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

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Austin Peay 83, UT-Martin 73-- 8th seed in OVC wins the tournament.

-- Western Carolina 88, Wofford 83 2OT-- WCU's point guard played all 50:00.

-- Marshall 109, Southern Mississippi 106 OT-- Losing side scored 90+ points in six of last nine Marshall games.

-- Northern Colorado 78, Montana 72-- Bears were a 15-point underdog.

-- Virginia 68, Louisville 46-- Dismal end to season for Cardinals.

-- Dayton 68, VCU 67 OT-- Atlantic 14 ends in a three-way tie for first.

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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday........

13) It is now Champ Week, not Championship Week; wonder what genius got paid to come up with that one? In any event, it is one of the best weeks all year and it is off to a tremendous start. In lot of ways, this week is better than the NCAAs, since for lot of these schools, just getting in the tournament is the biggest deal of all.

12) Yale 71, Columbia 55-- Yale is in NCAAs for first time since 1962; congrats to the Bulldogs and coach James Jones, a fellow Albany alum and a good guy. He's done a consistently solid job at Yale and now the national media will get to know him.

11) Austin Peay 83, UT-Martin 73 OT-- 69-year old Dave Loos is Austin Peay's coach; he is 491-443 in 30 years as a head coach, 26 of which have been at Peay. Last four years, they're 20-44 in OVC games, but over last four days, they put together a run for the ages, posting four straight upsets to win the OVC tournament.

Coach Loos has ten grandchildren, one of whom is a 5-year old girl who is fighting cancer; hopefully this tournament run gave the family some joy at a sad time.

10) In case you wonder about such things, the three states with the highest rate of sleep deprivation are: Kentucky-Hawai'i-Maryland.

9) The last first-team basketball All-American whose team didn't make the NCAA tournament was Mychal Thompson (Klay's father) at Minnesota in 1978. Its going to happen this year with Ben Simmons and LSU.

8) Saturday was Josh Whitman's first day as the new AD at Illinois; all he did was fire the football coach, who had just signed a 2-year contract in November, so the school has to eat $985,000, and four new assistant coaches who just moved to Champaign have to go and find new jobs. This was totally unexpected.

Lot of speculation on social media had Illinois going after Lovie Smith to be coach.

7) Illinois is 13-17 in basketball this year, 5-12 in conference; in John Groce's four years with the Illini, he is 75-59, 29-42 in Big 14. If I were him, I'd be nervous.

6) Boston College finishes 0-18 in basketball, meaning they go 0-26 in this school year in football/basketball, a level of consistent ineptitude that will go down in history as basically unbeatable. How does the athletic director not get fired there?

5) North Carolina 76, Duke 72-- Duke was 13-34 on arc, 12-33 inside arc; they let Carolina's big men catch the ball 12-15 feet from basket, and defied them to score and it almost worked but it didn't-- Carolina is top seed in ACC tournament, Duke tied for 5th with Notre Dame. They're likely to be lower than a 2-seed for only 4th time in their last 20 NCAA tournaments and are vulnerable to an early upset.

4) Northern Iowa 57, Wichita State 52 OT-- Joe Lunardi was fairly adamant last night that the Shockers are in the tournament, so I'll defer to him on that, but they will have a very, long, nervous week until they see their name in the brackets. Wichita is not that strong on offense-- MVC is only the #12 conference this season.

3) Siena plays Iona tonight in Albany, the #2 seed playing the #3 seed on #3 seed's home court. MAAC teams have bitched about this for years, but Albany is the only place they can hold the tournament and make a lot of money. At the end of the day, no one likes to lose money.

2) IP-Fort Worth has a kid named Max Landis who routinely jacks 28-footers; he is shooting 45.5% behind the arc this year for the 24-8 Mastodons, who play in the semis of the Summit League Monday night- they're a fun team to watch.

1) As a DirecTV subscriber, this was the first year that ESPN3.com was available to me on my laptop-- have enjoyed it a lot. Saw a ton more games, from the Southern Conference to Summit the Big West to the MAC. Some of these leagues are better than you think- if the top seeds can survive their conference tournaments, they could spring some surprises in the NCAA tournament in a couple of weeks.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 6

Hot teams
-- Warriors won last seven games (8-6 last 14AF).
-- Memphis won five of last six games (4-2 last 6HF).
-- Dallas won three of its last four games (4-5AF).
-- Detroit won its last two home games, by 13-20 points (12-3 last 15HF).
-- Miami won its last four games (5-7 last 12HF).
-- Raptors won six of their last seven games (7-2 last 9HF).

