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

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Bulls (11-7) at Celtics (12-9)
Date: December 09, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Following a winning trip, the Boston Celtics look to continue the recent success they've also enjoyed at home.

The Celtics can record their fourth consecutive home victory by handing the Chicago Bulls a third straight defeat Wednesday night.

After shooting 40.9 percent in a 110-91 loss to Orlando that opened a five-game road swing Nov. 29, Boston (12-9) averaged 108.8 points and shot 47.4 percent while holding all but one opponent to fewer than 100 to complete a 3-2 trip.

"We've just played as a team," said center Jared Sullinger, who had 11 points and matched a career high with 20 rebounds in Monday's 111-93 win over New Orleans.

The Celtics hope to do the same at home, where they took advantage of three teams in the bottom five of the Eastern Conference to win their last three following a 3-4 start there. Boston held Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Washington to an average of 84.3 points and 36.3 percent shooting in the run.

Averaging a career-high 21.0 points, guard Isaiah Thomas totaled 51 and went 7 of 17 from 3-point range in the last two at home. Thomas was 9 of 13 from the floor and hit all four 3-point attempts to shoot better than 50 percent for the second time in three games Monday, when he scored all but three of his 22 points in the first half.

"He's one of those guys that can go off for 10 or 12 in a couple of minutes," teammate Kelly Olynyk told the Celtics' official website. "It's huge to have that kind of threat."

Though Boston has dropped three straight and 13 of 17 to Chicago (11-7), the Bulls enter this season's first meeting trying to get back on track after losing two in a row for the first time. Two nights after faltering in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 102-96 home loss to Charlotte, the Bulls blew a 16-point advantage while being outscored 42-24 in the final period, losing 103-101 at home to Phoenix on Mirza Teletovic's fadeaway putback with 0.3 seconds left.

Chicago had held opponents to 24.1 points and 38.9 percent shooting in the fourth before the Hornets and Suns totaled 72 and went 24 of 48 from the field.

"I don't know what it is," guard Jimmy Butler told the Bulls' official website. "Can't close teams out; have a lead, don't finish, lose games ... We keep talking about it, yadda, yadda, yadda, but eventually we're going to have to fix it or we're going to keep finding ourselves on the losing end of ball games."

Pau Gasol had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Butler scored 19 for the Bulls, who turned the ball over eight times in the fourth Monday.

"You have to have that killer instinct," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We have yet to find it this year."

Derrick Rose seemed to have it while totaling 50 points and 14 assists in Chicago's two victories at Boston last season. Rose, however, is shooting 35.5 percent and has scored more than 20 twice while averaging 13.7 points this season.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Rockets (10-12) at Wizards (9-10)
Date: December 09, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While the Washington Wizards should feel fortunate John Wall values his toughness, the Houston Rockets have certainly been more resilient with Patrick Beverley starting.

After Wall's surprisingly quick return, the Wizards will try to win consecutive contests for the first time in almost three weeks Wednesday night against the visiting Rockets.

Already struggling due in part to a short-handed roster, Washington held its collective breath Sunday when Wall was carried off with a knee injury late in a 116-104 loss to Dallas.

The two-time All-Star, though, declared himself ready to go the following night and finished with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting to key the Wizards' 114-103 win at Miami. Since averaging 13.9 points over an eight-game stretch, Wall has scored 28.0 per game in his last five.

He's also averaged 24.5 points and 10.3 assists in his past four meetings with Houston.

'I'm probably one of the toughest people you'll see,' Wall said. 'I can't say if it wasn't broke I wouldn't play because I did that before, but it was just a time that we really want to play well.'

Gary Neal chipped in with 21 points, Bradley Beal added 21 and Otto Porter scored 13.

Washington has scored 107.8 per game over its last four but has been outrebounded 84-68 in its past two. Marcin Gortat's return could help in a matchup with Dwight Howard, though Howard could sit in the second of back-to-back games to rest his surgically repaired back.

Gortat had averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds over three straight double-doubles before missing the past three while tending to his ailing mother in Poland.

The Wizards (9-10) haven't won back-to-back games since a season-high three-game run from Nov. 14-21. They've dropped eight of the last 10 home meetings with the Rockets.

Since averaging 99.7 points during a 5-10 start, Houston has scored 110.0 per game while winning five of its last seven. The Rockets (10-12), however, had their three-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday's 110-105 loss at Brooklyn.

The recent surge has coincided with coach J.B. Bickerstaff's decision to move Beverley into the starting lineup. Beverley has hit 14 of 28 from 3-point range and had 20 assists, 17 steals and only seven turnovers over his seven starts.

The Rockets, however, haven't been decidedly better defensively, allowing their second-highest shooting percentage of the season (55.6) against the Nets. They rank near the bottom of the league in defensive scoring (107.4) and defensive field-goal percentage (47.2).

Marcus Thornton finished with a season-high 32 points and hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range Tuesday, while Corey Brewer added 22 and made 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.

James Harden will try to regroup after he had a season-low 10 points. The NBA's second-leading scorer (28.5), Harden has averaged 29.2 in his last six meetings with the Wizards.

'Just poor decision-making, especially on my end,' Harden said after committing seven of his team's season-high 24 turnovers. 'Had too many unforced turnovers.'

The Rockets should be able to score often against Washington, which has given up 108.3 points on 50.2 percent shooting - including 41.1 from 3-point range - in its last four games. The Wizards managed to win Monday despite allowing Miami to shoot 59.4 percent.

Former Wizards forward Trevor Ariza might be sidelined for Houston after he left Tuesday's game in the first quarter following a hard fall on a drive to the basket.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Grizzlies (12-10) at Pistons (12-10)
Date: December 09, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Prior to Detroit's last game, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said it was too early to proclaim his team cured of its offensive concerns.

He was right.

After Memphis' latest loss, Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger called out his team's defense.

