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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Magic (7-11) at Grizzlies (11-8)
Date: December 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic are enduring a reality check this week.

Heading into a Wednesday game at Toronto, the Grizzlies were cautiously optimistic. Under first-year coach, David Fizdale, they won six straight road games but faced the reality of playing without All-Star point guard Mike Conley.

After a 120-105 loss, the Grizzlies (11-8) realize how difficult life will be for the next six to eight weeks without Conley.

A day before, the Magic snapped a four-game losing streak when they posted victory at San Antonio. Reality for the Magic (7-11) is that with a new coach and a bevy of new players in different roles, they came away with an improbable, but impressive win, but know it still will take time to jell.

The Magic (7-11) had an extra day to admire their win, while the Grizzlies (11-8) must quickly forget about what might have been as they play host to Orlando on Thursday night at FedExForum.

And in reality, both teams face daunting tasks, but their coaches remain positive.

After the Magic toppled the Spurs 95-83, Orlando coach Frank Vogel had an easy explanation for his team's victory.

"Winning this night doesn't turn our season around, but it keeps us believing in what we're doing," he said. "If you commit to the defensive end, you're going to have a chance to win every night."

Leading the way for the Magic is Evan Fournier at 17.6 points per game. He scored in double figures 17 times and reached 20-plus points seven times, including a season-high 29 points on Nov. 3 against Sacramento.

Vogel stresses defense, so a young Memphis team without its primary ball-handler could have problems.

In their first game without Conley's leadership and 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, the Grizzlies played well but fell apart in the fourth quarter to the Raptors, who went on a 16-5 run late to put the game away.

Granted, Toronto is one of the tougher road arenas to play at and the Raptors have an All-Star backcourt in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

However, if the Grizzlies are going to stay afloat in the Western Conference, their young players will have to grow up quickly. Two of those players are second-year guard Andrew Harrison and 2016 first-round pick Wade Baldwin.

Against the Raptors, Memphis showed signs that it had plenty of fight.

"Considering the fact that we had nine players, not that much experience, we fought hard," Grizzlies forward Tony Allen said. "(The Raptors) are a good team, you've got to take your hats off to those guys. They played much better in the second half and beat us on the boards, they made key plays."

Fizdale echoed Allen's observation.

"The effort was fantastic," the coach said. "I thought we just had a bad stretch where we got careless with the ball and started turning the ball over."

Harrison scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Grizzlies and showed flashes of being able to lead the team, on and off the court. The former Kentucky star took the blame for the loss and didn't use any excuses.

"I know we were short-handed, but we've got a lot of tough guys on this team and we all believed that we could win this game," Harrison said. "Losing Mike was big, he's an MVP candidate in my eyes, but we know what we have to do, we have to bring it every night."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Heat (6-12) at Jazz (11-8)
Date: December 01, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- Making the impossible seem ordinary on defense is becoming a habit for Rudy Gobert. It's no secret that his defensive domination has played a big role for the Utah Jazz in building a four-game winning streak.

Gobert has finished with double-doubles in three of his last four games, culminating in a 16-point, 14-rebound effort in Utah's 120-101 victory over Houston on Tuesday night. The 7-foot-1 center has averaged 15.3 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots during the Jazz winning streak.

He is living up to his moniker "The Stifle Tower" by finding ways to block shots, alter others and force opponents out of their usual rhythm on offense. The scary thing for future Jazz opponents is that Gobert doesn't feel like he's even scratched the surface yet.

"I'm just 24," Gobert said. "I can get a lot better, but I'm feeling good for sure."

With Gobert at the top of his game defensively, Utah has turned the basket into a fortress where offenses can't even cross the moat to get inside. The Jazz have allowed 88.6 points per game through eight home games so far. In their last three home contests, they've won by an average margin of 23.7 points.

Utah coach Quin Snyder credits Gobert with an improved focus for allowing his game to open up on both ends of the court.

"Some of the things he is doing is he is just getting from play-to-play," Snyder said. "You don't have those moments where he is distracted about something else that's happened on the court. As a result, his focus is so consistent when that happens."

Miami has already seen firsthand what Gobert can do this season. He had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help lead Utah to a 102-91 victory over the Heat on Nov. 12. The Heat will likely need to counter him with a big game from their own big man, Hassan Whiteside.

Whiteside stepped up to the plate big time in a 106-98 victory over Denver on Wednesday night. He finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds. It marked his third straight game that Whiteside finished with a double-double.

Whiteside credited his teammates with making his job easier against the Nuggets through their own elevated defensive efforts.

"That was the best communication we had all season, especially on defense," Whiteside said. "We had guys in the right spot, communicating with each other."

