The Bum's 2016 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News-Stats !

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
November 30, 2016

Underdogs dominated on Tuesday night in the NBA by winning and covering in five of six games. The only favorite to cover was the Pelicans, who routed the Lakers as 5 ½-point chalk, 105-88. The Magic cashed the biggest ticket of the night as 12 ½-point underdogs in a 95-83 triumph at San Antonio, while hitting at +700 on the money-line. Not far behind Orlando was Brooklyn, who shocked the Clippers in double-overtime as 11-point home underdogs, 127-122.

Game of the Night – Pistons at Celtics (-8, 197 ½) – 7:35 PM EST – NBA TV

Detroit (9-10 SU, 9-10 ATS) picked up only its second road victory of the season on Tuesday by dominating Charlotte, 112-89 as 3 ½-point underdogs. The Pistons topped the 107-point mark for the third time in the last four games, as Detroit knocked down 12 three-pointers in last night’s victory. Stan Van Gundy’s squad has struggled with no rest this season by going 1-3 SU/ATS, including a 106-88 road defeat at Oklahoma City last Saturday.

The Celtics (10-7 SU, 10-7 ATS) return home following a 112-104 road victory at Miami on Monday to cash as four-point favorites. Boston limited Miami to 31 first half points, but somehow allowed 42 points to the Heat in the third quarter as the game eventually finished OVER the total of 201. Forward Al Horford sat out the game due to personal reasons but he is expected to start tonight. The Celtics have won each of their past four road games, but have lost their previous two games at TD Center, falling to the top two teams in the West, Golden State and San Antonio over the past 12 days.

In their previous meeting on November 19 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Horford’s putback in the final seconds broke a 92-92 tie and gave Boston a 94-92 victory as two-point underdogs. The Celtics drilled 11 three-pointers in that win, while Isaiah Thomas burned the Pistons for 24 points and eight assists. Boston has captured three of the past five meetings since the start of the 2015-16 season as the two teams split a pair of matchups at TD Garden last season.

Chill Out

The Heat (5-12 SU, 7-10 ATS) are a beat-up squad and weren’t performing well when healthy as Miami travels to Denver to begin a three-game road swing. Forward Justice Winslow and guard Dion Waiters are both sidelined, while guard Tyler Johnson is questionable, who recently underwent a procedure on his teeth. Miami has lost four of its past five games since winning two in a row, including recent home losses to Memphis and Boston. The Heat have actually covered three of their last four games in the road underdog role, including outright victories at Memphis and Washington.

Denver (7-10 SU, 11-6 ATS) has turned into a solid bet recently by cashing in six of the previous eight contests, including four of the past five games at Pepsi Center. The only home ATS loss in this stretch came against Oklahoma City in two overtimes last Friday as 2 ½-point underdogs, 132-129. The Nuggets have lost three of the last four home matchups with the Heat, as three of those games finished UNDER the total.

Back at Home

The Bulls (10-6 SU, 11-5 ATS) return to the United Center following a 10-day road trip in which Chicago posted a 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS mark. The Lakers (9-10 SU, 10-8-1 ATS) head to the Windy City tonight with no rest following last night’s drubbing at New Orleans as Los Angeles looks to avenge a home loss to Chicago on November 20. The Bulls outlasted the Lakers at Staples Center, 118-110 as 2 ½-point underdogs as Jimmy Butler lit up Los Angeles for 40 points, while Dwyane Wade sat out for Chicago. Los Angeles has seen the OVER cash in all three games with no rest this season, allowing 149, 125, and 116 points, winning only one of those contests.

Life Without Mikey

The Grizzlies (11-7 SU, 9-9 ATS) not only suffered a 19-point home loss to the Hornets on Monday, but also lost starting point guard Mike Conley for six weeks with a back injury. Memphis hits the road tonight heading north of the border to face Toronto (11-6 SU, 11-5-1 ATS), who is riding a three-game winning streak. The Raptors ripped the 76ers as 15-point favorites on Monday, 122-95 to improve to 5-3 at Air Canada Center this season. How important is Conley to Memphis’ success? The Grizzlies have lost 15 of the last 16 games he has missed since last March, while posting a 5-11 ATS mark.

Pacing West

Indiana (9-9 SU, 7-11 ATS) heads to the west coast to begin a five-game road swing, including four rematches from the first month of the season. The only team Indiana faces on this trip for the first time this season is Portland (9-10 SU, 6-13 ATS), as the two squads meet tonight at the Moda Center. Paul George remains sidelined for Indiana with a left ankle sprain and will miss tonight’s contest, but the Pacers pulled enough together to upset the Clippers on Saturday as 11 ½-point home underdogs, 91-70. The Blazers have dropped six of their past eight games, while posting an ugly 2-10 ATS mark the previous 12 contests.

Head-to-Head Stats

-- The Kings and 76ers have split their season series in each of the past three seasons, but Philadelphia has covered eight of the previous nine matchups since 2012. Sacramento is listed as a five-point road favorite as Philadelphia has posted an impressive 9-3 ATS mark as a home underdog this season.

