The Bum's 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Memphis Grizzlies Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
8:00 PM Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
8:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
10:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— Virginia 74, Louisville 64— Cavaliers are 21-1 and underrated because of their style.

— Purdue 75, Maryland 67— Boilers are first Big 14 team in seven years to start 11-0 in league.

— Wyoming 91, Colorado State 86 2OT— Cowboys won last three games, all in overtime!!!

— Texas Tech 73, Texas 71 OT— Keenan Evans scored 38, had game-winner at buzzer.

— Iowa State 93, West Virginia 77— Mountaineers lost five of their last six games.

— Butler 92, Marquette 72— Marquette’s players actually looked afraid of the Bulldogs. One of the worst Big East games I’ve ever seen.

Quote of the Day

“I’ll tell you, the biggest thing we learned was make sure you have two signal callers, not one signal caller, because they may have all your signals.”
The late Jim Johnson, Eagles’ DC last time they were in the Super Bowl, talking about how the Patriots are adept at stealing teams’ signals from the sidelines.

Thursday’s quiz

Where is Butler University located?

Wednesday’s quiz

Bud Grant is the only person to be head coach in a Super Bowl and also play in the NBA; he coached the Vikings and played for the Minneapolis Lakers.

Tuesday’s quiz

In the movie Draft Day, Kevin Costner plays the GM of the Cleveland Browns.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) For the first time this July, all 30 NBA teams will be represented at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. If you like the NBA, its worth your while to spend a week or so in the desert and watch the summer league in person. I highly recommend it.

12) Vikings losing in the NFC title game was actually a financial boon to hotels/businesses in the Twin Cities, since now more out-of-towners will be visiting Minnesota this week.

When Georgia Bulldogs made the national title game in Atlanta last month, it cost businesses some money to have Georgia in the game, meaning less out-of-state people would be taking up room in local hotels/restaurants.

11) FOX paid the NFL an average of $660M a year to televise 11 Thursday night games each season for the next five years.

10) Things I learned watching the news today; when an AMTRAK train is going full speed, it takes the train a mile to stop.

9) NFL game in Mexico City next season: Chiefs-Rams.

8) January 31 is solid day for baseball birthdays: Nolan Ryan, Ernie Banks, Jackie Robinson.

7) Three officials working in Sunday’s Super Bowl at one point spent time in the Arena League.

6) In the NHL, some teams have road trips where the players’ moms or dads go on that trip with their sons. Pretty cool idea. LA Kings’ eastern road trip now is a dad’s trip.

5) Field for the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands next November:
Eastern Kentucky, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Old Dominion, Oregon State and Penn.

4) Catcher Alex Avila gets two years, $8.25M from the Diamondbacks.

3) Good day for Mookie Betts; he won his arbitration case with the Red Sox, will make $10.5M this season. Boston wanted to pay Betts $7.5M this season.

2) If you’re Kirk Cousins, which team is the your most attractive destination for 2018?
Jets? Broncos? Browns? Bills?

1— In this day and age, with so much technology, how do the Clippers not at least text Blake Griffin and tell him he’s been traded? Its big business and all— the owner of the Clippers used to be the CEO of freakin’ Microsoft. How does Griffin find out about the trade via Twitter?

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge

Thursday’s NBA

Raptors won seven of last nine games with Washington; they’re 3-1 vs spread in last four games in this building. Seven of last nine series games stayed under the total. Toronto won five of its lat seven games; they’re 8-7 as road favorites. Five of last seven games stayed under. Washington won three of last four home games, are 3-4 in last seven games overall. Seven of their last ten games went over total.

Memphis won eight of last ten games with Detroit; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Grizzlies lost three of their last four games; they’re 10-11-1 vs spread on road, 4-2 if they played night before. Seven of their last nine games went over the total. Pistons lost eight of their last nine games; they’re 10-13-1 vs spread at home. Last three Detroit games went over the total.

Spurs won seven of last ten games with Houston; over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Rockets covered three of last four visits to the Alamo. Houston won eight of its last ten games; they’re 13-10 vs spread on road. Eight of their last nine games stayed under total. San Antonio won four of its last five games overall; they’re 16-9 vs spread at home. Four of spurs’ last five games went over the total.

Bucks won six of their last seven games with Minnesota; they covered three of last four visits to the Twin Cities. Six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Milwaukee won its last four games; they’re 6-3 vs spread in last nine games as road underdogs. Eight of their last 10 games stayed under the total. Timberwolves lost four of their last five games; they they covered their last six home games. Last three Minnesota games stayed under.

