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

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
December 29, 2016

It’s been a chalky week in the NBA with favorites going 23-7 straight up and 16-14 against the spread since Sunday. Thursday’s card has six games on tap, which includes the nationally televised double-header on TNT.

Game of the Night – Boston at Cleveland (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

The Cavaliers (23-7 SU, 15-14-1 ATS) opened as six-point home favorites for this matchup and a few books have moved to seven as of Thursday morning. Cleveland has won seven of the previous eight meetings against Boston which includes a 128-122 decision on Nov. 3 as a 10 ½-point home favorite. The ‘over’ (207) easily cashed in that game but the ‘under’ was on a 6-1 run prior to that result.

Boston (19-13 SU, 18-13-1 ATS) is starting to come together and Tuesday’s 113-103 victory over Memphis was their second straight win and sixth in the last seven games. The Celtics have gone 16-9 since a 3-4 start and bettors should note that they didn’t have Al Horford or Jae Crowder playing in the aforementioned loss at Cleveland.

I’ve identified the Celtics as bullies before and until they improve on their record (7-9) versus teams with winning records, you can’t consider them a serious contender. Boston is listed as a 12/1 choice to win the Eastern Conference at Sportsbook.ag behind Cleveland (1/6) and Toronto (10/1). To put things in perspective, the Cavaliers are 13-5 vs. clubs above .500 while the Raptors are 10-7.

From a betting perspective, Boston has been a very good investment this season and its production on the road has been incredible. The Celtics are 12-7 SU and 13-5-1 ATS as visitors and what’s really impressive is that they’ve been in every game since they got healthy. After starting 1-3 on the road, Boston has won 11 of 15 and the four losses came by a combined 12 points with the worst decision coming at San Antonio (108-101).

The Cavaliers enter this game off a 106-90 loss at Detroit on Monday but LeBron James sat out and the team is now 0-3 without him in the lineup this season. As a home favorite, Cleveland has gone 15-2 SU and 9-7-1 ATS.

Along with the Cavs and Celtics, bettors have five other games to follow and below is my quick handicap.

Miami at Charlotte: I thought this line would be higher knowing the Hornets (-6) have been the better team this season and Miami’s playing with a short-handed roster. Charlotte has won four of its last five and is coming off a 120-101 win over Orlando on Wednesday as a 4 ½-point road favorite. Make a note that the Hornets have gone 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS when playing on no rest this season. Also, Charlotte is 10-3 SU as a home favorite but it’s only managed to produce a 7-6 ATS mark. Miami point guard Goran Dragic (back) is listed as ‘questionable’ for Thursday.

Oklahoma City at Memphis: This will be the first meeting between the pair this season and the Grizzlies opened as short home favorites (-1 ½) over the Thunder and that says a lot especially since the team might not have point guard Mike Conley (toe) in the lineup. Oklahoma City has won and covered four straight and five of its last six yet they’re an underdog in this spot. Memphis has dropped two straight games and the defense looked very suspect (112, 113) in those setbacks. Tough schedule spot for the Grizzlies who are home for this game before heading out West for four straight contests on the road. This total opened 199 ½ and is down to 198 as of Thursday morning. The Thunder have been a great ‘under’ bet on the road (9-4) and Memphis has leaned to the low side (13-6) at FedEx Forum.

Philadelphia at Utah: The Jazz have won eight straight against the 76ers and have covered five of those games, which includes a 109-94 victory on Nov. 7 as a five-point road favorite. Utah has only been a double-digit favorite once this season and while it won, it never had a chance to cover (-13) in a 103-100 win over Dallas at home on Dec. 16. The 76ers are 1-9 SU this season when catching double digits and just 4-6 ATS. Center Joel Embiid is expected to miss and the club has gone 2-6 without him in the lineup this season.

Toronto at Phoenix: Tough game to handicap with both clubs playing on no rest and both coming off rough losses on the road. The Raptors fought back but wound up dropping a 121-111 decision at Golden State while Phoenix was run 119-98 at San Antonio. Toronto has gone 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in back-to-back spots while the Suns have gone 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS in those situations. The Raptors (-8) are laying a heavy price but they’ve been a good investment (6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS) as road favorites this season. Meanwhile, the Suns have been a respectable 4-4 SU and 5-3 ATS as home ‘dogs. The ‘over’ has gone 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between this pair and Thursday’s number (220) is the highest total on the board.

Dallas at L.A. Lakers: It’s hard to argue for either one of these clubs but be aware that the Lakers are just 2-3 SU and 1-3-1 ATS as home favorites this season. They allowed 114.4 PPG in those games and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 5-0. The sense of urgency could be high for Dallas knowing it has a likely loss on tap with a trip to Golden State scheduled for Friday. The Mavericks already defeated the Lakers this season at the Staples Center, earning a 109-97 win as 4 ½-point road underdogs on Nov. 8. TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 10:35 p.m. ET.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Thursday
December 29, 2016


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 17-0-1 ATS (7.97 ppg) after a game as a home dog in which their opponent shot over 50% from the field since Feb 06, 2008.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Suns are 0-11-1 OU (-11.62 ppg) with no rest off a road game in which they scored a least 18 fast break points since Feb 19, 2014.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Celtics are 9-0-1 ATS (6.80 ppg) since Oct 29, 2016 on the road after Jae Crowder took fewer than 10 shots.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Grizzlies are 14-0-2 ATS (5.28 ppg) as a favorite off a loss in a road game since Mar 09, 2015.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Suns are 7-0 OU (9.43 ppg) since Nov 27, 2016 after Devin Booker was not the Suns’ high scorer in a loss.

