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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Suns (15-44) at Hornets (30-28)
Date: March 01, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

After three weeks of travel, the Charlotte Hornets want to use a home-heavy stretch to recharge their playoff push.

That starts Tuesday night for the Hornets against a Phoenix team that's lost 15 in a row on the road, but one they're trying to gain a season split against.

The Hornets finished 4-2 on a six-game road swing in which they had a season-high five-game winning streak at one point, but they dropped two of the last three.

Charlotte shot a season-worst 33.3 percent in an 87-76 loss to Atlanta on Sunday. Kemba Walker was held to nine points on 3-of-15 shooting after averaging an Eastern Conference-best 24.1 points in his first eight games in February.

"It was a good trip for us, especially to start with five games after the (All-Star break), but this is a game we felt we could have had," forward Marvin Williams said. "It's disappointing but we did some good things on this road trip."

Locked in a competitive postseason race, the Hornets (30-28) play eight of their next nine at home and are still in strong contention for the Southeast Division lead.

Charlotte, 2 1/2 games behind Miami and two back of Atlanta, first face a team mired in its second-longest road slide in franchise history. The Suns (15-44) have lost those 15 games by an average of 20.1 points, the worst in that span a 124-84 drubbing by the Los Angeles Clippers in their most recent road contest Feb. 22.

The Suns, who lost 18 straight on the road in 1973-74, snapped a 13-game overall skid with a 111-106 victory over Memphis on Saturday. Alex Len shined again with 22 points - one shy of matching a career high - and 16 rebounds.

Len is averaging 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in his last four games. He was producing 6.9 points and 6.2 boards per contest in his first 51 this season.

"It's just one win," said interim coach Earl Watson, who earned his first NBA victory in 10 games. "It's not a celebration, it's not a championship, it's not a major leap in the right direction. It's one step forward."

The Suns haven't won back-to-back games since Dec. 7-9 and have lost 28 of 31. One of those three victories, however, came against Charlotte on Jan. 6.

Phoenix connected on a season-high 19 3-pointers in a 111-102 win, and Mirza Teletovic made five en route to finishing with 19 points. Teletovic, averaging 10.9 points, has combined for 48 in his past two games and scored a season-high 30 in a 116-106 loss to Brooklyn on Thursday.

The Suns have won three straight in Charlotte and seven of the last eight between the teams. Their top five scorers from last season's 111-106 win there, however, are either no longer with the team or injured.

Walker has a combined 52 points and 13 assists in his last two games against the Suns. He had 25 points and six assists in the loss in January.

Al Jefferson, who missed that game while recovering from knee surgery, had 28 points on 13-of-22 shooting in his most recent game versus Phoenix.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bulls (30-28) at Heat (33-26)
Date: March 01, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Joe Johnson made a seamless transition in going from one of the league's worst teams to a division leader.

The Chicago Bulls have spent the past 7 1/2 weeks undergoing an opposite transformation, changing from a team that was competing for Eastern Conference supremacy to one that could miss the playoffs.

Johnson will make his home debut for the Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat on Tuesday night against a banged-up Bulls team that is in danger of falling out of playoff position for the first time in two years.

Two days after being waived by Brooklyn following a contract buyout, Johnson was signed Saturday by the Heat (33-26). One night later he was in the starting lineup against New York and helped Miami to a 98-81 win.

Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer on his first shot as part of the Heat's 13-2 start and finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

'You get a guy a caliber of, a player like him, you normally get that in the offseason,' said Dwyane Wade, who had 26 points. 'So to be able to get it right now, as you're going into a playoff run, is very important for this team, especially with everything that we've been dealing with.'

Johnson's 86 3-pointers are five more than the total of top Miami 3-point shooter Chris Bosh, who is sidelined with a blood clot that formed in his leg.

With Bosh's status for the remainder of the season unclear, the Heat are in the precarious position of trying to hold off Atlanta, which is a half-game back. Johnson hasn't been part of a division-winning team since he was with Phoenix in 2005.

'This is kind of new, but I'm up for it, man,' Johnson said. 'It's a challenge. I'm looking forward to it, and every game from here on out is going to be a playoff-type game for us. We've got to have that mentality.'

The Bulls (30-28) are also in unfamiliar territory.

Since closing within 2 1/2 games of conference-leading Cleveland on Jan. 7, Chicago has gone 8-16 to fall into an eighth-place tie with Charlotte and Detroit. The Bulls haven't been outside the top eight in the East since Jan. 1, 2014.

The Heat have won nine of 10 against East teams, a stretch that began with an 89-84 victory at Chicago on Jan. 25 in this season's only previous matchup. Wade had 28 points while the Bulls were held to 39.8 percent shooting.

Pau Gasol had 19 points and 17 rebounds, but Derrick Rose scored four points in 13 first-half minutes before leaving with lower back and right hamstring injuries.

Rose has missed the last three games due to his hamstring and is day to day. He joins Jimmy Butler (strained left knee), Nikola Mirotic (appendicitis) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) on Chicago's injury list.

