Monday's NBA Essentials
March 23, 2015
Rockets at Pacers – 7:05 PM EST
Get used to having to monitor the potential availability of Dwight Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and would-be anchor of the Rockets resistance is expected to return at some point this week. He was upgraded to doubtful, but is highly unlikely to return without a full practice. Josh Smith has been nursing a sore ankle, point guard Patrick Beverley has a sore shoulder he’s been playing through, Jason Terry is dealing with a lingering hamstring injury and Trevor Ariza has been sick. Considering key forward Terrance Jones has also been sidelined by a collapsed lung, it’s a wonder Houston has won three of four and not surprising it comes off an ugly home loss at the hands of Phoenix on Saturday night. MVP candidate James Harden has served as the driving force in spite of all the injuries, but even he’s shown signs of wearing down. In the Rockets last three losses, he’s averaged 18.3 points on 15-for-51 shooting. During their last three wins, he’s averaged 33.7 points, highlighted by the 50 he dropped against Denver. Harden scored 45 points on 12-for-18 shooting in Houston’s 110-98 home win against the Pacers on Jan. 19, connecting on seven 3-pointers and dishing out seven assists. The Rockets have seen the under come in five of the last eight games.
Paul George is also likely to make his long-awaited return to action at some point this week, but the Pacers have been very quiet about precisely when that may happen. The Pacers can certainly use him to provide a lift, beginning the week on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them out of the top-eight in the Eastern Conference. Rodney Stuckey, Indiana’s second-leading scorer, left Saturday night’s 123-111 loss to Brooklyn with a sore left calf, casting doubt on his availability for this one. In a game that was critical to the team’s run at a playoff spot, it was disconcerting to see Indiana surrender the most points scored and highest field goal percentage (61.3) surrendered this season. George Hill has quietly been terrific during this current losing streak, shooting 41-for-72 (59 pct) and averaging 19 points and 4.8 assists. The Pacers go back on the road for four of the next five after this one, making it a very important game. Due to their uncharacteristic defensive struggles, five of their last seven games have gone over the posted total. Indiana is 1-5 ATS in their last six.
Celtics at Nets – 7:35 PM EST
Rookie Marcus Smart will return from a one-game suspension for a cheap shot on San Antonio’s Matt Bonner and should be fresh to help lift a Celtics team that blew a fourth-quarter lead and had to work OT in a costly 105-97 setback at home against Detroit on Sunday night. Evan Turner and Avery Bradley played the majority of the minutes at guard, combining for 33 points on 13-for-31 shooting, so getting back Smart to provide a spark should be key as Boston looks to snap a three-game losing streak. Jae Crowder added 17 points in a team-high 44 minutes on the wing, while sixth man Kelly Olynyk shot just 1-for-9 despite a team-high nine boards, serving as the biggest culprit for the team’s 36 percent shooting. Isaiah Thomas , who keyed the Celtics unlikely rise into the race for a playoff spot, hasn’t played since March 9 due to a back injury. He had averaged over 20 points per game off the bench since arriving from Phoenix. Despite going over last night due to OT, Boston has seen five of its last eight games played go below the posted total, another indication of how much they’ve missed Thomas. There have been reports he’s targeting Wednesday as a return date, but monitor this situation in case he’s able to make an early return.
The Nets have topped the 120-point mark in three of their last four games to quiet talk that the team had little interest in making a late run at the No. 8 seed. In fact, coming off a huge win at Indiana, Brooklyn now continues a stretch that sees them face each of the teams involved in the race for No. 8, continuing at Charlotte on Wednesday. Center Brook Lopez scored 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting and Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 on a perfect 8-for-8 from the field. Keep an eye on Bogdanovic, who 30-for-47 from the field over his last four games, averaging 17.8 points off the bench. Deron Williams hasn’t played more than 28 minutes in a single game over his last five, so the Nets are looking to keep him fresh despite not resting him on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 17 points and six assists against Indiana and looks to be getting back into the type of groove he was in just after the All-Star break. Brooklyn has won four of five and are in search of only its second three-game winning streak of 2015. They haven’t won more than three in a row this season. Six of their last seven games have gone over the posted total, a rarity under the defensive-minded Lionel Hollins. The Nets are looking for a split of the season-series against Boston.
