Monday 2/29/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 18:00

Lazio

v

Sassuolo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		7/10	13/5	9/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LAZIO	RECENT FORM
HLADHWADADHW​ Most recent​	3 - 2 3 - 2	HLADHLHDADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sassuolo have scored in each of their last seven away fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Lazio have not got close to the race for Champions League qualification and may be held to a draw by stubborn Sassuolo in the capital. Only three Serie A teams have lost fewer league matches than Sassuolo this season. They won 1-0 at Inter last month and can frustrate Lazio, who played in the Europa League on Thursday, beating Galatasaray 3-1.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 20:00

Fiorentina

v

Napoli

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FIORENTINA	RECENT FORM
HWADHWHDAWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 1	AWHWALALHDHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Napoli have won four of their last five Serie A away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Exiting the Europa League was a blow for Napoli but it may just help them win their first Scudetto since 1990. Maurizio Sarri’s side can now focus entirely on the league and can start by defeating Fiorentina, who may more time to get over Thursday’s 3-0 loss at Tottenham which ended their European adventure.

RECOMMENDATION: Napoli
1

 

[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga TODAY 20:00

V Guimaraes

v

Sporting Lisbon

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		11/2	13/5	4/7	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT V GUIMARAES	RECENT FORM
HWADHWADHDAD​ Most recent​	3 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 0 0 - 1	HWHDAWHLHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sporting have scored 13 goals in their last three league away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Sporting are in a strong position in pursuit of a first Portuguese title since 2002 and they are expected to pick up all three points against an inconsistent Guimaraes side. The hosts have leaked goals early in games and their classy opponents should confirm their superiority from the opening moments.

RECOMMENDATION: Sporting-Sporting double result
1

 

[eharny]

sports_cheetah 6% huge play?

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Rangers acquire C Staal from Hurricanes
By The Sports Xchange

The New York Rangers acquired veteran center Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
Carolina received center Aleksi Saarela and two second-round draft picks in return. One of the choices will be in 2016 and the other in 2017.
Staal, 31, is in the final season of a seven-year, $55.75 million deal and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He has 322 goals and 453 assists for 775 career points, all with Carolina over parts of 12 seasons. He has scored 30 or more goals five times, topped by 45 in 2005-06 when he reached 100 points for the lone time in his career.
He has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season.
Saarela was selected in the third round (89th overall) of the 2015 draft.

--The Philadelphia Flyers signed forward Michael Raffl to a three-year contract extension.
The deal is reportedly worth $7.05 million.
Raffl would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer if he hadn't signed the deal.
Raffl has eight goals and nine assists in 61 games this season. In his career, he has 38 goals and 29 assists in 196 games.

--The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to terms with goaltender Mac Carruth on a one-year contract, which runs through the end of the 2015-16 NHL season.
Carruth, 23, has posted a 0-2-1 record with a 3.32 goals-against average and .882 save percentage in six games with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League this season. He also had a 12-7-2 record with a 2.30 GAA, .923 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games with the Indy Fuel of the East Coast Hockey League.
Drafted by Chicago in the seventh round in 2010, Carruth has recorded a 4-5-1 record in 16 career AHL games and a 0-1-0 mark in one 2015 Calder Cup playoff game.

--The Los Angeles Kings placed forward Jordan Nolan on injured reserve.
The Kings made the move retroactive to Feb. 18. The club didn't disclose the nature of Nolan's injury.
Nolan, 26, had five points (all assists) in 52 games this season.
Nolan has played in 246 career NHL games over five season and has 16 goals and 18 assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (27-29) at Penguins (31-21)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Evgeni Malkin is back in the fold as the Pittsburgh Penguins try to fend off other Eastern Conference wild-card contenders and move into one of the Metropolitan Division's automatic postseason spots.

The Arizona Coyotes have their own playoff hopes, but they're not doing themselves any favors during their worst stretch of the season.

Pittsburgh looks to sweep its brief homestand by sending the fading Coyotes to a sixth straight defeat Monday night.

The Penguins (31-21-8) went a respectable 5-4-1 while Malkin sat out with an upper-body injury and have a three-point edge with a game in hand on Philadelphia for the East's last playoff spot. They also have a shot to catch the third-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan, especially considering their 9-2-3 record in the last 14 games Malkin has played after Saturday's 4-1 win over Winnipeg in his return.

'He's obviously one of the best players in the league, so he's going to open up a lot of room,' said Carl Hagelin, who scored twice. 'When he's on his game, the other team has to pay so much attention to him.'

Malkin still ranks among the league leaders with 23 power-play points and is hoping to help the Penguins snap their funk with the man advantage. They've failed on all 17 power-play chances over their last nine games and went 1 for 24 with Malkin out.

Pittsburgh missed on their only chance Saturday, but coach Mike Sullivan was impressed with how Malkin looked following his layoff even though he didn't have a point. Sullivan kept Malkin out of practice Sunday so he could rest before the end of the two-game homestand.