[StarDust Bum]

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

OVERALL BETS AND OPINIONS
12/01/2016 7-5-0 58.33% +750
12/02/2016 7-10-0 41.18% -2000
12/03/2016 10-8-0 55.56% +600
12/04/2016 2-6-0 25.00% -2300
12/05/2016 12-8-0 60.00% +1600
12/06/2016 6-6-0 50.00% -300
12/07/2016 11-9-0 55.00% +550
12/08/2016 6-6-0 50.00% -300
12/09/2016 9-8-0 52.94% +100
12/10/2016 14-5-0 73.68% +4250
12/11/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800
12/12/2016 8-6-0 57.14% +700
12/13/2016 4-8-0 33.33% -2400
12/14/2016 18-2-0 90.00% +7900
12/15/2016 7-2-1 77.78% +2400
12/16/2016 12-8-0 60.00% +1600
12/17/2016 7-6-1 53.85% +200
12/18/2016 6-6-2 50.00% -300
12/19/2016 4-6-0 40.00% -1300
12/20/2016 12-10-0 54.55% +500
12/21/2016 7-9-0 43.75% -1450
12/22/2016 4-6-0 40.00% -1300
12/23/2016 12-16-0 42.86% -2800
12/25/2016 3-7-0 30.00% -2350
12/27/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/28/2016 8-12-0 40.00% -2600

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 221-228-8 49.22% -14900

O/U Picks 228-224-5 50.44% -9200

BEST BETS:

12/28/16 - 1 - 3 - 0 - 1100

ATS: 45- 50 - 2 - 4850

TOTALS: 51 - 40 + 3500

OCT/NOV
ATS: 98 - 93 - 4

OCT/NOV BIG PLAYS 4 - 3

DECEMBER BIG PLAYS: 36 -28



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIA at CHA 07:00 PM

MIA +7.0 *****

U 204.0 *****

OKC at MEM 08:00 PM

MEM -2.0 *****

U 199.5

BOS at CLE 08:00 PM

BOS +6.5 *****

U 216.5 *****

PHI at UTA 09:00 PM

UTA -14.5

U 195.5 *****

TOR at PHO 09:00 PM

TOR -9.0 *****

O 224.5 *****

DAL at LAL 10:30 PM

DAL +3.0 *****

U 204.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Virginia Tech 35, Arkansas 24— Hokies were down 24-nil at the half. This was the 3rd-largest bowl comeback in the last ten years.

— South Florida 46, South Carolina 39 OT— Gamecocks turned ball over twice inside the Bulls’ 5-yard line. No bueno.

— Cavaliers 124, Celtics 118— Cleveland almost blew a 20-point lead.

— LSU dismissed 6-9 Craig Victor from its hoop team; he had scored 15.3 pts/game in Tigers’ last three games before he got the boot.

— Lipscomb 81, Missouri 76— Mizzou will likely be looking for a new coach in March.

— RIP coach LaVell Edwards, 86, who passed away Thursday. he made BYU a national power in football in the 80’s. RIP, sir.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a busy couple of days

13) So George Karl wrote a book and in promoting it, seems like he is managing to offend every single person in the NBA. Why is he doing this? Promote your book, don’t burn bridges; there is a difference.

12) You could play four years of college football and never know some of your teammates; thats how big college football squads are. Schools have an 85 scholarship limit, plus they have walk-ons/practice players too. If you’re on opposite sides of the ball, very possible you never meet a few guys.

11) I know absolutely nothing about UFC; my cousin claims that Amanda Nunes will beat Ronda Rousey in their bout Friday night, in case you care about stuff like that.

10) St John’s 76, Butler 73— Chris Mullin’s Red Storm beat Syracuse/Butler in last two games; they’ve got a solid 3-person nucleus. This wasn’t a fluky win; St John’s was only 4-16 on the arc. This was a good solid win- game was tied at the half.

9) Oregon 89, UCLA 87— Exciting, up-an-down game where defense wasn’t exactly a priority. Teams that beat UCLA will have to out-run them. Bruins are very hard to slow down.

8) Pitt 112, Marshall 106— Panthers were up 58-38 at half, but Dan D’Antoni has his team competing for 40:00 and this game got dicey for the Panthers late. Marshall is going to cause some problems in Conference USA.

7) Nebraska 87, Indiana 83— Cornhuskers were a 16-point underdog but they scored 1.21 points/possession and pulled a big upset in their Big 14 opener.

6) UConn hired back its former football coach Randy Edsall; in 2010, Edsall left UConn to go to Maryland, a move that didn’t help anyone. Getting back in Storrs should help the Huskies.

5) ESPNU has guy named Chris Spatola doing analysis on hoop games; he is Mike Krzyzewski’s son-in-law and also a former point guard at West Point. Sometimes in this crazy world of ours, it isn’t what you know, it is who you know.

4) Lane Kiffin has a weird resume; he is 41 and has already been HC of USC, Tennessee and the Oakland Raiders, but now he is at Florida Atlantic. Is he going backwards? If he wins at FAU will he quickly bolt for greener pa$ture$?

I’ll give Kiffin credit for this; in his three years as OC at Alabama, he had three first-year QB’s and got to the national playoff all three years. Not an easy thing to do.

3) Betting line this week on Matt McGloin’s passing yards for the Raiders: over 235.5 yards is +$135. Under 235.5 yards is -$175. Oakland tries to win the AFC West in Denver Sunday.

