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

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NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, April 7


Portland @ San Antonio

Game 711-712
April 7, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
121.419
San Antonio
121.226
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
Even
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 4 1/2
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+4 1/2); Over

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NBA Betting Roadmap: Final home games of the season are a spot bet gold mine
Al McMordie

LaMarcus Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs are 1-11 straight up in their last 12 road games. The club's defense ranks 22nd in the NBA in games played away from its home court.

The NBA's season has just six days left, and most of the playoff seeds are unknown at this juncture. In the Eastern conference, Cleveland and Philly are tussling over the No. 3 seed, while Miami, Washington and Milwaukee all hope to avoid the eighth slot.

Out West, it's even more congested with the Jazz, Spurs, Thunder, Pelicans, Timberwolves and Nuggets separated by a mere two games in the standings. Let's take a look at the season's final week.

Spread Watch

There is no hotter team in the NBA right now than the Philadelphia 76ers. Brett Brown's men have won their last 12 games and have covered 10 in a row. This hot streak has moved the 76ers within a half-game of the Cavaliers for the third seed in the East. And, of course, with a hobbled Celtics squad currently in second, the third spot is a lot more desirable than the fourth.

What's most impressive about Philly's streak is that it has continued to win ever since center Joel Embiid went down with an injury on March 28. The Sixers will be favored to win each of their four remaining games, including the all-important home game on Friday, April 6 vs. Cleveland.

Can the Sixers run the table and end the season on a 16-game win streak (and 14-game ATS win streak)? I wouldn't bet against them. And especially not if they top Cleveland on Friday (which I think they will).

The Sixers will have a big advantage in that game because Cleveland will be playing without rest, and the Cavaliers are an awful 2-14 ATS on the road off back-to-back wins when playing without rest. Lay the points with the 76ers on Friday.

Total Watch

The San Antonio Spurs have a severe home/road bias this season. At home, the Spurs are 31-8 straight-up and 24-13-2 ATS. And they've won their last nine home games in a row (8-1 ATS; 7-2 Under the total).

But on the road, San Antonio is a miserable 14-26 SU and 17-22-1 ATS, including 0-7 SU its last seven (and 1-11 SU its last 12). A key reason for this is that San Antonio's defense has not traveled with it on the road. Since the All-Star break, the Spurs' defensive rating at home is 97.3 (second in the NBA) and 110.5 on the road (22nd).

Not surprisingly, San Antonio has now gone Over the total in 10 of its last 14 road games. The Spurs will close out the season with home games against Portland and Sacramento, and a road game next Wednesday, at New Orleans. Of these, I would target the Saturday night home game vs. the Trail Blazers to play Under the total, as Portland's currently riding a 5-1 Under streak.

Injury Watch

The Golden State Warriors are the league's most talented team. Unfortunately, this might be a star-crossed season (which some might view as karma for Zaza Pachulia's takeout of Kawhi Leonard in last year's playoffs).

Steph Curry and Patrick McCaw have significant injuries, while Omri Casspi and Andre Iguodala also are hobbled. The Warriors are 57-22 SU and 33-46 ATS this season, and firmly planted in second place in the Western Conference.

They also haven't covered two straight games since February 26, and have gone 5-13 ATS since. The Dubs will play their final home game of the season on Saturday versus the Pelicans (who are still battling for a playoff spot), and then travel to play the Suns (Sunday) and Jazz (Tuesday).

Without anything to play for, I would grab the points with Phoenix in a home underdog role, on Sunday. Yes, it's true that the Warriors have won 14 straight in the series, but the last game was close, and the Suns easily covered in Oakland as 14.5-point underdogs.

This game will be Phoenix's final home game of the season, and home underdogs have cashed 60 percent since 1991 in their final home game when playing teams with .666 winning percentages or better.

Take the Suns + the points over Golden State.

Schedule Watch

The Washington Wizards will close out their home schedule with a game next Tuesday vs. the Celtics. And the Wizards will play that game with a significant rest advantage. The Wiz will have had the previous three days off, while the Celtics will play on just one day of rest. Since 1991, .500 or better teams have cashed 59.2 percent in their final home games of the season when playing with at least two more days' of rest than their opponents.

We'll lay the points with Washington on Tuesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Saturday
April 7, 2018

Saturday’s NBA slate only has six games on tap and since a lot of the contests have looked like “G-League” matchups lately, I’m focusing on the meaningful matchups. Make a note that if the first round of the NBA playoffs started today, this would be the current bracket.

East
1 Toronto vs. 8 Washington
2 Boston vs. 7 Milwaukee
3 Philadelphia vs. 6 Miami
4 Cleveland vs. 5 Indiana

West
1 Houston vs. 8 Minnesota
2 Golden State vs. 7 Oklahoma City
3 Portland vs. 6 San Antonio
4 Utah vs. 5 New Orleans

All eight seeds in the Eastern Conference are locked up and Toronto (1) and Boston (2) have sealed their spots. The top two spots in the West are also set with Houston (1) and Golden State (2) but Portland is the only other team to clinch in that conference. We have five days left, five spots available and six seeds to be handed out in the West.


Straight Up – SU, Against the Spread - ATS

Denver (44-35 SU, 35-41-3 ATS) at L.A. Clippers (42-37 SU, 42-37 ATS)

The action starts early with the Nuggets and Clippers clashing from the Staples Center in an afternoon matinee at 3:35 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers sent the game out as a pick ‘em but most shops are holding Denver as a two-point road favorite while the total is hovering between 222 and 223 as of Saturday morning.

Both clubs are currently on the outside of the Western Conference playoff race and a loss for either club would seriously hinder their chances. Los Angeles would be eliminated with a setback and Denver would lose its advantage over Minnesota, who sits a game above them in the eighth and final seed.

The Nuggets enter this matchup with a four-game winning streak but those victories have come by a combined 11 points and they’ve burned bettors with a 1-3 mark against the spread during this span.

Despite dealing with a ton of injuries and trading away their best player in Blake Griffin, the Clippers have been a pleasant surprise this season. However, Thursday’s 117-95 loss at Utah was telling and it seemed like head coach Doc Rivers was waving the white flag.

