Tuesday 1/10/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (20-19) at Predators (17-16)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

The Vancouver Canucks' seemingly undying pursuit of mediocrity hit an unexpected speed bump. A six-game winning streak that ended Saturday night in Calgary with a 3-1 loss put them on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff race at midseason.

There they are joined by the Nashville Predators, whose October of high expectations morphed into a frustrating half-season of consistent inconsistency that's now being hampered by a spate of injuries to their top players.

The two meet Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena, each attempting to coddiwomple in the direction of the postseason.

"If you dwell on stuff and wake up each morning worrying about the past, that's not going to do you any good," Nashville center Ryan Johansen said Sunday night after a 5-2 loss in Chicago. "Obviously, it's frustrating at the moment, but tomorrow's a new day. Go home, hopefully find some success there and try to get on the right track."

Home is where the Predators (17-16-7) have found little success since starting 8-1-1. They are 2-4-4 in their last 10 home contests, including a 2-1 overtime loss on Jan. 3 to Montreal. The failure to defend home ice is a prime reason why they're just 6-8-4 since the calendar flipped to December.

A recent wave of injuries hasn't helped matters. All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban was joined by the team's top goal-scorer, James Neal, on injured reserve Saturday. Forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Colin Wilson also missed the loss Sunday night with injuries.

Nashville actually didn't play badly for much of the loss against Chicago, evening the score at 2-2 early in the third period on Austin Watson's goal before a weird Ryan Hartman hat trick -- a goal off his hand and two empty-netters -- settled matters.

"In the third, I thought we had the better looks and just couldn't find a way. It could have been 3-2, 4-2, 5-2 with the posts we hit. We were buzzing," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said.

Meanwhile, Vancouver (20-19-3) enjoyed its best stretch of hockey this season besides its own injury woes. It iced just five defensemen in Calgary on Saturday night and was briefly down to four after Nikita Tryamkin sat out some time following a heavy hit from Michael Ferland.

But the Canucks weren't terribly upset with their defeat to the Flames, even though it extended their road struggles. In 19 games away from British Columbia, Vancouver picked up a measly 11 points, fourth from the bottom in the NHL.

"We played well," captain Henrik Sedin said. "We just didn't score on our chances."

The Canucks are hopeful that Chris Tanev, who sat out Saturday night after taking a slapper to the back during Friday night's 4-2 win over the Flames in Vancouver, will be able to play and beef up their defense corps. Tanev did make the trip to Nashville on Monday.

Tanev's presence would be very helpful since Ben Hutton, who was scratched Saturday night after blocking a shot with his left hand on Friday evening, didn't make the trip.

Ryan Miller is expected to make the start in net for the Canucks, while Pekka Rinne will probably get the call for Nashville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (21-17) at Blues (21-14)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues, who have not won two consecutive games for more than a month, are going to try a new approach for Tuesday night's game against the visiting Boston Bruins.

After a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said the Blues will prepare for the next game as if they had lost.

"I think that's something that we do such a good job of, when we lose, is come back and play well," Shattenkirk said. "We have to treat Tuesday's game like we have that hunger to get another win. It's gonna be important for us to do that because Boston's a team that can catch us if we're not ready for them."

The victory over the Stars left the Blues with a 12-5-2 record in games following a loss this season.

Tuesday night's game will feature the return to St. Louis of former Blues captain David Backes. He signed with the Bruins as a free agent last summer after 10 years with the Blues.

"He's gonna want to have a big showing, but we have to put all that aside and try to get a winning streak going," Shattenkirk said.

Backes is third on the Bruins with 11 goals and scored in each of the first two games on the Bruins' current four-game trip. He also recorded 10 assists in his first 35 games.

Backes already faced the Blues, on Nov. 22 in Boston, but his homecoming promises to be a more emotional night. He played 727 career games for the Blues, the fifth most in franchise history. His total of 206 goals ranks sixth on the team's all-time list.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has experienced the return of many former players during his long career, so he has an idea of what lies ahead for Backes.

"I'm sure for David it will be unique and once in a lifetime," Hitchcock said. "Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot and fighting for positioning, so the focus will be on the game a little more for us. It was emotional for us when we went to Boston for the whole team, but I think the team is more accustomed to it now. It will be emotional for David.

"I'm sure he's going to get a big ovation. He deserves it. He was a good player for a long time here. Some people are good players, and then there's good people. David's good people. He was great in the community, great on the ice, great as a leader, he did a lot of things. He sure made my job a lot easier."

Backes and his new teammates will be trying to extend the Blues' streak without winning consecutive games, which last happened during a three-game winning streak from Nov. 26 to Dec. 1.

The game against the Hurricanes was the third in four nights, and the second half of back-to-back games in Florida and Carolina for the Bruins. After earning three of a possible four points in the games on Saturday and Sunday, Boston took Monday off and did not practice after arriving in St. Louis.

"We had our chances and we couldn't capitalize," forward Tim Schaller said of the loss to the Hurricanes. "If we could have won that in regulation it would have been nice. We knew we could beat them. We knew our legs might not be 100 percent, but mentally we knew we could beat them. We had a good fight."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (17-18) at Blackhawks (26-12)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- One step forward, two steps back.

For the past month, that's the inconsistency that has plagued the Detroit Red Wings. Over the stretch, the Red Wings have been unable to string together more than back-to-back wins before being able to build any more momentum.

Now, having lost three of their last four following a 6-3 loss to San Jose on Saturday, the Red Wings must attempt to find their footing on the road Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. For its part, Chicago has won three straight games after experiencing difficulties of its own.

"Hopefully, we don't feel too good about ourselves because we win one game," Red Wings center Frans Nielsen told reporters after Saturday's loss. "I don't know if we have a different mentality after a loss, (when) coming out, you want it a little more (and have a) little too much confidence after a win.

"You have to work for 60 minutes and then see what happens. It has been too many times we win a game and then we come out the next game, we don't show up."

Help, however, may be on the way. The Detroit Free Press reported Monday that the Red Wings could get forward Justin Abdelkader and defenseman Mike Green back against the Blackhawks.

Abdelkader, who has four goals and four assists in 22 games this season, has been out since Dec. 1 with a sprained MCL. Green, who has been dealing with an unspecified ailment, was injured on Dec. 17 and has seven goals and 11 assists in 32 games. Both skated with the Red Wings on Monday.

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told reporters on Monday that he will decide Tuesday if the pair will play in Chicago.

"We wanted to get a practice in and make sure they're ready to go," Blashill said, according to the Detroit Free Press. "They both, I think, felt good. But I'll wait until they get evaluated by the trainers, and then we'll make that final decision."

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have found their stride with a three-game winning streak that continued Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over Nashville. Chicago has rediscovered some rhythm after losing five of its previous six games before putting together the trio of victories, all of which have been at home.

Entering Tuesday night's game, the Blackhawks are 16-4-4 at the United Center as Chicago winds up a four-game homestand against Detroit before hitting the road to face the Capitals in Washington on Friday night.

