Monday 2/22/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

I will no longer be wasting my time to move posts that are not service plays! I will simply delete them! I've been setting up a chatter thread for years so that people that want to have discussions can go there and talk all they want but no, why would I want to go to a thread that no one goes to? Well guess what? if you want to ask a question, discuss a service or request a service you will have to get used to going to place you've never been before because all those posts (chatter crap) made before 7:00 pm will be deleted!

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 19:45

Shrewsbury

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		9	17/4	4/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SHREWSBURY	RECENT FORM
AWHLHWHLADAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HLAWHWADALAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Shrewsbury have won just one of their last six home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Louis van Gaal is under intense pressure following Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, and a cup defeat to the lowest-ranked team in the competition could be the final straw. However, Shrewsbury are a poor side even by League One standards to this should be a routine Red Devils victory.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd to win 3-0
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 20:00

Napoli

v

Milan

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		4/7	3	5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NAPOLI	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHWALAL​ Most recent​	3 - 0 3 - 1 2 - 2 3 - 1	ADAWHWAWHDHW​ Most recent​

EXPERT VERDICT: Napoli have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season (1-0 away to Juventus and 1-0 away to Villarreal) but can respond by beating Milan at home. Winning the Scudetto is Napoli’s priority and they have dropped just four points at home and can complete a double over Milan, who they beat 4-0 at the San Siro in October.

RECOMMENDATION: Napoli
1

 

[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga TODAY 20:00

Sporting Lisbon

v

Boavista

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		1/5	5	14	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SPORTING LISBON	RECENT FORM
HDAWHWHDAWHL​ Most recent​	2 - 1 2 - 1 3 - 2 1 - 0	HLHWAWHDAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Islam Slimani has scored 18 goals in 21 league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Sporting are yet to taste league defeat at home and they should oblige at short odds against relegation-threatened Boavista. Islam Slimani has been a key player for Jorge Jesus’s team this season and the Algerian striker looks a decent bet to find the net once again.

RECOMMENDATION: I Slimani first goalscorer
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Avalanche acquire Matthias from Toronto
By The Sports Xchange

The Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Shawn Matthias from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday in exchange for forward Colin Smith and a fourth-round selection in the 2016 NHL draft.
Matthias, 28, has appeared in 51 games for the Maple Leafs this season, recording 17 points (six goals, 11 assists). The 6-foot-4, 231-pound center signed with Toronto as a free agent on July 6, 2015, after spending last season with Vancouver, where he recorded a career-high 18 goals and 27 points in 78 games. He played in all six playoff games for the Canucks, picking up a goal and one assist.
Smith, 22, has registered 13 goals and 21 assists in 54 games with Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, this season.

--Buffalo Sabres leading scorer Ryan O'Reilly will miss 3-4 weeks due to a lower-body injury sustained in a win at Columbus on Friday, Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma confirmed.
With 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists), O'Reilly is Buffalo's top scorer. O'Reilly also leads Sabres' forwards with just under 22 minutes of ice time per game. He made his first All-Star Game at this season's event in Nashville.
In response, the Sabres called up rookie forward Justin Bailey from AHL Rochester on Sunday.

--The St. Louis Blues placed left winger Alexander Steen on injured reserve with an upper-body injury he sustained in the first period of Saturday night's 6-4 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Steen will be out at least four weeks, at which time he will be re-evaluated.
Steen, who has 17 goals and 30 assists this season, had a goal and assist in the game before being injured.

--The Blues activated goaltender Jake Allen from injured reserve.
Allen, 25, has missed the last 17 games after suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 8 in Anaheim.
The Blues also assigned goaltender Jordan Binnington and defenseman Peter Harrold to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

--The New York Rangers recalled forward Marek Hrivik from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Hrivik, 24, has played in 52 games with Hartford this season, recording 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and 16 penalty minutes.
The Rangers also assigned forward Daniel Paille to their AHL affiliate.

--The Buffalo Sabres recalled forward Justin Bailey from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
Bailey, 20, joins the Sabres for the second time this season after he played in four games for Buffalo earlier this month.

-- The Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif.
Oesterle, 23, has two goals and 20 assists in 39 games this season. He made his NHL debut last season with the Oilers and he appeared in six career games, posting one assist.
The Oilers also announced they have assigned veteran defensemen Nikita Nikitin to Bakersfield.

-- The Nashville Predators recalled forward Gabriel Bourque from his long-term injury loan with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.
Bourque, 25, will remain on Nashville's injured reserve list.
In 22 NHL games in 2015-16, Bourque has four points (one goal, three assists).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (27-25) at Capitals (43-10)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

An unlikely hero got Washington off to a winning start on a four-game homestand, and the Capitals got their usual production from Alex Ovechkin.

