The Bum's National Basketball League January Picks/Trends/News !!

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Suns (12-24) at Lakers (7-27)
Date: January 03, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

During a disastrous six-week stretch filled with low points, the Phoenix Suns may have hit rock bottom.

Losers of eight straight and coming off their worst defensive performance in 25 years, the crumbling Suns try to salvage the finale of a forgettable road trip Sunday night against a Los Angeles Lakers team riding a rare high.

The Suns' longest losing streak since a 10-game skid March 20-April 8, 2013, has been a running soap opera. Disgruntled forward Marcus Morris was suspended two games for tossing a towel at coach Jeff Hornacek on Dec. 23 at Denver, and leading scorer Eric Bledsoe suffered a season-ending knee injury three days later in a home loss to league-worst Philadelphia that prompted the firing of assistants Mike Longabardi and Jerry Sichting.

Phoenix (12-24) is nearing closer to Los Angeles (7-27) at the bottom of the Western Conference, a far cry from where it appeared to be headed following a 120-101 home victory over the Lakers on Nov. 16. The Suns are 6-19 since and have allowed opponents to score 109.3 points per game and shoot 48.6 percent, both league worsts in that span.

They were far worse than those dubious standards Saturday in Sacramento, where the sub-.500 Kings shot 60.9 percent en route to a 142-119 rout. It's the most points Phoenix has surrendered in a non-overtime game since a 155-127 defeat to the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls on Dec. 4, 1990.

The Suns permitted 83 points in the second half, with most of the damage coming after center Tyson Chandler was ejected for arguing a foul midway through the third quarter.

'We have to continue to play no matter what happens throughout the game," guard Brandon Knight said. 'In the third quarter we stopped getting stops."

Opponents have gone 56.8 percent from the field during Phoenix's three losses on the trip.

In contrast, Los Angeles began the new year with one of its best defensive efforts. The Lakers yielded their fewest points this season and limited Philadelphia to 36.9 percent shooting in Friday's 93-84 victory, giving the conference cellar-dwellers consecutive wins for the first time since a three-game run last February.

'We're starting to play off each other, and guys are just being comfortable in their own skin,' guard Lou Williams said. 'These past few games we've played with a lot of confidence and played at a better pace."

Friday's result was achieved with Kobe Bryant sidelined by a sore right shoulder that has the retiring superstar questionable for this game. Williams helped fill the void by matching a season high with 24 points - 12 in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Clarkson added 19 points after recording 24 in Wednesday's 112-104 win at Boston.

Phoenix has lost six straight and nine of 11 on the road but has had a few bright spots on this trip. Second-year forward T.J. Warren followed a career-high 29 points in Thursday's loss at Oklahoma City with 19 against the Kings, rookie Devin Booker had a season-high 21 on Saturday and Knight broke out of a shooting slump to hit 9 of 17 for 23 points.

Knight, who shot 33.8 percent over his previous four, notched his only career triple-double with 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in the Nov. 16 win, the Suns' fifth straight over the Lakers and ninth in 10 matchups.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (805) MIAMI@ (806) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-03 18:05:00 - 2016-01-03 18:05:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI against the spread in All games after allowing 85 points or less
The record is 1 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (-13.3 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (805) MIAMI@ (806) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-03 18:05:00 - 2016-01-03 18:05:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in All games after allowing 85 points or less
The record is 2 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.45 units)

NBA > (809) PHOENIX@ (810) LA LAKERS | 2016-01-03 21:35:00 - 2016-01-03 21:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in all games
The record is 12 Wins and 21 Losses for the this season (-25.15 units)

NBA > (805) MIAMI@ (806) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-03 18:05:00 - 2016-01-03 18:05:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 24 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (+21.15 units)

NBA > (801) ATLANTA@ (802) NEW YORK | 2016-01-03 15:35:00 - 2016-01-03 15:35:00
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using money line in Home games after a loss by 10 points or more
The record is 5 Wins and 19 Losses for the last three seasons (-17.9 units)

NBA > (801) ATLANTA@ (802) NEW YORK | 2016-01-03 15:35:00 - 2016-01-03 15:35:00
Play ON ATLANTA using money line in All games in January games
The record is 20 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (+16.2 units)

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) DENVER | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST DENVER using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 18 Losses for the last three seasons (-31.15 units)