'(Malkin) I thought was really strong,' Sullivan said. 'I think his conditioning will only get better as he gets his timing back and gets back into game mode.'

Center Nick Bonino also returned after missing the previous 17 for the Penguins, who lost the first meeting with Arizona 2-1 on Oct. 10.

The Coyotes (27-29-6), though, have dropped eight points back of Colorado for the West's last playoff spot while losing five straight in regulation. They're finishing a five-game road trip with this contest after not scoring more than two goals in any of the previous four.

Brad Richardson and Oliver-Ekman-Larsson scored in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Philadelphia, during which it allowed three goals in the first period.

"We put a lot of good work into this game and we played in the offensive zone a ton," coach Dave Tippett said. "... We can't get many breaks right now and we can't capitalize on our chances.

"Games are close and you're not as good a team when you have to chase the game."

The Coyotes claimed forward Jiri Sekac off waivers from Chicago on Saturday as they try to boost their offense and make one final push for the playoffs. He could make his debut in this contest for Arizona, which has gone 1 for 17 on the power play during its skid.

"Instead of finding ways to win hockey games we're finding ways to lose right now," Ekman-Larsson said. "We just have to keep working hard. We need to find points right nowâ?¦ It's frustrating for sure... We have been trying a lot but it's not enough. We have to find ways to win hockey games."

Rookie Louis Domingue has made 10 straight starts in net but has a 3.61 goals-against average during the losing streak.

Marc-Andre Fleury has a 2.12 GAA in nine career starts against the Coyotes, though it's unclear if he'll get the nod with Pittsburgh playing the following night at NHL-leading Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (26-31) at Flyers (28-22)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Flyers are perfect so far on their longest homestand of the season, and that's not likely to change over the next two games.

The Flyers look to make it three wins in a row Monday night when they try to capitalize on the struggling Calgary Flames.

Philadelphia (28-22-11) is three points back of Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and it's opened its six-game homestand with consecutive wins after beating Arizona 4-2 on Saturday.

"We have a lot of work in front of us," coach Dave Hakstol said.

Philadelphia, though, is in position to take advantage of a favorable schedule. After facing Calgary (26-31-4), the Flyers meet Edmonton on Thursday, giving them consecutive games against the two teams with the fewest road points in the NHL. Those are followed by a visit from last-place Columbus.

The Flames, 9-17-3 as the visitor, have also dropped seven of their last eight games overall after falling 6-4 to Ottawa at home Saturday.

Philadelphia, though, has lost three straight to Calgary after falling 2-1 in overtime Nov. 5.

Michael Raffl got his first goal of the season in that matchup, but he's only managed seven more after netting 21 last season. That didn't stop the Flyers from signing him to a three-year, $7.05 million contract extension Sunday, seemingly ending any chance he'd be traded prior to Monday's trade deadline.

Claude Giroux assisted on Raffl's tally at Calgary, giving him six points in the past six meetings. The captain scored Saturday after sitting out three games with an upper-body injury.

"To be back on the ice and battle with your teammates (and) to get a win, there's nothing better than that," said Giroux, who became the 14th Flyer to reach 500 points. "It's a good honor to be able to get that many points. It's obviously fun, but the win feels a lot better."

Michal Neuvirth has seemingly taken over the starting goaltender job from Steve Mason with his strong play of late. Neuvirth has allowed four goals on 57 shots over back-to-back wins and is 8-2-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average and two shutouts in 12 home games.

Mason has a 2.82 GAA while losing three of four decisions over his last five starts.

Neuvirth got the nod at Calgary in November and made 28 saves before Mikael Backlund beat him 35 seconds into OT.

The Flames are trying to avoid their first five-game slide since dropping eight straight from Dec. 6-20, 2014. Coach Bob Hartley held an impromptu meeting following Saturday's loss, a performance that prompted one fan to throw his jersey on the ice.

"It's sad to see something like that, but we can't control their actions and as a team we need to be better," left wing Johnny Gaudreau said.

Gaudreau is among the few bright spots for the Flames. With two goals against the Senators, he's matched his total of 24 from his rookie season with 21 games left to play.

He has 11 points during a seven-game streak overall and five in three career meetings with Philadelphia.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (26-29) at Rangers (36-20)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers already have one of the league's top offenses and now it should be even better.

The club has acquired five-time 30-goal scorer Eric Staal ahead of Monday night's home matchup with the surging Columbus Blue Jackets.

New York (36-20-6) picked up Staal from Carolina on Sunday for center Aleksi Saarela, who is currently playing in his native Finland, and the Rangers' second-round selections in each of the next two drafts. Staal had spent his entire 12-year career with the Hurricanes and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, once the final year of his seven-year, $55.75 million contract expires.

The former Hurricanes captain has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season. The Rangers, who average 2.8 goals, could use a boost since former Columbus star Rick Nash is out with a knee injury.