"It was the first game I thought we let go of the rope," Rivers said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Like, you could see it early. It was disappointing. It happens. It's life. We have to get over it. I have to watch the film. That was disappointing tonight."

Including that loss, Los Angeles has dropped three of four and the defense (110.8 PPG) hasn’t been sharp down the stretch, which has led to a 3-1 ‘over’ mark.

L.A. should be confident for this game knowing its gone 2-0 both SU and ATS versus Denver this season.

If the Nuggets do make the playoffs, they’ll have the worst road record among the 16 teams. Headed into this game, Denver is 14-25 SU and 16-21-2 ATS as a visitor this season. As a road favorite, the Nuggets have gone 7-8 SU and 5-10 ATS this season.

Win or lose, it’s hard to imagine the Nuggets, Clippers or Timberwolves taking the series yet alone a game against the top-seeded Houston Rockets in the playoffs.

New Orleans (45-34 SU, 43-35-1 ATS) at Golden State (57-22 SU, 33-45-1 ATS)

When you see the Warriors open as seven-point home favorites, you’re expecting them to play a contender and that’s not the case with the Pelicans. That low number alone would keep me away from the game when you consider that Golden State is usually laying double digits against New Orleans. The Warriors are 19-1 in their last 20 encounters (6-13-1 ATS) against the Pelicans and that includes three wins this season, two coming by double digits and the other by eight points.

Golden State was just embarrassed on Thursday in a 126-106 loss at Indiana and while I want to believe the club should bounce back at home, the line still seems too short. After losing four in a row to playoff teams, the Pelicans have rebounded with back-to-back wins albeit versus the Grizzlies and Suns. The 122-103 victory over Phoenix last night was never in doubt and bettors should note that New Orleans has won and covered six straight on no rest.

The total (225) is the highest number posted on Saturday and deservingly so. The Pelicans are ranked third in field goals attempted per game (88.2) and the pace has picked up even more when big man DeMarcus Cousins went down for the season to injury. The ‘over’ is 7-3 in the last 10 games in this series and Golden State has posted 120-plus points in six of those games.

Oklahoma City (45-34 SU, 30-46-3 ATS) at Houston (64-15 SU, 41-36-2 ATS)

This is another tricky game where the Rockets (-6) would normally be laying a higher price but perhaps the oddsmakers believe Houston may rest players in this spot. Plus, the Rockets appear to be going through the motions the last week. Houston has gone 3-1 SU but 1-3 ATS and the most telling factor is the offense, which was held under 100 points not once but twice.

This game is much more important for Oklahoma City and it hasn’t been able to close lately. The Thunder have dropped four of their last five games and the four losses have were by a combined 12 points.

Houston and Oklahoma City split their first two meetings this season, both taking place at Chesapeake Energy Arena. In games played at the Toyota Center, the Thunder have dropped six straight to the Rockets but four of the losses were by five points or less.

The total on this game opened 220 ½ and has been pushed down to 218 ½ quickly. OKC has been involved in a ton of meaningful games lately and it has seen the ‘under’ go 6-1 in the last seven. Plus, Houston enters this game on a 6-2 run to the ‘under’ as well.

ABC will provide national coverage of this game at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Portland (48-31 SU, 43-31-5 ATS) at San Antonio (45-34 SU, 41-36-2 ATS)

No overnight line was sent out on this matchup due to the status of Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (ankle) but most reports have him listed as ‘probable’ for Saturday. The first number was San Antonio -3 ½ but that was pushed up to 4 quickly while the total dropped from 202 ½ to 201 ½.

This series has been treated to tight games recently with the last four outcomes decided by four points or less. The first two games this season were played at the Moda Center and San Antonio earned a 93-91 decision in mid-December before Portland captured a 111-110 victory in early January.

The Spurs enter this game as the more desperate team and after losing back-to-back games at the Staples Center earlier this week to the Clippers (113-110) and Lakers (122-112), this matchup is definitely a must-win spot. The good news for San Antonio is that it’s won nine straight at the AT&T Cener and bettors have watched them produce an eye-opening 8-1 record during this span. The defense (92.3 PPG) has been much better in those games and that’s helped the ‘under’ go 7-2.

After Portland ripped off 13 straight wins and pushed itself up the Western Conference standings, the club has come back to life with a 4-5 record over its last nine games. They’ve dropped three in a row on the road and two of the setbacks were to the Grizzlies and Mavericks while the other came on a buzzer beater to Houston (96-94) this past Thursday. Lillard didn’t play in that setback and he also sat out the loss to Memphis.

The Trail Blazers head to Denver on Monday before closing the season at home Wednesday versus Utah and that game versus the Jazz could decide who could be the third seed in the West. The Spurs host the Kings on Monday before visiting New Orleans in the regular season finale.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, APRIL 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DEN at LAC 03:30 PM
DEN -2.5
U 222.5

MIL at NY 07:30 PM
MIL -10.0
U 215.5

BK at CHI 08:00 PM
BK -5.5
U 217.0

OKC at HOU 08:30 PM
OKC +6.0
U 218.5

NO at GS 08:30 PM
GS -6.0
U 225.0

POR at SA 09:00 PM
POR +5.0
O 201.5

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Nuggets eliminate Clippers with 134-115 rout
April 7, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) After four games with their defense leading the way, the Denver Nuggets turned to their offense Saturday and regained control of their playoff destiny.

The Nuggets made 10 of their first 12 shots and they ran off to a 134-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

They will reach the postseason if they win their last two games.

''At this time of the year, it's all about finding a way to get wins,'' Nuggets coach Mike Malone said.

''We're playing `Get-It-Done' basketball. We're getting it done. Going into tonight, we'd been playing good defense. We controlled the game, won all four quarters, another big step in the right direction.''

Will Barton scored 31 points and Nikola Jokic added 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Nuggets posted their fifth straight win to pull into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for eighth place in the Western Conference with two games to play. Both teams are 45-35.

The Nuggets finish the regular season at home against Portland on Monday night.

''I think overall - offensively, defensively, controlling our turnovers, I think we're playing overall our best basketball,'' Paul Millsap said. ''Not our best offense we've played all year, not necessarily our best defense, but to be a good team you have to have balance.''

