The Bum's NBA February's Trends-Stats-News & Notes !

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Tuesday

February 10, 2015


With the NBA All-Star weekend scheduled for this weekend from New York, the league breaks from Friday Feb. 13 and doesn’t return until Thursday Feb. 19.

This gives players plenty of time to rest and also allows bettors to regroup for the final stretch of the season. Most teams will have played at least 50 games by the weekend and as the final quarter approaches, this is a good time to look at the playoff race.

The seeding is still up in the air but in the Western Conference, I believe it’s safe to say that seven slots are locked up with Phoenix, New Orleans and Oklahoma City all fighting for the eighth and final position.

The East has six teams looking solid, but the final two slots are up in the air. Charlotte and Miami currently sit in the seventh and eight spots respectively. However, Brooklyn, Detroit Indiana and even Boston are all within striking distance.

Three of the six clubs battling for the final two positions in the East will be in action Tuesday, which includes a head-to-head matchup between the Pistons (20-32 SU, 24-28 ATS) and Hornets (22-29 SU, 25-24 ATS) from Charlotte.

Oddsmakers opened the Hornets as two-point home favorites and the overnight line has held steady. This will be the first of four meetings between the pair this season and both clubs have had similar paths this season.

They both struggled in the first quarter of the season but have rebounded in the last six weeks. Unfortunately, they both suffered injuries to their point guard. Detroit lost Brandon Jennings to the season while Charlotte’s Kemba Walker is out indefinitely.

Since the Pistons regained life with their seven-game winning streak at the beginning of the year, Detroit has tempered off a bit. Stan Van Gundy’s squad has gone 8-9 SU and 9-8 ATS. During this span, the club has gone 2-5 on the road.

Charlotte has also turned the corner recently, going 12-5 both SU and ATS since Jan. 3. However, the club has dropped back-to-back games entering Tuesday and doesn’t want to have a three-game slide heading into the All-Star break.

The Hornets have gone 13-14 SU and 11-16 ATS at home this season. Detroit owns a 10-15 SU and 13-12 ATS mark on the road.

These teams squared off three times last season and Charlotte captured all three victories, each coming by double digits too as the Hornets scored 116, 108 and 116.

The total on this game opened at 189 ½ and has been pushed up to 192 ½. Make a note that the Pistons have been a solid ‘under’ look (16-9) on the road this season, largely due to an offense averaging 96.4 points per game outside of Michigan.

Brooklyn (21-30 SU, 23-38 ATS) has been a tough team to figure out but first-year head coach Lionel Hollins is getting the most out of his club. They have dropped two straight, which includes a 103-97 loss at Milwaukee last night, but they did win three in a row before this skid.

The Nets will be playing on zero days rest tonight when they visit Memphis (38-13 SU, 27-23 ATS), which won’t be an easy task. Brooklyn has gone 3-9 SU and 5-7 ATS in back-to-back situations this year, plus Memphis owns an impressive 22-5 record at home this season.

You could argue for a possible letdown for Memphis, who just beat Atlanta 94-88 on Sunday but the oddsmakers still have them listed as 12 ½-point favorites on Tuesday.

The pair already met on Jan. 14 from Brooklyn and Memphis captured a 103-92 win as a seven-point road favorite. Including this victory, the Grizzlies have gone 15-5 versus the Eastern Conference and only one of those losses came at home.

Along with the two games mentioned above, Tuesday’s card features three other contests.

Houston (35-16 SU, 29-22 ATS) at Phoenix (29-24 SU, 27-25 ATS): I’m a little surprised that the early money has gone to the Suns in this matchup, considering they’ve dropped four of five games and the offense has been missing lately. In its last eight games, Phoenix is averaging 95.3 PPG, which has produced an 8-0 record to the ‘under.’ Despite coming off a 109-98 home loss to Portland on Sunday, the Rockets have actually played well since All-Star center Dwight Howard got injured. Coincidentally, Howard went down on Jan. 23 when Houston defeated Phoenix 113-11 on the road. The Rockets have gone 6-2 without the big man, which includes a 3-1 road mark. Including the aforementioned outcome, Houston has won four straight against Phoenix both SU and ATS.

Sacramento (18-32 SU, 20-28 ATS) at Chicago (32-20 SU, 23-29 ATS): No overnight line posted on this game due to injuries. Sacramento’s Rudy Gay (foot) and Darren Collison (abdominal) are both ‘questionable’ for Tuesday. It’s hard to make a case for Chicago in this spot, knowing that it’s playing its first home game after a six-game road trip, which is always a tough spot for the host. Also, the Bulls have been a bad investment for bettors at home (13-11 SU, 8-16 ATS) this season. I certainly wouldn’t advise a bet on the Kings either, especially when you look at their road record (7-15 SU, 10-11 ATS). Plus, the Kings have the Kings have gone 5-11 SU and 3-12-1 ATS versus the Eastern Conference this season. According to the VegasInsider.com NBA Totals Report, Sacramento has seen the ‘under’ cash in six straight games but Chicago has been a great ‘over’ bet (16-8) at home.

Denver (19-33 SU, 19-31 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (13-38 SU, 24-26 ATS): This game has pass written all over it as both the Nuggets and Lakers enter this game with horrible form. Denver has dropped six straight and 13 of its last 14 games. Los Angeles has also gone 1-13 in its last 14 and that includes a run of four straight losses. Los Angeles is listed as a two-point favorite and similar to Chicago above, the Lakers are returning from a four-game road trip. However, Denver is facing a back-to-back spot and it’s been a mess on zero days rest this season, going 2-10 SU and 4-7-1 ATS, which includes six straight setbacks. These teams have already met twice this season and the visitor has come away with wins in both games while the ‘under’ has cashed in each game as well.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Notre Dame 60, Clemson 58-- 4 of 5 Irish road wins are by 3 points or less.

-- Temple 75, Cincinnati 59-- Owls' first win AAC vs Cincinnati in four tries.

-- Georgetown 86, Seton Hall 67-- Pirates are trending....in wrong direction.

-- Michigan State 68, Northwestern 44- Wildcats should've hired Doug Collins.

-- Colorado State 70, New Mexico 59-- Rams avenge their first loss this season.

-- Arkansas 101, Auburn 87-- Bruce Pearl doesn't have enough players.....yet.

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud........

13) Kentucky 71, LSU 69-- Outstanding game; LSU didn't have enough firepower, even after after a 21-2 run that erased a 13-point Kentucky lead. I get the feeling that Calipari wouldn't have minded taking a loss to relieve some pressure on his very young team. Winning the national title is all that matters.

12) Game was LSU's first sellout in six years, first in an SEC game since 2006; they have a program on the rise- their recrutiing class next year is outstanding. LSU guard Keith Hornsby, a 37% shooter from the arc, is the son of singer Bruce Hornsby.

11) Wisconsin 65, Nebraska 55-- Second game in a row, Cornhuskers had 13 points at halftime; they've taken a step back after LY's progress.

10) NBC suspended news anchor Brian Williams for six months, with no pay; what does a guy like that do to earn money now? He probably has some socked away since a guy in his position makes major bucks, but still, what does he do?

9) Meanwhile, Jon Stewart announced he will be leaving The Daily Show sometime in the next year, after 16 years there. He will be sorely missed; funny man.

