Cnotes NBA March Trends/News/ Stats/ All You Need To Know !

[CNOTES]

NBA

Wednesday, March 18


Kings' F Rudy Gay, questionable Wednesday

Gay has missed the last three games with a strained left patellar tendon and is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Clippers.



NBA roundup: Knicks stun Spurs in OT

NEW YORK -- Guard Alexey Shved stole the ball and then knocked down two free throws with 3.2 seconds left in overtime to help lift the New York Knicks to a 104-100 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

A floater by guard Tony Parker (21 points) put the Spurs in front 98-96, but forward Andrea Bargnani (16 points, 10 rebounds) responded with a put-back, and the Knicks went 4-for-6 from the foul line in the final 16.1 seconds to improve to 2-3 in overtime this season.

Guard Langston Galloway scored a career-high 22 points, Shved had 21 points and seven assists, forward Lou Amundson had 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, and center Jason Smith added 11 points for the Knicks, who lost seven of their previous eight games.

San Antonio forward Tim Duncan finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, but he also committed a pivotal turnover in the final seconds of overtime. Forward Kawhi Leonard had 13 points, center Tiago Splitter added 12 points and 13 rebounds, and swingman Marco Belinelli contributed 12 points for the Spurs, who were on a 7-1 roll coming into the game.

Rockets 107, Magic 94

HOUSTON -- Reserves Corey Brewer and Josh Smith provided energy and production when the Rockets desperately needed it, leading Houston to a win over Orlando.

Brewer and Smith combined to score 15 of the Rockets' 18 points during one critical stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters, erasing the largest deficit of the game. Brewer had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Smith added 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Houston forward Donatas Montiejunas scored a team-best 23 points.

Magic guard Victor Oladipo poured in a game-high 29 points and claimed his individual matchup with Rockets All-Star guard James Harden, who paired 17 points with eight rebounds but missed 10 of 14 shot attempts.

Pelicans 85, Bucks 84

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans forward Anthony Davis scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Milwaukee forward Ersan Ilyasvoa missed an open 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Pelicans escaped with a victory.

Ilyasova had a clean look on the 3-point attempt that would have won the game. The Bucks trailed 85-84, but they rebounded a missed shot with 9.7 seconds left and then called timeout in a scramble situation with 2.5 seconds remaining.

Guard Khris Middleton inbounded the ball, and Ilyasova wound up 23 feet from the basket, wide open. However, his shot clanged off the rim, and the Pelicans moved into the eight playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Pistons 105, Grizzlies 95

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Reggie Jackson scored 23 points and handed out a career-high 20 assists, and Detroit ended a pair of 10-game losing streaks with a victory over Memphis.

The Detroit point guard easily bested his previous career best of 14 assists as the team ended a 10-game skid overall and a 10-game losing streak to the Grizzlies.

Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope poured in 24 points, and center Andre Drummond contributed 16 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit. Small forward Jeff Green's 21 points led the Grizzlies, who blew a 17-point lead. Memphis center Marc Gasol supplied 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Clippers 99, Hornets 92

LOS ANGELES -- Guard J.J. Redick scored 23 points, and point guard Chris Paul added 21 points and eight assists, helping Los Angeles withstand a second-half rally by Charlotte.

Forward Blake Griffin, in his second game since returning from elbow surgery, scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Center DeAndre Jordan finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Los Angeles guard Nate Robinson also scored 12.

Center Al Jefferson scored 21 points to lead the Hornets, who lost their fourth game in the past five. Point guard Mo Williams had 18 points and eight assists, shooting guard Gerald Henderson added 16 points, and guard Kemba Walker scored 15.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, March 18

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BROOKLYN (27 - 38) at CLEVELAND (43 - 26) - 3/18/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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DETROIT (24 - 43) at PHILADELPHIA (15 - 52) - 3/18/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-4 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (14 - 52) at TORONTO (40 - 27) - 3/18/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-0 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (44 - 21) at MIAMI (30 - 36) - 3/18/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 0-12 ATS (-13.2 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.
MIAMI is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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SAN ANTONIO (41 - 25) at MILWAUKEE (34 - 33) - 3/18/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 5-0 straight up against MILWAUKEE 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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INDIANA (30 - 36) at CHICAGO (40 - 28) - 3/18/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
CHICAGO is 58-79 ATS (-28.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 49-75 ATS (-33.5 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-4 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (21 - 48) at DALLAS (43 - 25) - 3/18/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 31-44 ATS (-17.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 52-78 ATS (-33.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-0 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-0 straight up against ORLANDO 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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BOSTON (30 - 36) at OKLAHOMA CITY (37 - 30) - 3/18/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 75-54 ATS (+15.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 50-36 ATS (+10.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-27 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 98-70 ATS (+21.0 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points since 1996.
BOSTON is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-1 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-1 straight up against BOSTON 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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LA CLIPPERS (43 - 25) at SACRAMENTO (22 - 44) - 3/18/2015, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 6-5 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 9-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (53 - 14) at GOLDEN STATE (53 - 13) - 3/18/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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WASHINGTON (39 - 28) at UTAH (30 - 36) - 3/18/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 28-37 ATS (-12.7 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in road games in March games over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 37-28 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 31-12 ATS (+17.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 75-51 ATS (+18.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 180 and 184.5 points since 1996.

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

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Various odds and ends that may or may not be of interest.........

-- Arkansas is 20-0 when they force 15+ turnovers.

-- Coastal Carolina coach Cliff Ellis has also led Clemson-Auburn-South Alabama to the NCAA tournament.

-- NC State is 16-9 in March under Mark Gottfried.

-- Kentucky was outrebounded five times this year; two of those five games were against Georgia.

-- This is only the 20th season Belmont has been Division I in basketball.

-- Cal-Irvine's 7-foot-6 Mamadou Ndiaye is the tallest player in Division I.



**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Welcome to the best weekend of the year

13) Robert Morris 81, North Florida 77--Colonials were +14 in turnovers (19-5) in game they once trailed by 14. Another fun game to watch. Robert Morris now plays Duke, so hopefully they enjoyed this win.

12) Dayton 56, Boise State 55-- Just felt bad for Boise State; they have to play the first true road game in this tournament in 28 years, then they lose by a point, in tense struggle where Broncos led 29-20 at the half. Tough loss to swallow.

11) Its funny how the play-in doubleheaders have kind of a JV/Varsity feel to them, with the lesser teams playing first, then the bigger name teams playing. Just like high school ball, sometimes the first game is the more entertaining game of the twinbill.

10) Warriors 114, Hawks 95-- Golden State was 14-30 from arc even without injured Klay Thompson, in battle between league's two best teams this season.

9) South Dakota State 86, Colorado State 76-- Apparently Rams weren't too fired up about being in the NIT. Jackrabbits were 12-28 from the arc.

8) Weird stuff in Syracuse, where the AD gets fired and Jim Boeheim becomes a lame duck for the next three seasons, before he goes into forced retirement. I'm assuming that Mike Hopkins will hang around to clean up the mess that results from all this-- he had been named coach-in-waiting a few years ago.

7) Holy Cross hired former Northwestern coach Bill Carmody, who never got the Wildcats to the NCAAs-- he'll have a better chance with the Crusaders. Wonder if he will still run the Princeton offense?

6) Rough night for the WCC, going 0-3 last night, with two home losses; Vandy beat St Mary's, Sacramento State beat Portland and Pepperdine got whacked in Seattle.

5) Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the day LMU crushed Michigan 149-115 in the second round of the NCAAs, one of the most awesome displays of basketball I've ever seen. 25 years later, Steve Fisher is going great guns at San Diego State; he was the Michigan coach that day 25 years ago.

4) BYU had to play in a Tuesday play-in game because they do not play on Sundays and the Wednesday play-in teams get put into a Friday-Sunday bracket, should they win. BYU presents a lot of logistical problems for the Selection Committee.

3) Indianapolis Colts put this rule change in front of the NFL this week;

If a team goes for two points after a TD and makes it, they can try a 50-yard kick that gives them a 9th point if it is good.

Not sure if Jim Irsay thought up that one while in rehab, but it sure is different.

2) Still think Lafayette should've been in a play-in game before Manhattan, but if you get put there, you have to win. VCU made the Final Four from a play-in game.

1) My Final Four picks: Kentucky-Baylor-Villanova-Gonzaga.

 

[CNOTES]

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Letdown spot

The Wyoming Cowboys aren’t supposed to be dancing this March but an upset run in the Mountain West Conference tournament burst plenty of bubbles and has Wyoming sitting as an always dangerous No. 12 seed, taking on No. 5 Northern Iowa in the Round of 64. While the 12-over-5 upset produced three stunners last March, bettors may be safe with the higher seed in this matchup.

The Cowboys run the risk of a massive letdown in their tournament opener. We’ve seen teams come off surprise runs in their conference tournament and get crushed in the NCAA, thanks to a sense of accomplishment and just being “happy” to be here. Oddsmakers opened Wyoming as a 7-point underdog and that line has been trimmed to +6, with the market reacting to previous No. 12 shockers.

Lookahead spot

The New Orleans Pelicans are currently eighth in the Western Conference, just barely edging the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final postseason spot. New Orleans has a huge week with road games at Golden State and Los Angeles, but before then must travel to Phoenix to face the Suns Thursday night.

The Pelicans are three and a half games up on the Suns in the West standings and could get caught looking ahead to the Warriors and Clippers. New Orleans has lost four of its last five games versus Phoenix, most recently beating the Suns 110-106 at home in December. The home team has covered in each of the past four meetings between these Western rivals.

Schedule spot

The Rhode Island Rams knocked off the Iona Gaels in the opening round of the NIT Tuesday night, winning 88-75 as 7-point home favorites. But they don’t have much time to celebrate that victory, and will be busy packing for a cross-country trip to play Stanford in the second round Friday.

Rhode Island travels to Palo Alto with a 7-4 SU and 5-6 ATS record on the road. Not only will the Rams have to deal with a long flight from coast to coast but also battle the clock in California, which is three-hour time difference. There was a chance that this game could have been played at the Ryan Center, since Stanford is hosting women’s tournament games. However, organizers have found a time slot – since TBA - which will come at night.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, March 19

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MINNESOTA (14 - 53) at NEW YORK (14 - 53) - 3/19/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-1 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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DENVER (26 - 42) at HOUSTON (45 - 22) - 3/19/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
DENVER is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
DENVER is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
HOUSTON is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game this season.
HOUSTON is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DENVER is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-5 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (37 - 30) at PHOENIX (35 - 33) - 3/19/2015, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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UTAH (30 - 37) at LA LAKERS (17 - 49) - 3/19/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 38-60 ATS (-28.0 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
UTAH is 17-3 ATS (+13.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
UTAH is 31-13 ATS (+16.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
LA LAKERS are 136-176 ATS (-57.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 53-77 ATS (-31.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 5-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 5-4 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, March 19

Hot Teams
-- Denver won four of last five games, covered eight of last nine (6-1 last seven AU). Rockets won four of last six games (6-2 last eight HF).
-- Pelicans won four of their last five games (10-2 last 12 AU).
-- Utah won six of its last seven games (1-1 AF).

Cold Teams
-- Knicks lost six of last eight games. Minnesota lost its last six games.
-- Suns lost three of last five games (5-2 last seven HF).
-- Lakers lost eight of last nine games, but covered nine of last 12.

Series Records
-- Knicks won five of last seven games with Minnesota.
-- Rockets won five of last six games with Denver.
-- Pelicans lost four of last five games with Phoenix.
-- Lakers lost six of last ten games with Utah (2-3 in each gym).

Totals
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last five Minnesota road games.
-- Six of last eight Denver-Houston games went over.
-- Last five Phoenix games stayed under the total. Three of last four Pelican games went over.
-- Under is 10-1 in last eleven Utah games.

Back-to-Backs
-- Minnesota is 3-2 vs spread if playing second night in row on road.
-- Utah is 4-5 on road if it played the night before.

East vs West
SU: West 221-160 ATS: West 193-185-3
East teams HF vs West: 48-53
East teams HU vs West: 44-43
West teams HF vs East: 76-76-3
West teams HU vs East: 21-17




NBA

Thursday, March 19

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NEW YORK
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
New York is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. HOUSTON
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Denver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Denver
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Denver

10:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. PHOENIX
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. LA LAKERS
Utah is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Utah's last 23 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing Utah
LA Lakers are 20-4 SU in their last 24 games when playing at home against Utah

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Thursday, March 19


NBA roundup: Warriors hammer Hawks

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Leandro Barbosa and Draymond Green hit 3-pointers in a 14-3 flurry to close the third quarter as the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Atlanta Hawks en route to a 114-95 victory in a rematch of conference leaders Wednesday night.

In the first ever matchup in NBA history of two teams with winning percentages of .790 or higher this late in a season, the Warriors took advantage of an Atlanta team that was playing for the fifth time on a six-game trip.

Small forward Harrison Barnes poured in a game-high 25 points, reserve swingman Andre Iguodala added 21 and Green had 18 to complement seven rebounds as the Warriors, playing without shooting guard Klay Thompson (sprained right ankle), won their 10th straight at home and improved to 3-0 on their current six-game homestand.

Forwards DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap had 16 points apiece for the Hawks, who played without shooting guard Kyle Korver (broken nose) and key reserve big man Mike Scott (broken toe).

Cavaliers 117, Nets 92

CLEVELAND -- Forward Kevin Love returned from a two-game absence to score 10 points and grab 11 rebounds, and Cleveland recovered from a sluggish start to easily handle Brooklyn.

Forward LeBron James had 16 points and seven assists, and guard Kyrie Irving had 12 points and 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who made 15 3-pointers and had seven players in double figures in scoring. Cleveland won its 14th consecutive home game for its longest streak since 2008-09, when it won 16 straight at home.

Guard J.R. Smith scored 17 points, including 14 in the second quarter, while center Timofey Mozgov had 17 points for the Cavaliers. Guard Deron Williams had 20 points and six assists for the Nets.

Clippers 116, Kings 105

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Point guard Chris Paul scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the second half, and fellow guard J.J. Redick scored 17 of his 27 in the first half as Los Angeles beat Sacramento.

Paul made eight of 11 shots after halftime and finished with 11 assists. Redick converted a four-point play to cap an 18-6 fourth-quarter run that allowed the Clippers to pull away after the Kings tied the contest 84-84 with 9:12 remaining.

Los Angeles forward DeAndre Jordan added 15 rebounds, his 17th consecutive game with at least 14, and the Clippers beat the Kings for the 17th time in their past 20 meetings. Forward Blake Griffin and forward Hedo Turkoglu, a former King, each scored 19 points for the Clippers. Forward Rudy Gay's 23 points paced Sacramento.

