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

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CLE at IND 07:00 PM

IND +5.0


DET at BK 07:30 PM

DET -7.0


WAS at OKC 08:00 PM

WAS +10.0


DAL at ATL 08:00 PM

ATL -6.0 BEST BET


MEM at NO 08:00 PM

NO -2.5 BEST BET


ORL at SA 08:30 PM

SA -15.5


TOR at DEN 09:00 PM

TOR -5.0


CHI at UTA 09:00 PM

UTA -5.0 BEST BET


MIL at SAC 10:00 PM

SAC -1.5

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Celtics (27-22) at Knicks (23-27)
Date: February 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics saw Kristaps Porzingis at his best the last time they faced the New York Knicks, although the rookie hasn't been close to that level lately.

Porzingis and the Knicks have lost five of six entering Tuesday night's home matchup against a Celtics team that just had a five-game win streak snapped.

These Atlantic Division rivals have split two meetings, with each winning at home. New York's 120-114 victory Jan. 12 featured Porzingis scoring 26 points in 26 minutes before he fouled out.

The rookie is averaging 13.0 points on 36.5 percent shooting in his last six games. He scored 14 points in 20 minutes in Sunday's 116-95 home loss to Golden State, picking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds before he sat for the remainder of a scoreless first quarter.

"This is going to be a learning experience for me, just to make those quick two fouls and then sit out and then later on try not to foul again and not really be able to play hard defensively since you don't want to get fouled out," he said. "It's just things that I gotta learn."

The Knicks (23-27) need him on the floor to provide offensive support to Carmelo Anthony, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. The lack of playing time for Porzingis was magnified since the starting backcourt of Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway combined for 14 points on 5-of-25 shooting.

"You just never know where it's coming from," Anthony said of getting scoring help. "We've been kinda successful when not knowing where our second scorer was gonna come from. Some games, there's a third and fourth scorer. Tonight, we just couldn't find it."

Galloway made his third straight start in place of Jose Calderon, who is day to day with a strained right groin.

The Knicks will be challenged to stop one of the league's most explosive guards in Isaiah Thomas, who has totaled 55 points and 14 assists in the first two meetings. Thomas is averaging 26.0 points in his last eight road games.

Boston (27-22) seeks to bounce back after Sunday's 119-114 loss at Orlando ended its longest win streak of the season. Marcus Smart matched a career high with 26 points and Thomas scored 23.

The Celtics allowed the Magic to shoot 53.7 percent after limiting opponents to 41.6 percent in the previous five games.

"Especially to the caliber that we like to play, it definitely got let down," Smart said. "Those guys were getting offensive rebounds, tip dunks, tip-backs and kicking it out for open 3s."

Jae Crowder was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting after averaging 14.8 in his previous four games. Crowder suffered a leg injury Sunday, although he said it wouldn't prevent him from facing the Knicks.

Crowder has 39 points in the season series.

Boston has outscored New York 34-14 in points off turnovers this season. The Celtics average 19.2 points in that department to rank among the league's best while the Knicks are last at 12.6.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Heat (27-21) at Rockets (25-25)
Date: February 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A couple of old stars have turned back the clock to help the Miami Heat rise to the top of the Southeast Division. Now they hope to get healthier with Hassan Whiteside's potential return.

That certainly doesn't bode well for the suddenly struggling Houston Rockets, who didn't have much of an answer for the 7-foot center in a blowout defeat in November.

With Whiteside expected to be a game-time decision, Dwyane Wade and Amar'e Stoudemire may have to step up again Tuesday night when the Heat open a three-game road swing looking to extend their longest winning streak since LeBron James departed for Cleveland.

The 34-year-old Wade was named Eastern Conference player of the week after averaging 24.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting with 7.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks during a four-game run that has Miami (27-21) percentage points ahead of Atlanta atop the division.

The 33-year-old Stoudemire only played in 12 of the first 40 games before getting pressed into action when Whiteside went down with a strained left hip. He's responded by averaging 9.3 points on 59.5 percent shooting and pulling down 7.5 rebounds over the past six.

Chris Bosh led the way with 18 points, while Wade and Luol Deng added 17 as the Heat moved past the Hawks with Sunday's 105-87 home win over the defending division champs. Stoudemire had season highs of 13 points and 12 boards for his first double-double since Dec. 7, 2014 with New York.

'Amar'e can be who he was in his 20's in short bursts if we're all smart about it and control the minutes,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'That's the hardest thing for me to do.'

Since averaging 80.3 points in a season-high four-game skid, Miami has scored 100.8 in its last four. It has been more aggressive, getting to the free-throw line 58 times in the past two.

The Heat could get Whiteside back as they go for their first five-game run since winning eight in a row Feb. 11-March 3, 2014. He's expected to test his hip in shootaround after sitting out the past five.