"It's huge," Chicago winger Patrick Kane told reporters after Sunday's win in which rookie Ryan Hartman had a unique hat trick that included two empty-net goals and Kane had three assists.

"We talked about having a good homestand and you know every game's been pretty close. (We had a) big comeback win against Buffalo. (We) kind of hung on there against Carolina. And then you find yourself 2-2 in the third (against Nashville), it's nice to get that third one and kind of build off of that.

"(We had a) couple of big wins. Hopefully (we're) trending in the right direction. (We) keep trying to get better."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (24-14) at Oilers (21-14)

Date: January 10, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- OK, put your hand up if you had Patrick Maroon on your fantasy team at the start of the season.

Of course you didn't; coming into 2016-17, the big American winger's career high when it came to goals in a season was 12.

But, the red-hot Oiler is now one of the league's hottest scorers. Of any left winger in Edmonton, he's proven to be the most natural fit with center and NHL leading point-getter Connor McDavid. Maroon has five markers in his last three games, giving him 16 on the season and putting him into the league's top 20.

Stopping Maroon, who was named the NHL's second star of the week on Monday, will be the task the San Jose Sharks face when they visit Rogers Place Tuesday night.

"I've just got to keep playing hard, playing my game, which is being physical and going to the net, getting the dirty goals, protecting pucks, cycle and make space for (McDavid and right winger Leon Draisaitl)," said Maroon.

"It's all about being given an opportunity and you riding with it and playing with good linemates."

Oilers coach Todd McLellan said he always felt that Maroon could evolve into a top NHL power forward.

"He's a little more confident, he holds on to pucks and he's got a knack for knowing when to release the puck at the net," said McLellan.

The Sharks, Oilers and Ducks have been trading places at the top of the Pacific Division for the past several weeks. The Sharks are coming off a 6-3 win over Detroit, but have yet to pull away from the pack as some may have expected from the reigning Western Conference champs. The win against Detroit broke a three-game losing streak for a Sharks team that is searching for consistency.

Sharks captain Joe Pavelski, who scored twice Saturday and registered his 600th career point, said his own inconsistency has mirrored his team's.

"It's been up and down," said Pavelski, who has 15 goals this season. "There's been good moments, it's been different, the whole year at times. We've just played hard and the puck hasn't gone in, always. I feel I've missed a lot of good chances. I've also been lucky at times. I think the compete level is there for the most part."

The Sharks have just 105 goals in 40 games.

"We took some steps (against Detroit), but I think you have to re-establish it every game," said Sharks veteran left winger Patrick Marleau, who has 12 goals this season. "It's what (coach Peter DeBoer) wants out of us and what we expect from ourselves."

The Oilers had an off-day Monday, but made a few significant roster moves. Back-up goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who has just a .878 save percentage this season, was placed on waivers. Gustavsson had not been reliable, forcing the Oilers to rely heavily on starter Cam Talbot. Sunday's 5-3 loss in Ottawa was the straw that broke the camel's back; the Oilers outplayed the Senators, outshooting their opponents 38-18. But Gustavsson gave up four goals on just 17 shots.

When McLellan was asked to assess Gustavsson's performance after Sunday's game, he gave the "we win as a team, we lose as a team" stock answer which is so often the kiss of death for a player.

As well, the Oilers sent right winger Jesse Puljujarvi to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, and called up Russian right winger Anton Slepyshev, who has two goals and two assists at the NHL level this season. Puljujarvi has just eight points in 28 games, not enough of a return from the fourth overall pick in 2016 draft.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (17-16) at Ducks (21-13)

Date: January 10, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks are still hoping for something to spark veteran right wing Corey Perry.

Maybe it'll be the sight of the Dallas Stars, who are scheduled to visit Honda Center on Tuesday night. After all, the last time Perry scored a goal was against the Stars on Dec. 13 in Dallas, 13 games ago.

Even that goal, the third in four games after an 18-game goal-less drought, went for naught as the Stars came right back with five straight goals in their 6-2 victory.

Perry certainly isn't accustomed to being caught in these lulls. He has led or tied for the team lead in goals in each of the last six seasons and eight of the last nine, averaging a goal every 2.2 games in that span.

Anaheim, which traded with the Stars to move up in the talent-laden 2003 NHL Draft and then acquired Perry with the 28th pick, certainly has incentives to be patient with the 31-year-old, especially knowing he's set to make $8.625 million each season through 2021.

The rise of several young forwards this season and the chemistry of the Ryan Kesler-Andrew Cogliano-Jakob Silfverberg line has taken a dent out of his playing time, however. Perry didn't step on the ice in overtime Friday against the Arizona Coyotes, something that has happened on at least two other occasions this season.

Perry's decline has coincided with a slighter dip in production from longtime linemate Ryan Getzlaf, who has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury. Getzlaf, who could rejoin the Ducks for the morning skate on Tuesday, also scored in the last meeting with Dallas, but has just one goal since, giving him five on the season.

Getzlaf's goal-scoring slide actually began last season, when the 31-year-old center finished with 13 goals in 77 games after scoring 25 in 2014-15 and 31 in 2013-14 while also playing 77 games in each of those seasons.

Dallas, which ended a season-worst three-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory at the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, could still be without one of their top offensive players. Left wing Jamie Benn has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but remains a possibility against Anaheim, according to the Dallas Morning News.

One Dallas player who should be particularly happy to see the Ducks and goaltender John Gibson is veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who scored his only goal this season in the Dec. 13 win against Anaheim. He tied the score at 2-2 before Adam Cracknell and Patrick Eaves followed with goals to chase Gibson from the game.

It was Hamhuis's first goal since April 1, when he played for the Vancouver Canucks, a goal that also came against Anaheim with Gibson in net.

 

[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 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 9 - - -
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
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

Tuesday’s games

Flyers won seven of last ten games with Buffalo, winning three of last four visits to western New York. Six of last nine series games went over total. Philly lost eight of its last ten games, losing last six road games. Three of their last four games went over total. Sabres lost seven of last ten games, losing two of last three at home; over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Road team won eight of last ten Carolina-Columbus games; Blue Jackets won three of last five trips to Raleigh. Columbus won 17 of last 19 games (lost 2 of last 3), winning eight of last nine on road. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Carolina is 2-3 in its last five games but won four of last five home games; under is 6-2-2 in Hurricanes’ last ten games.

Nashville won four of last six games with Vancouver; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Canucks lost three of last five visits to Music City. Vancouver won six of its last seven games, but lost five of last six on road; four of their last five games stayed under the total. Predators lost last four home games and six of last eight games overall. Under is 4-2-2 in their last eight games.

Blues won five of last seven games with Boston; three of last four series games went over the total. Bruins won three of last five visits to St Louis. Boston lost three of last four games; they’re 2-4 in last six road games. Over is 4-3 in their last seven games. St Louis is 0-4 in game following its last four wins; they’re 3-4 in last seven home games. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Blackhawks won six of last nine games with Detroit; under is 2-0-2 in last four series games played here. Red Wings lost four of last five visits to Windy City. Detroit is 3-4 in its last seven games, losing four of last five on road. Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. Chicago outscored foes 11-5 in winning its last three games; two of their last three games went over the total.

