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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, March 4

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

MIAMI (35 - 26) at PHILADELPHIA (8 - 53) - 3/4/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 5-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

INDIANA (32 - 29) at CHARLOTTE (32 - 28) - 3/4/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 55-33 ATS (+18.7 Units) in home games in March games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 204-148 ATS (+41.2 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 6-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 5-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PHOENIX (15 - 46) at ORLANDO (27 - 33) - 3/4/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 23-38 ATS (-18.8 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 15-25 ATS (-12.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHOENIX is 7-22 ATS (-17.2 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PHOENIX is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHOENIX is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ORLANDO is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

PORTLAND (33 - 29) at TORONTO (40 - 19) - 3/4/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 163-205 ATS (-62.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND 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

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

NEW YORK (25 - 37) at BOSTON (37 - 25) - 3/4/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 83-62 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
BOSTON is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-34 ATS (+14.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 196-156 ATS (+24.4 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
NEW YORK is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 94-125 ATS (-43.5 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-5 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-4 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (30 - 30) at CLEVELAND (42 - 17) - 3/4/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-5 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (28 - 32) at MEMPHIS (36 - 24) - 3/4/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MEMPHIS is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 7-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 5-4 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MINNESOTA (19 - 42) at MILWAUKEE (25 - 36) - 3/4/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 61-79 ATS (-25.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 332-393 ATS (-100.3 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 45-25 ATS (+17.5 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 335-403 ATS (-108.3 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 234-293 ATS (-88.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 22-38 ATS (-19.8 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

BROOKLYN (17 - 44) at DENVER (24 - 37) - 3/4/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

ATLANTA (33 - 28) at LA LAKERS (12 - 50) - 3/4/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 3-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA 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

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
March 4, 2016

Pacers at Hornets – 7:05 PM EST

The final four playoff positions in the Eastern Conference are up for grabs as Indiana and Charlotte are right in that mix. The Hornets (32-28 SU, 31-28-1 ATS) have gotten the best of the Pacers this season by beating Indiana twice on the road, including a 96-95 victory as 3 ½-point underdogs on February 26. In both losses, the Pacers were limited to 95 points, while Charlotte has allowed less than 100 points in eight of the past nine games. Charlotte has won eight of the last 10 contests, including three consecutive victories at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Pacers (32-29 SU, 30-30-1 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak in Wednesday’s 104-99 triumph at Milwaukee to cash as three-point favorites. Frank Vogel’s squad has cashed the ‘under’ in five of the last six road games, as Indiana is seeing its lowest road total since a 199 against Brooklyn on February 3 (the Pacers won 114-100). The Pacers own a 2-4-1 ATS record in its past seven games in the underdog role, with the only straight-up win coming at Oklahoma City in the first game after the All-Star break.

Blazers at Raptors – 7:05 PM EST

Portland (33-29 SU, 35-27 ATS) saw its three-game winning streak go up in flames in Wednesday’s 116-93 setback at Boston, as the Blazers scored less than 100 points for the first time in 10 games. Terry Stotts’ club has won 14 of its last 17 games in spite of Wednesday’s defeat, including six of the past seven contests away from the Moda Center. The Blazers continue to be a money-maker by posting an 8-3 ATS record the past 11 games, while going 6-3 ATS in the last nine instances as a road underdog since late December.

The Raptors (40-19 SU, 33-26 ATS) look to extend their hot streak at the Air Canada Center to 12 games after beating the Jazz on Wednesday, 104-94 as five-point favorites. Dwane Casey’s team has fared well in the ATS department during this 11-game home winning streak by compiling an 8-3 ATS record, as the three ATS defeats came as a favorite of eight points or more. Toronto goes for the season sweep of Portland following a 110-103 victory at the Moda Center last month, as the backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan outscored Portland’s pair of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, 59-48.

Wizards at Cavaliers – 8:05 PM EST

In spite of a disappointing start to the season, Washington (30-30 SU, 32-28 ATS) has climbed back to the .500 mark to get back in the Eastern Conference playoff mix. The Wizards have won four straight games, even though the competition can be questioned. Washington knocked off Philadelphia twice, Minnesota, and Cleveland without LeBron James in the lineup, as Randy Wittman’s club owns a 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS record since the All-Star break. The Wizards have covered in all three matchups with the Cavs this season, including a 97-85 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena in December as nine-point ‘dogs.

Cleveland (42-17 SU, 25-31-3 ATS) continues a four-game homestand after rallying past Indiana on Monday, 100-96 as eight-point favorites. The Cavaliers have failed to cover the number in six of the past eight contests, while compiling a 4-7 ATS mark as a home favorite since Tyronn Lue took over as head coach on January 22. Following a 7-4 start to the ‘over’ in Lue’s first 11 games as coach, the Cavaliers have cashed the ‘under’ in five of the past seven contests, including a 3-1 mark to the ‘under’ in the last four home games.

Jazz at Grizzlies – 8:05 PM EST

Utah (28-32 SU, 28-32 ATS) played with plenty of momentum to close out the first half of the season, winning seven of eight games. However, Quin Snyder’s team is going backwards at the wrong time by losing six of eight games since the break, including five consecutive losses away from Salt Lake City. The most recent setback came at Toronto on Wednesday as the Jazz have been limited to fewer than 96 points in each of their past four losses. Utah owns a dreadful 1-8 ATS record the last nine games, including an 0-5 ATS mark on the highway in this stretch.