Whiteside took advantage of Dwight Howard's absence in the first meeting with Houston, finishing with 25 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 109-89 home win Nov. 1.

Howard hopes to make a difference this time, though he may have to overcome the referees as well as a nagging shoulder injury. The Rockets (25-25) recently petitioned to the league office in an effort to get the four technical fouls Howard received in getting ejected twice last weekend rescinded.

'These referees need to be held accountable for letting people attack Dwight and be that physical with him,' interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 'And dirty. It's not physical."

Following a 9-3 stretch last month, the Rockets are trying to avoid a season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat. James Harden attempted to pick them up with 40 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in Saturday's 123-122 home loss to Washington.

The four-time All-Star has averaged 30.6 points while hitting 23 of 49 (46.9 percent) from 3-point range to go along with 9.3 boards and 8.6 assists over his last seven games. Miami, however, limited him to 16 points on 2-of-15 shooting - 0 for 10 from 3 - in the first meeting.

The Heat won't have guard Tyler Johnson for at least two months due to an injured rotator cuff.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Timberwolves (14-35) at Lakers (9-41)
Date: February 02, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

With their teams rebuilding and their bodies betraying them, both Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have seen better days.

Garnett will likely miss the final meeting between the future Hall of Famers when Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night attempting to avoid a franchise-worst 11th consecutive loss.

With the 39-year-old Garnett expected to sit out a fifth straight game with an ailing right knee, the historical relevance of this matchup of Western Conference cellar-dwellers will be solely focused on Los Angeles (9-41), which matched the Magic Johnson-coached 1993-94 squad's club record of 10 straight losses with Sunday's 101-82 defeat to visiting Charlotte.

The retiring Bryant delivered one of the better performances of his final season by scoring 23 points in 23 minutes, a small consolation in a game in which the Lakers shot 33.8 percent and were outrebounded 59-42.

Last in the NBA in field goal percentage (41.1) and 28th in scoring (95.8 points per game), Los Angeles has failed to even reach those benchmarks during the skid. The Lakers have averaged 92.2 points and shot 40.8 percent since a 95-91 win over New Orleans on Jan. 12.

"Sometimes, you've got to go to the bottom of the pool, man, and figure it out," Bryant said. "We're almost there, gasping for air.'

Bryant's status is uncertain as well, with the 37-year-old listed as questionable with a shoulder injury that sidelined him two of the previous three games.

He and Garnett were teammates in nine All-Star Games from 1998-2007 and faced one another four times in the playoffs, including two NBA Finals. The Lakers bested Garnett's Celtics in seven games in 2010 to avenge a six-game loss to Boston in 2008.

Neither aging superstar appears headed to this year's postseason with the Lakers last in the West and Minnesota (14-35) tied with Phoenix for 13th. Both have spent much of their injury-plagued seasons serving as mentors to their future successors in the top two picks in the 2015 draft, Garnett to Karl-Anthony Towns and Bryant to D'Angelo Russell.

Towns leads all rookies with 25 double-doubles and has notched one in each of Minnesota's four consecutive losses, with the 20-year-old following Friday's season-high 32-point, 12-rebound effort at Utah with 21 and 13 in Sunday's 96-93 defeat at Portland.

'It's nice to lead the league in double-doubles for rookies, but I'd rather lead with wins,' he said. 'I'm not too happy about that."

Second-year guard Zach LaVine is on a productive run as well, averaging 22.3 points during the losing streak and recording a season-high 35 in Wednesday's 126-123 loss to Golden State.

Russell's transition hasn't gone as smoothly and he's struggled of late, shooting 31.8 percent and averaging 7.0 points off the bench in his last three.

The 19-year-old did score 23 points, and fellow youngster Julius Randle had 20 with 12 rebounds in a Dec. 9 matchup at Minnesota, though the Lakers couldn't overcome Kevin Martin's 37 points and Towns' 26 and 14 rebounds in a 123-122 overtime loss.

Martin, who'll miss a fifth straight game with an injured right wrist, had 23 points and Ricky Rubio amassed 28 and 14 assists in Minnesota's 112-111 victory at Staples Center in the Oct. 28 opener.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Raptors (32-16) at Suns (14-35)
Date: February 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Jeff Hornacek wasn't responsible for the multiple injuries or the combative personality of Markieff Morris. What ultimately concerned Phoenix Suns management was the fact his message no longer resonated with players.

The team's rapid decline cost Hornacek his job, leaving interim coach Earl Watson to lead a battered group hoping to make the most of a lost season.

One of the Suns' rare victories came against the Toronto Raptors, who visit Tuesday night for Watson's debut looking to hand the Suns a 20th loss in their last 22 games.

General manager Ryan McDonough and owner Robert Sarver had high hopes in Hornacek's third season after he went 48-34 in 2013-14 before slipping to 39-43 last season. But despite signing Tyson Chandler in the offseason and having an explosive backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, the Suns (14-35) failed to live up to expectations.

