Saturday 1/2/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (17-18) at Sharks (17-16)

Date: January 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

With Logan Couture back on the ice, the San Jose Sharks moved a little closer to shedding the label of league's worst home team.

The Sharks will next try to earn back-to-back wins on their own ice for the first time all season by adding to the Winnipeg Jets' road woes Saturday night.

Couture had two assists in just his sixth game of the season Wednesday, and the second led to Brent Burns' tying goal in the third period of a 4-2 win over Philadelphia. Joe Pavelski tallied the go-ahead goal with 6:15 remaining and scored on a late power play.

"Obviously, now that's the template that we need to copy and play with," said Pavelski, who has seven goals in the last seven games along with five assists. "... We need to bring that energy again."

Couture, a 20-goal scorer in each of the last five seasons, returned after missing seven games with a lower-body injury and sat out 23 earlier this season with a fractured right tibia. His two points were part of a 3-for-6 night by the Sharks' power play.

"It's nice to have (Couture) out there," coach Peter DeBoer said. "Obviously, he's still getting the rust off. He's a very good player and helped us a lot tonight."

San Jose (18-16-2) ended a season-high, four-game home losing streak. The Sharks are 5-10-0 on home ice, five points shy of the league's next-worst home team.

'We've been playing good, we just haven't been winning at home,' said center Joe Thornton, who has a seven-game point streak. 'It's nice to finally see all this hard work paying off at home."

In the third of five straight home games, San Jose will face a team that's 1-11-1 in its last 13 road games and has lost the last six. The Jets franchise hasn't had a longer road losing streak since an 0-6-2 stretch Dec. 16, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010.

Winnipeg (17-18-2) opened a five-game trip with a 4-2 loss in Arizona on Thursday. Rookie Connor Hellebuyck allowed three goals on 20 shots after giving up one on a combined 64 shots in back-to-back wins.

The Jets outshot the Coyotes 37-21 but gave up two power-play goals in the third period that made the difference, though coach Paul Maurice didn't like the penalty calls.

'You can't take the penalties that we took. You just can't," Maurice said. "You can complain about the calls all you want. But if you expect consistency and quality, you aren't coming to the game we play.'

Winnipeg has been short-handed a league-high 141 times and has the NHL's worst penalty kill since Nov. 12 at 71.8 percent, letting opponents go 9 of 30 in the last eight games. The Jets are 1 for 23 on the power play in that span and 3 for 45 in their past 15 road games.

The Sharks' special teams, meanwhile, have shined of late. They're 9 for 23 with a man advantage in their last six games and have not allowed a power-play goal in eight of nine.

San Jose went 1 for 18 on the power play against Winnipeg last season but won two of three meetings. The Jets were 4 for 8.

Pavelski has three goals and five assists in a six-game point streak against the Jets.

Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd has six goals and three assists in his last nine games in the series. Blake Wheeler has three goals and four assists in his past four.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 - -
1/3 4 - - -
1/4 5 - - -
1/5 8 - - -
1/6 5 - - -
1/7 7 - - -
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 10 - - -
1/10 6 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 8 - - -
1/13 4 - - -
1/14 8 - - -
1/15 6 - - -
1/16 10 - - -
1/17 7 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 3 - - -
1/21 10 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 11 - - -
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Kings won last four games, allowing six goals.
-- Coyotes won four of last six games.
-- Islanders won three of last four games.
-- Florida won its last seven games.
-- Washington won nine of its last ten games.
-- Blues won six of their last nine games. Toronto won four of its last six.
-- Hurricanes won three of their last four games.
-- Dallas Stars won five of their last seven games. Devils won three of last four.
-- Minnesota won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost six of its last eight games. Sabres lost four of last five.
-- Flyers lost three of last four games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last eight games.
-- Penguins lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Rangers lost nine of last thirteen games.
-- Blue Jackets lost three of last four games.
-- Nashville lost six of its last nine games.
-- Lightning lost four of its last six games.
-- Flames lost four of their last six games.
-- Avalanche lost three of its last four games.
-- Winnipeg lost five of its last eight games. Sharks are 4-9 in their last 13 games.

Series records
-- Red Wings won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Road team won eight of last nine LA-Philly games.
-- Coyotes won their last six games with Edmonton.
-- Islanders won their last four games with Pittsburgh.
-- Rangers won their last seven games with Florida.
-- Washington won three of last four games with Columbus.
-- Blues won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Home side won seven of last eight Nashville-Carolina games.
-- Dallas Stars won 3-2so/4-3 in last two games with New Jersey.
-- Lightning lost their last four games with Minnesota.
-- Home side won last four Calgary-Colorado games.
-- Sharks are 6-4 in last ten games with Winnipeg.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Buffalo games.
-- Over is 3-0-2 in last five Los Angeles games.
-- Three of last four Arizona games went over.
-- Six of last nine Islander games stayed under.
-- Over is 8-0-1 in last nine Ranger games; four of last five Florida games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games went over.
-- Four of last five St Louis games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Carolina games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six New Jersey games.
-- Last four Minnesota games stayed under; over is 6-1 in last seven Lightning games.
-- Four of last five Colorado games went over total
-- Five of last six Winnipeg games stayed under total.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

EPL Best Bets - Week 20
By Chris David

Boxing Day and Week 19 Matchday Recap

Stoke City was one of three clubs to capture six points over the two games played in the last week and the club did damage twice as underdogs. On Boxing Day, the Potters knocked off Manchester United at a 2/1 price and followed up that win with a 4-3 victory over Everton as 7/2 underdogs. Liverpool and Tottenham were the two other clubs to capture a pair of victories over the four-day span.

Favorites went 5-2 on Boxing Day to go with three draws and the ‘under’ posted a 6-4 mark on the holiday card. In the midweek action, the ‘chalk’ responded again with another 5-2 record and three more ties. It appeared that the defense was ahead of the offense as the ‘under’ went 8-2.

Including those 20 results, favorites are 82-64 with 54 draws. The ‘under’ improved its record to 97-88-5 at the halfway point of the season.

Trends to Watch

Leicester City has been held scoreless in its last two games (0-1-1) which is something that didn’t happen in its first 17 EPL matches.

Norwich City hasn’t won back-to-back games in the Premier League this season and its off a win as it hosts Southampton on Saturday.

Tottenham hasn’t dropped points in eight straight road games (4-4-0) and visits Everton for the North London derby on Sunday.

West Ham United is unbeaten in its last six (2-4-0) and has only conceded four goals during this run.

Sunderland and Aston Villa will square off Saturday in a relegation battle. Villa hasn’t won a game since opening day and Sunderland limps into this game with a five-game losing streak. The first encounter between the pair resulted in a 2-2 draw in late August from Villa Park.

Top 4

As the second-half of the season begins, fatigue should play a major factor as teams will be playing their third game in eight days this weekend.