It all sets up for the Nuggets' season-ending game against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Wednesday night. Minnesota, which holds the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, hosts Memphis on Monday night.

''Our guys have really taken that to heart,'' Malone said. ''There's a belief in that locker room, a lot of positivity. I think we're all in, 100 percent, believing in each other.''

Meanwhile, the injury-riddled Clippers were eliminated from the playoff race. The Clippers suffered their fourth loss in five games, falling to 42-38, 2 1/2 games out of eighth place with two to play. The elimination ends a run of six consecutive postseason appearances for the Clippers, who previously missed the playoffs in 2010-11.

''I don't think I have been more proud of a group, maybe ever, than I have been of this group,'' said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who has been forced by injuries to field 35 starting lineups. ''We have asked a lot of guys to do a lot of stuff they should not have had to do and yet they did it.''

On Saturday, the Clippers simply could not keep up with the Nuggets as they had 36 assists on 53 field goals.

''The stat that jumps out at me was the fact that we had 36 assists, and eight turnovers,'' Malone said. ''We actually had more assists than rebounds. I've never seen that before.''

Jamal Murray added 19 points and Wilson Chandler 13 for the Nuggets, who shot their second-best shooting percent (62.4) of the season.

''When the ball is moving around like it was tonight, and you're able to shoot 62 percent, guys definitely made shots, but we passed up good shots to get great shots,'' Malone said. ''The offense was obviously firing on all cylinders tonight.''

Lou Williams scored 24 points to lead the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 17 rebounds, with Tyrone Wallace added 18 points and Tobias Harris had 16 for Los Angeles.

Leading 81-71, Barton hit a 3-pointer after the Nuggets grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds to ignite a 12-3 run that finished with Harris making the score 93-74 with 3:09 to play.

The Clippers never got closer than 12 points after that.

The victory was Denver's first this season over the Clippers, who won the first two meetings, 109-104 at Staples Center on Jan. 17, and 122-120 in Denver on Feb. 27.

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Opened the game making 10 of 12 shots for a 21-13 lead with 4:41 left in the first quarter, finishing the quarter 15 of 21 for a 33-26 advantage.

Clippers: Lou Williams, the team's leading scorer, was 0 for 7 in the first half, scoring eight points on free throws. His first basket, a 3-pointer, came with 7:04 left in the third with the Clippers down 80-66.

WEARY CLIPS

After the Clippers were badly beaten 117-95 by the Jazz in Utah on Thursday night, Doc Rivers gave his team the day off before playing the Nuggets.

''Watched film, watched the Masters, went out and played nine,'' Rivers said. ''What can you do? We don't have enough bodies in practice. You've got to get your mind ready.''

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Host the Portland Trailblazers on Monday night.

Clippers: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.


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

Bucks beat Knicks 115-102 to tie for 67
April 7, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) If the easier road in the Eastern Conference is from seventh place instead of sixth, the Milwaukee Bucks aren't interested in taking it.

They know they aren't going to get the right playoff mindset by losing.

''If you have that mentality it kind of carries over to the postseason and you become a complacent basketball player,'' forward Jabari Parker said.

Eric Bledsoe had 22 points and 10 assists, and the Bucks moved into a tie for sixth place in the East with a 115-102 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

Khris Middleton also scored 22 points for the Bucks, who joined Miami with a 43-37 record. The Heat were blown out by the Knicks at Madison Square Garden a night earlier but the Bucks avoided the same fate despite playing without All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a sore right ankle.

The No. 6 seed would be looking at facing Philadelphia, which has won 13 straight games, or LeBron James and Cleveland. The team that ends up seventh draws a second-seeded Boston team that has lost All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the season.

''They got a great a basketball team and a great coach,'' Bledsoe said. ''Obviously they're missing a couple of key players but at the same time they were playing well without those guys in the lineup.''

Parker made his second start of the season in Antetokounmpo's place and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. John Henson had 15 points and 12 boards for the Bucks, who hoped to get point guard Malcolm Brogdon back but will have to wait a little longer as they try to become the dangerous team they think they can be.

''We know how good we can be and we've shown it,'' coach Joe Prunty said. ''We've shown it in games and over stretches of games, but similar to what we were talking about earlier, we have also had lulls or games where we haven't played as well as we'd like to or need to, and that's what we're trying to build on every day.''

Jarrett Jack scored 18 points and Kyle O'Quinn had 15 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four blocks for the Knicks, who beat Miami 122-98 on Friday but fell short in their hopes of beating another playoff-bound team.

The Knicks were without Tim Hardaway Jr. (sprained left ankle), Enes Kanter (lower back, right wrist) and Emmanuel Mudiay (concussion). Michael Beasley started after leaving Friday's game with a bruised left knee.

Jack was the starter earlier in the season before falling out of the rotation entirely while the Knicks turned to young guards Trey Burke, Frank Ntilikina and Mudiay.

''The job is 82 games,'' Jack said. ''If you're not in, you cheer for everybody else. But if he calls your number, be ready to come in there and be ready to come in there and contribute as best you can.''

The game was close most of the way until the Bucks, trailing by one, took control with a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. Middleton's basket gave Milwaukee the lead for good, Tony Snell and Parker made 3-pointers, and Bledsoe made four free throws as the Bucks surged to a 106-95 advantage with 2:17 to play.

Snell left a little more than five minutes into the game when he turned an ankle when he stepped on a teammate's foot while chasing a Knicks player around a screen. He returned in the second quarter and had 10 points.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Prunty said Brogdon (left quad) was evaluated Saturday and it was determined he wasn't ready to go. The Bucks hope last season's Rookie of the Year can play Monday. ... Parker had averaged 20 points in his last three games.

Knicks: Coach Jeff Hornacek said he expected that Kanter and Hardaway would play again this season if healthy, refusing to rule them out for the final two games. ''Those guys are all competitors and that's what we like about them,'' Hornacek said. ... Knicks starters had no turnovers in the first half and the team had just two total, both by Luke Kornet.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

The Knicks held Latvian heritage night in celebration of Latvia's 100th anniversary. The New York Latvian Concert Choir sang the national anthem and Latvia President Raimond Vejonis was presented with a personalized jersey by Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis, who is from Latvia.

