Saturday 1/21/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (19-19) at Flyers (22-18)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Heading into a Saturday matchup in Philadelphia, the Flyers are coming off their bye week and the New Jersey Devils are coming off a loss in Montreal the night before.

That doesn't mean the mindset of each team is much different.

The Flyers have had to think about two straight losses on back-to-back nights to the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins by a combined score of 11-3 for the past seven days. The Devils are coming off a lackluster game on Friday at home after a successful trip.

Suffice to say, both teams are raring to get back on the ice and get back on track -- even though one has had significantly more rest than the other recently.

"We have a lot of hockey to play and we're still in the playoff picture so it's easy to be optimistic in here," Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds told his team's website. "Our commitment to doing everything. Back-checking, playing stronger in our defensive zone and creating offensively. We just have to play more like we did at the beginning of the year."

Despite going into their bye with two tough losses, the Flyers are hoping to come back recharged, although they are expecting some rust early.

"In one regard, you don't get the result that you deserve, but for me the biggest thing is just our overall performance," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told his team's website. "Coming out of a break? That might be a tough thing to do is to put it all together, but I think the energy will be there both mentally and physically. That's important to the overall performance."

The Devils, who dwell in the depths of the Eastern Conference standings, had a three-game winning streak snapped Friday. Their penalty killing did not help, giving up three-power-play goals to the Canadiens in the loss, but the fact that they registered just 17 shots on goal was the bigger sign.

"I don't think it was them," Devils left winger Miles Wood told northjersey.com after Friday's loss. "I think it was us. We shot ourselves in the foot. There were a lot of calls. We put ourselves in the box. That was a game key, staying out of the box."

Devils coach John Hynes agreed with the rookie's assessment.

"We've got to skate a little bit more, be much, much harder on the puck," he told northjersey.com. "On the road trip, we did a much better job. We were strong on the forecheck and when we got into the offensive zone, we made plays. The defensemen did a nice job of delivering pucks to the net and we had bodies there.

"That recipe we had on the road, offensively, was nonexistent tonight."

It also didn't help that Devils No. 1 goaltender Cory Schneider missed Friday's game because of illness. He is expected to play Saturday against the Flyers, which should be a significant boost.

Defenseman Andy Greene (hand) missed his eighth consecutive game and is still skating on his own. Hynes said he won't play Saturday, but center Vernon Fiddler (lower body) could play. He has missed 12 straight games, although he practiced with the team Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (22-19) at Islanders (18-17)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings are in pivotal portions of their schedule.

The Islanders are in the midst of playing six straight at home while the Kings are starting a five-game road trip.

New York hosts Los Angeles Saturday night in a matchup of teams trying to gain points and inch closer in their respective playoff races.

New York (18-17-8, 44 points) has resided near the basement of the Eastern Conference for most of the season but comes off consecutive shutouts for the first time since Nov. 8-11, 2014 at Colorado and Arizona. In these shutouts, the Islanders were coached by two different people.

Jack Capuano coached Monday afternoon's 4-0 win at Boston. A day later, he was replaced by assistant coach and assistant general manager Doug Weight.

Weight presided over a 3-0 blanking of the Dallas Stars Thursday, marking the fifth time the Islanders won consecutive games. John Tavares scored twice and Thomas Greiss made 23 saves.

"There's a lot of hockey left," Tavares said. "Come here and put a good effort in and we did that. Now it's about following that up on Saturday. That's the real key."

Tavares leads the team with 18 goals, with seven coming in the last four games. The Islanders are 9-3-1 when he scores a goal and 9-14-7 when he does not.

New York has won three straight games on two occasions this season, most recently from Dec. 20-27. Since then the Islanders are 4-3-2 and the loss before Monday was a 7-4 defeat at Carolina.

New York is 4-1-0 in its last five home games and the Islanders will play seven out of their next eight in Brooklyn. This stretch of home contests will precede 13 out of 16 games on the road.

"It was a top to bottom effort and it was led by our captain and our goalie," Weight said. "If that continues, (there's) going to be some good things to come."

The Islanders rarely sustained any prosperity after winning their first playoff series since 1993 last spring. Their best run of the season was a 5-0-1 stretch from Nov. 28-Dec 8 and the Islanders were 5-7-3 before the two shutouts.

For most of the next three weeks, Los Angeles (22-19-4, 48 points) is being forced out of the Staples Center - along with NBA co-tenants, the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers - because of the setup required for the Grammy Awards on Feb. 12.

The Kings will be in the New York area through Tuesday to also play the Rangers and New Jersey Devils before visiting Carolina and Arizona. After a home game on Feb. 1 vs. Colorado, the Kings play four more contests in the Eastern Time Zone Feb. 4-9.

The Kings are closer to the playoffs than the Islanders but went 3-4-0 on a seven-game homestand that ended with one-goal losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks.

"Not good enough," Los Angeles defenseman Alec Martinez said. "We were home a couple of weeks and we didn't take advantage the way we should."

The Kings were held to less than three goals for the 22nd time and fell to 3-16-3 in those games with a 3-2 loss to San Jose Wednesday. Tanner Pearson and Marian Gaborik scored but the Kings were 0-for-4 on the power play and were 4-for-22 on the man advantage in the seven games.

"Going on the road here, you want to leave on a good note," Los Angeles defenseman Jake Muzzin said. "We're not leaving on a good note, so we've got to find some I don't know. We've got to find a little jam inside each other to get going here."

The Kings' 113 goals place them among the bottom of the Western Conference and despite getting 19 tallies, their longest homestand of the season was a disappointment.

"You need your big guys to score," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think other than Jeff Carter there hasn't been a whole lot of that."

Carter scored two of his team-leading 23 goals on the homestand and has nine in his last 14 games. Pearson is second on the team with 14 goals and scored four times on the homestand but Anze Kopitar, an eight-time 20-goal scorer, only has four goals this season and one in his last 16 games despite getting points in five of his last seven games.

Dwight King scored twice in a span of 25 seconds late in the third period when the Kings posted a 4-2 home win over the Islanders on Nov. 23. Last season in Brooklyn on Feb. 11, Tavares had a goal and an assist in New York's 5-2 victory.

Los Angeles is 11-2-2 in the last 15 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (30-9) at Stars (19-20)

Date: January 21, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

DALLAS -- The Washington Capitals haven't defeated the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in some time, so long that Capitals coach Barry Trotz has no idea exactly when his team last won there.

"I don't know the last time we've ever won in Dallas, but everybody tells me it's like never, so we'll go into Dallas and see if we can put a good game together against Dallas, who's had our number," Trotz said after Washington defeated St. Louis 7-3 at Scottrade Center on Thursday.

Washington (30-9-6) lost its last four trips to Dallas, but all four defeats, including a 4-3 loss in 2016, have been by a single goal.

The Capitals, who are 12-4-5 on the road and 9-0-1 over their past 10 contests, scored five or more goals in five consecutive games, including back-to-back seven-goal performances.

Washington currently leads the NHL with a plus-48 goal differential thanks to ranking third with 145 goals for while conceding a league-low 97 goals.

One key during their run of good form has been scoring first, something Washington has done in its past nine games. The Capitals lead the league with a 25-3-4 record when scoring first.

"It's hard to score in this league, but it's a lot easier and it's a lot less draining when you score first,' Trotz said in St. Louis. "You're not chasing the game. There's a lot more demand on every detail when you're chasing the game because you give up another one, it's a bigger hole. We've been much better this year in the starts. We've been able to managing it and we've been able to get some good goaltending."

Washington, who is 10-2-0 this season against the Western Conference, did not practice Friday.

Dallas (19-20-8), on the other hand, is mired in the middle of the pack in the Central Division and in the West.

