The Bum's College Hoops For December Rated Games -Trends - News !!

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Preview: Thundering Herd (3-6) at Mountainers (8-1)
Date: December 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Bob Huggins doesn't seem to be a big fan of Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni. The West Virginia coach despises the annual Capital Classic between the schools even more.

Despite that disdain, Huggins must have the No. 20 Mountaineers prepared to continue their dominance in the series Thursday night in Charleston.

West Virginia (8-1) has won four straight and eight of nine against Marshall, which is 5-19 in this annual rivalry game since it moved permanently to the state's capital in 1991-92. After the Mountaineers pulled out a 69-66 victory last year despite allowing the Thundering Herd to shoot 50.0 percent, D'Antoni voiced his opinion on the future of the series.

"I've heard suggestions for a home-and-home," D'Antoni said afterward. "Here's what I think: Morgantown, Charleston, and the next year, Charleston, Huntington. It's good for the state.

"If they back out now, they're afraid of us."

That comment prompted Huggins to mock D'Antoni on his next weekly radio show.

"I probably coached a thousand games. And now I'm scared. Scared to play Marshall," Huggins said last year. "The whole thing's comical."

Never a fan of this annual matchup, Huggins quickly blew by the topic when asked this week if he's spoken with D'Antoni since last year's contest.

"No. I haven't seen him," Huggins said.

Undefeated since opening with six straight losses, Marshall (3-6) seems to view this contest as perhaps the state's most important basketball game each year.

"This game is for the state," D'Antoni said. "We need to respect them, but then we want to compete. This game is what makes the next Jerry Wests, Hal Greers, Rob Thorns, and Mike D'Antonis. It is the one that excites the kids in this state."

The focus in Morgantown appears to be more on cooling off the Herd and posting a second consecutive 9-1 start. West Virginia rebounded from its 70-54 loss to then-No. 10 Virginia by rolling to a 100-58 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday.

The Mountaineers are the nation's top team in defensive 3-point percentage (22.4) and average forced turnovers (22.7). While giving up 59.0 points per game, they're averaging 85.9 despite shooting 30.1 percent from beyond the arc.

"I think we've done a pretty good job with our full-court pressure, but we need to be more consistent offensively," Huggins said. "We've played well offensively at times and not so well at other times and I think that's the one area that we need to kind of shore up, clean up and become more consistent there."

Jevon Carter, who scored 14 against Marshall last season, averaged 8.0 points on 28.8 percent shooting in the previous six games before scoring 21 and hitting 7 of 14 on Sunday. Devin Williams (17.0 points, 9.8 rebounds per game) recorded his sixth double-double of the season.

Both could be in for big games against Marshall, which allows an average of 82.9 points on 47.0 percent shooting. The Herd, however, have averaged 88.5 points in the last four games and shot 51.5 percent during the three-game win streak. They shot 38.8 percent in the first six contests.

While Austin Loop has keyed the past two wins with a combined 46 points and 14 3-pointers, Marshall is paced by Miami transfer James Kelly (16.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and Ryan Taylor (16.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Taylor had 11 points against West Virginia last season but committed seven of Marshall's 24 turnovers.

"I think we're playing good basketball," Taylor said. "Everyone is ready to play in Charleston."

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CBB ATS

CBB > (717) CS-NORTHRIDGE@ (718) PORTLAND ST | 2015-12-17 22:05:00 - 2015-12-17 22:05:00
Play AGAINST CS-NORTHRIDGE against the spread in All games in non-conference games
The record is 6 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-16 units)

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CBB MONEYLINE

CBB > (707) MARSHALL@ (708) W VIRGINIA | 2015-12-17 19:00:00 - 2015-12-17 19:00:00
Play AGAINST MARSHALL using money line in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game
The record is 2 Wins and 28 Losses for the since 1992 (-27.15 units)

CBB > (713) S DAKOTA@ (714) WI-MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-17 20:00:00 - 2015-12-17 20:00:00
Play ON S DAKOTA using money line in All games in road games
The record is 9 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.75 units)

CBB > (713) S DAKOTA@ (714) WI-MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-17 20:00:00 - 2015-12-17 20:00:00
Play ON S DAKOTA using money line in All games in road lined games
The record is 9 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.75 units)

CBB > (717) CS-NORTHRIDGE@ (718) PORTLAND ST | 2015-12-17 22:05:00 - 2015-12-17 22:05:00
Play AGAINST PORTLAND ST using money line in All games in December games
The record is 15 Wins and 41 Losses for the since 1992 (-33.8 units)

CBB > (709) CAL POLY-SLO@ (710) USC | 2015-12-17 22:00:00 - 2015-12-17 22:00:00
Play AGAINST USC using money line in All games when the total is 150 to 159.5
The record is 1 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (-11 units)