Arsenal vs. Newcastle United (Saturday, NBCSN, 10:00 a.m. ET)

Saturday’s mismatch of the day takes place at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal (-400) hosts Newcastle (+1100). The Gunners have won eight straight encounters against the Magpies, which includes a 1-0 victory at St James’ Park in late August. In it last four home wins against United, Arsenal has posted 16 goals.

Since losing their home opener to West Ham United on Aug. 9, the Gunners have gone unbeaten (6-2-0) at home and only conceded four goals. Newcastle has scored a league-low five goals on the road, which has resulted in a 2-1-6 record. The Magpies did surprise Tottenham 2-1 in early December but was also blown out to quality clubs in Manchester City (6-1) and Crystal Palace (5-1).

The ‘over/under’ is sitting at three and most would believe that Arsenal will likely need to get four if you’re leaning to the high side.

Manchester United vs. Swansea City (Saturday, USA, 10:00 a.m. ET)

This game looks like a trap and bettors could be hesitant to back Manchester United (-200) considering it’s winless in its last eight matches in all competitions. Plus, Swansea City (+675) has won three straight games against the Red Devils, all of them finishing with 2-1 score lines.

United snapped a four-game losing streak on Boxing Day with a scoreless draw against Chelsea but the offense is still in disarray. They’ve only scored 10 goals at home in nine games and that’s resulted in a 4-4-1 record. The defense has surrendered just three goals at Old Trafford and that’s helped the ‘under’ go 6-3.

Swansea has had trouble scoring this season too, just 16 goals in 19 games and they’ve conceded 24. On the road, it’s been worse for the Swans as they’ve only managed to capture six out of a possible 27 points (1-3-5).

The total on this game is sitting at 2 ½ and shaded heavily to the ‘under’ (-150). Swansea has posted clean sheets in three straight games while United has posted 0-0 results in five of the last eight games in all competitions at Old Trafford.

Manchester City at Watford (Saturday, NBC, 12: 30 p.m. ET)

This will be the second of four straight games on the road for Manchester City (-150) and this week’s assignment at Watford (+400) won’t be easy. The Hornets lost 2-0 at Ethiad Stadium in late August but their defensive scheme worked for a half but they could only muster up two shots against the superior club.

Watford still stresses defense but the offense has come on lately as it’s scored at least one goal in 10 straight and six goals over the past three games. Unfortunately, they’ve been better offensively on the road (14 goals) compared to home (10). The Hornets have gone 4-2-4 at Vicarage Road but only one of those victories came against a quality opponent (Liverpool).

City hasn’t been a world beater (3-3-3) on the road and its goal differential is even (8-8) through nine games. Manchester has been held to one goal or less in seven straight league games on the road. Vincent Kompany (calf) is ‘out’ again for the club and bettors should note that City has conceded 19 goals in 11 games without the centre-back.

The total is 2 ½ and shaded to the ‘over’ (-140). City is 6-3 to the ‘under’ on the road and Watford’s tactics have seen the ‘under’ go 6-4 on the road.

Chelsea at Crystal Palace (Sunday, NBCSN, 8:30 a.m. ET)

Despite sitting in 14th place, Chelsea (+105) continues to get plenty of attention even against a quality club in Crystal Palace (+275) that is in great form. The Eagles are unbeaten (3-3-0) in their last six games and have only surrendered four goals during this span.

Since Chelsea dismissed manager Jose Mourinho a couple weeks ago, the club has gone 1-2-0 while outscoring opponents 5-3 during this span. The Blues have only managed to capture six of a possible 27 points on the road this season (1-3-5) and the lone victory came in a 3-2 decision on Aug. 23 at West Bromwich Albion.

In the first meeting this season, Crystal Palace captured a 2-1 road upset at Stamford Bridge. The Eagles are banged up for the rematch, with Bakary Sako, Yannick Bolaisie, Connor Wickman injured and Yohan Cabaye is suspended. Diego Costa returns from suspension for Chelsea and Gary Cahill is expected back but Loic Remy

Palace has gone 4-2-4 at Selhurst Park and only surrendered nine goals, which has helped the ‘under’ go 6-4. The Blues are 3-1 in their last four trips to this venue and have scored two-plus goals in all of the wins.

Fearless Predictions

We started out Boxing Day strong but failed to score any goals late and that cost us $75. At the midway point of the season, the deficit is $2,470 and the goal is to turn that figure around in the final 19 weeks.

Straight – Stoke City (+170) over West Brom – 2 Units

Straight – Over 2 (-115) Stoke City-West Brom – 2 Units

Straight – Southampton (+130) over Norwich City – 1 Unit

Straight – Over 2 ½ (-130) Tottenham-Everton – 2 Units

Straight – Chelsea (+105) over Crystal Palace – 1 Unit

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (9-23) at Celtics (18-14)

Date: January 02, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Because of the trade that sent stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn in 2013, the Boston Celtics stand to benefit from every Nets loss this season.

Boston hosts Brooklyn to open a home-and-home series with some added incentive Saturday.

The Celtics own the Nets' first-round draft pick in 2016 because of the blockbuster deal and looks like it might reap a big reward come lottery time, with Brooklyn owning the league's third-worst record at 9-23. The pick from the Nets is not lottery-protected.

The Nets have lost eight of 10 after falling 100-93 at Orlando on Wednesday. Brook Lopez had 24 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, but Brooklyn was outscored 32-20 in the final period.

"We just couldn't get a good shot in the fourth quarter," coach Lionel Hollins said. "Their defense was pretty good and it got away from us. ... Executing under pressure is important, and I don't think we handled the pressure well."

The Celtics (18-14) had their four-game win streak snapped with a 112-104 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. They cut an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to two, but Kobe Bryant hit a key 3-pointer with 1:40 to go.

"It was just a mental letdown from top to bottom, for all of us, and it hurt us," forward Jae Crowder said. "We tried to fight back and claw back and made it a game late in the fourth, but it was too late."

The Celtics split a home-and-home set with the Nets on Nov. 20 and 22, opening it with a 120-95 win at TD Garden in which they posted their best shooting performance in two seasons at 58.6. Avery Bradley scored 21 points off the bench while knocking down 10 of his 13 attempts, and Crowder had 19 points.

The Nets then snapped their three-game skid against Boston with a 111-101 home victory. Lopez and Jarrett Jack combined for 45 points to help overcome 27 apiece from Isaiah Thomas and Bradley.

Thomas had 24 points Wednesday while Evan Turner added 20 off the bench. Turner has averaged 17.3 points - nearly eight above his season average - and shot 56.8 percent in his last three games.

Thomas has scored 22.0 points per game in his past three against the Nets. Bradley has averaged 21.4 and shot 55.3 percent from the field while going 24 of 47 from 3-point range in his past eight meetings.

Lopez has shot 56.3 percent in his last three games against Boston. The Nets have lost in three of their last four visits to TD Garden.

The teams meet for the final time this season Monday night in Brooklyn.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (12-23) at Kings (12-20)

Date: January 02, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

DeMarcus Cousins was ejected in an act of frustration earlier this week, and after an ensuing loss to the NBA's worst team, reportedly said that the Sacramento Kings have a dark cloud over them.

