Monday 1/4/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:30

Sp. Gijon

v

Getafe

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SP. GIJON	RECENT FORM
ALALHWALHDAL​ Most recent​	2 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 2	ALALHDHWADHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Getafe have taken just two points from a possible 24 on the road

EXPERT VERDICT: Confidence is likely to be at a low ebb in both camps when Sporting Gijon, on a run of five defeats in six games, host poor travellers Getafe. The visitors are yet to face a team below them away from home, though, so they should take a positive approach against a Gijon side who have kept only one clean sheet in their last 14 matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1

 

[Scott602]

Spartan Rabid Dawg college basketball

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Canadiens' Weise sidelined 2-3 weeks
By The Sports Xchange

Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise will miss the next 2-3 weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Sunday.
Weise left with 14:51 remaining in the second period of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Friday after taking a crosscheck from Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller and taking a shot off his arm. The Canadiens won the game 5-1.
Weise, 27, has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 40 games this season. His 11 goals are a career high.

---The Winnipeg Jets activated center Mark Scheifele from the injured reserve list.
Scheifele, 22, has been on injured reserve since Dec. 26 with a concussion, missing three games. He has 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 34 games this season.
The Jets also reassigned forward Matt Halischuk to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

---The Chicago Blackhawks loaned defenseman David Rundblad to the ZSC Lions of Switzerland's National League A.
Rundblad, 25, tallied two assists in nine games with the Blackhawks this season. The Lycksele, Sweden, native has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 63 regular-season games across three seasons with Chicago. The 2015 Stanley Cup champion also appeared in five postseason games.

---The Toronto Maple Leafs loaned forward Mark Arcobello and goaltender Antoine Bibeau to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
Arcobello, 27, has played in nine games with the Maple Leafs this season. He has played skated in 23 games with the Marlies, collecting 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) to place him 10th in AHL scoring.
Bibeau, 21, has appeared in 15 games with the Marlies this season, posting a 10-4-0 record, 3.20 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.

---The Minnesota Wild reassigned forward Jordan Schroeder to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
Schroeder, 25, was recalled Saturday but did not appear in the Wild's overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has one goal in 11 games with Minnesota this season and 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 20 games with Iowa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (18-13) at Devils (18-14)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils are fresh off a victory over the NHL's top team and looking for their longest win streak against the Detroit Red Wings since the 1995 Stanley Cup Final.

The Devils try to continue their climb in the standings and sweep the three-game season series from the visiting Red Wings on Monday night.

New Jersey (20-14-5) posted its first three-game winning streak in more than two months with a 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas on Saturday.

After the Devils blew a 2-0 lead by allowing two goals in the last 10 minutes of the third period, John Moore scored the winner on a power play 1:47 into overtime.

The Devils took over the wild card lead in the Eastern Conference and improved to 4-1-0 in their past five games, reaching the 20-win plateau 12 games quicker than last year.

"It was a huge test for us," Moore said. "They're a very talented team. We have to build off this. We have to find ways to keep climbing in the standings and gain momentum."

Kyle Palmieri has led New Jersey with four goals and one assist over the past five. The Devils have scored at least three goals in each of their past four wins.

"I think when we play a strong game and play well together as a team and we have a complete team effort, we have a chance to win every game," Devils coach John Hynes said.

The Red Wings (19-13-7) started a six-game road trip with a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday. Henrik Zetterberg scored for the first time in the last seven contests and Petr Mrazek made 32 saves as Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak.

Mrazek had at least 10 saves in each period, including a stop of Zach Bogosian on a breakaway late in the third.

"He saved us tonight," Zetterberg said. "There were some key moments and some big saves, and it makes it easier for us to play defense."

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill shuffled his lines before the Dallas game and said he expects to use the same combinations against New Jersey.

"Those lines will work well as long as the individuals on the lines play well," he said. "The one thing we have to do is play your best every night to have a chance to win."

The Devils beat the Red Wings twice last month. Their 4-3 victory on Dec. 22 marked just their second win in their last 14 trips to Joe Louis Arena. They won 3-2 in overtime in New Jersey 11 days earlier.

Those victories followed a dominant stretch by the Red Wings in which they won 11 of the previous 14 meetings.

The Devils haven't won three in a row over Detroit since their four-game sweep to capture the Stanley Cup in 1995.

New Jersey was without points leader Mike Cammalleri against the Stars. The forward, who has 14 goals and 21 assists in 38 games, is day to day with an upper-body injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (15-15) at Blues (21-14)

Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues' only scoring in their past two games is a pair of power-play goals. Their next opponent hasn't even been that fortunate.

The Ottawa Senators try to avoid being shut out in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history Monday night in St. Louis.

The Blues (23-14-4) have scored six times in their last four games with all of their even-strength goals coming in a 4-3 overtime win against Nashville on Tuesday. They had a season-best four-game home win streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Thursday while leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko sat out with an illness.

Tarasenko returned Saturday and scored his 23rd goal in a 4-1 loss in Toronto.