The most remarkable part of these performances is Whiteside is getting this kind of production even while dealing with a sore left knee. An MRI on Monday came back negative. He isn't the only key player on either team that's been ailing.

Both the Heat and the Jazz will be missing starters on Thursday night after injuries earlier this week.

Rodney Hood suffered a right hamstring strain in the third quarter against Houston and did not return. He is listed as questionable. Derrick Favors has already been sidelined six games with a left knee bone contusion.

Dion Waiters suffered a groin injury against Boston on Monday and will be out for at least two weeks. He joins Justise Winslow on the sideline. Winslow has only appeared in nine games because of a wrist injury.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockets (11-7) at Warriors (16-2)
Date: December 01, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Get out your erasers, NBA historians. The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors could be shooting for a record when they meet for the first time this season Thursday night.

The Rockets will put their streak of having made at least 10 3-pointers in 17 straight games on the line against a team that owned the NBA perimeter last year.

Houston's James Harden (55), Eric Gordon (55) and Trevor Ariza (52) all rank among the Top 10 this season in 3-pointers made, and Ryan Anderson (45) isn't far outside the group, lifting the Rockets (13.8 per game) into a tie with Cleveland for the team lead.

Both are attempting to unseat the Warriors as the reigning 3-point kings. Golden State (13.1) easily outdistanced the field in 3-point success last year.

Along the way, the Warriors (21) combined with the Dallas Mavericks (18) to set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a game (39) on March 25, 2016.

The Warriors and Rockets get their first crack at bettering that mark this season on Thursday night.

Houston has moved ahead of Golden State in the category this season by shooting more often from 3-point distance and doing it with greater accuracy.

In their first season under coach Mike D'Antoni, the Rockets have increased their 3-point attempts from 30.9 per game to 36.6, and their percentage of success from 34.7 to 37.8.

Other than embracing the up-tempo style of D'Antoni, three big reasons for the Rockets' uptick in 3's are Gordon, who is shooting more often from downtown (7.9 attempts per game, up from 6.5), Ariza, who has connected on a career-best 39.7 percent so far this season, and Anderson, a 42.2 percent career 3-point shooter who was signed to a four-year, $80 million deal in July.

"Obviously, we built this team to put shooters around James," Anderson said recently of Harden, who leads the NBA with 11.9 assists per game. "They're all good shots."

Alas, while the Rockets have scored big from beyond the arc this season, they've also given up 3's in bundles. Opponents are averaging 9.9 made 3's on 38.2-percent accuracy, figures that are seventh- and second-highest in the league.

The Warriors, by their own high standards, have opened the season a bit cold from beyond the arc. They have attempted the same number as last season (31.6 per game), but their percentage of success has fallen from a league-best 41.6 to 38.4.

Guard Klay Thompson is the biggest reason for the decline, and at same time, a big reason to believe Golden State can once again overtake the Rockets (and Cavaliers) in the category.

A career 41.7-percent shooter on 3's, Thompson has made only 36.5 percent this season.

That number is a bit misleading, however. He began the season 11-for-53 (20.8 percent) through seven games, but has since made 39 of 84 (46.4 percent) in his last 11 outings.

The Warriors (16-2) have won each of those last 11 games, and will take a 12-game winning streak, third longest in franchise history, into Thursday's game.

One key for the Warriors: They lead the league in overall shooting percentage (50.2) while keeping up the third-fastest pace of play (100.5 possessions per 48 minutes).

"We want to play fast. We want as many possessions as possible," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters earlier this week. "If we can play a high-possession game, play with pace and be at 2/1 (assists/turnovers ratio), I'm really comfortable with that."

The Rockets (11-7) are coming off a 120-101 loss at Utah on Tuesday night, their third stop on a five-game trip.

[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 11/30.............1 - 0 ( S.ANT UN 189' OVER DALLAS 94 - 87 )

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at CHA 07:00 PM

DAL +11.0

U 195.0 ******

MIL at BK 07:30 PM

MIL -5.5 *****

O 215.5 *****

LAC at CLE 08:00 PM

CLE -3.5

U 215.0

ORL at MEM 08:00 PM

ORL -3.5

O 188.5 ***** ( NBA TOTAL OF THE NIGHT )

MIA at UTA 09:00 PM

UTA -8.0 *****

O 187.5

HOU at GS 10:30 PM

HOU +11.0 ***** ( NBA DOG OF THE NIGHT )

U 231.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
December 2, 2016

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) James Harden notched his fourth triple-double of the season with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the Warriors 132-127 in double overtime Thursday night to end Golden State's 12-game winning streak.