Memphis (36-24 SU, 31-28-1 ATS) continues to be undervalued since Marc Gasol’s season-ending foot injury. The Grizzlies have won 15 of their last 20 games, while posting a 9-2 record in its past 11 contests at FedEx Forum with the two losses coming in overtime to Dallas and Portland. Memphis got past Sacramento on Wednesday, 104-98 to improve to 5-2 ATS in the last seven games since the All-Star break. Utah captured each of the first two meetings with Memphis at home this season, while the Jazz have cashed in seven of the past eight matchups with the Grizzlies since 2014.

Hawks at Lakers – 10:35 PM EST

Following an overtime loss at Golden State on Tuesday, Atlanta (33-28 SU, 30-30-1 ATS) continues a five-game road swing in Los Angeles. The Hawks erased an 11-point halftime deficit against the short-handed Warriors as six players finished in double-figures of a 109-105 setback as 5 ½-point underdogs. Atlanta lost in overtime for the third time since the start of February, while its three-game ‘under’ streak came to an end on Wednesday. Mike Budenholzer’s team goes for the sweep of the Lakers after knocking off Los Angeles at Philips Arena in early December as 11-point favorites, 100-87.

It took 62 games for the Lakers (12-50 SU, 29-33 ATS) to reach the 50-loss mark this season as Los Angeles has dropped nine of its past 10 contests. After knocking off the Nets on Tuesday, the Lakers fell short at Denver on Wednesday, 117-107, while Kobe Bryant left the game with a shoulder injury and is questionable against Atlanta. The Lakers have profited at home since January by posting a 5-3 ATS ledger, but Los Angeles owns one home victory this season against a team that is currently above the .500 mark (Detroit, who sits at 31-30).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA (PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

Utah at Memphis - Friday March 4, 2016
The Jazz head to Memphis tonight where they are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 meetings versus the Grizzlies. Utah is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the Jazz favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Utah (+2).


Indiana
@
Charlotte
Game 823-824
March 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Indiana
119.350
Charlotte
117.829
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Indiana
by 1 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Charlotte
by 3 1/2
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana
(+3 1/2); Under


Phoenix
@
Orlando
Game 825-826
March 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Phoenix
104.009
Orlando
119.195
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Orlando
by 15
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Orlando
by 12 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick: Orlando
(-12 1/2); Over


Portland
@
Toronto
Game 827-828
March 4, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: Portland
118.265
Toronto
125.889
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Toronto
by 7 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Toronto
by 5
208
Dunkel Pick: Toronto
(-5); Over


New York
@
Boston
Game 829-830
March 4, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: New York
111.875
Boston
129.013
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Boston
by 17
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Boston
by 9
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston
(-9); Over


Washington
@
Cleveland
Game 831-832
March 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Washington
119.382
Cleveland
124.790
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Cleveland
by 5 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Cleveland
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland
N/A


Utah
@
Memphis
Game 833-834
March 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Utah
117.540
Memphis
116.732
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Utah
by 1
188
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Memphis
by 2
194
Dunkel Pick: Utah
(+2); Under


Minnesota
@
Milwaukee
Game 835-836
March 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Minnesota
112.741
Milwaukee
114.963
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Milwaukee
by 2
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Milwaukee
by 5
214
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota
(+5); Under


Brooklyn
@
Denver
Game 837-838
March 4, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Brooklyn
113.773
Denver
120.624
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Denver
by 7
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Denver
by 5
208
Dunkel Pick: Denver
(-5); Over


Atlanta
@
LA Lakers
Game 839-840
March 4, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: Atlanta
120.092
LA Lakers
115.558
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Atlanta
by 4 1/2
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Atlanta
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta
N/A


Miami
@
Philadelphia
Game 821-822
March 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Miami
121.595
Philadelphia
110.700
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Miami
by 11
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Miami
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick: Miami
N/A

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, March 4

Miami at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Miami: 7-4 ATS when playing on back-to-back days
Philadelphia: 3-10 ATS against Southeast division opponents

Indiana at Charlotte, 7:05 ET
Indiana: 1-10 ATS revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a favorite
Charlotte: 9-1 ATS after a blowout win by 15 points or more

Phoenix at Orlando, 7:05 ET
Phoenix: 7-22 ATS in road games
Orlando: 15-7 ATS in non-conference games

Portland at Toronto, 7:35 ET
Portland: 2-13 ATS after 3 consecutive non-conference games
Toronto: 20-11 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 200

New York at Boston, 7:35 ET
New York: 30-43 ATS after 2 or more consecutive losses
Boston: 41-27 ATS after playing a home game

Washington at Cleveland, 8:05 ET
Washington: 3-10 ATS off a road win
Cleveland: 5-1 ATS revenging a SU loss vs opponent as a road favorite

Utah at Memphis, 8:05 ET
Utah: 36-17 UNDER after a non-conference game
Memphis: 5-15 ATS after 2 consecutive covers as a favorite

Minnesota at Milwaukee, 8:05 ET
Minnesota: 19-37 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4 games
Milwaukee: 11-3 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses

Brooklyn at Denver, 9:05 ET
Brooklyn: 18-6 ATS in road games off a road loss
Denver: 3-11 ATS in home games after scoring 105 points or more

Atlanta at LA Lakers, 10:35 ET
Atlanta: 21-18 ATS after a loss by 6 points or less
Los Angeles: 5-11 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent of 10 points or more

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, March 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Wizards at Cavaliers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday's loss to Washington was the second of two straight and left a sky-is-falling narrative around Cleveland until it pulled out a 100-96 win over the Pacers at home on Monday.

Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers (-8.5, 208)

The Cleveland Cavaliers endured one of their most embarrassing performances of the season last weekend at Washington and will get a chance for some revenge when they host the Wizards on Friday. The Cavaliers gave LeBron James a day off to rest at Washington on Sunday and fell behind by as much as 30 points in a 113-99 loss.

That loss to Washington was the second of two straight and left a sky-is-falling narrative around Cleveland until it pulled out a 100-96 win over the Indiana Pacers at home on Monday and got a few days off to practice and work out the kinks. “You have to be able to adjust no matter what type of game or situation that will be going on,” James told reporters after Monday’s win. “And we’re a team that, we put ourselves in dark spots and we have to build our way out of them.” The Wizards are working out of their own dark spot with four straight wins that have brought them to .500 for the first time since Jan. 15. Washington is tied for ninth place in the East, a half-game behind eighth-place Detroit, and began a stretch of five of six on the road with a 104-98 win at Minnesota on Wednesday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as 8-point home faves and that line quickly moved up to 8.5. The total opened at 208.5 and has been steady early in the day.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards – PG G. Neal (out Friday, leg).

Cavaliers – PG M. Williams (out Friday, shoulder).

POWER RANKINGS: Wizards (-1.6) - Cavaliers (-8.5) + home court = Cavaliers -10

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Rest assured, the Cavs have had this game circled ever since they fell, 113-99, at Washington five days ago with Lebron James voluntarily watching the game on the pines. Look for the Cavs to extend their mark to 7-0 ATS in games with three or more days of rest tonight."

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (30-30, 32-28 ATS, 31-27-2 O/U): Washington is 7-2 since the All-Star break to get back into the race in the East, where the Nos. 5-10 teams are separated by only 2 1/2 games. The Wizards are getting strong contributions from John Wall and Bradley Beal, and got another offensive threat back recently in veteran guard Alan Anderson, who played just his fourth game on Wednesday after dealing with ankle surgery. “We can’t just rely on our starting five to will us to a win every night,” Anderson, who scored 18 points in 21 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, told the Washington Post. “It’s got to be all 12, 13 guys, whoever’s suited up to go out there and contribute.”

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (42-17, 25-31-3 ATS, 28-31 O/U): James took some time away from Cleveland and worked out in Miami with former teammate Dwyane Wade this week, and the Cavaliers have been aggressive in making sure James gets the proper rest and treatment necessary to keep him at the top of his game deep into June. Last weekend that meant holding him out against Washington, and guard J.R. Smith accused his teammates of a “lack of energy” in the big loss. James certainly looked refreshed against the Pacers on Monday, going for 33 points on 14-of-22 shooting in the win.

TRENDS:

* Wizards are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Cavaliers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 5-1 in Wizards last 6 Friday games.
* Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

CONSENSUS: The public is giving Cleveland the edge at home against an underachieving Wizards squad with 56 percent of wagers coming in on the Cavaliers. As for the total, the public is pounding the Over at a 72 percent clip.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 (ALL HIGHLIGHTED GAMES BB )

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


IND at CHA 07:00 PM

CHA -3.0

U 202.0


MIA at PHI 07:00 PM

MIA -9.5


PHO at ORL 07:00 PM

O 217.0


POR at TOR 07:30 PM

POR +6.0

O 207.5


NY at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -10.5

U 210.0


WAS at CLE 08:00 PM

WAS +8.0

U 210.5


UTA at MEM 08:00 PM

MEM +1.5

U 192.0


MIN at MIL 08:00 PM

MIL -5.5

U 215.0


BK at DEN 09:00 PM

U 208.0


ATL at LAL 10:30 PM

LAL +10.0

U 205.0

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pistons (31-30) at Knicks (25-37)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Stan Van Gundy knows the key to the Detroit Pistons success has to do with ball movement. A matchup with a crumbling opponent should also help.

The injury-riddled Pistons look to do a better job of sharing the ball Saturday night when they try to capitalize on a meeting with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Detroit (31-30) is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008-09. The Pistons have a tenuous hold on eighth place in the Eastern Conference, one-half game ahead of Chicago and one in front of Washington.

Their attempt to widen that gap fell short Wednesday as their season high-tying four-game win streak ended with a 97-81 loss at San Antonio. Detroit was held to 30 points on 9-for-36 shooting in the second half, while totaling five assists compared to 14 in the opening 24 minutes.

The Pistons are last in the NBA in assists percentage at 49.6.

"All I know is when it starts for us, a lot of times it never stops," Van Gundy told the team's official website of the lack of ball movement. "Once one guy's not moving it, then the next guy's not moving it and then we're ending up in a one-on-one game. I don't know why it starts, but when it does we have a hard time getting ourselves out of it."

Injuries are posing another problem with Stanley Johnson (shoulder), Anthony Tolliver (knee) and Jodie Meeks still out. Tolliver has missed five games and Johnson four, while Meeks is nearing a return from a broken foot suffered in October.

With all the injuries, Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond are under even more pressure to produce. Jackson was limited to 11 points on 4 for 13 from the field Wednesday after averaging 23.0 on 54.3 percent in his previous five games.

Drummond, meanwhile, had his career-high streak of 13 straight double-doubles snapped with nine points and 14 rebounds.