Staal leaves behind one brother in Carolina, Jordan Staal, and will be united with another brother, Marc, who plays defense for the Rangers.

'We felt like he was one of the best, if not the best, player available on the market to give us what we're looking for in our top nine,' Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said. 'And that's why we made the move.'

New York will see a familiar face Monday in Columbus coach John Tortorella. Two seasons ago, the Rangers and Vancouver ended up with what amounted to a swap of coaches when Tortorella took over the Canucks and Alain Vigneault became Rangers coach. The combative Tortorella had spent the previous five seasons with New York, leading the club to the brink of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011-12 before he was fired after the next season.

He made his return to the Garden on Nov. 30, 2013 in Vancouver's 5-2 loss, with Rangers fans chanting "Tor-tor-ella" as the final minutes ticked down. He also lost to New York 3-1 on April 1, 2014, in his only Canucks season before they fired him.

Now he's back with Columbus, which seeks its second three-game win streak and is enjoying a 9-2-3 run in its last 14 games following Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory over Florida. The Blue Jackets were outshot 13-1 in the first period and 24-11 after two but trailed just 2-1 heading into the third before Seth Jones and Brandon Saad scored.

'We talked about it between the first and second period, about how well we have played for quite awhile,' Tortorella said. 'There was no sense in losing our mind over it. We were bad. But it was still just 1-0 at that point in time.'

The Blue Jackets (26-29-8) now get to measure themselves against an opponent they have lost five straight against. The Rangers won twice in October by an aggregate score of 9-4 before Columbus fired Todd Richards and hired Tortorella.

New York is also surging by going 9-2-1 since Feb. 4 after completing a 2-1-0 trip with Saturday's 3-2 victory over Dallas on Kevin Klein's goal with 2:53 left. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 36 shots two nights after a 35-save effort in a 2-1 win over St. Louis.

"Last two buildings are really tough buildings that we came into," Vigneault said. "We played real solid tonight when they tied it up, we had a real strong push right after, got the game-winner. There's no doubt that we got some solid goaltending in these two games."

The Rangers have never faced rookie Joonas Korpisalo, who is 9-2-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average in his last 13 starts. Lundqvist has posted a 1.78 GAA in winning his last five starts versus the Blue Jackets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (35-22) at Maple Leafs (21-29)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The process to make the Toronto Maple Leafs respectable again takes patience and plenty of roster moves to clear up salary cap space before selecting with one of the top picks in the draft.

There's little doubt that Toronto will try to convince Steven Stamkos to join his hometown team with a mammoth contract offer over the summer, and fans might be picturing him wearing a Maple Leafs sweater when the Tampa Bay Lightning star is on the Air Canada Centre ice Monday night.

Stamkos has been on fire since Tampa Bay publicly stated the pending unrestricted free agent won't be moved before the trade deadline, scoring in each contest during the Lightning's six-game winning streak. He scored on a penalty shot and assisted on Ryan Callahan's power-play goal in Sunday's 4-1 win at Boston as Tampa Bay (36-22-4) moved into second place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind Florida.

Stamkos scored twice in 13 games prior to his current run as rumors swirled about whether he would be dealt prior to Monday afternoon's deadline.

"It's a lot easier to feel even better when the team's having success as well," Stamkos said. "I mean six in a row, that's a great feat for us at this time in the year. So it obviously is just icing on the cake to be producing in those wins, and our line is feeling really good about our game right now."

Stamkos led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final last season, and he might be in for a tough transition if he decides to return home next season. Toronto (21-29-10) has the fewest points in the Eastern Conference in its first season under coach Mike Babcock as it continues to overhaul its roster.

Dion Phaneuf was traded to Ottawa in a nine-player deal Feb. 9, and James Reimer was dealt to San Jose for fellow goaltender Alex Stalock, forward Ben Smith and a 2018 fourth-round pick on Saturday. Toronto then traded Daniel Winnik and a fifth-round pick to Washington for Brooks Laich, defenseman Connor Carrick and a second-round selection Sunday.

The Maple Leafs reportedly informed P.A. Parenteau that he would be traded, and others like Nazem Kadri reportedly are being shopped as well. They're struggling through what will be the 10th season of the last 11 that they won't make the playoffs, having dropped eight of 10 after falling 4-1 at Montreal on Saturday.

Parenteau left in the first period with what he described as spasms in his neck.

"Our bench wasn't very deep," Babcock said. "We know anyway, night to night, we're going to have a challenge. I thought with all hands on deck we would have had a better opportunity."

They'll likely have a tough time with the Lightning no matter who is in uniform. Vladislav Namestnikov scored in overtime to give Tampa a 5-4 win in the first meeting Dec. 15 before Stamkos' power-play goal handed the Maple Leafs a 1-0 defeat Jan. 27.

The Lightning scored twice with the man advantage Sunday after going 2 for 36 over their previous 10. Callahan assisted on Alex Killorn's power-play goal and scored at even strength as Tampa Bay won for the 14th straight time when scoring at least three times.

