Cnotes National Basketball League December Picks/Trends/News !!

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Preview: Nuggets (6-13) at Raptors (12-7)
Date: December 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Kyle Lowry's offensive spark may have closed Toronto's latest road win, but it was the Raptors' defense that opened the door.

The Raptors hope to carry the momentum from both back home when the Denver Nuggets visit Thursday night.

Lowry scored a franchise-record 22 points in the fourth quarter during Wednesday's 96-86 victory at Atlanta, helping the Raptors rally from a 17-point deficit in the second half.

Toronto (12-7) trailed by 14 at halftime after scoring just 16 points in each of the opening two quarters. Lowry, though, made 7 of 8 shots in the final frame to finish with a season-high 31 points.

'I told him, `Win the game for us,'" said DeMar DeRozan, who added 17 points. 'That's what he did.'

And he did it through flu-like symptoms. Lowry needed to leave the game in the second quarter but returned to begin the third. He caught a rhythm in the final 12 minutes to ignite the comeback.

"The thing about Kyle is he's so quick and he's so strong," coach Dwane Casey said. "He goes in there and drives into the bodies of the big guys and initiates contact. He's almost like a little mouse. He gets in there and finds a hole and gets through there... He knows when to do it. He knows how to do it."

He did it in his last meeting against the Nuggets, too, scoring 30 points to go with 11 assists and seven rebounds during a 116-102 win on Dec. 28. He made 12 of 20 shots and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

Lowry finished 9 of 17 from the field against the Hawks while making 11 of 12 free throws. He chipped in five rebounds and five assists.

Toronto's defense set the stage for his big fourth quarter, limiting the Hawks to 20 points in both the third and fourth and holding them to 36.7 percent shooting, including 29.6 on 3-pointers.

The Raptors, who have won five of six, improved to 7-0 when holding teams under 40 percent shooting with five of those wins coming on the road.

Toronto won its last four road games to close a daunting stretch of 13 of 19 away from home to open the season. The Raptors get some relief, though, by starting a six-game homestand against reeling Denver.

The Nuggets (6-13) have lost eight straight including three to open their current five-game road trip. They haven't lost nine in a row since a 14-game skid in the 2002-03 season.

Denver struggled to defend during the first four losses of its streak, allowing 113.0 points per game, but an offense that's averaged just 81.3 in the past four has been the biggest issue lately.

The Nuggets made 38.7 percent of their shots during Wednesday's 99-90 loss at Chicago, slightly better than the 37.3 they posted in Monday's 92-74 loss at Milwaukee. Denver was outrebounded by the Bulls 62-49, while allowing 30 second-chance points and making just 13 of 22 free throws.

'You give a team 30 points off offensive rebounds then you miss nine free throws in a close game, you're going to make it hard on yourself to pull that game out,' coach Michael Malone said.

Gary Harris missed his third straight contest, but he cleared the NBA's concussion protocol on Wednesday and should start against the Raptors. He averaged 13.7 points in six games before his injury.

The Raptors have won the last three in this series and three of four in Toronto.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Preview: Magic (10-8) at Jazz (8-8)
Date: December 03, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic had a hard enough time holding off Utah three weeks ago, and that was with the Jazz missing two starters.

Looking to win five straight games for the first time in nearly four years, the visiting Magic expect a much tougher test Thursday night against a Jazz team that nearly handed Golden State its first loss.

Orlando (10-8) looked like it would cruise to an easy win over a Utah team playing without Rodney Hood (right foot soreness) and Rudy Gobert (left ankle sprain) on Nov. 13. The Magic led by 22 in the second quarter and were up by 23 in the fourth before letting the Jazz pull within seven with 1:10 to go. Utah couldn't get any closer, however, and Orlando won 102-93 as Evan Fournier had a game-high 21 points.

The Magic had a similar fast start and late letdown Tuesday against Minnesota to open a five-game road trip. They led by 17 in the third quarter before allowing the Timberwolves to tie the score with 4:30 to play. They then clamped down defensively, as Minnesota missed six of its final seven shots and won 96-93 for a fourth straight victory. They haven't won five in a row since January 2012.

"We have a pretty nice streak going, but we have to keep it up," Nikola Vucevic said. "We have a tough one against Utah coming up. They have a good team. Gobert is going to be playing and he changes the look of their team."

The Magic, however, have gotten a reprieve of sorts since the Jazz ruled out Gobert indefinitely Wednesday night due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. The 7-foot-1 center helped limit Utah's opponents to 35.7 percent shooting - the lowest mark by an player who averages at least 30 minutes.

Though the Magic don't have to worry about Gobert patrolling the paint, they'll also have to contend with Hood's offense. Fourth on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game, Hood had a chance to put the Jazz (8-8) ahead of the Warriors by two on Monday but missed a 3 with five seconds left in a 106-103 loss.

'We competed against the best team in the league and gave ourselves a chance to win,' said Gordon Hayward, who is averaging 24.7 points and has made 8 of 15 3-pointers in the last three games. 'Had a shot at the end. Couple mistakes here and there. ... And maybe it's a different outcome, but can't complain."

The Magic will also have one of their top players available this time that didn't play last month. Victor Oladipo sat out under the league's concussion protocol and his shift from starter to reserve has coincided with the Magic's winning streak. He is providing a spark off the bench, averaging a team-best 18.3 points in the last four games.

Fournier is averaging 10.3 points in the last four - 6.6 below his team-leading average.

Defense has keyed the winning streak, as the Magic are allowing 91.3 points and 39.4 percent shooting in the last four after giving up an average of 105.8 points in dropping three of the previous four.

'The only way to be a winning team is by defending,' Vucevic said. 'Some games we might go out there and outscore people, but we know that for us to be consistently winning we have to defend.'