Sharks won six of last nine games with Edmonton (over 5-3-1). Teams split last four games played in Edmonton. San Jose lost three of last four games; they split last four road contests- their last two games went over the total. Edmonton is 2-3 in its last five games, 4-3 in its last seven home games. Under is 7-2-1 in Oilers’ last ten games.

Home side won last five Dallas-Anaheim games; Stars lost three of last four visits to Anaheim. Four of last six series games went over total. Dallas Stars lost their last three goals, scoring total of seven goals; they’re 2-8 in last ten road games- three of their last four games went over total. Ducks won three of last four games but scored bolt six goals in last three. Under is 4-1-1 in last six Anaheim games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Davis scores 40 but gets hurt in win
By The Sports Xchange

NEW YORK -- Anthony Davis poured in 40 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 110-96 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
It was the fifth time this season Davis scored at least 40 points, second most to Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, and his 25th double-double. Davis was forced to leave the game late in the third quarter with a hip injury he sustained after a hard foul from Kyle O'Quinn.
The Knicks, losers of eight of their last nine games, were without guard Derrick Rose, whom team officials would only say was "not with the team." Rose was listed in the starting lineup, but was not in the locker room before the game. He was replaced by Brandon Jennings, who scored a team-high 20 points.
Davis scored 18 points in the third and hauled in eight rebounds before being forced to leave with 1:16 left in the quarter. Davis went crashing into the first row of the baseline stands after he was contacted from behind by O'Quinn, who was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.

Thunder 109, Bulls 94
CHICAGO -- Russell Westbrook amassed 21 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists, and Oklahoma City cruised to the victory.
Steven Adams scored 22 points, and Enes Kanter had 20 points for the Thunder. Dwyane Wade had 22 points, and Michael Carter-Williams added 15 for the Bulls.
Chicago's Jimmy Butler, who was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier Monday, played just 28:48 and finished with one point. He went 0 of 6 from the field, 0 of 2 from 3-point range and was removed in the second half because of an illness.

Timberwolves 101, Mavericks 92
MINNEAPOLIS -- Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and Minnesota held on to top Dallas.
Andrew Wiggins scored 13 points and Ricky Rubio added 13 points and a season-high 15 assists for Minnesota, which snapped a four-game losing streak in a battle of teams at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Harrison Barnes scored 30 points for the Mavericks, who fell for the sixth time in eight games. Dirk Nowitzki added 26 points, hitting a season-high five 3-pointers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (19-19) at Wizards (18-18)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards were last over .500 in 2015.

With a 10th consecutive home victory on Tuesday, they finally would have a winning record. That task might not be as difficult as expected because the Chicago Bulls will arrive in Washington short-handed.

Jimmy Butler is not expected to travel with the Bulls, who lost 109-94 at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. Butler missed all six of his field-goal attempts and scored one point in 28 points before being pulled with an illness.

"Obviously, we appreciate him going out and giving it a shot," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It says a lot about him as a competitor, but he was obviously really struggling, and they sent him home after we took him out in the third quarter."

In addition, the Bulls are giving Dwyane Wade rest in back-to-back scenarios, so the veteran guard will be on the sideline Tuesday, too.

Wade led Chicago (19-19) with 22 points in the Monday loss.

"Tonight with Jimmy being under the weather, we didn't get enough offensive firepower from everyone on our team," Wade said. "It's hard to beat a team like that when you don't have enough firepower."

The teams split their first two meetings this season, both played in Chicago. Butler scored 37 in the Bulls' 106-95 victory on Nov. 12, and Washington won 107-97 on Dec. 21 as John Wall scored 23 points.

No Butler means a second straight game for the Wizards (18-18) against an opponent playing without its best player.

Washington returns home after a 107-101 win Sunday at Milwaukee, which was without Giannis Antetokounmpo (illness). Bradley Beal scored 26 points, Markieff Morris had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Wall added 16 points.

Despite the Bucks playing without Antetokounmpo, the Wizards trailed 57-49 at halftime before outscoring Milwaukee 33-21 in the third quarter.

"They came out, and give them credit, they played with more intensity early on," Wall said. "We were into the game until I had like four turnovers in a row in the first quarter and they hit like seven threes in the first half. ... We just came out and didn't turn the ball over so much in the second half, and that's why I think we won the game."

Receiving quality contribution from Kelly Oubre Jr. helped as well. The second-year forward sank three 3-pointers and scored 17 points. however, it was his work on the other end of the court that excited coach Scott Brooks.

Oubre, 21, has the needed length to turn into a defensive stopper, but he struggles with consistency. His recent signs of progress are good news for a Washington team that hasn't had much worth celebrating outside of it starting five. The Wizards often pair Oubre at forward with Otto Porter, who has developed into a spot stretch-4 option.

"We had some conversations in the last few days about just making it happen on the defensive end," Brooks said of Oubre. "Don't have this game plan that you're going to come in and score a bunch of points. Come in and affect the game, impact the game defensively and the offense always gets rewarded. That's what he has been doing."

The Wizards were 6-5 on Nov. 24, 2015. They subsequently reached .500 several times since, including earlier this month at 16-16, at which point they promptly lost two straight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (23-14) at Raptors (24-13)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors lost five of their past six games and suddenly the Boston Celtics are snapping at their heels for second place in the Eastern Conference after a four-game winning streak.

The Celtics (23-14) have a chance to move into a tie with the Raptors (24-13) Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre, when the teams meet for the second time this season.

Toronto won the first meeting, 101-94 at the TD Garden on Dec. 9.

Boston will be without Avery Bradley, who will miss his second consecutive game Tuesday with a mildly strained right Achilles' tendon.

The earliest the shooting guard could return would be Wednesday, when the Celtics are home to the Washington Wizards. He was injured Friday, when he scored 26 points in the win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and did not play Saturday in the 117-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Marcus Smart scored a season-best 22 points while starting for Bradley against the Pelicans.

Boston coach Brad Stevens said that Bradley was feeling better after treatment. When the injury occurred, the prognosis for his return was about five to seven days.

"It was Friday, so the fifth day would be Wednesday," Stevens said. "So there's a chance he'd play on Wednesday, but because of the travel, because of the late night, we'll just leave him here and try to get him ready to play Wednesday."

It is not an ideal situation for the Celtics, who must cope with Toronto's outstanding guard tandem of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

"They're really good," Stevens said. "I mean, you want to go in fully healthy, but that's part of it, and that's part of an NBA season. You go in and you play the guys that are available, and our guys are all capable of being really good. And we're going to have to play really good collectively to have a chance to win. That's a good team."

Tyler Zeller, who has a sinus infection, and James Young, is dealing with a sprained ankle, also will not play for Boston.