Wizards 88, Jazz 84

SALT LAKE CITY -- Guard John Wall scored 24 points and collected nine rebounds, and forward Paul Pierce added 18 points to lead Washington over Utah.

The Wizards overcame 22 turnovers to win their fifth consecutive game. Utah finished with a 22-8 advantage in points off turnovers, but it was not enough to overcome a tough defensive effort from Washington.

Forward Gordon Hayward scored 26 points to lead Utah. Forward Derrick Favors added 16 points and nine rebounds while guard Trey Burke chipped in 14 off the bench for the Jazz, whose six-game winning streak ended.

Heat 108, Trail Blazers 104

MIAMI -- Shooting guard Dwyane Wade scored 32 points and Miami rallied from an 11-point, second-half deficit to defeat Portland.

With the Heat trailing by two points in the final minute, Wade hit two jumpers. The second, with 13.6 seconds left, put Miami up 106-104. Wade then added two free throws to score his team's final eight points and 15 in the fourth quarter.

Miami got 24 points from small forward Luol Deng, 20 points and 11 assists from point guard Goran Dragic and 12 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks from center Hassan Whiteside. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 34 points.

76ers 94, Pistons 83

PHILADELPHIA -- Guard Ish Smith had 15 points and eight assists as Philadelphia beat slumping Detroit.

Guard Jason Richardson added 14 points for the Sixers, who won for just the third time in 10 games but posted their third victory in four meetings with Detroit this season.

Philadelphia center Nerlens Noel contributed 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks but left the game with 4:27 left in the third quarter with a bruised right foot and did not return. Guard Kentavious Cadlwell-scored 20 points to pace Detroit. Pistons guard Reggie Jackson had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double.

Raptors 105, Timberwolves 100

TORONTO -- For the first time in nearly a month, the Toronto Raptors won back-to-back games. Guard DeMar DeRozan led the way with 21 points as the Raptors defeated Minnesota. DeRozan added seven rebounds and four assists.

The Raptors won their seventh consecutive meeting with the Timberwolves, the 19th out of 20 and the 11th straight at home. Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004.

Raptors forward Terrence Ross added 15 points, while center Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Kevin Martin had a game-high 37 points for Minnesota, which dropped its 10th game in the past 11.

Bulls 103, Pacers 86

CHICAGO -- Rookie reserve forward Nikola Mirotic scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Chicago cruised past Indiana.

Forward Mike Dunleavy added 21 points for Chicago, which never trailed after the first quarter. Forward Pau Gasol contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls.

Forward Solomon Hill scored 13 points to lead Indiana. Center Roy Hibbert added 12 points for the Pacers, who dropped their third consecutive game after winning the previous seven.

Spurs 114, Bucks 103

MILWAUKEE -- Shooting guard Danny Green scored 20 points, forward Tim Duncan had 19 and San Antonio avoided losing three straight games to Eastern Conference opponents for the first time since 2010 by beating Milwaukee.

Less than 24 hours after a loss to the woeful New York Knicks -- one that led San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich to publicly criticize his team -- the Spurs reverted to championship form, shooting 50 percent from the field, sinking eight 3-pointers and receiving double-digit scoring from five players.

The Bucks got 19 points and nine rebounds from forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, 17 from forward Ersan Ilyasova and 15 from shooting guard Khris Middleton.

Thunder 122, Celtics 118

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Guard Russell Westbrook scored 36 points to lead Oklahoma City to a victory over Boston. The Thunder moved a half-game ahead of the idle New Orleans Pelicans for eighth place in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City also extended its streak of scoring at least 100 points to 21 games.

The Celtics are tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the Indiana Pacers. Both teams are one game behind the seventh-place Miami Heat and a half-game ahead of the Charlotte Hornets.

Thunder center Enes Kanter scored 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. However, he was forced to leave the game early after coming down wrong on his ankle. Guard Marcus Smart paced the Celtics with 25 points.

Mavericks 107, Magic 102

DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki drained five of six 3-point attempts -- going 3-for-3 in the third quarter -- and scored 25 points in Dallas' wire-to-wire win over Orlando. The Magic gave the Mavericks a late scare after Dallas dominated through a breezy first three quarters.

Nowitzki's five consecutive points to start the third quarter opened the lead to 70-48, but the Magic clawed within one point with a minute remaining.

Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton, who had a triple-double with 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, missed a potential go-ahead jumper. Orlando guard Victor Oladipo (team-high 19 points) missed an attempt to tie in the last seconds.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, March 20

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

NEW YORK (14 - 54) at PHILADELPHIA (16 - 52) - 3/20/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 27-39 ATS (-15.9 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 74-107 ATS (-43.7 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 6-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 8-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (44 - 22) at ORLANDO (21 - 49) - 3/20/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

DENVER (26 - 43) at MIAMI (31 - 36) - 3/20/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MILWAUKEE (34 - 34) at BROOKLYN (27 - 39) - 3/20/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 321-387 ATS (-104.7 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 47-34 ATS (+9.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 39-28 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 116-84 ATS (+23.6 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 135-100 ATS (+25.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) in home games this season.

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

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

INDIANA (30 - 37) at CLEVELAND (44 - 26) - 3/20/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 196-142 ATS (+39.8 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 9-2 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ATLANTA (53 - 15) at OKLAHOMA CITY (38 - 30) - 3/20/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

TORONTO (41 - 27) at CHICAGO (41 - 28) - 3/20/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MEMPHIS (47 - 21) at DALLAS (44 - 25) - 3/20/2015, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-3 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 6-5 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BOSTON (30 - 37) at SAN ANTONIO (42 - 25) - 3/20/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 890-783 ATS (+28.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 704-603 ATS (+40.7 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 453-381 ATS (+33.9 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 298-240 ATS (+34.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 59-39 ATS (+16.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 181-138 ATS (+29.2 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 256-208 ATS (+27.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 359-291 ATS (+38.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 114-84 ATS (+21.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points this season.
BOSTON is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 226-183 ATS (+24.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
BOSTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 5-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHARLOTTE (29 - 37) at SACRAMENTO (22 - 45) - 3/20/2015, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS (37 - 31) at GOLDEN STATE (54 - 13) - 3/20/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-1 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 9-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (40 - 28) at LA CLIPPERS (44 - 25) - 3/20/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 20

Hot Teams
-- 76ers split last six games; thats a hot streak for them (1-0 HF).
-- Denver won four of last six games, covered eight of last ten.
-- Miami won three of its last four games (6-4 last ten HF).
-- Cavaliers won five of their last six games (12-3 last 15 HF).
-- Hawks won three of their last four games (2-4 last six AF). Thunder won three of last four games (2-4 last six HF).
-- Toronto won three of its last four games (1-5 last six HF).
-- Mavericks won three of last four games (2-4 last six HF).
-- Celtics won five of last six games (6-0 vs spread). Spurs won eight of last ten games (5-1 last six HF).
-- Pelicans won four of their last six games (10-3 last 13 AU). Warriors won eight of last nine games (3-4 last seven HF).
-- Clippers won four of last six games (1-3 last four HF). Washington won its last five games, covered last six.