2) On February 8, 2017, the Rivers Casino will open in Schenectady, about 12 miles from Armadillo World HQ. Am curious to see what it is like; wonder how long it will be before we can go there and bet on games. I’m guessing that someday, the Trump administration will get sports betting legalized.

1) Sounds like Mark Sanchez is going to get a lot of playing time at QB for the Cowboys Sunday in Philly. Dak Prescott will start, Tony Romo will not play. Have fun handicapping that game.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 30

Chicago lost its last five road games; they’re 5-7 as road underdogs (0-4 in last four). Under is 7-1-1 in Bulls’ last nine games. Indiana lost its last four games, is 1-7 vs spread in its last eight; Pacers are 6-5 as home favorites. Under is 5-2-2 in their last nine games. Bulls won six of last eight games with Indiana; under is 8-2 in last ten series games. Chicago lost three of last four visits to Indiana (1-3 vs spread).

Brooklyn lost six of last seven games but covered four of last six; they covered three of last four road tilts. Three of Nets’ last four games stayed under. Washington is 8-3 in its last 11 games; they’re 8-5 as home favorites. Over is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Wizards won six of last seven games with Brooklyn; last four series games went over the total. Nets lost three of last four visits here (1-3 vs spread).

Heat lost six of last seven games; they’re 8-5 as road underdogs, 4-1-1 vs spread if they played night before. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Boston won six of last eight games; they’re 1-4 in last five games as a home favorite. Over is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Celtics won their last five games with Miami; under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Heat lost by 12-10 points in their last two visits to Beantown.

Detroit lost six of last seven games, is 4-8 as road underdog. Under is 8-4-1 in their last thirteen games. Atlanta is 1-6 vs spread in game following its last seven wins; they’re 0-7-1 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Hawks are 6-3 in last nine games with Detroit; road team won four of last five series games. Five of last six series games went over. Teams split last six series games in this building.

Milwaukee lost four of last six road games; favorites are 10-3 vs spread in their road tilts. Four of Bucks’ last five games went over total. Minnesota lost three of its last four games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Bucks won last four games with Minnesota, winning by 17-10 points in last two played here. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games.

New York lost its last four road games; they’re 7-2 vs spread in last nine road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. New Orleans won its last three games; they’re 4-8 as home favorites. Under is 5-2 in Pelicans’ last five home games. Knicks are 5-3 in last eight games with New Orleans, but they lost by 11-8 points in last two visits to Bourbon Street; under is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Injury-riddled Clippers lost last four games; they’re 3-1 as road underdogs. Last four LA games stayed under the total. Rockets are 13-2 in last 15 games, 5-2 vs spread in last seven home games. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Clippers won last two games with Houston after losing previous five series games; LA lost four of last five games in this building. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Portland lost 10 of last 12 games; they’re 3-9 as road underdogs. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. San Antonio won/covered seven of last eight games; they won last six home games, covering last five. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Spurs won their last four games with Portland (3-1 vs spread); Blazers lost last three visits here, by 14-13-8 points. Six of last eight series games went over total.

Philly lost five of last six games (1-5 vs spread); they’re 5-7 as a road underdog. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Denver won five of its last seven games; they’re 5-6 as home favorites. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. 76ers lost last three games with Denver but won two of last three visits here; visitor won five of last seven series games. Six of last nine series games stayed under the total.

Mavericks are 4-3 in last seven games, 6-4 vs spread in last ten games as road underdogs. Under is 5-3 in their last eight road games. Golden State won eight of last nine games; they are 5-1 vs spread in last six home games. Under is 9-3 in last twelve games. Warriors won last four games and nine of last ten vs Dallas; five of last six series games went over total. Mavericks lost last five visits to Oakland (1-4 vs spread).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, December 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. WASHINGTON
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Brooklyn is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Brooklyn

7:30 PM
MIAMI vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games on the road
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Miami
Boston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. ATLANTA
Detroit is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Detroit is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

8:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MINNESOTA
Milwaukee is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
Milwaukee is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New York is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing at home against New York

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 10 of the LA Clippers last 15 games on the road
LA Clippers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games

8:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. SAN ANTONIO
Portland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Antonio
Portland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Portland
San Antonio is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

9:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. DENVER
Philadelphia is 9-3-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Denver's last 19 games at home
Denver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Dallas is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, December 30

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

CHICAGO (16 - 16) at INDIANA (15 - 18) - 12/30/2016, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 257-311 ATS (-85.1 Units) first half of the season since 1996.
CHICAGO is 41-58 ATS (-22.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 30-45 ATS (-19.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 206-154 ATS (+36.6 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) first half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

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

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

BROOKLYN (8 - 23) at WASHINGTON (15 - 16) - 12/30/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 375-439 ATS (-107.9 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 142-184 ATS (-60.4 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.

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

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

MIAMI (10 - 23) at BOSTON (19 - 14) - 12/30/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

DETROIT (15 - 19) at ATLANTA (16 - 16) - 12/30/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games in December games this season.

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

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

MILWAUKEE (15 - 15) at MINNESOTA (10 - 22) - 12/30/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 243-297 ATS (-83.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-56 ATS (-26.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-0 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 4-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW YORK (16 - 15) at NEW ORLEANS (13 - 21) - 12/30/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

LA CLIPPERS (22 - 12) at HOUSTON (24 - 9) - 12/30/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 8-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-7 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (14 - 20) at SAN ANTONIO (26 - 6) - 12/30/2016, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

PHILADELPHIA (7 - 24) at DENVER (14 - 18) - 12/30/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-70 ATS (-33.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.

