Tuesday 11/1/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

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NHL notebook: Stars' Hemsky out 5-6 months
By The Sports Xchange

Dallas Stars right winger Ales Hemsky will be out five to six months after undergoing hip surgery, the team announced Monday.
The initial injury occurred while Hemsky was playing for Team Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Under the team's timetable, the earliest Hemsky could be back would be late March or early April.
After missing the first four games of the season, the 33-year-old Hemsky aggravated the injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 22, during which he played 25 shifts, logged 15:32 of ice time and took one shot on net. He was placed back on injured reserve after the game.

--The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Slater Koekkoek from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.
The team also re-assigned defenseman Matt Taormina to Syracuse.
Koekkoek, a 22-year-old drafted No. 10 overall by the Lightning in 2012, has two assists in five games with the Crunch this season. He has one career point (an assist) in 12 NHL games over two seasons.

--The Arizona Coyotes signed defenseman Kyle Capobianco to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Capobianco, 19, has recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 12 games with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.
The Coyotes also assigned center Christian Dvorak to the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League.
Dvorak, 20, has three assists over seven games with the Coyotes this season, his first in the NHL.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Anaheim Ducks (3-4-2) at Los Angeles Kings (4-5-0)
By Kyle Compeau
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 10:30 pm (STAPLES Center)
The Line: Los Angeles Kings -135 / Anaheim Ducks +122 --- Over/Under: 5
TV:

The Anaheim Ducks look to make a splash on the road as they face off against the Los Angeles Kings in a battle of Pacific division foes.

The Ducks look to build on a big win against the Nashville Predators as they take on their arch rivals from Los Angeles in what should be a heated affair late on Tuesday night. The Ducks are off to another slow start as they are 3-4-2 in their first nine games but there is plenty of time for them to catch up and they have had their offense clicking so far which is something they couldn’t say last season they just haven’t caught a ton of breaks in the early going. Anaheim will turn to John Gibson in this one who is off to a very nice start in the Anaheim crease and he will match up with Petr Budaj who has bee remarkable since taking over for the injured Jonathan Quick as he is 4-2 with a 1.99 GAA in six starts.

The Kings meanwhile are playing much better since their ugly start to the season and are almost back to the .500 mark and what better way to get their than a win at home against their in-state and divisional rivals from Anaheim. The Kings head into this season looking to get back to the playoffs once again and spark up some magic from their recent past as they have a winning mentality in Los Angeles right now that not many teams outside of Chicago can boast about. The Kings are slight favourites in this spot but we can expect some action to come in on the Ducks after their big win against the Predators so the line could move before puck drop.

The Ducks are 41-18 in their last 59 against the Pacific and 1-6 in their last seven road games while the Kings are 11-4 in their last 15 Tuesday games and 2-5 in their last seven against the Pacific. Budaj is playing very well but I think Gibson gives the Ducks the edge and in a game that figures to be close I will take the value with the visitors.

KYLE'S PICK
Anaheim Ducks +122

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday’s games

Road team won four of last six St Louis-New York games; Blues are 5-3 in last eight series games; they won three of last four visits to Manhattan. St Louis lost four of its last six games (under 5-1); they split four road games. Rangers won four of last five games; they’re 5-1 at home (over 4-2).

Columbus won six of last eight games with Dallas; over 5-2 in last seven. Dallas Stars are 2-3 in last five visits here (over 4-1). Dallas lost four of its last five games (under 4-1); they’re 1-3 on road. Blue Jackets are off to a 3-4 start (1-2 at home); their last six games stayed under the total.

Islanders lost their last four games with Tampa Bay; over is 4-2-1 in last seven. Lightning won their last two visits to Long Island, both in OT (over 3-2 in last five). Tampa Bay was outscored 12-3 in losing its last three games, all on road; under is 4-2 in their last six games. Islanders won three of their last four home games; over is 3-0-1 in their last four games overall.

Edmonton lost seven of last nine games with Toronto; Oilers were outscored 20-9 in losing last four visits here (over 3-1). Edmonton won five of last six games (under 6-0); they’re 3-0 on the road- they allowed four goals in last five games. Maple Leafs lost six of their last seven games; they’re 2-1 at home.

Bruins won three of last four games with Florida; under is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Boston won three of its last five visits here (over 3-2). Bruins lost three of last four games; five of their last seven games stayed under. Boston is 3-2 on road. Panthers lost five of their last seven games (over 4-2-1); they’re 3-1 at home.

Ottawa lost six of last nine games with Carolina; three of last four went OT/SO. Over is 2-0-1 in Hurricanes’ last three visits to Ottawa. Carolina lost three of last five visits here. Hurricanes lost six of their eight games (over 6-2)- they’re 1-5 on road. Senators are 5-3 this season, 3-1 at home; three of their last four games stayed under.

Home side won last five Washington-Winnipeg games; Caps lost 2-1/3-0 in last two visits here. Over is 6-2 in last eight series games. Washington won five of its last seven games (under 4-3-1). Jets are off to a 3-5 start; their last five games stayed under the total- they’re 3-3 at home (under 4-2).

Buffalo lost six of last seven games with Minnesota; road team won last four series games. Under is 5-2-3 in last ten series games. Teams split last four games played here. Sabres won 3-0/3-1 in last two series games; they’re 2-3 on road. Four of last five Buffalo games stayed under total. Wild won six of last eight games; five of their last six stayed under total.

Calgary lost four of last six games with Chicago but beat Blackhawks 3-2 in SO in Windy City 8 days ago. Last five series games stayed under the total. Flames are 3-2 in last five visits here. Calgary won three of its last four games (under 3-1). Chicago won five of its last seven games; under is 3-1-1 in its last five. Chicago is 4-2 at home. People at this game might be distracted by a baseball game being played in Ohio.

Nashville lost four of last six games with Colorado; last four series games went over the total. Predators lost three of last four visits to Denver. Nashville lost six of its last seven games; they’re 0-5 on road (over 3-2). Avalanche are off to a 4-3 start, 1-1 at home; four of their last five games stayed under.

San Jose won seven of last nine games with Arizona; last five series games stayed under total. Sharks won three of last five visits to desert. San Jose won its last three games by combined score of 9-3; they’re 2-3 on road- their last six games stayed under. Coyotes lost six of their last seven games; over is 5-3 in their last eight.