Both had little trouble in a 111-105 win over the Knicks on Feb. 4. Jackson scored 21 points, while Drummond had 17 and 13.

Detroit has won five of seven against New York with a 54.2 assists percentage.

The Knicks (25-38) are on their way to missing the playoffs for a third straight season thanks to a 3-16 stretch during which they've surrendered 104.8 points.

They squandered an eight-point lead in the final 3 1/2 minutes Friday in a 105-104 loss at Boston.

"We have to build better habits," guard Arron Afflalo said. "It's our shot selection and turnovers, uncharacteristic turnovers - whether it be from myself or anyone else. ... The more we minimize those things the better we will be."

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points Friday and is averaging 26.0 in his last three games, but was held to 19 while missing 14 of 18 shots against the Pistons last month.

Offense has been hard to come by lately at home for New York, which has lost eight of nine at MSG while averaging 93.6 points on 41.4 percent shooting.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pacers (32-29) at Wizards (30-30)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Despite a rough loss in their last game, the Washington Wizards have surged into the Eastern Conference playoff hunt and have a shot to close in on a team they're chasing.

The Wizards sit just below the postseason cutoff in the East's 10th spot ahead of Saturday night's home matchup against the Indiana Pacers, whose hold on seventh place should be considered tentative with a slew of tough opponents on the horizon.

Washington (30-31) lost nine of 13 entering the All-Star break but has gone 7-3 since to pull within one game of eighth-place Detroit and one and a half of Indiana (32-30) in the standings. Chicago is also giving chase and sits a half-game above in ninth.

The good news is that the upcoming schedules for the Pistons and Pacers aren't favorable. After this contest, Indiana faces a tough six-game stretch that features San Antonio, Toronto and Oklahoma City, while five of Detroit's next six are on the road.

The Wizards, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to climb the ladder if those teams stumble through those slates. Washington gets to face sub.-500 teams Utah, Denver, Philadelphia and New York over its next seven games following the Pacers.

Getting off to a good start against Indiana is paramount, and making things tough on Paul George should be the key.

George scored 40 points on 14-of-19 shooting, including 7 of 8 from 3-point range, in a 123-106 win in D.C. on Nov. 24, but when the teams met in Indianapolis on Jan. 15, he scored 21 but shot 6 of 19 and went 1 for 7 from long range in a 118-104 loss.

John Wall was the star for the Wizards that night with 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting, eight assists and seven rebounds after taking only nine shots and finishing with 18 points and five assists in the November loss.

Washington's recent four-game winning streak featured two weak opponents - the 76ers and twice and one against Minnesota - but it couldn't duplicate the biggest of the bunch in Friday's rematch with Cleveland. After beating the Cavaliers 113-99 in the nation's capital Sunday, the Wizards were throttled 108-83 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The point total was their lowest since a 97-75 loss to Miami on Jan. 3 and ended a six-game stretch of topping 100. Wall shot the ball well, going 8 of 14 with 17 points and seven assists, but the rest of his teammates were at 35.8 percent.

"It's not a step back," Wall said. "It's just an old-fashioned tail-whipping. That's what they gave us."

Wall may again have a chance to put up big numbers against the Pacers, who had a hard time containing another All-Star caliber point guard Friday, allowing Kemba Walker to dictate the pace with 33 points and 10 assists in Charlotte's 108-101 victory.

Wall has seemingly had his way with Indiana, averaging 24.2 points and 7.3 assists in the last six meetings while shooting 52.4 percent or better in five of them, but his strong play in those games has only resulted in a 3-3 split.

George had a strong line Friday with 35 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, but he scored only six in the fourth quarter. He also didn't get much help from George Hill and Monta Ellis, who shot a combined 10 of 31 for 27 points.

"We failed to get stops and failed to score," coach Frank Vogel said after Indiana was outscored 28-19 in the fourth to lose its fourth in five games after a 8-4 span.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Celtics (37-25) at Cavaliers (42-17)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

For all the talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers playing faster under Tyronn Lue, they've been at their best when they're moving at a more deliberate pace.

Quite the opposite for the Boston Celtics.

Tempo could be key in deciding Saturday night's winner in Cleveland in the final regular-season meeting between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

Last season's first-round series was played at a pace more to the Cavaliers' liking, an average of 95.9 possessions per 48 minutes that suited the league's sixth-slowest team much more than its fifth fastest and unsurprisingly led to a Cleveland sweep.

Those extremes have become greater in 2015-16, with Boston (38-25) third in the league in pace (101.4 possessions) and Cleveland at 29th (95.3) with nothing more than a tiny uptick since David Blatt was fired.

It's hard to argue with either's preference. The Cavaliers (43-17) are 37-8 when using fewer than 100 possessions while the Celtics are 12-5 when at 105 or more.

There were 92 possessions when Cleveland suffocated Boston in an 89-77 win at TD Garden on Dec. 15 - the Celtics' 32.2 percent shooting remains their worst in the last two seasons - but 102 on Feb. 5.

That game came down to the final one, when Avery Bradley's 3 at the buzzer capped a comeback from four points down with seven seconds left in a 104-103 victory that remains Boston's most impressive of an outstanding seven-week stretch.

The Celtics are 19-6 since Jan. 13 after rallying from eight down in the final four minutes to beat New York 105-104 on Friday, capping a five-game homestand with their 13th straight win at TD Garden.