-- The Knicks swept the Timberwolves last season, including an eight-point victory at Target Center. However, New York has struggled on the road this season by losing six of its first seven games away from Madison Square Garden. These teams begin a home-and-home set that concludes on Friday in New York.

-- Oklahoma City has captured the last four matchups with Washington as these two teams meet at Chesapeake Energy Center. The Thunder has won all seven home meetings with the Wizards since OKC moved from Seattle in 2008.

-- The best and worst of Texas meet tonight in Dallas as the Spurs battle the downtrodden Mavericks. San Antonio is riding a six-game winning streak against Dallas since 2015, including a 96-91 home victory on November 21. However, Dallas cashed as 13 ½-point road underdogs, just the second cover during this six-game skid.

-- Atlanta and Phoenix each won at home last season in their two matchups, as the Suns cashed each time as double-digit underdogs. This time around, the Suns are only a 5 ½-point home underdog, while each of the last five matchups between these squads have finished UNDER the total.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SAC at PHI 07:00 PM

PHI +4.5 *****

O 204.5 *****

MEM at TOR 07:30 PM

TOR -13.0

U 195.5

DET at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -7.0

U 200.0

WAS at OKC 08:00 PM

OKC -5.5

U 216.0 *****

NY at MIN 08:00 PM

MIN -4.0

O 212.0

LAL at CHI 08:00 PM

CHI -9.5 ***** ( BLOW OUT )

O 209.5

SA at DAL 08:30 PM

SA -9.5

U 189.5 ***** ( TOTAL OF THE DAY )

MIA at DEN 09:00 PM

DEN -6.0

O 207.5 *****

ATL at PHO 09:00 PM

PHO +4.5

O 209.5 *****

IND at POR 10:00 PM

IND +7.5

U 207.5

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
December 1, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook scored 14 of his 35 points in overtime and posted his fourth consecutive triple-double to help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Washington Wizards 126-115 on Wednesday night.

Westbrook added 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double this season and the 46th of his career. The Thunder have won all four games during his triple-double streak, and he heads into December averaging a triple-double through 20 games this season.

Former Thunder coach Scott Brooks returned as Washington's coach, and the Oklahoma City crowd greeted him warmly. Brooks coached the Thunder for seven years and led them to the Western Conference Finals three times and the NBA Finals once.

Bradley Beal scored 31 points, John Wall had 15 points and 15 assists, and Marcin Gortat added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who had won three of four.

KNICKS 106, TIMBERWOLVES 104

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and eight rebounds in a thrilling duel with Karl-Anthony Towns, helping New York beat Minnesota.

Carmelo Anthony capped a quiet night with a game-winning 18-footer over Andrew Wiggins with 2.3 seconds to play, helping the Knicks avoid what would have been an epic collapse in the fourth quarter.

Towns had a career-high 47 points and 18 rebounds for the Wolves, who tied the game in the final minute after trailing by 17 with 7:30 to play.

But Porzingis threw Gorgui Dieng aside for a putback slam and Anthony tipped the inbounds pass on Minnesota's final possession to thwart the comeback.

LAKERS 96, BULLS 90

CHICAGO (AP) - Julius Randle made a strong move against Nikola Mirotic for a tiebreaking layup with 45.1 seconds left, and Los Angeles held off Chicago for a gritty victory.

Randle had 13 points and matched a career high with 20 rebounds as Los Angeles bounced back from an ugly 105-88 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday night. Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points apiece, and Larry Nance Jr. finished with 12 points and 11 boards.

Randle's drive and layup gave Los Angeles a 92-90 lead. After Jimmy Butler missed on the other side for Chicago, Williams went 1 for 2 at the line with 20 seconds to go.

SPURS 94, MAVERICKS 87

DALLAS (AP) - Patty Mills scored 15 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points, helping San Antonio rally over Dallas.

San Antonio became just the third team to start the season 11-0 on the road, following last year's Warriors (14-0) and the 1969-70 Knicks (12-0).

Wesley Matthews had a season-high 26 points for the Mavericks, and Harrison Barnes added 17.

Dallas had a 60-47 lead in the third quarter after a 13-0 run in which the Spurs went 13 consecutive possessions and nearly seven minutes without a point.

The Mavericks still led by eight with seven minutes to play, but Mills hit his first of three huge 3s in the quarter to start an 11-2 run.

RAPTORS 120, GRIZZLIES 105

TORONTO (AP) - Kyle Lowry had 29 points and eight assists, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Toronto ended Memphis' six-game road winning streak.

Cory Joseph added 16 points off the bench for the Raptors, who defeated Memphis for the third straight time and for the sixth time in their last seven meetings. It was the fourth straight victory overall for the Raptors, their longest winning streak of the season.

Andrew Harrison had 21 points and Troy Daniels added 19 off the bench for the injury-riddled Grizzlies, who were missing six regulars. Among the absent is star Mike Conley, who was ruled out for at least six weeks Tuesday with fractured vertebrae in his lower back.

PISTONS 121, CELTICS 114

BOSTON (AP) - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 25 points and Tobias Harris had 21 to lead balanced scoring that carried Detroit over Boston.

Andre Drummond added 20 points and 17 rebounds, one night after he was ejected in the second quarter of a victory at Charlotte for a flagrant-2 foul.