"It's adversity everyone faces throughout the year," center Paul Stastny told the team's official website. "It's frustrating at times, but you try not to let it bother you. The minute we start playing too hesitant, too tentative and start worrying too much about that, that's when you get in trouble."

Ottawa (18-15-6) suffered its third consecutive loss and seventh straight on the road with a 3-0 defeat to Chicago on Sunday, its second in a row by that score. The Senators have been blanked three times this season after scoring in every game in 2014-15.

"You go through your ebbs and flows of the season, when you somehow you don't think you play well but you find a way to manufacture four (goals). Tonight, you get the opportunities and come up with a goose egg," forward Bobby Ryan said. "You get 12-14 chances like we did, there's not going to be many nights when guys aren't finding a way to put one in. We've got to find a way out of the funk."

The Senators are in the midst of their longest road skid since an 0-10-2 slide Nov. 1-Dec. 28, 2008. They've won four of their last five visits to St. Louis, taking the past two in shootouts, but haven't faced the Blues since Nov. 25, 2014, at the Scottrade Center.

They split their two overall matchups last season, losing 3-2 Nov. 22.

"We always have a real battle with St. Louis. It's going to be a fun one," forward Kyle Turris said.

Andrew Hammond could make his first start against St. Louis with Craig Anderson having played against the Blackhawks. Anderson hasn't faced the Blues since Feb. 7, 2012, and is 2-1-0 with a 3.39 goals-against average in his last three matchups.

St. Louis is expected to start ex-Senators netminder Brian Elliott, who is 2-0-1 with a 1.65 GAA in four lifetime starts against his former team. Playing behind Jake Allen, Elliott is 1-3-1 with a 2.64 GAA in six starts since the beginning of November.

Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson has two goals and two assists in his last four games against St. Louis. He totaled three goals and six assists in the Senators' seven contests before the back-to-back shutouts.

Alexander Steen scored in each game against Ottawa last season while Tarasenko has one goal in four lifetime matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (16-17) at Oilers (13-21)

Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Edmonton Oilers are at the bottom of the Western Conference, they're feeling good about starting the new year in a positive fashion.

In the midst of one of their longest homestands of the season, the Oilers look to continue their success in Edmonton on Monday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Edmonton (16-21-3) has missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Carolina in 2006.

The Oilers, though, have shown promise with an 11-7-1 home record - four wins shy of their total from all of last season.

Their success at Rexall Place includes a season-high seven-game winning streak before returning from the Christmas break to begin a six-game homestand with losses to Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim.

Edmonton, though, bounced back against another division foe Saturday, winning 4-3 in a shootout over Arizona.

"After Christmas, we didn't take advantage of the games against teams in our division," said center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who scored the decisive shootout attempt. "It was great to see us stick with it after getting down by a goal in the third. We really wanted to come back and get that one and played with some desperation."

Taylor Hall has done much of his damage at home. The left wing leads the team with 16 goals and 41 points, getting 11 and 28 as host after finding the net against the Coyotes.

He has one goal and two assists in two home meetings with the Hurricanes (16-17-6).

Jordan Eberle's success against Carolina isn't limited to any venue as he's collected four goals and five assists in his last six matchups. However, Eberle and Hall were pointless in a 4-1 loss at Carolina on Nov. 25.

Eberle, however, scored twice and assisted on Nugent-Hopkins' tally in a 6-3 home win over the Hurricanes in October 2014.

Carolina, 3-1-1 in its last five games, is coming off Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville. The Hurricanes owned a 13-4 shot advantage after the second period but never found the net.

"I feel like we played good enough to win, but we got an unlucky bounce on their goal," goaltender Eddie Lack told the team's official website after being beaten on the first shot he faced in OT following 19 saves.

Lack is likely to return to the bench in favor of Cam Ward, the 2006 Conn Smythe winner and one of two remaining Hurricanes (Eric Staal) from that Cup-winning team.

Ward is 1-4-0 with a 3.64 goals-against average in his last six road games, getting pulled twice. He has a 2.78 GAA while winning four of his last five meetings with the Oilers, making 30 saves Nov. 25.

Justin Faulk had two assists in that matchup, giving him six in as many career games against Edmonton.

The defenseman leads the Hurricanes with 30 points, but has none and is a minus-4 over the last three games.

Victor Rask, who is second to Faulk with 26 points, has two goals and one assist over the past four games. His goal Saturday was his 11th, matching his total from all of last season as a rookie.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (23-11) at Avalanche (18-18)

Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Los Angeles' winning streak has featured a stingy defensive-zone presence, and Colorado's latest struggles have about canceled out its similar form from just over two weeks ago.

Recent history in the series points toward those trends continuing Monday night as the Kings visit the Avalanche seeking their third winning streak of at least six games this season.

The Kings (25-11-2) scored 18 goals in the first four games of the latest streak before Saturday's 2-1 home win over Philadelphia. They've limited opponents to seven goals on the five-game run.