Cold Teams
-- Knicks lost seven of last nine games (3-6-1 last 10 AU).
-- Portland lost three of last four road games (2-4 last six AF). Orlando lost its last six games (5-3 last eight HU).
-- Bucks lost last four games (11-4-1 last 16 AU). Nets lost six of their last eight games (0-7 last seven HF).
-- Pacers lost last three games, by 4-19-17 points (1-5 last six AU).
-- Bulls lost five of their last seven games (4-6 last ten HF).
-- Memphis is 3-4 in its last seven games (4-0 last four AU).
-- Sacramento lost four in row, eight of last nine games. Hornets lost four of their last five games.

Series Records
-- Knicks won last four games with Philadelphia.
-- Home side won last five Portland-Orlando games.
-- Nuggets won last two games with Miami by 20-4 points.
-- Bucks are 2-0 vs Nets this season, winning by 4-6 points.
-- Pacers won eight of last ten games with Cleveland.
-- Thunder won three of last four games with Atlanta.
-- Bulls won last three games with Toronto; road team won seven of last nine series games.
-- Grizzlies won three of last four games with Dallas.
-- Spurs won their last six games with Boston.
-- Kings won four of last six games with Charlotte.
-- Warriors won their last nine games with New Orleans.
-- Clippers won eight of last ten games with Washington.

Totals
-- Under is 15-6 in Philly's last 21 home games.
-- Last four Orlando home games went over total.
-- Seven of last nine Portland road games went over.
-- Four of last five Brooklyn home games went over.
-- Four of last five Cleveland home games stayed under.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Thunder home games.
-- Four of last five Toronto road games went over.
-- Last four Dallas home games went over total.
-- San Antonio's last five home games went over.
-- Five of last six Sacramento home games went over.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen New Orleans road tilts.
-- Eight of last nine Washington road games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- Knicks are 5-8-1 on road vs spread if they played night before.
-- Denver is 4-11 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Pelicans are 13-3 vs spread if they played night before.

East vs West
SU: West 221-161 ATS: West 193-186-3
East teams HF vs West: 48-54
East teams HU vs West: 44-43
West teams HF vs East: 76-76-3
West teams HU vs East: 21-17

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Friday, March 20

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

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 9 games
New York is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Philadelphia's last 21 games at home

7:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. ORLANDO
Portland is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Portland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games at home
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
INDIANA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 12 games
Indiana is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Indiana

7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games
Brooklyn is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

7:30 PM
DENVER vs. MIAMI
Denver is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Miami
Denver is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Denver
Miami is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing Denver

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing Atlanta

8:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games
Toronto is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Chicago is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Toronto

8:30 PM
BOSTON vs. SAN ANTONIO
Boston is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
San Antonio is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
San Antonio is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston

8:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Dallas is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Memphis

10:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Charlotte is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Sacramento is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 5 games at home
LA Clippers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games

10:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. GOLDEN STATE
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against New Orleans

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Friday, March 20


NBA roundup: Harden nets 50 to lead Rockets

HOUSTON -- James Harden poured in a career-high 50 points and added 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets claimed a 118-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Toyota Center.

Harden shot 12-for-27 from the floor but matched his career high with 25 free-throw attempts, making 22. He drilled a 3-pointer with 37.5 seconds left to record his first 50-point game as Houston (46-22) closed to within one game of the first-place Memphis Grizzlies in the Southwest Division.

Rockets forward Trevor Ariza added 17 points and six rebounds, while reserve forward Josh Smith scored 12 points. Houston guard Patrick Beverley paired 10 points with seven assists. Houston hit 12 of 30 3-point attempts, with Harden going 4-for-12 from long distance.

Forward Wilson Chandler and guard Randy Foye paced six Nuggets in double figures with 23 points apiece. Center Kenneth Faried (19 points, 12 rebounds) and guard Ty Lawson (12 points, 10 assists) recorded double-doubles for the Nuggets (26-43), who dropped a second consecutive game following a four-game winning streak.

Timberwolves 95, Knicks 92 (OT)

Rookie guard Zach LaVine made four free throws in the final 10 seconds of overtime, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 95-92 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

LaVine finished with 20 points for Minnesota, which snapped a six-game losing streak. Still, the Timberwolves (15-53) have lost eight of 10.

Wolves guard Kevin Martin led all scorers with 22 points. Minnesota forward Andrew Wiggins and center Gorgui Dieng finished with 20 and 19 points, respectively.

The Timberwolves swept the season series. Minnesota routed the Knicks 115-99 on Nov. 19 at Target Center.

New York fell to a league worst 15-53 with the loss. The Knicks will visit the 76ers on Friday night. Philadelphia's 16-52 mark is third worst in the NBA. Minnesota is off until Sunday, when it plays host to the Charlotte Hornets.

Guard Langston Galloway led New York with 21 points, and guard Alexey Shved finished with 20. Center Andrea Bargnani had 14, but he missed all six shots he took in the fourth quarter and overtime, including a last-gasp attempt at the end of overtime. Guard Shane Larkin added 10 points.

With Minnesota trailing 92-91 and 10.7 seconds left in overtime, LaVine was fouled by Galloway. The rookie made the two free throws to put the Wolves ahead 93-92. After Shved missed a layup, LaVine was fouled by Galloway, and he again made two free throws to seal the win.

Suns 74, Pelicans 72

PHOENIX -- New Orleans guard Tyreke Evans missed a floater with three seconds to play, helping Phoenix win on Thursday despite shooting 35 percent and going 2-of-22 from 3-point range.

Considering the status of Kevin Durant's foot injury remains a question in Oklahoma City, the two teams behind the Western Conference's eighth-place Thunder had plenty to fight for at U.S. Airways Center. With the win, the Suns (36-33) pulled within 1.5 games of the Pelicans (37-31) and 2.5 games of the Thunder (38-30), who were idle Thursday.

It helped Phoenix that the Pelicans were without All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who earlier Thursday turned his left ankle during New Orleans' shootaround.

Leading the scoring for the Suns, who were without center Alex Len and guard Brandon Knight to ankle injuries, was Markieff Morris, who had nine points and shot 2-for-10 through three quarters. He finished with 17 points as the Suns held off the charge in the fourth. Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe likewise struggled, finishing with five points on 2-for-15 shooting.

Jazz 80, Lakers 73

LOS ANGELES -- Forward Gordon Hayward scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and backup point guard Trey Burke had 17 points, leading Utah to a victory over Los Angeles at Staples Center.

Hayward made five of 10 shots from the floor and 11 of 13 free throws. Forward Derrick Favors added 14 points and seven rebounds as the Jazz (31-37) won for the 10th time in the last 12 games. Favors scored in double digits in 24 straight contests.