Isaiah Thomas paced the Celtics with 27 points, and Kelly Olynyk scored a season-high 19. Boston had won five of seven.

Marcus Morris had 20 points and Ish Smith 19 for the Pistons, who had lost eight of their first nine road games before winning away from home on consecutive nights.

HEAT 106, NUGGETS 98

DENVER (AP) - Hassan Whiteside had another big game with 25 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks to lift Miami over Denver.

Wayne Ellington scored 22 points and Tyler Johnson had 18 points and seven assists for Miami in his return after missing one game. Goran Dragic had 16 points and seven assists for the Heat, who have more wins on the road (four) than at home (two).

Nikola Jokic had 17 points and 14 rebounds off the bench for Denver, outscored 31-18 in the fourth quarter.

Miami went on an 11-0 run early in the fourth to take the lead for good. Ellington hit four 3-pointers in the period and his last one put the Heat up 10 with 2:25 left.

SUNS 109, HAWKS 107

PHOENIX (AP) - Brandon Knight scored 23 points off the bench and Phoenix reserves combined for 54 as the Suns held off slumping Atlanta thanks to a key fourth-quarter run.

Eric Bledsoe's bank shot with 28.4 seconds left gave the Suns a 104-99 lead and all but sealed Atlanta's fourth consecutive defeat.

Jared Dudley and P.J. Tucker added 17 points apiece for the Suns, who had lost four of five.

Leandro Barbosa made baskets on three straight possessions midway through the fourth quarter to give Phoenix an 89-84 advantage, part of an 11-0 run.

The Hawks cut it to 96-95 with 2:50 to play on Thabo Sefolosha's 17-footer, but the Suns held on. Dennis Schroder scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth.

76ERS, KINGS, PPD

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A scheduled game between Sacramento and Philadelphia was postponed by the NBA because of condensation on the court at the Wells Fargo Center.

The game, which was slated to start at 7 p.m., was called off at 8:03 p.m. A makeup date was not immediately announced.

The Philadelphia Flyers hosted an NHL game at the arena Tuesday night and the ice surface remained under the basketball court - standard procedure at the Wells Fargo Center. However, Wednesday was an unseasonably warm, humid day for late November in Philadelphia, and it likely affected the surface.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s six-pack

Submitted for your perusal: Week 13 NFL trends…….

— Cowboys covered nine of their last ten games.

— Arizona covered three of its last twelve games.

— Jaguars are 5-12 vs spread in their last 17 games.

— 49ers are 5-11 in last 16 games as a road underdog.

— Eagles are 0-5 vs spread in their last five road games.

— Washington is 12-3 vs spread in its last 15 games.

Thursday’s List of 13: Our bottom 3, top 10 in NFL

32) Browns— On their bye this week; get RGIII back from injury next week against the Bengals.

31) 49ers- Oregon job is open; Chip Kelly says he isn’t interested.

30) Jaguars— Supposedly playing Ravens in London next year. Baltimore is one of eight NFL teams that hasn’t played an international game.

10) Lions— Have trailed all 11 games in 4th quarter, meaning this 7-4 team could realistically be 0-11. Weird that they’ll play only three outdoor games in regular season.

9) Redskins— Play three of next four games on the road; their last road win was October 9.

8) Chiefs— Last four games were all decided by 5 or less points.

7) Falcons— Over is 9-2 in their games this year; fun team to watch.

6) Dolphins— Won last six games (5-1 vs spread); they’re +10 in turnovers in those games.

5) Giants— Won their last six games. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games.

4) Seahawks— 7-1 this season when they score 12+ points; they’ve been held to 3-5-6 points by three teams who probably won’t make the playoffs.

3) Raiders— David Carr dislocated pinky on his throwing hand LW; played 4th quarter with glove on his hand. Will he wear the glove this week?

2) Patriots— Won six of their last seven games- they’re a 13-point favorite this week.

1) Cowboys— Won ten games in row (9-1 vs spread); good ballgame Thursday in Minnesota.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s games

Mavericks lost tough home game to Spurs last night; Dallas lost nine of last 10 games, is 1-9 on road, 3-7 as a road underdog. Under is 11-5 in their last 16 games. Jazz won/covered its last four games; they’re 3-3 as a home favorite. Three of last four Utah games went over. Dallas won three of last four games with Charlotte, winning by 27-11 points in last two visits here. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games.

Milwaukee won three of last four games, is 2-4 on road, 1-0 as a road favorite; under is 4-2 in their road games. Brooklyn lost seven of last eight games, is 4-5 at home, 5-4 as a home dog. Over is 8-1 in Nets’ last nine games. Bucks won seven of last eight games with Brooklyn, beating Nets 110-108 at home Oct 29; Milwaukee won by 7-9 points in last two visits here. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Clippers lost in double OT to Nets Monday; they’re 5-3 in last eight games after a 10-1 start, losing two of last three on road. LA is 4-5 as a road favorite. Cavaliers won four of last five games; they’re 5-4-1 as a home favorite, covering last three at home. Last four Cleveland games went over. Clippers lost last four games with Cleveland (0-4 vs spread); they lost by 13-11-6 points in last three visits here. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Memphis got whacked in Toronto last night, lost three of last four games; they lost last two home games, are 1-3 as home favorites. Under is 6-1 in their last seven home tilts. Orlando lost four of last five games, is 5-3 as a road underdog. Under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Memphis PG Conley (back) is out 4-6 weeks. Grizzlies won nine of last ten games with Orlando (5-2 vs spread in last seven); Magic lost last six visits here, but are 3-3 vs spread in those games. Three of last four series games went over.