"The sky's the limit," Evan Turner said after scoring 21 points off the bench. "... I think when it comes down to a four-game series and all of us are healthy and everything, I think we'll give a lot of teams a lot of problems."

The Cavs are 16-8 since Boston's jumping-off point in mid-January, with off-the-court question marks serving as a sideshow to their somewhat inconsistent play.

They put together one of their more complete performances in a while Friday despite resting Kevin Love, who sat out as Cleveland kicked off a stretch of seven games in 11 days across four time zones but was hardly missed in a 108-83 rout of Washington.

With their stretch-4 out, the Cavs went with a smaller lineup. LeBron James started at power forward and Iman Shumpert played the 3, and James matched a season high with 13 boards while still dishing out seven assists and scoring 19 points.

"It worked to our favor for sure," James said. "Our offense is a lot faster, a little bit more precise with me at the four. I'm going to be setting a lot more transition and half-court pick and rolls. I know I can either get my guy open or if they put two on the ball I'm able to make a play, able to be a quarterback."

Lue said Love will likely see time at center Saturday, but banging down low against Boston can't sound too appealing to him. After his postseason ended following Kelly Olynyk's Game 4 shoulder yank, Love exited last month's loss with a thigh bruise that ultimately didn't prove to be serious.

Kyrie Irving has averaged 22.4 points in five games in this series since the playoff opener, while the Celtics' star point guard hasn't been able to find his shot. Isaiah Thomas, who has totaled 62 points in his last two games, is shooting just 31.7 percent in nine against the Cavs since arriving in Boston at last season's trade deadline.

"This team, they got a curse on me," Thomas said after finishing with 22 points but shooting 5 for 19 last month. "With this team, nothing falls for me. Hopefully the next time we play them I have even a better game."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockets (30-31) at Bulls (30-30)
Date: March 05, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Having fallen out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls are hoping the expected return of Jimmy Butler will inject some life into their fading playoff hopes.

The problem with that is the Bulls weren't playing that great before Butler's injury.

Butler looks to help Chicago avoid dropping under .500 this late in a season for the first time in six years when it hosts the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

While his teammates were in Florida suffering a pair of blowout losses, Butler put the finishing touches on his rehab for a sprained left knee. The coaching staff reportedly won't be monitoring his minutes in his first game action since Feb. 5.

The Bulls (30-30) lost that night and then dropped eight of the next 11. Another defeat and they'll fall under .500 after 60 games for the first time since they were 40-41 on April 13, 2010.

While Chicago will certainly welcome the return of Butler, who averages a team-leading 22.4 points and is one of the league's premier defenders, its struggles began long before the two-time All-Star went down.

The Bulls lost 10 of the last 14 games Butler played, averaging 99.8 points in those contests. They're averaging 101.4 points in his absence but their defense has really taken a step back.

Chicago has yielded at least 100 points in 15 consecutive games, its longest such streak since allowing opponents to reach triple digits in 25 straight contests in Michael Jordan's second season of 1985-86.

A night after facing an 11-point first quarter-deficit in a 129-111 loss to Miami, the Bulls fell behind by 14 less than 10 minutes into Wednesday's 102-89 defeat to Orlando.

'It's frustrating because we dig ourselves a hole again coming out of the gate,' coach Fred Hoiberg said. 'It's a trend that must stop if you want to make any kind of push. ... We've got 22 games left to figure this out.'

The Bulls will be tested by the high-powered Rockets (30-31), who have averaged 117.5 points in their last four road games and managed to reach the century mark Wednesday even though they had an historically bad shooting performance.

By going 3 of 35 from 3-point range, Houston became the first team in NBA history to make fewer than four 3s on 30 or more attempts, but still beat New Orleans 100-95.

James Harden went 1 of 9 on 3-pointers but was 10 of 15 from inside the arc while making 16 of 18 free throws to led all scorers with 39.

The Rockets, who trailed by nine in the second half, clamped down defensively late to pull away, limiting the Pelicans to 19 points while forcing five turnovers in the fourth quarter.

'Even though our shots weren't falling, we still relied on our defense, and that's what got us the win,' said Harden, averaging 36.0 points in the last five games.

Houston improved to 13-3 when allowing 100 or fewer points. The Bulls have averaged 90.7 in three of the four games during their losing streak.

Derrick Rose picked up the scoring slack for a while when Butler was out, averaging 26.0 points over a three-game stretch, but sat out the next three with a hamstring injury. He has totaled 33 points in two games since returning.

'There are no excuses,' Rose said. 'The season is not over. We still have a shot to be in the playoffs. This is foreign ground to a lot of us. We've got to find ways to make it up.'

The Rockets, holding onto eighth place in the West, have won five of seven against the Bulls.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (25-35) at Spurs (52-9)
Date: March 05, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

A sparkling record, an absurdly long home winning streak and Kawhi Leonard as an MVP candidate continue to go seemingly unrecognized compared to that one team from northern California.

Too bad it's the other one coming to San Antonio on Saturday night, and the Sacramento Kings aren't expected to get in the way of the Spurs improving to 30-0 at home.

Sacramento did end a 22-game losing streak in Dallas with a 104-101 victory Thursday. But that came against a Mavericks team just trying to reach the playoffs, whereas the Spurs (52-9) wrapped up a berth this week.

That wasn't a surprising achievement but impressive nonetheless because it came with six weeks left in the season, though it came days after Golden State clinched. San Antonio's record at this point is the best in franchise history but 3 1/2 games worse than a Warriors team on pace for the best in NBA history.