The Stars, who are 12-7-4 at home, lost 3-0 at the New York Islanders on Thursday to finish their three-game road trip through the Empire State at 1-2-0.

In that loss to the Islanders, Dallas lost veteran defenseman Johnny Oduya to a lower-body injury. On Friday morning, the Stars placed Oduya on injured reserve for a second time this season and recalled rookie Julius Honka, the 14th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, from Texas of the American Hockey League.

Honka, 21, has 21 points (16 assists) in 30 AHL games this season. He made his NHL debut on November 21 against Minnesota and appeared in eight games for the Stars before returning to the minors.

But Stars coach Lindy Ruff said after practice on Friday that he has no immediate plans to force Honka into his current defensive rotation.

"Right now, we'll go with the six that have been playing. We got to give them a fair chance to get the job done," Ruff said. "We know what Julius can do. I guess he's played good in Texas. I think there's still work to do with his game. We're working through some young D here already, so I'd like to put a little confidence in the group that we have but knowing that if we're going to need a puck mover, we can put one in."

As their recent road trip illustrated, Dallas has struggled against the East, with a 3-8-3 record.

Capitals veteran forward Justin Williams, who who is tied for second on the team with 16 goals behind only Alex Ovechkin, would like to extend that run of misery against the East for the Stars, a team he knows quite well after playing against them in the Pacific Division and the West for several years with the Los Angeles Kings.

This game will also end this season's dad's trip, where fathers of the players are invited to hitch a ride with the team, and Williams for one would like to end it with two points in Dallas.

"I'm 35-years-old and I still want to impress my dad," Williams said. "It's fun having him here. You just enjoy the time together."

Following Thursday's loss, Ruff lamented what he saw as the Stars' lack of compete in that 3-0 defeat.

So naturally, that subject was heavily addressed during practice on early Friday afternoon.

"When we lose a battle to give up a 3-on-1 and then a breakaway, that's not good hockey. At that time of the game, you got to get on the right side of the puck, you got to win your battle, you got to be more determined to make sure that battle is ours," Ruff said.

Despite the Stars' rollercoaster season, which has seen them be abysmal on the road but almost unbeatable on home ice, Dallas is still just three points out of the final playoff spot in the West.

If the Stars are to right the ship and make their way into postseason territory for what would be a second consecutive and third trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Ruff's four seasons at the helm, a lot good things must start happening for the Stars.

"Well, we talked about it's going to take a lot of heart and a lot of determination," Ruff said. "It's going to take a lot of out-of-character acts from the shot blocking to the penalty killing to being in the lanes."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (21-21) at Coyotes (13-26)

Date: January 21, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed back a core piece of their lineup on Friday. The Arizona Coyotes welcomed a new piece that they hope will become a part of their core.

Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman took part in a full practice on Friday at Gila River Arena and could return to the lineup on Saturday against the Coyotes. Hedman, a Norris Trophy candidate with 38 points (second among NHL defensemen), has missed the last three games with an undisclosed illness.

When asked after practice if he'd would play against Arizona, both Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Hedman were noncommittal.

"We'll see," said Hedman, who admitted he's feeling better.

Arizona recalled right winger Christian Fischer from Tucson of the American Hockey League on Friday.

Fischer, the team's second-round pick in 2016 (32nd overall), has been on a tear lately with the Roadrunners. He leads that team in goals with 16 and is second in points to center Chris Mueller (35) with 32. Fischer was named to the Pacific Division team for the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic and was named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 15, with three goals and seven points that week.

"I've proven that I can withstand this level of hockey," Fischer said. "Every game, I'm making a difference, whether it be getting a point or just on the PK blocking a shot."

Fischer will make his NHL debut against Tampa Bay, replacing right winger Anthony Duclair in the Coyotes' lineup. Arizona assigned Duclair and center Laurent Dauphin to Tucson this week. Duclair is mired in a season-long scoring slump after scoring 20 goals last season as a rookie. He has just three this season.

"Anthony is a good young player," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said. "Unfortunately, he has struggled this season. We felt this was a good time to send him to Tucson to work on a few things and hopefully regain his scoring touch. We hope to have him rejoin our team soon."

The Coyotes are still without the services of left winger Max Domi until after the All-Star break as he recovers from a broken bone in his right hand.

Center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) is out of his cast but the team still has not set a timeline for his return.

Center Martin Hanzal missed his second straight game on Thursday in Minnesota to attend to a family matter, but he's expected back in the lineup against Tampa Bay. Mike Smith is expected to start in goal for Arizona.

Lightning center Steven Stamkos (knee surgery) is out at least until March, center Brayden Point (upper body) is out until February, right winger Ryan Callahan (upper body) is out two more weeks and right winger J.T. Brown (upper body) is day to day.

Cooper did not announce who would start in goal for Tampa between Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy got the nod in the team's last game in San Jose on Thursday, but he has lost six straight starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (26-13) at Wild (29-10)

Date: January 21, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- If it was a blow to the ego when the Anaheim Ducks lost at home to their former coach two weeks ago, they haven't shown many ill effects.

Since Jan. 8 when Bruce Boudreau and his Minnesota Wild posted a 2-1 victory in Anaheim, the Ducks have gone 5-0-1 and come to Xcel Energy Center looking to avenge their most recent loss.

The Ducks are coming off an odd 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Anaheim, which featured an extended stoppage in the middle of the game due to a glass issue inside the Honda Center. The teams headed to the locker room, then played half the second period and all of the third with just a short break in between. The odd time management allowed the Ducks to rally from a 1-0 hole after 40 minutes to win.

"Actually I think it helped us, because we weren't playing very well in the second period," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who took over behind the Anaheim bench when the team fired Boudreau at the end of last season. "They were coming at us and it broke up the period and gave us an opportunity to kind of re-set ourselves."

There's a bit of a re-set happening in Minnesota as well. The Wild are a league-best 18-2-2 since Dec. 1, but Boudreau hasn't liked the way his team has played lately, especially with the number of goals they're allowing.

On Tuesday they blew two leads and lost 4-3 to the New Jersey Devils. Two nights later, Minnesota beat the lowly Arizona Coyotes only after giving up a 3-1 lead and eking out a 4-3 win.

Wild star left wing Zach Parise, who has battled injuries and inconsistency all season, has been sent to the third line by Boudreau in hopes of providing a spark. On Thursday, Boudreau liked what he saw of Parise in the new role.

"I thought he played hard and had a couple shots on goal but it's baby steps," Boudreau said of Parise after the Arizona game. "When you're in a slump, it just doesn't come overnight where you get out of it. You work at it and you work at it, you might not get rewarded (right away), but eventually you start to get rewarded and it works your way."

There are changes happening on the Minnesota blue line as well, after Jonas Brodin suffered a broken finger in the New Jersey game and will be out a month.

The Wild recalled young defenseman Mike Reilly from Iowa of the American Hockey League and he is expected to play versus Anaheim. Reilly is the classic offensive defenseman, while Brodin is a defense-first stalwart, so it's not a one-for-one trade-off, especially on a team concerned about goals allowed.

Saturday's game will be a later start for a Wild home contest. It will be the final contest in Hockey Day Minnesota, an annual state-wide celebration of the game that features all-day television coverage of high school, college and NHL hockey.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (25-15) at Flames (24-21)

Date: January 21, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- Glenn Gulutzan may secretly wish he could check his team into a hotel the night before home games now through the end of the season to simulate road trips.

The first-year Calgary Flames coach hasn't been able to solve the mystery of how to get his own team to play well at home. They are a mediocre 13-12-0 at the Scotiabank Saddledome thus far and leaving

home points on the table may prove costly come playoff time.

"I know we feel less pressure on the road and we play a simpler game," the Flames head coach said. "That's all I can say.