Chandler is averaging what would be a career worst of 5.7 points, and his 8.4 rebounds would be his fewest since 2009-10. Bledsoe is done after suffering a season-ending right knee injury in an embarrassing loss to NBA-worst Philadelphia on Dec. 26.

Knight has missed the last six games with a groin strain and is expected to be out until after the All-Star break, and the situation with Morris remains contentious.

Morris, upset when the Suns traded his twin Marcus to Detroit in the offseason, has made it clear he's unhappy in Phoenix and was suspended two games after throwing a towel at Hornacek in the fourth quarter of a loss to Denver on Dec. 23.

Management fired assistants Jerry Sichting and Mike Longabardi on Dec. 28 while deciding to give Hornacek another chance. Watson was promoted from the club's NBA Developmental League team that same day to assist Hornacek.

Although the odds seemingly were stacked against Hornacek, McDonough finally saw enough after Sunday's 91-78 loss to Dallas - the Suns' 14th straight on the road. Hornacek was fired after their conversation, and Watson was named interim coach Monday.

"This definitely has been a tough season, but I feel like there has to be some positives that come out of this," Chandler said.

Watson is only 36 years old and played the last of his 13 NBA seasons with Portland in '13-14. He's the latest in a line of recently retired players to try his hand at coaching, but whether he'll succeed and earn the job full-time remains to be seen.

Phoenix ranks last in the league in field-goal percentage defense at 47.3 and has lost by an average of 15.8 points during a four-game losing streak.

Watson's debut, though, comes against a Raptors team Phoenix has beaten in four of the last five meetings, including a 107-102 victory in Toronto on Nov. 29.

The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors (32-16) were the league's hottest team prior to Monday, but they began a six-game trip by snapping their 11-game winning streak with a 112-93 loss to Denver.

DeMar DeRozan, who scored 29 points in the first meeting with the Suns, finished with 24, but Kyle Lowry was held to 10 and went 3 of 12 from the field. Lowry averaged 23.5 points over his previous four.

"You can describe it any way you want to," coach Dwane Casey said. "That was a stinker. That was one of our worst performances of the year. We played like we were playing in mud. We stunk."

James Johnson left in the second quarter because of a sprained left ankle and his status for this contest is unclear.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bucks (20-30) at Trail Blazers (23-26)
Date: February 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Portland's success is usually attributed to strong scoring from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but it's the Trail Blazers' defense that's turning heads of late.

The Blazers go for their longest home winning streak in nearly a year Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Lillard and McCollum are the team's top two scorers with career highs of 24.2 and 20.7 points per game, respectively. Although they're both averaging below those marks over the last three games - Lillard at 19.3 and McCollum at 18.7 - Portland (23-26) has yielded 93.7 per game, which is 8.6 below its season mark.

They scored 21 apiece in a 96-93 win over Minnesota on Sunday that was the Blazers' season-best fourth straight and eighth in the last 10 games.

"It's a great sign for us," reserve forward Ed Davis said. "There's going to be games where Damian and C.J. are not shooting great from the field. We have to rely on the defense then.

"We can beat pretty much anybody without playing any defense just because they're going to hit tough shots, hit a lot of 3s, get a lot of easy buckets, they're going to get fouled. It's those games where they don't have it going that we have to lock in on defense."

That didn't happen in a 90-88 loss at Milwaukee (20-30) on Dec. 7. Lillard had 23 points and McCollum scored 17, but the Blazers squandered a four-point lead in the final 17 seconds.

"It's just a matter of us taking care of business," Lillard said. "Over the last couple of games we've defended better, we've shared the ball better. We've played more complete games.

"We're showing signs of growth."

The Blazers are trying to win five in a row at home for the first time since Feb. 25-March 13. They've won seven of their last nine there against Milwaukee, including a 104-97 victory on Dec. 17, 2014, in which Lillard scored 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting and went 4 of 7 from long range.

The Bucks have dropped five of their last six games, including four straight on the road after falling 111-104 at Sacramento on Monday. They've surrendered an average of 108.0 points and 39.5 percent shooting from behind the arc during the slump.

"We gotta get better at switching and understand who is shooting the ball," coach Jason Kidd said. "We put ourselves in position to win a game on the road, and we just didn't make a couple plays coming down late on both ends."

Greg Monroe can't be blamed for Milwaukee's recent struggles. The center is averaging 22.2 points over the last six games and has totaled 48 while hitting 18 of 30 from the field in the previous two.

Monroe was quieter with 16 points and 12 rebounds at home against the Blazers in December, but he made a decisive layup with 6 seconds left to put the Bucks up for good.

