Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11-11-23 | Heat v. Hawks -7 | Top | 117-109 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
At the outset of a minimum two-week stretch without their leading scorer, the Miami Heat might need to get creative beginning Saturday at the Atlanta Hawks. Tyler Herro sustained a Grade 2 ankle sprain when he landed on the foot of Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. during the first quarter of Wednesday's 108-102 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Without Herro's 22.9 points per game, where will coach Erik Spoelstra find his offense? Naturally, Bam Adebayo (22.7 points per game) is top of mind after he followed up a triple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday with a season-high 30 points versus the Grizzlies. Jimmy Butler (18.4 ppg) is capable of keeping the scoreboard operator busy. However, he joined fellow forward Caleb Martin in being ruled out for Saturday's game. Butler is dealing with a personal family issue, while Martin is hobbled by a knee injury. The 37-year-old Kyle Lowry stepped up with a season-high 17 points on Wednesday to help Miami notch its third straight win. Lowry is the elder statesman of the team. And perhaps it's time for the youngest member of the club to step up when called upon. | |||||||
11-11-23 | Raptors +8.5 v. Celtics | 94-117 | Loss | -115 | 6 h 21 m | Show | |
The Toronto Raptors will chase a third consecutive road victory when they face the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. It will be the final stop on a four-game road trip for Toronto, which opened the trek with a 114-99 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers before beating the San Antonio Spurs 123-116 in overtime and topping the Dallas Mavericks 127-116. The Raptors erased a 22-point deficit in their victory at San Antonio on Sunday, then Pascal Siakam hit season highs in points (31) and rebounds (12) during the Wednesday win at Dallas. Siakam made 15 of his 25 shots from the field against the Mavericks. Siakam averaged a career-high 24.2 points per game last season. He enters the Saturday contest putting up 17.4 points in 35.8 minutes per game this season. | |||||||
11-10-23 | Jazz +5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 127-121 | Win | 100 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
The Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies play each other for the second time in 10 days Friday, but things are a bit different this time around. For starters, this will be an in-season tournament game and will be played in Memphis. The Jazz, who beat the Grizzlies 133-109 on Nov. 1 in Salt Lake City, will also be playing without their starting center. Walker Kessler is sidelined for at least two weeks with an injured left elbow. | |||||||
11-09-23 | Hawks v. Magic +3.5 | Top | 120-119 | Win | 100 | 12 h 22 m | Show |
The early season contest between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will have a different perspective with a visit to Mexico City on Thursday night. According to the NBA, it marks the first time the Hawks will play in Mexico. The Magic played games against the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz in Mexico in December 2018. Orlando won both games on that visit and will look to bounce back from a 117-102 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The Magic led by as many as 15 points before wilting. Orlando was outscored 64-36 in the second half. The Magic made 7 of 11 3-point attempts (63.6 percent) in the first half but were a frigid 1 of 16 (6.2 percent) in the second half. | |||||||
11-09-23 | Bucks -2.5 v. Pacers | 124-126 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 46 m | Show | |
Two Eastern Conference foes playing the second night of back-to-backs face off as the Indiana Pacers oppose the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night in Indianapolis. Milwaukee comes in off a late comeback win against the visiting Detroit Pistons, 120-118. Notably, the Bucks rallied without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was ejected early in the third quarter when he received second technical foul of the night, for staring down an opponent after a dunk. Damian Lillard stepped up with 34 points -- including 18 in the fourth quarter. Bobby Portis added 18 off the bench and Brook Lopez was a force down low, scoring 14 while grabbing six boards and blocking four shots. | |||||||
11-08-23 | Spurs +10.5 v. Knicks | Top | 105-126 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
Fans in New York are looking forward to the opportunity to watch potentially generational talent Victor Wembanyama for the first time Wednesday night. Wembanyama and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs are just looking to avoid once again flirting with making an ignoble bit of history. The Spurs will aim to bounce back from another lopsided defeat Wednesday, when they conclude a two-game road trip by visiting the New York Knicks in the first game of the season between the teams. Both teams were off Tuesday after playing Monday, when the Spurs were routed by the Indiana Pacers 152-111 and the host Knicks mounted a fourth-quarter surge to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 111-97. The 152 points were the most allowed in regulation by the Spurs under Gregg Popovich, who is in his 28th season as head coach. San Antonio edged the Washington Wizards 157-153 in double overtime on Feb. 25, 2022. The defeat also marked the second time this season the Spurs have lost by at least 40 points. They fell to the Clippers 123-83 on Oct. 29. The 41-point margin of defeat Monday was the third-largest for San Antonio in the Popovich era behind a 143-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 2, 2022, and a 111-69 loss to the Chicago Bulls on March 5, 1997. The Spurs, generally known for stingy defense under Popovich, are allowing 125.9 points per game this season, second-most in the NBA. They allowed an NBA-worst 123.1 points per game last season. (FLM) | |||||||
11-06-23 | Lakers +1.5 v. Heat | 107-108 | Win | 100 | 10 h 25 m | Show | |
Los Angeles comes into the final game of Miami's homestand for the second date of a four-game road trip. The Lakers kicked off the swing Saturday with a 120-101 loss to the Orlando Magic. Los Angeles was outrebounded 51-40 and surrendered 19 offensive rebounds, which the Magic converted into a 36-15 edge in second-chance points. I expect a better effort and SU win tonight. | |||||||
11-05-23 | Warriors v. Cavs -1.5 | Top | 104-115 | Win | 100 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
The Cavs have lost 12 straight games against the Warriors, but yet we're looking at Cleveland as a favorite. Something smells in this one. | |||||||
11-05-23 | Raptors -3.5 v. Spurs | 123-116 | Win | 100 | 5 h 8 m | Show | |
The Raptors have won five straight games against the Spurs, with the last four all coming by double digits. Toronto had never previously won more than two consecutive games against San Antonio. | |||||||
11-04-23 | Lakers -3.5 v. Magic | Top | 101-120 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
The Lakers have won their last seven matchups with the Magic, including winning their last four by at least nine points in Orlando. | |||||||
11-03-23 | Mavs +6.5 v. Nuggets | 114-125 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 54 m | Show | |
The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA title in June. Five months later they begin the journey for another trophy -- but not one named for Larry O'Brien. The inaugural NBA in-season tournament starts Friday and Denver will host the Dallas Mavericks to open the West Group B play. The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles and New Orleans Pelicans are also part of the group. The tournament will culminate with the semifinals and final in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and 9. The winner will take home the NBA Cup. The games in the tournament, with the exception of the final, will count in the regular-season standings so there is something on the line other than pride. For the Nuggets, that means bouncing back from their first loss of the season, a 110-89 rout at Minnesota on Wednesday night. The teams met in the first round of the playoffs last spring, won by Denver in five games. The Timberwolves exacted a little revenge with a wire-to-wire win and served notice that the Nuggets are a marked team. | |||||||
11-03-23 | Knicks v. Bucks -5.5 | Top | 105-110 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
Most teams welcoming a new coach and a seven-time All-Star likely would experience a few growing pains, and the Milwaukee Bucks are proving to be no exception. After splitting their first four games, the Bucks' adjustment period continues when they face the visiting New York Knicks on Friday in their first game of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament. Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin is looking for an improved defensive effort after his team lost 130-111 to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Malik Beasley scored 20 points to lead the Bucks, who acquired star guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers in late September. After scoring 39 points in an opening-night win, Lilliard has averaged 15.3 in his past three games. The Bucks also are in a transition period as Griffin looks to integrate Lillard into a starting rotation that includes Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Everyone involved is eager to start becoming more consistent on both ends of the floor. That transition stops tonight, Milwaukee rolls. | |||||||