"At home we seem to wait to see if we're going or not instead of forcing the issue. We have to find a way to rid ourselves of that."

They get another chance Saturday night when provincial rival Edmonton Oilers travel down the Queen Elizabeth II Highway for an 8 p.m. Mountain time start.

Both teams have been victimized this week by the Nashville Predators, who beat the Flames 4-3 on Thursday and the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout on Friday, which stopped Edmonton's winning streak at four games.

The Predators jumped on the Flames for four straight goals on Thursday and hung on for the win, forcing Gulutzan to once again explain a bad outing and face questions why the Flames can put together a stretch of good play.

"We're bouncing around a bit right now. It's hard to explain. You'd think we weren't in a playoff race and that's how we're playing. We've got to realize where we're at," Gulutzan said.

The Flames are 24-21-3 overall and are fourth in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is 12-7-5 on the road and 25-15-8 overall and tied for second with San Jose in the Pacific, seven points ahead of the Flames.

Chad Johnson will get the start in goal for Calgary despite not having a great night Thursday.

"This time of the year, your goalie has to step up and make a couple of breakaway saves," Johnson said. "If you let three or four goals in, it's not good enough in this league. I have to be better."

The Flames held a video session on Friday and an optional skate that brought the two goalies and four skaters to the ice, including Sam Bennett. The sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Bennett was a

healthy scratch for the first time in his career Thursday night and has nine goals and nine assists in 47 games.

Cam Talbot had a busy night in the Edmonton goal Friday, facing 42 shots in his 43rd start in 47 games and may get Saturday off.

There was some debate in Edmonton that head coach Todd McLellan would rest him against Nashville but he opted to send him back out to the net. McLellan said Friday afternoon he'd decide after the game whether American Hockey League call up Laurent Brossoit would start against Calgary.

"We'll worry about Calgary tomorrow," he said.

One positive note for Edmonton in the loss was expensive free agent signee Milan Lucic's first goal in 12 games, which tied the contest at 2-2 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation time. Lucic is

taking heat in Edmonton for not producing more and now has 11 goals.

"We all know (Milan) can change games with just his physicality. He did that tonight and we're going to need that," Edmonton winger Zack Kassian said.

Connor McDavid assisted on Lucic's goal and has a four-point lead in the NHL scoring table over Pittsburgh Penguins co-stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who each have 50 to the Oilers captain's 54.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (13-29) at Sharks (28-16)

Date: January 21, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks have been winning by narrow margins recently. That has hardly been the case for nearly a decade when the Colorado Avalanche come to northern California.

Looking for its fourth straight win overall, San Jose also hopes to continue a remarkable run at home against Colorado as the teams square off in the start of a home-and-home series on Saturday night.

For nearly eight years, San Jose has dominated Colorado at SAP Center, winning 14 of 15. The Sharks have outscored the Avalanche 54-26, holding them to one goal or less 10 times.

That's a welcome change from what San Jose has experienced recently.

After a one-goal win Wednesday on the road against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks returned home and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday. Logan Couture, back after a one-game absence with a stomach ailment, scored the tiebreaking goal in the opening minute of the third period.

"He's one of those players who if he's having an off-day, there's always that chance he can break open," San Jose captain Joe Pavelski said of Couture, who has a goal and four assists in his last three home games against the Avalanche.

Brent Burns, the league's top scoring defenseman (47 points), needs one goal to reach 20 for the third time in four seasons. He has found the back of the net 13 times against Colorado but has none in the last four matchups at home.

While rookie Aaron Dell made 24 saves Thursday, Martin Jones should expect to be back in goal for the Sharks. Jones is 23-14-2 with a 2.25 goals-against average overall but 12-6-1 with a 2.02 GAA at home.

Jones has given up 15 goals in five home games this month. However, to say scoring has been an issue for Colorado this season would be an understatement. The Avalanche are last in the league in goals scored (87), averaging barely over two per game.

Defense also continues to be an issue for rookie coach Jared Bednar's team. Colorado has allowed a league-worst 3.35 goals per game.

The Sharks and Avalanche split four games in 2015-16, and if there is a positive trend to be found in Colorado's recent history in this matchup, then it lies in special teams play. Last season, the Avalanche went 8 of 17 with the man advantage with five goals coming in 11 chances at the Shark Tank.

Now, Colorado has one of the worst power-play conversion rates at 14.2 percent (20 of 141). The Avs are also among the leaders in power-play goals allowed with 35, surrendering seven in their last six road games.

Colorado (13-29-1) owns the league's worst record and will be trying to avoid losing at least five in a row for the fourth time since Nov. 23. The team has dropped four straight and six of seven on the road, where they're 8-13-0.

"We've just got to find a way to play a full 60 minutes," defenseman Francois Beauchemin said after the Avs' latest skid was extended with a 2-1 loss to the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Gabriel Landeskog scored his third in five games to give him nine this season. Colorado's captain is in the midst of a season-high three-game points streak (two goals, one assist), but he has not registered a point in four straight visits to SAP Center.

Two other players with modest scoring streaks are Nathan MacKinnon (three assists in two games) and Matt Duchene (two goals and two assists in three games). The subject of recent trade rumors, Duchene has seven goals and seven assists in 22 career games against the Sharks.

The Avs' Semyon Varlamov has one win in his last 11 games and is day to day with a recurring groin injury. If he his unable to go Saturday, Calvin Pickard will be on the hunt for his career-best eighth win.

Pickard is 7-12-1 with a 3.01 GAA and .920 save percentage. On the road, though, he has given up 12 goals while losing four straight. He has split two career starts in San Jose, posting a 4.23 GAA and .879 save percentage.

There is a chance that Spencer Martin could make his NHL debut. Recalled four times since Nov. 25, Martin his posted a 15-9-2 record with a 2.62 GAA and .915 save percentage with San Antonio of the American Hockey League.

The Sharks and Avalanche will meet for the second and final time this season on Sunday in Denver.

 

[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 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 64.5 68 OVER
1/8 6 31.5 36 OVER
1/9 4 21 20 UNDER
1/10 7 37.5 41 OVER
1/11 4 21.5 26 OVER
1/12 9 48.5 54 OVER
1/13 7 37 40 OVER
1/14 12 64 80 OVER
1/15 4 20.5 16 UNDER
1/16 7 38.5 39 OVER
1/17 9 49.5 63 OVER
1/18 5 27.5 37 OVER
1/19 8 44.5 42 UNDER
1/20 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Saturday’s games

Road team won five of last six St Louis-Winnipeg games; Blues won four of last five visits to Manitoba. Under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. St Louis lost four of last six games but won last two on road. Six of their last eight games went over the total. Winnipeg lost four of last five games, split last four at home; over is 4-0-1 in their last five games overall.

Hurricanes won five of last seven games with Columbus; they lost 4-1 to the Blue Jackets here Tuesday night. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Carolina lost 4-1/7-1 in its last couple of games; they lost three of last four road games. Columbus is 3-5 in its last eight games; they split last four home games. Three of their last four games stayed under the total.

Senators won five of last six games with Toronto; they won 5-4/3-2 in last two visits here. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Ottawa won four of its last five games, split last four on the road; under is 6-4 in their last ten games. Maple Leafs won seven of their last ten games but split last four at home. Seven of last eight Toronto games went over the total.

Canadiens won last three games with Buffalo, allowing only five goals; Sabres won three of last four games in Molson Centre, in series where visitor won six of last eight series games. Over is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Buffalo was outscored 17-10 in losing its last four road games; they’re 2-3 in last five overall. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Montreal is 3-4 in last seven games, 1-2 in last three at home; Canadiens’ last three games stayed under.