Anaheim won six of last eight games with Los Angeles; over is 3-1-3 in their last seven games. Ducks won three of their last four visits to Staples Center. Ducks are 1-5 on road but 3-2 in last five games overall; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Kings lost last two games 1-0/3-0; they’re 3-1 at home, with all three wins in OT/SO. Last four LA games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday’s games

Road team won four of last six St Louis-New York games; Blues are 5-3 in last eight series games; they won three of last four visits to Manhattan. St Louis lost four of its last six games (under 5-1); they split four road games. Rangers won four of last five games; they’re 5-1 at home (over 4-2).

Columbus won six of last eight games with Dallas; over 5-2 in last seven. Dallas Stars are 2-3 in last five visits here (over 4-1). Dallas lost four of its last five games (under 4-1); they’re 1-3 on road. Blue Jackets are off to a 3-4 start (1-2 at home); their last six games stayed under the total.

Islanders lost their last four games with Tampa Bay; over is 4-2-1 in last seven. Lightning won their last two visits to Long Island, both in OT (over 3-2 in last five). Tampa Bay was outscored 12-3 in losing its last three games, all on road; under is 4-2 in their last six games. Islanders won three of their last four home games; over is 3-0-1 in their last four games overall.

Edmonton lost seven of last nine games with Toronto; Oilers were outscored 20-9 in losing last four visits here (over 3-1). Edmonton won five of last six games (under 6-0); they’re 3-0 on the road- they allowed four goals in last five games. Maple Leafs lost six of their last seven games; they’re 2-1 at home.

Bruins won three of last four games with Florida; under is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Boston won three of its last five visits here (over 3-2). Bruins lost three of last four games; five of their last seven games stayed under. Boston is 3-2 on road. Panthers lost five of their last seven games (over 4-2-1); they’re 3-1 at home.

Ottawa lost six of last nine games with Carolina; three of last four went OT/SO. Over is 2-0-1 in Hurricanes’ last three visits to Ottawa. Carolina lost three of last five visits here. Hurricanes lost six of their eight games (over 6-2)- they’re 1-5 on road. Senators are 5-3 this season, 3-1 at home; three of their last four games stayed under.

Home side won last five Washington-Winnipeg games; Caps lost 2-1/3-0 in last two visits here. Over is 6-2 in last eight series games. Washington won five of its last seven games (under 4-3-1). Jets are off to a 3-5 start; their last five games stayed under the total- they’re 3-3 at home (under 4-2).

Buffalo lost six of last seven games with Minnesota; road team won last four series games. Under is 5-2-3 in last ten series games. Teams split last four games played here. Sabres won 3-0/3-1 in last two series games; they’re 2-3 on road. Four of last five Buffalo games stayed under total. Wild won six of last eight games; five of their last six stayed under total.

Calgary lost four of last six games with Chicago but beat Blackhawks 3-2 in SO in Windy City 8 days ago. Last five series games stayed under the total. Flames are 3-2 in last five visits here. Calgary won three of its last four games (under 3-1). Chicago won five of its last seven games; under is 3-1-1 in its last five. Chicago is 4-2 at home. People at this game might be distracted by a baseball game being played in Ohio.

Nashville lost four of last six games with Colorado; last four series games went over the total. Predators lost three of last four visits to Denver. Nashville lost six of its last seven games; they’re 0-5 on road (over 3-2). Avalanche are off to a 4-3 start, 1-1 at home; four of their last five games stayed under.

San Jose won seven of last nine games with Arizona; last five series games stayed under total. Sharks won three of last five visits to desert. San Jose won its last three games by combined score of 9-3; they’re 2-3 on road- their last six games stayed under. Coyotes lost six of their last seven games; over is 5-3 in their last eight.

Anaheim won six of last eight games with Los Angeles; over is 3-1-3 in their last seven games. Ducks won three of their last four visits to Staples Center. Ducks are 1-5 on road but 3-2 in last five games overall; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Kings lost last two games 1-0/3-0; they’re 3-1 at home, with all three wins in OT/SO. Last four LA games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview and Prediction: Washington Capitals (5-2-1) at Winnipeg Jets (4-5-0)
By Randy Chambers

Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 8:00 pm (MTS Centre)
The Line: Winnipeg Jets / Washington Capitals --- Over/Under:
TV: CSNB

The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets meet Tuesday in NHL action at the MTS Centre.

The Washington Capitals look to build on their solid 5-2-1 start to the season as they end a four-game road trip. The Capitals are averaging 2.8 goals per game and are scoring on 17.4 percent of their power play opportunities. Marcus Johansson leads Washington with five goals, Alex Ovechkin has two assists and T.J. Oshie has 21 shots on goal. Defensively, the Washington Capitals are allowing two goals per game and are killing 78.3 percent of their opponents power plays. Braden Holtby has given up 13 goals on 156 shots faced and Philipp Grubauer has allowed two goals on 43 shots. The Washington Capitals have won five of their last eight regular season road games.

The Winnipeg Jets could use a statement victory after splitting their last six games overall. The Jets are averaging 2.4 goals per game and are scoring on 12.5 percent of their power play opportunities. Patrik Laine leads Winnipeg with six goals, Mark Scheifele has four assists and Blake Wheeler has 29 shots on goal. Defensively, the Winnipeg Jets are allowing 2.9 goals per game and are killing 78.8 percent of their opponents power plays. Connor Hellebuyck has given up 11 goals on 135 shots faced and Michael Hutchinson has allowed 14 goals on 149 shots. The Winnipeg Jets have scored one or less goals in three of their last five games. Tyler Myers is questionable with a lower-body injury.

The Capitals are 40-18 in their last 58 games playing on 1 days rest and 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Central. The Jets are 1-6 in their last 7 vs. Metropolitan and 2-5 in their last 7 Tuesday games. The Capitals are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings and the home team is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.

The Capitals are flexing their muscle early and likely want to end their Canadien road trip on a positive note. The Jets are having a hard time at both ends of the ice and have lost eight of their last 10 meetings against Washington. I have to side with the Capitals on the road to win this game.

RANDY'S PICK
Washington Capitals

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Hawks' best start in six years
By The Sports Xchange

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks are off to their best start in six seasons and the Sacramento Kings have now gone 10 years without a victory in Atlanta.
The Hawks regained control by holding the Kings to 14 points in the fourth quarter after giving up 37 points in the third and improved to 3-0 with a 106-95 victory Monday night.
Dwight Howard scored 18 points despite going just 8 for 20 from the foul line and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Kyle Korver and Dennis Schroder each scored 17 points for the Hawks, while Paul Millsap had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Rudy Gay scored 22 points for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins, who came in average 30 points, scored 14 and pulled down 11 rebounds.
There were 54 fouls called in the game, 30 against the Kings. The Hawks were 29 of 47 from the foul line and the Kings made 13 of 19 free throws.

