Cnotes National Basketball League October-November Picks/Trends/News !!

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bucks (0-2) at Raptors (2-0)
Date: November 01, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors boasted one of the NBA's best offenses in 2014-15, but early signs indicate they could be even better this season.


They'll try to continue their hot start Sunday night against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, who have been dismal defensively.


Toronto, seeking its first 3-0 start since 2008-09, has averaged 109.5 points through its first two games after finishing fourth with 104.0 last season. DeMar DeRozan scored 23 in Friday's 113-103 win at Boston, while DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross added 21 apiece.


Ross, who was a reserve for the second straight game after starting 123 over the past two seasons, scored 13 in the fourth quarter.


"Coming off the bench helps me because you see what the team needs to work on," he said. "It helps you focus on what you can do. I actually like it a little better."


Carroll was 4 of 7 from 3-point range and has two steals in each of his first two games as a Raptor.


Milwaukee was expected to take another step forward after a surprising sixth-place finish last season, but has stumbled out of the gates and is in danger of its first 0-3 start since dropping its first five games in 1976-77. This is the longest streak in NBA history of consecutive seasons without starting 0-3.


The Bucks limited opponents to 97.4 points per game in 2014-15 to rank eighth in the NBA, but have given up 240 points to New York and Washington. They let the Wizards shoot 51.5 percent - including a 12-for-21 mark from 3-point range - in Friday's 118-113 home loss.


"We won't beat anybody giving up 120 points," said Greg Monroe, who scored 22 for the second straight contest. "We have to be better at defense. That's it."


Milwaukee surrendered 39 points in the second quarter and 36 in the fourth, conceding 14 to Bradley Beal and 11 to Ramon Sessions over the final 12 minutes. The Bucks led by 10 entering the final period.


"We have to take more pride in defense," coach Jason Kidd said. "We're trying to outscore people and it's affecting our defense. We're not getting stops when we have to, but it goes back to guarding the ball. We're not guarding the ball."


Despite their early struggles, they may be able to capitalize on turnovers Sunday. Toronto has committed 43 turnovers leading to 44 points for opponents after its 12.9 turnovers per game last season were the NBA's third-fewest. Milwaukee scored 20 points off 21 Washington turnovers Friday.


The Raptors' defense has also impressed, holding Indiana and Boston to 37.4 percent shooting, though both clubs ranked in the league's bottom 10 in that category a season ago. Milwaukee finished seventh in shooting at 45.9 percent last season.


The Bucks shot 51.2 percent against the Wizards and enjoyed a strong season debut by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 23 of his 27 points in the first half. He was suspended for the opener due to a flagrant foul assessed in Game 6 of last season's first-round playoff series against Chicago.


John Henson is listed as out after missing Friday's game due to a sore Achilles, while O.J. Mayo (strained hamstring) and Jabari Parker (knee surgery) remain sidelined.


Milwaukee ended a six-game losing streak in the series with an 82-75 victory at Toronto on Feb. 2.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Magic (0-2) at Bulls (2-1)
Date: November 01, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While growing pains crept up on the Chicago Bulls in their first loss, the Orlando Magic would like to move past the hurt of their first two.


Each will try to push through their stunted growth with a Sunday night matchup in Chicago, where the Bulls have won 17 of the last 18 meetings.


A fast start made a coaching switch from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg look seamless for Chicago, but a few stitches split open during Friday's 98-94 overtime loss to Detroit.


The Bulls (2-1) were denied their first 3-0 start since 1996-97 and sputtered in Hoiberg's new-look offense.


Derrick Rose's last-second shot at the end of regulation missed everything but the backboard, and after a dismal overtime, the Bulls were left with a ugly stat sheet.


Chicago started slow and finished at 40.5 percent shooting, committed 20 turnovers for the second consecutive game and was outrebounded on the offensive boards 20-8. It was a clear regression after opening the season with a 97-95 win over Cleveland on Tuesday before a 115-100 victory against Brooklyn on Wednesday.


"We came out lackadaisical," Jimmy Butler told the team's official website. "Can't happen. Not in this league... We were careless with the ball, making lazy passes, trying to catch the ball with one hand, trying to thread the needle."


Hoiberg was especially irked by his team's second straight 20-turnover game, a first for the Bulls since December 2010.


"It is going to be tough to win when that happens," said Hoiberg. "... We have to get that cleaned up."


Rose had five turnovers while playing with a mask and still some double vision due to an orbital fracture under his left eye. He started 0 for 6 while going scoreless through the first three quarters and milked 20 seconds off the clock before taking an errant fadeway to close regulation. His eight points all came in the last 6:28 of the fourth.


The Bulls will go for their ninth straight win at United Center before heading to Charlotte on Tuesday.


Orlando (0-2) will test its luck on the road after suffering two gut-wrenching losses at home. The Magic coughed up a five-point lead late in the fourth quarter of an 88-87 loss to Washington in Wednesday's opener, but that came nowhere close to the pain of Friday's 139-136 double-overtime loss to Oklahoma City.


Orlando blew an 18-point lead in the fourth before Russell Westbrook forced OT with a 38-foot heave at the buzzer, overshadowing Victor Oladipo's go-ahead 3 moments before. Oladipo forced a second OT with a last-second 3-pointer, but Orlando never led from there.


The young Magic posted two quality performances against elite competition and walked away with nothing to show for it.


"We have to put the pressure on ourselves to get better, sleep on this, be really (upset) about it and come back and play better," coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website.


Oladipo logged his second career triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against the Thunder. Tobias Harris had 30 points and nine rebounds, while Nikola Vucevic added 26 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.


The Magic lost 14 of their final 16 road games last season to finish 12-29 away from home.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Nuggets (1-1) at Thunder (2-0)
Date: November 01, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Though superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are enjoying their time back on the floor together, the Oklahoma City Thunder are far from a polished product.