Devils won seven of last ten games with Philly, in series where road team won four of last five series games. New Jersey won four of its last five games in this building. Over is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Devils won three of last four games, won four of last five on road; under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Flyers lost eight of last ten games but won last two at home. Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games.

Kings are 5-2 in their last seven games with Islanders, winning two of last three visits to Brooklyn; under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Los Angeles lost five of last seven road games (this is their 1st road game in 17 days)- they lost 2-1/3-2 in last two games. Over is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Islanders won three of last four games, posting consecutive shutouts; five of their last seven games stayed under.

Dallas Stars won their last nine games with Washington, winning last four played here, all by one goal. Three of last four series games went over the total. Capitals won nine of last ten games- they scored 30 goals in their last five games (over 4-0-1). Dallas Stars lost three of their last four games, both overall and at home; six of their last nine games went over the total.

Tampa Bay won four in row, seven of last nine games with Arizona; Lightning won four of last five visits to desert. Six of last eight series games went over total. Tampa Bay lost seven of last nine games, four of last five on road- their last four games overall stayed under. Arizona was outscored 16-7 in losing its last four games; they split last four home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight.

Ducks won five of last seven games with Minnesota; they won three of last four visits to Twin Cities. Under is 4-0-1 in last five series games. Anaheim won five of its last six games, winning last two on road by combined score of 7-1. Under is 8-0-1 in their last nine games. Minnesota won five of last six games, is 3-2 in last five at home. Over is 8-1-1 in their last ten games.

Edmonton won its last three games with Calgary by combined score of 14-8; rivals split last four games played in Saddledome. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Oilers won four of last five games, with four of those going OT; this is their first road game in 13 days (2-2 in last four road tilts). Calgary lost three of last four games overall, but won five of last seven at home. Under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games (0-2 in last two).

San Jose won five of last seven games with Colorado; Avalanche lost four of last five games in the Shark Tank. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Colorado lost nine of last ten games; they were outscored 15-8 in losing their last four. Avalanche scored total of six goals in losing its last four overall. Sharks won last three games, allowing five goals; over is 4-2-2 in their last eight games. San Jose won three of its last four home games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Warriors win sixth straight
By The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON -- Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry took turns orchestrating the offense while the Golden State Warriors' collective length dominated defensively in a 125-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Toyota Center.
The Warriors (37-6) stretched their winning streak to six games by overwhelming the Rockets (33-13) on both ends of the court. Durant finished with 32 points and seven assists while Curry chipped in 24 points and seven assists as Golden State surged ahead in the first quarter and never looked back in a rematch of a Dec. 1 showdown won by the Rockets in double overtime at Oracle Arena.
Rockets guard James Harden produced 17 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists but was 0 for 5 on 3-pointers, Houston shot just 7 for 35 from behind the arc with Eric Gordon, the league leader in 3s, going 2 for 14 overall and 0 for 7 on 3s.

Hawks 102, Bulls 93
ATLANTA -- Atlanta bounced back from a lopsided loss at Detroit two nights earlier by extending its dominance against Chicago.
The Hawks, who got off to a blistering shooting start, led by 29 points at halftime en route to extending their winning streak against the Bulls to six games.
Dennis Schroder had 25 points and six assists as the Hawks won for the 10th time in their past 12 games.
The Bulls' six straight losses to the Hawks is their longest active regular-season streak against any opponent. Their last victory against Atlanta came in April of 2015.

Hornets 113, Raptors 78
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte played like a team intent on putting a recent five-game losing streak behind it and gaining momentum while it is in the middle of a five-game homestand.
The Hornets outscored the Raptors 58-30 in the second half, leading by as many as 37 points despite resting most of their starters throughout the fourth quarter. It was their most-lopsided win of the season.
Kemba Walker led the way with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range. He didn't play at all in the fourth quarter, with the Hornets in a back-to-back situation with Brooklyn coming to town on Saturday.

Magic 112, Bucks 96
ORLANDO -- Elfrid Payton scored 20 points and added six assists in leading Orlando to a victory over Milwaukee at the Amway Center.
The Magic snapped a three-game losing streak. The Bucks lost their fourth consecutive game.
The Magic had seven players finish in double figures when they dominated the second half and never were seriously challenged for the lead.

76ers 93, Trail Blazers 92
PHILADELPHIA -- Robert Covington's 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining lifted Philadelphia to a victory over Portland the 76ers' sixth victory in seven games and eighth in 10.
Covington, who finished with 22 points, took a pass from T.J. McConnell and connected from the left wing.
Portland's Mason Plumlee then missed a layup in traffic at the buzzer as the Trail Blazers dropped their fourth straight game.
Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 24 points for Philadelphia.

Nets 143, Pelicans 114
NEW ORLEANS -- Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovich scored 23 points apiece as Brooklyn ended an 11-game losing streak by beating New Orleans in the Smoothie King Center.
Five teammates came off the bench to score in double figures for the Nets, who won for the first time since a 120-118 victory against Charlotte on Dec. 26.
Spencer Dinwiddie was the third Brooklyn starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Rookie Caris LeVert led the Nets' reserves with 17 points, Luis Scola scored 14 in eight fourth-quarter minutes, Quincy Acy and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each had 12 and Randy Foye had 11. The Brooklyn bench outscored the New Orleans bench 73-47.

Grizzlies 107, Kings 91
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Marc Gasol scored 28 points and Zach Randolph added 20 to lead Memphis to a victory over Sacramento at FedExForum.
Gasol, a candidate to make the NBA All-Star team as a reserve, and Randolph, a sixth man of the year candidate, helped the Grizzlies to a lopsided edge on the boards. Randolph had 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double and Gasol had nine.
Tony Allen also chipped in with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) for the Grizzlies.

Jazz 112, Mavericks 107 (OT)
DALLAS -- Rudy Gobert racked up career highs with 27 points and 25 rebounds, and Utah extended its winning streak to a season-high five by slipping by Dallas in overtime at American Airlines Center.
The Northwest Division-leading Jazz (28-16) had won four in a row three previous times this season but had failed to get to five until beating Dallas for the third time in three tries.
Utah is also sneaking up the Western Conference standings, drawing within a game of the Los Angeles for fourth place.

Lakers 108, Pacers 96
LOS ANGELES -- Lou Williams scored a game-high 27 points and Los Angeles ended a five-game skid with a victory over Indiana at Staples Center.
Julius Randle scored 16 points and Brandon Ingram and Nick Young added 15 points apiece for the Lakers. Jordan Clarkson chipped in 12 points for Los Angeles.
Paul George had 21 points to lead the Pacers, who had won seven of their previous eight games. Al Jefferson scored all 20 of his points in the first half for Indiana, which lost for the first time at Staples in four games. Indiana center Myles Turner contributed 15 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

How to get rich betting NBA back-to-back scenarios
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Ask yourself a simple question before we dive into this week’s column: Have you come across a single NBA analyst, former player, friend or even twitter troll who has predicted anything but a Golden State-Cleveland showdown in this season’s NBA Finals?

While I’m virtually certain that Planet Earth contains at least one human being who believes that, perhaps, the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets will prevent us from the championship trilogy we appear destined to enjoy, the fact remains that the Warriors and Cavaliers boast such ridiculously impressive resumes that very few would be willing to bet against either team making it back to the NBA Finals.

Entering Wednesday night’s slate of action, Golden State and Cleveland ranked in the top five in the NBA in scoring, three-point percentage and a bevy of other statistical categories. But interestingly enough, there is one wagering category in which both the top seed in the Western Conference and the top seed in the Eastern Conference rank in the bottom five of the Association.

Boys and girls, if you plan to bet against the Warriors or Cavaliers, do it when either team is on the second half of a back-to-back stretch.