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host Orlando on Monday.

Knicks: Host Cleveland on Monday.

[StarDust Bum]

Nets hit 24 3s, 1 shy of NBA record, in rout of Bulls
April 7, 2018

CHICAGO (AP) Quincy Acy is often an emotional leader for the Brooklyn Nets.

On a record night against the Bulls, he led them on the scoresheet, too.

Acy helped the Nets set a franchise mark with 24 3-pointers in a 124-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

The Nets finished one 3-pointer shy of the NBA record set last season by Cleveland. Acy had career highs with six 3-pointers and 21 points, and Allen Crabbe added five from behind the arc and 20 points.

''When we're hot, I feel like we can run with anybody in the gym,'' Acy said. ''And tonight, we got hot.''

Acy's season has been hot and cold following offseason ankle surgery, but he looked plenty comfortable letting it fly Saturday. He took 13 of his 14 shots from deep.

''He's our bench leader, a great guy,'' Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. ''I think he hasn't been fully healthy and he's played through a lot.''

Brooklyn got its fourth road win in its last five games. It was Brooklyn's second straight victory over the Bulls, something the Nets haven't done since February 2008. The win clinched the season series for the first time since 2009-10.

The Nets had a season-high 36 assists, led by nine from Spencer Dinwiddie and eight from Caris LeVert, both off the bench.

''(The shooting) comes from our thrust at the rim and how we get there, and how we set the defense after that, and made good passes,'' Atkinson said.

Sean Kilpatrick led Chicago with 20 points, and Bobby Portis had 18 points and eight rebounds.

''Tonight was obviously a debacle,'' Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''We were stuck in mud from the beginning of that game.''

Portis scored 13 points in the first quarter to help erase an early 16-7 Nets lead.

In the second quarter, baskets by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson bookended a 14-1 run for the Nets which opened a 61-47 lead with 1:11 left until halftime.

Crabbe knocked down four of the Nets' nine 3-pointers in the third as Brooklyn pushed the lead past 20 points, cruising the rest of the way.

''It's pretty tough, man,'' Portis said of defending Brooklyn. ''It's like playing the Rockets. They shoot a lot of 3s. They shoot a lot of contested shots. That's what their coach preaches.''

Brooklyn made 19 3-pointers Thursday in a win against Milwaukee. Its previous season high was 21 in a Feb. 10 loss to New Orleans.

Joe Harris made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Nets, who were 24 for 55 from deep.

TIP-INS

Nets: F Dante Cunningham (back spasms) returned after missing Thursday's win against Milwaukee. ... F DeMarre Carroll (left hip) and C Jahlil Okafor (right ankle) were held out for the second straight game, although Atkinson said Okafor was available to play.

Bulls: Rookie F Lauri Markkanen was held out of the game as he has not been playing back-to-back games recently due to back and elbow injuries. Markkanen scored 20 points in 23 minutes in Friday's loss to Boston, his third consecutive game with at least 20 points, all of which were achieved in 25 minutes or less. ... F Noah Vonleh (calf strain) missed his second straight game and C Robin Lopez (rest) was held out of his third straight game.

DRAFT DRAMA

The teams are both 27-53 with two games remaining and will meet again Monday in Brooklyn in another crucial game for draft positioning.

The Nets' first-round pick is owned by Cleveland after being moved via Boston in the Kyrie Irving trade last August.

DEEP THREATS

Brooklyn's 24 3-pointers pushed them over 1,000 for the season, ending the game with a franchise record 1,012.

The previous season high was 877 last year.

The Nets trail only Houston for 3-pointers made league-wide. The Rockets entered Saturday with an NBA-record 1,213.

It was Brooklyn's 15th straight game with double-digit 3-pointers made, setting a franchise record.

LOYOLA LAUDED

The Loyola men's basketball team was honored at the game after their surprising recent Final Four run in the NCAA Tournament.

Former Ramblers star Milton Doyle, a Nets rookie from Chicago, proudly watch his team make the run as an 11-seed.

''It was just like watching my family, enjoying all the success,'' Doyle said. ''It was great seeing everything that was going on and them getting all the praises and all the shout-outs from the big stars.''

SEAN STREAKING

Kilpatrick had at least 20 points for the third straight game, matching the longest streak of his career. He has scored double digits in six of the seven games he has played for Chicago since signing on March 26.

UP NEXT

Nets: The teams will meet again Monday in Brooklyn, then the Nets will close the season Wednesday in Boston.

Bulls: After Monday's rematch, the Bulls will close their season Wednesday against visiting Detroit.


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


Anthony Davis outduels Kevin Durant, Pelicans beat Warriors
April 7, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Anthony Davis outdueled Kevin Durant down the stretch on the way to 34 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak to Golden State with a 126-120 win over the Warriors on Saturday night.

Durant scored 19 of his 41 points in the third quarter to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. He made big 3-pointers with 6:39 remaining and at the 4:52 mark that got Golden State to 112-111, but the Pelicans kept answering.

The NBA Finals MVP made things more difficult after halftime on Davis, who also had 12 rebounds for the Pelicans while having his way with the Warriors' defense from the start.

The Pelicans beat the Warriors for the first time since April 7, 2015, in New Orleans, and at Oracle Arena for the first time since April 24, 2012.

Durant also committed a costly late turnover that led to E'Twaun Moore's pullup jumper with 23.5 seconds left. KD lost the ball for another key steal less than a minute earlier but immediately got a rebound on the other end that led to Andre Iguodala's dunk on the other end to get Golden State to 121-119 with 1:01 left.

Quinn Cook, who has been an admirable fill-in for the injured Stephen Curry after his promotion from the G League, added 21 points with five 3-pointers in the Warriors' final regular-season home game.

This was primarily the KD and Davis show.

Davis shot 13 for 24, while Nikola Mirotic made four quick 3-pointers and six in all on the way to 28 points. Jrue Holiday scored 25 and Rajon Rondo dished out 17 assists.

Durant tied the game on a layup just before halftime but Davis scored again to give him 19 points on 9-for-14 shooting in the first half. New Orleans led 67-65 after sizzling shooting by both teams - 59.6 by the Pelicans to 57.4 for Golden State and seven 3-pointers apiece.

