Friday's NBA Essentials
January 20, 2017
Game of the Night - Golden State at Houston (ESPN, 8:05 ET)
For drama’s sake, it’s too bad that Kevin Durant and James Harden have such a good relationship. The NBA is always at its best when Zaza Pachulia gets to play enforcer and the on-court banter is contentious.
The Rockets handed the Warriors one of their six losses this season, so there’s a revenge factor in play, but Harden, Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all know each other well from Team USA duty and All-Star games and get along. There won’t be the bad blood element that made Golden State’s 121-100 Wednesday night win over Oklahoma City so juicy, but we may get a competitive game for longer than a half here.
That may largely depend on the health of Houston shooters Ryan Anderson (flu) and Eric Gordon (toe), who have each missed games over the past week-plus. Gordon missed a pair of games early last week due to the issue and then had a 3-for-17 shooting night in Tuesday’s 109-103 loss at Miami, shooting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. He was able to rebound with a 25-point night in Wednesday’s win vs. Milwaukee, his second-highest scoring output since mid-December, by knocking down seven 3-pointers. If Anderson shakes off any sluggish effects from his illness, Harden will have all his weapons around him for this showdown between the NBA’s two highest-scoring teams.
Oddsmakers have set this total at 237.5, which makes it the highest of the season, eclipsing the 234.5 that was placed on the Jan. 15 Rockets-Nets game. Houston won in Brooklyn 137-112, delivering the ‘over.’ The Warriors’ previous highest total was set at 234 in their 135-90 win over Portland on Dec. 17. The first meeting between these teams on Dec. 1 at Oracle saw the total set at 232, a figure eclipsed in overtime of the Rockets’ 132-127 2OT win that ended even at 113 after regulation. Houston snapped a run of nine consecutive losses to Golden State.
Anderson matched Harden’s output of 29 points while Gordon added 23 off the bench in a game where both teams fired up 44 3-pointers, setting an NBA record. Harden added 15 boards and 13 assists, while Durant scored 39, his largest output prior to Wednesday night’s 40 points against the Thunder.
Thompson shot just 4-for-20, missing 10 of 13 3-pointers, so he’ll be looking to get loose in this one as Mike D’Antoni and Steve Kerr square off for the second time as head coaches after sharing an extensive history working together in Phoenix last decade. That alone promises a fast tempo. These teams rank second (103.1) and fourth (101.3) in pace, with the Warriors the faster of the two, trailing only Brooklyn (104.3).
Golden State owns the NBA’s longest win streak (5) and its best road record, coming in 16-3, but has covered just seven times outside Oakland. Houston has the league’s third-best winning percentage at home, having won 17 of 21. It’s 11-10 ATS at the Toyota Center. This will mark only the second time this season that the Rockets will be a home underdog, having fallen to San Antonio as a 1.5-point dog on Nov. 12. The Warriors have been favored in every game this season and are beginning a four-game swing that will take them through Orlando, Miami and Charlotte. The Rockets open a five-game road trip in Memphis tomorrow and won't play another home game until Jan. 31.
East potential playoff preview pick'em
If the Eastern Conference playoffs began today – a leap, since we’re at the halfway point – the Hornets and Raptors would be squaring off in the 2-7 pairing. While fully aware there’s a long way to go, it’s worth humoring a potential meeting for the sole reason that sportsbooks have labeled this a pick’em in Charlotte. Presumably, that means Toronto would be roughly a 6-point favorite at home in a series opener, which illustrates just how wide open the East playoffs may be outside of heavily-favored Cleveland.
While key Raptors forwards DeMarre Carroll (neck), Patrick Patterson (knee) and Lucas Nogueira (concussion) are all question marks and Charlotte may again be missing backup guard Jeremy Lamb, both teams will have their primary catalysts in play, making this a fun barometer game.
If it’s as entertaining as the first meeting, a 113-111 Toronto win that featured Kemba Walker scoring 40 and DeMar DeRozan dropping 34, you’re going to need to be sure you’ve got this game going on a tablet. That meeting also closed as a pick’em.
DeRozan was deservedly voted in as an All-Star starter alongside Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving in results announced Thursday, while teammate Kyle Lowry and Charlotte’s Walker and Nicolas Batum will all get support from coaches for reserve spots. Lowry has joined DeRozan as an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, but neither Walker nor Batum has ever been honored, making this a statement game for both.