As of the close of business on Tuesday, January 16, LeBron James and the Cavaliers are just 2-6 against the spread this season when playing the second half of a back-to-back. As for Kevin Durant and the Warriors, Golden State is an abysmal 1-6 ATS in the second half of a back-to-back situation this season. Only Indiana (1-6 ATS) comes close to matching Golden State’s ATS futility as it pertains to this particular scenario.

A litany of reasons exist as to why certain teams struggle while others thrive when playing the second half of a back-to-back. Resting starters or established veterans, long travel, late nights and a lack of sleep are just a few of the possible reasons when it comes to the “why.” But now that we’re officially halfway through the 2016-2017 NBA season, it’s time to take a good, long look as to which teams excel and which clubs falter in this situation so we can better position ourselves to gain a potential edge over the bookmakers.

Entering Wednesday night, there were exactly 248 instances in which an NBA team played the second half of a back-to-back scenario this season:

Overall record straight-up: 101-147 (.407)
Overall record against the spread: 116-128-4 (.475)

At first glance, there really isn’t much to get excited about here. If we had bet against every single team every time they were playing in the second half of a back-to-back, we would barely have broken even up until this point.

But what if we were betting ON the top five clubs and AGAINST the bottom five franchises?

Top five teams in second half of a back-to-back: 33-10 ATS (.767)
Bottom five teams in second half of a back-to-back: 8-30 ATS (.210)

Granted, there was no way to know at the beginning of the season which teams would rank in the top five and which squads would rank in the bottom five at the midway point of the 2016-2017 NBA campaign. However, this should serve as useful information moving forward, as betting ON the top five and AGAINST the bottom five in the second half of a back-to-back has produced a combined record of 63-18 ATS this season (.777).

NBA teams in the second half of a back-to-back this season

*All records updated as of Wednesday, January 18.

Miami Heat: 7-1 ATS (2-6 SU)
Minnesota Timberwolves: 6-1 ATS (4-3 SU)
San Antonio Spurs: 6-2 ATS (7-1 SU)
Houston Rockets: 7-3 ATS (9-1 SU)
Memphis Grizzlies: 7-3 ATS (8-2 SU)
Atlanta Hawks: 6-3 ATS (6-3 SU)
Orlando Magic: 6-3 ATS (3-6 SU)
Toronto Raptors: 4-2-1 ATS (3-4 SU)
Los Angeles Clippers: 5-3 ATS (5-3 SU)
Phoenix Suns: 4-3 ATS (3-4 SU)
Boston Celtics: 5-4 ATS (6-3 SU)
Chicago Bulls: 5-5 ATS (4-6 SU)
New York Knicks: 4-5 ATS (1-8 SU)
Utah Jazz: 4-5-1 ATS (6-4 SU)
Sacramento Kings: 3-4-1 ATS (2-6 SU)
Los Angeles Lakers: 4-6 ATS (3-7 SU)
Brooklyn Nets: 2-3-1 ATS (0-6 SU)
Charlotte Hornets: 3-5 ATS (3-5 SU)
Denver Nuggets: 3-5 ATS (2-6 SU)
Oklahoma City Thunder: 3-5 ATS (2-6 SU)
Philadelphia 76ers: 3-5 ATS (1-7 SU)
Washington Wizards: 3-5 ATS (1-7 SU)
Portland Trail Blazers: 3-6 ATS (3-6 SU)
New Orleans Pelicans: 3-6 ATS (3-6 SU)
Dallas Mavericks: 2-5 ATS (0-7 SU)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 2-6 ATS (3-5 SU)
Detroit Pistons: 2-6 ATS (2-6 SU)
Milwaukee Bucks: 2-6 ATS (2-6 SU)
Golden State Warriors: 1-6 ATS (6-1 SU)
Indiana Pacers: 1-6 ATS (1-6 SU)

Here’s your rundown of back-to-back scenarios to monitor as we head into the weekend:

SATURDAY

Trail Blazers at Celtics (5:00pm ET): Portland is on the second half of a back-to-back. In those situations this season, the Blazers are 3-6 ATS.

Nets at Hornets (7:00pm ET): Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup.

76ers at Hawks (7:00pm ET): Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup.

Bucks at Heat (7:30pm ET): Milwaukee is on the second half of a back-to-back. In those situations this season, the Bucks are just 2-6 ATS.

Rockets at Grizzlies (8:00pm ET): Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup.

Pacers at Jazz (9:00pm ET): Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup.

Kings at Bulls (9:00pm ET): Both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup.

SUNDAY

Suns at Raptors (6:00pm ET): Phoenix is on the second half of a back-to-back. In those situations this season, the Suns are 4-3 ATS.

Nuggets at Timberwolves (7:00pm ET): Denver is on the second half of a back-to-back. In those situations this season, the Nuggets are just 3-5 ATS.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (18-27) at Celtics (26-16)

Date: January 21, 2017 5:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Fresh off not being named as a starter in the NBA All-Star Game, Isaiah Thomas has a couple of tough guards to deal with when the Portland Trail Blazers visit TD Garden late Saturday afternoon.

And he'll have to do it without running mate Avery Bradley.

Bradley, second on the Boston Celtics in scoring at 17.7 points per game and actually the team's leading rebounder at 6.9 per, will be out for the sixth time in the last seven games because of a nagging Achilles injury. He missed four games, played one and is now missing his second straight.

"The Achilles is structurally fine, but he has a lot of soreness around it," coach Brad Stevens said of Bradley.

So, Marcus Smart will again start as the Celtics, 13-4 in their last 17 games but home losers to the New York Knicks Wednesday, have to deal with the Damian Lillard/C.J. McCollum tandem for the struggling Blazers.

Portland dropped its fourth straight Friday night, blowing a 13-point halftime lead and losing by a point at Philadelphia -- despite 30 points by Lillard, 16 by McCollum and 14 points and 10 rebounds by Mason Plumlee, who missed a potential game-winning layup at the buzzer.

That dropped the Blazers to 18-27, 0-3 on their current trip that ends against the Celtics.

"I thought we played hard and I thought we deserved to win the game," said Portland coach Terry Stotts.

Before the game, Stotts was asked about his lineup changes -- Evan Turner and Noah Vonleh getting starts -- and he said, "I'm always open to something that will make us better. I don't know how much drastic changes you can make but I think you have to look at different things in hopes of stirring it up a little bit."

Thomas, who is averaging 28.7 points per game for the season, is scoring at a 32.6 clip in the 17 games since returning from a groin strain. He has scored at least 20 points in 26 straight games and has failed to do it exactly once this season.

But Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan are the Easter Conference All-Star starters.

"I've got to get better," Thomas said Friday. "That's all I take out of that. I'm not where I want to be."

Former Celtic Turner, who signed a free-agent deal with the Blazers over the summer, makes his return to TD Garden for the first of two meetings between the teams this season -- after also making a return to Philadelphia.

"Boston is probably my favorite place to play throughout my career," Turner told Oregonlive. "They definitely showed me love. Boston is like a franchise-type city. A lot of places have organizations, but Boston is a franchise-type city. You could never take the Celtics or one of (Boston's) other teams and put them in another city.

"You go on the road, there's a lot of Boston fans all over. Playing for Boston was an amazing experience. It's like being a kid again, you get to play on the TD Garden court, put on a Celtics uniform. It's just crazy to see the history and all the legends walking around. Boston was an unreal experience."

Friday night, Turner played 28 minutes, going 2-for-10 from the floor, scoring four points and dishing out five assists.

Vonleh will also have a homecoming Saturday -- he hails from nearby Haverhill, Ma. He had 10 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (23-19) at Pistons (20-24)

Date: January 21, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons know all about John Wall's ability to take over a game. The Pistons have the unenviable task on Saturday of trying to slow down Wall, who's led the Washington Wizards on their current hot streak.