Plus, Golden State tied Chicago's league record for the longest regular-season home winning streak at 44 on Thursday, leaving San Antonio's run of 38 straight an afterthought. Still, that streak is tied for fourth-best all-time with Boston's run from 1985-86. And since the Warriors have played three fewer home games, it's the Spurs who could join the 1995-96 Bulls and Orlando Magic as the only teams to open a season 30-0 at home.

While Stephen Curry remains the MVP favorite, Leonard might be in line for runner-up. His 48.4 3-point percentage tops Curry (46.5) and everyone else, but Leonard's scoring average of 20.8 is nearly 10 below Curry. Leonard, though, is significantly better on defense, and his worth at that end has been further proven since the All-Star break.

He missed the first three games with a calf injury as the Spurs allowed 109.7 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting. In five games since he returned, they have surrendered averages of 86.2 points and 40.8 percent as Leonard has totaled 12 steals.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been just as good offensively, with at least 27 points in four consecutive games while shooting 59.7 percent. His 3-pointer with 35 seconds left Thursday sealed a 30-point night and a 94-86 win in New Orleans.

'I'm just playing in the flow of the game. It doesn't matter what quarter it is. I'm going to play the right basketball so we can get the right shots,' Leonard said.

He's forming quite a tandem with LaMarcus Aldridge, averaging 25.0 points and 11.3 rebounds in the last three games. Aldridge is scoring 21.1 per game since the beginning of February after averaging 15.8 in his first 43 games with San Antonio.

'Being able to play with him ... I see how good he really is and I'm just starting to learn more about him,' Leonard said.

Despite the two All-Stars combining to shoot 7 for 27, San Antonio had little trouble winning 108-92 in Sacramento on Feb. 24. Tony Parker had 23 points, a star who scored only two Thursday.

'It's tough to defend them because they don't have a one-man ego person. I mean that team is a team,' Kings coach George Karl said. "... They have a lot of weapons."

The Kings (25-35) have lost both meetings as Aldridge helped limit DeMarcus Cousins to 30.2 percent shooting and 21.5 points - 5.5 below his season average.

Cousins' 16.9 career mark against the Spurs is his third-lowest versus any opponent, one reason Sacramento has lost 26 of 28 in the series.

Rajon Rondo had 18 assists in last week's matchup, part of a 10-game stretch in which he's averaged 14.1, but he shot 3 for 10. Rondo was 8 of 14 for 18 points Thursday as the Kings improved to 11-4 when shoots better than 50 percent.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jazz (28-33) at Pelicans (23-37)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While the Utah Jazz's longest losing streak in 15 months has delivered a major blow their playoff chances, the New Orleans Pelicans' slide has all but put an end to theirs.

Facing the club that started their fall from a postseason spot, the visiting Jazz hope to avoid their sixth consecutive defeat Saturday night against the injury-ravaged Pelicans.

Utah appeared to be headed to its first playoff appearance since 2011-12 on Feb. 9 when a season-high seven-game winning streak put it seventh in the Western Conference.

Anthony Davis took it upon himself to halt that run the next night, hitting a hook shot and a 3-pointer in the final minute of New Orleans' 100-96 home victory. Starting with that contest, the Jazz have dropped eight of 10 to fall two games out of postseason position.

Gordon Hayward had 18 points and Rudy Gobert added 13 and 18 rebounds Friday when Utah (28-33) led by as many as 14 but couldn't hold on in a 94-88 loss at Memphis. The club's five-game losing streak is its longest since dropping nine in a row from Nov. 21-Dec. 8, 2014.

'Our guys hurt,' coach Quin Snyder said after the team's third stop on a four-game trip.

Utah's biggest struggles have been offensively as they've averaged just 90.2 points on 41.6 percent shooting during the slide. Rodney Hood has scored 9.8 per game with a 30.8 field-goal percentage in his last five after averaging 19.9 points in the prior 15.

The Pelicans (23-37) had been within 5 1/2 games of a postseason spot after a 5-2 push capped by an impressive 123-119 home win over Oklahoma City on Feb. 25. However, they've since lost three in a row to fall into 12th place and 6 1/2 back with only 22 remaining.

New Orleans seemed to have San Antonio on the ropes Thursday before the Spurs closed out the contest with a 12-0 run over the final 3:10 for a 94-86 road win. The Pelicans also lost a six-point lead in the final five minutes of Wednesday's 100-95 loss at Houston.

'We have to find a way to figure out who we can go to at the end of the game that can get us those baskets,' coach Alvin Gentry said.

Eric Gordon has been a bright spot, averaging 22.7 points while hitting 11 of 24 from 3-point range in three games since missing 16 because of a broken finger. Davis has scored just 17 per game on 43.3 percent shooting in his last four while trying to overcome a toe injury.

The Pelicans have already lost Quincy Pondexter, Tyreke Evans and Bryce Dejean-Jones to season-ending injuries. Now Alexis Ajinca is sidelined indefinitely because of a fractured sternum, while fellow center Omer Asik is questionable with a sprained ankle.

Still, New Orleans will try to begin a late run by winning its third straight against Utah.

Davis has an opportunity to set a franchise record with his 128th game of at least 10 points and 10 boards. He's averaged 29.2 on 62.8 percent and 10.2 in his last five meetings with the Jazz.