The red-hot Ovechkin will try to add to his scoring binge Monday night while helping prolong the Arizona Coyotes' road woes.

Brooks Orpik scored his second goal of the season with 3:58 left Saturday to deliver a 4-3 comeback victory over New Jersey. The defenseman, who also assisted on T.J. Oshie's tying score with 6:05 remaining, was playing in his third game for the Capitals (43-10-4) since a three-month absence due to a lower-body injury.

"Obviously the team's been going pretty well all year," said Orpik, who registered his first career game-winning goal in the regular season. "I've been watching a lot of it so, it's a lot more fun being a contributor here the last three games."

Ovechkin scored his ninth goal in seven games in Washington's fourth consecutive home win and eighth in nine overall contests. He also has 24 of his 38 goals in his last 26 games.

Arizona (27-25-6) has found the net frequently of late as well, tallying 16 goals in its last three games. Rookie forward Max Domi has scored four times in the past two contests, but the Coyotes lost 6-4 to St. Louis on Saturday.

Arizona is beginning a five-game trip and will play nine of 11 away from home. With the trade deadline nearing, the Coyotes' performance over this stretch could play a part in determining what course they take.

"Great test for us," coach Dave Tippett said. "We're going to have to play hard, stingy road hockey, and we expect to get points."

Arizona will first try to carry over its high-scoring performances on the road, where it's been beaten by a combined 14-5 in three consecutive losses. The Coyotes have also totaled eight goals in their past five contests away from home.

Arizona's power play is 1 for 16 in its last four road games but 10 for 32 in its past eight overall.

The Coyotes are hoping to have leading scorer Oliver Ekman-Larsson available. The defenseman, who has a career-high 45 points, suffered a lower-body injury just 42 seconds into Saturday's loss.

"He's day to day. He'll come on the trip with us. Hopefully, it's not too serious," Tippett said. "He might play on Monday. We'll see."

The Coyotes haven't faced Washington since November 2014, splitting two meetings last season. Their 6-5 victory Nov. 2, 2014, ended a three-game skid in D.C.

Arizona captain Shane Doan, who had three points in that game, has four goals and one assist in his last four matchups. Antoine Vermette has five goals and seven assists in his past 10 meetings.

Ovechkin has four goals and eight assists in 10 career games against Arizona. He had a goal and three assists in the most recent home matchup.

The Capitals play six of their next seven at home, where they are 16-1-1 since Nov. 21.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (23-29) at Bruins (32-21)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins are hoping a successful road trip carries over to a pair of home games this week.

They almost certainly can't fare worse than they did the last time they were in front of their New England faithful.

Marchand and the Bruins hope to start to break out of some season-long home woes Monday night when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Boston (32-21-6) completed a 4-2-0 trip with Saturday's 7-3 rout of Dallas. Marchand scored twice and added an assist as the Bruins rallied by scoring the game's final six goals over the last two periods.

Marchand had a team-high nine points on the trip and has 10 goals in February to tie Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the league lead. He has reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time.

"We have a couple of big games coming up at home and we need to be prepared to play," Marchand told the Bruins' official website. "It's a big win and I think we're feeling pretty good, so we're going to have to try and bring it home with us."

That may be difficult since the Bruins have the league's third-worst home record at 12-14-3 compared to their second-best road mark of 20-7-3.

The last time Boston was at home was a 9-2 loss to Los Angeles on Feb. 9 in which captain Zdeno Chara said the Bruins were "absolutely embarrassed." That was the club's worst defeat in nearly eight years.

And while Boston will be expected to beat lowly Columbus, it may not be easy to complete a three-game season series sweep. The first two wins each went to overtime, with Loui Eriksson scoring the winning goal in last Tuesday's 2-1 victory.

The Bruins went 0 for 4 on the power play that night as part of a 0-for-19 drought on the first five games of the trip before they were 3 for 6 versus the Stars on tallies by Marchand, David Krejci and Matt Beleskey.

'We were getting a lot of looks on a lot of our power plays but the pucks weren't going in,' coach Claude Julien said. 'Tonight we were able to capitalize. Our guys did a great job in front of that net there battling for those loose pucks or even battling to create a good screen on their goaltender.'

Boston is a league-best 26.5 percent on the power play at home.

Columbus (23-29-7) is looking to break out in similar fashion after coming up empty in its last 11 chances with the man advantage. That included six power plays in Friday's 4-0 home defeat to Buffalo.

"I thought our power play made some good plays in the latter part of the game, but we need to score early on our power play to gain momentum and we're not doing that," coach John Tortorella said.

