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

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cavaliers (27-9) at Spurs (34-6)
Date: January 14, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers should be feeling pretty good these days thanks to an eight-game winning streak, a perfect start to their longest road trip of 2015-16 and Kyrie Irving's latest big performance.


And, hey, they were the last team to win at the AT&T Center - 10 months ago.


As high as the Cavaliers have been, the San Antonio Spurs have been on another level as they seek their 32nd straight win at home when two of the NBA's best teams meet on Thursday night.


With Golden State stealing the show through the early part of the season, San Antonio (34-6) has quietly built the best start in the storied franchise's history. The Spurs are riding a season-high nine-game winning streak and are 22-0 at the AT&T Center, the second-best start at home by a Western Conference team ever behind Portland's 26-0 in 1977-78.


The last time San Antonio walked off its own court with a loss came in a 128-125 overtime defeat to Cleveland on March 12 thanks to Irving's career-high 57 points.


Since, the games haven't been close. The Spurs hold a plus-16.1 points per game differential at home, on pace to be the second best of all time behind the 1995-96 Bulls' 17.1. San Antonio's total of plus-14.1 would be the NBA's best ever.


The Spurs' 93.5 points per 100 possessions allowed are on pace to be the fewest in the league in more than a decade. The last team to do better? San Antonio itself in 2003-04 at 91.6.


The last four wins have featured as many different leading scorers: Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker. Parker had 14 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter en route to a season-high 31 in Tuesday's 109-99 win at Detroit.


'I don't know how to explain that - it is just going to happen,' Parker said. 'There are so many weapons on this team; it can be anyone any night.'


More nights than not it's going to be LeBron James for Cleveland (27-9), but the Cavaliers' latest win suggests they might be close to getting Irving all the way back as he continues to find his footing after fracturing his kneecap in the NBA Finals.


Irving has averaged 16.5 points in 10 games since returning last month. After scoring eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in Sunday's 95-85 win at Philadelphia, he had 22 points and nine assists in Tuesday's 110-107 overtime win at Dallas.


That was the Cavs' fourth straight win to open a six-game road trip that includes stops in all three Texas cities. Cleveland has won eight straight for a second time this season.


Irving sank a 3 to put Cleveland up 109-105 with 13 seconds left Tuesday off a pass from James, who has averaged 27.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7 assists the last four games but passed up an open jumper.


'It's just the confidence I have in him and he has the confidence in his self,' James said.


James had 31 points in 44 minutes of the OT win at San Antonio after being held to 15 points in a 92-90 loss in Cleveland earlier in the season. Kevin Love totaled 18 points on 6-of-22 shooting against the Spurs last season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Pistons (21-17) at Grizzlies (21-19)
Date: January 14, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In between home dates against the two best teams in basketball, it would seem easy for the Detroit Pistons to not be entirely focused on a trip to Memphis.


Considering what happened when they saw the Grizzlies last month, it'd be shocking if they weren't.


Losing on a halfcourt shot should have the Pistons eager for some payback Thursday night as they try to beat the Grizzlies for just the second time in the last 13 meetings.


Detroit (21-17) won three straight heading into a week that's bookended by visits from San Antonio and Golden State, but it couldn't hang with the NBA's hottest team Tuesday. Trailing by nine at halftime, the Pistons never got closer than six in the second half of a 109-99 loss to the Spurs.


"What I said to them after the game, you're going to have to play a full game against a team like that," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I thought we played about 24 minutes tonight. ... That's not going to be enough against a team like that."


The final two minutes did the Pistons in when Memphis (21-19) visited The Palace on Dec. 9, though missing their last five shots after going up 92-87 with 1:48 left shouldn't have mattered. But thanks to Matt Barnes' halfcourt heave with 1.1 seconds left, Detroit was left with a stunning 93-92 loss that Reggie Jackson called his team's toughest of the season.


Considering the Pistons allowed 13 offensive rebounds in the second half that led to 14 second-chance points, Van Gundy wasn't letting the loss boil down to Barnes' prayer being answered.


"The last shot, that one you can handle," he said. I mean, what are you going to do? ... But when you give up nine offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and you don't execute down the stretch ... then those things are going to happen to you. You don't give yourself a chance to win so, it's not just that shot. We didn't do our job down the stretch."


It's unclear if Barnes will even be available to face the Pistons this time. He missed Tuesday's 107-91 loss to Houston with a right thumb contusion and Mike Conley sat out a fourth straight game with a sore left Achilles.


Unlike in Detroit last month, it was offensive rebounding that hurt the Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Rockets had 18 that led to 28 second-chance points, the most Memphis has allowed since April 8, 2011.


"It seemed like every time they got an offensive rebound it was a 3-pointer and not just a putback," coach Dave Joerger said.


Zach Randolph had seven of Memphis' 16 offensive boards in Detroit and finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds in one of his final games as a starter. He's thrived off the bench lately, having put up at least 24 points in each of the Grizzlies' three wins in their past five games.


Memphis is 13-5 when Randolph scores at least 14.


Randolph has averaged 18.5 points and 12.8 rebounds while playing in 10 games during Memphis' 11-1 stretch in this series.


While Randolph is coming off the bench and Barnes and Conley are in question, another starter's status is uncertain after Tuesday's game. Jeff Green didn't play in the second half after logging 15 minutes in the first.


"That's my decision for various reasons, but I'm not going to go into it,' Joerger said. 'It wasn't a disciplinary thing at all.'


Green, who has started the last 30 games, is shooting 25 percent in January.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (15-23) at Jazz (17-21)
Date: January 14, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After failing once again to extend a modest win streak, the Utah Jazz will try to get back on track by extending their home dominance over the Sacramento Kings.


The Jazz also seek their fifth win in six games on their own floor Thursday night.


Utah (17-21) has had seven attempts to earn a season-high third consecutive win but has faltered in each one, losing 99-85 in Portland in its latest try Wednesday. The Jazz shot 40.8 percent and were outrebounded 54-38.


Gordon Hayward scored 19 points after totaling 59 in his previous two games, and Rodney Hood had 19 in his second game back from an ankle injury.


"We just stopped executing our game plan honestly, some breakdowns on the defensive end that led to open 3's that they knocked down," Hayward said. "There were too many breakdowns. We've just got to stay more focused. We've got to be sharp the whole game. ... We've just got to be better."