"We know what we've got," forward Taj Gibson told the Bulls' official website after Saturday's 103-95 home loss to Portland. "We just know that we have to play harder and can't mess up. We have a small window for mistakes now and that's the biggest thing."

Gasol stepped up again with his first triple-double of the season, recording 22 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists.

Doug McDermott scored 18 and is seeing an increased role in the offense, averaging 19.6 points while hitting 10 of 20 3-point attempts in the last five games.

The Bulls have dropped seven of eight road games, scoring 95 or fewer in each of the last three.

The Heat are 24-3 when holding opponents under 96.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (32-28) at Knicks (25-36)
Date: March 01, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has gone for at least 30 points in seven of his last eight games with an average of 33.3 in that span.

He's never had a 30-point game against the New York Knicks and had never lost to them until earlier this season.

The Knicks have allowed only four guards to score at least that many in a game, although they could be hard-pressed to slow down Lillard and end the Trail Blazers' season-high five-game road win streak Tuesday night.

Lillard is the league's fifth-best scorer with 25.4 points per game. Portland (32-28) is 7-1 in his red-hot stretch in which the guard is shooting 41.6 percent on 3-pointers.

He could be at least halfway to the 30-point plateau if he turns in a first quarter like he has in the last two games. Lillard scored 15 in that period and finished with 31 in Saturday's 103-95 win at Chicago before he scored 20 of his 33 points through 12 minutes the next night in a 111-102 victory over Indiana.

'I've been just trying to come out and be in attack mode and set the tone from the start of games," he said.

The Trail Blazers have won 17 of their last 21 overall with consecutive victories to start this six-game trip. They have taken eight of 10 on the road after starting 5-14 there.

"It's a challenge for a good team to go on the road and get a win, let alone a young team like us," Lillard said. "But I think we've been able to do it because we haven't looked at out opponent."

The only guards to score at least 30 against New York (25-36) are Boston's Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Golden State's Klay Thompson and Charlotte's Kemba Walker. Westbrook has done it twice.

Lillard is averaging 20.3 points in seven games against the Knicks, with his highest effort of 29 coming in a 112-110 defeat Dec. 12. The Blazers blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead, as Carmelo Anthony led New York with 37 points.

The Knicks actually had a better record than the Blazers after that victory and these teams are headed in opposite directions now. Portland is tied with Dallas for the Western Conference's sixth-best record while New York looks certain to miss the playoffs for a third straight season.

Starting Knicks center Robin Lopez, who played his previous two seasons with Portland, believes his club can learn from the Blazers.

"I think they've got a group of guys, they're playing together, they've got each other's backs," Lopez said. "It's something we can do, we should do more consistently, I think."

New York has lost 14 of 17 after falling 98-81 at home to Miami on Sunday. Only nine players took part since starting guard Arron Afflalo was out with swelling on his knee with his status in doubt Tuesday.

Interim coach Kurt Rambis let the players do individual work at Monday's practice since Anthony and rookie Kristaps Porzingis are also banged up. Porzingis will try to make amends for his first performance against Portland - the only game in which he failed to score by missing all six shots.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Magic (26-32) at Mavericks (32-28)
Date: March 01, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Though it hasn't always gone smoothly, the Dallas Mavericks have been handling their business during a soft stretch of home games.

Maintaining focus shouldn't be an issue Tuesday night against an Orlando Magic team that dealt the Mavericks a stinging defeat earlier this month.

A 1-5 stretch concluding with a 110-104 overtime loss in Orlando on Feb. 19, increased the urgency for Dallas (32-28), and it's so far responded during a critical season-high six-game homestand. The Mavericks have won three of four to begin the residency and remain tied with surging Portland for sixth in the Western Conference.

Dallas appeared to play with a purpose in Sunday's 128-101 rout of Minnesota, a game it led 39-24 after one quarter. The Mavericks fell behind by 23 in the first half against Denver two nights earlier before rallying for a 122-116 overtime win.

Slow starts were a recurring theme throughout February, with Dallas trailing after one quarter in eight of its previous 10 outings.

"(Sunday) the starters were a lot better," forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "But once is not going to cure it all. We've got to keep it going and give our bench a little lead."

The Mavericks overcame an early 21-point deficit to force overtime in its previous meeting with the Magic, using a franchise-record 19 3-pointers to come back. They've been the NBA's most prolific team from the perimeter since Feb. 6, averaging league highs of 13.0 made 3s and 33.6 attempted over their last seven.

Chandler Parsons is 22 of 44 from beyond the arc while averaging 21.6 points over that span. He finished 6 of 7 from 3 and 9 of 11 overall in a 24-point effort against Orlando last month.

Veteran forward David Lee has provided a needed presence in the post since signing last week, compiling 31 points and 27 rebounds in three games.

"We're in a really good offensive groove," said Parsons. "When we move the ball and space the floor, like we did (Sunday), we're tough to guard."