The Raptors had Patrick Patterson back in the lineup for their 129-122 loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday at the ACC and he scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. He had missed the previous four games with a strained left knee.

Toronto could not hold a 13-point, third-quarter lead against the hot Rockets and also blew a 19-point third-quarter lead Saturday night in Chicago in a 123-118 overtime loss to the Bulls.

The Raptors are enduring a difficult stretch of schedule. They returned from a 3-3 Western road trip to beat the Utah Jazz at home on Thursday, then had to go to Chicago for a game Saturday before playing the Rockets on Sunday.

Toronto committed 19 turnovers leading to 26 points on Sunday, with six of them in the fourth quarter in which the Rockets scored the first 15 points.

"Some of that is shooting ourselves in the foot, some of it is trying to do too much," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We have to take care of the ball. When there is fatigue, we have to regroup. When the schedule is what it is, we have to handle it, stay together, stay focused, stay positive and understand there is a lot of basketball still to play."

The Celtics won 10 of their past 12 games.

The game Tuesday will have a matchup of strong point guards in Boston's Isaiah Thomas and Toronto's Lowry.

Thomas is averaging 28 points per game and scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games. Lowry posted 12 points on 2-for-7 shooting Sunday, but is averaging 22.4 points per game.

Casey said that the Rockets did a good job of double-teaming Lowry "and getting the ball out of his hands."

"Every time he caught it, they had people coming at him," Casey said. "We have seen it before, we have to do a better job of spacing, screening, knocking off the screener before he comes up to set a screen. We have to do a better job of that to get him better looks."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (21-16) at Nets (8-28)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Atlanta Hawks are on their best run of the season. It is occurring while the Hawks might be in the midst of dismantling their roster.

Atlanta officially traded Kyle Korver Saturday to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Paul Millsap is rumored to be next.

Still, it has not stopped from the Hawks winning six straight games and seeking a seventh straight victory Tuesday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.

The Hawks (21-16) are on their second six-game winning streak of the season. The other six-game streak occurred Nov. 5-16 as Atlanta opened with a 9-2 record.

Atlanta then lost 14 of its next 20 before getting a 102-98 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Dec. 28. The Hawks also knocked off the San Antonio Spurs at home on Jan. 1 and are 3-0 on a four-game trip against losing teams.

Millsap scored 32 points in the win over San Antonio but is 15 of 41 (36.5 percent) from the field in the last three games. He is averaging 20 points during the winning streak on 37.5 percent (39-of-104) shooting.

Others have chipped in for Atlanta.

Tim Hardaway Jr. began the streak by shooting 2 of 15, but in the last four games he is averaging 19.3 points and shooting 59.5 percent (28-of-47).

Dennis Schroder is averaging 20.1 points and six assists while shooting 46.9 percent (46-of-98) in the last six games.

On Saturday, Hardaway and Schroder combined for 42 points in a 97-82 win over the Dallas Mavericks. In the first game since Korver was officially traded for Mo Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and a 2019 first-round pick, Hardaway hit five 3-pointers and scored 22 points while Schroder added 20 and three 3-pointers.

"We just have to keep playing," Hardaway Jr. said. "We just have to go out there and compete. We're all a part of this franchise right now, so we're going to do whatever we can to get as many wins as possible during this stretch.

"I think the focus today was great, even with the trade happening with Kyle. We all battled through it and we prevailed and it's time to move on."

Although the Hawks are ranked towards the bottom in 3-point percentage at 34 percent, they are shooting 40.6 percent from long range in the last six games.

In past years, Dunleavy Jr. might be viewed as someone who can help from 3-point range, but he played sparingly with Cleveland and reportedly had to be convinced to report to Atlanta during a meeting with coach Mike Budenholzer on Monday. The trade is still expected to remain in place since Atlanta values the future first-round pick.

Tuesday will mark the first time the Hawks face former assistant Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson was on coach Mike Budenholzer's staff for the previous three seasons, including two years ago when the Hawks won 60 games.

"I think the Hawks are a smart organization," Atkinson said. "I think we all like to see a team that won 60 games stay together forever but the reality is you have to change and you have to look to the future."

Brooklyn is on a six-game losing for the second time this season and a loss on Tuesday will equal its longest skid of the year. The Nets are also 4-23 since Nov. 12 and 11 of 12 since a 10-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 14.

The latest defeat was a 105-95 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday afternoon, when the Nets gave up 13 straight points to open the second half and again down the stretch in the fourth.

Brook Lopez scored 18 of his 26 points before halftime as Brooklyn held an 11-point lead before getting outscored 32-16 in the third quarter. It was the 10th time the Nets were held under 20 points in a third quarter and the 29th time they were outscored in the third.

"I just didn't feel like that third quarter (was competitive)," Atkinson said. "It's like 'Why isn't our energy the same?'"

Another common trend for the Nets is turnovers. Brooklyn averages 17.3 and committed 22 Sunday to mark the 17th time the Nets gave it away at least 17 times.

Four of those instances occurred in games point guard Jeremy Lin played in. Lin will likely miss his seventh straight with a strained left hamstring and the Nets are 5-19 when Lin does not play.

"We have to do a better job just executing our offense better and making better decisions," Atkinson said. "It's a little disappointing because I felt like our defense gave us a chance. But you can't turn it over like that and give them that many more possessions. Eventually, it's going to get you."

Atlanta is 7-1 in the last eight regular-season meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (20-18) at Rockets (30-9)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON - Hornets guard Kemba Walker is the focus of an organizational initiative for an All-Star Game bid, and while Walker is worthy of that effort, he might not be the Hornets' most indispensable player.

The streaky Hornets (20-18) dropped their second consecutive game on Saturday night without swingman Nicolas Batum fully available. Batum suffered a hyperextended right knee while playing just 25 minutes in a loss at Detroit on Jan. 5, and with him sidelined against the San Antonio Spurs, the Hornets suffered a 102-85 defeat -- their fourth setback in their past five games.

Batum is second to Walker on the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game. He paces Charlotte in average minutes (34.5), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.8). The Hornets, who will visit the red-hot Houston Rockets (30-9) on Tuesday night at Toyota Center, started Jeremy Lamb to fill the void left by Batum in San Antonio.

Consistency has proven elusive for the Hornets, who won five of six games before their recent slump. Before that, Charlotte sandwiched two four-game skids around another eight-game span that featured six victories. Without Batum, the Hornets will be challenged to reel off another winning stretch, for they remain in flux determining how they'll replace his offensive production and defensive reliability.

"With Nic out we've got to have some guys step up," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "And we've struggled with that these last two games.

"We've got to get better play out of those wing positions."

The Rockets won eight consecutive games and appear to have made the best of their prolonged stretch without center Clint Capela, who has missed 11 games with a broken leg. Capela is slated to return at some point this month, but in his absence the Rockets keep finding ways to overcome opponents.