Hornets at Bulls – 8:05 PM EST
Charlotte rallied from an awful first quarter that saw it fall behind by double-digits, exploding to score 91 points over the next three quarters in a 109-98 win in Minnesota. The Hornets picked up their first game of a five-game road swing that concludes tonight and helped them go a half-game up in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against the Timberwolves, while Al Jefferson ended up with 18 points and 11 boards, while Marvin Williams added a team-high 24 points off the bench, so the frontcourt was really the driving force against the depleted Timberwolves. Kemba Walker is rounding back into form after missing over six weeks of action and has now scored in double-figures in three consecutive games for the first time since mid-January after coming up with 16 points, eight assists and six streals in Minnesota. The Hornets have lost four of their last five on the second night of a back-to-back.
Chicago was outscored 54-19 over the final quarter-and-a-half in a disappointing 107-91 loss to the Pistons on Saturday night. Outside of Pau Gasol, who had 17 second-half points on 5-for-8 shooting, saw his teammates go 7-for-30 around him in completely falling apart. Taj Gibson did return from an ankle injury, but his availability cut into the minutes of rookie Nikola Mirotic, who had been the driving force of the team’s offense in the absence of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Mirotic scored a month-low eight points on 1-for-8 shooting, never getting in a rhythm. Butler is expected to return from his elbow injury here, so we'll see how frontcourt minutes are managed. He’s averaging 20.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in March. Chicago has fallen into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 9-3 at home since February began and have played games that have gone over the posted total in 10 of the last 11, including eight straight.
Wizards at Warriors – 10:35 PM EST
John Wall and the Wizards wrap up a four-game Western swing looking to avoid a 1-3 trip and fly back with some momentum to begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday. Things started well when Wall was masterful in an upset of the sizzling Jazz to give the team their fifth consecutive win, but the Clippers and most disappointingly, the Kings have administered double-digit beatings since. It will be interesting to see how the team responds after a demoralizing 109-86 defeat in Sacramento on Sunday that coaches and players blamed on a lack of defensive focus. The Wizards couldn’t get stops out of the gate and then again in a third quarter that saw them outscored 33-20 in a listless performance that has those calling for beleaguered head coach Randy Wittman’s job pulling their hair out. Washington has lost 11 of its last 13 road games, with the under 9-3-1 in that stretch. Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat all played 22 minutes or fewer, so fatigue might be less of an issue on this second night of a back-to-back, though all were on the floor for with Wall for the better part of the carnage. Bradley Beal has been the only silver lining, since he appears to be back at 100 percent and is shooting the ball the way he’s accustomed to. The Wizards are playing the second of a back-to-back for the first time since May 7 and have lost four of the last five in this situation. Beal didn’t play for precautionary reasons, so this will be his first back-to-back since Feb. 5, when he aggravated a toe injury that contributed to what became an eight-game layoff.
The Warriors have run their home record to 33-2 as they take the floor at Oracle Arena for the final time this month. A four-game road swing awaits as they look to put the finishing touches on the top seed in the Western Conference, so they won’t be back in town until April 2. Klay Thompson remains out with an ankle injury he’s not going to be rushing back from, so a new-look Warriors squad has maintained the momentum. Thompson is likely to be re-evaluated later this week, so look for Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes to continue factoring prominently. MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry is averaging 20 points and 9.2 assists through GSW’s current five-game winning streak. Since he sat out the Warriors’ last loss to Denver, the team has won the last 10 times he’s played and is 11-1 with him on board in March. Golden State is closing in on becoming the first team since the ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) to lead the NBA in offensive and defensive efficiency. GSW is 4-1 ATS during this five-game run and have played to six consecutive overs. The Warriors are 13-11 ATS as a double-digit favorite.