CBB > (717) CS-NORTHRIDGE@ (718) PORTLAND ST | 2015-12-17 22:05:00 - 2015-12-17 22:05:00
Play AGAINST CS-NORTHRIDGE using money line in All games after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (-10.7 units)

CBB > (715) MOREHEAD ST@ (716) E WASHINGTON | 2015-12-17 21:05:00 - 2015-12-17 21:05:00
Play AGAINST MOREHEAD ST using money line in Road games in non-conference games
The record is 12 Wins and 40 Losses for the since 1992 (-30.35 units)

CBB > (715) MOREHEAD ST@ (716) E WASHINGTON | 2015-12-17 21:05:00 - 2015-12-17 21:05:00
Play AGAINST MOREHEAD ST using money line in Road games in December games
The record is 5 Wins and 21 Losses for the since 1992 (-18.05 units)

CBB > (709) CAL POLY-SLO@ (710) USC | 2015-12-17 22:00:00 - 2015-12-17 22:00:00
Play ON USC using money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 18 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+16 units)

CBB > (711) BELMONT@ (712) MIDDLE TENN ST | 2015-12-17 19:00:00 - 2015-12-17 19:00:00
Play ON BELMONT using money line in All games when playing with one or less days rest
The record is 14 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.05 units)

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CBB FIRST HALF

CBB > (715) MOREHEAD ST@ (716) E WASHINGTON | 2015-12-17 21:05:00 - 2015-12-17 21:05:00
Play ON E WASHINGTON ?>in the first halfin All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 23 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (+15.3 units)

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CBB TOTALS

CBB > (717) CS-NORTHRIDGE@ (718) PORTLAND ST | 2015-12-17 22:05:00 - 2015-12-17 22:05:00
Play UNDER CS-NORTHRIDGE on the totalin All games as an underdog
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.6 units)

CBB > (717) CS-NORTHRIDGE@ (718) PORTLAND ST | 2015-12-17 22:05:00 - 2015-12-17 22:05:00
Play UNDER PORTLAND ST on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 13 Overs and 35 Unders for the last three seasons (+20.7 units)

CBB > (715) MOREHEAD ST@ (716) E WASHINGTON | 2015-12-17 21:05:00 - 2015-12-17 21:05:00
Play OVER E WASHINGTON on the totalin All games when the total is 140 to 149.5
[B]The record is 21 Overs and 6 Unders for the last three seasons (+14.4 units) [/B

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Thursday, December 17

Marshall at West Virginia, 7:00 ET
Marshall: 24-47 ATS after a win by 15 points or more
W Virginia: 21-7 ATS after a blowout win by 30 points or more

Cal Poly Slo at USC, 10:00 ET
Cal Poly Slo: 7-20 ATS after 3 straight games committing 11 or less turnovers
USC: 6-0 ATS after playing 3 consecutive games as favorite

Belmont at Middle Tenn State, 7:00 ET
Belmont: 6-0 OVER as a road underdog of 6 points or less or pick
Midd Tenn St: 10-1 ATS in home games after playing a game as a home underdog

South Dakota at Wisc Milwaukee, 8:00 ET
S Dakota: 12-2 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3
Wisc Milwaukee: 9-21 ATS after playing a road game

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17

GAME SCORE STATUS PICK UNITS

Marshall
West Virginia -
- 07:00 PM

WVU -20.5 DOUBLE PLAY

Over 160.5 *****



South Dakota
Wis.-Milwaukee -
- 08:00 PM

SDAK +9.0 TRIPLE PLAY


Cal Poly SLO
Southern California -
- 10:00 PM

USC -9.0 DOUBLE PLAY

Over 150.5 DOUBLE PLAY


CSU Northridge
Portland St. -
- 10:05 PM

PRST -4.5 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (11-16) at Magic (14-11)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Though major offseason personnel losses were expected to reduce the Portland Trail Blazers' chances of competing in a deep Western Conference, their early season struggles can be attributed more to a lack of success against the East.

They'll try to reverse those recent fortunes in interconference play as they continue a road trip Friday night against the improving Orlando Magic.

Despite the departures of star forward LaMarcus Aldridge and three other starters from last season's 51-win team, Portland (11-16) has gone a respectable 10-10 within the loaded West. The Blazers are 1-6 against the East, though, losing 10 of 11 matchups with those teams overall.

Portland has dropped seven straight and 10 of 11 to East teams on the road. That includes a 111-104 loss March 20 to a Magic squad that's been considerably tougher than the one that went 25-57 last season.

Orlando (14-11) has won eight of 11 while showing better efficiency and resiliency under first-year coach Scott Skiles. After a 35-point home loss to Cleveland last Friday, the Magic responded with their best two shooting efforts of the season in back-to-back blowout victories.

The Magic shot 53.9 percent in Monday's 105-82 road win over Brooklyn, then hit 55.8 percent from the field in Wednesday's 113-98 defeat of Charlotte.