Houston faced double-digit deficits in each of its previous five games, recording in-game turnarounds of 25 points against the Raptors, 18 against the Magic, 32 against the Thunder, 25 against the Wizards, and 30 in a New Year's Eve victory over the New York Knicks. Rallying time and again might prove riveting but it is unsustainable, and the deficits point to a larger issue for Houston without Capela.

The Rockets have allowed 108.4 points per 100 possessions over their last 11 games (20th in the NBA during that span) with a 6.8 net rating. Both of those numbers are off their season marks for defensive rating and net rating and reflect in part the Rockets' ability to overwhelm foes with their offense. Houston did so again in rallying to victory in Toronto on Sunday, posting 34 points in each of the final three periods to outscore the Raptors 129-122.

"I don't know if we played well," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We played hard."

The Rockets had their 10-game winning streak snapped in their first game without Capela on Dec. 20 against the Spurs. That they've gone 9-1 since that defeat speaks to their ability to scratch out victories even without being whole, even without their best rebounding big and rim protector.

"That's what confidence is for," Rockets forward Trevor Ariza said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (18-18) at Spurs (30-7)

Date: January 10, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

Remember all those troubles San Antonio was having at home in the first quarter of the season? That's not the case of late as the Spurs carry a nine-game home winning streak into play on Tuesday, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The Spurs (30-7) won their fourth straight game and 13th in the last 15 outings Saturday with a 102-85 walloping of Charlotte.

The key performance in that victory was not by erstwhile all-stars Kawhi Leonard or LaMarcus Aldridge; it was by rookie reserve forward Davis Bertans, who scored a season-high 21 points and allowed the Spurs to prevail easily in a game that featured 13 ties and 20 lead changes.

Bertans, San Antonio's latest international discovery, is a 6-foot-10 forward from Latvia who's endured a pair of knee surgeries since 2013. He averaged just 2.6 points in 9.6 minutes per game until Saturday while seeing the floor in 24 of the team's 37 contests.

"He's been doing that all preseason, practice and even when he's played he's shown bits and pieces of it," Spurs guard Danny Green said. "It finally translated over to the game. We expect him to play like that. Hopefully this game is a confidence builder for him."

Bertans hit 4 of his 5 3-point shots against the Hornets but also brought the house down with a huge running dunk off a first-quarter inbounds play.

"Charlotte was trying to lock up Aldridge and double-team him, so it just opened up the 3-point line for everyone else and he did a great job of finding other players." Bertans said after the win. "Of course I'm happy that the shot went in -- most of them were wide-open looks that I'm used to shooting."

Bertans joined San Antonio this season after playing in Europe. He was drafted by Indiana with the 42nd overall pick in 2011 and was a piece of the draft-day trade that garnered Leonard for the Spurs and sent George Hill to the Pacers.

He'll be another weapon for the Bucks (18-18) to worry about as Milwaukee makes its only regular-season trip to the Alamo City.

Milwaukee lost two straight, including a 107-101 setback at home Sunday to Washington in which star guard Giannis Antetokounmpo was ill and didn't play.

Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's leader in every major statistical category, posted at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games, matching the longest streak by a Bucks player since Michael Redd in 2006.

Mirza Teletovic got the start at the point in his place while Michael Beasley and Jason Terry also saw extended action.

Jabari Parker led Milwaukee with 28 points. Malcolm Brogdon finished with a career-high 22 points and Beasley scored 18 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

"They did a really good job of responding without Giannis," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said of his team. "They played well, they played hard enough to win. Coaching, I have to do a better job. We just weren't prepared -- we weren't ready this afternoon."

Milwaukee shot 46.3 percent and made 9 of 23 3-pointers against Washington but hit only 7 of 19 shots in the third, including an 0-for-4 mark from beyond the arc, as an eight-point halftime lead turned into a four-point deficit to start the fourth.

"Our third quarters have been terrible," Terry said. "We've been coming out with a lack of energy and a lack of focus. Sometimes, you're going to lose games at the end but you can also lose them at any other point in the game."

After missing five games with a sore right hamstring, Matthew Dellavedova returned for the Bucks. Brogdon, who moved into the starting lineup when Dellavedova was injured, remained with the starting group while Dellavedova came off the bench.

San Antonio defeated the Bucks, 97-96, on Dec. 5 in Milwaukee. The Bucks have dropped nine straight games to San Antonio, and 13 of the last 14. The Bucks' last win against the Spurs came on Jan. 10, 2012 in a 106-103 victory in Milwaukee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (28-8) at Jazz (23-16)

Date: January 10, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- When will Kyle Korver suit up for Cleveland?

That's a genuine question facing the Cavaliers at the moment. Cleveland (28-8) acquired the veteran shooting guard in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks last week, sending Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, a protected first-round pick and cash considerations to the Hawks in exchange for Korver.

Korver was expected to make his debut with the Cavaliers against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. Those plans, for now, are on hold. Dunleavy initially balked at reporting to Atlanta and sought a buyout to a contract that pays him $4.9 million this season and also includes partially guaranteed $5.2 million final season in 2017-18.

The Hawks, on the other hand, wanted to keep Dunleavy on the roster to offset the departure of Korver. Dunleavy finally dropped the buyout demand on Monday afternoon and plans to report to the Hawks.

Korver leaves Atlanta with mixed emotions but is ready to embrace his new role with the defending champions.

"Obviously, it's a great opportunity for me to go to Cleveland," Korver said after Atlanta's win over New Orleans last Thursday. "So I'm very excited about that part of it. But there's a lot of relationships that I care about here that I'm going to miss.

"From a basketball perspective, (Cleveland is) a great, great fit for me. And I know that."

Once the situation is resolved and Korver can suit up for the Cavaliers, he'll offer an additional perimeter weapon to compliment LeBron James. Korver has started 21 times and appeared in 32 games with Atlanta this season. He is averaging 9.5 points while shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range.

With or without Korver, a fully-healthy Utah squad should offer a challenge to Cleveland. The Jazz (23-16) return home after posting a 2-3 record on a five-game road trip with wins over Brooklyn and Minnesota.

Utah needed a late fourth-quarter surge, ending the game on an 11-0 run, to get the second win over Minnesota.

Right now, Utah is looking to bounce back after suffering an ugly 88-79 loss to Memphis on Sunday. The Jazz shot just 38.9 percent from the field against the Grizzlies. Memphis also forced 18 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 26 points on the other end.

"That is what they do," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said after the loss. "They're good at it. They've got guys that pressure the ball and are good defenders, forcing you to do things you don't want to do at times and speed you up."

The Jazz have struggled a bit on offense in their last three games, averaging just 88.7 points. Utah totaled just 51 points in its first three quarters against Memphis.

Cleveland has had the opposite problem. The Cavaliers are struggling to slow teams down and have allowed 110.0 points in their last three games. Cleveland blew a 20-point third-quarter lead against Phoenix before hanging on to beat the Suns 120-116 on Sunday.

Turnovers proved to be a key issue. The Cavs coughed up the ball 20 times.