Orlando (26-32) has had trouble guarding teams lately, having allowed 113.0 points and a 50.9 field goal percentage in six games since the All-Star break. Scoring has been far less an issue, with the Magic averaging 115.8 points on 48.0 percent shooting in splitting their last four.

They're coming off a stellar offensive performance Sunday, shooting a season-high 57.0 percent and finishing 10 of 16 from 3-point range in a 130-116 victory over lowly Philadelphia. The Magic had 77 first-half points - their most since Nov. 3, 2010 - en route to their highest output in a non-overtime game this season.

Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo each had 28 and Aaron Gordon added a career-high 22. Vucevic is averaging 23.3 over his last eight and compiled 21 with 13 rebounds in last month's win over Dallas, helping Orlando record a 63-45 advantage on the glass.

Orlando scored at will Sunday despite Evan Fournier sitting out with a sore right wrist, though it wasn't pleased with its defensive effort after allowing Philadelphia to cut a 29-point deficit down to eight with 3:46 remaining.

"Moving forward, we know that we're not going to get many wins playing defense like that," guard Elfrid Payton said. "It's good that our offense played like that, but we've got to clean up those (defensive) things."

Orlando, which snapped a seven-game series skid last month, has lost three straight in Dallas.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (33-27) at Warriors (53-5)
Date: March 01, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

What can Stephen Curry do for an encore?

The Atlanta Hawks have to hope they're not the ones who find out.

After three straight 40-point performances - the latest of which may have been his most awe-inspiring yet - Curry might skip Tuesday night's game against the Hawks due to an ankle injury as his Golden State Warriors try to get within one victory of the longest home streak in NBA history.

Curry began Golden State's four-games-in-six-days stretch last week with 36 points in a 102-92 win at Atlanta (33-27) - and that was his least impressive effort of the four. He had 42 in a comeback win over Miami on Wednesday, dropped 51 with 10 3-pointers on Orlando one night later and then matched an NBA record with 12 3s while scoring 46 points in a 121-118 overtime victory at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

'Everybody in this locker room, we've seen him practice from that range every day,' Klay Thompson said. 'He's got the greatest range I've ever seen. He makes it look so effortless.'

Curry suffered a sprained ankle in the second quarter against the Thunder before returning in the third, and although it didn't keep him from knocking down the game-winning 3 from some 35 feet, it kept him out of Monday's practice and has him officially listed as questionable.

"We're not going to do anything crazy, obviously," coach Steve Kerr said of Curry, who's coming off the most productive four-game stretch (175 points) since Michael Jordan had 178 in November 1992. "We'll err on the side of caution. But if he's healthy enough to go, we'll play him."

A look at the Warriors' other game this week could give Kerr some incentive to rest Curry. Oklahoma City visits Thursday for a rematch of Saturday's classic, and that's the game when Golden State (53-5) could tie the mid-90s Bulls for the longest regular-season home winning streak in NBA history at 44.

First the Warriors will have to beat Atlanta for the second time in nine days, and Curry's potential absence would at least give the Hawks a little bit of help guarding the 3-point line. Golden State attempted a season-high 45 3s last week at Philips Arena, with Curry and Thompson each connecting on five of the 14 that went in.

The Warriors led by as many as 23 but Atlanta didn't feel empty after the loss, putting together a 33-6 second-half run that briefly gave it the lead.

Mike Budenholzer called that spurt something the Hawks could build on, and they did just that to close the week - especially on the defensive end. The Hawks held Chicago to 36.4 percent shooting Friday in a 103-88 win, then played their stingiest game of the season by limiting Charlotte to 33.3 percent in Sunday's 87-76 victory.

Al Horford was quickly looking ahead to the opener of a five-game road trip that ends in Toronto.

'It's going to be a big challenge,' he said of a rematch with Golden State, 'but we have a good opportunity to do well.'

Horford did his part last week, finishing with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals, but the Splash Brothers outscored Atlanta's starting backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver 63-18.

Golden State has won five straight and 16 of 17, though it's doing much of this damage with little offense from its third-leading scorer. Draymond Green is averaging just 9.8 points and shooting 18.8 percent from 3 over his last nine games, and he spent Monday apologizing for an emotional halftime outburst at Oklahoma City.

'We know he'll never quit, he'll never do anything to put our production on the floor in jeopardy,' Curry said. 'He's invested in what we're doing. Obviously he's an emotional guy, a fiery guy. That's what we love about him, what he brings to the court."