'It says a lot that we got back on track,' guard Elfrid Payton said. 'Sometimes those games are going to happen, but you can't let consecutive losses go on."

Channing Frye's hot streak has spurred the offensive surge. The veteran forward was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 17 points against the Hornets, two days after going 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

'We were missing him out there the last couple of games and now we found him,' Skiles said. 'Opponents have something else to be concerned about and that should open some other guys up.'

Orlando is shooting 51.1 percent on 3s during the win streak and was 14 of 24 on Wednesday.

The most recent win pushed the Magic to 8-4 at Amway Center, a major upgrade over last season's 13-28 mark. They've won three straight at home over Portland, loser of nine of 13 on the road after a 2-1 start.

The Trail Blazers are in the midst of a five-game trip in which they'll face three Southeast Division teams currently above .500. They got the trek off to a rough start by shooting 31.8 percent from inside the arc and a season-low 34.8 percent overall in Wednesday's 106-90 loss to surging Oklahoma City.

"I thought their defense was very good," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They were very good protecting the basket. They made it difficult for us."

The Blazers have had more success from outside, with guards C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard combining to make eight of 15 from 3-point range. McCollum scored 24 points and has averaged 22.4 while shooting 51.5 percent from beyond the arc in his last five.

Lillard added 20 points but was 0 for 9 in the second half after spraining his ankle in the second quarter. The All-Star point guard still expects to play Friday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Knicks (12-14) at 76ers (1-26)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Kristaps Porzingis fared well against a fellow top rookie in the New York Knicks' last game and his team came away with a victory.

He'll face another high 2015 draft pick Friday night in the Philadelphia 76ers' Jahlil Okafor, who missed what would have been their first regular-season meeting due to a suspension - the result of off-court behavior that has Porzingis looking like the better pick at the moment.

The Knicks go for their third straight victory when they visit a woeful 76ers club that's dropped eight in a row overall and 10 of 11 at home on the season.

Porzingis matched up with No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota on Wednesday. Though Towns had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Porzingis' 11 points, six boards and seven blocked shots helped New York (12-14) to a 107-102 victory.

'For Kristaps to block seven shots, he took away seven opportunities for the other team to score,' coach Derek Fisher said. 'That's more important than him making one more basket. Our guys are continuing to embrace the fact that your stat line won't make the difference every night. It's really about the Knicks winning the game.'

Arron Afflalo scored a game-high 29 and Carmelo Anthony had 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Knicks, who built a 60-40 halftime lead by outscoring the Timberwolves 33-14 in the second quarter. Six of Porzingis' blocks came in the first half.

Anthony's assist total was his highest since recording 10 against Boston on April 17, 2012.

'(Anthony) always makes things easier for us,' Porzingis said. 'He was rebounding the ball good, helping us bigs get the rebound. He was passing the ball well. He had nine assists. He was really doing it all on the floor and that's what we need from him.'

Porzingis, who drew scorn and some ridicule from many fans and pundits when he was the Knicks' choice at fourth overall, has joined Towns as the top players out of the draft in the early going. Along with Towns, Okafor was seen as one of New York's top targets in June, but the Knicks are likely feeling fortunate that the draft broke the way it did, with Okafor being taken third by Philadelphia (1-26).

The center is averaging 17.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, but his troubles away from the court have overshadowed that production. He was involved in a street fight in Boston on Nov. 25, which resulted in the 76ers suspending him for two games. He was also cited for speeding on a bridge in New Jersey, and other reports of troublesome behavior have surfaced.

The first game Okafor was suspended for came Dec. 2 at New York. Porzingis had team highs of 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks to lift the Knicks to a 99-87 victory - their sixth in the past seven meetings.

The Sixers allowed a season-high point total in a 127-106 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday. Philadelphia shot 52.0 percent from the field but allowed the Hawks to make 61.5 percent.

Isaiah Canaan scored a season-high 24 points and Okafor had 19.

'We just gave up a lot of easy looks, which has kind of been the story throughout the season,' point guard Kendall Marshall said, 'but it's something we can get better at.'

Porzingis and Okafor have met on the court once, during a Las Vegas Summer League game July 14. Porzingis blocked Okafor's potential tying dunk with 42 seconds remaining in overtime, though Okafor scored 18 points.

The 76ers won the most recent home matchup with the Knicks 97-81 on March 20.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nets (7-18) at Pacers (15-9)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers are doing a good job of using different lineups to create points off turnovers and that factor could be a recipe for success against the lowly Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets struggle to limit opponents in that department and have been awful on the road ahead of Friday night's matchup against a Pacers team that is 7-0 at home against Eastern Conference foes.

Indiana (15-9) has shown its versatility by occasionally employing a starting lineup with two big men with a presence in the post, as it did in Wednesday's 107-81 rout of Dallas in which Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi started. Allen replaced C.J. Miles, who came off the bench.