Washington carries a four-game winning streak into The Palace and Wall, their floor leader, is averaging 25.8 points and 10 assists during that span. Wall racked up 29 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and three steals in the Wizards' 113-110, nationally-televised victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

Wall fell short of gaining a starting spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team but he's playing like one. He certainly enjoyed the spotlight at Madison Square Garden.

"That's what you love, especially with a TV game," he told the Washington Post. "It makes it more exciting. You just want to make the big plays and the right plays at the same time and be aggressive."

Backcourt partner Bradley Beal was limited to eight points, just his second outing this season failing to score in double figures. Washington was still able to capture its fifth road victory against 13 losses.

"It's good to get a road win," coach Scott Brooks told the Post. "We've had so many last-second shots on the road that didn't go our way, so it's nice to close out (Thursday) with the win."

Wall and Beal overwhelmed the Pistons during the teams' first meeting on Dec. 16. Wall had 29 points, 11 assists and three steals while Beal supplied 25 points and four assists in a 122-108 romp at Washington's Verizon Center.

The Wizards (23-19) shot 57.1 percent that night and led by 18 points after three quarters.

Detroit (20-24) won its last two games, including a 118-95 home victory over an Atlanta Hawks team that won nine of its previous 10 games.

"From start to finish, we played really well," point guard Reggie Jackson said. "We played with confidence and a lot of effort. Hit them early, hit them often."

The Pistons scored a season-high 42 points in the first quarter and 69 by halftime in a game they never trailed.

"It was a really good step forward for us but we've said it all year, the key is you've got to do it more than once in a while," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We'll see going into Saturday and going into Monday (against Sacramento), can we sustain that kind of play going forward?"

Van Gundy's club played short-handed in recent games. Power forward Jon Leuer missed the last five games with a bone bruise on his right knee. Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is recovering from a left rotator cuff strain.

They're questionable to play against Washington, though Leuer was able to practice in full on Friday.

Reggie Bullock recorded season highs of 15 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Hawks filling in for Caldwell-Pope while Stanley Johnson, who is seeing increased playing time at shooting guard and small forward, contributed seven points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

"If we continue to keep that going, we will be a tough team to beat," Bullock said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (9-33) at Hornets (22-21)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

In the middle of a dark season, Friday night was a rare bright spot for the Brooklyn Nets.

Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points each, leading seven players in double figures in a 143-114 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans that ended the Nets' 11-game losing streak.

It was just the second road win all season for Brooklyn. The Nets, a league-worst 9-33, won for just the second time since Dec. 14 -- a stretch of 18 games.

Brooklyn's previous victory came against the Charlotte Hornets on the day after Christmas.

Next up, the Nets travel to Charlotte for a Saturday night clash.

The Hornets (22-21) ended their own five-game losing streak with a 107-85 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Charlotte followed with a Friday night rout of Toronto.

Charlotte, which was a season-high five games above .500 on Dec. 29, sits in seventh place in the NBA's Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of Chicago and Milwaukee.

Hornets guard Kemba Walker scored 32 points -- perhaps a statement effort for All-Star Game inclusion -- in the 113-78 Friday win over the Raptors.

Charlotte players have been publicly campaigning for Walker to be included on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Although Walker said he enjoyed filming a promotional video dubbed "Walker, Charlotte Ranger," he has grown tired of the questions.

"I really don't care, honestly," Walker told the Charlotte Observer of his All-Star chances. "It's really starting to get old, hearing about it. If my name is called, I'll be super excited. But if not, I'll just have to move on.

"My main focus and goal right now is to win, and we haven't done a great job of winning consistently. And so, All-Star is the last thing I'm thinking about right now."

While the All-Star Game starters have been chosen, the seven reserves for each conference team will be announced Thursday. Walker is the Hornets' leading scorer at 23 points per game.

"It's not a question of, 'Is he playing like an All-Star?'" Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told the Observer. "He's an All-Star-caliber guard. There's no question about it."

Brooklyn point guard Jeremy Lin finished eighth in All-Star game fan voting -- a spot ahead of Walker -- among Eastern Conference guards. But Lin, fourth on his team with 13.9 points per game, is less likely to be selected.

Lin, who last saw game action in the Nets' Dec. 26 win, is considered day to day as he deals with a hamstring injury. A little more than a week ago, Lin told a Chinese television station that he felt healthy enough to play, but Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said he was not ready to return.

Brook Lopez continued his hot streak on Friday. The 7-foot center has scored at least 20 points in each of the past six games he has played (he was rested during the Nets' 137-112 loss to Houston on Sunday), and he leads the team with 20.3 points per game.

Charlotte hosts the Washington Wizards on Monday. The Hornets trail the Wizards by 1 1/2 games in the Southeast Division.

The Nets return to Brooklyn on Monday to face the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs won the first meeting between the teams 130-101.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (15-26) at Hawks (25-18)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks go for their seventh straight home victory over Philadelphia when they host the 76ers on Saturday.

The Hawks have won 12 of the past 13 meetings between the teams overall and their wins this season were by 32 points at Philadelphia and by 21 points in Atlanta.

Both those games, though, came in the first three weeks of the season, when Atlanta was getting off to a 9-2 start and the 76ers looked like they might be headed to another dismal season.

The Hawks (25-18) lost 10 of 11 games after their fast start before recovering to again take first place in the Southeast Division, winning 10 of their past 12 games.

Atlanta is in the middle of a stretch of three home games in four days. The Hawks host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

"It's good for us," point guard Dennis Schroder said of being home for awhile. "We've been on the road a lot. We have to protect home court in front of our fans."

It took a while for the 76ers (15-26) to start to jell, but they have won eight of their past 10 games and are no longer at the bottom of NBA standings.

Much of the credit for that belongs to center Joel Embiid, who leads all rookies in scoring (19.7), rebounds (7.9) and blocked shots (2.5) after missing what should have been his first two seasons because of injuries.

Embiid, though, hasn't played in back-to-back games this season and left Friday's 93-92 victory over Portland at Philadelphia in the fourth quarter with a bruised left knee.

"I'm fine. I'm good. The knee's fine," said Embiid, who was hurt landing after a third-quarter dunk. "I knew it was OK. I just landed the wrong way. The front office cares about my future, so they just shut it down, but I was fine."

If Embiid, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks against Portland, doesn't play against the Hawks, that will mean an opportunity for center Jahlil Okafor.

Okafor, the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, has appeared in just three of the 76es' past 10 games, but had 26 points and 11 rebounds against at Washington a week ago in the last game without Embiid.

Okafor has appeared in 30 games and is averaging 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Embiid, a third overall pick a year before Okafor, would have been named a starter for the East in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game if it was still entirely left up to the fan vote.

Coaches and the media now split the other half of the vote and Embiid was beaten out by Chicago's Jimmy Butler for the fifth spot despite getting the third most votes for an Eastern Division player.

"The fans, they gave everything they had and I came up short," Embiid said before Friday's game. "But I was just happy to see that the fans supported me and they are behind me and they wanted me to succeed."

The Hawks are also in the second part of a back-to-back, having beaten Chicago 102-93 in Atlanta on Friday.

"We're playing at a high level now," forward Thabo Sefolosha said. "We have to keep it up and take care of these games at home."

Mike Muscala, the Hawks' first big man off the bench, missed his third straight game on Friday against the Bulls with a sprained left ankle and is doubtful to play against Philadelphia. He was hurt shortly after entering the game Sunday against Milwaukee when he stepped on the foot of teammate Schroder.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (20-22) at Heat (13-30)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Giannis Antetokounmpo arrives in Miami on Saturday as a freshly minted All-Star starter, the first Milwaukee Bucks player to earn that honor in 31 years.