8) John Daly's ex-wife is suing his current fiance for "alienation of affection", which is the Mississippi legal euphemism for "home wrecker".

7) Ralph Friedgen stepped down as Rutgers' offensive coordinator, meaning the Scarlet Knights will amazingly have their sixth offensive coordinator in six years next fall. Hard to have any continuity that way, but they manage to stay over .500.

6) Baseball America lists Notre Dame sharpshooter Pat Connaughton as the Orioles' #11 minor league prospect; he is supposedly a very good pitching prospect.

5) There will be four Atlanta Hawks in the NBA All-Star Game Sunday, which reminds me of last summer, when the A's had six guys in the All-Star Game, only to implode in the second half. Sometimes time off is useful keeping you mentally fresh; All-Star Game will provide a lot of attention those Hawks aren't used to getting and they're hoping their season goes deep into June, when the Finals are held.

4) There were rumors that Demarcus Cousins' agent was protesting the Kings hiring George Karl as head coach, so much so that Cousins made a statement saying he didn't mind if Karl was named coach. Sounds like a great organization.

3) Detroit Tigers got (fairly) good news; Victor Martinez had his knee scoped, will only miss 4-6 weeks, as opposed to months. Good news for the Armadillos too, my team in a 16-team keeper fantasy league that is going into its 11th year.

2) Guy on ESPN.com listed his top 200 fantasy league players, and I was happy to see that five of the top 32 are on my team, though none of them pitch. When you root for the A's, like I do, you can't get attached to players, because they come and go like there's a freakin' revolving door at the Oakland Coliseum.

Having a fantasy team allows you to root for a team where players leave only if I say so, which is more fun. I've said this before, the world would be a better place if I was allowed to make more decisions-- ha!!!!

1) Can you imagine what the media circus is going to be like next week when Alex Rodriguez reports to spring training in Florida???? It'll be a good day for anyone else to announce bad news, since it'll get buried in the paper by the ARod stuff.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 12

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CLEVELAND (33 - 21) at CHICAGO (33 - 20) - 2/12/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 26-39 ATS (-16.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 44-71 ATS (-34.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 12

Hot Teams
-- Cleveland won 14 of last 15 games (5-2 last seven AF). Bulls won last three games, allowing 85 ppg (1-2 HU).

Cold Teams
-- None

Series Records
-- Cavaliers are 2-0 vs Chicago this year, winning by 6-14 points.

Totals
-- Last five Chicago games stayed under the total; Cleveland's last three games all went over.

Back-to-Backs
-- Cavaliers are 5-4 vs spread on road if they played night before.

East vs West
SU: West 168-116 ATS: West 141-140-3
East teams HF vs West: 40-37
East teams HU vs West: 32-37
West teams HF vs East: 55-59-3
West teams HU vs East: 12-11




NBA

Thursday, February 12

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Cleveland is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Chicago is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing Cleveland

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, February 12

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Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Bulls
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls (+1, 201.5)

Both Cleveland and host Chicago are prepared to be without key members of their starting lineup when they meet Thursday in the final NBA game before the All-Star break. The Cavaliers, who have won 14 of their last 15 after a 113-93 rout of Miami on Wednesday, lost forward Kevin Love to a corneal abrasion in the third quarter and his status for Thursday is unclear. Love will be re-evaluated but is expected to make the trip to Chicago.

The Bulls have won three in a row, including a 104-86 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday in which standout shooting guard Jimmy Butler was knocked out with a shoulder injury. Butler underwent an MRI on Wednesday that confirmed nothing more than a strain, which left him day-to-day and put his status for Sunday's All-Star Game up in the air. Chicago is 2-1 without Butler this season, the one loss coming at home against Cleveland on Oct. 31.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Bulls opened as 1-point home dogs. The total opened at 201.5

INJURY REPORT: Cavaliers - N/A Bulls - G Jimmy Butler (Ques-Shoulder), F Kirk Hinrich (Ques-Toe)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (33-21 SU, 25-29 ATS, 19-34-1 O/U): Love's departure was a non-factor against Miami as Cleveland had plenty of contributions from its other big men. Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson combined to score 37 points on 16-of-19 shooting while grabbing a total of 16 rebounds to help control the Heat on the interior. LeBron James had a team-high 10 boards for the Cavaliers, who had a 43-36 advantage on the glass and outscored Miami in the paint by a 52-32 margin, two categories in which they've dominated the Bulls in the prior two meetings this season.

ABOUT THE BULLS (33-20 SU, 24-29 ATS, 25-27-1 O/U): Just as the Cavaliers filled the gaps without Love, Tony Snell picked up where Butler left off and finished with a career-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Snell is 11-for-19 from 3-point distance over his last three games, has recorded six of his seven double-digit efforts in the past month and impressed his head coach on Tuesday with his ability to score while maintaining a solid defensive effort on Sacramento's Rudy Gay. "[Defending a scorer] puts enormous pressure on you and I thought he played well on both sides of the ball."

TRENDS:

*Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
*Under is 6-0 in Cavaliers last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
*Under is 5-0 in Bulls last 5 overall.
*Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 57 percent of bettors are backing the favored Cavs.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, February 12


Under cashes in last full day before All-Star break

It looks like plenty of teams were eager to get to the All-Star break, as the under cashed big time, going 9-3 in the last full night of NBA action before the break.

The only games to go over were Sacramento-Milwaukee, Indiana-New Orleans and Miami-Cleveland.

There is just one game on the schedule tonight before the All-Star break officially begins with the Cavaliers visiting the Chicago Bulls. The total is currently at 201.5.


Cavaliers' PF Kevin Love, questionable Thursday

Love left Wednesday's game against the Heat due to a right corneal abrasion and is questionable to play Thursday against the Bulls.




NBA roundup: Spurs surge into break with win

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Everyone around the NBA better watch out. The defending champs are heating up heading into the All-Star break.

The San Antonio Spurs were just five games over .500 in late December, but they have gotten healthy and found their rhythm lately, winning 15 of their last 20 games. They avenged a one-point home loss to Detroit last month by rolling to a 104-87 victory over the Pistons on Wednesday night at The Palace.

Shooting guard Danny Green had 19 points, including five 3-pointers, along with eight rebounds and four assists for the Spurs. Point guard Tony Parker contributed 17 points and shooting guard Manu Ginobili added 13 points and center Aron Baynes chipped in 12.

Point guard D.J. Augustin's 22 points and six assists led the Pistons. Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tossed in 20 points and center Andre Drummond added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Raptors 95, Wizards 93

TORONTO -- Guard DeMar DeRozan snapped a tie with 12.9 seconds left and scored 23 points Wednesday as Toronto defeated Washington to extend their winning streak to three games.

Guard John Wall scored 21 points for the Wizards, who won their previous two games.

Guard Lou Williams led the Raptors with 27 points off the bench. Guard Kyle Lowry added 13 points, and guard Greivis Vasquez had 11.

Forward Paul Pierce had 17 points for Washington. Forward Nene had 14 and forward Drew Gooden 10. The Raptors completed a three-game season sweep of the Wizards.

Celtics 89, Hawks 88

BOSTON -- Guard Evan Turner capped a furious Boston comeback with a floater in the lane with two-tenths of a second remaining, giving his team victory over Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta.

Turner finished with 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Celtics earned their fourth win in their last five games. Forward Jared Sullinger finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Marcus Thornton came off the bench to score 14 points, 12 of them on 3-pointers, as the Celtics overcame 24.5 percent shooting in the first half.