The Hawks have by far the NBA's best defensive rating (95.8 points per 100 possessions) over the last 20 games, but they're just 10-10.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI against the spread in Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.2 units)

NBA > (507) ORLANDO@ (508) DALLAS | 2016-03-01 20:35:00 - 2016-03-01 20:35:00
Play ON ORLANDO against the spread in Road games in non-conference games
The record is 19 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.5 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX against the spread in All games in road games
The record is 7 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-15 units)

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play AGAINST CHICAGO against the spread in All games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-10 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.85 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 5 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-18 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 1 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-15.3 units)

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 44 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (+29.95 units)

NBA > (503) PORTLAND@ (504) NEW YORK | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.5 units)

NBA > (511) ATLANTA@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-03-01 22:35:00 - 2016-03-01 22:35:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.15 units)

NBA > (511) ATLANTA@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-03-01 22:35:00 - 2016-03-01 22:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 23 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+18.8 units)

NBA > (507) ORLANDO@ (508) DALLAS | 2016-03-01 20:35:00 - 2016-03-01 20:35:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 47 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (+26.9 units)

NBA > (503) PORTLAND@ (504) NEW YORK | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in All games off an upset win as an underdog
The record is 24 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.2 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (503) PORTLAND@ (504) NEW YORK | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+10.9 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 3 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-13.5 units)

NBA > (503) PORTLAND@ (504) NEW YORK | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games as a favorite vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 20 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+13.4 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 20 Wins and 38 Losses for the this season (-21.8 units)

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI ?>in the first halfin Home games after a win by 10 points or more
The record is 8 Wins and 25 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.5 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (511) ATLANTA@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-03-01 22:35:00 - 2016-03-01 22:35:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 8 Overs and 29 Unders for the this season (+20.2 units)

NBA > (511) ATLANTA@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-03-01 22:35:00 - 2016-03-01 22:35:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+11.9 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 7 Overs and 24 Unders for the this season (+16.3 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+10.9 units)

NBA > (505) CHICAGO@ (506) MIAMI | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 28 Overs and 58 Unders for the last two seasons (+27.2 units)

NBA > (503) PORTLAND@ (504) NEW YORK | 2016-03-01 19:35:00 - 2016-03-01 19:35:00
Play UNDER NEW YORK on the totalin All games after scoring 85 points or less
The record is 8 Overs and 25 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.2 units)

NBA > (501) PHOENIX@ (502) CHARLOTTE | 2016-03-01 19:05:00 - 2016-03-01 19:05:00
Play OVER CHARLOTTE on the totalin Home games against Pacific division opponents
The record is 9 Overs and 0 Unders for the last two seasons (+9 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nets (17-43) at Lakers (11-49)
Date: March 01, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Byron Scott thinks the key to ending the Los Angeles Lakers' eight-game slide is better defense. He also feels that will be vital come next season without Kobe Bryant.

With Bryant potentially out for a second straight game, the Lakers look to sweep the season series from the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (11-49) owns the worst record in the Western Conference and is on pace to finish the season with the fewest wins in franchise history - a record (19) set in 1957-58 in Minneapolis.

The Lakers haven't looked capable of even approaching that mark, surrendering an average of 118.8 points and 53.2 percent from the floor over the last six games.

Los Angeles has lost a league-high 33 games by double digits with Philadelphia's 28 the closest in that category.

"Let's get that straight right now. It's not the offense," Scott told the team's official website. "It's the defensive end of the floor that we're having the biggest problem (with)."

Scott is taking steps to change the Lakers' defensive scheme, which he planned to do for next season.

"It's something I think can help us in the long run," he said. "I was gonna wait until next year to do it, and then I said, 'Why wait now? Let's do it now. Let's implement it now. It's something we're gonna continue to do in the summer.' The more we can do it right now, the more comfortable our guys can get."

Comfort was certainly an issue Friday for Bryant, who woke up with a sore shoulder that forced him to sit out a 112-95 home loss to Memphis.

"It was one of those days where Kobe just slept wrong and woke up a little sore," Scott said.

With Los Angeles visiting Denver on Wednesday, Bryant could be rested against the Nets (17-43). He's trying to play in every city on his retirement tour.

Bryant led the Lakers with 18 points in a 104-98 win at Brooklyn on Nov. 6. D'Angelo Russell had 16 points in that meeting, and he's scored 22 in each of the last two games.

The Nets have split the first four of this season-high nine-game road trip after falling 105-95 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Brook Lopez is averaging 23.0 points on 55.2 percent shooting during the trip after finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds against the Clippers.

'They trust one another and know exactly where they're going to be on the floor at all times offensively and defensively, and that's something we want to work toward,' Lopez said. 'It's our job to continue building that trust and belief.'

The center might be in for another impressive performance since he's averaged 26.9 points over his last seven meetings with the Lakers.

Bojan Bogdanovic has started three straight games after the Nets waived Joe Johnson. He's averaged 17.0 points over that stretch while starting at forward for the first time this season.

Bogdanovic scored 19 points with six rebounds against the Clippers, but he's only totaled seven points in his last two meetings with the Lakers.

Nets guard Wayne Ellington may not play after being evaluated for a concussion stemming from a run-in with DeAndre Jordan on Monday.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Tuesday
March 1, 2016

NBA favorites started the week strong, going 5-2 both straight up and against the spread on Sunday and all of the ‘chalk’ wins came by double digits. On Tuesday, the trend continued with favorites going 5-2 again. However, the underdogs mustered up some pride and managed to go 4-2-1 against the spread.