Rookie goalie Joonas Korpisalo has started the last 12 games for the Blue Jackets but that streak could end this week. This contest starts a back-to-back road set and Curtis McElhinney has returned from an ankle injury and could make his first start since Jan. 2.

The Blue Jackets have scored a league-low 14 goals in eight games this month.

These teams are among the NHL's most penalized, with Columbus averaging 12:15 penalty minutes and Boston 12:00.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (27-21) at Canadiens (28-27)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

While they've often struggled this season with star goaltender Carey Price out, the Montreal Canadiens have managed to put together a nice win streak on home ice.

They'll try to match their longest run at the Bell Centre in 2015-16 on Monday night while denying the Nashville Predators' attempt at a franchise record.

Montreal (28-27-4) remains well out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference with Price, the reigning MVP and Vezina Trophy winner, reportedly out for the season because of a lower-body injury. The Canadiens, though, have won four in a row at home and used a 3-2 shootout victory against visiting Philadelphia on Friday to end a three-game overall skid.

"I think you can build off a win. We've had some success in this building, and we always look forward to playing here," defenseman P.K. Subban said.

Max Pacioretty had the tying power-play goal in the third period and scored in the shootout. Subban registered a pair of assists after coach Michel Therrien blamed him for a 3-2 loss in Colorado on Wednesday.

"Our fans have always been here for us, but as for critics and people who want to pick apart what goes on in this dressing room, I expect to hear that,' Subban said. 'I've been here long enough to know that the best thing to do is go out and perform and produce and that's the best way to shut people up.

"There are a lot of people that are going to shut up after today."

Montreal, which hasn't won five straight at home since its 5-0-0 start, now faces a Nashville team seeking its first single-season eight-game point streak on the road. The Predators (27-21-11) have also earned a point in five straight overall contests to help them hang on to the West's last wild-card spot, going 2-0-3.

All three of those defeats have come in overtime, where Nashville is 1-10 this season.

"The points are important," coach Peter Laviolette said after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Los Angeles. "It's disappointing coming off a loss so anytime you leave an overtime loss or a shootout loss, it's difficult to be excited about the point. But we've got to keep collecting them. The guys played hard tonight and came out on the wrong side."

Laviolette's team had a much different result against Montreal on Dec. 21, winning 5-1. Shea Weber and Colin Wilson each had three points but haven't been too productive lately.

Weber has one goal in the Predators' last six games and Wilson has gone pointless over that same stretch.

Nashville has earned at least one point in each of its last eight meetings with the Canadiens (5-0-3) and is 2-0-1 in its last three trips to Montreal. Pekka Rinne, who has stopped 57 of 59 shots in his last two starts after posting a 4.00 goals-against average in his previous four, is 5-0-1 with a 0.99 GAA in his last six starts in the series.

Mike Ribeiro has a goal and eight assists in his past six games against his hometown team. The 16-year veteran has eight assists in his last eight contests overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (31-21) at Blues (35-17)

Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Just as St. Louis reached what's arguably been its season pinnacle to date, the hockey gods went and took something major away.

It'll be at least four weeks before No. 2 scorer Alexander Steen sees the ice again, and life without a top forward begins Monday night against the visiting San Jose Sharks as the Blues try to extend their season-best winning streak.

That streak reached five with Saturday's 6-4 win in Arizona, and Steen had a huge impact despite barely stepping on the ice. Steen quickly recorded a goal and an assist in just over two minutes of ice time then skated off holding his left arm, officially landing on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

"When our best all-around player goes down, there's a lot to shoulder," captain David Backes told the team's official website. "Different guys stepped up and played bigger minutes with bigger responsibility and did a heck of a job."

There's the consolation of getting goaltender Jake Allen back after sustaining a lower-body injury on Jan. 8 - he was activated Sunday - but that might only be an upgraded insurance policy given the way Brian Elliott has handled increased work. Granted, Elliott gave up four goals on 22 shots to the Coyotes, but he's gone 10-2-2 with a 1.70 goals-against average dating to Jan. 16.

One of those defeats came against the Sharks. St. Louis' last regulation loss came back on Feb. 4 to San Jose, going 6-0-1 since that 3-1 home loss. The Blues (35-17-9) have limited opponents to 12 goals in that time, and their penalty kill has gone 38 of 40 (95.0 percent) in nine games this month.

Offensively, the six-goal output matched a season high after topping out at two goals in nine of their last 12 games.

"You kept shaking your head and wondering if it was real," Backes said. "(Arizona) had 12 goals in their last two (games), and I don't know if we had that many in the last eight or nine.

"It was a wild ride, but we found another way to get another win and five in a row is a good feeling. Different guys are stepping up all the time."