Orlando's 98-93 win at Utah last December snapped a five-game losing streak in Salt Lake City.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Preview: Spurs (15-4) at Grizzlies (11-8)
Date: December 03, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

Although they continue to be a work in progress offensively, the San Antonio Spurs have excelled on the other end while piling up the NBA's second-best record.

The visiting Spurs may have to find a way to contain Marc Gasol on Thursday night when they go after their 12th win in the past 14 meetings with the Memphis Grizzlies.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has voiced his displeasure with his team's scoring woes during an eight-game stretch in which it has averaged just 93.9 points.

The Spurs shot 41.1 percent for the second straight game Wednesday, but bounced back from Monday's 92-89 loss at Chicago with a 95-70 rout of Milwaukee. Tim Duncan led the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds as San Antonio improved to 10-0 at home.

Kawhi Leonard, however, had a season-low 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting after scoring 24.4 per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field in his previous five. LaMarcus Aldridge also struggled with six points on 3-of-10 shooting after scoring 21 against the Bulls.

San Antonio, though, continues to shine with an 88.8 defensive scoring average that easily leads the NBA. It limited the Bucks to a season low point total and shooting percentage (33.8).

"It's coming around. We continue to improve (defensively),' Duncan said. 'It's what we want to do. A great effort all around. Pop is still on us about the mistakes we made, but you look up at the scoreboard and they score 70 in a night."

The Spurs (15-4) held Memphis (11-8) to 43.2 percent shooting - including 1 of 9 from 3-point range - in a 92-82 home win Nov. 21. Gasol finished with just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting as the Grizzlies lost for the 11th time in the past 13 meetings in this series, including a four-game sweep in the 2013 Western Conference finals.

The All-Star center had averaged 11.2 points over his previous five games before breaking out with a career-high 38 points and a season-high 13 rebounds in Tuesday's 113-104 win at New Orleans. He also went a career-best 16 for 16 from the free-throw line.

"It's been a tough week to 10 days as far as me playing and I wanted to take a different approach to the game and it worked," Gasol said. "I imposed a little bit my will. ... Instead of trying to get somebody else going or trying to read and see what was in front of me, I just went ahead and tried to be a little more aggressive."

Mike Conley had 11 points Tuesday after averaging 20.0 over his previous eight games. He's scored 27.8 while hitting 10 for 16 from long range in his last four at home versus San Antonio.

The Grizzlies, who have won five of their last six at home, have found the defensive form that has keyed their success in recent seasons. They're allowing an average of 95.6 points over their last seven games after giving up 102.2 in their first 12.

'We cannot keep trading baskets because we're just not that good at it,' Gasol said.

Memphis snapped a five-game home losing streak to the Spurs that included the playoffs with a 95-87 victory Dec. 30 in the most recent matchup at the FedExForum.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Preview: Pacers (12-5) at Trail Blazers (7-12)
Date: December 03, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

When Portland beat Indiana for the second time in 10 days last December, it became one of four teams to start the season with a winning percentage of .750 or greater and put the finishing touches on the season-worst eight-game losing streak of a team in pieces.

When the Pacers visit Portland on Thursday night, roles will be reversed with rejuvenated Indiana seeking a seventh straight win and a share of first place, while the Trail Blazers will try to avoid a three-game skid and the Northwest Division cellar.

Portland improved to 18-6 and dropped the Pacers to 7-17 on Dec. 13 with a 95-85 win in Indiana following an 88-82 home win Dec. 4. The Blazers have won four of the last five meetings and the previous six at home, but this Pacers team is leaving all that in the dust as they make their way up the West Coast.

Indiana (12-5), playing the third of a four-game trip, can match its best winning streak from last season after beginning the swing with a Staples Center sweep following Wednesday's 103-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pacers are also after their first five-game road streak since closing 2011-12 with one.

Paul George had 31 points and 10 rebounds for what was actually his worst offensive game in his last four. He's averaging 35.8 points and shooting 50.6 percent in that time, despite going 9 of 23 against the Clippers.

"This is definitely the best stretch I've had," he said. "I really put a lot of work in this summer to be ready night in and night out."

A shooting night like that is holding up just fine with what's happening on the other end. The Pacers have held their last three opponents to 37.0 percent, and their only losses following a 0-3 start were by four points at Cleveland and one at Chicago. Their scoring differential of 10.6 in that span trails only Golden State.

"We know what we're doing with this group," coach Frank Vogel told the team's official website. "We are still finding our way a little bit. We are just playing with confidence."

The Trail Blazers (7-12) suffered a sweep in a back-to-back set to start the week, falling 115-112 in overtime to Dallas on Tuesday at home a night after a 102-87 loss at the Clippers. The latest defeat came after leading 96-89 with 1:40 remaining.

"That's a tough loss to swallow. This is one we have to get," said Meyers Leonard after scoring a season-high 23 points. "We should have had this win flat-out tonight, however we didn't. Now we need to study the film and find out what we can do better, especially in late-game situations."

After starting 4-2 with a new-look lineup, the reality of being without LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews has set in over a 3-10 span.

Damian Lillard had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds against the Mavericks, giving him five double-doubles after never topping seven in 82 games over each of his first three seasons.

However, he was 10 of 24 and is averaging 20.4 shots per game - easily a career high and more than everyone in the league other than James Harden. The result is the worst shooting percentage of his career (41.9) and he's also turning the ball over more (3.5).

To be fair, he's not getting much help from anyone else the Blazers rely on. No. 2 scorer C.J. McCollum has been held to 11.5 points on 8-of-36 shooting in the last two games, while No. 3 scorer Al-Farouq Aminu is at 4.3 and 6 of 32 in his last four.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Preview: Celtics (10-8) at Kings (7-12)
Date: December 03, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics have been long rumored to have an interest in acquiring DeMarcus Cousins.

With performances like he had in his return to the Sacramento Kings, it's easy to see why.