For those bettors taking the Jazz (+5) over the Celtics last night, please accept our apologies. Anytime you’re catching points and you have a two-point lead in the final minute, you should earn that cover and that was the case with Utah up 95-93. Boston drilled a 3-pointer and closed the game with four straight free throws to win 100-95. Early bettors on the Celtics might’ve actually earned a win (-4 ½) and if you did, congrats!

Six games on tap for Tuesday, which includes a double-header on NBATV. Coincidentally, both those games have injury issues and no overnight numbers were posted.

Phoenix at Charlotte

The Hornets are listed as heavy favorites (-13) over the Suns and they’ve gone 13-4 SU and 8-9 ATS in the role of a home ‘chalk’ this season. As a double-digit favorites, they’re 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS while the ‘over’ has cashed in both those games.

Charlotte is playing its first home game after finishing up a five-game road trip on Sunday and that’s never an easy spot. The club went 3-2 both SU and ATS and the defense only allowed 97.4 points per game during this stretch, which helped the ‘under’ go 4-1.

Despite scoring 111 and 106 in its last two games, Phoenix isn’t an offensive juggernaut by any means. The Suns did snap a 12-game losing skid on Saturday with a win over the Grizzlies but it hasn’t won back-to-back games since early December. Even before the injury woes, Phoenix has struggled versus the East on the road this season, going 2-8 both SU and ATS.

Phoenix has gotten the better of Charlotte recently, winning seven of the last eight meetings while covering six of those games. In the first matchup this season, the Suns notched a 111-102 win as two-point home underdogs.

Chicago at Miami

The Heat opened as 6 ½-point home favorites over the Bulls and that number dropped a point after Derrick Rose (hamstring) was upgraded to 'probable' for this game. It's good news for Chicago, who has been stung by the late-season injury bug. The club just finished February with a 4-8 record and All-Star Jimmy Butler (knee) has missed 10 of those games, with his return expected to come in mid-March. Along with Butler, Nikola Mirotic (appendicitis) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) are also on the IR for the Bulls.

Miami is also dealing with injuries, in particular Chris Bosh. A few pundits don’t expect him to return this season and he could be done for his career due to a blood clot issue. Miami has managed to overcome the loss of Bosh, going 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS.

The Heat have been climbing up the playoff ladder in the East lately and they’ve been on a great run in conference play, going 9-1 both SU and ATS. As a home favorite, Miami has gone 15-9 SU and 11-12-1 ATS this season.

The visitor has won and covered four straight in this series and the ‘under’ has cashed in all four of those games, rather easily too. Tuesday’s total is hovering around 199 points, which is rare in the NBA these days, and Miami continues to be the best ‘under’ (38-21) team in the league.

Portland at New York

The Knicks stopped the Trail Blazers 112-110 on Dec. 12 as 3 ½-point road underdogs. Since that win, the pair have gone in opposite directions. Since that outcome, New York has gone 14-22 while Portland has produced a 22-13 record. The Trail Blazers have won and covered three straight games at Madison Square Garden and they’ve opened as four-point road favorites on Tuesday, deservingly.

That number has jumped up to five at a few books as of Tuesday morning and it’s hard to disagree with the move considering Portland has started its six-game road trip with back-to-back wins. The biggest weakness for the Knicks is their backcourt and it’s hard to see them keeping up with the Blazers dangerous duo of Lillard and McCollum tonight.

If for some reason you believe New York might answer the bell tonight and step up, then make a note that the Knicks are 3-13 SU and 5-10-1 ATS as home underdogs this season. The Blazers head to Boston tomorrow and that might be the spot to fade them on this road trip.

Orlando at Dallas

These teams met 10 days ago in Orlando and the Mavericks will be looking to avenge a 110-104 overtime loss to the Magic as 1 ½-point road underdogs. Prior to this setback, Dallas had won seven straight against Orlando (6-1 ATS).

Dallas (-5) has been a decent home favorite this season, going 15-6 SU and 13-7-1 ATS and that record includes three straight wins coming into this game.

Orlando is coming off a wire-to-wire 130-116 win over Philadelphia on Sunday and only comes to Texas for one game before heading back home. The Magic have only won back-to-back games once in 2016 but I believe that might change tonight. Orlando’s record versus the Western Conference is less than stellar at 4-6, but the ATS mark is 9-1 and it could easily be 10-0.

The Mavericks defense isn’t great at all and the team hasn’t held an opponent under 100 points in eight straight games, which has led to eight straight ‘over’ winners. Orlando can play fast as well and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a tight high-scoring affair in this game tonight.

Atlanta at Golden State

Golden State opened as a nine-point home favorite over Atlanta and most would believe the line would be higher and it should be. However, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry (ankle) is listed as ‘questionable’ and that’s obviously a huge factor. Curry has missed two games this season and the team has gone 1-1 with the lone win coming by four points.