The Thunder can iron out more early wrinkles while trying to remain undefeated Sunday night against the visiting Denver Nuggets.


Westbrook and Durant have combined for 146 points and 31 rebounds, but Oklahoma City hasn't had an easy time starting 2-0. The Thunder needed a 33-point fourth quarter to rally for a 112-106 win over San Antonio on Wednesday, and Westbrook's 3-pointer from just inside midcourt at the end of regulation Friday lifted them to a 139-136 double-overtime victory at Orlando.


"We're still a work in progress," first-year coach Billy Donovan told the Thunder's official website. "We need to keep getting better and improving. The biggest thing I'm looking for is if how we're playing is sustainable."


After missing the playoffs while Durant was limited to 27 games by an ailing right foot last season, the Thunder are certainly confident with their two stars side by side again. Westbrook had 48 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while Durant added 43 points and 12 boards Friday as Oklahoma City rallied from 18 down, displaying the grit it will need to be a serious contender in the Western Conference.


It was the third time Durant and Westbrook scored at least 40 in the same game.


"That shows a lot of guts on our end," Durant said. "(Westbrook and I) tried to come through for the group and make huge plays. They needed us (Friday) and we were able to come through."


But the pair can likely use some help.


D.J. Augustin, Enes Kanter and Serge Ibaka are the only other Thunder players to score in double figures, and the team has committed 40 turnovers. Oklahoma City allowed 67 first-half points Friday and went 8 of 27 from 3-point range for the game.


Durant, however, was pleased to sustain himself physically through Friday's marathon.


"This game helped me a lot. Just being able to play a double-overtime game, and just getting used to that again," he said.


Durant scored 40 in his only contest against Denver last season, a 124-114 road win Feb. 9.


Oklahoma City, which last opened with three straight victories in 2011-12, has won four in a row at home against the Nuggets (1-1).


After shooting 50.6 percent in a 105-85 win at Houston on Wednesday, Denver took a big step back in making 30.5 percent of its shots during Friday's 95-78 home loss to Minnesota.


"I think it was us coming out with no sense of urgency," said coach Michael Malone, whose team scored 16 points in the first quarter and 15 in the fourth while going 5 of 25 from 3-point range overall. "No pace to our game, no purpose to our game. The team we saw Wednesday night in Houston was not the team we saw (Friday).


"There was no energy. When you have to coach effort you're in trouble."


Denver rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has 32 points and has shot 5 of 10 from beyond the arc in two games. He had four turnovers Friday after committing 11 at Houston.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mavericks (1-1) at Lakers (0-2)
Date: November 01, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

Byron Scott is at a loss for words over the Los Angeles Lakers' dismal start. Rick Carlisle's Dallas Mavericks lineup could be bolstered by the return of several key players.


The Lakers will keep searching for a solution as they host the Mavericks on Sunday night.


Scott was lost following Los Angeles' 132-114 defeat at Sacramento on Friday. The Lakers trailed 74-50 at halftime and 31 in the third quarter en route to their second loss to open the season.


The Kings' point total was the highest Los Angeles has surrendered since a 140-106 loss at Dallas on Nov. 21.


'I wish I did have an answer for what happened," Scott said. "If I did I would solve it.'


Los Angeles also struggled badly at the defensive end in a 112-111 home defeat to Minnesota on Wednesday. The Lakers have given up their most points in the first two games since allowing a franchise-record 266 to start 1982-83.


The last NBA team to allow 244 points through the first two games was Houston, when it matched that total in 2010-11.


"It (stunk)," Scott said of the defensive effort Friday. "Simple as that. Transition defense was terrible. Guys didn't get back; lack of communication ... It was a lack of effort, also."


The Lakers have allowed 122 points in the paint after an astounding 80-38 disadvantage against the Kings.


Some of Los Angeles' problems offensively have come from beyond the arc, as it's 20 of 69 on 3-pointers. Kobe Bryant is 4 of 21 while Lou Williams (2 for 10), D'Angelo Russell (2 for 8) and Ryan Kelly (1 for 5) have also struggled. Nick Young has made half of his 14.


Problems for Dallas (1-1) aren't as pressing on the court as they are on the injury report. The Mavericks won 111-95 at Phoenix on Wednesday and fell 104-88 on the road to the Clippers on Thursday.


Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews played in the opener but joined Chandler Parsons and JaVale McGee on the sideline Friday.


Matthews was rested for the second of back-to-back games as Dallas eases him back following offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles. Williams sprained his left knee against the Suns but could play Sunday, while Parsons hopes to make his season debut after offseason knee surgery.


A left tibia fracture has limited McGee to 28 games the last two seasons, and his status is uncertain.


After eight Mavericks scored in double figures against the Suns, John Jenkins led the team with 17 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 16 while shooting 6 of 15. Dallas made 36.1 percent from the field.


'The (lack of) manpower made it tougher,' Carlisle said. 'We really would have had to play a perfect game. I thought we did a lot of things well, but in the end, from a shooting standpoint, we couldn't hit a bull in the (rear) with a bass fiddle.'


The Mavericks have won seven in a row against the Lakers, three of which were at Staples Center.