Antetokounmpo, a 22-year-old, 6-foot-11, 222-pound, multi-positional athlete known as "The Greek Freak", was named an All-Star on Thursday. He joins only five other Bucks All-Star starters in franchise history: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bobby Dandridge, Brian Winters, Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson.

"It's a great opportunity for Giannis and our organization," Bucks general manager John Hammond told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's very deserving."

Antetokounmpo continued to put up impressive numbers on Friday. He had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five assists as the Bucks (20-22) lost to the host Orlando Magic 112-96.

It was the Bucks' fourth straight loss, but Antetokounmpo is doing his best. After all, he's the only player in the NBA who leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

Next up are the Miami Heat (13-30), who are suffering through one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Miami, though, is on a two-game win streak, showing signs of life this week by beating the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks.

Antetokounmpo, who is in his fourth NBA season, has not had great success against the Heat.

In two games against Miami this season, he is averaging 16.0 points. That is well below his overall average of 23.7 points. Only three teams have held him to fewer points on average.

And, in 12 career games against Miami, his numbers are even more modest (14.2 points).

But while Miami may have the secret to slowing down Antetokounmpo, the Athens native is terrorizing the rest of the league, averaging 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.8 steals.

He is helping to revolutionize the game because he can play point guard just as easily as center.

Antetokounmpo, who got added notoriety when he came to famed Madison Square Garden earlier this season and defeated the New York Knicks with a buzzer-beating shot, reminds some observers of Scottie Pippen in that ability to guard any position.

But Antetokounmpo is three inches taller than Pippen, and he is the leader of his young team as opposed to playing with a legend such as Michael Jordan as in the case of the former Chicago Bulls star.

The 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Antetokounmpo has seen his scoring average rise every season: 6.8 points as a rookie followed by 12.7, 16.9 and 23.7.

"He's made steady improvement," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They've been patient with him."

Spoelstra is trying to be patient with his own team, which has deteriorated from its recent championship form due to free-agent defections (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade), an a serious illness (Chris Bosh) and a multitude of injuries (Justise Winslow, Josh McRoberts and Josh Richardson).

In Thursday's win over Dallas, Miami got 32 points from 6-3 point guard Goran Dragic, marking the third time in a little over a month he has scored more than 30.

Dragic, 30, is averaging 19.4 points and 6.3 assists, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, 41.0 percent on three-pointers and 79.8 percent on free throws.

If he maintains those numbers, his scoring average, assist totals and free-throw percentage would all be the second-best marks of his career.

"This is the best he's ever shot the ball from deep," Spoelstra said, referring to Dragic's time in Miami at least. "But just as important, he's able to take advantage of mid-range (shots), which is so vital in close games.

"Defensively, he is taking pride in challenging shots. He's defending the pick and roll, rebounding the ball better and making hustle plays."

It remains to be seen if Dragic will join Antetokounmpo at the All-Star Game. Dragic and 7-0 center Hassan Whiteside are Miami's best hopes to be added to the team next week when the reserves are announced.

Miami's losing record hurts their candidacy, but Whiteside, 27, is having a career year, averaging 17.3 points and leading the league in rebounds (14.2). He is also averaging 2.1 blocks, which is tied for fifth in the league with Antetokounmpo, while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor.

Perhaps Whiteside will spend some time on Saturday guarding Antetokounmpo, a matchup that would be worth the price of admission.

In other Heat-Bucks story lines:

Bosh, who has been sidelined since the 2016 All-Star Game due to blood clots, may play again. ESPN reported on Friday that the Chicago Bulls would be interested in signing Bosh and reuniting him with Wade.

The Bucks are hoping to get shooting guard Khris Middleton back next month. He has been out all season after surgery to repair a torn left hamstring.

Ex-Heat forward Michael Beasley, now with the Bucks, had scored in double figures in five of his past six games before getting held to two points against Orlando.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (13-29) at Knicks (19-25)

Date: January 21, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Two of the more defensively-challenged teams will clash at Madison Square Garden on Saturday when the Phoenix Suns meet the New York Knicks.

Phoenix (13-29) ranks 29th in the league, giving up an average of 111.8 points a night. The Knicks (19-25) are 25th, allowing 108.3 points a game.

If New York wants to exploit the Phoenix defense, it may want to consider getting out quickly in transition or launching long distance jumpers. The Suns surrender a league-worst 16.5 fast-break points and are next-to-last in opponent's 3-point percentage (38.7).

In a 118-103 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Phoenix gave up 19 3-pointers.

"They hit a bunch of shots," Suns center Tyson Chandler said of the Cavs. "They did a great job of spreading the floor and keeping us in the pick-and-roll, confusing us with cutters and things like that."

New York can relate. While Cleveland was exploiting the Suns' perimeter defense, the Washington Wizards were doing the same to the Knicks on Thursday. Washington buried 13 3-pointers in their 113-110 win.

New York is allowing teams to average 9.8 made 3-pointers this season and ranks in the bottom eight in forcing turnovers, putting its opponents on the free throw line, and defensive rebounding percentage.

The Knicks have lost 15 of their last 20 games, starting with an overtime loss in Phoenix on Dec. 13. In those 20 games, coach Jeff Hornacek's team has given up at least 100 points 17 times.

Hornacek, who coached the Suns for nearly three seasons before getting fired last February, tried to shake things up recently by inserting rookies Ron Baker and Mindaugas Kuzminskas into the rotation at guard and forward, respectively.

The Knicks received a lift when star forward Kristaps Porzingis returned Thursday after missing four games with an Achilles injury. He scored 15 points, but grabbed just five rebounds in 29 minutes.

"He's been moving around pretty well," Hornacek said. "I think it was just that last step of making sure there was nothing before we put him out there for the minutes."

Hornacek's team could be without center Joakim Noah, whose MRI on Thursday revealed a sprained ankle.

The Suns, one of the youngest teams in the league (average age 25.16), are 5-16 on the road in coach Earl Watson's first full season in the Valley of the Sun. Chandler, once a Knick, has been impressive at age 34. He's grabbed at least 15 rebounds in the last six games -- a franchise record.

Chandler's 66.9 field goal percentage is the second-highest of his career and good enough for second in the NBA among players who have taken more than two shots per game this season.

"I feel good, and I enjoy playing for Earl (Watson) and I enjoy my young teammates," Chandler told Arizonasports.com. "I felt great last year, but it's mentally. You got to want to be out there.

"You got to give yourself something to compete for. I feel healthy now, my mind is clear and so that's why you see the product of it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (33-13) at Grizzlies (26-19)

Date: January 21, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets officially find themselves in a shooting a slump and to escape it they will face the opponent who initially put them there.

The Rockets are in the midst of their worst stretch of 3-point shooting and will look for better results when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Houston is 2-4 in its last six games and the big reason for the slump can be traced down to performance from long range. The Rockets shot 35.7 percent from 3-point range in a 14-point loss at Minnesota on Jan. 11 and it was a figure not necessarily noticeable.

The next few showings were and now the Rockets are the ninth-most accurate team from distance.

On Jan. 13, the Rockets were 3 of 24 in the second half and blew a 16-point lead in a five-point home loss to Memphis.

After hitting 21 of 44 3-pointers (47.7 percent) and scoring 137 points at Brooklyn on Sunday, the Rockets shot 23 percent and 32 percent, respectively, in a loss at Miami on Tuesday and a win over Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Then came Friday's 125-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Houston was 7 of 35 (20 percent) from long range and it was the second-lowest percentage of the season from the 3-point line. At one point, the Rockets misfired on 21 of 22 attempts from 3.

Houston has dropped five of seven when shooting less than 30 percent and the recent slump seems to be going through the roster.

