The Bum's 2018 NBA Trends/Stats/Best Bets Thru The Playoffs !

[Udog]

NBA

Thursday, January 31

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Trend Report
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Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
Indiana is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Indiana's last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Orlando
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando Magic
Orlando is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Orlando's last 9 games
Orlando is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Orlando is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Dallas's last 13 games
Dallas is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Dallas is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Dallas is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing Detroit
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dallas's last 10 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games
Detroit is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing Dallas
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 10 games when playing at home against Dallas

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 11 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 14 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Milwaukee is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Toronto is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Brooklyn is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Brooklyn is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Brooklyn's last 8 games on the road
Brooklyn is 0-3-2 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Brooklyn's last 10 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games
San Antonio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games at home
San Antonio is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home
San Antonio is 9-2-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Brooklyn
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Antonio's last 10 games when playing Brooklyn
San Antonio is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
LA Lakers is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 12 games
LA Lakers is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
LA Lakers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Lakers is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of LA Lakers's last 16 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Lakers is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Lakers is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of LA Clippers's last 15 games
LA Clippers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Clippers is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of LA Clippers's last 16 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Clippers is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
LA Clippers is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Clippers's last 9 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Golden State
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Golden State
Philadelphia is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 9 games
Golden State is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Golden State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Golden State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Golden State is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia


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[Udog]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 31

Pacers are 0-3 since Oladipo got hurt, losing by 3-32-18 points; five of their last seven games stayed under total. Indy is 6-2 vs spread if they played night before. Orlando lost seven of its last eight games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Seven of their last nine games went over the total. Indiana won its last eight games with the Magic (7-1 vs spread); Pacers covered their last five trips to Orlando (under 3-2).

Mavericks won three of their last four games, are 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Detroit lost four of its last five games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Pistons won five of last eight games with Dallas; six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Mavericks are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Detroit.

Bucks won seven of their last eight games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Toronto won 11 of its last 14 games; they covered five of their last seven home games. 10 of their last 13 games went over. Road teams won six of last nine Milwaukee-Toronto games; Bucks covered three of last four visits to Canada. Five of last six series games went over the total.

Nets won six of their last eight games; they’re 4-3 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 6-2 in their last eight road games. San Antonio won five of its last seven games; they’re 1-3 vs spread in its last four home games. Over is 11-5 in their last 16 games. Spurs won/covered their last six games with Brooklyn; under is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. Nets are 0-4 vs spread in their last four visits to the Alamo.

76ers won six of their last eight games; they’re 2-4 vs spread in last six games as an underdog. Four of their last six games stayed under. Warriors won their last 11 games (8-3 vs spread); they covered their last three home games. Over is 10-3 inn their last 13 games. Golden State won its last ten games vs Philly, but 76ers covered six of last seven; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Sixers are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Oakland.

Lakers lost four of their last five games; they’re 2-4 vs spread in last six Staples games. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Clippers won four of their last six games; they’re 1-5 vs spread in last six Staples games. Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Clippers won seven of their last eight games with the Lakers (6-2 vs spread); under is 5-4-1 in last ten series games.

[Udog]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 31

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INDIANA (32 - 18) at ORLANDO (20 - 31) - 1/31/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 76-61 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 49-35 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 93-116 ATS (-34.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 40-64 ATS (-30.4 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 27-43 ATS (-20.3 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-0 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (23 - 27) at DETROIT (21 - 28) - 1/31/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
DALLAS is 516-436 ATS (+36.4 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 191-144 ATS (+32.6 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
DALLAS is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
DETROIT is 63-89 ATS (-34.9 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
DETROIT is 117-164 ATS (-63.4 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 3-2 straight up against DALLAS 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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MILWAUKEE (36 - 13) at TORONTO (37 - 15) - 1/31/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 138-104 ATS (+23.6 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 52-32 ATS (+16.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
TORONTO is 202-254 ATS (-77.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-8 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-6 straight up against MILWAUKEE 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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BROOKLYN (28 - 24) at SAN ANTONIO (30 - 22) - 1/31/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 851-723 ATS (+55.7 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 357-292 ATS (+35.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 192-143 ATS (+34.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 75-58 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 56-43 ATS (+8.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 42-24 ATS (+15.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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PHILADELPHIA (33 - 18) at GOLDEN STATE (36 - 14) - 1/31/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 75-44 ATS (+26.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 126-98 ATS (+18.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 65-42 ATS (+18.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-11 ATS (+19.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (26 - 25) at LA CLIPPERS (28 - 23) - 1/31/2019, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 7-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, January 31