Center Tarik Black scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Lakers (17-50), who dropped their fourth in a row. Forwards Wesley Johnson and Carlos Boozer had 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Los Angeles lost 50 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, March 20

NY Knicks at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
NY Knicks:
Philadelphia:

Portland at Orlando, 7:05 ET
Portland: n/a
Orlando: n/a

Denver at Miami, 7:35 ET
Denver: n/a
Miami: n/a

Milwaukee at Brooklyn, 7:35 ET
Milwaukee: 24-12 ATS in road games
Brooklyn: 7-17 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3 games

Indiana at Cleveland, 7:35 ET
Indiana: 6-21 ATS in March games
Cleveland: 15-7 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive wins

Atlanta at Oklahoma City, 8:05 ET
Atlanta: n/a
Oklahoma City: n/a

Toronto at Chicago, 8:05 ET
Toronto: n/a
Chicago: n/a

Memphis at Dallas, 8:35 ET
Memphis: n/a
Dallas: n/a

Boston at San Antonio, 8:35 ET
Boston: 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points
San Antonio: 20-29 ATS after playing a game as favorite

Charlotte at Sacramento, 10:05 ET
Charlotte: n/a
Sacramento: n/a

New Orleans at Golden State, 10:35 ET
New Orleans: n/a
Golden State: n/a

Washington at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
Washington: n/a
LA Clippers: n/a

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 21

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

BROOKLYN (28 - 39) at INDIANA (30 - 38) - 3/21/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 47-34 ATS (+9.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
INDIANA is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

CHICAGO (42 - 28) at DETROIT (24 - 44) - 3/21/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 60-79 ATS (-26.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHICAGO is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 68-82 ATS (-22.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 29-46 ATS (-21.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 150-189 ATS (-57.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
DETROIT is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-3 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (44 - 23) at MEMPHIS (48 - 21) - 3/21/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

PHOENIX (36 - 33) at HOUSTON (46 - 22) - 3/21/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
HOUSTON is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
HOUSTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
PHOENIX is 87-60 ATS (+21.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 47-25 ATS (+19.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-35 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-35 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 90-122 ATS (-44.2 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 7-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (31 - 37) at GOLDEN STATE (55 - 13) - 3/21/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-26 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
UTAH is 38-29 ATS (+6.1 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 29-19 ATS (+8.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
UTAH is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-5 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA

Saturday, March 21

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

7:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Brooklyn is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Indiana is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games
Chicago is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Chicago
Detroit is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Chicago

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. HOUSTON
Phoenix is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Houston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Memphis
Portland is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
Memphis is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Portland

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Utah's last 21 games when playing Golden State
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing at home against Utah
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Saturday, March 21


DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento - Ques Sun

Cousins has missed the last two games due to a right calf strain and is questionable to play Sunday against the Wizards.


Anthony Davis, New Orleans - Ques Sun

Davis has missed the last two games due to a sore ankle and is questionable to play Sunday against the Clippers.




NBA roundup: Westbrook's triple-double lifts Thunder over Hawks

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Guard Russell Westbrook posted 36 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-115 comeback victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Westbrook now has nine triple doubles on the season as the Thunder (39-30) increased its lead over the New Orleans Pelicans to a game and a half for eighth place in the Western Conference.

The Hawks (53-16) have lost back to back games, but still lead the Eastern Conference by nine games over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Guard Dion Waiters scored 26 points for the Thunder. Forward Anthony Morrow came off the bench to hit 6 of 10 from 3-point range on his way to 21 points.

The Hawks had seven players score in double figures. Center Pero Antic led the way with 22 off the bench. Guard Dennis Schroder added 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Forward Paul Milsap scored 19 points but was held to only three rebounds.

With 8:30 left in the fourth quarter, Atlanta held a seven- point lead. But back-to-back 3-pointers from Morrow closed the Hawks' lead to 103-102.

Westbrook tied the game with 6:27 when he drained his own 3-pointer. Morrow followed up with long distance shot to push Oklahoma City ahead.

Cavaliers 95, Pacers 92

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James fought through a head cold to score 11 straight points in the fourth quarter and 13 of 15 for the Cavaliers, who fended off the pesky Indiana Pacers.

James was sick enough to miss the team's morning shoot-around, leaving him a game-time decision. He played through it to finish with 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Cleveland ran its home winning streak to 15 games while maintaining its hold on second place in the East.

Forward Kevin Love had 11 points and 13 rebounds and guard Kyrie Irving scored 13 points despite struggling through a 4 of 16 shooting night for the Cavaliers.

Guard George Hill scored 24 points for the Pacers, including 14 in the third quarter when they erased most of an 11-point deficit.

Heat 108, Nuggets 91

MIAMI -- Shooting guard Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, giving him at least 20 points in each of the last eight games. The Heat is 6-2 in those games.

The Heat (32-36) have won three games in a row for the first time since they started the season 3-0. Miami is now 7-1 at home since March 1. Before that, the Heat were 10-17 at home this season. Surprisingly, the Heat are 10-6 since forward Chris Bosh was hospitalized due to blood clots in his lungs.

Denver (26-44), which has lost three games in a row, was led by forward Kenneth Faried's 20 points.

Nets 129, Bucks 127 (3 OT)

NEW YORK -- Center Brook Lopez scored 32 points, including five in the third overtime, and grabbed 18 rebounds and forward Thaddeus Young added 24 points, leading the Nets to triple overtime victory at the Barclays Center.

It marked the second time this season that the two teams played a triple-overtime game in Brooklyn. The Bucks won the first triple-OT game in Brooklyn last Nov. 19.

With the victory, the Nets (28-39) snapped a five-game losing streak at home, where they still possess a 12-19 mark. The Bucks had 38 offensive rebounds but still lost for the fifth straight time and the 10th time in the last 12 games.

For the Bucks, forward Khris Middleton had 29 points and center Zaza Pachulia had a season-high 22 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, 18 of which were on the offensive end.

Spurs 101, Celtics 89

SAN ANTONIO -- Forward Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points, including 13 straight by his team in the third quarter, to help the Spurs win.

San Antonio (43-25) has won nine of its last 11 games.

Thirteen players have led the Spurs in scoring this season. But Leonard has done it in six of the last 10 games and leads the Spurs in scoring.

Guard Evan Turner led Boston with 17 points, including 11 during a fourth-quarter Celtics rally, as they reduced a 25-point fourth-quarter deficit to seven.

Celtics guard Marcus Smart was ejected in the fourth quarter, receiving a Flagrant 2 foul after punching Spurs forward Matt Bonner in the groin.

Bulls 108, Raptors 92

CHICAGO -- Rookie forward Nikola Mirotic had 29 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago rolled to victory.

Forward Mike Dunleavy added 21 points for Chicago, which won its second consecutive game and improved to 3-0 against Toronto this season. Center Joakim Noah fell just shy of a triple-double with eight points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists for the Bulls (42-28).

Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points for the Raptors, whose other four starters combined for 33 points.

Magic 111, Trail Blazers 104

ORLANDO, Fla. - Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton recorded his second straight triple-double with 22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to help Orlando break a six-game losing streak.

Shooting guard Victor Oladipo and center Nik Vucevic added 22 points and eight rebounds apiece as Orlando rallied from a six-point deficit in final period to beat Portland.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third straight game.

76ers 97, Knicks 81

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia rookie center Nerlens Noel had a career-high 23 points and added 14 rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots as the Sixers won a game between the teams with the worst records in the Eastern Conference.

Guard Ish Smith added 15 points and nine assists for the Sixers (17-52), owners of the NBA's third-worst record.

Guard Alexey Shved, a former Sixers player, scored a career-high 25 points to pace the Knicks, whose 14-55 record is the worst in the league.

The Sixers won for the fourth time in seven games, and New York lost for the fourth time in five games.

Grizzlies 112, Mavericks 101

DALLAS - Memphis' frontcourt combo of center Marc Gasol and forward Zach Randolph combined for 36 points as the Grizzlies easily dispatched the Mavericks.

Randolph scored a game-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists. Gasol added 15 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late. The Grizzlies had seven players score in double figures.

Memphis took advantage of a Dallas meltdown in the third quarter to open up a 24-point lead. Dallas forward Amar'e Stoudemire was ejected in the third quarter with two technical fouls.