"When you come to the rink on a winning streak, everything's just so much more fun," Drew Doughty said. 'We want to continue feeling that way. We don't like coming to the rink unhappy.

"We're playing with a lot of confidence right now, and it's just gone through the whole team. Every single guy is playing that way, and that makes our team a lot better."

Doughty gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead late in the first period on the power play, which has been a key part of the streak, going 6 of 15 with at least one goal in each win.

Dwight King opened the scoring and has two goals in three games back from a broken foot that sidelined him for the team's first 35 games.

"I don't think anybody planned this kind of outcome, but I'll take them and hopefully just keep going," King said.

The Avalanche (18-18-3) haven't slowed many players down lately, allowing 20 goals over a 1-2-2 span following a five-game winning streak during which they gave up five goals. They also came up short offensively in Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Calgary.

They're on a 0-2-2 skid at home to fall to 6-9-3 for the season. With the Kings followed in by St. Louis and Nashville to conclude a five-game homestand, that skid could grow. Los Angeles is seeking its first five-game road winning streak since winning eight straight from Feb. 26-March 27, 2014. Colorado's last five-game home skid was part of an eight gamer from Jan. 26-March 11, 2011.

"We had a great crowd supporting us (that) paid good money to see us play, and we didn't have a good game at all," Erik Johnson told the team's official website. "It's something we have to put behind us, learn from and next game be ready to go."

It was Jarome Iginla's third try at becoming the 19th player in NHL history to score 600 goals. He said he hopes the looming milestone isn't a distraction to his teammates as they work through a difficult time.

"We talk about it," said Iginla, who has one goal in his last 20 games against the Kings. "It's not to look for me. I want us to play normal, if anything use me as a decoy. There's a lot of time to get that."

Jonathan Quick could make it even more difficult. He's seeking his third six-game winning streak of the season and has a 1.40 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in the last five. Quick has won his last six games versus Colorado with a .947 save percentage.

Likely counterpart Semyon Varlamov is headed the other direction, posting a 4.37 GAA and .856 save percentage over an 0-2-2 span.

The Kings won 2-1 at home over the Avalanche on Oct. 18 to get to 8-0-1 with 15 goals allowed in the series since last losing to Colorado on Jan. 22, 2013. Marian Gaborik has scored in his last three games against the Avalanche.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (18-16) at Canucks (12-15)

Date: January 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite their issues on the road, the Arizona Coyotes are second in the Pacific thanks to their success within the division.

Their only regulation loss to a Pacific opponent, however, came to the Vancouver Canucks.

Seeking a third road win in almost eight weeks, the Coyotes look to avoid a fourth straight loss to the Canucks on Monday night.

After finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference last season, there were few expectations foisted on Arizona heading into 2015-16. So far, the Coyotes (18-16-4) are among the league's biggest surprises as they sit one point ahead of Vancouver (15-15-9) in the division race.

Arizona's position in the Pacific comes despite a 2-8-1 record on the road since a win at Los Angeles on Nov. 10. That's also part of the Coyotes' 7-1-2 record within the division.

They gained another point in such a matchup Saturday, opening a three-game trip through Western Canada with a 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton.

Anthony Duclair is looking to improve upon his first goal in 10 road games after scoring six in his first 10. The 20-year-old left wing's 11 goals rank third on the team, but coach Dave Tippett is looking for more consistency.

"He's a good young player. He's got a great attitude," Tippett said. "He's worked very hard but there's a lot to learn.

"One of the biggest thing that young players have to learn is the fact that the expectations of consistency every night."

Max Domi assisted on Duclair's goal against the Oilers and his 28 points rank second among rookies.

Like Duclair, Domi is struggling for consistency as he's failed to score in 12 straight games.

He found the net at home against Vancouver on Oct. 30, but the Coyotes' comeback from a three-goal, first-period deficit fell short in a 4-3 defeat.

Arizona has lost three straight to the Canucks and is 1-2-2 in the last five visits to Vancouver.

The Canucks have won four of their last five at home after beating Anaheim 2-1 in a shootout on New Year's Day.

"We were playing a little bit more defensive," coach Willie Desjardins said. "I like playing offensive. I don't like sitting back as much as that. I'd rather get more aggressive, but we've gotten points out of games that we haven't in the past, so it's good."

Jacob Markstrom is coming through in a big way. He's 3-1-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average in four games since starter Ryan Miller went down with a groin injury.

Markstrom should be back in net after making 27 saves and turning aside all three shootout attempts Friday. He stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 win at Arizona on March 22 - his only meeting with the Coyotes.

Daniel Sedin has three goals and four assists in his last five games with Arizona, scoring a power-play tally Oct. 30. He has 15 points in 17 home games but none in the past two.

The Canucks will see a familiar face on the opposing bench as Brad Richardson plays his first game in Vancouver since signing with the Coyotes as a free agent over the summer.

Richardson, who spent the last two seasons with the Canucks, has 15 points after getting two Saturday.