 

[CNOTES]

nba record for oct/nov:


saturday's night results:


*****............................0 - 2


double play.....................1 - 1


triple play...................... 0 - 1


slam dunk.......................2 - 0


overall record:


*****................................5 - 7


double play.........................7 - 6


triple play.......................... 2 - 3


slam dunk..........................4 - 5

 

[CNOTES]

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1


Game Score Status Pick Amount


Atlanta - 2:00 PM ET Charlotte +2 500 *****
Charlotte - Under 194.5 500


San Antonio - 3:30 PM ET Boston +5.5 500 *****
Boston - Over 200.5 500


Houston - 6:00 PM ET Miami -4 500
Miami - Under 205.5 500


Milwaukee - 6:00 PM ET Toronto -7 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Toronto - Over 202.5 500


Orlando - 7:00 PM ET Orlando +7.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Chicago - Over 199 500


Denver - 7:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -12 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Oklahoma City - Over 212.5 500


Dallas - 9:30 PM ET Dallas -3.5 500 *****
L.A. Lakers - Under 212 500

 

[CNOTES]

nba record for oct/nov:


sunday's night results:


*****............................1 - 1 - 1


double play.....................2 - 0


triple play...................... 1 - 0


slam dunk.......................0 - 0


overall record:


*****................................6 - 8 - 1


double play.........................9 - 6


triple play.......................... 3 - 3


slam dunk..........................4 - 5

 

[CNOTES]

NBA Capsules
November 1, 2015


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Kent Bazemore scored 20 points, Al Horford added 16 points and 12 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets for the second time in three days, 94-92, on Sunday.


The Hornets had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Kemba Walker's 17-footer from the left wing hit the back rim and bounced out. Walker also missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of Charlotte's 97-94 loss to Atlanta on Friday night.


Jeff Teague had 18 points and Paul Millsap added 16 points, including a key 3-pointer to give Atlanta the lead for good with less than a minute to play.


Walker finished with 17 points and Nicolas Batum added 16 points and eight assists for winless Charlotte. Al Jefferson contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.


SPURS 95, CELTICS 87


BOSTON (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard added 19 points and San Antonio beat Boston.


Manu Ginobili scored 13 points and Boris Diaw had 10 for the Spurs


Avery Bradley led Boston with 18 points and Marcus Smart had 17. Isaiah Thomas scored 15, but shot only 4 of 18 from the floor. Jared Sullinger had 10 points and eight rebounds.


San Antonio opened a double-digit lead early in the game and held off Boston's charges the rest of the way.


The Celtics closed a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to four points three times in the final 4 minutes, the last on Smart's 3-pointer from the right corner that made it 86-82 with 2:45 to play. But then Leonard nailed a jumper and Tony Parker had a fast-break layup with 2:02 to go.


HEAT 109, ROCKETS 89


MIAMI (AP) - Hassan Whiteside had 25 points and 15 rebounds, Chris Bosh scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter and Miami erased a 21-point second-half deficit to beat Houston.


Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and Luol Deng added 14 for Miami, which outscored Houston 65-24 in the final 23 minutes. It was Miami's largest comeback win since a 27-point rally against Cleveland in March 2013.


Marcus Thornton scored 21 points for Houston, and James Harden had 16. The Rockets have dropped their first three games of the season - all by exactly 20 points each.


Dwight Howard sat out to rest on the first night of a back-to-back. He's expected to play when the Rockets host Oklahoma City on Monday night.


RAPTORS 106, BUCKS 87


TORONTO (AP) - Dwane Casey got his franchise-record 157th win as coach of Toronto with a victory over Milwaukee.


The milestone came in his 315th game with the Raptors, besting the previous record held by current Minnesota Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell.


Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and eight rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry had 15 points each.


The victory boosted Toronto's record to 3-0, just the third time in team history that it has been perfect through the season's opening three games, and the first time since 2008-09.


The Bucks dropped to 0-3 despite a game-high 20 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo. It's the first time the team has started a season with three consecutive losses since 1976-77, when it dropped five straight. Milwaukee previously had the longest streak in NBA history without starting 0-3.


THUNDER 117, NUGGETS 93


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 25 points to help Oklahoma City beat Denver.


Durant made 8 of 11 field goals and all six of his free throws to help new coach Billy Donovan remain unbeaten in the NBA.


Serge Ibaka had 18 points, seven rebounds and five blocks and Russell Westbrook had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who have won their first three games for the first time since the 2011-12 season.


The Thunder shot 52 percent from the field, and all five Oklahoma City starters rested for the entire fourth quarter.


Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each scored 15 points and Jameer Nelson added 13 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, who shot just 38 percent.


BULLS 92, MAGIC 87


CHICAGO (AP) - Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic each scored 16 points and Chicago withstood a late surge from Orlando.


Chicago led by 14 at halftime and 12 after three quarters, and the Bulls appeared to be headed for an easy win. But Orlando cut the lead to two with just under 3 minutes left before Chicago's Jimmy Butler jumped to intercept a pass and squelch the comeback bid.


Then, under the Bulls' basket after a Magic rebound, Butler came up with another takeaway to again foil Orlando.


It was the third win in four games for Chicago. The Magic dropped to 0-3.


Derrick Rose is still playing with a face mask as he recovers from a broken orbital bone suffered before the start of the season. He was held scoreless in the second and third quarters and finished with just six points.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack


Westgate Super Contest (1,727 entrants-- prize pool is $2.5M)
six most popular picks in Week 8 season record: 25-22-2


6) Steelers even (462)-- Big Ben returns against the unbeaten Bengals- L.


5) Broncos +3 (470)-- Battle of unbeatens, both coming off of byes- W.


4) Bears +1.5 (499)- Vikings lost their last seven visits to Windy City- L.


3) Packers -3 (511). Lot of opinions both ways on this game- L.


2) Jets -2.5 (530)-- Jets will miss center Mangold if he can't go here- L.


1) Cardinals -5 (538)-- Arizona's last game before its bye week- W.


**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.....


13) Saints 52, Giants 49 OT-- Drew Brees threw for seven TDs; he had 300 passing yards......at halftime, 511 for the game. Weird stat: Giants scored 42 points but were only 1 for 8 on third down- they scored 21 straight points in 4th quarter to take lead, but Saints scored 10 points in last 0:36. Game swung on facemask penalty on Giants punter Wing that set up game-winning FG.