Atlanta center Al Horford finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Hawks got 14 points from forward DeMarre Carroll and 10 points and eight assists from guard Jeff Teague.

Pacers 106, Pelicans 93

NEW ORLEANS -- Forward David West and guard George Hill scored 17 points each as Indiana won for the fourth time in five games with a victory over injury-riddled New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center.

In defeating the Pelicans for the eighth consecutive time, Indiana placed four players in double figures, including guard Rodney Stuckey with 16 and forward Solomon Hill with 12.

Luke Babbitt led the Pelicans with 15 points.

Bucks 111, Kings 103

MILWAUKEE -- O.J. Mayo had 21 points, Brandon Knight scored 20 and Milwaukee doubled their victory total from last season, earning their 30th of the season with a decision over Sacramento at the Bradley Center.

Up by as many as 21 at one point, the Bucks had to hold off two hard Sacramento rallies over the final few minutes.

Center DeMarcus Cousins scored 28 to lead the Kings, who shot 42 percent and gave up 21 points on 18 turnovers. Sacramento lost seven of nine.

Warriors 94, Timberwolves 91

MINNEAPOLIS -- Guard Stephen Curry had 25 points as Golden State, playing its fourth road game in six nights, beat Minnesota fora third consecutive win.

Guard Klay Thompson added 14 points for Golden State, which has won six of its last seven.

Guard Kevin Martin, who is averaging better than 20 points per game in his nine appearances since returning from a wrist injury, led Minnesota with 21 points. Guard Ricky Rubio, playing his fifth game after missing the previous 42 with an ankle injury, had 18.

Thunder 105, Grizzlies 89

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Forward Kevin Durant scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading Oklahoma City over Memphis at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Oklahoma City moved three games over .500 for the first time this season. The Thunder also pulled within a half-game of the idle Phoenix Suns for eight place in Western Conference as both teams head into the All-Star break. Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook posted 24 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Collison came off the bench to score 15 points and haul in nine boards.

Forward Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Jeff Green and guard Beno Udrih added 11 points apiece on 4-of-13 shooting and 4-of-11 shooting, respectively. Center Marc Gasol was held to eight points and five rebounds.

Cavaliers 113, Heat 93

CLEVELAND -- Forward LeBron James had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists against his former team, guard Kyrie Irving had 15 points and six assists and Cleveland erased a Christmas Day loss to Miami with a victory.

Forward Kevin Love had 12 points and six rebounds -- one of seven Cavs players to score in double figures.

Heat center Hassan Whiteside had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Mario Chalmers had 18 points and forward Chris Bosh had 15 points for the Heat, who have lost four of their last five while batting injuries.

Magic 89, Knicks 83

ORLANDO -- Center Nikola Vucevic scored 28 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in leading Orlando to victory over the hapless New York Knicks at the Amway Center.

Magic guard Victor Oladipo had 19 points, and reserve guard Willie Green added 13, and guard Elfrid Payton finished with 12.

The Knicks were led by center Jason Smith, who had a season-high 25 points and seven rebounds. Reserve forward Andrea Bargnani had 11 points. Swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., starting in place of forward Carmelo Anthony (knee), had 10 points. Point guard Jose Calderon contributed nine points and seven assists.

Mavericks 87, Jazz 82

DALLAS -- Diminutive point guard J.J. Barea came through with a dominant performance that allowed Dallas to clip cold-shooting Utah at American Airlines Center.

Barea scored a game-high 22 points that included 15 in the third quarter and 13 in a row in the quarter as Dallas hung on to what was largely a single-digit lead throughout the second half.

Forward Dirk Nowitzki was the only other Mavs forward to score in double figures with 15 points and 14 rebounds. He didn't surpass 10 points until there was just under five minutes left in the game to give Dallas a 79-69 lead.

Point guard Trey Burke, now coming off the bench, hit four 3-pointers and had a team-high 16 points for the Jazz.

Trail Blazers 102, Lakers 86

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Guard Wesley Matthews scored 20 points and forward LaMarcus Aldridge collected 18 points and 12 rebounds as Portland went into the All-Star break with a drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers at the Moda Center.

Guard Damian Lillard added 15 points and eight assists and forward Nicolas Batum contributed seven points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Trail Blazers, who have won four of their last five games.

Guard Jordan Clarkson had 17 points and grabbed six rebounds and guard Wayne Ellington scored 16 points with a career-high eight boards for the Lakers, who have lost six in a row.

Clippers 110, Rockets 95

LOS ANGELES -- Center DeAndre Jordan scored 24 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, and Los Angeles continued its recent dominance of Houston with a victory at Staples Center.

It was the third game in the last six Jordan had produced at least 20 points and 20 boards. Forward Jamal Crawford and guard J.J. Redick scored 20 points apiece for the Clippers (35-19), who defeated the Rockets (36-17) for the sixth consecutive time. Point guard Chris Paul finished with 12 points and 12 assists. Forward Spencer Hawes also scored 12 for Los Angeles.

Forward Corey Brewer came off the bench to score 22 points for Houston, while forward Josh Smith added 21 points and 13 rebounds. Rockets guard James Harden, who was coming off back-to-back outings of 40 and

45 points, struggled again against the Clippers, managing just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts. Harden, the league's leading scorer, entered the game averaging 18.6 points per game in the last five meetings against Los Angeles.

[StarDust Bum]

Bulls, Cavs meet for Central lead

February 12, 2015

After trouncing what’s left of his former team on Wednesday, LeBron James and his new crew left Cleveland for Chicago, where they will look for a win that would give them the Central Division lead entering the All-Star break.
Kevin Love boarded the flight despite leaving the Heat game early after getting inadvertantly slapped in the eye by Mario Chalmers. He told reporters his vision was temporarily blurry, but should be fine to play in the NBA’s only Thursday night contest.

Unfortunately, the same likely can’t be said about All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, who is listed as questionable with a sprained left shoulder. He’ll be re-evaluated Thursday.

The Bulls (33-20) are already likely to be without key backup guard Kirk Hinrich (turf toe), so circumstances are less than ideal to hold serve and pick up their first win in three tries against the Cavaliers (33-21). The game opened as a pick’em at most spots, although Cleveland is likely to become a road favorite if Butler is officially ruled out.

Looking to win for the 14th time in 15 games, the Cavs are on the verge of completely erasing a deficit that one month ago, on Jan. 13, stood at a fairly daunting seven games. Cleveland’s James had just wrapped up a two-week hiatus to get healthy and his team was defeated in Phoenix to fall below .500 at 19-20 despite his return. Last week’s loss in Indiana has been the only blemish since.

Ironically, critics went from calling for David Blatt’s head to questioning whether Tom Thibodeau has lost his team, a subject that seemingly creeps up whenever the Bulls struggle. The team’s defensive intensity hasn’t been up to standards, while the injuries that are easy to chalk up to chronic over-use magnified struggles. Before its current three-game winning streak, Chicago had been a sub-.500 team in 2015 (8-10), including suffering a lopsided 108-94 loss in Cleveland on Jan. 19.

In spite of Derrick Rose’s return to health, Pau Gasol’s terrific play and Butler’s breakout season, the Bulls would have to consider it disappointing not to hit the All-Star break in first place. The Cavaliers essentially conceded a head start with their shaky play and a lack of cohesion, nevermind James missing 10 of the first 54 games.

