Friday 4/8/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30

Hertha Berlin

v

Hannover

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		1/2	16/5	6	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HERTHA BERLIN	RECENT FORM
AWHWALHWHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 3 0 - 1 1 - 0	AWHLALHLALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hannover have lost 13 of their last 14 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Hertha’s Champions League ambitions suffered a blow when they were thrashed 5-0 away to Monchengladbach but they should bounce back against rock-bottom Hannover. The Berlin boys have lost just once at home this season - conceding nine goals in total - and they can keep Hannover at bay.

RECOMMENDATION: Hertha Berlin
3

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:30

Granada

v

Malaga

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		13/10	11/5	23/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GRANADA	RECENT FORM
AWHWALHDHDAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 3 - 1 1 - 0 2 - 1	ADHLADHWAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Malaga have lost just two of their last 10 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Granada are scrapping for their La Liga life but will find three points will be hard to come by against improving Malaga. Javi Gracia’s men have been steadily climbing the league and, although a European place looks beyond them, they will be tough to beat.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 9Apr 12:45

West Ham

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		13/5	5/2	Evs	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
HWHWAWADADHD​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 3 1 - 3 0 - 3	ADAWHLALAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham are unbeaten in their last 15 home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal may need to win all of their remaining seven Premier League matches to stand a chance of being crowned Premier League champions but those hopes could suffer a hammerblow at Upton Park. The Hammers won at the Emirates and they have proved that is no fluke with a number of stunning successes. The Gunners have lost four away league games.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham
1


REFEREE: Craig Pawson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 9Apr 15:00

Swansea

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		11/4	12/5	Evs	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA	RECENT FORM
ALAWHWALHWAD​ Most recent​	0 - 5 0 - 1 0 - 0 1 - 1	AWHDHLALHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea have scored 11 goals in their last three fixtures against Swansea

EXPERT VERDICT: Not much is riding on this game at the Liberty Stadium but Chelsea can stay professional enough to beat Swansea. The Welsh club came from two down to draw at Stoke last time out but the Potters were suffering with injuries and face a different test against the champions.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea
2


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 9Apr 15:00

Watford

v

Everton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		12/5	23/10	23/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
HDALHLAWHLAL​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 3 1 - 2	AWAWHLHWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have scored just three goals in their last eight league games

EXPERT VERDICT: FA Cup semi-finalists Watford are on a poor run of form having suffered four defeats in a row culminating in a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend. Everton suffered a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford, however that was only their second away loss of the season.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
2


REFEREE: Kevin Friend STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 9Apr 15:00

Aston Villa

v

Bournemouth

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		12/5	11/5	6/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ASTON VILLA	RECENT FORM
ALHLALHLALHL​ Most recent​	2 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 1	ADHWAWHWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Aston Villa’s only away win of the season came against Bournemouth

EXPERT VERDICT: Aston Villa could be relegated this weekend and have lost their last seven games, conceding 22 and scoring only two. Bournemouth suffered a 4-0 home defeat to Man City last weekend but they could bounce back to avenge their 2-1 loss to the Villans on the opening day.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[TimmyRules]

Any golf write ups for today's matches? TIA

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Masters Odds - 2nd Round Update

Sportsbooks had Jordan Spieth listed as high as a 17/2 betting choice (Bet $100 to win $850) to win the 2016 Masters.

After Thursday’s first round play, Spieth is now the 9/5 favorite (Bet $100 to win $180).

The defending champion opened with a 6-under 66 and has a two-shot lead over Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.

Lee and Lowry both had pre-tournament odds of 160/1 at Sportsbook.ag and now they’re listed at 30/1 and 20/1 respectively.

Jason Day was the pre-tournament favorite at 13/2 odds and oddsmakers still expect him to be competitive, listing is odds at 10/1.

Day was in contention for first place after posting a 31 on the front nine but he started the back with a bogey, then he posted bogey-triple bogey-boget on Nos. 15-17 and finished the day at even-par.

Listed just before Day is Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at 11/2 and 9/1 respectively. McIlroy sits at 2-under while Rose posted a 3-under 69 on Thursday.