Cold teams
-- Lakers lost nine of their last ten games (11-13HU).
-- Thunder lost four of last five games (2-9 last 11F). Milwaukee lost three of last five games (5-3 last 8HU).
-- Suns lost eight of their last ten games (1-11 last 12AU).
-- Nuggets lost six of their last eight games (8-4-1 last 13HU).
-- Portland lost its last two games, after winning seven of previous eight (6-3 last 9AU).
-- 76ers lost their last ten games (6-13 last 19AU).
-- Rockets lost seven of their last ten games (4-7 last 11AU).

Series records
-- Lakers lost last four games with Golden State (2-7 vs spread last 9).
-- Thunder won six of last eight games with Milwaukee.
-- Grizzlies lost eight of last nine games with Phoenix.
-- Mavericks won five of last six games with Denver.
-- Trailblazers won five of last six games with Detroit.
-- 76ers lost their last four games with Miami
-- Home side won last ten Houston-Toronto games.

Totals
-- Four of last five Golden State games went over the total.
-- Four of last six Oklahoma City-Milwaukee games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Memphis games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Dallas-Denver games went over total.
-- Eight of last ten Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Philly games went over the total.
-- Last six Houston games went over total if it played night before.

Back/backs
-- Detroit covered its last four games if it played night before.
-- Houston is 3-9 vs spread in last 12 games if it played night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, March 6

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. MILWAUKEE
Oklahoma City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Milwaukee is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home

3:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. LA LAKERS
Golden State is 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing LA Lakers
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers are 21-4 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games

4:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis's last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Memphis's last 23 games

5:00 PM
DALLAS vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Dallas's last 10 games
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Denver
Denver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. MIAMI
Philadelphia is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Miami
Philadelphia is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 9 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

6:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 9 games on the road
Portland is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
Detroit is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games

6:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, March 6

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Game of the Day: Rockets at Raptors
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The Raptors host the Rockets at the Air Canada Centre Sunday, where they have won 11 consecutive games.

Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors (-7, 215)

The Toronto Raptors will try to extend the longest home winning streak in franchise history when they take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Raptors are 2-0 thus far on a seven-game homestand and have taken 12 straight at Air Canada Centre after a 117-115 victory over Portland on Friday.

DeMar DeRozan hit a team-record 24 free throws on 25 attempts in the contest as part of a season-high 38-point effort for Toronto, which enters 2 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in the Eastern Conference. "I was just taking what they were giving me, honestly," DeRozan told the media. "I wasn't trying to force anything. Every time I saw an angle I was trying to take advantage of it." This is the first meeting of the season between the Rockets and Raptors, who have split the season series nine straight times. Houston fell 108-100 at Chicago on Saturday and has lost 10 of 15 overall to leave it clinging by a game to the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), Sportsnet ONE (Toronto)

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 7-point home favorites, while the total opened at 215.

INJURY REPORT:

Rockets - PF T. Jones (questionable Sunday, illness).

Raptors - SF D. Carroll (out indefinitely, knee).

POWER RANKINGS: Rockets (-0.9) - Raptors (-7.2) + home court (-3) = Raptors -9.3

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "The fact is the Rockets are closer to the non-contenders in terms of rating than they are the playoff contenders. That's as disgraceful as James Harden's defense and now they're facing a team that has won 11 straight at home."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (30-32, 26-35 ATS, 36-25 O/U): James Harden had a team-high 36 points in Friday's loss but needed 26 shots to get there and turned the ball over nine times, which gives him 17 giveaways against 15 assists over the last two games. The star guard is averaging 35.4 points in a span of seven road contests. He was 4-of-12 from 3-point range on Saturday for a team that has gone a woeful 12-of-70 in the last two games.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (41-19, 33-27 ATS, 32-27-1 O/U): DeRozan's effort grabbed plenty of headlines, but so too did the 50-point night by Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, whose performance highlighted Toronto's recent defensive downturn. "It's not like (our) guys are slacking or anything or just not giving an effort, it's just attention to detail and doing a few little things that will help us defensively and make it harder for (opponents) to make shots," coach Dwane Casey told the Toronto Sun on Saturday. The Raptors have allowed an average of 104.2 points - more than six over their season average - in the last nine games.

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games in the second half of a back-to-back.
* Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six versus Southwest Division opponents.
* Over is 6-0 in Rockets last six games in the second half of a back-to-back.
* Over is 5-1 in Raptors last six overall.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are giving the edge to the Raptors on home court, with 59 percent of wagers on Toronto. As for the total, 68 percent of wagers are on the over.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 6

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GOLDEN STATE (55 - 5) at LA LAKERS (12 - 51) - 3/6/2016, 3:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 9-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (42 - 20) at MILWAUKEE (26 - 36) - 3/6/2016, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 22-32 ATS (-13.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in road games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 336-403 ATS (-107.3 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 235-293 ATS (-87.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 49-84 ATS (-43.4 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 23-38 ATS (-18.8 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-2 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-1 straight up against MILWAUKEE 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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PHOENIX (16 - 46) at MEMPHIS (37 - 24) - 3/6/2016, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 24-38 ATS (-17.8 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHOENIX is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MEMPHIS is 116-85 ATS (+22.5 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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DALLAS (33 - 29) at DENVER (24 - 38) - 3/6/2016, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 29-20 ATS (+7.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
DENVER is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
DENVER is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 454-380 ATS (+36.0 Units) in road games since 1996.
DENVER is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more this season.
DENVER is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more this season.