It creates a great dynamic for the final duel before teams shut it down for over a week as the NBA debuts an extended break. If Butler can go and allow the Bulls to play their normal rotation, it promises to be a physical game that both teams will frantically chase. Joakim Noah missed the last meeting, which allowed new Cavs acquisition to go for 15 points and 15 rebounds against Gasol and Taj Gibson. Having his competitive spirit back should be a major asset, especially since Thibodeau called the Jan. 19 effort “not acceptable.”

“You look forward to it because of who you’re playing,” Thibodeau told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. “But it’s the next game. It’ll be a great test. They’re playing as well as anyone in the league. I want to see where we are.”

Sportsbook.ag had the Bulls and Cavs behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference race entering the month, but has taken note of how well James’ team has played and reinstalled Cleveland as the favorite to reach the NBA Finals at -110, nearly even money. Chicago can now be had at +450, which also ranks behind Atlanta (+240).

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Top Action

February 12, 2015


Cleveland Cavaliers (33-21) at Chicago Bulls (33-20)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Pick 'em, Total: 201.5

The Bulls are looking to head into the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak as they host the sizzling Cavs on Thursday.

Cleveland hosted Miami on Wednesday and came away with a 113-93 victory as a 12-point home favorite. The Cavs have won-and-covered in three of their past four games and have also won 14 of their past 15 games SU. They are 12-3 ATS in those contests and have held their opponents to under 100 points in 11 of those games as well.

Everything is clicking on both ends of the floor for this Cleveland team, but they now face a Bulls squad that has won three straight games. Chicago hosted Sacramento on Tuesday and won 104-86 as an 11-point favorite. The Bulls have won-and-covered in two of their past three and this three-game SU winning streak followed up a three-game SU losing streak, so it could not have been timed better. Chicago has gone Under in five straight games and Cleveland has gone Over in three straight, so this one will be a blatant clash of styles.

These teams have already met twice this season and the Cavs have won-and-covered in both meetings, including a 114-108 victory as 4.5-point underdogs in Chicago on Oct. 31, 2014. Over the past three seasons, the Bulls are 6-4 SU and ATS overall and 3-2 SU and ATS in Chicago in this head-to-head series.

Cleveland is 14-4 ATS after five straight games where they allowed their opponents to shoot 42% FG or less over the past two seasons. The Cavs are also 25-13 ATS after covering in four or five of their past six in that time. The Bulls, however, are 21-8 ATS when revenging a loss versus an opponent of 10 points or more over the past two years.

PF Kevin Love (Eye) is questionable for the Cavs, who are already without C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) for the remainder of the season. SG Jimmy Butler (Shoulder) is questionable for this game and PG Kirk Hinrich (Toe) is doubtful.

The Cavaliers are the hottest team in basketball lately and SF LeBron James (25.8 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG) has been playing like an MVP again. James had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes in Cleveland’s victory over Miami on Wednesday. He’s been distributing the ball extremely well over the past few weeks, averaging 8.0 APG over the past five games. He has, however, struggled with his outside shot (19% 3PT in past five games) and will need to start knocking down threes so his defenders can’t strictly play the drive. If SF Jimmy Butler (20.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.8 SPG) can’t play for the Bulls, James should be able to dominate whoever ends up guarding him.

PG Kyrie Irving (21.8 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG) will need to be ready to play well on both ends of the floor, as he’s going to be matched up against PG Derrick Rose (18.7 PPG, 5.0 APG) on Thursday. Irving has not played well in two games against Chicago this season, averaging 20.5 PPG and 7.5 APG on some pretty inefficient shooting (39% FG). He’s putting up numbers against the Bulls, but he must improve his shot selection and make the most of his team’s possessions.

PF Kevin Love (17.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.3 APG) was playing really well against the Heat last game, scoring 12 points with six rebounds and four assists before leaving with a corneal abrasion. Love is questionable for this game and would be a big loss for this team, as he had just put up 32 points with 10 rebounds in a win over the Lakers on Sunday and was beginning to thrive offensively.

PF Tristan Thompson (9.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG) would see a bulk of the minutes if Love does not play. He had 17 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes against the Heat and would provide a major upgrade defensively against the Bulls. A combination of Thompson and C Timofey Mozgov (9.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG) could make things very difficult on PF Pau Gasol (18.4 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.1 BPG), who has been lighting it up offensively as of late.

The Bulls have won three straight games and they have played some much improved defense. Chicago allows 99.1 PPG on the season (13th in NBA) but has allowed just 85.0 PPG over the past three games. The team hasn’t skipped a beat offensively either, averaging 103.0 PPG in those contests.

PF Pau Gasol has racked up a double-double in 13 straight games for the Bulls. He’s averaging 21.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.5 BPG on some insanely accurate shooting (64% FG in past four games) in the month of February. Gasol should be able to put up some solid numbers against the Cavaliers on Thursday, but he’ll be counted on to play good defense as well.

C Joakim Noah (7.6 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG) had eight points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks the last time he faced the Cavaliers. Noah has been inconsistent all season, but he rises to the occasion in games like this one and will need to protect the rim against a Cleveland team that really knows how to attack the basket.

PG Derrick Rose has seemingly found his game recently, averaging 198 PPG and 5.4 APG over the past five contests. Rose had 23 points (10-for-17 FG), seven assists and two steals in 33 minutes against the Kings on Tuesday and made a lot of the shots at the rim he was missing earlier in the year. He’s averaging 19.0 PPG and 3.0 APG in two games against Cleveland this season and will need to do a better job distributing the ball if Chicago is going to win this game.

If SG Jimmy Butler doesn’t play, SG Tony Snell (4.4 PPG, 19 RPG) could see a major increase in minutes. Snell shot the lights out against the Kings last game, finishing with 24 points (9-for-11 FG, 4-for-6 3PT) in 41 minutes of action. He’s averaging 11.0 PPG in two games against Cleveland this season and provides another good wing defender to this Bulls rotation.

[StarDust Bum]

Essentials: NBA back with a bang

February 17, 2015

A number of NBA teams probably would’ve preferred to keep right on playing through the All-Star break. LeBron James got to co-host a fashion show and hang with budding star Amy Schumer, whose upcoming comedy he’s got a cameo in. Still, riding out the surge his Cavs were on may have had its benefits. One could argue last Thursday’s loss to the Bulls could be hung on Cleveland looking ahead to the weekend. Before then, the Cavs had won 14 of 15 games. Ironically, James was consulted by Commissioner Adam Silver when this change was being considered.
“I had a say and I thought it would do everybody in our league good,” James said. “It wasn’t just for me or for the players or the All-Stars. It was for everyone and the commish definitely was all for it. I think it’s going to help everyone.”

In theory, it should, giving players an opportunity to get extended rest. Most teams aren’t practicing until Wednesday. Decompression may be good for the mind and will certainly do a few ailing bodies a solid, but there figure to be some disadvantages. Inevitably, it will become a disaster for whatever teams lose focus or can’t get back in a rhythm.

