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Preview: Magic (0-0) at Timberwolves (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Although they played a total of 15 minutes together last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic can stay on the court long enough to help the franchise end its lengthy playoff drought.

Finally healthy, the Timberwolves should be feeling confident about getting off to a good start Wednesday night when they host the rebuilding Orlando Magic.

With a 15-14 start last season, Minnesota (31-51) believed it was in position to reach the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Those hopes, however, essentially ended when Love was lost for the season with a broken hand as the Timberwolves lost 37 of their final 53 games and finished last in the Northwest Division.

'We all know what happened last year," said Love, a two-time All-Star who averaged 18.3 points and 14.0 rebounds in 18 games, "and we just want to move forward and take care of the unfinished business."

Rubio didn't show signs of returning to his prior form until early February as he recovered from the torn ACL in his right knee suffered the previous March, while Pekovic missed a total of 20 games with a variety of injuries.

The center finished second on the team with 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game before signing a five-year, $60 million deal this summer, showing that Minnesota believes he's part of its promising core.

Now the Timberwolves are counting on the talented trio to lead them to the postseason for the first time since Kevin Garnett took the franchise to the Western Conference finals in 2004.

'It's great to play with those guys,' Rubio said. 'They have a lot of talent. It's easy to play with them. We just have to get back our chemistry that we had. Last year we couldn't play a lot of minutes because of the injuries. But we are on the same page, and that's going to help.'

Since they shot a league-worst 30.5 percent from 3-point range, Minnesota sought to improve in that area by acquiring Kevin Martin in a three-team trade and signing Corey Brewer away from Denver.

Martin, who has been limited this preseason due to a sore Achilles, shot 42.6 percent from beyond the arc last season. Brewer hit a career-high 91 3s, while Love's return should help since he's a career 35.2 percent 3-point shooter.

The Timberwolves also are looking for a breakout season from former second overall draft pick Derrick Williams after picking up his contract option for next season, guaranteeing the $6.3 million on the deal.

Williams, who averaged 15.2 points over the final 33 games last season, has a chance to be the starting small forward while Chase Budinger recovers from a knee injury.

After finishing with the NBA's worst record last year, Orlando (0-1) continued its losing ways in a 97-87 defeat at Indiana in its season opener Tuesday. The Magic trailed by five at the end of the third quarter before the Pacers went on a decisive 17-4 run to break open the game in the fourth.

Andrew Nicholson had a team-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting Tuesday, while Maurice Harkless added 14 points. Playing close to where starred in college, No. 2 overall draft pick Victor Oladipo scored 12 on 4 of 11 from the field in his debut.

'There were a lot of Hoosier fans in there,' Oladipo said. 'I would have liked to have won, but overall it was pretty cool.'

Tobias Harris, who averaged 17.3 points in 27 games with Orlando last season, did not play due to a sprained ankle and is questionable for this contest.

After shooting 38.7 percent against defensive-minded Indiana, Orlando might be able to get better looks versus a Minnesota team that lost its defensive stopper when Andrei Kirilenko signed with Brooklyn.

The Magic have won eight of nine meetings with the Timberwolves, but lost 90-75 in their only trip to Minnesota last season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (0-0) at Mavericks (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 8:30 PM EDT


(AP) - Dirk Nowitzki is healthy and ready for the opener with a revamped Dallas Mavericks roster.

A year ago, the big German was just days removed from knee surgery and had to watch a roster full of new faces for the first 27 games. That's the biggest reason a 12-year playoff streak ended for the Mavericks.

Nowitzki has two new guards in his starting lineup for the second straight year. Now the Mavericks have to see if Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon will be better than the pairing of Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo.

Dallas will start getting answers Wednesday night at home against Atlanta.

There's also the question of who among seven other newcomers will join holdovers Vince Carter and Shawn Marion as key members of the supporting cast.

"Our mission this year is to get back to winning in the playoffs," said coach Rick Carlisle, who hasn't won a postseason game since guiding the Mavericks to their first championship in 2011. "And we know that there aren't a lot of people that think we're capable of doing that."

Odds are Dallas will be the third-best team in Texas again, behind defending Western Conference champion San Antonio and Houston, a playoff qualifier that got Dwight Howard in free agency to pair with James Harden.

What gives the Mavericks (41-41) hope is that they almost made the playoffs even with the huge hole they dug waiting for Nowitzki to regain something resembling the form of an 11-time All-Star and 2007 MVP.

Calderon looks like an upgrade over Collison because he was the best 3-point shooter in the league last season and has high-level international experience with Spain, if not any NBA playoff series victories.

Ellis has the speed and quickness to be a threat in the lane, and Carlisle says he's an underrated passer. The biggest question, though, is whether he will shoot too much when that's not his strength. He had the worst 3-point percentage among qualifiers last season.

"I think we'll find a mix of youth, experience, some drivers, some shot-makers," said Nowitzki, one of two returning starters along with Marion. "I think we've got a good mix, got a good bench."

Carter is generally the first player off that bench, and rookie point guard Gal Mekel should see significant playing time early in the season while the Mavericks wait for the return of first-round draft pick Shane Larkin (broken ankle) and Devin Harris (toe surgery).

Dallas has a defense-first center in 11-year veteran Samuel Dalembert after Chris Kaman struggled in that area last year. Brandan Wright was the backup before a shoulder injury sidelined him indefinitely, leading to more time for another newcomer in the undersized DeJuan Blair, who spent his first four seasons with the Spurs.

The Mavericks have trips to Oklahoma City and two-time defending champion Miami in the first month, along with two games each against West playoff contenders Houston, Minnesota and Denver.

"We've got to really focus on what's immediately ahead," Carlisle said. "We have to manage the club to have us tuned up for the long haul, too. So that's been a lot of challenges."

The first challenge has arrived in the Hawks, who are in Year 2 of their massive makeover.

The Hawks (44-38) have only two players who were with the team just two seasons ago, center Al Horford and point guard Jeff Teague, opting for a complete transformation of a franchise that has long been a consistent playoff contender but never a championship threat.

General manager Danny Ferry started the process a year ago, letting go of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams to rid the team of two cumbersome contracts. This year, Ferry didn't make much of an effort to keep longtime stalwart Josh Smith, who moved on to Detroit, and replaced him with Paul Millsap.