12) Chiefs 45, Lions 10-- Why did I get up at 9:29am to watch a Jim Caldwell team get pummeled? Chiefs were 8-13 on third down, ran for 206 yards. Not sure why the Lions fired three coaches before the London trip, when they have a bye week now?


11) Vikings 23, Bears 20-- Minnesota had lost seven in a row in Chicago, but they scored 10 points in last 1:49 for win, with rookie WR Diggs catching 40-yard TD that tied game in dramatic fashion. Last four Chicago tilts were decided by 3 or less points.


10) Bucs 23, Falcons 20 OT-- FOX analyst Charles Davis defended Lovie Smith's choice to go for it on his own 39 on 4th-and-1 with 2:00 left and a 20-13 lead- when the Bucs failed, Falcons had short field and tied game. Whole thing became moot when Tampa won in OT, but Smith made a foolish decision and got away with it.


9) Rams 27, 49ers 6-- Rookie RB Gurley is the real deal; rest of the Rams' offense is a work in progress- their defense is stellar, which is why Rams are 4-3. St Louis offense had two TDs of 60+ yards in this game, first time they've done that since 1961. Refs in this game think people paid to watch them throw flags-- too many cheap penalties.


8) Cardinals 34, Browns 20-- Arizona scored last 27 points of this game; they head into their bye at 6-2; they were -3 in turnovers in both losses. Cleveland has now lost five of its last six games-- seven of their eight games have gone went over total. NFC teams are now 18-13 against the AFC so far this season.


7) Royals 7, Mets 2 (12)-- I have no problem with Mets leaving Harvey in for ninth inning; he was mowing the Royals down. You can make the right decision and have it turn out the wrong way. Thats what makes coaching/managing such a challenging and interesting profession. Everyone's a freakin' genius the next day.


6) Bengals 16, Steelers 10-- Big Ben had Steelers in red zone at end of game but 7-0 Bengals held on for the win, in game where teams were combined 7-26 on 3rd down- each team had ten penalties. Last six Pittsburgh games stayed under total. While I am here, the Steelers' throwback uniforms are simply awful, like old prison garb.


5) Ravens 29, Chargers 26-- San Diego's defense/special teams aren't doing much to help the offense; 53 of Chargers' last 66 drives started 80+ yards from goal line; in last six games, San Diego started one drive in opponent territory- the foes started 12 drives in Charger territory. Hard to win that way.


4) Texans 20, Titans 6-- Captain Obvious checked in to inform us that the NFL has a shortage of quality QBs; rookies are starting right out of college now, which makes it a sink or swim situation, rather than a developmental one. Titans have 36 points in four post-bye games, after losing 35-33 to Colts in their pre-bye game- they're 2-20 in last 22 games overall, since upsetting Chiefs on Opening Day, 2014. .


3) Raiders 34, Jets 20-- Fitzpatrick hurt his left thumb early in game; Deion Sanders had the onions to criticize him for coming out, since it wasn't his throwing hand. Guy has torn ligaments in the thumb-- Deion is stealing $$$ on TV. Jets are screwed now; Geno Smith also got banged up but he sucks anyway, so they need to find a QB out on the street who can help them, if Fitzpatrick needs surgery. Good luck there.


2) Seahawks 13, Cowboys 12-- Dallas is 0-5 without Romo but dammit, they're still on national TV each and every week. Both teams were futile in red zone; five FGs on five red zone drives. Observation: Russell Wilson got tossed out of bounds by #90 on Dallas, a clean hit but a hard one- no Seahawks ran over to help him. Hmmm.....


1) Broncos 29, Packers 10-- Green Bay was in wrong place at wrong time, on a night where Denver honored their beloved owner. Broncos are now 7-0 with Manning going back to Indianapolis next week. Packers are OK, as long as Matthews' injury isn't too bad- they go to Carolina next week.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, November 2


Cleveland @ Philadelphia

Game 501-502
November 2, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
122.001
Philadelphia
112.129
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 10
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 13
195
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+13); Over

San Antonio @ New York

Game 503-504
November 2, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
126.664
New York
116.272
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 10 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 7
204
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-7); Under

Milwaukee @ Brooklyn

Game 505-506
November 2, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
112.086
Brooklyn
115.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 3 1/2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 1
197
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(-1); Over

Oklahoma City @ Houston

Game 507-508
November 2, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
123.223
Houston
118.349
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 5
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 1
215
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-1); Under

Portland @ Minnesota

Game 509-510
November 2, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
110.551
Minnesota
118.635
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 8
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 5 1/2
202
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-5 1/2); Over

Memphis @ Golden State

Game 511-512
November 2, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
118.740
Golden State
139.618
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 21
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9
201
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-9); Under

Phoenix @ LA Clippers

Game 513-514
November 2, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
115.843
LA Clippers
128.750
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 13
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-9); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Monday, November 2

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

7:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. PHILADELPHIA
Cleveland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games

7:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
San Antonio is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio

7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. BROOKLYN
Milwaukee is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Milwaukee is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 4-17-1 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Milwaukee
Brooklyn is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Milwaukee

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. HOUSTON
Oklahoma City is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Houston
Oklahoma City is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 13 games when playing Oklahoma City
Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Minnesota's last 20 games when playing Portland
Minnesota is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games when playing Portland

10:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 11 games at home
Golden State is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home

10:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Phoenix's last 18 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of the LA Clippers last 11 games

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, November 2

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

CLEVELAND (2 - 1) at PHILADELPHIA (0 - 2) - 11/2/2015, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 91-134 ATS (-56.4 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.

