The Bum's April's National Basketball Association Trends - Stats - News !!

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NBA

Sunday, April 12


Kings Cousins, Gay to miss last 3 games

Center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Rudy Gay of the Sacramento Kings will miss the last three games of the regular season, the Kings announced on Saturday.

Cousins was examined in Los Angeles by Dr. Richard Ferkel, who determined that he has sustained multiple lower leg injuries over the course of the season, including ankle sprains and a calf strain.

In 59 games this season, Cousins averaged 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.53 steals and 1.76 blocked shots.

Cousins is expected to be ready for training camp.

Gay sustained a concussion on March 30 and was held out of the next three games and after returning earlier this week, he experienced further symptoms.

In 68 games, Gay averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, a career-best 3.7 assists and 1.04 steals.

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Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores


3:05 PM EDT
701 BROOKLYN NETS 198 +1 +04 / -1 / -1 -28 -1.5 -15 -125
702 MILWAUKEE BUCKS -1 198 / 198.5 201.5 +105
TV: FS-Wisconsin, YES, DTV: 631, 669
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3:05 PM EDT
703 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
704 BOSTON CELTICS
CLE-G-Kyrie Irving-? | CLE-F-LeBron James-Doubtful | TV: CSN-New Engalnd, FS-Ohio, DTV: 630, 661
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3:35 PM EDT
705 CHARLOTTE HORNETS 191 190.5 / 191.5 / 192.5 193 +285
706 DETROIT PISTONS -6 -6.5 -15 / -6.5 -34 / -7 -15 -7.5 -15 -345
CHA-F-Al Jefferson-Doubtful | DET-G-Brandon Jennings-OUT | TV: FS-Detroit, SportsSouth, DTV: 646, 663
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5:05 PM EDT
707 SACRAMENTO KINGS 216.5 216.5 +435
708 DENVER NUGGETS -8.5 -8.5 / -9 -15 / -10 -05 -10 -575
SAC-C-DeMarcus Cousins-OUT | SAC-F-Rudy Gay-OUT | SAC-G-Darren Collison-OUT | TV: Altitude, CSN-California, DTV: 681, 698
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6:05 PM EDT
709 ATLANTA HAWKS
710 WASHINGTON WIZARDS
ATL-F-Paul Millsap-OUT | TV: CSN-DC, NBA TV, SportsSouth, DTV: 216, 643, 646
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6:05 PM EDT
711 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 208.5 208.5 / 208 / 207.5 207 +151
712 INDIANA PACERS -2 -2.5 -15 / -2.5 -21 / -3 -15 -3.5 -167
OKC-F-Serge Ibaka-OUT | OKC-F-Kevin Durant-OUT | TV: FS-Oklahoma, DTV: 676
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7:05 PM EDT
713 NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 200 200 +195
714 HOUSTON ROCKETS -3.5 -05 -4.5 / -4.5 -15 / -5 -5.5 -15 -218
NWO-FC-Anthony Davis-Probable | TV: ROOT-Southwest, DTV: 674
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7:05 PM EDT
715 PHOENIX SUNS 202 202 / 202.5 201 +1800
716 SAN ANTONIO SPURS -14.5 -14.5 / -15 -15 -15.5 -3600
PHO-G-Brandon Knight-OUT | TV: FS-Arizona, FS-Southwest, DTV: 676, 686
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9:35 PM EDT
717 DALLAS MAVERICKS
718 LOS ANGELES LAKERS
DAL-F-Chandler Parsons-Doubtful | LAL-G-Kobe Bryant-OUT | TV: FS-Southwest, NBA TV, DTV: 216, 676
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Preview: Bucks (39-40) at 76ers (18-62)

Date: April 13, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

In a season defined by massive defensive improvement, it was only fitting that the Milwaukee Bucks clinched a playoff spot with a lockdown performance.

Shutting down the depleted Philadelphia 76ers shouldn't be too difficult on Monday night.

The Bucks (40-40) clinched their third playoff berth in nine seasons with Sunday's 96-73 victory over Brooklyn. They're the first team to reach the postseason a year after finishing with the league's worst record since Miami in 2008-09, and Jason Kidd became the first coach to lead two teams to the playoffs in his first two years as coach.

"Our goal was to go to the playoffs, from Day 1," said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. "Everybody believed in it. I started believing in it and we made it."

Milwaukee is locked into the sixth seed and will play either Toronto or Chicago in the first round. The Bucks are 1-2 against the Raptors and 1-3 against the Bulls, but figure to have a fighting chance because of their defense.