While the Hawks have yet to become an attractive destination for big-name free agents - they were rebuffed this past summer by Howard, who passed on a chance to come home to Atlanta - Ferry hopes to change that by turning Philips Arena into San Antonio East.

Ferry once worked for the Spurs, and he brought in Mike Budenholzer, a longtime assistant under Gregg Popovich, to bring that same team-first mentality to the Hawks.

Budenholzer's tenure in Atlanta got off to a rocky start when he was arrested for DUI, and it's going to take some time for the players to adjust to the motion offense he wants to play.

"It's constant movement," Horford said. "We've got to make sure we're all on the same page. If we don't, then we look stupid."

Heading into his seventh season, this is clearly Horford's team now. He's the only holdover among the core group largely responsible for six straight trips to the playoffs.

Budenholzer is counting on his 6-foot-10 center to provide leadership on the court and in the locker room. Horford, meanwhile, is hoping the new system takes some of the burden off him - especially at the defensive end, where he's always been a power forward forced to play a post role.

"He has a high basketball IQ," Budenholzer said. "The first and most important thing is that he's on the same page as far as what we're trying to do. He's been really, really focused on picking up the system."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (0-0) at Spurs (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 8:30 PM EDT


Tony Parker insists the San Antonio Spurs' veteran core has at least one more championship run left.

With Tim Duncan also back and Manu Ginobili re-signed, the Spurs begin their quest to atone for last season's heartbreaking title-round defeat Wednesday night against the team they eliminated in the Western Conference finals, the Memphis Grizzlies.

With Duncan, Ginobili and Parker having already played a combined 39 NBA seasons, there are questions of how long the Spurs can keep the three on the court and continue the franchise's run of excellence. Duncan is 37 years old, Ginobili is 36 and has missed significant time the last two years due to injury, and Parker is 31 but entering his 13th NBA season.

"I'm so excited to start with the Spurs and try to win a championship," Parker said when training camp opened. "I get another opportunity to get Timmy out with a championship. I'm ready to go."

San Antonio hasn't won fewer than 50 games in a non-lockout season and hasn't missed the playoffs since going 20-62 in 1996-97, a record that helped it take Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick in the subsequent draft. With help from their star forward, the Spurs have won four NBA titles and came within seconds of a fifth crown this past season until Miami's Ray Allen hit a tying 3-pointer late in Game 6.

San Antonio (58-24) again came up short in the deciding game against the Heat, leaving some to wonder if that was the franchise's last chance at a title with its current roster.

"I don't think it's time to heal all wounds yet," said Duncan, who averaged 18.9 points and 12.1 rebounds in the NBA finals. "We're going to let it fester for a little while, we're going to continue to think about it because it's going to continue to hurt whether we talk about it or let it go or not. But once the regular season starts and the ball goes up, we are going to be focused on a whole 'nother season."

The Spurs did their part to keep their core together by signing Ginobili to a two-year deal worth $14.5 million. They also signed center Tiago Splitter to a four-year, $36 million deal this summer, and will keep Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph around through the 2014-15 season after picking up their fourth-year options Monday.

With help from those players, the Spurs will try to win a fourth straight Southwest Division title but might get a challenge from their opening night opponent, among others.

Thanks in part to one of the league's best defenses, Memphis went a franchise-best 56-26 in 2012-13 - finishing two games behind San Antonio - and advanced to the conference finals for the first time. The Grizzlies' run, however, ended with a sweep to the Spurs.

Memphis chose not to keep coach Lionel Hollins and will instead turn to former assistant Dave Joerger to lead the push toward an NBA title.

"We want to make a statement and make history, and that's what we set out to do each and every year," point guard Mike Conley said. "This year's no different. I think we just got to learn from our mistakes last season."

The Grizzlies have made a few moves to try to help that run, most notably re-signing one of their top defenders in Tony Allen. The swingman, inked to a four-year contract worth $20 million, got one more vote than LeBron James for the league's all_defensive team.

Center Marc Gasol earned the NBA's defensive player of the year, and Conley joined him on the all_defensive team after helping Memphis allow a league-low 89.3 points per game.

The Grizzlies added 3-point specialist Mike Miller, part of two title-winning teams in Miami. Memphis averaged a league-low 13.5 3-point attempts in 2012-13.

The Grizzlies also acquired Kosta Koufos from Denver to serve as Gasol's backup and lured guard Nick Calathes away from Europe to make his NBA debut four years after leaving the University of Florida.

"In order to take another step, you're going to have to be a little better," Gasol said. "Every step now really does take a lot of work from everybody. I mean everybody got to play a little better.

"Everybody got to be on the same page, which we already are."

Top scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph also returns for the Grizzlies, who will try to snap an eight-game losing streak in San Antonio that includes four playoff defeats. Randolph was limited to 11.0 points per game on 30.2 percent shooting in the conference finals.

The Spurs split four regular-season matchups with Memphis in 2012-13 as Parker averaged a team-best 25.5 points. He scored 24.5 per game in the teams' playoff series.

Conley averaged 18.0 points against San Antonio during the regular season but scored 15.3 per game on 38.3 percent shooting in the playoffs. He was held to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting in Game 4.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Thunder (0-0) at Jazz (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 9:00 PM EDT


Although Oklahoma City finished with the Western Conference's best record last season and has perennial MVP candidate Kevin Durant, the Thunder enter 2013-14 with a degree of uncertainty.

The prospects for the Utah Jazz appear a bit more clear, as they're focused on rebuilding.

Expected to be without Russell Westbrook for the first month of the season, the Thunder open up Wednesday night against a young Jazz team that must replace much of its offense from a year ago.

Westbrook originally injured his knee during the opening round of last season's playoffs against Houston, a series Oklahoma City eventually won before falling in the second round to Memphis.

He underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus and appeared on track for a full recovery before the second surgery - a setback Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said was minimized because of Westbrook's positive outlook and already strengthened knee.

Oklahoma City is accustomed to overcoming doubt, having gone 60-22 last season even after the trade that sent James Harden to Houston. That was thanks in large part to Durant's average of 28.1 points, as well as Westbrook's 23.2 points and 7.4 assists per game.

Westbrook's injury had a crippling effect at times on the Thunder's offense during the playoffs - with Durant's shooting percentage falling from 51.0 percent during the regular season to 42.1 in the series against the Grizzlies.