There's no arguing his point.

Both could temporarily fix the other Wednesday night in Detroit as two 12-10 teams coming off losses by a combined 57 points meet seeking a little consistency.

The Pistons followed a 4-0 homestand with Monday's 104-84 loss in Charlotte, shooting 36.8 percent after averaging 114.0 points and shooting 47.3 percent in the wins. Top scorer Reggie Jackson, named Eastern Conference player of the week earlier in the day, had a season-low four points on 2-of-9 shooting. The point guard averaged 27.0 points and shot 56.9 percent in the previous four.

In wins, Jackson is averaging 23.8 points and making 50.5 percent. In losses, he's at 13.9 and 33.8. There's more to it. His home splits are 23.0 and 48.5. On the road - 16.3 and 38.4.

Unsurprisingly, Detroit is 8-2 at home and 4-8 away with losses in eight of nine. The good news is it plays four of its next five at the Palace of Auburn Hills, but a team shooting 41.8 percent overall is going to struggle. The last team to finish with a winning record shooting under 42.0 percent was Boston in 2002-03.

"It's embarrassing," Jackson said. "It's frustrating as well, but it's embarrassing. We talk about we want to be somewhere special, but we've got to grow up. You've got to be who you're going to be in this league every day, night in and night out. It'll put you in the best position to win games."

Memphis is also searching. It lost twice on a three-game homestand with the defeats coming by at least 20 points, and that's a generous classification of Tuesday's 125-88 loss to Oklahoma City.

"When you look at the numbers, it's pretty simple," said Joerger, whose team has allowed 50.0 percent shooting and 42.7 from 3-point range in the last three games. "You know one team made shots and the other team struggled to make shots. Our defensive intensity wasn't where it (should have been)."

The Grizzlies also rely heavily on offense from their point guard. Mike Conley went 0 for 7 and was held scoreless for just the fifth time in his career when playing at least 10 minutes.

Memphis is 10-0 when he shoots better than 42 percent, 2-10 when he doesn't and 0-7 when he goes without a 3-pointer. In wins, he averages 17.6 points and shoots 49.7 percent. In losses, 11.2 and 28.9.

But Conley alone wasn't going to cause a 37-point swing. Teammate Courtney Lee chose to focus on a poor collective effort as the Grizzlies fell to 12 of 55 (21.8 percent) from long range in the last four games.

"First and foremost, we have to stop letting these games get out of hand. It's embarrassing, especially to lose that way in front of our home crowd and whatnot," Lee said. "These are teams that we faced last year and took them down to the wire and we were getting wins and so now we just have to figure out within ourselves."

The teams split two games last season with the home team winning each, but Memphis has won 10 of 11. Jackson had 23 points and a career-high 20 assists in a 105-95 win in Detroit on March 17.

Conley missed that game, but he played in the previous 10 wins, averaging 15.1 points on 54.6 percent shooting.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Spurs (18-4) at Raptors (13-9)
Date: December 09, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After the Toronto Raptors bid adieu to one superstar, there won't be any hoopla with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night.

The Spurs look to continue their success against the Raptors, who are facing another former NBA MVP.

Toronto (13-9) is in the midst of a five-day stretch with three straight games against MVPs. The Raptors opened that span by giving up 44 points to reigning MVP Stephen Curry in Saturday's 112-109 loss to unbeaten Golden State.

They followed that up two days later with a 102-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant's final game at Toronto as he's set to retire at the end of the season. The Air Canada Centre crowd gave Bryant a standing ovation when he left the court for the final time after cheering him throughout the game.

The reception won't be as warm for two-time MVP Duncan and the Spurs (18-4), owners of the NBA's second-best record.

"I think amongst the NBA circle they get the credit. People in the NBA certainly know how good, how consistent, how disciplined that team has been for such a long time," assistant coach Rex Kalamian said. "I would say that maybe fans appreciate it, but they don't really have the star power so they don't get the attention.

"We've always had problems with San Antonio because of their movement, their consistency and their ability to share the basketball with each other."

The Spurs have won eight of their last nine meetings with the Raptors but fell 87-82 at Toronto on Feb. 8, ending a four-game winning streak there.

Duncan is averaging 12.3 rebounds over the last three matchups, though he's put up 11.0 points while shooting 29.3 percent from the floor.

Kawhi Leonard picked up the slack in a 117-107 home win March 10, scoring 24 points with 11 rebounds and five steals while hitting 10 for 19 from the field.

An illness forced Leonard to get a day off with Duncan and guard Manu Ginobili on Monday, and San Antonio still hammered Philadelphia 119-68.

While Duncan and Ginobili are expected back, Leonard's status isn't clear.

LaMarcus Aldridge is looking to build on his season-high 26 points and nine boards from Monday. He's averaging 19.3 points over the last six road games and 26.6 in his past eight against the Raptors.

Toronto is 5-4 at home despite averaging 104.7 points. The Raptors have given up 109.0 points per game in those defeats compared to 91.8 in the victories.

Kyle Lowry continues to do his part offensively, averaging 26.6 points over the last seven games after totaling 68 in the past two. He had 32 at San Antonio in March but is averaging 14.3 on 36.6 percent shooting in the last three matchups at home.

Terrence Ross missed 10 of 13 attempts from the floor and totaled seven points against the Spurs last season. However, he is coming off a season-high 22 points while sinking 8 of 12 field goals Monday.

Ross made his first start in place of the injured DeMarre Carroll, who is out indefinitely with a bruised right knee.

"He was great and that is the T we need on a nightly basis," guard DeMar DeRozan said. "When he does that it makes our job a lot easier."

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Clippers (12-9) at Bucks (9-13)
Date: December 09, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers have veterans and the Milwaukee Bucks have young players, but both clubs won their last games with strong play down the stretch.