Below are all of the odds to win the Masters after the first round.

Odds to win 2016 Masters (4/10/16)
Jordan Spieth 2/1
Rory McIlroy 7/2
Justin Rose 9/1
Jason Day 10/1
Sergio Garcia 20/1
Shane Lowry 20/1
Danny Willett 25/1
Paul Casey 28/1
Danny Lee 30/1
Phil Mickelson 30/1
Henrik Stenson 40/1
Hideki Matsuyama 40/1
Dustin Johnson 50/1
Ian Poulter 50/1
Louis Oosthuizen 50/1
Brandt Snedeker 55/1
Jimmy Walker 70/1
Bubba Watson 85/1
Billy Horschel 100/1
Zach Johnson 100/1
Scott Piercy 95/1
Soren Kjeldsen 110/1
Charley Hoffman 140/1
Lee Westwood 150/1
Adam Scott 180/1
J.B. Holmes 200/1
Brooks Koepka 210/1
Kevin Streelman 250/1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 250/1
Emiliano Grillo 300/1
Graeme McDowell 300/1
Kevin Na 300/1
Martin Kaymer 300/1
Bryson Dechambeau 450/1
Branden Grace 500/1
Charl Schwartzel 500/1
Kiradech Aphibarnrat 500/1
Patrick Reed 500/1
Chris Wood 550/1
Hunter Mahan 550/1
Rafael Cabrera Bello 550/1
Marc Leishman 600/1
Rickie Fowler 650/1
Bernd Wiesberger 700/1
Matt Kuchar 700/1
Thongchai Jaidee 700/1
Andy Sullivan 850/1
Angel Cabrera 650/1
Anirban Lahiri 850/1
Bernhard Langer 850/1
Bill Haas 850/1
Byeong Hun An 850/1
Cameron Smith 850/1
Chris Kirk 850/1
Daniel Berger 650/1
Darren Clarke 850/1
David Lingmerth 850/1
Davis Love III 850/1
Derek Bard 850/1
Ernie Els 850/1
Fabian Gomez 850/1
Harris English 850/1
Ian Woosnam 850/1
Jamie Donaldson 600/1
Jason Dufner 850/1
Jim Herman 850/1
Jin Cheng 850/1
Justin Thomas 850/1
Keegan Bradley 850/1
Kevin Kisner 850/1
Larry Mize 850/1
Mark OMeara 850/1
Mike Weir 850/1
Paul Chaplet 850/1
Robert Streb 850/1
Romain Langasque 850/1
Russell Knox 850/1
Ryan Moore 850/1
Sammy Schmitz 850/1
Sandy Lyle 850/1
Smylie Kaufman 600/1
Steven Bowditch 850/1
Tom Watson 850/1
Trevor Immelman 850/1
Troy Merritt 850/1
Vaughn Taylor 850/1
Victor Dubuisson 850/1
Vijay Singh 850/1
Webb Simpson 850/1

Odds Subject to Change

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Blues' Ott diagnosed with colitis
By The Sports Xchange

St. Louis Blues center Steve Ott has been diagnosed with colitis and will be out up to two weeks.
Ott was on the verge of getting back into the lineup following double-hamstring surgery, which forced him to miss the past 53 games. Colitis is an inflammation of the lining of the colon.
Ott played in 21 games this season and had two assists.

---The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forward Jonathan Drouin and defenseman Matt Taormina from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.
The Lightning reassigned defenseman Slater Koekkoek to Syracuse.

---The Buffalo Sabres recalled forwards Evan Rodrigues and Cole Schneider from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
Both players will be joining the Sabres for their first career recall.

---The Dallas Stars recalled center Jason Dickinson from the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.
In his first full season of professional hockey, Dickinson has posted 50 points in 69 games for Texas.

---The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Caleb Jones to a three-year entry level contract, the team announced.
Jones, 18, had 55 points (10 goals, 45 assists) in 72 games for Portland of the Western Hockey League.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (32-40) at Sabres (34-35)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Dan Bylsma and John Tortorella have both hoisted the Stanley Cup as coaches and have expectations their players often have trouble meeting, leading to plenty of frustrating moments during their first seasons overseeing the rebuilding of fledgling clubs.