The Jazz look to bounce back with their 14th win in the past 17 home games against the Kings (15-23). Utah has won the past three meetings in Salt Lake City but had a three-game overall win streak in the series snapped with a 114-106 loss Dec. 8.


The Kings outshot the Jazz 55.8 to 41.3 percent in that victory and enter his one having alternated wins and losses in their last six road contests.


They nearly broke that pattern Jan. 5, taking Dallas to double overtime in a 117-116 defeat.


Sacramento then edged the Los Angeles Lakers 118-115 in the opener to a three-game homestand Jan. 7 but dropped the final two by 12 points apiece. DeMarcus Cousins' 32 points weren't enough to stave off a 109-97 loss to New Orleans on Wednesday.


"I think every guy in this locker room knows why we lost tonight," Cousins said. "It wasn't because they are better team. Whatever the case may be. The only thing it was is that they played harder than us and with more energy at the beginning of the game."


Cousins, averaging 32.3 points in his first six games in 2016, had a relatively more pedestrian 23 along with 12 rebounds in the win over Utah in December. Rudy Gay also had 23 points while making 10 of 13 shots.


Gay has connected at 50.0 percent or better in each of his last four games but was held to 12 points, well below his season average of 17.8, in the loss to the Pelicans.


Hayward had contrasting performances in last season's two home games against the Kings, scoring 30 in a 102-90 victory Feb. 7 and four in a 103-91 win April 8.


Hood had a team-leading 20 points in the latter game and is averaging 20.7 points on 51.2 percent shooting in his last three matchups with Sacramento.


Derrick Favors contributed 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds in the most recent home meeting but hasn't played since Dec. 23 because of back spasms.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lakers (9-31) at Warriors (36-3)
Date: January 14, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Another blowout is likely to leave Stephen Curry on the bench for the Golden State Warriors. Nagging injuries are expected to limit Kobe Bryant's minutes, but he may not even play at all for the Los Angeles Lakers.


Curry and the Warriors seek a 37th straight home victory and continued dominance of the Lakers in what's scheduled to be Bryant's final appearance in Oakland on Thursday night.


Golden State (36-3) owns the NBA's best record and Curry is its leading scorer at 29.8 points per game. The Warriors have also won 36 straight home games and extending that one more will give them the third-longest streak in league history.


That mastery, which includes winning all 18 home games this season by an average of 15.3 points, affords the Warriors the luxury of resting Curry and other key players in lopsided contests.


That's been the case in the first two meetings with the Lakers (9-31) with both games resulting in wins by an average of 27.5 points. Curry hasn't played more than 30 minutes in either contest, totaling 41 points with 15 assists.


Golden State has won six straight at home against Los Angeles and seven of the last eight matchups overall after a 109-88 road victory Jan. 5.


That was part of the Warriors' seven-game winning streak, which ended with Wednesday's 112-110 defeat at Denver after Curry committed a costly turnover with 8 seconds left.


"It was a great opportunity to try to tie the game or take the lead," said Curry, who had 20 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and a season high-tying eight turnovers. "Got stuck between looking for the open man and handling the ball."


The superstar guard is averaging 35.7 points over the last three games.


Bryant is just trying to get on the court after leaving Tuesday's 95-91 win over New Orleans before halftime with a sore Achilles tendon. That combined with a shoulder injury has forced the 37-year-old star to miss four of the last seven games, including last week's matchup with the Warriors.


Coach Byron Scott won't say if Bryant will play, but reiterated his desire to at least play in every city this season.


"He feels a certain responsibility to play in these arenas, which is admirable of him," Scott told the team's official website. "But my responsibility is to make sure he can play this (whole) season. I have to look past (Thursday) and Saturday's game (at Utah)."


Bryant leads the Lakers with 17.3 points per game, and he's scored 27.1 in 32 career games in Oakland. However, he only managed four on 1-of-14 shooting in a 111-77 loss on Nov. 24, his lowest production there since scoring three in his first appearance on Nov. 19, 1996.


Lou Williams scored 10 points in each of the two games against the Warriors this season, but he missed all seven of his field-goal attempts in this month's defeat.


The guard is averaging 25.3 points in four games since, but that's skewed by a career-high 44 in a 117-113 loss to Oklahoma City on Friday. He had 19 points Tuesday while missing 10 of 14 from the floor, including 7 of 8 from 3-point range.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack


-- LSU 90, Ole Miss 81-- No need for a shot clock in this game.


-- Oklahoma 74, Oklahoma State 72-- Evans kid had 42 for the Cowboys.


-- Tenn-Martin 96, Tennessee Tech 90-- Skyhawks hit 16-25 from the arc.


-- St Bonaventure 69, Rhode Island 64-- Bonnies, VCU tied atop Atlantic 14.


-- Memphis 67, Temple 65-- Last 0:05 of this game set basketball back a few years. Owls fouled a Memphis player 60 feet from hoop with 0:01.3 left.


-- USC 89, UCLA 75-- Convincing wire-to-wire win for the Trojans.


**********


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


13) Clemson 68, Duke 63-- In last four days, Tigers beat Louisville/Duke, both home games, the best stretch in years for Clemson basketball. In those two games, Clemson took 57 foul shots, their opponents 23. Landry Nnoko was a beast in this game.


12) Should be noted that Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum is being refurbished this year; Tigers are playing games in Greenville, SC, sharing the building with an ECHL minor league hockey team called the Greenville Swamp Rabbits-- tremendous name.


11) Forbes Magazine reported that the Rams are worth twice as much now as they were two days ago, before they moved to LA. Stan Kroenke has to pay NFL $550M to re-locate, but the team is worth more than that and doubled in worth, so he's already re-couped the $550M, and then some. I was happy today when I found a quarter and a dime on the floor of my car-- everything is relative.


10) Found it ironical that late Tuesday nite the movie Wall Street showed up on TV, where Michael Douglas' character tells an audience that ".....greed is good." This was a couple hours after NFL owners resorted to a secret ballot to make sure the guy with the most money won the re-location competition. Real life is stranger than fiction.


9) Philip Rivers might not be happy about the Chargers potentially moving, but he has to be happy Ken Whisenhunt is back as Chargers' offensive coordinator. Rivers had a big year in 2013 when Whisenhunt was OC for the Bolts.


8) Miami Marlins gave 2B Dee Gordon $50M for five years; he's been a very good leadoff hitter the last few years. Marlins have Mattingly as manager, Barry Bonds as a hitting coach- they should be very interesting to follow.