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

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

DALLAS (10 - 23) at GOLDEN STATE (28 - 5) - 12/30/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 131-103 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 121-94 ATS (+17.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 71-48 ATS (+18.2 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 55-37 ATS (+14.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 72-50 ATS (+17.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 361-299 ATS (+32.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 472-394 ATS (+38.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 76-48 ATS (+23.2 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
DALLAS is 156-121 ATS (+22.9 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 189-148 ATS (+26.2 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 259-213 ATS (+24.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, December 30


Dallas @ Golden State

Game 719-720
December 30, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
111.658
Golden State
139.008
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 27 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 18
212
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-18); Under

Philadelphia @ Denver

Game 717-718
December 30, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
110.859
Denver
119.916
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 9
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 11 1/2
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+11 1/2); Over

Portland @ San Antonio

Game 715-716
December 30, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
115.033
San Antonio
130.901
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 16
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 12 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-12 1/2); Under

LA Clippers @ Houston

Game 713-714
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
121.526
Houston
124.343
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 5
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+5); Under

New York @ New Orleans

Game 711-712
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
120.419
New Orleans
115.611
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 5
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 2
212
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+2); Under

Milwaukee @ Minnesota

Game 709-710
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
118.543
Minnesota
125.403
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 7
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+1); Under

Detroit @ Atlanta

Game 707-708
December 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
118.688
Atlanta
113.258
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 5 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 3 1/2
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+3 1/2); Over

Miami @ Boston

Game 705-706
December 30, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
111.962
Boston
126.156
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 14
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 9 1/2
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-9 1/2)/ Over

Brooklyn @ Washington

Game 703-704
December 30, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
111.165
Washington
123.177
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 12
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 8
222 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-8); Over

Chicago @ Indiana

Game 702-702
December 30, 2016 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
119.003
Indiana
114.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 4 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 4
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+4); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, December 30

Chicago at Indiana, 4:05 PM ET
Chicago: 10-22 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points
Indiana: 18-8 ATS in home games revenging a road loss vs opponent

Brooklyn at Washington, 7:05 PM ET
Brooklyn: 35-21 ATS after having lost 2 of their last 3 games
Washington: 10-26 ATS after a win by 6 points or less

Miami at Boston, 7:05 PM ET
Miami: 51-28 ATS in road games after a game with 5 or less offensive rebounds
Boston: 6-19 ATS in home games after a game with 35 or less rebounds

Detroit at Atlanta, 8:05 PM ET
Detroit: 17-6 ATS off a upset loss as a favorite
Atlanta: 0-7 ATS in home games in December

Milwaukee at Minnesota, 8:05 PM ET
Milwaukee: 23-7 ATS after a combined score of 205 points or more 4 straight games
Minnesota: 19-45 ATS off a close road loss of 3 points or less

New York at New Orleans, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 9-1 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog
New Orleans: 46-72 ATS after a game committing 8 or less turnovers

LA Clippers at Houston, 8:05 PM ET
Los Angeles: 8-20 ATS after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread
Houston: 14-4 ATS after allowing 105 points or more

Portland at San Antonio, 8:35 PM ET
Portland: 4-12 ATS after playing a game as favorite
San Antonio: 65-48 ATS as a favorite

Philadelphia at Denver, 9:05 PM ET
Philadelphia: 7-17 ATS in road games after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7
Denver: 62-40 ATS in home games after scoring 100 points or more 4 straight games

Dallas at Golden State, 10:35 PM ET
Dallas: 10-1 ATS after allowing 55 points or more in the first half in 2 straight games
Golden State: 13-28 ATS after a combined score of 215 points or more 2 straight games

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
December 30, 2016

Favorites fared well in the NBA on Thursday night by posting a 4-2 SU and 3-2-1 ATS mark. Home teams won five of the six contests, including the Suns (+8 ½), who knocked off the Raptors, 99-91. Cleveland (-6) held off Boston at home, 124-118 to win its eighth consecutive game at Quicken Loans Arena, while dropping the Celtics to 1-7 SU as a road underdog this season.

The only road team to come out on top last night was the Mavericks (+4), who rallied to beat the Lakers at Staples Center, 101-89 to improve to 3-1 in its past four road games since starting the season 1-13 on the highway.

Game of the Night – Clippers at Rockets – 8:05 PM EST

These two Western Conference rivals meet up for the first time this season as the Clippers have gone backwards of late by losing four straight games. Los Angeles (22-12 SU, 16-18 ATS) continues to play without Blake Griffin, while Chris Paul returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Paul’s appearance in the lineup didn’t help matters for Los Angeles, who fell to New Orleans, 102-98 as 1 ½-point road favorites, in spite of the point guard scoring 21 points. The Clippers are 3-7 ATS the last 10 games overall, while posting an 0-5 ATS mark the past five road contests.

Houston (24-9 SU, 22-11 ATS) began December on fire by winning 10 consecutive games, but the Rockets are 3-2 in their past five since that hot streak. The Rockets are still in second place of the Southwest division behind the Spurs (26-6) in spite of a 13-2 record in December, while coming off Tuesday’s road blowout of the Mavericks, 123-107 as five-point favorites. The Rockets own a solid 11-3 record at Toyota Center this season with two of those losses to the Spurs.

Last season, the Rockets captured the first two matchups against the Clippers, but Los Angeles won the final two games. Houston and L.A. split both meetings at Toyota Center, as the Rockets are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in the last five home matchups with the Clippers.