Clippers 116, Suns 98
LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half and Los Angeles routed winless Phoenix at Staples Center.
Paul also had eight assists and five rebounds. Blake Griffin added 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Clippers.
DeAndre Jordan didn't seem to show any ill effects from a sprained right thumb suffered in Sunday's win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 19 point and 11 boards. Jamal Crawford added 14 points and J.J. Redick scored 13.
The Suns were without guard Devin Booker, who sat out with a sore right big toe. Booker apparently aggravated the injury in Sunday's 106-100 loss to Golden State.

Bulls 118, Nets 88
NEW YORK -- Jimmy Butler scored 22 points as Chicago started quickly and remained unbeaten by rolling to a rout of Brooklyn.
Dwyane Wade was the only Bulls starter to play in the fourth quarter and contributed 12 points, including his fifth 3-pointer of the season -- two shy of his total from last season.
He finished off the blowout with a nifty crossover on Bojan Bogdanovic, resulting in a 3-point play with 9:48 left, giving the Bulls (3-0) a 98-73 lead. By garbage time, the 12-time All-Star was getting loud ovations from some fans.

Raptors 105, Nuggets 102
TORONTO -- Toronto got back into the win column, defeating Denver at Air Canada Centre.
DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 33 points and five rebounds.
Kyle Lowry's layup with 45.3 seconds remaining put the game out of reach. He finished with 29 points, seven assists and five steals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview and Prediction: San Jose Sharks (6-3-0) at Arizona Coyotes (2-6-0)
By By Randy Chambers
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 10:00 pm (Gila River Arena)
The Line: Arizona Coyotes / San Jose Sharks --- Over/Under:
TV: NBCSN

The San Jose Sharks and Arizona Coyotes meet Tuesday in NHL action at the Gila River Arena on NBCSN.

The San Jose Sharks look for their third road victory to build on their three-game winning streak overall. The Sharks are averaging 2.6 goals per game and are scoring on 24.1 percent of their power play opportunities. Joe Pavelski leads San Jose with four goals, Brent Burns has six assists and Tomas Hertl has 19 shots on goal. Defensively, the San Jose Sharks are allowing 2.3 goals per game and are killing 84.6 percent of their opponents power plays. Martin Jones has given up 17 goals on 202 shots faced and Aaron Dell has allowed two goals on 23 shots. The San Jose Sharks have outscored opponents 9-3 during their current three-game winning streak.

The Arizona Coyotes are getting desperate for a victory after a rough 2-6 start to the season. The Coyotes are averaging three goals per game and are scoring on 10.7 percent of their power play opportunities. Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads Arizona with five goals, Brad Richardson has four assists and Radim Vrbata has 21 shots on goal. Defensively, the Arizona Coyotes are allowing 4.1 goals per game and are killing 72.4 percent of their opponents power plays. Louis Domingue has given up 20 goals on 153 shots faced and Justin Peters has allowed five goals on 58 shots. The Arizona Coyotes are playing just their third home game of the season and have won five of their last eight at home overall. Michael Stone is questionable with an upper-body injury.

The Sharks are 36-15 in their last 51 games playing on 2 days rest and 4-0 in their last 4 vs. Pacific. The Coyotes are 1-4 in their last 5 games playing on 2 days rest and 5-2 in their last 7 home games. The Sharks are 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Arizona and 4-1 in the last 5 meetings overall.

The Coyotes may be worth a look in this contest if their defense didn't allow three or more goals in all eight games this season. Arizona just isn't showing anything defensively and a team such as the San Jose Sharks can take advantage of that. I like the Coyotes talent and think they're better than their record, but the San Jose Sharks have to be the pick here as more of a fade from Arizona.


RANDY'S PICK
San Jose Sharks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA betting road map: Coaching making a big difference early on for Kings
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

The NBA season got off to an unpredictable start when the San Antonio Spurs stunned the basketball world by annihilating Golden State, 129-100, in the opener for both teams. Many thought the Spurs would take a step backward this season, following the retirement of Tim Duncan, but San Antonio has the league's best record (4-0) and 2nd-best scoring margin (+15.8). Meanwhile, out East, Cleveland is also undefeated (3-0), and ranks 3rd in scoring margin (+12.7).

Al McMordie is back with the second edition of his weekly betting roadmap series, to take a look at the betting landscape in the upcoming week in the NBA.

Spread Watch

This is not your grandfather's version of the Sacramento Kings this season and it's not just because they have a brand new spanking arena. Dave Joerger has arrived from Memphis, and his players are actually allowing him to coach them. So, perhaps the dysfunction which permeated this franchise during the George Karl era has been stamped out. Indeed, none other than the NBA's best coach, Gregg Popovich, has noticed a big difference between last year's and this year's Kings. After the Spurs came back from a double-digit deficit to defeat Sacramento, 102-94, Popovich commented that the Kings are "playing defense... the way they played defense in Memphis," and was impressed that the Kings players bought in so quickly to Joerger's philosophy.

Sacramento is 2-1 on the season, including a big 19-point win at Phoenix and a 3-point home victory over the Timberwolves. The Kings are 2-0-1 ATS this year (and 6-0-1 ATS their last seven games, dating back to the preseason). This week, they will be tested by a road trip, in which they will play five games in seven days. The game on Saturday at Milwaukee might be the best time to step in and play on the Kings, as they'll have had the previous night off. Also, Milwaukee's off to a 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS start to the season.

Total Watch

The Detroit Pistons suffered a major loss when their point guard, Reggie Jackson, developed knee tendinitis. Jackson will be out until December and his absence severely hampers the Pistons' offense. Detroit has been starting Ish Smith at the point, and signed journeyman Beno Udrih to come off the bench. The obvious problem is that neither Smith nor Udrih has Jackson's ability to break down the defense off the dribble to create offense.

Not surprisingly, Detroit has yet to play a game Over the total and I'm not just talking about Detroit's three regular season games, as all six of Detroit's preseason games also went Under as well.

This week, Detroit will host games against New York and Denver, sandwiched around a road trip to Brooklyn. The Saturday night game vs. Denver looks to be a perfect time to play the Under, as all four meetings between these two clubs have gone 'under,' while Denver is currently ranked fifth in defensive efficiency.

Injury Watch

The Bucks' Khris Middleton might not be a household name, but he's one of the league's best young players and certainly deserving of the five-year, $70 million contract he signed 16 months ago. Unfortunately, Middleton tore his hamstring in September, and will be lost for much of the season. Even worse for Milwaukee is that its roster is bereft of wing players who can step in and replace him. So, even though Milwaukee has two other talented young players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, it has been unable to adjust to the loss of Middleton.