The Kings will try to continue their success this season with Cousins in the lineup Thursday night when they take on Boston in Mexico City as part of the league's Global Games events.

Trade rumors began to swirl concerning Boston's interest in Cousins ahead of their most recent meeting last February. General manager Danny Ainge was then reportedly pushing to get a deal done during the offseason after it seemed coach George Karl and Cousins couldn't co-exist.

The Celtics weren't able to pull it off and the All-Star center remains with Sacramento, though he, Rajon Rondo and Karl are still trying to work out their differences. Cousins had a verbal tirade on his coach earlier in the season, but the three had a productive meeting near the end of a 2-3 trip.

Cousins missed the finale of that road swing and the next two games with a lower back strain before finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Monday's 112-98 win over Dallas. Rondo had 21 points and Rudy Gay added 20 as Sacramento avoided a third straight loss.

Cousins is averaging career highs of 28.2 points while leading the Kings to a 6-5 record in the games he's played. They haven't been the same without him, dropping seven of eight.

"I hate being out and I hate having to sit to watch my team going to battle without me when you know you could be in helping them,' Cousins said. 'It's a terrible feeling to be sitting out. But you have to put those games behind you and move forward.'

Rondo hopes to put up a similar performance to the first time he faced Celtics after getting traded to Dallas in the middle of last season. The All-Star, who spent his first eight-plus seasons in Boston, had 29 points and hit 5 of 7 from 3-point range in Dallas' road win Jan. 2.

Sacramento and Boston have split the season series in each of the past three seasons, with the home team winning each time. That won't be the deciding factor at Mexico City Arena.

"We're thrilled to participate in this game here," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told the team's official website. "As much as we're focused on this task and focused on the game itself, I think we recognize how blessed we are to get a chance to play all around the world, and certainly here in Mexico City."

Stevens' club is seeking some consistency on the defensive end after splitting the Florida portion of its five-game trip with Monday's 105-95 win at Miami. The Celtics have limited opponents to an average of 89.7 points in 10 victories but have surrendered 107.3 in eight defeats.

Avery Bradley led six double-digit scorers with 25 points Monday, while Jared Sullinger added 17. Isaiah Thomas scored 16 with nine assists but shot 5 of 17 from the field.

Thomas, averaging a team-high 20.8 points, has scored a combined 43 in his two trips back to Sacramento after spending his first three seasons with the Kings.

Sullinger has only played in two of the past four meetings but has totaled 51 points and 27 boards.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Hoop Trends - Thursday
December 3, 2015

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Thunder are 0-12 ATS (-8.96 ppg) since Jan 14, 2014 on the road with more than one day of rest.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pacers are 0-10 OU (-14.85 ppg) since Dec 15, 2012 as a road favorite with no rest off a 10+ point win .

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Grizzlies are 0-12 OU (-6.88 ppg) since Jan 27, 2015 after Marc Gasol had a double double in a win.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Spurs are 12-0 OU (9.46 ppg) since Dec 15, 2005 with less than two days rest off a home game in which they held their opponent under their season-to-date shooting percentage by 10 points.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Raptors are 0-9 OU (-11.72 ppg) since Dec 31, 2013 after Kyle Lowry scored at least 30 points.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

Spurs visit Grizzlies
December 3, 2015

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (15-4) at MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (11-8)

Sportsbook.ag Line: San Antonio -3.5, Total: 183

The Grizzlies will be looking to win their third straight game Thursday night, but they’ll be hosting a sizzling Spurs team that has won six of its past seven.

Both the Grizzlies and the Spurs have been playing some outstanding basketball over the past few weeks. San Antonio comes into this game after defeating Milwaukee 95-70 on Wednesday night. The Spurs have won six of their past seven games and 12 of their past 14 coming into this one

Memphis, meanwhile, has now won two straight games and eight of its past 10. The Grizzlies are coming off of a 113-104 victory in New Orleans, where they turned the ball over just six times and shot 47.8% from the floor.

These two teams met in San Antonio on Nov. 21, when the Spurs came away with a 92-82 victory as an eight-point home favorite. San Antonio improved to 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS over Memphis over the past three seasons with that win. The Grizzlies are just 1-3 SU at home against the Spurs, but they are 2-2 ATS in those meetings.

One thing favoring San Antonio in this game is that the team is 27-15 ATS when playing six or more games in 10 days over the past two seasons. The Grizzlies, however, are 43-25 ATS in home games of an upset win as a road underdog since 1996.

The Spurs have been one of the hottest teams in basketball and SF Kawhi Leonard (21.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG) has been one of the best two-way players in the game this season. Leonard only played 25 minutes in the blowout win over Milwaukee, scoring 13 points while also dishing out four assists and grabbing three boards. He should be very well rested heading into Thursday’s game and the Spurs will rely on him heavily, as their older players will be a bit tired with this being the second night of a back-to-back.

Both PF LaMarcus Aldridge (14.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG) and C Tim Duncan (10.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG) will need to come to play on Thursday as well. Memphis has a very tough frontcourt, so this game could come down to which team wins the battle in the paint.

An x-factor for the Spurs could be SG Danny Green (7.5 PPG), who is shooting just 30.9% 3PT this season. If Green can find his stroke, San Antonio will be a very tough team to beat moving forward.

The Grizzlies have turned their season around after a poor start and C Marc Gasol (16.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG) is coming off one of the best games of his career. Gasol put up 38 points, 13 boards, six assists and four blocks in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans. He was 11-for-22 from the field and 16-for-16 at the line. Memphis would be wise to feature him heavily against a Spurs team that could be tired after playing the Bucks on Wednesday night.

PF Zach Randolph (14.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG) has played well since returning from a knee injury, averaging 15.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 29.9 MPG in his two games since coming back. He will be counted on to wear out LaMarcus Aldridge a bit on both ends of the floor.