Harden put his team ahead on a 30-footer with 3:12 left in the second overtime and hit a pair of free throws with 2:10 to go following a flagrant foul on Draymond Green.

Eric Gordon followed Harden's free throws with a floating jumper and scored 23 off the bench as Houston snapped an eight-game skid to the Warriors, who lost MVP Stephen Curry with 3:25 left in the last extra session when he was whistled for a charge. Ryan Anderson also scored 29 with five 3-pointers and the teams combined to shoot 88 3s, 44 apiece.

Kevin Durant matched his season high with 39 points to go with 13 rebounds. Green had 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Curry scored his team's first six points in the initial overtime and finished with 28 points and five assists.

CLIPPERS 113, CAVALIERS 94

CLEVELAND (AP) - J.J. Redick scored 23 points, Blake Griffin matched a career high with 11 assists and Los Angeles bounced back from a brutal loss with a victory over Cleveland, which has lost two straight for the first time as defending NBA champion.

Chris Paul scored 16 and DeAndre Jordan had 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who blew an 18-point lead and fell in double overtime at Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Los Angeles took control with a 13-2 run to open the third quarter.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 and LeBron James 16 for the Cavs, who were outplayed for the second game in a row. Cleveland lost at Milwaukee on Tuesday, when coach Tyronn Lue pulled his starters in the second half and J.R. Smith wandered off the floor during play and gave up an easy basket.

HORNETS 97, MAVERICKS 87

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 18 points and Charlotte beat Dallas for its third win in the last four games.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 points and Jeremy Lamb had 12 off the bench for the Hornets, who remained in first place in the Southeast Division.

Harrison Barnes scored 17 points and Justin Anderson added 15 for the Mavericks, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games.

The Hornets led by two when Walker drained a long 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 3:51 to give his team the spark it needed. Lamb followed with a driving layup that resulted in a three-point play to push the lead to 86-78.

The Mavs would battle back behind Barnes to cut the lead to three, but Lamb hit two free throws and Walker buried a 3-pointer from the right wing with 41 seconds left.

GRIZZLIES 95, MAGIC 94

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Marc Gasol scored 25 points, including a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds remaining to give Memphis a victory over Orlando.

Gasol's free throws completed a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter as Memphis snapped a two-game losing streak.

Troy Daniels finished with 19 points for the short-handed Grizzlies, who dressed nine players due to injuries. Andrew Harrison had 11 points and eight assists.

Evan Fournier scored 28 points for the Magic, while Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Green scored 12 of his 14 points early in the fourth as Orlando built a double-digit lead.

BUCKS 111, NETS 93

NEW YORK (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Jabari Parker scored 22 points and Milwaukee beat Brooklyn.

Malcolm Brogdon and Tony Snell each added 13 points for the Bucks, who followed their impressive victory over Cleveland with their third straight win.

Brook Lopez scored 15 points, Sean Kilpatrick had 14 and Bojan Bogdanovic added 13 for the Nets, who outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime on Tuesday and were trying to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

The Bucks continued their dominance of the Nets since Jason Kidd left Brooklyn for the Milwaukee coaching job.

Milwaukee led by one in the third quarter when the Bucks went on a 14-2 run to go up 77-64. Milwaukee took a 90-78 lead into the fourth quarter, led by Antetokounmpo's 11 points in the third, and never looked back.

HEAT 111, JAZZ 110

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Goran Dragic scored 27 points and Miami continued to play better on the road.

James Johnson scored 24 points and Wayne Ellington added 17 for the Heat, who have five of their seven wins on the road.

The Jazz had the ball with 3.9 seconds remaining and Gordon Hayward missed a contested mid-range jumper before time expired.

Hayward had 32 points and seven assists. Joe Johnson chipped in 18 points as the Jazz lost despite knocking down a franchise-record 17 3-pointers in 30 attempts.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

Week 13 NFL football trends…….

— Jaguars are 10-24-1 in their last 35 games as a home dog.

— 49ers covered twice in their last ten games.

— Oakland covered one in its last nine home games.

— Carolina is 17-8-1 in its last 26 games as a road underdog.

— Falcons covered three of last 15 games as a home favorite.

— Arizona covered three times in its last 12 games.

Friday’s List of 13: Random thoughts with the weekend here…….

13) Cowboys 17, Vikings 15— Minnesota is 6-6 after starting season 5-0; they scored TD with 0:25 left, but failed on 2-point conversion and lost again. Dallas has now won 11 games in a row but if you bet the Cowboys (-3) this was a discouraging bad beat.