Buffalo's progression has been most noticeable lately, though, giving Bylsma plenty of hope for the future. Tortorella just witnessed one of Columbus' best performances since he took the job eight games into the season.

They'll meet in the NHL's only game Friday night as the Sabres look to sweep the season series from the visiting Blue Jackets by winning a season-high fourth straight.

Bylsma took over Pittsburgh with 25 games left in 2008-09 and guided the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins to the Stanley Cup months later. He recorded 100-point seasons in four of the next five, but he never came close to that postseason success again and was fired after last season.

Buffalo (34-35-11) hired Bylsma shortly after, trusting him to guide a young core that includes rookie Jack Eichel through a rough patch and into contention down the road. The Sabres have made strides and are riding their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 7-12 following Tuesday's 3-1 victory over New Jersey.

Eichel scored his 24th goal and assisted on Ryan O'Reilly's 21st in support of Chad Johnson, who made 18 saves.

"This shows how much we've grown," Johnson said. "Get rid of October with that learning curve as a group, with a new coach and new players. After that, we've showed we can be a good team."

Eichel and O'Reilly scored in Buffalo's 4-2 win over Columbus on Oct. 12, nine days before the Blue Jackets fired Todd Richards and hired the brash and demanding Tortorella.

Columbus (32-40-8) began the season with eight straight losses and dropped its first under Tortorella, but it also has shown some progress despite sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

Tortorella won the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004 and hasn't been shy about expressing his frustration with the inconsistency of the young Blue Jackets. They've won two of three, though, and dominated the third period of Wednesday's 5-1 win over Toronto.

Brandon Dubinsky, who also played four seasons under Tortorella with the New York Rangers from 2008-12, scored twice, and Brandon Saad added a goal and an assist.

Dubinsky's 17 goals are his most since a career-high 24 in 2010-11.

"If we're going to progress as a team, (Dubinsky) has to score," Tortorella said. "He's a guy that ends up with a lot of chances. He has more to give - he knows that - and if we're going to be a better team, he has to (score more)."

Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves and set a franchise record with his 97th victory since joining the club in 2013, when he won the Vezina Trophy in the lockout-shortened season.

"It's a great honor," Bobrovsky said. "I hope there are more to come."

Bobrovsky struggled against the Sabres back in October, though. He was out with an injury when Eichel finished with two assists in Buffalo's 4-0 victory Feb. 19.

Johnson won the first meeting and could be in net again for this one. He has a 2.13 goals-against average while winning five of his last seven starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - April

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
4/1 5 25 36 OVER
4/2 11 58 57 UNDER
4/3 5 26 34 OVER
4/4 5 25.5 32 OVER
4/5 11 59.5 62 OVER
4/6 3 16.5 17 OVER
4/7 13 - - -
4/8 1 - - -
4/9 15 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA: Dinero Talks Pop's GSW plight
Antony Dinero

Spurs coach faces Warriors dilemma

Gregg Popovich has the NBA by the throat this week.

He can either let his Spurs breathe and stretch their legs out in games against the Warriors, or he can choke out all the fun of what remains of the regular season by sitting out his main guys. The decision is entirely his.

Selfishly, we all want to see the Western Conference’s top heavyweights battle late Thursday and on Sunday evening, but there’s no way Popovich will allow that to happen. He’s already showed his hand against Golden State, pulling off an 87-79 win on March 19 in a dominant defensive performance where he threw caution to the wind and put his theories on how to contain Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on full display. The victory allowed San Antonio to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it can defeat the Warriors if the teams were to meet in a series, something they haven’t done since the 2013 West semifinals, a series won 4-2 by the Spurs.
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Perfect run at home worth fighting for

What we can hope for is one more clash where both teams put it all out there. From San Antonio’s standpoint, they do have something to play for on April 10 since that will be their 40th home game of the season. The Spurs have opened 39-0 at the AT&T Center, setting a single-season record, which means that wins over the Warriors and on April 12 over Oklahoma City would complete the first perfect season at home in NBA history. Of course, Popovich has already been asked about this and intimated that it means as much to him as a “cup of coffee.”