Khris Middleton finished with 14 points while missing 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. The guard enters this matchup with 23 total points in two games, going 8 for 31 from the floor and 2 for 10 from beyond the arc.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Top Action
February 2, 2016


MIAMI HEAT (27-21) at HOUSTON ROCKETS (25-25)

Tip-off: Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Houston -5.0

Dwyane Wade and the Heat will be going for their fifth straight factory when the team faces the Rockets in Houston on Tuesday.

Miami has been playing extremely well and most recently defeated Atlanta 105-87 as a three-point home favorite. The Heat have won-and-covered in four straight contests and the team has been good on both ends of the floor, shooting 45% or better from the field in four straight games and holding opponents to less than 40% shooting in two of those games. The Heat will, however, need to show that they can get the job done consistently. They have been far too streaky this year and if they can’t right the ship then they likely won’t be playing with home court advantage in the postseason.

The Rockets, meanwhile, have been playing poorly over the past week. This team is coming off of a 123-122 home loss against the Wizards as a four-point favorite and has now lost three straight games. Houston will be hungry to come out and get a win in this one, but the team did lose 109-89 as a four-point road underdog versus Miami on Nov. 1. It hasn’t all been bad for the Rockets in this series, though. Houston is 3-2 both SU and ATS versus Miami over the past three seasons and that includes two win-and-covers at the Toyota Center. Both of those games in Houston went Under the total and four of the five games played between these teams in the past three seasons went Under as well.

One trend that is worth noting in this one is the fact that the Rockets are a miserable 1-8 ATS off an upset loss as a home favorite this season. C Hassan Whiteside (Oblique) is listed as doubtful for Miami in this one.

Miami had been struggling in the month of January and SG Dwyane Wade (18.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.0 SPG) took it upon himself to get his team back on track. The Heat have rattled off four straight victories and Wade is averaging 24.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, 2.0 SPG and 1.8 BPG over the course of the winning streak. He is being aggressive going to the basket and that is allowing him to finish at the rim or kick the ball out to open shooters. It also helps that he has been locked in defensively, as he’ll need to do a good job of containing James Harden on Tuesday.

PF Chris Bosh (19.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG) will likely see some time at the center position with Whiteside out for Miami. Bosh has also been playing well for the Heat recently, averaging 21.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG over the past five contests. Bosh will need to knock down some outside shots for floor spacing purposes offensively, but he’ll also need to do his best to keep Dwight Howard off the glass on the defensive end.

PG Goran Dragic (12.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, 1.0 SPG) could provide a major spark for Miami in this game. Dragic used to play for the Rockets, so he should be more than comfortable playing in this building. He will need to push the pace and get some easy buckets in transition for the Heat.

The Rockets have lost three straight games and will be playing like a desperate team when they host the Heat on Tuesday. One guy that they can count on to play well is SG James Harden (27.9 PPG, 7.0 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG). The superstar was on fire in a loss to Washington on Saturday, finishing with 40 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes. Harden went 12-for-20 from the field and 6-for-9 from the outside in that game and is shooting 44.1% from three over the past five contests. If he can stay hot then it will be a huge boost for his team against a sizzling Heat squad.

C Dwight Howard (14.4 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG0 will also need to play well for Houston in this game. Howard had 20 points and seven boards in 29 minutes against the Wizards on Saturday, but he was ejected from that game for getting into it with Nene. Howard must keep his cool in this one, as the Rockets desperately need him. He is a force in the paint and opens up the floor for his teammates. He is also one of the best rim protectors in basketball.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Tuesday
February 2, 2016

Those following the Association last night saw the scoreboard operator put in overtime as 12 of the 18 teams in action scored 100-plus points and the remaining six had at least 92 points posted. Those offensive fireworks helped the ‘over’ go 7-2.

Favorites went 7-2 straight up and 4-5 against the spread last night and two of the games went to overtime. Utah (-5 ½) captured the overtime win and cover with a 105-96 victory over Chicago at home while Indiana (+5 ½) fell to Cleveland 111-106 but barely covered at most betting shops.

The largest underdog to cash was Denver (+4 ½, ML +175), who knocked off Toronto 112-93 at home. The Raptors had won 11 straight entering last night’s game, but eight of those wins came in Canada.

Tuesday’s card offers up five games and below is my quick handicap.

Boston (27-22 SU, 26-22-1 ATS) at New York (23-27 SU, 29-21 ATS)

Boston (-3) opened as a short road favorite over New York and it should be noted that after Cleveland and Toronto, the Celtics are the only other team in the Eastern Conference (13-12 SU, 14-11 ATS) to own a winning road mark. Both clubs enter this game off a loss on Sunday and neither put up a great defensive effort. Boston lost at Orlando 119-114 while New York was embarrassed at home to Golden State, 116-95.

Despite the loss to the Magic, the Celtics had won five straight (4-1 ATS) games. The offensive firepower for Boston has been on display over the last 12 games. During this span, Boston has averaged 112.6 points per game and that’s helped the ‘over’ produce an 8-4 record.