11-03-23 | Cavs -2 v. Pacers | Top | 116-121 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers get the honor of being the first two participants in the new NBA in-season tournament when they tip off the event Friday night in Indianapolis. Seven games are slated on opening night of the soccer-inspired tournament -- none earlier than the scheduled tip in Indiana -- during which the Cavaliers and Pacers will join the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons in round-robin play in East Group A. The game is a rematch of the Pacers' 125-113 win at Cleveland last Saturday, a contest in which Indiana reserve Aaron Nesmith scorched the Cavaliers for 26 points while the hosts were without star guard Donovan Mitchell. Indiana, which was 2-0 at the time, has since struggled, falling 112-105 at home to the Chicago Bulls and then 155-104 at Boston on Wednesday night. The 105- and 104-point efforts came after the Pacers had scorched the Washington Wizards and Cavaliers for an average of 134 points in their first two games. | |||||||
11-02-23 | Spurs v. Suns -8 | Top | 132-121 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 7 m | Show |
The San Antonio Spurs won the first of two matchups with the Phoenix Suns in stunning fashion. Now the Spurs will attempt to make it a sweep in the rematch on Thursday night in Phoenix. San Antonio never led in Tuesday's contest until Keldon Johnson put the ball through the net with 1.2 seconds left. The hoop came shortly after Victor Wembanyama dunked home a putback with 6.8 seconds remaining to bring San Antonio within one. Phoenix star Kevin Durant received the inbounds pass and was waiting to get fouled in the right corner by Tre Jones. But Johnson came in and stole the ball from Durant with just over four seconds left and drove for the decisive basket. (FLM) | |||||||
11-01-23 | Kings +7 v. Warriors | Top | 101-102 | Win | 100 | 25 h 6 m | Show |
11-01-23 | Pelicans v. Thunder -3.5 | Top | 110-106 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 43 m | Show |
The New Orleans Pelicans are no strangers to adversity. It's been a constant theme in recent years as Zion Williamson and others have missed significant playing time. The Pelicans hope the latest bit of misfortune will be a bump in the road, though it could stretch through Wednesday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans star forward Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable for the game after being scratched from Monday's loss to Golden State about an hour before tip-off due to right knee soreness. The Pelicans did get some good news concerning Ingram's knee, though. | |||||||
10-31-23 | Magic v. Clippers -6 | Top | 102-118 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Los Angeles has scored 364 points through three games -- fifth most in the NBA. The 364 points are the Clippers' second most through three games in franchise history (2019-20, 375).We know the history between these two clubs favors the Magic, but the Clippers are a better team and the number indicates oddsmakers feel the same. | |||||||
10-31-23 | Spurs +7.5 v. Suns | 115-114 | Win | 100 | 10 h 19 m | Show | |
The Spurs fell against the Clippers on the road Sunday, 123-83. The 40-point margin of defeat was the first in the NBA this season, and the Spurs had two such defeats of 40+ last season - tied most such games in the NBA (Nets, Bucks, Blazers).I think this number is a trap and we're not falling for it. | |||||||
10-30-23 | Blazers +7.5 v. Raptors | Top | 99-91 | Win | 100 | 11 h 50 m | Show |
The Toronto Raptors know that they must begin to find better scoring chances for Pascal Siakam starting Monday night against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. Siakam scored only 11 points Saturday night in a 114-107 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the return of former Toronto coach Nick Nurse. The Raptors, who were playing the second of back-to-back games on Saturday, will be facing a team playing its second game in two nights. Portland opened a three-game road trip with a 126-98 loss to the 76ers on Sunday night. The Trail Blazers are winless in three games this season. Despite that, seven points is too many to give up with the Raptors | |||||||
10-29-23 | Lakers v. Kings -2.5 | 127-132 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show | |
Since 2020-21 the Kings are 4-1 (.800) against the Lakers on the road, only the Clippers' 5-0 (1.000) record is better over that span (minimum five games at LAL). | |||||||
10-29-23 | Spurs v. Clippers -8.5 | Top | 83-123 | Win | 100 | 12 h 45 m | Show |
Since 2014-15, no one has a better record against the Spurs than the Clippers, going 19-13 (.594) against them during that span.After winning five of the first six coaching matchups against Tyronn Lue, Gregg Popovich has gone 2-7 against him, including losses in each of the last four meetings. (Stats) | |||||||
10-29-23 | Blazers v. 76ers -9.5 | Top | 98-126 | Win | 100 | 10 h 27 m | Show |
The winless Portland Trail Blazers will continue their search for scoring in the absence of Anfernee Simons as they open a three-game trip, starting Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Trail Blazers made the cross-country flight Saturday shackled with an 0-2 record, the first loss having been more painful than the second by virtue of Simons breaking his right thumb during a 123-111 setback against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Portland then immediately experienced the impact of losing its top returning scorer when the Trail Blazers put up just 97 points in their home opener, a 102-97 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. The Trail Blazers shot just 39.8 percent overall and went just 9 of 32 on 3-pointers. Simons is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. (Stats) | |||||||
10-28-23 | 76ers v. Raptors +4 | Top | 114-107 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
The Toronto Raptors will face former coach Nick Nurse for the first time when the Philadelphia 76ers visit on Saturday night. The Raptors have split their first two games under new coach Darko Rajakovic. They lost 104-103 in overtime to the host Chicago Bulls on Friday despite a triple-double from Scottie Barnes, who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Chicago's Alex Caruso sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in OT. Toronto won its season opener at home on Wednesday, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-94. The 76ers lost their first game under Nurse 118-117 to the host Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Nurse coached the Raptors from 2018-19 until the end of last season, when he was fired after Toronto lost a play-in game against the Bulls following a 41-41 regular season. The 76ers hired him on June 1. Nurse guided the Raptors to their only NBA championship in 2019. | |||||||
10-27-23 | Clippers -4 v. Jazz | 118-120 | Loss | -113 | 9 h 19 m | Show | |
After a lopsided season-opening loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Utah Jazz are hoping to turn things around against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday in Salt Lake City. The Clippers, meanwhile, are looking to improve to 2-0 while ending a regular-season drought at the Jazz. They have dropped 10 straight games in Utah. It would bode well for the Clippers if they play like they did in Wednesday's 123-111 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Paul George led the charge with 27 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 23. That potent duo played in only 38 games together last season due to injuries. | |||||||
10-27-23 | Nuggets v. Grizzlies +6 | Top | 108-104 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show |
The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets go on the road for the first time in the 2023-24 season Friday when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies. Denver began its defense of the first championship in franchise history with a 119-107 defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The 2020-21 and 2021-22 Most Valuable Player and last season's Finals MVP Nikola Jokic tipped off the campaign with a 29-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double. Jokic has averaged 19.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 26 career matchups with Memphis. Last season, Jokic scored no more than 18 points in any of Denver's three meetings with the Grizzlies but recorded triple-doubles in each of the Nuggets' two wins. On Tuesday, all five Denver starters scored in double figures and three notched at least 20 points. Jamal Murray shot 8-of-13 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range en route to 21, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went 8-of-12 from the floor for 20 points. The Nuggets also got a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double from Michael Porter Jr. in the season opener. Prior to the game, the team received its 2022-23 championship rings. | |||||||
10-26-23 | 76ers v. Bucks -6 | 117-118 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 23 m | Show | |
The buzz surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks circles around the player they added in the offseason, while the noise coming out of Philadelphia centers on the player who just returned to the 76ers after a 10-day absence. Seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard will make his Bucks debut on Thursday when they open the season against the visiting 76ers, who reportedly will be without disgruntled 10-time All-Star James Harden. Milwaukee acquired Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers on Sept. 27 as part of a three-team trade. Lillard, 33, averaged a franchise-record 32.2 points per game in 2022-23, the third-highest clip in the league. Named one of the NBA's 75 greatest players of all-time in 2021, Lillard won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012-13 and is Portland's career leader in points (19,376) and 3-point field goals (2,387). | |||||||
10-25-23 | Blazers +9.5 v. Clippers | 111-123 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 28 m | Show | |