Chicago actually exits the break with the NBA’s longest winning streak, owning wins in four straight. Toronto and Milwaukee have won eight of 10. Memphis is the only team in the Western Conference that has run that hot of late, so it will be interesting to see whether they can hold off the Rockets, Mavericks and Spurs to secure the league’s toughest division. They’re the final team to get back in the swing of things, off until taking the court at Portland on Sunday night. Here’s what to be on the lookout for as teams reconvene with anywhere from 26 to 31 regular-season games remaining:

First out of hiding

Action returns on Thursday with a TNT Western Conference doubleheader consisting of Mavericks-Thunder and Spurs-Clippers. OKC is just a half game behind Phoenix in the race for the eighth seed, while Dallas, San Antonio and the L.A. Clippers each have 19 losses, currently taking up seeds 5-to-7.

The Mavericks are expected to have Amar’e Stoudemire in uniform when they tip off with the Thunder, having locked up his commitment upon clearing waivers on Wednesday. The Spurs and Clippers were among the teams interested in his services after news he’d reached a buyout with New York leaked out. Stoudemire has experience working with Tyson Chandler, albeit not successfully since it came with the Knicks, but he should immediately become Dallas’ first big off the bench.

Beyond seeing how he fits in, other variables the Mavericks will be dealing with include the health of Monta Ellis (hip), Rajon Rondo (facial fracture) and Chandler (ankle). All of them were hurting entering the break, so it will be interesting to see whether any or all will return, not to mention how quickly they can get back in a rhythm. Following the visit to OKC, Dallas hosts Houston, Charlotte and Toronto before going back on the road to face Atlanta on Feb. 25, a stretch of five challenging games in seven days.

Conversely, the Mavs are the only team with a winning record the Thunder will see until a challenging road back-to-back at Phoenix and Portland at the end of the month. Expect Oklahoma City to be favored in its next four games, giving it an opportunity to claim a firmer grip on No. 8.

The Clippers returned to Staples Center just before the All-Star break after their eight-game Grammy road trip that saw them lose five of eight games, not to mention Blake Griffin (staph infection). Though it beat the Rockets handily without him, we’ll see just how much L.A. will miss him immediately since it hosts San Antonio, Sacramento and Memphis out of the gate.

The Spurs, embarked on their nine-game Rodeo road trip, will be playing Game 4 of the lengthy stretch and faces Golden State on Friday. Given all the veterans involved, not to mention coaches Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers, expect playoff-like intensity as both teams are likely to have their sense of urgency ratcheted up.

Pelicans play waiting game

Anthony Davis had to miss the All-Star game with a shoulder strain, while sixth man Ryan Anderson has been nursing a right elbow sprain and Jrue Holiday has been out with a leg injury. The break should do New Orleans wonders as a result, but it’s still unclear exactly who will be ready to return when it tries to snap a three-game losing streak at Orlando on Friday.

Tyreke Evans has been incredibly productive handling point guard duties and Dante Cunningham has settled in nicely as the starting small forward, so head coach Monty Williams has some decisions to make on the two-game run through Florida that continues in Miami on Saturday night. The Pelicans had lost four of five SU and ATS, while seeing six of seven games go over the posted total, but neither trend can be trusted until we see who the team has back and how they’re going to be utilized going forward.

Sun setting on Dragic’s time in Phoenix?

Even though the Suns are invested in making the playoffs after falling just short last season, a decision must be made regarding the future of guard Goran Dragic. Phoenix’s second-leading scorer isn’t going to exercise his player option this summer, which means he’s certain to be an unrestricted free agent unless an extension can be agreed upon.

As a result, the reigning Most Improved player is the biggest name on any most-likely-to-be-dealt list put out between now and Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. Even though the team is committed to a run at the postseason, it wouldn’t be good business to risk him leaving in a few months without getting anything return. GM Ryan McDonough has done a nice job acquiring young talent and definitely has offers to weigh if an extension with Dragic can’t be reached, so there’s a very good chance the Slovenian point guard could be wearing another uniform when Phoenix takes the court in Minnesota on Feb. 20.

Other players virtually certain to be moved between now and the deadline include New York’s Jose Calderon, Boston’s Brandon Bass and Denver wings Arron Afflalo and Wilson Chandler. Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez and Oklahoma City’s Reggie Jackson are also available, but there isn’t as great a sense of urgency to move them as there is with the other players mentioned.

Friday night fights

The league’s schedule makers certainly got it right when it came to setting up appealing matchups for the first full evening of action. Division leaders meet in Atlanta when the Raptors challenge the Hawks, looking to beat the team with the Eastern Conference’s top record three out of four times. Although Toronto lost the most recent meeting at home by a humbling 110-89 margin on Jan. 16, it won the first two games rather handily. The 126 points scored the Raps scored in Philips Arena on Nov. 26 remains the highest output Atlanta has allowed this season.

Cleveland visits Washington in the opening game of ESPN’s doubleheader coverage. Not only is it a duel between All-Star point guards Kyrie Irving and John Wall, it’s also another opportunity for Paul Pierce to try and get under James’ skin, something he’s done quite capably over the years. The teams have split their two meetings thus far and square off at the Q in a potentially vital regular-season finale on April 15.

Houston visits Dallas to continue perhaps the league’s most underrated rivalry. Owner Mark Cuban has made no secret of his disdain for his in-state and division foe, not only stealing Chandler Parsons out from under them but also calling out GM Daryl Morey to spice things up. He’s undoubtedly relishing the fact that the Rockets comes in Dwight Howard-less, especially since his team has lost the last two meetings on the road. The Mavs also host the final regular-season showdown between the Southwest Division contenders on April 2.

The ESPN nightcap yields San Antonio at Golden State. Hopefully Popovich doesn’t feel the need to rest players given the extended break, but this is the second of a back-to-back for the Spurs, so you never know.

[StarDust Bum]

Northwest Division Analysis

February 17, 2015

Take a look at the five teams in the Western Conference Northwest Division as we approach the second half of the season. Here is a breakdown of the results and spread results for each team in the Northwest division and a look at what situations may be favorable moving forward for each squad.

In the loaded Western Conference, the Northwest only features two viable playoff contenders and compared with the rest of the conference, the Northwest has been the weakest and most disappointing division. Portland has a huge lead in the division at the break, but Oklahoma City is certainly a team that is poised to make a run after the slow injury-plagued first month. While the rest of the division features three lottery-bound teams, there have been opportunities for those teams to play well and at least two of those squads look like potential play-on teams the rest of the way.

Portland Trail Blazers: At the break, Portland is the #3 seed in the Western Conference at 36-17, but there is fine line between the #3 and #7 spots in the Western Conference with five teams sitting just two games apart. The Blazers slumped into the break with losses in nine of the last 15 games to surrender a lot of ground in the conference race as at one point, Portland looked like a team that could challenge Golden State for the best record in the conference. The overall schedule has been relatively weak for Portland and the Blazers only have six wins against teams considered in the top 10 of the league, the second-fewest among the teams in that top 10 grouping at the moment.

The Blazers are just 13-12 S/U on the road this season, but they have one of the best division records in the NBA at 7-1 S/U. The Blazers are 2-0 against Oklahoma City this season with two meetings to go which could be a key edge in a race that most expect will tighten down the stretch. Portland is on a 5-10 ATS run to melt away what was once a great spread record as the Blazers are now 27-25-1 ATS at the All Star break, with a slight winning mark at home and a slight losing mark on the road. Portland is 9-7 ATS as an underdog this season including winning both instances as a home underdog while compiling a 23-5 S/U record at home. The ‘under’ has been the best bet in Portland home games going 19-9 on the season.