Miles, who scored a team-high 20 points, doesn't mind the fact that his role changes. The varying usage of the Pacers' personnel is a major reason why they average 20.0 points off turnovers for one of the NBA's best marks.

"If a team is trying match up with that spread lineup or the big lineup because those guys run too, it's hard," Miles said. "We want to create a tempo to make their big guys have to run and make them have to match up."

It's not clear which lineup the Pacers will use against a Nets team that employs Brook Lopez at center and Thaddeus Young at power forward since Miles may be able to match up with Young.

Brooklyn (7-18) is yielding 18.0 points off turnovers and averaging 15.4 turnovers for two of the league's poorer marks. That puts pressure on point guard Jarrett Jack to control the tempo and prevent mistakes.

Jack had 22 points and 10 assists in Wednesday's 104-98 home loss to Miami. The Nets failed to contain Dwyane Wade, who had 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting.

Now Brooklyn faces another explosive guard in Monta Ellis, who scored all 19 points in the second half Wednesday in his first game against his former team.

'First half, I had some good looks, they just weren't going down,' Ellis said. 'I got some easy buckets and shots just started falling. It was nothing personal, but Dallas was talking in the second half, a little. It probably got me going.'

Indiana star Paul George has struggled in the last three games to average 16.0 points on 34.0 percent shooting. He averages 26.2 points on 43.7 percent shooting.

George was injured for the 2014-15 season series in which the Pacers lost two of three. He averaged 23.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting two seasons ago when Indiana swept four meetings.

Lopez made 12 of 16 shots for 25 points against the Heat. He totaled 32 on 11-of-29 shooting in his three previous games.

"It was a good bounce-back game," Lopez said. "You don't want to be happy with losing, it's still very disappointing."

Brooklyn is 1-11 on the road, including 0-6 against East foes. Indiana has won nine of its last 10 at home.

Nets reserve guard Donald Sloan had season highs of five points and 12 minutes Wednesday ahead of his return to Indiana, where he spent the previous two seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (15-12) at Celtics (14-12)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics have exhibited some inconsistent play this season. That was also the case in their first two meetings.

Atlanta looks to win consecutive games for just the second time since its 8-2 start Friday night when it visits a Boston team that's trying to avoid dropping three in a row for the first time since the opening week.

These teams met in Boston on Nov. 13 with the Celtics scoring the final 10 points to pull out a 106-93 victory. The next matchup came 11 days later in Atlanta, as the Hawks shot 56.3 percent, went 12 of 24 from 3-point range and scored 40 points in the fourth to win 121-97.

Atlanta matched its season high in points and had its best shooting performance of 2015-16 in that one before eclipsing both marks Wednesday against NBA-worst Philadelphia.

The Hawks shot 61.5 percent and went 10 for 21 from deep in a 127-106 victory to snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 7-10 since their hot start.

'This year we've been up and down so much as a team,' center Al Horford said. 'This is a great opportunity for us to start being more consistent and really build those good habits that we had last year.'

Atlanta (15-12) shot 40.5 percent - 27.1 from beyond the arc - and averaged 86.7 points during the preceding three-game skid.

'Offensively we played harder, we cut harder, we screened harder,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. 'We moved the ball with pace.'

Atlanta leads the Eastern Conference with 25.2 assists per game - Boston is second at 24.3 - and had 32 against the 76ers.

'We were aggressive, not just to make the assist pass, but to make passes within our offense that eventually leads to a better shot,' guard Kyle Korver said. 'That's a huge key for us. Everybody has to be engaged when you do that.'

The Celtics (14-12) had a season-low 17 assists Wednesday in a 119-116 loss at Detroit, spoiling point guard Isaiah Thomas' career high-tying 38 points. Boston has lost three of four following a 6-2 stretch.

'We just needed to play better, that's the bottom line,' coach Brad Stevens said. 'That's a good team, and we know it was going to be a good team, and that we would have to play really well to win. We didn't play well.'

The Celtics committed 18 turnovers after totaling 15 in their previous two games.

'We probably should've executed a little bit better, took care of the ball,' forward Jonas Jerebko said. 'It just didn't go our way today and we didn't have a great game. We gotta bounce back ... Atlanta's next.'

Thomas had 23 points and 10 assists in the first meeting in Boston, while Paul Millsap scored 25 to lead seven Hawks in double figures in the one in Atlanta.

The Celtics have won 19 of the last 23 at home in this series, including playoffs. The Hawks have dropped six of eight on the road after opening 4-0.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Raptors (16-11) at Heat (15-9)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

After closing their homestand with a string of victories, the banged-up Toronto Raptors are fighting through an offensive slump on their three-game road swing.

It certainly won't get any easier in the finale against a team coach Dwane Casey said "got into us defensively and made it tough for us" last month.