James Harden missed all five of his attempts Friday and is at 27.5 percent (16 of 58) in his last six games. Eric Gordon was 0 of 7 and is at 29.4 percent (15 of 51) since returning from missing two games with a sprained left big toe.

Trevor Ariza is 4 of 20 in his last three games since tying a season best with six 3-pointers on Sunday. Also, Ryan Anderson will be out for the third time in four games with the flu and he made eight three 3-pointers in a 115-109 loss at Memphis on Dec. 23.

"We've got to do a better job of our spacing," Harden said. "I think that when they switch, we've got to space the floor even more and be able to get to the basket so that we will have kick-out opportunities. That's what happened in the first game at Golden State."

During these six games, Houston is shooting 31 percent from 3-point range. Before this slump, the Rockets reeled off nine straight wins from Dec. 26 through Jan. 10 by shooting 36.6 percent from long range.

"None of us are happy, but it happens," Harden said. "So what? What's next? And that's what our motto is."

What's next is a third encounter with an opponent who already has two wins over the Rockets. Houston made 20 of 52 3s in its 115-109 loss at Memphis on Dec. 23 but was done in by a 3 of 14 second quarter.

The Grizzlies have allowed the Rockets to score 100 points in seven of the past nine meetings. Memphis also has won 10 of the last 14 meetings and scored 100 points in six of those games.

Recently, Memphis has seen its offense take an uptick in scoring by getting at least 100 points in 12 of its last 14 games. The downside is the Grizzlies have allowed 100 in nine of their last 14 and are 7-7 in that span.

"Obviously, we're trying different things, trying to figure it out," Memphis center Marc Gasol said. "We're talking a lot, doing different stuff. If we don't get stops, it's going to be hard to win. We're not a super firepower team. It's a lot by feel."

Those were Gasol's words before the Grizzlies put both aspects together with a 107-91 home win over the Sacramento Kings.

Gasol scored 28 points and Zach Randolph added 20 while mixing up their shot selection. The frontcourt duo combined to make 5 of 9 3-pointers and shoot 16 of 33 overall.

Like many big men throughout the league, Gasol is expanding his game well beyond the paint. Before this season, he never attempted more than 17 3-pointers in a season but is 57 of 147 and the Grizzlies are 6-2 when Gasol makes at least three of those shots.

As for Randolph, he might surpass his previous total of 97 3-point attempts set in 2008-09. Through his first 38 games this season, he is 13 of 47.

"When they're making (3-pointers), it makes us really hard to guard," Memphis point guard Mike Conley said. "It opens up the paint for everybody, so to speak. They are both capable of going off and making five or six 3s a night."

Five or six might be a stretch for Randolph and Gasol, but the Grizzlies are gradually implementing more 3-pointers. Memphis made 10 or more 3s for the 21st time this season and it is three more than its total in the previous six seasons when it did not place higher than 25th in attempted 3-pointers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (33-9) at Cavaliers (30-11)

Date: January 21, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs were dealt a big blow on the eve of their only trip to Cleveland to face the defending champions.

Pau Gasol is sidelined indefinitely after having surgery Friday to repair a fractured bone in his left (non-shooting) hand.

Gasol broke the hand during warm-ups before Thursday's game against the Denver Nuggets and no timeline was given for his return. It's a big blow to a team that enters Saturday at 33-9, the second-best record in the NBA. Gasol, a six-time All-Star, is averaging 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds in his first season in San Antonio.

"We will miss Pau, but we have players here that are ready and waiting to show what they can do," Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard said. "Now it looks like they will get that chance."

David Lee is expected to remain the starter in place of Gasol. He was the emergency starter against the Nuggets on Thursday and finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Lee, 33, has revived his career a bit this season with the Spurs. He is averaging 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds while appearing in all but one game.

"It sucks that injuries are part of the game, because Pau is a guy who prepares well and brings his hard hat every day," Lee told the San Antonio Express-News. "Not a guy we want to be missing, but we'll roll with the punches."

Gasol isn't the only wounded Spur. Tony Parker missed Thursday's game with a sore ankle, but coach Gregg Popovich believes Parker will play against the Cavs. He is officially listed as questionable.

The Spurs will face a Cavs team trying to reclaim its rhythm after a disappointing West Coast trip. Upon returning home, coach Tyronn Lue showed the players clips of how they play when they're moving the ball. They responded with 19 3-pointers and 29 assists, two shy of their season high, in Thursday's lopsided win over the Phoenix Suns.

Kevin Love missed Thursday's win with a sore back and remains questionable for Saturday. But James Jones scored 14 points in place of Love, Iman Shumpert is averaging 16 points and shooting 61 percent from 3-point range in three games since moving into the starting lineup, and Kyle Korver continues to get more comfortable in his role with the Cavs' second unit.

Doing it against the Suns, however, isn't quite the same as doing it against the Spurs. San Antonio is second in the league in points allowed (98.5) and one of only three teams in the league allowing fewer than 100 points per game. LeBron James praised Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as "the greatest coach of all time."

"A guy that's been able to do what he's done in an era of basketball where it's changed so much and he's been able to have a growth mindset and be able to change with the game," James said.

"It went from a league where every time you bring the ball down: throw it to the big. Then it goes to every time down: pick-and-roll. And then it goes to like, every time down: shoot a 3. And Pop has been able to adjust every single time and still, for some odd reason, keep those guys under the radar. I don't understand that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (16-26) at Bulls (21-23)

Date: January 21, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Someone's losing streak will end when the Chicago Bulls host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night at the United Center.

Chicago (21-23) has lost two games in a row to the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. The talented but inconsistent Bulls already have amassed five three-game losing streaks this season and will try to avoid streak No. 6 against the Kings.

Meanwhile, Sacramento (16-26) has lost four consecutive games to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies. The Kings are looking to avoid their first five-game losing streak of the season.

Both teams will play on short rest after late-night flights into Chicago. The Bulls lost 102-93 on Friday night in Atlanta and the Kings fell short 107-91 a few hundred miles away in Memphis.

Bulls guard Dwyane Wade will try to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the season. Wade matched a season low with four points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field against the Hawks.

Wade's friend and teammate, Jimmy Butler, will return to Chicago for the first time since he was named an Eastern Conference starter in the All-Star Game. The honor marks Butler's third selection to the event and his first as a starter.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said he believed more good news could lie ahead for his team.

"I like our guys, I like our group," Hoiberg told the Chicago Tribune. "I like the way they go out there and they fight. Just got to obviously continue to work and get better, more consistent, and we'll continue to do that."

Sacramento fans likely have heard many of the same sentiments. The Kings were in the playoff mix with a 14-17 record on Dec. 26, but since then they have lost nine of 11 games.

Forward-center DeMarcus Cousins will look to remain among the NBA's leading scorers when he tips off against the Bulls. The 6-foot-11, 270-pound giant is averaging 27.8 points per game, which is the best production of his seven-season career.

Despite his numbers, Cousins was left out as a starter for the Western Conference All-Star team in favor of Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis. Cousins, 26, has earned two All-Star selections and will try to make it three in a row as a reserve.

Kings coach Dave Joerger will look for someone to supplement Cousins on the offensive end versus the Bulls. Joerger's squad lost a big chunk of its offense when guard Rudy Gay was sidelined for the rest of the season this week because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

Gay's absence was noticeable against the Grizzlies as only two players other than Cousins managed to score more than eight points. Guard Garrett Temple contributed 14 points, and guard Ty Lawson added 13 points off the bench.

"It may become an issue as far as having a go-to guy and somebody who can break a dry spell offensively," Joerger told the Sacramento Bee.

The Bulls are 13-9 on their home court. The Kings have posted an 8-13 record on the road.