Indiana @ Orlando

Game 569-570
January 31, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
116.473
Orlando
116.881
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
Even
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 3
209
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+3); Over

Dallas @ Detroit

Game 571-572
January 31, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
115.135
Detroit
118.679
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 3 1/2
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-2); Under

Milwaukee @ Toronto

Game 573-574
January 31, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
122.992
Toronto
122.210
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
235
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 3
230
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+3); Over

Brooklyn @ San Antonio

Game 575-576
January 31, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
113.860
San Antonio
123.255
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 9 1/2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 7 1/2
227
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-7 1/2); Over

Philadelphia @ Golden State

Game 577-578
January 31, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
114.141
Golden State
126.360
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12
244
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
240
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-9 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ LA Clippers

Game 579-580
January 31, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
115.240
LA Clippers
122.149
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 7
233
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 5 1/2
228
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-5 1/2); Over

[Udog]

Hoop Trends - Thursday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Mavericks are 12-0 ATS (+7.88 ppg) on the road off a win as a road favorite in which they scored at least 32% of their points from threes.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Raptors are 0-13 ATS (-6.08 ppg) as a favorite with rest when they are off two games in which they allowed 110+ points.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Raptors are 12-0 OU (+19.71 ppg) at home off a win as a road favorite in which they had six-plus double-digit scorers.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Magic are 0-18 OU (-11.42 ppg) at home off a loss when they lost 3 straight vs their opponent and it is before the All-Star break.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at DET 07:00 PM
DAL +7.5
U 206.0

IND at ORL 07:00 PM
IND +3.5
O 208.0

MIL at TOR 08:00 PM
MIL +2.5
O 231.5

BK at SA 08:30 PM
SA -8.0
U 227.5

PHI at GS 10:30 PM
GS -9.5
O 241.0

LAL at LAC 10:30 PM
LAC -4.0
O 229.0

[StarDust Bum]

Bucks end Raptors' home win streak at 10
January 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points, Khris Middleton had 18 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat Toronto 105-92 on Thursday night, ending the Raptors' season-best home winning streak at 10 games.

D.J. Wilson scored a career-high 16 points, Eric Bledsoe had 14 and Milwaukee (37-13) wrapped up the season series with its third victory in four meetings with Toronto. The NBA-leading Bucks have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Raptors (37-16) in the Eastern Conference.

The victory ensures Milwaukee will have the best winning percentage in the East through Feb. 3, meaning Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer will represent the conference at next month's NBA All-Star Game.

Pascal Siakam scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard had 16 for the Raptors. They had not lost at home since Dec. 9 to the Bucks.

PISTONS 93, MAVERICKS 89

DETROIT (AP) - Andre Drummond had 24 points and 20 rebounds and Detroit rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat short-handed Dallas.

Before the game, the Mavericks traded Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews to the New York Knicks in a seven-player deal. Dallas acquired Kristaps Porzingis, but for this game the Mavericks were significantly undermanned. In addition to the players they dealt, they also were without star rookie Luka Doncic, who sat out with left ankle soreness.

Blake Griffin had 24 points for Detroit.

SPURS 117, NETS 114

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Derrick White scored a career-high 26 points and San Antonio rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn for its 16th straight home victory over the Nets.