As the Raptors try to avoid a season high-tying third straight loss, the defensive-minded Miami Heat seek their longest winning streak in 20 months Friday night.

Toronto shot 47.9 percent from the field in winning the last four of a six-game stay north of the border, but has struggled with a 36.4 mark over the first two of its trip.

Although DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points Thursday, Kyle Lowry shot 6 for 29 - including 3 of 17 from 3-point range - in a 109-99 overtime loss at Charlotte. The Raptors only made nine of a season-high 39 attempts (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

"It's almost like we have to get hit in the teeth before we compete," Casey said after his team rallied from a 16-point deficit to force overtime.

It hasn't helped that they're playing without starters Jonas Valanciunas (finger) and DeMarre Carroll (knee), the team's third and fourth leading scorers. Neither player is expected to return for the trip's final stop at American Airlines Arena.

Center Bismack Biyombo has filled in to give Toronto a solid defensive presence and finished with a career-best 18 rebounds and career high-tying seven blocks Thursday.

Valanciunas had a team-high 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the first meeting at Miami on Nov. 8. Lowry and DeRozan, however, were a combined 9 for 30 and the Raptors shot just 39.4 percent and were 3 of 19 from 3-point range in a 96-76 loss.

Toronto (16-11) had lost 16 in a row before winning the last two meetings in 2014-15. They could have a difficult time evening this season's series with Miami (15-9) leading the Eastern Conference in points (93.8) and shooting percentage (42.2) allowed.

The Heat shot 53.3 percent while holding their fifth consecutive opponent under 100 points in a 104-98 win at Brooklyn on Wednesday. They're going after their first four-game winning streak since March 28-April 2, 2014, before LeBron James' departure.

"We've won three in a row, but we have a big one Friday," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The challenge now is not to get overwhelmed with just the result. It's how we're playing and just to bring an incredible disposition at home against a very good team."

Dwyane Wade played through a swollen mouth that gave him trouble speaking earlier in the day, finishing with 28 points. Hassan Whiteside scored 20 with 13 rebounds.

Wade made 13 of 17 shots after missing 13 of 16 in his previous game at Atlanta. Whiteside had been averaging just 7.8 points over his prior four.

"Last game I got so many great shots and couldn't knock them down," Wade said. "I told my teammates if I get those same shots versus Brooklyn, they're going in."

Now it's Chris Bosh's turn to regroup after he matched a season low with seven points while missing six of his seven shots. Bosh, who spent his first seven seasons with Toronto, has totaled 44 points and 19 rebounds in his last two meetings.

The All-Star has helped the Heat win 12 in a row in the series when he's played.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pistons (15-12) at Bulls (15-8)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Bulls continue to take advantage of playing at home.

That's usually been the case when they face the Detroit Pistons.

The Bulls can continue that dominance of the Pistons at the United Center by completing a perfect five-game homestand Friday night.

Chicago (15-8) has consistently shined while going 11-3 at home. No team has played away from home less than the Bulls, who have gone 4-5 on the road. In home games, the Bulls lead the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage (40.8) and rank second in points allowed at 93.8 per contest.

Since giving up an average of 103.3 points during a three-game slide, Chicago has yielded 88.8 per game through the first four of this homestand. The Bulls haven't won five straight anywhere since last December.

"(There's) a great vibe," guard Derrick Rose said after scoring 19 in Wednesday's 98-85 win over Memphis. "As long as we're winning games we don't care about anything else. Everything else gets swept under the rug. We're playing together, finishing games together.

"On to the next game."

They've beaten the Pistons in 17 of the last 18 regular-season meetings at the United Center, holding them to an average of 86.7 points. Detroit (15-12) reached 100 once during that stretch.

The Pistons, though, won the only meeting this season with a 98-94 overtime victory Oct. 30 in Detroit as they held Rose to eight points on 4-of-13 shooting with five turnovers. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 23 points and has totaled 47 in his last two contests.

The Pistons are 2-8 in road games since winning their first three. They hadn't surpassed 100 points during that stretch, averaging 89.6, before winning 107-95 at league-worst Philadelphia last Friday.

Beginning with that victory, Detroit has averaged 111.8 points and shot 46.6 percent to win three of four. However, the Pistons yielded their second-most points of the season while holding on for a 119-116 win over Boston on Wednesday to close a three-game homestand.

"There were a lot of good things from an offensive standpoint," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We didn't play very good defense."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a career-high 31 on 10-of-16 shooting. The third-year guard averaged 12.7 points and shot 38.2 percent in the first 20 games, but he's at 18.3 points and 47.4 percent in the last seven.

'I never lost confidence in myself, because I know offense is one of those things that comes and goes,' Caldwell-Pope said. 'I just kept playing hard on defense and stuck to my routine. I knew I would start hitting shots at some point.'