While the Portland Trail Blazers will begin a new era Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers will look to get more out of a tenure that has not quite delivered as expected when the teams tip off their seasons in Los Angeles. For the first time in 12 seasons, Damian Lillard will not be on the Trail Blazers' roster after he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in September. And while the star power of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George remains in place for the Clippers, better health combined with elite play will be vital. A run to the NBA Finals has eluded Los Angeles in the four seasons the dynamic duo has been together on the West Coast. Leonard has played just 52 games over the past two seasons because of knee issues -- and never played more than 57 in any season since joining the Clippers in 2019 -- but the club is hopeful that problem can be mitigated. George has not exactly been the picture of health either, playing in 87 of a potential 164 regular-season games over the previous two seasons. | |||||||
10-25-23 | Celtics v. Knicks +4 | Top | 108-104 | Push | 0 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
The New York Knicks mostly stood pat this summer following their most successful season in a decade. Meanwhile, after coming within one win of a second straight trip to the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics made a series of splashy trades and signings. Neither team will have to wait long for the first referendum on their respective approaches, as host New York will face the Celtics on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams. The Knicks finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last season at 47-35 and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual conference champion Miami Heat in a six-game semifinal series. Getting past the Cavaliers gave New York its first postseason series victory since the spring of 2013. The Knicks employed six coaches while missing the playoffs in the subsequent seven seasons before Tom Thibodeau arrived and steered New York to a 41-31 record and a first-round exit in the spring of 2021. | |||||||
10-24-23 | Suns v. Warriors -3 | Top | 108-104 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 8 m | Show |
Kevin Durant begins his 17th season by experiencing a first when the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors tip off their 2023-24 campaigns at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday night. Immediately following the NBA opener between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, with the Nuggets to receive their 2023 championship rings, the TNT spotlight will shine on the Suns and Warriors, both of whom will be beginning a quest to dethrone the defending champions. Seeded fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Western playoffs last year, the Suns and Warriors saw their championship bids end in the conference semifinals, the Suns falling in six games to the Nuggets, the Warriors likewise losing four of six to the Lakers. The opening matchup also gives the 35-year-old Durant a chance to perform in front of the fans he thrilled for three seasons while leading Golden State to championships in 2017 and 2018. He eventually left the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets, and has made just one return to the San Francisco Bay Area, that coming in February 2021 while fans were not allowed to attend games at the Chase Center due to COVID-19 precautions. He has never faced the Warriors anywhere since joining the Suns in February in a blockbuster four-team deal. Durant won't see Golden State defensive ace Draymond Green on the floor. Green missed the entire preseason with a sprained his left ankle and was ruled out of the opener on Monday. | |||||||
10-24-23 | Lakers v. Nuggets -4.5 | Top | 107-119 | Win | 100 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
The Denver Nuggets spent the offseason celebrating while the Los Angeles Lakers were simmering. Denver is in unchartered territory as the reigning NBA champions after an impressive 16-4 run through the postseason last spring. One of the teams in the Nuggets' path was Los Angeles, whom they swept in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers don't have to wait for another shot at the Nuggets, but they will have to witness them raise their championship banner when the teams open the NBA season Tuesday night in Denver. The Nuggets had never beaten Los Angeles in the playoffs before last season, and while it was a sweep, the games were close. That didn't stop Denver from relishing the series win, and head coach Michael Malone lit the fuse in the immediate aftermath of the victory. | |||||||
10-20-23 | Spurs +4.5 v. Warriors | 122-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show | |
10-20-23 | Hawks +2.5 v. 76ers | Top | 106-120 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
10-19-23 | Wolves v. Bulls +1 | Top | 114-105 | Loss | -110 | 17 h 31 m | Show |
10-19-23 | Celtics v. Hornets +4.5 | Top | 127-99 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 40 m | Show |
10-18-23 | Kings v. Warriors -6.5 | 115-116 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 41 m | Show | |
10-17-23 | Nuggets v. Clippers -3 | 103-116 | Win | 100 | 13 h 54 m | Show | |
10-17-23 | Knicks v. Celtics -6.5 | Top | 110-123 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
10-17-23 | Pelicans v. Magic +1.5 | Top | 104-92 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
10-16-23 | 76ers v. Nets +2.5 | Top | 127-119 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
10-14-23 | Blazers v. Jazz -2.5 | Top | 133-138 | Win | 100 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
10-14-23 | Pelicans v. Hawks -3.5 | Top | 105-110 | Win | 100 | 8 h 37 m | Show |
10-13-23 | Warriors +3 v. Lakers | 129-125 | Win | 100 | 13 h 33 m | Show | |
10-13-23 | Heat v. Spurs -6 | Top | 104-120 | Win | 100 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
10-12-23 | Suns v. Blazers +5 | 122-111 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 34 m | Show | |
10-12-23 | Hornets +2 v. Wizards | Top | 92-98 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 39 m | Show |
10-12-23 | Magic +3 v. Cavs | Top | 108-105 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
10-11-23 | Kings v. Lakers +1.5 | 101-109 | Win | 100 | 19 h 15 m | Show | |
10-11-23 | Celtics -2.5 v. 76ers | Top | 112-101 | Win | 100 | 16 h 22 m | Show |
10-10-23 | Nuggets v. Suns -3.5 | 115-107 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 38 m | Show | |
10-09-23 | Spurs v. Thunder -4.5 | Top | 121-122 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
10-09-23 | Celtics +5.5 v. Knicks | Top | 107-114 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
10-07-23 | Wolves v. Mavs +1 | Top | 104-96 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
10-05-23 | Mavs v. Wolves +1.5 | Top | 99-111 | Win | 100 | 2 h 24 m | Show |
03-29-23 | Kings v. Blazers +14 | 120-80 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 14 m | Show | |
The Sacramento Kings came up empty in their initial attempt to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006. The Kings will take another shot to end the longest postseason drought in professional sports when they visit the downtrodden Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. Sacramento (45-30) is on the cusp of ending that ugly 16-season drought but was unable to seal the deal Monday night when it fell 119-115 to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. "Yeah, I mean guys wanted to clinch a playoff spot at home and wanted to share it with our fans," All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox said after the setback. "But at the end of the day, regardless of where we do it at, I think people are going to appreciate it and people are going to love it." Clinching against Portland (32-43) feels like a formality as this is the first of back-to-back games versus the Trail Blazers. There's also the fact that Portland has dropped nine of its past 10 games and will be without star guard Damian Lillard (calf), who was shut down for the season, according to a report by Bleacher Report. Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 58 games this season. Kings forward Harrison Barnes would have liked to see the home fans celebrate the milestone, but he sees the bigger picture too. | |||||||
03-29-23 | Wolves v. Suns -4.5 | 100-107 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show | |
All signs are pointing upward for the Phoenix Suns, who reportedly will have star Kevin Durant back in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. Acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at last month's trade deadline, Durant played three road games before suffering a sprained left ankle during pregame warmups on March 8. Phoenix (40-35) has gone 4-6 with Durant out of the lineup but still holds the fourth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Suns fans have been waiting patiently for the two-time Finals MVP to make his home debut. "I always use the term 'checking the boxes,'" Suns coach Monty Williams said of Durant's comeback journey. "You have to get the pain and swelling out and all of that and then you progress onto the floor with shots. And I've seen him go from cardio to shooting to be able to get up and down a little bit and get himself prepared to go to the next level." Adding Durant to the mix comes at a good time, as the Suns appear to be trending in the right direction. Phoenix won its second straight game on Monday, beating the Utah Jazz 117-103. | |||||||
03-29-23 | Clippers +4 v. Grizzlies | 141-132 | Win | 100 | 6 h 23 m | Show | |
The Memphis Grizzlies continue to show they can succeed with or without star guard Ja Morant. Their winning streak is at seven games in advance of a two-game visit from the Los Angeles Clippers starting Wednesday. Morant missed Memphis' 113-108 home victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday because of right thigh soreness, with the absence characterized as more of a precaution during the first game of a back-to-back set. The Grizzlies (48-27) started their current winning streak with Morant away on a self-imposed sabbatical that was changed to a league-mandated suspension as a result of questionable behavior during a live video from a nightclub. Morant missed nine games -- the first on March 5, when the Grizzlies absorbed a 135-129 defeat to the Clippers in Los Angeles. Paul George scored 42 points for the Clippers in that game, but he won't be available for this one -- he is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a right knee injury. Without being able to lean on Morant on Tuesday, Memphis received 31 points from Desmond Bane and a career-high 20 from Xavier Tillman. | |||||||