"It's just another game," Richardson told the team's official website. "It's nice to play against former teams and hopefully play well, but I'm just looking at it as another game and playing my best."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Devils won four of their last five games.
-- Carolina is 4-3 in its last seven games.
-- Los Angeles won its last five games, allowing seven goals.
-- Vancouver won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Ottawa lost five of its last six games. Blues lost three of their last four.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Avalanche lost four of their last five games.
-- Arizona is 4-5 in its last nine games.

Series records
-- Red Wings won four of last six games with New Jersey.
-- Senators won three of last four games with St Louis
-- Hurricanes lost three of last four visits to Edmonton.
-- Kings won their last six games with Colorado.
-- Canucks won four of last five games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Detroit-New Jersey games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six St Louis games.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Carolina-Edmonton games.
-- Four of last six Colorado games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Arizona-Vancouver games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Ottawa is 1-4 if it played the night before; teams are 1-4 night after playing Chicago.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Los Angeles at Colorado January 4, 9:00 EST

Los Angeles Kings continue to set the pace in the Pacific Division with 52 points behind a record of 25-11-1-1 including a sharp 13-5-1-1 record as a visitor. The Avalanche enter 18-18-3 on the year with 39 points and sport one of the leagues worst home record at 6-9-3. Expect Aves home woes to continued here. Kings are 5-1 this year vs a Central opponent, have won the past six meetings and have outscored Aves 15-7 the last three trips into Colorado.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Nets' Jack out for season
By The Sports Xchange

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack will miss the rest of the season after an MRI revealed he had a torn ACL and a partially torn MCL in his right knee, the team announced Sunday.
Jack suffered the injury during Saturday's victory over the Boston Celtics. At first, the Nets believed it was only a sprained knee, but the MRI revealed a more serious injury. Jack will require surgery to repair the knee.
The 32-year-old Jack averaged 12.8 points, a team-high 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds this season in 32 games, all as a starter.

---Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, who was taken off the court on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury during Saturday's game against Golden State, was released from the hospital and said he is "much better."
Faried said on Instagram Sunday that he is "a little sore, but I'm the Manimal -- I'm not going to (let) this keep me down & out long!"
A CT scan was normal. Faried was listed as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He is averaging 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds this season.

---The Atlanta Hawks recalled guard Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League.
Hardaway, 23, has played in five D-League games this season (three with Austin and two with Canton). With Austin, he has averaged 20 points in 23.1 minutes per game.

---The Miami Heat recalled guard Josh Richardson and forward/center Jarnell Stokes from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League.
Richardson appeared in two games (both starts) with the Skyforce, averaging 23 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals in 39 minutes per game. Stokes has appeared in 11 games (all starts) in three different stints with the Skyforce this season, averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 29 minutes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (12-22) at 76ers (3-33)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers believe they're finally making strides in the right direction more than a month after ending a historic losing streak.

With new point guard Ish Smith providing a boost, the NBA's worst team picked up a couple of wins and perhaps some confidence during a six-game trip.

The 76ers return to Philadelphia to begin a six-game homestand Monday night against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that wilted with the lead its last time out.

The Sixers closed a 2-4 trip with back-to-back losses in Los Angeles, including one to the Western Conference-worst Lakers - whom they beat last month to end a 28-game losing streak which was the longest in major American pro sports history. They then fell to the Clippers on Saturday by allowing a season-high point total in a 130-99 loss.

Smith, reacquired from New Orleans on Dec. 24 after playing 25 games for the Sixers last season, shot a combined 5 for 28 with 13 points and 13 assists in the two games at Staples Center after averaging 18.0 and 8.3 while leading Philadelphia to a pair of wins in his first three games back.

Philadelphia (3-33) has averaged 99.0 points, 22.8 assists and shot 43.1 percent over the past five games with Smith. Those numbers were 91.4 points and 18.8 assists with a 41.8 shooting percentage during a 1-30 start.

"We really made new strides on this trip," said rookie Jahlil Okafor, who missed Smith's first two games with knee soreness. "We won two games and we have Ish Smith here now. He's a new piece to this team and we're all really excited about it."

Nerlens Noel has benefited the most from the addition of Smith. The second-year big man's shooting percentage has skyrocketed from 45.0 percent in 25 games without Smith to 70.8 percent over the past five games. Noel is averaging 16.0 points with Smith in the lineup compared to 9.8 before he arrived.

Beyond the boon to his own numbers, Noel said the Sixers feel like a different team with Smith in the lineup.

"We played with a little more of a swagger in these games and we're figuring some things out," Noel said after he had 13 points and eight rebounds against the Clippers.

Okafor's numbers have declined with Smith in the lineup, but he scored 23 points in 18 minutes off the bench to lead the Sixers on Saturday.

The Timberwolves (12-22) are coming off a 95-85 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. They led by 17 points eight minutes in, holding the Bucks without a field goal for longer than that, but later trailed by as many as 15 down the stretch.

Minnesota coach Sam Mitchell left his young players on the court "hoping a little embarrassment set in on how they were playing."