Walker hit 7-of-12 from 3-point range in the Nov. 11 loss, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists, while Batum finished with 18-10-6, so they’ll be quite comfortable in this matchup. Walker is shooting a career-best 46 percent from the field and .415 percent from 3-point range and his 23.0 points per game rank eighth in the East. With Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall also playing at an All-Star level, it seems like they’ll only be room for either Walker or Lowry, not both.
Batum is one of the conference’s top two-way players and is averaging career-bests in points (15.0), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.9). He’s struggled with his shot, shooting career-worst percentages from the field (.398) and 3-point range (.320), but he’s been invaluable and does all the little things coaches appreciate, so he’ll certainly be on the bubble. After missing losses in San Antonio and Houston due to knee issues, Batum has twice flirted with triple-doubles, but shot just 2-for-12 from 3-point range and less than 38 percent from the field. Straightening out his shot will be a huge variable in this one.
Charlotte is just 2-7 in its last nine, but comes off its first win since Jan. 4, a 107-85 rout of Portland. Toronto had its four-game winning streak snapped by the 76ers on Wednesday, ending Lowry's string of 14 consecutive wins against his hometown team. The 94-89 loss snapped a seven-game run of scoring 100 or more points in which the Raps averaged 117.4. They shot just 6-for-24 from 3-point range, but remain second in the entire league in offensive efficiency (113.3), just behind Golden State (113.4). Toronto leads the Eastern Conference and ranks third overall in scoring, averaging 111.0 points per contest. It has won five of the last six over Charlotte, including three straight. The ‘under’ has prevailed in four of the past five Hornets games.
Notable Head-to-Head Trends
-- The 76ers are looking to cover the number for the ninth time in 10 games, a streak that began on Dec. 30 and has seen the former league doormat go 7-2 outright. After not having a single three-game winning streak since Jan. 2014, Philadelphia could win three in a row for the second time this month if they defeat the Trail Blazers. The Sixers have won five straight games with Joel Embiid in the lineup and catch Portland in a slump since its lost three straight. The Blazers have won three of the last four in the series.
-- We'll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo can celebrate becoming a first-time All-Star by snapping Milwaukee's three-game losing streak. The Bucks have failed to cover in six of eight, but face a Magic squad they've beaten twice already this season. Orlando is playing at home for the first time since Jan. 6 and hasn't won at Amway Arena since Dec. 26. The Magic are 2-9 since, going 4-7 ATS, and have lost four of five in this series. Leading scorer Evan Fournier (16.5 ppg) remains out with a foot injury.
-- New Orleans has won six consecutive meetings against the Nets, last losing to Brooklyn in 2014. Anthony Davis' didn't play in the Pelicans' 104-95 win in Brooklyn on Jan. 12 but is expected to participate here despite leaving prematurely after getting banged up in each of the last two games. The Nets have lost a league-worst 11 straight, making them the only team winless in 2017. They've covered only once in that span.
-- Atlanta will look for its sixth straight victory over Chicago as it begins a three-game homestand on the heels of a dreadful 118-95 Wednesday loss at the Pistons. They haven't lost consecutive games since Dec. 5. The under has prevailed in five of the last six Chicago games. Forward Taj Gibson will be a game-time decision due to an ankle sprain but practiced Thursday.
-- On the same night that we get the Rockets-Warriors track meet, it's ironic that the teams tied in running the NBA's slowest pace (93.3) square off. There was no line set as of this writing early Friday morning due to doubt over whether Jazz point guard George Hill will play. He also participated in practice Thursday and should play despite being regarded as a game-time decision. Three of the last four meetings between these two typically low-scoring squads have actually gone 'over the posted total, which has hovered in the 182.5-187 range.
-- The Lakers own the Western Conference's longest losing streak (5) but could get Luol Deng back for this date with the Pacers in the second half of ESPN's doubleheader. Indiana has won six of seven against L.A., which has been tied to courting Paul George as a potential franchise player for the past few years. That could lead to some enthusiastic cheering for at least one of the visitors. George scored 30 against the Lakers at Staples last year and has scored 30 or more in two of the last three against them.