On offense, not only is Middelton one of the few Bucks who can stretch the floor and shoot, but he's also a solid ball-handler and is able to create good shots for his teammates. Then, on defense, he had the best Real Plus-Minus defensive rating last season of any Milwaukee starter.

So, the fact that Milwaukee is off to a 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS start isn't much of a shock. This week, Milwaukee will play games against the Pelicans, Pacers, Kings and Mavericks. I touched upon the Bucks/Kings game, above. But another solid opportunity to play against Milwaukee will be on Tuesday, when it visits New Orleans. The Pelicans have lost their first three games, notwithstanding Anthony Davis' brilliant start (37.7 ppg). If there is a silver lining, it's the fact that two of their losses were to (arguably) the two best teams in the league - San Antonio and Golden State. Certainly, Milwaukee will be a step down in class. And, since 2006, New Orleans is 17-3 straight-up and 12-7-1 ATS vs. the Bucks (including a perfect 7-0 ATS if the pointspread is less than 5 points).

Schedule Watch

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 3-0 this season, and have outscored their opposition by 8.7 ppg, but have played a bunch of creampuffs. Specifically, the Thunder's wins have come against three of the league's four-worst teams (76ers, Suns and Lakers). Their schedule will take a severe U-turn this week, as Oklahoma City will play road games against the Clippers and Warriors, before returning home to take on the up-and-coming Timberwolves.

Even though it will be stepping up in class, Oklahoma City will be worth a look in its revenge match against Kevin Durant and the Warriors. Last year, the Warriors ousted the Thunder from the Playoffs in a seven-game series and then, to make matters worse, they pried Durant away in July. Golden State will be favored by double-digits in this game, but I love playing on revenge-minded underdogs of 8+ points that lost a playoff series to their opponent in the previous season. Since 1991, such teams have covered 61.8% of the time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (2-1) at Cavaliers (3-0)

Date: November 01, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

LeBron James began promoting Kyrie Irving as a future Most Valuable Player candidate last season. To hear James talk now, the future might be arriving sooner than expected. Asked if Irving is a viable MVP candidate this season when the race appears to be wide open, James responded, "Why not?"

"I think the sky's the limit for the kid, he's only (24) years old," James said. "He hasn't even gotten to his prime yet."

As the Cavaliers prepare to host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, it's far too early to draw any conclusions. Irving, however, appears poised to lead the Cavs in scoring this season after he led them throughout most of the postseason until James overtook him with his magnificent close to the Finals.

Why is that significant? James has led his team in scoring every year since entering the league. James was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday despite Irving leading the Cavs in scoring through the first three games.

"He doesn't have any weaknesses, especially offensively," James said of Irving. "He's been great so far. If guys take away his driving lanes, he's able to create off the dribble, make pull-up jumpers. He can shoot the 3-ball too, so, he doesn't have any weaknesses offensively so it doesn't matter."

It's a good time to be a Cleveland sports fan. While the Cavaliers are the defending champions with two MVP candidates this season in James and Irving, the NBA agreed to move up the start of Tuesday's game to 6 p.m. EDT to minimize the conflict with the Cleveland Indians hosting Game 6 of the World Series.

The Indians have the opportunity to close out the Chicago Cubs and give Cleveland its second championship in less than five months -- and the Cavs players want to be there to see it. They have already attended home playoff games in each of the first three rounds as a team and Irving said the players intend to walk across the plaza following their game Tuesday to watch the final innings of baseball at Progressive Field.

"It'll be an experience of a lifetime," Irving said. "Game 6 of the World Series, hoo, that's big time. I'm excited for them. I know the city is. I'm happy our game got moved up. I don't mind moving it for the World Series at all. It'll be an exciting time. Hopefully we can get a suite and we can walk over there as a team and watch our home team go for a championship as well."

The Rockets picked up options for the 2017-18 season on both Clint Capela and Sam Dekker on Monday. The team declined the option on guard Tyler Ennis, rendering him an unrestricted free agent after the season. The option exercised was for Capela's fourth season and Dekker's third.

Houston has enjoyed success in recent years against Cleveland, winning each of the last four meetings at Quicken Loans Arena and seven of the last eight overall. James Harden is adjusting well to his role as point guard. Harden is one of three players in the league averaging at least 20 points and 10 assists. The other two, James and Russell Westbrook, were named players of the week.

Rockets sharpshooter Ryan Anderson is off to a slow start from the 3-point line in his first season in Houston. Anderson is 3 of 10 from deep, although he is aware teams will be targeting him on the perimeter.

"Certain teams ... are going to try to eliminate my 3-point shot," he told the Houston Chronicle. "I have to be super active. Just try to get myself going and my team going."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

NHL*|*DALLAS*at*COLUMBUS
Play Against - Home Teams when the money line is -100 to -150 (COLUMBUS) after allowing 1 goal or less in their previous game against opponent after allowing 4 goals or more 2 straight games
27-7*over the last 5 seasons.**(*79.4%*|*22.6 units*)
2-0*this year.**(*100.0%*|*2.4 units*)

NHL*|*ST LOUIS*at*NY RANGERS
Play Against - Road teams against the money line (ST LOUIS) off a close home win by 1 goal, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season in the first half of the season
43-14*over the last 5 seasons.**(*75.4%*|*28.5 units*)
2-0*this year.**(*100.0%*|*2.0 units*)

NHL*|*ST LOUIS*at*NY RANGERS
Play On - Home teams against the money line (NY RANGERS) after a blowout win by 4 goals or more against opponent after a low scoring game where both teams scored 1 goal or less
24-4*since 1997.**(*85.7%*|*19.6 units*)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (2-1) at Timberwolves (0-2)

Date: November 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In two games under new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Minnesota Timberwolves held early double-digit leads only to watch those leads turn into losses.

The first such instance came against the Memphis Grizzlies, who come to Target Center on Tuesday for Minnesota's home opener. The Timberwolves held an early 17-point lead in the first game of the season at Memphis. The Grizzlies, however, fought back to give David Fizdale his first NBA head coaching win.

Minnesota also squandered a big lead Saturday in Sacramento, falling to the Kings after being up by 18 in the first half. It's been a bumpy start to the Thibodeau era as his young team figures out how to close out games.

"The third quarter was a problem, a big problem," Thibodeau told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after the loss to Sacramento. "We have to get a lot tougher. That's what I see."

Memphis is 2-1 entering Tuesday's game, and its season-opening win over Minnesota was sparked by a 24-point effort from guard Mike Conley.

After falling behind big early, Memphis outscored the young Wolves 52-39 in the second half to help Fizdale earn his first win.