PG Mike Conley (15.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, 1.1 SPG) should really be able to find some success on Thursday too. Conley will be going up against Tony Parker, who isn’t as good of a defender as he once was. Conley will need to put pressure on San Antonio by using his speed to get into the lane, where he is more than comfortable knocking down floaters and finding his teammates for easy buckets.

CNOTES · Dec 3, 2015

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OKC at MIA 07:00 PM

OKC -4.0 *****

U 202.5 *****

DEN at TOR 07:30 PM

TOR -9.5

O 191.5 DOUBLE PLAY

ORL at UTA 09:00 PM

ORL +4.0 DOUBLE PLAY

U 192.0 DOUBLE PLAY

SA at MEM 09:30 PM

SA -2.5

O 183.0 TRIPLE PLAY

IND at POR 10:00 PM

IND -2.5 SLAM DUNK

O 203.0

BOS at SAC 10:00 PM

SAC +1.5 DOUBLE PLAY

O 215.0 SLAM DUNK

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

NFL trends with Week 13 upon us..........

-- Vikings covered nine of their last ten games.

-- Patriots are 7-0 in game following their last seven losses.

-- Ravens are 2-10-2 vs spread in their last 14 games.

-- 49ers are 0-5 on road (1-4 vs spread), losing by average of 36-14

-- Denver covered nine of last ten as an AFC West road favorite.

-- Falcons are 0-7 vs spread in their last seven games.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here......

13) We've talked about how fine a line there is between winning and losing in the NFL. here's an example. Mike Smith coached Falcons for seven years; in the first five years, he was 28-11 in games decided by 7 or less points. The last two years, he was 5-11 in games decided by 7 or less, and he got fired.

The bounce of a ball, here or there, an injury or two, an official's call.......

12) NFC East teams are 9-17 vs spread this year in non-divisional games.

11) Jets play a "road game" against the Giants this week; they also played one over in London against the Dolphins, which means they're really playing only six true road games this season, a pretty big advantage in short season of 16 games.

10) Davidson won't retire Steph Curry's number because he hasn't graduated from the school. They had a great player named Mike Maloy in the late 60's; same thing with him, he isn't in the school's Hall of Fame because he didn't graduate.

9) Will Muschamp made $1.6M this year to be the defensive coordinator at Auburn; Tigers are 6-6, Muschamp is trying to get a head coaching job but even if he doesn't get one, it looks like he won't be coming back to Auburn next year. Boosters aren't fond of shelling out huge money when the ballclub goes 6-6.

8) Arizona's big man Kaleb Tarczewski is out 4-6 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, bad news for a thin, inexperienced Wildcat squad.

7) NCAA President Mark Emmert was chancellor at LSU when they signed Nick Saban as football coach in 1999- they gave him $1.2M, a huge amount back then.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates won 98 games this year without one complete game by a pitcher, most wins ever by team without a CG-- previous record was 83 wins.

5) In his last three games, DeAndre Jordan is 17-54 on the foul line. In the game before that, he didn't take a foul shot in 25 minutes; what were the Pelicans thinking?

4) Packers 27, Lions 23-- Green Bay was dead in this game several times, but Detroit wouldn't let them lose. After leading 17-0, Lions gagged game away in epic fashion, as they rushed only three guys on last play, giving Rodgers time to chuck ball down field 62 yards where Richard Rodgers made Motown miserable with the walk-off TD.

3) UCLA 87, Kentucky 77-- Bruins trailed 41-7 at half in LY's game; they led 9-2 in this one and were never headed, as Wildcats lose for first time this year. UCLA is 5-3, from everything we read/hear, there are lot of teams who could win a national title as there are no one or two dominant teams like last year.

2) Jim Boeheim's 9-game suspension starts Saturday-- he is away from the team the whole time, so pushing the suspension up to now is a big help for Syracuse- he'll be back after three ACC games, instead of nine. He'll miss games against stiff teams like Montana State, Colgate, Colgate and Texas Southern and will be back for games against Duke and Notre Dame.

1) Toronto Blue Jays put out their 2016 calendar recently, but one small problem; David Price is on the cover, the same David Price who just signed with the Red Sox for $217M over seven years. Whoops.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

recapping yesterday's action:

nfl............................. 2 - 0

nhl............................ 6 - 2

nba............................. 5 - 4

cbb............................. 1 - 6 - 1

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 4

Hot teams
-- Detroit won its last three home games (3-3 HF, 3-0 last three).
-- Hawks won three of last four home games (4-6HF).
-- Rockets won three of last four games (1-3AU).
-- Cavaliers won five of their last seven games (1-5AF).

Cold teams
-- Nets lost last six road games (6-1 last seven AU). Knicks lost four of their last five games (2-2HF).
-- Suns lost six of their last seven games (1-1AF). Washington is 1-5 in its last six games (2-1HU).
-- Bucks lost seven of last nine games (1-5 last six AU).
-- Lakers lost seven of their last eight games (1-5 last six AU).
-- Dallas lost four of its last six games (4-1HF).
-- Pelicans lost their last four games (1-2HU).

Series records
-- Nets won their last four games with the Knicks.
-- Suns won their last three games with Washington.
-- Bucks won their last four games with Detroit.
-- Lakers won six of last nine games with Atlanta.
-- Rockets won five of last seven games with Dallas.
-- Cavaliers lost seven of last nine games with New Orleans.

Totals
-- Last four Brooklyn games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Phoenix games went over total.
-- Last three Milwaukee games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Laker games went over total.
-- Three of last four Dallas games stayed under.
-- Last three Cleveland games stayed under total.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA

Friday, December 4

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. WASHINGTON
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Washington
Washington is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing Phoenix
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

See more trends!
DECEMBER 4, 7:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. NEW YORK
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 8 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

See more trends!
DECEMBER 4, 7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. DETROIT
Milwaukee is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

See more trends!
DECEMBER 4, 8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. ATLANTA
LA Lakers are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games on the road
LA Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games when playing LA Lakers
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Lakers

See more trends!
DECEMBER 4, 8:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Houston is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Dallas is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

See more trends!
DECEMBER 4, 9:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA

Friday, December 4

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Game of the Day: Cavs at Pelicans
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LeBron and the Cavaliers have gone just 5-11 against the spread when tabbed as favorites.