They give up 99.4 points per 100 possessions, ranking second in the NBA after finishing 29th last season at 108.9. They're also forcing a league-high 17.2 turnovers after generating 14.1 per game in 2014-15.

Milwaukee's impressive defense was on full display against Brooklyn, holding it to 32.5 percent shooting and forcing 21 turnovers.

Philadelphia, losers of eight straight, ranks last in field-goal percentage (40.8) and 29th in scoring (91.8).

The Bucks were led offensively Sunday by Ersan Ilyasova, who scored 21 on 8-of-12 shooting after going 3 for 14 in his previous two games. Khris Middleton enjoyed another efficient performance, hitting 7 of 11 for 16 points to improve to 23 for 37 (62.2 percent) over his last three. He has averaged 18.2 points on 62.1 percent shooting in his last five versus Philadelphia.

Milwaukee is aiming for a third straight road win after dropping 11 straight away from home. The Bucks, who won the season's first three meetings by an average of 16.0 points, can also match their longest winning streak in the series with a sixth straight victory for the first time since Jan. 29, 1971-Jan. 28, 1972. These teams have combined for 47.0 turnovers per game in the season series.

Philadelphia (18-62) lost 114-107 at Chicago on Saturday night, extending its second-longest losing streak of the season. The banged-up 76ers dressed only nine players.

"I just felt like we took the circumstance and we tried to make it work as best we could," coach Brett Brown said. "To do that with no point guards and have our guys respond the way they did, I really can't ask much more from them."

Nerlens Noel (ankle) and Ish Smith (groin) are questionable after sitting out, while Isaiah Canaan is expected to miss a fifth straight game due to a sprained right foot. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, dealing with a strained left shoulder, has been sidelined four times in the last nine games

"We're hurting," Brown said. "We're left with nine players. Other than that, we're doing great."

This is former 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams' first game back in Philadelphia after landing in Milwaukee via a three-team trade at the deadline. He had seven points and eight assists in 18 minutes against the Sixers in his first game in a Bucks uniform on Feb. 25.

Carter-Williams has averaged 20.3 points and shot 61.4 percent in his last three games.

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Preview: Pistons (30-49) at Cavaliers (51-28)

Date: April 13, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

With their first-round opponent the only mystery remaining in terms of their postseason fate, the Cleveland Cavaliers essentially punted a game by resting four starters.

They'll be back at full strength for at least one more regular-season contest Monday night when they host the Detroit Pistons.

Already assured of a Central Division title and the Eastern Conference's second seed, the Cavaliers (51-29) gave LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith the day off Sunday at Boston, leaving Timofey Mozgov as the only active regular starter in a 117-78 loss.

James and Irving rank among the league's leaders in minutes per game, and the rest was likely especially beneficial for Irving, who also sat out Friday's 99-90 loss to the Celtics with a sore hip. James and Love didn't play in the final quarter of that defeat.

Coach David Blatt didn't seem to be fazed by Cleveland's most lopsided loss of the season.

"Honestly, we're worried about ourselves right now and about trying to deal and balance to diametrically opposed things," he told the team's official website. "One is to keep guys in shape and the other one is to rest them. The result of the games are a little less important because we've finished in second place in the Eastern Conference and we've won the division, and that's not going to change one way or another."

Three teams are still in play to meet the Cavaliers in the first round, though Boston is the front-runner after knocking them off twice in three days.

"We'll be ready if we play them,' said Iman Shumpert, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double in his first start since being traded from New York.

Blatt said all four who sat will play Monday, though, as Cleveland tries to avoid dropping three in a row for the first time since a season-worst six-game skid from Jan. 4-13. The Cavaliers finish against Washington at home on Wednesday night.

The Pistons (31-49) figure to be feeling good after their largest win of the season, a 116-77 victory over Charlotte on Sunday, though it's only consolatory for a team missing the playoffs for a sixth straight year. They were one game out of eighth place after Feb. 23 but have gone 8-16 since.

"It's been frustrating for everyone involved, but I'm really proud of our players," coach Stan Van Gundy told the team's official website. "They've really hung in there and played hard and I think our fans have been tremendous."

Jodie Meeks scored 24 and has averaged 17.3 on 75.0 percent shooting over his last three games, going 9 of 13 from 3-point range. Andre Drummond had 15 points and 19 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double and is averaging 17.7 points with 15.6 rebounds in his last 11.

The Cavaliers have won five of six in the series, taking two in Detroit after dropping the season's first meeting at home 103-80 Dec. 28.

Irving hit six 3-pointers and scored 38 in a 103-95 win Jan. 27.

