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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Spurs (61-21) at Rockets (55-27)
Date: May 11, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Despite this Western Conference semifinal having featured the losses of respected veterans Tony Parker and Nene to season-ending injuries, the Houston Rockets' postgame locker room late Tuesday night might have been the scene of the most lamenting and greatest remorse displayed by the combatants.

With the Rockets set to host Game 6 at Toyota Center on Thursday night, they will have to live with the fact that they could have closed out the Spurs at home instead of facing their first elimination game of this postseason. Undone by a critical errors and empty possessions down the stretch, Houston coughed up a nine-point lead and enabled San Antonio to claim a 110-107 overtime win and a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series.

"We let one slip away," said Rockets guard James Harden, who posted a triple-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but shot 1 for 6 with four turnovers over the last 10 minutes of the game. "Execution (and) rebounding are probably the two primary things we let slip away. But we still have an opportunity in Game 6 to protect home court and bring it back (to San Antonio) for Game 7."

Houston surrendered 18 offensive rebounds to the Spurs and slipped into an offensive slog as the game closed, scoring 22 points during the fourth quarter and overtime. Without Nene, who was lost two minutes into Game 4, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni opted for a seven-man rotation. The results were unfavorable.

Harden and guard Eric Gordon logged 43 minutes apiece, with guard Patrick Beverley (41 minutes) and forward Trevor Ariza (40) also playing at least 40 minutes. As fatigue mounted offensive execution waned, with the Rockets standing around and settling for tough shots instead of challenging the Spurs' scrambling defense.

"Probably got tired," D'Antoni said of the lack of pace and production. "We just couldn't quite push it. We had our opportunities with about three minutes to go in the game to knock a couple 3s down I thought were good shots. We just didn't make the big play at that moment.

"We've got to find the energy to get ready for the next game and try again."

Despite leading the series and standing one victory away from a showdown with the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals, the Spurs have their own set of concerns. Coach Gregg Popovich altered his starting lineup, inserting veteran Patty Mills at lead guard after opting for Dejounte Murray for Games 3 and 4. Murray did not play in San Antonio after being the first choice to replace Parker.

All-star forward Kawhi Leonard injured his right ankle on Tuesday night and sat out overtime, finishing with 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes. Leonard pledged to play in Game 6, but uncertainty has gripped the Spurs again.

On Wednesday, the Spurs officially listed him as questionable for the game.

"You never know with him. His facial expressions don't change, so it's hard to tell if he's experienced any pain," Spurs guard Danny Green said of Leonard. "But, he looked OK. He was walking. I think he got an X-ray. I think everything was good, but I'm not a doctor. We'll see how it goes ... when we travel."

***********************

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockets at Spurs
Mon, May 1 Final 126 to 99
Recaps

GAME 2
Rockets at Spurs
Wed, May 3 Final 96 to 121
Recaps

GAME 3
Spurs at Rockets
Fri, May 5 Final 103 to 92
Recaps

GAME 4
Spurs at Rockets
Sun, May 7 Final 104 to 125
Recaps

GAME 5
Rockets at Spurs
Tue, May 9 Final 107 to 110
Recaps

GAME 6
Spurs at Rockets
Thu, May 11 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Rockets at Spurs
Sun, May 14 - 3:30PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

May's Best Bets:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

05/10/2017...........2-0-0.........100.00%.........+10.00
05/09/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%........... -0.50
05/08/2017.......... 0-2-0 ..........0.00%.......... -11.00
05/07/2017.......... 2-4-0......... 33.33%.......... -12.00
05/06/2017.......... 0-2-0........... 0.00%.......... -11.00
05/05/2017.......... 2-2-0......... 50.00%........... -1.00
05/04/2017.......... 0-4-0........... 0.00%.......... -22.00
05/03/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%......... + 9.50
05/02/2017.......... 4-0-0......... 100.00%........ +20.00
05/01/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%........... +9.50

Totals................17 - 17...........50.00%%..........- 7.50

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

05/10/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/09/2017............0 - 1 .........00.00%............-1.10.............1 - 0......100.00....+1.00
05/08/2017............0 - 1..........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1 ......0.00%....-1.10
05/07/2017............2 - 1..........66.66%............+0.90............0 - 3.......0.00%...-3.30
5/06/2017.............0 - 1...........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1.......0.00%...-1.10
5/05/2017.............1 - 1...........50.00%............-0.10.............1 - 1......50.00%...-0.10
05/04/2017............0 - 2...........00.00%............-2.20.............0 - 2......0.00%.....- 2.20
05/03/2017............1 - 1...........50.00%...........- 0.10.............2 - 0......100%....+ 2.00
05/02/2017............2 - 0..........100.00%.........+ 2.00.............2 - 0.......100%....+ 2.00
05/01/2017............2 - 0..........100.00 %........+ 2.00.............1 - 1.......50%.......- 0.10

Totals...................9 - 8............52.94%.........+0.20..............8 - 9........47.05%...-1.90


THURSDAY, MAY 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SA at HOU 08:00 PM

SA +6.5

U 214.0

[StarDust Bum]

Spurs rout Rockets, 114-75 to advance
May 11, 2017

HOUSTON (AP) The San Antonio Spurs eliminated the sluggish James Harden and Houston Rockets with a 114-75 victory in Game 6 on Thursday night, and they didn't even need Kawhi Leonard to do it.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a season-high 34 points and added 12 rebounds in his second big game of the of the Western Conference semifinal series to pick up the scoring slack with Leonard out after rolling his ankle in San Antonio's overtime victory in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

The Spurs were up by 19 by halftime in a game that was over quickly, and didn't let up to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time since winning the title in 2014. The 4-2 series win sends them to conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.