Cousins, though, has been a handful for Phoenix, which has certainly seen brighter days as it's mired in a seven-game losing streak. The volatile center will try to help the Kings get past a humbling defeat when they visit the Suns on Saturday night.

Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac said he believed Cousins would be suspended for his reaction to being ejected from Monday's 122-103 road loss to Golden State, but the league did not so much as fine the All-Star before a 110-105 home loss to 2-31 Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Cousins had 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 1:47 remaining. He was frustrated again after the Kings (12-20) committed 22 turnovers and allowed 50 points in the paint to easily the league's lowest-scoring team.

'I feel we dropped the ball,' Cousins said. 'Turnovers killed us, paint points killed us. I don't think the defense was where it needed to be."

Cousins ranks second in the league behind Houston's James Harden in home scoring average at 27.9. He's also put up 23.2 points and 13.8 rebounds in his last nine against the Suns, who hope the addition of Tyson Chandler will help them end his wrath in the series.

Cousins did not play in a 118-97 road loss to Phoenix on Nov. 4, but had 28 points and 12 boards while making the winning jumper as time expired in an 85-83 victory in Sacramento on Feb. 8.

Marco Belinelli is coming off his best performance of the season with 28 points against the 76ers, though Rudy Gay managed nine. Gay, second on the team with 17.5 points per game, could be sidelined due to a sore Achilles as the Kings look to end their three-game skid.

T.J. Warren has stepped up in the three games since leading scorer Eric Bledsoe was lost for the season, averaging 21.0 points - nearly 10 above his average - while going 7 of 11 from 3-point range. He had a career-high 29 points with nine rebounds and led six Suns that scored in double figures in a 110-106 loss at Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Brandon Knight looks to shake his slump, having shot 33.8 percent in his last four games.

Among the worst defensive teams in the league, Phoenix (12-23) has had an especially difficult time slowing opponents during its longest losing streak since a 10-game skid March 20-April 9, 2013. It's allowed 108.0 points and 49.2 shooting over its last six.

"The hardest part about the NBA is that you're playing 82 games and you have to somehow mentally prepare yourself every single night to go out there," coach Jeff Hornacek said.

George Karl can tie Phil Jackson for fifth place on the career list with 1,155 wins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (18-15) at Pacers (18-14)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

With the top 10 teams in the Eastern Conference so tightly packed heading into 2016, there's a good reason why both the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers are already thinking about the big picture.

In the short term, the Pacers could have an awfully tough time dealing with Andre Drummond on Saturday night.

Indiana had to play five extra minutes Wednesday before falling 102-100 at Chicago, then didn't have big men Ian Mahinmi (knee) or Jordan Hill (dental work) the next night against Milwaukee. Those absences showed up in the paint, where the Bucks outscored the Pacers 58-44 en route to a 120-116 win.

"Losing two in a row is unacceptable for us," Paul George said after scoring 31 points to emerge from a five-game slump in which he averaged 13 on 27.7 percent shooting. "Teams (in the East) are too close for us to be dropping games right now."

George isn't kidding. The top 10 are separated by no more than five games, with the Pacers (18-14) and Pistons (18-15) a half game apart.

Detroit dug itself out of a three-game skid by ending the year with one of its more complete performances of the season. Drummond had 23 points and 18 rebounds and Anthony Tolliver hit five of the Pistons' 14 3-pointers in Thursday's 115-90 rout of Minnesota.

That was enough to put even Stan Van Gundy in a positive mood after reflecting on the end of 2014, when Detroit was 8-23 in his first season on the sidelines.

"We've obviously come a long way in the last 12 months," Van Gundy said. "We've turned the roster around, and we've now got a group of guys who fit together on the floor and are all high-character individuals. There's a much better feel with this team."

Drummond has been the most responsible as he heads toward his first All-Star appearance, and he should have plenty of space to operate in the paint if Mahinmi and Hill sit again. Six-foot-9 Lavoy Allen started at center Thursday and little-used Myles Turner and Shayne Whittington were the only other big men at Frank Vogel's disposal.

One of the most dominant games in Drummond's career, however, wasn't enough to beat the Pacers. He had 25 points and a career-high 29 rebounds Nov. 3, but the other Pistons shot 30.4 percent - 5 of 22 from 3-point range - in a 94-82 home loss.

Drummond had just 8 and 11 on Dec. 12 at The Palace but Detroit went 13 of 29 from beyond the arc in a 118-96 rout.

George has struggled in both meetings, shooting a combined 9 for 33 while totaling 29 points, and the key has been pretty simple: Make him put it on the floor. He's missed all nine shots against the Pistons after taking at least five dribbles.

His latest concern is one that's also been plaguing the Pistons in recent weeks. Indiana hasn't led after the first quarter in any of its last seven games, with Thursday's nine-point deficit after 12 minutes the worst of the bunch.

"It's something we've got to get better at," George said. "We can't keep digging ourselves holes and expect to have enough to finish games out when we're down 10 or 15 points."

Detroit has trailed by an average of four points after one in its last seven.

The Pistons are still getting accustomed to the return of another rotation piece. Brandon Jennings has scored seven points in each of his first two back after missing 11 months with a torn Achilles.

Jennings had 37 in leading the Pistons to a 98-96 win in Indianapolis last January.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (23-10) at Hornets (17-15)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling at full strength, though they haven't always needed to be in recent matchups with the Charlotte Hornets.

Health figures to be a factor when the injury-plagued Hornets limp home Saturday night attempting to halt the Thunder's three-game win streak.

After missing the playoffs last season while ravaged by a slew of injuries, most notably Kevin Durant's fractured right foot that limited the four-time scoring champion to 27 games, Oklahoma City (23-10) has returned to the NBA's upper echelon in part by largely avoiding them.

The same can't be said for Charlotte (17-15). Al Jefferson has missed 13 games due to a calf strain, a drug suspension and recent knee surgery that will sideline the veteran center past the All-Star break. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder surgery) has yet to play while Jeremy Lin (ankle) has missed the last two games and backup center Spencer Hawes (back) four straight.

Minus two of their top four scorers, the Hornets suffered a second consecutive loss and fifth in seven games with Friday's 104-94 setback at Toronto. They went 4 of 21 while outscored 30-12 in the fourth quarter.

"I think we took a lot of quick shots in the fourth quarter," forward Marvin Williams said. "Guys took shots that sometimes they make and unfortunately tonight we weren't able to make them."

Charlotte fell to 4-13 when failing to reach 100 points and could have trouble keeping up with the potent Thunder, the league's second-highest scoring team at 108.7 points per game. Oklahoma City has averaged 121.0 while shooting 53.4 percent in home victories over Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix that followed a Christmas Day loss to Chicago.

Russell Westbrook has led the charge by averaging 31.0 points and 10.3 assists during the streak. The star point guard totaled 36 and 12 to help the Thunder hold off the determined Suns 110-106 on Thursday.