Jaden Schwartz has been one of them with a goal in three straight games, and the forward has four goals and an assist in five games back from a fractured left ankle. The Blues are 10-2-0 with him on the ice this season.

San Jose (31-21-5) is out to bounce back from Friday's 5-2 loss in Carolina and win for the fourth time in five games as it continues a five-game road trip.

It was a rare road defeat for the Sharks, who had won eight of their previous 10 away games and are a win from matching their 2014-15 road win total of 21. It was also their third game in four nights, so two days off is probably much appreciated.

"We've been consistently good for a long time," said coach Peter DeBoer, whose team had allowed four goals on its preceding three-game winning streak. "You're going to have those once in a while. It's how we respond to it. I think we just have to throw it away and get ready for the next one."

The win in St. Louis at the beginning of the month featured a goal from Joe Thornton, who saw his seven-game point streak come to an end against the Hurricanes, but he has 11 on a six-game run against the Blues.

Martin Jones faced Carolina and St. Louis, posting a 1.58 GAA on a 4-1-0 span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - February

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
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 38.5 47 OVER
2/16 8 43.5 39 UNDER
2/17 3 16.5 21 OVER
2/18 11 60.5 68 OVER
2/19 5 26.5 24 UNDER
2/20 9 47 59 OVER
2/21 6 30.5 34 OVER
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last nine games.
-- Bruins won six of their last nine games.
-- Blues won their last five games. San Jose won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Arizona lost its last three road games.
-- Blue Jackets lost last two games, 2-1ot/4-0.
-- Canadiens lost three of last four games. Nashville lost six of its last nine games.

Series records
-- Coyotes lost three of last four visits to Washington.
-- Bruins won eight of last ten games with Columbus.
-- Predators won three of last five visits to Montreal.
-- Sharks won five of last seven games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Last three Arizona games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games stayed under.
-- Last three Nashville games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine San Jose-St Louis games.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (27-29) at Cavaliers (40-14)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Another offensive outburst lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to a statement victory, even largely without Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, the short-handed Detroit Pistons continued their freefall with another defensive lapse.

The Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers seek their sixth straight win Monday night while extending a losing streak of the same length for the visiting Pistons, whose season-high skid has them on the outside looking in on the postseason race.

If Sunday's game at Oklahoma City was a benchmark for Cleveland (40-14), it passed with flying colors by logging its second five-game winning streak since Tyronn Lue stepped in as coach for the fired David Blatt on Jan. 22.

The Cavaliers shot 51.3 percent and scored 95 points through three quarters on the way to a 115-92 rout of the Thunder, a consensus championship contender in the West.

Kevin Love finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, and LeBron James had 25 points, 11 assists and seven boards for Cleveland, which scored at least 115 for the third time in four games and made at least half its shots for the sixth time in Lue's 13 in charge.

The Cavs were once thought of as a team that struggled against the NBA's best, going 1-3 against Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City through the season's opening three months, but wins over the Spurs on Jan. 30 and the Thunder give Lue hope his team is shedding that label.

"I would like to say that," he said. "I hope so. When we play teams that are great teams, we always seem to rise for the challenge."

They did it Sunday mostly without Irving, who started and played nine minutes in the first quarter but sat the rest of the game because of flu-like symptoms. The Cavs, who are 23-4 at Quicken Loans Arena, also played without Iman Shumpert (sprained left shoulder) and Mo Williams (sore left knee).

Cleveland is still trying to complete Channing Frye's physical process after acquiring him in a trade with Orlando last week, and Shumpert and Williams are questionable for Monday.

Detroit (27-29) dressed only 11 players for Sunday's 111-106 loss to New Orleans as Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton were unavailable due to complications from last week's trade with Houston. Motiejunas still hasn't been cleared after testing his back injury, but the deal has been given an extension until 6 p.m. on Monday.

The Pistons will be without another piece Monday after Anthony Tolliver sprained his knee in a collision against the Pelicans. Tolliver will have an MRI on Monday.

Sunday's loss made it five in a row for the Pistons, who would miss the playoffs if they started today.

The latest defeat came while surrendering the NBA's top individual performance this season to Anthony Davis. Detroit had no answer for the Pelicans' All-Star, who made 24 of 34 shots while finishing with 59 points and 20 rebounds.

Davis surpassed James' scoring record of 48 points at the Palace of Auburn Hills, set in an Eastern Conference finals game on June 1, 2007.

"That one is on me. That was terrible coaching - terrible," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You've got to come up with something. You can't let a guy get 59. That's on me."

Detroit was tied with Indiana for ninth in the league after surrendering 100 points per game over 46 contests through Jan. 27, but opponents have exceeded that number in nine of 10 since while averaging 105.9.