Derrick Favors did not play in Utah's 101-87 home win Nov. 28, but he's totaled 51 points on 21-of-30 shooting in the past two matchups.

The Jazz have lost 16 of 20 on the road and seven of the past nine at New Orleans.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nets (18-44) at Timberwolves (19-43)
Date: March 05, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Brooklyn Nets don't often present matchup problems but are coming off one of their better offensive efforts of the season.

They're also heading into a meeting with a team that seems incapable of limiting anyone, and Saturday night's stop in Minnesota threatens the Timberwolves with their seventh losing streak of at least four games this season.

Making its sixth stop on a season-high nine-game trip, Brooklyn (18-44) needed overtime for Friday's 121-120 win in Denver but shot 50.5 percent and made 13 of 22 from 3-point range.

Over a 6-6 span during the last month, the Nets have averaged 105.1 points on 47.8 percent shooting overall and 44.1 from beyond the arc after managing 95.6 on 44.7 and 32.8 in 50 games until that point.

"We had so many great looks from 3 over the course of the game," Brook Lopez told the team's official website. "Definitely in the first half and it really opened things up for us and got us a lot of stuff inside."

That included Lopez's tip-in with 0.4 seconds left in overtime as the Nets, whose next stops are Toronto and Philadelphia, gave themselves a chance to match or improve on the four away wins they had in 23 games before this trip in a single road stretch.

They're also trying for consecutive wins of any kind for the second time in six games after going their previous 35 without stringing wins together.

That's due in part to some fresh faces contributing. Markel Brown scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and hit 3 of 4 from long range with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and is averaging 17.2 in five straight games as a starter.

"I was just playing in the flow of the game," Brown said. "The bigs set awesome screens, there was a road to the basket and I was able find on the pocket pass. We made open shots and it opened up the inside."

Minnesota won 100-85 in Brooklyn on Dec. 20 behind 24 points and 10 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Since the start of February, the Timberwolves (19-43) have allowed an average of 112.3 points in 13 games - all ending in regulation - on 48.7 percent overall and 38.4 from 3-point range. The last six have hit at least 10 3-pointers, and the Bucks went 14 of 24 in Friday's 116-101 final in Milwaukee. Minnesota's last three opponents have shot at least 50.0 percent overall.

"They have to understand, every single night you've got to earn it, you don't get to sleepwalk your way through 20, 25 minutes of the game and then decide you've got to play," coach Sam Mitchell said.

There's also the matter of turnovers with Minnesota averaging 17.7 in the last six games, including a season-high 26 against the Bucks.

"That's something that obviously we've got to fix," said Towns, the February Rookie of the Month who's averaged 21.4 points and 11.9 rebounds over his last 19 games.

"You can't beat teams like this, especially a team that was a playoff team last year, looking to be a playoff team this year, with those kinds of mistakes happening over and over and over again."

Zach LaVine has started the last four games and averaged 19.0 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (34-28) at Clippers (40-20)
Date: March 05, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Blake Griffin is nearing a return, but the Los Angeles Clippers have done just fine without him.

The Clippers may need to overcome Griffin's absence again as they go for a four-game winning streak Saturday night against the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Griffin has missed 34 games with a torn left quad and a broken hand he sustained when he punched a member of the Clippers' equipment staff in January.

The All-Star power forward is showing signs that a return is near, participating in a pregame warmup Wednesday in Oklahoma City. However, he remained out and watched the Clippers erase a 22-point deficit to beat the Thunder 103-98.

Coach Doc Rivers speculated that Griffin hasn't been cleared by doctors yet.

"That's probably why he's not playing," Rivers told the team's official website. "My guess is that he's healthy, but the hand doctor probably has not cleared him for contact as far as getting hit. That's the only thing. Honestly, watching him (Wednesday), I was thinking that has to be the only reason is they're worried it's not healed properly yet.

"That's the only thing I can come up with."

Griffin is averaging 23.2 points and 8.7 rebounds, but Los Angeles (40-20) hasn't missed him much during a 23-7 stretch in which it has scored 107.7 points per game.

Chris Paul has been vital to that production, averaging 21.8 points and 10.3 assists with Griffin out. He's been even better with 28.0 points and 12.7 assists per game while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor during a three-game winning streak.

Paul, however, had 11 points and missed 10 of 15 from the field at Atlanta on Jan. 27, but Jamal Crawford picked up the slack with 21 points, while DeAndre Jordan added 13 with 19 rebounds.

Crawford is averaging 19.8 points over the last four games, and his 14.0 season mark gives his a chance to become the NBA's first to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the third time.

"It's never happened before, so I honestly don't know," Crawford said. "I'm so locked in just trying to get wins. I mean, obviously those types of things come when you're winning."

The Hawks (34-28) have won three of their last four, yielding an average of 80.3 points on 34.6 percent shooting and 21.5 from long range in the victories.

Atlanta dominated the Los Angeles Lakers in every facet Friday, forcing them to shoot just 5 of 27 from 3-point range en route to a 106-77 win and the club's first sweep of the season series since 1973-74.

The Hawks, who shot 28.9 percent from beyond the arc in their previous five games, went 13 of 28 from deep and outscored the Lakers 27-2 on the fast break.

"When you start making 3s and then transitioning quickly, then you're scoring and getting stops, then getting another one on top of it, it can add up quickly," coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Balanced scoring isn't new for Atlanta, which has five players averaging double-digits on the season. That includes reserve Dennis Schroder, who has put up 15.6 points per game over the last eight while connecting on 54.1 percent of his shots.