03-29-23 | Pistons v. Thunder -11 | 106-107 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 18 m | Show | |
With just six games left and clinging to a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, the Oklahoma City Thunder can't afford to let another opportunity go to waste. A night after losing to the Charlotte Hornets, the Thunder oppose the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Even though his team is battling for its first playoff appearance since 2020, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the possibility wouldn't derail the organization's development plan. "I think if it is an outcome that's downstream of our process and the way that we're trying to do things, it would be great, because it would be a marker along the way," Daigneault said. "Not so important that it's gonna distract us from our way of doing things. "We need to bet on that day over day over day. We've done that for two or three years. That's what's put us in a position to compete for the play-in, so for us to abandon that at this point would be hasty." The Thunder (37-39) could be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second consecutive game. The All-Star sprained his left ankle on Sunday in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Oklahoma City did get Aleksej Pokusevski back for Tuesday's game. The third-year forward had missed 41 games with a non-displaced fracture in his left leg. Pokusevski was scoreless in nearly 10 minutes during the Thunder's 137-134 loss to the Hornets. | |||||||
03-29-23 | Heat v. Knicks -4 | 92-101 | Win | 100 | 6 h 3 m | Show | |
Tom Thibodeau, the eternally straitlaced coach of the Knicks, offered a smile with his usual bottom-line analysis following New York's victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. "You guys know what I always say about winning," Thibodeau said. "Winning is always way more fun than fun is fun." On Wednesday night, either the Knicks or the Miami Heat will have a lot of fun -- and make the other team miserable in the process. The Knicks and Heat will each be looking to make their path to a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference easier when New York hosts Miami in the final regular-season meeting between the longtime rivals. The Knicks were off Tuesday after cruising to a 137-115 victory over the visiting Rockets on Monday night. The Heat will be completing a back-to-back road set after falling 106-92 to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. New York (43-33) snapped a three-game losing streak and remains in fifth place in the East, 2 1/2 games ahead of the sixth-place Brooklyn Nets (40-35) and three games ahead of the Heat (40-36). The top six teams in each conference earn a playoff berth while the seventh- through 10th-place clubs compete in a play-in tournament to determine the final two seeds. Another win on Wednesday would further solidify the Knicks' playoff positioning by giving them the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Heat. New York leads the season series 2-1, though Miami earned a 127-120 win in the recent meeting in Florida on March 22. | |||||||
03-29-23 | Mavs v. 76ers -4 | Top | 108-116 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
Tom Thibodeau, the eternally straitlaced coach of the Knicks, offered a smile with his usual bottom-line analysis following New York's victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. "You guys know what I always say about winning," Thibodeau said. "Winning is always way more fun than fun is fun." On Wednesday night, either the Knicks or the Miami Heat will have a lot of fun -- and make the other team miserable in the process. The Knicks and Heat will each be looking to make their path to a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference easier when New York hosts Miami in the final regular-season meeting between the longtime rivals. The Knicks were off Tuesday after cruising to a 137-115 victory over the visiting Rockets on Monday night. The Heat will be completing a back-to-back road set after falling 106-92 to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. New York (43-33) snapped a three-game losing streak and remains in fifth place in the East, 2 1/2 games ahead of the sixth-place Brooklyn Nets (40-35) and three games ahead of the Heat (40-36). The top six teams in each conference earn a playoff berth while the seventh- through 10th-place clubs compete in a play-in tournament to determine the final two seeds. | |||||||
03-28-23 | Hornets v. Thunder -9.5 | Top | 137-134 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Returning home after splitting a four-game West Coast road trip, the Oklahoma City Thunder face a critical two-game homestand in their pursuit of a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference race. The Thunder will host the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference in back-to-back games, beginning with Tuesday's visit from the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have helped the Thunder's cause over the last two games, knocking off Dallas twice to help lift Oklahoma City ahead of the Mavericks for the 10th spot in the Western Conference. The Thunder have been the outmanned but plucky underdog over the last few seasons as they've undergone a major rebuild. Now, Oklahoma City finds itself on the other side of things as it looks to knock off some teams that aren't in serious contention for a playoff spot down the stretch. The Thunder held off the Trail Blazers, 118-112, on Sunday in Portland to snap a two-game losing streak and remain in a play-in spot in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City will face the Detroit Pistons following its meeting with Charlotte, and a sweep of the two-game set would put the Thunder (37-38) above .500 for the first time since early November. | |||||||
03-28-23 | Heat v. Raptors -4 | 92-106 | Win | 100 | 5 h 34 m | Show | |
The Toronto Raptors will try to reach the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 9 Tuesday night when they close a four-game homestand against the Miami Heat. The Raptors (37-38) won their second game in a row Sunday 114-104 over the Washington Wizards. This will be the Raptors' sixth attempt to reach .500 since they were 13-13. In the Heat (40-35), the Raptors will be facing a team that is above .500 for the first time on the homestand. Miami is coming off an embarrassing 129-100 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Toronto leads the season series 2-1 over Miami. The teams have not played since Nov. 16 when O.G. Anunoby scored 32 points in the Raptors' 112-104 home victory. In winning for the fifth time in the past seven games on Sunday, Toronto had 29 points from Anunoby, 28 from Fred VanVleet and 19 points and 11 rebounds from Pascal Siakam. After missing two games with a wrist injury, Scottie Barnes scored 13 points. The Raptors are ninth in the Eastern Conference going into Monday and have a good hold on a play-in spot. | |||||||
03-27-23 | Bulls +4.5 v. Clippers | Top | 112-124 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
Coming off one of their most embarrassing defeats of the season, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to maintain their grasp on a top-six spot in the Western Conference with a home matchup Monday night against the Chicago Bulls. The Clippers (39-36) were trounced at home 131-110 by the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The setback left Los Angeles with losses in three of its last five games, and seven games remain in the regular season. The Clippers don't expect Paul George (knee) to return before the end of the regular season, with fellow star Kawhi Leonard held to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field against the Pelicans. He missed all six of his attempts from 3-point range. Leonard left the game with a facial contusion. | |||||||
03-27-23 | Pelicans -10.5 v. Blazers | 124-90 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show | |
Trey Murphy III will attempt to follow up a contest in which he was hotter than lava when the streaking New Orleans Pelicans visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Murphy buried a career-best 10 3-pointers in just 12 attempts while scoring 32 points in Saturday's 131-110 rout of the host Los Angeles Clippers. Brandon Ingram also scored 32 as the Pelicans won their fourth consecutive game. The sight of the Trail Blazers will be pleasing to Murphy, who scored a career-best 41 points and made a then-career-high nine 3-pointers in New Orleans' 127-110 home win over Portland on March 12. He was 13 of 20 overall from the field. "I just see his confidence going up and up," Ingram said after the win in Los Angeles. "He's the best shooter on the team." Murphy is 37 of 70 (52.9 percent) from 3-point range during the past seven games for New Orleans (37-37), which resides in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are one game out of a top-six playoff berth with eight games remaining. | |||||||
03-27-23 | Rockets v. Knicks -12.5 | Top | 115-137 | Win | 100 | 10 h 8 m | Show |
In the midst of a three-day break between games that forward RJ Barrett described as "much needed," the New York Knicks turned their focus to a critical stretch run that will include matchups against a pair of opponents bracketing them in the standings. But before the Knicks (42-33) can turn their attention to the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom they will face later this week, they will host the Houston Rockets on Monday in their first action since a 111-106 road loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday, a game that wrapped up a stretch of 11 games since March 3, with eight of those on the road. The Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference, wedged between the fourth-place Cavaliers and the Heat and Brooklyn Nets, who are tied for sixth. New York is on the verge of securing a playoff berth and avoiding the play-in tournament, but because it's five games behind Cleveland in the loss column, the odds of securing home-court advantage in the first round appear minuscule at best. | |||||||