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

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

SAN ANTONIO (2 - 1) at NEW YORK (2 - 1) - 11/2/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 907-791 ATS (+36.9 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 717-609 ATS (+47.1 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 303-241 ATS (+37.9 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 33-50 ATS (-22.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 7-22 ATS (-17.2 Units) in November games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

MILWAUKEE (0 - 3) at BROOKLYN (0 - 3) - 11/2/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 118-86 ATS (+23.4 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 137-102 ATS (+24.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (3 - 0) at HOUSTON (0 - 3) - 11/2/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 58-43 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-3 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 4-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (1 - 2) at MINNESOTA (2 - 0) - 11/2/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in November games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

MEMPHIS (2 - 1) at GOLDEN STATE (3 - 0) - 11/2/2015, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 60-42 ATS (+13.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 55-36 ATS (+15.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-19 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 36-19 ATS (+15.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 144-106 ATS (+27.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-6 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-5 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PHOENIX (2 - 1) at LA CLIPPERS (3 - 0) - 11/2/2015, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 95-68 ATS (+20.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-28 ATS (+21.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 43-22 ATS (+18.8 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 55-38 ATS (+13.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 34-17 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 228-281 ATS (-81.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.

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

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cavaliers (2-1) at 76ers (0-2)
Date: November 02, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

With a pair of stars on the mend, a weekend off followed by a lighter stretch in the schedule might be the perfect medicine for the Cleveland Cavaliers.


After surviving a physical and emotional opening week, the Cavs return to action Monday night at Philadelphia looking to keep the 76ers winless.


The Cavaliers (2-1) will continue to feel out their injury concerns during a stretch of six games against non-playoff teams from a year ago, rolling on with home matchups against New York and the 76ers later this week.


Cleveland opened with three games in four days - physical contests against Chicago and Memphis and an emotional one versus Miami. While point guard Kyrie Irving remains sidelined following offseason knee surgery with no timeline for his return, LeBron James and Kevin Love are each playing through injury concerns.


James said Friday he intends to play 82 games after missing a career-high 13 last season, but he is three weeks removed from his second anti-inflammatory injection in 10 months to treat an ongoing issue with his back.


An uneasy sight for Cavs fans has been the 30-year-old laying on his stomach near Cleveland's bench in order to take the stress off his back.


He opened the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Bulls on Tuesday but scored just 12 the next day in a blowout win over the Grizzlies. James hit 13 of 19 shots Friday for 29 points in a 102-92 victory over the Heat, whom he won two championships with before returning to Cleveland last season.


Not concerned with his own body, James has said he wants Love to get as involved as possible. Love had 24 points and 14 rebounds against Miami and shot 3 of 7 on 3-pointers.


"Kevin Love is our main focal point," James said. "We want to get Kev to know how great he is and how good he is for our team."


The physical games may have been bigger tests for Love's surgically repaired left shoulder, which he injured in last season's first-round playoff series against Boston.


"If it was going to go against two teams, it was going to be (the Bulls and Grizzlies)," said Love, who is averaging 19.7 points while knocking down 8 of 21 from 3-point range. "Definitely got hit, got pulled, got my arm locked a few times and I'm pretty sore, too, so it's definitely been tested and I'm sure it will continue to be."


Cleveland is chasing its sixth win in seven meetings with Philadelphia, though the 76ers have won six of the last seven at Wells Fargo Center.


The 76ers (0-2) heard a familiar sound Friday when their home crowd booed them off the court following a 99-71 loss to Utah.


Philadelphia's rebuilding era looks like it will last another season without Joel Embiid, leaving the rest of its inexperienced roster to take the lumps.


"Maybe it's going to take a little bit of time," Nik Stauskas said. "Maybe we need to work on a few more things. But we're relatively young and inexperienced at this point."


The 76ers have made shot just 36.1 percent while turning the ball over 43 times, including eight by rookie Jahlil Okafor in Wednesday's 112-95 loss at Boston.


Okafor had a solid game otherwise, making 10 of 16 shots for 26 points, but he followed with 10 points against the Jazz.


He was one of five players to score in double digits. The problem was none of them finished with more than 12 while the team shot 30.2 percent and committed 19 turnovers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bucks (0-3) at Nets (0-3)
Date: November 02, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Jason Kidd's second season in Milwaukee hasn't begun as planned, though his former team is experiencing its share of early problems as well.


Off to their worst start in 39 years, the Bucks visit the Barclays Center on Monday for a matchup between 0-3 teams coming off playoff appearances.


After orchestrating an abrupt exit following one season as the Nets' coach to take over a Milwaukee franchise that won a league-low 15 games in 2013-14, Kidd earned NBA Coach of the Year consideration by guiding the rebuilding Bucks to a 41-41 record and a surprise No. 6 seed in last season's Eastern Conference.


The follow-up hasn't gotten underway nearly as smoothly, with the Bucks losing their first three games for the first time since an 0-5 beginning in 1976-77. Milwaukee had the longest streak in NBA history without starting 0-3 end with a 106-87 defeat at Toronto in Sunday's road opener.


Just as Kidd's emphasis on sound defense triggered last season's turnaround, a lack of efficiency in that area may be most to blame for the Bucks' current struggles. Milwaukee has allowed an average of 115.3 points and opponents are shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range.


The Bucks finished fifth in field goal percentage defense (.437) while yielding 97.4 points per game last season.


Injuries have played a part in the slow start as well. Jabari Parker is still nearing a return from December's torn ACL, O.J. Mayo also has yet to play due to a strained hamstring and John Henson, the team's best interior defender, will miss a third straight game with a sore Achilles.


Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Wednesday's 122-97 season-opening loss to New York serving a one-game suspension but has totaled 47 points and 18 rebounds since returning.


Brooklyn slipped from 44 wins and a conference semifinals appearance under Kidd to 38 in Lionel Hollins' debut, and seems headed to a further drop-off in what's expected to be a transitional year intended to save cap space for a run at the anticipated 2016 free agent class.


The Nets' main issues during their first 0-3 start since they lost their first 18 games in 2009-10 have come on offense. They're averaging a mere 88.7 points while shooting a league-worst 21.1 percent (8 for 38) on 3-point attempts.