"To know you're that close to being in the division lead is exciting, so every game is so important," Killorn said.

Ben Bishop made 32 saves, so coach Jon Cooper could now elect to go with Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was recalled from the AHL on Saturday.

Jonathan Bernier should be in net for Toronto despite a 3.58 goals-against average in his last nine appearances.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (31-20) at Stars (38-19)

Date: February 29, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

A veteran forward's late goal in one of the league's showcase games kept the Detroit Red Wings' much-needed point streak going.

They'll try to extend it Monday night by continuing their dominance of the slumping Stars in Dallas.

Brad Richards tallied the tiebreaking score with one minute left in Saturday's Stadium Series matchup against Colorado at Coors Field, his fifth outdoor game. The Red Wings (31-20-11) scored four times in the final period in the 5-3 win and earned a least one point for a fourth consecutive time.

They've won the past two contests and have used those four points to maintain a slim advantage on one of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spots. Detroit is seeking a 25th consecutive postseason berth.

"Finding a way to get the two points was huge," coach Jeff Blashill said. "Will it be a big moment? It will if we build off of it and have a great outing in Dallas and continue to move forward. I think as a team we did some good things and have to continue to do so to get better."

The Red Wings will next seek a seventh consecutive win in Dallas and might be catching the Stars (38-19-6) at an advantageous time.

Dallas is 1-4-1 in its last six and has dropped three straight on its own ice, its only home losing streak this season. It seemed the Stars might get at least one point Saturday against the visiting New York Rangers when Valeri Nichushkin scored with 4:01 remaining, but they gave up the tiebreaking goal with 2:53 left in a 3-2 defeat.

That result included some controversy as Dallas had a potential goal waved off midway through the third period, and officials couldn't determine if the puck crossed the line on video review.

The Stars could take some solace from a much improved defensive effort in front of their fans. They allowed 13 goals in their previous two home games, but goaltender Kari Lehtonen still expressed his frustration.

"I think it was a step forward, but the result was the same. Not too happy about that," he told the team's official website.

At the other end of the ice, Dallas is averaging 2.1 goals in its last 10 home games, a far cry from its 3.8 per contest in its 16-4-0 start there. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza have accounted for 13 of those 21 goals.

The Red Wings have given up seven goals during their point streak after allowing 15 in their previous three games. They've yielded six goals in their past three road contests but had lost six straight until Saturday.

Detroit's six-game road win streak against Dallas is its longest active one versus any opponent as is the Stars' home skid against the Red Wings.

Dallas topped Detroit 4-1 on Nov. 8, ending a three-game losing streak in the series.

Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk, an owner of five consecutive multipoint performances against Dallas, missed that game because he was recovering from ankle surgery. He has four goals and nine assists during that run, including two goals and two assists in a 7-6 overtime win in Dallas last February.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (30-27) at Sharks (32-22)

Date: February 29, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The last time the Montreal Canadiens faced the San Jose Sharks, they were hoping a recent slide was just a hiccup in their promising start to the season.

This time, they are hopeful a desperate run might save it.

While the visiting Canadiens are holding onto their postseason hopes by a thread in the Eastern Conference, the Sharks look to lengthen the rope between them and the rest of the bubble teams in the West by continuing their defensive dominance in this series on Monday night.

After a 19-4-3 start to the season, Montreal (30-27-5) has drifted to 13th place in the East and trails eighth-place Pittsburgh by five points. The Canadiens have only held onto their slim playoff hopes thanks to three victories on a four-game point streak.

Their last streak of at least that length ended on the first day of December and was followed by regulation losses in 10 of 11 games, the fifth defeat coming on Dec. 15 against San Jose (33-22-6).

While opening the Canadiens' season-high six-game skid, the Sharks' 3-1 win in Montreal also extended a strong defensive streak in this series. San Jose has surrendered only three goals in the last five games as part of a 5-1 record against the Canadiens since December 2011.

Martin Jones made 26 saves in the latest win, and he had 23 while helping the Sharks snap a two-game skid with Sunday's 4-1 victory at Vancouver.

It took San Jose more than 44 minutes to wake up offensively, but Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Patrick Marleau and Justin Braun each scored in the third period to help the Sharks move 12 points ahead of the Canucks for the Pacific Division's third guaranteed playoff spot.

'We knew the importance of the game and I thought we were OK for the most part,' said Jones, who became the fifth goalie in Sharks history with 30 wins in a season. 'We just didn't have a lot of jump and we kind of gave away a lot of pucks when we had full control, but in the third, we really stepped it up.'

Jones has a .934 save percentage over his last nine starts. Goaltending has been a topic of discussion over the weekend for the Sharks as they acquired James Reimer from Toronto on Saturday in exchange for struggling backup Alex Stalock.

It is still unclear when Reimer will join the team, so Jones could make his ninth straight start on Monday or it could go to Aaron Dell, who was called up from the AHL to fill the void until Reimer is ready.