Seriously? There’s no question that the Spurs way is basically beyond reproach given the volume of success that the franchise has attained. Team goals have always been placed over individual ones, and the pursuit of a championship trumps all. While that makes sense, a perfect record at home is a team honor. In fact, it can be viewed as a reward for perhaps the best fan base in the NBA, a loyal group that has supported the Spurs religiously with a devotion few other teams enjoy. If you’ve ever been to San Antonio, that’s crystal clear. Billboards and signs remind you whose town it is at all times. Since the NFL never did make it down to the Alamodome, it’s a one-team city. The fact the team has been so remarkably effective is gravy. They would support it even if the product was mediocre.

Of course, the product is far from that, which is why Popovich shouldn’t overlook the historical aspect of what his team is on the verge of accomplishing. Because of the start the Warriors surged out to, San Antonio’s success has been largely overshadowed. The Spurs have already set a franchise-record for victories after opening 64-12. Considering all the resting Pop has done of starters, not to mention getting new franchise pillar LaMarcus Aldridge up to speed, that’s remarkable. Because the Warriors are still on the chase of the all-time wins record, San Antonio’s success has basically been ignored. Now the Spurs stand in theiway -- twice -- as Golden State needs a perfect 4-0 run to finish an NBA-record 73-9.

It’s a strange dynamic that Popovich and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr are such good friends, with the latter having played in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003. Although Popovich has divulged that no team has kept him up trying to find ways to stop them the way Golden State has, you can take the veteran coach at his word that he wishes them no ill will. In that sense, 73 victories mean nothing to him. There’s no motivation to prevent Kerr’s Warriors from reaching that milestone. It means nothing to him.

Golden State’s own pursuit of a perfect record at home ended at the hands of Boston on Saturday night and was compounded by a second loss on Tuesday against Minnesota, so it no longer matters that the Spurs are likely to rest everyone of consequence in Oakland. Why give the Warriors any motivation, especially at home, where they already crushed the Spurs 120-90 on Jan. 25? Popovich is notorious for spoiling nationally televised games with his maintenance plans, having just done it against Oklahoma City on March 26. The Spurs lost that game 111-92 and haven’t faltered since, which means they’ve lost just three times since the All-Star break when at full strength, winning 19 times. This week’s contests should feature more rest for regulars since the Spurs will play at Utah, Golden State and Denver, places that each have unique pitfalls. The Warriors and Nuggets game come on a back-to-back, so there’s no chance San Antonio doesn’t field a depleted roster.

That brings us to April 10. The Warriors will come to town, still chasing history. The Spurs will play their 40th home game, still chasing history. Hopefully, Popovich doesn’t put on his Grinch cap, preventing one last legitimate preview of a likely Western Conference finals that is sure to be epic.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Grizzlies waive C Hollins, sign G Munford
By The Sports Xchange

The Memphis Grizzlies waived center Ryan Hollins on Thursday and signed guard Xavier Munford to a multiyear contract.
Hollins, 31, appeared in 32 games (nine starts) for the Grizzlies this season. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds.
Munford has appeared in 10 games with the Grizzlies this season and has averaged 5.6 points and 1.9 rebounds a game. Munford played his final two years in college at Rhode Island.

---The Philadelphia 76ers signed forward Christian Wood for the regular of the season, the team announced.
Wood has played in 16 games with the 76ers this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Wood averaged 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds in 32 games with the Delaware 87ers of the D-League.

---The Sacramento Kings reassigned rookie forward Duje Dukan to the Reno Bighorns of the D-League, the team announced.
Dukan is averaging 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds for Reno. He hasn't played in a game for the Kings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (21-57) at Hornets (45-33)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While earning home-court advantage remains an important goal, the Charlotte Hornets must weigh that objective against keeping their key players healthy for the playoffs.

They could see Nicolas Batum return Friday night after winning for the first time since he went down, but they certainly won't rush him back against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.

Batum had been hitting his stride, averaging 20 points, 7.1 assists and six rebounds over a 10-game stretch before suffering a left knee injury in Sunday's 112-103 loss at Cleveland.