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

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PORTLAND (33 - 30) at DETROIT (31 - 31) - 3/6/2016, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 36-27 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DETROIT is 64-92 ATS (-37.2 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.

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

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PHILADELPHIA (8 - 54) at MIAMI (36 - 26) - 3/6/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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HOUSTON (30 - 32) at TORONTO (41 - 19) - 3/6/2016, 6:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 26-36 ATS (-13.6 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
HOUSTON is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
HOUSTON is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (827) DALLAS@ (828) DENVER | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play AGAINST DALLAS against the spread in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.7 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX against the spread in All games in road games
The record is 8 Wins and 22 Losses for the this season (-16.2 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (829) PORTLAND@ (830) DETROIT | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play ON DETROIT using money line in All games off a upset loss as a favorite
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+13.5 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 29 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+21.5 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in all games
The record is 16 Wins and 38 Losses for the this season (-29.55 units)

NBA > (831) PHILADELPHIA@ (832) MIAMI | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 27 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (+22.45 units)

NBA > (827) DALLAS@ (828) DENVER | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 36 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (+24.35 units)

NBA > (831) PHILADELPHIA@ (832) MIAMI | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 21 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.45 units)

NBA > (829) PORTLAND@ (830) DETROIT | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 24 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+20.05 units)

NBA > (823) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (824) MILWAUKEE | 2016-03-06 15:35:00 - 2016-03-06 15:35:00
Play AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY using money line in Road games second half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-27.55 units)

NBA > (821) GOLDEN STATE@ (822) LA LAKERS | 2016-03-06 15:35:00 - 2016-03-06 15:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games after a win by 10 points or more
The record is 54 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+31.1 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (829) PORTLAND@ (830) DETROIT | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
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 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+10.8 units)

NBA > (831) PHILADELPHIA@ (832) MIAMI | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA ?>in the first halfin All games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 7 Wins and 24 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.4 units)

NBA > (829) PORTLAND@ (830) DETROIT | 2016-03-06 18:05:00 - 2016-03-06 18:05:00
Play ON DETROIT ?>in the first halfin All games off a upset loss as a favorite
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.9 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 4 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-13.6 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 21 Wins and 40 Losses for the this season (-23 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 8 Overs and 25 Unders for the this season (+16.2 units)

NBA > (827) DALLAS@ (828) DENVER | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play OVER DENVER on the totalin Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 17 Overs and 4 Unders for the this season (+12.6 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+10.8 units)

NBA > (827) DALLAS@ (828) DENVER | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play OVER DENVER on the totalin All games on Sunday games
The record is 9 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+9 units)

NBA > (827) DALLAS@ (828) DENVER | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play OVER DENVER on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 29 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+15.8 units)

NBA > (833) HOUSTON@ (834) TORONTO | 2016-03-06 18:35:00 - 2016-03-06 18:35:00
Play OVER HOUSTON on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 29 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.9 units)

NBA > (823) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (824) MILWAUKEE | 2016-03-06 15:35:00 - 2016-03-06 15:35:00
Play OVER OKLAHOMA CITY on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 58 Overs and 31 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.9 units)

NBA > (825) PHOENIX@ (826) MEMPHIS | 2016-03-06 16:05:00 - 2016-03-06 16:05:00
Play OVER MEMPHIS on the totalin Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 18 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+11.4 units)

[StarDust Bum]

NBA YESTERDAY: 5 - 4
YTD: 28 -25

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


GS at LAL 03:30 PM

GS -16.5

U 221.0


OKC at MIL 03:30 PM

OKC -7.0

U 216.5


PHO at MEM 04:00 PM

MEM -10.5

O 207.5


DAL at DEN 05:00 PM

DAL -3.5

O 210.5


POR at DET 06:00 PM

DET +1.0

O 205.5


PHI at MIA 06:00 PM

MIA -14.0

O 212.0


HOU at TOR 06:30 PM

TOR -7.0

O 213.5

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Timberwolves (20-43) at Hornets (33-28)
Date: March 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets continue to show their second-half surge is no fluke, and it doesn't figure to stop anytime soon.