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) DENVER | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST DENVER using money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 14 Wins and 26 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.3 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) DENVER | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games in January games
The record is 2 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.3 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (805) MIAMI@ (806) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-03 18:05:00 - 2016-01-03 18:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 2 Overs and 15 Unders for the this season (+12.8 units)

NBA > (805) MIAMI@ (806) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-03 18:05:00 - 2016-01-03 18:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 9 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+22.1 units)

NBA > (801) ATLANTA@ (802) NEW YORK | 2016-01-03 15:35:00 - 2016-01-03 15:35:00
Play UNDER NEW YORK on the totalin All games after scoring 85 points or less
The record is 6 Overs and 24 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.4 units)

NBA > (803) CHICAGO@ (804) TORONTO | 2016-01-03 15:35:00 - 2016-01-03 15:35:00
Play OVER CHICAGO on the totalin All games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 19 Overs and 5 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.5 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (14-21) at Nuggets (12-22)
Date: January 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

C.J. McCollum has been picking up the scoring slack for the Portland Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard injured. He may not have to do it any longer.

Lillard reportedly might be back to ease the load on McCollum on Sunday night when the Trail Blazers try to continue their recent success over the Denver Nuggets, who might be without Kenneth Faried.

Lillard played in every game through his first three seasons, and solidified himself as the face of the Trail Blazers (14-21) in 2015-16, averaging career highs of 24.6 points and 6.8 assists following the offseason departure of LaMarcus Aldridge to San Antonio.

However, he's been hurt for the first time since being selected sixth overall out of Weber State in 2012, missing the last six games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Portland has split those games thanks in large part to McCollum. The guard is averaging 32.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists while hitting 53.4 percent from the floor - 12 of 26 from beyond the arc - over the past three games.

McCollum could've used some help in Thursday's 109-96 loss at Utah. He poured in 32 points with seven boards and six assists, while only Meyers Leonard and Allen Crabbe scored in double digits at 17 and 15, respectively.

"Defensively, we didn't do a good job pressuring the ball enough," McCollum said. "I think they were too comfortable, and that led to some easy baskets. Once a team gets comfortable, they begin to make more shots and begin to get excited on defense and then use that as momentum. I think that they were too comfortable."

That was the case for the Blazers on Wednesday, beating the Nuggets 110-103 at home while shooting 47.1 percent. McCollum connected on 12 of 19 shots to finish with 29 points.

Crabbe chipped in 20, and he's averaging 17.0 points in six games filling in for Lillard.

Lillard has 26.3 points per game while making 13 of 29 from long range over the last four matchups in Denver (12-22).

Portland has won nine of its last 10 meetings with the Nuggets, but the Northwest Division rivals have split two this season with each team winning on its home court.

Denver has lost five straight and eight of its last nine. The Nuggets put a scare into NBA-leading Golden State on the road Saturday, erasing a 26-point deficit before eventually losing 111-108 in overtime.

The Nuggets may have suffered a greater blow afterwords when Faried was taken to a hospital after leaving on a stretcher with a neck brace to stabilize him. The team claimed it was precautionary after he took an elbow to the back of the neck while jostling for a rebound late in overtime. He immediately reached to rub his neck but did not appear seriously injured. Faried had feeling in his hands and feet.

"Obviously any time you're dealing with a neck or back, it's scary," guard Jameer Nelson said. "I didn't see the play. We were playing. There are no dirty guys out there. Nobody did anything intentional. Hopefully he's good."

Faried leads the team with 9.0 rebounds per game, while his 12.6 points rank third.

Danilo Gallinari is looking to build on his 24 points from Saturday after missing six games with a left ankle sprain. The forward, though, has totaled 29 while missing 22 of 29 from the field - 12 of 14 from 3-point range - over his last four meetings with Portland.