Trevor Ariza led Houston with 20 points on a night when MVP hopeful Harden capped his stellar season by tying a season low with 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting before fouling out with 3:15 left.

Jonathon Simmons filled in nicely for Leonard, scoring 18 points and hounding the Rockets on defense.

San Antonio was up by 23 after the third quarter and scored the first seven points of the fourth to make it 94-64 and send many of the home fans streaming to the exits.

Already without veteran Tony Parker, who suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in Game 2, the Spurs looked to be the underdog entering this one without Leonard's scoring and defense.

Instead, things went wrong early for the Rockets with Aldridge scoring 10 points in the first quarter as San Antonio dashed out to a 31-24. Houston was already down 50-29 when Harden took his first shot midway through the second quarter. He made that 3-pointer to whittle the lead a bit, but it didn't get the Rockets going.

The Spurs opened the third quarter with an 8-1 run, with six points from Aldridge, to extend their already big lead to 69-43 with about 9 1/2 minutes left.

The Rockets used a 7-2 spurt after that with 3-pointers from Ariza and Eric Gordon to cut the lead to 71-50 with about seven minutes remaining in the third.

A 3-pointer by Harden not long after that got Houston within 20, but San Antonio scored the next four points to make it 77-53 a couple of minutes later.

Houston, which relied on its 3-point shooting to get this far, couldn't make shots from long-range going 13 of 40. But the Rockets also had trouble scoring in general, making just 28.6 percent (22 of 77) of their shots overall.

When there was about four minutes left, large chunks of empty seats filled the arena dotted by pockets of San Antonio fans who stood and cheered while the remaining Rockets fans sat dejected.

During a timeout soon after that several Spurs danced near the bench to music piped through the arena as Aldridge placed a towel over his shoulders and accepted congratulations from his teammates with his work was done for the night.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Danny Green got a technical in the third quarter for a scuffle with Ariza. ... Patty Mills had 14 points and seven assists, and Pau Gasol added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Rockets: Ariza received a technical in the third for the scuffle with Ariza. ... Coach Mike D'Antoni added Sam Dekker to the rotation after being criticized for not adding anyone to the rotation Tuesday in the first game since Nene suffered a season-ending thigh injury. Dekker had six points ... Clint Capela finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Game 1 of the conference finals is Sunday at Golden State.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

Some interesting pointspreads for NFL games this season:

— Week 8: Broncos @ Chiefs (-3)

— Week 9: Rams @ Giants (-8.5)

— Week 10: Seahawks (-1.5) @ Cardinals

— Week 11: Patriots (-1.5) vs Raiders (@ Mexico City)

— Week 12: Packers @ Steelers (-3)

— Week 13: Eagles @ Seahawks (-7)

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

13) We talked the other day about Sabres-Rangers playing at Citi Field on New Years’ Day; Buffalo will be the “home” team for that game, meaning they give up a home game in Buffalo for this game to be played in NYC. It is the Rangers’ third outdoor game in NYC- they were the “visitor” in all three.

Why? Because if the Rangers play a home game outside of Madison Square Garden, it costs them a tax exemption that could be worth as much as $40M—that’s million, with an M.

Oy.

12) More bad news for the New York Mets; closer Jeurys Familia has an arterial clot in his shoulder and might need surgery.

11) This is one I’ve never heard before; Yale has a really good guard named Makai Mason, who helped the Bulldogs make the NCAA’s in 2016, where they upset Baylor in a first-round game. Mason broke his foot last year and missed the whole season.

Mason is going to graduate from Yale at this time next year; he is going to play for the Bulldogs this coming winter, then he is going to be a graduate transfer at (ironically) Baylor in 2018-19.

I’ve never heard of a player announcing where he will transfer to a full year before he actually transfers. Ivy League players can’t take a redshirt season like most D-I players can, but still it is odd that he got the suspense out of the way and now everyone knows he will be in Waco in the fall of 2018.

10) If you’re looking for a good TV series to follow, I’d recommend Billions on Showtime; it is about a rich hedge-fund trader and a US Prosecutor who despise each other- the prosecutor’s wife works for the hedge fund guy, which complicates the whole story tremendously. It is really well done with lot of twists and turns. I’m a little disappointed that Season 3 won’t be on until 2018.

They’ve had 24 episodes over two seasons; you can stream them on Showtimeanytime.com

9) Pittsburgh Penguins have played ten playoff series against Washington and won nine of them.

8) Washington’s Alex Ovechkin is a great player, but he’s played 12 years in the NHL and has never been past the second round of the playoffs.

7) The guy who went to the A’s game in Oakland Wednesday dressed as an elf did that because he was the last place finisher in his office’s March Madness pool and that was his penalty for finishing last.

6) A senior media relations guy for the Milwaukee Brewers had a cool job Thursday; he was the ball boy down the leftfield line at Miller Park. He took a decent amount of grief on Brewers’ TV but seemed to be enjoying himself.

5) Arizona Cardinals signed Blaine Gabbert as a backup QB, unwittingly igniting a controversy, since Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed. Supposedly, three teams have inquired about Kaepernick, but ain’t no one signed him and off-season workouts have already begun.

Fact of the matter is this: Whomever convinced Kaepernick to take his political stand last fall screwed him over and greatly hindered his NFL career, costing him millions. Hope it was worth it.

4) Rookies pitchers started the Colorado Rockies’ last four games; kid from North Colonie (I live in South Colonie) pitched for Colorado last night. He is winning 10-1 as I type this, so good for him.

3) Steve Stone was just saying on the White Sox game that the ideal difference in speed between a fastball and change-up is 11 miles an hour. Interesting thing to monitor while watching a game.