This season, Oklahoma City must once again overcome the loss of a key offensive piece, with guard Kevin Martin and his 14.0 points per game leaving for Minnesota.

The Thunder, who went 3-1 against Utah last season, are counting on several familiar faces to replace Martin's offense, including guards Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb. Jackson, in particular, surged in the playoffs last season, averaging 13.9 points after scoring just 5.3 during the regular season.

"We're very confident that we can (win the championship)," Durant said. "We're not going to come in and say, 'We can't win it all; we don't have enough.' We're a confident group of guys."

Oklahoma City is also looking for Serge Ibaka to shoulder a bigger load after he averaged career highs of 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds last season. He also led the league in blocked shots for a second straight season, averaging 3.0.

"We feel we're in a good position," Durant said. "That's all that really matters. If we come in here thinking we lost momentum or anything like that, that will mess us up. So, we just try to focus on each and every day and we'll be fine."

The Jazz feel like they're heading in the right direction, but they moved into rebuilding mode by shuttling four of their top five scorers after finishing last season at 43-39, just missing the playoffs.

Management hopes loyal followers will show patience as youngsters like center Enes Kanter, forward Jeremy Evans and guard Alec Burks become the supporting cast to Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward.

"It's going to be a challenge for sure but it will definitely be exciting. We are ready to take the next step and we can't wait for the season to get started. It's going to be quite a journey for this team," said Hayward, the team's top returning scorer at 14.1 points per game last season.

The Jazz showed their full commitment to the youth movement by signing the 6-foot-10, 263-pound Favors to a four-year extension that is worth more than $50 million with incentives. A similar deal for Hayward is in the works and is expected to be signed before Thursday's deadline.

"We will be looking to have Gordon and Derrick make big plays for us this year on both ends of the court," coach Tyrone Corbin said.

Corbin will be without Trey Burke for the first two to three months after he had surgery to repair a fractured right index finger. The ninth pick of the draft was set to be the starter at point guard, a job Corbin will now hand to journeyman John Lucas III.

The Thunder won't have center Hasheem Thabeet for the opener after he was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for head-butting New Orleans' Greg Stiemsma in a preseason game.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (0-0) at Suns (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


Thirteen seasons have come and gone without the Portland Trail Blazers winning a playoff series, a drought that isn't lost on general manager Neil Olshey with the franchise coming off another disappointing campaign.

Portland, though, seemingly has the talent to contend in the loaded Western Conference this season unlike the rebuilding Phoenix Suns, who host Wednesday night's season opener.

The Trail Blazers have lost their last six postseason series since coming within one victory of the NBA Finals in 2000, and they missed the playoffs for the second straight year after ending last season on a 13-game losing streak to finish 33-49.

Olshey saw some positives to build on, though. Damian Lillard was named the league's rookie of the year after averaging 19.0 points and leading the league in minutes played, while LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 21.1 points and a career-best 9.1 rebounds.

Lillard averaged 24.3 points and 5.7 assists in helping the Blazers go 2-1 against the Suns last season.

Portland also got solid seasons from Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews, and it acquired center Robin Lopez from New Orleans in the offseason to be the starting center.

'Look, the West is incredibly deep, incredibly talented. A lot of the teams returning to the playoffs probably feel like they have a seed locked up. But we're going to do everything in our power to get back in,' Olshey said. 'I think we're talented enough, the way our core four players played last year, supported by the new additions, they're going to give us a great chance.'

Lopez averaged 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season, and Aldridge is looking forward to getting some help down low.

'I just want a big to play with,' Aldridge said. 'I feel like I can go to the next level playing alongside him because he's going to block shots. If he doesn't block it, I can come block it.'

Olshey also made it a point to shore up the Blazers' depth after they received an average of only 18.5 points off the bench, by far the worst in the league. He drafted C.J. McCollum with the 10th overall pick and signed veterans Mo Williams, Earl Watson and Dorell Wright. He also traded for Thomas Robinson, who was the fifth overall selection in the 2012 draft.

Though McCollum will be nursing a foot injury for at least the first few weeks, Williams plans to begin contributing immediately.

"I'm just going to be a problem (for opposing teams)," Williams told the team's official website. "I'm going to be on everybody's scouting report because I feel like that'll take pressure off of (Lillard) and (Aldridge)."

Phoenix, meanwhile, put more pressure on its young group - as well as first-year coach Jeff Hornacek - by trading veteran center Marcin Gortat to Washington on Friday for the injured Emeka Okafor and a protected first-round pick. The Suns also sent 2012 first-round pick Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee in the deal.

It marked the most recent of many moves by new general manager Ryan McDonough, who has made no secret of his plans to reshape a roster that went 25-57 - the franchise's worst record since its inaugural campaign of 1968-69.

McDonough traded Jared Dudley in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee that landed young guard Eric Bledsoe on July 3, then dealt Luis Scola to Indiana for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee and a first-round pick later that month. He then bought out the troubled Michael Beasley in September.

Phoenix, which drafted big man Alex Len at No. 5 and has been impressed with rookie guard Archie Goodwin, potentially will have four first-round picks in next year's draft.

"The night is darkest just before the dawn," McDonough said. "And I promise you, the dawn is coming."

That likely won't be this season, but Hornacek is excited to have the services of returning leading scorer Goran Dragic and Channing Frye, who missed all of last season due to a heart condition. At 6-foot-11, Frye can play both inside and outside, as he's a 39.0 percent career 3-point shooter.

Frye didn't expect to play until December, but he's way ahead of schedule and plans to play in the opener.

'He pushed himself,' Hornacek said. 'I was surprised in training camp. I thought he would get into it slowly and do a couple of things but he kept pushing through stuff, rarely sat out.'

Phoenix will be without Markieff Morris on Wednesday as he serves a one-game suspension for elbowing Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka in a preseason game.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nuggets (0-0) at Kings (0-0)

Date: October 30, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


The Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings underwent eventful offseasons, with personnel changes that included new coaches for both teams.

While the Nuggets hope their shakeup can help them remain a Western Conference contender, it seems the Kings could continue to struggle.

Denver hits the road Wednesday night for its first game under Brian Shaw and seeks its 10th consecutive win over the Kings, led by Mike Malone.