The Mavericks were paced by 16 each points from forward Dirk Nowitzki and reserve guard Devin Harris.

Warriors 112, Pelicans 96

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Curry shook off early shooting woes to contribute 10 of his 16 points to a 20-5 burst late in the third quarter that helped Golden State beat New Orleans.

The win was the Warriors' second in a row without All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson, who has been ruled out at least through this weekend with a sprained right ankle. The Warriors went up 3-0 in the season series with a 10th consecutive win against the Pelicans.

The loss was a costly one for the Pelicans (37-32), who fell two full games behind Oklahoma City (39-30) in their duel for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans played without three regulars, including Most Valuable Player candidate Anthony Davis (sprained left ankle).

Guard Norris Cole led the Pelicans with 16 points, and forward Harrison Barnes was the Warriors top scorer with 22 points.

Kings 101, Hornets 91

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Forward Rudy Gay scored 33 points, and all 10 Sacramento Kings who played contributed to the scoring sheet.

Gay made 10 of his 13 shots, and scored 18 points in the first half to help Sacramento (23-45) snap a four-game slide in one of its easiest victories of the season. The Kings, whose only two victories in their past 10 games have come against Charlotte (29-38), never trailed despite playing their second straight game without center and leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins (right calf strain).

Guard Gerald Henderson scored 20 points to pace the Hornets, who missed an opportunity to move ahead of the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Clippers 113, Wizards 99

LOS ANGELES -- Point guard Chris Paul scored 30 points, dished out 15 assists and pulled down six rebounds to lead the Clippers.

Shooting guard J.J. Redick added 26 points, while forward Blake Griffin finished with 22 points. Center DeAndre Jordan grabbed 23 rebounds to go along with 10 points.

The win allowed the Clippers (45-25) to pull within a half-game of the Portland Trail Blazers, who lost to the Orlando Magic, for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings.

Point guard John Wall had 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds to lead the Wizards (40-29), who had their five-game winning streak snapped.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Current odds to win the World Series this year.........

Washington Nationals 13-2-- Added Max Scherzer this winter.

Los Angeles Dodgers 17-2-- Middle infield will be rollins/Kendrick this season.

Seattle Mariners/Boston Red Sox 10-1-- Boston's pitching is a big ?????

Chicago Cubs/St Louis Cardinals 12-1-- Lot of expectations in Wrigleyville.

Los Angeles Angels 14-1-- No Hamilton, now Colby Rasmus is hurt, too.



**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Random thoughts for a Sunday morning

13) Our thoughts and prayers go out to Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, who lost his mom to a heart attack Saturday morning, but coached his team last night anyway.

12) UCLA 92, UAB 75-- Blazers made 12-26 from arc and still lost by 17; let me say this now. Just because UCLA is in the Sweet 16 doesn't mean they belonged in the tournament, just like a team losing doesn't mean they didn't belong.

11) Kentucky 64, Cincinnati 51-- Bearcats played their asses off but didn't come close to winning, but they did cover the spread. If a team upsets Kentucky, they'll be a team that makes a lot of 3's and can match the Wildcats on the backboards.

10) Arizona 73, Ohio State 58-- Wildcats are now 9-1 in last ten second round games (8-1-1 vs spread). D'Angelo Russell went 3-19 from floor in what was likely his last college game. Not sure if Arizona shoots well enough to beat Kentucky.

9) Xavier 75, Georgia State 67-- Weird game with only 35 missed shots; Xavier made 68% of its shots, Panthers 57%. Obviously, Xavier and UCLA caught huge breaks when the #3 seeds in their regions got beat. Thats how unlikely champions emerge.

8) Utah 75, Georgetown 64-- If John Thompson III's dad hadn't been an iconic coach at the school, JTIII would need another job-- their program is very ordinary now. Not sure if it matters, but Utes didn't look good the last two weeks, but they won twice this weekend, they're still alive and headed to the Sweet 16.

7) North Carolina 87, Arkansas 78-- This is a good time to point out how much fun it is to be in Las Vegas this weekend. Am hoping to make a spring training trip a year from now and tack it onto March Madness, see my A's practice in Arizona. Could be too much fun for one month, but its worth a try.

6) Notre Dame 67, Butler 64 OT-- This was a tremendous game, lot of drama; not sure why these teams don't play each other every year. CBS hits the jackpot making this the last game of the day. Then we find out hours later that Mike Brey coached this game knowing his mother had died earlier in the day. Courageous thing to do.

5) NC State 71, Villanova 68-- Since 1987, #1 seeds are 116-0 in the first round, and 101-15 in the second round, with Villanova being the 15th loss. Of the other 14 teams that lost this early in the tournament, three made the Final Four the next season, with Arizona in 2000 the last team to do so.

4) Out of those 15 second round losses by a number one seed, Kansas has three of them, Stanford two.

3) Only two of those 14 teams fell off the cliff and missed the NCAAs the next year; Cincinnati in 2001, Pittsburgh in 2012.

2) DePaul and Mississippi State need new basketball coaches, which is bad news for a couple mid-majors who are about to lose their coach. NCAA tournament is a lot of fun, but if you're a coach whose team doesn't make it, your job is in jeopardy.

1) Quote of the Day, part 2: "I'm very much in favor of high school kids going pro. I had six young men commit to me out of high school that didn't go to college, that went to the pros. I'm very much for that because they didn't want college. They wanted to go to the NBA. And if they go to the [NBA Development League], that's fine with them." Rick Pitino

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 22

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

MIAMI (32 - 36) at OKLAHOMA CITY (39 - 30) - 3/22/2015, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 76-55 ATS (+15.5 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 46-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 51-37 ATS (+10.3 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 60-42 ATS (+13.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 33-17 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 134-101 ATS (+22.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game since 1996.

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

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

SAN ANTONIO (43 - 25) at ATLANTA (53 - 16) - 3/22/2015, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 42-25 ATS (+14.5 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 24-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 891-783 ATS (+29.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 395-336 ATS (+25.4 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 72-42 ATS (+25.8 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 299-240 ATS (+35.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 60-39 ATS (+17.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 5-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (45 - 26) at MILWAUKEE (34 - 35) - 3/22/2015, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 39-28 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 135-100 ATS (+25.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 46-67 ATS (-27.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 321-387 ATS (-104.7 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 15-31 ATS (-19.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 10-25 ATS (-17.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 5-5 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW ORLEANS (37 - 32) at LA CLIPPERS (45 - 25) - 3/22/2015, 3:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 7-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW YORK (14 - 55) at TORONTO (41 - 28) - 3/22/2015, 4:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-4 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-5 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (40 - 29) at SACRAMENTO (23 - 45) - 3/22/2015, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

DETROIT (25 - 44) at BOSTON (30 - 38) - 3/22/2015, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 193-239 ATS (-69.9 Units) after a division game since 1996.
BOSTON is 39-28 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DETROIT is 114-83 ATS (+22.7 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
DETROIT is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

DENVER (26 - 44) at ORLANDO (22 - 49) - 3/22/2015, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

CHARLOTTE (29 - 38) at MINNESOTA (15 - 53) - 3/22/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

DALLAS (44 - 26) at PHOENIX (37 - 33) - 3/22/2015, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

PHILADELPHIA (17 - 52) at LA LAKERS (17 - 50) - 3/22/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 156-196 ATS (-59.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 136-177 ATS (-58.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 53-78 ATS (-32.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 52-81 ATS (-37.1 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 22

Hot Teams
-- Miami/Thunder both won four of their last five games.
-- Spurs won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Cavaliers won six of their last seven games.
-- Clippers won five of their last seven games.
-- Wizards won five of their last six games.
-- Celtics won five of their last seven games.
-- Mavericks won three of their last four games. Suns won their last three games.
-- 76ers won four of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Hawks are 4-4 in last eight games, losing last two, allowing 117.5 ppg.
-- Bucks lost their last five games, but covered three of the five.
-- Pelicans lost three of their last four games.
-- Knicks lost eight of their last ten games. Toronto lost six of last nine.
-- Sacramento lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Pistons lost 11 of their last 13 games.
-- Denver lost last three games, by 11-10-18 points. Orlando lost six of its last seven games.
-- Charlotte lost five of its last six games. Minnesota lost six of its last seven games.
-- Lakers lost eight of their last ten games.