March 23, 2015
Rockets at Pacers – 7:05 PM EST
Get used to having to monitor the potential availability of Dwight Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and would-be anchor of the Rockets resistance is expected to return at some point this week. He was upgraded to doubtful, but is highly unlikely to return without a full practice. Josh Smith has been nursing a sore ankle, point guard Patrick Beverley has a sore shoulder he’s been playing through, Jason Terry is dealing with a lingering hamstring injury and Trevor Ariza has been sick. Considering key forward Terrance Jones has also been sidelined by a collapsed lung, it’s a wonder Houston has won three of four and not surprising it comes off an ugly home loss at the hands of Phoenix on Saturday night. MVP candidate James Harden has served as the driving force in spite of all the injuries, but even he’s shown signs of wearing down. In the Rockets last three losses, he’s averaged 18.3 points on 15-for-51 shooting. During their last three wins, he’s averaged 33.7 points, highlighted by the 50 he dropped against Denver. Harden scored 45 points on 12-for-18 shooting in Houston’s 110-98 home win against the Pacers on Jan. 19, connecting on seven 3-pointers and dishing out seven assists. The Rockets have seen the under come in five of the last eight games.
Paul George is also likely to make his long-awaited return to action at some point this week, but the Pacers have been very quiet about precisely when that may happen. The Pacers can certainly use him to provide a lift, beginning the week on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them out of the top-eight in the Eastern Conference. Rodney Stuckey, Indiana’s second-leading scorer, left Saturday night’s 123-111 loss to Brooklyn with a sore left calf, casting doubt on his availability for this one. In a game that was critical to the team’s run at a playoff spot, it was disconcerting to see Indiana surrender the most points scored and highest field goal percentage (61.3) surrendered this season. George Hill has quietly been terrific during this current losing streak, shooting 41-for-72 (59 pct) and averaging 19 points and 4.8 assists. The Pacers go back on the road for four of the next five after this one, making it a very important game. Due to their uncharacteristic defensive struggles, five of their last seven games have gone over the posted total. Indiana is 1-5 ATS in their last six.
Celtics at Nets – 7:35 PM EST
Rookie Marcus Smart will return from a one-game suspension for a cheap shot on San Antonio’s Matt Bonner and should be fresh to help lift a Celtics team that blew a fourth-quarter lead and had to work OT in a costly 105-97 setback at home against Detroit on Sunday night. Evan Turner and Avery Bradley played the majority of the minutes at guard, combining for 33 points on 13-for-31 shooting, so getting back Smart to provide a spark should be key as Boston looks to snap a three-game losing streak. Jae Crowder added 17 points in a team-high 44 minutes on the wing, while sixth man Kelly Olynyk shot just 1-for-9 despite a team-high nine boards, serving as the biggest culprit for the team’s 36 percent shooting. Isaiah Thomas , who keyed the Celtics unlikely rise into the race for a playoff spot, hasn’t played since March 9 due to a back injury. He had averaged over 20 points per game off the bench since arriving from Phoenix. Despite going over last night due to OT, Boston has seen five of its last eight games played go below the posted total, another indication of how much they’ve missed Thomas. There have been reports he’s targeting Wednesday as a return date, but monitor this situation in case he’s able to make an early return.
The Nets have topped the 120-point mark in three of their last four games to quiet talk that the team had little interest in making a late run at the No. 8 seed. In fact, coming off a huge win at Indiana, Brooklyn now continues a stretch that sees them face each of the teams involved in the race for No. 8, continuing at Charlotte on Wednesday. Center Brook Lopez scored 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting and Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 on a perfect 8-for-8 from the field. Keep an eye on Bogdanovic, who 30-for-47 from the field over his last four games, averaging 17.8 points off the bench. Deron Williams hasn’t played more than 28 minutes in a single game over his last five, so the Nets are looking to keep him fresh despite not resting him on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 17 points and six assists against Indiana and looks to be getting back into the type of groove he was in just after the All-Star break. Brooklyn has won four of five and are in search of only its second three-game winning streak of 2015. They haven’t won more than three in a row this season. Six of their last seven games have gone over the posted total, a rarity under the defensive-minded Lionel Hollins. The Nets are looking for a split of the season-series against Boston.