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Preview: Magic (25-55) at Heat (35-45)

Date: April 13, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

On the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, the Miami Heat will try their best to close out this disappointing campaign on a positive note.

The Heat host the Orlando Magic on Monday night and must win their final two games to have any chance of reaching the postseason.

Barring a miraculous turn of events, Miami (35-45) won't get an opportunity to reach a fifth consecutive NBA Finals. Following Saturday's 107-104 defeat to visiting Toronto, the Heat will miss the playoffs with either one more loss or one more win by Brooklyn. The Nets host Chicago on Monday before closing the season Wednesday versus the visiting Magic. The Heat finish up in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

"Nobody needs to feel sorry for any of us," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "'This is what you sign up for in this business. You don't know what's going to happen ... and this year has had its challenges for all of us. But we've been grinding and fighting."

Injuries and illness have played a major role in the Heat's lackluster showing, most notably Chris Bosh's blood clots in his lungs. Josh McRoberts and Shabazz Napier are recovering from surgery, and Henry Walker has been dealing with soreness in his left elbow.

Hassan Whiteside has attempted to play with 10 stitches in his right hand. He made six of eight shots from the field while finishing with 16 points and 18 rebounds in Miami's sixth loss in seven games, but missed 12 of 16 from the free throw line.

"Injuries are part of the game. It's not always who is the most talented team. It's who can stay the healthiest and we weren't able to do that this year to give ourselves a chance," said guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 30 points.

Wade will try next to lead the Heat to a 12th win in 13 meetings with the Magic (25-55).

Orlando won 102-101 at Miami on Dec. 29, and took the Heat to overtime in a 93-90 loss in the latest matchup Feb. 25.

The Magic have dropped back-to-back games by a combined three points after winning a season high-tying three straight. They couldn't overcome one of their worst offensive performances of the season in an 80-79 defeat to New York on Saturday.

Despite shooting 35.7 percent, Orlando rallied from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a lead with 4:21 left but gave up the go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds to go in its home finale.

"It's a disappointing effort, disappointing game," interim coach James Borrego said. "It's a learning moment for us all. It's a hurdle we have to get through, and for us to make the next step, we've got to figure out how to win a game like this."

Magic center Nikola Vucevic is averaging 28.3 points in three games against the Heat this season, his best mark against any team in 2014-15.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bulls (48-32) at Nets (37-42)

Date: April 13, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Derrick Rose is still looking for his form after returning from injury, though he took a big step forward his last time out - a good sign for a Chicago Bulls team jockeying for playoff position.

They'll look to stave off a Brooklyn Nets team fighting to reach the postseason Monday night.

The Bulls (48-32) are even with Toronto for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, though the Raptors hold the tiebreaker as Atlantic Division champions.

Chicago appears to have the trickier remaining schedule, as it hosts first-place Atlanta on Wednesday while Toronto is at Boston before playing Charlotte at home. It's uncertain if the Hawks will use Wednesday's game against the Bulls to rest their starters with home court in the East playoffs wrapped up, though.

Regardless of its seeding, Chicago had to be encouraged by Rose's performance Saturday. After two lackluster showings since coming back, he had 22 points, eight assists and no turnovers with three steals in 28 minutes of a 114-107 home win over Philadelphia.

"I thought he played terrific - in all areas," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You can tell he feels good, and that's the most important thing."

Rose had been 8 for 24 with 21 points after a 20-game absence due to a torn meniscus, playing fewer than 21 minutes in both contests. Chicago has gone 18-7 when he scores at least 20, including four straight victories.

"It's still going to take time. I'm just happy I have the teammates I have," said Rose, who has been limited to 49 games. " ... They're sticking with me, so I'm grateful, excited and filled with joy that I'm back playing."

Rose averaged 18.5 points as Chicago won the first two meetings with Brooklyn by a combined 43 points, but he was limited to four on 2-of-15 shooting in a 96-82 home loss to the Nets on Dec. 30.

The Nets (37-43) flopped offensively Sunday at Milwaukee, shooting 32.5 percent in a 96-73 loss. They had made 49.2 percent during a 5-2 stretch, but each starter hit 37.5 percent or worse against the Bucks with Deron Williams and Thaddeus Young going a combined 5 for 25 with seven turnovers.

Brooklyn is one game behind seventh-place Boston and tied with Indiana, though it holds the tiebreaker over the Pacers after winning the season series. Another Nets loss or Celtics victory would put the seventh seed out of reach for Brooklyn, which concludes its season Wednesday at home against Orlando.

"We have to forget about this one," Young said of Sunday's defeat. "We can't even think about the next two games, we have to focus on this next one against Chicago. It's as simple as that."