12) Rockets 132, Warriors 127— Excellent NBA game. Golden State’s 12-game win streak ends as both teams take 44 3-pointers. Fun to watch teams pass and shoot and COMPETE.

11) Couple interesting parts of baseball’s new labor agreement:

15-day disabled list is now the 10-day disabled list.
World Series team with best record gets home field edge in Series, instead of the winner of the All-Star Game, which goes back to being a meaningless exhibition, as it should be.
10) NFL referee Gene Steratore worked the Indiana-North Carolina hoop game Wednesday; Bill Vinovich is also an NFL ref who works big time college hoop games. .

9) Philadelphia 76ers raised Joel Embiid’s minutes limit from 24:00 to 28:00 per game, a good sign for the young man who has been injury prone for most of his career.

8) A further sign of the softening of our society; Indiana parted ways with football coach Kevin Wilson (they said he “resigned” which means, “we fired him but he’s doing a good job so we’ll let him say he quit.”) Wilson was 26-47 at Indiana, but 12-13 the last two years, as Hoosiers were becoming a more competitive team.

Apparently Wilson was occasionally stern with his players, maybe forcefully stern, and some of them objected to the AD. I’ll guarantee you, on any 85-person football team, you can find five people who don’t like the coach. If the AD listens to those five, the coach better win a lot.

7) Sunday the Rams play in Foxboro; Jared Goff obviously is 0-2 as an NFL starter. In his head coaching career, Bill Belichick is 21-1 in games against a starting QB with zero career wins.

The lone loss? Andre Ware and the Lions beat Belichick’s Cleveland Browns 24-14 in 1992.

6) Indiana and North Carolina both have five national titles in college basketball. Hoosiers have been in Final Four eight times, but UNC has been there 19 times.

5) On Showtime’s reality show about Florida State football, FSU coaches approached the rivalry game with Florida by telling players “it is about history, about those players who came before you here.” It is an effective approach that works with current players.

The reality is this: these rivalry games are about RECRUITING. Signing Day is only four or five weeks away- these rivalry games can turn a key recruit or two in your favor. It is about future players, future wins, future job security. That is the reality of it.

4) Lonzo Ball is a freshman PG at UCLA, a very, very good player; ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and Jay Bilas were discussing this Monday night and agreed that Ball reminds them of Jason Kidd at the same age, a huge compliment.

Ball’s brother plays at Chino Hills HS in California; the kid scored 72 points in a recent game, a game his team won 128-108. Who coaches these teams that a 32:00 HS game winds up with a 128-108 final score?

If you’re the losing coach and your team is good enough to score 108 points, then chances are you have a couple players capable of playing defense. You’d think.

3) Best NFL teams in turnover margin this year: Chiefs +14, Vikings +13, Raiders +10

Worst teams in turnover margin: Jaguars -15, Jets -13, Browns/Texans -9

2) NFL teams with most 20+-yard plays this season: Falcons 56, Redskins 55.

Teams with the least 20+-yard plays: Texans 28, Panthers 31

1) Clippers lost in double OT to the Nets Tuesday; Doc Rivers wound up getting tossed at the end of this game, because he was barking at female ref Lauren Holtkamp (who is not good) and another ref stepped in and T’d Rivers up, which enraged the Clippers’ coach.

On the first possession of this game, 0:12 into the game, a Nets player had the ball at the top of the key, dribbled twice, picked up his dribble, looked to pass, couldn’t find anyone, so he dribbled again and nothing was called. Nothing. Bupkus. A 5th-grade CYO ref would’ve called the double dribble, it was that obvious.

Say what you want; college refs are better than NBA refs.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 2

Philly lost last four games overall, last three at home, but they’re 8-4 as a home underdog. Three of their last four games went over total. Orlando lost by point in Memphis last night; they’ve lost five of last six games, are 3-6 on road, 0-1 as road favorites. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games. 76ers lost eight of last ten games with Orlando; five of last six series games went over total. Magic won their last five visits here (3-2 vs spread).

Lakers split last six games, lost three of last four on road; they’re 6-4 as road underdogs (1-3 in last four). Five of last six LA games stayed under total. Raptors won/covered their last four games; they’re 5-2 as home favorites. Over is 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. Lakers lost last three games with Toronto; all three games stayed under total. LA lost three of last four visits here, with losses by 9-11-5 points.

Sacramento is 3-2 in its last five games but is 3-6 on road, 2-6 as a road underdog. Six of their last eight games went over total. Boston lost its last three home games; they’re 3-3 as a home favorite. Last three Celtic games went over the total. Celtics won five of last seven games with Sacramento; home side won eight of last nine series games. Kings lost last four visits to Beantown (0-4 vs spread).