7) Alabama 73, South Carolina 50-- Rough night for Gamecocks, who lose for first time in 16 games this season. Solid week for Crimson Tide sports.


6) Still amazed that Alabama did the onside kick in a tie game with less than 11:00 left Monday night. Takes lot of onions to do that.


5) Sign of the times: 14 SEC basketball teams, 28 international players.


4) Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson as head coach; he went 8-8 in his one and only season as coach of the Raiders in 2011- he was OC in Cincinnati the last couple years. Marvin Lewis has lost three coordinators to HC jobs the last three years.


3) The great Bill Raftery announced two basketball games in same day on two different networks Sunday; Ohio State-Indiana on CBS, Villanova-Butler on FS1.


2) NFL free agency starts March 9, so Chargers really have to decide before then where they're going to play in 2016- their official deadline to inform the league for its '16 plans is March 23. Lot of loose ends to tie up in six weeks.


1) RIP Jim Simpson, 88, the first play-by-play guy ESPN used when they started in 1979- he also worked a lot for NBC before that. I'm pretty sure Simpson was working the first time Dick Vitale got behind an ESPN mike. If you're my age you heard him work a lot of different events, including lot of AFL games. RIP, sir.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 14

Hot teams
-- Toronto won five of last seven games (7-5AF).
-- Memphis won four of last five home games (5-0 last five HF). Detroit won three of its last four games (3-6 last nine AU).
-- Cavaliers won last eight games (3-1AU). Spurs won their last nine games, covered six of last seven.
-- Utah won four of last six games (5-3 last eight HF).
-- Warriors won seven of their last eight games (1-4 last five HF).

Cold teams
-- Orlando lost five of its last six games (1-3 last four HU).
-- Bulls lost their last three games (3-1AF). 76ers lost five of their last six games (2-8 last 10 HU).
-- Kings lost six of their last nine games (5-2 last seven AU).
-- Lakers lost four of their last five games (3-1 last four AU).

Series records
-- Raptors won nine of last ten games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won last eight games with Philly (3-1 last four vs spread).
-- Pistons lost nine of last ten games with Memphis.
-- Spurs won nine of last ten games with Cleveland.
-- Jazz won five of last seven games with Sacramento.
-- Warriors won seven of last eight games against the Lakers.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten Toronto games went over total; six of last eight Magic games stayed under.
-- Last five Chicago-Philly games went over total.
-- Three of last four Memphis games went over total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games went over total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Sacramento-Utah games.
-- Five of last seven Laker games stayed under total.

Back/backs
-- Sacramento is 5-4 vs spread if it played night before. Utah is 5-3.
-- Golden State is 8-2 vs spread if it played night before.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Thursday, January 14

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
TORONTO vs. ORLANDO
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing Toronto

7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Chicago is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 games
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Memphis's last 16 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis's last 9 games at home

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. SAN ANTONIO
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Cleveland is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
San Antonio is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Cleveland

9:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Sacramento's last 13 games when playing on the road against Utah
Sacramento is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games ,
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. GOLDEN STATE
LA Lakers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 7 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Thursday, January 14

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Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Spurs
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Cleveland has won eight straight, while San Antonio is 22-0 at home this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs (-5.5, 195.5)

The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs squared off, it turned into one of the most memorable games of the 2014-15 regular season. The latest matchup is lining up as another stellar affair as Cleveland has won eight straight games while host San Antonio's enters Thursday's contest with nine consecutive wins and a 22-0 home mark.

Point guard Kyrie Irving scored a career-best 57 points and drained all seven of his 3-point attempts as the Cavaliers went into San Antonio and produced a 128-125 overtime victory last March. Irving is just rounding into form after surgery to repair a fractured kneecap suffered during June's NBA Finals and scored 22 points as Cleveland produced a 110-107 overtime win at Dallas on Tuesday for its 14th victory in 16 contests. San Antonio continued its strong play with a 109-99 road win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday that represents its 16th win in 17 games. The Spurs have won 31 consecutive home games dating back to last season while the Cavaliers are 4-0 on their current six-game road swing.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs have opened as 5.5-point home favorites, while the total opened at 195.5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - PG M. Williams (questionable Thursday, personal).

Spurs - None to report.

POWER RANKINGS: Cavaliers (-9.5) - Spurs (-18) + home court (-3) = Spurs -11.5

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (27-9, 15-20-1 ATS, 17-19 O/U): Forward LeBron James scored 27 points in the victory over Dallas, and he has a simple explanation for why the team's success rate has soared. "We're finally whole," James told reporters, referencing the recent return of Irving and guard Iman Shumpert from injuries. "It took us a long time to get whole and it's paying dividends to our team and obviously we're not going to win every game, but we want to go out, we want to play our type of game - and that’s defend at a high level." Power forward Kevin Love is performing well and he has back-to-back double-doubles while averaging 11.4 rebounds over the past seven games.

ABOUT THE SPURS (34-6, 28-12 ATS, 18-21-1 O/U): San Antonio has recorded 16 double-digit victories at home but received a stern test in its last game at the AT&T Center. The Spurs held off the New York Knicks 100-99 last Friday as New York rallied over the final minutes and nearly pulled off the upset before Jose Calderon's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired. A good sign in Tuesday's victory over Detroit was the play of point guard Tony Parker, who erupted for a season-best 31 points on 13-of-19 shooting after averaging eight points on 9-of-29 shooting over his previous three outings.

TRENDS:

* Over is 7-0 in the last seven meetings in San Antonio.
* Over is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Spurs are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-five percent of wagers are on the Spurs and the over in this matchup.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 14

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TORONTO (24 - 15) vs. ORLANDO (20 - 18) - 1/14/2016, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-3 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (22 - 15) at PHILADELPHIA (4 - 36) - 1/14/2016, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (21 - 17) at MEMPHIS (21 - 19) - 1/14/2016, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 3-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 4-1 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (27 - 9) at SAN ANTONIO (34 - 6) - 1/14/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 28-11 ATS (+15.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 52-32 ATS (+16.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 194-145 ATS (+34.5 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 262-215 ATS (+25.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 50-35 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO 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

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SACRAMENTO (15 - 23) at UTAH (17 - 21) - 1/14/2016, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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LA LAKERS (9 - 31) at GOLDEN STATE (36 - 3) - 1/14/2016, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 80-57 ATS (+17.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 74-51 ATS (+17.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 79-60 ATS (+13.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday's Tip Sheet
January 14, 2016


Raptors (-4, 192.5) vs Magic – 3:05 ET


London’s O2 Arena will host this one, a showcase for two of the Eastern Conference’s most exciting teams.