Unfortunately for New York, it isn’t the best defensive team (101.2 PPG) in the league but 18 of its 23 wins this season came when the club scored over 100 points. One of those victories occurred on Jan. 20 at home when it defeated the Celtics 120-114 as one-point underdogs.

The Knicks are a respectable 14-11 both SU and ATS at Madison Square Garden this season but that record is misleading. New York doesn’t have a bunch of quality wins and its 3-8 SU and 5-6 ATS when listed as a home ‘dog. Boston is 6-7 SU and 5-7-1 ATS as a road favorite this season.

The total on this game is hovering around 207 points and bettors should note that the Knicks enter this game on a 5-1 ‘under’ run.

Miami (27-21 SU, 24-23-1 ATS) at Houston (25-25 SU, 21-29 ATS)

NBATV will televise this game nationally at 8:05 p.m. ET and it’s not an easy game to handicap. The Heat have won a season-high four straight and more importantly, they’ve covered all four games too. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence or not but Miami center Hassan Whiteside (hip) hasn’t played in any of the wins and he’s ‘doubtful’ for Tuesday.

While Miami has been rolling, the Rockets are mired in yet another slump. Houston has dropped three straight and they just can’t stop anybody plus it doesn’t help the cause when center Dwight Howard gets ejected in the each of the last two setbacks.

Washington ran past the Rockets on Saturday for a 123-122 win as four-point road underdog, which dropped Houston’s home mark to 15-12 SU and 11-16 ATS. To put things in perspective during last year’s run to the Western Conference Finals, Houston went 30-11 at home.

Miami has gone 12-6 SU and 10-7-1 ATS versus the West this season but that mark is boosted with a 9-1 home mark. Meanwhile, Houston has struggled to a 7-11 SU and 5-13 ATS mark against the East.

These teams met in South Florida on Nov. 1 and Miami earned a 20-point win (109-89) over Houston. In the lone meeting last season at the Toyota Center, the Rockets blasted the Heat 115-79 in wire-to-wire fashion. The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight during this series.

The Heat have been the best ‘under’ bet (32-16) in the NBA this season while Houston is one of the better ‘over’ (28-20-2) teams in the Association. The total is listed at 204 and Miami has seen the ‘under’ go 6-2 with numbers listed in the 200s this season.

Toronto (32-16 SU, 26-21-1 ATS) at Phoenix (14-35 SU, 18-31 ATS)

The Raptors saw their 11-game winning streak snapped last night in a 112-93 loss at Denver and the oddsmakers expect the club to rebound against a struggling Suns squad tonight. Most shops have Toronto listed as a nine-point road favorite against a Phoenix team that just fired its head coach Jeff Hornacek on Monday.

The Suns are 2-20 in their last 22 games and Sunday’s 91-78 loss to Dallas wasn’t surprising but the way they blew the cover (+9 ½) makes you feel for anybody that had a ticket on Phoenix. Earl Watson was named the interim coach and he’s probably the best point guard on a team that has lost Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight to injuries.

With nine of their next 10 games at home, I think you’ll be able to find some value on Phoenix in the upcoming weeks but I’d stay away tonight. I wouldn’t lean to the Raptors either because they’re 4-5 SU and 4-4-1 ATS this season when facing back-to-back situations while the ‘over’ is 6-3.

Also, while recent meetings between these teams can be tossed out the window due to the short-handed roster of the Suns but make a note that Toronto is 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in its last five games against Phoenix.

Milwaukee (20-30 SU, 25-25 ATS) at Portland (23-26 SU, 26-23 ATS)

The schedule is one of the biggest factors in the NBA and taking advantage of long home stands are key. Portland is in the middle of a stretch that has them playing 12 of 14 in the Great Northwest and it’s started off with a 4-1 (3-2 ATS) record. Traveling to this venue isn’t easy for opponents and home/away numbers for Portland are better offensively (105-99) and defensively (101-103).

To be fair, the Trail Blazers (-7) haven’t played the best competition during this stretch but wins are wins and tonight’s game is also winnable against Milwaukee but I do think the number is a tad inflated. Portland has been favored by more than seven twice this season and it has gone 2-0 SU/ATS, both wins were against the hapless Lakers and Milwaukee is much better than Los Angeles.

The Bucks dropped a 111-104 decision last night at Sacramento and the defense fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing 37 points. Milwaukee has struggled on zero days rest this season recently, dropping six of their last seven back-to-back spots. Overall, they are 5-7 SU and 8-4 ATS with four of the wins coming at home.

These clubs met in early December from Milwaukee and the Bucks nipped the Trail Blazers 90-88 as one-point underdogs. The ‘under’ (198) cashed easily and is on a 5-1 run in this head-to-head series.