Series Records
-- Miami won its last three visits to Oklahoma City.
-- Spurs won their last eight games with Atlanta.
-- Home side won six of last seven Cleveland-Milwaukee games.
-- Clippers won seven of last nine games with New Orleans.
-- Knicks lost three of last five visits to Toronto.
-- Home side won eight of last ten Wizard-King games.
-- Pistons won seven of last ten games with Boston.
-- Nuggets won six of their last seven games with Orlando.
-- Hornets won four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Suns won four of their last six games with Dallas.
-- Lakers won six of last nine games with Philadelphia.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Oklahoma City home games.
-- Seven of last eight San Antonio games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Cleveland-Milwaukee games went over.
-- Four of last six Clipper games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten Knick-Raptor games went over total.
-- Eight of last nine Sacramento games went over the total.
-- Last four Detroit-Boston games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Denver-Orlando games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte-Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Dallas-Phoenix games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Laker games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Backs
-- Detroit is 0-6 vs spread on road if it was at home night before.
-- Phoenix is 7-6 vs spread if it played the night before.

East vs West
SU: West 225-163 ATS: West 197-188-3
East teams HF vs West: 49-54
East teams HU vs West: 45-43
West teams HF vs East: 78-76-3
West teams HU vs East: 23-17

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Sunday, March 22

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

3:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MILWAUKEE
Cleveland is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland

3:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. ATLANTA
San Antonio is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio

3:00 PM
MIAMI vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Miami's last 25 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Oklahoma City is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Miami

3:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. LA CLIPPERS
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games at home
LA Clippers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against New Orleans

4:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. TORONTO
New York is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
New York is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto's last 11 games

6:00 PM
DENVER vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Denver is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
Orlando is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing at home against Denver

6:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SACRAMENTO
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Washington is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Sacramento is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

6:00 PM
DETROIT vs. BOSTON
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Boston is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MINNESOTA
Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
DALLAS vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Dallas

9:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
LA Lakers are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Sunday, March 22


Anthony Davis, New Orleans - Ques Sun

Davis has missed the last two games due to a sore ankle and is questionable to play Sunday against the Clippers.


DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento - Ques Sun

Cousins has missed the last two games due to a right calf strain and is questionable to play Sunday against the Wizards.



NBA roundup: Sharpshooting Grizzlies beat Blazers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies swept the season series from the Portland Trail Blazers with a 97-86 victory Saturday night at FedExForum as forward Jeff Green scored 23 points and point guard Mike Conley scored 21 points with nine assists.

Not known for their 3-point shooting, the Grizzlies shot 61.1 percent from deep (11-for-18). Green was 5-for-7 and Conley went 3-for-5. The 11 threes tied the Grizzlies' season high.

Overall, however, Memphis was just 37-for-89 for 41.6 percent. Center Marc Gasol finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists but was just 4-for-15 from the field. Power forward Zach Randolph scored 17 points but made just 8 of 20 shots.

Naturally, he made the only 3-pointer he attempted.

The Trail Blazers (44-24) dropped their fourth straight game, this defeat following losses at Washington, Miami and Orlando.

Pistons 107, Bulls 91

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Reggie Jackson had 22 points and 11 assists and Detroit rallied from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit to topple Chicago at The Palace.

The point guard scored 17 third-quarter points while sparking the turnaround as the Pistons won for just the second time in their last 13 games.

Forward Pau Gasol collected his NBA-high 46th double-double, with 27 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the Bulls (42-29). Point guard Aaron Brooks scored 19 points and center Joakim Noah contributed six points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Suns 117, Rockets 102

HOUSTON -- Eric Bledsoe scored a game-high 34 points and Phoenix avoided a season series sweep with a win over Houston at the Toyota Center.

Bledsoe added eight rebounds and three steals as the Suns kept pace in the race for the final berth in the Western Conference playoffs while also ending the Rockets' three-game home win streak.

Houston trailed by as many as 15 points before rallying early in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 105-100 on a 3-pointer by forward Trevor Ariza with 5:33 remaining. But Phoenix responded with 12 consecutive points to snuff that rally and snap a five-game skid against the Rockets.

Nets 123, Pacers 111

INDIANAPOLIS – Brooklyn is still on the outside looking in, but the view is getting better.

Center Brook Lopez had his second big game in as many nights, scoring 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting, as the surging Nets beat the reeling Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Brooklyn won for the fourth time in five games to pull one game behind eighth-place Boston in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Forward Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 21, making all eight of his shots, and guard Deron Williams 17 with six assists for the Nets, who shot 61 percent from the field.

Warriors 106, Jazz 91

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State carved up one of the NBA's hottest defenses, shooting 52.5 percent in the final three quarters.

Point guard Stephen Curry poured in 24 points and backup guard Leandro Barbosa connected on 8 of 10 shots from the field during a 19-point night as the Warriors (56-13) won a third consecutive game without injured All-Star Klay Thompson.

After missing 12 of their first 19 shots from the floor, the Warriors made 31 of their final 59 en route to their 12th consecutive home win overall and 18th in a row against Western Conference competition.

Forward Derrick Favors had a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double for Utah (31-38).

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Sunday, March 22


Pistons' PF Greg Monroe, out Sunday

Monroe has missed the last three games with a knee injury and will not return Sunday against the Celtics


Kings' C DeMarcus Cousins, probable Sunday

Cousins has missed the last two games due to a right calf strain but will likely return Sunday against the Wizards.


Over comes in for bettors Saturday night

The over was the total bet to back in the NBA Saturday night, going 4-1 over/under in five games.

The over has been a hot bet over the past seven days, going 33-22 O/U, cashing 60 percent of the time. Much better than the season average of 47.1 percent.

 

[CNOTES]

Monday's Top Action


March 23, 2015




HOUSTON ROCKETS (46-23) at INDIANA PACERS (30-39)


Tip-off: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Indiana -1.0, Total: 202


The Indiana Pacers attempt to snap a nasty five-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday night.


The Rockets continue to play some solid basketball and have won five of their past eight games both SU and ATS; earning four of the victories by double-digits. The offense has been the usual driving force when the club wins as it puts up an impressive 108.4 PPG in the five most recent wins. Houston couldn’t keep up with the Suns on Saturday, though, losing by a score of 117-102 as a 7.5-point favorite at home. Phoenix made 46-of-92 shots (50%) in the manhandling of Houston as the Rockets turned the ball over 18 times.


