtrodden Cleveland and Orlando in their last two games. You’re probably aware that a 98 ppg average would be last in the NBA, which is why they were able to beat two depleted teams that are scraping Eastern Conference bottom. Over the last 10 days, which is five games for L.A., only Cleveland is averaging fewer than the Lakers’ 1.0 points per possession. The Bucks have revenge for 113-106 home loss when the Lakers were fully represented (A. Davis and L. James each played 38 minutes) and fully energized in the first game of an Eastern road trip. |
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03-31-21 | Mavs +2.5 v. Celtics | 113-108 | Win | 100 | 2 h 47 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Jaylen Brown missed the Monday game when the Celts lost to New Orleans. Jayson Tatum had 34 points but he takes a lot of tough shots and Boston allowed the Pelicans to shoot 51% from beyond the arc. Dallas has a number of quality wins against teams like Brooklyn, the Clips and Denver. The Texans beat Boston last month in the second of a back-to-back game when the Big Three from Boston all had excellent games. Luca Doncic returned from a back issue on Monday and he put in a good all-around performance. The important thing is that he only had to play 28 minutes. |
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03-31-21 | Heat +0.5 v. Pacers | 92-87 | Win | 100 | 1 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Indy won both of the games this season against Miami but in one of the wins they got a bit of a break when 2 of the Miami starters were only 4 for 20 from the floor. In D.C. on Monday the Pacers could not keep up with the potent Washington offense. Trevor Ariza is starting to feel comfortable with Miami and he has championship credentials. The Heat were in New York on Monday and although he was rusty, Goran Dragic was back in action in the victory. Miami held New York to 28% from long range. |
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