Opponents are shooting 49.9 percent during the Pistons' losing streak.

These two teams split the first two games in the season series, but both were at Detroit, which is 11-18 on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (30-25) at Heat (31-24)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

When they last met last month at American Airlines Arena, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers engaged in a physical contest that reminded those involved of their recent playoff meetings.

This matchup could have a much difficult look if Miami has to play without its two stars.

With Dwyane Wade questionable and Chris Both out indefinitely, the Heat will try to continue their home dominance in this series Monday night by denying the Pacers a sweep of their road swing.

It appeared Indiana would take the first three games of this season series Jan. 4 when it opened up an 18-point third-quarter advantage. Wade, however, hit a left-handed layup at the buzzer to force overtime and teamed with Bosh for 58 points in the game as the Heat pulled out a 103-100 victory.

"It felt like a playoff game," said Wade, who has missed the past two games due to a sore left knee. If he's out again, Gerald Green will likely get another start.

Bosh has already been ruled out because of a blood clot in his left leg. The 11-time All-Star has led Miami in scoring in all three meetings with Indiana, while Wade has totaled 47 points in the last two.

The Heat have won 23 of the past 28 home matchups - including playoff series victories in 2012, '13 and '14 - against the Pacers dating to the '05-06 season. The Southeast Division leaders will likely have to keep getting contributions from others if they hope to win for the ninth time in 12 games.

Luol Deng has totaled 57 points and Goran Dragic has added a combined 41 in the last two games. Hassan Whiteside finished with 25 points and 23 rebounds in Saturday's 114-94 home win over Washington, recording the 11th 20-20 game off the bench in NBA history.

Whiteside had served a one-game suspension during Friday's 115-111 victory at Atlanta for throwing an elbow against San Antonio on Feb. 9. The center has totaled 22 boards in his last two meetings with Indiana but did not play in January due to a sore right knee.

'The next challenge for him is the consistency,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'Does he have to do a 20-20 again on Monday? No, that is not what we're asking for. It's the not the statistics. It's his approach."

The Pacers (30-25), seeking their eighth victory in the past 11 games, have an opportunity to tie the Heat (31-24) for fourth place in the conference. They've also opened the second half strong, topping Oklahoma City 101-98 on Friday and Orlando 105-102 on Sunday to begin this three-game trip.

Indiana has limited opponents to a 42.8 field-goal percentage - including 23.5 from 3-point range - in those two games. It'll need to continue that trend against a Miami team looking to score 110 points or more in three straight for the first time since November 2013.

The Pacers have held the Heat to 41.7 percent overall and 25.8 from long range in the season series.

'What I love about this team and the way we're playing now is I really trust our defense,' coach Frank Vogel said. 'We were getting stops and giving ourselves a chance to win."

Monta Ellis has scored a combined 41 points in his last two games against the Heat, while Paul George has come up big by averaging 30.3 points in the season series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (36-18) at Knicks (24-33)

Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Two lackluster efforts around Toronto's hosting of All-Star festivities were enough to convince the Raptors to get back to business and buckle down defensively.

After accomplishing that goal while avoiding their longest losing streak in three months, they're hoping to build on it in their first visit to Madison Square Garden.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan look to continue their success in this series Monday night when the Atlantic Division leaders try to avoid a season high-tying third straight road loss and deny the Knicks their first back-to-back wins in more than a month.

Toronto ranks in the NBA's top five with 97.7 points allowed per game, but that solid defense didn't show up in a 117-112 loss at Minnesota on Feb. 10 prior to the break or a 116-106 road defeat to a previously struggling Chicago team on Friday.

That changed Sunday, however, when the Raptors (36-18) held Memphis to 36.8 percent shooting, including 3 for 20 from 3-point range, in a 98-85 home victory.

"For sure, it felt like that," said Lowry, who played with DeRozan in his second All-Star Game on Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre. "...But now we're back to winning ways."

Toronto avoided its first three-game losing streak since Nov. 15-18 with its 15th victory in 18 games. DeRozan scored 21 in the team's first home game since Jan. 30 and Jonas Valanciunas had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.

"Everyone's knees were bent, down in the stance, ready to play and out of the vacation mode I think," coach Dwane Casey said. "I think the whole league has to get used to that long week of time off and get back into game shape, get the sea legs back, get the mentality back."

Casey's club will try to stay focused on defense against New York, which has shot 50 percent or better in two of its past three but has a 42.8 mark while dropping 11 of 13.

The Knicks (24-33) hit at a 50.6 percent clip Saturday to snap a season-high seven-game losing streak with a 103-95 win at Minnesota. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 30 points and Robin Lopez matched season highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds.