Jones' two career starts against the Canadiens prior to this season while with Los Angeles were polar opposites. One of his 12 career shutouts came from a 6-0 win in Montreal on Dec. 10, 2013, but he allowed six goals in a 6-2 loss there on Dec. 12, 2014.

While San Jose strengthens its grip on a playoff spot, Montreal hasn't quite let go yet. The Canadiens snapped a five-game road losing streak with Wednesday's 4-3 victory at league-leading Washington and followed with Saturday's 4-1 home win over Toronto.

Max Pacioretty scored twice in the third period against the Maple Leafs, while Mike Condon made 31 saves.

'We've always had hope in this room,' Pacioretty said. 'I won't look at the standings. I'm taking things one day at a time, one game at a time, and hoping for good results.'

 

[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 21 27 OVER
2/23 9 49.5 43 UNDER
2/24 4 22.5 21 UNDER
2/25 10 54.5 51 UNDER
2/26 5 26 21 UNDER
2/27 9 47 53 OVER
2/28 7 36.5 36 UNDER
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: James sits out and Cavaliers lose
By The Sports Xchange

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James did not play in Sunday's game at the Washington Wizards due to a day of rest.
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player was given a day off after playing 56 of 57 games for the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. Cleveland lost the game 113-99.
"We have three games in four nights," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters before the afternoon game. "An early game. We just played in Toronto (Friday night). I just felt today was a good game to give him some rest."
The Cavaliers also signed guard Jordan McRae to a 10-day contract. McRae was averaging 23.3 points for the Delaware 87ers.

---Ten days after Kris Humphries was acquired by the Suns in a trade with the Washington Wizards, Phoenix waived the veteran forward.
The Suns picked up Humphries, forward DeJuan Blair and a protected 2016 first-round pick from the Wizards in exchange for forward Markieff Morris.
Humphries, 31, played in four games for the Suns, starting three times. He averaged 7.3 points and eight rebounds.
Humphries might be best known for his short-lived marriage to reality-TV star Kim Kardashian.

---Forward Steve Novak, signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent one week ago, will miss the remainder of the season due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
Novak was hurt Saturday when Detroit guard Reggie Jackson collided with him during the Pistons' 102-91 win at Milwaukee.
In three games with the Bucks, Novak averaged 2.3 points. He played seven games earlier this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 2.4 points.

---The Brooklyn Nets signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, the team announced.
Kilpatrick, 26, has been playing for the Delaware 87ers of the D-League and averaged a league-leading 26.4 points. Kilpatrick played in eight games for the Denver Nuggets earlier this season and averaged 3.4 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (31-27) at Cavaliers (41-16)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James should be back in the lineup Monday night, but the problems the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing run far deeper than what could be the occasional absence of their biggest star.

Just ask J.R. Smith.

Cleveland's sharpshooter took his team to task after its third loss in four games, a funk it will try to end as it opens a four-game homestand against an Indiana Pacers team that could soon find itself on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyronn Lue decided to rest James on Sunday, and perhaps accustomed to mimicking their leader, the rest of the Cavs took much of the afternoon off as well. Cleveland (41-17) fell behind by as many as 30 in a 113-99 loss to Washington.

The Cavaliers' most energized performance seemed to come in the visitors' postgame locker room from Smith, who didn't attempt a 3 in 18 minutes but shot straight about his team's issues.

'If we're going to play with a lack of energy ... and come out and play the way we did today,' Smith declared, 'we shouldn't be who we are and be in these uniforms.

'We can't play basketball like this going down the stretch. ... You talk about contending or being a championship contender and you're blown out ... and get thrashed, make it look good at the end. We can't do that. If we're serious about who we're supposed to be, we can't do this."

They'll try to bounce back by improving to 8-4 on the second end of back-to-backs, and James is expected to return after missing his first game since Dec. 5.

He's only shot 42.2 percent in two games against the Pacers (31-28) this season but got to the free-throw line 24 times in a pair of tight Cavaliers wins. Kyrie Irving had 25 points while Kevin Love and Smith had 19 apiece in a 111-106 overtime victory at Indiana on Feb. 1.

Paul George was held to 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting in that loss and posted a nearly identical line Sunday against Portland. This time George made one more of his 15 attempts to finish with 11, and the Pacers could never recover from allowing 39 points in the first quarter of a 111-102 loss.

Monta Ellis, who had a team-high 18 points but shot 6 of 17, seemed to channel Smith afterward. The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, but they're only a game from being out of the picture entirely.

"We need to bring all the energy we have," Ellis said. "We've dropped two and we can't do that with how tight everything is right now. We need to leave it all on the court (Monday)."

The Pacers are 3-8 closing out back-to-backs, and the issues with no rest seem to stem from a lack of energy on the defensive end. Indiana allows 106.1 points per game on the second end of back-to-backs compared with 99.2 with at least a day between games.