Will Barton scored 31 at Portland on Wednesday and followed that with 21, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Warriors.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Sunday
January 3, 2016


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 0-12-1 ATS (-12.81 ppg) since Jun 05, 2014 with rest off a game as a favorite in which they shot over 50% from the field.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Suns are 0-12 OU (-16.33 ppg) since Mar 06, 2006 as a favorite with no rest after a game as a road dog in which they shot over 50% from the field.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 0-14 OU (-12.04 ppg) since Nov 05, 2014 after Luol Deng played fewer than 30 minutes at home.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Lakers are 0-10 ATS (-8.35 ppg) since Feb 07, 2013 off a win after allowing 15+ points less than Vegas projected.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Bulls are 9-0 ATS (10.78 ppg) since Dec 22, 2014 after Pau Gasol shot worse than 33% from the field.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, January 3


Atlanta @ New York

Game 801-802
January 3, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
120.124
New York
118.596
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 4 1/2
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+4 1/2); Over

Chicago @ Toronto

Game 803-804
January 3, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
124.101
Toronto
122.289
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+3 1/2); N/A

Miami @ Washington

Game 805-806
January 3, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.512
Washington
123.716
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 4
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
Pick
198 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
Under

Portland @ Denver

Game 807-808
January 3, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
114.328
Denver
118.499
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 4
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
N/A

Phoenix @ LA Lakers

Game 809-810
January 3, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
109.989
LA Lakers
107.873
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 1 1/2
208 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+1 1/2); Under




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, January 3

Hot teams
-- Hawks won seven of their last eight games (1-3 last four AF).
-- Toronto won four of its last five games (2-8 last 10 HF). Bulls won four of their last five games (1-6 last seven AU).
-- Miami won three of its last four road games (2-4AU). Wizards won five of their last seven games (4-6HF).
-- Portland won three of its last four games.
-- Lakers won last two games, after losing six of their previous seven games (1-2HF).

Cold teams
-- New York lost five of its last six games (3-5HU).
-- Nuggets lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Phoenix lost its last eight games (2-6 vs spread).

Series records
-- Knicks lost five of last six games with Atlanta.
-- Bulls won their last six games with Toronto.
-- Wizards won their last four games with Miami.
-- Portland won nine of last ten games with Denver.
-- Lakers lost their last five games with Phoenix.

Totals
-- Six of last seven New York-Atlanta games went over.
-- Five of last six Chicago-Toronto games went over.
-- Last six Miami-Washington games went over total.
-- Five of last six Portland-Denver games went over.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Phoenix-Laker games.

Back/backs
-- Denver is 4-4 vs spread if it played night before




NBA

Sunday, January 3

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. TORONTO
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago

3:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. NEW YORK
Atlanta is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 10 games
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta

6:00 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. DENVER
Portland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing Portland

9:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. LA LAKERS
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
LA Lakers are 5-19 SU in their last 24 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, January 3

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ATLANTA (21 - 13) at NEW YORK (15 - 19) - 1/3/2016, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 72-56 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-3 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (19 - 12) at TORONTO (21 - 13) - 1/3/2016, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 77-44 ATS (+28.6 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (19 - 13) at WASHINGTON (15 - 16) - 1/3/2016, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 1-13 ATS (-13.3 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 351-420 ATS (-111.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 162-206 ATS (-64.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-4 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-3 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (14 - 21) at DENVER (12 - 21) - 1/3/2016, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 9-1 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (12 - 23) at LA LAKERS (7 - 27) - 1/3/2016, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 58-39 ATS (+15.1 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 140-181 ATS (-59.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 26-39 ATS (-16.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

BEST BETS YESTERDAY GO: 2 - 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ATL at NY 03:30 PM

ATL -5.0

U 202.5 BEST BET


CHI at TOR 03:30 PM

TOR -4.0

U 197.0


MIA at WAS 06:00 PM

WAS +1.0 BEST BET

O 198.0


POR at DEN 09:00 PM

POR -3.0 BEST BET

O 204.0


PHO at LAL 09:30 PM

LAL +1.0

U 208.5

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
January 4, 2016

TORONTO (AP) Jimmy Butler broke Michael Jordan's team record for points in a half, scoring 40 of his 42 after the break to lead the Chicago Bulls over the Toronto Raptors 115-113 on Sunday.

Jordan had 39, also in the second half, in a game against Milwaukee in 1989. Butler shot 14 of 19 in the final two quarters after a 1-for-4 start in the Bulls' fourth straight win.

Pau Gasol had his 17th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds as Chicago beat Toronto for the second time in a week and a seventh consecutive time overall.

DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Raptors with 24 points.

KNICKS 111, HAWKS 97

NEW YORK (AP) - Arron Afflalo scored a season-high 38 points and the Knicks beat the Hawks.