Shaw was hired to replace George Karl, who was fired after nine seasons, eight of which ended in first-round playoff exits. The first-time head coach is doing away with Karl's up-tempo style in favor of a more methodical approach.

By the time January rolls around - maybe the All-Star break, at the latest - Shaw envisions his team fully embracing his system, one that hinges on half-court sets, a powerful presence in the paint and smothering defense.

Until that time, Shaw's willing to overlook some of the growing pains that go along with the transition as he steps in after Karl led Denver to a franchise-best 57 wins.

"We know that they're going to fall back into the ways that they know," said Shaw, a longtime assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers before joining Denver. "So I guess it comes down to this: If it works, it's OK. If it doesn't, try it the way we're trying to get you to do it. For the most part, it's a process that's going to take time. But they're getting it."

This carries a lot of clout, too: Shaw has five NBA championship rings - two as an assistant coach and three as a player. His players are soaking up his brand of basketball because it's "championship-caliber basketball," Randy Foye said.

"You look at those teams that always get up and down, and do a lot of great things in the regular season, in the playoffs that ain't happening," added Foye, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal that sent swingman Andre Iguodala to Golden State. "The playoffs are grind-it-out basketball: Who can score after a timeout and then who can get a stop after a timeout. That's something he's trying to teach us."

Denver will try to weather the loss of Iguodala, part of a three-team trade that saw the Nuggets receive Darrell Arthur from Memphis. Also gone are starter Kosta Koufos and key reserve Corey Brewer.

They'll try to find a scoring punch elsewhere with Danilo Gallinari sidelined until December due to a torn ACL he suffered in April.

The Italian forward had a team-leading 135 3-pointers a year ago. "We will try to hold down the fort until he comes back," Shaw said.

The Kings are under new ownership after Vivek Ranadive's purchase from the Maloof family in May helped ensure they would remain in Sacramento.

"It's a new era," Ranadive has declared repeatedly.

The TIBCO software chairman has delivered on that promise so far. He hired a new coach (Malone), new general manager (Pete D'Alessandro) and a Hall of Fame consultant (Chris Mullin) along with bringing in a flashy new minority investor (Shaquille O'Neal) that will surely bring more attention to Sacramento.

On the court, the Kings are still a long way from being a winning organization.

The Kings (28-54) are coming off their seventh straight losing season and are just beginning a rebuilding project that's likely years away from completion. Ranadive is trying to lay a solid foundation first - right down to fixing all the potholes in the parking lot of Sacramento's suburban arena.

The new owner's first major move was making center DeMarcus Cousins the franchise player by signing him to a four-year, $62 million extension. The Kings are counting on Cousins, who has drawn multiple suspensions from the NBA and the team for his behavior, to keep his cool and show he can lead the franchise's new era.

"I've got big shoulders, so I can handle that," said Cousins, drafted fifth overall in 2010 after one season at Kentucky. "I consider myself a leader on this team, so I take all the responsibility that comes with it. I've had pressure from the beginning, so I don't have a problem with it. I was doing it in the beginning, so I definitely don't have a problem doing it now."

Nobody disputes Cousins' talent. He averaged 17.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season and, at times, looked dominant against the NBA's best big men. But he has struggled with defense and discipline, and he couldn't co-exist with coaches Keith Smart or Paul Westphal. If Cousins can control his emotions and channel his talent, he could be the key cog in Sacramento's resurrection.

The Kings are also hoping their latest lottery selection will provide an immediate spark. Seventh-overall pick Ben McLemore averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists as a freshman on a Kansas team that went 31-6 and won a share of its ninth straight Big 12 title last season. McLemore will get a chance to shine whether he starts at shooting guard or comes off the bench.

[Kaptain]

Bum

hope you have a good NBA season......appreciate all you do here BUM.......I'm looking forward to CBB, which is where I usualy do my best.........lock and load

[StarDust Bum]

Good Luck Bradda Kapt........

[StarDust Bum]

Yes a double POD # 1 on this Full Night of Action....

Wednesday, October 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Miami - 7:00 PM ET Miami -10 500

Philadelphia - Under 195 500 POD # 3

Boston - 7:00 PM ET Toronto -8 500

Toronto - Under 189.5 500 POD # 6

Brooklyn - 7:00 PM ET Brooklyn -3 500 POD # 1

Cleveland - Over 194.5 500

Washington - 7:30 PM ET Detroit -2.5 500

Detroit - Under 189 500

Milwaukee - 7:30 PM ET New York -7.5 500

New York - Over 196.5 500

Charlotte - 8:00 PM ET Houston -13 500 POD # 2

Houston - Over 202 500

Orlando - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -10 500

Minnesota - Under 199 500

Indiana - 8:00 PM ET Indiana +1.5 500 POD # 4

New Orleans - Under 187 500

Atlanta - 8:30 PM ET Dallas -6 500

Dallas - Under 196 500

Memphis - 8:30 PM ET San Antonio -6 500

San Antonio - Under 188 500

Oklahoma City - 9:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -6 500

Utah - Over 192 500

Portland - 10:00 PM ET Portland -5.5 500

Phoenix - Over 197.5 500

Denver - 10:00 PM ET Sacramento -2.5 500 POD # 3

Sacramento - Over 204 500

L.A. Lakers - 10:30 PM ET Golden State -12 500 POD # 1

Golden State - Over 206 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Knicks (1-0) at Bulls (0-1)

Date: October 31, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Derrick Rose's return didn't go as well as he hoped, both personally and for the Chicago Bulls.

If his recent performances against the New York Knicks are any indication, Rose's first meaningful game at home since coming back from injury could have a better outcome.

Rose looks to bounce back from a tough season opener as Chicago seeks a sixth straight victory over New York on Thursday night.

After sitting out all of last season rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered late in Game 1 of a 2012 first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, Rose scored 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting as the Bulls fell 107-95 to defending champion Miami on Tuesday.

"If anything, I'm disappointed in the loss," said Rose, who committed five turnovers. "My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and turning down the turnovers. It's not the end of the world. We can fix things. We did not show what we were capable of."

Rose insisted his layoff had nothing to do with the sub-par performance.

"I don't think it was any rust," Rose said. "If anything, I have amnesia about it and we play in two nights."