Head-to-Head Trends

Bulls at Pacers (-4, 202 ½) – These two Central division rivals meet for the final time in the regular season as the home team has won all three matchups. Chicago held off Indiana at the United Center, 90-85 on Monday, but the Pacers dominated the Bulls at home in early November, 111-94. Each of the past five matchups at Bankers Life Fieldhouse have finished UNDER the total.

Nets at Wizards (-8, 222) – Washington has captured the past four meetings in this series since the start of last season, including a 118-113 comeback victory at Barclays Center earlier this month. The Wizards have lit up the Nets recently by scoring at least 111 points in each of the last four matchups, with all four games sailing OVER the total.

Heat at Celtics – Boston has taken care of Miami twice this season with both victories coming at the American Airlines Arena. The Celtics have won five straight in the series, while limiting the Heat to 95 points or fewer in four of the victories.

Pistons at Hawks (-3 ½, 201) – Detroit has gone through a December to forget (5-9), but began the month with a 121-85 blowout of Atlanta at Philips Arena. The Pistons have won in two of their past three visits to Atlanta, as the road team is 4-1 in the past five meetings. The OVER has hit in four of the last five matchups, as the winning team has posted at least 112 points in the past three meetings.

Bucks at Wolves (PK, 209) – These two teams that share a state border face each other for the first of two matchups this season. Milwaukee has won four straight games against Minnesota, including a pair of double-digit triumphs last season. In the Bucks’ past two visits to the Target Center, Milwaukee has limited Minnesota to 85 and 86 points, as three of the previous four games have finished UNDER the total.

Knicks at Pelicans – These two teams have split their season series the last two years with the home squad going 4-0. Both contests last season were low-scoring affairs with each game finishing UNDER the total, as New Orleans knocked off New York, 99-91 as 5 ½-point home underdogs.

Blazers at Spurs – San Antonio is riding a four-game winning streak against Portland since the start of last season, including a 110-90 blowout at the Moda Center last Friday night. The Spurs have captured four of the last five home matchups with the Blazers, while Portland has lost seven consecutive road games overall.

76ers at Nuggets (-11, 211 ½) – Denver goes for the season sweep of Philadelphia after beating the Sixers earlier this season, 106-98 as four-point favorites. Philadelphia has covered in its past four trips to the Pepsi Center as an underdog of 8 ½-points or more, including in a 104-103 buzzer-beating loss this past March.

Mavericks at Warriors (-18, 212) – Golden State has dominated Dallas the last three seasons with an impressive 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS mark. The Warriors routed the short-handed Mavericks earlier this season, 116-95 as 18 ½-point favorites, as each of the past three meetings at Oracle Arena have sailed OVER the total.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Friday
December 30, 2016


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bucks are 13-0 ATS (10.42 ppg) on the road with less than two days rest off a win as a dog since Dec 15, 2014.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bucks are 0-13 OU (-22.81 ppg) after a game as a road dog in which they had a shooting percentage 10+ above their season-to-date average since Feb 20, 1998.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bulls are 0-12 OU (-15.46 ppg) since Dec 23, 2014 after Jimmy Butler had a double double with rebounds last game.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Rockets are 13-0 ATS (10.27 ppg) at home with more than one day of rest off a 10+ point win as a favorite since Feb 17, 2009.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Hawks are 0-8-1 ATS (-6.44 ppg) since Mar 12, 2016 after Paul Millsap shot worse than 33% from the field.

[StarDust Bum]

Three-pointer: Fading out '16
December 29, 2016


It’s always intriguing to see how teams handle this time of year, overcoming the pressures and distractions of the holiday with the normal routine of travel and games. With the new year on deck at the end of the week, it’s worth taking a look at the teams that have the toughest stretches to deal with in an attempt to project who to fade as the grind intensifies.

We've separated our top candidates into groups, Three-pointer style.

The Favored Fade

The Clippers entered the week in a foul mood regardless of how many presents they found stacked under their tree. Their dominance over the Lakers, an 11-game run that dated back to Oct. 2013, ended Christmas night without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to aid the cause.

Paul, nursing a hamstring injury, then missed another game on Monday as L.A. fell to Denver at home. DeAndre Jordan was then involved in a car accident on Tuesday, although he wsn't injured. Griffin isn’t due back until the latter part of January. Key guard J.J. Redick is also dealing with a hamstring issue that has kept him out of action all week.

They left town after Monday’s date with the Nuggets for a three-game road trip that started on a sour note Wednesday in New Orleans and features a Friday-Saturday back-to-back at Houston and Oklahoma City. Paul returned, looking like his typical self with 21 points and eight boards and seven assists, but is on a temporary minutes restriction that limited him to just 30:36 on the floor.

It wasn't enough, so the Pelicans overcame a 25-rebound night from Jordan and 22 points ffrom Austin Rivers in a 102-98 win. For the first time since flaming out of the postseason after going up 2-0 in the first round on Portland, L.A. has dropped four straight games. All the losses have come to sub-.500 teams. It's the Clippers' longest regular-season losing streak since Feb. 2015 and matches the worst run under Doc Rivers. The Clips haven't lost five straight since 2011. That team lost 50 games.

"All in all, I think we're going to be okay," Paul said following the loss in New Orleans. "At the end of the day, we want to be healthy at the right time."

Redick could be back for the weekend's games and Paul's restriction sounds like it will last a few more nights, so there may be more trouble ahead. Odds are good that the Clippers might spend the first moments of 2017 on a charter looking to get out of Oklahoma unless the team decides to spend the night. Even if they were completely healthy, this would be a long week. If the losing continues, it could be downright dreadful.