Afflalo was 14 for 17 from the field and 7 for 8 from 3-point range, making his first seven attempts and nearing his career best of 43 points.

The Knicks improved to 8-2 when Afflalo scores 15 or more points.

Paul Millsap scored 19 points and Kent Bazemore had 18 for the Hawks.

HEAT 97, WIZARDS 75

WASHINGTON (AP) - Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Goran Dragic had 18 and the Heat dominated the undermanned Wizards.

With just nine healthy players, Washington was outscored in the second quarter 25-7. The Wizards missed 20 of their 22 field goal attempts as the Heat took a 50-31 halftime lead.

John Wall, who led Washington with 14 points, hit just six of his 21 field goal attempts.

The Wizards shot just 34.1 percent and their 75 points were a season low. Miami allowed its fewest points of the season.

TRAIL BLAZERS 112, NUGGETS 106

DENVER (AP) - CJ McCollum had 25 points and seven assists, leading the Trail Blazers to a victory over the Nuggets.

Gerald Henderson scored 19 points and Al-Farouq Aminu had 14 for Portland, which has won four of its last five.

Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 29 points in his second game back from a sprained left ankle. Denver has lost six straight, two off its season high.

LAKERS 97, SUNS 77

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lou Williams scored a season-high 30 points, and the Lakers sent Phoenix to its ninth straight loss.

The Lakers, coming off victories over Boston and Philadelphia, have won three in a row for the first time since Feb. 22-27. Rookie Larry Nance Jr. had 15 points and tied a season high with his second straight 14-rebound game.

Kobe Bryant sat out his second straight game because of a sore right shoulder.

Brandon Knight had 25 points, nine assists and three rebounds for the Suns, who shot 36 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 38 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Timberwolves (12-22) at 76ers (3-33)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers believe they're finally making strides in the right direction more than a month after ending a historic losing streak.

With new point guard Ish Smith providing a boost, the NBA's worst team picked up a couple of wins and perhaps some confidence during a six-game trip.

The 76ers return to Philadelphia to begin a six-game homestand Monday night against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that wilted with the lead its last time out.

The Sixers closed a 2-4 trip with back-to-back losses in Los Angeles, including one to the Western Conference-worst Lakers - whom they beat last month to end a 28-game losing streak which was the longest in major American pro sports history. They then fell to the Clippers on Saturday by allowing a season-high point total in a 130-99 loss.

Smith, reacquired from New Orleans on Dec. 24 after playing 25 games for the Sixers last season, shot a combined 5 for 28 with 13 points and 13 assists in the two games at Staples Center after averaging 18.0 and 8.3 while leading Philadelphia to a pair of wins in his first three games back.

Philadelphia (3-33) has averaged 99.0 points, 22.8 assists and shot 43.1 percent over the past five games with Smith. Those numbers were 91.4 points and 18.8 assists with a 41.8 shooting percentage during a 1-30 start.

"We really made new strides on this trip," said rookie Jahlil Okafor, who missed Smith's first two games with knee soreness. "We won two games and we have Ish Smith here now. He's a new piece to this team and we're all really excited about it."

Nerlens Noel has benefited the most from the addition of Smith. The second-year big man's shooting percentage has skyrocketed from 45.0 percent in 25 games without Smith to 70.8 percent over the past five games. Noel is averaging 16.0 points with Smith in the lineup compared to 9.8 before he arrived.

Beyond the boon to his own numbers, Noel said the Sixers feel like a different team with Smith in the lineup.

"We played with a little more of a swagger in these games and we're figuring some things out," Noel said after he had 13 points and eight rebounds against the Clippers.

Okafor's numbers have declined with Smith in the lineup, but he scored 23 points in 18 minutes off the bench to lead the Sixers on Saturday.

The Timberwolves (12-22) are coming off a 95-85 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. They led by 17 points eight minutes in, holding the Bucks without a field goal for longer than that, but later trailed by as many as 15 down the stretch.

Minnesota coach Sam Mitchell left his young players on the court "hoping a little embarrassment set in on how they were playing."

Point guard Ricky Rubio, who had 14 points and played 7 1/2 minutes in the fourth, said his team "played too cool" and wasn't as aggressive as it should have been.

"This is a league built for men," Rubio said. "We weren't men tonight."