Fresh off his seventh All-Star selection, LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points, including a critical three-point play in the final minute, and 13 rebounds for the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan added 15 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a three-game absence because of a sore left knee.

Joe Harris and DeMarre Carroll had 18 points each for the Nets.

MAGIC 107, PACERS 100

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Terrence Ross scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and Orlando beat Indiana, handing the Pacers their fourth straight.

Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando after being selected to the All-Star team for the first time. D.J. Augustin had 20 points, including nine free throws in the final 1:26.

Orlando broke a four-game losing streak and snapped an eight-game skid against Indiana.

Myles Turner had 27 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers.

76ER'S 113, WARRIORS 104

LAKERS 123, CLIPPERS 120 OT

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Memphis Grizzlies Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:35 PM Boston Celtics New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
8:05 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
9:05 PM Atlanta Hawks Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
10:05 PM Houston Rockets Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

01/31/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
01/30/2019 11-5-0 68.75% +27.50
01/29/2019 4-10-0 28.57% -35.00
01/28/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/27/2019 10-7-1 58.82% +11.50
01/26/2019 4-5-1 44.44% -7.50
01/25/2019 10-8-2 55.56% +6.00
01/24/2019 2-6-0 25.00% -23.00
01/23/2019 8-11-1 42.11% -20.50
01/22/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/21/2019 10-8-1 55.56% +6.00
01/20/2019 1-4-1 20.00% -17.00
01/19/2019 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
01/18/2019 10-3-0 76.92% +33.50
01/17/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/16/2019 5-8-1 38.46% -19.00
01/15/2019 8-3-1 72.73% +23.50
01/14/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
01/13/2019...... 4-10-0 .....28.57%... -35.00
01/12/2019 2-11-0 15.38% -50.50
01/11/2019 12-6-0 66.67% +27.00
01/10/2019 3-4-0 42.85% -7.00
01/09/2019 10-8-1 55.56% +6.00
01/08/2019 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
01/07/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
01/06/2019 4-7-0 36.36% -18.50
01/05/2019 9-7-0 56.25% +6.50
01/04/2019 10-7-0 58.82% +11.50
01/03/2019 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
01/02/2019 13-5-0 72.22% +37.50
01/01/2019 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50


Totals..........205-194-0......51.37%.....-52.71


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL

01/31/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50....................2 - 4................-12.00............-28.50
01/30/2019...........5 - 1..................+19.50..................4 - 2 ................+9.00............+28.50
01/29/2019...........2 - 4..................-12.00...................2 - 1.................+4.50.............-7.50
01/28/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50...................3 - 2.................+4.00.............-7.50
01/27/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50...................2 - 2.................+4.50.............-7.00
01/26/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00..................1 - 4................-17.00.............-2.00
01/25/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................4 - 4................-2.00...............-3.00
01/24/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50 ...................1 - 2................-6.00..............-17.50
01/23/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................3 - 4.................-7.00..............-8.00
01/22/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00..................2 - 2.................-1.00..............+14.00
01/21/2019...........3 - 3..................-1.50.....................5 - 3.................+8.50.............+7.00
01/20/2019...........1 - 2..................-6.00.....................0 - 3.................-16.50.............-22.50
01/19/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................7 - 2.................+24.00...........+23.00
01/18/2019...........5 - 0..................+25.00..................3 - 3.................-1.50..............+23.50
01/17/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................2 - 1.................+4.50.............+9.00
01/16/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50...................4 - 4.................-2.00..............-18.50
01/15/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50...................5 - 0.................+25.00...........+8.50
01/14/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................2 - 2..................-1.00.............-2.00
01/13/2019 ..........1 - 4..................-17.00...................1 - 4..................-17.00...........-34.00
01/12/2019...........0 - 4..................-22.00...................2 - 5..................-17.50............-39.50
01/11/2019...........3 - 1..................+9.50....................6 - 3.................+13.50...........+23.00
01/10/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................1 - 3.................-11.50.............-7.00
01/09/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00....................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+2.50
01/08/2019...........2 - 2...................-1.00....................3 - 3..................-1.50...............-2.50
01/07/2019...........4 - 2..................+9.00....................3 - 3..................-1.50...............+7.50
01/06/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................2 - 3.................-6.50................-2.00
01/05/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................3 - 8.................-12.50...............-8.00
01/04/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50....................6 - 2.................+19.00............+2.50
01/03/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00...................1 - 2.................-6.00...............+9.00
01/02/2019...........4 - 1..................+14.50...................6 - 2.................+19.00............+33.50
01/01/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00.....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00