One of his worst games of the season came against Chicago, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting. Caldwell-Pope has averaged 7.6 points and shot 36.0 percent in eight career matchups.

Pistons leading scorer Reggie Jackson has averaged 24.8 points in the last four games. He's scored 22 in each of the last three against the Bulls while averaging 9.0 assists.

The NBA leader with 23 double-doubles, Andre Drummond recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds against the Bulls in October.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (10-15) at Timberwolves (9-16)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings could have given in to distractions in their last game. Instead, they moved to the brink of their longest win streak this season.

With Rajon Rondo back from suspension, the Kings try for a fourth straight victory while sending the Minnesota Timberwolves to a fifth consecutive defeat Friday night.

Rondo was suspended by the NBA for Tuesday's game against Houston because of a "derogatory and offensive term" he used against official Bill Kennedy in a loss to Boston in Mexico City on Dec. 3.

Kennedy, who later reportedly revealed that he is gay in an interview, said that the Kings point guard used a gay slur. Rondo issued a second apology Tuesday after receiving criticism for his initial one on Twitter in which he blamed "frustration and emotion."

"I want to be clear, from the bottom of my heart that I am truly sorry for what I said to Bill," Rondo said in a statement released by the Kings. "There is no place on or off the court for language that disrespects anyone's sexual orientation. That is not who I am or what I believe and I will strive every day to be a better person."

Rondo served his suspension during a 107-97 victory, a game that featured a strange incident. DeMarcus Cousins' manager Andrew Rogers was ejected for slapping at the Rockets' Jason Terry in the third quarter.

It didn't derail Cousins, who had a team-best 26 points and 12 rebounds, or the Kings (10-15) as they won despite committing 29 turnovers - their highest total in 19 seasons.

Darren Collison had eight giveaways but also recorded 14 points, a season-best 13 assists and seven rebounds in place of Rondo, among the NBA leaders with four triple-doubles.

"We all know what kind of player Rondo is, but when somebody is down, we've still got to be able to win games," said forward Rudy Gay, who had 17 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

Rondo is slated to start against a Minnesota team that's lost eight of nine. A 107-102 defeat at New York on Wednesday was its fourth straight.

The Timberwolves (9-16) have averaged 106.1 points in their last seven games but given up 111.3. Coach Sam Mitchell, though, is touting his young team's improvement from a 16-66 effort in 2014-15.

"We're not jumping up and down celebrating, but compared to where we were defensively last year, offensively last year, I'm laughing at you guys (the media)," Mitchell said. 'Everybody's like, 'What's wrong with the Timberwolves?' We won 16 games last year. We've got nine wins right now.

"You're talking about eight guys 22 or younger. Our three most talented players that play the most minutes and are our leading scorers are all 20 years old and would be juniors in college."

Minnesota won 101-91 at Sacramento on Nov. 27, ending a four-game skid in the series. Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points while Zach LaVine contributed 19 points and eight rebounds.

The Timberwolves, 3-10 at home, face a Sacramento club that has won in its last two visits to Minnesota. The Kings have also played the past two in the series without Cousins, who was out with a strained lower back Nov. 27.

Gay had two points on 1-of-13 shooting in that game after scoring a combined 54 in his previous two matchups. Rondo had 16 points and 16 assists.

Wiggins is averaging 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in four career games against Sacramento, his highest marks in both categories against a Western Conference opponent.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Clippers (16-10) at Spurs (22-5)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs' stretch of home dominance has exceeded even their previous standards of excellence.

Don't expect the Los Angeles Clippers to be intimidated, however, in Friday night's visit to AT&T Center for the teams' first meeting since last season's thrilling playoff series.

There's no shortage of storylines for this marquee matchup of Western Conference heavyweights, both of whom are in top form with the Clippers overcoming a sluggish opening month to win nine of 11.

The Spurs, winners of four straight and eight of nine, have been consistently good in posting a 22-5 record surpassed only by one-loss Golden State. They've been invincible at home in regular-season play since the latter stages of last season, outscoring opponents by an average of 18.1 points in winning a franchise-record 23 straight.

That reign of supremacy didn't extend into April's quarterfinals with Los Angeles (16-10), which came through with two pivotal victories in San Antonio to advance in seven games. The Clippers trailed in the series entering Games 4 and 6 and won both.

Los Angeles also dealt the Spurs their worst home loss of last season, 105-85 on Jan. 31.

The Clippers have had similar success on the road of late, winning five of six. They went 4-1 on an eight-day trip before getting another solid all-around effort in Wednesday's 103-90 home decision over injury-plagued Milwaukee.

Chris Paul scored 21 points and J.J. Redick added 19 in the Clippers' third straight win overall. Both have recovered from recent injuries to bring needed balance to an offense that was too often reliant on Blake Griffin during a 7-8 start.