The Wolves lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 5-13 at home. They have lost their last three on the road and are 7-9 outside Minneapolis.

Minnesota beat the Sixers 100-95 on Nov. 23 for its first home win of the season after losing both meetings last season. The loss dropped the Sixers to 0-15, part of their historic losing streak dating to last season.

The Sixers have won five of the past seven meetings with Minnesota in Philadelphia.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Raptors (21-13) at Cavaliers (22-9)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors were just victimized by a performance that surpassed the great Michael Jordan.

Now they have to face LeBron James, who may be at less than full strength.

James is battling an illness as he leads the Cleveland Cavaliers into Monday night's home game against the Raptors.

Toronto (21-14) failed to sweep a three-game homestand thanks to Sunday's 115-113 loss to Chicago. The Raptors gave up 40 second-half points to Jimmy Butler, who broke Jordan's team record for points in a half of 39.

"We tried everybody and everything, couldn't get him stopped," coach Dwane Casey said.

Now Toronto will be challenged to slow down James, though an illness may aid its cause. The superstar has been battling sickness, though it did little to prevent him from scoring 29 in 29 minutes in Saturday's 104-79 rout of Orlando.

James took part in Sunday's practice.

'Hopefully I can try to shake whatever I got going on and it doesn't linger the next couple days," he said.

The Cavaliers (22-9) have won three straight since moving Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup over Timofey Mozgov. They are 5-1 when Thompson starts, with the lone defeat a 103-99 loss at Toronto on Nov. 25.

"It's something that is not etched in stone," coach David Blatt said. "We may situationally or maybe philosophically go back, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see that happen."

Kyrie Irving is expected to start again after he made 4 of 12 shots for 13 points in his fifth game as he works his way back from knee surgery.

Iman Shumpert is also looking to find the range after shooting 39.3 percent in nine games after being out due to a wrist injury.

"I still think both of those guys are kind of in their preseason," Blatt said. "I'm not saying they're not ready to play or that they're not playing well because they are but neither one is really in 100 percent basketball shape right now."

While James' excellence isn't surprising as the Eastern Conference's top scorer at 25.8 points per game, it may be news that Toronto's DeMar DeRozan is third at 23.0. DeRozan is averaging 27.0 points in his last three games and went into Sunday second in the NBA with 11.8 drives per game. He's third with an average of 8.5 free-throw attempts.

The Cavaliers didn't have Irving, Shumpert, Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova due to injuries in the November loss at Toronto. James scored 24 and Kevin Love added 21 while every Raptors starter scored in double figures, with Kyle Lowry scoring 27 and DeRozan contributing 20.

The Raptors held the Cavs to 43.9 percent shooting. That kind of defense was absent Sunday, as the Bulls became just the second team in the last 23 games to shoot better than 50 percent against the Raptors, who allowed them to shoot 63.2 percent in a 34-point fourth quarter.

'We can't give up 34 points in the fourth quarter,' Casey said. 'You have to put your foot down, put your foot on their neck and close it out."

Lowry has posted consecutive double-doubles, registering 22 points and 10 assists Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pacers (19-14) at Heat (19-13)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers kept their losing streak brief with one of their best defensive efforts of the season, and they've also proved adept at containing the Miami Heat in recent matchups.

The Pacers, though, have often come out on the losing end in road games lately and have struggled in Miami over the past 10 seasons, a pair of trends they'll try to change Monday night.

Indiana held Detroit to 35.5 percent shooting and a 3-for-20 performance from 3-point range in a 94-82 victory Saturday. The Pacers allowed their previous two opponents to top the century mark but one of those back-to-back losses was a 102-100 overtime defeat in Chicago on Wednesday.

The 82 points tied their second-fewest allowed this season and they've held one other opponent under 36.0 percent shooting.

"When we defend, we're pretty good," coach Frank Vogel said. "We've got to keep committing to that end of the floor."

Indiana (19-14) has limited Miami to an average of 85.0 points in its two wins in this season's series, both in Indianapolis, and has won five of six against the Heat since dropping Game 7 of the 2014 Eastern Conference finals.

The Pacers, losers in six of seven on the road, have also dropped 22 of their last 27 in Miami including playoffs and eight of their past nine games there. They split their two visits to AmericanAirlines Arena last season, losing 89-87 in their final one Jan. 23.