Cleveland Cavaliers at New Orleans Pelicans (Off, Off)

The Cleveland Cavaliers posted a season low point total in their last contest and look to rebound with a much better effort when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Cleveland trailed the entire game while suffering a 97-85 loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday to lose for just the second time in seven games.

Forward LeBron James gets upset every time the Cavaliers lose and he was one of the main culprits in the loss to the Wizards as he committed nine turnovers to go with 24 points and 13 rebounds. "We just got to get better," James said afterward. "They beat us from the beginning to the end. We've got to improve, and we've got to improve in a lot of facets of our game in order to be better." New Orleans continues to struggle with the third-worst record in the NBA after suffering a 108-101 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The Pelicans have lost four straight games and are allowing a league-worst 109.1 points per game.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Ohio (Cleveland) FSN New Orleans

LINE HISTORY: N/A

INJURY REPORT:

Cavs - SG Iman Shumpert (Mid February, wrist), PG Kyrie Irving (Out indefinitely, knee).

Pelicans - C Kendrick Perkins (Early February, pectoral), SF Quincy Pondexter (Out indefinitely, knee).

POWER RANKINGS: Cavs (-9.8) + Pelicans (-3) + home court (-3.0) = Cavs -9.8

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "LeBron and company continue to disappoint chalk players as the Cavs are just 5-11 ATS when favored this season. At 4-15, not only are the Pelicans the league's biggest disappointment, but also a virtual lock to miss the playoffs."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-5 SU, 7-11 ATS, 10-8 O/U): Center Timofey Mozgov has struggled in three games since returning from a shoulder injury and went scoreless while committing four turnovers in just nine minutes against Washington. Mozgov shot 59 percent from the field and averaged 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 46 games with Cleveland last season after being acquired from the Denver Nuggets but has been largely ineffective this season while averaging seven points and 4.4 rebounds and shooting a woeful 44.6 percent "I think it's fairly clear that right now he's not at the same level physically that we're used to seeing him," Cavaliers coach David Blatt told reporters. "And we got to get him there."

ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-15 SU, 6-13 ATS, 8-11 O/U): The defensive play has been horrid as New Orleans has allowed 100 or more points in 17 of its 19 games. The Pelicans, who have allowed 110 or more points a whopping 10 times, showed signs of solid defense by holding Houston to 17 first-quarter points but then allowed a combined 67 points over the next two quarters. Power forward Anthony Davis had 29 points and 13 rebounds against the Rockets for his third straight double-double and 10th of the season.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in New Orleans.
* Cavaliers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS loss.
* Pelicans are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 5-1 in Pelicans last six home games.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, December 4

Brooklyn @ New York

Game 501-502
December 4, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
116.955
New York
115.783
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 1
186
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3 1/2
193
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+3 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Washington

Game 503-504
December 4, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
116.978
Washington
119.401
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 1
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+1); Under

Milwaukee @ Detroit

Game 505-506
December 4, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
110.968
Detroit
123.142
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 12
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 6 1/2
194
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-6 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Atlanta

Game 507-508
December 4, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
110.163
Atlanta
123.653
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 13 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 11 1/2
202
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-11 1/2); Over

Houston @ Dallas

Game 509-510
December 4, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
113.855
Dallas
121.721
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 8
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 5 1/2
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-5 1/2); Under

Cleveland @ New Orleans

Game 511-512
December 4, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
123.592
New Orleans
116.017
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 7 1/2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 5
207
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-5); Over

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, December 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BROOKLYN (5 - 13) at NEW YORK (9 - 10) - 12/4/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 110-81 ATS (+20.9 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.
NEW YORK is 37-55 ATS (-23.5 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 5-3 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 5-3 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX (8 - 11) at WASHINGTON (7 - 9) - 12/4/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 102-77 ATS (+17.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 55-33 ATS (+18.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 50-31 ATS (+15.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 61-43 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 37-20 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 51-76 ATS (-32.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 346-417 ATS (-112.7 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 131-176 ATS (-62.6 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILWAUKEE (7 - 12) at DETROIT (10 - 9) - 12/4/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 7-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 5-4 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA LAKERS (3 - 15) at ATLANTA (12 - 9) - 12/4/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 126-94 ATS (+22.6 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 3-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 2-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (8 - 11) at DALLAS (11 - 8) - 12/4/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) first half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 228-185 ATS (+24.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 9-5 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-5 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (13 - 5) at NEW ORLEANS (4 - 15) - 12/4/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 132-179 ATS (-64.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 2-2 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 3-1 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

NBA

Friday, December 4

NBA roundup: Wade, Heat top Thunder

MIAMI -- Guard Dwyane Wade scored 28 points -- including two game-winning free throws with 1.5 seconds left -- to lead the Miami Heat to a 97-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

Wade scored Miami's final eight points to overshadow Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, each of whom had 25 points for the Thunder.

Durant had his ups and downs in the game. He was in foul trouble early and then was hit with a technical in the second quarter when he got in the face of Heat guard Goran Dragic. Durant, who was attempting to alley-oop dunk on the play in question, was upset that Dragic stuck out his backside to bump him as he flew by.

Miami's Hassan Whiteside had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. He had a spectacular end-to-end sequence in the second quarter, scoring on an alley-oop dunk that was thrown behind him and then blocking Durant's layup despite trailing the play on a fast break.

Nuggets 106, Raptors 105

TORONTO -- Will Barton scored 22 points, Danilo Gallinari added 21, and Denver held on to defeat Toronto and end an eight-game losing streak.