The Cavaliers are better defensively with no rest - an East-best 93.2 per game allowed as opposed to 98.2 otherwise - but their fatigue shows on the offensive end. They're averaging 96.7 points after playing the day before, a precipitous dip from their 104.4 otherwise.

The NBA's ninth-best 3-point shooting team overall (35.9 percent) is its sixth-worst (33.2) with no rest, and much of that has to do with Smith's struggles. He shoots 31.9 percent from deep on back-to-backs and 43.1 percent with time off.

As long as James has been around, the Pacers haven't had any success in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won 13 straight at home against Indiana with James in the lineup dating to his second year in the league.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (8-50) at Wizards (27-30)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's obvious where to begin when looking at the Washington Wizards' turnaround since the All-Star break.

'It starts with John (Wall), there's no question,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'He's been locked in here, more recently.'

Wall's stellar play has the Wizards trending in the right direction, and he can continue working them back into the postseason discussion when the woeful Philadelphia 76ers visit on Monday night.

Washington (28-30) is still on the outside looking in on the playoffs - it's two games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth spot - but a 5-2 spurt out of the break has it in position to make a run in the season's final five weeks.

Wall's scoring hasn't been as dynamic as certain stretches this season, but he is averaging 10.5 assists while leading the Wizards to three wins in the last four games. The point guard finished with 21 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds while sitting out the fourth quarter of Sunday's 113-99 win over East-leading Cleveland.

Washington led by as many as 30 points, taking advantage of a resting LeBron James, and Wall got others involved in a win suited to the Wizards' ideal small-ball style. Otto Porter had averaged 6.0 points while shooting 38.5 percent the previous four games, but he finished 6 of 9 from the field for 21 against the Cavaliers while Bradley Beal added 17.

The Wizards have held six of their last eight opponents to fewer than 100 points.

"We're doing what we're supposed to do," said Wall, who posted his 34th double-double midway through the third quarter. "The pressure's on us. We've just got to go out there and compete."

Judging by the first two games against the 76ers, Wall's numbers might keep climbing in the second meeting in four days.

The All-Star had a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106-94 win over the 76ers on Feb. 5 in Washington - that started the Wizards' current five-game home win streak - and he just missed another with 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards in Friday's 103-94 victory at Philadelphia.

Wall carries in a streak of six straight double-digit assist games against the 76ers and will try to lead Washington to its fifth consecutive win both overall in this series and at home.

Philadelphia (8-51) remained within 11 points the entire way in its latest loss to the Wizards but followed with Sunday's 130-116 defeat at Orlando. The 76ers never led and trailed by as many as 29 points in their eighth straight loss - their seventh losing streak of that many games over the last three seasons.

The streak started with a 98-92 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 8, but Philadelphia has surrendered a league-worst average of 118.9 points in the seven games that followed.

The 76ers, the league's lowest-scoring team at 96.2 points per game, scored a season high while shooting 53.2 percent on Sunday, but the Magic matched a season-high point total for a Philadelphia opponent by shooting 57 percent. Philadelphia has lost six straight on the road and is 3-28 away from home.

Orlando scored 77 points in the first half, the third most in any half in the NBA this season.

'No team should be able to score 77 points in a half, especially a team we think we can beat,' small forward Jerami Grant said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (28-30) at Celtics (35-25)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Boston coach Brad Stevens said Utah "hit us in the mouth" following an 18-point loss to the Jazz in the Celtics' first game following the All-Star break.

Stevens' team hasn't been bullied like that since, responding with three wins in four games.

The Celtics look to avenge that ugly loss in Salt Lake City and extend their home winning streak to 11 games in Monday night's rematch with the suddenly struggling Jazz.

Boston (35-25) went into the break as one of the NBA's hottest teams with 10 wins in 12 games but emerged with a clunker. The Celtics shot 37.0 percent and scored 30 points in the paint - 15.1 less than their average which ranks among the league's best - in a 111-93 loss to Utah (28-30) on Feb. 19.

Stevens didn't blame the lackluster effort on any rust from the break but instead said, "I thought they hit us in the mouth and kept hitting us in the mouth for 46 minutes."

The Celtics got back on track with a 20-point win in Denver two nights later, the start of a three-game stretch in which they averaged 118.3 points. The lone blemish over that span was a 124-122 loss in Minnesota on the second half of a back-to-back.

Boston wasn't as sharp offensively Saturday against Miami, shooting 40.6 percent, but showed great resolve by rallying from an early 12-point deficit for a 101-89 win.

'The tide's turned a little bit," guard Evan Turner said. "We got acclimated to each other and found out rotations. We're playing pretty well."

That's certainly been the case in Boston, where the Celtics haven't lost since Jan. 6. They're seeking their first 11-game home winning streak since Jan. 27-March 16, 2013, but Stevens says location shouldn't make any difference as the focus remains simply to play up to their standards.

'That's what's expected of us,' he said. 'That has been the same message my entire time. You play between the lines.'