Another factor for Golden State could be emotions. The Warriors just knocked off the Thunder 121-118 in a classic overtime game on Saturday which wrapped up an impressive road trip that saw the team go 5-1. The Warriors went 2-4 ATS during that span and closed February with a 3-6-1 ATS mark.

These teams met last week in Atlanta and the Warriors notched a 102-92 victory as six-point favorites. Including that win, Golden State is 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in its last eight versus Atlanta which includes a pair of recent double-digit wins from Oracle Arena.

The Hawks have gone 6-5 on the road both SU and ATS versus the Western Conference but when stepping up against quality opponents, they were humbled at the Thunder (107-94) and Spurs (108-88).

Brooklyn at L.A. Lakers

Anytime you see the Lakers (-2) laying points, you might want to pass all together. Los Angeles has been in that role three times this season and has gone 1-2 both SU and ATS. The Nets played at the Staples Center last night and lost to the Clippers 105-95 but managed to cover as 12 ½-point underdogs. Including that cover, Brooklyn has cashed tickets in four straight (2-2 SU) games.

Despite going 2-8 SU on zero days rest this season, Brooklyn has notched a 6-4 ATS mark in these situations.

The Lakers have been off since Friday and Kobe Bryant is expected to play tonight. The club has started the second-half with five straight losses (2-3 ATS) and the defense has been atrocious (118.6 PPG). The meaningless game approach could have you leaning ‘over’ in this spot but be careful going high with the Lakers since they’re the worst shooting team in the league and second worst 3-point shooting team.

Los Angeles knocked off the Nets 104-98 on Nov. 6 as three-point road underdogs, which snapped a three-game losing skid to Brooklyn. The Nets have covered all of their last five games (2-3 SU) against the Lakers from the Staples Center.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the New York Mets.......

1) Steven Matz, P-- Was 4-0, 2.27 in six major league starts LY.

3) Dominic Smith, 1B-- Hit .290 in three seasons in minors; needs more power.

5) Brandon Nimmo, OF-- Mets drafted him instead of Jose Fernandez. Oy.

9) Matt Reynolds, 2B/SS-- Arkansas alum knocked in 65 runs in AAA LY.

18) Logan Verrett, P-- Baylor alum started four big league games LY.

23) LJ Mazzilli, 2B-- Hit .263 in AA LY; his dad played for the Mets.

**********

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

13) Boston Red Sox had a payroll LY of $185,568,958, 3rd-highest in baseball; they added David Price LY, so I'm assuming their payroll will be at least that high again this season, but their 3B will be Pablo Sandoval, their 1B Hanley Ramirez. Not exactly Brooks Robinson and JT Snow. Could be lot of bunts against the Sox this season.

12) Was fun watching the Red Sox play two college teams Monday; not the same as a real big league game (those start today), but good nonetheless. Spring training park the Red Sox call home is a facsimile of Fenway Park, kind of cool.

11) Red Sox' new 1B coach is Ruben Amaro, Jr, who for last seven years was the GM of the Phillies. Odd situation; no one can ever remember this happening before, but apparently Amaro wants to be a field manager and this is how he is learning the ropes. Plus, he needed a job after the Phillies fired him.

10) Win a bar bet: only Hall of Famer to get his 3,000th hit against another Hall of Famer was Dave Winfield (for the Twins) against Dennis Eckersley (for the A's) way back in 1993, in the Metrodome.

Winfield played baseball/basketball at U of Minnesota, where his hoop coach was Bill Musselman, whose son Eric now coaches at Nevada-Reno.

9) Speaking of which, our Bad Beat of Week: Nevada 87, Colorado State (+3.5) 80

If you had Colorado State +3.5 Sunday, you weren't happy. Rams were down two as one of their guards raced downcourt for the last shot with 0:04 left. It looked good for the cover-- he was either going to shoot or run out of time, but a Nevada player didn't know the score- he thought they were up 3-- and he fouls the guy intentionally.

Colorado State guy makes both foul shots, game goes OT and Nevada covers. Oy.

8) Michigan Wolverines are having spring football practice in Florida; a damn good idea, very creative, but what is the price tab? Has to be steep.

7) Just watched a movie while I was writing this-- The Judge, with Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr-- a really, really good movie. Great cast- Billy Bob Thornton was a lawyer, one of the judges was Ken Howard, the coach from The White Shadow, one of my all-time favorite TV shows. Movie is on Cinemax this month.

6) Los Angeles Kings acquired Kris Versteeg this week; poor guy has been traded seven times in his career, going from Boston to Chicago to Toronto to Philly to Florida to Chicago to Carolina and now, to Los Angeles. These guys have families and their kids have to change schools and sure, they make a lot of money, but you get traded seven times by the time you're 29- it has to mess with your mind some.

5) St Mary's plays in WCC tourney starting Saturday in Las Vegas, but they don't like a week between games, I guess, so the Gaels are playing Grand Canyon tonight as a prep. Dan Majerle's Antelopes are 24-5, tied for second in the WAC- they've beaten San Diego State this season, so it should be a good prep for St Mary's.