Darrell Arthur added 19 points for the Nuggets, while center Joffrey Lauvergne scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 34 points. Kyle Lowry added 16 points and eight assists, while Cory Joseph had 15 and DeMarre Carroll 10.

Magic 103, Jazz 94

SALT LAKE CITY -- Tobias Harris led six Magic players in double figures, and Orlando took advantage of center Rudy Gobert's absence to beat Utah.

Harris scored 17 points and Nikola Vucevic added 16 points for Orlando, which won its fifth straight.

Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and guard Alec Burks totaled 21 for the Jazz. Utah played without Gobert, who is out indefinitely after spraining a left knee ligament in practice Wednesday.

Spurs 103, Grizzlies 83

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Kawhi Leonard made a career-best seven 3-pointers and scored a game-high 27 points as San Antonio defeated Memphis.

Leonard scored 20 of his points and hit six of his 3-pointers in the second half. Overall, he shot 9-for-13 from the floor and 7-for-9 from long range. He also grabbed eight rebounds and added three assists, two steals and a block. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points, and Tony Parker had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Mario Chalmers each had 15 points for Memphis.

Trail Blazers 123, Pacers 111

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard scored 26 points and CJ McCollum added 21, leading Portland to a victory over Indiana.

The Trail Blazers won for just the second time in five games.

C.J. Miles scored 27 points for the Pacers, whose six-game winning streak ended. Paul George, named early in the day as the Eastern Conference player of the month for November, finished with 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting, including 0-for-9 from 3-point range.

Celtics 114, Kings 97

Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points and added eight assists, and Boston made it a miserable trip to Mexico City for Rajon Rondo and Sacramento.

Thomas ripped apart his former team from the beginning, scoring 19 points in the opening half and 12 in the first 12 minutes as Boston ran to leads of 32-17 after one period and 51-36. Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to add 21 points for the Celtics.

On the court, it was not so calm. Rondo, who played his first eight-plus seasons with Boston and now the NBA's assist leader in his first campaign with the Kings, barked several times at referee Bill Kennedy in the third quarter and was ejected with 6:30 to go. He finished with only five points and eight assists in 24 minutes.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

Friday's NBA Tip Sheet
December 4, 2015

Brooklyn at New York, ESPN, 7:05 p.m. ET: New York's finest basketball teams, which although accurate, is still a term used loosely, square off for the first time this season. The nationally-televised contest gives the Knicks an opportunity to get back to .500 after their recent four-game losing streak undid some of the strong work they did prior to Thanksgiving. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis continued his unexpectedly strong start with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 99-87 win over Philadelphia, their first win on a four-game homestand that ends tonight.

Carmelo Anthony shot 5-for-16 from the field and scored 12 points in his return after missing Sunday's game due to illness, so he enters this one mired in a 9-for-29 shooting slump. The Nets visit Manhattan in the midst of their first winning streak of the season, having defeated Detroit and Phoenix in Brooklyn to improve to 5-13 (10-7 ATS). The Nets have covered in 10 of their last 11 games, but are just 1-10 SU away from home, tied for the second-worst road mark in the NBA. We'll see if not having to hop on a plane for a road game has a positive effect. Center Brook Lopez has been the catalyst for the Nets success but squares off against twin brother Robin Lopez, who has defended him more often than anyone. The under is 12-3-1 in New York's last 16 games and has prevailed in Brooklyn's last four games.

Phoenix at Washington, 7:05 p.m.: After being unable to defeat Kobe Bryant on his farewell tour the way the 76ers managed to, the disappointing Wizards turn their attention to handling the visiting Suns. Head coach Randy Wittman has the 7-9 Wizards in last place in the Southeast Division one-fifth through a season where they were supposed to contend for first, so the buzzards are circling and he may not last much longer if things don't pick up. PG John Wall has slumped lately, closing out November with three clunkers were he shot a combined 16-for-54, but he's opened this month shoooting nearly 60 percent from the field while averaging 34.5 points and 10.5 assists. He'll deal with Eric Bledsoe, one of the more athletic guards in the league, so Wall will have his work cut out for him. The Suns are in the midst of a grueling stretch where they're playing nine road games in 11 contests over 17 days. They're 2-4 thus far, pulling off an upset in Toronto on Nov. 29, but coming off consecutive losses to the Nets and Pistons. They've been without Tyson Chandler (hamstring) and didn't have Markieff Morris (knee) for the reunion game with his brother Marcus in Detroit, a 127-122 OT loss. The over is 9-4 in the last 13 Phoenix games. The under has prevailed in five of Washington's last seven. Wizards center Marcin Gortat will miss at least two games as he's returned to his native Poland due to a family emergency.

Milwaukee at Detroit, 7:35 p.m.: The Bucks are stuck in a major rut. Although head coach Jason Kidd shook up the lineup by benching Michael Carter-Williams in favor of Jerryd Bayless, Bayless wound up getting a DNP as Tyler Ennis started in Wednesday's 95-70 loss at San Antonio. Clearly, Kidd is searching for answers after an awfully slow start that has his team bringing up the rear in the Central Division (7-12 SU, 8-11 ATS). Milwaukee comes off a season-low scoring output and has seen the over come in three consecutive times, all in games that failed to reach 170. Detroit comes off its highest-scoring game of the season in that aforementioned win over Phoenix and opened its current homestand with a 116-105 win over Houston. The Pistons will look to go 3-0 on the homestand here before Bryant comes through for his final Palace stop on Sunday. The Pistons are 6-2 SU and ATS in Auburn Hills, beating the Jazz, Bulls, Cavs and Heat before their latest conquests. Reggie Jackson has averaged 32.5 points and 12 assists on the homestand, shooting over 60 percent from the field and over 50 from 3-point range. He was held to a season-low 7 points in a 109-88 loss in Milwaukee on Nov. 23, the only time these teams have met this season.