The Clippers are hoping Chris Paul and J.J. Redick will shoot better in their second games back from injury as they visit the Bucks on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (12-9) outscored Minnesota 15-8 in the final 52 seconds for Monday's 110-106 victory to open this five-game trip. Redick was 7 for 7 from the line in that stretch.

'We just closed out the game,' coach Doc Rivers said. 'We executed. We got every shot. We got every stop. That's how you end games."

Paul was originally going to miss his third straight game with a rib injury before he opted to play. He made 5 of 14 shots for 14 points with five assists.

"I did a little bit, wanted to see how it felt this morning," he said. "Then I came over here this afternoon by myself with the trainer and got up and down a little bit, and I said I wanted to play."

Redick was listed as questionable with a sprained ankle, but started and played 21 minutes. He made 1 of 9 shots from the field but converted all 11 free throws for 14 points.

Rivers credited Paul's presence down the stretch as a key to the victory. The point guard Paul faces at the start of Wednesday's contest likely won't be who he matches up with when the game is on the line.

Milwaukee (9-13) continues to use Michael Carter-Williams off the bench, though the third-year guard played the entire fourth quarter of Monday's 90-88 home win over Portland. Carter-Williams assisted on Greg Monroe's layup with 5.9 seconds left that put the Bucks ahead for good.

"If you ask a lot of the stars in this league, they all relish in the last six minutes of the game," coach Jason Kidd said. "And so for Michael, not starting but being able to finish games is what the team maybe needs at this point. I'm not saying he won't get back in the starting lineup but he made some plays late and that's what we needed."

Kidd may be correct since all five starters scored in double figures Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 17 and Monroe finished with 16 and 12 rebounds. O.J. Mayo has been the starting point guard the last two games with Jerryd Bayless out with a left ankle sprain and Tyler Ennis sidelined with a sore left shoulder.

The Bucks scored the game's final six points in the last 17 seconds.

"We're so young, we're going to make mistakes on the offensive and defensive end but I think tonight was a sign of staying together," Kidd said.

Milwaukee is third-worst in the league with a minus-4.2 rebound margin, and Los Angeles is second-worst at minus-4.6.

The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan is among the league leaders with 13.1 boards per game, though he had none in the fourth quarter Monday.

Los Angeles has won six of the last seven meetings, though it has dropped four of its last six at Milwaukee.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Lakers (3-18) at Timberwolves (8-12)
Date: December 09, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers' longest road trip of the season might be the start of Kobe Bryant's farewell tour, but coach Byron Scott has used it as a chance to mold some of his youngest players.

The last-place Lakers will continue to build through their biggest star's goodbye on Wednesday night when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are experiencing their own growing pains.

Bryant announced his plans to retire following this season just before an eight-game, 12-day trip to open December. While the window on Bryant's 20-year career closes with adoration from opposing fans showering in, the Lakers (3-18) have opened the trip 1-4.

Their third straight loss was Monday's 102-93 defeat in Toronto, and while Bryant scored a team-high 21 points, second-year forward Julius Randle and rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell made their contributions from the bench.

Randle, drafted seventh in 2014, and Russell, this year's second overall pick, started the first 20 games but were replaced by Larry Nance Jr. and Lou Williams, respectively.

'Those two still have to understand how to play this game and it's a tough game,' Scott said. 'They're young, and they're a big part of our future, no doubt about that, but I still think at this point of their career you can still learn some things by sitting there watching as well.'

The change brought a similar result as Los Angeles lost for the 10th time in 11 games. Russell finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. Randle fared better with 15 points and 11 rebounds, the same numbers he held in Sunday's 111-91 loss at Detroit.

Randle also went for 15 and 11 in a season-opening 112-111 loss to Minnesota, which opened with four wins in six games. But the Timberwolves (8-12) are mired in their second four-game losing streak since, the most recent one following three victories in a row.

Minnesota has found ways to lose late while dropping its four games by 21 points combined, the last three to open a four-game homestand.

That was the case again in Monday's 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Zach LaVine scored six of his 21 points during an 8-2 run for a 98-95 lead with a minute to play, but the Clippers regained the lead eight seconds later and sealed the game at the free-throw line.

The Timberwolves' last eight losses and 10 of 12 on the season have come by 10 points or fewer. Seven of those have come at Target Center, where Minnesota is 2-9.

"This year, we're disappointed with our record at home, but we've been in every game," interim coach Sam Mitchell said. "I ask my guys after every game, if one of them learns something... then the loss was worth it because they grew tonight."

LaVine isn't sure he agrees.

"I'd rather not learn something and get the win," he said.

Andrew Wiggins struggled to a season-low eight points on 3-of-15 shooting against the Clippers. He has made 9 of 30 shots in his last two games.

Bryant scored 24 in the season opener at Staples Center on 24 shots, while Williams added 21. Ricky Rubio finished with 28 points and 14 assists for Minnesota.

The Lakers won the previous three meetings in this series, including two at Target Center.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Knicks (10-12) at Jazz (9-10)
Date: December 09, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Amid all the fanfare Kristaps Porzingis is receiving throughout his strong start, Carmelo Anthony is beginning to grow tired of the New York Knicks' losing ways.

The star forward isn't providing much help heading into the team's road swing, something he hopes to change Wednesday night against a Utah Jazz team that is struggling defensively without Rudy Gobert.

All eyes were on Porzingis on Monday when he faced childhood hero Dirk Nowitzki for the first time at Madison Square Garden. The rising fan favorite didn't disappoint with 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting, but the Knicks (10-12) couldn't contain the Mavericks in a 104-97 defeat.

'It really doesn't matter because we still lost,' Porzingis said, 'but yeah, I was just hitting shots and trying to do the things to help the team win at the end.'

The 7-foot-1 forward was presented with his Eastern Conference rookie of the month award for October/November before the game. He's particularly shined over his last nine, averaging 17.9 points and 9.7 rebounds while hitting 12 of 25 from 3-point range.