4) Tennessee State forced 23 turnovers in beating Belmont Sunday; teams are likely to play in OVC semi-finals and Belmont will be favored again- they're younger and less athletic. OVC has four pretty good teams; any of them could win the tourney.

3) Has been fun watching Oregon State play this year; Gary Payton watching his son's senior year in college, at same school he starred for. Beavers' best two players for next year are the coaches' sons, so they ain't leaving early- Oregon State will be a force in the Pac-12 the next few years.

2) College basketball starts around Veterans' Day, second week in November, but it is a long season; think back to the Maui Classic-- Indiana lost to Wake Forest, UNLV- they couldn't guard a freakin' chair. Looked like Tom Crean was going to get fired.

But fast-forward three months; Indiana is 23-6, a top 20 team. UNLV, Wake Forest are a combined 10-24 in conference play- Rebels fired their coach. Teams improve or they regress, they seldom stay the same. It is part of why handicapping is difficult.

1) I've tried to be more interested in politics this year, partly because its the only decent daytime TV (thank God exhibition baseball starts today), but this election has become a sad indictment of our system, lot of jackasses acting like 10-year olds.

Our society is so disgusted with politicians that a rich, egotistical bully might become President-- if this guy wasn't a billionaire no one would give him the time of day, he'd just be the kind of guy you try to avoid. But he is rich, so he's a hero to some.

[StarDust Bum]

Red-hot Blazers burning up the book for lucky NBA bettors

Portland is 15-6 ATS over its last 21 games. In comparison, the Spurs (18-3 SU; 11-10 ATS) and Warriors (18-3 SU; 10-10-1 ATS) have not returned a profit over the same span.

In the NBA's previous 60 seasons, no player has been unanimously voted the MVP. Shaquille O'Neal in 2000, and LeBron James in 2013 each fell one vote short. But with his 3-point, game-winning shot on Saturday night vs. the Thunder, Steph Curry likely sewed up the first unanimous MVP season.

Curry has single-handedly dominated games against the other four best players in the West this season (Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul), and his Warriors have gone 6-0 in those games. And what's most scary for the rest of the NBA: Golden State's three best players have yet to enter their prime.

Spread watch

Pop quiz: name the NBA's three hottest teams. Even a casual fan would likely correctly guess the two hottest teams (Golden State, San Antonio, each 9-1 its last 10 games). But most fans would fail to identify the third, which is the Portland Trail Blazers.

Portland is 8-2 its last 10, and 17-4 its last 21. Even better for basketball bettors, Portland is 15-6 ATS over its last 21 games. In comparison, the Spurs (18-3 SU; 11-10 ATS) and Warriors (18-3 SU; 10-10-1 ATS) have not returned a profit over the same span.

This week, the Blazers will play four road games against the Knicks, Celtics, Raptors and Pistons. The game against Boston isn't particularly ideal, as Portland will be playing without rest and it's 5-8 ATS this season in that situation (compared to 29-18 ATS when rested).

However, Portland will not only be rested for its other three games, but it will also be playing with revenge from home losses earlier this season to those opponents (Knicks, Raptors, Pistons). And Portland is 6-0 ATS its last six games, and 10-2 ATS its last 12 when rested and playing with revenge.

Totals watch

Kawhi Leonard, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, missed San Antonio's first three games after the All-Star Break due to a calf injury. And the Spurs struggled on defense in those three games. San Antonio gave up 105 to the Clippers (50.0 FG%), 113 to the Lakers (49.4 FG%) and 111 to the Suns (46.2 FG%).

Since Leonard's return, the Spurs have gone 3-0 SU/ATS, and held the Kings (92), Jazz (78) and Rockets (94), on average, to 15.7 ppg less than their scoring average. Not surprisingly, all three games stayed Under the total.

This week, the Spurs will play their first home game (Wednesday, vs. Detroit) following their eight-game rodeo road trip. And the Spurs have gone 11-2 SU, 9-4 ATS and 5-8 Over/Under in their first game back at home following their “Rodeo Trip”.

After that, the Spurs will hit the road Thursday for a game at New Orleans, before coming back home for another game vs. Sacramento. And the last three meetings (and six of the last eight) between the Kings and Spurs have gone Under the total

Injury watch

Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari injured his ankle in Friday's loss to Dallas, and is expected to miss upwards of four weeks. This is really bad news for a Denver team which still has hopes for making a run at the eighth playoff spot out West.

Gallinari has been Denver's best player this season, as he has a 19.29 PER, and is averaging 19.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Unfortunately, Denver got a glimpse in December at what life without Gallo would be like. In the six games he missed earlier this season, Denver went 1-5 SU and 2-3-1 ATS, with its only victory against the dreadful Phoenix Suns.

If there is a silver lining, it's that Denver's first four games without Gallinari will all be at home, and all against beatable opponents (Grizzlies, Lakers, Nets, Mavericks). Its game versus Memphis Monday looks to be the best of the bunch to play on the Nuggets.