"We made enough plays down the stretch to get a win," forward LeBron James said after the game. "We had a lot of turnovers, especially me and Kyrie (Irving) as our primary ball-handlers. The defensive pressure forced us to extend our offense a little more, but we figured it out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (16-23) at Lakers (15-26)

Date: January 10, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to win three in a row for only the second time this season when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday at Staples Center.

A 111-95 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday allowed the Lakers (15-26) to capture two straight victories for the first time in 31 games. The Lakers hadn't won consecutive games since defeating the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans in November. The last time Los Angeles claimed three straight wins was Nov. 2-6 when they beat the Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.

Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram played a prominent role in the last two decisions, which also included a 27-point rout of the Miami Heat on Friday. Ingram has matched his career-best with 17 points in back-to-back contests, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor in both games.

"He is doing everything out there," Los Angeles forward Julius Randle said of Ingram. "Defending, making shots, blocking shots, playing a little bit of point (guard) and is being very versatile out there and he is helping us out a lot."

Randle and point guard D'Angelo Russell also have made valuable contributions. Randle scored a team-high 19 points and collected nine rebounds in Sunday's win. In the last 10 games, Randle is averaging 17.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists and is shooting 51.1 percent during that stretch.

Russell has delivered with 20.8 points, five assists and 5.2 rebounds in five games this month.

"I think we all knew they had the talent to be really good, but I think the fact that they really stepped up their professionalism as far as the way they're treating their bodies and approaching practice and every opportunity," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "It's just a direct result of that."

The Trail Blazers (16-23) have been one of the NBA's biggest disappointments this season. Portland has lost nine of its last 12 games, including a 125-124 double overtime defeat by the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

C.J. McCollum scored 35 points to lead the way for the Blazers against the Pistons, but McCollum missed a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

"I got the shot I wanted, came up a little short," said McCollum, who scored 14 points after regulation. "That happens. We were right there, man. We got stops when we needed to get stops. We kept ourselves in the game. Just that one last possession."

McCollum has been on a roll for Portland. He has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games and topped at least 30 points in nine contests this season.

In five games in January, McCollum is scoring 35 points per contest. He's put up an average of 28.2 points in his last 10 games.

Despite McCollum's outstanding play this season, Damian Lillard remains the Blazers' leader. The point guard averages a team-high 26.6 points and 6.3 assists per game.

The Trail Blazers have owned the Lakers in recent times, winning a franchise-record nine in a row over Los Angeles. Portland recorded a 118-109 decision over the Lakers on Jan. 5 in Portland behind McCollum's 27 points and 21 more from Lillard.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (11-28) at Warriors (32-6)

Date: January 10, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Miami Heat will be seeking some consistency -- and perhaps the end of a losing streak -- when they continue their six-game trip with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

On a trip of comings and goings, the Heat welcomed back star center Hassan Whiteside on Sunday in a 98-86 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Whiteside stayed behind when the Heat headed west on Jan. 2. He was poked in the right eye three days earlier, forcing him to miss four games.

The Heat also had hoped to get Justise Winslow back at some point during the journey that wraps up Friday in Milwaukee. However, the 10.9 points-per-game scorer was since diagnosed with a torn right shoulder labrum, which required season-ending surgery last week.

The Heat also were forced to go without Tyler Johnson (migraine), James Johnson (food poisoning) and Dion Waiters (groin) in its trip-opening, 99-90 loss at Phoenix on Jan. 3.

Also missing Josh McRoberts (stress fracture in left foot) and Chris Bosh (career-threatening blood clots in leg) because of long-range issues, the Heat suited up just eight players for the Phoenix game. Miami now has lost three of four on the trip.

The Johnsons and Waiters returned and contributed 41 points last Wednesday in a 107-102 win at Sacramento that ended a six-game losing streak.

However, Josh Richardson sustained a foot injury and Luke Babbitt got sick during the Heat's four-day stay in Los Angeles. That once again leaves Miami short-handed for Tuesday night in Oakland even with Whiteside having made a successful return (15 points, 13 rebounds) for the Sunday loss to the Clippers.

The frustration of the losses that have resulted from the roster shuffle appeared to peak Sunday. Waiters was ejected in the game, while Goran Dragic, who was thrown out of Miami's previous contest, James Johnson and coach Erik Spoelstra were nailed with technical fouls.

And now comes the hard part: dealing with the 32-6 Warriors.

"Our guys love competition," Spoelstra said Monday. "They're going to love the challenge of playing against a great team, a team that can really put points on the board in a hurry. It'll be a good challenge for us."

Three of the Warriors' losses have come at home this season, including one in their most recent Oakland date -- Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Golden State rebounded with a road win at Sacramento on Sunday, and now it embarks on a stretch of four straight at home, capped by marquee matchups with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder next week.

With four potential All-Stars on the court together at times, Warriors coach Steve Kerr singled out center Zaza Pachulia as a driving force in the Sunday win.

Pachulia helped hold Kings star big man DeMarcus Cousins to 17 points, and now he draws another tough matchup with the Heat's Whiteside.

"He's not going to be on any highlight reels, but he's just a smart player," Kerr said of Pachulia, who has replaced Andrew Bogut as the Warriors' primary center this season. "He's in the right place, has good hands and is just a really good complementary player for what we have."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (18-21) at Kings (15-22)

Date: January 10, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Momentum is a fickle thing, and now that the Detroit Pistons finally have some, they'd like to keep it for a while.

They could be arriving in Sacramento at just the right time.

The Pistons (18-21) face the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday night, and they are riding consecutive victories for the first time in more than a month. They got there the hard way, grinding out a 124-118 double-overtime victory in Portland on Sunday to start at five-game Western Conference trip.

The final three games come against teams over .500, but first Detroit faces the Kings, who have been occasionally up but mostly down for a decade and show no signs of anything different.

For Detroit, a win would make a winning trip possible and secure a decent trek, no matter the result of the final three. The Pistons, with eyes on eighth place in the Eastern Conference, play only two more road games against the Western Conference when the journey is over.

"The schedule turns in our favor a little bit," coach Stan Van Gundy told Detroit reporters.

History also seems to be playing in their favor, too, at least Tuesday. The Pistons have won six of their past eight in Sacramento.

This time, they may have to accomplish that task without guard Jon Leuer, who left the win in Portland with fluid in his right knee and did not return. That could put even more of an onus on guard Reggie Jackson, who missed the season's first 21 games but has averaged 24 points and 7.6 assists over his past five.

"Yes, I guess I do have my wind back," Jackson told the Detroit Free-Press. "I'm feeling good, just happy to battle with my guys, the bench, the whole staff. We just kept believing in each other."

Guard Reggie Bullock also could be back on the floor Tuesday, the Free-Press reported. Bullock hasn't played since Nov. 23, when he tore the meniscus in his left knee, but has been practicing for a week.

The Kings are healthy -- they listed nobody on their injury report Monday -- but they aren't playing that way. Sacramento (15-22) has lost three straight to begin a seven-game homestand and also has dropped five of six, undoing the boost they received from a season-best four-game winning streak.