Despite Porzingis' eye-catching individual success, the Knicks have dropped six of eight after a promising start. They averaged 99.0 points in their first 14 games, but have scored just 94.1 while shooting 29.6 percent from beyond the arc over their last eight.

Anthony hopes New York can turn things around on this trip against Utah, Sacramento and Portland after he had to endure the worst season in franchise history in 2014-15.

'Losing is frustrating,' Anthony said. 'I don't want this to be an ongoing situation, an ongoing feeling, where we've got to come to the locker room and explain why we're losing.'

The eight-time All-Star hasn't done his part of late, scoring 18 or fewer while shooting less than 36 percent in four of his last five games. He had to sit out once in the middle of that stretch because of some bruising on his surgically repaired knee.

Anthony was sidelined for an 87-82 loss March 10 in the most recent meeting at Utah, though he's totaled 80 points on 60 percent shooting in his last two in this series.

New York will try to take advantage of a Jazz team that is scuffling defensively with Gobert sidelined. The center, who has missed the past three games with a sprained MCL, ranks among the league's leaders with 10.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.

The Jazz (9-10) are among the NBA's leaders in scoring defense (96.8), but have given up an average of 110.5 points over their last four games. They're in danger of allowing five straight opponents to score 100 in regulation for the first time since January 2014.

Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks finished with 18 points apiece in Tuesday's 114-106 loss at Sacramento, which shot a season-high 55.8 percent from the field.

'It's just frustrating because we know how well we can play," said Hayward, who has scored 23.0 per game over his last six. "We played Golden State really close, and beat a good Indiana team. That's kind of how the season is going with a little bit of up and down. We're learning.'

Derrick Favors is averaging 21.0 points and 10.8 rebounds over four straight double-doubles. He totaled 50 points and 24 boards to help the Jazz sweep last season's series.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Magic (12-9) at Suns (9-13)
Date: December 09, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Plenty of words can be used to describe how teams play under coach Scott Skiles: gritty, scrappy and tough, to name a few. The latest win from his Orlando Magic was more ugly than anything.

Skiles' former team was just content to finally earn a victory any way it could.

The Magic look for their seventh win in eight games Wednesday night when they visit a Phoenix Suns team hoping to rebound from a bumpy road trip.

Orlando (12-9) has turned a corner in its first season with Skiles, whose first head coaching job was with Phoenix from 1999-2002. The Magic have followed a perfect three-game homestand with a 3-1 start to their five-game road trip.

The latest win wasn't too easy on the eyes.

While opening a back-to-back in Denver on Tuesday, the Magic finished with their second-lowest point total, had 20 turnovers and one made 3-pointer - and somehow escaped with an 85-74 win.

Orlando trailed by as many as nine in the second quarter but held the Nuggets to 27 points in the second half.

'It wasn't the prettiest, but we'll take any win,' Tobias Harris said. 'We have to figure out a way to get off to a little bit better start... They made a run, but we kept coming back. That was a good sign for us.'

Usually a good indication of an Orlando loss is poor shooting from 3-point range. The Magic were 1-6 while shooting worse than 30.5 percent from long distance before Tuesday's 1-for-16 performance.

Orlando, 1-2 in the second game of back-to-backs, was in danger of snapping an almost nine-year streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer until Evan Fournier knocked down a key one with 2:38 left. The Magic have made a 3 in 677 straight games dating to 2007.

'That felt good,' Fournier said. 'But we have to play better than that.'

The Magic outscored Denver 54-34 in the paint and have a plus-90 edge inside on their last five opponents.

Phoenix (9-13) finally pulled out a late win from a deflating six-game road trip. The Suns were one quarter away from ending the trip with five consecutive losses but rallied from 16 points down for Monday's 103-101 win at Chicago.

The Suns had coughed up four straight fourth-quarter leads, but one night after losing on an alley-oop with less than a second left in Memphis, Mirza Teletovic sank a fade-away putback with 0.3 on the clock.

Phoenix escaped with just its second win in 10 games after dropping its previous four by a combined 13 points.

'I know we put ourselves in position to win, but nothing's given in this league," Brandon Knight said. 'You have to go out and take it. After losing three or four games like that, I think we realize that."

The Suns played their road trip without center Tyson Chandler, whose return from a hamstring injury is still unclear. Alex Len started all six games at center and averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, capped by a 15-point effort against the Bulls.

The Suns have won three of four in this series but have lost three of the last four in Phoenix.

While Orlando has won three of its last four road games after opening the season 2-5 away from home, Phoenix has lost its last three at home following a 5-2 start.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

Preview: Hawks (13-9) at Mavericks (13-9)
Date: December 09, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks looked very much like the team that won 60 games a season ago over a 7-1 start, but things have since gone south as they find themselves falling into the middle of the Southeast Division's logjam.

Consecutive wins have even been too much to ask for since a seven-game winning streak, though that can change Wednesday night as the visiting Hawks try for a fourth straight victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Atlanta is 6-8 since that winning streak and has traded wins and losses for the last 10 games. The latest was a 100-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday to conclude a 2-1 homestand, and it was followed by four days off before back-to-back road games against Dallas and Oklahoma City.

The Hawks (13-9) shot 50.0 percent with Al Horford's 16 points leading the way, but he's shooting 43.5 percent in his last nine games. In true Atlanta fashion, Mike Budenholzer's team had five players with at least 13 points, though he's certainly not yet raving about the Hawks' play.

"It's a win, and we've got a few days now where we can work to get better," Budenholzer said.

One of the areas they'd like to improve is defending the 3-pointer. The Hawks' last 10 opponents have shot 40.0 percent and the Lakers made 13 of 27. The Mavericks, meanwhile, have hit 29 of 62 in their last two games.