03-26-23 | Grizzlies v. Hawks +2.5 | Top | 123-119 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
The Memphis Grizzlies will put their five-game winning streak on the line and continue their quest to earn the top playoff seed in the Western Conference on Sunday when they travel to Atlanta to play a Hawks team looking to clarify its postseason situation. The Grizzlies (46-27) are currently second in the Western Conference and trail Denver by 3 1/2 games with nine remaining. Memphis already has clinched a playoff spot and locked up its second straight Southwest Division title. The Grizzlies are coming off a 151-114 win over Houston on Friday. The Hawks (37-37) climbed back to .500 with Saturday's 143-130 win over Indiana and remain No. 8 in the Eastern Conference. This is the final game between Memphis and Atlanta this season. The Grizzlies won the first contest 128-103 on Dec. 12 in Memphis. Tyus Jones had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Jaren Jackson Jr. tied a single-game franchise record for the Grizzlies with eight blocks. Atlanta was without Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic, while the Grizzlies played without Ja Morant. Atlanta will need to slow the 3-point shooting of Luke Kennard, who set a franchise record by making 10 3-pointers on 11 attempts against Houston. Kennard was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline. He matched his career high with 30 points and tied the NBA record for the highest 3-point percentage by a player with 10 in a game, a record shared by Ty Lawson and Klay Thompson. | |||||||
03-24-23 | Bulls v. Blazers +2.5 | Top | 124-96 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 39 m | Show |
The Chicago Bulls are showing signs of making a late-season dash as they look for their sixth victory in eight games when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Chicago (34-38) is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, possessing the final play-in berth by 1 1/2 games over the Indiana Pacers. But the Bulls are also just a half-game behind the ninth-place Toronto Raptors and 1 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Atlanta Hawks. Chicago is coming off a two-game split with the third-place Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls recorded a 109-105 double-overtime road win on Monday before being pummeled 116-91 at home on Wednesday. The Bulls dug themselves early deficits of 17-0 and 23-1 in the rematch. | |||||||
03-24-23 | Pistons +15 v. Raptors | 97-118 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 11 m | Show | |
The Toronto Raptors will try to put the advantage back into home court when they play the struggling Detroit Pistons on Friday night. The Raptors (35-38) had won seven in a row at home before losing 118-114 to the visiting Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Meanwhile the Pistons (16-57) lost their fourth straight Tuesday 129-107 to the host Atlanta Hawks. The Raptors were without Scottie Barnes (wrist), Gary Trent Jr. (elbow) and Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) when they played the Pacers in the opener of a four-game homestand. None took part in practice on Thursday and all three are listed as questionable for Friday. Barnes took shots with a brace on his injured left wrist after practice. The Raptors, who are 23-14 at home, fell behind the Pacers 36-26 in the first quarter after a sluggish start. | |||||||
03-24-23 | Pacers +12 v. Celtics | 95-120 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 50 m | Show | |
The Indiana Pacers are hoping to have All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the lineup when they face the Boston Celtics on the road Friday night. Haliburton was originally listed as questionable for Wednesday's 118-114 victory at Toronto but was ruled out just before tipoff and missed his sixth consecutive game with a right ankle injury. The Pacers have a 3-3 record during that stretch. Indiana (33-40) lost nine of 10 games during a three-week stretch in January, when Haliburton was out with a sprained left elbow. "With him out, (rookie guard Andrew Nembhard) is getting a great chance to play a lot of minutes at point, which is good for him," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said earlier this week. "It's been much more challenging when Tyrese has been out of the lineup. I don't think that's any news flash. But we are where we are." Haliburton, 23, is averaging 20.8 points, 10.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 54 starts this season. He had 22 points and 14 assists when the Celtics beat the Pacers 142-138 in overtime on Feb. 23. Nembhard scored 25 points and had 10 assists in Indiana's victory over Toronto. | |||||||
03-23-23 | Cavs v. Nets +4.5 | Top | 116-114 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
While the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be peaking at the right time in a bid to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason, an ill-timed losing streak may force the Brooklyn Nets into playing at least one extra game to reach the playoffs. Cleveland goes for the sweep of the two-game set and attempts to continue its recent surge Thursday night in Brooklyn, where the Nets are hoping to avoid a season-worst fifth straight loss. Cleveland (46-28) is in good shape to clinch home-court in the postseason for the first time since 2018 in LeBron James' final season of his second stint. The Cavaliers already had surpassed last year's win total when they lost to the Nets in a play-in game. Following Tuesday's 115-109 victory over the Nets, they moved 3 1/2 games ahead of the fifth-place New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference, entering Wednesday. Cleveland is 8-3 over its past 11 games since losing three straight Feb. 15-24. On Tuesday, the Cavs trailed by seven in the first quarter, took control in the second quarter and pulled away in the third before allowing a 24-point lead to get sliced down in the final minutes before struggling in the final minutes. | |||||||
03-21-23 | Thunder v. Clippers -6.5 | 101-100 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 55 m | Show | |
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns this week to the city where his NBA career first took flight, with a chance to cause a disruption for his former team. Gilgeous-Alexander brings the Thunder to Los Angeles in order to face the Clippers with plenty on the line. The first of back-to-back games takes place Tuesday, with another meeting at L.A. on Thursday. Oklahoma City is making a late-season push up the standings, winning seven of its past nine games in a burst that has the team thinking big. At the start of NBA play Monday, the Thunder (35-36) were in eighth place in the Western Conference and eligible for the play-in tournament. The Clippers (38-34) are in fifth place, with a first-round spot secure at the moment, but the Thunder are just 2 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the standings and are just one game behind the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks. After missing the playoffs the past two seasons, Oklahoma City is showing that the moment is not too large. | |||||||
03-21-23 | Pistons v. Hawks -13.5 | Top | 107-129 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
The Atlanta Hawks will go for a season sweep against the visiting Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, needing a win against the Eastern Conference cellar-dweller to keep pace in the playoff race. The Hawks have lost three of their last four and wasted a 24-point lead in a 126-118 setback to San Antonio on Sunday. Atlanta (35-36) is No. 8 in the East, three games behind No. 7 Miami and only one-half game ahead of No. 9 Toronto and 1 1/2 games ahead of No. 10 Chicago before Monday's games. This will be the final meeting between Atlanta and Detroit. The Hawks won the first two games in Detroit and then the most recent meeting, 130-105 on Dec. 23 in Atlanta. Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said his team needs to learn from its poor second-half performance against the Spurs. The Hawks led 83-61 at halftime but scored only 35 points in the second half, with just 15 in the fourth quarter. | |||||||
03-13-23 | Pacers -3.5 v. Pistons | Top | 97-117 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
The Eastern Conference play-in tournament has given the Indiana Pacers something to aim for during the final month of the season. They can continue their postseason push with another road victory over the downtrodden and depleted Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Indiana is within striking distance of the ninth and 10th spots in the conference. The Pacers handed the Pistons their 11th consecutive loss on Saturday, 121-115. The Pacers played without All-Star and leading scorer Tyrese Haliburton due to a bruised left knee. Center Myles Turner (back), Bennedict Mathurin (ankle) and T.J. McConnell (back) also missed the game. In their absence, Jalen Smith erupted for 20 points and nine rebounds. The Pacers also got big games from Isaiah Jackson, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds (six offensive), and Andrew Nembhard, who contributed 19 points and eight assists. The game was special for Jackson, who grew up in Detroit and had 60 family members and friends in the crowd. He helped Indiana outrebound Detroit 58-42. | |||||||
03-10-23 | Raptors v. Lakers +2 | 112-122 | Win | 100 | 11 h 24 m | Show | |