Oklahoma City Thunder: At the All Star break, Oklahoma City is the first team on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, sitting a half game behind the Suns and a game ahead of New Orleans in what figures to be a three-team race down the stretch. Oklahoma City has by far the best average point differential of those teams and the Thunder has the strongest home court edge going 16-8 S/U at home this season. The Thunder has played a top six schedule at this point in the season and obviously much of the losing occurred early in the season with a short-handed roster. Oklahoma City has not fared well against top competition, going 4-13 S/U vs. the top 10 and 11-18 S/U vs. the top 16 in the league at this point in the season despite most, including Kevin Durant, still feel like this team is a legitimate contender to make a deep playoff run.

After starting the season 3-12 S/U though 7-7-1 ATS, the Thunder have made an incredible turnaround. With that success has come steep pricing as Oklahoma City has been a tough team to support, riding a 10-18 ATS run since mid-December. On the season, the ‘under’ is leading the way for the Thunder as well at 30-21-2 on the season. Oklahoma City is just 12-17 S/U and 10-18-1 ATS on the road this season, really burning backers in the road underdog role that has been very successful for most teams this season. Oklahoma City is 4-11-1 ATS as a road underdog this season, while blindly backing road underdogs in the NBA has connected at an over 53 percent clip before the All Star break. Oklahoma City is a perfect 5-0 ATS this season as a home underdog, though it is worth noting that all five of those covers came in November.

Denver Nuggets: Denver head coach Brian Shaw appears to be on a growing hot seat as the Nuggets are a big disappointment this season at 20-33, including 20-29-4 ATS at the break. After losing seven of the first nine games, Denver made a quick turnaround in November to enter December at .500, but since mid-January, the Nuggets have been on a free fall, losing 13 of the final 15 games before the break with only four covers in that span. It was not long ago that Denver was one of the toughest places in the league to play, but the Nuggets are 12-14 S/U at home, going 10-14-2 ATS at the Pepsi Center. There are losing marks pretty much across the board for the Nuggets in any breakdown expect for Denver being 4-1 ATS this season as a double-digit underdog, a situation Denver may be in more often in the coming weeks if the losses keep piling up. Into the break, the Nuggets have lost S/U in each of the last six home games and this is a team that is 8-19 S/U on the road this season, going 10-15-2 ATS. The ‘under’ has been successful in Denver road games as well at 15-9-3, including a 6-1-2 run before the All Star break. It has been a relatively tough schedule for the Nuggets at this point in the season and there could be some opportunities to improve in record in the upcoming weeks, but a rally back into the playoff race certainly seems unlikely.

Utah Jazz: If you want to dig really deep for a sleeper to make a run at the playoffs, the Jazz have some reasons to suggest a strong finish could be on the way. Utah is nearly 10 games behind the Suns for the final spot in the Western Conference, but this is a team with an average point differential of only -2.4 per game and that is through a schedule that rates as the second-toughest in the NBA at this point. Utah is just 4-19 S/U vs. the top 10 teams in the league, but the good news is that most of those games are out of the way and outside of a tough first two games after the break, the late February and March schedule looks pretty attractive for the Jazz. Utah has been a slight ATS winner this season at 28-24-1 ATS, finding success on the road at 16-11-1 ATS and as an underdog at 23-19-1 ATS.

Utah enters the break on an 18-11-1 ATS run going back to mid-December and this is a team that has leaned to the ‘under’ with the ‘under’ in Jazz games going 30-22-1 this season. The home court for the Jazz is starting to look a bit tougher as well with Utah covering in five of the final seven home games before the break, featuring four S/U wins including a big upset over Golden State. Utah is just 7-8 ATS this season as a home underdog at this point in the season. Thirteen of the past 15 foes in Salt Lake City have been held to 100 or fewer points as Utah and the ‘under’ have been finding more success at EnergySolutions Arena with improved defensive play. It would take an epic run for Utah to climb back into the race, but for what it is worth, the Jazz look like one of the best of the lottery teams and a team that could be somewhat of a surprise team in the second half even with little to play for.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves started the season 2-2 with the losses coming in tight games with Memphis and Chicago as this looked like a promising team that might surprise. Injuries derailed the squad quickly and Minnesota has spent most of the season as one of the worst teams in the league, clearly shifting to the youth movement and looking to the future. Just before the break, Minnesota surprised with wins in three of the final five games with the two losses coming in competitive games with the two conference leaders. The Wolves certainly did not have an All Star this season, but it was a bit of showcase weekend with Andrew Wiggins taking the MVP in the Futures game and Zach LaVine winning the Slam Dunk contest with two Minnesota rookies on display.

At 11-42 S/U on the season, Minnesota will be in a good position to land another high profile rookie in the draft this summer and Minnesota is just 23-29-1 ATS on the season even with a recent surge, going 17-11 ATS since Christmas. It is a little hard to believe that Minnesota has been a favorite seven times this season, going 2-5 ATS and the Wolves are just 10-16 ATS at home even with some hefty underdog pricing at times. This has been one of the few clear ‘over’ teams in the league with the ‘over’ 30-23 on the season though that has been less conclusive in the last month with Minnesota playing more competitive ball overall. Minnesota is 10-3 ATS since Christmas in road games taking advantage of big spreads in many of those games as they have only five S/U road wins all season. The edge for the ‘over’ in Wolves games has almost been exclusively away from the Target Center as well. It has been a challenging season for a franchise that has had very little success in its history, but the second half schedule is a bit more promising and Minnesota’s young squad could emerge as a play-on team in many situations as there is some exciting young talent on the roster.

[StarDust Bum]

Trade deadline nears for NBA teams

February 17, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) - The East was a two-team race at last year's trade deadline, and Larry Bird made the move he thought would win it.

When the Indiana Pacers acquired Evan Turner from rebuilding Philadelphia, they hoped it would provide the scoring punch to beat out Miami and reach the NBA Finals. It didn't, and Turner is now in Boston.

Now the Pacers are trying to get in the postseason, two games out of eighth place and seeking a spark that could sling-shot them past others down the bottom of the playoff ladder. Bird promises to be as aggressive as when his team on top.

''We're always looking to improve the team and obviously there's a lot of improvement that needs to be done,'' the Pacers' president said recently. ''So we'll look around the league and talk to a lot of different people and see what's out there and hopefully we can do something that makes us better.''

If not, he said, he'll wait until the summer.

That's what every NBA team has to decide in the next couple of days.

The trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, and with many teams in contention, the question is whether that makes them more conservative or cautious.

Help could be found in the hours before the NBA returns from its All-Star break. But some will be hesitant to tinker with so little time left in the season. The Turner deal, in which Indiana traded popular veteran Danny Granger, certainly didn't help its locker room chemistry.

Plus, teams can plug holes by simply opening their wallets, without costing any assets.

Houston signed Josh Smith after he was waived by Detroit, Amare Stoudemire is headed to the Mavericks once he clears waivers, and other veterans could be bought out and become free agents after the deadline.

One of the most intriguing moves could involve Ray Allen, who will have contending suitors if he opts to play after sitting out all season.

The teams most motivated to deal might be the disappointing ones. Brooklyn probably can't find a taker for Deron Williams with all his injuries and dollars left on the $98.5 million contract he signed in 2012, but was close to moving Brook Lopez earlier this season. Denver's rocky season should have contenders calling to inquire about Arron Afflalo, Ty Lawson or Wilson Chandler.