Europeans Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Mario Hezonja of Orlando and Toronto’s Jonas Valanciunas will play headliners on their home continent in this Global Games setting. The Raptors own the second-best record in the East, both overall (24-15) and against conference competition (16-8).


The Raptors have been over to London back in 2011, marking the first time a regular-season game was played in Europe, while a young Orlando team actually has a lot of experience in other countries, playing in Rio de Janeiro this preseason and exhibitions in China and Mexico over the past decade.


Toronto has won and covered in each of its last three games, all on the road. The Raptors have pulled four games ahead of Boston in the Atlantic Division and own a 1-0 edge on the Magic in the season series, having won in Orlando on Nov. 6. They’re playing without small forward DeMarre Carroll, who got his knee scoped last week and is out indefinitely, which means James Johnson and Terrence Ross have gotten extended minutes.


The Magic have been without Elfrid Payton since suffering an ankle contusion on Jan. 2 and are 1-5 in ’16. Orlando has covered only once in its last seven games and has seen a dip in the production of Fournier, once the team’s leading scorer due to multiple nagging injuries as well. After averaging 17.8 points in November, he’s averaged 11.6 in December and is down to 9.5 through the first six games in January, shooting less than 26 percent from 3-point range.


According to the Orlando Sentinel, both Payton and Aaron Gordon will be available to play, giving Magic head coach Scott Skiles a full roster to work with for the first time in weeks.


Pistons at Grizzlies – 8:05 ET


After seeing a three-game winning streak snapped by San Antonio at Tuesday, the Pistons visit Memphis in a one-off road game before they return home to welcome Golden State on Saturday night.


Reggie Jackson was stifled in shooting 3-for-13 from the field in the 109-99 loss to the Spurs, while Andre Drummond played 28 minutes because Stan Van Gundy feared the Hack-a-Shaq strategy would be used against him. Over the past six games, Drummond is 6-for-33 from the free throw line (18 pct) but has still managed to average 17.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in leading Detroit to a 4-2 mark.


Memphis is attempting to tread water without injured point guard Mike Conley, who may miss his fifth consecutive game with a sore left Achilles. They’ve gone 2-2 with him sidelined, coming off a 107-91 loss to Houston where the Rockets dominated the fourth quarter 35-22. Mario Chalmers will get major minutes and be forced to handle Jackson if Conley can’t go.


Three of Memphis’ games without Conley, one of the top defensive guards in the league, have gone over the posted total.


Cavaliers at Spurs (-5.5, 196) – 8:05 ET, ESPN


Not only is this a potential Finals preview, but offers an opportunity for the Cavs to prove something to themselves as they try and destroy San Antonio’s perfect 22-0 start in home games this season.


Coming off an OT win in Dallas, the Cavs bring an eight-game winning streak to the AT&T Center and are 9-1 with Kyrie Irving back in the lineup after his Dec. 20 return from a kneecap fracture suffered in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals.


Although he’s still working his way back into a rhythm, his mere presence has made LeBron James and Kevin Love more efficient. That trio is 42-5 when they take the floor together. With Irving on the floor this season, Cleveland has an offensive efficiency rating of 118.5 and a net efficiency of +17, which would both be league highs if he’d have been healthy all season. Call it a small sample size if you must, but the fact is the Cavs have continued to flourish despite Irving shooting 17-for-47 (36.2 pct) from the field over the last three games simply because of the attention he commands.


Irving’s counterpart, Tony Parker, comes off his highest-scoring game since March, scoring 31 points to lead the Spurs to their ninth straight win. Tim Duncan joined Parker and Manu Ginobili in participating in a back-to-back, but Gregg Popovich has done a brilliant job of keeping all his veterans minutes down.


Both James and Kawhi Leonard are playing at an All-NBA First team level, making their duel must-see TV. They’ve gone at it in multiple NBA Finals over the years, but are seeing each other for the first time this season, one in which Leonard has broken through to the truly elite level. Leonard is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range and averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game. He’s the reigning Defensive Player of the year.


The over has come through in five of the last six wins for both teams.


Kings at Jazz – 8:35 ET


Utah has not had Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert as part of its starting frontcourt since Nov. 30. The Jazz hope that streak ends tonight as Favors will look to return from a back injury that has kept him out since Dec. 26. Gobert returned from an MCL sprain on Jan. 7, having missed 18 contests in which his team went 7-11 and often fell apart defensively.


Favors has been testing his back out in pre-game warmups and determining whether he can play depending on how he feels, so expect that to continue. Gobert has averaged just 7.0 points and 5.25 rebounds since returning, but should be settling back in a rhythm. Gobert’s task in this one will be to slow down DeMarcus Cousins, who went for 23 points, 12 boards and six assists without the French 7-footer to contend with in Sacramento’s 114-106 win on Dec. 8.


The Kings landed six double-digit scorers in that game, taking advantage of a healthy lineup to shoot 55.8 percent. Rajon Rondo had 13 assists. Sacramento is chasing the Jazz for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, entering this one two games back. The Kings have lost six of the last nine and have posted that same mark against the spread. The over has prevailed in five of their last six. The last three Jazz games have gone under the posted total.


Lakers at Warriors (-17, 216) – 10:05 ET


Golden State fell in Denver last night, missing Draymond Green in coming out flat to start the game and after halftime. Not only is the NBA’s runaway leader in triple-doubles the Warriors emotional leader, but he’s also their best rebounder, so his absence resulted in a 49-39 disadvantage on the boards that helped the Nuggets secure a 112-110 win.


Stephen Curry scored 38 points in 39 minutes, dishing out nine assists to try and prevent the Warriors from falling to 36-3. Golden State still hasn’t lost a game where Curry, Green and Klay Thompson all participated, which is expected to be the case tonight since Green will be back after resting. The Dubs haven’t lost at Oracle Arena all season (18-0), but are just 9-9 against the number, which includes three consecutive non-covers in Oakland.


The Lakers have been crushed by the Warriors twice already this season, falling 111-77 at Oracle on Nov. 24 and 109-88 at Staples Center on Jan. 5. Kobe Bryant left L.A.’s 96-91 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday night with a sore Achilles. He traveled to the Bay Area with his team, but his availability for tonight’s game is unknown.