Totals.................60 - 63.................-35.50....................92 - 88..............-2.00................-37.50

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Nevada casinos’ profits for 2018:

— Sports betting: $301M

— Roulette: $386.1M

— Craps: $386.4M

— Blackjack: $1.1B

— Baccarat: $1.2B

— Penny slots: $3.3B

Quote of the Day
“I’ve got a receding hairline, I’m slow and I’m probably not the most jacked up with abs and all that. But I’m still going to beat you one-on-one.”
Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz

Friday’s quiz
Kurt Warner was Rams’ QB in their last two Super Bowls; who was the Rams’ QB the first time they played in the Super Bowl?

Thursday’s quiz
Dick Vermeil, Pete Carroll are only two coaches who won a Rose Bowl and a Super Bowl.

Wednesday’s quiz
Superdome in New Orleans has hosted the most Super Bowls (7)

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

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

13) New York Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas Thursday, in a surprising trade that results in New York having around $75M in cap space this summer, when the following players will be free agents:

Durant, Irving, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Cousins, Jimmy Butler.

Knicks would conceivably have room for two max contract players, but the question is this: Who the hell wants to play for one of the most dysfunctional franchises in sports?

12) Knicks sent Porzingis, Courtney Lee, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr to Dallas for DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith, Wesley Matthews and two first round picks.

11) Mark Cuban has seen the light; he has Luca Doncic and Porzingis now, following in the footsteps of Dirk Nowitzki. He still has to get Porzingis to commit longterm to the Mavericks.

Cuban isn’t fond of the grassroots basketball system in this country and believes that kids from other countries, generally speaking, work harder and are more coachable.

Look at the Spurs; during their run of five NBA titles, they often had a majority of foreign players on their roster.

10) There are only two D-I college basketball teams with two players averaging 20+ points/game this season; Duke and………Cal State-Northridge.

Duke: RJ Barrett 23.9 ppg, Zion Williamson 21.7
Northridge: Lamine Diane 23.5 ppg, Terrell Gomez 20.1

Three of those four players are freshmen.

9) Mississippi State DT Jeffrey Simmons won’t be invited to the NFL Combine, even though he is a projected top 10 pick in the draft. Simmons doesn’t meet the criteria under the NFL’s policy about past issues involving violence; he was seen on video in 2016 striking a woman.

8) Sacramento Kings won their last five home games, first time they’ve done that since 2008.

7) Twitter can be a lot of fun when people aren’t so serious; someone posted a quiz the other night on which movie people preferred, Forrest Gump or Road House? Reading the various responses made me laugh for a while.

I chose Road House, by the way, even though Tom Hanks was a soda vendor at the Oakland A’s games in the Coliseum when he was 14 years old, back in the early 70’s.

6) Hofstra of the CAA has college basketball’s longest current win streak, winning their last 16 games.

5) Is Kevin Garnett the Bobby Bonilla of the NBA? Garnett is still making money from his Celtics contract, banking $5M a year until 2024.

4) You know your college is having a cruddy sports year when NCAA puts your school’s girls’ softball team on probation.

Missouri’s football, baseball, softball teams all were fingered by the NCAA, which put the athletics department on three years of probation as a result of academic fraud.

3) Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies agreed on a one-year, $26M contract as he begins what is likely his last year with the Rockies. Arenado will be a highly sought after free agent next winter.

2) Arizona State 95, Arizona 88 OT— Bad beat if you had the Wildcats +5.5; ASU get its first win in last seven tries against its in-state conference rival.

1) Georgetown 80, Xavier 73— James Akinjo scored 23 points for the Hoyas, all after halftime.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (20-32) at Hornets (24-26)
Date: February 01, 2019 7:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets beat Memphis a little more than a week ago, and things have not gotten better for the Grizzlies since then.

With Grizzlies veterans Mike Conley and Marc Gasol publicly on the trading block, Memphis continues to slide, losing three of four games -- by a total of eight combined points -- since a 118-107 home loss to Charlotte on Jan. 23.

The teams meet Friday night in Charlotte, N.C.

Probably the most painful of those recent defeats for Memphis came Wednesday night, when it gave up an offensive rebound to Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns, who hit a 20-foot turnaround buzzer-beater for a 99-97 decision in overtime.

Overall, Memphis has lost 10 of 11 games and 16 of 18 after a promising start to the season in which it was six games over .500 in late November.

Monday's loss was plenty painful, too, in a different way. The Grizzlies fell 95-92 at home to Denver, coughing up a 25-point advantage, the largest-ever blown lead in franchise history.

What can happen next to the Grizzlies? What will happen next with their veteran stars?

"I have no control over the situation. I have zero control over it," Gasol said earlier this week. "All I can control is how I interact with my teammates, how I work with them and my effort out there.

"The rest, I can't control it, so I can't spend much time thinking about it, even though your mind wanders sometimes - what's going on, what's going to happen? Then you reel it back and are thankful for the things you do have and how great it has been."

While Memphis now has the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 20-32, Charlotte is sitting in the final playoff spot in the East at 24-26. The Hornets start a three-game homestand Friday night.

Gasol had a triple-double -- 22 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists -- when these teams met last week, but Charlotte shot 53.2 percent in the win and got 22 points and seven assists from All-Star starting guard Kemba Walker.

Walker is averaging 24.4 points and 5.6 assists per game.

He had a relatively quiet 21 points and two assists as the Boston Celtics silenced the Hornets 126-94 on Wednesday night. Boston outscored Charlotte 35-16 in a decisive third quarter.

"We just couldn't score (in the third quarter)," said Hornets coach James Borrego. "I thought we got back in the second quarter, more competitive. In the third quarter, just could not find rhythm, could not score the ball, turned it over."

Charlotte is still 5-3 in its past eight games and just completed a month in which it played 10 road games. The Hornets went 3-7 in those 10 road games.

"I thought we did a good job," Borrego said after the game in Boston, talking about all the time away from home in January. "We navigated a tough schedule on the road. I thought we got better overall. This isn't how we wanted it to end, but we get to go home. We have a big game at home on Friday night."

Charlotte is 17-8 at home. The Hornets complete their homestand against the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Celtics (32-19) at Knicks (10-40)
Date: February 01, 2019 7:30 PM EDT

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, following a disappointing loss in Orlando on Jan. 12, called out his younger teammates about not understanding what it takes to be a championship-level team.

In the last two games, those younger teammates have stepped up while Irving has been out with a strained left hip.

The Celtics are hopeful Irving can return by Friday's visit to the New York Knicks -- who are on a team-record 12-game home losing streak and just shipped away their star player in a bombshell trade on Thursday -- although it is possible they may hold him out again.

The Celtics are 6-2 in games without Irving after getting home wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets.

Terry Rozier has started for Irving in the past two games; he had 17 points, 10 assists and three steals in Wednesday's 126-94 win over Charlotte. Jaylen Brown also produced a pair of big games in Irving's absence with 45 total points. Jayson Tatum scored 20 on Wednesday.