Dallas (13-9) is coming off Monday's 104-97 win in New York after Sunday's 116-104 victory in Washington, and it can now look forward to staying put at home for a little while. The Mavericks' three-game homestand is their first stay of at least two games since Nov. 11-13.

"It's been tough traveling-wise. We've been all over the shop, and we're looking forward to settling down at home a little bit," Dirk Nowitzki told the team's official website. "But with going home, that sometimes brings some relaxation that you don't want. I think, over the years, we dropped some games at home that we shouldn't have lost, so we've got to keep that edge from the road somehow and just keep competing. Finally, we're home longer than a couple of days."

Nowitzki didn't show any signs of wear with 25 points against the Knicks. He's averaging 22.0 in his last four, and it's helped Dallas maintain as it's worked through the hectic schedule and health issues.

Chandler Parsons is still limited because of offseason knee surgery, and J.J. Barea has missed six straight games with a sprained ankle. Devin Harris sat out Monday because of a rib injury, but coach Rick Carlisle sees things beginning to steady.

"I'm encouraged that our health situation seems to be trending the right direction, even though Harris missed most of the games (Sunday and Monday)," Carlisle said. "You know, he's going to be OK. Barea is doing a little bit better, and Parsons is feeling a lot better and playing better, so we've got to stay the course.

"(JaVale) McGee is another guy that played some important minutes in the first half (against New York), so this was a long process when we set out at the beginning of the year. You know, we knew it was going to be well into December before we were anywhere close to being fully healthy, and we're making strides."

Dallas has won five of its last six at home, while Atlanta has dropped five of six on the road.

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

NBA ATS

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA against the spread in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 4 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.8 units)

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

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in Home games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 3 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.4 units)

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 5 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.45 units)

NBA > (715) ORLANDO@ (716) PHOENIX | 2015-12-09 21:05:00 - 2015-12-09 21:05:00
Play ON ORLANDO using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive road games
The record is 7 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.1 units)

NBA > (709) MEMPHIS@ (710) DETROIT | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 10 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.35 units)

NBA > (715) ORLANDO@ (716) PHOENIX | 2015-12-09 21:05:00 - 2015-12-09 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ORLANDO using money line in All games in a road game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points
The record is 18 Wins and 53 Losses for the since 1992 (-38.7 units)

NBA > (705) HOUSTON@ (706) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play AGAINST HOUSTON using money line in All games first half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-19.5 units)

NBA > (705) HOUSTON@ (706) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play AGAINST HOUSTON using money line in All games in all games
The record is 10 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-19.5 units)

NBA > (713) LA CLIPPERS@ (714) MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MILWAUKEE using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 16 Wins and 43 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.85 units)

NBA > (709) MEMPHIS@ (710) DETROIT | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 43 Wins and 61 Losses for the last three seasons (-43.9 units)

NBA > (717) NEW YORK@ (718) UTAH | 2015-12-09 21:05:00 - 2015-12-09 21:05:00
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 34 Wins and 60 Losses for the last three seasons (-36.8 units)

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

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (707) SAN ANTONIO@ (708) TORONTO | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO ?>in the first halfin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 30 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.1 units)

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA ?>in the first halfin Home games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 4 Wins and 19 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.9 units)

NBA > (707) SAN ANTONIO@ (708) TORONTO | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO ?>in the first halfin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 3 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.6 units)

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA ?>in the first halfin All games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 14 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.5 units)

NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) BOSTON | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play ON BOSTON ?>in the first halfin Home games first half of the season
The record is 32 Wins and 11 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.9 units)

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

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (717) NEW YORK@ (718) UTAH | 2015-12-09 21:05:00 - 2015-12-09 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 8 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.2 units)

NBA > (717) NEW YORK@ (718) UTAH | 2015-12-09 21:05:00 - 2015-12-09 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 6 Overs and 27 Unders for the last two seasons (+20.4 units)

NBA > (707) SAN ANTONIO@ (708) TORONTO | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 18 Overs and 53 Unders for the last three seasons (+33.2 units)

NBA > (707) SAN ANTONIO@ (708) TORONTO | 2015-12-09 19:35:00 - 2015-12-09 19:35:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin Road games after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 8 Overs and 30 Unders for the last three seasons (+21.2 units)

NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) BOSTON | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 33 Overs and 71 Unders for the last two seasons (+34.7 units)

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin Home games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 4 Overs and 19 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.6 units)

NBA > (701) MIAMI@ (702) CHARLOTTE | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 4 Overs and 19 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.6 units)

NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-09 20:05:00 - 2015-12-09 20:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 15 Overs and 39 Unders for the last two seasons (+22.5 units)

NBA > (719) ATLANTA@ (720) DALLAS | 2015-12-09 21:35:00 - 2015-12-09 21:35:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games against Southwest division opponents
The record is 4 Overs and 20 Unders for the last three seasons (+15.6 units)

NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) BOSTON | 2015-12-09 19:05:00 - 2015-12-09 19:05:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 12 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+18.8 units)

CNOTES · Dec 9, 2015

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at WAS 07:00 PM

HOU +4.0 SLAM DUNK

O 213.0

MIA at CHA 07:00 PM

CHA +1.0

U 193.5

CHI at BOS 07:00 PM

BOS -3.5

U 200.0

SA at TOR 07:30 PM

SA -6.0 SLAM DUNK

U 188.5

MEM at DET 07:30 PM

MEM +4.0 SLAM DUNK

O 193.5

LAC at MIL 08:00 PM

MIL +5.5

O 200.0

LAL at MIN 08:00 PM

MIN -7.5

U 204.5

NY at UTA 09:00 PM

UTA -3.0 SLAM DUNK

U 192.0

ORL at PHO 09:00 PM

ORL +4.5 SLAM DUNK

O 205.5

ATL at DAL 09:30 PM

DAL +1.5

O 201.5

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Milwaukee 68, Wisconsin 67-- Panthers ended 22-game series losing streak.