The Lakers are 2-6 after victories this season. Golden State is 2-0 after losses. The Warriors are 9-1 on the second night of a back-to-back. Their last four games have all gone over.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA ATS


NBA > (709) SACRAMENTO@ (710) UTAH | 2016-01-14 21:00:00 - 2016-01-14 21:00:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 48 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (+28.2 units)


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO against the spread in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 15 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+11.7 units)


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO against the spread in All games as a favorite
The record is 28 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (+15.9 units)


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


NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive road games
The record is 14 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.8 units)


NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-01-14 22:30:00 - 2016-01-14 22:30:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in Home games vs. division opponents
The record is 16 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+15 units)


NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-14 19:00:00 - 2016-01-14 19:00:00
Play AGAINST CHICAGO using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 34 Wins and 24 Losses for the last two seasons (-44 units)


NBA > (705) DETROIT@ (706) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games after a division game
The record is 29 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.1 units)


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 42 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (+22.7 units)


NBA > (701) TORONTO@ (702) ORLANDO | 2016-01-14 15:00:00 - 2016-01-14 15:00:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive road games
The record is 6 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.7 units)


NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-14 19:00:00 - 2016-01-14 19:00:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in Road games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.75 units)


NBA > (705) DETROIT@ (706) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive home games
The record is 9 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+10 units)


NBA > (709) SACRAMENTO@ (710) UTAH | 2016-01-14 21:00:00 - 2016-01-14 21:00:00
Play ON UTAH using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 35 Wins and 32 Losses for the last two seasons (+25.05 units)


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


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO ?>in the first halfin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 34 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.7 units)


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


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (709) SACRAMENTO@ (710) UTAH | 2016-01-14 21:00:00 - 2016-01-14 21:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 12 Overs and 38 Unders for the last two seasons (+24.8 units)

NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play UNDER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 0 Overs and 10 Unders for the this season (+10 units)


NBA > (709) SACRAMENTO@ (710) UTAH | 2016-01-14 21:00:00 - 2016-01-14 21:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 36 Overs and 87 Unders for the last three seasons (+47.4 units)


NBA > (705) DETROIT@ (706) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play UNDER MEMPHIS on the totalin All games in January games
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.6 units)


NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 25 Overs and 58 Unders for the last three seasons (+30.5 units)


NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-01-14 22:30:00 - 2016-01-14 22:30:00
Play OVER GOLDEN STATE on the totalin All games when the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 19 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+12.4 units)

NBA > (707) CLEVELAND@ (708) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-01-14 20:00:00 - 2016-01-14 20:00:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 37 Overs and 72 Unders for the last three seasons (+31.3 units)


NBA > (703) CHICAGO@ (704) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-14 19:00:00 - 2016-01-14 19:00:00
Play OVER CHICAGO on the totalin All games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 20 Overs and 6 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.4 units)


NBA > (711) LA LAKERS@ (712) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-01-14 22:30:00 - 2016-01-14 22:30:00
Play OVER GOLDEN STATE on the totalin All games when the first half total >= 105.5
The record is 18 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+11.4 units)

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




SAC at UTA 09:00 PM

SAC +2.5 K BEST BET


U 200.5 BEST BET




LAL at GS 10:30 PM


LAL +17.0


U 217.0

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wizards (18-19) at Pacers (22-17)
Date: January 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's been a rough first half in many ways for the Washington Wizards, but they should be gaining confidence in what they'll be able to accomplish once they're healthy.


When that finally happens is anyone's guess.


Bradley Beal may be back out of action along with two other starters for Friday night's visit to Indiana, where John Wall is hoping whoever's left around him can help deliver some payback to the Pacers.


Beal returned Wednesday after missing more than a month with a stress reaction in his lower right leg, scoring 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench as the Wizards rallied to beat Milwaukee 106-101 and push their winning streak to three.


'I just took my time with this injury,' said Beal, who missed eight games with a similar injury last season. 'I definitely wanted to make sure I was 100 percent before I got back out here.'


But Washington (18-19), which has missed the most games to injury in the NBA, is far from out of the woods.


Beal is likely to be on a minutes restriction and says it's doubtful he plays both Friday in Indiana and Saturday against Boston. Wall was set to have an MRI Thursday to ensure there's nothing wrong with his sore left knee. Marcin Gortat missed a second straight game with an infection in his left knee, and Otto Porter left Wednesday's win with a sore right hip.


Those two are day to day while Kris Humphries (knee) and Alan Anderson (ankle) remain out.


Whoever suits up should be heavily invested in making sure Indiana (22-17) has a more difficult time shooting from long range. The Pacers made a franchise-record 19 3-pointers on just 26 attempts when winning 123-106 in Washington on Nov. 24, with Paul George hitting seven among his 40 points and C.J. Miles going 8 of 9 while scoring 32.


"We feel like we owe Indiana," Wall said. "They came in and shot the glove off the basketball when they were here last time. We've got to defend and get to their 3-point shooters and move the ball offensively, and I think we'll be fine."


The Wizards were relatively healthy for that one, and given the current injury uncertainty, they'll likely need another big effort from Nene. The Brazilian, who has missed 21 games to injury, totaled 26 points and played some solid defense in the last two games while starting in Gortat's place.


Washington is outscoring opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions when Nene is on the floor - easily the best on the team - and being outscored by 4.1 when he's off.


"Nene's huge for us," forward Jared Dudley said. "I don't even know if he realizes how big he is for this team. He's probably our best low-post scorer. He can pass the ball. He's a physical presence defensively. ... It seems like when he's in there, teams go for less offensive rebounds. Whatever we can do to keep him healthy, we'll do what we've gotta do."


The Pacers aren't exactly feeling 100 percent, either. Rodney Stuckey (foot) is out for at least two weeks, and coach Frank Vogel said after Wednesday's 103-94 loss at Boston that George was feeling fatigued after missing most of last season with a leg injury.


'He's reported that to me, that his legs feel a little heavy,' Vogel said of George, who is shooting 36.7 percent over his last 13 games. 'But everybody in the league goes through that. I don't think it's a big deal because of his injury, but that could be a factor.'


Miles hasn't been much better in January, shooting 32.9 percent.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Timberwolves (12-28) at Thunder (28-12)
Date: January 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent the last six weeks surging to a big lead in their division. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, have been sinking deeper into the cellar.