Indiana has not had the season it would have liked and is playing very poor coming into this one with losses in each of the past five games (1-4 ATS) as it scores a meager 95.2 PPG. The defense was also horrible during that stretch, allowing opponents to net more than 110 points twice as it gave up 106.2 PPG. The Pacers finally did something on offense on Saturday, putting up 111 points, but let the Nets drop 123 points on them while giving 8.5 points at home. They made a solid 45-of-90 shots (50% FG) in the loss but let Brooklyn get an amazing 46-of-75 (61% FG) attempts to drop.


Houston hasn’t been horrible on the road with a 19-13 SU record (16-16 ATS) in away games as it faces an Indiana group that is 18-17 SU (17-17-1 ATS) at home.


The home teams have dominated the recent matchups with these two groups, winning each of the past three contests by an average of 23.7 PPG as the Rockets have come away victorious in the past two and earlier this season they were able to grab a 110-98 win against the Pacers; making 51.4% of their shots in the process.


Some trends to keep an eye on include that Houston is 10-1 ATS (91%) when coming off an upset loss this year while Indiana is 5-1 ATS after a game where it allowed a shooting percentage of 55% or higher in the past three seasons.


On the injury front, the Rockets will continue to be very shallow with their big men as both C Dwight Howard (Knee) and PF Terrence Jones (Ribs) are out while SF Kostas Papanikolaou (Ankle) is questionable. The Pacers still obviously have SF Paul George (Leg) out while SG Rodney Stuckey (Calf) is questionable.


The Houston offense has been great for a few years now and it is scoring 103.3 PPG (8th in league) behind 43.9% shooting (9th-worst in league). On the defensive side of things the Rockets are allowing opponents to put up 100.2 PPG on 44.1% shooting (10th in league).


SG James Harden (26.9 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG) has made a meager 35% of his shots in the past five games and is coming off a rough showing (16 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) in the loss to Phoenix. He didn’t disappoint when he last met with Indiana though, scoring 45 points to go with seven assists and four steals.


Trevor Ariza (12.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG) has had a horrible year shooting, making a mere 39% over the year, but has picked it up of late while hitting 48% of his attempts in the past five outings with 14.4 PPG. He was a non-factor when his team beat the Pacers earlier in the year as he had nine points with three steals.


SG Corey Brewer (11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG) has three double-digit scoring performances in the past five games and has grabbed 7.4 RPG in that time. He had 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting while adding little else against Indiana back in January.


The Pacers do little to instill fear in their opponents on the offensive end, netting 96.6 PPG (7th-worst in league) on 43.8% shooting (8th-worst in league). They don’t allow too much on defense, though, giving up a mere 96.8 PPG (3rd-worst in league) with 43.5% of opponents attempts going in (4th in league).


PG George Hill (15.1 PPG, 4.6 APG) has been hot recently with 21.0 PPG over his past five performances as he’s made 56.9% of his shots. He wasn’t on the court in the first meeting with Houston and averaged just 8.0 PPG (54% FG) with 4.0 APG against them in two games last year.


PF David West (11.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG) has been horrible in the past five contests with 7.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG as he also did little (8 points, 6 rebounds) in the loss to the Rockets. C Roy Hibbert (10.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG) has had a rough season but has done well (16.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG) in his past four games. He played just 19 minutes against Houston this year with 12 points and four boards.


BOSTON CELTICS (30-39) at BROOKLYN NETS (29-39)


Tip-off: Monday, 7:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Brooklyn -4, Total: 203.0


The Celtics and Nets continue to fight for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs when the two teams face-off in Brooklyn Monday.


The Celtics faced the Pistons on Sunday and lost 105-97 as 6-point home favorites. Boston has now lost three straight games SU and the team has been miserable defensively, allowing 109.3 PPG in those contests. The Celtics will need to slow their opponents down or they will have little to no chance of being a part of the postseason.


The Nets, however, have gotten hot lately. They won 123-111 as 8.5-point road underdogs in Indiana on Saturday and have now won four of their past five games SU. They are 3-1-1 ATS in those games and their past four have gone Over the total.


These division foes have met three times this season and Boston is 2-1 both SU and ATS in those games. They last met in Brooklyn on Jan. 7 and the Celtics won 89-81 as 5-point underdogs in that game. Prior to that game, the Nets had won-and-covered in two straight games against the Celtics at Barclays Center.


Boston is 11-1 ATS in road games after failing to cover in two of their past three games this season. Brooklyn, meanwhile, is 36-23 ATS revenging a same season loss versus an opponent over the past two seasons. PG Marcus Smart (Suspension Served) is probable for the Celtics, who are already without PG Isaiah Thomas (Back) and PF Jared Sullinger (Foot) either indefinitely or for the season. Brooklyn is not currently dealing with any serious injuries.


The Celtics have lost three straight games and will really be desperate for a victory in Brooklyn Monday. SG Evan Turner (9.2 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has been thrown into a much bigger role over the past two games, playing 36.0 MPG and being the team’s primary scoring option. Turner has responded with 20.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG in those contests. He must find a way to be as productive against a Brooklyn team he has struggled against this season. Turner is averaging just 6.3 PPG in three games against the Nets and will need to be more effective as a scorer Monday.


One player who has stepped up in increased minutes is PF Jonas Jerebko (5.7 PG, 3.5 RPG). Over the past two games, Jerebko is averaging 8.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He should be able to be a major part of this rotation as long as he continues to be active on the glass.


PG Marcus Smart (7.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG) was averaging 13.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.5 SPG in 29.3 MPG in the four games before serving a one-game suspension for Boston. Smart is a very tough defender and also knows how to get his shots off. He’ll need to hold his own against Deron Williams on Monday.


SG Avery Bradley (14.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG) could also spend some time guarding Williams in this game. Bradley is one of the better on-ball defenders in the league and could make things very tough on whichever Nets guard he covers in this one. He’s also playing very well offensively recently, averaging 15.0 PPG on 44% shooting (37% 3PT) over the past five games.


SF Jae Crowder (7.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) got hot against the Pistons last game, finishing with 19 points, seven boards, three assists, a steal and a block in 45 minutes of action. Crowder has needed to play a lot of minutes as an undersized power forward with Boston, but he’s responded well and will be an x-factor against Brooklyn.


The Nets have played extremely well as of late and C Brook Lopez (15.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.7 BPG) has been dominant inside for this team. Over the past two games, Lopez is averaging 29.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 4.5 BPG in 36.5 MPG. The Celtics do not have big men that are great at defending the rim, so he should be able to tear it up on Monday as well.


PF Thaddeus Young (14.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG) has also played very well lately, putting up 15.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.4 SPG in 32.8 MPG over the past five contests. Young is very quick for a power forward and should have a strength advantage over whoever mans the spot for the Celtics on Monday. He’ll need to aggressively take the ball to the rim and also rebound well in this game.


SG Joe Johnson (15.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.4 APG) has been solid over the past two games, averaging 17.0 PPG. Johnson can take games off here and there and the Nets will really need him to come out firing against Boston.


PG Jarrett Jack (12.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has done a very good job of running this offense recently, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.2 APG and 3.8 RPG over the past five games. He’ll need to continue to score timely buckets and get his teammates the ball in the right spots moving forward.


PG Deron Williams (13.0 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has turned into the wild card for Brooklyn. He played well against Indiana, finishing with 17 points and six assists in 24 minutes of action. He is, however, also capable of putting up single-digits in scoring on any given night. He’s shooting just 37% from the field in March and he must find