The rising Hornets will be favored to win a fourth straight game when they continue a lengthy homestand Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Charlotte (33-28) has kept climbing the East by compiling a 14-5 record since Jan. 22, the conference's third-best mark behind Toronto and Boston over that span. It's in sole possession of sixth place following Friday's 108-101 victory over Indiana that opened a seven-game stay at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Hornets have won nine of 11 to move within a game of fifth-place Atlanta as they enter a favorable stretch. Four of their final six games on the homestand are against sub-.500 teams, and they've won four straight and seven of eight at Charlotte.

Defense has been the club's calling card during the upswing, though it's also been quite efficient on the offensive end of late. The Hornets are averaging 117.7 points and 43.4 percent shooting from 3-point range during the streak, making 10 or more 3s in all three wins.

"I don't think they just have our number," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after the Hornets completed a three-game season sweep. "They're playing as one of the best teams in the league right now and they've been too much for us.'

Charlotte has been increasingly tough to handle when Kemba Walker hasn't had to carry the offense. That was the case Friday as Nicolas Batum scored 31 points to complement Walker's 33 and 10 assists.

Walker is averaging 29.6 points during the streak and 24.8 over his last 20 games, and should have a good chance to continue that scoring binge against a Timberwolves team that's allowed 103 or more in 14 straight.

Minnesota (20-43), though, has been better during a 6-7 stretch in which its promising young trio of Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine has continued to progress.

All three were factors in Saturday's 132-118 home win over Brooklyn in which the Timberwolves shot a franchise-best 68.4 percent, the highest by any team since the Los Angeles Clippers hit 69.3 against the Raptors on March 13, 1998. Towns had 28 points on 14-of-18 shooting, Wiggins scored 26 on 10 of 14 and LaVine added 21 while making nine of 12.

Minnesota also did a far better job of protecting the basketball, committing 12 turnovers one night after recording a season-high 26 in a 116-101 loss at Milwaukee. Interim coach Sam Mitchell had benched four starters for much of the second half against Bucks.

'We responded well,' Wiggins said. 'We knew (Friday) night was not how we play. We all know we're better than that.'

Giveaways were an issue when these teams met in Minneapolis on Nov. 10, with the Hornets scoring 22 points off 22 turnovers in a 104-95 victory. The Timberwolves did limit Walker to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting despite playing without Wiggins and Ricky Rubio.

Charlotte has won four straight in the series and is 9-2 at home against Minnesota since re-joining the NBA in 2004-05.

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Preview: Spurs (53-9) at Pacers (33-30)
Date: March 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

With a spectacular return, Manu Ginobili played a major role in keeping short-handed San Antonio perfect at home. He'll next try to help the Spurs extend their longest road win streak in two seasons.

San Antonio seeks a seventh consecutive victory away from home and ninth in row overall Monday night against the Indiana Pacers.

Ginobili scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 15-plus minutes Saturday in a 104-94 victory against Sacramento after missing 12 games following testicular surgery.

"I felt great," he said. "(The performance) was very unexpected. Of course, I'm happy. Besides the stat sheet, I felt explosive. I wasn't sore. I was free. I played in a good mood. That was the main thing."

Kawhi Leonard had team highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio (53-9), which improved to 30-0 at home and extended its franchise-record start through 62 games despite resting starters Tim Duncan and Danny Green. LaMarcus Aldridge also sat out because of migraine headaches.

The Spurs still kept up their recent second-half defensive intensity. They've allowed an average of 36.7 points after halftime in three games this month and gave up 13 points in the third quarter to Sacramento.

"The last three games our second halves have been really good defensively," coach Gregg Popovich said.

The Spurs will next try to win seven straight on the road for the first time since March 4-31, 2014. They've won their last seven games in Indiana and 15 of 16 overall meetings.

A 106-92 victory in San Antonio on Dec. 21 was their fourth in a row in the series. Leonard, who is averaging 27.3 points in his last four games, led the way with 24 points in the last matchup and helped keep Pacers leading scorer Paul George to a season-low seven on 1-of-14 shooting - the worst performance of his career when attempting at least 10 shots.

A night after scoring 35 in Charlotte, George had 38 in a 100-99 victory against Washington on Saturday, including the go-ahead free throws with three seconds left. Indiana finished 2-2 on its trip to maintain its slim hold on one of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spots.

"It's just to build off of this, watch tape, see what we can do better with, and there is a lot of stuff we could improve on," George said. "We didn't play well at all. It's just great that we got the win."

Indiana has lost three of four at home and will seek to avoid a season-high third consecutive defeat on its own floor. The Pacers, 18-11 at home, haven't defeated the Spurs in Indianapolis since a 100-99 victory April 1, 2007.

Indiana is hoping to get a little more help with C.J. Miles trying to work his way back from a strained left calf. Miles, averaging 12.0 points, has missed the past eight contests but was a game-time decision before Saturday's win.