Draymond Green just missed a triple-double for the Warriors, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He had seven of Golden State's 17 turnovers.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: New Orleans had 39 assists, Moore adding seven. ... G Ian Clark missed his second straight game - this one against his former team - because of a sprained right ankle. ... New Orleans has given up 110 or more points in each of the last 11 regular-season meetings vs. the Warriors.

Warriors: Iguodala, who had been uncertain to play with a sore left knee, received a second-quarter technical. ... Golden State will go with a center by committee for now, with Kevon Looney earning the start Saturday. ... Shaun Livingston was out to rest his sore right knee. The Warriors had won their previous five regular-season home finales. ... Golden State dropped to 10-4 in the first game of back-to-backs. ... Warriors President and COO Rick Welts was honored for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

CURRY PROGRESS

Stephen Curry did some light work on the court then iced his injured left knee before the game while munching popcorn at his locker.

He's still a week from having his sprained left knee re-evaluated and coach Steve Kerr ruled him out for the first round of the playoffs.

''We'll talk a week from today,'' Kerr said. ''There's nothing to report.''

CLOSE RACE

The Pelicans had a four-day break and dropped from fourth place to eighth in the Western Conference standings.

That's how wild this final stretch has been and still could be.

''It's the craziest thing I've ever seen,'' coach Alvin Gentry said. ''I've never seen anything like it.''

UP NEXT

Pelicans: At Clippers on Monday.

Warriors: At Phoenix on Sunday looking for a 15th straight victory vs. the Suns and playing their 14th and last back-to-back.

[StarDust Bum]

Westbrook and George help Thunder over Rockets 108-102
April 7, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) Russell Westbrook and Paul George each scored 24 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder used a timely fourth-quarter run to pull away for a 108-102 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The Thunder were down one with about seven minutes left before scoring the next 11 points.

Oklahoma City is vying with several teams for the final playoff spots in the loaded Western Conference. The victory gives the Thunder a 2-1 win in the season series and snaps the Rockets' 20-game home winning streak.

James Harden had 26 points for Houston, and Chris Paul added 17.

Paul hit a step-back jumper and Gerald Green scored to give the Rockets a 92-91 lead with 7:09 left. But Westbrook scored five quick points to start an 11-0 run by Oklahoma City that made it 102-92 with about four minutes remaining.

Houston went scoreless for more than four minutes, missing seven shots and committing three turnovers as Oklahoma City pulled away. The Thunder also blocked three shots in that span.

The Rockets scored five straight points with less than a minute left to get within five, but George made two free throws to help secure the win.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, including three of the Thunder's 10 3-pointers.

The Thunder led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Houston used a 5-1 spurt take a 62-61 lead at halftime.

TIP-INS

Thunder: Westbrook also had 10 assists. ... Oklahoma City had five blocked shots, including two from Jerami Grant. ... Steven Adams added 12 points.

Rockets: Paul received a technical foul in the second quarter after arguing after being called for an offensive foul. ... Ryan Anderson missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... Eric Gordon also sat out for the second straight game with a sore left ankle.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Visit Heat on Monday night.

Rockets: Visit Lakers on Tuesday night.


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

Aldridge helps Spurs escape Lillard, Blazers, 116-105
April 7, 2018

SAN ANTONIO (AP) LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 116-105 on Saturday night.

The Spurs (46-34) snapped a two-game losing streak. They are tied with Oklahoma City and New Orleans for fifth in the Western Conference, a half-game back of idle Utah.

San Antonio can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over visiting Sacramento on Monday.

Portland (48-32) dropped its third consecutive game and missed out on an opportunity to clinch home-court advantage in the first round. Lillard had 33 points for the Trail Blazers, and Evan Turner finished with 18.

Former All-Star teammates Aldridge and Lillard dueled on a night when both teams shot well from the field.

Lillard was 11 for 22, including 6 for 12 from beyond the arc.

Aldridge made his first five shots, including a left-handed runner he seemed to throw up to rebound against the smaller double-team on him. He finished 13 for 22.

Manu Ginobili gave San Antonio a needed boost, scoring 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting. Ginobili had back-to-back 3-pointers followed by a right-handed layup against Al-Farouq Aminu to turn a four-point game into a 101-89 lead.

Dejounte Murray finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio.

The Spurs outscored the Blazers 12-5 in the opening 5 minutes of the second half.

Turner departed in the final minute with a cut along his right brow caused by an inadvertent blow by Murray on a rebound.

C.J. McCollum added 17 points for the Blazers, who have lost three straight.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: CJ McCollum scored 17 points, and Jusuf Nurkic had 12 points and 12 rebounds. ... Nurkic received a technical foul with 36.4 seconds left in the first half for yelling at official Curtis Blair for a foul assessed to him on a drive by Murray. ... Maurice Harkless missed his seventh straight game with an injured left knee. ... Ed Davis missed his fourth straight game due to an injured right ankle.

Spurs: Pau Gasol played in his 1,194th career game, moving past Alex English for 42nd in league history. ... Danny Green was assessed his first technical foul of the season with 10:40 remaining in the first half. After missing a layup, Green began jumping and clapping his hands angrily because no foul was called on Meyers Leonard. ... The Spurs hold an 84-82 lead against the Trail Blazers in their overall series.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit Denver on Monday night.

Spurs: Host Sacramento on Monday night.

[StarDust Bum]

Former ABA players see similarities in today's pro game
April 7, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Basketball Hall of Famers George Gervin and George McGinnis see a lot of their old league in today's NBA.

Their former teammates notice it, too.

Five decades ago, they were the guys running the floor, embracing the 3-pointers and welcoming underclassmen. They understood the entertainment value of high-scoring games, dunk contests and halftime shows. They valued rivalries, camaraderie and the sense everyone in the sport was working toward a single goal.

Today the business model first adopted by the American Basketball Association has largely become the standard operating procedure for the world's biggest basketball league.

''When the merger happened, we knew the NBA was going to have a strong foundation,'' Gervin said Saturday in Indianapolis. ''People talk about how Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird saved the NBA. I think it's ludicrous because we gave the NBA an infusion of excitement that made the league fun again.''