The Bucks have gone 6-12 SU and 8-10-1 ATS versus the West this season while the Blazers are 5-11 SU and 7-9 ATS against the East.

Minnesota (14-35 SU, 21-27-1 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (9-41 SU, 21-28-1 ATS)

In 2016, Minnesota (2-14) and Los Angeles (3-14) are a combined 5-28 and those numbers alone would make me look in a different direction on Tuesday. The Timberwolves and Lakers will be meeting for third and final time this season and if this game is close to the first two outcomes, you’re looking a tightly contested shootout.

Minnesota beat Los Angeles 112-111 on opening night (Oct. 28) at the Staples Center before earning a 123-122 victory on Dec. 9 from the Target Center. Will we see another back-and-forth game? The total (202 ½) certainly doesn’t scream shootout but both Minnesota (103.4 PPG) and Los Angeles (106.2 PPG) are very weak suspect defensively.

Minnesota is listed as a short road favorite (-4) and its gone 1-1 both SU and ATS in that role this season. As a home underdog, Los Angeles is 4-16 SU and 9-11 ATS and the ‘under’ has gone 14-6 in those games.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Atlanta Braves........

1Az) Dansby Swanson, SS--Acquired in Shelby Miller trade.

2Az) Aaron Blair, P-- Went 7-2, 3.16 in 12 AAA starts.

1) Kyle Newcomb, P-- Acquired from Angels in Andrelton Simmons deal.

2) Hector Olivera 3B/OF-- Cuban defector will be 31 on April 5.

8) Mallex Smith, OF-- Hit .340 in AA, .281 in AAA last season.

12) Manny Banuelos, P-- Was 1-4, 5.13 in six starts in majors LY.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Louisville 71, North Carolina 65-- First half of this game was a brickfest; UNC was 3-17 on arc for the game-- they're shooting 30.2% for the year. No bueno.

12) Two of Louisville's best players this year are Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, a pair of graduate transfers, Lee from Drexel, Lewis from Cleveland State. As an Oakland A's fan, I'm sensitive to big-money teams poaching players from schools with less cash, so this "free agency" that has popped up in college basketball bothers me.

ESPN's announcers didn't seem too anxious to talk about the graduate transfer rule, but I'm wondering what the coaches of Drexel (3-18) and Cleveland State (7-16) think?

11) One of the great lines I've ever heard was back when I was an assistant high hoop coach-- this is November of 1993, I'm pretty sure, after we lost our second game of what would be a very long season. The head coach looked at the players and said, "......when things start going bad, the rats start jumping off the ship."

I'm not doing it justice; but he delivered the line with great timing and disdain, but it underlines one of the unfortunate facts of our culture-- people are frontrunners, and as I start to learn more about politics from watching too much TV, it appears that this may be more true in politics than it is in sports. Someone loses and people are fast to hop off the bandwagon. It is too bad.

10) Donald Trump got beat last night, the headline the front page of the NY Daily News today is: "Dead Clown Walking". When you're cocky and arrogant and then you lose, people take pleasure in piling on. We'll see how this plays out.

Mike Tyson once said: "Everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Now we'll see how Trump reacts to figuratively getting punched in the mouth.

9) Weekly update on Showtime's Billions: You watch a show like this and you hear about politics, the less you like or trust people. Just a bunch of weasels.

This week, the main character buys stock in a snack food company that made his favorite snack as a kid, because they changed the recipe to increase profits and now the snack doesn't taste as good. So he buys stock in the ompany, gets two board members fired, one of whom is sleeping with his main rival's father (its a soap opera, dammit).

8) No one told the Phoenix Suns players the team fired coach Jeff Hornacek; how do you run a business that way? There are only 15 players; how difficult would it be for a group text to go out?

7) NHL teams playing on second night of a back/back are 83-114 this year against teams that didn't play the night before. Under is 12-9 (with several pushes) in games involving two teams who were both on back end of a back/back.

6) Brandt Snedeker won the Farmers Open golf tournament Monday; he was the only guy in the field to break par (he played his 4th round Sunday) in the last round, which had an average stroke count of 77.9, the highest 4th-round scoring average on Tour in the last 33 years. Brutal winds made the course really difficult.

5) Golfer Jim Furyk is out for three more months after wrist surgery

4) Duke is out of the top 25 for the first time since April, 2007.

3) Terrible news for UNLV's Ben Carter, who blew out his ACL Saturday night in the loss to San Diego State. Tough guy, a glue guy, hard to replace.

2) Texas 67, Baylor 59-- I think Shaka Smart is little bit overrated; he got the Texas job because of his pressing style at VCU, but because of the roster he inherited, this Texas team is playing at pace #319 in country, very slow. Anyway, Texas is 6-3 in Big X- this was a good win for them. I'm just curious as to how Smart will recruit the next couple years, if he'll try to re-create Havoc and press like West Virginia does.