-- Dayton 72, Vanderbilt 67-- Flyers building a solid at-large resume.

-- Grizzlies 93, Pistons 92-- Matt Barnes stuck half-court shot with 0:01.1 left.

-- Pirates traded 2B Neil Walker to the Mets for P Jon Niese.

-- Mets signed SS Asdrubal Cabrera, have new DP combo with Walker.

-- A's traded 3B Brett Lawrie to White Sox for couple of pitching prospects.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud.......

13) Why is Steph Curry such a great shooter? He works his ass off, thats why. He says he makes between 200-350 shots every day during the season and probably a lot more in the offseason. He once made 77 3-pointers in a row at a practice. You aren't born that way; if more players practiced this much, they'd shoot a lot better.

12) Cool trivia; Don Sutton is in baseball's Hall of Fame; his career record in the majors was 324-256. Turns out he lost one game in high school; the opposing pitcher in his one loss was Kenny Stabler, the great Raiders' quarterback.

11) I was in a deli for a sandwich earlier this week; guy at the register has the biggest arms I've ever seen, like one of the WWE wrestlers on TV. Turns out the guy is a pro bodybuilder but apparently there isn't a whole lot of money in that. Go figure.

10) Orioles offered Chris Davis a 7-year deal for $150M; how on God's green earth does he turn that down? Apparently Davis wants eight years, $200M. Granted, he hit 47 HRs with 117 RBI LY but that was playing half his games in Baltimore's closet of a ballpark. His numbers would go down most anywhere else. Just take the money.

9) Heisman Trophy is one of the most overrated things on earth; in what other sport is the Player of the Year award talked about so much?

8) Five years ago, Conference USA was the #8 basketball league in America; now, it is the #22 league, as the football maneuvering has crippled the basketball part. The mid-major leagues that are basketball-only have mostly all passed by C-USA.

7) Was pretty cool seeing Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton at courtside Tuesday nite watching UConn playing Maryland at Madison Square Garden. Those guys made ton of money playing in the NBA, but still took out time to cheer on the alma mater.

6) Paris Hotel is Las Vegas is getting a 10,000 square foot beer garden above Hexx restaurant that will seat up to 500 people. One thing about Las Vegas is places are always being improved/added. If you like to eat/drink, Vegas is where to go.

5) I think the NFL makes a mistake fining players for celebration penalties; I don't think it is a deterrent. My suggestion is to still throw flags for celebrations but get rid of the fines- it gives the media too easy a chance to rip the league ("No Fun League"). Let the players act out after they score TDs, let the coaches police things after player gets a penalty for being a selfish human.

4) If the Browns fire Mike Pettine this winter, they'll have their sixth head coach in nine years next season- this is no way to run a business, especially one worth close to $1B, thats billion with a B. Hire a coach, give him five years to run his program and recruit free agents-- things couldn't be worse than they are in Cleveland right now.

3) SMU has a good basketball team; they pounded Michigan by 24 the other night, but the Mustangs aren't going to the postseason this year because they committed academic fraud. Larry Brown was out of college coaching for 25 years, mostly because he put his last school (Kansas) on probation too. Hmmm....

2) Not only does Big X play a 9-game conference football schedule, now they're going to have to play at least one other Power 5 game every year. My guess is the phones at Vanderbilt, Purdue and Wake Forest are going to be ringing off the hook soon, since they're the perennial doormats in the other Power 5 leagues. .

1) I'm genuinely concerned that if Donald Trump became President, we would have a civil war in this country; you can't have a leader who openly insults more than half the citizens. Part of me thinks he is saying outrageous stuff on purpose so he will lose, but no matter what he does, he doesn't drop in the polls. Weird thing.

No matter what, some day all this is going to make one hell of a movie.

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 10

Hot teams
-- Brooklyn covered 11 of last 14 games (3-2 last five SU).
-- Hawks won three of their last four games (3-2AU). Thunder won six of their last eight games (1-6 last seven HF).
-- Clippers won six of their last seven games (1-0AU).

Cold teams
-- 1-21 Philly failed to cover its last three games.
-- Chicago lost its last three games (1-9HF).
-- Knicks lost seven of their last nine games (6-4AU, 0-3 last three) Sacramento lost five of its last seven games (4-1HF).

Series records
-- 76ers lost seven of last nine games with Brooklyn.
-- Thunder won four of last six games with Atlanta.
-- Clippers won five of last six games with Chicago.
-- Kings won three of last four games with New York.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Philly games stayed under total.
-- Last four Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Clipper games went over the total.
-- Last four New York games went over the total.

NBA

Thursday, December 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 12 games when playing on the road against Chicago
LA Clippers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Atlanta is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Oklahoma City is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games

10:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. SACRAMENTO
New York is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Sacramento is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against New York

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

NBA

Thursday, December 10

NBA roundup: Harden's 42 lead Rockets to win

WASHINGTON -- Rockets guard James Harden scored 42 points and outdueled Wizards guard John Wall as Houston outlasted Washington for a 109-103 win Wednesday night.

One night after scoring a season-low 10 points in a 110-105 loss at the Brooklyn Nets, Harden recorded his eighth game this season with at least 30 points. He made five 3-pointers and 11 of 12 free throws while contributing nine rebounds and seven assists as Houston won for the fourth time in five games.

Wall compiled 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, but the Wizards couldn't keep up in the final minutes.

Harden's three-point play with 2:13 remaining broke a 99-99 tie. After each team traded baskets, Wall's turnover led to forward Corey Brewer's fast-break layup for a 106-101 lead with 40.8 seconds left.

Celtics 105, Bulls 100

BOSTON -- A 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter helped Boston pull out a win over Chicago.