'It was a good night for him,' said Durant, who added 23 points for his 19th straight game of 20 or more. 'He was just efficient. He had the ball in his hands and made good decisions. He took control of the game and made shots. That's what he does, he's a scorer. He's a guy that sets everybody up."

The Thunder have allowed 105 or more in four straight but have held Charlotte under 100 in eight of the last nine matchups, all Oklahoma City victories. The Hornets' last win in the series came at home on March 17, 2010.

Durant missed last season's two meetings but Westbrook stepped up in his absence, averaging 31.0 points. He had 33 with 10 assists in a 110-103 triumph at Charlotte on Feb. 21.

Jefferson and Lin's injuries have placed a greater burden on Kemba Walker, who followed up 38 points in Monday's 108-98 win over the Los Angeles Lakers with 29 in Wednesday's 122-117 home loss to the red-hot Clippers. He was held to two in the fourth quarter and 18 overall by the Raptors, however, finishing 7 of 21 from the field.

Walker also struggled in a 98-75 loss at Oklahoma City on Dec. 26, 2014, managing six points on 2-of-13 shooting. He missed the most recent meeting recovering from knee surgery.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (19-14) at Cavaliers (21-9)

Date: January 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic feel like they were bullied on the court last time out and now they'll face a team that has buried them twice.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 12 straight over the Magic, including two lopsided victories this season, and will have Kyrie Irving for Saturday night's matchup.

Orlando (19-14) opened a three-game trip with Friday's 103-91 loss at Washington, dropping its 11th straight in that series. The Magic felt they weren't physical enough after they were outrebounded 46-39.

"Teams are going to try and punk us," guard Victor Oladipo said. "They're going try to be physical, they're going to try to push us around, bully us. We can't let that happen."

Now they must regroup versus Cleveland, which has the two best shooting performances allowed by Orlando this season. The Cavaliers shot 53.1 percent and got a season-high 34 points from Kevin Love in a 117-103 win Nov. 23 before connecting at a season-high 56.9 percent clip with LeBron James scoring a game-high 25 in a 111-76 rout Dec. 11.

The other key to those victories appear to be halftime adjustments considering Orlando has been outscored 63-36 in the third quarter of those games.

Those Cavaliers wins came without Irving, who is shooting 34.0 percent in four games since returning. He scored 22 in his last one, a 101-97 win at Phoenix on Monday.

Irving sat out twice on that 2-2 trip, missing Tuesday's 93-87 victory over Denver. Cleveland (21-9) is being cautious with the guard as he works his way back from knee surgery.

"I don't see him going out there and playing 40 minutes anytime soon but we've moved along pretty well, we've been very specific and very committed to a certain path in terms of bringing him back and I think we're at a point where he's back more or less," coach David Blatt said.

James' teams have won 13 straight over Orlando in addition to Cleveland's streak in the series. This is his first game since turning 31 on Wednesday.

"I don't feel any different than 30," he said. "I feel a lot different than 18 though."

James had 34 points on 54.2 percent shooting against the Nuggets after struggling to average 17.0 points and shoot 36.7 percent in the first three games of the trip.

"That was a very tough trip, the West coast trip with four games in five nights and two back-to-backs," Blatt said.

The Magic have made strides in winning seven of 10 games since they last faced the Cavs. That improvement wasn't evident Friday when they were outscored 24-14 on the fast break.

'They were sprinting. We were jogging,' Skiles said.

Oladipo scored 20 off the bench while Orlando's starters combined for 45 points.

The Magic have dropped three of five when playing the second game of a back-to-back.

"We've got a big game tomorrow, a huge game for us tomorrow," Oladipo said. "It's going to be a tough environment, a tough team to play but we gotta find a way to win."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (13-21) at Timberwolves (12-21)

Date: January 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

After entering the season with ambitions of competing in their conferences, the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves come into the new year simply trying to climb out of the basement in their divisions.

The last-place teams are hoping they can start wiping the slate clean from a disappointing 2015 when the Bucks visit the Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Milwaukee (13-21) will close a four-game trip after earning its first win on the swing with Thursday's 120-116 victory at Indiana - a rare road triumph for a team that is 2-14 away from home since Nov. 11.

Even while winning for the first time in their last four, the Bucks looked sloppy and were outscored 21-9 in the final 4:35. They had five of their 17 turnovers and at one point missed 4 of 6 free throws in those final minutes. One violation was an eight-second count in the back court, and Khris Middleton also earned a technical foul.

"We survived," said interim coach Joe Prunty, who has gone 2-3 while Jason Kidd recovers from hip surgery. "Down the stretch, we have to keep our composure and make our free throws. At the end of the day we were able to get a win."

It was one of just nine for Milwaukee in 27 games since Nov. 10. The Bucks suffered through four three-game skids in that span and won back-to-back games only twice.

"We need any win we can get right now," said Greg Monroe, who combined for 12 points in Milwaukee's previous two losses before scoring 23 against the Pacers. "We know we need to come out and clean some things up from this game."

Middleton has been a bright spot in the last two games, following a career-high 36 points in Tuesday's 131-123 loss at Oklahoma City with 33 more against Indiana. He made 62.5 percent of his shots in those two, including 10 of 15 from 3-point range.

The Bucks, however, allowed four 30-point quarters between the two contests, including two of 39. Against their previous five opponents, they haven't gone a full game without allowing 30 or more in at least one quarter.

Minnesota has been struggling to score, failing to reach 100 points during a 1-5 stretch. The Timberwolves (12-21) have averaged 95.5 in 11 games since Dec. 13 - better than only Utah and Cleveland in that span.

The issue, though, in Thursday's 115-90 loss at Detroit fell mostly on defense. The Pistons shot 47.7 percent, made 14 of 35 attempts from 3-point range, finished with 44 points in the paint and won the rebounding battle 52-36 one day after one of Minnesota's best defensive efforts in a 94-80 win over Utah.

Minnesota outscored Detroit 22-15 in the opening quarter but surrendered at least 30 points in the final three.

"We tried to start the game focused and get off to a good start, but we just didn't have a lot of energy after the first quarter," point guard Ricky Rubio said. "It just went downhill after the first quarter, and they started hitting shots. We couldn't get a stop, and they really hurt us."

The Timberwolves seek back-to-back home wins for just the second time this season, while the Bucks go for two straight road wins for only the second time. Minnesota is 5-12 at Target Center.

The Bucks swept last season's two-game series, holding the Timberwolves to an average of 85.0 points, but Minnesota won all four the previous two seasons.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (10-22) at Mavericks (19-14)

Date: January 02, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

While they've been struggling on the road, the Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of their longest win streak on their own floor in two-plus years.

A visit from the New Orleans Pelicans would appear to give Dallas a prime chance to accomplish that feat.

The Mavericks look to win six straight in Dallas by extending their home dominance over the Pelicans on Saturday night.

Dallas (19-14) lost for the third time in four road games Friday with a 106-82 drubbing to Miami. The Mavericks shot 36.4 percent and went 7 of 31 from 3-point range following their stellar performance in a 114-91 rout of short-handed Golden State on Wednesday.