'I think everybody is pretty frustrated at this point,' said Joe Johnson, whose 7.7 points per game is nearly 10 under his career average. "But we have to keep working. Just keep going hard on both ends of the floor. It'll come together.'


Bojan Bogdanovic did have an encouraging performance in Saturday's 101-91 loss at Memphis, going 3 for 3 on 3s in a 19-point effort. Johnson finished with 11 points after being held to two on 1-of-7 shooting in Friday's 102-75 defeat to San Antonio.


Brook Lopez averaged 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in Brooklyn's four 2014-15 meetings with Milwaukee, of which the Bucks won three including a 122-118 triple-overtime verdict in Kidd's return to the Barclays Center on Nov. 19. Lopez had 32 points and 18 rebounds in a 129-127 Nets' victory, also in triple-overtime, in Brooklyn on March 20.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Spurs (2-1) at Knicks (2-1)
Date: November 02, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The New York Knicks' and San Antonio Spurs' seasons have often gone in contrasting directions since the turn of the millennium.


The Knicks, though, have gotten the better of the five-time NBA champions in most of the recent matchups.


A seemingly rejuvenated Carmelo Anthony will try to help them earn another victory over San Antonio on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.


New York (2-1) has finished with just three winning records since the end of the 2000-01 season and reached the playoffs four times. San Antonio, meanwhile, has made the postseason in 18 consecutive years and boasts an NBA-record 16 consecutive seasons with at least 50 wins, including a 50-16 finish in a lockout-shortened 2011-12.


Despite those differing fortunes, the Knicks have won four of the past six matchups and three of four at MSG. New York prevailed 104-100 in overtime on its own floor in the most recent meeting March 17 despite Anthony's absence due to left knee surgery. Langston Galloway led the Knicks with what was a then-career high 22 points.


Anthony was back in superstar form in a 117-110 victory at Washington on Saturday, scoring 37 points on 11-of-18 shooting. The forward totaled 36 points in the first two games since his surgery while missing 29 of 43 shots, including 11 of 12 from 3-point range.


"It felt good. It's been a while since February," he said. "I keep saying it, but it's been a while for me to kind of have this experience."


Anthony will face San Antonio for the first time since registering 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting and 12 rebounds in a 105-101 road victory Jan, 2, 2014. He was dealing with soreness in his left knee before a 109-95 loss in San Antonio on Dec. 10.


The Spurs (2-1) will try to limit him this time after a pair of stingy performances in wins against Brooklyn and Boston. They yielded an average of 81.0 points on 37.7 percent shooting after allowing Oklahoma City to shoot 48.8 percent in a 112-106 road loss Wednesday.


San Antonio held Boston to 35.7 percent and a 6-of-29 showing from 3-point range in a 95-87 victory Sunday. The win was also an NBA-record 541st for the Spurs' trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but it was their newest star that led them in scoring.


LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 14 rebounds after totaling 21 points in his first two games with San Antonio following a shining tenure in Portland. Kawhi Leonard contributed 19 points and is averaging 22.3 in the first three games.


"We're all still trying to figure it out," guard Danny Green said. "It's still going to take some time. We're still trying to figure it out. Even the old guys that have been here are trying to figure it out."


Aldridge had 24 points and 11 rebounds in his most recent game against the Knicks, a 103-99 victory in the Garden on Dec. 7. He has five consecutive double-doubles versus New York.


The Spurs didn't have Ginobili for either of last season's matchups. He was resting for the first and dealing with a sprained right ankle during the visit to New York. Duncan (rest), Parker (hamstring) and Leonard (hand) didn't play in the victory in December.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Thunder (3-0) at Rockets (0-3)
Date: November 02, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

With their two stars back healthy, the Oklahoma City Thunder seem poised for a return to the Western Conference's upper echelon.


The Houston Rockets are hurting, and haven't resembled anything close to a contender.


Oklahoma City puts its unblemished record on the line, while the reeling Rockets seek an elusive first victory of 2015-16, when the teams square off Monday in Houston.


After extensive absences from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led to a 3-12 start and sabotaged a 2014-15 campaign in which they narrowly missed a playoff berth, the Thunder (3-0) have already matched the win total from last season's first 15 games under new coach Billy Donovan. And Durant and Westbrook have been two reasons why Oklahoma City is off to its best start since opening 5-0 in 2011-12.


Durant has averaged 30.0 points while showing no effects from the foot problems that limited the 2014 MVP to 27 games last season. He had 25 on 8-of-11 shooting in just 28 minutes as Oklahoma City cruised to a 117-93 win over Denver on Sunday, the Thunder's first easy result after needing fourth-quarter rallies to dispose of San Antonio and Orlando.


Westbrook tallied 48 points in Friday's 139-136 double-overtime decision over the Magic and is averaging 32.0 points and 8.7 assists while shooting 50.0 percent.


Both rested along with Oklahoma City's other starters during the fourth quarter of Sunday's rout, in which the Thunder displayed their impressive depth and skill by shooting 52.3 percent and having seven players finish in double figures.


"When we play like that, when everybody plays together like that, it makes it easy," Durant said.


Durant missed two of Oklahoma City's three 2014-15 meetings with Houston (0-3) as the Rockets swept the series en route to a Southwest Division title and West finals appearance. That Houston team sported one of the league's more efficient offenses, an attribute that can't be applied to this one at the moment.


The Rockets have shot a lowly 37.1 percent while averaging 88.7 points in losses to Denver, Golden State and Miami, all by 20-point margins. They've committed at least 17 turnovers in each game while starting 0-3 for the first time since opening with five straight losses in 2010-11.


'We have not played well all preseason. We have not played well in the first three games,' coach Kevin McHale said. 'No one feels sorry for us. We just have got to go out and find our rhythm and keep on playing.'