Miami won in Denver last nite, its second win in last six games; Heat covered three of last four as a road underdog. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Jazz won/covered last four games; they’re 3-3 as a home favorite. Three of last four Jazz games went over. Utah won three of last four games with Miami, covered six of last eight; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Heat lost four of last five visits to Utah (1-4 vs spread).

Rockets won five of last seven games, are 7-5 on road, 4-2 as a road underdog. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Golden State won its last 12 games, is 3-5 as a home favorite. Over is 4-1 in Warriors’ last five home games. Warriors won eight of last nine games with Houston (7-2 vs spread); four of last five series games stayed under. Rockets lost last five visits to Oakland (1-4 vs spread).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA BETTING TRENDS
Money Line

10:35 pm 12/1/2016
(711) HOUSTON @(712) GOLDEN STATE
Play ON HOUSTON using the money line in All games after allowing 105 points or more.
The record is 8 Wins and 1 Losses this season (+8.9 units)
BET NOW!

8:05 pm 12/1/2016
(705) LA CLIPPERS @(706) CLEVELAND
Play ON CLEVELAND using the money line in Home games after allowing 105 points or more.
The record is 23 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+17.75 units)
BET NOW!

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NBA BETTING TRENDS
Half Time Under

9:05 pm 12/1/2016
(709) MIAMI @(710) UTAH
Play UNDER UTAH on the first half total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record.
The record is 21 Overs and 59 Unders for the last three seasons (+35.9 units)
BET NOW!

9:05 pm 12/1/2016
(709) MIAMI @(710) UTAH
Play UNDER UTAH on the first half total in All games versus the first half line in all games.
The record is 59 Overs and 115 Unders for the last three seasons (+50.1 units)
BET NOW!

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NBA BETTING TRENDS
Under

9:05 pm 12/1/2016
(709) MIAMI @(710) UTAH
Play UNDER MIAMI on the total in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent.
The record is 12 Overs and 33 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.8 units)
BET NOW!

[StarDust Bum]

NBA RECORD + BEST BETS:

11/01/2016 9-8-0 52.94% +100
11/02/2016 9-10-1 47.37% -1000
11/03/2016 5-4-0 55.56% +300
11/04/2016 7-8-0 46.67% -900
11/05/2016 9-6-0 60.00% +1200
11/06/2016 5-5-0 50.00% -250
11/07/2016 6-7-0 46.15% -850
11/08/2016 4-7-0 36.36% -1850
11/10/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
11/11/2016 7-9-0 43.75% -1450
11/12/2016 10-10-1 50.00% -500
11/13/2016 2-7-1 22.22% -2850
11/14/2016 3-13-0 18.75% -5650
11/15/2016 4-5-1 44.44% -750
11/16/2016 11-8-2 57.89% +1100
11/17/2016 5-5-0 50.00% -250
11/18/2016 10-9-1 52.63% +50
11/19/2016 11-6-0 64.71% +2200
11/20/2016 6-6-0 50.00% -300
11/21/2016 3-14-0 17.65% -6200
11/22/2016 5-3-0 62.50% +850
11/23/2016 17-8-1 68.00% +4100
11/25/2016 15-15-0 50.00% -750
11/26/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800
11/27/2016 9-7-0 56.25% +650
11/29/2016 8-4-0 66.67% +1800
11/30/2016 5-13-0 27.78% -4650

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 117-135-7 46.43% -15750

O/U Picks 127-133-2 48.85% -9650

BEST BETS:

ATS: 98 - 93 - 4

NBA UNDERDOG PLAY OF THE DAY..... 1 - 0 ( DENVER + 4 COVERS 107-108 )
NBA UNDERDOG OF THE NIGHT..........0 - 1 ( BOSTON + 7.5 LOSES TO GOLDEN ST.
PLAY OF THE NIGHT 11/25.................0 - 1 ( NEW ORLEANS + 4 104 PORTLAND 119 )
NBA TOTALS OF THE NIGHT 11/25.......1 - 0 ( NEW ORLEANS OVER 218.5 / 223 TOTAL )
NBA TOTAL OF THE NIGHT 11/27.........1 - 0 ( N. ORLEANS / DALLAS UN 199 -81 -91 )
NBA BLOW OUT 11/30........................0 - 1 ( LAKERS S/U DOG WINNER OVER CHI )
NBA TOTAL OF THE DAY......................1 - 0 ( S.ANT UN 189' OVER DALLAS 94 - 87 )

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 1

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DALLAS (3 - 14) at CHARLOTTE (10 - 8) - 12/1/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 353-292 ATS (+31.8 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 467-391 ATS (+36.9 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 71-45 ATS (+21.5 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 45-71 ATS (-33.1 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.