The right move can help someone surge through spring. The wrong one could mean an early start on summer.

Don't count on top stars changing teams - none has at the deadline since Utah surprisingly sent Williams to the Nets on the eve of the 2011 one. Teams more likely trade at this point to clear cap space for the summer, which is why the New York Knicks could seek a deal for Jose Calderon after already shipping out guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert.

Cleveland acquired them and, along with getting Timofey Mozgov from Denver in a separate deal, perhaps proved the best moves for this season were already made.

Dallas acted quickly to acquire Rajon Rondo from Boston in December, not long before Memphis capitalized on the Celtics' youth movement to deal for Jeff Green.

For Golden State and Atlanta, the current NBA leaders, their winning moves maybe came long ago.

The Warriors got Andrew Bogut from Milwaukee at the 2012 deadline to provide some muscle in the rugged West. Five months later, the Hawks acquired Kyle Korver from Chicago, and he could be headed for the best perimeter-shooting season in NBA history.

''When I got traded to Atlanta I was coming from Chicago and I wasn't really all that excited about it, to be honest with you. But all the people that Danny Ferry kept on bringing in, they've been not just good basketball people, but good people,'' Korver said.

''When I was a free agent two summers ago, I chose to come back. We had some opportunities to go to some teams that already were more established and could win, but I just really believed in what Atlanta was building and what they were doing. I could see my role in it and I just wanted to be a part of that. I never thought that it would come together this quickly.''

That's the lightning in a bottle every team is hoping to catch.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Six of the top minor league prospects of the Colorado Rockies........

1) David Dahl OF-- Three years in minors, hasn't gotten above A ball.

2) Jon Gray P-- Pitchers must puke when they get drafted by Colorado.

4) Eddie Butler-- Gave up 23 hits in 16 big league innings LY.

7) Forrest Wall, 2B-- Took $2M instead of going to North Carolina.

8) Antonio Senzatela, P-- Has 28-9, 2.49 record in 54 minor league starts.

20) Kyle Parker OF/1B-- At one time, was pretty good QB at Clemson.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random stuff on a winter night........

13) Duke 92, North Carolina 90 OT-- Duke jumped out to a 13-point lead in first half, but then Tar Heels started dominating game inside and led by 10 with 3:20 to go. UNC couldn't finish Duke off, though and lost for 4th time in last five games. Mike Krzyzewski is now 41-38 against the Tar Heels.

12) Quote of the Day, part 2: "I don't feel comfortable with the situation. I don't trust them anymore." Goran Dragic, soon to be an ex-Phoenix Sun

NBA trading deadline is today; should be a decent amount of action.

11) Xavier 59, Cincinnati 57-- Intense inner-city rivalry goes Musketeers' way, with Xavier going 10-17 from the arc, offsetting a -9 (15-6) turnover ratio. Bearcats do not have enough offense to win when other team goes 9-17 from the arc, though they did rally back from a 36-24 halftime deficit and led with a minute to go.

10) Syracuse 69, Louisville 59-- It is February 19; any team that suspends its point guard at this point of the season, especially for non-academic reasons, has problems that might not be fixable. Louisville has now lost three of its last four games, and its point guard is currently suspended.

9) Arizona State 68, UCLA 66-- ASU retired James Harden's number 13 and might've also retired UCLA's chances of going to the NCAAs; Bruins have two Pac-12 road wins, at USC and Stanford- they also lost at Alabama.

8) Arizona State has a player named Bo Barnes; his dad Jake is in the Rodeo Hall of Fame. Rodeo performers are tough humans, for sure.

7) Boise State 53, UNLV 48-- Rebels are down to seven scholarship players and just aren't very good right now; this was Boise's first win at UNLV, not counting neutral court wins in the Mountain West tournament.

6) They dimmed the lights of the Las Vegas Strip for three minutes at 10:30 last night, to honor Jerry Tarkanian; this is something that doesn't happen often; it had been done for passing of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and George Burns.

5) The inmates are running the asylum in Manhattan, where Carmelo Anthony is done for the year, but not until he played 30 minutes in the All-Star Game Sunday. It should be noted that Anthony sat out regular season home games before the All-Star break, basically giving the finger to Knick ticket holders. He makes around $275,000 a game, would've been nice if he acted that mattered to him.

4) Davidson 65, George Washington 63-- Wildcats are 9-4 in their first season in the A-14, a huge step up from the Southern Conference. Big-time schools missed out by not hiring Bob McKillop as its coach, most notably St John's; he is excellent.

3) Northwestern 72, Minnesota 66-- Rough night for the Pitino family.

2) Iowa State 70, Oklahoma State 65-- Cyclones ended a 4-game road losing streak, as they outscored the Cowboys 9-0 over the last 2:27 to sweep OSU this season.

1) Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks leads the NHL in scoring; no American-born player has ever won the NHL scoring title. Ever.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 19

Hot Teams
-- Dallas won six of its last eight games (1-6 last seven AU); Thunder won five of last six (3-0 last three HF).
-- Spurs won 15 of their last 20 games (4-6 last ten AF). Clippers won their last four home games (0-0 HU).

Cold Teams
-- None

Series Records
-- Thunder lost their last three games with Dallas.
-- Clippers lost six of last eight games with San Antonio.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten Dallas games stayed under the total; four of last five Thunder games went over.
-- Six of Spurs' last seven games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Backs
-- None

East vs West
SU: West 168-116 ATS: West 141-140-3
East teams HF vs West: 40-37
East teams HU vs West: 32-37
West teams HF vs East: 55-59-3
West teams HU vs East: 12-11




NBA

Thursday, February 19

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Dallas's last 23 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas

10:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. LA CLIPPERS
San Antonio is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of San Antonio's last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 3-15 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against San Antonio
LA Clippers are 15-8 SU in their last 23 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, February 19

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Game of the Day: TNT NBA Thursday Doubleheader
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Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder (-5, 211.5)

The Oklahoma City Thunder were thriving before the All-Star break with five wins in six games and aim to keep the momentum going with the resumption of play when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The Thunder are a half—game behind the eighth-place Phoenix Suns while in pursuit of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. Injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led to an early 3-12 hole and Oklahoma City has been climbing out of it ever since.

The Mavericks are in fifth place in the West and expect to have point guard Rajon Rondo back on the floor after he missed six games due to fractures to his nasal and left orbital bones. “I’ve talked to a couple doctors and for the most part, pretty much said the same thing,” Rondo told reporters. “If I’m not having double vision and my eye hasn’t dropped two millimeters, then I’ll be fine.” Dallas closed strong before the break with six wins in eight games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Thunder as 5-point home favorites.

POWER RANKINGS: Mavs (-10.5) + Thunder (-7) + home court (-3) = Mavs -0.5

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (36-19 SU, 26-27-2 ATS, 25-29-1 O/U): Dallas added injury prone forward Amar’e Stoudemire during the All-Star break and is hoping he can pump up its frontcourt bench scoring. Production has been minimal and the thought is if the club can keep Stoudemire fresh and healthy, he might be able to make a significant impact over the final two months of the regular season. Stoudemire, a six-time All-Star, averaged 12 points and 6.8 rebounds in 36 games with the New York Knicks this season before parting ways.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (28-25 SU, 24-27-2 ATS, 21-32 O/U): Point guard Russell Westbrook put on an epic performance in the All-Star Game with 41 points – one off Wilt Chamberlain’s record – to earn MVP honors and has been on a hot streak all month. He scored a career-high 48 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 6 just two nights after matching his previous career high of 45 against the Pelicans and is averaging 31.2 points in six games. Westbrook is also averaging nine assists and 8.5 rebounds this month and delivered a triple-double against Orlando (25 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds) on Feb. 2.