The Bulls likely haven't forgotten how great he's been against the Knicks. Rose has averaged 27.8 points over his last nine versus New York, and his career average of 24.7 is his second-best against any team.

Chicago has been solid against New York even without Rose, winning all four meetings last season. It has taken eight of the last nine overall and 20 of the last 23 at home.

The Knicks blew a 25-point lead in their opener Wednesday, but Carmelo Anthony was solid down the stretch and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 90-83 win over Milwaukee.

"It was a test for us to see what type of team we are when it comes down to situations like that," Anthony said.

Tyson Chandler, who spent his first five seasons with the Bulls, had 10 points and five blocks.

"We want to put teams away, especially, you know, you're going into a back-to-back, so you have an opportunity to rest," Chandler said. "But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I'd rather learn with a win than a loss."

New York played without reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who is suspended for the first five games for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Amare Stoudemire, who is coming off knee surgery, dressed but did not play to rest for this contest.

Raymond Felton scored 18 points and suffered a minor hamstring injury, but he doesn't think it will keep him out Thursday.

Anthony has averaged 35.2 points in his last five against the Bulls, who haven't lost at home to New York since a 120-112 defeat on Nov. 10, 2010 - one season before Anthony was acquired from Denver.

Joakim Noah, who had 11 rebounds but just two points in the opener, knows Chicago has to get solid contributions from everyone moving forward. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and Jimmy Butler, whose fourth-year contract option was picked up by the team Wednesday, finished with 20.

"I really believe in this team more than ever," Noah said. "I'm going to play better; our offense is going to get better. We feel like we're capable of playing a lot better."

New York last beat Chicago on April 8, 2012. Anthony, who scored 43 points, hit a tying 3-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation before nailing a 3 with eight seconds remaining in overtime to give the Knicks a 100-99 victory.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Warriors (1-0) at Clippers (0-1)

Date: October 31, 2013 10:30 PM EDT


Following an offseason of big moves and championship talk, the Los Angeles Clippers were quickly humbled in their season opener.

It doesn't figure to get any easier in their first official home game Thursday night against red-hot Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors.

The new-look Clippers (0-1) will try again for their first victory in the Doc Rivers era after the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers stunned them with a late 28-8 run en route to a 116-103 win Tuesday at Staples Center.

Blake Griffin led the defending Pacific Division champions with 19 points and seven rebounds, while DeAndre Jordan contributed 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 11 boards.

Despite missing eight of his 13 shots, Chris Paul added 15 points and 11 assists.

The Clippers, however, were outscored 76-34 off the bench - the most points by the Lakers' reserves since March 1985. New additions Jared Dudley, J.J. Redick and Darren Collison had minimal impact, combining for 27 points.

"We were not ready tonight," said Rivers, the longtime Celtics coach who hopes to push the Clippers into title contention. "(The Lakers) have heard for probably the last two months how good (we) were going to be ... so you knew that they were going to play like this was the world championship - with that type of energy. And I thought we never matched it. Everything they did was harder than us and more physical than us.

"So it was a good lesson for us."

After allowing 41 points in the fourth quarter and 14-of-29 shooting from 3-point range, Rivers' club will need a better performance against talented, up-tempo Golden State (1-0).

In their solid opener Wednesday, the Warriors showed why many believe they can contend for the Western Conference title. They shot 53.5 percent overall and sank 15 of 27 from beyond the arc in a 125-94 rout that made the Lakers look like a different team than the one from a night earlier.

"When we are clicking," coach Mark Jackson said, "we know how good we can be."

Golden State held visiting Los Angeles to 39.3-percent shooting and dominated the boards 48-39.

Thompson got off to an outstanding start, pouring in a career-high 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting - including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He's fared well against the Clippers, averaging 18.4 points and hitting 17 of 37 from long range in his last five meetings.

Golden State averaged 106.0 points and shot 40.7 percent on 3s while taking three of the four meetings with the Clippers last season.

Paul scored 25.7 per game over the first three matchups before going 1 for 7 for four points in a 106-99 loss at Golden State on Jan. 21.

Jamal Crawford, who had 24 points and hit six 3-pointers in that contest, has averaged 27.3 points in his last four meetings with the Warriors.

Stephen Curry scored 27.3 per game while making 14 of 23 from 3-point range in the three wins over the Clippers in 2012-13.

Teammate Harrison Barnes missed the opener with left foot inflammation, and will sit out again in this contest.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's TNT Action

October 31, 2013


NEW YORK KNICKS (1-0) at CHICAGO BULLS (0-1)

Sportsbok.ag Line & Total: Chicago -7.5 & 188

The Knicks look to improve to 2-0 while the Bulls aim for their first win of the young season when these two teams square off in Chicago on Thursday night.

The Bulls lost their first game of the season Tuesday, 107-95 to the Heat, while the Knicks started off with a 90-83 home victory over the Bucks on Wednesday. Chicago has dominated this series recently with five straight victories (SU and ATS) over New York, which includes last season's four-game sweep that occurred without superstar PG Derrick Rose. He returned from a torn ACL to play his first regular season game in over a year against the Heat on Tuesday, but made just 4-of-15 shots, including 1-of-7 threes. Although Chicago got off to a slow start on Tuesday, the team is 8-0 ATS after scoring 35 points or less in the first half of their last game since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach. However, the Knicks are 19-7 ATS (73%) when playing on back-to-back nights since Mike Woodson started coaching the team. In addition to SG J.R Smith being out with a four-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy, the Knicks could be without starting PG Raymond Felton who injured his hamstring on Wednesday and is considered questionable. However, PF Amar'e Stoudemire will make his season debut on Thursday replacing PF Kenyon Martin, who won't play back-to-back games.

The Knicks nearly squandered a 25-point halftime lead Wednesday against the Bucks, needing to overcome a deficit with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. New York was able to pull away to win by seven points behind the superb play of C Tyson Chandler who blocked five shots while adding 10 points, six rebounds and three steals in what was an amazing defensive performance by the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year. SF Carmelo Anthony scored only 19 points (7-of-16 FG), but pulled down 10 rebounds while adding some timely buckets for New York in the fourth quarter. Anthony scored 34.7 PPG against Chicago last season, but made just 41% FG and 28% threes in the series. PG Raymond Felton added 18 points, three assists and three steals for New York on Wednesday despite pulling his hamstring in the second half. If he can't go, that would be a big loss for the Knicks considering he produced 22.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.7 APG in three games versus Chicago last season. SG Iman Shumpert made his bid to keep his starting job when J.R Smith returns from suspension, adding 16 points (5-of-13 FG), four rebounds and a block in 33 minutes. The Knicks will need to cut down on their turnovers if they are going to beat the Bulls, as they finished the game with a miserable 22 giveaways. But the defense forced 24 Bucks miscues and compiled a dozen steals.