"When we play with him (Irving), it's more like a show. Sit back and watch him go crazy," Rozier said. "Without him, obviously we don't know who the scoring's (going to) really come from. Somebody got to step up."

The Celtics (32-19) are 7-2 in their last nine games since Irving's comments and won 10 of 11 home games in January. After Friday, Boston returns home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon, so it is entirely possible Irving sits against the free-falling Knicks in order to rest up for a more challenging game.

Irving, who was injured in the first half of Saturday's 115-111 home loss to the Golden State Warriors, is averaging 28.9 points in his past seven games. His injured hip and recent scoring average are not the only reasons he has been in the news.

Irving, a free agent after this season, has said he plans on re-signing with the Celtics, but that could now be contingent on the team's ability to acquire Anthony Davis either before next Thursday's trade deadline or in the offseason. Another report has Irving being "genuinely interested" in a reunion with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.

On his weekly radio appearance in Boston, general manager Danny Ainge addressed the various speculation about Irving.

"I talk to Kyrie all the time. My feelings have not changed. I feel like Kyrie likes it in Boston, but I certainly can't talk about Kyrie's impending free agency. That's taboo, and we won't know anything until July for certain. But I'm optimistic."

The Knicks (10-40) will play their first game after trading All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis (and Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke) to the Dallas Mavericks for two first-round picks, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan. The news of the trade emerged rapidly, after reports earlier in the day that Porzingis -- who has yet to play this year as he recovers from a torn ACL -- had met with Knicks management to express that he'd prefer to be traded.

The Knicks also enter Friday with the league's worst record. They are on a 11-game losing streak since beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 4 and are winless at home since beating Milwaukee in double-overtime on Dec. 1.

New York's latest setback was a 114-90 home loss, coincidentally to the Mavericks, on Wednesday night. The Knicks were outscored 59-43 in the second half, when it allowed Dallas to get to the rim at will.

"What I saw midway through the third, we started feeling sorry for ourselves," Knicks coach David Fizdale said. "We gave in to the losing tonight. It's eating at everyone."

Rookie Kevin Knox led the Knicks with 17 points but was 6-of-16 from the floor. Trey Burke was the starting point guard for the second straight game and added 16 points, but Tim Hardaway Jr. was held to six points on 2-of-11 shooting.

The Celtics are 11-4 in the last 15 meetings with the Knicks. In Boston's first visit this season to New York on Oct. 20, Tatum scored 24 in a 103-101 victory.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Thunder (32-18) at Heat (24-25)
Date: February 01, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who will visit the Miami Heat on Friday night, have won six consecutive games.

The Thunder beat the host Orlando Magic 126-117 on Tuesday night, getting phenomenal production from its top two point guards.

Russell Westbrook produced his fourth straight triple-double with 23 points, 14 assists and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes. That has become somewhat routine for the seven-time NBA All-Star and the league's MVP in 2017.

What was far more surprising was the performance by backup point guard Dennis Schroder. The 25-year-old German, the Atlanta Hawks' first-round pick in 2013, posted 21 points in 28 minutes on Wednesday. He made 8 of 11 shots, including both 3-point attempts.

"Dennis played an incredible second half," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He gave us great separation."

Schroder scored 18 of his 21 points -- including his two 3-pointers and a pair of old-fashioned 3-point plays -- during a second-half stretch in which he made seven consecutive shots.

"I try to stay aggressive," Schroder said. "I look for my shot, and I look for open teammates and make the right play."

The Thunder on Tuesday were without two starters due to injuries -- 7-foot center Steven Adams (sore right ankle) and 6-7 shooting guard Terrance Ferguson (back spasms).

Adams leads the team in effective shooting percentage (61.3), ranks third in scoring (15.4) and second in rebounds (10.0). Ferguson is sixth in scoring (6.5) and fourth in effective shooting percentage (55.9).

Their status for Friday's game was uncertain, although Donovan said both players were full participants in practice in Thursday.