New York outrebounded Minnesota 51-31 and led by 24 in the fourth quarter en route to giving interim coach Kurt Rambis his first win in three games since taking over for the fired Derek Fisher.

Anthony's sore knee seems to be improving as the All-Star forward is averaging 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while playing at least 37 minutes in the last three games. He's played well when he's been able to go against Toronto, scoring 30.6 per game over his last seven meetings.

"Whatever I got to do to get these wins up I'm going to do it," Anthony said.

Anthony finished with 25 points to key a 111-109 win at Toronto on Nov. 10 before having to sit out last month's meeting when Arron Afflalo scored 20 in a 103-93 loss north of the border.

Lowry has totaled 49 points in the season series, while DeRozan has scored 55.

DeRozan can pass Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson with a franchise-record 233rd win in a Toronto uniform.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (33-24) at Timberwolves (17-39)

Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics brushed off their All-Star break rust with the type of efficient offensive play that made them the Eastern Conference's best team over the previous three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves' scoring struggles have returned following a brief and uncharacteristic surge.

The Celtics look to continue solidifying their spot toward the top of the East standings when they close a three-game road trip against the Timberwolves on Monday night.

Boston (33-24) experienced two opposite performances out of the break, shooting 37 percent in Friday's 111-93 loss at Utah and 48.5 in Sunday's 121-101 win at Denver.

They followed their worst shooting percentage since Jan. 7 with one that is more telling of their play since late last month, including an East-leading 10-2 record from Jan. 22-Feb. 10. Boston averaged 113.1 points during that stretch, fewer than only Golden State (119.8) and Oklahoma City (116.2).

The catalyst has been All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, both scoring the basketball and distributing it. Thomas has averaged 21.2 points and 6.7 assists in Boston's 14-game surge, including marks of 27.7 and 9.7 the last three games.

Thomas finished one off a career high with 12 assists to go with 22 points against the Nuggets, helping Boston return to its well-rounded attack. Only four players finished in double figures against the Jazz, leading to one of the Celtics' two games scoring fewer than 100 points since Jan. 12, but six scored at least 10 against Denver - with another scoring nine.

Boston is 13-4 when at least six players score in double figures.

'We played our butts off,' said Jared Sullinger, who finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. 'Five guys connected. We got the rust off and are looking to move forward.'

Boston held the East's No. 8 seed on Jan. 20 but has moved all the way up to the third slot with an eye on catching Toronto in the Atlantic Division.

Things were looking up for Minnesota (17-39) when it entered the break with wins in three of four games, but two straight losses have stopped any momentum.

They logged a 42.1 shooting percentage on 3-pointers in the consecutive defeats but still finished at that number overall - looking more like the team that averaged only 96.4 points in 24 games from Dec. 18-Jan. 31 before a surge of 110.8 in five games before the break.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each scored 24 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 assists in Saturday's 103-95 loss to New York, but only five Minnesota players scored more than three points.

Towns has averaged 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds the last 14 games, but he's 14 of 38 from the field the last two and his 10-game streak of double-digit rebounding efforts ended Saturday as he finished with eight.

'It's not even missing a shot, it's more that shots were going in and out,' Towns said. 'That's the most upsetting part. You can fix misses. You can't fix in-and-out.'

Towns finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds and Wiggins scored 26 in the first matchup in this series, but six Boston players scored in double figures in the Celtics' 113-99 home win on Dec. 21.

The teams have split the last six games in this series, but the Timberwolves have won all three at home - where they are 9-20 this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (11-46) at Bucks (23-33)

Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Last season's success against the bottom half of the league allowed Milwaukee to finish .500 and reach the postseason.

That advantage is gone, and the Bucks find themselves in last place with Monday night's visit from the similarly positioned Los Angeles Lakers providing little comfort.

As the Bucks' team website points out, their 12-21 mark against teams .500 and above is an improvement over their 9-27 mark in 2014-15, but they went 32-14 against teams under .500. This season, Milwaukee (23-33) is 11-12, though three wins in its last four overall could have a calming effect - particularly with Jabari Parker playing well.

That includes a 117-109 double-overtime win at Atlanta on Saturday in which Parker recorded career highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds, while Milwaukee limited the Hawks to 41.5 percent shooting, including 22.0 from 3-point range. In their last three games, the Bucks have held teams to 41.1 percent overall and 23.1 from long range.

"I think that we kept our endurance, especially in the first few minutes of the second overtime, seeing our energy go up to another level," Parker said.