Coach Steve Clifford says the versatile forward is feeling better and could be a game-time decision when the Hornets go after their first season sweep of the Nets since 2000-01. However, they're going to need Batum more in the playoffs than against a Brooklyn team that has lost six in a row by an average of 19.3 points.

"We start so much of our offense with him and he's so good at getting the ball moving," Clifford said. "He makes the game so much easier for us. He's such a big part of everything, our offense, our defense."

The Hornets struggled without Batum in Tuesday's 96-90 loss at Toronto before avoiding their first three-game skid in three months with Wednesday's 111-97 win at New York. Kemba Walker led the way with 34 points while hitting a career-high seven 3-pointers in 10 attempts.

'It was a must-win game,' center Al Jefferson said. 'We lost two games in a row because of, in my opinion, us, because of things we didn't do well. We just had to get back to the basics, get back to things we do so well, the reason why we've been winning games.'

The Hornets are also being cautious with Jefferson as he tries to finish an injury-plagued season on a positive note. He had 24 points and eight boards in 29 minutes Wednesday.

Charlotte, which has clinched only its third playoff appearance in 12 years, is among four teams separated by less than two games between third and sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The club sits one back of Boston for home-court advantage in the first round.

That could be crucial as the Hornets (45-33) own one of the league's best home records since Jan. 18 at 14-3. That stretch includes victories over Cleveland and San Antonio.

"From what coach says, it's pretty important. It's home-court advantage," Walker said after a 105-100 win at Brooklyn in the most recent meeting March 22. "Of course, everyone wants to be at home, especially for the first two games."

The Hornets shouldn't have much trouble getting things going offensively against the Nets (21-57), who have given up 114.6 points per game during a 10-game road losing streak.

Brook Lopez has averaged 25.5 points in his last four meetings with Charlotte, but he and fellow frontcourt starter Thaddeus Young have been shut down for the season. As a result, Brooklyn was outrebounded 53-38 in Wednesday's 121-103 loss at Washington.

'We knew there was going to be a discrepancy on the boards,' interim coach Tony Brown said. 'I'll give them that, but there are still a lot more things we could've done.'

Thomas Robinson made the most of his opportunity with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. The fourth-year pro has averaged 15.2 points and 12.2 boards in his last five games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (31-48) at 76ers (10-68)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Sam Hinkie couldn't even stick around to see if the sorry Philadelphia 76ers team he built could win consecutive games.

The opportunity for that to happen for the first time this season comes Friday night against the visiting New York Knicks, two days after the general manager packed up his office and bid a 10-68 team adieu.

Former NBA executive of the year Bryan Colangelo - Philadelphia chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo's son - is set to take Hinkie's place after the third-year GM announced his resignation Wednesday.

It comes with just four games remaining and a substantial offseason approaching that could include four first-round draft picks to complement the likes of injured Jahlil Okafor, oft-injured Nerlens Noel and always-injured Joel Embiid. There's also Dario Saric, who is overseas.

As for those on the court for Philadelphia, they'll try to follow up Tuesday's 107-93 home victory over New Orleans by stringing together wins for the first time since March 16 and 18, 2015, the latter of which was a home win over the Knicks (31-48).

The victory over the Pelicans featured about as many relevant NBA names as the back end of a 10-player deadline deal. New Orleans didn't start a player averaging over 7.8 points, and the 76ers leaned on Carl Landry for a game-high 22 points while Isaiah Canaan had 16.

It wasn't without historical relevance as it ensured the 76ers won't tie their own league record for fewest victories in an 82-game season from 1972-73.

"We didn't want to be a part of that," said Landry, who shot 9 for 10. "We tried to do whatever it took to lock in, in practice, in film sessions and just have a carryover to each and every game."

The crowd showed its appreciation with an MVP chant - ironic or otherwise - for the big man, who has averaged 19 points on 72.7 percent shooting in the last three games. The trinity of Okafor, Noel and Embiid has combined for four points in 17 minutes in that time.

"It was funny. It definitely put a smile on my face, and makes me feel good," Landry told the team's official website. "... It definitely made me feel good that the fans of Philly, blue-collar people, a majority of them, appreciate the effort I put in each and every day."