The Bulls, losing despite a career-high 36 points from guard Jimmy Butler, closed within three with three minutes left, but five straight points by Boston's Isaiah Thomas brought the lead back to eight. The Bulls got as close as four but no closer.

Thomas, scoreless in the first half, finished with 20 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead eight Celtics in double figures. Chicago's Pau Gasol had 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Grizzlies 93, Pistons 92

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Matt Barnes drained a 31-foot shot with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Memphis a victory over Detroit.

Barnes scored in transition for the Grizzlies, who had trailed throughout the second half. He finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Zach Randolph led Memphis with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Center Marc Gasol contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds after sustaining left foot and ankle sprains against Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Detroit's Andre Drummond had 18 points and 19 rebounds.

Raptors 97, Spurs 94

TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and added six assists as Toronto defeated San Antonio.

In winning their second game in a row, the Raptors ended the Spurs' four-game winning streak.

The Raptors led all the way and had a seven-point advantage at the half and led by as many as 13 points. Kyle Lowry scored 19 points and added eight assists for Toronto. Manu Ginobili led San Antonio with 17 points.

Clippers 109, Bucks 95

MILWAUKEE -- J.J. Redick made six 3-pointers and scored 31 points, leading Los Angeles past Milwaukee.

Blake Griffin had 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds for the Clippers, while DeAndre Jordan grabbed 19 rebounds to go along with nine points. Chris Paul finished with 18 points and 18 assists.

Michael Carter-Williams came off the bench to score 20 points and hand out 11 assists for Milwaukee. Greg Monroe finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Timberwolves 123, Lakers 122 (OT)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Martin scored a game-high 37 points, leading Minnesota to an overtime win over Los Angeles.

Martin scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, making four 3-point field goals, helping the Wolves erase a five-point deficit with under 10 minutes to play.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Timberwolves, while the Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game. Minnesota rookie Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell paced the Lakers with 23 points.

Hornets 99, Heat 81

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Marvin Williams and Kemba Walker scored 18 points apiece, and Nicolas Batum had his first triple-double of the season as Charlotte blasted Miami.

The Hornets dominated throughout, leading by as many as 22 points in the first half and extending the lead to 30 in the second half.

Guard Tyler Johnson led the Heat with 20 points off the bench, including 15 in the fourth quarter.

Jazz 106, Knicks 85

SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Hayward personally outscored New York 13-11 in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 24 points as Utah cruised to a win.

Hayward hit nine of 14 shots and also contributed five assists and four rebounds in 27 minutes.

Carmelo Anthony scored 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting as the Knicks lost their third straight.

Suns 107, Magic 104

PHOENIX -- Alex Len scored a career-high 20 points and tied a career best with 14 rebounds as Phoenix held off Orlando.

Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe added 21 points each for the Suns, who won back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 14-16. Phoenix is now 7-0 against teams playing the second of back-to-back games. The Magic beat the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday.

Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who had won six of the seven games.

Hawks 98, Mavericks 95

DALLAS -- Atlanta won consecutive games for the first time in more than a month, slipping past Dallas.

Paul Millsap scored 20 and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead another typical balanced attack by Atlanta. Four other Hawks scored in double figures.

Dallas had a chance in the final seconds but could only manage a long desperation 3-point attempt from Deron Williams that didn't have a chance. Williams led the Mavericks with 18 points and six assists.

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 10

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

PHILADELPHIA (1 - 21) at BROOKLYN (6 - 15) - 12/10/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

ATLANTA (14 - 9) at OKLAHOMA CITY (13 - 8) - 12/10/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 144-105 ATS (+28.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
ATLANTA is 66-51 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA CLIPPERS (13 - 9) at CHICAGO (11 - 8) - 12/10/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 31-51 ATS (-25.1 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1996.
CHICAGO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 114-154 ATS (-55.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

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

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

NEW YORK (10 - 13) at SACRAMENTO (8 - 15) - 12/10/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 34-52 ATS (-23.2 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 42-58 ATS (-21.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 38-55 ATS (-22.5 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, December 10

Philadelphia @ Brooklyn

Game 501-502
December 10, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
109.219
Brooklyn
114.119
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 5
191
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 7
196 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+7); Under

Atlanta @ Oklahoma City

Game 503-504
December 10, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
117.621
Oklahoma City
127.601
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 7
212
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-7); Under

LA Clippers @ Chicago

Game 505-506
December 10, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
120.484
Chicago
122.982
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
Pick
200
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
Over

New York @ Sacramento

Game 507-508
December 10, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
114.169
Sacramento
117.693
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 3 1/2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 6
207
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+6); Over

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, December 10

Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 7:35 ET
Philadelphia: 58-35 ATS in road games off a home loss by 10 points or more
Brooklyn: 74-109 ATS at home after a combined score of 205 points or more

Atlanta at Oklahoma City, 8:05 ET
Atlanta: 18-8 ATS in road games after 2 or more consecutive wins
Oklahoma City: 7-0 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive wins

LA Clippers at Chicago, 8:05 ET
Los Angeles: 33-21 OVER in road games
Chicago: 1-8 ATS as a home favorite

NY Knicks at Sacramento, 10:35 ET
New York: 79-54 ATS in a road game where the total is 200 to 209.5
Sacramento: 23-38 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

Hoop Trends - Wednesday
December 9, 2015

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rockets are 10-0-1 ATS (11.27 ppg) since Dec 27, 2006 on the road with no rest after they had 20+ turnovers.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Suns are 0-11 OU (-22.18 ppg) since Jan 30, 2015 off a win in which they had less than 15% of their points from free throws.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Timberwolves are 0-13-1 ATS (-6.32 ppg) since Mar 16, 2015 at home after Andrew Wiggins had a negative plus/minus.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Wizards are 0-10-2 OU (-8.17 ppg) since May 07, 2014 off a road game in which they had 6+ double digit scorers.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Knicks are 7-0 OU (19.50 ppg) since Apr 07, 2013 on the road after Carmelo Anthony had at least 5 turnovers at home.