January 20, 2017
Game of the Night - Golden State at Houston (ESPN, 8:05 ET)
For drama’s sake, it’s too bad that Kevin Durant and James Harden have such a good relationship. The NBA is always at its best when Zaza Pachulia gets to play enforcer and the on-court banter is contentious.
The Rockets handed the Warriors one of their six losses this season, so there’s a revenge factor in play, but Harden, Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all know each other well from Team USA duty and All-Star games and get along. There won’t be the bad blood element that made Golden State’s 121-100 Wednesday night win over Oklahoma City so juicy, but we may get a competitive game for longer than a half here.
That may largely depend on the health of Houston shooters Ryan Anderson (flu) and Eric Gordon (toe), who have each missed games over the past week-plus. Gordon missed a pair of games early last week due to the issue and then had a 3-for-17 shooting night in Tuesday’s 109-103 loss at Miami, shooting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. He was able to rebound with a 25-point night in Wednesday’s win vs. Milwaukee, his second-highest scoring output since mid-December, by knocking down seven 3-pointers. If Anderson shakes off any sluggish effects from his illness, Harden will have all his weapons around him for this showdown between the NBA’s two highest-scoring teams.
Oddsmakers have set this total at 237.5, which makes it the highest of the season, eclipsing the 234.5 that was placed on the Jan. 15 Rockets-Nets game. Houston won in Brooklyn 137-112, delivering the ‘over.’ The Warriors’ previous highest total was set at 234 in their 135-90 win over Portland on Dec. 17. The first meeting between these teams on Dec. 1 at Oracle saw the total set at 232, a figure eclipsed in overtime of the Rockets’ 132-127 2OT win that ended even at 113 after regulation. Houston snapped a run of nine consecutive losses to Golden State.
Anderson matched Harden’s output of 29 points while Gordon added 23 off the bench in a game where both teams fired up 44 3-pointers, setting an NBA record. Harden added 15 boards and 13 assists, while Durant scored 39, his largest output prior to Wednesday night’s 40 points against the Thunder.
Thompson shot just 4-for-20, missing 10 of 13 3-pointers, so he’ll be looking to get loose in this one as Mike D’Antoni and Steve Kerr square off for the second time as head coaches after sharing an extensive history working together in Phoenix last decade. That alone promises a fast tempo. These teams rank second (103.1) and fourth (101.3) in pace, with the Warriors the faster of the two, trailing only Brooklyn (104.3).
Golden State owns the NBA’s longest win streak (5) and its best road record, coming in 16-3, but has covered just seven times outside Oakland. Houston has the league’s third-best winning percentage at home, having won 17 of 21. It’s 11-10 ATS at the Toyota Center. This will mark only the second time this season that the Rockets will be a home underdog, having fallen to San Antonio as a 1.5-point dog on Nov. 12. The Warriors have been favored in every game this season and are beginning a four-game swing that will take them through Orlando, Miami and Charlotte. The Rockets open a five-game road trip in Memphis tomorrow and won't play another home game until Jan. 31.
East potential playoff preview pick'em
If the Eastern Conference playoffs began today – a leap, since we’re at the halfway point – the Hornets and Raptors would be squaring off in the 2-7 pairing. While fully aware there’s a long way to go, it’s worth humoring a potential meeting for the sole reason that sportsbooks have labeled this a pick’em in Charlotte. Presumably, that means Toronto would be roughly a 6-point favorite at home in a series opener, which illustrates just how wide open the East playoffs may be outside of heavily-favored Cleveland.
While key Raptors forwards DeMarre Carroll (neck), Patrick Patterson (knee) and Lucas Nogueira (concussion) are all question marks and Charlotte may again be missing backup guard Jeremy Lamb, both teams will have their primary catalysts in play, making this a fun barometer game.
If it’s as entertaining as the first meeting, a 113-111 Toronto win that featured Kemba Walker scoring 40 and DeMar DeRozan dropping 34, you’re going to need to be sure you’ve got this game going on a tablet. That meeting also closed as a pick’em.
DeRozan was deservedly voted in as an All-Star starter alongside Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving in results announced Thursday, while teammate Kyle Lowry and Charlotte’s Walker and Nicolas Batum will all get support from coaches for reserve spots. Lowry has joined DeRozan as an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, but neither Walker nor Batum has ever been honored, making this a statement game for both.