The people's MVP could be the key to denying the Knicks their first sweep of this season series since 1994-95. Landry has been limited to four minutes of playing time in the three meetings.

New York has won four straight and eight of nine over the Sixers but enters this matchup having dropped five of six overall, including Wednesday's 111-97 home loss to Charlotte.

The Knicks have three games left to avoid a second straight 50-loss season a year after dropping a franchise-worst 65, and this is easily their most winnable with a home game against Toronto followed by a trip to Indiana.

"These next couple days are very challenging as athletes, to kind of stay strong and close the season out," Carmelo Anthony said.

Anthony returned from a game off to rest and scored 15 points, but New York remained without injured starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jose Calderon.

Anthony has been limited to 15.7 points on 27.6 percent shooting in three games against Philadelphia this season. Arron Afflalo has averaged 20 points on 57.5 percent and hit 6 of 13 from 3-point range.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (45-32) at Magic (33-45)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Miami Heat appear to have found their form as they seek home-court advantage in the playoffs. There's little margin for error, however, with a number of teams also in the middle of the pack surging toward the postseason.

Miami seeks its 15th win in 21 games Friday night at Orlando in the first of a home-and-home set.

Dwyane Wade's 21 points led the Heat (46-32) in a 106-98 victory against Chicago on Thursday, pulling them into a tie with Boston for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is one game back of those teams, while Atlanta holds a one-half game edge for the third spot as the clubs jockey for playoff positioning.

The Heat outscored the Bulls 66-52 in the second half.

"At this time of year, you have to use certain situations to try to prepare us because we've never been there together as a team," Wade said. "This was one of those situations."

Miami isn't the only team in the scrum playing well. Charlotte's 21-7 record since Feb. 6 leads the East, while Atlanta has won 16 of 21 and Boston seven of nine.

Orlando (33-45) is out of the playoff picture, though its 108-104 loss to Detroit on Wednesday was only its second in six games. The Magic surrendered 35 fourth-quarter points, their third-most this season.

"Yes, it's frustrating, but we didn't play bad at all tonight," Evan Fournier said. "Detroit is a team that is fighting for a playoff spot. They are playing good ball."

Fournier has averaged 20.0 points in the last four games, helping Orlando average 116.2 on 53.0 percent shooting during a 4-2 stretch. The Magic averaged 100.8 points on 44.8 percent shooting previously.

Miami is enjoying a longer run of offensive success, averaging 109.0 points while shooting 50.1 percent in its last 19 contests. The Heat are also clamping down defensively, holding their last four opponents to 43.0 percent shooting.

Keeping Orlando's Nikola Vucevic in check figures to be crucial. The fifth-year center is averaging 21.5 points on 63.9 percent shooting off the bench in four games since missing 13 with a strained groin.

Miami, which hosts Orlando on Sunday, will be aiming for its third sweep of the Magic in four years and fifth all-time after winning 108-101 on Dec. 26 and 108-97 on March 25. Goran Dragic, who grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds Thursday, scored 22 in each of the first two meetings, shooting 18 for 29 from the field.

Free-throw shooting was costly for the Magic in both matchups as they were 25 for 41 from the charity stripe.

Hassan Whiteside will hope to draw on his previous success against Orlando after struggling of late. He's 20 for 42 from the floor in his last four games, but 28 for 43 (65.1 percent) in his career versus the Magic.

Wade, conversely, is 23 for 61 (37.7) percent in his last four meetings with Orlando.

Miami has dropped four of six on the road, while Orlando, 21-18 at home, has clinched its first winning record at Amway Center in four years.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (38-40) at Pistons (42-37)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Stan Van Gundy refuses to project any optimism despite the Detroit Pistons' magic number to clinch their first playoff berth in seven years being down to one. And it's no wonder considering Friday night's opponent has had its way with the Pistons.

Visiting Washington has won the season's first three meetings and ran Detroit out of the gym last month with a dominating effort. Another victory would keep the Wizards' slim postseason hopes alive for another day, and they're hoping John Wall will be around to help.