James Harden's struggles have been the most alarming, with the 2015 MVP runner-up now 3 for 32 from 3-point range after missing all 10 attempts in Sunday's 109-89 loss to the Heat. Harden finished 2 of 15 overall after a 4-of-18 effort against Golden State on Friday.


Harden averaged 30.3 points and made 14 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc last season against the Thunder.


Defense has been an issue as well, particularly during a second half in which Miami outscored the Rockets 65-26 to overcome a deficit as large as 21 points.


'You can't have a stagnant offense and not get stops,' Harden said. 'That's a sign of disaster, which happened in the second half.'


Houston was playing without Dwight Howard as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year was rested on the first night of a back-to-back. He's slated to play Monday, though forward Terrence Jones (eyelid laceration) is uncertain after also missing Sunday's game.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Trail Blazers (1-2) at Timberwolves (2-0)
Date: November 02, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

It hasn't taken long for Karl-Anthony Towns to provide a significant boost to the grief-laden Minnesota Timberwolves and show why he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick.


In what will be an emotional home opener, Towns will try to lift the Timberwolves to their second 3-0 start in three seasons Monday night against the revamped Portland Trail Blazers.


Towns had 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, 14 rebounds and four blocks in leading Minnesota to a 95-78 win over Denver on Friday. He had 14 points while making 6 of 10 shots and 12 rebounds in his NBA debut, a 112-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.


"I'm really happy because it has been a tough week for us," interim coach Sam Mitchell said. "Our guys have worked extremely hard and should be proud."


After its 2-0 start, the team headed back for Flip Saunders' memorial service Saturday in Minnesota. The Timberwolves coach and team president passed away Oct. 25 after a battle with cancer, and the franchise will hold a tribute to him before Monday's game.


The players will also wear a patch honoring Saunders on their uniform beginning with the matchup against Portland (1-2).


"(The patch) will mean a lot. It means a lot because it's just the unity," Towns said. "He's the one who brought almost all of us in here. He's the one who has taken this organization to another level."


Minnesota will try to cap off the night with a victory over a Portland team that has just one starter on its roster from last season, Damian Lillard. LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio), Wesley Matthews (Dallas) and Robin Lopez (New York) exited via free agency while Nicolas Batum was traded to Charlotte in June.


One of the players the Blazers acquired in that deal, guard Gerald Henderson, is recovering from hip surgery and has yet to play. Minnesota starting center Nikola Pekovic (Achilles) has also been out.


C.J. McCollum stepped up to score a career-high 37 points in Portland's season-opening win against New Orleans on Wednesday but has a combined 31 in the past two games while missing 24 of 37 shots, including 10 of 13 from 3-point range.


Lillard tallied a combined 47 points in a home-and-home series with Phoenix but no other teammate had more than 16 points in either loss. He had 23 points and eight assists in a 101-90 home defeat Saturday.


"We haven't been playing together that long, especially in real game situations," Lillard said. "It's just going to take time and experience in situations for us to be able to execute and do the things necessary to win the game down the stretch."


The Timberwolves and Blazers split four meetings last season with each team winning twice at home.


Andrew Wiggins averaged 23.3 points in the final three games against Portland, and Kevin Martin has averaged 24.5 in his past four matchups. Martin played in two of the meetings last season.


Lillard is averaging 26.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in his last four games in Minnesota, but Portland has just one victory in those contests.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Grizzlies (2-1) at Warriors (3-0)
Date: November 02, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

Following an unforgettable championship run by his Golden State Warriors, reigning MVP Stephen Curry is remarkably exceeding expectations so far in 2015-16.


The high-scoring guard, however, could find the going a bit tougher against the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies.


In their first meeting since the Grizzlies gave them a scare in the Western Conference semifinals, the Warriors seek a franchise-record 20th straight home win Monday night.


Curry was sixth in the league last season with 23.8 points per game, third in 3-point shooting at 44.3 percent and first in foul shooting at 91.4 percent, yet somehow the seventh-year pro has been even better through the first three games. He's averaging 39.3 points, has hit 17 of 35 (48.6 percent) 3-point attempts and 21 of 22 (95.5) free throws.


He finished with 53 points - including a career high for a quarter with 28 in the third - in Saturday's 134-120 win over New Orleans. Curry sank eight 3s and made all 11 of his attempts from the stripe while also contributing nine assists and four steals.


Curry is just the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 118 points in the first three games of a season, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Jerry West.


"You just get better as a player and try to take it to another level," he said. "So that's what I'm trying to do this year."


The Warriors (3-0) will try to break the team mark for consecutive home wins, which was set from Dec. 14-Jan. 25 last season. The Grizzlies (2-1), however, are one of only three visitors to win in the past 50 games at Oracle Arena, including the postseason.


That win came by a 97-90 score in Game 2 of the conference semifinals. Mike Conley and Courtney Lee helped slow Curry while the Grizzlies gained a surprising 2-1 series edge.


Curry averaged 21.3 points and shot 8 of 29 from 3-point range in those contests before scoring 27.7 per game and sinking 18 of 35 from downtown as the Warriors closed out the series with three straight victories.


Memphis (2-1) has finished in the top five in defensive scoring in each of the past four years, but is giving up 100.0 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting this season.Golden State has averaged 119.0 on 47.6 percent shooting, including 40.7 from long range.


Conley led the way with 22 points - including a 4-of-7 performance from outside the arc - and eight assists, while Zach Randolph had 15 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 101-91 home win over Brooklyn.


Memphis has shot 16 of 39 (41.0 percent) from 3-point range in back-to-back wins after going 2 for 16 in Wednesday's 106-76 loss to Cleveland. The Warriors, however, have limited their opponents to just 30.2 percent shooting from long distance.


"When we're making shots from the outside, I think we're a tough team to beat," Conley said. "The league knows that, and we've just got to find more consistency with it."