Not only is Denver 5-1 ATS its last six home games vs. Memphis, but it will be Memphis' third game in four nights. And the Nuggets are 128-84 ATS at home when rested and matched up against non-division foes playing their third game in four nights.

Schedule watch

This season, Commissioner Adam Silver's intent was to make the schedule much less taxing for NBA players. Back-to-backs were reduced 7.8 percent, while four-games-in-five-nights were reduced 60.8 percent. The result has been fascinating, to say the least.

NBA teams have actually been terrific this season when playing without rest in either their fourth game in five nights or fifth game in seven nights (against opponents not in such a situation). They're 43-20-1 ATS, including 16-4 ATS at home. And it makes perfect sense. With a less grueling schedule, the players are more rested, generally. So, when they’ve faced a difficult schedule this season, they've been able to overcome it and outperform expectations.

This week, three teams will play their fifth game in seven nights without rest: Orlando (Wednesday), Portland (Wednesday) and Miami (Friday). Of the three, Orlando (vs. Chicago) would rate as my favorite, as it will be playing at home.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 1


Phoenix @ Charlotte

Game 501-502
March 1, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
107.561
Charlotte
122.950
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 15 1/2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 13
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-13); Under

Portland @ New York

Game 503-504
March 1, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
122.462
New York
114.997
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 7 1/2
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 4
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-4); Under

Chicago @ Miami

Game 505-506
March 1, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
114.207
Miami
124.303
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 9 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
N/A

Orlando @ Dallas

Game 507-508
March 1, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
114.767
Dallas
117.422
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 2 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 5 1/2
212
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+5 1/2); Over

Brooklyn @ LA Lakers

Game 509-510
March 1, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
111.693
LA Lakers
115.154
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 3 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 1 1/2
213 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(-1 1/2); Under

Atlanta @ Golden State

Game 511-512
March 1, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
116.669
Golden State
130.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 14
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 11 1/2
225
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-11 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 1

Hot teams
-- Charlotte won eight of last 11 games (4-6 last 10HF).
-- Portland won its last eight games (4-3AF).
-- Miami won 10 of its last 15 games (4-7 last 11HF).
-- Dallas won three of last four games (8-4 last 12HF).
-- Nets are 4-4 in last eight games (6-2 against the spread).
-- Warriors won last five games (3-6 last 9HF). Atlanta won its last two games, by 5-11 points (1-3 last 4AU).

Cold teams
-- Suns lost 13 of last 14 games (0-9 last 9AU).
-- Knicks lost 10 of their last 12 games (1-5 last 6HU).
-- Bulls lost nine of their last 13 games (2-6 last 8AU).
-- Orlando lost eight of last ten road games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Lakers lost their last eight games (5-3 last 8HU).

Series records
-- Suns won seven of last eight games with Charlotte.
-- Knicks lost six of last seven games with Portland.
-- Visiting team won last four Chicago-Miami games.
-- Mavericks won seven of last eight games with Orlando.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Brooklyn.
-- Warriors won seven of last eight games with Atlanta.

Totals
-- Four of last five Phoenix road games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Portland games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Orlando road games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-3 in Brooklyn's last ten road games.
-- Five of last seven Golden State home games went over.

Back/backs
-- Nets are 6-4 vs spread if they played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, March 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Phoenix's last 12 games when playing Charlotte
Phoenix is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
Charlotte is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Charlotte is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix

7:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. NEW YORK
Portland is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against New York
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 9 games at home
New York is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MIAMI
Chicago is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Chicago is 8-16 ATS in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Chicago
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Orlando's last 10 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Orlando's last 10 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games
Dallas is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home

10:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Brooklyn's last 17 games
Brooklyn is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
LA Lakers are 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 games when playing Brooklyn
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games

10:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 1

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PHOENIX (15 - 44) at CHARLOTTE (30 - 28) - 3/1/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 23-36 ATS (-16.6 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PHOENIX is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
CHARLOTTE is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in home games in March games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 146-187 ATS (-59.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

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

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PORTLAND (32 - 28) at NEW YORK (25 - 36) - 3/1/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 48-66 ATS (-24.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CHICAGO (30 - 28) at MIAMI (33 - 26) - 3/1/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 4-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 4-4 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (26 - 32) at DALLAS (32 - 28) - 3/1/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in non-conference games this season.
DALLAS is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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BROOKLYN (17 - 43) at LA LAKERS (11 - 49) - 3/1/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 42-29 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
BROOKLYN is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 50-75 ATS (-32.5 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 160-202 ATS (-62.2 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 143-184 ATS (-59.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 122-159 ATS (-52.9 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 56-87 ATS (-39.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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ATLANTA (33 - 27) at GOLDEN STATE (53 - 5) - 3/1/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, March 1


Phoenix is 0-9 against the spread in its last nine games following a victory.


The Golden State Warriors may be forced to tangle with the Hawks without PG Stephen Curry, who is questionable with an ankle injury.


Miami has covered the spread in nine of its last 10 games against conference foes.