Redick is averaging 20.6 points while shooting 54.8 percent from 3-point range over a five-game stretch. Paul is averaging 15.5 points and 10.3 assists in six games since returning from a rib injury while anchoring a defense that's held opponents to 41.1 percent shooting over the last four.

"I think defensively we're starting to get it. And it just makes us a better offensive team, right?," coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't think our team connected the dots early on that to be a good offensive team, you have to be a good defensive team because you have to get stops, you have to get stops in a row."

Defense has been the Spurs' calling card all season, as they're yielding a league-low 88.2 points per game and rank near the top in opposing field goal percentage (41.8). They limited Washington to 43 points and 36.4 percent shooting in the second half of Wednesday's 114-95 triumph that eclipsed the club's 22-game home win streak in 2010-11.

"We showed a lot more aggressiveness, a lot more contact and a lot more competitiveness in the second half, starting with transition 'D'," coach Gregg Popovich said. "That changed the game for us."

The offense has been rolling lately as well, with San Antonio shooting 52.6 percent and averaging 108.5 points over its last eight. Kawhi Leonard has hit at a 60.5 percent clip while averaging 23.7 points over the past three, highlighted by Wednesday's 27-point performance.

San Antonio will have Tim Duncan back after resting him Wednesday. The 39-year-old is posting career-low averages in scoring (9.0), rebounding (8.3) and minutes played (26.5).

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (14-13) at Mavericks (14-12)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Given the way San Antonio is playing, it's hard to imagine Dallas or Memphis ever catching the Spurs in the Southwest Division.

Defending division champion Houston has been a major disappointment, so the Mavericks and Grizzlies may consider second place rather significant.

After losing the first meeting of the season in Memphis, the Mavericks will try to maintain that spot by evening things up Friday night at American Airlines Center.

San Antonio has quietly raced out to a 22-5 record thanks to Golden State claiming all the back pages, leaving Dallas (14-12) and Memphis (14-13) neck-and-neck in the battle for second despite both hovering around .500 most of the season.

Both clubs enjoyed strong stretches last month with the Mavericks winning six in a row at one point and the Grizzlies six of seven - including a 110-96 victory over Dallas on Nov. 24 - but since those surges, the Mavs are 5-8 and the Grizzlies 5-6.

It's all added up to an odd reversal for the NBA's toughest division over the last two seasons. The only team among the Spurs, Rockets, Mavs and Grizzlies in that span that didn't have at least 50 wins was Dallas with 49 last season.

Neither Dallas nor Memphis appears capable of returning to that success, but the Mavs can start helping their cause in the division by playing much better than they did against the Grizzlies last month.

Dallas had one of its worst nights at FedEx Forum, shooting 39.0 percent while turning the ball over 19 times, which led to 21 Grizzlies points. The Mavs were also outscored 48-22 in the paint in spite of a 48-42 advantage on the glass.

By posting their worst field-goal percentage in the rivalry since January 2011, they lost their third straight and fifth in the last six meetings.

"We've got to win some games against good teams," Wesley Matthews told the team's official website. "You know, we've got an opportunity to do it on Friday. Enough talking about it. We've just got to go out there and do it. ... Everybody's got to be better all around and find ways to win, whether we're making shots or not making shots."

That may not be easy for Dallas, which shot below 37.0 percent in two of its last three losses and scored its season low in a 107-81 defeat at Indiana on Wednesday.

Raymond Felton had 16 points and Dirk Nowitzki 13 for the Mavs, who allowed the Pacers to outscore them 62-34 after the break.

The Grizzlies also shot poorly in the first meeting with Dallas at 43.0 percent, but they took care of the ball with just nine turnovers - one of only three times this season they've avoided double digits.

The story's been different with 34 combined giveaways in their last two, although they picked up a 112-95 home win against Washington on Monday by shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 10 of 15 from 3-point range.

Memphis couldn't sustain that for long, though, and missed 14 of its 19 attempts from long range in Wednesday's 98-85 loss at Chicago. Mike Conley scored just eight points and went 1 for 8 from deep, while Marc Gasol had eight points and seven rebounds.

"Tough night for them," coach David Joerger said. "Neither guy is a guy that you feature and they believe that it's to score, score, score. They're pure-hearted. They're going to make the right play. Both of them had a tough night offensively."

Conley had 21 points against the Mavs in November and Gasol 15 with 10 rebounds.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nuggets (11-14) at Jazz (10-14)
Date: December 18, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Utah won in Denver as part of its promising start to the season, but that's quickly becoming a distant memory.

The Jazz's recent struggles include a season-high losing streak that they'll attempt to snap in Friday night's rematch, but they'll have to slow down a resurgent Nuggets team riding its longest road winning streak in two years.