Indiana's 81-75 win in Miami on Nov. 12, 2014, ended a seven-game losing streak in that city, including the postseason. The Pacers could use another victory to kick off a stretch in which they'll play nine of 11 on the road.

"I personally love being on the road and playing on the road," said forward Paul George, whose team will begin a four-game trip Monday. "It's going to be fun to be in hostile environments."

George scored 21 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win and has a combined 63 in his past two games after averaging 13.0 in his previous five, well below his team-best mark of 24.5. He's averaged 29.5 points in the two games against Miami this season and scored 36 in a 90-87 victory Nov. 6.

The Heat (20-13) have also played stellar defense while winning their first two games in 2016, allowing an average of 78.5 points on 35.2 percent shooting. They held Washington to a 34.1 percent mark and a 4-of-29 performance from 3-point range in a 97-75 road victory Sunday.

"I think everybody was locked in and that's what we need," forward Chris Bosh said. "We need everybody to bring their best efforts and be in the positions where they need to be. ... (Monday) is a huge opportunity to keep take steps forward.

"We'll be ready for (the Pacers). We owe them, and we know they're going to come into ready to play. It's going to be ready to play."

The Heat have alternated losses and wins in their last nine home games, posting a 106-82 rout of Dallas in the latest Jan. 1. They'll play back-to-back games on their own floor then have 14 of 16 on the road.

Bosh is averaging a team-best 22.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two games against Indiana this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Celtics (18-15) at Nets (10-23)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

It may have taken the Brooklyn Nets one blowout loss to figure it out, but they've spent the past two meetings with Boston taking advantage of a major size advantage.

After losing Jarrett Jack to a season-ending knee injury, the Nets will likely keep feeding Brook Lopez inside Monday night when they try to sweep this home-and-home set and take the series from the visiting Celtics for the third time in four seasons.

Lopez, Brooklyn's 7-foot center, wasn't much of a factor in the first matchup Nov. 20, finishing with 14 points while attempting just nine shots in a 120-95 loss at Boston. The Celtics (18-15) start 6-9 Jared Sullinger in the middle but outscored the Nets 68-40 in the paint during their best shooting performance (58.6) in two seasons.

Brooklyn, however, made an adjustment two nights later when Lopez led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 20 times in a 111-101 home win. The team finished with a 49-35 advantage on the boards and a 50-32 scoring edge in the paint.

The Nets (10-23) stuck to a similar game plan in Saturday's 100-97 road win as Lopez dominated inside with a season-high 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 13 rebounds.

"I did my best to make the right play every time, realizing that, and just tried to read the double teams," said Lopez, who has averaged 26.7 points and 13.3 rebounds over his last three games.

Boston's frustration seemed to boil over in the second half when Sullinger had a flagrant foul on Lopez. Jack yelled something at Sullinger and both Jack and the Celtics' Jae Crowder got technicals.

Thaddeus Young had 16 points and 10 boards for his third double-double in as many meetings. Joe Johnson added 20 points after averaging 8.1 on 30.1 percent shooting in his previous nine games.

Jack, who had played a key role in the November home win with 22 points, suffered a torn right ACL as well as a torn meniscus Saturday and will miss the rest of the season.

The news isn't as bad for Boston's Avery Bradley, who left the game with a left hip contusion. Bradley, whose status is uncertain, totaled 48 points and eight 3-pointers in the first two matchups.

The Celtics are also hoping to regroup offensively as they try to avoid their second three-game losing streak in the past three weeks. They shot just 38.6 percent and made less than 26 percent from beyond the arc (7 for 32) for the fourth time in five games.

Isaiah Thomas, who averages a team-high 20.9 points, finished with 24 but missed seven of nine 3s, while Crowder scored 16 while going 2 for 6 from long range. Thomas has been slumping from beyond the arc, making just 4 of 21 over his last four games.

"I've got to hold guys accountable at a better level," said coach Brad Stevens, whose club also lost to the Western Conference-worst Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. "We're not playing as well as we think we are, so we've got to be better."

The Nets, who haven't won consecutive games since Dec. 8 and 10, took three of four in this series both in 2012-13 and '13-14.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Magic (19-15) at Pistons (18-16)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

It's not too early to think about the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with early surprises like the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons looking like improved teams.