Brook Lopez had 12 points - more than five below his average - and 10 rebounds against the Bucks. It was his 17th double-double but an underwhelming performance after he had averaged 26.2 points in his previous 13 contests. He scored 29 in the most recent meeting with Chicago.

Williams has shot 9 for 35 (25.7 percent) in the season series.

Chicago is looking for consecutive road wins for the first time since Feb. 7-8.

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Preview: Knicks (16-64) at Hawks (60-19)

Date: April 13, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks are afforded the luxury of preparing for the playoffs while drawing the best regular season in franchise history to a close.

The New York Knicks are playing for ping-pong balls.

After resting his starters, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer is expected to have them back in the lineup Monday night when they try to sweep the season series from the woeful Knicks.

Having clinched the top seed in the East with a team record in victories, Atlanta (60-20) has rested key players ahead of the postseason.

That didn't go too well Sunday, falling 108-99 at Washington as Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Al Horford and DeMarre Carroll were given the day off. Paul Millsap missed a fourth straight game with a shoulder injury, and it's unclear when he'll be back.

Budenholzer, though, expects to have at least the others on the court against the Knicks, but it's unclear what his plan will be for Wednesday's finale at Chicago.

"I don't think we've played as well or as consistently as we'd like - regardless of who's playing - over the last two, three weeks," Budenholzer said, alluding to the his team's 7-6 record in the last 13 games. "I think we can be playing better."

However, the Hawks can't play much better at home, where they've won five straight and held opponents to 84.4 points and 40.0 percent shooting.

They'll try to extend that run against a Knicks (16-64) team which is tied with Minnesota for the worst record in the NBA and has lost 34 of 40 on the road.

New York, though, has a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since late February after Saturday's 80-79 victory at Orlando.

Wins, however, aren't something most Knicks fans care to see now with the team in position to potentially land the top pick in the draft.

New York has the inside track to the most ping-pong balls in the lottery since the tiebreaker with the Timberwolves goes in the Knicks' favor if they finish the season tied.

"I don't believe in trying to lose and I don't think that's what our organization believes either," coach Derek Fisher said. "Whatever that will be, that will be... We just have to go about our business."

Cole Aldrich certainly did that Saturday, scoring a career-high 19 points with 14 rebounds, well above the center's season averages of 5.3 points and 5.4 boards.

Atlanta has won three straight against the Knicks, including a sweep of a home-and-home set in November.

New York's starting lineup in that second game - a 103-96 loss - consisted of Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin and Tim Hardaway Jr. Only Larkin and Hardaway remain on the team's active roster.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pelicans (43-36) at Timberwolves (16-64)

Date: April 13, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The New Orleans Pelicans' playoff push is concluding with two very different opponents experiencing drastic streaks.

The good news is the first game is Monday night in Minnesota against a Timberwolves team that's lost 10 straight. The bad is the Pelicans' season ends Wednesday at home against a San Antonio team that's won 11 in a row.

There could be more positive news. If New Orleans (43-37) beats the Timberwolves (16-64) and Oklahoma City loses to Portland on Monday, the Pelicans will clinch the final Western Conference playoff spot and the game against the Spurs won't matter.

New Orleans and the Thunder have the same record, but the Pelicans hold the head-to-head tiebreaker having won three of four in the season series. Oklahoma City finishes up at Minnesota on Wednesday.

The Pelicans would be even closer to clinching if they had been able to hold onto a nine-point third-quarter lead in Sunday's 121-114 loss in Houston.

"I think our guys are (more) focused now after the loss than they were before the game because they know what's at stake," coach Monty Williams said. "But we've got to ratchet it up even more.

"... Everything's still in our favor. We've got to recognize that, but at the same time, we've got to play better than we did tonight."

Anthony Davis scored 27 points, and Jrue Holiday had 17 on 7-of-9 shooting in his second game back after missing 41 with a right leg injury. He's played less than 16 minutes in each game, and Williams said that could increase against Minnesota.

"Jrue was great," Williams said. "It's tough for him because he can't get a rhythm. He's used to playing 35, 40 minutes a game. He's out there playing in five- to eight-minute stretches. I may up the ante (Monday). We'll see how it goes."

New Orleans was 11 of 27 from 3-point range and is shooting a league-best 43.5 percent beyond the arc over its last 12 games, but it has only managed to split those. It has lost three of five and three straight on the road, but Oklahoma City is unraveling with losses in seven of nine.