The individual effort came a night after the 20-year-old forward had 23 and 11 in a 98-95 home loss to Charlotte. Parker has averaged 22.7 points on 54.9 percent shooting with 11.0 rebounds in his last three games, and his coach has taken notice.

"I think he's really finding his rhythm," Jason Kidd said. "He's getting on the glass, he's getting to the rim and he's knocking down some shots."

It helped the Bucks overcome a rough night from Khris Middleton, who was limited to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The guard had averaged 21.2 points in his previous five games, though that came while shooting 38.6 percent.

The Lakers (11-46) contributed to Milwaukee's struggles against the bottom dwellers with a 113-95 home win Dec. 15 behind 22 points from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have taken the last two meetings, but the Bucks have won the previous four in Milwaukee.

Bryant is making his final stop in Milwaukee, and the Bucks are the NBA team he's visited least in his career along with the Nets, Bulls, Hornets and Heat. It's confirmed he'll play the tail end of a back-to-back set.

Los Angeles is looking to end a five-game losing streak after opening a three-game trip with Sunday's 126-115 defeat in Chicago.

Defensively, the Lakers have been a disaster on the skid while allowing an average of 112.0 points on 49.2 percent shooting without a single game going to overtime. The Bulls were 13 of 19 from 3-point range, and Los Angeles' last three opponents have made 51.6 percent from beyond the arc.

"(Trying to defend the 3) opened up driving lanes," coach Byron Scott said. "You've got to take away one of the two, and tonight we weren't able to take away the 3-point line."

Bryant and Julius Randle each had 22 points. The 21-year-old Randle, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds in December versus the Bucks, has been a far better shooter over the last month, averaging 14.2 points and connecting on 49.3 percent in 12 games after managing 10.5 on 40.0 in his first 44 of the season. He also had 12 rebounds and has averaged 14.0 in the last five games.

Rookie D'Angelo Russell moved back into the starting lineup against the Bulls for the first time since Dec. 12, and Scott said after the game that Russell will start the rest of the season.

"Offensively, I thought he did a really good job of getting our guys involved," Scott said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (49-5) at Hawks (31-26)

Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

It was over a year ago that the Golden State Warriors lost on the road to the Atlanta Hawks in a highly anticipated matchup of conference leaders.

Things have changed for the only teams to win at least 60 games a season ago.

The Hawks are in danger of their first four-game home losing streak in nine seasons and are unsure of the status of Jeff Teague as they face what figures to be a highly motivated Warriors team seeking to become the fastest NBA team to reach 50 wins Monday night.

These teams earned top seeds in their respective conferences last season, and the Hawks said they issued about 170 credentials for the Warriors' visit Feb. 6, 2015. Golden State entered with a 39-8 mark while Atlanta had a slightly lower winning percentage at 41-9.

The Hawks made a statement that night by taking over the league's best record with a 124-116 victory, as Teague led seven Atlanta players in double digits with 23 points. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 55 points and Draymond Green had 12 points, 20 boards and six assists for the Warriors.

Golden State (49-5) earned a split of the season series with a 114-95 win March 18. The loss in Atlanta was one of four on the road for the Warriors to Eastern Conference foes in 2014-15, and they have already prevailed this season in the other three places they lost - Cleveland, Indiana and Brooklyn.

The Hawks (31-26) should be easier to beat this time at home, where they seek to avoid their first four-game slide since 2006-07. They stumbled out of the All-Star break with two defeats there, 115-111 on Friday to a Miami team playing without Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside and 117-109 in double overtime the next night to a lowly Milwaukee club that ended a six-game road losing streak.

'This is not the way we pictured it going,' center Al Horford said. 'We are really in a hole right now.'

Making matters worse is that Teague injured his right wrist and was limited to five points and five assists in 17 minutes Saturday. His status is unclear Monday, and Dennis Schroder would likely make his seventh start in his place.

While the Hawks aren't as formidable, the Warriors continue to show their fortitude after Saturday's 115-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in which Thompson scored 32 and Curry had 23 with nine assists. It came one night after they began a six-game trip with a 137-105 defeat to Portland that snapped an 11-game win streak.

"We've been a resilient team all year," Curry said. "Obviously with our record we haven't lost two in row all year and there's a reason for that because of our mentality."

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that won a record 72 games notched victory No. 50 in their 56th contest. The Warriors can better that Monday.

Draymond Green recorded his NBA-leading 11th triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as he started at center Saturday for an injured Andrew Bogut, who sat out with a strained right Achilles and is questionable in Atlanta.