Thunder won eight of last ten games with Denver; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five games in this arena. Last four series games stayed under total. Oklahoma City won eight of its last nine games; they’re 10-14 vs spread on road. Five of their last six games went over total. Nuggets are 3-4 in their last seven games; they’re 13-12 vs spread at home. Three of their last four games went over the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, February 1

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

MEMPHIS @ DETROIT
Memphis is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Detroit's last 19 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games

TORONTO @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home

MILWAUKEE @ MINNESOTA
Milwaukee is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

HOUSTON @ SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Antonio is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Antonio's last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

OKLAHOMA CITY @ DENVER
Oklahoma City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Denver's last 9 games at home


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 1

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

TORONTO (34 - 15) at WASHINGTON (28 - 22) - 2/1/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 188-237 ATS (-72.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 400-468 ATS (-114.8 Units) in home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MEMPHIS (18 - 32) at DETROIT (23 - 26) - 2/1/2018, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

HOUSTON (36 - 13) at SAN ANTONIO (34 - 19) - 2/1/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MILWAUKEE (27 - 22) at MINNESOTA (32 - 22) - 2/1/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 21) at DENVER (26 - 25) - 2/1/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-5 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's NBA Essentials
February 1, 2018

Game of the Night - Oklahoma City at Denver (-1.5, 204.5), TNT, 10:35 ET

The Thunder responded to losing defensive stopper Andre Roberson with a vengeance. Fueled by the intensity of what’s known in NBA circles as the #PettyWarz, basically, the calling out of one another on social media or following up anything that happens on the floor by immediately referencing it there, Russell Westbrook, emerging king of said phenomenon, took down young Philadelphia stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and then stared them down as the seconds ticked down.

He owed them payback after they shot off at the mouth following an OT game in Philly.

Two nights later, Oklahoma City was losing in our nation’s capital to the John Wall-less Wizards. Westbrook shot 5-for-18, Carmelo Anthony came up woefully short on a game-tying attempt and shot 7-for-21 as the Thunder lost for the first time since Jan. 10, ending an eight-game winning streak.

They were flat in D.C., so we’ll see if there’s something that they can get up for in Denver since they face major challenges ahead with their top defender and standout glue guy done due to a ruptured patella tendon suffered this past weekend. Worse yet, the duo who has emerged most responsible for replacing Roberson in the lineup, rookie wing Terrance Ferguson and fourth-year forward Josh Huestis, combined for three points, nine boards and a number of miscues in losing to the Wizards.

A Northwest Division where three teams are separated by a game-and-a-half now that the hot Trail Blazers have closed on the Timberwolves and Thunder will likely be the first with three 30-win teams, so there’s really little room for error. Oklahoma City is even with Houston at 8-2 with the league’s best record over its last 10 games, but its road record of 11-14 is middle-of-the-road and it has just a 16-14 mark against the Western Conference.

The Thunder will play in Denver for the second time this season after having a five-game winning streak in the Mile-High city snapped in a 102-94 loss on Nov. 9. They beat the Nuggets in Oklahoma City on Dec. 18 by a single point as Westbrook scored 38 points to help overcome Paul George and Carmelo Anthony contributed only 12.

Only the Cavs have provided their fans a roller-coaster ride with the twists and turns OKC has supplied, so it will be interesting to see how they fare here since there will be 30 games remaining after the conclusion of this one. Before the All-Star break, the Thunder will play both the Lakers and Grizzlies twice apiece in addition to a visit to Golden State and a home date with Cleveland, so they’ll be in the spotlight plenty with the trade deadline also on the horizon.

If the postseason began today, Denver would be in the Warriors’ sights as the No. 8 seed, entering Thursday with a 26-25 mark, a half-game up on the Clippers. The Nuggets have been among the NBA’s worst road teams, but at Pepsi Center, are tied with OKC for the league’s seventh-best home record. Maybe Westbrook can get himself worked up over that.

Nikola Jokic followed up his second triple-double of the season in Saturday night’s win over Dallas with strong play and improved a shooting percentage that was hovering around 40 percent to a clip of 43 by shooting 14-for-28 in tight losses on back-to-back nights against the Celtics and Spurs. br />
Jokic was on a minutes restriction after being out of the lineup for weeks due to a severe ankle sprain when these teams squared off on Dec. 18, so he has played fewer than 30 in each of the games played against the Thunder this season, averaging 14 points and 10 boards. His matchup with Steven Adams will be among the night’s most compelling.

Denver got good news with shooting guard Gary Harris being upgraded to probable after dealing with a knee injury. He’s averaged 19.8 points over his last four games but is shooting under 41 percent and has averaged just 13.3 points in the two OKC games.

The Nuggets lost center Mason Plumlee to a calf strain that will cost him a week or two, so they’re starting Darrell Arthur, moving Jokic to the middle and offering emerging standout Trey Lyles more minutes off the bench. In OKC’s current state, still figuring out rotations after the loss of a key player, Denver’s depth in the city’s altitude will play a large role. We’ll see if Wilson Chandler is back in the mix after catching a DNP-CD as rookie Torrey Craig gets more time.

The Nuggets have been dreadful against the spread since Jan. 6, going 3-8-2. The under is 14-6 in Denver’s last 20. The struggles in D.C. snapped OKC’s run of five straight ‘overs’. The under has prevailed in both head-to-head meetings.

Blake representin' the D

After hearing what Mason cooks up on the P.A. to introduce newcomer Blake Griffin in what will likely be the highlight of my night, we all get to watch him debut for the Pistons against the Grizzlies.

There's no spread on the board as of the time of this writing -- only Toronto at Washington had a number -- but you can bet the Pistons will be the heaviest favorite they've been in 2018. The previous high had them laying 6 against the Nets. This shouldn't be double-digits, but with the Grizzlies playing on the second night of a back-to-back and a big crowd expected to greet the new guy, you can expect a large number

Detroit comes off its second-highest scoring output of the season, a 125-point outburst despite being short-handed aggainst the Cavs. It has only beaten San Antonio, Houston and Cleveland over its past eight home games and haven't covered as a home favorite sicne Dec. 26.

The Grizzlies are resting Tyreke Evans until they're able to get him traded, so he won't participate here. Unless they get JaMychal Green or James Ennis back, Memphis will be only about eight or nine-deep on the second night of a back-to-back.

The top teams in the Southeast Division going at it would normally get the "Game of the Night" tag, but even though the teams are only separated by four games, it's hard to get excited about their second meeting with Kawhi Leonard out. Fortunately, the teams meet on March 12 and April 1.

In the midst of a five-game homestand, San Antonio has defeated Denver and Sacramento after opening the stint with an embarrassing 97-78 loss to Philadelphia. LaMarcus Aldridge has had huge nights against the Rockets before, so by no means should you expect the Rockets to keep on rolling just by showing up. James Harden comes off the first 60-point triple-double in NBA history, but is missing Trevor Ariza (hamstring) and could be without Chris Paul (groin) and Eric Gordon (back), which means three of the team's top six could be out.

Injury report

Washington is playing without Wall for 6-to-8 weeks due to a recurring knee issue, which means Bradley Beal will be the focal point. He won't have to deal with Raptors backup point guard Fred Van Vleet, who has been on a tear of late but is away from the team after becoming a father to a baby girl. Delon Wright should get more time behind Kyle Lowry.

The Bucks are likely to be without starting point guard Eric Bledsoe due to an ankle injury that has him designated as doubtful. Malcolm Brogdon just returned to the lineup and should see the ball more. All eyes, however, will be on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler, who will square off for the second time after each getting into the 20s in a 102-96 Bucks home win on Dec. 28.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at WAS 07:00 PM
TOR -3.5
U 214.5

MEM at DET 07:00 PM
DET -8.5
O 202.0

HOU at SA 08:00 PM
HOU -1.5
O 209.0

MIL at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -6.0
O 208.5

OKC at DEN 10:30 PM
DEN +1.5
U 218.0

[StarDust Bum]

Griffin gets double-double as Pistons beat Grizzlies 104-102
February 1, 2018

DETROIT (AP) Blake Griffin had 24 points and 10 rebounds in his debut for Detroit, and the Pistons edged the Memphis Grizzlies 104-102 on Thursday night.

Griffin was impressive throughout his first game for the Pistons since they traded for him earlier this week. His teammates looked uncertain at times, but Detroit was able to outlast a Memphis team that is without Tyreke Evans and Mike Conley.

Anthony Tolliver's 3-pointer with under two minutes remaining gave Detroit a 101-100 lead, and the score stayed that way until the final seconds. Marc Gasol attempted to drive on Griffin but missed his shot, and a wild scramble led to a jump ball between Tolliver and Dillon Brooks with 10.4 seconds left.

The Pistons controlled that tip, with Reggie Bullock running the ball down in the corner. Tolliver gave Detroit a three-point lead with a pair of free throws, and then purposely fouled Wayne Selden with 2.6 seconds remaining. Selden made the first free throw and the second went in even though he was trying to miss and give his team a chance at an offensive rebound.

A free throw by Bullock closed out the scoring.

NUGGETS 127, THUNDER 124

DENVER (AP) - Gary Harris made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and finished with 25 points to lift the Denver Nuggets to a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nikola Jokic added his third triple-double of the season with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists, including the inbounds pass to Harris with 1.4 seconds remaining. Harris grabbed the ball and put it up for the win before running off the court, his hand held high in celebration.

Jamal Murray had 33 points to lead the Nuggets, who had lost their previous two games by a total of three points when they missed last-second shots.

Paul George had a season-high 43 points to lead the Thunder. Westbrook had 21 assists, one shy of his career high, to go with 20 points and nine rebounds.

ROCKETS 102, SPURS 91

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - James Harden had 28 points and 11 assists, and the Rockets dominated the Spurs for the second time this season.

Clint Capela added 14 points and 13 rebounds in Houston's third straight win. The Rockets led by as many as 19 points in the first matchup between the Texas rivals since the Spurs' 124-109 blowout loss on Dec. 15 in Houston.

Danny Green had 22 points to lead San Antonio in scoring for the first time this season. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting.

The Spurs' only lead came in the opening minutes. They trailed by double digits for much of the night.

TIMBERWOLVES 108, BUCKS 89

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds for his NBA-best 46th double-double.

The Timberwolves were coming off consecutive losses at Atlanta and Toronto. They have lost six of their last seven road games and have returned home with back-to-back losses from their last three road trips.

Each time, Minnesota has responded at home with a victory, winning by an average of 14.25 points. The Timberwolves' 21-6 home record represents the second-most home wins in the NBA behind San Antonio's 22.

Khris Middleton scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which had won four in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

WIZARDS 122, RAPTORS 119

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bradley Beal scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half, leading Washington to the victory.

The Wizards had eight players score in double figures in their third straight win without All-Star John Wall, who had surgery on his left knee on Wednesday. Otto Porter Jr. had 16 points and 11 rebounds in his first double-double since early December, and Markieff Morris scored 15 points - including five straight in a stretch that gave Washington the lead for good.

Kyle Lowry scored 17 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter for Toronto, but missed two late free throws. DeMar DeRozan added 23 points for the Raptors, who lost for the first time in eight regular-season trips to Washington.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Indiana Pacers Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:30 PM Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics TD Garden
7:30 PM Los Angeles Lakers Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center
7:30 PM Portland Trail Blazers Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:00 PM Miami Heat Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
8:00 PM New York Knicks Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center
9:00 PM New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
9:00 PM Utah Jazz Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:30 PM Golden State Warriors Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center

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

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

02/01/2018 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Six college basketball teams with the biggest budgets last season:

6) Arizona Wildcats $11.8M

5) Indiana Hoosiers $12.1M

4) Syracuse Orangemen $13.9M

3) Duke Blue Devils $17.9M

2) Louisville Cardinals $17.9M

1) Kentucky Wildcats $18.9M

Quote of the Day

“The desire to get back to the excitement of March is something that’s been driving us since the summer,. Can we get ourselves back in that position and take the next step? We were two minutes and a four-point lead away from getting to the second weekend. Simple things like not getting a free throw or a rebound probably cost us the Sweet 16. That’s why this team is laser-focused on every detail.”
Rhode Island basketball coach Danny Hurley

Friday’s quiz

Where did Baker Mayfield play college football before transferring to Oklahoma?

Thursday’s quiz

Butler University is located in Indianapolis

Wednesday’s quiz

Bud Grant is the only person to be head coach in a Super Bowl and also play in the NBA; he coached the Vikings and played for the Minneapolis Lakers.

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

Friday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……

13) Georgia Tech 55, Syracuse 51— The current state of college hoop; total of only 13 players played in this game— four of the 13 kids played the whole 40:00.

Lot of teams have almost no depth, partially because of the transfer epidemic (most transfers have to sit out a year) and injuries.

Teams combined to shoot 10-36 on the arc in this game; had to be lot of tired legs out there.

12) Is Wyoming the most fun team in the country? Cowboys are 15-7, 6-0 in overtime games this season; they won their last three games in OT, with two of those going double OT.

Wyoming’s starting guards are a freshman/sophomore, but their two forwards are their two best players- Justin James, who has 91 points in his last three games, and Hayden Dalton, who played 46:00 twice in their last three games. Good passer, solid glue guy.

11) If you like to shoot the ball a lot when you play pickup ball, then Central Michigan’s Josh Kozinski is your new hero.

Against Northern Illinois Wednesday, Kozinski played 27:00, scored 24 points— he made 8-15 on the arc, but did almost nothing else. One rebound, one assist, one steal. A specialist.

For the season, Kozinski has taken 91 3-pointers, five 2-point shots, 17 foul shots.

10) Northern Arizona is a bad, obscure team; they’re 3-18, 1-9 in the Big Sky- they even lost to an NAIA school named Embry-Riddle, which I think used to be a pilot’s school. NAU is 10-36 in conference games the last three years.

But its not wise to bet against the Lumberjacks; they covered six of their last seven games, are 7-3 vs spread in Big Sky games, 4-1 on the road. Go figure.

9) Cal-Irvine 75, Long Beach State 68— 49ers led by 7 with 12:50 left in game Wednesday, but fell apart in last few minutes and are now 13-13, 6-3 in conference.

Long Beach has a starting forward, I won’t mention his name, but the kid went 0-7 on the foul line, 3-9 from the floor and turned ball over three times. He is shooting 65.9% from the line for the year, so going 0-7 on the line in a home game is odd.

8) Pitt Panthers are 0-10 in the ACC, but they’ve covered their last five games.

7) Villanova will probably be a #1 seed in the NCAA’s, but since 2010, Wildcats have made the Sweet 16 once, when they won the national title two years ago.

Villanova won five of last seven first round games, but is 1-4 in last five second round games.

6) Arizona will also be a highly-seeded team; they’ve won 19 of last 20 games, but the second weekend of the NCAA’s hasn’t been kind to the Wildcats.

Since 2002, Arizona is 5-4 in Sweet 16 games, 0-5 in Elite 8 games. If you pick the Wildcats to get to the Final Four, do so at your own risk.

5) Apparently when the Patriots won the Super Bowl LY, they had rings made up with 283 diamonds in each ring, which seems excessive, but the “28-3” is reference to the score Atlanta led last year’s game, before things fell apart for them.

Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank isn’t happy about the “283 diamond” thing:

“I said to Robert (Kraft), ‘You didn’t have to do the 28-3 in the ring. It kind of pissed me off.”

Alrighty then.

4) If you like math, that adds up to 14,999 diamonds just for the 53 rings that went to players. If Mr Blank owned a jewelry store instead of Home Depot, he might not be so mad.

3) New Orleans Pelicans got Nikola Mirotic and a 2nd-round pick from Chicago in exchange for a 1st-round pick, Omer Asik, Jameer Nelson and Tony Allen, who will be waived soon— his acquisition just balanced out cap numbers. Mirotic replaces the injured DeMarcus Cousins.

2) Thursday night’s college basketball upsets:
Cleveland State (+9.5) 77, Wright State 74
Citadel (+9) 80, Wofford 78
Temple 81 (+6), Wichita State 79 OT

1) One of the highlights for me every fall is when the Blue Ribbon Yearbook comes in the mail in October- it is an encyclopedia of college basketball.

This fall, their Newcomer of the Year: Michael Porter Jr of Missouri

Blue Ribbon’s Player of the Year: Bonzie Colson of Notre Dame

Missouri gave Porter’s father a coaching job when they signed the son and his brother, but Porter Jr played two minutes in the season opener before a back injury ended his season.

Colson got hurt and hasn’t played since December 30 and is likely done for the year. Notre Dame lost its last six games- they also have other injuries.

Even the college basketball encyclopedia couldn’t foresee some of this season’s events.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, February 2

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

INDIANA @ CHARLOTTE
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games on the road
Charlotte is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Charlotte is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

ATLANTA @ BOSTON
Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

LA LAKERS @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Lakers's last 11 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Brooklyn's last 11 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Brooklyn's last 17 games at home

PORTLAND @ TORONTO
Portland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Portland is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
Toronto is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

MIAMI @ PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

NEW YORK @ MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New York's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games at home

UTAH @ PHOENIX
Utah is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing at home against Utah

NEW ORLEANS @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Orleans's last 9 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oklahoma City is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against New Orleans

GOLDEN STATE @ SACRAMENTO
Golden State is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing Sacramento
Golden State is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, February 2


Indiana @ Charlotte

Game 801-802
February 2, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
118.912
Charlotte
119.852
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 1
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 3 1/2
211
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+3 1/2); Under

Atlanta @ Boston

Game 803-804
February 2, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
115.201
Boston
121.335
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 6
203
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
N/A

Portland @ Toronto

Game 805-806
February 2, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
117.233
Toronto
125.312
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 8
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-4 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Brooklyn

Game 807-808
February 2, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
113.152
Brooklyn
116.981
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 3 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 1 1/2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(-1 1/2); Over

Miami @ Philadelphia

Game 809-810
February 2, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
121.312
Philadelphia
122.675
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 4 1/2
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+4 1/2); Over

New York @ Milwaukee

Game 811-812
February 2, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
115.763
Milwaukee
118.692
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 3
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 4 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+4 1/2); Over

Utah @ Phoenix

Game 813-814
February 2, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
119.424
Phoenix
112.507
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 7
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 5 1/2
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(-5 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Oklahoma City

Game 815-816
February 2, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
117.342
Oklahoma City
125.871
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 8 1/2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 6 1/2
220
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-6 1/2); Under

Golden State @ Sacramento

Game 817-818
February 2, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
128.734
Sacramento
113.619
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 15
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
221
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-12 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, February 2

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

INDIANA (29 - 23) at CHARLOTTE (21 - 29) - 2/2/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 216-164 ATS (+35.6 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 55-70 ATS (-22.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

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

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

ATLANTA (15 - 36) at BOSTON (37 - 15) - 2/2/2018, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-6 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 9-6 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (29 - 22) at TORONTO (34 - 16) - 2/2/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 179-222 ATS (-65.2 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 188-238 ATS (-73.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-2 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-0 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA LAKERS (19 - 31) at BROOKLYN (19 - 33) - 2/2/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 3-1 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 4-1 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MIAMI (29 - 22) at PHILADELPHIA (24 - 24) - 2/2/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 75-54 ATS (+15.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 74-57 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 141-106 ATS (+24.4 Units) in February games since 1996.
MIAMI is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

NEW YORK (23 - 29) at MILWAUKEE (27 - 23) - 2/2/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 398-464 ATS (-112.4 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 54-85 ATS (-39.5 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 363-437 ATS (-117.7 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.

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

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

UTAH (22 - 28) at PHOENIX (18 - 34) - 2/2/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 39-56 ATS (-22.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 7-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW ORLEANS (27 - 23) at OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 22) - 2/2/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 122-158 ATS (-51.8 Units) in road games in the second half of the season since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 187-147 ATS (+25.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-30 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.

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

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

GOLDEN STATE (40 - 11) at SACRAMENTO (16 - 34) - 2/2/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-39 ATS (-16.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 59-85 ATS (-34.5 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-4 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
February 2, 2018

Game of the Night: Heat at 76ers – 8:00 PM EST

These two Eastern Conference squads are hooking up for the first time this season as the home team captured all four matchups last season. Miami (29-22 SU, 24-24-3 ATS) still leads the Southeast division in spite of Wednesday’s 91-89 setback at Cleveland. The Heat managed a narrow cover as 2 ½-point underdogs, but Erik Spoelstra’s club shot a dismal 3-of-28 from three-point range and 14-of-25 from the foul line.

Philadelphia (24-24 SU, 26-21-1 ATS) returns home from a 1-3 road swing, as the 76ers hit the highway again on Saturday to face Indiana. The Sixers began their recent away trip with an impressive 97-78 blowout of the Spurs, but dropped three straight to close it out by falling at Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn. Philadelphia’s defense was lit up in each of the past three losses, allowing at least 107 points each time, while giving up 116 points to Brooklyn on Wednesday after the Nets posted 97 points or fewer in their previous three games.

The 76ers compiled a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS record at Wells Fargo Center in January, including victories over San Antonio and Toronto. Miami’s offense tries to get on track following five consecutive games scoring 95 points or less, while finishing UNDER the total in each of those contests. Following Wednesday’s cover at Cleveland, the Heat have compiled an impressive 9-2 ATS record in its past 11 games away from American Airlines Arena.

Portland Power

A three-game skid in mid-January is in the rear-view mirror for the Blazers (29-22 SU, 25-21-5 ATS), who have won seven of their past eight games. The latest victory during this current four-game hot streak came in Wednesday’s 124-108 blowout of the Bulls as eight-point home favorites. C.J. McCollum blew up for 50 points on 18-of-25 shooting for Portland, who led 43-19 after the first quarter. Portland embarks on a three-game road swing against Eastern Conference foes, starting in Toronto.

The Raptors (34-16 SU, 26-24 ATS) return home with no rest following Thursday’s 122-119 defeat at Washington as four-point road favorites. Toronto has posted an 0-3 SU/ATS record in its last three tries in games on the second of a back-to-back set, including a home setback last month to Miami. The Raptors are facing their fifth consecutive Western Conference team at home, winning three of the past four games. Toronto seeks the season sweep of Portland after beating the Blazers at the Moda Center, 99-85 in October as four-point underdogs.

Kings for Another Day?

Sacramento (16-34 SU, 21-26-3 ATS) is staring at another draft lottery appearance for the 12th consecutive season. However, the Kings are coming off a successful end to their six-game road trip by winning three of the final four contests, including Wednesday’s triumph at New Orleans. Sacramento did an excellent job cashing tickets by covering in four of the last five games, including outright victories over the Heat and Pelicans as 9+ point ‘dogs.

The Kings host the defending champion Warriors (40-11 SU, 22-28-1 ATS), who are fresh off their worst loss of the season. Utah thumped Golden State on Wednesday, 129-99 as the Warriors allowed the Jazz to shoot 58% from the floor. Golden State has yet to beat Sacramento this season, albeit only the second meeting between these two northern California squads. The Kings held off the Warriors as 13-point ‘dogs at Oracle Arena in late November, 110-106 to pick up their fourth cover in the last five meetings with Golden State. However, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each sat out for the Warriors that night, but Golden State carries a 6-12 ATS record this season as a favorite of 11 points or more

Hornets’ Best?

Charlotte (21-29 SU, 21-25-4 ATS) put together one of its top offensive performances of the season in Wednesday’s 123-110 victory at Atlanta as 2 ½-point favorites. Not only did the Hornets beat the Hawks for the third time this season, but Charlotte knocked down 17 three-pointers, including nine from Kemba Walker to go along with his 38 points. The Hornets own a 3-4 record this season following an output of at least 120 points, while compiling a dreadful 2-11 mark the last 13 games off a victory.

The next test for the Hornets is hosting a Pacers’ (29-23 SU, 28-24 ATS) squad that beat Charlotte on Monday, 105-96 as 1 ½-point favorites. Indiana finished off a sweep of its three-game homestand in Wednesday’s 105-101 win over Memphis, although the Pacers failed to cash as 8 ½-point favorites. The Pacers have split their last six games away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse, while dropping their last three visits to Charlotte.

Struck Down

Oklahoma City (30-22 SU, 22-30 ATS) was rolling by winning eight consecutive games, but are nursing a two-game skid following last-minute losses at Washington and Denver. In Thursday’s setback to the Nuggets, the Thunder erased a 20-point third quarter deficit to tie the game late at 124-124 on a Paul George three-pointer. However, the Nuggets needed one second to win it as Gary Harris drilled a trey at the buzzer to beat the Thunder, 127-124 as OKC failed to cash as 1 ½-point favorites.

The Thunder have won five straight contests at Chesapeake Energy Arena as OKC welcomes in New Orleans (27-23 SU, 25-24-1 ATS), who continues life without DeMarcus Cousins. Since the All-Star forward went down with an Achilles’ tear against Houston last Friday, the Pelicans are 0-2 SU/ATS with home losses to the Clippers and Kings. New Orleans has responded in the role of an underdog recently by winning outright in its last three opportunities, while knocking off OKC in its first matchup this season as three-point ‘dogs, 114-107 in November.

Fast Break

-- The Celtics have defeated the Hawks twice in Atlanta this season as the two clubs hook up in Boston. Kyrie Irving is questionable with a quad injury that kept him sidelined in Wednesday’s blowout of the Knicks, as Boston owns a 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS record the past four games. The Hawks have won only four of 24 games away from Philips Arena, including a 1-11 mark the past 12 road contests.

-- Both the Lakers and Nets are seeking their 20th wins of the season tonight at Barclays Center. Brooklyn snapped a four-game skid by knocking off Philadelphia as seven-point home ‘dogs, 116-108 on Wednesday, while the Lakers were blown out by the Magic, 127-105 as short road favorites. Los Angeles topped Brooklyn in the first matchup at Staples Center in November, 124-112, as the Lakers are 4-1 in the past five meetings with the Nets.

-- The Knicks finish off a brutal travel stretch by playing in their 10th different city since January 15. New York owns a 4-5 record following Wednesday’s 30-point setback at Boston as the Knicks face the Bucks for the first time this season in Milwaukee. The Bucks play with no rest after getting blown out at Minnesota last night, but Milwaukee has fared well on the second of a back-to-back set by owning a 7-3 SU and 7-2-1 ATS record.

-- The Jazz have picked up some momentum of late by pulling off three straight victories, including wins over the Raptors and Warriors. Utah heads to Phoenix as a road favorite as the Suns defeated the Jazz in late October, 97-88. Phoenix ended a five-game skid in Wednesday’s blowout of Dallas, as the Suns seek consecutive home wins for the first time late October.

[StarDust Bum]

DeRozan, Raptors roll past Blazers, improve to 20-4 at home
February 2, 2018

TORONTO (AP) DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 18 and the Toronto Raptors beat Portland 130-105 on Friday night, their sixth straight win over the Trail Blazers.

Fred VanVleet scored 16 points, Kyle Lowry had 15 and Pascal Siakam 13 as the Raptors improved their home record to 20-4, the best mark in the NBA.

DeRozan made 11 of 22 shots and matched his career-high by making six 3-pointers. He finished 6 for 10 from long range.

The Raptors made a season high 19 3-pointers. Toronto shot 19 for 40 from behind the arc, with nine players making at least one 3-pointer.

Damian Lillard scored 32 points, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach 10,000 for his career, but Portland's four-game winning streak was snapped. The Blazers have lost five of their past seven on the road.

WARRIORS 119, KINGS 104

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 13 of his 33 points in the second quarter and matched his season-high with six 3-pointers, and Golden State held on to beat Sacramento.

Three nights after getting blown out in Utah while suffering their worst loss of the season, the defending NBA champs looked a little sluggish early before pulling away to even the season series with Sacramento and give coach Steve Kerr his 248th career victory.

Golden State also improved to 11-0 in games following losses while spoiling Sacramento coach Dave Joeger's return to the bench.

Sacramento trailed by 14 before pulling to 89-88 with 7:55 remaining following three consecutive baskets by Buddy Hield.

BUCKS 92, KNICKS 90

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo made a driving layup with 1.9 seconds remaining after Jabari Parker chipped in with 12 points in his first game in nearly a year, lifting Milwaukee over New York.

Antetokounmpo, who sprained his left ankle late in Thursday night's loss to Minnesota, showed no ill effects and led all scorers with 29 points.

Parker hadn't played since tearing his left ACL on Feb. 8, 2017, in a game against Miami. He made 4 of 7 shots over nearly 15 minutes as a reserve.

Enes Kanter had 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Knicks, who were coming off a 103-73 loss to Boston on Wednesday night. Kristaps Porzingis also had 17 points.

CELTICS 119, HAWKS 110

BOSTON (AP) - Terry Rozier had a career-high 31 points and seven rebounds in his second NBA start, Jayson Tatum added a career-high 27 points and short-handed Boston beat Atlanta.

Rozier started in place of the injured Kyrie Irving. The third-year guard became the second player in league history with a triple-double in his first start, totaling 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Wednesday's blowout of the Knicks.

Irving missed his second straight game with a right quad contusion that he suffered in Monday's win at Denver and was one of four Boston players who sat with injuries on Friday.

Jaylen Brown scored 19 points and Al Horford had 17 with seven assists to help lead Boston to its fourth win in five tries.

Taruean Prince had a career-high 31 points and eight rebounds to lead the Hawks, who have lost five of six. Dennis Schroder added 25 points and Marco Belinelli had 15.

PELICANS 114, THUNDER 100

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Anthony Davis scored 43 points to help New Orleans beat Oklahoma City.

Davis made 17 of 34 shots and had 10 rebounds, and E'Twaun Moore added 26 points for the Pelicans.

New Orleans had lost two straight since All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season with a left Achilles tendon rupture. They righted the ship by shooting 51 percent from the field against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 16th triple-double of the season. Steven Adams had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who lost their third straight after an eight-game winning streak.

JAZZ 129, SUNS 97

PHOENIX (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points, one shy of his career high, and Utah beat Phoenix to win its fourth in a row.

The Jazz rookie sensation made 14 of 19 shots and a career-best seven 3s in nine attempts. It was the sixth game of at least 30 points in his young NBA career.

Ricky Rubio had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Jazz. Joe Ingles added 16 points, including 4-of-6 3s, and Derrick Favors had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Josh Jackson led the Suns with 20 points. Devin Booker, still bothered by bruised ribs, scored 18 points for Phoenix but on 7-of-24 shooting.

The Jazz, who hadn't played since their 30-point home win over Golden State on Tuesday night, opened a four-game trip in dominating fashion.

HORNETS 133, PACERS 126

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 41 points on 11-for-22 shooting and Charlotte beat Indiana with the help of a record-setting first quarter.

Buoyed by 16 points from Nicolas Batum, the Hornets scored 49 points in the first, a franchise-best for a quarter. Charlotte connected on 7 of 11 from 3-point range and hit 19 of 23 from the field in that stretch. It marked the highest point total for an NBA team in any quarter this season.

Four other Hornets players scored in double digits, led by Batum's 31 points and Dwight Howard's 12 points and 11 rebounds. Charlotte won its second in a row.

Victor Oladipo had 35 points for the Pacers, who halted a three-game winning streak. Myles Turner added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.

76ERS 103, HEAT 97

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Joel Embiid opened the first set of back-to-back games in his NBA career with 17 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Philadelphia past Miami.

Dario Saric made his first five buckets and had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Simmons, the rookie star who felt snubbed from the All-Star game, scored 20 points.

Embiid was expected to play Saturday at Indiana in what would be the first-ever back-to-back for the 7-foot-2 center, who missed his first two seasons with injuries.

Kelly Olynyk scored 19 points for the Heat, who outscored the 76ers 37-17 in the fourth quarter. Miami turned a 28-point hole into a four-point game with 25 seconds left.

LAKERS 102, NETS 99

NEW YORK (AP) - Brook Lopez scored 19 points in his return to Brooklyn, making Los Angeles' final basket with 1:28 left.

The Nets' career leader in scoring and blocked shots also had a big block down the stretch as the Lakers did just enough to avoid a third straight loss.

Julius Randle had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Brandon Ingram added 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Josh Hart finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, helping Los Angeles to a 56-38 advantage on the boards.

Spencer Dinwiddie had 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Nets. Rookie Jarrett Allen, playing the center spot Lopez occupied for nine seasons in New Jersey and later Brooklyn before getting dealt to Los Angeles in the trade that brought D'Angelo Russell to Brooklyn, had a season-best 20 points.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center
7:00 PM Miami Heat Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:00 PM Washington Wizards Orlando Magic Amway Center
8:30 PM Houston Rockets Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
9:00 PM New Orleans Pelicans Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
9:00 PM Utah Jazz San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:00 PM Dallas Mavericks Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center