Magic coach Scott Skiles, however, warned his team that it needs to improve its defense to make the postseason a reality.

His club is trying to salvage the finale of a three-game trip Monday night in its first meeting of the season with a Pistons team that has cruised to three straight wins in this series.

Orlando (19-15) has missed the playoffs three straight seasons and Detroit (18-16) has done so for the previous six. Both may end those droughts, and their three-game season series could prove to be decisive with these teams a game apart in the standings and the Magic currently holding the No. 7 seed.

Even though more than half the season remains, Skiles is concerned after his team fell 103-91 at Washington on Friday and 104-79 to Cleveland the next night. The coach normally wouldn't conduct a practice after a back-to-back set, but chose to do so the day after those efforts.

"When we talked to the guys this morning about if we have any intention of playing in the postseason or having a chance of winning a series, generally you don't win a (playoff) game 120-111,' Skiles told the Magic's official website. "You might win one game, but generally it's 96-91. If we don't understand that now, there won't be a postseason anyway."

The coach said he may re-insert Victor Oladipo into the starting lineup. Oladipo, averaging 12.4 points, has come off the bench the last 20 games.

Skiles may have no choice since starting point guard Elfrid Payton missed Sunday's workout with ankle issues that have plagued him throughout the season. Payton has played in all 116 games since entering the league.

Oladipo played point guard as a rookie in 2013-14.

"It was tough at first in the beginning when I was a rookie trying to figure it out," he said. "But now I have to be (ready) because some guys are hurt and I have to step in and play that role."

The Magic talked Sunday about how defending the Pistons' pick-and-rolls with Reggie Jackson and NBA leading rebounder Andre Drummond will be critical.

Detroit enters after losing its fourth in five games with Saturday's 94-82 defeat at Indiana. The Pistons matched their lowest point total and had a season-low three 3-pointers on 20 attempts while shooting 35.5 percent overall.

"We shot only 35 percent and anytime you shoot with that percentage, you've not going to win many games," said Drummond, who had 11 points and 18 boards.

Jackson made 5 of 19 shots for 12 points, his lowest total in a 12-game stretch in which he is averaging 20.8.

The Pistons are slowly working Brandon Jennings back into action. The guard is averaging 6.0 points in three games off the bench since returning after rupturing his left Achilles last January.

"I just tell the guys when we come in as a second unit that we are going to push it," Jennings said. "We are so dangerous in the open floor when we push it down the court and get easy baskets."

Jennings had 24 points and 21 assists the last time he faced Orlando, which won the first 2014-15 meeting and lost the next three by an average of 15.7 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Spurs (29-6) at Bucks (14-21)
Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With LaMarcus Aldridge in the fold, Gregg Popovich admits the San Antonio Spurs have gone back to a more inside-out approach rather than being perimeter oriented.

Every now and then, they'll remind the NBA what they can do from behind the arc.

Fresh off their most impressive effort from 3-point range this season, the Spurs may want to keep firing away Monday night against a Milwaukee Bucks team that's no stranger to taking down some heavyweights at the Bradley Center.

San Antonio (29-6) is running its offense through the post more, jumping from 15.3 post-ups per game last season to 19.7 - third in the league - with Aldridge in the mix.

Aldridge averages a team-high seven per game and got himself and his teammates involved from the block Saturday against Houston. San Antonio scored 12 points off Aldridge's five post-ups, and the Spurs' newest star finished with 24 himself - the first time he's topped 20 in back-to-back games with his new team.

"LaMarcus is more and more comfortable every day," Popovich said. "These are new players for him, new offense, new defense, everything is different.

"It's difficult to do in the first year here. We've had a lot of guys take a whole year to get used to that. I think he's been remarkable in catching on this quickly. He's become more demonstrative, and he's inserting himself into the offense much better."

Danny Green hadn't been very visible for a while, shooting 26.8 percent from long range in December, but he got off to an excellent start to the new year. Green hit 6 of 8 3s against the Rockets to help the Spurs go 13 of 24 and improve to 18-1 when they make more than a third of their attempts. Twenty-two of those shots were uncontested.

"They run their stuff crisp and if you don't guard them the right way, they're going to get easy layups and easy shots," Rockets forward Corey Brewer said.