San Antonio forward David West will make his return to Indiana, where he played from 2011-15. West, averaging 6.9 points, had 12 - two shy of matching his season high - in the win over Sacramento.

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Preview: Kings (25-36) at Pelicans (23-38)
Date: March 07, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Injury concerns continue to pile up for the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, stacking more doubt onto what would be an already unlikely postseason climb for each.

While the nicked-up Kings hope to snap a four-game skid in this series Monday night, the host Pelicans look to end their own four-game slide as they start life without one of their top scorers.

New Orleans (23-38) has lost four straight and is 1-5 since Anthony Davis scored 59 points in a 111-106 win at Detroit on Feb. 21 - its final victory of a 4-1 stretch that seemed to briefly ignite postseason aspirations.

Those have fizzled as the Pelicans have slipped to 12th place in the Western Conference, two games back of the 10th-place Kings (25-36).

While Davis is averaging 19.4 points since the league's top-scoring game this season, missing one contest with a right foot injury, the roster continues to crumble around him.

The biggest blow came in Saturday's 106-94 loss to Utah when Eric Gordon left in the first half with a fractured right ring finger just eight days after returning from the same injury.

Gordon averaged 22.7 points in his first three contests back from a 16-game absence, but coach Alvin Gentry speculated he could miss another 6-8 weeks, likely ending his season.

One of the only offensive positives last week for New Orleans was Gordon. The Pelicans shot 40.2 percent for an average of 91.7 points in three losses, the final two dropping them to 16-15 at home.

"We've just got to keep believing and keep staying together," Davis said. "This is not a time where we start falling apart. We've got to come closer and keep fighting and whatever happens, happens."

While 7-footer Omer Asik returned against Utah after missing five games with a right ankle sprain, it came just two days after 7-footer Alexis Ajinca was ruled out indefinitely with a fractured sternum.

Gentry said he will likely start point guard Jrue Holiday for the first time since early December, filling one of the guard spots left vacant by Gordon. Holiday has averaged 20.5 points in 11 games since Feb. 8.

Point guard Rajon Rondo is an injury report all by himself for Sacramento, which has lost five of six and is 5-13 since January's season-high five-game winning streak.

Rondo had nine points and eight assists in Saturday's 104-94 road loss to the Spurs, playing 36 minutes through a right ankle sprain, sprained right thumb and turf toe.

Three days after going scoreless for six minutes in Wednesday's 104-98 loss at Memphis, Sacramento went without a point for 5 1/2 minutes to open the second half against San Antonio - which played without LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan and Danny Green.

The loss dropped the Kings to 11-20 away from home.

'There have been a lot of teams disappointed on this court,' coach George Karl said.

While Rudy Gay played through a right shoulder sprain, Kostas Koufos (food poisoning) and Seth Curry (right foot sprain) sat out.

Rondo and Gay are probable for Monday, while Curry is questionable.

New Orleans is guaranteed another matchup against DeMarcus Cousins, who has averaged 30.3 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.8 blocks the last four games of this series - including Pelicans' wins of 109-97 at Sacramento on Jan. 13 and 114-105 in New Orleans on Jan. 28.

Davis finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds the first meeting but missed the second with a concussion. Ryan Anderson matched a career high with 36 points in the Pelicans' home win.

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Preview: Bucks (26-36) at Bulls (31-30)
Date: March 07, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In 12 games without Jimmy Butler, Chicago fell out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. In one with him back, it's returned to the No. 8 spot and started to ease some of the stress of the unnerving fall.

The climb back toward more comfortable ground continues Monday night as the Bulls host Milwaukee, and Butler's been particularly effective against the Bucks this season.

Butler's first game back from a sprained left knee was Saturday's 108-100 home win over Houston with the guard contributing 24 points and 11 rebounds. The 3-9 span without the defensive standout had the Bulls (31-30) allowing 109.7 points per game with teams shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range.

"Obviously, you see the impact Jimmy has because of his ability to make life difficult for the elite wing players in this league," coach Fred Hoiberg told the team's official website. "... He gives you that great physical presence out there and stays in front of guys and bodies up. Offensively, he's a guy who can flat out get you a basket and get you to the free-throw line and get you some points."

It also marked the return of Nikola Mirotic, who had missed 16 games because of a complicated bout with appendicitis. Pau Gasol, who had 28 points and 17 rebounds, noted that there's plenty of time left to re-ascend the East, but it has to happen now with five games separating the Bulls from home-court advantage in the first round.

"We have 21 games to play, a quarter of the season," Gasol said. "It's a lot of games to play, but now our margin of error is gone. We've just got to play with a little more consistency that we did tonight with the same type of energy and competitiveness and go after every single win."

It should help that everyone is back who's coming back. When Butler was healthy, Mike Dunleavy wasn't, so the two played together for the first time this season Saturday. Joakim Noah is out for the season, so this is as close to a full roster as the Bulls will have.