Completing a four-game sweep of Minnesota and extending their winning streak in the series to five shouldn't be too difficult. The previous three wins have come by an average of 26.0 points with the Pelicans holding a 58.2-41.6 advantage in field-goal percentage. In three-point percentage, the edge is 64.9-20.0.

In his only game in the series on Nov. 14, Holiday had 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

In addition to the overall skid, the Timberwolves have dropped six straight at home. At 9-30, they're the only team in basketball not to win 10 home games.

Saturday's 110-101 loss at Golden State at least featured some individual excitement with Zach LaVine scoring a career-high 37 points. In his last 15 starts, the guard is averaging 19.3 points and shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range.

With the roster overrun by injuries, coach Flip Saunders was happy with the effort against the NBA's top team.

"We could easily have phoned it in," Saunders said. "It's encouraging to see the guys work hard. With our injury situation we basically played just seven guys."

Phoning it in might be most beneficial to the team. The Timberwolves are tied with New York for the worst record in basketball. With Philadelphia two games ahead, they're already assured top-three lottery odds.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (51-29) at Thunder (43-36)

Date: April 13, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, the Oklahoma City Thunder need a strong two-game finish to have a chance at the final spot in the Western Conference.

They may have to open that stretch without Russell Westbrook, who will likely be suspended for Monday night's critical contest with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Westbrook posted yet another outstanding performance Sunday, scoring a career-high 54 points on 43 field goal attempts - the most in a non-overtime game since Kobe Bryant took 44 shots en route to 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006 - but the Thunder (43-37) fell to Indiana 116-104, leaving their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.

"His competitive spirit kept us in this game," coach Scott Brooks told the Thunder's official website. "Even with all of those things happening to use - the free throws and the easy opportunities in transition - those are the things that Russell does. He plays with a lot of heart, desire and determination and he puts us in a position to win the game."

Oklahoma City is currently tied with New Orleans for the No. 8 spot with the Pelicans owning the tiebreaker. New Orleans visits Minnesota on Monday and hosts San Antonio on Wednesday, while the Thunder close that same night at Minnesota.

That challenging path to the postseason grew potentially much more difficult after Westbrook earned a questionable technical foul Sunday, his 16th of the season. Unless it's rescinded by the NBA, the star point guard will be suspended for Monday's game by NBA rules.

Brooks expressed little concern for Westbrook after the game.

'I'm pretty confident this one will be rescinded,' Brooks said. 'That's not my decision, but I feel confident about it.'

The Trail Blazers (51-29) will enter the postseason in the No. 4 spot after winning the Northwest Division for the first time since 2008-09, when they shared the divisional crown with Denver. Still, they'll open the playoffs on the road after clinching the sixth-best record in the West.

Portland hopes to build some sort of momentum to close the season after dropping two straight. The Trail Blazers lost at Golden State on Thursday before falling 111-105 at home to Utah on Saturday as LaMarcus Aldridge sat out with a left foot sprain.

The Jazz shot 42 free throws with Aldridge out - the most Portland has allowed this season. Aldridge is questionable to face the Thunder.

'There's really not an excuse for playing the way we did,' coach Terry Stotts said. 'It's very disappointing, very frustrating and hopefully it was very sobering for everybody. ... Offense comes and goes, but we didn't bring a defensive mentality, regardless of who plays. We though it was going to be easier than it was."

Portland can secure its first season sweep of the Thunder since the 2002-03 season, when the franchise resided in Seattle. Westbrook tallied 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists on Feb. 27, but Aldridge and Damian Lillard scored 29 apiece to secure a 115-112 victory.

Westbrook scored 40 and 38 points in Oklahoma City's other two defeats to the Trail Blazers this season.

Arron Afflalo, who has averaged 10.6 points since joining Portland on Feb. 19, remains out with a sore shoulder.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (54-26) at Warriors (65-15)

Date: April 13, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies could be significantly depleted in their final push for the Southwest Division title and No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen's status are unknown for the season's final two games, beginning with Monday night's matchup against the West regular-season champion Golden State Warriors.

Poised to finish anywhere from second to sixth in the West, Memphis (54-26) is also chasing its first division crown in franchise history and attempting to match the franchise-best 56 wins from 2012-13.

Reaching those goals could prove challenging if the Grizzlies can't get healthy quickly. Memphis lost 94-86 on Saturday against one of its other three competitors for second in the West, the Los Angeles Clippers, with Conley (foot) and Allen (hamstring) sitting out from the opening tip.

Allen, one of the team's defensive specialists, has been out since March 27 and Conley has missed the past two games.