Point guard Ricky Rubio, who had 14 points and played 7 1/2 minutes in the fourth, said his team "played too cool" and wasn't as aggressive as it should have been.

"This is a league built for men," Rubio said. "We weren't men tonight."

The Wolves lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 5-13 at home. They have lost their last three on the road and are 7-9 outside Minneapolis.

Minnesota beat the Sixers 100-95 on Nov. 23 for its first home win of the season after losing both meetings last season. The loss dropped the Sixers to 0-15, part of their historic losing streak dating to last season.

The Sixers have won five of the past seven meetings with Minnesota in Philadelphia.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (21-14) at Cavaliers (22-9)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors were just victimized by a performance that surpassed the great Michael Jordan.

Now they have to face LeBron James, who may be at less than full strength.

James is battling an illness as he leads the Cleveland Cavaliers into Monday night's home game against the Raptors.

Toronto (21-14) failed to sweep a three-game homestand thanks to Sunday's 115-113 loss to Chicago. The Raptors gave up 40 second-half points to Jimmy Butler, who broke Jordan's team record for points in a half of 39.

"We tried everybody and everything, couldn't get him stopped," coach Dwane Casey said.

Now Toronto will be challenged to slow down James, though an illness may aid its cause. The superstar has been battling sickness, though it did little to prevent him from scoring 29 in 29 minutes in Saturday's 104-79 rout of Orlando.

James took part in Sunday's practice.

'Hopefully I can try to shake whatever I got going on and it doesn't linger the next couple days," he said.

The Cavaliers (22-9) have won three straight since moving Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup over Timofey Mozgov. They are 5-1 when Thompson starts, with the lone defeat a 103-99 loss at Toronto on Nov. 25.

"It's something that is not etched in stone," coach David Blatt said. "We may situationally or maybe philosophically go back, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see that happen."

Kyrie Irving is expected to start again after he made 4 of 12 shots for 13 points in his fifth game as he works his way back from knee surgery.

Iman Shumpert is also looking to find the range after shooting 39.3 percent in nine games after being out due to a wrist injury.

"I still think both of those guys are kind of in their preseason," Blatt said. "I'm not saying they're not ready to play or that they're not playing well because they are but neither one is really in 100 percent basketball shape right now."

While James' excellence isn't surprising as the Eastern Conference's top scorer at 25.8 points per game, it may be news that Toronto's DeMar DeRozan is third at 23.0. DeRozan is averaging 27.0 points in his last three games and went into Sunday second in the NBA with 11.8 drives per game. He's third with an average of 8.5 free-throw attempts.

The Cavaliers didn't have Irving, Shumpert, Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova due to injuries in the November loss at Toronto. James scored 24 and Kevin Love added 21 while every Raptors starter scored in double figures, with Kyle Lowry scoring 27 and DeRozan contributing 20.

The Raptors held the Cavs to 43.9 percent shooting. That kind of defense was absent Sunday, as the Bulls became just the second team in the last 23 games to shoot better than 50 percent against the Raptors, who allowed them to shoot 63.2 percent in a 34-point fourth quarter.

'We can't give up 34 points in the fourth quarter,' Casey said. 'You have to put your foot down, put your foot on their neck and close it out."

Lowry has posted consecutive double-doubles, registering 22 points and 10 assists Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (19-14) at Heat (20-13)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers kept their losing streak brief with one of their best defensive efforts of the season, and they've also proved adept at containing the Miami Heat in recent matchups.

The Pacers, though, have often come out on the losing end in road games lately and have struggled in Miami over the past 10 seasons, a pair of trends they'll try to change Monday night.

Indiana held Detroit to 35.5 percent shooting and a 3-for-20 performance from 3-point range in a 94-82 victory Saturday. The Pacers allowed their previous two opponents to top the century mark but one of those back-to-back losses was a 102-100 overtime defeat in Chicago on Wednesday.

The 82 points tied their second-fewest allowed this season and they've held one other opponent under 36.0 percent shooting.

"When we defend, we're pretty good," coach Frank Vogel said. "We've got to keep committing to that end of the floor."

Indiana (19-14) has limited Miami to an average of 85.0 points in its two wins in this season's series, both in Indianapolis, and has won five of six against the Heat since dropping Game 7 of the 2014 Eastern Conference finals.

The Pacers, losers in six of seven on the road, have also dropped 22 of their last 27 in Miami including playoffs and eight of their past nine games there. They split their two visits to AmericanAirlines Arena last season, losing 89-87 in their final one Jan. 23.

Indiana's 81-75 win in Miami on Nov. 12, 2014, ended a seven-game losing streak in that city, including the postseason. The Pacers could use another victory to kick off a stretch in which they'll play nine of 11 on the road.

"I personally love being on the road and playing on the road," said forward Paul George, whose team will begin a four-game trip Monday. "It's going to be fun to be in hostile environments."

George scored 21 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win and has a combined 63 in his past two games after averaging 13.0 in his previous five, well below his team-best mark of 24.5. He's averaged 29.5 points in the two games against Miami this season and scored 36 in a 90-87 victory Nov. 6.