The guard, however, is averaging 5.8 points in four career meetings with the Clippers after scoring seven in January.

Jeff Teague had 16 points and Paul Millsap had 14 with 12 boards in that meeting as every Hawks starter scored at least 12. Millsap, though, has averaged 18.7 points in the past six matchups with the Clippers.

[StarDust Bum]

Pace of play is simply your first stop when betting NBA totals

The Miami Heat are tied for the fourth slowest pace in the NBA and have a 22-38-1 O/U record, providing $1,280 in profits for Under bettors.

At times, we as human beings have the unfortunate habit of making life more difficult than necessary.

The various technological advancements made around the planet may have presented us with intriguing, time-saving opportunities such as the ability to order booze and cigarettes to our front doorsteps (an app we have here in San Francisco that I'm still not sure how to feel about), but we still require 45 minutes of precious time in order to herd 100 people onto an airplane and into their respective seats. Seriously, have you ever noticed how long it takes humanity to both embark and debark an aircraft?

Stand up, grab your bag, walk 50 feet. That process shouldn't take 10 minutes for each individual passenger.

Life doesn’t always need to be this complicated. And while the abundance of data and other forms of information available to the sportsbooks has made Las Vegas sharper than ever, it has also presented an opportunity for sports bettors to become more sophisticated in the ways of the trade. You don’t always need to unearth a trend that is hitting at 87 percent in order to pick a winner. Sometimes worthwhile data exists within just a few keystrokes, completely free of charge.

John Hollinger currently serves as the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, but he used to work as an analyst at ESPN where he created a proprietary NBA metric known as Player Efficiency Rating (PER) that helped lead to his hiring in Memphis. But the impact Hollinger made at the Worldwide Leader was significant enough for ESPN to create an NBA information page known as “Hollinger Team Statistics” that just so happens to include a statistic we have found to be quite useful in our daily pro hoops handicapping this season.

“Pace” is a metric defined as the number of possessions a team uses per game. For example, the Chicago Bulls have a pace metric of 98.9 this season, which means Derrick Rose and company are averaging 98.9 offensive possessions per game during the 2015-2016 season. For some perspective, a pace metric of 98.9 currently ranks 11th in the NBA.

Pace is significant because it’s simple to understand, yet tells a very detailed and important story. The higher the pace, the more possessions a team has. The more possessions a team has, the more opportunities said team has to shoot the basketball and score points. The more points a team scores, the more like the Over hits by the sound of the final buzzer.

Here’s a breakdown of the Top 5 and Bottom 5 NBA teams this season in terms of Pace (as of Thursday afternoon), as well as each team’s overall over/under record, over/under record for the last ten games and money won or lost had you bet every single over (for the top-five teams) or under (for the bottom-five teams) this season, based on a $110 wager to win $100.

TOP 5 NBA TEAMS IN PACE

*Note: Over/under records list the “Over” first, followed by the Under, followed by ties.

Sacramento Kings: 102.4 (1), 31-27-1, 8-2, +$130
Golden State Warriors: 102.2 (2), 35-24, 6-4, +$860
Boston Celtics: 101.4 (3), 31-31, 7-3, -$310
Phoenix Suns: 100.4 (4), 31-28-1, 6-4, +$20
Washington Wizards: 100.3 (5), 31-27-2, 4-6, +$130

Not only are each of the Top 5 NBA teams in terms of Pace at .500 or better when it comes to betting their respective Overs, but with the exception of the Wizards, each club has continued to churn out respectable results over their last 10 games. Of this group, only the Celtics have failed to turn a profit for fans of the Over.

So how do things shake down for the five teams that rank at the bottom of the NBA in terms of Pace? For these teams, are the Unders hitting as frequently as the Overs are hitting for the top-five franchises?

BOTTOM 5 NBA TEAMS IN PACE

*Note: Over/under records list the “Under” first, followed by the Over, followed by ties.

Utah Jazz: 93.4 (30), 33-26-1, 4-6, +$440
Cleveland Cavaliers: 95.2 (29), 31-28, 6-4, +$20
Toronto Raptors: 95.3 (28), 27-31-1, 3-7, -$710
Memphis Grizzlies: 95.4 (t-27), 27-32-1, 4-6, -$820
Miami Heat: 95.4 (t-27), 37-22-1, 5-5, +$1,280

While the results are not nearly as dominant with the Bottom 5 teams and their respective Unders as they are with the Top 5 teams and their respective Overs, it’s still clear that teams with a slower pace are scoring fewer points and cashing more Under tickets almost as frequently as the teams with a faster pace are scoring more points and cashing more Over tickets.

On a micro scale, just look at the Sacramento Kings - the team with the fastest pace - and compare them with the Utah Jazz - the team with the slowest pace. There’s a direct correlation here: teams with more possessions score more points and cash more Overs. Teams with fewer possessions score fewer points and cash more Under tickets.

This is the point in the story where we note that you can never rely solely on just one slice of intel when preparing to place a wager. The goal here is simply to identify helpful pieces of information that, when put together, present an accurate and insightful picture to handicap NBA games.

Pace is clearly an important tool when handicapping NBA totals. But you’ll also have to analyze the opponent, the schedule and other integral factors in the build-up to your final decision.

That is, assuming you have enough time to devote to such an endeavor after waiting 45 minutes to exit the plane.