Given the history of this series the last seven years, both trends seems likely to continue Friday night when the Thunder try for their 12th straight home win over the Timberwolves.


Oklahoma City (28-12) went 17-4 from Dec. 6-Jan. 13 and tied San Antonio for the most wins in that span. That's allowed the Thunder to build a comfortable lead in the Northwest, while Minnesota (12-28) has spent that time plummeting into last place.


Those positions were further solidified when Oklahoma City won its eighth straight in the series Tuesday, 101-96 at Minnesota. Kevin Durant scored the final 12 points for the Thunder to finish with 30 and Russell Westbrook chipped in 22 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.


Oklahoma City has won 22 of 25 over the Timberwolves.


The Thunder followed their latest win in the series with Wednesday's 108-89 victory over Dallas to improve to 13-1 against the Western Conference at home. The club did so without one of its best players, as Westbrook was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the first half without scoring.


It was just the second scoreless game of his career, but Durant and Serge Ibaka combined for 49 points and 21 rebounds and Oklahoma City benefited from the Mavericks, who had played the night before, sitting out their starting five.


The Thunder matched a season high with 15 made 3-pointers for their 13th win in the last 15 home games. Oklahoma City topped the 100-point mark for the 10th straight game and held Dallas to 39.0 percent shooting.


Opponents have made 41.6 percent from the field against the Thunder in the last seven games.


"We didn't relax on the defensive end and that shows growth in us," Durant told the team's official website. "That's not our barometer because they didn't have their whole team there, but it was good for us to stay locked in, stay on pace and stick to what we do."


All Minnesota has done lately is lose, suffering through an eight-game skid and losing 12 of 13 - part of a 4-20 stretch. The Timberwolves are tied for the league's worst road record at 1-9.


Minnesota is the only team yet to win in the new year, though the Wolves have been more competitive of late with their last three defeats coming by six or fewer points.


Minnesota cut an 18-point deficit against the Thunder to two and then fell 107-104 at Houston on Wednesday.


'It's very frustrating not being able to win,' said guard Andrew Wiggins, who's averaged 26.5 points in the last four games and scored 22 against the Thunder. 'Every game we play good, but it's something that we're not doing right or a mistake we made and we just have to fix it.'


Turnovers have been the culprit in the last three contests with the Wolves' total climbing from 17 to 18 to 21.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Suns (13-27) at Celtics (20-19)
Date: January 15, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Isaiah Thomas is riding the most prolific scoring stretch of his career as he faces the team that gave up on him last year.


There's a good chance he'll stay highly productive Friday night considering the Phoenix Suns have been awful defensively, especially on the road, and they provide the Boston Celtics a great shot to piece together back-to-back wins before leaving town again.


Thomas has averaged 32.3 points in the last three games, easily the highest mark of any stretch that long during his five NBA seasons. He had 17 games of 20 or more points with the Suns last season, but they dealt him to Boston on Feb. 19 for a first-round pick and the since-departed Marcus Thornton.


Three days later, Thomas went back to Phoenix and keyed the Celtics' 115-110 victory - the teams' only meeting since the trade. The 5-foot-9 point guard scored eight of his 21 points in the final 1:37 and had seven assists, though he did say afterward that there were "no hard feelings" toward the Suns.


This Phoenix team shouldn't provide much resistance, either, after allowing at least 20 points to each of the last three point guards it has faced. The Suns (13-27) have surrendered 109.1 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting while losing 12 of 13.


Those averages are 114.9 and 51.8 percent during their eight-game road losing streak, the team's longest since the 2012-13 season.


Phoenix has lost by an average of 20.6 points in three road games this month, and the first two came to lowly Sacramento and the last-place Los Angeles Lakers. The most recent was a 116-97 defeat at Indiana on Tuesday.


Brandon Knight missed the game with food poisoning, so he should return Friday, but key reserves Alex Len (hand) and Ronnie Price (toe) will sit out again. This will be Phoenix's ninth game since losing top scorer Eric Bledsoe (knee) for the season.


"It's tough, man, it's tough. But you have to keep playing in this league," forward P.J. Tucker said. "The games keep coming. It's especially tough at this time of the year, when you get guys that get sick or that get injured. It's next man up. But you have to keep trying and you have to keep playing."


The Celtics (20-19), meanwhile, are at full strength. They also played the Pacers in their most recent game but with a much different result, winning 103-94 on Wednesday. That game and this one along with a visit from Chicago next Friday are their only home dates in an 11-game span.


Boston had lost a season-high four straight and six of seven before holding Indiana to 40.7 percent from the field and 5 of 30 from 3-point range.


"We didn't do anything differently on offense. We just hunkered down and got stops," said Jae Crowder, who matched a career high with 25 points.


Thomas scored a game-high 28, but many Celtics pointed to Amir Johnson as being the difference. The 11-year veteran, in his first season with Boston, had 14 points, 18 rebounds and six assists.


Johnson has averaged 13.4 points and 10.0 boards over the last five games, far exceeding his season averages. Coach Brad Stevens said he has "really come on big time," though Thomas recognizes his contributions go well beyond the numbers.


"He just does all the little things that the fans don't see in the stat book," Thomas told the team's official website. "That's what type of player he's always been, and that's how he's made his name."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Trail Blazers (17-24) at Nets (11-28)
Date: January 15, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Portland Trail Blazers have an opportunity to build a bit of momentum before beginning a season-high homestand. The Brooklyn Nets are just hoping their first home win in over a month helps get the ball rolling.


While the Trail Blazers try to take advantage of a pivotal stretch starting Friday night in Brooklyn, the Nets seek their first winning streak since mid-December.


Portland (17-24) opened a five-game homestand with losses against Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State, but the Trail Blazers beat Oklahoma City 115-110 on Sunday and Utah 99-85 on Wednesday.


They now play at the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn (11-28) and Philadelphia, and at under-.500 Washington before playing seven straight at home against underwhelming competition.


In all, eight of Portland's next 10 opponents have losing records.


The Trail Blazers sit in the ninth spot in the West at the midpoint of their season, and a push to get into the top eight rests largely on Damian Lillard's shoulders.


Without LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum for the first time in his career, Lillard's scoring average has risen from last season's 21.0 to 24.7 while his assists per game are up from 6.2 to 7.1. Lillard joins Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook as the only players ranked in the top 10 in scoring and assists.