Just about any player in town for the league's 50-year reunion knows the truth.

Aside from the league's trademark red, white and blue basketball that served as a center piece for the dinner, just about everything else the league innovated with has eventually made its way to its rival league.

Some of it was borne out of necessity.

Most ABA teams lacked the size or the star power of the more established NBA, so they relied on tempo, showmanship and pizazz to attract fans. Gervin earned the nickname ''Iceman'' in San Antonio. Julius Erving became better known as ''Dr. J.''

Playoff series got nicknames, too, and there were times the backstories seemed as every bit as wild as the social culture of the 1960s and 1970s.

''The league had to have an identity,'' Gervin said. ''You call it wild. I call it fun.''

The biggest secret was that amid all the fanfare, there was some darn good basketball being played.

Numerous former ABA stars including Erving, Rick Barry, Moses Malone have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. So has Spencer Haywood, one of the sport's most important pioneers.

Haywood became the first underclassmen to declare he was leaving school after his sophomore season at the University of Detroit and was shunned by the NBA, prompting a Supreme Court case Haywood would eventually win in 1971.

The NBA still balked.

''It set the tone for a lot of things that are happening today,'' said McGinnis, another underclassman who joined the ABA's Pacers after turning pro. ''Roger Brown and Connie Hawkins weren't allowed to play in their prime in the NBA because they got blackballed by the NBA. And Roger didn't get to play at all because he was 28 or 29 when he came to the Pacers. But it was those type of guys who laid the foundation for guys like myself and those who are entering the league today.''

Haywood was back in Indy, too, enjoying he stories and seeing old friends.

He also was here for a purpose. While the Dropping Dimes Foundation, which put on the reunion, is trying to help provide health care for former ABA players, Haywood has taken it a step further.

As the new chairman of the board for the NBA's Retired Players Association, he is putting on a full-court press to advocate bringing players from the now defunct league into the NBARPA's health insurance policy. The league's current players contribute more than $16 million to the fund.

''We have about 100 or 150 players who don't have much, so my mission now is to get all of the ABA players covered with health insurance,'' he said. ''And I know they (the current) players will take care of it.''

But this night was a celebration.

With highlight reels playing over and over, many old players donning their shiny championship rings and the Pacers bringing out one of their three championship trophies, the talk inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse was more about satisfaction that the league had accomplished something many doubted it could.

''You look at everything, you look at the halftime events, that's all from us,'' Haywood said. ''The 3-point contents, the dunk contests that was all us. It's all ABA, baby.''

[StarDust Bum]

Clippers eliminated, still 5 spots up for grabs out West
April 8, 2018

A look at the NBA playoff picture, with four days remaining in the regular season:

EAST UPDATE

The bracket was unchanged Saturday.

Milwaukee beat New York, improving to 43-37 on the season - tying Miami for the sixth-best record. But the Heat remain holders of the No. 6 seed, since they have the tiebreaker over the currently seventh-seeded Bucks.

Toronto now has the second-best record in the NBA. The Raptors are now a half-game ahead of Golden State.

---

WEST UPDATE

The race is wild now: Six teams playing for five playoff spots, all to be decided over the next four days, and with all of those teams on either 45 or 46 wins.

There were no clinchers on Saturday, and - just like in the East - the potential first-round bracket was unchanged. San Antonio and Utah both could have wrapped up their postseason berths, but didn't get the help they needed from other teams. The Spurs pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Portland, and Oklahoma City snapped Houston's 20-game home winning streak.

The Thunder, Pelicans and Spurs can all win their way into the postseason on Monday. Oklahoma City visits Miami, New Orleans visits the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio hosts Sacramento.

Meanwhile, for the first time in seven years, the Clippers are not heading to the playoffs.

Doc Rivers' team was eliminated, the final blow being a 134-115 loss to the Denver Nuggets. This will be the 13th time in franchise history the Clippers finish with a winning record, and in each of those years but one - until now - that's been good enough for a postseason berth.

Denver, right now, is the odd team out. The Nuggets are ninth, but play their last two games against Portland and Minnesota, so they can still win their way into the postseason.

---

SUNDAY'S GAMES

- Dallas at Philadelphia: If the 76ers win, they move closer to securing the No. 3 seed in the East.

- Indiana at Charlotte: Pacers would be assured of the No. 5 spot in the East with a loss; a win keeps their slim hopes of moving up alive.

- Atlanta at Boston: Celtics will be No. 2 in the East, so there's really nothing to play for in this one.

- Orlando at Toronto: The East's No. 1 seed, Toronto still has a shot at the NBA's second-best record.

- Utah at L.A. Lakers: Jazz can clinch a playoff spot, and Quin Snyder has to be a coach of the year candidate.

- Golden State at Phoenix: The Warriors aren't at their best, but a loss to the tanktastic Suns would be really bad.

- Detroit at Memphis has no playoff implication.

---

CURRENT BRACKET

First-round matchups if the season ended Saturday ...

East: 1-Toronto vs. 8-Washington, 2-Boston vs. 7-Milwaukee, 3-Philadelphia vs. 6-Miami, 4-Cleveland vs. 5-Indiana.

West: 1-Houston vs. 8-Minnesota, 2-Golden State vs. 7-Oklahoma City, 3-Portland vs. 6-San Antonio, 4-Utah vs. 5-New Orleans.

---

NOTE OF THE DAY

A year ago, only one Western Conference playoff spot was decided in the final seven days. This year, five will be decided in the final four days.