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

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MILWAUKEE (8 - 8) at BROOKLYN (5 - 12) - 12/1/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 123-89 ATS (+25.1 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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LA CLIPPERS (14 - 5) at CLEVELAND (13 - 3) - 12/1/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 248-299 ATS (-80.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 30-46 ATS (-20.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-0 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 4-0 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (7 - 11) at MEMPHIS (11 - 8) - 12/1/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 240-195 ATS (+25.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 23-8 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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MIAMI (6 - 12) at UTAH (11 - 8) - 12/1/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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HOUSTON (11 - 7) at GOLDEN STATE (16 - 2) - 12/1/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 67-53 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 114-86 ATS (+19.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 66-46 ATS (+15.4 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-29 ATS (+16.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 69-48 ATS (+16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 55-38 ATS (+13.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 73-101 ATS (-38.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 12-5 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 15-2 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 1

Mavericks lost tough home game to Spurs last night; Dallas lost nine of last 10 games, is 1-9 on road, 3-7 as a road underdog. Under is 11-5 in their last 16 games. Jazz won/covered its last four games; they’re 3-3 as a home favorite. Three of last four Utah games went over. Dallas won three of last four games with Charlotte, winning by 27-11 points in last two visits here. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games.

Milwaukee won three of last four games, is 2-4 on road, 1-0 as a road favorite; under is 4-2 in their road games. Brooklyn lost seven of last eight games, is 4-5 at home, 5-4 as a home dog. Over is 8-1 in Nets’ last nine games. Bucks won seven of last eight games with Brooklyn, beating Nets 110-108 at home Oct 29; Milwaukee won by 7-9 points in last two visits here. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Clippers lost in double OT to Nets Monday; they’re 5-3 in last eight games after a 10-1 start, losing two of last three on road. LA is 4-5 as a road favorite. Cavaliers won four of last five games; they’re 5-4-1 as a home favorite, covering last three at home. Last four Cleveland games went over. Clippers lost last four games with Cleveland (0-4 vs spread); they lost by 13-11-6 points in last three visits here. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Memphis got whacked in Toronto last night, lost three of last four games; they lost last two home games, are 1-3 as home favorites. Under is 6-1 in their last seven home tilts. Orlando lost four of last five games, is 5-3 as a road underdog. Under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Memphis PG Conley (back) is out 4-6 weeks. Grizzlies won nine of last ten games with Orlando (5-2 vs spread in last seven); Magic lost last six visits here, but are 3-3 vs spread in those games. Three of last four series games went over.

Miami won in Denver last nite, its second win in last six games; Heat covered three of last four as a road underdog. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Jazz won/covered last four games; they’re 3-3 as a home favorite. Three of last four Jazz games went over. Utah won three of last four games with Miami, covered six of last eight; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Heat lost four of last five visits to Utah (1-4 vs spread).

Rockets won five of last seven games, are 7-5 on road, 4-2 as a road underdog. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Golden State won its last 12 games, is 3-5 as a home favorite. Over is 4-1 in Warriors’ last five home games. Warriors won eight of last nine games with Houston (7-2 vs spread); four of last five series games stayed under. Rockets lost last five visits to Oakland (1-4 vs spread).

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NBA

Thursday, December 1

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
Charlotte is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Dallas
Charlotte is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. BROOKLYN
Milwaukee is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. CLEVELAND
LA Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of the LA Clippers last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Memphis is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando

9:00 PM
MIAMI vs. UTAH
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Miami is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Utah is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. GOLDEN STATE
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games at home

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NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, December 1

Houston @ Golden State

Game 711-712
December 1, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
124.823
Golden State
129.858
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 5
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 10 1/2
230
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+10 1/2); Under

Miami @ Utah

Game 709-710
December 1, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
116.231
Utah
129.858
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 13 1/2
184
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 10
189
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(-10); Under

Orlando @ Memphis

Game 707-708
December 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
119.755
Memphis
115.208
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 4 1/2
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 1
186
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-1); Over

LA Clippers @ Cleveland

Game 705-706
December 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
124.684
Cleveland
122.580
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 2
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 5
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+5); Over

Milwaukee @ Brooklyn

Game 703-704
December 1, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
119.302
Brooklyn
111.616
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 7 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 4
217
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-4); Under

Dallas @ Charlotte

Game 701-702
December 1, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
116.179
Charlotte
116.761
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 1
187
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 11
194
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+11); Under

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Inside the Paint - Thursday
December 1, 2016

For the second straight night in the NBA, the underdogs showed their fight and posted a 5-4 straight up mark and even better 6-3 record against the spread. Bettors playing money-line tickets on Detroit (+240) and Miami (+210) were rewarded in their wins against Boston and Denver respectively but the big payout of the night came from the Lakers (+500), who knocked off the Bulls 96-90 at the United Center with a shorthanded squad. Including Tuesday’s results, underdogs are 10-5 SU and 11-4 ATS the last two nights.

Game to Watch (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET) - L.A. Clippers at Cleveland

The Cavaliers (13-3 SU, 6-9-1 ATS) opened as 4 ½-point home favorites over the Clippers (14-5 SU, 10-9 ATS) and the number has inched up to five at most betting shops as of Thursday morning.