Knicks won by a hoop in Minnesota Wednesday, despite Towns’ 47 points; New York won last three series games, by 2-8-5 points. Three of last four series games stayed under total. Minnesota lost six of last seven games, is 2-7 on road, 2-3 as a road underdog. Six of their nine road games went over total. Knicks won/covered six of their last seven home games; they’re 5-1 as a home favorite. Over is 6-4 in their home games.

Detroit won four of last five games; they split last six road games, are 3-6 as road underdogs. Four of last five Piston games went over total. Atlanta lost seven of last eight games, is 6-2 as a home favorite. Under is 9-1 in their last ten games. Hawks won six of last eight games with Detroit; Pistons lost three of last four visits here, with losses by 7-11-10 points. Four of last five series games went over.

Cavaliers lost by 19 at home to the Clippers last night; they lost last two games after a 13-2 start. Cleveland is 4-2 on road; four of their last five games went over total. Chicago is 2-3 in its last five games, is 4-2 SU/ATS at home. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Bulls won three of last four games with Cleveland, covered six of last eight series games. Cavaliers lost last two visits here by total of five points. Four of last five series games stayed under the total.

Clippers ended 3-game skid with win in Cleveland last nite; they’re 8-3 on road, 4-5 as road favorites. Over is 9-3 in LA’s last 12 games. Pelicans won/covered its last five home games; they’re 3-0 as a home underdog. Over is 7-2-1 in New Orleans home games. Clippers won four of last five games with New Orleans; LA lost three of last four visits to Bourbon Street- home teams won eight of last nine series games. Over is 5-2 in last seven series games.

Wizards are 1-6 on road, 1-3 as road underdogs; they’re 4-3 in last seven games overall. Over is 6-3 in their last nine games. San Antonio is just 4-4 at home, 2-6 as a home favorite; they’re 10-1 in last 11 games overall. Over is 6-2 in Spurs’ last eight games. Spurs won eight of last ten games with Washington; home side won six of last eight series games, with over 2-0-1 in last three. Wizards lost last five visits to Alamo (1-4 vs spread).

Nuggets lost three of last four games, are 3-6 at home, 2-2 as a home underdog. Over is 5-2-1 in Denver’s last eight games. Houston beat Warriors in double OT in Oakland last night; they’re 8-5 on road, 4-2 as road favorites. Over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Denver won its last three games with Houston by 20-9-6 points; home side won seven of last ten series games (over 6-4). Could be tough game for Rockets to bounce back from.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, December 2

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Orlando's last 23 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Orlando
Philadelphia is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Orlando

7:30 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. BOSTON
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Sacramento is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. TORONTO
LA Lakers are 12-6 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against Toronto
LA Lakers are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Toronto's last 12 games
Toronto is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Lakers

7:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NEW YORK
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHICAGO
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Cleveland

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Detroit

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of the LA Clippers last 9 games on the road
LA Clippers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing LA Clippers
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SAN ANTONIO
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. DENVER
Houston is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games when playing Denver
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
Denver is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, December 2

Houston @ Denver

Game 517-518
December 2, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
117.496
Denver
123.417
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 6
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 1 1/2
222
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-1 1/2); Under

Washington @ San Antonio

Game 515-516
December 2, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
110.376
San Antonio
127.488
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 17
211
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 9 1/2
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-9 1/2); Over

LA Clippers @ New Orleans

Game 513-514
December 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
122.500
New Orleans
121.528
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 1
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 3 1/2
207
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+3 1/2); Over

Cleveland @ Chicago

Game 511-512
December 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
119.764
Chicago
124.117
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 5 1/2
186
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 4
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+4); N/A

Detroit @ Atlanta

Game 509-510
December 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
123.498
Atlanta
117.524
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 6
191
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 6 1/2
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+6 1/2); N/A

Minnesota @ New York

Game 507-508
December 2, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
120.402
New York
115.807
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 4 1/2
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 2 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+2 1/2); Over

Sacramento @ Boston

Game 505-506
December 2, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
117.879
Boston
121.634
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 4
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7
208
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+7); Over

LA Lakers @ Toronto

Game 503-504
December 2, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
120.705
Toronto
124.378
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 10 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+10 1/2); Under

Orlando @ Philadelphia

Game 501-502
December 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
115.784
Philadelphia
114.944
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 1
186
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
196
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, December 2