The Bulls had a poor defensive showing in their opener, allowing the Heat to score 107 points on 51.4% FG and 11-of-20 threes (55%). Although PG Derrick Rose looked healthy in his first game back on the court since April 28, 2012, he struggled defensively at times. Rose finished the game with 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting and four assists, but allowed Heat PG Mario Chalmers to outscore him with 13 points. Rose has punished the Knicks in his career though, scoring 24.7 PPG on 48% FG with 7.1 APG in the 13 meetings. The best player on the court for the Bulls on Tuesday was PF Carlos Boozer. He was unstoppable at times and finished the game 13-of-18 from the floor for 31 points, seven rebounds and a block. SG Jimmy Butler, who could be poised for a breakout season, scored 20 points and also led his team with five steals and a +10 rating. As Rose begins to get more comfortable with regular season basketball, the Bulls will continue to improve. Their tough frontcourt has provided the Knicks with problems in the past, but SF Luol Deng and C Joakim Noah will need to perform much better than Tuesday when the duo combined for just six points on 3-of-12 shooting.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1-0) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (0-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Clippers -6.5 & 205

The Warriors attempt to complete an L.A. sweep when they visit the Clippers on Thursday night, one night after embarrassing the Lakers at home.

The Clippers had an extremely disappointing result in their season opener against Lakers on Tuesday, losing 116-103 as 10-point favorites. In that game, the Clippers shot very well, going 41-of-83 (49.4%) from the floor, but gave up too many threes (14) and allowed the Lakers bench to take over the game late. Golden State also played the Lakers in its first game, but with much better results. The Warriors pulled out to an early lead and never looked back in an impressive 125-94 victory, when they shot 15-for-27 (55.6%) from behind the arc. Golden State did well against the Clippers last season, going 3-1 both SU and ATS. All four of those meetings finished Over the total. The Warriors offense was extremely impressive in these games, averaging 106.0 PPG on 49% FG and 41% threes in the season series. Since 1996, this series has been very tight, with the Clippers holding a 37-30 SU advantage (.552) and going an even 32-32-3 ATS. Warriors SF Harrison Barnes did not play on Wednesday and is expected to miss this game too because of a foot injury.

Golden State had a tremendous run in last season's playoffs and really showed the rest of the league that it was a team to be reckoned with. Scoring 101.2 PPG last season, the Warriors ranked seventh in the league. They showed that they can continue as an offensive juggernaut this season by putting up 125 points against the Lakers on Wednesday night. Golden State was not as impressive on defense last season though, allowing 100.3 PPG. The club added SF Andre Iguodala in the offseason in an attempt to improve this part of their game. Iguodala (7 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals on Wednesday) has struggled in his 18 career games against the Clippers though, shooting only 42.6% from the field, which is much lower than his career 46.0% shooting. Providing most of the offense for the Warriors will most likely be the backcourt duo of PG Stephen Curry and SG Klay Thompson. These two combined to hit 483 total 3-pointers last season, with Curry leading the NBA with 272 and Thompson ranking third with 211. The duo combined to make 7-of-12 threes against the Lakers with a combined 48 points (38 by Thompson) and a +58 rating. However, both Curry (18.3 PPG, 5.5 APG in 15 career games) and Thompson (13.8 PPG, 41% FG in 8 career games) have played below their career averages against the Clippers. PF David Lee led the league last year with 56 double-doubles, and averaged 13.5 PPG and 10.3 RPG over the four games played between these teams last season. Although he did not start the 2013-14 season with a double-double (24 points, eight rebounds), Lee did make 8-of-13 shots and dished out five assists.

The Clippers averaged 101.1 PPG last season (T-8th in NBA) and bettered that mark with their 103 points scored on Tuesday night against the Lakers. They unfortunately gave up 116 points in that game (41 in fourth quarter), which matched the most points they allowed in a regulation game last season. PG Chris Paul was his usual self against the Lakers (15 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals) but was only 5-for-13 from the field. Against the Warriors last season, Paul averaged 20.3 PPG on 50% FG with 8.5 APG. PF Blake Griffin had 19 points and seven rebounds on Tuesday night, but only made 3-of-10 from the charity stripe. He will need to match his numbers from his 12 career games against the Warriors (21.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and greatly improve his free-throw efficiency in order to have better results for L.A. than he did last season. Another key piece on the Clippers team, C DeAndre Jordan, will have his work cut out for him facing the likes of Andrew Bogut and David Lee. Jordan really struggled last season in this series, scoring only 5.5 PPG with 5.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG over the four games. SG Jamal Crawford shot only 5-for-13 against the Lakers on Wednesday, but was on the mark last season against Golden State, scoring 25.0 PPG on 48.1% FG and 48.3% threes (14-of-29). The Clippers had the NBA's fourth-best defense last season (94.6 PPG) but allowed an average of 106.0 PPG to the Warriors. They will need to have their defense working hard in order to slow down this potent Golden State offense.

[StarDust Bum]

Yesterday Totally sucked as those DOGS were barking loud.....About the only positive thing was POD # 1 HIT BIG......

Looking for a better day.....Good luck !!


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/30/13 9-*18-*1 33.33% -*5400 Detail
10/29/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail

Totals 11-*22-*1 33.33% -*6600


Thursday, October 31

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New York - 8:00 PM ET New York +7.5 500

Chicago - Over 188.5 500

Golden State - 10:30 PM ET Golden State +6.5 500 POD # 1

L.A. Clippers - Over 205 500 POD # 2

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

New York at Chicago
The Bulls look to build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games against the Knicks. Chicago is the pick (-8) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-8). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Game 501-502: New York at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 115.311; Chicago 125.148
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 10; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 8; 190
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-8); Over

Game 503-504: Golden State at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 123.300; LA Clippers 120.924
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 2 1/2; 208
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 7; 203
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+7); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 31

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NEW YORK (1 - 0) at CHICAGO (0 - 1) - 10/31/2013, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-32 ATS (-21.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (1 - 0) at LA CLIPPERS (0 - 1) - 10/31/2013, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 186-246 ATS (-84.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 191-245 ATS (-78.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.