The Test Cases

Toronto and Milwaukee are actually spending the entire week on the road, so it will be interesting to see whether not being home at all will help maintain a sense of normalcy this week since routines will remain the same for most. Both are exceptional test cases, but not identical. Neither had to play on Christmas Day, but while the Raptors celebrated the holiday in Portland, where they arrived to play the Blazers after opening a season-long six game road trip with a win in Utah. Meanwhile, the Bucks really got to cut loose after smoking the Wizards 123-96 on Friday and opened their week against Washington on Monday with a 107-102 loss to start a four-game swing.

Toronto entered Wednesday's loss to Golden State as arguably the league’s hottest team, sporting a 13-2 record over the last 15 games that no one else could match. The Warriors ran out to a 42-17 lead and then held off the Raps, handing them their first double-digit loss of the season. Still, forcing 20 turnovers suggests the visitors can play with anyone and have crashed the league's elite. The Raptors have covered the number in 12 of their last 13 wins to build up a resume that currently has them as the NBA’s most profitable bet this season.

The Raptors have been held below 100 points only once since Nov. 6, a span of 24 contests, so the over has been a great wager, prevailing 17 times and making a Raps/over parlay a very popular play. One thing to keep an eye on with them this week revolves around their 0-3 mark in Pacific Division road games since their next stops are at Phoenix on Thursday and back at Staples to play the Lakers on Jan. 1. The Clippers beat Toronto there 123-115 on Nov. 21. Toronto's season-low six-game road trip ends on Jan. 3 in San Antonio, providing them another opportunity for a statement win if they're not to weary to pull it off.

Milwaukee's loss to the Wizards started a trip that also features stops at Detroit, Minnesota and Chicago on a sour note. That’s not a taxing trip, even though the games against the Timberwolves and Bulls are a back-to-back. Spending New Year’s eve so close to home is also a luxury, so if they continue their mastery of the Bulls on Saturday, this could be a very happy group despite having to spend the entire week on the road. Milwaukee swept a home-and-home against Chicago in the middle of this month by a combined margin of 37 points and seems to have a significant edge on its Central Division rival due to its edge in length and athleticism.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up eye-popping numbers against the Bulls in the dominant wins and has averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists over his last five games after torching the Wizards for a career-high 39 points last Friday night. Since Dec. 10, he's averaged 27.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and six assists per game, numbers that will travel despite the fact the Bucks have been lousy 5-8 on the road. A 15-2 run helped the Wizards erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit on Monday, so the Bucks were predictably angry when they took the floor and trashed the Pistons 119-94 in Auburn HIlls on Wednesday. We'll see if they can maintain that intensity over their final two stops.

Looking Gassed

Four other teams that have been identified as potentially toxic come week’s end include the Pistons, Pacers, Knicks and Suns, teams that all could take losing streaks into the new year.

Detroit looked burnt out most of last week before a spirited performance in a home loss to Golden State, so they’re on this list despite snapping a five-game losing streak with a rout of LeBron James-less Cleveland on Monday before reverting back to their brutal form in the 25-point loss to the Bucks. After criticizing everyone's effort last week, Stan Van Gundy pointed to himself after the latest rout.

"This is entirely on me," Van Gundy said Wednesday. "We have had too many games where we're getting buried. I'm embarrassed right now, and I have a lot of thinking to do to find a way to get this fixed. This is brutal."

The Pistons will spend New Year’s Eve in Miami before playing the Heat on Jan. 1 after a Friday night game in Atlanta, so fading them that day would be a must even if they were playing well. With Jon Leuer starting instead of Tobias Harris, Van Gundy is tinkering and takes a cranky team on this two-game road trip. At least the locales will be fun. Maybe too fun.

Indiana has matched the Clips with an NBA-long four-game losing streak after falling in Washington in a game where they were outrebounded 54-34 and head coach Nate McMillan felt they were pushed around. Unlike the rest of these teams, the Pacers will be home this weekend, hoping to get right against the Bulls and Magic.

The Knicks fell short in Atlanta in a contentious game that went overtime despite Carmelo Anthony being ejected for punching Thabo Sefolosha in the second quarter. After losing at Madison Square Garden to the Celtics on Sunday due to an inability to get stops, the Knicks couldn't get a basket when they needed it and missed key free throws in losing to a Hawks team that had lost six of seven at home. New York is 5-10 on the road, heading to New Orleans and Houston for a weekend back-to-back that ensures they'll spend New Year's eve flying back home.

Lastly, the Suns certainly looked to fall off in a 119-98 loss in San Antonio, getting outscored 61-34 in the second half. After hosting Toronto on Thursday, they'll be at Utah on Dec. 31, which puts them in prime position to finish 2016 with the Western Conference's worst record.