L.A. Lakers at Atlanta, 8:05 p.m.: Bryant's final visit to Atlanta will pack them in at Philips Arena, where the Hawks have gone 7-4 SU (5-6 ATS). They've alternated wins and losses over their last nine games, so if the pattern holds, they're in line to win this one. Bryant comes off scoring a season-high 31 points in Wednesday's win over Washington and has really taken to this showman role as he visits different East coast cities and receives adulation for the final time. He's been able to get the Lakers off to strong starts in each of the last two games. L.A. is 2-9 on the road as opposed to 1-6 at Staples Center. The Lakers have the worst record in the Western Conference. They've only beaten one team with a winning record like the Hawks carry into this one.

Houston at Dallas, 8:35 p.m.: The rival Rockets, the team Mavericks fans love to boo more than any other, make their first of two visits this season. They've already met in Houston, where the Mavs stormed into town on Nov. 14 and won 110-98 despite playing their fourth game in five nights, on the second night of a second straight back-to-back. Kevin McHale was fired as Houston head coach a few days later. John Blair Bickerstaff has taken over and enters this one 4-4 in an interim role. He won't have Dwight Howard on the floor, opting to rest up with another game scheduled for Saturday at home in Sacramento. James Harden has averaged 33.8 points, eight rebounds and seven assists over the last five games, three of them Rockets wins. Dallas opened December with a 115-112 win at Portland and are in the midst of a stretch where it is playing seven of nine on the road. The Mavs are 5-2 at home. Former Rocket Chandler Parsons didn't play in the win in Portland and doesn't play back-to-backs yet as his work gradually increases following offseason knee surgery. He's had three double-digit scoring nights in his 13 games thus far.

Cleveland at New Orleans, ESPN, 9:35 p.m.: LeBron James and Anthony Davis have only taken the floor against one another five times as pros. James leads 3-2, though one of Davis' wins came in a game where he played only seven minutes, leaving after complaining of chest pains. Davis has always been on the inferior team, but seems to have a strong chance at evening the individual series if he's able to shake off a shoulder injury and suit up. Tyreke Evans returned from a six-month absence following a knee injury and finished with 20 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday, so the Pelicans are as healthy as they've been all season. They've been one of the NBA's biggest disappointments, opening 4-15 (6-13 ATS). Cleveland is still without its preferred starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, but sport the Eastern Conference's top record (13-5 SU, 7-11 ATS). The Cavs had won five of six before fallin at home to the Wizards on Tuesday. They're just 5-3 on the road. The Cavs' last three games have all gone under the posted total, while three of the last for involving the Pelicans have done the same.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

Cavs, Pelicans square off
December 4, 2015

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (13-5) NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (4-15)

Tip-off: Friday, 9:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cleveland -4.5

The Pelicans will be looking to avoid a fifth straight loss when they host the Cavaliers on Friday.

The Cavaliers are coming off of a miserable performance, losing 97-85 as 8.5-point home favorites versus the Wizards on Tuesday. Cleveland has failed to cover in two straight games and three of its past four. The team has, however, won 13 of its past 18 games SU and will not come into Friday’s game lacking confidence.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, have lost four straight games both SU and ATS and have been really disappointing to start the year. Perhaps a win over one of the league’s best teams is just what the doctor ordered for New Orleans, and it’s certainly possible.

The Pelicans have gotten the better of the Cavaliers in this head-to-head series as of late, going 3-1 SU over the past three seasons. They are also a pretty impressive 20-6 SU and 16-10 ATS when hosting the Cavaliers since 1996. Three of the past four games played between the teams have gone Over the total. Both teams have some interesting trends working against them heading into this contest.

Cleveland is 3-12 ATS in road games after playing two consecutive home games over the past two seasons and New Orleans is 2-10 ATS after a game where the team failed to cover the spread this season.

The Cavaliers continue to be without PG Kyrie Irving (Knee) and SG Iman Shumpert (Wrist), who are out indefinitely. PG Jrue Holiday (Leg) is probable for the Pelicans, who are without C Kendrick Perkins (Pectoral) and SF Quincy Pondexter (Knee) indefinitely.

The Cavaliers will be looking to get right back into the win column after a disappointing performance against Washington last game.

SF LeBron James (25.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.3 SPG) has averaged 22.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 7.0 APG over the past five contests, but he has not been very efficient. James has shot just 42.4% from the field and 19.0% from the outside over that span and will need to be a lot better moving forward.

PF Kevin Love (19.2 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.3 APG) must be more consistent for the Cavaliers going forward as well. Love poured in 26 points with seven boards on 8-for-14 shooting from the field against the Nets on Saturday, but he was just 2-for-9 from the field with eight points and eight boards in the loss to the Wizards on Tuesday. He has a tough matchup with Anthony Davis in this game, but he must compete hard on both ends of the floor to make a big impact.

The play of C Timofey Mozgov (7.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.9 BPG) could end up determining the outcome of this contest. Mozgov played just nine minutes against Washington and will need to be on the floor longer against New Orleans. He is this team’s best rim protector and that will be crucial against Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans on Friday.

The Pelicans have not yet played the way that people expected them to, but things could change very soon. This team is finally getting healthy and the Western Conference is having a bit of a down year, so a nice winning stretch could put them back in the hunt for the eighth seed.

PF Anthony Davis (23.8 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG) was excellent against the Rockets in Wednesday’s loss, putting up 29 points and adding 13 rebounds and two blocks as well. Davis will need to use his athleticism to punish a poor defending Kevin Love on Friday. He must also be ready to defend the rim when LeBron James comes barreling towards the basket.