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Mavericks last five vs. NBA Northwest.
* Mavericks are 12-4-2 ATS in their last 18 vs. NBA Northwest.
* Mavericks are 17-5-1 ATS in the last 23 meetings in Oklahoma City.



San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (+2, 203)

The San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers both begin the final two months of the regular season a little lower in the standings than they expected to be at this point. The Spurs will try to leapfrog the Clippers for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference when they visit Los Angeles on Monday. The loaded West has pushed defending-champion San Antonio into seventh at the All-Star break despite wins in 11 of the last 14 games.

The Spurs began their nine-game rodeo road trip prior to the break and have taken two of the first against Eastern Conference teams. Things get tougher for the Spurs now, with trips to Golden State, Portland and Phoenix still to come before they finally play their next home game on Mar. 4. Los Angeles endured a similar excursion when the Grammy Awards took over their arena earlier this month but returned home strong with a win over the Houston Rockets before the break as center DeAndre Jordan took another step forward.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Clippers as 1-point home dogs, but that has been to +2.

POWER RANKINGS: Spurs (-9) + Clippers (-11) + home court (-3) = Clippers -5

ABOUT THE SPURS (34-19 SU, 23-28-2 ATS, 23-30 O/U): San Antonio has not dropped back-to-back games since Dec. 25 and 26 and is hoping for a stretch run similar to last season, when it went 20-1 from the All-Star break through the end of March. The Spurs made it through the break fully healthy and should have fresh legs down the stretch with none of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili averaging more than 30 minutes in the first 53 games. The break offered a good chance to rest for forward Kawhi Leonard, who struggled to 11-of-41 from the field in the first three games of the trip.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (35-19 SU, 22-32 ATS, 24-27-3 O/U): All-Star Blake Griffin missed the last three games after surgery to remove a staph infection from his elbow and is out indefinitely. Los Angeles dropped the first game with Griffin on the sidelines but Jordan lifted the team in the next two with totals of 46 points and 47 rebounds, giving him three 20-20 performances in the last six contests. Jordan’s late surge was overlooked when it came time to name injury replacements to the Western Conference All-Star team, but Chris Paul represented the Clippers with 15 assists off the bench in the showcase.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-4-2 ATS in their last seven vs. NBA Pacific.
* Clippers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* Underdog is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Under is 11-4-2 in Clippers last 17 home games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Dallas at Oklahoma City
The Mavericks travel to Oklahoma City tonight to face the Thunder (28-25 SU) and come into the contest with a 1-6 ATS record in their last 7 games versus a team with a winning SU record. Oklahoma City is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-5). Here are all of today's NBA picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Game 501-502: Dallas at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 119.122; Oklahoma City 128.583
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 9 1/2; 217
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5; 212
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-5); Over

Game 503-504: San Antonio at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 125.218; LA Clippers 120.332
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 5; 196
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 2; 203
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-2); Under




NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, February 19

Dallas at Oklahoma City, 8:05 ET
Dallas: 27-11 ATS in road games second half of the season
Oklahoma City: 1-8 ATS after covering 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread

San Antonio at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
San Antonio: 91-63 ATS in road games revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a favorite
LA Clippers: 22-32 ATS in all games

[StarDust Bum]

Clips under pressure as NBA returns

February 19, 2015

The teams that have represented the Western Conference in the last four NBA Finals are in action as the NBA returns from an extended All-Star break on Thursday night. The Blake Griffin-less Clippers will be there, too.
It’s borderline depressing. Here’s a franchise that’s been overshadowed by the Lakers in L.A. for years, finally gets its moment in the sun and appears to be on the verge of falling flat on their collective face.

As the season starts back up, there are plenty of things to look for in both games of this attractive TNT doubleheader. Oklahoma City has a playoff berth to claim, sitting a half-game behind Phoenix in the race for the No. 8 seed. Dallas sees Rajon Rondo return from his facial fractures, may have Tyson Chandler back from an ankle injury and will be able to see just what they’ve got in newly-signed forward Amar’e Stoudemire.

Defending champ San Antonio, only one-third through the Rodeo trip and just starting to pick up steam with Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard finally healthy.

There’s optimism surrounding all three former conference champs, that feeling that their best may be yet to come.

Then there are the Clippers, who certainly don’t inspire that same sentiment. L.A. was already looking a little shaky before losing Griffin for the foreseeable future after he required surgery to remove a staph infection. Now it’s all about staying afloat without their leading scorer. Their team defense has looked rough. Bench play has been a weakness. Disaster may be a losing streak away.

Even though the Thunder currently find themselves on the outside looking in, they’re just 6.5 games behind the Clippers with just under 30 games to go. If Griffin is unable to make it back by mid-March, which was the original worst-case scenario, that cushion could disappear quickly.

After hosting the Kings on Saturday, L.A. will open next week against the Grizzlies at Staples and then see them again a few nights later in Memphis as the second leg of a four-game road swing that will see them also stop through Houston, Chicago and Minnesota. They’ll return home for a March 4 date against Portland and visit Golden State after that. Even with Griffin, that’s a horrific schedule to navigate. Without him, it could lead to freefall.

DeAndre Jordan has gone for back-to-back 20-20 games with his frontcourt tag-team partner sidelined, delivering enormous wins against the Rockets and Mavericks. He was one of the West’s biggest All-Star snubs, so maybe he’ll remain motivated while having the benefit of being rested. The Clippers are counting on him to continue his tear.

Houston head coach Kevin McHale put him on the free-throw line 26 times in an effort to slow Jordan down and get in his head via his biggest weakness, but Jordan remained focused despite making only 12 of his attempt, grabbing 20 boards and anchoring the defense.

Gregg Popovich has only put Jordan on the free-throw line five times in three meetings this season, but has been known to employ the Hack-a-Shaq liberally whenever he feels it might aid the cause. Look for that to potentially be a factor here.

There have been whispers that the Clippers have been victimized by in-fighting, so maybe the trade deadline passing will ease some of the stress. Since head coach Doc Rivers also makes the personnel decisions, those who are left after 3 p.m. ET can feel the team is committed to them.

Still, there’s a reason the Spurs are a two-point road favorite at Staples. In spite of big wins without Griffin just before the break against the other two Texas teams, L.A. has major issues to solve and a rested, deeper championship team waiting at the door. The Spurs have won two of the three meetings between the teams this season, but did suffer their worst home loss last time they got together, falling 105-85 on Jan. 31.

The first game should be intriguing given all the moving parts. The favored Thunder are led by All-Star MVP Russell Westbrook and reigning MVP Kevin Durant, who just told GQ, “I just don’t like other teams and players” as he continued the recent trend of speaking his mind in a revealing interview for their March issue. Dallas has won six of eight in spite of all their injuries and will have the most frontcourt depth it has had all season if Chandler can go.