The Heat (20-13) have also played stellar defense while winning their first two games in 2016, allowing an average of 78.5 points on 35.2 percent shooting. They held Washington to a 34.1 percent mark and a 4-of-29 performance from 3-point range in a 97-75 road victory Sunday.

"I think everybody was locked in and that's what we need," forward Chris Bosh said. "We need everybody to bring their best efforts and be in the positions where they need to be. ... (Monday) is a huge opportunity to keep take steps forward.

"We'll be ready for (the Pacers). We owe them, and we know they're going to come into ready to play. It's going to be ready to play."

The Heat have alternated losses and wins in their last nine home games, posting a 106-82 rout of Dallas in the latest Jan. 1. They'll play back-to-back games on their own floor then have 14 of 16 on the road.

Bosh is averaging a team-best 22.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two games against Indiana this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (19-15) at Pistons (18-16)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

It's not too early to think about the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with early surprises like the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons looking like improved teams.

Magic coach Scott Skiles, however, warned his team that it needs to improve its defense to make the postseason a reality.

His club is trying to salvage the finale of a three-game trip Monday night in its first meeting of the season with a Pistons team that has cruised to three straight wins in this series.

Orlando (19-15) has missed the playoffs three straight seasons and Detroit (18-16) has done so for the previous six. Both may end those droughts, and their three-game season series could prove to be decisive with these teams a game apart in the standings and the Magic currently holding the No. 7 seed.

Even though more than half the season remains, Skiles is concerned after his team fell 103-91 at Washington on Friday and 104-79 to Cleveland the next night. The coach normally wouldn't conduct a practice after a back-to-back set, but chose to do so the day after those efforts.

"When we talked to the guys this morning about if we have any intention of playing in the postseason or having a chance of winning a series, generally you don't win a (playoff) game 120-111,' Skiles told the Magic's official website. "You might win one game, but generally it's 96-91. If we don't understand that now, there won't be a postseason anyway."

The coach said he may re-insert Victor Oladipo into the starting lineup. Oladipo, averaging 12.4 points, has come off the bench the last 20 games.

Skiles may have no choice since starting point guard Elfrid Payton missed Sunday's workout with ankle issues that have plagued him throughout the season. Payton has played in all 116 games since entering the league.

Oladipo played point guard as a rookie in 2013-14.

"It was tough at first in the beginning when I was a rookie trying to figure it out," he said. "But now I have to be (ready) because some guys are hurt and I have to step in and play that role."

The Magic talked Sunday about how defending the Pistons' pick-and-rolls with Reggie Jackson and NBA leading rebounder Andre Drummond will be critical.

Detroit enters after losing its fourth in five games with Saturday's 94-82 defeat at Indiana. The Pistons matched their lowest point total and had a season-low three 3-pointers on 20 attempts while shooting 35.5 percent overall.

"We shot only 35 percent and anytime you shoot with that percentage, you've not going to win many games," said Drummond, who had 11 points and 18 boards.

Jackson made 5 of 19 shots for 12 points, his lowest total in a 12-game stretch in which he is averaging 20.8.

The Pistons are slowly working Brandon Jennings back into action. The guard is averaging 6.0 points in three games off the bench since returning after rupturing his left Achilles last January.

"I just tell the guys when we come in as a second unit that we are going to push it," Jennings said. "We are so dangerous in the open floor when we push it down the court and get easy baskets."

Jennings had 24 points and 21 assists the last time he faced Orlando, which won the first 2014-15 meeting and lost the next three by an average of 15.7 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (18-15) at Nets (10-23)

Date: January 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

It may have taken the Brooklyn Nets one blowout loss to figure it out, but they've spent the past two meetings with Boston taking advantage of a major size advantage.

After losing Jarrett Jack to a season-ending knee injury, the Nets will likely keep feeding Brook Lopez inside Monday night when they try to sweep this home-and-home set and take the series from the visiting Celtics for the third time in four seasons.

Lopez, Brooklyn's 7-foot center, wasn't much of a factor in the first matchup Nov. 20, finishing with 14 points while attempting just nine shots in a 120-95 loss at Boston. The Celtics (18-15) start 6-9 Jared Sullinger in the middle but outscored the Nets 68-40 in the paint during their best shooting performance (58.6) in two seasons.

Brooklyn, however, made an adjustment two nights later when Lopez led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 20 times in a 111-101 home win. The team finished with a 49-35 advantage on the boards and a 50-32 scoring edge in the paint.

The Nets (10-23) stuck to a similar game plan in Saturday's 100-97 road win as Lopez dominated inside with a season-high 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 13 rebounds.

"I did my best to make the right play every time, realizing that, and just tried to read the double teams," said Lopez, who has averaged 26.7 points and 13.3 rebounds over his last three games.

Boston's frustration seemed to boil over in the second half when Sullinger had a flagrant foul on Lopez. Jack yelled something at Sullinger and both Jack and the Celtics' Jae Crowder got technicals.