[StarDust Bum]

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

OVERALL BETS AND OPINIONS
12/01/2016 7-5-0 58.33% +750
12/02/2016 7-10-0 41.18% -2000
12/03/2016 10-8-0 55.56% +600
12/04/2016 2-6-0 25.00% -2300
12/05/2016 12-8-0 60.00% +1600
12/06/2016 6-6-0 50.00% -300
12/07/2016 11-9-0 55.00% +550
12/08/2016 6-6-0 50.00% -300
12/09/2016 9-8-0 52.94% +100
12/10/2016 14-5-0 73.68% +4250
12/11/2016 6-4-0 60.00% +800
12/12/2016 8-6-0 57.14% +700
12/13/2016 4-8-0 33.33% -2400
12/14/2016 18-2-0 90.00% +7900
12/15/2016 7-2-1 77.78% +2400
12/16/2016 12-8-0 60.00% +1600
12/17/2016 7-6-1 53.85% +200
12/18/2016 6-6-2 50.00% -300
12/19/2016 4-6-0 40.00% -1300
12/20/2016 12-10-0 54.55% +500
12/21/2016 7-9-0 43.75% -1450
12/22/2016 4-6-0 40.00% -1300
12/23/2016 12-16-0 42.86% -2800
12/25/2016 3-7-0 30.00% -2350
12/27/2016 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
12/28/2016 8-12-0 40.00% -2600
12/29/2016 8-4-0 66.67% +1800

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 225-230-8 49.45% -14000

O/U Picks 232-226-5 50.66% -8300

BEST BETS:

12/29/16 - 6 - 4 - 0 + 800

ATS: 48- 52 - 2 - 4450

TOTALS: 54 - 42 + 3900

OCT/NOV
ATS: 98 - 93 - 4

OCT/NOV BIG PLAYS 4 - 3

DECEMBER BIG PLAYS: 36 -28




FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at IND 04:00 PM

IND -4.5

U 201.5 *****

BK at WAS 07:00 PM

BK +8.5 *****

O 221.0

MIA at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -9.5 *****

U 203.5

NY at NO 08:00 PM

NY +2.5

O 215.0 *****

DET at ATL 08:00 PM

DET +2.5 *****

O 200.5

MIL at MIN 08:00 PM

MIL +1.5

U 208.5 *****

LAC at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU -9.5

O 215.5 *****

POR at SA 08:30 PM

SA -12.0

O 206.0 *****

PHI at DEN 09:00 PM

DEN -11.0

O 212.5 *****

DAL at GS 10:30 PM

DAL +18.0 *****

U 213.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Thomas' 52 points sparks Celtics
December 30, 2016

BOSTON -- Isaiah Thomas pulled off another of his amazing finishes at TD Garden Friday night. And this one was his best.

Boston's Little Big Man scored a career-high 52 points, including a club-record 29 in the fourth quarter, allowing the Celtics, predictably a bit flat after a tough loss in Cleveland the previous night, to hold off the undermanned Miami Heat 117-114.

It was the fourth-highest scoring total in Celtics history, behind Larry Bird's 60 in 1985, Kevin McHale's 56 in 1985 and Bird's 53 in 1983.

Thomas scored 29 of the Celtics' 35 points in the quarter, the last basket a three coming on a long bomb from well behind the 3-point line. He hit six 3-pointers in the quarter and finished 15-for-26 from the floor, 9-for-13 in the fourth, 9-for-13 from 3-point range and 13-for-13 from the foul line.

Amazingly, Thomas, who came in averaging 6.3 assists per game, didn't have a single assist -- and heard chants of "M-V-P" from the home crowd in the latter stages of the game.

Bird (1983) and Darren Daye (1995) had held the club record with 24 points in a fourth quarter.

Hawks 105, Pistons 98

ATLANTA -- Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver combined for 48 points and Atlanta beat Detroit to climb over the .500 mark for the first time since Nov. 30.

Atlanta got 26 points, six rebounds and five assists from Millsap and won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 9. Millsap has scored at least 20 points in seven of 12 games since missing three games with a hip injury.

Kyle Korver knocked down three 3-pointers and scored a season-high 22 points as Atlanta avenged an earlier 36-point loss to the Piston.

Rockets 140, Clippers 116

HOUSTON -- James Harden recorded his seventh triple-double on the season while second-year forward Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 29 points off the bench to fuel Houston's win over Los Angeles at Toyota Center.

Harden finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while Harrell helped finish off the Clippers with 13 fourth-quarter points to propel the Rockets to a hard-fought victory. Houston led by 25 points midway through the second quarter but needed Harden and Harrell to carry it to victory.

Reserve Raymond Felton paired 26 points with eight assists off the bench while center DeAndre Jordan added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Los Angeles guard Austin Rivers and coach Doc Rivers were ejected 25 seconds apart in the second quarter, with the former sent to the locker room following his contact with official J.T. Orr.

Pelicans 104, Knicks 92

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis had 23 points and 17 rebounds and Tyreke Evans came off the bench to score a season-high 16 points to lift New Orleans to a victory over New York at the Smoothie King Center.

In winning their fourth consecutive game and for the fifth time in six games, the Pelicans improved to 14-21. It was a team effort as the Pelicans placed six players in double figures, led by Davis, who had his 21st game this season of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds

Jrue Holiday had a double-double for the Pelicans -- 12 points and 11 assists -- and E'Twaun Moore and Buddy Held had 12 points each.

Timberwolves 116, Bucks 99

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a game that featured several of the NBA's bright young stars, Minnesota's stars shined just a little bit brighter than Milwaukee's did.

Led by youngsters Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, the Timberwolves took care of the visiting Bucks at Target Center.

Wiggins led all scorers with 31 points, his fourth 30-point performance of the season. LaVine added 24 points and Towns registered his 23rd double-double of the season, the fourth most among all NBA players. Towns finished Friday's game with 18 points and 16 rebounds, just one game removed from his first career triple-double.

Wizards 118, Nets 95

WASHINGTON -- Trey Burke scored 20 of 27 his points in the first half as the Washington Wizards won their eighth straight home game with a rout over Brooklyn.