Utah (10-14) held Denver to 38.9 percent shooting and 5 of 20 from 3-point range in a 96-84 victory Nov. 5. The Jazz beat Memphis two days later to go to 4-2 for their best start since 2008-09, allowing an average of 85.0 points. They've since given up 101.0 per game while posting a 6-12 record.

They've dropped four straight after losing 104-94 to New Orleans on Wednesday, getting outscored 31-15 in the fourth quarter.

'Yeah it's frustrating, but I've been through it before,' said forward Derrick Favors, who had 22 points. 'Just have to keep working. Keep at it. Don't feel bad or sorry for yourself.

'You're going to have winning streaks and losing streaks just like you have bad games and good games. Just got to keep fighting.'

The Nuggets (11-14), meanwhile, have won three in a row and five of six after a 112-100 victory in Minnesota on Tuesday. They shot a season-best 56.2 percent and went 10 of 18 from beyond the arc.

It was also their third consecutive road win after opening 3-7 away from home. This is Denver's longest road winning streak since a four-game run Nov. 25-Dec. 3, 2013.

Denver has topped 105 points in all three of the latest road wins and is averaging 104.2 on 46.0 percent shooting in the last six games overall. That follows an eight-game losing streak in which the Nuggets averaged 91.1 points and shot 40.5 percent.

Randy Foye had a season-high 19 points, tying Kenneth Faried for the team lead, and made five of his six 3-point attempts Tuesday. The veteran guard was averaging 5.0 points on 29.5 percent shooting, including 19.7 from beyond the arc, in his first 24 games.

"We all knew as an organization that the Randy Foye that's played in the first 20-some odd games isn't the Randy Foye we've seen for eight years," coach Michael Malone said. "We knew at some point he'd break out of it. It couldn't have happened on a better night."

It's unclear if No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, averaging 10.7 points and a team-best 5.7 assists, will return after missing the last two games with a sprained right ankle.

Jameer Nelson has started both games in his place, scoring 10 points in each with a combined 11 assists.

While sixth man Will Barton has sparked Denver's surge with an average of 18.5 points in the last six games, the Jazz's starting backcourt has been part of their recent struggles. Alec Burks and Rodney Hood combine to average 26.6 points but have totaled 29 over the past two games, with Burks shooting 4 for 19.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bucks (10-17) at Warriors (25-1)
Date: December 18, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Golden State Warriors have built the best 26-game start in NBA history with a businesslike approach.

The next game will be a little personal, however.

The Warriors get a chance to avenge their lone loss when the Milwaukee Bucks limp into Oakland for Friday night's matchup.

Milwaukee sent shock waves throughout the league by ending the Warriors' 28-game regular-season winning streak with Saturday's 108-95 victory. Michael Carter-Williams capped the upset with a late dunk he followed by glaring at the Golden State bench, a move which drew the ire of several Warriors.

'We remember what happened less than a week ago," Stephen Curry said following Wednesday's 128-103 bounce-back win over Phoenix.

Even if Golden State didn't have that additional motivation, Milwaukee (10-17) faces an uphill task in achieving a season sweep. The Bucks have lost 11 straight on the road and won't have top scorer Greg Monroe for a third consecutive game due to a Grade I MCL sprain in his left knee.

Monroe played an integral part in the victory over the Warriors, tallying a season-high 28 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Bucks have averaged 89.0 points during their road skid. Including playoffs, Golden State (25-1) hasn't scored fewer than 90 at home in 70 straight outings. The Warriors have won 29 straight in Oakland in regular-season play.

Having Klay Thompson at full strength also figures to hinder Milwaukee's chances. The All-Star guard was held to 12 points and 4-of-14 shooting as he dealt with a sprained ankle in last week's meeting, but scored a season-high 43 against the Suns.

"It's good to have a few big-scoring games here or there just to let teams know they can't focus so much on Steph," said Thompson, who went 8 of 13 from 3-point range. "Just (to) give him some balance out there because he's going to get every team's greatest look every night."

The Warriors also should be more fresh for the rematch. Last week's loss was the finale of a grueling seven-game, 13-day road trip, but they'll play for just the second time in six days Friday.

Milwaukee has dropped the first two games of a four-game western swing. After opening with a lackluster performance in Tuesday's 113-95 defeat to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, the Bucks showed more will Wednesday but lost 113-90 to the Clippers.

'The fight was there and the intent was right,' coach Jason Kidd said. 'The guys played hard, but the ball did not fall for us. The effort was extremely high, but we just could not make the plays when we needed to.'

Carter-Williams had 17 points in the latest defeat and has averaged 17.7 in a three-game stretch, a result of his increased role with backcourt mates Greivis Vasquez and Jerryd Bayless sidelined by ankle injuries. The point guard totaled 17 points, seven assists and five steals against Golden State.

With Monroe out, the Bucks will lean more heavily on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, who scored a season-high 19 on Saturday.

Milwaukee had lost four straight to the Warriors.