The Grizzles then lost leading scorer Gasol to a sprained left ankle in the first quarter and Beno Udrih was forced to leave after getting hit in the throat but played in the fourth. Coach David Joerger took solace in his short-handed team limiting the Clippers to 39.8 percent shooting and a 6-of-27 performance from 3-point range.

"I'm not worried. I'm so proud of our guys," Joerger said. "I couldn't be prouder of this team. We played our tails off."

With Golden State having secured the NBA's best record, Memphis would appear to face a team with little motivation. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he felt his team was going "through the motions a little bit" in a 110-101 win over Minnesota on Saturday.

Golden State (65-15) nearly blew a 17-point lead against the lowly Timberwolves and were coming into that game have dropped two of their prior three.

"Maybe this is just two weeks of already knowing our position, I don't know. We just weren't sharp," Kerr said. "I just think they're ready for the playoffs. They want it, and I'm very confident that when that happens, when the playoffs come, our edge will be back and we'll be sharper."

With a relatively healthy lineup, the Grizzlies took one of their most lopsided defeats of the season March 27 against visiting Golden State. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 38 points in a 107-84 victory, going 8 of 12 from 3-point range.

Klay Thompson added another six 3s while scoring 28 points and Golden State went 16 of 31 from deep.

The Grizzles limited Curry to 1-of-10 shooting on 3-pointers - 9 of 25 overall - and 19 points in a 105-98 victory Dec. 16. Gasol scored 24 points in Memphis' lone win in the last four matchups.

The Warriors enter having won 16 in a row at home, where they're 37-2 on the season.

Golden State reserve guard Leandro Barbosa could return after missing back-to-back games with an ailing right Achilles.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nuggets (29-50) at Clippers (54-26)

Date: April 13, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers are as befuddled about the playoff scenarios as just about everybody else in the Western Conference.

They'll try for a sixth straight win in their regular-season home finale against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Los Angeles (54-26) added to the chaos in the West by beating Memphis 94-86 at home Saturday. That created the possibility of a three-way tie or a four-way tie with the Grizzlies, San Antonio and Houston.

"I guess it's more confusing now," coach Doc Rivers said. "When you figure it out, let me know."

The Clippers can finish anywhere from second through sixth in the conference. They are hoping to open at home for the fourth consecutive postseason.

'It would be nice to get that No. 2 seed,' guard J.J. Redick said. 'We're going to need some help. We still feel like we have another level to get to.'

Los Angeles is starting a back-to-back set with a visit to Phoenix on Tuesday. Chris Paul, who has played every game this season, and Blake Griffin said Saturday that they do not want to miss either contest.

"If they say they need a rest, they're going to get a rest," Rivers said. "If they say they want to play, they're going to play."

The Clippers still have things to work as the regular season winds down. One of them is getting Jamal Crawford back at his best; the reserve has totaled 15 points and shot 5 of 18 in two games after missing 17 with a calf injury.

"He's just trying to get his rhythm back, it's going to take time," Rivers said.

Crawford's presence is one difference from a 107-92 Clippers win the last time these teams met April 4. Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead in the season series as Redick and Paul combined for 48 points and DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 22 boards.

Paul also finished with nine assists to one turnover. He had an easy time with Denver point guard Ty Lawson scratched due to a sore right forearm and backup Jameer Nelson leaving in the second quarter with a right hip flexor strain.

Nelson has not played since that contest, while Lawson has averaged 15.0 points and 12.3 assists in playing all three games since.

Jordan is in position to become the first player to lead the league in rebounds per game and shooting percentage in consecutive seasons since Wilt Chamberlain from 1971-73.

Jordan's 70.9 shooting percent is second best in league history behind Chamberlain's 72.7 in 1972-73. He needs to make his next 35 shots to break Chamberlain's mark.

The Nuggets (30-50) closed out their home schedule with Sunday's 122-111 win over Sacramento. Kenneth Faried scored 30 and made 12 of 14 shots while Wilson Chandler added 21.

Denver improved to 10-11 since interim coach Melvin Hunt replaced Brian Shaw on March 3.

'I feel like we're back to the old Nuggets and it's exciting,' Faried said. 'I hope they hire him and I hope he's our head coach next year.'