Dallas connected at 51.9 percent from beyond the arc against the Warriors - 51.2 overall - and hit a combined 48.3 percent of its 3-pointers while winning its previous four games.

"We couldn't hit a bull in the (butt) with a bass fiddle on offense. We had some shots that weren't going down," coach Rick Carlisle said. "I'm very disappointed because we have been playing very well. We've got to flush it and get ready for (Saturday)."

Carlisle's team returns from its brief trip to take on a New Orleans team that owns the Western Conference's worst road record (3-15). The Pelicans (10-22) are also 2-22 all-time in Dallas and have lost six in a row there.

That streak would have been at 13 if not for New Orleans' 99-96 overtime win Jan. 5, 2013. The Mavericks are seeking their first six-game home win streak since their 7-0 start in 2013-14.

The Pelicans have lost their past two overall games after winning four of six and were held well under their 101.7-point scoring average again in a 95-89 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

"We had great defense. We just didn't execute at the end," said forward Anthony Davis, who helped hold the visitors to 38.9 percent shooting. "We missed shots and a couple turnovers toward the end. That's what we've got to get better at: Executing down the stretch and making winning plays.

"It's frustrating but we've got to stay together. We've got to try to figure it out. ... We put in the work every day to try to get better. We play our (butts) off in the games. It's just not coming out the way we want."

The Mavericks and Pelicans split a home-and-home series earlier this season with Dallas winning 107-98 on Nov. 7. New Orleans won 120-105 three days later.

It appears unlikely that Dallas' Devin Harris will be available. The guard was forced to leave in the first half of Friday's game because of back spasms.

"I assume he'll be out for a while. I don't know how long," Carlisle said.

The Mavericks got Deron Williams back after his four-game absence due to an ailing left hamstring. The point guard had nine points and five assists without a turnover in 20 minutes off the bench.

Williams scored a team-best 19 points in the win over New Orleans in November with 16 in the second half.

The Pelicans' Ryan Anderson has averaged 23.0 points on 58.1 percent shooting and 10.0 rebounds in the two meetings.

The teams will finish their season series Wednesday in New Orleans.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (16-18) at Spurs (28-6)

Date: January 02, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets played some rare lock-down defense against the San Antonio Spurs last week, but they've struggled to match that effort since that Christmas Day victory.

Now they hope to rediscover that performance and snap San Antonio's franchise-record 28-game home winning streak Saturday night when Tim Duncan is expected to return for the Spurs.

Despite allowing an average of 105.6 points heading into the contest, Houston held San Antonio to a season-low total on 40.9 percent shooting in an 88-84 home win on Dec. 25.

The Rockets won their 18th straight game when holding an opponent under 90 points.

'We're more than capable,' guard James Harden said after the contest. 'So we have to find ourselves. We've got to find that energy, that consistent defensive togetherness every single night.'

The Rockets (16-18), however, haven't been able to do that, allowing 115 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting - including a 43.2 mark from 3-point range - in three straight losses. They allowed a Golden State team that did not have Stephen Curry to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and 11 for 23 from beyond the arc in Thursday's 114-110 home defeat.

"We've got to learn our lesson and be ready for the next one," said Harden, who had 30 points.

The Christmas loss to the Rockets is the Spurs' lone defeat in the past 11 games, as well as the only time they haven't scored at least 100 over that span. They shot 56.6 percent in their third straight win Wednesday, 112-79 versus Phoenix.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard scored 19 while hitting 3 of 4 from 3-point range as San Antonio (28-6) extended its historic home winning streak.

The club has won by an average of 17.6 points during that impressive run. At 19-0, it's also off to the Western Conference's best home start since Houston opened 20-0 in the 1985-86 season. Portland owns the NBA record with a 26-0 home start in '77-78.

'It's not that we care about the record," guard Manu Ginobili said, "but we know we've been very successful (at home) and we haven't given away any games at home.'

Duncan hasn't played since finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the first meeting. The future Hall of Famer will return in this one after missing three games with right knee soreness.

'I think we could use him,' guard Danny Green joked.

Leonard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is a major reason why the Spurs are allowing a league-low 88.6 points per game. He's also leading the way offensively with a 20.8 scoring average.

Harden, second in the NBA with 28.4 points per game, has shot a combined 18 for 55 (32.7 percent) the past three times he's faced Leonard. The three-time All-Star scored 28 on 10-of-18 shooting when Leonard was inactive in a 110-106 loss at San Antonio on Dec. 28, 2014.

Dwight Howard has totaled 51 points and 29 rebounds in his last two games after averaging 9.8 and 9.3 over his previous four. He's only totaled 23 points in his past two against the Spurs.

The Rockets have dropped two straight and 29 of their last 35 trips to San Antonio.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (18-16) at Jazz (14-17)

Date: January 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Memphis Grizzlies seem to have rediscovered their defensive prowess, the Utah Jazz hope they can pick up where they left off on the offensive end in their last game.

The Grizzlies seek three straight wins for the first time since mid-November when they visit the Jazz on Saturday night.

Memphis (18-16) allowed 125 and 123 points within a three-game stretch in mid-December, leaving doubts about what was a top-five defense the previous four seasons and second-best in the NBA a year ago.

A stretch of holding opponents to 93.0 points while winning four of six games suggests the Grizzlies have figured things out, and the exclamation point was Tuesday's 99-90 overtime win against Miami. They limited the Heat to an opponent season-low 36 second-half points.

"We were on the same page," Jeff Green said. "Defense wins games, so we had to get it done."

Marc Gasol scored seven of his 23 points in overtime and added eight boards, six assists and four blocks. It was the 7-foot-1 center's first 20-point game since Dec. 14 and the Grizzlies are 9-1 when he scores at least 19.

'Marc playing like that is big,' Zach Randolph said. 'He's our catalyst. How he goes is how we go.'

Gasol scored 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting in an 89-79 loss at Utah on Nov. 7, though he did finish with 10 rebounds and six assists.

Randolph scored 17 points against the Heat while making his first start in 10 games. He took the place of Matt Barnes, who will serve the second part of a two-game suspension on Saturday for his altercation with Knicks coach Derek Fisher in October.

Memphis opens a three-game road trip but follows it with nine of 11 games at home to close January. The Grizzlies, who have lost five of six road games, have an opportunity to make a midseason push with their next set of back-to-back contests not until Feb. 5 and 6.

Utah (14-17) has squandered a stretch of 14 of 19 games in Salt Lake City by winning just seven of the first 17. The Jazz, however, have won four of five games at home and they opened a three-game homestand with a rare offensive outburst in Thursday's 109-96 win over Portland.

Utah ranks toward the bottom of the NBA with 97.0 points per game and has scored fewer than 100 in 21 of 31 games. The Jazz, though, reached 50-percent shooting for the third time Thursday and made 15 of 33 shots from 3-point range. They finished with 19 assists and six turnovers after having 15 assists and 19 giveaways in Wednesday's 94-80 loss at Minnesota.