The point guard missed the first seven games of his career Dec. 21-Jan. 3 with plantar fasciitis on his left foot, but he has come back strong. In his last three games, Lillard is averaging 30.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds while making half of his 36 3-pointers.


He finished three boards shy of his first career triple-double while scoring 21 points and dishing out 10 assists in 29 minutes against the Jazz, even while sitting out the final quarter. It was his eighth double-double in 33 games, more than in any of his first four years.


Lillard scored 13 points in the third quarter, moving his average in that period to 7.9 - tied for third-best in the league.


"At the start of the game, people are locked in on the scouting report," Lillard said. "At the start of that third, the focus isn't as much there as it is at the start of the game and neither is the energy. So those are the times where I've tried to pick my spots and try to get aggressive."


Portland had won three straight in this series before the Nets took the last meeting 106-96 on April 6 in Brooklyn despite Lillard's 36 points.


Brooklyn snapped a five-game losing streak with Wednesday's 110-104 win over New York. The victory also ended a 10-game skid at home and was the first in two games under interim coach Tony Brown, who took over when Lionel Hollins was fired and general manager Billy King was reassigned Sunday.


Brook Lopez made 8 of 13 shots and finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Thaddeus Young chipped in 19 points and 11 rebounds.


'Games like this, it's going to help turn our fan base around,' Brown said. 'If we continue to play in this kind of fashion, we'll fill the seats - but we've got to show them first. It'll take time, but (Wednesday) was a good start.'

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hornets (18-20) at Pelicans (12-26)
Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets ended their losing streak with the kind of defense they've needed to win all season, and the New Orleans Pelicans halted theirs with an outside shooting effort that's typically absent from their arsenal.


The teams seek their first winning streak of the new year Friday night in New Orleans, though additional losing streaks loom: The Hornets are up against an eight-game road skid while the Pelicans are in danger of losing a season-worst fourth straight at home.


Wednesday's 107-84 win over Atlanta ended a season-worst seven-game losing streak for the Hornets (18-20), on which they'd fallen from 1 1/2 games back of the Hawks to 5 1/2 and last place in the Southeast Division. Charlotte limited Atlanta to 37 percent shooting.


"We did it from start to finish," said Kemba Walker, who was 9 of 13 for 23 points after shooting 30.8 percent in his previous three games. "We came out aggressive, came out some great intensity and some great togetherness. We played some good defense from the start, and maintained it. We came out with a big win."


No matter their position in the standings in recent weeks, the Hornets haven't won a game in which an opponent shot at least 42 percent since Nov. 23. For a team that allows 44 percent for the season, that's a trend that'll have to change if a playoff push is in its future.


Charlotte also needs to end a road skid that's dropped it to 4-13 in opponents' buildings. It's the team's longest since ending 2012-13 with 14 straight. The win over the Hawks followed a disappointing four-game road trip.


"This was an important game for us to kind of put that road trip behind us," Cody Zeller said after a 19-point, 10-rebound game. "We knew we had to get off to a good start to beat this team. We kind of carried it all through. To come out and play defense the way we did tonight was a big key for us."


New Orleans (12-26) hasn't been a particularly imposing team offensively, shooting 39.7 percent over a 1-4 span. In Wednesday's 109-97 victory in Sacramento, though, the Pelicans were 16 of 33 from 3-point range.


"We really did a good job of moving the ball," said coach Alvin Gentry, whose team ranks in the league's bottom half in 3-point percentage (34.9). "We were locked in early."


Eric Gordon scored 24 points and hit 6 of 12 from long range, and that was necessary with Anthony Davis going 8 of 23 from the field. The power forward still finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and just his presence was a boost after he missed two games with a bruised back. The Pelicans are 0-5 without him.


"He's our best player, our go-to guy," said Ryan Anderson, who hit 4 of 6 from long range on his way to 18 points. "We rely a lot on him. We have extra confidence when he's in there."


Playing in New Orleans hasn't provided any similar boost. The Pelicans, who play eight of their next nine at home, have dropped three straight there for the second time this season, averaging 88.7 points while shooting 39.3 percent and 27.4 from 3-point range on the latest skid.


The teams have split four games over the past two seasons with the Pelicans winning both in New Orleans. Davis averaged 28 points and 12.5 rebounds in last season's meetings. Walker had 31 points in the latest - a 98-94 Hornets' win on Jan. 7, 2015.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hawks (23-16) at Bucks (16-25)
Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

What might be tougher to explain than Al Horford's misstep this week is his team's lunge backward in the process.


The low point of an inconsistent stretch has left the Atlanta Hawks with questions, which they'll attempt to answer Friday night as they go for their seventh straight road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.


Victories over Philadelphia and Chicago last Friday and Sunday followed a 1-3 stretch as Atlanta played more like the team that won six in a row preceding that slump. However, a blowout loss to a last-place team their last time out washed away any positive feelings.


Atlanta (23-16) suffered its second-worst defeat of the season Wednesday, 107-84 at Charlotte, which trails the first-place Hawks by just 4 1/2 games in the Southeast Division. Atlanta led only after the first basket of the game and trailed by as many as 35.


Paul Millsap had 20 points but no other Hawk scored in double figures as the club shot 37 percent. Horford's stats might have been the most stunning, as he scored a career-low two points, committed four turnovers and posted a minus-30 rating - the worst for an Atlanta player this season.


The forward had averaged 21.4 points in the previous five games and scored 33 with 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the 120-105 win over the Bulls.


'Our whole group did not play well,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Our entire group, from top to bottom, I don't think anybody feels real great about how we played."


The Hawks have given up at least 105 points five times in the last six games. Atlanta hasn't been able to end its up-and-down play this season, with win streaks of seven and six games surrounded by spotty results. The Hawks have gone 3-4 since the six consecutive victories.


They'll try to steady themselves against another last-place team in Milwaukee (16-25), continuing a stretch of seven of eight against sub-.500 teams that started with the Hornets game.


Atlanta has won 13 of 15 against the Bucks, and the six in a row at the Bradley Center have seen Milwaukee average 93.7 points. They scored 86 and 85 in the past two.


Milwaukee also felt good following Tuesday's 106-101 win over Chicago, but it lost by the same score at Washington on Wednesday for its fourth defeat in six games. One night after setting a season low with five turnovers, the Bucks committed a season-high 27 with 12 coming in the final 12 minutes.