[StarDust Bum]

NBA PLAYOFF PICTURE


EASTERN CONFERENCE

W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 z-Atlanta 60 20 0.750 - 35-5 25-15 38-12 12-4 L1 7-3

2 y-Cleveland 51 29 0.638 9 29-10 22-19 33-17 10-5 L2 7-3

3 y-Toronto 48 32 0.600 12 26-14 22-18 32-18 11-4 W3 6-4

4 x-Chicago 48 32 0.600 12 26-14 22-18 31-19 8-8 W2 6-4

5 x-Washington 46 34 0.575 14 29-12 17-22 30-20 10-6 W1 6-4

6 x-Milwaukee 39 40 0.494 20½ 22-17 17-23 28-21 7-9 W1 5-5

7 Boston 38 42 0.475 22 20-20 18-22 26-24 11-4 W4 7-3

8 Brooklyn 37 42 0.468 22½ 18-21 19-21 23-26 10-6 W1 8-2

Indiana 37 43 0.462 23 22-18 15-25 27-24 8-8 W5 7-3

Miami 35 45 0.438 25 19-21 16-24 23-27 5-10 L2 3-7

o-Charlotte 33 47 0.412 27 19-21 14-26 25-26 8-8 L4 3-7

o-Detroit 31 49 0.388 29 18-23 13-26 22-28 6-9 W1 5-5

o-Orlando 25 55 0.312 35 13-28 12-27 15-35 4-11 L2 4-6

o-Philadelphia 18 62 0.225 42 12-27 6-35 12-38 2-14 L8 1-9

o-New York 16 64 0.200 44 10-30 6-34 10-40 5-11 W1 2-8



WESTERN CONFERENCE

W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 z-Golden St. 65 15 0.812 - 37-2 28-13 40-10 13-3 W2 8-2

2 x-San Antonio 55 26 0.679 10½ 33-8 22-18 32-19 8-7 W11 10-0

3 x-L.A. Clippers 54 26 0.675 11 29-11 25-15 35-15 11-4 W5 9-1

4 y-Portland 51 29 0.638 14 32-9 19-20 31-19 11-4 L2 6-4

5 x-Memphis 54 26 0.675 11 30-10 24-16 35-16 9-7 L1 5-5

6 x-Houston 54 26 0.675 11 29-11 25-15 32-19 8-8 W1 7-3

7 x-Dallas 49 31 0.612 16 26-14 23-17 28-22 7-9 W3 5-5

8 New Orleans 43 37 0.538 22 27-13 16-24 27-23 7-8 L1 6-4

Oklahoma City 43 37 0.538 22 28-12 15-25 23-27 8-6 L1 3-7

o-Phoenix 39 42 0.481 26½ 22-18 17-24 21-30 6-9 L4 1-9

o-Utah 37 43 0.462 28 20-20 17-23 22-28 9-7 W1 6-4

o-Denver 30 50 0.375 35 19-22 11-28 19-31 6-10 W1 4-6

o-Sacramento 27 53 0.338 38 17-23 10-30 16-34 5-9 L3 2-8

o-L.A. Lakers 21 59 0.262 44 12-28 9-31 9-41 2-12 L1 2-8

o-Minnesota 16 64 0.200 49 9-30 7-34 7-43 4-11 L10 0-10


x-clinched playoff berth
y-denotes division winner
z-clinched top seed in conference
o-eliminated from playoff contention

[StarDust Bum]