According to the oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag, the Cavaliers (3/1) and Clippers (12/1) are in the same company with the Spurs (10/1) as the only three teams that have a serious chance to defeat this year’s favorite, Golden State (5/7).

Both clubs have shown they can dominate this season but they’ve been complacent as well.

Los Angeles started the season 14-2 but enters this game with three straight losses to inferior opponents in the Eastern Conference, which includes a 127-122 overtime setback at Brooklyn this past Tuesday. Cleveland also enters the game off a loss, an embarrassing 118-101 defeat at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The Cavaliers haven’t dropped back-to-back games yet in 2016 and they cruised to double-digit wins off their first two losses this season.

The Cavaliers haven’t battled any of the three other title contenders this season but they do own a pair of tight victories over Toronto, who many pundits believe will be Cleveland’s biggest challenge in the East. Los Angeles notched a home victory over Toronto as well in mid-November and it does have an impressive road win at San Antonio on its resume.

Cleveland has gone 3-0 (2-1 ATS) versus the West this season and it put a 131 PPG in those wins, which helped the ‘over’ cash in every game. L.A. was 4-0 versus the East this season before dropping three in a row this past week.

If L.A. really wants to cement itself as a contender, a win tonight would go a long way. Unfortunately for head coach Doc Rivers and company, the Clippers have dropped four straight both SU and ATS to the Cavaliers and the last two visits to Quicken Loans Arena were decided by 13 and 11 points.

East vs. West

Along with the Clippers-Cavaliers matchup, Thursday’s card has three more non-conference matchups and two of them appear to be one-sided.

Dallas at Charlotte: The Hornets have been installed as double-digit favorites (-10 ½) over the Mavericks and the number could be a tad inflated. Charlotte started the season strong with an 8-3 record but it’s just 2-5 over its last seven and the defense has allowed 100-plus points in all five losses. The Mavericks snapped an eight-game losing skid on Sunday with a 91-81 win over New Orleans but the losing started again last night as San Antonio beat them 94-87 at home. Not surprisingly, Dallas is 0-3 both SU and ATS in back-to-back spots this season and the ‘over’ has cashed in all three setbacks. Despite the poor season, the Mavericks have won three of their last four encounters against the Hornets and that includes two straight in Charlotte by double digits.

Orlando at Memphis: This matchup has “pass” written all over it but somebody jumped all over the visitor when the opening number was posted on Wednesday. The Grizzlies opened as short favorites (-2) but are now home ‘dogs (+1) as of Thursday morning. VI handicapper Kevin Rogers pointed out a crazy stat for me on Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who is ‘out’ with a back injury. Going back to last season, the Grizzlies are 1-16 SU and 5-12 ATS the last 17 games without the highest paid player in the league and that includes last night’s 120-105 loss at Toronto. Orlando does enter this game with confidence after snapping a four-game losing skid on Tuesday with a 95-83 win over San Antonio as a healthy 12 ½-point road underdog. Even with that win, it’s hard to back the Magic knowing that they have serious issues on offense (92.3 PPG). The Magic and Grizzlies split their two meetings last season with the home team earning wins and covers. Prior to those matchups, Memphis had won nine straight against Orlando.

Miami at Utah: The Jazz dropped the Heat 102-91 on Nov. 12 as a 1 ½-point road underdog and have now won three of their last four encounters versus Miami. The rematch takes place in Salt Lake City and the Heat enter this matchup with key injuries to the backcourt. Miami has had trouble scoring this season (96.1 PPG) and it’s hard to imagine them doing much against the league’s best defense in Utah (93.8 PPG). The Heat did kick off their road trip last night in Denver with a 106-98 win but going back to last season, Miami has dropped seven straight games when playing on no rest. Make a note that the Heat are 1-4 this season off a win.

Late-Night Shootout?

Houston at Golden State will meet for the first time this season after squaring off in last year’s playoffs and the rematch should be fun to watch in the nationally televised game on TNT. Oddsmakers sent out a total of 229 and that number is up to 230 at most betting shops.

It’s hard to argue for the ‘under’ in this game based on the pace and offensive firepower both clubs bring to the floor. Golden State (117.6 PPG) leads the league in scoring and Houston is right behind them (109.3 PPG) in fourth.

The Warriors are shooting a blistering 50.2 percent from the field, which is head and shoulders above every other team. The Rockets are ranked third at 46.5 percent and that’s an incredible number considering the team attempts 36.6 bombs from 3-point land a game. If those shots fall (and they do), Houston can beat anybody on any given night.

As far as total results goes, Golden State has leaned slightly to the ‘over’ (10-8) while Houston has seen a stalemate (9-9) thus far.

The Warriors enter Thursday on a 12-game winning streak (7-4-1 ATS) and while the offense garners all the attention in the Bay Area, the defense has only surrendered 95.2 PPG to their last five opponents.

Houston started its most recent five-game road trip with a pair of wins but its own style got the best of them on Tuesday as Utah ran the club out for a 120-101 loss in Salt Lake City. Despite the loss, the Rockets own a solid 7-5 SU and 9-3 ATS mark on the road.