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

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, October 31

New York at Chicago, 8:00 ET
New York: 31-19 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders
Chicago: 2-13 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points

Golden State at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
Golden State: 41-26 ATS as a road underdog
LA Clippers: 99-132 ATS after allowing 110 points or more




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, October 31

We're not going to post any info here until the teams have a few games under their belts, probably on Monday..




NBA

Thursday, October 31

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. CHICAGO
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 5-13 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
LA Clippers are 13-5 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against Golden State


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NBA

Thursday, October 31

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NBA TNT doubleheader: Knicks at Bulls, Warriors at Clippers
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New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls (-8.5, 188.5)

Derrick Rose looks to shake off a subpar return as he plays at home for the first time in 17-plus months when the Chicago Bulls tangle with the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Rose was just 4-of-15 shooting for 12 points and had more turnovers (five) than assists (four) in his return from major knee surgery in Chicago’s loss to the Miami Heat. “I don’t think I forced anything,” Rose said after Tuesday’s contest. “I just couldn’t knock down any shots. I don’t think it was rust.”

New York opened its season with a victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday in a game in which the Knicks let a 25-point second-half lead slip away before fighting off the Bucks. Center Tyson Chandler elected to take the view that the close call was of benefit to his team. “We want to put teams away, especially (when) you’re going into a back-to-back so you have an opportunity to rest,” Chandler said. “But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I’d rather learn with a win than a loss.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE: Bulls opened at -7.5 and were bet up to -8.5. The total opened at 190.5 and has come down to 188.5.
NBA POWER RANKINGS: Knicks (-8.5) - Bulls (-13.3) + Home court (-3.0) = Bulls -7.8

ABOUT THE KNICKS (1-0): The status of point guard Raymond Felton is a concern after he tweaked a hamstring in the opener. New York coach Mike Woodson said Felton’s availability would be decided shortly before game time even though Felton was insisting he would be in the lineup. “Hopefully it goes away,” Felton said after scoring 18 points against the Bucks. “It’s one of those things where it can last two to three days but it can last up to six weeks.” Forward Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Milwaukee.

ABOUT THE BULLS (0-1): Chicago was overly hyped for the challenge of facing defending champion Miami, but the way the Bulls fell behind early and were not in the game made the defeat even more disappointing. “It’s not the end of the world,” Rose said. “This will be easily forgotten. We have the whole season to make a statement. For us, it’s building every game.” The one Chicago standout was forward Carlos Boozer, who repeatedly had his way inside with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting in addition to grabbing seven rebounds.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
* Knicks are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Chicago.
* Knicks are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Chicago went 4-0 against the Knicks last season and has won the last five meetings.

2. Knicks SG J.R. Smith is serving a five-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.

3. Bulls C Joakim Noah (groin) was limited to 20 minutes in the opener but did grab 11 rebounds.



Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers (-6.5, 203)

The Los Angeles Clippers endured a disappointing season debut under new coach Doc Rivers, especially at the defensive end. The Clippers will look to avoid falling into an early hole in the Pacific Division when they host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Rivers built strong defensive teams with the Boston Celtics but watched Los Angeles struggle mightily in a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Warriors had the opposite experience against the Lakers in their opener on Wednesday, getting 38 points from Klay Thompson in a 125-94 blowout. Rivers lamented his teams’ lack of preparation. “(The Lakers) destroyed us on the glass and destroyed us in turnovers,” Rivers said. “So it was a good lesson for us.” Golden State controlled the glass in its opener despite holding its entire frontcourt to 27 minutes or fewer on Wednesday.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE: The Clippers opened -7 and have come down to -6.5. The total opened at 203 and has jumped to 203.5.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Warriors (-9.0) - Clippers (-13.5) + Home Court (-3.0) = Clippers -7.5

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (1-0): Golden State finished second to the Clippers in the Pacific Division in 2012-13 and is looking to challenge for the top spot this season after bringing in Andre Iguodala to supplement the perimeter defense and display toughness on the wing. Iguodala only scored seven points on Wednesday but helped spread the defense for Thompson while providing one of the highlights of the night on a behind-the-back give-and-go exchange with David Lee. The Warriors led the NBA in 3-point percentage in 2012-13 and showed no signs of slowing down by burying 15-of-27 from beyond the arc in the opener, led by Thompson’s 5-of-7 performance.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (0-1): Los Angeles held a slim lead for most of its opener before being blown out in the fourth quarter by the Lakers’ reserves in a 116-103 setback. “The good thing is we have 81 more games,” Rivers said. “The bad thing is everyone is going to play us (hard).” Blake Griffin scored 19 points but struggled on the defensive end while the Clippers were outrebounded. Los Angeles is working in newcomers J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley and had the two split time with Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Warriors are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Los Angeles.
* Underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Golden State F Harrison Barnes (foot) sat out the opener and is not expected to play until the weekend.

2. Griffin shot 47.2 percent from the field against the Warriors last season - his lowest mark against any Pacific rival.

3. Golden State took three of the four meetings last season, with the lone loss coming at Los Angeles on Jan. 5, 115-89.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's NBA Action

November 1, 2013

MIAMI HEAT (1-1) at BROOKLYN NETS (0-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Miami -4 & 194

The Nets are looking to get their first win of the season Friday night when they host a Heat team trying to avoid falling under .500 early in the season.

Miami had an impressive win to beat Chicago in the season opener, but they followed it up with an embarrassing loss to the rebuilding 76ers. Brooklyn, however, has played just once this season, losing their opener in Cleveland. The Heat have dominated this matchup recently as they are 6-0 SU (5-1 ATS) against the Nets over the past two seasons, winning the three meetings last year by wide margins of 30, 13 and 20 points. The most recent game between these teams was a 105-85 victory for Miami in Brooklyn on Jan. 30, 2013. The Heat are 31-16 ATS (66%) after two or more consecutive Overs in the past three season, but they are just 89-126 ATS (41%) in November games since 1996. However, the Nets are 8-19 ATS (30%) as a home underdog over the past three years. SG Dwyane Wade will be in the lineup for Miami after sitting out the loss to Philadelphia in an effort to keep the superstar fresh.