Despite having a hard time knocking down shots against the Heat, the Celtics still did a good job of running their offense, finishing with 26 assists to 11 turnovers on 103 possessions.

Since Jan. 12, they lead the NBA with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio and have the league's highest-scoring offense besides Golden State, averaging 112.2 points.

The Jazz averaged 113.0 points on 51.8 percent shooting over a three-game stretch, beginning with the Boston game, but they've been nowhere near as efficient in the last two. After recording a season-low 78 points in an 18-point defeat to San Antonio on Thursday, Utah had 21 turnovers in Saturday's 98-96 loss to Brooklyn. The Jazz combined to go 8 of 37 from 3-point range in those games and have dropped a half-game back of Houston for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Coach Quin Snyder summed up the game against the Nets by saying, "If we had effort, it was sporadic," but he isn't overly concerned about his team regrouping.

"If there is one thing these guys hang their hat on it's playing hard," he said. "There are some games for whatever reason you don't have a lot of juice."

Gordon Hayward bounced back from an 11-point effort against the Spurs with a game-high 27. He had 22 against the Celtics while Derrick Favors scored 23.

Boston All-Star Isaiah Thomas had 25 in the first matchup but scored 12 against Miami - his fewest since a season-low eight versus the Timberwolves on Dec. 21.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (29-30) at Bucks (24-35)

Date: February 29, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Dwight Howard made clear his intentions to opt out of the final year of current contract in order to cash in during free agency this offseason when salaries are expected to rise at a record pace.

That's reportedly part of the reason he hasn't been wearing a Milwaukee Bucks uniform since the trade deadline passed.

Instead, Howard will try to help the visiting Houston Rockets get back to .500 by beating the Bucks for the sixth straight time Monday night.

Reports surfaced that Milwaukee (24-35) and Houston (29-30) agreed to the parameters of a trade that would've sent Howard to the Bucks for a package that centered around Greg Monroe, but the deal was contingent upon Howard opting in for the final year of his contract.

As expected, Howard refused and intends to hit the open market. The Bucks wanted to guarantee another season with Howard rather than parting with quality players and draft picks for a rental who might not be enough to help them reach the playoffs.

Howard has a double-double in six of his last seven, but the Rockets have gone 2-5 in that stretch after falling 104-94 to San Antonio on Saturday. Howard finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds while James Harden had 27 for Houston, which fell behind 26-11 after one quarter and trailed by 31 in the second half.

The Rockets haven't led after the first quarter in any of their last nine. They've lost eight of their last 12 and sit in the Western Conference's final playoff spot, but they insist they're not the "broken" team interim coach J.B Bickerstaff referred to prior to All-Star weekend.

"We've just got to go out there and play better from the beginning," Howard said. "There's no books we can read or messages anyone can give us. It's about what we've got to do as a team.

"I don't think the score of (Saturday's) game showed the positive atmosphere we've had around here since the All-Star break."

Howard sat out with a left ankle sprain as Harden scored 30 points in a 102-98 win over the Bucks on Jan. 22 for Houston's fifth straight victory in the series. Harden is averaging 32.3 points while shooting 62.8 percent from the field and hitting 12 of 19 from 3-point range over the last three matchups.

Milwaukee has dropped back-to-back games after winning four of its previous five and began a five-game homestand with Saturday's 102-91 loss to Detroit. It sits 6 1/2 games behind the Pistons, Chicago and Charlotte for the East's final playoff spot with three other teams ahead of it.

"The last two games you can see the other teams are playing for something and the energy level is a lot different," coach Jason Kidd said.

Khris Middleton finished with 26 points and has had at least 20 in five of his last seven. Monroe finished with only 10, though, and has scored below his season average of 16.5 four times over the last seven since Kidd moved him to the bench.

Michael Carter-Williams finished with eight points and seven of Milwaukee's 21 turnovers. The Bucks rank near the bottom of the league with an average of 15.5 per game.

"(Turnovers have) been a problem for us all year," said Middleton, who along with Monroe scored 21 points in the first meeting with Houston. "We just have to correct it and slow it down."

The Bucks will be without recent addition Steve Novak for the rest of the season after he sprained his MCL against Detroit.

It's unclear if Clint Capela will be available for Houston. He's missed the last two with a sprained right foot.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (34-24) at Nuggets (23-36)

Date: February 29, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies have a winning record since Marc Gasol's season-ending injury, taking advantage of matchups against lowly teams. They couldn't beat one such opponent in their latest game, however.

They'll seek to bounce back Monday night by extending their recent mastery over the short-handed Denver Nuggets, who are now missing their leading scorer.

Memphis (34-24) is 4-2 since losing Gasol to a broken right foot, earning all of those wins against teams that are well out of the playoff picture. The Grizzlies opened a three-game trip by completing a home-and-home sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday but fell 111-106 to Phoenix the next night.

The Suns had lost 13 straight, tying their longest single-season skid in franchise history.