Hornets at Bulls – 8:05 PM EST
Charlotte rallied from an awful first quarter that saw it fall behind by double-digits, exploding to score 91 points over the next three quarters in a 109-98 win in Minnesota. The Hornets picked up their first game of a five-game road swing that concludes tonight and helped them go a half-game up in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against the Timberwolves, while Al Jefferson ended up with 18 points and 11 boards, while Marvin Williams added a team-high 24 points off the bench, so the frontcourt was really the driving force against the depleted Timberwolves. Kemba Walker is rounding back into form after missing over six weeks of action and has now scored in double-figures in three consecutive games for the first time since mid-January after coming up with 16 points, eight assists and six streals in Minnesota. The Hornets have lost four of their last five on the second night of a back-to-back.
Chicago was outscored 54-19 over the final quarter-and-a-half in a disappointing 107-91 loss to the Pistons on Saturday night. Outside of Pau Gasol, who had 17 second-half points on 5-for-8 shooting, saw his teammates go 7-for-30 around him in completely falling apart. Taj Gibson did return from an ankle injury, but his availability cut into the minutes of rookie Nikola Mirotic, who had been the driving force of the team’s offense in the absence of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Mirotic scored a month-low eight points on 1-for-8 shooting, never getting in a rhythm. Butler is expected to return from his elbow injury here, so we'll see how frontcourt minutes are managed. He’s averaging 20.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in March. Chicago has fallen into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 9-3 at home since February began and have played games that have gone over the posted total in 10 of the last 11, including eight straight.
Wizards at Warriors – 10:35 PM EST
John Wall and the Wizards wrap up a four-game Western swing looking to avoid a 1-3 trip and fly back with some momentum to begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday. Things started well when Wall was masterful in an upset of the sizzling Jazz to give the team their fifth consecutive win, but the Clippers and most disappointingly, the Kings have administered double-digit beatings since. It will be interesting to see how the team responds after a demoralizing 109-86 defeat in Sacramento on Sunday that coaches and players blamed on a lack of defensive focus. The Wizards couldn’t get stops out of the gate and then again in a third quarter that saw them outscored 33-20 in a listless performance that has those calling for beleaguered head coach Randy Wittman’s job pulling their hair out. Washington has lost 11 of its last 13 road games, with the under 9-3-1 in that stretch. Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat all played 22 minutes or fewer, so fatigue might be less of an issue on this second night of a back-to-back, though all were on the floor for with Wall for the better part of the carnage. Bradley Beal has been the only silver lining, since he appears to be back at 100 percent and is shooting the ball the way he’s accustomed to. The Wizards are playing the second of a back-to-back for the first time since May 7 and have lost four of the last five in this situation. Beal didn’t play for precautionary reasons, so this will be his first back-to-back since Feb. 5, when he aggravated a toe injury that contributed to what became an eight-game layoff.
The Warriors have run their home record to 33-2 as they take the floor at Oracle Arena for the final time this month. A four-game road swing awaits as they look to put the finishing touches on the top seed in the Western Conference, so they won’t be back in town until April 2. Klay Thompson remains out with an ankle injury he’s not going to be rushing back from, so a new-look Warriors squad has maintained the momentum. Thompson is likely to be re-evaluated later this week, so look for Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes to continue factoring prominently. MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry is averaging 20 points and 9.2 assists through GSW’s current five-game winning streak. Since he sat out the Warriors’ last loss to Denver, the team has won the last 10 times he’s played and is 11-1 with him on board in March. Golden State is closing in on becoming the first team since the ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) to lead the NBA in offensive and defensive efficiency. GSW is 4-1 ATS during this five-game run and have played to six consecutive overs. The Warriors are 13-11 ATS as a double-digit favorite.