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Preview: Mavericks (3-14) at Hornets (10-8)
Date: December 01, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

For the Charlotte Hornets, a 10-8 record is respectable but based on recent trends, it is not good enough.

Coming off a 48-win season, Charlotte began this season by winning eight of its first 11 games and four of its first six home games. Starting with a five-point overtime loss in New Orleans, it has been difficult for the Hornets.

The Hornets look to correct some of those negative trends Thursday night when they host the struggling Dallas Mavericks.

On Nov. 19, the Hornets held a 14-point lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and wound up with a 121-116 loss to the Pelicans. The loss sparked a stretch of five losses in seven games, which continued during Tuesday's 112-89 home loss to the Detroit Pistons.

"There's two ways you can look at this," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "We can come in here and do the proverbial 'It was the schedule and it's five in seven, and they're fresh.' If you do that, you have the wrong expectations of what I think our team should be. We've done some good things to this point, but two things that are concerning are, one, we're 5-5 at home, and two, we're 1-3 on the second night of a back-to-back. If those things continue to happen, then we're certainly not going to be in a position where we want to be."

During Charlotte's skid, the defense has allowed an average of 108.1 points per game and the latest loss occurred after Detroit center Andre Drummond was ejected before halftime. The Hornets trailed by three at intermission but were outscored by 20 in the second half.

Kemba Walker scored 23 points but received little help. Frank Kaminsky shot 1 of 11 and Nicolas Batum was 3 of 11.

Charlotte's inability to get past Detroit resulted in its third home loss in four games.

"We could make a lot of excuses, but we have to start winning at home," Charlotte center Cody Zeller said. "We have to start winning on the second night of back-to-backs. We just didn't do enough things to win tonight."

The Mavericks have dropped 10 of their last 11 games and their 3-14 start is the third-worst 17-game start in team history. Dallas has been held under 100 points in 10 of those games and 14 times overall.

The latest setback for Dallas was Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs when the Mavericks held a 13-point deficit only to lose 94-87. It was the seventh single-digit loss this season for Mavericks.

"I'm encouraged by the competitive part of this," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Our guys have been fighting hard."

Wesley Matthews scored a season-high 26 points and Harrison Barnes added 17 but neither player could get rolling down the stretch. Matthews missed six of his last seven shots while Barnes missed four of his last six attempts.

"We're still fighting," said Dallas guard Devin Harris, who returned from a left foot injury and played 11 minutes in his season debut. "We felt like we should've had this one tonight. Our fight is still there. Our guys are playing their butts off and one of these days our luck is going to change. If we continue to fight this way, we'll win some of these games."

Dallas played its 12th game without Dirk Nowitzki (strained right Achilles). Nowitzki is expected to sit again Thursday.

Nowitzki missed eight games from Nov. 6-21 before returning last week against the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 25 points on 10-of-28 shooting in 47 minutes before sitting out again.

"We got to get him right," Carlisle said. "And he is getting closer. But it's not going to happen this week. Next week could be a possibility, but we'll see."

Dorian-Finney Smith has started the last seven games Nowitzki has missed but has only scored 27 points. The undrafted rookie has been playing between 18 and 27 minutes in the starting frontcourt and is 10 of 30 from the floor.

The Mavericks are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

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Preview: Bucks (8-8) at Nets (5-12)
Date: December 01, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets capitalized on opponents not giving proper effort and emerged with wins over elite competition.

Both teams will attempt to follow up those impressive victories when the Bucks visit the Nets on Thursday.

Milwaukee has won three of four games since a three-point home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 19. The third victory in that stretch was Tuesday's 118-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Against the Cavaliers, Milwaukee rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter and dominated the second half. The Bucks took a four-point halftime lead and stretched the advantage to 18 after the third quarter before leading by as many as 22 in the fourth when Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue removed his starters because he didn't feel like they were playing.

"We didn't let them off the hook," Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "We were attacking. They are the champs, but this is a great win."

Antetokounmpo highlighted the win over the defending champions by tying a career high with 34 points to go along with 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks on 13 of 19 shooting. Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are the only players to record 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game this season.

During Milwaukee's last five games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 26.4 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent (48 of 83).

"He's been here four years now; he's arrived," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.

Milwaukee is around the middle of the pack in pace at 96.3 possessions per game and offensive rating at 105.9. The Bucks are in the bottom third in scoring at 102.7 points per game but their numbers are somewhat improved recently.

During the last five games, the Bucks have averaged 107 points and shot 48.8 percent (208 of 426).

"It's not that it's a breakout; it was a matter of us trusting each other and being on the same page and playing as a team," Kidd said. "For a young team ... sometimes it takes time. You want to put it in the microwave and instantly get it right away but if you're patient enough for the process and the journey, it will come.

"This was a good night for us to learn. Now, the next step is for us to get better tomorrow and try again to find a way to win on the road."

Brooklyn is 5-12 after stopping an ugly seven-game losing streak with a 127-122 double overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night.

The Nets picked up their first win since Nov. 12 by rallying from an 18-point deficit in a game that coach Doc Rivers accused the Clippers of taking the contest for granted.