"I was squirming on the inside," Fizdale told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "But I knew our team had big-time jitters. Our energy was really good."

Now those same two teams face off for the second time in less than one week after also meeting in the preseason -- a matchup Minnesota won.

Last week's season opener came down to the final minute, with the Grizzlies making their free throws down the stretch to fend off the Timberwolves. Making shots from the free throw line is an issue for Minnesota in its first two games; the Wolves shot 69 percent at the line against Memphis and 71 percent in a three-point loss to Sacramento.

Since that win over the Wolves, the Grizzlies lost to the Knicks on the road, 111-104, before beating the Wizards by nine at home. Conley was the steady hand in Memphis' two wins. He scored a team-high 24 against Washington in the overtime win.

That win came after Fizdale tweaked his starting lineup, giving James Ennis and Jarell Martin the start. That new look helped the Grizzlies get out to a fast start, something they didn't do in their previous two games.

It remains to be seen which lineup Fizdale will go with against Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, hope to have a large lead once again -- as long as they're able to hold onto it for Thibodeau's first win in Minnesota.

"We lost two games already. We just try to win," Timberwolves fourth-year guard Zach LaVine told the Star Tribune. "That's all that matters to me right now. We invest a lot of stuff this summer to try and get better. The time is now."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (2-2) at Heat (1-2)

Date: November 01, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The season has not started the way the Miami Heat envisioned.

After a season-opening win over the less-than-mediocre and winless Orlando Magic, the Heat (1-2) have suffered a pair of disappointing losses entering Tuesday's home game against the Sacramento Kings (2-2).

Miami blew a 19-point, third-quarter lead, losing their home opener to the Charlotte Hornets, and the Heat lost again at home on Sunday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

And while the Spurs are an excellent team, they were playing the second of two games on consecutive nights. They flew in from San Antonio and arrived in Miami at about 3 a.m. Sunday morning, just 15 hours before tip-off.

The Spurs also rested five-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and played without injured starting shooting guard Danny Green ... and still had enough to subdue the Heat.

"We have to figure out a way to pull these games out," Heat guard Dion Waiters said, "especially at home."

And that's the thing: The Heat's three-game homestand ends Tuesday. It could be a dreadful 0-3 homestand if the Heat's not careful.

One of the various problems for the Heat during this first year in which they no longer have any of their famed "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is that Miami no longer has a "closer."

James used to be that guy. Wade used to be that guy. And Bosh could be that guy on certain occasions.

Now, they are getting beaten by teams with closers. Such was the case in the loss to Charlotte, which has Kemba Walker, who scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half. Such was the case with San Antonio, which has Kawhi Leonard, who scored the last 12 Spurs points and finished with 27.

Miami needs to develop a closer. The best options are point guard Goran Dragic and center Hassan Whiteside.

But Dragic is still inconsistent and is best suited to star in an up-tempo situation and not the half-court sets that typically arise in end-game scenarios.

Whiteside is often not even in the game at the end, either due to foul trouble, poor free-throw shooting or, as was the case on Sunday, he had leg cramps because he is not used to having to carry a team on his back. He needs to find the energy required to play hard on both ends of the court for a full game.

Unfortunately for the Heat, the Kings have a closer. In fact, they have two in center DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins and small forward Rudy Gay.

Not that everything is so great for the Kings, who lost 106-95 to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

The Kings haven't had a winning season in 10 years, they lost the division title by an incredible 40 games to the Golden State Warriors last season and they fired coach George Karl.

New coach Dave Joerger, who took the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs in each of the past three years, is working with some interesting players in an attempt to build around Cousins and Gay.

With point guard Rajon Rondo gone in free agency and backup Darrin Collison injured, the Kings signed Ty Lawson, 28, in August. This is Lawson's third team in the past year, which says a lot about where he's at in his career.

Arron Afflalo, who signed as a free agent from the New York Knicks, is Sacramento's starting shooting guard. Kosta Koufas, an eighth-year man, is starting at power forward.

The bench includes Garrett Temple, who started 43 games for the Washington Wizards last season; forward Anthony Tolliver, who is on his ninth NBA team; forward Omri Casspi, who is in his seventh year; and forward Matt Barnes, a fierce defender who is on his 10th NBA team.

"We have older veterans on the team this year," Kings guard Ben McLemore said, "guys who have been to the playoffs."

McLemore, a first-round pick in 2013 (seventh overall), leads the Kings' young reserves, a group that includes center Willie Cauliy-Stein, a first-rounder last year (sixth overall).

The Kings drafted three more first-round picks this year, although none of them are playing yet.

Is that enough to turn the Kings around in the near future?

We will see. But the Kings, who are on the second of a five-game road trip, don't have much pressure. This is a franchise that has grown accustomed to losing.

The Heat, on the other hand, became NBA royalty early this decade, and they pride themselves on being in contention no matter the scenario.

Beating the Kings, who will again give Miami a tired opponent since Sacramento played on Monday while the Heat rested, will be a bigger deal than might be expected at this early stage of the season.

But that's what it's come to for the Heat, a franchise that has yet to find a closer or an identity for the 2016-2017 season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (1-2) at Pacers (1-2)

Date: November 01, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers cross paths Tuesday night after similar starts to the new campaign.

Both teams won their season openers, only to drop the next two games.

The Pacers return home after dropping two straight on the road in Brooklyn and Chicago over the weekend.

New point guard Jeff Teague has struggled, averaging just 8.0 points on 20 percent shooting, and the second unit is trying to get healthy. Backup point guard Aaron Brooks has yet to play this season due to a sore right knee, Rodney Stuckey has missed time with hamstring issues, and C.J. Miles has been limited in his minutes as well.

Brooks was a full participant in practice on Monday and could return against the Lakers. Stuckey is still awaiting results on his MRI.

"It's a new group and it's going to take some time to jell," coach Nate McMillan said after the loss to the Bulls. "As a group, we have to work better together."

Paul George and Myles Turner have done their jobs in the early going, averaging a combined 43.3 points, but they'll need a lot more from guys like Teague if they're going to be successful.

"He's been an All-Star," George said of Teague. "He'll fight through it. We're not worried about that."

The Pacers may not be worried about their offense moving forward, but their defense may be cause for concern. They gave up 118 points to the Bulls on Saturday, as Chicago shot 52 percent from the field.

Pacers teams of the past prided themselves on defense, but it's been a struggle in the early going.

The good news for Indiana is that 11 of its next 15 games are at home. They'll need to take advantage of a favorable November schedule.