---

QUOTE OF THE DAY

''I just believe in protecting the league.'' - Doc Rivers, after the Clippers were eliminated, on why he expects to play his regulars against playoff-contending New Orleans on Monday.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY APRIL 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
1:00 PM Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics TD Garden
1:00 PM Dallas Mavericks Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
1:00 PM Indiana Pacers Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
3:30 PM Detroit Pistons Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
6:00 PM Orlando Magic Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
6:00 PM Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena


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

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/07/2018 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
04/06/2018 10-9-0 52.63% +0.50
04/05/2018 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
04/04/2018 4-5-0 44.44% -7.50
04/01/2018 15-8-1 65.22% +31.00

Total...............39-36-1......52.00%.....- 3.00

[StarDust Bum]

EASTERN CONFERENCE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 z-Toronto 57 22 0.722 - 33-7 24-15 38-11 12-4 W2 5-5

2 x-Boston 54 25 0.684 3 26-13 28-12 32-17 11-4 W1 7-3

3 x-Philadelphia 49 30 0.620 8 28-11 21-19 32-18 9-7 W13 10-0

4 x-Cleveland 49 31 0.612 8½ 29-11 20-20 34-16 11-5 L1 8-2

5 x-Indiana 47 33 0.588 10½ 27-13 20-20 31-19 10-6 L1 7-3

6 x-Miami 43 37 0.538 14½ 25-14 18-23 30-21 11-5 L1 6-4

7 x-Milwaukee 43 37 0.538 14½ 24-16 19-21 26-24 6-10 W1 6-4

8 x-Washington 42 38 0.525 15½ 22-18 20-20 27-23 8-7 L4 2-8

-----------------------------------------------
o-Detroit 38 41 0.481 19 25-15 13-26 23-27 8-7 W1 8-2
o-Charlotte 35 45 0.438 22½ 21-19 14-26 21-29 11-5 W1 5-5
o-New York 28 52 0.350 29½ 19-21 9-31 16-34 6-10 L1 3-7
o-Brooklyn 27 53 0.338 30½ 14-26 13-27 18-32 1-14 W2 5-5
o-Chicago 27 53 0.338 30½ 17-23 10-30 21-29 4-11 L2 3-7
o-Orlando 24 55 0.304 33 16-24 8-31 14-35 4-11 L1 3-7
o-Atlanta 23 57 0.288 34½ 16-24 7-33 11-39 5-11 W1 3-7


WESTERN CONFERENCE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 z-Houston 64 16 0.800 - 34-7 30-9 40-10 12-4 L1 8-2

2 y-Golden St. 57 23 0.712 7 29-12 28-11 33-17 12-3 L2 4-6

3 x-Portland 48 32 0.600 16 27-13 21-19 30-20 8-6 L3 4-6

4 Utah 46 33 0.582 17½ 27-13 19-20 32-17 7-8 W4 7-3

5 New Orleans 46 34 0.575 18 23-17 23-17 25-25 8-7 W3 6-4

6 San Antonio 46 34 0.575 18 32-8 14-26 28-22 9-6 W1 6-4

7 Oklahoma City 46 34 0.575 18 26-14 20-20 27-24 5-11 W1 5-5

8 Minnesota 45 35 0.562 19 28-11 17-24 32-18 9-6 W1 5-5

Denver 45 35 0.562 19 30-10 15-25 27-23 8-6 W5 7-3

------------------------
o-L.A. Clippers 42 38 0.525 22 22-17 20-21 24-26 12-3 L2 5-5
o-L.A. Lakers 34 45 0.430 29½ 20-19 14-26 18-31 5-10 L1 3-7
o-Sacramento 26 54 0.325 38 13-27 13-27 13-37 5-11 W1 3-7
o-Dallas 24 56 0.300 40 15-25 9-31 14-37 5-11 L2 2-8
o-Memphis 21 58 0.266 42½ 15-25 6-33 18-32 5-11 L4 2-8
o-Phoenix 20 60 0.250 44 10-30 10-30 14-36 4-11 L1 1-9


x-clinched playoff berth
y-denotes division winner
z-clinched top seed in conference
o-eliminated from playoff contention

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Odds to win The Masters today:

Patrick Reed 6-5

Rory McIlroy 7-4

Rickie Fowler 7-1

Jon Rahm 14-1

Henrik Stenson 30-1

Bubba Watson 40-1

Quote of the Day
“The things I ended up being really good at were the things I found myself putting effort into. A lot of people talk about passion, but that’s really not what you need to focus on. You really need to evaluate and say, ‘Okay, where am I putting in my time?. Because when you look at where you put in your time, where you put in your effort, that tends to be the things that you are good at. And if you put in enough time, you tend to get really good at it.”
Mark Cuban

Sunday’s quiz
Who coached Penn State’s football team, after Joe Paterno and before current coach James Franklin?

Saturday’s quiz
Tallahassee is the capital of Florida.

Friday’s quiz
A’s played in Kansas City from 1950-67, until they moved to Oakland in 1968; the Royals started play in ’69.

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

Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Mets 3, Nationals 2— Washington 3B Anthony Rendon got called out on strikes his first two times up in Saturday’s game, both on marginal pitches; after the second strikeout, Rendon flipped his bat but didn’t say a word— umpire Marty Foster tossed him anyway, at which point Washington manager Dave Martinez came out and got himself tossed, too.

Steven Matz threw 93 pitches in five innings for the Mets; 30 of them were called strikes by Foster and I’m telling you, it might be a very long time before another pitcher has 30 pitches called strikes in one game— I keep track of this stuff and I’ll let you know. It rarely happens.

But that is why the Nationals were steamed during this game.

12) Astros 1, Padres 0 (10)- Alex Bregman hit an infield pop-up just in front of the plate with two out in the 10th inning; Eric Hosmer overran the ball, it fell untouched and Houston got a win in a highly unlikely way, with the winning run scoring from second. We might not see another ball like that fall untouched the rest of the season.

11) AAF is a new spring football league that kicks off next February; Orlando is the first city to be named to the league, and Steve Spurrier is going to be their coach, which lends the league instant credibility.

Spurrier coached the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL back in the 80’s.

10) Mets 3, Nationals 2— Mets are off to a very strong 6-1 start. Last time the Mets started a season 6-1 was in 2006.

9) Didi Gregorius’ stats, contrasted between Arizona and New York:
2 years in Arizona: .241 BA, .682 OPS, 13 HR’s in 703 PA.
3+ years in Bronx: .278 BA, .758 OPS, 57 HR in 1,780 PA.

8) Re-watched Jon Gruden’s half-hour QB Camp TV show with Jared Goff today, done before the Rams picked Goff two years ago; those shows are great TV, but now that Gruden is coaching the Raiders, they’re gone for now.