2) Teams ask players weird stuff at these draft combines; an NBA team asked Kansas’ Frank Mason III this week “……how he would prefer to die?” What does that have to do with basketball

Apparently, Kawhi Leonard was so nervous at his Combine interview with the Phoenix Suns that he sweated thru his suit. Because of that, the Suns took him off their draft board. Brilliant!!!!

1) Spurs 114, Rockets 75—Leonard didn’t play in this game, so of course the Spurs won by 39. Bookmakers in Las Vegas had to enjoy this outcome. This, from David Payne Purdum on Twitter: “(A bettor in Nevada) placed 3 six-figure money-line bets on Rockets to beat Spurs tonight, totaling $386,000, to win $120,000.”

Yikes.

[StarDust Bum]

Home's where the heart is for Wiz, Celtics
May 11, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) Isaiah Thomas' Boston Celtics and John Wall's Washington Wizards have built something of a rivalry this season, going back and forth, trading wins on the court and barbs off it, from the ''Funeral Game'' in January to the lost tooth and ejection of their current playoff series.

One thing every matchup had in common so far as Washington prepares to host Boston in Game 6 on Friday night? The home team wins.

Always.

9 for 9.

So the Celtics, leading their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal 3-2, might be feeling pretty good about where things stand at the moment. Because even if they can't close things out Friday, they'll get to host Game 7 on Monday, an advantage they earned by finishing with the No. 1 seed.

Hey, Bradley Beal, why does the host come out on top every time?

''I wish I knew,'' was the shooting guard's reply.

A similar question was put to Wizards coach Scott Brooks on Thursday, when his team opted to skip a full practice and instead have a light shootaround.

''That's been analyzed and studied since the game was invented. (With) the home court, you always have a comfort level,'' Brooks said. ''It just happens. I don't really know the real reason. I've been thinking about it for many, many years.''

Even though his team is averaging about 30 more points in Boston than in Washington during this series, Celtics coach Brad Stevens insisted that the venue isn't the most important factor in a game's outcome.

''It's more about how you play,'' he said.

Brooks, though, said that playing at home is different.

''Even as a player, I always felt better. Just comfortable. Your crowd's great. They're backing you up. You've played in front of the crowd. You've played into the baskets 41 times during the regular season, so the rims, the court, everything's familiar,'' he said. ''That being said, we've still got to play well. We've got to play with great effort. We've got to be locked in, focused.''

Brooks acknowledged that was not the case in Boston's 123-101 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday, especially at the defensive end.

In the first quarter, the Celtics led the Wizards 15-0 in transition points, a surprising statistic given just how good Wall is at orchestrating that part of the game.

''If you miss a shot, you miss a shot,'' Brooks said. ''You've got to get back and not compound that miss with a defensive lapse.''

Still, he chose to accentuate the positive.

''We did not lose the series,'' Brooks noted. ''We lost the game.''

---

Celtics at Wizards, Celtics lead series 3-2. Game 6, 8 p.m., ESPN.

NEED TO KNOW: This series has been filled with one big run after another. Four of the five games featured a stretch of 16-0 or greater, including a 26-point burst by Washington in Game 4, and a 16-point stretch for the Celtics in Game 5. Joked Brooks on Thursday: ''I'll take a 25-point run. That'd be nice.''

KEEP AN EYE ON: Beal, Otto Porter Jr. The Wizards 3-point shooting has been a problem in the playoffs, with the team down at 32 percent through 11 playoff games after hitting 37 percent during the regular season. Beal (from 40 percent in the regular season to 28 in the playoffs) and Porter (from 43 to 31), in particular, have been off, and they're supposed to be Washington's most productive from beyond the arc. ''When you're as good as Brad,'' Brooks said, ''there's going to be extra attention on you. You've got to give the defense some credit.''

INJURY UPDATE: Celtics G Avery Bradley, who's been dealing with hip issues during the series, sure seemed OK while scoring 29 points in Game 5 , including 25 in the first half on 10-of-13 shooting. ''All indications are that he felt good after yesterday's game,'' Stevens said.

PRESSURE IS ON: The Wizards, of course. Not only are they facing elimination, but even if they win Game 6, they know that they are 0-5 in Boston, the site of Game 7 if there is one, since the start of this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Avery Bradley's defense has been key
May 11, 2017

BOSTON (AP) Avery Bradley has been doing all the little things to get the Boston Celtics over the hump this postseason.

Yes, he created a buzz with his playoff-career high 29 points to give Boston a 3-2 lead over the Washington Wizards while backcourt mate Isaiah Thomas was facing double- and triple-teams during Game 5.

But it's been Bradley's consistency on defense during the first two rounds that has the top-seeded Celtics on the verge of an Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Despite playing after suffering his second hip pointer injury of the series, Bradley annoyed Wizards' point guard John Wall throughout.

The primary defender on Wall, he helped hold Washington's All-Star to just 21 points and 17 field goal attempts. He also limited him to a playoff-low four assists - well below Wall's playoff average of 11.1. In Boston's three wins, Wall has a plus/minus of minus-17.

''Avery's the best on-the-ball defender in the NBA - hands down,'' Thomas said. ''A guy like John Wall you're not gonna stop.He does a hell of a job on him. He makes it tough. Nothing's easy. And that's what Avery Bradley does, each and every night.''

Bradley said he was inspired by text messages he got from Thomas and Celtics' television play-by-play man Mike Gorman.

''They told me they felt like it was going to be a big game for me,'' Bradley said of his Game 5 performance. ''My mindset was just to come out and be aggressive. I wanted to make those guys work on both ends of the floor.''

In a perimeter-oriented NBA in which rim protecting big men are a dwindling luxury, guards like Bradley who are willing to dedicate themselves on the defensive end are a commodity. He's 6-foot-2, but has enough length to bother shooters, the lateral quickness to keep opponents in front of him and the strength not to get bullied.

In Boston's three wins Bradley has constantly crowded Wall, tormenting him with an assortment of stabs and pokes at the ball, while also cutting off his driving lanes.

Part of the reason is that Bradley is playing so inspired is that he is coming off a truncated 2016 postseason.

His playoff run lasted all of one game last season thanks to a hamstring injury in the opening game of Boston's first-round matchup with Atlanta.

He's made the most of being healthy this time around.

Bradley, who typically has shied away from any verbal back and forth, has had moments during his postseason in which he let his feelings be known.

After the Celtics' series-clinching, 22-point win at Chicago in the first round, Bradley was asked about some outward emotion he exhibited during the game. Bradley said he took some comments made by Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler between games personally.

''There were a few guys that walked up to me and said `I think Jimmy had said last game that we can't let guys like Avery Bradley score 20,''' Bradley recalled. ''I usually don't say anything, and I just go out there and play hard. But I feel like every player should respect this game.''

Bradley channeled those feelings into one of his best performances of that series, scoring a game-high 23 points. Butler also finished 23 points, but had only six after halftime.

The Wizards are well aware of Bradley's ability to disrupt offenses.

''He's a great defender, and has a knack for the ball,'' Wizards guard Bradley Beal said of Bradley. ''You can't mess with the ball when he's guarding you. You have to keep things simple...Defense is his specialty.''

Al Horford marveled at Bradley from afar last season as a member of a Hawks team that exploited Boston with Bradley being sidelined.

Now as his teammate, Horford has an even greater appreciation for what he provides.

''People don't realize he's guarding the best players pretty much all the time,'' Horford said. ''For him to be able to do that and be effective with that and score the ball, the way he was doing it (Wednesday night), was a lot of fun to watch.''

But the praise he's received this series won't cause Bradley to slink back into a reserved posture.

Bradley garnered his third-career technical foul in Game 5 against Washington, which ignited the Garden crowd. But it was a show of emotion that Bradley said might be a bridge too far - even for a guy who's feeling freer to embrace his inner tough man.

''I have to be smart about it still,'' Bradley said. ''But I have passion for every single game. I want to go out there and give my all.''

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals betting preview: Celtics at Wizards

Home court has dominated this series going 5-0 SU/ATS and in the last 16 matchups overall the home team is 13-3.

Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (-5, 216)

Celtics lead series 3-2

The Boston Celtics are on the verge of advancing to the Eastern Conference finals but still have yet to prove they can win on the road in the semifinals. The Celtics will go for their first road win of the series and the clinching victory when they visit the Washington Wizards for Game 6 on Friday.

Boston used Washington's defensive focus on All-Star Isaiah Thomas to its advantage in the 123-101 win on Wednesday as the 5-9 guard showed off his abilities as a screen-setter and passer to keep the Wizards off balance. "As a basketball player, you've got to read what the defense is giving you, and they're really having two or three guys on me at all times," Thomas told reporters. "So what I'm trying to do is give other guys space, create space for others and also be a good screen-setter." Washington used a 22-0 run in Game 3 and a 26-0 spurt in Game 4 to create separation in a pair of home wins but failed to get the defensive stops that led to those runs in Game 5. "All we can do is focus on Game 6 at home," Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "Both teams been playing well at home. We've got to come out desperate, so to speak."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The Wizards opened as 4.5-point home favorites with their backs against the wall in Game 6, and by Thursday evening that spread was bumped up to -5. The total opened at 216.5 and was dropped slightly to 216.

INJURY REPORT:

Celtics - No injuries to report.

Wizards - No injuries to report.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (60-33 SU, 47-44-2 ATS, 46-43-4 O/U): With Isaiah Thomas going to work as a facilitator, shooting guard Avery Bradley was free to do some scoring in Game 5 and poured in 25 of his career postseason-high 29 points in the first half as Boston raced out to a big lead. "He was the key to this game," Thomas told reporters of Bradley. "On both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively, he did it all, and we need that from him. Especially in Game 6, we're gonna need that from him. I'm proud of him. I told him before the game that I believe in him, and he's gonna have a big game, and he did." Bradley went 12-of-19 from the floor in the win after totaling 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting in Games 3 and 4.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (55-38 SU, 47-45-1 ATS, 58-34-1 O/U): Washington had all the momentum going into Game 5 after winning the previous two games by a total of 46 points but ended up shooting 38.5 percent from the floor in Game 5 while allowing Boston to go off at 52.9 percent. "It started with the focus," Wizards Coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "That was our No. 1 mistake. We didn’t have the focus that it would have taken to win in this building." Shooting guards Beal and Bojan Bogdanovic combined to go 8-of-26 from the floor - 1-of-8 from beyond the arc - in the loss.

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.

* Wizards are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

* Favorite is 12-2 ATS in the last 14 meetings.

* Home team is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 12

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

BOSTON (60 - 33) at WASHINGTON (55 - 38) - 5/12/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 14-29 ATS (-17.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 147-189 ATS (-60.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-5 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-6 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 12

Home side won all five Celtic-Wizard games in this series and last nine meetings overall; Celtics lost last four games in this building, all by 15+ points (0-4 vs spread). Six of last eight series games went over- favorites are 10-2 vs spread in last twelve meetings. Over is 5-1 in Wizards’ last six games. Wall/Beal shot combined 14-36 in Game 5 loss; can Washington go on another 26-0 run like they did in Game 4 win? Boston was 16-33 on arc in Game 5; none of games in this series have been decided by less than ten points.

Second round playoff series:
Boston-Washington
Bos 123-111, -4.5, O216
Bos 129-119 O, -5, O218.5
Wash 116-89, -5.5, U218
Wash 121-102, -5, O214.5
Bos 123-101, -4, O218

Cleveland-Toronto
Clev 116-105, -7, O211
Clev 125-103, -7, O214.5
Clev 115-94, -3, U215
Clev 109-102, -7, O210.5
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Houston
Hst 126-99, +6, O215.5
SA 121-96, -5.5, O215
SA 103-92, +5.5, U215
Hst 125-104, -5, O213.5
SA 110-107 OT, -5.5, O216
SA 114-75, -5, U215
Spurs win series, 4-2

Golden State-Utah
GState 106-94, -13, U206.5
GState 115-104, -13.5, O206
GState 102-91, -7, U209
GState 121-95, -9, O207
Warriors win series 4-0

Favorites 12-5-1 (32-27-2)
Over 12-6 (34-27)




NBA

Friday, May 12

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. WASHINGTON
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, May 12


Boston @ Washington

Game 711-712
May 12, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
123.680
Washington
125.633
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 5
216
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+5); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's NBA Essentials
May 12, 2017

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 1 Boston at No. 4 Washington (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)

At some point in Wednesday's third quarter, likely following one of Al Horford's brilliant passes or any of Avery Bradley's runs of unconsciousness, the defeated Wizards had to be glad to look up and be thankful they had one more trip home in their back pocket.

After all, if blowing two golden opportunities to steal a road game to start the series didn't shake them, being blown off the court in Game 5 probably won't either. We throw in that caveat because the Wizards will be facing elimination for the first time this postseason, which always throws a wrench into things.

Yes, this game will tip off at D.C.'s Verizon Center, where they're a perfect 5-0 this postseason, but Washington must avoid the trap that the homecourt guarantees it anything beyond familiar surroundings in the locker room and cheers in the stands. Both the Celtics and Wizards are perfect on their home floor against one another this season, but there's no given that will continue in Game 6. John Wall and Co. still have to make homecourt advantage hold up. Otherwise, any cheers will disappear and a disappointed, anxious arena that has already seen one home team let the paying customers down this week will become an added weight on eveyrone's shoulders.

The Wizards will be tasked with bouncing back at home against knowing that there's no tomorrow if they fail. Considering how often they've struggled with making critical plays when they've needed them in the series, and how much guys have shrunk whenever things have gotten tight, it will be interesting to see whether they break through and respond.

Although Bradley and Horford had brilliant games and seemingly everyone came to play at home, the Wizards aided Boston's cause with an emotional no-show. Instead of building off dominating Games 3 and 4 by a combined margin of 56 points, Washington scored the first four points and then missed its next eight shots, a series of floaters and ugly, tentative looks. There was no aggression once the Celtics got going, so it was 16-4 before the Wizards scored again, allowing the game to get away for good.

Because of how resoundingly the Celtics won Game 5 and what a complete, balanced game it gone with everyone contributing, they could be especially dangerous here.

"All five games in this series have been decided by double-digits, as the Celtics finally put together a solid game from start to finish in Game 5," VegasInsider.com handicapper Kevin Rogers said. "In the opening round, Washington won the first two games at home against Atlanta, then lost the next two at Philips Arena, before capturing the final two victories to advance. Boston is in a similar situation looking for its first road win of the series, while Washington has lost in its previous two home Game 6's when facing elimination against Atlanta in 2015 and Indiana in 2014."

Washington is looking to put itself one win from its first conference finals appearance since 1979, which is also the last time they won a Game 6 when facing elimination. That's so long ago that the San Antonio Spurs were still in the Eastern Conference, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the then-Bullets, who were led by the elite frontcourt of Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and Bob Dandridge.

To survive, they must find a way to slow down Horford, who has become a tremendous asset as the series has progressed due to his ability to pick apart Washington's defensive deficiencies. In series wins, he's shot a ridiculous 24-for-31 (77.4%) from the field while adding an average of nine rebounds, 6.7 assists and two blocks per game. He's punished double-teams and hurt Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris when one hasn't come. He's gotten lost in coverage. He's been a catalyst.

In losses, Horford was held 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and four assists. We'll see if he can respond in D.C., but the Wizards may be greatly served by going at him early to see if they can't land him in foul trouble.

The Celtics have seen Isaiah Thomas take what the defense has given him after his 53-point outing on in Game 2, but he was overly concerned with not getting calls in the first two games in Washington, so it will be interesting to see whether he remains patient here. He's only averaged 16.7 points over the last three games, but matched his series-high with nine assists on Wednesday and has shot 7-for-11 from 3-point range. It's likely he has another big game in him.

The x-factor for Boston is certainly Bradley, who benefited from playing only two games over a six-game period, creating time for him to overcome two hip pointers. He injured both hips after never dealing with that type of injury. That's unheard of.

Beyond an ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, Bradley is the Celtics' top on-ball defender and as Thomas has stated, perhaps the best in the league. Bradley's hip pointer issues contributed to their two losses. After he scored just seven points on 3-for-8 shooting in Game 3, Bradley shot 2-for-9 in Sunday's Game 4 and had nearly as many turnovers (4) as he did points (5). He's unlikely to match a playoff career-high of 29 points set in Game 5 after he got healthy, but can buckle down and prevent the Wizards guards from finding a rhythm. John Wall set an NBA playoff record with 11 consecutive games of at least 20 points and seven assists, but saw it snapped when he dropped only four dimes to go with his 21 points in Game 5.