SF Tyreke Evans (15.0 PPG, 9.0 APG, 5.0 RPG) will also need to be ready to play on both ends of the floor in this one. Evans has played just two games this season, but he is doing a good job of distributing the basketball so far. He could see some extended time defending LeBron James and if he does, he will need to make James work hard for his shot attempts.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

Preview: Nets (5-13) at Knicks (9-10)
Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Phil Jackson recently said that New York Knicks rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis has a "magical element" to him.

Porzingis has been hearing the Madison Square Garden faithful chant his name and can further endear himself to those fans Friday night by helping the Knicks hand the rival Brooklyn Nets a seventh straight road defeat.

Jackson had high praise for Porzingis in a radio interview, saying "there's the magical element to this young man that has caught the admiration, I think, of the fan base here in New York City and people around the country that do follow the Knicks."

Porzingis leads all rookies with nine double-doubles and a 9.3 rebounding average while ranking third in scoring at 13.8 points per game. His figure of plus-3.1 ranks second among lottery picks and his rapid rise has won over New York's fan base.

"We obviously felt very strongly about drafting him at No. 4, we liked a lot of things about him and thought he would be a great selection," coach Derek Fisher said. "So far although it wasn't approved at first, it seems to have turned a little bit."

The fans were chanting Porzingis' name as time wound down in Wednesday's 99-87 win over Philadelphia that snapped a four-game slide. The 7-foot-1 Porzingis had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as New York (9-10) held a 52-32 edge in points in the paint.

Now his task is to help New York save face against its nearest rival after the Knicks lost all four 2014-15 meetings with the Nets.

Although Brooklyn (5-13) owns the Eastern Conference's second-worst record, there is every indication that Friday's matchup won't be easy.

The Nets have won consecutive games for the first time since April to start a nine-game stretch in which they won't leave New York, with this contest the only road game.

'Win a bunch of those games, just keep playing hard, take it one game at a time and just see what we can do,' guard Shane Larkin said.

Larkin will return to face the Knicks for the first time after he logged a team-high 1,865 minutes for last season's club that went 17-65.

Brook Lopez, leading the Nets with 20.1 points per game, will match up again with brother and first-year Knicks center Robin. The twins have met as starters seven times; Brook Lopez is averaging 24.1 points and 8.0 rebounds in those games while Robin is averaging 13.1 and 6.0 with his team winning four times.

A team effort keyed Tuesday's 94-91 win over Phoenix. Larkin's basket with 4:08 left put Brooklyn ahead for good, Lopez scored 23 points and the Nets limited the Suns to 37.5 percent fourth-quarter shooting.

"It shows how much we've actually been growing," Lopez said. "We've definitely seen results in the win column but it's been a progression all season long."

The Nets even played well in their last game away from home despite seeing their road slide reach six, their longest since losing their final seven in 2010-11. They lost 90-88 in Cleveland on Saturday on LeBron James' last-second shot.

Former Knicks center Andrea Bargnani will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury.

This is the 180th regular-season meeting between these teams, with the Knicks leading 90-89.

CNOTES · Dec 4, 2015

Preview: Suns (8-11) at Wizards (7-9)
Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After seemingly ending their woes with an impressive win over the Eastern Conference's top team, the Washington Wizards took two steps back against the West's worst.

One of the NBA's most puzzling clubs, the Wizards hope to avoid their longest home losing streak in almost two years Friday night against the slumping Phoenix Suns.

Washington entered this season with high hopes after reaching the conference semifinals, but is instead stuck at the bottom of the Southeast Division.

Following a four-game skid, the Wizards looked like the contender they're supposed to be in Tuesday's 97-85 win at Cleveland. After dealing the Cavaliers their first home defeat, former Suns center Martin Gortat referred to his team as "unpredictable" and "crazy."

That was evident again Wednesday when the Wizards (7-9) committed 23 turnovers in an embarrassing 108-104 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a West-worst 2-15 record before snapping a seven-game losing streak.

"We've got to move the ball and take open shots," said point guard John Wall, who had a season-high 35 points and 10 assists but also had five turnovers. "When we don't take open shots, I think that's when we take bad shots and turn the ball over."

Wall has been able to turn things around, totaling 69 points on 25-of-43 shooting to go along with 21 assists in his last two games. He had averaged 13.6 points on 33.8 percent shooting and 5.8 assists over his previous five.

After scoring 20.8 per game on 52.5 percent shooting over the prior four meetings with the Suns (8-11), Wall totaled 25 points on 10-of-31 shooting in last season's series.

Washington has put up a 46.9 field-goal percentage in its last two games after shooting 33.6 percent over its previous three. The Wizards, however, have been dominated on the glass with a minus-6.8 rebounding margin while dropping five of six.

"We lost the war of rebounding the ball and we lost the war of turnovers (against the Lakers)," Wall added. "When you win those two, you win those games."

The Wizards might be alright in one of those categories as they try to avoid dropping four straight at home for the first time since January 2014. Banged-up Phoenix has a minus-8.2 rebounding margin over its past four games, a stretch that began when leading rebounder Tyson Chandler injured his hamstring early in a 135-116 loss to Golden State last Friday.

It's uncertain when Chandler or Markieff Morris (knee) will be able to return.

The Suns have forced 18.0 turnovers per game in their last six, but they've allowed 114.0 points and a 49.8 field-goal percentage during a 1-6 stretch. They let Detroit shoot 50.6 percent and 12 of 27 (44.4) from 3-point range in Wednesday's 127-122 overtime loss.

'We couldn't stop anybody," coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We just let them go through us without any resistance.'

Brandon Knight led the way with 22 points, backcourt mate Eric Bledsoe had 21 and Jon Leuer matched a season high with 20. Mirza Teletovic is averaging 16.7 points while hitting 14 of 23 from 3-point range through the first three of this six-game trip.

The Suns have won 13 of the past 16 meetings with the Wizards, including both last season. Knight has averaged 25.3 points on 52.8 percent shooting over his last three games against Washington dating to his time with Milwaukee.