The Heat won a convincing opening night game against the Bulls, only to follow it up with a loss to the 9.5-point underdog Sixers, who are expected to be one of the NBA's worst teams this season. Playing without SG Dwyane Wade, Miami fell 114-110 despite 25 points and 13 assists from SF LeBron James. The Heat star has dominated the Nets throughout his career with 27.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 7.6 APG over 33 meetings. PF Chris Bosh added 22 points (8-of-13 FG, 2-of-3 threes) and 10 rebounds. Through two games, Bosh has looked very good for Miami and is averaging 19.0 PPG (58.3% FG), 8.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG. Off the bench, SG Ray Allen added 19 points on 7-of-13 FG (4-of-9 threes) with six rebounds. PG Mario Chalmers also played a strong game for the Heat on Wednesday with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Miami was missing Wade in the game as it struggled to guard the Sixers on the perimeter, allowing rookie Michael Carter-Williams to score 22 points with 12 assists and nine steals in his NBA debut. Miami may need to reconsider its plan to rest Wade in the second half of back-to-backs if it can’t consistently win without him.

Brooklyn started off its season with a 98-94 road loss to the Cavaliers. The Nets played a decent game all around, except they were dominated in the third quarter being outscored by eight in the period. SF Paul Pierce looked good in his team debut, scoring 17 points on 5-of-8 FG and 3-of-4 threes. PF Kevin Garnett had just eight points, but did grab 10 rebounds with two steals and a blocked shot. C Brook Lopez scored 21 points on 9-of-18 FG to go along with five rebounds and four blocks. PG Deron Williams, playing in limited action because of an ankle injury, logged just 22 minutes and had only seven points on 2-of-6 FG. He did, however, add nine assists for his team, and he has also played well against Miami in his career with 16.5 PPG (48% FG) and 8.2 APG over 18 meetings. New SG Jason Terry provided a nice scoring punch off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-10 FG and 4-of-9 threes. The Nets are going to need more out of starting SG Joe Johnson, who had just 13 points on 3-of-10 FG and 0-of-3 threes. Brooklyn will be better off as Deron Williams gets healthier and is able to give them more minutes, which is what he's expected to do on Friday.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1-0) at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: San Antonio -7.5 & 207.5

The Lakers attempt to regain their composure after a crazy first two days of the season while the Spurs try to start the season 2-0 when the teams meet on Friday.

Just one day after pulling off a huge upset against the Clippers on Tuesday's opening night, the Lakers took a beating in Oakland (125-94) by the Warriors. PG Steve Nash was out of the game with it being a back-to-back, and SG Kobe Bryant is still out while he recovers from last season's torn Achilles, and the Lakers could not hold serve with the offensive powerhouse that is the Warriors. The Spurs started out the 2013-14 season in their usual fashion, winning 101-94 against the Grizzlies and using their entire roster to do so, as 10 players logged 17+ minutes). But PF Tim Duncan was limited to only 1-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes after suffering a chest contusion, and is doubtful to play in this contest. This series was very lopsided last season, with the Spurs winning 2-of-3 games in the regular season and then sweeping the Lakers in four games during the first of the Western Conference playoffs. In those seven games last season, San Antonio was 5-2 ATS and the Under was 5-2. The Spurs are 6-2 SU (7-1 ATS) in their past eight road games versus the Lakers, but amazingly enough, these two franchises have played each other 149 times in their history, with the Lakers winning 75 and the Spurs winning 74.

Many experts thought aging San Antonio would no longer be among the elite teams of the NBA, but its run to the NBA Finals last season may have quieted those doubts for the time being. Last season, the Spurs scored an impressive 103.0 PPG (4th in the league) and did this by rotating their players and moving the ball quickly around the court while on offense. San Antonio also performed well on defense last season, allowing only 96.6 PPG (11th in the league) and held the Grizzlies to only 94 points on Wednesday night in the season opener. PG Tony Parker has been one of the best NBA point guards for many years now and has done very well in his 38 career games against the Lakers (17.7 PPG, 5.8 APG). San Antonio has shown that it is going to be cautious with PF Tim Duncan as he is nearly 38 years old, which is why the future Hall of Famer will not likely play on Friday night. He has averaged 19.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG over 54 career games against the Lakers, but has shot his second worst FG Pct. (46.2%) against them as well. If Duncan does end up playing, his minutes will most likely be restricted. SF Kawhi Leonard is becoming an elite player in this league, but has really struggled in his six games against the Lakers during the regular season, averaging 6.5 PPG on 13-of-32 shooting (40.6%) and 4.5 RPG. He did perform much better against the Lakers in the playoffs though, shooting 55.3% from the field and raising his averages to 12.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.5 SPG. The Spurs do rely on their entire roster to win games, and this was still evident in their first game this season as the bench scored 53 of the team's 101 points in that victory.

The Lakers' bench took over game one and ran the Clippers out of the Staples Center, but without PG Steve Nash playing on Wednesday night, L.A.'s offense was not efficient, shooting only 39% from the field. Nash’s replacement, PG Steve Blake, was only 4-for-13 for 10 points, four assists and a minus-14 rating. Los Angeles has now given up an average of 114.0 PPG over its first two games this season, and were 10th-worst in NBA defense last season by giving up 101.0 PPG. With Nash and Bryant out last game, the offensive workload was spread out more across the whole team, with seven different players finishing with double-digit points in Wednesday's loss. PF Pau Gasol had 12 points and seven rebounds, but played only 23 minutes. He has performed well against the Spurs in 40 career games (18.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG) but was only 6-for-27 (22%) from the field in his two regular season games against them last season. Nash has averaged 14.0 PPG and 8.0 APG in his 54 career games against San Antonio, but has not looked like himself since coming to the Lakers. His 6.7 APG last season (in 32.5 MPG) was his lowest total since the 1999-00 season when he was with the Mavericks. SG Nick Young was brought in during the offseason to help with the offensive workload, but has made just 5-of-19 shots (26%) with his new team, and per usual, has not really contribute in any other areas with 1.5 RPG and 0.5 APG.