For the Lakers, the post Kobe Bryant era began with a big opening night win over Houston. Since then, they've dropped two road games in Utah and Oklahoma City. They'll travel to Indianapolis for the third game of their four-game road trip.

Julius Randle has been a bright-spot thus far, as he scored 20 points to go along with nine rebounds in the loss to the Thunder. For the season, Randle is averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and is shooting 68 percent from the field.

"There's more confidence, and it just comes with playing, getting back used to your body," Randle told ESPN.com. "I feel great. My body feels better than ever."

New coach Luke Walton has been pleased with his team's effort so far. "I told our guys I loved the way they competed tonight," Walton said after Sunday's game.

Tuesday's matchup will feature two teams that want to push the tempo. The Lakers and Pacers are ranked 8th and 12th, respectively, in pace of play so far this season, according to NBA.com.

The turnover battle will also be something to watch. The Lakers have the second most turnovers in the NBA right now (18.3 per game), but they also force their fair share of them, averaging the third most points off turnovers per game (21.3).

The point guard match-up could be a huge factor in this game, as both Teague and the Lakers' D'Angelo Russell are talented, but struggling with their shot in the early season.

The Pacers have won five of the last six meetings between these two teams, including both match-ups last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (0-3) at 76ers (0-2)

Date: November 01, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic began the NBA season with many new pieces to their respective puzzles.

They are both still trying to wrestle those pieces into place.

The Magic, who have a new coach in Frank Vogel and two new big men in Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, bring an 0-3 record into Tuesday night's game against the Sixers (0-2) in Philadelphia.

As Vogel told the Orlando Sentinel before Saturday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic have not been sharing the ball as much as he would like.

"I think our guys are trying," he said. "Their hearts are in the right place. But too many guys are trying to do it themselves and not letting the game come (to them). Playing for each other - we have to do that better or we're not going to change our fortunes."

While five Orlando players are averaging 10 points a game or more, the Magic are averaging just 92.3 a game while giving up 107.

Ibaka, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Oklahoma City, managed just 18 points in his new team's first two games but scored 19 against Cleveland. He shoot 7 of 12 from the floor.

"Super encouraging," guard Elfrid Payton told the Sentinel after the game. "With teams trying to go small now, he's going to be able to punish teams inside. So he's got to make a conscious effort to go in there. He shoots the ball from mid-range well, and he can knock down a 3. So it's tough to tell him to stay inside. But when he has smaller guys on him, he can really punish them."

Biyombo, known more for his defense, is averaging 2.5 points and six rebounds a night.

Philadelphia has added center Joel Embiid to the mix this season. The third overall pick in the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two seasons as a result of two foot surgeries.

He has averaged 17 points in 19 minutes a game over the Sixers' first two outings, while on a minutes restriction. He will not play more than 20 a game for the foreseeable future.

Coach Brett Brown also told reporters at practice Monday that Embiid will not travel to the team's game in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday.

Brown added that while Jahlil Okafor will be available against the Magic on Tuesday, his plan is to hold the center out of the game, as he is recovering from knee surgery. Okafor will then play against the Hornets.

Besides Embiid, the only other Sixer scoring in double figures is Sergio Rodriquez, who is filling in at point guard for the injured Jerryd Bayless (wrist). Rodriguez, who played in the NBA from 2006-10 but was overseas the last six seasons, is scoring at a 13 point-per-game clip. He is also chipping in seven assists a night.

Another newcomer, forward Dario Saric, has missed 17 of 21 shots to date. Saric, who was acquired in a draft-night trade with Orlando in 2014, played in Turkey the last two years.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (1-1) at Pistons (2-1)

Date: November 01, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Andre Drummond picked up right where he left off last season. It's now the New York Knicks' turn to deal with the NBA's most prolific rebounder.

The Detroit Pistons All-Star center reached the 20-rebound mark in the last two games. Not coincidentally, the Pistons have romped to double-digit victories over Orlando and Milwaukee.

They close out a three-game stretch of home games against the revamped Knicks on Tuesday at The Palace.

"Defensively, he helps us out a whole bunch just by grabbing those rebounds and contesting shots," Detroit forward Tobias Harris said of Drummond. "He's working his butt off on the defensive end. Offensively, he's getting on the glass, getting offensive rebounds, and those are turning into points. He's playing really confident right now and we need that from him."

Drummond posted his 10th career 20-20 game in the Pistons' 98-83 victory over the Bucks on Sunday. His 16.3 rebounding average through three games leads the league. He averaged a league-high 14.8 boards last season.

Drummond's also been a big presence on the offensive end, even when he's not plucking offensive rebounds. His ability to finish on pick-and-rolls is leading to extra defensive attention, opening up space for his teammates.

"He's playing really, really unselfish basketball," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's really trying to play winning basketball."

Detroit (2-1) tightened up its defense after an opening-night loss in Toronto, limiting its last two opponents to under 40 percent shooting.

"We've done a good job the last two games," Van Gundy said. "You hope to carry that forward. Every night is another challenge, but plus-18 on the boards (Sunday) was a major step forward."

The Knicks (1-1) took a big step forward after their opening-night loss in Cleveland, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 111-104 Saturday night. They shot 52.6 percent from the field and several of the newcomers had noteworthy performances.

New center Joakim Noah, who will have to contend with Drummond in the middle, had team highs in rebounds (10) and assists (seven). Courtney Lee contributed 16 points and backcourt partner Derrick Rose added 13.

Rose, who missed a chunk of training camp attending his civil sexual assault trial in Los Angeles, is growing more comfortable with the offense.

"We looked like we knew what we were doing more often because we were able to have a couple of practices with Derrick," coach Jeff Hornacek said to the New York Post. "We'll continue to get better and better as the season goes on."

Carmelo Anthony, who scored 20 points against the Grizzlies, is trying to adapt to having better offensive players around him.

"You don't see me complaining about it. You didn't see me out there making a face," Anthony said to the Post. "It's something that I embrace. I look forward to just being out there with guys who can control the game and make plays, and when it's my time, it's my time."

Anthony's 21.3 scoring average in 27 career games against the Pistons is his lowest among Eastern Conference opponents.

New York won the season series 2-1 a year ago, with the home team prevailing each time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday’s games

Rockets won seven of last eight games with Cleveland, which was Lebron-less for most of those games; Rockets won their last four visits here. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Houston is off to 2-1 start (under 2-1), but beat Dirk-less Mavericks twice. Cavaliers won first three games by 29-3-6 points (1-2 vs spread, under 3-0).

Indiana won seven of last nine games with Lakers; LA is 2-0-1 vs spread in last three. Lakers lost last three visits here by 19-20-2 points. Over is 4-1 in last five meetings here. Lakers are 1-1 as a road underdog, losing first two road games by 7-17 points (under 2-0). Indiana lost its last two games by 9-17 points; they won only home game so far, by 9 in OT (over 2-1).

Orlando is 7-2 in its last nine games vs Philly; Magic covered three of those last four. Four of last five series games went over total. Orlando lost its first three games by 12-26-6 points (1-2 vs spread, under 2-1). 76ers lost first two games by 6-32 points, both at home (under 2-0); this is their road opener.

Pistons are 5-3 in last eight games with New York; four of last five series games went over total. Knicks lost four of last five visits to Motor City (2-3 vs spread), last three of which went over the total. Knicks split their first two games, losing only road game by 29 in Cleveland. Detroit won its first two home games by 26-15 points, after losing their road opener.

Miami won nine of last ten games with Sacramento, but Kings are 4-3 vs spread in last seven; Kings lost last six visits to South Beach (3-3 vs spread). Nine of last ten series games went over the total. Sacramento is 2-2 (under 3-1) after losing by 11 in Atlanta last nite. Miami lost its first two home games, by 6-7 points.

Timberwolves lost 102-98 at Memphis in season opener; they’ve lost four of last six games with Grizzlies— over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Minnesota lost its first two games (both road games) by total of 7 points and already got called out by Thibodeau. Memphis won two of first three games (over 3-0) but lost only road game by 7 at New York.

Pelicans won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee (7-3 vs spread); four of last six series games went over total. Bucks lost last four visits to Bourbon Street by 21-8-1-17 points; Milwaukee lost two of first three games, losing road opener by 15 in Detroit. New Orleans lost its first three games, by 5-8-19 points (over 2-1).

Spurs won their last four games with Utah (3-1 vs spread); under is 4-2 in last six series games. Jazz dropped their last five visits to Alamo (1-4 vs spread, over 4-1). Utah lost its first two road games by 9-13 points- their last two games stayed under. San Antonio is 4-0 already, 3-0-1 vs spread (over 2-2). Spurs won their home opener by 19 over New Orleans.

Golden State ousted Portland from playoffs in five games LY, but Warriors won Game 4 in OT when series was 2-1, so it was tense. Golden State split last four games here (over 4-0); over is 9-1 in last ten series games. Warriors won their first two road games by 8-6 points after the loss to Spurs in opener. Trailblazers are 2-1 so far (over 3-0) with only loss to Clippers by 8.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday’s games

Rockets won seven of last eight games with Cleveland, which was Lebron-less for most of those games; Rockets won their last four visits here. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Houston is off to 2-1 start (under 2-1), but beat Dirk-less Mavericks twice. Cavaliers won first three games by 29-3-6 points (1-2 vs spread, under 3-0).

Indiana won seven of last nine games with Lakers; LA is 2-0-1 vs spread in last three. Lakers lost last three visits here by 19-20-2 points. Over is 4-1 in last five meetings here. Lakers are 1-1 as a road underdog, losing first two road games by 7-17 points (under 2-0). Indiana lost its last two games by 9-17 points; they won only home game so far, by 9 in OT (over 2-1).

Orlando is 7-2 in its last nine games vs Philly; Magic covered three of those last four. Four of last five series games went over total. Orlando lost its first three games by 12-26-6 points (1-2 vs spread, under 2-1). 76ers lost first two games by 6-32 points, both at home (under 2-0); this is their road opener.

Pistons are 5-3 in last eight games with New York; four of last five series games went over total. Knicks lost four of last five visits to Motor City (2-3 vs spread), last three of which went over the total. Knicks split their first two games, losing only road game by 29 in Cleveland. Detroit won its first two home games by 26-15 points, after losing their road opener.

Miami won nine of last ten games with Sacramento, but Kings are 4-3 vs spread in last seven; Kings lost last six visits to South Beach (3-3 vs spread). Nine of last ten series games went over the total. Sacramento is 2-2 (under 3-1) after losing by 11 in Atlanta last nite. Miami lost its first two home games, by 6-7 points.

Timberwolves lost 102-98 at Memphis in season opener; they’ve lost four of last six games with Grizzlies— over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Minnesota lost its first two games (both road games) by total of 7 points and already got called out by Thibodeau. Memphis won two of first three games (over 3-0) but lost only road game by 7 at New York.

Pelicans won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee (7-3 vs spread); four of last six series games went over total. Bucks lost last four visits to Bourbon Street by 21-8-1-17 points; Milwaukee lost two of first three games, losing road opener by 15 in Detroit. New Orleans lost its first three games, by 5-8-19 points (over 2-1).

Spurs won their last four games with Utah (3-1 vs spread); under is 4-2 in last six series games. Jazz dropped their last five visits to Alamo (1-4 vs spread, over 4-1). Utah lost its first two road games by 9-13 points- their last two games stayed under. San Antonio is 4-0 already, 3-0-1 vs spread (over 2-2). Spurs won their home opener by 19 over New Orleans.

Golden State ousted Portland from playoffs in five games LY, but Warriors won Game 4 in OT when series was 2-1, so it was tense. Golden State split last four games here (over 4-0); over is 9-1 in last ten series games. Warriors won their first two road games by 8-6 points after the loss to Spurs in opener. Trailblazers are 2-1 so far (over 3-0) with only loss to Clippers by 8.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (1-2) at Pelicans (0-3)

Date: November 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

NEW ORLEANS -- It may not be time just yet for the New Orleans Pelicans to press the panic button -- it will take a few more losses before fans demand the black box with the nuclear codes -- but their 0-3 start is as bad as it gets right now in the NBA, especially since they've squandered monster numbers by All-Star Anthony Davis in two of the three losses.

Unfortunately, Pelicans fans have seen this before. Last season, injury-riddled New Orleans fell prostrate at the starting gate, losing 11 of its first 12 games to dig a hole from which it never recovered during a 30-52 season.

So, when the Pelicans host the 1-2 Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center, coach Alvin Gentry, despite his calm demeanor after practice on Monday, knows he needs a victory, and he needs it now.

"I think we need a win, obviously," Gentry said. "If you win a game, it takes the pressure off. We have to establish something at home and be able to know that if we play our best basketball, we can win a game and not just play close."

Davis is playing the role of solid soldier. He became the second player in NBA history (other than Michael Jordan) to score 50 points in a season opener since 1963-64 when he scored 50 (with 16 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and four blocks) in a 107-102 home loss to the Denver Nuggets, and he followed that up with 45 points in a 122-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors last Friday night.