Marc Gasol banged his right hand, jammed two fingers and finished with just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting. The All-Star center averaged 19.2 points but shot just 37.6 percent to go along with 11.2 rebounds versus Golden State in last season's playoffs.


Klay Thompson hasn't played more than 28 minutes for the Warriors due to an ailing back.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Suns (2-1) at Clippers (3-0)
Date: November 02, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers have posted a .673 winning percentage while reaching the playoffs in each of the past four years following Blake Griffin's breakout rookie season.


But they've never be able to run off four consecutive victories to begin a campaign.


As Griffin tries to continue his hot start, the Clippers look to extend their best beginning in eight years Monday night with their eighth consecutive victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns.


Griffin, who has helped the franchise turn things around since winning the Rookie of the Year award five years ago, says Los Angeles is playing with a sense of urgency this season.


It's certainly shown in his play, as he's averaging 32.0 points on 64.4 percent shooting. The star forward scored 37 with nine rebounds in Saturday's 114-109 home win over Sacramento.


'To get off to a good start and beat a good team like that is important for us,' Griffin said. 'If we would have won one more game last year, it would have put us in second place in the conference and we would have had homecourt advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. You think about those things.'


Given his success against the Suns, Griffin could help the Clippers continue their best start since winning their first four games in 2007-08. He's averaging 27.8 points on 61.0 percent shooting over the last six of a seven-game winning streak that's their longest in the history of the series.


Griffin had 45 points - including a 3-pointer at the buzzer - in a 121-120 win in the most recent meeting at Staples Center on Dec. 8.


The Clippers have limited opponents to 40.8 percent shooting so far. They'll need to play well defensively against a Phoenix team that boasts one of the NBA's highest-scoring backcourts.


Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are one of three guard tandems (Washington's John Wall and Bradley Beal, Portland's Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum) averaging 20.0 points apiece.


Bledsoe finished with 33 points, six assists, four steals and two blocks Saturday, while Knight contributed 27 points, five assists, five rebounds and hit four 3-pointers in a 101-90 win that gave the Suns (2-1) both meetings of a home-and-home set with Portland.


'When you have two guys who can penetrate and shoot and make the right play, it is going to work fine,' Knight said. 'It's about all of us, really, meshing and jelling and finding the right way to play together.'


Tyson Chandler, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal in July, had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the home win over the Trail Blazers before finishing with five and 11 at Portland. He'll be tasked with trying to contain DeAndre Jordan, second in the league with 15.0 boards per game.


Jordan had 15 points and 18 rebounds against the Kings, leaving him just 31 boards shy of Elton Brand's franchise record of 4,710. He's averaged 15.5 rebounds in his last eight versus the Suns.


Chris Paul has scored 22.3 per game and hit 19 of 39 from 3-point range while totaling 57 assists with just 16 turnovers in his last six meetings, but he's looking to bounce back after shooting 8 for 21 in his last two games overall and committing five turnovers Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

One week into the season, LeBron closing in on 2 milestones
November 2, 2015


LeBron James has often said that being mentioned among the game's all-time greats is humbling to think about now, and that accomplishments will mean more to him after he stops playing.


That said, he does savor milestones.


And he could reach two of them in his next game.


When Cleveland goes to Philadelphia on Monday, James will be 21 points from becoming the 20th member of the NBA's 25,000 regular-season-points club - and just one point from becoming the 11th player with 30,000 points when adding playoff numbers to the overall total.


Monday would be James' 915th regular-season game. Everyone ahead of him on the NBA scoring list has logged at least 1,000 games except Jerry West with 932; James should pass him for 19th in scoring in the next couple of weeks.


It's obvious that James is in that never-ending argument for ''best player ever,'' but his stats are already eye-popping and will only get better from here. Consider: The only other player with as many points, rebounds (6,524) and assists (6,315) in his NBA career is Oscar Robertson - and James could pass him in scoring this season as well.


---


EVERYONE SHOOTING 3'S


The NBA's ''Bigs who shoot 3's'' club is growing.


New Orleans' Anthony Davis made a total of three 3-pointers in his first three seasons; he needed three games to make that many from beyond the arc this season.


Atlanta's Al Horford had one game in his pro career with two 3-pointers - and that was when he hit a meaningless one at a final buzzer - before this season, and then he did it on back-to-back days last week.


Charlotte's Frank Kaminsky, a 7-foot rookie, took a 3-pointer for his first pro shot (a miss), then connected two nights later on one for his first basket.


But maybe the biggest long-range surprise in the early going this year is Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins. He had four 3-pointers in his last 167 games combined entering the season, then made four in the Kings' season-opener.


---


THE WEEK AHEAD


Some games to take note of this week:


- Thunder at Rockets, Monday: A pair of high-octane Western Conference clubs square off. The Rockets have won the last four meetings.


- Trail Blazers at Timberwolves, Monday: Minnesota's home opener, and a night that will have emotion unlike any other game in team history after the passing of Flip Saunders.


- Pacers at Pistons, Tuesday: Detroit started 3-19 last season. The Pistons are 3-0 this season.


- Heat at Pacers, Friday: Indiana debuts its hotly anticipated ''Hickory'' uniforms, a nod to the 30th anniversary of the iconic basketball movie ''Hoosiers.''


- Lakers at Knicks, Sunday: This could be Kobe Bryant's final appearance at Madison Square Garden. He hasn't played a regular-season game there since 2012, and averages nearly 31 points in 15 past matchups there against New York.


---


STAT OF THE WEEK


2-0: That was Oklahoma City's only lead in regulation Friday night against Orlando. The Thunder led for only 14 seconds in regulation, but got a desperation game-tying 3-pointer from Russell Westbrook in the final second of the fourth quarter and went on to beat the Magic 139-136 in double overtime in Billy Donovan's first game against the team he technically coached for a couple days in 2007.