Tim Duncan didn't score a point Saturday for the first time in his 19-year career, but he was a focal point when the Spurs hosted the Bucks (14-21) on Dec. 2.

The two-time MVP tied a season-high with 16 points and San Antonio outscored Milwaukee 48-34 in the paint - holding the Bucks well under their league-best 48.3 average - in a 95-70 win to stretch its winning streak in the series to seven.

The Spurs shot just 41.1 percent and hit 7 of 21 3s but held the Bucks to 33.3 percent, the best effort of the season by the league's top defense. San Antonio had 17 points off 17 turnovers while the Bucks had two on 11 giveaways.

Milwaukee scored 57 points off turnovers in back-to-back road wins to split a four-game trip, converting 16 miscues into 22 points while coming from 17 down early in Saturday's 95-85 win at Minnesota.

"Our defense was really good tonight," interim coach Joe Prunty said.

Milwaukee has already taken down Golden State and Cleveland at home, and its recipe for winning this season has been fairly simple: keep its opponent from topping 100 points. The Bucks are 12-4 when they do.

Tightly guarding the 3-point line has been significant as well. When Milwaukee has allowed six 3-pointers or fewer, it's 9-0. Any more than that and it's 5-21.

The Bucks barely make that many per game themselves (6.1, 27th in the league), but their best shooter has gotten going of late. Khris Middleton is shooting 56.4 percent from 3-point range and averaging 23.4 points over his last seven.

Middleton (16) and Greg Monroe (14) were the only Bucks to score more than seven in the first meeting.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (13-20) at Thunder (24-10)
Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With a renewed focus on defense after struggling at the end of December, the Oklahoma City Thunder opened the new year by taking a step in the right direction.

They could have a more difficult time against a Sacramento team looking to build on its highest scoring effort in 23 years, but the Kings haven't won in Oklahoma City since the SuperSonics relocated from Seattle in Kevin Durant's second season.

The surging Thunder seek their 15th consecutive home win in this series Monday night, though Sacramento did give them all they could handle in the first meeting.

After allowing an average of 92.1 points on 40.8 percent shooting during a 9-1 stretch, Oklahoma City (24-10) slumped on defense by allowing 111.5 per game and a 48.4 field-goal percentage - including a 43.0 mark from 3-point range - over its next four.

The Thunder appeared re-committed en route to a fourth straight win, limiting Charlotte to 34.5 percent and 6 of 22 from beyond the arc in Saturday's 109-90 road victory. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant each had four of the team's season-high 15 blocks.

"I felt like our guys were really locked into the areas we need to get better. We showed a lot of improvement in those areas," coach Billy Donovan told the team's official website. "The things we were trying to do, I saw a conscientious effort for those guys to do those things."

Donovan's club will try to slow a Kings team that shot a season-high 60.9 percent Saturday while snapping a three-game skid with a 142-119 home win over Phoenix. It was their most points since a 154-98 victory over visiting Philadelphia on Jan. 2, 1993.

DeMarcus Cousins led the way with 32 points and nine rebounds, while Darren Collison scored 21 and Marco Belinelli 19. Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 15 assists. Belinelli has heated up by totaling 47 points on 18-for-28 shooting in his last two games.

"We're capable of being an elite team ... We want the best Kings team to show up every night," Collison told the team's official website.

That hasn't been the case in their visits to Oklahoma City, where they've lost by an average of 12.3 points during the Thunder's longest home winning streak versus an opponent since moving from the Pacific Northwest ahead of the 2008-09 season. It's also tied for the NBA's fifth-longest active streak.

The Kings (13-20), however, did threaten to end that skid Dec. 6. They rallied from a 17-point deficit and went ahead by seven before Durant scored six in the final 1:18 to lead the Thunder to a 98-95 victory.

Durant had 20 points and 10 rebounds but also committed 10 turnovers, while Russell Westbrook had a better triple-double with 19 points, 11 boards and 10 assists. Steven Adams added 12 rebounds to help Oklahoma City own a 62-41 advantage on the glass.

He also played a key role defensively against Cousins, who managed 13 points while missing 15 of 20 shots. The Kings shot just 39.8 percent from the field and 7 for 24 (29.2) from beyond the arc.

Westbrook has averaged 31.0 points and 10.3 assists in his last three home games for the Thunder, who have won 23 of the past 26 overall meetings with the Kings.