Perhaps diminished in Butler's return is the fact that backcourt mate Derrick Rose has shot at least 50 percent in six straight games interrupted by his own injury issues, averaging 21.3 points.

"I don't ever think we are going to lose," Butler said. "As long as we're confident in each other we'll be fine. It helped me a lot having Mike to space the floor and Doug (McDermott) as confident as he is now, I think it helps everybody. Offense is always there, but we need the defense and rebounding. We won. That's all I'm worried about."

That hasn't been a problem in Chicago against the Bucks (26-37). The teams have split two games thus far with the home team winning each, and the Bulls have won the last four meetings in Chicago while holding the Bucks to 88.5 points per game. Butler has reached 30 points in both games this season while totaling 16 assists.

Milwaukee ended a 2-3 homestand with Sunday's 104-96 loss to Oklahoma City while shooting 3 of 19 from 3-point range. However, the forward duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker each had 26 points.

Antetokounmpo notched a triple-double with 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and he's averaged 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists in his last four games. All three of his career triple-doubles have come in his last seven games, and he scored 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting in a 106-101 home win over the Bulls on Jan. 12. Parker has averaged 24.0 points in his last four.

"When you look at Oklahoma City, they're veteran guys who have gone through the process that Giannis and Jabari are going through," coach Jason Kidd said. "We can take that path because those two are both pretty talented. I think Giannis and Jabari can do that."

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Preview: Magic (27-34) at Warriors (55-5)
Date: March 07, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Raise your hand if you saw that one coming.

After a shocking road loss to the Western Conference's worst team, the Golden State Warriors hope to rebound by breaking the NBA record for consecutive home wins Monday night against the Orlando Magic - who a suddenly cold Stephen Curry torched less than two weeks ago.

It wasn't just the result of Sunday's 112-95 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers that opened eyes, it was the way it unfolded for Golden State (55-6).

Curry and Klay Thompson made a combined 1 of 18 3-pointers, and the Warriors finished without a 20-point scorer for the first time since a Nov. 28 win over Sacramento - though six players scored in double figures in that game while Curry and Thompson were the only two this time around.

Curry finished with 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting, ending his five-game run of 30-point performances while missing nine of 10 3-pointers. Thompson had 15 on 7 of 20.

The Warriors' 4-for-30, 13.3-percent showing from long range was their worst since making 2 of 16 in a loss at Houston on Dec. 6, 2013. The NBA's top-scoring team shot 40.2 percent overall, committed 20 turnovers and allowed its sixth straight opponent to shoot better than 45 percent.

The result was the end of a seven-game win streak while a wrench was thrown in Golden State's quest to break Chicago's 1995-96 72-10 mark.

The Warriors can win their 45th straight home game on Monday, breaking the Bulls' record that ran from March 30, 1995-April 4, 1996.

'We got what we deserved,' coach Steve Kerr said. 'I joke with Steph all the time that this team is full of millennials, and millennials can't focus, so we looked like millennials today. ... But every team is going to have a tough time being locked in for 82 games. It's hard.'

Though the players largely echoed Kerr's sentiment about speed bumps in a long season - with Curry and Draymond Green each saying "it happens" - the Warriors did schedule a shootaround ahead of Monday's game, their first prior to the second game of a back-to-back.

Maybe to make sure another monumental upset isn't on the agenda.

Sunday's game was the first in NBA history in which a team with a winning percentage above .900 played a team below .200 after 60 games. Orlando (27-34) hasn't experienced woes like the Lakers' this season as a whole, but its 8-21 mark since Jan. 1 is one of the league's worst.

Another upset is far less likely at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors play 15 of their final 21 games.

The Magic are 10-18 away from home, and they will have to deal with Curry 11 days after he dropped 51 points on them in a 130-114 Golden State win - the Warriors' fifth straight in this series.

Curry made 20 of 27 shots and 10 of 15 3s to become the seventh player to hang 50 points on the Magic - and first since LeBron James went for 51 in February 2011.

Winning in Oakland seems like a tall task for the Magic after they supplied Phoenix with its first road win in nearly three months with Friday's ugly 102-84 loss. Orlando shot 34.7 percent against one of the NBA's worst defensive teams, and it sits four games back of Chicago and Detroit for the East's eighth playoff spot.

"It is very disappointing," coach Scott Skiles said. "It is a game we had to have.'

Victor Oladipo sat out with a lower-back contusion, but he is expected to return Monday.

Golden State is being cautious with Andre Iguodala (left hamstring tightness), and there is a chance he sits Monday for the third time in four games.

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Preview: Clippers (40-21) at Mavericks (33-29)
Date: March 07, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers have taken to firing up 3-pointers at a pretty eye-catching rate lately with varying results, but they might want to keep with the habit for one more game.