John Wall had 19 points and 14 assists for the Wizards, who ended 2016 winning nine of 12 games and moving into playoff position despite starting 2-8.

Washington shot 56.6 percent from the field despite playing without second-leading scorer Bradley Beal. Beal suffered a sprained right ankle in the first half of Wednesday's 111-105 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Pacers 111, Bulls 101

INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored nine of his 32 points during the final 4:07, and Indiana recorded 14 of the game's last 18 points and defeated Chicago in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

A Jimmy Butler basket tied the contest at 97, but George was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer at the 4:07 mark. His three free throws gave Indiana the lead. Thaddeus Young, who added 17 points, scored the Pacers' other five points during the game-closing run.

Myles Turner had 15 points for Indiana, Glenn Robinson III scored 12 and added 10 rebounds and Jeff Teague finished with seven points and a career-best 17 assists.

Spurs 110, Trail Blazers 94

SAN ANTONIO -- Backcourt mates Tony Parker and Danny Green scored 18 points apiece and San Antonio had five players in double figures as it roared from behind and beat Portland at the AT&T Center.

Winners of four in a row, the Spurs trailed by five points at halftime but led by seven after three quarters. San Antonio was at its best early in the fourth in blowing past the reeling Trail Blazers.

It was the eighth time this season, and the fourth game in a row, that San Antonio had at least a 20-point lead at some point in the contest.

76ers 124, Nuggets 122

DENVER -- Joel Embiid scored 23 points, Ersan Ilyasova had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Philadelphia beat Denver.

T.J. McConnell tied a career high with 17 points and also had eight assists for the Sixers, who escaped at the end to stop a four-game skid.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points and Emmanuel Mudiay had 22. Danilo Gallinari finished with 18 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

— Florida State 33, Michigan 32— A great, great college football game. Dalvin Cook
should’ve been in NYC for the Heisman thing; he is a warrior.

— Air Force 45, South Alabama 21— Jaguars led this game 21-3 in 2nd quarter.

— Tennessee 38, Nebraska 24— Senior QB Hobbs goes out in a big way.

— Stanford 25, North Carolina 23— Tar Heels scored late, missed 2-point try to tie.

— Georgia 31, TCU 23— Horned Frogs have only 8 scholarship seniors.

— Iowa State 63, Texas Tech 56— Cyclones trailed by 14 in second half.

Nine things that have to happen for Tampa Bay to make the NFL playoffs
— Chiefs beat Denver— DONE
— Cowboys beat Detroit- DONE
— Buccaneers beat Carolina
— Lions over Green Bay
— Giants tie Washington
— Cowboys over Philadelphia
— 49ers over Seattle
— Titans over Houston
— Colts over Jacksonville

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here

13) Dallas Cowboys apparently changed their mind; now Tony Romo and Mark Sanchez will see action at QB in Philly Sunday, after Dak Prescott makes his cameo appearance as the starter.

I’m guessing that Clint Longley, Babe Laufenberg and Glenn Carano won’t play for the Cowboys this week, but you never know.

12) I read the week where DeSean Jackson was “focused” on the Redskins’ game with the Giants this week, then I also read he is “intrigued” by the prospect of going back to Philadelphia as a free agent after the season. Um, both of those can’t be true.

Jackson is a really talented player; if the Eagles got rid of him the first time, my guess is he has to be a pain in the butt. You don’t just give away really talented players.

11) Prop bet in Las Vegas: Will Eldrick Woods win a PGA Tour event in 2017? No is -$150, yes is +$120.

10) This season is first time ever that over 30% of shots from floor in NBA games are 3-pointers.

9) This from the great Gil Brandt, who is very active on Twitter: in the Super Bowl era, 56 NFL teams have won their last six regular season games— 8 of those 56 teams won the Super Bowl.

Green Bay can win its sixth consecutive game Sunday night.

8) NFL’s Hall of Fame Game has been moved to Thursday night, before the induction ceremony starting next summer. Previously the game had been played on Sunday or Monday night, after Saturday’s ceremony.

7) Pretty cool on ESPN’s Orange Bowl broadcast; Bob Griese joined his son Brian and Steve Levy in the ESPN booth for a while. Brian Griese and his dad get along so well, it is great to hear.

6) Cavaliers’ coach Tyrone Lue hasn’t gotten a technical foul this season; he got one last year, because he wandered out of the coaches’ box— he wasn’t aware that was even a rule.

5) New Mexico Lobos signed a point guard from New Zealand this week; young man is the PG on the New Zealand national team, so a good get for coach Craig Neal.

4) Miami Marlins lost their replay guy Pat Shine this week; he signed on to become a minor league manager. Watching as much baseball as I do all summer, thought Miami was the best team at challenging plays and Shine was the guy responsible for that.

3) Weird boxscore from college hoop this week: Western Illinois upset Fort Wayne as a 14-point underdog. Leathernecks were only 3-3 on the foul line; they were 18-37 on 3-pointers. Teams that shoot 37 3’s and only three foul shots almost never win.

2) I’m totally convinced that handicapping bowl games is a waste of time; there are so many intangibles involved— which coaches are changing jobs and I’m talking assistant coaches as much as head coaches. Who wants to be there? Who is healthy? Who isn’t giving a full effort because they don’t want to get hurt? When in doubt, I would lean towards underdogs.

1) This is a really busy week, with a few bowl games every day and conference play starting in college basketball and then Week 17 of the NFL Sunday. An excellent time of the year, would be close to perfect if we could get rid of this damn cold weather here in beautiful upstate New York.