Kelly Oubre's return from suspension took some pressure off other key reserves Bojan Bogdanovic and Jason Smith, but there's no question that the Wizards bench should be better at home. Bradley Beal followed up his best game of the series, shooting 11-for-16 from the field in putting up 29 points, with an 0-for-4 effort from 3-point range. His inability to hit key shots cost his Wizards Game 2 as he ended up 4-for-15, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range. He missed a game-winner at the end of regulation in that game and followed it up with a 4-for-12 stinker in Game 3, so him rallying is high on the Wizards' wish list. Washingon is 4-2 during these playoffs when Wall and Beal combine for 50 or more points.

Boston won the first quarter for the first time in Game 4, 24-20, as Brad Stevens went big and again started Amir Johnson in place of Gerald Green. The Wizards had dominated the opening 12 minutes in the first three games, winning each period by a combined margin of 119-70, an average of nearly 40-23. The Celtics also won the first in Game 5, so getting off to a strong start is key for Washington.

Game 3 has produced the only 'under' of the series. Most betting shops opened the total for Game 6 at 217 and a few shops dropped to 216.

The ‘over’ has gone 4-1 in the first five games and VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David believes the trend could very well continue on Friday.

He explained, “The favorite-over combination in the conference semis has been putting a serious dent in the bankroll of the sportsbooks. Through the first 17 games, we’ve seen the ‘over’ go 13-5 overall and favorites have cashed in 12 of those games. Most bettors lean to laying points and playing the high side but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ‘under’ connect in this spot.”

“The first game in this series from D.C. went ‘under’ as Boston was stifled to 89 points, which is its lowest effort in this year’s playoffs. The pair rebounded with an ‘over’ in Game 4 but that game was on an ‘under’ pace at halftime and it would’ve stayed low if the two teams didn’t combined for 127 points in the final two quarters.”

“While Boston has been explosive at home, the Celtics haven’t been as dangerous offensively as visitors and the ‘under’ has gone 4-1 in their five road games in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Washington is 3-2 to the ‘under’ at the Verizon Center in the postseason despite putting up some crooked numbers offensively (112.6 PPG). The main reason for those results is because the defense has only surrendered 99.6 PPG during the same span. Must-win games usually dictate possession basketball and that could slow down the game, which may lead to a rare ‘under’ ticket.”

[StarDust Bum]

May's Best Bets:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

05/11/2017.......... 2-0-0........ 100.00%....... +10.00
05/10/2017...........2-0-0.........100.00%.........+10.00
05/09/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%........... -0.50
05/08/2017.......... 0-2-0 ..........0.00%.......... -11.00
05/07/2017.......... 2-4-0......... 33.33%.......... -12.00
05/06/2017.......... 0-2-0........... 0.00%.......... -11.00
05/05/2017.......... 2-2-0......... 50.00%........... -1.00
05/04/2017.......... 0-4-0........... 0.00%.......... -22.00
05/03/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%......... + 9.50
05/02/2017.......... 4-0-0......... 100.00%........ +20.00
05/01/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%........... +9.50

Totals................19 - 17...........52,77%%..........+ 2.50

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

05/11/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/10/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/09/2017............0 - 1 .........00.00%............-1.10.............1 - 0......100.00....+1.00
05/08/2017............0 - 1..........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1 ......0.00%....-1.10
05/07/2017............2 - 1..........66.66%............+0.90............0 - 3.......0.00%...-3.30
5/06/2017.............0 - 1...........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1.......0.00%...-1.10
5/05/2017.............1 - 1...........50.00%............-0.10.............1 - 1......50.00%...-0.10
05/04/2017............0 - 2...........00.00%............-2.20.............0 - 2......0.00%.....- 2.20
05/03/2017............1 - 1...........50.00%...........- 0.10.............2 - 0......100%....+ 2.00
05/02/2017............2 - 0..........100.00%.........+ 2.00.............2 - 0.......100%....+ 2.00
05/01/2017............2 - 0..........100.00 %........+ 2.00.............1 - 1.......50%.......- 0.10

Totals...................10 - 8............55.55%.........+1.20..............9 - 9.......50.00%...-0.90



FRIDAY, MAY 12

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at WAS 08:00 PM

BOS +5.0

O 216.0

[StarDust Bum]

Am back from a family emergency the last 4 days........Hope you all have done well since i've been gone....Now time to make some $$$$ as we are winding the down to the finals.....

Celtics power past Wizards in Game 7
May 15, 2017

BOSTON (AP) Isaiah Thomas said he didn't feel any pressure entering the first Game 7 of his career.

His play backed up his confidence and with the help of Kelly Olynyk and the Boston Celtics bench, Thomas earned the biggest win of his career.

Thomas scored 29 points and had 12 assists, Olynyk scored a career-playoff high 26 points and the Celtics used a big fourth quarter to outlast the Washington Wizards 115-105 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

''I knew it would be a big time game tonight. I knew it wouldn't be easy at all,'' Thomas said. ''And we came out on top.''

Led by Olynyk the Celtics got a huge lift from their bench, outscoring their Wizards' counterparts 48-5. Boston also connected on 11 3-pointers, including 8 of 13 in the second half.

''We needed it,'' Olynyk said. ''That's a tough team that we played seven tough games against and they can score. We needed to help out the starters, help out Isaiah.''

Boston advances to the Eastern Conference finals, where it will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Wednesday. It's the Celtics first appearance in the conference finals since 2012.

''What a special opportunity to get a chance to compete against them,'' Boston coach Brad Stevens said.

For Thomas it serves as the ultimate validation for a team that many felt was unworthy of the conference's top seed. It also marked the latest big performance by Thomas, in a playoff run that began in the haze of his younger sister's death in a car accident. The 28-year-old All-Star has called the basketball court his sanctuary, and he continues to credit his teammates for giving him the strength to perform at a high level.

''That says a lot about the team we are and we believe in each other,'' Thomas said. ''The game wasn't always what we wanted it to be and it wasn't a perfect game. But we kept going and stayed the course.''

Bradley Beal led the Wizards - which was playing it its first Game 7 since 1979 - with 38 points, including 24 in the second half.

''I don't care how well I played,'' Beal said afterward. ''I don't care if I played bad. The end result...The only thing that matters is getting a win.''

Otto Porter added 20 points. John Wall and Markieff Morris each finished with 18. But Washington also had 15 turnovers, leading to 17 Celtics' points.

Boston trailed 76-72 late in the third quarter before ending the period on a 13-3 spurt . The run grew to 22-5 in the opening minutes of the fourth as the Celtics' lead became 94-81.

But Washington quickly responded, scoring seven straight in just 51 seconds to get back within six.

Washington stayed close as Beal continued to score, including a four-point play . But Olynyk then took over. He scored 11 of 13 points for Boston as the Celtics stretched their advantage to 110-100.

''He just made shots,'' Marcin Gortat said of Olynyk. ''He was the difference today - a huge difference.''

Brooks played Beal and Wall 46 and 45 minutes, respectively, but said it was necessary to try to stay in the game.

''I knew it would come down to the last six minutes of the game,'' Washington coach Scott Brooks said. ''They had that little run at the start of the fourth quarter.''

The Celtics had the largest lead of the first half at 10-2, but that gap was quickly erased by Washington as Boston started to accumulate fouls.

Marcus Smart, Amir Johnson and Olynyk all were whistled for three fouls in the opening 24 minutes, though Smart did inject some life into a second unit that outscored their Wizards' counterparts 19-5.

Wall and Beal each were beneficiaries scoring eight and nine points, respectively in the second quarter to help the Wizards take a two-point lead into halftime.

''It's tough. We came out here Game 7 and gave everything we had. Just came up short,'' Wall said. ''Our goal was to get to Eastern Conference finals and we came up one game short. So it's a not a satisfied season to me.''

TIP-INS

Wizards: Dropped to 6-4 all-time in Game 7s. ... Still have not reached a conference final since 1979. ... Outrebounded the Celtics 43-31.

Celtics: Improved to 22-8 all-time in Game 7s and 19-4 all-time at home. ...Outscored the Wizards 58-40 in the paint. ... Lost season series to Cleveland 3-1.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE

The Wizards came up short of becoming the first team in this matchup to win on the opponent's home floor in 2016-17. All 11 meetings this season (four in regular-season and seven postseason) were claimed by the home team.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— Miami Marlin pitchers have hit a batter in 10 consecutive games, tied with ’09 Phillies for longest such streak since 1913.

— DL update: Outfielders AJ Pollock, Carlos Gomez, Hunter Pence all hit the shelf Monday.

— Arizona 7, NY Mets 3– Over last four games, Mets were outscored 16-7 from 7th inning on.

— Giants 8, Dodgers 4– San Francisco won five of its last six games.

— Indians 8, Rays 7– Chris Archer gave up five runs in the first inning.

— Celtics 115, Wizards 105– Home team won all seven series games. Boston plays the Cavaliers next.

***************************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but………

13) Week 1 of the NFL season, ESPN has a Monday night doubleheader; this year, one of the announce teams that night will be Beth Mowins/Rex Ryan, an unusual pairing.

Mowins has done college football on ESPN for years; she is highly competent but she isn’t getting this gig because she is good, she is getting it because she’s a woman- that’s the world we live in now.

Look at the people ESPN fired this month; they’re working on evening out the demographics of their workforce.

This will be Ryan’s first-ever NFL game behind a microphone and he gets it in primetime, which is odd. If he is outspoken he should be good– he acted in an Adam Sandler movie couple years ago and was very good at it. Thing is, he has to be outspoken and not hold back on criticizing people he knows. We’ll see.

12) Someone on Twitter (a media professional) was critical of Kenny Albert getting national TV gigs, which is ridiculous, but again typical of the world we live in. If you prepare really well, set up your partner to look good and have no shtick, then some people won’t like you, because they care more about style than substance. Albert is everything a play-by-play guy should be.

11) For a good part of this weekend, the Cubs’ outfield was Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez and Ian Happ, a catcher and two infielders. At some point, this will hurt you defensively.

10) Mets blew a 7-1 lead Sunday, lost 11-9 in Miller Park; Neil Walker’s baserunning didn’t help them any.

When the Mets were up big, they had a half-inning end on a first-to-second double play, when Walker was a runner on third base. He coasted towards the plate; had he sprinted, he would’ve scored before the third out was made on a tag at second base. But he didn’t, the run didn’t count and it turned out to be a run the Mets really needed later on.

9) Texas Rangers are 6-0 when AJ Griffin starts; they scored 52 runs in the six games.

8) Kyle Stanley birdied the 17th hole island green at the PLAYERS Championship all four days this past weekend, just the second person ever to do that (Paul Azinger).

7) Former big league catcher David Ross makes his ESPN analyst debut on Wednesday night’s Boston-St Louis game, with Jon Sciambi and Aaron Boone.

6) Duke landed PG recruit Trevon Duval, a 5-star recruit. He’ll be in college from Labor Day until the Blue Devils get KO’d from the NCAA tournament. Duke will be a very young team next season.

5) There are now 58 billionaires living in Los Angeles County; hope they all buy suites in the Rams’ new stadium.

4) To people who are complaining about Colin Kaepernick being a free agent, what about Jay Cutler? You don’t think Cutler is better than Kaepernick? If a team had shown interest in signing Cutler, no way would he be working on TV this fall.

3) New idea in marketing: Florists were running ads Monday to sell Mother’s Day stuff to people who forgot to send flowers/gifts on Sunday. Balloons with “I’m really sorry!!!” on them?

2) Toronto Blue Jays have 14 pitchers, 11 position players right now; that means they have only one bench player, other than the backup catcher. Nobody better get ejected.

1) Would Gregg Popovich make a good President? Our country needs someone who is respected by most everyone– there is too much hatred/divisiveness these days. We need someone who can do the right thing without a political agenda. Hard to find people like that nowadays.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge

Tuesday’s game

Warriors blew a 25-point 3rd quarter lead, lost Game 1, now Leonard is out for this game, as well as Parker (out for year). Spurs are 8-1 in last nine games Leonard missed, but this is tough. Warriors are 6-5 in last 11 games vs San Antonio, 2-2 this year- they lost four of last six visits to Oakland. Underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in last five series games. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Spurs are 3-4 on road in playoffs; over is 9-2 in their last 11 games. Golden State is 9-0 (5-4 vs spread) in playoffs; road team is 8-1 vs spread in those games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Conference finals:
San Antonio-Golden State
GState 113-111, -10, O209.5

Second round playoff series:
Boston-Washington
Bos 123-111, -4.5, O216
Bos 129-119 O, -5, O218.5
Wash 116-89, -5.5, U218
Wash 121-102, -5, O214.5
Bos 123-101, -4, O218
Wash 92-91, -5, U215.5
Boston 115-105, -5, O211
Celtics win series 4-3

Cleveland-Toronto
Clev 116-105, -7, O211
Clev 125-103, -7, O214.5
Clev 115-94, -3, U215
Clev 109-102, -7, O210.5
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Houston
Hst 126-99, +6, O215.5
SA 121-96, -5.5, O215
SA 103-92, +5.5, U215
Hst 125-104, -5, O213.5
SA 110-107 OT, -5.5, O216
SA 114-75, -5, U215
Spurs win series, 4-2

Golden State-Utah
GState 106-94, -13, U206.5
GState 115-104, -13.5, O206
GState 102-91, -7, U209
GState 121-95, -9, O207
Warriors win series 4-0

Favorites 12-6-1 (32-28-2)
Over 12-7 (34-28)

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206
Bos 104-95, -1.5, U204
Bos 108-97, –7.5, U205.5
Bos 105-83, -2, U203
Celtics win series 4-2

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210
Clev 106-102, -4, U214
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194
Tor 118-93, -6, O193
Tor 92-89, +1.5, U196.5
Raptors win series, 4-2

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211
Atl 111-101, -2.5 U212.5
Wash 103-99, -6.5, U212
Wash 115-99, +3, O208.5
Wizards win series, 4-2

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5
GState 128-103, -9, O222.5
Warriors win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187
SA 116-103, -10.5, O188.5
SA 103-96, -5.5, O190.5
Spurs win series, 4-2

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224
Hst 113-109, +1, U223.5
Hst 105-99, -7.5, U223.5
Rockets win series, 4-1

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5
Utah 105-98, -5, O196
Utah 96-92, +3, U195.5
LAC 96-93, +5.5, U195.5
Utah 104-91, +3.5, O190.5
Jazz wins series, 4-3

Favorites: 19-24-1 vs spread
Over: 23-21

[StarDust Bum]

NBA notebook: Spurs' Leonard out for Game 2
May 15, 2017

San Antonio star forward Kawhi Leonard will miss Tuesday night's Game 2 of the Western Conference finals at the Golden State Warriors, leaving Spurs coach Gregg Popovich irate over what he felt was an avoidable injury.

Popovich lashed out at Warriors center Zaza Pachulia for his defense on Leonard, telling reporters Monday that the play was "dangerous" and "unsportsmanlike" and citing a past pattern of such play by Pachulia.

Leonard aggravated his left ankle injury on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series when he landed on Pachulia's foot after taking a jump shot early in the third quarter.

San Antonio held a 23-point lead at the time of the injury but couldn't hold of a furious comeback without its best player and dropped a 113-111 decision.

"Lead with your foot close-out is not appropriate. It's dangerous, it's unsportsmanlike, it's just not what anybody does to anybody else," Popovich fumed. "And this particular individual has a history with that kind of action. ... A totally unnatural close-out that the league has outlawed years ago and pays great attention to it.

"We've had a pretty damn good season. We've played fairly well in the playoffs ... and we're up 23 points in the third quarter against Golden State, and Kawhi goes down like that. And you want to know if our chances are less? And you want to know how we feel? That's how we feel."

--Breaking up The Big Three might hand the Boston Celtics the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce Tuesday night during the NBA draft lottery, general manager Danny Ainge and the Celtics could be celebrating. As payment from the Brooklyn Nets for the 2013 draft-day trade that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett out of Boston, the Celtics stand a 25 percent chance of winning the 2017 draft lottery.

Boston retained the right to swap picks in 2018 with the Nets in addition to the Celtics receiving first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Brooklyn had the NBA's worst record (20-62) in 2016-17. The worst possible outcome for the Celtics in cashing in the draft pick Tuesday will be the fourth overall selection.

--The Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a multiyear sponsorship deal to wear Goodyear's iconic Wingfoot logo on their jerseys beginning with the 2017-18 season.

The Cavs and the tire company, founded and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, announced the partnership at Quicken Loans Arena, home of the defending NBA champions.

Cavaliers star LeBron James is Akron's favorite son and the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is the city's cornerstone company, founded in 1898.

"Every Akron kid grew up seeing the Wingfoot in the sky on the blimp and feeling pride in our community," James said in a statement. "There is something special for me personally about having that logo on the Cavs uniform. Goodyear is also very supportive of the LeBron James Family Foundation. I can't imagine a better situation with our new Cavs jersey than bringing together Nike and Goodyear, two companies that mean a lot to me and my family."