'I don't know what happens in 24 hours, but a lot of the same looks we had (Wednesday) night, we made them," coach Quin Snyder said. "... Just sometimes you have to step away from it and stay confident and keep shooting.'

Trey Burke has come alive in the last two games, scoring 50 points on 54.1-percent shooting. He made 6 of 8 3-pointers for 24 points against the Grizzlies in November.

Memphis has won nine of the last 13 meetings with Utah, including four of six as the visitors.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (12-21) at Warriors (30-2)

Date: January 02, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Stephen Curry might be back after a two-game absence, but he's not the only member of the Golden State Warriors who could be making a return.

With rumors coach Steve Kerr could be on the sideline for the first time this season, the Warriors seek a 34th consecutive regular-season home victory Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets.

Golden State (30-2) split its two-game Texas trip while the league's reigning MVP nursed a bruised lower left leg. After turning in their worst performance of the season while being manhandled 114-91 to Dallas on Wednesday, the Warriors regrouped and closed out 2015 with a 114-110 victory Thursday at Houston.

Klay Thompson hit six 3-pointers and scored 38 points while Draymond Green contributed his fifth triple-double of the season.

Green had 16 of Golden State's 35 assists, which matched the team's second-highest total of the season. What stood out in this victory was the execution in the halfcourt offense, something the forward said was out of necessity with Curry absent.

"We didn't try to play the same ball game that we play when Steph is playing," said Green, whose assists were a career high. "When Steph is out there he makes the game so much easier for everybody else that you don't have to execute all the time and we can just push the ball and go, go, go. We had to slow it down, focus on the defensive end and our offensive execution and we did that."

Kerr, who has been recovering from complications following offseason back surgery, was with the team on a multigame trip for the first time this season. The team has not offered a timetable for his return, though Golden State has thrived under interim coach Luke Walton, who praised his team's bounce-back effort.

"We were active, with 35 assists as a team, everybody was contributing and everybody was making plays and reads, that was a championship effort," Walton said.

The other times the Warriors had 35 or more assists came in their wins over the Nuggets (12-21) last month. They had a season-high 40 in a 119-104 home victory Nov. 6 and 35 in a 118-105 triumph at Denver on Nov. 22. Harrison Barnes - sidelined with an ankle sprain - totaled 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting in those wins.

Golden State is 15-0 at home this season, averaging 112.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting, including 40.7 percent from 3-point range.

The injury-riddled Nuggets have dropped four straight and seven of eight following Wednesday's 110-103 loss at Portland. Supersub Will Barton continued his hot shooting with 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, but Denver got little from its starting frontcourt as Kenneth Faried, Kostas Papanikolaou and Joffrey Lauvergne were a combined 8 for 25 and finished with 20 points.

"Our biggest thing right now is needing to get healthy," coach Michael Malone said. "I told them I'm tired of the 'Hey I'm proud of you guys, you played hard we competed but we came up short.' That gets old after a while.

"Obviously we need to see some positivity, see some wins, a payoff for the hard work."

Barton, who has averaged 23.1 points on 49.3 percent in the last eight games, could be getting some help. Seven-footer Jusuf Nurkic, who averaged 6.9 points and 6.2 rebounds in 2014-15 as a rookie, is expected to make his season debut after being sidelined with a knee injury.

Danilo Gallinari, averaging a team-high 17.2 points, is questionable after missing the last six games with a sprained ankle.

Denver has allowed an average of 123.3 points and 45 3-pointers in losing three straight to Golden State.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (3-32) at Clippers (21-13)

Date: January 02, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

As the Philadelphia 76ers wind down a long trip in which they've shown undeniable progress, the Los Angeles Clippers may be wishing they could remain on the road.

Fresh off the first 5-0 trek in franchise history, the resilient Clippers return to Staples Center on Saturday night to take on the slowly improving 76ers.

After beginning their season-high winning streak as the designated visitor Christmas night against the crosstown rival Lakers, the Clippers (21-13) have posted four consecutive victories with Blake Griffin still sidelined by a partially torn quadriceps. They've won 14 of 19 since a 7-8 start compounded by injuries to backcourt starters Chris Paul and J.J. Redick.

'It's big for our confidence and our team morale,' Paul said. 'We're a much better team with Blake but being able to do this without him gives us a little more confidence.'

The Clippers' scoring has actually increased despite missing Griffin's 23.2 points per game as Redick, sixth man Jamal Crawford and center DeAndre Jordan have boosted their production. Redick has averaged 21.0 points during Griffin's absence and recorded a second straight 26-point effort in Thursday's 95-89 decision at New Orleans.

"I feel like I've played pretty well this whole month (of December)," said Redick, shooting 62.5 percent from 3-point range over the four-game run. "The rhythm is there, for sure."

Jordan notched a fourth consecutive double-double with 11 points and a season-high 20 rebounds, while Crawford is averaging 15.7 points over his last three games after hitting double figures in just two of his previous 10.

The Clippers have averaged 108.5 points in the games Griffin's missed, a number that easily trumps the 76ers' league-low 92.3 per game.

Philadelphia (3-32) has reached the 100-point mark three times during this six-game trip in which its registered two of its three wins. After halting a 23-game road skid with last Saturday's 111-104 triumph at Phoenix, it bounced back from Monday's narrow loss at Utah to beat Sacramento 110-105 on Wednesday.

The 76ers couldn't sustain that modest surge in Friday's visit to Staples Center, where they shot 36.9 percent in a 94-83 loss to the Lakers to split the season series between the NBA's two worst teams.

Ish Smith finished 3 for 19 after the newly acquired point guard averaged 18.0 points and 8.3 assists in three games since being obtained from New Orleans on Dec. 24.

"Ish and Isaiah (Canaan) struggled. They went 5 for 30," coach Brett Brown said. "We felt like our defense was holding the fort, but we weren't able to make shots to break it open and their mobility at times got the better of us."

Nerlens Noel maintained his solid play on the trip by recording 15 points and 12 rebounds. The 21-year-old center has shot 71.8 percent while averaging 16.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals over his last four.

Philadelphia also has performed poorly in dropping three straight on the road to the Clippers by an average of 36.7 points. It's averaged 80.3 points and 19.7 turnovers while losing each by at least 29.

Paul, coming off a 3 of 18 shooting effort versus New Orleans, tallied 24 points and 12 assists in a 127-91 home rout of the Sixers on Jan. 3, 2015. He scored 25 to help Los Angeles earn a 119-98 decision in Philadelphia on March 27 for its seventh consecutive victory in the series.

Noel amassed a career-high 30 points and 14 rebounds in the teams' last meeting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Boston won four of its last five games (5-3 last eight HF).
-- Thunder won 12 of last 14 games (4-5AF).
-- Magic won seven of last ten games (5-1 last six AU). Cavaliers won eight of their last ten games (2-4 last six HF).
-- Dallas won four of last five games (8-2 last 10 HF).
-- Spurs won 10 of last 11 games (9-2 last 11 HF).
-- Grizzlies won four of last six games. Utah won four of its last five home games.
-- Warriors won six of their last seven games (6-2 last 8 HF).
-- Clippers won last five games, covered last four.