Teague's potential absence would affect this matchup of teams averaging the most assists, with Golden State at 29.1 and Atlanta at 25.5. One reason for that difference is that the Warriors average a league-best 9.3 secondary assists, defined as passes made by a player to a player who earned an assist, compared to the Hawks' 7.4 mark.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (14-42) at Clippers (36-19)

Date: February 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

After splitting the first two games of a homestand against the NBA's two best teams, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to avoid their first losing streak in two months against a team that has won only twice in that same stretch.

The Phoenix Suns struck out on a lengthy homestand and look to put an end to their longest skid in almost two decades when they visit the Clippers on Monday night.

Los Angeles (36-19) followed the high of Thursday's 105-86 win over San Antonio, the league's second-best team, with a 115-112 loss to NBA-leading Golden State two days later - a contest that was not nearly as close as the final score would indicate.

The Clippers trailed by as many as 18 and allowed the Warriors to shoot 51.2 percent, the highest for a Los Angeles opponent since Golden State's 52.1 on Nov. 19. One week earlier, the Suns shot 53 percent in a 118-104 win in Phoenix.

Los Angeles made 44.7 percent of its shots against the Warriors on the heels of consecutive games at 50 or better. The Clippers finished 13 of 36 from 3-point range while dropping to 18-9 at Staples Center.

"It was a horrible offensive night that created a horrible defensive night," coach Doc Rivers said. "We were impatient. We wanted to win the game so badly we were in our own way."

The Clippers haven't dropped consecutive games since losing three straight Dec. 18-21. Their 20-6 record since then is the league's third best, trailing only Golden State and San Antonio's matching 23-4 marks. Maybe most impressively, 25 of those games have come without leading scorer Blake Griffin.

Chris Paul has averaged 21.5 points and 9.8 assists while shooting 45.9 percent overall and 39.5 from 3-point range in Griffin's absence. The forward was on his way back from a torn quadriceps when he broke his hand punching an assistant equipment manager, earning a four-game suspension from the team he'll serve when he does return.

Paul has averaged 29 points and 10.3 assists in the last three games, and he's put up 20 points and 9.5 assists per contest in 34 meetings with the Suns.

The 11-year veteran sat out the previous matchup with a sore right groin Nov. 12 as Phoenix (14-42) began its longest streak of the season at three games. The Suns, who lost the first meeting 102-96 at Staples Center 10 days earlier, are 8-38 since.

That home victory snapped an eight-game winning streak in this series for Los Angeles, which includes four straight at Staples Center. Brandon Knight scored 37 points and Eric Bledsoe added 26 with 10 rebounds and nine assists, though both have missed extended time with injuries and aren't anywhere near a return.

Phoenix is the league's worst team since Dec. 20 with a 2-26 record. The Suns wrapped up a 0-7 homestand with Sunday's 118-111 loss to San Antonio, giving them 11 straight losses - their longest skid since opening the 1996-97 season 0-13.

"We're not content with losing close games," Ronnie Price said. "Not at all."

Phoenix has lost 14 straight road games as well, tied for the second-longest drought in franchise history. The Suns have lost by an average of 18.7 during that skid.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Monday's hot teams
-- Cleveland won its last five games (3-5HF with Lue).
-- Indiana won four of its last five games (3-7 last 10AU). Miami won seven of last ten games (4-7 last 11HF).
-- Toronto won seven of its last ten games (1-4 last 5AF).
-- Celtics won six of their last eight games (7-3 last 10AF).
-- Milwaukee won three of its last four games (5-1 last 6HF).
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games (0-4 vs spread in last four)
-- Clippers won seven of their last ten games (6-4 last 10HF).

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost its last five games (4-7 last 11AU).
-- Knicks lost seven of their last eight games (5-9HU).
-- Minnesota lost seven of its last ten games (5-1 last 6HU).
-- Lakers lost last five games, but covered six of last seven.
-- Atlanta lost four of its last five games (1-1HU).
-- Phoenix lost its last eleven games (1-13 last 14AU).

Series records
-- Cavaliers won seven of last nine games with Detroit.
-- Home side won nine of last ten Indiana-Miami games.
-- Knicks lost four of last six games with Toronto.
-- Celtics won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Home side won seven of last eight Laker-Milwaukee games.
-- Warriors won six of last seven games with Atlanta.
-- Clippers won eight of last nine games with Phoenix.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Indiana games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen New York games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Minnesota games.
-- Four of last five Laker games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Clipper games.

Back/backs
-- Detroit is 1-5 vs spread on road if it played night before. Cleveland won its last five games if it played night before (4-0-1 vs spread).
-- Pacers lost six of last seven games if they played night before.
-- Toronto is 5-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Lakers are 1-11 (7-5 vs spread) if they played night before.
-- Celtics covered nine of last 12 if they played night before.
-- Suns are 3-6 vs spread if they played the night before.