In a 98-79 road loss in San Antonio on Saturday, Davis was limited to just 18 points, lowering his scoring average to 37.7 points. Point guard Tim Frazier (13.7) and shooting guard E'Twaun Moore (10.7) are the only other Pelicans scoring in double figures, and New Orleans ranks last in the league in 3-point percentage (.190) on 12-of-63 shooting.

"At some point, you have to make shots," Davis said. "You have to start knocking them down. We're not shooting the ball well, and we have to find another way to win. And, it's not just one guy. It's a couple of guys -- (rookie guard) Buddy (Hield), Solomon (Hill), Langston (Galloway). We have to find a way to make shots."

Perhaps the Bucks will be the magic elixir that gives the Pelicans their first victory of the season. Milwaukee's only win came on a buzzer-beating tip-in by John Henson that beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-108 on Saturday night.

Coach Jason Kidd is toying with his lineup, trying to figure out the best bench rotations. Like the Pelicans, the Bucks are struggling from the outside, going 7 of 33 from long range in their two losses to Charlotte and Detroit.

The Bucks, who are still figuring each other out, shot just 39 percent from the field against the Pistons.

"I don't think we can use that as an excuse," said guard Matthew Dellavedova, the Bucks' free-agent pickup during the offseason. "I think we need to get better."

Kidd said he believes Dellavedova is very capable of running the point full time.

"I thought Delly had a great summer, being the point guard for Australia (in the Olympics)," Kidd said. "He ran the show, he and Patty Mills in the backcourt. Delly is a great complement to everybody."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (1-2) at Spurs (4-0)

Date: November 01, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Despite seven new faces and the offseason retirement of future Hall of Fame forward Tim Duncan, it's been business as usual for the San Antonio Spurs over the first four games of the new campaign.

The Spurs look to continue their hot start when they host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio has won all four times it's taken the court, thrice on the road, and is already in the routine of resting veteran players for the rigors of the eight-month-long journey to the postseason.

The Spurs gave starting point guard Tony Parker and reserve guard Manu Ginobili the night off against New Orleans on Saturday but San Antonio cruised to an easy 98-79 win.

Part of the Spurs' early success has been the play of their reserves, especially point guard Patty Mills, who scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting against the Pelicans in a spot start for Parker and then added another 18-point game off the bench in San Antonio's 106-99 victory at Miami on Sunday.

DeWanye Dedmond, one of the Spurs' under-the-radar offseason acquisitions, has contributed seven points and 7.3 rebounds per game while playing an average of 18 minutes and already has eight blocked shots.

David Lee, who has taken some of the minutes that belonged to David West last year, is scoring eight points per game and pulling down 6.8 rebounds per outing in an average of just under 17 minutes.

"Dedmond has been very active and has been doing a wonderful job off the bench, as has Lee," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Saturday. "DeWanye's game is running and giving us some energy, and David is a basketball player -- he knows how to play and fits into any kind of situation."

The Jazz (1-2) head to San Antonio on the heels of a 88-75 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

George Hill paced Utah with 18 points while reserve guard Dante Exum was the only other Jazz player to reach double figures with 10. Joe Johnson scored seven points in the opening quarter, but didn't score again.

The four starters other than Hill -- Johnson, Boris Diaw, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood -- combined for just 20 points.

"I didn't believe it was a good night for me -- it's a team game, not individual," Hill said after the loss. "My stats don't mean anything if we lose a game like we did (Sunday)."

Jazz forward Gordon Hayward sat out his third straight game with a broken finger on his left hand and likely will not play in Tuesday's contest.

Although San Antonio is often considered the most international team in the NBA, the Jazz have supplanted the Spurs in far-flung flavor this year, with seven players from outside the United States: center Gobert and forward Diaw (France), guard Dante Exum and forward Joe Ingles (Australia), guard Raul Neto (Brazil), forward Trey Lyles (Canada) and forward Joel Bolomboy (Ukraine).

On Monday the Jazz beat the Oct. 31, 11:59 p.m. EDT deadline to avoid restricted free agency by agreeing to a four-year contract extension with Gobert worth $102 million, according to league sources. The contract is just short of the projected maximum offer of $106 million.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (2-1) at Trail Blazers (2-1)

Date: November 01, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Asked before the season about Kevin Durant's chances to claim the NBA's Most Valuable Player trophy, Steve Kerr had a glib answer.

"He is kind of like Gary Johnson, a third-party guy who might come in and take a few votes from Steph (Curry), take some votes from LeBron (James)," the Golden State coach said. "Then Damian Lillard wins the election. That's my forecast."

Kerr has a reason to have a high opinion of Lillard, who will lead the Portland Trail Blazers into action against the Warriors Tuesday night at the Moda Center.

When Portland beat Golden State 137-105 on Feb. 19, handing the Warriors their most one-sided defeat in four years, Lillard had a career-high 51 points on 18-for-28 shooting, including 9-for-12 on 3-pointers.

Portland's All-Star point guard averaged 36.5 points in four regular-season games against Golden State last season, then 31.8 points as the Warriors eliminated the Blazers in five games in the Western Conference semifinals. Lillard is off to a sizzling start to this season, averaging 35.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the first three games while shooting .549 from the field, .444 from 3-point range and .905 from the foul line.

Lillard had 37 points and seven assists and scored the game-winning shot on a runner with .3 of a second in overtime as Portland won at Denver 115-113 Saturday night. The Blazers rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 1:15 of regulation.

"We would have lost this game last year," said Lillard, who has helped the Blazers to a 2-1 start. "This game felt like the game last year in Milwaukee, where we were in position to win and they took over the game and we couldn't figure it out (in a 90-88 loss). Tonight, we actually got over the hump. That was good. That showed growth.

"We didn't just get lucky. We made plays. We got stops. We executed. We competed. We did all the things that give us a chance to win the game. It's like, this is what good teams do. You find a way to win it."

Golden State found a way to win Sunday night at Phoenix, though it took the Warriors nearly all of 48 minutes to dispose of the Suns 106-100. Durant scored 37 points, hitting 10 of 16 shots from the field, 2 of 4 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 from the line.

"I was just taking what the defense was giving me," Durant said after his best performance in a Warrior uniform. "If you play me straight up, I like my chances. I try to get (to the line) as much as possible."

Curry scored 28 points, making 9 of 17 shots from the field, 5 of 8 on 3-pointers and 5 of 5 foul shots, and Draymond Green had nine points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Warriors, who are 2-1 but still not in a groove as Durant assimilates into their system.

"We are not clicking," Kerr said. "Everyone can see that. It will come, but the main thing while we are going through this process is to continue to compete and try to pick up wins."