The struggles seem particularly heavy for forward DeMarcus Cousins. The team's leading scorer (28.1 points per game) has contributed only 55 points over the past three games while shooting just 38 percent (17-for-45). He also picked up his NBA-leading 12th technical foul Sunday in a 117-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

"He's exhausted," Kings coach Dave Joerger said. "He's been carrying the torch a long time, it seems perhaps longer than just this year."

Cousins scored 64 points and pulled 17 rebounds in two games against Detroit last season. Pistons center Andre Drummond totaled 28 points and 28 rebounds, including 13 on the offensive glass, while teammate Marcus Morris scored 40 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Often it just takes one trade in the NBA to sort of jump-start the trading season. The Cleveland Cavaliers definitely got better over the weekend in adding Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver without giving up anything of current value. Now you are starting to hear plenty of other trade rumors. One that could happen soon is Phoenix, which is in full-blown rebuilding mode, trading center Tyson Chandler to disappointing Portland. The Blazers have a stellar backcourt but one of the worst frontcourts in the NBA. The 34-year-old Chandler is still an excellent rebounder -- third-best rebounding percentage among players averaging at least 20 minutes per game -- and has two years left on a four-year, $52 million contract. The Suns probably would want a first-round pick back for Chandler, and would need matching salaries, but they really have no use for him as Phoenix won't be contending for a playoff spot for a few years.

Bulls at Wizards (TBA)

Chicago hosted Oklahoma City on Monday with Jimmy Butler a game-time call (illness) and you also probably see Dwyane Wade get this one off in the second of a back-to-back and on the road. Washington won a second straight Sunday, 107-101 in Milwaukee to get back to .500. Bradley Beal led Washington with 26 points and Markieff Morris added 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls and Wizards have split two meetings this season, both in Chicago. The Bulls have dropped their past two in D.C.

Key trends: The Wizards are 10-1 against the spread in their past 11 at home. The "over/under" is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.

Early lean: Wait on Butler & Wade.

Celtics at Raptors (-4.5, 219)

First of an NBA TV doubleheader. Boston won its fourth in a row Saturday, 117-108 over New Orleans. Isaiah Thomas had 38 points, his 21st straight game with at least 20, and Marcus Smart a season-high 22 points as he started in place of an injured Avery Bradley (strained Achilles). Boston knocked down 18 3s, marking its fourth consecutive game with at least 17. Toronto lost a second consecutive game Sunday, 129-122 at home vs. Houston. Down 99-95 entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets went on a 15-0 run to take an 11-point lead. Toronto was 19-0 entering the weekend in games it led entering the fourth this year and is now 19-2. DeMar DeRozan had 36 in the loss to the Rockets. Toronto won in Boston 101-94 on Dec. 9 in the first meeting.

Key trends: The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 10-3 in Toronto's past 13 at home.

Early lean: Raptors and over.

Hawks at Nets (+7, 212.5)

Atlanta has won six straight, the past two without Korver. On Saturday it was 97-82 in Dallas. Tim Hardaway and Dennis Schroder combined for 42 points and 8-for-13 3-point shooting. If those two keep that up and Mike Dunleavy actually reports to the Hawks from Cleveland, I'm not sure Korver will be missed all that much. But if Paul Millsap is dealt as expected, then I'd start betting against this team. Brooklyn dropped its sixth straight Sunday, 105-95 at home to Philadelphia. Brook Lopez, whom the Nets would love to trade, had 26 points. They led by 11 at the half. This is the first meeting of the season between Atlanta and Brooklyn and thus Nets coach Kenny Atkinson's first time coaching against the team where he was an assistant the past four seasons.

Key trends: The Hawks are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 4-0 in the previous four.

Early lean: Nets and under.

Hornets at Rockets (-9.5, 220.5)

Charlotte lost a second straight Saturday, 102-85 in San Antonio. Nic Batum sat it out with a knee injury that is expected to keep him out all week. He's the Hornets' second-best player, so they won't be a great bet as long as Batum is out, in my opinion. Houston won its eighth in a row Sunday, 129-122 in Toronto. James Harden had his 10th triple-double of the season with 40 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds -- and technically had a quadruple-double with 10 turnovers. He became the first player with a 40-point triple-double and at least 10 turnovers since the NBA started keeping track of turnovers in the 1977-78 season. Charlotte and Houston split last year. The Rockets have won the past 11 at home in the series.

Key trends: The Hornets are 1-9-1 ATS in their past 11 in Houston. The over is 8-3 in the Rockets' past 11.

Early lean: Rockets and over.

Bucks at Spurs (TBA)

Milwaukee dropped a second straight Sunday, 107-101 at home vs. Washington. Rising superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out with an illness but should be back here. Jabari Parker led with 28 points. Guard Matthew Dellevadova returned after missing five games with a strained right hamstring. San Antonio won its third in a row Saturday, 102-85 over Charlotte. The Spurs always find hidden gems and they may have with rookie Davis Bertans, who had a season-high 21 points. San Antonio has won nine straight at home. The Spurs have won nine in a row in this series too and six consecutive at home.

Key trends: The Bucks are 2-7 ATS in the past nine meetings. The over is 7-2 in the Spurs' past nine at home.

Early lean: Wait on the Greek Freak.

Cavaliers at Jazz (+3.5, 204.5)

Cleveland won its second in a row Sunday, 120-116 in Phoenix. LeBron James scored 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving added 27 points and Kevin Love 25 for the Cavaliers. Korver has yet to debut but should here. Utah concluded a five-game road trip with an 88-79 loss in Memphis in the second of a back-to-back on Sunday. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 points, and George Hill added 15 points. It was the first time in nine games that Utah lost where both Hill and Hayward played. Cleveland and Utah split last year; the Jazz have won the past two meetings in Salt Lake City.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 13-3 in Utah's past 16.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

Trail Blazers at Lakers (+1.5, 224)

Portland lost 125-124 in double overtime at home to Detroit on Sunday. That was pushed back a day because of a winter storm in the Pacific Northwest. C.J. McCollum hit 3-pointers to force both overtimes and finished with 35 points. Allen Crabbe added a career-high 30 points. Los Angeles won a second straight Sunday, 111-95 over Orlando. Julius Randle had 19 points and rookie Brandon Ingram matched his career high with 17. Los Angeles held the Magic to just nine points in the third period, a season low for any quarter by a Lakers opponent. Portland won the first meeting with L.A. 118-109 and has taken the past nine in the series. The Trail Blazers have won five consecutive road games against the Lakers, their longest such streak in the history of this series.

Key trends: The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 13-5 in the Lakers' past 18 at home.

Early lean: Lakers and over.

Heat at Warriors (-16, 216)

Second NBA TV game. Miami lost 98-86 on Sunday at the Clippers. Goran Dragic scored 24 points, and Hassan Whiteside had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Miami in his return after missing four games with a right retinal contusion. That was game No. 4 of a six-game trip. Golden State bounced back from a stunning home loss Friday to Memphis with a 117-106 win at Sacramento on Sunday. Steph Curry had 30 points as the Warriors reached 124 regular-season games in a row without suffering back-to-back defeats. The Warriors swept Miami last year, both games high scoring. They have won the past four meetings overall.