Cold teams
-- Nets lost eight of last ten games (10-2 last 12AU).
-- Suns lost their last seven games (2-5 vs spread). Sacramento lost four of its last five games (4-5HF). .
-- Pistons lost three of their last four games (2-5 last seven AU). Indiana lost five of its last seven games (1-3 last four HF).
-- Hornets lost seven of their last ten games (3-2-1HU).
-- Minnesota lost five of its last six games (1-5HF). Bucks lost three of their last four games (4-1 last five AU).
-- Pelicans lost three of their last four games (6-12AU).
-- Rockets lost four of their last five games (2-5AU).
-- Nuggets lost seven of their last eight games (9-7AU).
-- 76ers lost 14 of their last 16 games (3-1 last four AU).

Series records
-- Celtics won three of last four games with Brooklyn.
-- Kings are 6-4 in their last ten games with Phoenix.
-- Pacers won three of last four games with Detroit.
-- Thunder won last nine games (8-1 vs spread) vs Charlotte.
-- Cavaliers won last ten games (9-0-1 vs spread) vs Orlando.
-- Bucks won last two games with Minnesota by 17-14 points.
-- Mavericks won eight of last ten games with New Orleans.
-- Spurs won three of last four games with Houston.
-- Grizzlies won six of last nine games with Utah.
-- Warriors won five of last six games with Denver.
-- Clippers won/covered last seven games with Philly.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Boston home games went over.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Sacramento home games.
-- Six of last seven Indiana home games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Thunder road games stayed under.
-- Last six Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games went over.
-- Last three Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six San Antonio games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Memphis games.
-- Over is 9-5 in last fourteen Denver games.
-- Five of last seven Clipper games stayed under.

Back/backs
-- Charlotte is 1-3 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Orlando is 4-1 vs spread if it played night before.
-- 76ers are 2-5 vs spread if they played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yellow Jackets (10-3) at Tar Heels (13-2)

Date: January 02, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

North Carolina's offense showed little signs of slowing down in its ACC opener despite an off night from leading scorer Brice Johnson.

That's similar to what happened the last time it faced Georgia Tech.

The seventh-ranked Tar Heels crushed the Yellow Jackets twice last season to extend their win streak to six in this series heading into Saturday's matchup in Chapel Hill.

North Carolina (12-2, 1-0) shot 50 percent and put five players in double figures in Wednesday's 80-69 win over Clemson. Johnson was not one of them, scoring a season-low three points on 1-of-8 shooting after he entered averaging 16.2.

That marked Johnson's lowest scoring effort since he scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting in an 81-49 win at Georgia Tech (10-3, 0-0) on March 3. The Tar Heels shot 53.1 percent in their biggest victory in the series since a 92-55 home rout Jan. 24, 1987.

North Carolina also cruised past the Yellow Jackets 89-60 on Feb. 21, shooting 62.3 percent for its best mark in the last eight seasons versus a Division I foe.

Kennedy Meeks scored 26 points in last season's games against Georgia Tech and Justin Jackson had 24. Meeks, however, is expected to miss his sixth straight game with a bone bruise in his knee.

The Tar Heels didn't need him in their fifth straight win as Marcus Paige scored 18 points and Joel Berry II added 16. North Carolina has shot at least 50 percent in 10 games, though its 34.8 3-point percentage is sixth-worst in the conference.

'I think we have some good parts,' coach Roy Williams said. 'We haven't shot the ball well. ... When we start shooting the ball and still get the offensive rebounds, we can be really good offensively.'

The Tar Heels are 7-1 with Paige in the lineup after the star guard missed the first six games with a hand injury. Paige was held without an assist for the first time since last year's NCAA Tournament.

Georgia Tech has dropped nine straight ACC openers. The Yellow Jackets are 8-27 on the road in ACC play in five seasons under Brian Gregory, who took over as coach in the season this losing streak to the Tar Heels began.

With four seniors in the starting lineup, Georgia Tech is hoping experience will pay off in conference play.

"We had a slip-up here and there in the nonconference but at 10-3 I feel good about where we're at because I feel like we can still get better," Gregory said.

Marcus Georges-Hunt averages a team-high 14.5 points as one of four Yellow Jackets to score at least 10 per game. He has reached double digits three times in five games against the Tar Heels.

"We're a team that we have to count on different guys every night," Gregory said.

Georges-Hunt scored 20 points and Adam Smith added 17 Tuesday in the Yellow Jackets' third straight win, 73-67 over Duquesne.

This contest should feature a good battle on the boards. Georgia Tech is third in the ACC in rebounding margin and among the top 20 nationally at plus-10.5 and North Carolina is fourth at plus-10.3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mountainers (11-1) at Wildcats (10-2)

Date: January 02, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

West Virginia continued its strong start with an easy victory in its first true road game.

A far bigger test awaits at Kansas State.

The 19th-ranked Mountaineers seek what would be their most impressive win of the season Saturday when they open Big 12 play against a Wildcats team aiming to remain perfect at home.

After opening the season with seven consecutive wins, West Virginia (11-1) suffered its first loss against then-No. 10 Virginia, 70-54, on Dec. 8. With three inferior opponents next up on the schedule, the Mountaineers took advantage and won by an average of 28.3 points.

Wednesday's matchup with rival Virginia Tech marked West Virginia's first road game, and the result was much like the previous three contests. Jevon Carter made his first eight shots and finished with 18 points to lead four double-digit scorers as the Mountaineers never trailed in an 88-63 victory.

West Virginia used its full-court pressure to turn 22 turnovers into 26 points, limited the Hokies to six second-half field goals and held a 42-24 rebounding advantage.

'We know when we jump on somebody, we can't let them back,' Carter said. 'This game, we went on a lot of runs and they kept cutting them short, but we knew we had to jump on them and stay on them.'

Leading scorer Devin Williams (15.5 ppg) was limited to nine points but Jaysean Paige had 17 for the second straight game. Jonathan Holton tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Tarik Phillip added a season-high 12 points off the bench.

"We got our hands on balls and made some good plays," coach Bob Huggins said. "We made some good finishes around the rim.'

Huggins, who went 23-12 as Kansas State's coach in 2006-07, knows his team will need to play just as well to hand Kansas State (10-2) its first loss in eight games at Bramlage Coliseum.

"Kansas State is playing really, really well," Huggins said. "They did what we did, you add some malcontents and they went elsewhere and you think you're not going to be as good and you end up being so much better because you have everybody on the same page."

The Wildcats also are in search of a signature win having lost their only game against a ranked opponent, 80-70, to then-No. 9 North Carolina on Nov. 24.

They reached 10 wins in non-conference play for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons with Tuesday's 75-47 rout of Saint Louis. Kansas State dominated the second half, outscoring the Billikens 40-19 and holding them to 25 percent shooting, including 2 of 14 from 3-point range.