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

ORLANDO (7 - 12) at PHILADELPHIA (4 - 14) - 12/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 37-64 ATS (-33.4 Units) in home games in December games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 6-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (10 - 10) at TORONTO (12 - 6) - 12/2/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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SACRAMENTO (7 - 11) at BOSTON (10 - 8) - 12/2/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 151-192 ATS (-60.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
BOSTON is 121-157 ATS (-51.7 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
BOSTON is 98-132 ATS (-47.2 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
BOSTON is 98-132 ATS (-47.2 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-1 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO 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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MINNESOTA (5 - 13) at NEW YORK (9 - 9) - 12/2/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 23-8 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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DETROIT (10 - 10) at ATLANTA (10 - 9) - 12/2/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (13 - 4) at CHICAGO (10 - 7) - 12/2/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 9-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 8-6 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (15 - 5) at NEW ORLEANS (7 - 12) - 12/2/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 4-3 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 5-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (6 - 11) at SAN ANTONIO (15 - 4) - 12/2/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 140-183 ATS (-61.3 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 964-841 ATS (+38.9 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 772-653 ATS (+53.7 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 489-410 ATS (+38.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 83-49 ATS (+29.1 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 320-263 ATS (+30.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 387-311 ATS (+44.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

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

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

HOUSTON (12 - 7) at DENVER (7 - 11) - 12/2/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
HOUSTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 4-3 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
December 2, 2016

Underdogs dominated once again in the NBA on Thursday night by cashing in five of six games, including outright victories by the Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, and Rockets. Houston handed Golden State its third loss of the season in a 132-127 double-overtime triumph, snapping the Warriors’ 12-game winning streak. The UNDER hit in four of six games, while the Rockets and Warriors eclipsed the OVER on the highest total of the season (232 ½).

Game of the Night – Cavaliers at Bulls – 8:05 PM EST – TNT

Cleveland (13-4 SU, 6-10-1 ATS) suffered its second straight blowout loss on Thursday, falling at home to the Clippers, 113-94 as 3 ½-point favorites. The Cavaliers allowed at least 108 points for the fourth time in the last five games, while Cleveland’s four-game OVER streak came to an end last night. Cleveland has failed to cover in its last three road games, while owning a 2-4 ATS record away from Quicken Loans Arena.

The Bulls (10-7 SU, 11-6 ATS) returned from their annual “Circus Trip” and were upset by the surprising Lakers on Wednesday, 96-90 as 10 ½-point home favorites. Chicago held Los Angeles to 40% shooting from the floor, but the Bulls were limited to 35% shooting, including a 4-for-18 night from Jimmy Butler. The Bulls lost their second home game in six tries at the United Center, while scoring below 100 points for the first time at home this season.

Chicago captured three of four meetings from Cleveland last season, including a pair of victories at the United Center. The underdog covered in all four matchups, as both Bulls’ wins came by a combined five points. Dating back to the 2015 postseason, four of the last five meetings in Chicago have been decided by three points or less.

Good to see you again

The Knicks and Timberwolves meet for the second time in three nights after New York knocked off Minnesota at the Target Center, 106-104. The two teams hook up at Madison Square Garden tonight as the Knicks look to improve on a 7-3 mark at home. In Wednesday’s two-point victory, Carmelo Anthony drilled the go-ahead jumper in the final seconds to give New York its second road win in nine tries.

The Wolves came up short in spite of a career-high 47 points scored by Karl-Anthony Towns on 15-of-22 shooting from the floor. Minnesota has lost six of its past seven games and three in a row, but the Wolves are 2-0 SU/ATS this season off three consecutive losses.

Unrested Rockets

Following Houston’s double-overtime upset of Golden State as 11-point ‘dogs last night, the Rockets travel to Denver tonight. The Rockets close out a five-game road trip, looking to close 4-1 with a win at Pepsi Center. Houston has spent plenty of time on the highway this season, playing 13 away contests compared to only six games at the Toyota Center.

James Harden posted a triple-double at Golden State on Thursday with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists, although the Houston shooting guard hit only 2-of-11 shots from three-point range. Playing without rest hasn’t been a problem for Houston, going 2-0 SU/ATS and putting up 118 and 126 points.

Golden Money

The Lakers have cashed in five of seven games as an underdog of nine points or more, including in Wednesday’s outright victory at Chicago as a 10 ½-point ‘dogs. Los Angeles travels north of the border to Toronto tonight to face the Raptors as 10-point ‘dogs. The Raptors are riding a four-game winning streak, including consecutive covers as double-digit home favorites over the 76ers and Grizzlies. Toronto has topped the 105-point mark in 11 of the past 12 games, including four straight OVERS at home.