Bloodied yet not deterred, Anthony Davis will continue to lead the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff push during a home matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Davis has averaged 33.0 points with 13.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over his last five games as the Lakers continue to move up the Western Conference standings in an effort to lock down a spot in the play-in tournament. The Lakers moved into ninth place Tuesday with a 112-103 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies when Davis scored 30 points with a season-best 22 rebounds. The productive night came as he took a blow from Memphis' David Roddy that left him bleeding from inside and outside of his nose, costing time to receive medical attention. The schedule will dictate that Davis plays through the discomfort. Los Angeles has just 16 games remaining and they have been playing without star LeBron James, who could miss another three weeks with a tendon injury in his right foot. | |||||||
03-10-23 | Blazers v. 76ers -8.5 | 119-120 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 56 m | Show | |
The surging Philadelphia 76ers will look for their fourth straight victory when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. The Sixers completed a difficult five-game road trip with a 4-1 record. It was capped by wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Philadelphia defeated the Timberwolves, 117-94, on Tuesday as Joel Embiid led the way with 39 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Tyrese Maxey added 27 points for the Sixers, who won handily without James Harden due to left foot soreness. Harden's status is unclear for the game against the Trail Blazers. Embiid elevated his play again and had another Most Valuable Player-type performance in just three quarters. With the game well in control, Embiid was able to rest for the fourth. Embiid was 13-for-22 from the field, including 4-for-4 from 3-point territory. He also made all nine free throws. | |||||||
03-09-23 | Hornets v. Pistons +4.5 | 113-103 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 19 m | Show | |
The Detroit Pistons nearly overcame the absence of numerous starters and second unit players on Tuesday. The final result was another loss, their ninth in a row. They'll look to end the slide when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. Their home game against Washington was tied in the final minute, but the Pistons allowed two costly offensive rebounds and the Wizards won 119-117 on Daniel Gafford's putback at the buzzer. It was Detroit's sixth loss by six or fewer points during the current skid. "Everyone looks at the last play, but there were a lot of plays before that," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "I applaud those guys for fighting that hard against a team trying to make the playoffs. A lot of them weren't here two weeks ago, and they are still figuring out how to play together." Detroit's injured list included leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles), Alec Burks (foot), Jalen Duren (ankle), Killian Hayes (hand), Hamidou Diallo (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (hip). Franchise player Cade Cunningham suffered a season-ending shin injury in November. | |||||||
03-08-23 | Hawks v. Wizards +4.5 | Top | 122-120 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show |
The Washington Wizards will have an opportunity to make up more ground in the playoff race on Wednesday when they host the Atlanta Hawks for the first of a two-game series. The Wizards, who beat the Detroit Pistons 119-117 at the buzzer on Tuesday, are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Hawks are No. 8 after a 130-128 road loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, and they lead Washington by just one game. Washington and Atlanta met for the first time this season on Feb. 28, with the Wizards coming back to take a 119-116 road win. The teams will face off again on Thursday in the nation's capital before completing the series on April 5 in Atlanta. Washington ended a two-game losing streak by beating the cellar-dwelling Pistons. Bradley Beal misfired on a driving shot with one second left, but Daniel Gafford was able to tip in the rebound for the winning points. | |||||||
03-06-23 | Blazers -5.5 v. Pistons | 110-104 | Win | 100 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
The Detroit Pistons carry a lengthy losing streak into the opener of a five-game homestand. The Pistons have lost seven straight heading into Monday night's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Detroit committed 24 turnovers while enduring a 114-90 thumping from Cleveland on Saturday night. The Pistons were down nine points at halftime, then got outscored 42-22 in the third period. "In the third quarter, when they turned up the energy and intensity, we kind of got back on our heels," Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. "You're not going to beat anybody turning the ball over 24 times, and then they got themselves going, got the shots they wanted. The persistence and sustainability of our defense and our play has to grow, and that's the issue as a young team." It hasn't helped that Casey's starting five and rotation has been in constant flux due to injuries and roster additions and subtractions. Leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic sat out on Saturday due to Achilles soreness. Power forward Isaiah Stewart (right hip soreness) and center Jalen Duren (ankle soreness) also were sidelined, forcing Casey to construct an entirely new front-court lineup. Guard Killian Hayes left the game in the third quarter due to a hand injury. | |||||||
03-05-23 | Suns +1.5 v. Mavs | 130-126 | Win | 100 | 3 h 28 m | Show | |
The Phoenix Suns wrap up a four-game road swing on Sunday in a matinee against a Dallas Mavericks team that seeks consecutive wins for the first time since before the All-Star break. In its second game since Kevin Durant joined the lineup, Phoenix scored a second straight blowout win on Friday with its 125-104 romp at Chicago. Durant -- acquired in a trade from Brooklyn last month -- finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists against the Bulls. He debuted with 23 points and six rebounds on Wednesday in Charlotte, helping the Suns to a 105-91 win over the Hornets. "He's just being himself," Devin Booker said of Durant in a postgame interview with Bally Sports Arizona following Friday's win. "That's what we need from him. He's on a minute restriction, and he's still getting to it. The more aggressive he is -- you see them doubling him tonight -- just freed up shots for everybody." Booker capitalized on being freed with Durant on the floor each of the last two games, scoring 37 points in Charlotte and 35 in Chicago. Booker and Durant accounted for two of the three Phoenix scorers with 20-plus points on Friday, as Josh Okogie finished with 25. As for Durant's playing-time restriction, he played 26:50 and 30:54 in his two initial appearances since joining the Suns after an MCL sprain. | |||||||
03-01-23 | Bulls v. Pistons +6.5 | Top | 117-115 | Win | 100 | 9 h 33 m | Show |
No matter where the Detroit Pistons play the Chicago Bulls, the outcome stays the same. Detroit has lost to its Central Division rival 13 consecutive times, most recently in a visit to Paris. The Pistons will try to snap that long streak when they host Chicago on Wednesday. Detroit had the upper hand in the series as recently as the 2018-19 season. The Pistons swept that campaign's four-game series, giving them seven straight wins against the Bulls. Chicago completed season series sweeps the past three years. The Bulls also have won the first two matchups this season: 132-118 in Chicago on Dec. 30 and 126-108 in Paris on Jan. 19. Following the Wednesday game, the teams will meet up one more time, in the regular-season finale at Chicago on April 9. Winning against any team is a demanding task for the Pistons this season. They have lost five straight and sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 15-47 record. | |||||||
02-28-23 | Blazers v. Warriors -4 | 105-123 | Win | 100 | 10 h 14 m | Show | |
Longtime rivals Damian Lillard and Klay Thompson will try to bring their "A" games to a showdown Tuesday night when the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors hook up in San Francisco. Lillard erupted for a career-high 71 points -- 10 more than in any previous game -- on Sunday night in a 131-114 home win over the Houston Rockets. The Oakland native was remarkably accurate from every distance on the court, going 22-for-38 overall, 13-for-22 on 3-point attempts and 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. The 13 threes were a career best for Lillard and came within one of the NBA record set by Thompson in Chicago in 2018. Thompson also took advantage of a visit from the Rockets to approach the record last week, going 12-for-17 on 3-point attempts in a 42-point night on Friday. Seeing the need to pump up his offensive game with Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins out of the lineup, Thompson followed up Sunday with six more 3-pointers and 32 points in a 109-104 home triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves. | |||||||
02-27-23 | Pistons v. Hornets -6 | 106-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
The Charlotte Hornets qualify as one of the hottest teams in the NBA while on a four-game winning streak that they take into Monday night's matchup against the visiting Detroit Pistons. Only two teams held longer winning streaks heading into play Sunday, and with the Pistons the only team in the Eastern Conference with a worse record than Charlotte, the Hornets will sample the role as favorite for Monday's game. "Just keep it going," Charlotte guard Kelly Oubre Jr. said. The Pistons will arrive with a four-game losing streak, although a chunk of their rare success this season has come when facing the Hornets. The Hornets won their final two games prior to the All-Star break and came back to action and picked up where they left off, winning Friday night on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Saturday night at home against the Miami Heat. | |||||||