Small forward Paul George continues to step up, as he did on Wednesday with 37 points, making 14 of 24 shots from the floor.

Meanwhile, the Heat are coming off a disappointing performance on Wednesday -- a 105-89 home loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls.

The Heat were without reserve guard Dwyane Wade (knee soreness) and wing Derrick Jones, who was lost earlier this week due to a knee injury that should keep him out until March. Point guard Goran Dragic, a 2018 All-Star, has been out for weeks due to knee surgery and is expected back in mid-February at the earliest.

Miami shot just 38.2 percent from the floor, including 28.6 percent on 3-pointers.

"The missed shots sapped our energy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Nobody on the Heat scored more than 15 points, which is a recurring problem on a roster that is lacking much in the way of star power.

Spoelstra said he is hopeful of Wade playing Friday after the guard practiced Thursday.

But, even with Wade, it won't get easier on Friday, when the Thunder will dominate in terms of elite talent. The Thunder have won five games in a row in their series against Miami, sweeping the Heat in each of the past two years.

Miami (24-25) is just 10-13 this season against teams who have winning records. Oklahoma City is 32-18.

Miami's struggles have caused Spoelstra to do some soul-searching about his playing-time choices.

"I'm the first to admit I don't know if I'm making the right decisions," he said. "But there has to be a decision. Somebody has to sit."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (16-34) at Jazz (29-23)
Date: February 01, 2019 9:00 PM EDT

A big part of the success the Utah Jazz have enjoyed this season is tied to their solid defensive performance.

That trait was missing in Utah's last contest, and the Jazz look to retrieve it when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday in Salt Lake City.

Utah lost for just the second time in the past 11 games on Wednesday in a showing that was poor from the start.

The Portland Trail Blazers exploded for 45 first-quarter points and rang up the most points scored against the Jazz all season with a convincing 132-105 home victory.

Portland shooting guard CJ McCollum was 9-of-9 shooting in the opening quarter while scoring 20 points.

"If you give up a 45-point quarter, it becomes a long game, and you expend a lot of energy trying to get back in the game, and we weren't able to do that," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said during his postgame press conference. "It was a tough night."

The shaky performance rose Utah's average points allowed to 105.7 per game. Both losses during the club's 9-2 stretch came against Portland.

Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell continued his recent splurge with 22 points. Mitchell has topped the 20-point mark in 13 straight games.

Mitchell couldn't ignore the beating his team took, but he didn't want outsiders to discount his team's recent strong play.

"We're playing well, we're playing better," Mitchell told reporters. "It's hard to see that right now after this loss. We've done so many good things. We've got to continue to fight and push through."

Atlanta is making the fifth stop of a seven-game road trip. The Hawks are 2-2 after committing 21 turnovers during Wednesday's 135-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

"We're not going to use any excuses," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said in the postgame press conference. "The real message is this is part of the NBA. This is our longest road trip, and this is part of the NBA where we really want to get some growth."

Rookie point guard Trae Young recorded 23 points and eight assists against the Kings and has six 20-point outings over the last eight games.

Young has been especially solid over the past three games by averaging 26.3 points and making 28 of 45 field-goal attempts. The hot stretch comes after he had just five points on 1-of-12 shooting against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 23.

Second-year power forward John Collins struggled to 5-of-15 shooting and 14 points against Sacramento after averaging 26 points on 29-of-38 shooting over the previous three games.

Shooting guard Kent Bazemore (ankle) returned from a 14-game absence and scored nine points in 19 minutes off the bench against the Kings.

"A lot goes into recovering from an injury as severe as the one I had," Bazemore told reporters.

"Felt good to be back out there. I didn't really miss a beat. It's just all about trying to get back in shape where you can play as hard as you can for as long as you can," Bazemore said.