Teams have been doing that against Dallas with plenty of frequency, and the outcomes are negative for the Mavericks more often than not.

Dallas begins a three-game homestand Monday night hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak while the Clippers need a win to dodge consecutive losses for the first time since before Christmas.

The Clippers (40-21) haven't lost consecutive games in 2 1/2 months - which is surprising considering Blake Griffin has only played once in that span - going 24-8 since a three-game skid from Dec. 18-21.

Three of those losses have come in the last seven games with Los Angeles attempting an average of 31.7 shots from beyond the arc, which is higher than any team's season mark. But they've won once in the last six games they've attempted 30 or more. That includes Saturday's 107-97 home loss to Atlanta after being limited to 42 second-half points.

"We just let them back in it," said Chris Paul, who has averaged 24.6 points and 11.6 assists with eight double-doubles in his last nine games. "I had some bad turnovers, and we just didn't have it tonight. Low energy. It's too late in the season to have letdowns like the one we had. That can't happen."

It did the last time out against the Mavericks with Los Angeles building an eight-point lead after one quarter only to be held to 19 points in the second of a 118-108 Dallas win on Nov. 11. Dirk Nowitzki had 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting and 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, and Paul was held to 11 points on 2 of 11. In his last three games against Dallas, Paul has averaged 10.3 points and 7.7 assists while shooting 37.0 percent.

The teams have split two games this season with the home side winning each, and the Mavericks (33-30) have taken the last two played in Dallas by an total of 40 points while shooting 58.1 percent.

Of the nine teams yielding at least 25 3-point attempts per game, the Mavericks' 33.7 percent opponent mark is the lowest, but it's not taking a ton of success from deep for teams to beat them. When opponents put up at least 25 3s and make more than a third of them, Dallas is 7-13.

One of those was Sunday's 116-114 overtime loss in Denver after D.J. Augustin's 3 tied the game with 29 seconds remaining in the extra period.

"You know, we've got to lead the league in being up three and catching 3 balls," Nowitzki told the team's official website after finishing with 30 points and hitting 5 of 8 from long range. "You know, we're a veteran team, and we don't show it lately down the stretch. If you're up three, you've got to protect the 3-point line, and we haven't been doing a good job. And when you leave yourself open to that, it goes to OT and anything is possible."

Dallas has shot 50.1 percent on a five-game stretch, all against under-.500 teams, but has only a 3-2 record to show for it. The Mavericks have won one of their last seven games against teams above that mark and are 4-10 against the five teams leading them in the Western Conference - Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, the Clippers and Memphis.

Los Angeles is 4-6 against the other teams in that top six.

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Preview: Grizzlies (37-25) at Cavaliers (44-17)
Date: March 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James pointed to the Cleveland Cavaliers' defensive turnaround as the reason for their comeback win over the weekend.

It was the type of stingy play that has the Cavaliers back on track during a four-game homestand, which they close Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Cleveland (44-17) seemed like it might lose for the fourth time in seven games Saturday when it faced an 18-point deficit in the first quarter against Boston, which shot 60 percent for a 35-22 lead after 12 minutes.

However, the Cavaliers regrouped and held the Celtics to 68 points on 41.8 percent shooting in the final three periods on the way to a 120-103 win.

"I like the fact that we took the challenge, took the hit, the biggest hit that they could give us, and responded the best way we know how, by defending and sharing the ball," James said.

When meeting that criteria, Cleveland is solid this season. The Cavs are 21-3 when holding opponents to 96 points or fewer and 29-3 when finishing with at least 22 assists - both of which they did in the first two games of their homestand.

Cleveland has rebounded from three losses in four games by winning all three at Quicken Loans Arena to improve to 27-5 there.

After a 100-96 win over Indiana last Monday, Cleveland held Washington to 39.5 percent shooting in Friday's 108-83 victory - its sixth in the last nine games holding opponents to fewer than 100 points.

The Cavaliers' defensive prowess carries over to its recent history in this series. Memphis (37-25) has averaged just 85.3 points in three straight losses - Mike Conley has been held to 9.7 per game - and 93.2 in 15 games dating to February 2008.

Its latest offensive struggles came in a 106-76 home loss on Oct. 28. James scored only 12 points, but eight Cleveland players finished with at least nine. Nobody on Memphis scored more than a dozen as the Grizzlies shot 35.4 percent.

The Cavaliers have won nine of the last 10 games in this series in Cleveland.

Memphis has won seven of its last 10 games, but its last two losses came to lowly Phoenix. The latest was Sunday's 109-100 home defeat as the Grizzlies shot just 40 percent.

The Suns are the only team to score more than 100 points in the Grizzlies' last six games, doing it twice.

'I didn't have a good game making shots, and we've got to get better,' Zach Randolph said. 'We've been playing good, but (it) was just one of those nights.'

Randolph had picked up the slack inside since Marc Gasol's season ended, averaging 18.2 points as the Grizzlies went 7-2 in their first nine games without him.

However, Randolph made only 3 of 10 shots for six points Sunday, his lowest-scoring output in 33 games since Dec. 19.

Memphis continues to battle through health issues as starting center Chris Andersen did not return Sunday after injuring his left shoulder in the second quarter. The Grizzlies have played eight games without Tony Allen and four without Brandan Wright due to knee injuries.

Coach Dave Joerger said Allen could return Monday, while there is no timetable for Wright. It is unclear how serious Andersen's injury is.

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Monday's NBA Essentials
March 7, 2016


Grizzlies at Cavaliers (-16.5, 221.5) – 7:05 ET, NBA TV

Fighting to keep their place among the Western Conference’s top eight without Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies have actually played well of late, but haven’t been able to solve lowly Phoenix. The Suns beat the Griz for the second time in an eight-game span on Sunday, rallying in the second half. Since Gasol fractured his foot on Feb. 8 in a loss to Portland, Memphis has actually won seven of 10 games, losing only to the Raptors in addition to the Suns. Toronto has been the only team with a winning record that the Grizzlies have faced before tonight. New acquisition Lance Stephenson has helped anchor the bench, while point guard Mike Conley has scored over 20 points in six of the last 11 games.

The Cavs have won three straight since LeBron James took a game off two Sundays ago in D.C. They gave Kevin Love a day off against the Wizards on March 4 but still won by 25 points, following that up with a 17-point Saturday night win over the Celtics despite falling behind early. This is the final game of a four-game homestand that they’ve been perfect on. Cleveland has the best home record in the Eastern Conference, entering this one 27-5, a mark that only trails undefeated San Antonio (30-0) and Golden State (26-0) in superiority.

Chris Andersen, who has re-christened himself “Grizzilla” and is listed in the Memphis game notes as being 14-feet tall, injured his left shoulder against the Suns and left in the second quarter. He’s not expected to play. Tony Allen has missed the last eight games with a knee injury, but he should return this week and may be in the mix as early as tonight. The Cavs are without Mo Williams. The score in three of the last four Grizzlies games has fallen below the posted title. The ‘under’ is 6-3 in Cleveland’s last nine.

Bucks at Bulls (-1, 206.5) – 8:05 ET

Jimmy Butler returned to the Chicago lineup on Saturday night after an 11-game absence due to a nasty-looking knee sprain and experienced no setbacks, playing without limitations. Butler fouled out in 34 minutes but finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while blanketing James Harden when on duty. Taj Gibson also returned following a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury. The return of two key figures helped the Bulls snap a four-game losing streak that had dropped the team down to. 500 for the first time all season.

The Bucks lost at home against Oklahoma City on Sunday after scoring just 12 points in the first quarter, a franchise-low for an opening first 12 minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up a third triple-double in a seven-game span, scoring 26 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. He added four blocks and three steals and has been a stat-stuffing monster since coming back off the All-Star break, averaging 19.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists. The Bucks have also made a concerted effort to get Jabari Parker more touches and got a career-high 36 points from him to open last week with a 128-121 win over Houston. Michael Carter-Williams remains sidelined with a knee injury. The Bucks have scored 95 or more points in 13 of the last 15, but the ‘under’ is 8-7 in their games in that span.

Both of this season’s meetings between these teams have gone over the posted total. Each team has won on their home court in games that were played one week apart in early January.

Magic at Warriors (-15.5, 223) – 10:35 ET

Golden State will look to set an NBA record with its 45th consecutive victory inside Oakland’s Oracle Arena. After a humbling defeat at the hands of the Lakers on Sunday, the Warriors will look to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson look to bounce back from a disastrous shooting game. The normally prolific Splash brothers shot a combined 1-for-18 from 3-point range to help L.A. cash as an 18-point underdog, delivering +1000 at most books on the money line.

Fortunately for the defending champions, they’ll be able to get right back at it against a Magic defense that has surrendered over 100 points in eight of the last nine games, allowing over 115 in four of those. Scott Skiles hasn’t been able to get his team to lock in, as the acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings added to a predominantly offensive core. Orlando comes off a disastrous Friday night loss to Phoenix, falling 102-84 in matching their second-lowest point total of the season. Victor Oladipo sat with a lower back contusion that isn’t expected to be a lingering issue.

These teams just played less than two weeks ago, as Curry made 20-of-27 shots and hit 10-of-15 3-pointers in dropping 51 points to lift the Warriors to a 130-114 win. Golden State has won five straight games in this series, last losing to the Magic in Dec. 2012. The Warriors haven’t lost consecutive regular-season games since last April.