The scenario isn't complicated. If the Pistons (42-37) beat Washington (38-40), they'll head to the playoffs for the first time since 2008-09. They're coming off a 108-104 win at Orlando on Wednesday behind 24 points from Reggie Jackson, but they've gone 3-3 following a five-game winning streak and are still fending off playoff suitors.

Detroit lost by 18 at Miami the night before, a performance Van Gundy had trouble stomaching. The Pistons have a rematch with the Heat and visit Cleveland in their season finale in a potential first-round preview. There's a chance they'll be forced to win at least one of those if they can't get past the Wizards.

'You know what, after (beating Chicago on Saturday), I heaped a lot of praise on our guys, and then we exhaled and didn't even show up to play," Van Gundy said Wednesday. 'I'm not going to go through a lot of praising people today.'

It's not as if his players are any more relaxed, though, and remain hungry to secure that playoff spot.

"We just continue to fight. We have a never-say-die attitude," Jackson said. "We never want to lose. We just find a way to look in within ourselves."

Van Gundy certainly questioned those statements when reviewing film of the last matchup with Washington on March 14. The Wizards shot a season-high 56.7 percent and scored 28 points off 21 Detroit turnovers in a resounding 124-81 victory that marked the Pistons' worst defeat of the season.

Washington's margin of victory was its highest since a 45-point win over Boston in 2002-03 and helped begin a winning streak that reach five. It has gone 3-5 since, though, and needs to win out, hope Detroit loses its last three while moving past ninth-place Chicago to return to the postseason.

And all of that needs to happen with Wall hurting. The star point guard has a swollen right knee and sat out Wednesday against Brooklyn, missing his first game since last year's playoffs.

Ramon Sessions stepped up, finishing with 18 points and a season-high 13 assists in a 121-103 victory. Bradley Beal scored 25 points as the Wizards had 36 assists on 48 buckets.

It's unclear if Sessions will have to step in again. Wall, averaging career highs of 19.9 points and 10.2 assists, is scheduled to undergo tests to determine his status.

'He had some swelling in (the knee) unlike it had this year,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'I didn't think he wasn't going to play, because he's played 77 games.

'Ramon played great. I thought he kept a good pace to the game. It doesn't get much better than that.'

Wall had 12 assists in the last meeting with Detroit, but Washington's defense was the story. Jackson finished with eight points on only seven field-goal attempts while committing five turnovers.

Jackson hopes the Pistons have learned from that dud as they try to snap a four-game skid in the series.

"All 15 (players) just buy in and continue to play harder and harder, and we figure if we continue to do that we give ourselves a chance at the end of the game," Jackson said. "Hopefully we can do it from the jump."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (42-36) at Raptors (52-25)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers took a step closer to the playoffs by putting together one of their best offensive performances of the season against a title contender which was resting its star.

They'll attempt to clinch a berth against another Eastern Conference power which may also decide to give its stars a breather Friday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

Indiana's magic number for securing a spot in the postseason is down to one with four games to play after Chicago lost to Miami on Thursday. The Pacers (42-36) are one-half game ahead of Detroit for seventh place in the East and reaching the playoffs seems a near-certainty with their final three contests against also-rans Brooklyn, New York and Milwaukee.

Even a date in Toronto in a possible playoff preview may not be as daunting if the Raptors (52-26) opt to rest or limit the minutes of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

Thursday's 95-87 loss in Atlanta locked Toronto into second place in the East heading into the second half of this back-to-back.

The Raptors rested Lowry and DeRozan the last time they played the second of two games in as many days, falling 102-95 at San Antonio on Saturday. Toronto had averaged 110.2 points in winning its previous six in the second half of a back-to-back.

The Pacers took full advantage of facing a Cleveland team resting LeBron James on Wednesday, scoring season highs of 36 first-quarter points and 70 first-half points in a 123-109 win. Paul George scored 29 for Indiana, which made 16 of 31 3-pointers.

'Even without LeBron, they still have two All-Stars out there,' Solomon Hill said after scoring a season-high 15 points. ' ... It's a team we could see in the playoffs. (Every win) is a building block.'