Thaddeus Young had 16 points and 10 boards for his third double-double in as many meetings. Joe Johnson added 20 points after averaging 8.1 on 30.1 percent shooting in his previous nine games.

Jack, who had played a key role in the November home win with 22 points, suffered a torn right ACL as well as a torn meniscus Saturday and will miss the rest of the season.

The news isn't as bad for Boston's Avery Bradley, who left the game with a left hip contusion. Bradley, whose status is uncertain, totaled 48 points and eight 3-pointers in the first two matchups.

The Celtics are also hoping to regroup offensively as they try to avoid their second three-game losing streak in the past three weeks. They shot just 38.6 percent and made less than 26 percent from beyond the arc (7 for 32) for the fourth time in five games.

Isaiah Thomas, who averages a team-high 20.9 points, finished with 24 but missed seven of nine 3s, while Crowder scored 16 while going 2 for 6 from long range. Thomas has been slumping from beyond the arc, making just 4 of 21 over his last four games.

"I've got to hold guys accountable at a better level," said coach Brad Stevens, whose club also lost to the Western Conference-worst Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. "We're not playing as well as we think we are, so we've got to be better."

The Nets, who haven't won consecutive games since Dec. 8 and 10, took three of four in this series both in 2012-13 and '13-14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (29-6) at Bucks (14-21)

Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With LaMarcus Aldridge in the fold, Gregg Popovich admits the San Antonio Spurs have gone back to a more inside-out approach rather than being perimeter oriented.

Every now and then, they'll remind the NBA what they can do from behind the arc.

Fresh off their most impressive effort from 3-point range this season, the Spurs may want to keep firing away Monday night against a Milwaukee Bucks team that's no stranger to taking down some heavyweights at the Bradley Center.

San Antonio (29-6) is running its offense through the post more, jumping from 15.3 post-ups per game last season to 19.7 - third in the league - with Aldridge in the mix.

Aldridge averages a team-high seven per game and got himself and his teammates involved from the block Saturday against Houston. San Antonio scored 12 points off Aldridge's five post-ups, and the Spurs' newest star finished with 24 himself - the first time he's topped 20 in back-to-back games with his new team.

"LaMarcus is more and more comfortable every day," Popovich said. "These are new players for him, new offense, new defense, everything is different.

"It's difficult to do in the first year here. We've had a lot of guys take a whole year to get used to that. I think he's been remarkable in catching on this quickly. He's become more demonstrative, and he's inserting himself into the offense much better."

Danny Green hadn't been very visible for a while, shooting 26.8 percent from long range in December, but he got off to an excellent start to the new year. Green hit 6 of 8 3s against the Rockets to help the Spurs go 13 of 24 and improve to 18-1 when they make more than a third of their attempts. Twenty-two of those shots were uncontested.

"They run their stuff crisp and if you don't guard them the right way, they're going to get easy layups and easy shots," Rockets forward Corey Brewer said.

Tim Duncan didn't score a point Saturday for the first time in his 19-year career, but he was a focal point when the Spurs hosted the Bucks (14-21) on Dec. 2.

The two-time MVP tied a season-high with 16 points and San Antonio outscored Milwaukee 48-34 in the paint - holding the Bucks well under their league-best 48.3 average - in a 95-70 win to stretch its winning streak in the series to seven.

The Spurs shot just 41.1 percent and hit 7 of 21 3s but held the Bucks to 33.3 percent, the best effort of the season by the league's top defense. San Antonio had 17 points off 17 turnovers while the Bucks had two on 11 giveaways.

Milwaukee scored 57 points off turnovers in back-to-back road wins to split a four-game trip, converting 16 miscues into 22 points while coming from 17 down early in Saturday's 95-85 win at Minnesota.

"Our defense was really good tonight," interim coach Joe Prunty said.

Milwaukee has already taken down Golden State and Cleveland at home, and its recipe for winning this season has been fairly simple: keep its opponent from topping 100 points. The Bucks are 12-4 when they do.

Tightly guarding the 3-point line has been significant as well. When Milwaukee has allowed six 3-pointers or fewer, it's 9-0. Any more than that and it's 5-21.

The Bucks barely make that many per game themselves (6.1, 27th in the league), but their best shooter has gotten going of late. Khris Middleton is shooting 56.4 percent from 3-point range and averaging 23.4 points over his last seven.

Middleton (16) and Greg Monroe (14) were the only Bucks to score more than seven in the first meeting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (13-20) at Thunder (24-10)

Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With a renewed focus on defense after struggling at the end of December, the Oklahoma City Thunder opened the new year by taking a step in the right direction.

They could have a more difficult time against a Sacramento team looking to build on its highest scoring effort in 23 years, but the Kings haven't won in Oklahoma City since the SuperSonics relocated from Seattle in Kevin Durant's second season.

The surging Thunder seek their 15th consecutive home win in this series Monday night, though Sacramento did give them all they could handle in the first meeting.