02-26-23 | Nets v. Hawks -5 | 127-129 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 18 m | Show | |
The Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets produced different results when they returned from the All-Star break. How each club responds on Sunday at Atlanta, when they meet for the third time this season, could set a tone for the rest of the season. Atlanta, which fired coach Nate McMillan during the break, is coming off a 136-119 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. That ended a two-game losing streak and kept the Hawks at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn, which unloaded two high-profile players before the trade deadline, struggled mightily in a 131-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday. The Nets are No. 5 in the East but have lost four of their last six. | |||||||
02-25-23 | Pacers +2.5 v. Magic | 121-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show | |
Two young teams looking to make a push for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament meet when the Orlando Magic host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Orlando is 20-15 since a 5-20 start and sits 13th in the East, while Indiana is a half-game ahead at 26-35 overall. Rookie-of-the-year favorite Paolo Banchero leads the Magic, who emerged with a 108-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in their first game after the All-Star break. Orlando has struggled to secure the win in close games this season, but was able to notch the win over Detroit when Wendell Carter Jr. tipped in Banchero's missed layup at the buzzer. | |||||||
02-24-23 | Thunder v. Suns -7.5 | Top | 115-124 | Win | 100 | 13 h 8 m | Show |
The Phoenix Suns were underachievers earlier this season, and deficiencies were evident when star guard Devin Booker was sidelined with a hamstring injury. But Phoenix won 11 of 15 games prior to the All-Star break, Booker is back healthy and the acquisition of Kevin Durant re-energized the squad. Suddenly, the Suns again are viewed as a title contender with just 22 games left in the regular season. Durant won't be on the court Friday night when Phoenix resumes play after the All-Star break with a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his effect is already evident. Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Jan. 8 while he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He is close to a return -- possibly Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks but more likely Wednesday versus the Charlotte Hornets -- and impressed his new teammates during a serious scrimmage on Thursday. | |||||||
02-24-23 | Cavs v. Hawks | 119-136 | Win | 100 | 11 h 44 m | Show | |
The Atlanta Hawks will have new leadership on the bench when they return from the All-Star break to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. During the break, the Hawks dismissed coach Nate McMillan and appointed Joe Prunty as his interim replacement. Prunty started his career as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs under coach Gregg Popovich in 2000 and has been an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland. Prunty was on staff in Milwaukee from 2014-18 and was interim head coach there in 2018, compiling a 21-16 record. Prunty has been the lead assistant in Atlanta since 2021. McMillan was viewed as a hero when he replaced Lloyd Pierce in March 2021 and led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference final that season. But McMillan butted heads several times with high-scoring guard Trae Young and the team entered the break in eighth place in the East with a disappointing 29-30 record. | |||||||
02-10-23 | Jazz v. Raptors -7 | 122-116 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 15 m | Show | |
Amid significant change, each team will have a different look from the last time they met when the Utah Jazz visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The Jazz, who defeated the Raptors 131-128 on Feb.1 at Salt Lake City, were involved in a three-team trade before their 143-118 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. In an eight-player deal involving the Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz traded Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and three second-round picks for Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a Lakers 2027 top-four protected first-round pick. After the Raptors defeated the visiting Spurs 112-98 on Wednesday, they reacquired center Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio in exchange for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round draft picks. The trade by the Jazz leaves Jordan Clarkson as the team's longest-tenured player. Conley was his backcourt mate in the starting lineup this season. | |||||||
02-07-23 | Knicks v. Magic +1.5 | Top | 102-98 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
After overcoming a 20-point deficit to win a game for the first time this season, the New York Knicks will try to carry the momentum into Tuesday's matchup against the host Orlando Magic. The Knicks' roller-coaster season hit a new peak over the weekend. One night after losing 134-128 in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers, New York rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-97 on Sunday. Julius Randle had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the victory, while Jalen Brunson added 21 points. The Knicks also received a welcome boost from reserves Evan Fournier (17 points), Miles McBride (14 points) and Isaiah Hartenstein (14 rebounds). "For us to come back today and compete and win the game, it says a lot about the character of our team," Randle said. "It was a big win." New York has struggled defensively since center Mitchell Robinson fractured his right thumb 10 games ago but held the Sixers to 18 points in the fourth quarter on Sunday. | |||||||
02-05-23 | Kings v. Pelicans +1.5 | 104-136 | Win | 100 | 9 h 19 m | Show | |
Brandon Ingram has regained his form, and the New Orleans Pelicans' long losing streak is over. Ingram returned from a two-month absence due to a toe injury and struggled offensively for most of his first four games back, which were part of a 10-game losing streak. But in his fifth game back he scored a season-high 35 points as the Pelicans won for the first time since Jan. 13 by beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, 131-126 on Saturday. The Pelicans will try to win consecutive games for the first time since completing a five-game winning streak on Dec. 30 as they host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Ingram didn't score in the first quarter after going to the bench with two early fouls, but he dominated the last three quarters and had six points during his team's closing 11-6 run. He missed all three of his 3-point attempts but made 15 of 25 2-point attempts and added five rebounds and four assists. | |||||||
01-30-23 | Hawks v. Blazers -2 | Top | 125-129 | Win | 100 | 13 h 50 m | Show |
A favorable 11-game stretch concludes Monday night for the Portland Trail Blazers, and the club didn't take advantage of the good fortune. The Trail Blazers host the Atlanta Hawks to conclude a span in which 10 of 11 games were at home over a 21-day stretch. Portland is just 4-6 during a time when a Jan. 17 game at the Denver Nuggets marks the only occasion it had to leave town. The Trail Blazers received another break for Saturday's clash with the Toronto Raptors. Portland was well-rested after not playing since Wednesday and the Raptors were playing the second night of a road back-to-back, having lost 129-117 to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in San Francisco. But it was Toronto that looked refreshed while bolting to a 30-7 lead and posting an easy 123-105 victory over the Trail Blazers. | |||||||
01-29-23 | Heat v. Hornets +6.5 | 117-122 | Win | 100 | 4 h 56 m | Show | |
If the Charlotte Hornets could just stay whole for an extended period, they might be onto something. The lineup could be close to that when the Miami Heat visit for Sunday afternoon's game in Charlotte, N.C. The Hornets had LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward back in action Thursday night in a 111-96 victory against the visiting Chicago Bulls. Both players missed the previous games -- Ball sitting out three and Hayward the past two. "What it does is it takes so much pressure off the perimeter guys," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "Gordon was really good at both ends of the floor. (Ball is) a difference maker. He puts so much pressure on the defense every time he touches the ball." The Heat have won three games in a row after Friday night's 110-105 victory against the Orlando Magic that came with a second-half rally. Miami is 9-4 in January after entering 2023 just one game above .500. | |||||||
01-28-23 | Raptors +5.5 v. Blazers | 123-105 | Win | 100 | 12 h 45 m | Show | |
Damian Lillard has quite an act to follow when the Portland Trail Blazers host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. Lillard is fresh off the fourth 60-point outing of his 11-season career and has regained the form that was missing when he was limited to 29 games in his injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign. Lillard was highly efficient while scoring exactly 60 points against the Utah Jazz during Portland's 134-124 home victory on Wednesday. He made 21 of 29 field-goal attempts -- including 9 of 15 from 3-point range -- and was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Lillard fell one point short of his career-high while also contributing eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. "I wasn't thinking I'm going to have to get 60, but I knew that I would have to be engaged and in attack mode and be aggressive," Lillard said afterward. "That was the mentality going into it. | |||||||
01-28-23 | Knicks v. Nets -1.5 | 115-122 | Win | 100 | 7 h 22 m | Show | |