MATCHUPS - EASTERN CONFERENCE

SEED TEAM RECORD GAMES LEFT

W L PCT H A TOT

1 z-Atlanta Hawks 60 20 0.750 1 1 2

8 Brooklyn Nets 37 42 0.468 2 1 3

2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers 51 29 0.638 2 0 2

7 Boston Celtics 38 42 0.475 1 1 2

3 y-Toronto Raptors 48 32 0.600 1 1 2

6 x-Milwaukee Bucks 39 40 0.494 2 1 3

4 x-Chicago Bulls 48 32 0.600 1 1 2

5 x-Washington Wizards 46 34 0.575 0 2 2


MATCHUPS - WESTERN CONFERENCE

SEED TEAM RECORD GAMES LEFT
W L PCT H A TOT

1 z-Golden State Warriors 65 15 0.812 2 0 2

8 New Orleans Pelicans 43 37 0.538 1 1 2

2 x-San Antonio Spurs 55 26 0.679 0 1 1

7 x-Dallas Mavericks 49 31 0.612 1 1 2

3 x-Los Angeles Clippers 54 26 0.675 1 1 2

6 x-Houston Rockets 54 26 0.675 1 1 2

4 y-Portland Trail Blazers 51 29 0.638 0 2 2

5 x-Memphis Grizzlies 54 26 0.675 1 1 2


EASTERN CONFERENCE

SEED TEAM GB

1 z-Atlanta -

2 y-Cleveland 9

3 y-Toronto 12

4 x-Chicago 12

5 x-Washington 14

6 x-Milwaukee 20.5

7 Boston 22

8 Brooklyn 22.5

STILL ALIVE

9 Indiana 23

10 Miami 25


ELIMINATED

11 o-Charlotte 27

12 o-Detroit 29

13 o-Orlando 35

14 o-Philadelphia 42

15 o-New York 44



WESTERN CONFERENCE

SEED TEAM GB

1 z-Golden State -

2 x-San Antonio 10.5

3 x-L.A. Clippers 11

4 y-Portland 14

5 x-Memphis 11

6 x-Houston 11

7 x-Dallas 16

8 New Orleans 22


STILL ALIVE

9 Oklahoma City 22

ELIMINATED


10 o-Phoenix 26.5

11 o-Utah 28

12 o-Denver 35

13 o-Sacramento 38

14 o-L.A. Lakers 44

15 o-Minnesota 49

x-clinched playoff berth
y-denotes division winner
z-clinched top seed in conference
o-eliminated from playoff contention

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Results of Mel Kiper Jr's latest mock draft.........

1) Tampa Bay-- Jameis Winston, QB Florida State

2) Tennessee-- Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon

3) Jacksonville-- Leonard Williams, DE USC

4) Oakland-- Amari Cooper, WR Alabama

5) Washington-- Dante Fowler Jr, DE Florida

6) NY Jets-- Brandon Scherff, OT Iowa

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend...........

13) Masters must be TV gold; CBS runs commercials for it in January, NBA or NASCAR won't go head-to-head with it on Sunday. They use same graphics package they used in 1986, announcers aren't allowed to say certain words on the air (they banned Gary McCord for being.....himself during broadcasts).

There is a certain weirdness about it, but money talks, often very loudly.

12) Drexel graduate transfer Damion Lee has whittled his list of destinations down to five schools; Arizona-Gonzaga-Louisville-Marquette-Maryland. he is from Baltimore and will help a lot no matter where he goes.

11) Chris Mullin signed up buddy Barry Rohrssen as an assistant coach for St John's, giving him an impressive couple recruiters as his first two assistant coaches. Question now becomes: are there enough good players in NYC for St John's to be a perennial NCAA tourney team? There is debate on this, but it looks like Mullin is intent on building a recruiting fence around the Big Apple.

10) Carolina Hurricanes (down 18%), Florida Panthers (down 22%), had NHL's biggest attendance drops this season, as compared to average of previous three seasons. Still think the NHL needs less Sun Belt teams, more in Canada.

9) Indians lost catcher Yan Gomes for 6-8 weeks with a sprained MCL.

8) There is a strong rumor on the Interweb that Pistons' Greg Monroe is going to sign with the Knicks as a free agent this summer.

7) With LA/Boston missing playoffs this spring, Blackhawks are only team in NHL playoffs that has won a Stanley Cup in the last five years.

6) This goes back a ways, but apparently the LA Kings got so mad at their coach one night in February, they locked him out of their locker room after a game in Tampa. This is a team that won two of last three Stanley Cups- they also won their next seven games after the incident.

5) Funny thing about the Kings; they won the Stanley Cup last year, missed the playoffs this year, but they had five more points this regular season than they did last year. But winning in the playoffs is all that matters.

4) Milwaukee beat the Nets 96-73, putting Jason Kidd's team in the playoffs, after they had the worst record in the league last year. Now they're 40-40, not exactly the '71 Lakers, but thats still a big improvement.

3) Russell Westbrook scored 54 points in Oklahoma City's loss in Indiana yesterday, but he also got his 16th technical foul, which means that unless the league rescinds the technical, he can't play against Portland tonight. Thunder is in a struggle for the last playoff spot- they obviously need him to play.

2) Miguel Cabrera went 11-14 in Detroit's series in Cleveland this weekend, as the Tigers start this season 6-0, even with Justin Verlander on the DL.

1) NBA playoff picture, as the season enters the last few days of the regular season: Pacers/Nets are tied for last playoff spot in East; in West, Thunder and Pelicans are tied for the 8th spot.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, April 13

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Charlotte is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Detroit's last 12 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Cleveland is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games at home

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Milwaukee is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Milwaukee's last 21 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Miami is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games

7:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games on the road
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Atlanta's last 21 games when playing at home against New York

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
Brooklyn is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

8:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. MINNESOTA
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing New Orleans

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Portland's last 11 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Oklahoma City's last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
DALLAS vs. UTAH
Dallas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Utah
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Utah is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Utah's last 24 games when playing at home against Dallas

10:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 9 games
LA Lakers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Sacramento is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

10:30 PM
DENVER vs. LA CLIPPERS
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games

10:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 8 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 9 games at home