1) This is 2016, technology is running amok and yet in Iowa, they have an outdated way to choose who wins their state's delegates. It makes no sense, but it is how things are done. maybe at some point, they can join the 21st century. One thing for sure, it'll be four years before any of these politicians step foot in Iowa again.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, February 2

Hot teams
-- Celtics won five of their last six games (5-2 last 7AF).
-- Miami won its last four games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Raptors had their 11-game win streak snapped last nite (4-2 last 6AF).
-- Portland won eight of its last ten games (6-1 last 7HF).

Cold teams
-- Knicks lost five of their last six games (5-7HU).
-- Houston lost its last three games (4-5 last 9HF).
-- Suns lost their last four games (5-3HU).
-- Bucks lost five of their last six games (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Minnesota lost six of its last seven games (1-2AF). Lakers lost their last ten games (3-2 last 5HU).

Series records
-- Knicks lost four of last five games with Boston.
-- Rockets lost eight of last ten games with Miami.
-- Suns won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Bucks won six of last nine games with Portland.
-- Minnesota is 5-3 in its last eight games with the Lakers.

Totals
-- Five of last six New York games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Miami games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Phoenix games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Portland games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-2 in last seven Laker-Minnesota games.

Back/backs
-- Toronto is 5-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Milwaukee is 5-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.




NBA

Tuesday, February 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. NEW YORK
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Miami's last 23 games on the road
Miami is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 10 games at home
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Toronto is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Phoenix is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Toronto

10:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PORTLAND
Milwaukee is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Portland
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Portland is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games
LA Lakers are 15-3 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against Minnesota

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, February 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (27 - 22) at NEW YORK (23 - 27) - 2/2/2016, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 75-58 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-32 ATS (+10.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-31 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI (27 - 21) at HOUSTON (25 - 25) - 2/2/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 53-77 ATS (-31.7 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
HOUSTON is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 145-109 ATS (+25.1 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game since 1996.
HOUSTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.
HOUSTON is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
HOUSTON is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 3-2 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (32 - 16) at PHOENIX (14 - 35) - 2/2/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHOENIX is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PHOENIX is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-0 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MILWAUKEE (20 - 30) at PORTLAND (23 - 26) - 2/2/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 329-398 ATS (-108.8 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) in road games against Northwest division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 232-291 ATS (-88.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 142-102 ATS (+29.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-1 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-2 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (14 - 35) at LA LAKERS (9 - 41) - 2/2/2016, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 55-73 ATS (-25.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 326-387 ATS (-99.7 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 158-201 ATS (-63.1 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 142-184 ATS (-60.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 55-80 ATS (-33.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 32-45 ATS (-17.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 55-86 ATS (-39.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 70-99 ATS (-38.9 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, February 2


Miami @ Houston

Game 703-704
February 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
117.312
Houston
119.447
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 5
204
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+5); Under

Toronto @ Phoenix

Game 705-706
February 2, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
121.626
Phoenix
109.600
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 12
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 9
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-9); Over

Milwaukee @ Portland

Game 707-708
February 2, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
113.561
Portland
124.999
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 11 1/2
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 6
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-6); Over

Minnesota @ LA Lakers

Game 709-710
February 2, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
109.974
LA Lakers
113.176
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 3
197
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 4
202 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+4); Under

Boston @ New York

Game 701-702
February 2, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
118.906
New York
121.451
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 2 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
207
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+2 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play ON HOUSTON against the spread in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 29 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.1 units)

NBA > (701) BOSTON@ (702) NEW YORK | 2016-02-02 19:30:00 - 2016-02-02 19:30:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 42 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (+23.3 units)

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play ON HOUSTON against the spread in Home games when playing with 2 days rest
The record is 18 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+13.6 units)

----------------------

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (705) TORONTO@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-02-02 21:00:00 - 2016-02-02 21:00:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in all games
The record is 14 Wins and 31 Losses for the this season (-30.55 units)

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play ON HOUSTON using money line in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 21 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.05 units)

NBA > (709) MINNESOTA@ (710) LA LAKERS | 2016-02-02 22:30:00 - 2016-02-02 22:30:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 15 Wins and 58 Losses for the last two seasons (-43.45 units)

NBA > (709) MINNESOTA@ (710) LA LAKERS | 2016-02-02 22:30:00 - 2016-02-02 22:30:00
Play AGAINST LA LAKERS using money line in Home games against Northwest division opponents
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-13.8 units)

NBA > (705) TORONTO@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-02-02 21:00:00 - 2016-02-02 21:00:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in Home games in non-conference games
The record is 10 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.55 units)

NBA > (707) MILWAUKEE@ (708) PORTLAND | 2016-02-02 22:00:00 - 2016-02-02 22:00:00
Play AGAINST MILWAUKEE using money line in All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 43 Losses for the last three seasons (-30.8 units)