The New York Knicks earned what can be considered their best win of the season on Thursday, while the Brooklyn Nets absorbed what can be deemed their worst loss of the season. Coming off those drastically different outcomes, the two intracity rivals are will get together for the second time this season Saturday night at Brooklyn. The Knicks have dropped past eight meetings and 13 of the past 16, and they trailed by 16 after the opening quarter of their 112-85 loss at Brooklyn on Nov. 9. That loss was part of a 10-13 start that culminated in a 121-100 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 3. Since then, New York is 17-10 over its past 27 games, though it has taken an extremely streaky route. Their turnaround began with an eight-game winning streak and also featured seven wins in another eight-game span, but the Knicks also produced losing streaks of five and four games. On Thursday, the Knicks recorded their second straight victory following the four-game skid when they beat the Celtics 120-117 in overtime in Boston. The Knicks blew a 12-point lead in the final five minutes of regulation. The win occurred two nights after they blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead and held on for a 105-103 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. | |||||||
01-28-23 | Nuggets v. 76ers -3.5 | 119-126 | Win | 100 | 5 h 58 m | Show | |
Joel Embiid will have plenty of reasons for extra motivation when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. After all, Embiid will be going up against Denver's Nikola Jokic, who has edged him out for the league's Most Valuable Player award in each of the past two seasons. In addition, Embiid surprisingly was not selected as a starter for the upcoming All-Star Game. In the meantime, all he does is pile up eye-popping statistics for the Sixers, who have six straight victories. In a 137-133 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, Embiid hit all 13 free throws and had 26 points and 10 rebounds. It was his 18th game this season of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 27 points and James Harden, who was named as an All-Star reserve along with Embiid, added 23. | |||||||
01-26-23 | Spurs +13.5 v. Clippers | 100-138 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 50 m | Show | |
Fresh off one of their best victories of the season and starting to play as they expected, the Los Angeles Clippers will take their new-found success up against the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The Clippers are on a three-game winning streak, a run that started with a 131-126 victory at San Antonio on Friday. It is their longest string of victories since a three-game streak in the middle of December. The Clippers finally have stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in a flow after both struggled with injuries and inconsistency this season. The injury bug has been a roster-wide problem for Los Angeles, as sharpshooter Luke Kennard (calf) has been out for three weeks and backup point guard John Wall (abdomen) has been sidelined for two weeks. In addition, Marcus Morris Sr. left the Clippers' 133-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday due to a rib injury. Without Morris for most of the game, the Clippers still were able to do plenty of damage with Leonard and George combining for 52 points while going 22 of 36 (61.1 percent) from the field. Norman Powell, who added 22 points, has averaged 24.3 the past four games. | |||||||
01-26-23 | Mavs +1.5 v. Suns | 99-95 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show | |
After opening the month by losing seven of their first eight games, the Phoenix Suns have quickly returned to form over the past week. Phoenix looks to extend its winning streak to five games when it faces the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. Cameron Johnson's return has made an immediate impact on the Suns, who cruised to a 128-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Playing in his third game since returning from a knee injury that kept him out more than two months, Johnson scored 24 points in 18 minutes. Dario Saric had 19 points off the bench for Phoenix, which has moved up to a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference after dropping as low as 12th earlier this month. Even during the rough patch, Johnson said his team never panicked. "It's the NBA -- you weather storms. It's life -- you weather storms," Johnson said. "Things don't always go your way. We've found that out the past couple years. That doesn't mean you tuck tail, run, sell the farm, hide away forever. We have a lot of confidence in our group. Top to bottom." | |||||||
01-26-23 | Cavs -8.5 v. Rockets | Top | 113-95 | Win | 100 | 6 h 26 m | Show |
In what is a testament to the grueling nature of an 82-game season, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemingly have plateaued following a roaring start that made the rest of the league take notice. The grind appears to have caught up to the Cavaliers, who will continue their three-game road trip with a game against the Houston Rockets on Thursday. With a 105-103 road loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday, the Cavaliers dropped to 6-6 in January. The offseason addition of three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to an ascendant roster paid immediate dividends for the Cavaliers, whose blend of frontcourt size and backcourt dynamism yielded instant success over the opening two-plus months of the regular season. This month, Cleveland is 15th in offensive rating (115.9), and its 2.1 net rating in January is 11th overall. Even the Cavaliers' defensive rating (113.8 this month) has slumped. | |||||||
01-26-23 | Pistons +9 v. Nets | 130-122 | Win | 100 | 6 h 13 m | Show | |
Since losing Kevin Durant to a sprained right knee two weeks ago, Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn's message to his players is, "Expect to win." While the Nets are not enduring an 11-game losing streak like last year when Durant missed 21 games, they are experiencing mixed results so far in the star forward's absence. They hope to capitalize on a steady flow of home games heading into the All-Star break, starting with a Thursday visit from the Detroit Pistons. The Nets are 2-5 since losing Durant to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee when he collided with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in the third quarter on Jan. 8. Last year, they went 5-16 while Durant was sidelined from mid-January to early March due to an MCL sprain in his left knee. This month, Brooklyn lost its first two games without Durant by struggling in the fourth quarters of home games against the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then the Nets went 2-3 on a five-game trip that ended with a 137-133 loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Brooklyn allowed 41 points in the opening quarter, and the 76ers wound up shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and making 35 of 36 free throws. | |||||||
01-26-23 | Bulls -6 v. Hornets | 96-111 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 4 m | Show | |
The Chicago Bulls and host Charlotte Hornets ought to be frustrated teams when they meet on Thursday night. But the agitations come for different reasons. The Bulls lost 116-110 on Tuesday night at Indiana, with a three-game winning streak ending when they couldn't protect a 21-point lead. "I don't know what the right word is -- disappointed, frustrated," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. "These difficult losses, it also makes you understand what you've got to do, and we have not been able to make a decision to do that, quite honestly -- what we all have to do collectively. It's not one player. It's not one thing. It's a multitude of things." The Hornets will be back home from a 2-2 trip that concluded with blowout losses to Utah and Phoenix on back-to-back nights. | |||||||
01-26-23 | Knicks v. Celtics -8.5 | 120-117 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 51 m | Show | |
The Boston Celtics will look to avoid their second three-game losing streak of the season when they begin a four-game homestand with a matchup against the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Boston was 7-0 in the second game of back-to-backs before falling 98-95 in Miami on Tuesday, one night after a 113-98 loss at Orlando. The Celtics, who entered the week on a nine-game winning streak, played the second game in Florida with a significantly short-handed lineup. They hope to return to fuller strength starting Thursday with their first of two games in three nights. Starters Jaylen Brown (injury management), Al Horford (back) and Marcus Smart (ankle) and sixth man Malcolm Brogdon (personal) were out against the Magic. "We take pride in being the deepest team, so when people are out we have to have the 'next man up' mentality," Celtics guard Derrick White said. "Obviously, two games we dropped that we could've won, so we don't look at who's playing, who's not playing." Without his usual supporting cast, Boston star Jayson Tatum scored 31 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and added 14 rebounds and seven assists, though he committed seven turnovers. | |||||||
01-25-23 | Jazz +4 v. Blazers | 124-134 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 29 m | Show | |
Damian Lillard continues to build his reputation as one of the top long-range shooters in NBA history. Lillard has moved into seventh place on the all-time 3-pointers list and is taking aim at sixth-place Vince Carter when the Portland Trail Blazers host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Lillard made seven 3-pointers in Portland's 147-127 rout of the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Monday to raise his career total to 2,283, one more than Jason Terry. Another game with seven would allow Lillard to tie Carter. |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
William Burns | $1,395 |
Joey Tron | $617 |
Ray Monohan | $607 |
Ross Benjamin | $583 |
Big Al McMordie | $401 |
Matt Fargo | $327 |
Ricky Tran | $297 |
Sean Higgs | $140 |
Jesse Schule | $98 |
Kyle Hunter | $66 |