"It is frustrating knowing that we felt like we were rolling (coming into the game)," point guard Mike Conley said. "We still feel like we are rolling right now and playing good basketball. For us to come out and not play our best, I think our focus level wasn't where it need to be."

The Grizzlies have proved sharp enough to win four straight over the Nuggets (23-36), including two this season. Gasol, though, was the star in the latest matchup, a 102-101 victory in Denver on Jan. 21.

He scored 27 and delivered the go-ahead, three-point play with 12.2 seconds to go. Conley chipped in 20 points in Memphis' second victory in the past three visits to the Mile High City.

The Grizzlies won four times in their first 35 games there.

In the finale of their trip, they will face a Nuggets team that might not have Danilo Gallinari for three to four weeks. He hurt his right ankle in the third quarter of Friday's 122-116 overtime loss in Dallas.

Gallinari is averaging a career-high 19.5 points and is among the league leaders with 8.2 free-throw attempts per game while connecting at 86.8 percent from the line. He missed the final six games in December because of a sprained left ankle, and the Nuggets were 1-5 in his absence.

"He's going to be out for a while," coach Michael Malone said. "He knew that right after (the defeat). He compared it to his sprain earlier in the year ... and he says it's worse.

"I feel bad for him. He was having a career year. Obviously, it's tough when you lose a player like Gallo because we're so young."

The Nuggets have dropped four of five even with Gallinari on the floor and blew a 23-point lead in the second quarter Friday while failing to build on Wednesday's 87-81 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It was very disappointing," Malone said. "Obviously, we had a chance to get another quality win, and I feel we let it slip away."

Kenneth Faried will try to step up in Gallinari's absence with a third consecutive high-scoring performance. The forward, averaging 12.5 points, has a combined 41 on 18-of-27 shooting in the past two contests.

Faried, who also grabbed 12 rebounds against the Mavericks, had 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 12 boards in last month's home loss to Memphis.

Conley is averaging 20.0 points on 50.5 percent shooting in his last seven games, 5.5 more than in his first 45 this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (41-18) at Kings (24-33)

Date: February 29, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite allowing 121 points and a record-tying 3-point performance in a home loss, the Oklahoma City Thunder were pleased with their most recent defensive effort.

That's something the Sacramento Kings rarely feel.

Facing that porous Kings defense along with the possible absence of Rajon Rondo leaves the Thunder a prime opportunity to regroup from a deflating defeat as they kick off a four-game road trip Monday night.

Oklahoma City (41-18) was in position to hand Golden State its sixth loss of the season Saturday, holding an 11-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Instead, the Warriors came back to force overtime, and Stephen Curry hit the last of his record-tying 12 3-pointers from 32 feet with 0.6 seconds left to hand the Thunder a crushing 121-118 loss.

"Moral victories are for young teams," Kevin Durant told the team's official website after fouling out with 37 points. "We'll get better from it and worry about the next game."

Durant did say his team's defense was "better" after limiting the league's highest-scoring team - Golden State averages 115.4 points - to 103 in regulation.

'I thought all of the guys really played their hearts out and did a lot of good things,' coach Billy Donovan said. 'It's disappointing to come up short like that, but I think there is a lot we can take from it in terms of what we can do and what we are capable of doing defensively with a tremendous amount of energy and focus."

The Thunder finished with a 62-32 rebounding advantage. They've lost four of five while giving up more than 100 points in each game, but they did hold the Warriors besides Curry to 2 of 16 from 3-point range.

"If we can give that defensive effort every night that would be really great for our team," said Russell Westbrook, who had 26 points and 13 assists but shot 10 for 29.

George Karl rarely gets a good defensive effort from his Kings (24-33), who give up a league-worst 109.2 points per game. They've yielded more than 100 in 14 straight while allowing an average of 115.6.

Westbrook could have a particularly easy time if Rondo doesn't play after missing Friday's 117-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with right thumb tendinitis. Without Rondo, who has made two All-NBA Defensive first teams, the Kings let an ailing Chris Paul score a season-high 40 points and hand out 13 assists.

"I think we got frustrated," Karl said. "I think Rondo gives us some leadership, some maturity out there, so when the game gets going the wrong way that we feel maybe more confident to get a stop and/or a better shot."

X-rays were negative on Rondo, who is day to day but has been bothered by the thumb for a few weeks.

When these teams last met Jan. 5, Durant was out with a sprained toe and Westbrook tried to take more of the scoring load, but Rondo helped hold him to 6 of 23 from the field as Sacramento won 116-104 in Oklahoma City. Westbrook had 15 assists but Rondo had 19, and DeMarcus Cousins grabbed 19 rebounds to go with his 33 points.

It was just the Kings' third victory in the past 23 meetings.

Cousins came up one assist shy of his fifth career triple-double Friday with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot 7 for 20. Sacramento is 2-12 when he's below 40 percent from the field.

The Thunder's road trip continues Wednesday against the Clippers and with a rematch the following night against the Warriors.