NBA > (707) MILWAUKEE@ (708) PORTLAND | 2016-02-02 22:00:00 - 2016-02-02 22:00:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in Home games against Central division opponents
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.65 units)

NBA > (701) BOSTON@ (702) NEW YORK | 2016-02-02 19:30:00 - 2016-02-02 19:30:00
Play ON BOSTON using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 20 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.9 units)

------------------------

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play AGAINST HOUSTON ?>in the first halfin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Wins and 13 Losses for the this season (-12.3 units)

NBA > (707) MILWAUKEE@ (708) PORTLAND | 2016-02-02 22:00:00 - 2016-02-02 22:00:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 15 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+10.6 units)

-----------------------

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 7 Overs and 27 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.3 units)

NBA > (701) BOSTON@ (702) NEW YORK | 2016-02-02 19:30:00 - 2016-02-02 19:30:00
Play UNDER NEW YORK on the totalin Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 2 Overs and 15 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.8 units)

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 23 Overs and 52 Unders for the last two seasons (+26.7 units)

NBA > (705) TORONTO@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-02-02 21:00:00 - 2016-02-02 21:00:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 20 Overs and 46 Unders for the last two seasons (+24 units)

NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) HOUSTON | 2016-02-02 20:00:00 - 2016-02-02 20:00:00
Play UNDER HOUSTON on the totalin Home games after 3 or more consecutive overs
The record is 29 Overs and 64 Unders for the since 1992 (+32.1 units)

NBA > (707) MILWAUKEE@ (708) PORTLAND | 2016-02-02 22:00:00 - 2016-02-02 22:00:00
Play OVER MILWAUKEE on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Last nights NBA 2 - 1
NCAA 3 - 0

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BOS at NY 07:30 PM

NY +4.0

O 210.0 BEST BET


MIA at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU -4.0 BEST BET


TOR at PHO 09:00 PM

TOR -9.0


MIL at POR 10:00 PM

MIL +7.0


MIN at LAL 10:30 PM

LAL +4.5

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cavaliers (35-12) at Hornets (23-25)
Date: February 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's not easy getting a trio of elite players to jell on offense, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and their three stars are clicking under Tyronn Lue.

Since losing Lue's first game as coach, the Cavaliers have been playing well and can extend their win streak to six Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.

Elevated to head coach when David Blatt was fired Jan. 22, Lue had less than 36 hours to prepare for an eventual 96-83 home loss to Chicago that closed a 3-3 stretch in which Cleveland averaged 95.5 points.

The win streak has provided a different look from the Cavaliers (35-12), who have quickened the pace and spread the floor while averaging 114.2 on 51.5 percent shooting.

The previous three games in particular have shown what an offense led by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love can do. Prior to Friday's win at Detroit, those three hadn't scored 20 apiece this season, but they did it again Saturday against San Antonio and just missed a third when Love had 19 in Monday's 111-106 overtime win at Indiana.

"We're out there playing basketball," said Love, who has averaged 22.5 points in his last four after scoring 15.5 per game prior to that. "We're helping one another, we're having each other's backs, and I think that's going a long way right now."

With their top players taking quality shots, the Cavs haven't forced much with 23 or fewer 3-point attempts in three straight games. They averaged 28.2 before this stretch.

"We're just learning how to win, that's all," James said after Cleveland recovered from blowing an 11-point lead to force the extra period against the Pacers. "We're learning how to win in tough situations and tonight was one of those."

James had 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but he scored only seven after taking what he called a stinger to his shoulder in the third quarter. The injury doesn't appear to be a concern, however, and he's likely to play.

Irving scored six of his 25 in overtime, J.R. Smith had 19 points and Tristan Thompson 14 to put all five Cavs starters in double digits for just the seventh time.

The drawback to the new pace has been an average of 103.0 points allowed on the streak, and the Cavs may need to rely more on defense against the Hornets (23-25).

Charlotte's numbers point toward an ability to slow the Cavs in transition and stuff them in the lane. The Hornets are second in the NBA with 38.5 points allowed in the paint per game and are among the top 10 with 11.8 allowed on the fast break.

Those stats held in Cleveland's 95-90 win at Charlotte on Nov. 27, when both teams had just six points on the break and the Cavs owned a slight 40-36 advantage in the lane - but the biggest factor there was that Irving didn't play.

The point guard's presence should open things up considering the last time he faced Charlotte on Jan. 23, 2015, the Cavs scored 27 on the break in a 129-90 rout.

The Hornets will also be at a disadvantage in that regard if point guard Kemba Walker sits in the opener of this four-game homestand because of a sore left knee.

Walker had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 19 points and 12 rebounds apiece in a 101-82 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday that closed a 2-2 trip.

"We just wanted to end the road trip the right way," Walker said. "The energy and intensity was all there. We did everything we wanted to do."