Sean Kilpatrick scored 31 of his career-high 38 points after the third quarter. He was 3 of 14 from the field through 36 minutes but made 11 of 20 attempts the rest of the way.

"I ended up getting into a zone," Kilpatrick said. "I think at the end of the day when you have that attack mentality, it really actually pays off because most of the time a natural reaction is to sit there and take a play off and when you have somebody that's just constantly sitting there attacking you every play, I think that's something that keeps the defense off guard. At that point there was no turning back for me."

Kilpatrick also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. He was on such a roll that coach Kenny Atkinson abandoned his motion offense in favor of isolation plays for Kilpatrick.

"At one point in the game, I think he was 2 of 10," Atkinson said. "I was sitting over there saying, 'Wow he is really struggling. Do we get him out or what?' Sean kept at it and kept competing, got a few shots to fall and started rolling. I thought he did a great job."

Defensively, the Nets took care of things in the final 22 minutes. After allowing the Clippers to get 86 points on 45 percent shooting through the first 36 minutes, the Nets held Los Angeles to 36 points on 34.2 percent shooting the rest of the game, including 2 of 11 in the second overtime.

"Our guys didn't give up," Nets center Brook Lopez said. "We got down in the third again, got down at halftime. We just kept competing. Our guys didn't up. We played together, trusting and we got stops when we needed to."

Since Jan. 9, 2009, the Bucks have won 12 of the last 16 meetings. Since Kidd left the Nets following 44 wins in 2013-14, Milwaukee has won seven of eight meetings, including the last five and a 122-118 triple overtime victory Nov. 19, 2014 in Brooklyn.

In the first meeting of the season, Milwaukee recorded a 110-108 home victory on Oct. 26 as Rashad Vaughn scored 22 points while Antetokounmpo collected 21 and 10 rebounds.

In the last meeting in Brooklyn on March 13, Antetokounmpo had a triple-double of 28 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in a 109-100 win.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Clippers (14-5) at Cavaliers (13-3)
Date: December 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- J.R. Smith and Doc Rivers both had some explaining to do.

In a sense, both player and coach lost their minds Tuesday night. Now both are hoping for better Thursday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Clippers.

Both the Cavs and Clippers are coming off tough road losses. The Cavs were embarrassed at the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Clippers lost in double overtime at the Brooklyn Nets during a strange night in the NBA.

The Clippers are staggering through this six-game trip, having lost three straight after winning 14 of their first 16 games.

"I think we are smelling ourselves a little bit. We haven't done (a thing). Nothing," Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said. "We were No. 1 in the West for a couple of weeks? That don't mean nothing. At all.

"I feel like we took that for granted. We thought we were a lot better than we really are. We got to continue to get better and have respect for the game."

Rivers was irate with referee Ken Mauer near the end of the first overtime Tuesday and was ejected after Mauer hit him with a pair of technicals.

Rivers became enraged with Mauer because he wasn't involved in the play and Rivers was talking to referee Lauren Holtkamp, but Mauer told a pool reporter he assessed Rivers with his first technical for crossing midcourt. Rivers earned his second technical for his reaction to the first one.

Smith, meanwhile, wandered off the court for the Cavs on Tuesday night to hug Jason Terry on the Bucks' bench. The man he was guarding, Tony Snell, was rewarded with an easy dunk while Cavs players looked on bewildered. Smith compounded his problems by wearing a ski mask after the game while addressing reporters and claimed he didn't know he was in the game when the gaffe occurred.

The mental lapse -- and his handling of the situation after the game -- did not sit well with Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who addressed the issue with Smith on Wednesday.

"It was (an) embarrassing moment," Lue said. "We had a discussion about it, he felt embarrassed about it, it was an embarrassing play. We talked about it. We're moving on."

Lue said he would not discipline Smith for the play or his reaction because it wasn't malicious. But he made clear he didn't appreciate the ski mask stunt.

"There's no need for that," Lue said. "Just address the media in the right way, move on."

Smith said he tried to have fun with the mistake because he didn't want to be boring.

"I said it more in a joking manner because you can see what happened," Smith said Wednesday, sans ski mask. "Obviously I wasn't paying attention. For me to just sit there and tell you I wasn't paying attention makes it plain and boring somewhat, especially when you're asking a question you already know the answer to. But at the same time, I still have to give that boring answer, for whatever reason."

Both teams are expected to be back at full strength Thursday. Clippers forward Blake Griffin was out of the lineup Tuesday to rest, while Cavaliers forward Channing Frye missed the past week following the death of his father. Frye rejoined the Cavs in time for practice Wednesday and returns Thursday as the league leader in 3-point shooting (.485).

The bigger problem Lue is battling right now is complacency, illustrated by Smith's gaffe.

"When you have a team that's a championship team and you went to two straight Finals, you've been doing the same thing for three years, it gets redundant," Lue said. "But you still have to do the drills, continue to get better, you still have to go through offensive sets you've been working on, continuing to work on execution, and the guys know it, so they get bored with it sometimes. Rightfully so.

"We've got to continue to work on those things, you've got to continue to get good at those things, and it's going to help us down the road."