Key trends: The Warriors are 0-5 ATS in their past five. The over is 5-1 in Miami's past six vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Heat and over.

Pistons at Kings (+1, 208)

Detroit started its West Coast trip off with a 125-124 double OT win in Portland on Sunday. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit the winning 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left. Reggie Jackson led Detroit with 31 points, Andre Drummond had 28 points and 14 rebounds in a whopping 52 minutes, and Caldwell-Pope finished with 26 points. Starting power forward Jon Leuer left after just six minutes with a sore right knee. Sacramento has started a season-high seven-game homestand at 0-3 following a 117-106 loss to the Warriors on Sunday. DeMarcus Cousins was just 4-for-11 for 17 points. Detroit and Sacramento split last year, each winning at home.

Key trends: The Pistons are 4-1-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 5-1 in those.

Early lean: Kings and under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday’s games

Chicago won three of last four games; they’re 0-3 vs spread if they played at home night before. Under is 12-5-1 in bulls’ road games. Washington won/covered its last nine home games; they are 10-5 as home favorites. Over is 6-2 in their last eight home games. Wizards are 5-3 in their last eight games with Chicago; Bulls lost by 16-21 points in last two visits to Washington. Over is 5-2 in last seven series games.

Boston won its last four games; they’re 3-2-1 vs spread as road underdogs. Over is 8-1-1 in their last ten games. Toronto lost five of last seven games; they’re 9-5 as home favorites. Over is 10-2 in their last dozen home games. Raptors won four of last five games with Boston; last three series games stayed under the total. Celtics lost three of last four visits to Canada (2-2 vs spread).

Atlanta won five of its last six games, covered its last five; they’re 3-4 as road favorites. Under is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Brooklyn lost its last six games; they covered four of last five tries as a home underdog. Under is 6-3 in their last nine games. Hawks won four of last five games with Brooklyn; they won three of last four visits here, but Nets covered three of those four games. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games.

Charlotte lost its last four games; they’re 6-3-1 vs spread as road underdogs. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Houston won its last eight games (6-2 vs spread); they’re 9-7 as home favorites. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Rockets won nine of last ten games with Charlotte; Hornets lost last five visits to Houston (0-4-1 vs spread). Seven of last eight series games stayed under the total.

Bucks lost last two games but won three of last four on road; they’re 4-8 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under. San Antonio won/covered seven of its last eight games; they’re 8-0 vs spread in last eight home games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Spurs won last nine games with Milwaukee (7-2 vs spread); over is 6-4 in last ten series games. Bucks lost last four visits to Alamo (1-3 vs spread).

Cavaliers won five of last six games; they’re 5-7 vs spread as a road favorite. Four of their last six games went over the total. Utah lost three of last four games but they won seven of last ten at home. Jazz are 2-2 as home underdogs. Under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Home side won last five Cleveland-Utah games; Cavaliers lost four of last five visits here, losing last two by 2-9 points. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Portland lost nine of its last ten road games; 3-2 as road favorites. Six of their last nine games stayed under total. Los Angeles won/covered their last three home games; they’re 7-5 as a home underdog. Four of last five Laker games went over the total. Lakers lost their last nine games with Portland (1-8 vs spread); Trailblazers won/covered their last four visits here. Last three series games went over total.

Miami lost lost eight of its last nine games; they’re 5-3 as a road underdog of more than seven points. Four of last six Miami games went over. Warriors won 12 of last 14 games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Three of their last four games went over total. Golden State won its last four games with Miami; five of last six series games went over total. Heat lost last two visits here, by 15-8 points.

Detroit won three of its last four games; they’re 5-9 as road underdogs. Last four Piston games went over the total. Sacramento lost its last three games, all at home; they’re 4-5 as home favorites. Six of their last eight games went over the total. Pistons won six of last seven games with Sacramento; they won won three of last five visits here. Five of last six series games stayed under total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Baylor Bears (15-0) at West Virginia Mountainers (13-2)

Date: January 10, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Baylor ascended to No. 1 in the The Associated Press poll Monday, quite a climb for a team that began the season unranked.

One of two unbeatens in Division I, the Bears (15-0, 3-0) realize staying on top won't be easy as they visit No. 10 West Virginia (13-2, 2-1) on Tuesday night.

"Not many people get a chance to be ranked No. 1, and that's a great honor," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Baylor Nation deserves it, because they helped us get here. We're glad to make them proud and happy and give them something to be excited about.

"Big picture, though, we know no one is going to remember who is ranked No. 1 the first week of January."

Last January, in fact, top-ranked Kansas came to Morgantown and lost 74-63. Now the Mountaineers want a repeat against the Big 12's most surprising team. The Bears were picked fifth in the league's preseason poll after losing NBA first-round pick Taurean Prince and top rebounder Rico Gathers.

"From what they got back from last year, I knew they were going to be a solid team," West Virginia forward Nate Adrian said. "Did I think they were going to be No. 1? No, but I'm glad they are."

Baylor's 6-foot-10 All-American candidate Johnathan Motley (15.8 points, 9.4 rebounds) forms a lengthy component next to 7-foot center Jo Lual-Acuil (10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds). They are among four starters who previously redshirted - along with guards Manu Lecomte and Al Freeman - helping Drew restock a mature lineup.

Lecomte, a transfer from Miami, averages 11.8 points and 4.9 assists and tops the team in 3-point attempts (26-of-68). Freeman shoots 43 percent from 3 and scores 11.1 points.

The talk from West Virginia's side, however, has focused on Baylor's defense and, specifically, the 1-1-3 zone Drew favors.

"You can't simulate their length," Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. "When you can pretty much touch hands across the floor, you're going to cover some ground.

"They can make mistakes and compensate for it with their length. You don't get anything easy or unchallenged around the rim."

No. 6 nationally in field-goal defense and No, 4 in scoring defense, the Bears yield only 58.3 points per game while ranking 13th in blocks - most of those by Lual-Acuil and Motley.

After facing Baylor seven times the past three seasons, Adrian is familiar with the trapping zone and the passing needed to beat it.

"You've got to get them on the same side of the court, so you can get numbers on the other side," he said. "Their length makes it difficult, and now they've got two almost 7-footers playing the back of their zone."

While Adrian's offense has slipped of late - having slipped below double-digit scoring for the first time this season at 9.9 per game - Daxter Miles (11.1 points) has gained traction from outside and Jevon Carter (10.5 points, 4.7 assists) looks more comfortable at point guard.

Forward Esa Ahmad (12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds) has become more attack-minded and the 6-9 Brandon Watkins (7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds) is making 67 percent of his shots while showing nice touch from midrange.

Despite the Mountaineers' home-and-home sweep last season, Baylor owns a 6-3 edge in the Big 12 series.