Walker hit 7-of-12 from 3-point range in the Nov. 11 loss, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists, while Batum finished with 18-10-6, so they’ll be quite comfortable in this matchup. Walker is shooting a career-best 46 percent from the field and .415 percent from 3-point range and his 23.0 points per game rank eighth in the East. With Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall also playing at an All-Star level, it seems like they’ll only be room for either Walker or Lowry, not both.
Batum is one of the conference’s top two-way players and is averaging career-bests in points (15.0), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.9). He’s struggled with his shot, shooting career-worst percentages from the field (.398) and 3-point range (.320), but he’s been invaluable and does all the little things coaches appreciate, so he’ll certainly be on the bubble. After missing losses in San Antonio and Houston due to knee issues, Batum has twice flirted with triple-doubles, but shot just 2-for-12 from 3-point range and less than 38 percent from the field. Straightening out his shot will be a huge variable in this one.
Charlotte is just 2-7 in its last nine, but comes off its first win since Jan. 4, a 107-85 rout of Portland. Toronto had its four-game winning streak snapped by the 76ers on Wednesday, ending Lowry's string of 14 consecutive wins against his hometown team. The 94-89 loss snapped a seven-game run of scoring 100 or more points in which the Raps averaged 117.4. They shot just 6-for-24 from 3-point range, but remain second in the entire league in offensive efficiency (113.3), just behind Golden State (113.4). Toronto leads the Eastern Conference and ranks third overall in scoring, averaging 111.0 points per contest. It has won five of the last six over Charlotte, including three straight. The ‘under’ has prevailed in four of the past five Hornets games.
Notable Head-to-Head Trends
-- The 76ers are looking to cover the number for the ninth time in 10 games, a streak that began on Dec. 30 and has seen the former league doormat go 7-2 outright. After not having a single three-game winning streak since Jan. 2014, Philadelphia could win three in a row for the second time this month if they defeat the Trail Blazers. The Sixers have won five straight games with Joel Embiid in the lineup and catch Portland in a slump since its lost three straight. The Blazers have won three of the last four in the series.
-- We'll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo can celebrate becoming a first-time All-Star by snapping Milwaukee's three-game losing streak. The Bucks have failed to cover in six of eight, but face a Magic squad they've beaten twice already this season. Orlando is playing at home for the first time since Jan. 6 and hasn't won at Amway Arena since Dec. 26. The Magic are 2-9 since, going 4-7 ATS, and have lost four of five in this series. Leading scorer Evan Fournier (16.5 ppg) remains out with a foot injury.
-- New Orleans has won six consecutive meetings against the Nets, last losing to Brooklyn in 2014. Anthony Davis' didn't play in the Pelicans' 104-95 win in Brooklyn on Jan. 12 but is expected to participate here despite leaving prematurely after getting banged up in each of the last two games. The Nets have lost a league-worst 11 straight, making them the only team winless in 2017. They've covered only once in that span.
-- Atlanta will look for its sixth straight victory over Chicago as it begins a three-game homestand on the heels of a dreadful 118-95 Wednesday loss at the Pistons. They haven't lost consecutive games since Dec. 5. The under has prevailed in five of the last six Chicago games. Forward Taj Gibson will be a game-time decision due to an ankle sprain but practiced Thursday.
-- On the same night that we get the Rockets-Warriors track meet, it's ironic that the teams tied in running the NBA's slowest pace (93.3) square off. There was no line set as of this writing early Friday morning due to doubt over whether Jazz point guard George Hill will play. He also participated in practice Thursday and should play despite being regarded as a game-time decision. Three of the last four meetings between these two typically low-scoring squads have actually gone 'over the posted total, which has hovered in the 182.5-187 range.
-- The Lakers own the Western Conference's longest losing streak (5) but could get Luol Deng back for this date with the Pacers in the second half of ESPN's doubleheader. Indiana has won six of seven against L.A., which has been tied to courting Paul George as a potential franchise player for the past few years. That could lead to some enthusiastic cheering for at least one of the visitors. George scored 30 against the Lakers at Staples last year and has scored 30 or more in two of the last three against them.