'Way too much,' said center Greg Monroe, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds. 'If we take care of the ball, we probably give ourselves a better chance to win.'


Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 25 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 and 11 rebounds - his third straight game with double-digit boards.


The Bucks are 11-7 in Milwaukee and have won two straight there. Atlanta has lost nine of its last 15 road games after opening the season 4-0 away from home.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Heat (22-17) at Nuggets (15-24)
Date: January 15, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

It's been a dream start to the longest homestand of the season for the Denver Nuggets, while the Miami Heat's longest road trip has turned sour.


Erik Spoelstra's club can still salvage a split with wins in the last two, and that begins Friday night in Denver with the Nuggets coming off a win over the NBA's best team.


Denver (15-24) became the third team to beat Golden State with Wednesday's 112-110 victory. It was also its third win in four games since dropping six straight, and the success has come with a limited amount of offensive execution. The Nuggets shot 42.5 percent against Golden State while hitting 5 of 22 from 3-point range, and they've been limited to 39.2 percent in their last four. It was the worst opponent shooting percentage in a Warriors' regular-season loss since the Los Angeles Clippers shot 39.1 percent on Dec. 25, 2014.


Unsurprisingly, they've all been tight games with Denver tipping the scale by holding teams to 39.9 percent and with a 49.5-40.5 rebounding advantage. That includes a 13.3-8.8 edge on the offensive glass.


Against the Warriors, Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 28 points, but his defense against Steph Curry in the game's closing seconds was just as noteworthy.


"Gallo has proven this year he can guard most players on the floor," said coach Michael Malone, whose team is two wins into an eight-game homestand. "And he did a great job. He got into a stance, forced a deflection, was first to the floor and comes out with the loose ball. Those are winning plays. Those are what separate teams, and we had enough winning plays tonight where we were able to withstand the furious comeback that they made."


Gallinari has strung together three of his top six scoring efforts of the season, and the forward is averaging 26.2 points in six games since returning from an ankle injury.


Regardless of who Denver just beat, Miami (22-17) figures to be relieved with its next opponent after stops in Golden State and Los Angeles. Wednesday's 104-90 loss to the Clippers was the fourth on a six-game trip that began with a win in Phoenix and a loss in Utah.


The Heat committed a season-high 24 turnovers with seven from Dwyane Wade, who's averaging exactly 4 in his last five games after entering that span at 2.27 per contest. That probably has something to do with point guard Goran Dragic missing the game with a strained calf, and he'll miss the rest of the trip after being sent back to Miami.


"I was trying to make things happen, but I had too many turnovers," Wade said. "I was just trying to be aggressive, especially in transition. We had some opportunities, but they did a good job of getting back, gambling at certain times, and we did some lazy passing."


On the three-game skid, Wade has averaged 14.7 points on 31.9 percent shooting, while Chris Bosh has been held to 13 points per game while shooting 34.6 percent - with a 0-for-9 mark from 3-point range - in the last two.


They've averaged 17.3 turnovers on the skid, and Spoelstra attributed those individual efforts and their 92 points per game to not taking care of the ball.


"That's the No. 1 thing because that flattens us out," he said. "Everybody gets out of rhythm. Not able to execute with detail, and you naturally get discouraged on that. We all have to develop a better mental toughness in those situations. We're the same team. We're the same team that won the first game on this trip."


Gerald Green has at least stepped up, scoring a team-high 19 against the Clippers. The reserve guard is averaging 17 points and shooting 51 percent in his last four games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mavericks (22-18) at Bulls (23-15)
Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Derrick Rose is supposed to be back from his latest injury, but Jimmy Butler's presence on the court is much more important to the Chicago Bulls.


Butler looks to build on the best performance of his career Friday night when the Bulls face the Dallas Mavericks.


Rose has missed six games this season due to various injuries, an improvement after he sat out 31 in 2014-15.


Chicago (23-15), though, is 5-1 without the former NBA MVP mostly because of Butler. The guard is averaging 34.3 points and 6.2 assists while hitting 51.9 percent from the floor in games without Rose.


Butler, who has started every game this season, willed the Bulls to Thursday's 115-111 overtime win at Philadelphia, erasing a 24-point deficit while Rose nursed a sprained knee. He had a career-high and NBA season high-tying 53 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals while no other Bull scored more than 17.


"That's as good of a performance as I've seen," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "The guys hopped on his shoulders and he carried us home. Play after play, it was an unbelievable performance."


Butler, however, struggled in a 118-111 loss at Dallas on Dec. 26, scoring 17 points with five turnovers while shooting 4 of 11. He totaled 43 points over the two previous matchups, which the teams split.


Rose had one of his best performances of the season against the Mavericks (22-18) in December, connecting on 12 of 20 shots to finish with 25 points.


Pau Gasol chipped in 18 in that matchup, and he had 29 with 14 boards in a 132-129 double-OT loss in the most recent meeting at United Center. The forward should be fresh for this one since he was given the day off Thursday.


The Mavericks are on the cusp of matching their season-high three-game slide from Nov. 22-25, but having their full compliment of starters back should make a difference.


A day after falling 110-107 in overtime to Cleveland on Tuesday, coach Rick Carlisle rested all of his starters and Dallas shot 39.0 percent from the floor - 6 for 31 from beyond the arc - in a 108-89 loss at Oklahoma City.


Salah Mejri, however, may have earned more playing time after totaling 17 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. The center, a native of Tunisia, logged 19 minutes while collecting five boards over the first five games of his NBA career.


"He's been working hard with our developmental people," Carlisle said. "He's been practicing hard. The work paid off. He had a really good night offensively. He rebounded the ball. He showed that he's in shape and that he's ready. Very positive sign."


Carlisle is expected to have Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, Chandler Parsons, Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia back.


Parsons and Pachulia keyed the Mavs against Chicago last month. Parsons had 20 points with five assists and five rebounds, while Pachulia scored 17 and pulled down 12 off the glass as Dallas outscored the Bulls 30-19 in second-chance points and 28-11 in points off turnovers.


Parsons has averaged 21.0 points over the last three meetings with the Bulls.


Nowitzki has 20.8 points per game over his last nine on the road, and he had 22 while grabbing 14 boards in the most recent visit to Chicago.


The forward's next game will tie him with Elvin Hayes for 15th on the NBA's all-time games played list at 1,303. Only 17 players have played in 1,300 or more NBA games.