Returning Home

The Hawks dropped the final four games of a five-game road swing, including Wednesday’s 109-107 setback as four-point favorites at Phoenix. Atlanta hosts Detroit tonight at Philips Arena before heading back on the road tomorrow to face the Raptors. Since winning six straight games in early November, the Hawks have gone backwards recently by losing seven of eight contests, including an 18-point home loss to the Pelicans. Detroit closes out a four-game road trip following underdog victories at Charlotte and Boston, as the Pistons look to avenge a 1-3 record against the Hawks from last season.

Head-to-head stats

-- The Magic have won five of the last six meetings with the 76ers since February 2015, including a 103-101 victory on November 1. Orlando has captured each of the past five visits to Philadelphia, while the 76ers are listed as a favorite for the first time this season tonight.

-- The Celtics swept the two-game series from the Kings last season, while Boston has covered six of the last seven meetings with Sacramento since 2013. The Kings have lost eight straight visits to Boston, while failing to cover in its last five trips to TD Garden.

-- The Clippers took three of four meetings from the Pelicans last season, while the two teams split the two matchups in New Orleans. In the lone win by the Pelicans as 10-point underdogs, New Orleans shocked L.A., 109-105 with star Anthony Davis sidelined.

-- The Wizards have had their issues in San Antonio to say the least, dropping 16 straight meetings in the Lone Star State. The last time Washington won in San Antonio came back in 1999, while the Spurs are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 home meetings with the Wizards. Last week, the Spurs went into Washington and knocked off the Wizards, 112-100 as six-point favorites.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA RECORD + BEST BETS: ( ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS )

12/01/2016 7-5-0 58.33% +750

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 120-138-7 46.51% -15900

O/U Picks 131-135-2 49.25% -8750

BEST BETS:
DEC- 4 - 3 - 0 + 350
ATS: 2 - 1 + 945
TOTALS: 2 - 2 - 100

OCT/NOV
ATS: 98 - 93 - 4

OCT/NOV BIG PLAYS 4 - 3

DECEMBER BIG PLAYS: 2 -0

TOTAL OF THE NIGHT: 12 /01 - ORLANDO/MEMPHIS OVER 188" 94 -5 WINNER

DOG OF THE NIGHT : 12/01 - HOUSTON + 11'/G.ST. 132 - 127 WINNER

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ORL at PHI 07:00 PM

PHI -1.5

O 198.5

MIN at NY 07:30 PM

NY +1.5

LAL at TOR 07:30 PM

LAL +10.0 *****

U 215.0

SAC at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -6.0 ***** ( FAVORITE OF THE NIGHT )

O 210.5 ***** ( TOTAL OF THE NIGHT )

LAC at NO 08:00 PM

NO +4.5 ***** ( DOG OF THE NIGHT )

O 208.0 *****

DET at ATL 08:00 PM

DET +3.0

O 197.5

CLE at CHI 08:00 PM

CHI +2.0

U 209.5 *****

WAS at SA 08:30 PM

SA -10.0

O 204.0 *****

HOU at DEN 10:30 PM

DEN -5.0 *****

U 218.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
December 3, 2016

CHICAGO (AP) Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Dwyane Wade had 24 and the Chicago Bulls beat LeBron James and the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers 111-105 on Friday night.

Taj Gibson added a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago. Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the balanced Bulls handed the Cavaliers their third straight loss.

James showed up in a Cubs uniform to honor a World Series bet with his buddy Wade, then scored 27 points. Kyrie Irving added 20 points and eight assists, but the Cavaliers matched their longest losing streak in a year.

Chicago dominated Cleveland 78-60 in the paint and came out on top despite hitting shooting 3 of 18 on 3-pointers.

The Bulls used a strong third quarter to turn a one-point halftime deficit into an 88-80 lead. And they withstood several pushes in the fourth to knock off the defending NBA champions.

KNICKS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 114

NEW YORK (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, Derrick Rose had 24 and Kyle O'Quinn added 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Knicks defeated the Timberwolves.

Zach LaVine scored 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 for the Timberwolves.

Despite trailing 98-88 after three quarters, the Timberwolves went on a 12-2 run to start the fourth, aided by five Knick turnovers in the first four minutes, and took their first lead of the game, 102-101, on LaVine's dunk with 6:33 remaining.

O'Quinn got the Knicks' lead back with consecutive baskets, and after Minnesota got within one, Rose scored the next five points to give New York a 110-104 lead.

Andrew Wiggins converted a layup with 2:11 left, but Anthony answered with a dunk off of a full court pass from O'Quinn to make the score 112-106.

Rose made two free throws with 31 seconds left for a 114-106 lead and the Timberwolves got no closer than four the rest of the way.

ROCKETS 128, NUGGETS 110

DENVER (AP) - James Harden scored 20 points and the Rockets led from start to finish in beating the Nuggets.

Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson had 18 points each and Sam Dekkar added 17 points for Houston, which completed an impressive road back-to-back sweep that began with its 132-127 win over Golden State in double overtime on Thursday.

Wilson Chandler had 24 points to lead the Nuggets, who saw their three-game winning streak against the Rockets come to an end. The Nuggets have lost four of their last five and fell to 3-7 this season at home, the high-altitude venue they once routinely dominated.

Up by 10 points at halftime, the Rockets took a 99-84 lead into the fourth quarter and kept the pressure on the rest of the way as part of a sharpshooting display that included converting 17 of 37 3-point attempts against a listless Nuggets defense. Denver made 9 of 30 from beyond the arc.

CELTICS 97, KINGS 92

BOSTON (AP) - Al Horford scored 26 points and blocked six shots, Isaiah Thomas scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and the Celtics held off the Kings.

Jae Crowder added 24 points and Avery Bradley had 15 points and nine assists for Boston, which needed a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away and finish off the Kings.

Sacramento outrebounded Boston 51-44, but hurt itself in the final period with turnovers, missed shots and a technical foul called on Matt Barnes as Boston surged ahead.

DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 28 points and nine rebounds.

The Kings were playing for the first time since Monday. Sacramento's six-game road trip was interrupted when Wednesday's game at Philadelphia was postponed because of condensation on the floor.

MAGIC 104, 76ERS 88,

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 20 points, Nikola Vuvevic had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and the Magic cruised by the 76ers in a matchup of slumping Eastern Conference teams.

Serge Ibaka, Evan Fournier and Jeff Green all added 16 points for the Magic (8-12), who had lost five of six coming in. Bismack Biyombo had 13 rebounds.

The Sixers (4-15) lost their fifth straight despite 25 points and 10 rebounds from rookie Joel Embiid. It was his fifth double-double of the season.

Jahlil Okafor, who saw extended action with Embiid for the first time this season, also had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

RAPTORS 113, LAKERS 80

TORONTO (AP) - Kyle Lowry had 24 points and seven assists and the Raptors rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers for their fifth straight victory.

The Toronto point guard tied his season high for 3-pointers, going 6 of 9 from beyond the arc as the Raptors beat the Lakers for the fourth straight time with their biggest win of the season. The 33-point victory surpassed the 27-point win over Philadelphia on Oct. 28.

DeMar DeRozan and Norman Powell both added 16 points for Toronto.

Brandon Ingram had 17 points for the Lakers, while their bench, the top scoring unit in the NBA, chipped in with Jordan Clarkson's 14 and former Raptor Lou Williams' 13.

PISTONS 121, HAWKS 85

ATLANTA (AP) - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 23 points, Tobias Harris added 18 and the Pistons beat the reeling Hawks.

The Pistons, who tied a team record with 17 3-pointers, have won five of six and are 3-1 on a trip that included stops at playoff contenders Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Boston.

Andre Drummond finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and Ish Smith had 13 assists as seven players scored in double figures for Detroit.

The Hawks, losers in eight of their last nine games, were 9-2 and tied for the Eastern Conference lead after beating Milwaukee on Nov. 16. Now they are one-half game behind eighth-place Detroit and headed to play Toronto, the East's second-best team, on Saturday.

Dennis Schroder had 17 points and 13 assists for Atlanta. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mike Muscala scored 11 each.

CLIPPERS 114, PELICANS 96

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Blake Griffin had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Paul had 17 points and 13 assists, and the Clippers beat the Pelicans.

Jamal Crawford scored 21 points and Luc Mbah a Moute had 15 for Los Angeles, which capped a 10-day, six-game trip with victories on back-to-back nights on the shores of lakes Erie and Pontchartrain, having defeated Cleveland on Thursday night.

Anthony Davis hurt his right shoulder but played through it, scoring 21 points for New Orleans.

SPURS 107, WIZARDS 105

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points, including the winning jumper with 6 seconds left, and the Spurs overcame another sluggish start at home to beat the Wizards.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points for San Antonio, which won its 17th straight home game against Washington.

Bradley Beal was 5 for 5 on 3-pointers in scoring 23 points for the Wizards.

Beal's final 3 gave Washington a 103-102 lead with 53 seconds remaining. Danny Green's 3-pointer, his first points of the night, put San Antonio ahead 105-103 with 19 seconds to go.

John Wall tied it at 105 with 11.2 seconds left on a driving layup against Manu Ginobili before Leonard rose for a 20-foot jumper at the top of the key. Otto Porter Jr. missed a 9-foot runner off a Washington inbounds play that would have tied the game.