Wesley Iwundu had 13 points and eight rebounds to pace an attack that featured seven players with seven points or more.

'We took a big step today,' said Iwundu, the team leader with 13.3 points per game. 'We got a few days before it officially starts, so these next days will be important to tune up for the press that West Virginia will throw at us. We're going in the right direction.'

Points won't come easy in this matchup of the two toughest defensive teams in the Big 12. West Virginia is allowing a league-best 60.1 points per game and Kansas State is right behind at 61.5.

The Wildcats have won 14 of 19 at home versus ranked opponents, including nine of the last 11.

West Virginia has won the last three meetings after three straight losses in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulldogs (11-2) at Musketeers (12-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

It didn't take long for both Xavier and Butler to find out life in the Big East this season will be an entirely different environment than non-conference play.

With each looking to turn the page after losing its league opener, the two top-10 teams square off Saturday in Cincinnati.

The euphoria over a school-record 12-0 start that vaulted the No. 6 Musketeers to the highest ranking in program history quickly subsided during the early stages of Thursday's game at Villanova when guard Edmond Sumner was removed from the court on a stretcher following a frightening collision with the Wildcats' Kris Jenkins.

Clearly shaken by the loss of the key freshman, Xavier was dealt its worst loss in coach Chris Mack's seven seasons with a 95-64 drubbing by the 16th-ranked Wildcats.

Sumner, second on the team at 11.7 points per game, was released from a Philadelphia-area hospital later that day and traveled with the team back to Cincinnati, though it's doubtful he'll play Saturday.

"Long term, he's going to be fine," Mack said. "He was walking and talking. Has a horrendous headache."

The Musketeers' next concern will be tightening a defense that was shredded by Villanova, which hit 13 of 25 attempts from 3-point range and shot 63.2 percent overall. Xavier had held opponents to 39.4 percent during its unbeaten run.

Butler (11-2, 0-1 Big East) presents another challenge, ranking among the national leaders in points per game (88.6) and field-goal percentage (50.4) while boasting four players averaging at least 12.8 points.

"We've got to put this one behind us," Mack said. "We've got just as good of a team coming into Cintas (Center) on Saturday and our players recognize that. They know how tough-minded Butler is, how talented they are."

The Bulldogs, however, are coming off one of their poorer performances in an 81-73 loss to No. 12 Providence on Thursday that halted their eight-game win streak. Butler took an 11-point lead into the break but finished a season-worst 3 of 17 from 3-point range and shot 35.0 percent while being outscored 56-37 in the second half.

"We did not have a good approach coming out at halftime and that was my fault," coach Chris Holtmann said. "I really felt we were not as aggressive or as alert as we needed to be coming out at halftime, and that's on me."

Top scorer Kellen Dunham continued his slump by going 3 of 14 for eight points. Forward Andrew Chrabascz, who shot 67.6 percent over the previous five games, had four on 2-of-11 shooting.

Dunham, third in school history with 238 3-pointers, is 0 of 21 from beyond the arc and 7 of 47 (14.9 percent) overall while averaging 5.8 points over his last four. The senior averaged 19.1 points through the first nine games.

Xavier held the Bulldogs to 35.1 percent shooting in a 73-56 home victory Feb. 21, avenging an 88-76 loss in Indianapolis a month earlier. The Musketeers also edged Butler 67-61 in overtime in last season's Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

The Bulldogs are 1-4 at Cintas Center, where they've dropped four straight since a 74-65 non-conference win Dec. 23, 2008. They won 78-76 at then-No. 17 Cincinnati on Dec. 2 in their only true road game this season.

Xavier handed Cincinnati a 66-55 loss at Cintas on Dec. 12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orange (10-4) at Hurricanes (11-1)

Date: January 02, 2016 2:30 PM EDT

To Jim Larranaga, Miami's final nonconference game heading into ACC play being competitive was just what his team needed.

Mike Hopkins found out his team's ACC opener was a little more than it could handle.

A one-point loss from being undefeated, the 13th-ranked Hurricanes have still been rather impressive heading into Saturday's visit from an Orange team that hasn't lost its first two conference games in 16 years.

Miami shook off the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament last season and reached the NIT final, and though it came into this one with a similar roster, the expectations were greater in Larranaga's fifth season.

The Hurricanes (11-1) have so far been exceeding them. Sixth in the others receiving votes portion of the AP Top 25 in the preseason, Miami finds itself on the cusp of the top 10 and could get there with a win over the Orange (10-4).

Larranaga thinks his team, which lost to Northeastern at the buzzer Nov. 27 and has beaten Utah and Butler, will be better prepared for Syracuse after getting a solid test to close its nonconference slate. The Hurricanes trailed Princeton by seven midway through the second half Tuesday before finishing on a 31-12 run for a 76-64 victory.

'Honestly, I thought that was exactly what the doctor ordered,' Larranaga said. 'We needed a challenge. We needed a gut check, someone to really test us. We needed to be behind and have to come back.'

Syracuse was the team that gave up a somewhat sizable lead earlier this week. The Orange were up eight on Pittsburgh with 14 minutes left Wednesday, but missed 11 of their final 15 shots and committed four turnovers in the final two minutes of a 72-61 loss.

"That last five minutes, they gave it to us," interim coach Hopkins said. " ... But we're getting better. I felt really good for 35 minutes. I had heartburn for the last five."

The Panthers outrebounded Syracuse 43-25, including 19 offensive boards. Pitt held a 22-2 edge in second-chance points.

Syracuse's opponents are rebounding 33.9 percent of their misses, putting the Orange 320th in that category in what Hopkins call his team's "Achilles heel."

Syracuse has a minus-2.2 rebound differential overall while Miami's is plus-8.0, though the Hurricanes don't often find themselves requiring extra possessions. That's because they're among the nation's top 10 in field-goal percentage (51.0) and just outside it from beyond the arc (41.2).

Larranaga was surprised that Princeton, which primarily plays a zone, used so much man-to-man defense on the Hurricanes early. There probably won't be any similar adjustments from Syracuse's staple 2-3 zone.

Ivan Cruz Uceda (56.1 percent) and Sheldon McClellan (47.5) give Miami two 3-point threats, while the Orange have one they'd like to see fire away more. Freshman Tyler Lydon is hitting 45.9 percent from 3, but only attempting 2.6 per game.

"We want him to shoot," Hopkins said. "If you can see me, I probably pull four back muscles and a shoulder muscle every time he doesn't because he is such a good shooter."

Miami has lost two heartbreakers in its last two ACC openers, which went a combined three overtimes - and had last season's double-OT defeat to Virginia gone differently, the Hurricanes likely would have made the NCAAs.

Syracuse is trying to avoid its first 0-2 start in conference play since 1998-99, when it and the Hurricanes were in the Big East.

Miami hasn't beaten the Orange at home since 1996, losing the last five, but it did win last season's lone meeting 66-62 at the Carrier Dome despite McClellan and Angel Rodriguez shooting a combined 5 for 20.