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

Inside the Paint - Thursday
December 10, 2015

Thursday’s NBA slate offers up four games which includes the nationally televised double-header on TNT. Three of tonight’s matchups will be non-conference affairs and we could see the fatigue factor in play with four of the eight clubs facing back-to-back spots.

Favorites have gone 21-9 straight up since Sunday but what’s great about the Association is that the points-spread actually matters. Underdogs have been competitive, evidenced by their 16-14 record against the spread. The ‘over’ is 17-13 during this span.

Philadelphia at Brooklyn: Philadelphia has been a complete embarrassment (1-21 SU, 11-10-1 ATS) at times this season but it’s also been competitive. On the road, Brett Brown’s team has been cashing tickets at a 67 percent clip (8-4) and Brooklyn is only give seven points tonight, which should immediately set off the alarms. The Nets definitely have more pros than the 76ers and since starting 0-7, the club has weathered the storm with a respectable 6-9 mark. Last season, the 76ers went 1-3 both SU and ATS against the Nets but they did capture a 90-88 victory during this span as 10 ½-point road underdogs. The ‘under’ went 4-0 in all four games last season. Brooklyn has won five of its six games at home and they beat some quality clubs too but something tells me the arena won’t be buzzing tonight, especially against Philadelphia.

Atlanta at Oklahoma City: This is a quick revenge game for the Thunder, who lost a 106-100 decision at Atlanta on Nov. 30 as a three-point road favorite. Fast forward nearly eight days later and Oklahoma City is now an eight-point favorite at home. Atlanta has dropped its last two games at OKC but it the margins were by a combined 10 points and both games easily sailed ‘over the total. Atlanta will be playing on zero days rest after winning 98-95 at Dallas on Wednesday. The Hawks have gone both 3-2 SU and ATS in back-to-back spots but the two losses came away from home. Oklahoma City has won 75 percent of its games at home (9-3) but a 5-7 ATS mark has hurt bettors.

The Thunder gave you a quick glimpse of what they are capable of on Tuesday as it hammered a decent Memphis team by 37 points on the road. OKC used to thrive on playing Eastern Conference teams but its only 5-6 SU and 3-8 ATS this season in non-conference games. The ‘under’ has gone 9-2 in those games. Atlanta has gone 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS versus the West this season, which includes a 2-2 mark on the road.

This game has the highest total (212) on Thursday and both teams have the fire power to put up points but we haven’t seen consistent efforts as Atlanta (13-10) and Oklahoma City (13-8) have both leaned to the ‘under’ this season.

L.A. Clippers at Chicago: This matchup will be the opener of the TNT double-header and it’s a tough game to handicap, especially with both teams playing last night. The Clippers defeated the Bucks 109-95 as five-point road favorites, which was their third straight win. Meanwhile, the Bulls came up short at Boston, dropping a 105-100 decision and that was third consecutive loss. L.A. has gone 2-3 on zero days rest this season and Chicago has been fortunate to play only one back-to-back set this season, which resulted in a win and cover.

The line on this game is listed as a pick ‘em as of Thursday morning while the total is 201. Both clubs have seen the ‘over’ go 3-0 in their last three games and we’re starting to see Fred Hoiberg’s team adapt to his faster paced tempo rather than Tom Thibodeau’s approach. Chicago has still been a solid ‘under’ lean (13-6) especially at home (8-2) but once the shots start falling, I can see those results balancing out or going to the high side.

The Clippers have won and covered five of the last six in this series, which includes three straight wins at the United Center, two of them by double digits.

New York at Sacramento: Similar to the Nets-76ers line, this opening line (Kings -4 ½) makes you open your eyes a little bit and I’m not alone in my thinking. As of Thursday morning, the number is now Sacramento -6 at most betting shops and it might come down by tip off because a lot of bettors aren’t buying the Knicks, rather they’re investing in rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis. The kid is a really nice play and New York has vastly improved from its dreadful 17-65 effort last season but they’re still far away from being a playoff team, yet alone a contender.

New York hobbles into this game with a 2-7 record in its last nine game, which includes a 21-point loss at Utah (106-85) last night and playing on zero days rest has been troublesome for the club too. The Knicks have gone 1-3 SU and 2-2 ATS in back-to-back games this season. Make a note that the ‘over’ is 3-1 as New York has allowed 101.2 PPG.

The Kings aren’t an elite team either but they have won two straight at home and they have matchup advantages both inside and outside for this game. I expect George Karl and company to exploit the Knicks backcourt with Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison easily handling whatever New York throws at them.

It’s rare to see Sacramento laying points but it’s been in this role five times this season and has produced a 4-1 record. Sacramento’s offense had a field day against the Knicks last season, scoring 135 and 124 as they swept the regular season series. The ‘over’ easily cashed in both games and is 7-3 in the last 10 encounters between the pair.

CNOTES · Dec 10, 2015

Irving close to returning for Cavaliers
December 10, 2015

CLEVELAND (AP) Cavaliers All-Star guard Kyrie Irving could make his season debut on the team's upcoming road trip.

Coach David Blatt said that Irving, who has been out since breaking his left kneecap in last season's NBA Finals, may play either Friday in Orlando or Saturday in Boston. Starting guard Iman Shumpert is also close to a return after missing Cleveland's first 21 games with a wrist injury sustained before training camp.

Irving and Shumpert both made it through their third full practices Thursday and will accompany the team on the trip. Blatt warned that it's not guaranteed either will play, and the team will stay cautious because ''both are coming back from pretty serious injuries.''

Blatt said the two can give provide ''a real boost'' because of their skill sets.

Irving played in a career-high 75 games during the regular season before getting hurt in Game 2 of the finals.