After allowing an average of 92.1 points on 40.8 percent shooting during a 9-1 stretch, Oklahoma City (24-10) slumped on defense by allowing 111.5 per game and a 48.4 field-goal percentage - including a 43.0 mark from 3-point range - over its next four.

The Thunder appeared re-committed en route to a fourth straight win, limiting Charlotte to 34.5 percent and 6 of 22 from beyond the arc in Saturday's 109-90 road victory. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant each had four of the team's season-high 15 blocks.

"I felt like our guys were really locked into the areas we need to get better. We showed a lot of improvement in those areas," coach Billy Donovan told the team's official website. "The things we were trying to do, I saw a conscientious effort for those guys to do those things."

Donovan's club will try to slow a Kings team that shot a season-high 60.9 percent Saturday while snapping a three-game skid with a 142-119 home win over Phoenix. It was their most points since a 154-98 victory over visiting Philadelphia on Jan. 2, 1993.

DeMarcus Cousins led the way with 32 points and nine rebounds, while Darren Collison scored 21 and Marco Belinelli 19. Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 15 assists. Belinelli has heated up by totaling 47 points on 18-for-28 shooting in his last two games.

"We're capable of being an elite team ... We want the best Kings team to show up every night," Collison told the team's official website.

That hasn't been the case in their visits to Oklahoma City, where they've lost by an average of 12.3 points during the Thunder's longest home winning streak versus an opponent since moving from the Pacific Northwest ahead of the 2008-09 season. It's also tied for the NBA's fifth-longest active streak.

The Kings (13-20), however, did threaten to end that skid Dec. 6. They rallied from a 17-point deficit and went ahead by seven before Durant scored six in the final 1:18 to lead the Thunder to a 98-95 victory.

Durant had 20 points and 10 rebounds but also committed 10 turnovers, while Russell Westbrook had a better triple-double with 19 points, 11 boards and 10 assists. Steven Adams added 12 rebounds to help Oklahoma City own a 62-41 advantage on the glass.

He also played a key role defensively against Cousins, who managed 13 points while missing 15 of 20 shots. The Kings shot just 39.8 percent from the field and 7 for 24 (29.2) from beyond the arc.

Westbrook has averaged 31.0 points and 10.3 assists in his last three home games for the Thunder, who have won 23 of the past 26 overall meetings with the Kings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (16-19) at Jazz (15-17)

Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

A tight victory over San Antonio on Christmas Day seemed to send a signal that the Houston Rockets had righted the ship after a disappointing start.

The rematch four games later has left the Rockets in another tailspin.

Houston obviously still has major work to do on defense and will try to again get things moving in the right direction when it visits the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

Following a 5-10 start during which coach Kevin McHale was fired, the Rockets won 10 of 15 entering their holiday matchup at home against the first-place Spurs.

The result was their finest defensive performance of the season in an 88-84 win that got them above .500 at 16-15. It's the only time they've won without scoring 100 points and one of only two opponents they've held under 90.

"We're more than capable," James Harden said that day. "We've got to find that energy, that consistent defensive togetherness every single night."

Coming off the high of beating the NBA's best defensive team with defense despite ranking 26th in the league at 106.2 points allowed per game, the Rockets have failed to find the energy Harden mentioned during a subsequent four-game losing streak.

Houston's defense has been completely absent during the skid, surrendering 116.5 points per game, allowing three of those opponents to shoot better than 50 percent and two to finish above 54 percent from 3-point range.

One of those occasions came Saturday against San Antonio, which shot 52.3 percent overall and went 13 of 24 from 3-point range in a 121-103 win that matched Houston's season high for points allowed four days after Atlanta set it. The fact that Tim Duncan went scoreless for the first time in his 19-year career didn't even matter.

"It's just tough, man," Harden told the team's official website. "We're in a tough position right now. We'll keep continuing to fight. We're just not doing it consistent."

When asked how the Rockets can find that consistency, Harden was at a loss.

"That's a good question. ... If we had the answer, we'd be doing it."

There were some positives for Houston, which became only the second team to shoot 50 percent in San Antonio and scored 16 more points than the Spurs had been allowing at home. Thirteen missed free throws and being outscored 36-17 in the third were the keys.

The Jazz (15-17) may not pose the same threat on offense as San Antonio, but their stout defense has been on display during a 3-1 span and will try to quiet a Rockets offense that has still averaged 109 points on the losing streak.

Utah ranks fifth in the league at 96.9 points allowed per game - the only NBA team in the top 10 with a losing record - and was even better against Memphis on Saturday, allowing just 84 in regulation of a 92-87 overtime victory.

Rodney Hood scored a career-best 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting and hit five 3-pointers for the Jazz. After a 1-for-13 night at Minnesota on Wednesday, he's totaled 40 points and gone 9 of 17 from long range in wins over Portland and the Grizzlies.

"It's hard to put behind you because you're not used to shooting like that," he said. "But games like that happen. ... Just to have this type of game means a lot. You trust your work and it just comes out like that."

Utah kept Houston in check during a 109-91 win March 12 in the most recent meeting in Salt Lake City but has lost eight of the last 10 overall.