The Pacers have averaged 110 points in reeling off three straight wins after potentially damaging home losses to Orlando and the Bulls.

"I think we're playing well at the right time," said George, who is 8 of 19 from 3-point range in his last three games. "It just has to continue. We all feel great about this win and the streak we're on, winning in our past three games. It's about capitalizing on this moment now."

They'll now try to capitalize on playing a Toronto team which is in a bit of an offensive funk.

Losers of two of three, the Raptors are averaging 94.3 points in four games this month after averaging 107.3 in their previous four. Lowry and DeRozan combined for 29 points on 13-of-39 shooting Thursday, with each playing 34 minutes.

"You got to play with force in this league," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "(The Hawks) are in playoff mode and we weren't in the first quarter."

DeMarre Carroll returned from right knee surgery after missing 41 games and finished with five points in 14 minutes. He started 22 of 23 games before his injury, averaging 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.

"It was great to get him back out there to get him in rhythm," DeRozan said.

DeRozan and Lowry each scored 28 and Bismack Biyombo set a franchise record with 25 rebounds in helping the Raptors to a 101-94 win in overtime at Indiana on March 17. DeRozan, who totaled 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, had 25 in a 106-99 win over the Pacers in their season opener Oct. 28, their fourth consecutive home victory in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (32-46) at Celtics (46-32)

Date: April 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

One of the league's shortest point guards has the playoff-bound Boston Celtics playing well down the stretch, while one of the tallest in NBA history has given the Milwaukee Bucks reason to be optimistic about the future.

Isaiah Thomas will try to help the host Celtics keep the pressure on in the race for home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference with their fourth straight win Friday night against 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo and the banged-up Bucks.

Boston has won seven of nine but is having its own injury issues as starting forward Jae Crowder tries to work his way back from an ankle sprain that left him sidelined three weeks in March. He's shot 35.7 percent in three games since returning.

"I gotta take these next few games and just try to push it, push it, push it, and just try to get in the best shape I can going into the playoffs," Crowder told the team's official website.

Top reserve Evan Turner hopes to return after missing Wednesday's 104-97 home win over New Orleans because of an eye abrasion. Marcus Smart says he's fine despite getting a gash on his face that knocked him out of the game and required four stitches.

Thomas has picked up the slack offensively for the Celtics (46-32), who are among four teams separated by less than two games between the third and sixth seeds in the East. The 5-foot-9 playmaker led the way with 32 points and eight assists against the Pelicans.

Since March 1, Thomas ranks among the conference leaders with 26 points per game while shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range. He paced Boston with 27 points and seven assists in a 112-107 home win over Milwaukee in the most recent meeting Feb. 25.

'I'm just going to keep going, keep grinding and being in attack mode,' Thomas said. 'That's what my team needs from me and I'm gonna continue to do that."

Antetokounmpo has been aggressive since coach Jason Kidd made him the team's primary ballhandler. Two nights after scoring a career-high 34 against Chicago, he just missed his sixth triple-double of the season Tuesday with 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a 109-80 home loss to Cleveland.

"The stat sheet says (Antetokounmpo) almost had another triple-double, but the big thing is we have to play harder," Kidd said.

"The Greek Freak" has averaged 19 points, 8.4 boards and 7.8 assists in his last 22 games.

The last matchup with a 14-plus inch height difference between starting point guards was Feb. 15, 2005, when Boris Diaw of Atlanta (6-8) faced off against Earl Boykins of Denver (5-5). Of course, Thomas and Antetokounmpo aren't likely to defend one another.

"You're not going to match your point guard with him just because he brings the ball up the floor," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "Whether he plays the 1 or the 3 for them in their offense doesn't really impact us a whole lot as far as how we have to prepare."

Stevens also has to be concerned with 6-11 center Greg Monroe, who has averaged 22 points and 11.3 rebounds while Milwaukee has lost two of three in the season series.

The Bucks (32-46) have dropped seven of nine heading into this meeting. It certainly hasn't helped that they've been without injured leading scorer Khris Middleton (18.2 points per game) and reserve Jerryd Bayless, whose statuses are uncertain.