This is the first meeting between the teams this season. The Hawks held the Jazz to an average of 92 points while winning last season's two meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockets (29-21) at Nuggets (35-15)
Date: February 01, 2019 10:00 PM EDT

Nuggets fans undoubtedly will be chanting "MVP! MVP!" when Nikola Jokic is on the court Friday night. For the first time in a while, there will be a player present who is more deserving of those chants from the Denver crowd.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden, the reigning league MVP, has exploded over the past few weeks and has staked his claim to retain the honor. Harden has scored 32 or more points in 24 consecutive games ahead of Houston's visit to Denver on Friday. He put his team on his back when guard Chris Paul was out, and he carried the Rockets back into the thick of the playoff race.

Harden is averaging 36.3 points per game this season, and five times he has dropped 50 or more, including the 61 he scored at Madison Square Garden last week.

In a Tuesday loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Harden finished with 37 points.

"I wish I could have a quiet 35," Rockets guard Gerald Green said recently, according to the Houston Chronicle. "It's kind of weird to not see him score 45 or 50. I'm so used to seeing him score 58 any time now."

Harden has helped the Rockets break out of an early-season malaise, but he can't get them back to the Western Conference finals on his own. Paul's return from a hamstring injury that cost him a month will help, as does the energy of just acquired Kenneth Faried.

In five games since coming over from Brooklyn, where he was used sparingly, Faried is averaging 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds. He has posted double-doubles in each of the past three games.

"(Faried's) played a long time and knows how to play the pick-and-roll," Paul told the Houston Chronicle. "He's super athletic. All I have to do is get him the ball and get him in the right place."

Faried was a fan favorite when he was with Denver for the first seven seasons of his career. Now, after the Nuggets traded him to the Nets last summer, he has a chance to get a measure of payback. It won't be easy for him or the Rockets. Denver is off to its best 50-game start in its NBA history and is coming off two dramatic road wins.

The Nuggets pulled out a 95-92 win in Memphis on Monday after trailing by 25 in the second half, then held off New Orleans 105-99 on Wednesday night. Denver has won four straight, the past three without second-leading scorer Jamal Murray, who will be unavailable again Friday due to a sprained left ankle.

In Murray's absence, Jokic has carried the Nuggets to wins. He hit the go-ahead bucket in the final minute over Marc Gasol on Monday and then had his eighth triple-double of the season Wednesday night.

Jokic was selected a first-time All-Star on Thursday.

"Everybody knows where the ball is going, and Nikola Jokic is our closer -- and that's what you want from your franchise player, your All-Star, your MVP, whatever you want to call him -- down the stretch, give him the ball and let him make plays," Denver coach Michael Malone said after the Wednesday game. "He wants it. He has the confidence and he's been delivering, which is the best thing about it."

Jokic will have to be at his best against the Rockets, who have won nine straight against Denver, including two this season.

[Udog]

NBA Power Poll
Tony Mejia

Division Rankings

1) Northwest
2) Southwest
3) Atlantic
4) Pacific
5) Central
6) Southeast

First Team All-NBA
F- Kawhi Leonard, Toronto
F- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
C- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia
G- Stephen Curry, Golden State
G- James Harden, Houston

Second Team All-NBA
F- LeBron James, L.A. Lakers
F- Kevin Durant, Golden State
C- Nikola Jokic, Denver
G- Damian Lillard, Portland
G- Russell Westbrook, OKC

Third Team All-NBA
F- Paul George, OKC
F- Blake Griffin, Detroit
C- Anthony Davis, New Orleans
G- Kyle Lowry, Toronto
G- Kyrie Irving, Boston

2018-19 NBA Finals Prediction

Golden State over Boston - Slow start aside, the Warriors will have an easier time getting out of the West than they did last season since they won't be facing elimination at any point. The East will supply the playoff drama thanks to a Game 7 between the Raptors and Celtics up in the newly renamed Scotiabank Arena that will wind up delivering the latest playoff heartache for Canadian basketball fans. In the Finals, the Dubs will handle the Celtics to secure a three-peat and their fourth title in a five-year span.