ESPN needs to find someone (Jaworski? Dilfer? Gannon?) to pick this show up and grill these young QB’s. Think it helps the players and it is fun/educational to watch on TV.

7) Angels’ utility guy Nolan Fontana is the grandson of Lew Burdette, who was a really, really good pitcher for the Braves back in the 50’s/60’s- he was 203-144 in his career.

6) Nuggets 134, Clippers 115— LA is 42-38, but they’re eliminated from playoff contention.

5) There was only one birdie Saturday at the 11th hole at The Masters: Jeff Knox, the non-competing marker who played with Paul Casey.

4) Saturday’s 3rd round scoring average of 71.264 was the lowest 3rd round average at the Masters since 1986.

3) Lot of people got out of Puerto Rico after the hurricanes last summer; so many people left that they they’ve closed 283 schools on the island. Thats a lot of kids that are gone.

2) Top three guys in the lineup for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of AA Eastern League are the sons of three former big leaguers— Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

1) Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Humboldt Broncos, a junior hockey team in western Canada whose bus was in an accident Friday- 15 people passed away. Very sad thing.

Back in my college days, I was student manager of the basketball team; we spent lot of snowy nights in buses in places with hideous weather. My heart goes out to the friends and families.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 8

76ers won last two games with Dallas, after losing previous eight meetings; over is 3-1 in last four series games. Mavericks are 0-4 vs spread in last four visits here. Dallas lost five of its last six games; they’re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs. Last three Dallas games went over the total. 76ers won their last 13 games, covered 10 of last 11; they’re 6-1 vs spread in last seven home games. Four of their last six games stayed under.

Home side won last seven Indiana-Charlotte games; Pacers are 0-4 vs spread in last four trips to Charlotte. Four of last five series games stayed under. Indiana won six of its last eight games; they’re 7-5 as road favorites this season. Under is 6-4 in their last ten games. Hornets lost four of their last five games; they’re 0-11 vs spread in last 11 games as home underdogs. Under is 6-4 in their last ten games.

Celtics won their last three games with Atlanta; last four series games went over. Hawks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Boston. Atlanta lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 4-3-1 in last eight games as road underdogs. Last five Hawk games stayed under. Boston won seven of its last nine games; they’re 2-8 in last ten games as home favorites. Three of their last four games went over.

Memphis won seven of its last ten games with Detroit; over is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Pistons covered three of last four visits to Memphis. Detroit won eight of its last ten games; they covered last four games as road favorites. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Grizzlies lost eight of their last ten games; they’re 4-3 in last seven games as home underdogs. Four of their last five games went over.

Toronto won six of its last eight games with Orlando; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Magic covered two of last three visits to Canada. Orlando lost seven of its last ten games; they’re 3-5 in last eight games as road underdogs. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Raptors won its last three home games, by 4-18-19 points; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as home favorites. Last four Raptor games stayed under.

Jazz won its last six games with the Lakers, but LA covered four of those six games; Utah is 2-2 vs spread in last four series games played here. Three of last four series games stayed under the total. Utah won its last four games; they’re 6-3 in last nine games as road favorites. Over is 7-1 in their last eight games. Lakers lost four of their last five games; they’re 3-2 in last five games as home underdogs. Under is 3-2 in their last five home games.

Warriors won their last 10 games with Phoenix, covering four of last five; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the desert. Five of last six series games went over. Golden State is 4-6 in its last ten games; they’re 3-7 in last ten games as road favorites. Three of their last four games went over total. Suns lost nine of their last ten games; they’re 3-9 in last dozen games as home underdogs. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, April 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Indiana's last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 12 games on the road
Indiana is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Charlotte
Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Indiana is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Indiana is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 8 games at home
Charlotte is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Indiana
Charlotte is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Charlotte is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Charlotte is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana


Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Dallas is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dallas's last 10 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Philadelphia is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing at home against Dallas


Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 5-11-1 ATS in its last 17 games
Atlanta is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Atlanta's last 15 games on the road
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Boston
Atlanta is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 9 games at home
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Boston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Atlanta


Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
Detroit is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
Detroit is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Detroit's last 23 games when playing Memphis
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Memphis is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games
Memphis is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Memphis's last 10 games at home
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Memphis is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Memphis's last 23 games when playing Detroit
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Memphis's last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit


Utah Jazz
Utah is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games
Utah is 11-3-1 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Utah is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
Utah is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Utah is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Utah is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games
LA Lakers is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games at home
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Lakers is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games at home
LA Lakers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 7 games at home
LA Lakers is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Utah
LA Lakers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing Utah
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
LA Lakers is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Utah
LA Lakers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing at home against Utah


Orlando Magic
Orlando is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Orlando is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games
Orlando is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
Orlando is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Orlando's last 8 games on the road
Orlando is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Toronto
Orlando is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Orlando's last 11 games when playing Toronto
Orlando is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
Toronto is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games at home
Toronto is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Orlando
Toronto is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 11 games when playing Orlando
Toronto is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando


Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Golden State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 9 games
Phoenix is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Phoenix is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 8

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DALLAS (24 - 56) at PHILADELPHIA (49 - 30) - 4/8/2018, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-32 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 411-337 ATS (+40.3 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 502-424 ATS (+35.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 119-88 ATS (+22.2 Units) on Sunday games since 1996.
DALLAS is 185-140 ATS (+31.0 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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INDIANA (47 - 33) at CHARLOTTE (35 - 45) - 4/8/2018, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 46-34 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
INDIANA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) on Sunday games this season.
INDIANA is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CHARLOTTE is 32-44 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 9-24 ATS (-17.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 15-25 ATS (-12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHARLOTTE is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

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

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ATLANTA (23 - 57) at BOSTON (54 - 25) - 4/8/2018, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
BOSTON is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-7 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 9-7 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (38 - 41) at MEMPHIS (21 - 58) - 4/8/2018, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 33-43 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MEMPHIS is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
MEMPHIS is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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ORLANDO (24 - 55) at TORONTO (57 - 22) - 4/8/2018, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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UTAH (46 - 33) at LA LAKERS (34 - 45) - 4/8/2018, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 5-5 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 9-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (57 - 23) at PHOENIX (20 - 60) - 4/8/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons