Saturday 1/7/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (24-9) at Maple Leafs (18-12)

Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- While the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the New Jersey Devils 4-2 Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens were already in Toronto, rested and ready to face their traditional rivals at the Air Canada Centre Saturday night.

The Canadiens may be refreshed after a 4-3 overtime win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, but they are hurting.

They announced Friday that Brendan Gallagher will be out a minimum of eight weeks after surgery to repair a broken left hand after he was hit by teammate Shea Weber's 97-mile-per-hour slapshot during the game in Dallas.

"It's the same hand he injured last season, but it's a different spot," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Friday. "It's a tough break for him because he was starting to play some of his best hockey."

The Canadiens also lost Paul Byron to an upper-body injury Wednesday and he will not be available Saturday.

The Maple Leafs scored four goals in the first period Friday in Newark, N.J., but did not have a shot on goal in the third period as the Devils scored twice in the final 3:24 of the third period and had a 32-14 advantage in shots overall.

Toronto has won six of its past seven games and has moved into a playoff position.

"I never really thought about that," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "If we just keep plugging along and doing good things, good things will happen to us. Like I said, we've got a long way to go as far as improving as a team and getting comfortable with the lead and all those things. We'll just keep working at it."

The Maple Leafs' only loss in their recent surge was 6-5 in overtime against the Capitals in Washington on Tuesday.

"I knew going into this season that we'd get better and better," said James van Riemsdyk, who had two assists for Toronto on Friday. "As the season has gone on, I think we've done that. Where that would leave us playoff-wise and points-wise, you never really know -- there's lots of unknowns.

"The guys that management has brought in have done a really good job and been key contributors. Now, again, we can't be satisfied here. We have to keep pushing and keep trying to get better. I think we have a lot of upside still."

The surging Alexander Radulov will be moved into Gallagher's spot on the Habs' first line with Phillip Danault and Max Pacioretty for the game in Toronto.

The Habs also called up Sven Andrighetto and Nikita Scherbak from St. John's of the AHL.

Andrighetto, who has been shuttled between St. John's and Montreal this season, will be teamed with Tomas Plekanec and Artturi Lehkonen against the Maple Leafs.

Scherbak's NHL debut will be on the fourth line with Michael McCarron and Bobby Farnham.

"We like how (Scherbak has) progressed this year compared to last year," Therrien said. "He had a fair training camp but since he's been in St. John's this year, his work ethic has been better. He's more responsible on the ice, with the puck and without the puck. We know he has skill, but I'm interested to see how he handles the pace."

Alex Galchenyuk, who has been out since Dec. 4 with a knee injury, and Andrei Markov, who has a groin injury, have rejoined the Canadiens on the road are not ready to play Saturday.

Montreal (24-9-6) is 9-6-4 on the road and Toronto (18-12-8) is 10-6-2 at home this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (27-13) at Blue Jackets (27-6)

Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers return to Nationwide Arena Saturday with the goal of avenging the 4-2 loss they suffered at the hands of the Blue Jackets Nov 18.

Meanwhile, Columbus is on a mission of its own to return to its winning ways after its 16-game winning streak, the second longest in NHL history, was ended Thursday in Washington.

Both teams are fighting for ground in the highly competitive Metropolitan Division. Columbus (27-6-4) currently sits atop the rankings, but just three points separate them from the third-place Rangers (27-13-1), and four of the Division's teams rank among the top five in the league.

"We have so much hockey to be played," Jackets head coach John Tortorella said. "I still don't know who we are. We have to keep on playing and we are going to start playing in our division now, which is probably the toughest. We have a number of games to go here to define who we are."

The Rangers won 11 of their last 16 games and four of their last five, including a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday. They own a league-leading 14 wins on the road this season (13-4-0).

"This group knows how to prepare and knows how to compete," New York head coach Alain Vignault told assembled media after Wednesday's win. "It's about preparation and competing. Our guys understand how they can go on the ice that how they can execute. That's how they need to play."

For Columbus, in the middle of a four-game stretch against divisional opponents, it's all about response. After operating under the pressure of the winning streak, the team wants to prove that the wins they strung together were not flukes.

"I think we've handled ourselves well throughout," Jackets forward Boone Jenner said. "It's not like anything's ending. It's game 37-38 now and we've got a ways to get to where we want to get to."

Both team's rosters boast four players who have 30-plus points this season. Columbus is also bolstered by the play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who leads the league in wins (25), owns a .930 save percentage and was in net for 14 of the 16 games during the streak.

"We haven't been able to pull off a record like Minnesota or Columbus, where we win so many games in a row," New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. "But we have managed to respond really well after a loss and put together three or four wins. The big thing here is we know we have to respond after a bad game and we've done so. We're in the hunt."

The Columbus matchup is the final game before the Rangers enjoy their in-season bye week. That will be a break that the team is looking towards as a time to heal their roster.

Against Columbus, the team expects to be without power forward Rick Nash (groin) and center Mika Zibaenjad (broken fibula). Defenseman Marc Staal is day-to-day with an upper body injury.

The Rangers hold the edge in the franchise series (14-8-1-1).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (20-17) at Panthers (17-15)

Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Boston Bruins landed in Miami at 5:05 p.m. on Friday.

Their flight, originally scheduled to land in Fort Lauderdale, was diverted from that airport after a shooting there killed five people and wounded eight.

That type of tragedy puts hockey - or any sport - in its proper perspective.

"It's pretty crazy when you think of what happened," Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson said. "Everyone in South Florida is a tight-knit community. It's tough to see something like that happen anywhere but especially five minutes from where I live."

Still, there is a season to play, and the Bruins (20-17-4) will presumably be the more-rested team when they play Florida on Saturday night at the BB&T Center. Boston is coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

However, Florida (17-15-8) beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Friday night, moving within two points of the three teams tied for second place in the Atlantic Division - including the Bruins.

It's possible Boston will start backup goalie Zane McIntyre, who was called up on Friday from Providence of the American Hockey League.

The Bruins would like to get some rest for starting goalie Tuukka Rask, and they are placing their faith in McIntyre - for now at least. Former backup Anton Khudobin (1-5-0) cleared waivers on Thursday and was sent to Providence.

McIntyre, 24, struggled when he was called up earlier this season, going (0-2-0, 4.04 GAA), losing to a pair of powers - the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.

Since then, McIntyre regrouped. He went 10-0-0 with an AHL-best 1.41 GAA at Providence.

"He's here," Bruins coach Claude Julien, "because he's playing well."

The Panthers, who beefed up security for Friday night's game against Nashville, said there will be a larger police presence on Saturday as well.

Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko said the team was in touch with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as several law enforcement entities and Broward County officials.

"We got word around 4 p.m. that the situation was under control," Luukko said. "It was isolated to just the airport.

"We decided as an organization that it was best to go on with the game. This (tragedy) is the way the world is today, unfortunately. But as part of the community, we felt it was best to move on and not let something like this terrible act affect our daily lives.

"We are a gathering place for the community. Perhaps in these situations, it is best for the community to come together. We did feel it was important to move on but also respect those who were killed and pray for the wounded - pray for their recovery."

Panthers starting goalie Roberto Luongo was pulled moments before the start of Friday's game due to upper-body discomfort. Luongo has been stuck on 447 career wins for three straight games. If he can get one more win, he will pass Terry Sawchuk for fifth place on the NHL's career victories list.

With Luongo likely out for the Bruins, backup James Reimer is ready. Reimer slumped in November but was brilliant in December. He had a 1.90 goals-against average and .941 save percentage last month and then won his first January start on Friday.

Panthers center Nick Bjugstad suffered a lower-body injury on Friday and is questionable for Saturday's game.

Bruins center David Backes, attempting to return from a concussion, made the trip to Florida while defenseman John-Michael Liles (concussion) practiced on Friday and should return soon.

Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, a 19-year-old Bruins' prospect, was named the Player of the Game on Thursday as he led Team USA over Canada in the World Juniors final.

McAvoy, a native New Yorker who grew up rooting for the Rangers, plays for Boston University.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (15-15) at Coyotes (11-22)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

The Arizona Coyotes couldn't wait for a New Year's break. The New York Islanders wanted to keep playing. There was a simple reason for both desires.

Arizona had lost eight straight games without registering a point before their five-day break. Then came Friday's overtime loss in Anaheim -- the Coyotes' first point since Dec. 15. The Islanders had won four of five before their five-day break, but dropped a 2-1, overtime decision on Friday in Colorado against the Western Conference's worst team.

"It is tough," New York coach Jack Capuano told New York Newsday. "We get a little bit of momentum and then we come to the break."

Both teams are stuck near the bottom of their respective conferences as they meet for the second time this season, needing to gain momentum over the second half of the season. Poor defending has been a common thread. The Islanders are allowing the third-most goals against per game in the NHL at 3.05; the Coyotes have the second-worst mark at 3.23.

To Arizona coach Dave Tippett, it's all about puck management.

"I think you have to look to your top players," he said. "Your key veteran players have to lead the way. They're the guys that have to step out and dictate the pace of the game, the thought process in the game. We've got a lot of young players that if they can get out there and get their feet underneath them, hopefully consistency will come to our game. But you need your veteran players to go out there and do the job and get the game going the right way for you."

The Coyotes could be without a key veteran against the Islanders after center Martin Hanzal left Friday's game with a lower-body injury after scoring his ninth goal of the season -- tied for the team lead. Left wing Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jakob Chychrun also left the game with upper-body injuries. All three are listed as day to day.

The Coyotes are already without veteran center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) and left winger Max Domi (hand) indefinitely. Right winger Ryan White (lower body) is also on injured reserve but could return soon.

Center Alexander Burmistrov did not accompany the Coyotes across the U.S. border after their game in Vancouver on Wednesday. He remained in Vancouver to secure a work visa after the Coyotes claimed him off waivers from Winnipeg. His likely debut will come Friday against his former team in Glendale.

Mike Smith started in goal against the Ducks so the Coyotes could turn to backup Louis Domingue against New York.

Capuano has not ruled out using goalie Thomas Greiss on consecutive nights after he started Friday in Denver. Islanders center Mikhail Grabovski (concussion) is on the injured non-roster list.

Islanders right wing Ryan Strome had an assist in Friday's loss to give him eight points in his last nine games, after recording just five points in his first 25 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (16-15) at Blues (20-14)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- Two teams that have been consistently inconsistent of late will meet on Saturday as the Dallas Stars visit the St. Louis Blues.

Since a three-game winning streak ended on Dec. 1, the Blues have gone more than a month without winning consecutive contests. They also have avoided a losing streak, however, only twice dropping consecutive games - and one of those losses came in overtime.

Since Dec. 20, the Blues have alternated wins and losses in each of their last six contestss, failing again to win back to back games with a 4-2 loss at home to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

"It's frustrating," center Paul Stastny said. "If there was a way we could put our finger on it, it would be the first thing we would try to fix. That's more mental than anything, I think. That's the part we've got to sharpen up. Nobody is going to help us.

"It's been win one, lose one, win one, lose one. You do that you're going to be a .500 hockey team and scratching just to get in the playoffs. It's almost 40 games into the season so we have to find a way to turn this around within the next 10-game stretch before the All-Star break."

The Stars are in a very similar position. They come into Saturday night's game having lost two in a row after a season-high three-game winning streak. They lost in overtime at home to Montreal on Wednesday night.

"I just feel like we've left a couple of points out there," coach Lindy Ruff said.

Like Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, Ruff believes the Stars have been hurting themselves with mistakes and by taking poor penalties. That was the case again against the Canadiens.

"The disappointing part tonight is the overtime," Ruff said after the game. "The disappointing part is the third period to take the second penalty because it's on a nothing play. When it comes down to it, if you're under pressure or under duress you may see that play. But when you're not under duress and there is no immediate danger, to throw a puck in that area is just a fundamental mistake. It's a sloppy mistake. It's mistakes that hurt you eventually and that hurt us tonight."

Both the Blues and Stars can look at the standings and realize neither is in a position where they can continue to give points away that they may need by the end of the season.

"There's so much parity in the league, there's so much closeness throughout the league," Blues goalie Jake Allen said. "If you do that, it's really tough to grab hold of the standings and climb your way up. I think you need to string together a few. You're not going to be a Columbus and string, whatever they've (had), but we need to string a few together to get moving."

Ruff believes the same thing.

"We are in a league that is incredibly tight right now," he told NHL.com on Friday. "We are in a pack of teams that we are really tight with. With the number of injuries we've had, it has put us in that position. But I think our game is in the right place now to push ahead."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (20-18) at Flames (21-18)

Date: January 07, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- Pre-season prognosticators weren't expecting this kind of success for Western Canadian rivals Calgary and Vancouver.

At about the mid-season point of the NHL schedule, the Flames (21-18-2) and Canucks (20-18-3) somehow find themselves occupying the two wild card spots in the Western Conference.

At least for a day, anyway.

With their 4-2 win over the Flames in Vancouver on Friday night, the Canucks jumped a point past the Los Angeles Kings into eighth spot; a point behind seventh-place Calgary.

The Flames and Canucks wrap up their back-to-back series Saturday in Calgary.

Vancouver takes a six-game winning streak into the contest thanks mostly to the efforts of goalie Ryan Miller, who made 44 stops as they Canucks were badly outshot on their home ice. They mustered only 13 shots on Flames goalie Brian Elliott.

"I'm sure they'll be (mad) so they'll come out hard," said Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa. "We have to make sure we match their intensity and compete level, especially the first five, 10 minutes and go from there ."

Can Canucks get away with only 13 shots again?

"No, you got to be honest here. When you are on a winning streak sometimes you get by with a win like that," Sbisa said. Miller may be at his best since he arrived in Vancouver as a free agent three season ago. He has a .955 save percentage during his five-game winning streak.

"I'm happy with the stretch right now but I feel like there's lot to build on. We'd like to get these guys as much confidence as possible and start building something here," he said.

Elliott said the Flames need to win at home Saturday.

"They are big points, it doesn't matter who you are playing. On a back-to-back night we have to win at home. They did their job at home.

Now we have to do ours," he said.

Flames captain Mark Giordano wants to see a bit of an adjustment to their style of play Saturday..

"We have to play more of a north-south game," he said. "I thought that's where we got into trouble tonight, we turned a few over when we held the puck too long or we were trying to make the east-west passes. Just play a lot of the same structure, bring some more intensity. A lot more desperation (Saturday) because we can't let these guys catch us."

Vancouver has it's longest winning streak since December 2013 and have moved into the top 8 in the conference for the first time since

November. They could be back in ninth by the time they hit the ice Saturday, however, since the Kings host the Minnesota Wild in the afternoon.

Former Flames Markus Grandlund scored twice and added an assist on Friday. Michael Chaput and Loui Eriksson also scored for Vancouver.

Michael Frolik had both Calgary goals.

Vancouver is 5-12-1 on the road this season and have haven't lost since suffering a 4-1 defeat in Calgary on Dec. 23. Calgary is 10-10-1 on their own ice.

The Canucks lost defenseman Chris Tanev to an upper body injury after he was hit by a Dougie Hamilton shot on Friday. Head coach Willie

Desjardins said Tanev will be re-evaluated Saturday morning but would not travel with team to Calgary late Friday.

"But that won't rule him out," Desjardins said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (17-17) at Sharks (23-14)

Date: January 07, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings are coming off perhaps their most complete win of the season. The San Jose Sharks, meanwhile, may be looking for some answers after their slump was extended with perhaps its most disappointing loss.

Meeting for the final time in the regular season, the Sharks will try to avoid their fourth straight loss Saturday night when they face the Red Wings at SAP Center.

On Thursday, San Jose (23-14-2) squandered a pair of two-goal leads in a 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild as Martin Jones set a season-high for goals allowed at home. Three of the five goals came a little over five minutes apart early in the third period to erase a 4-2 deficit.

The loss was only the Sharks' fifth in regulation over 19 home games, and coach Peter DeBoer doesn't believe it's a cause for concern

"We'll respond. ... We found a way to lose and we've got to get on the other side of that," he said.

If Jones starts, he'll try for the fourth time to secure his 20th win. In three games since beating the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 27, Jones is 0-2-1 with a 3.37 goals-against average and .886 save percentage.

Rookie backup Aaron Dell, 4-1-0 with a 1.78 GAA and .936 save percentage, has not seen any action since recording his first NHL shutout in the Sharks' 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 30. Dell has wins in three straight starts, turning away 77 of 82 shots.

Joe Pavelski scored a goal in the loss leaving him two points shy of 600 for his career. The Sharks captain who is second on the team in goals (13) and points (35), has 11 goals and nine assists in 31 career games against the Red Wings.

San Jose also will be looking for some payback after being blanked by the Red Wings 3-0 on Oct. 22 in its final visit to Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit (17-17-5) improved to 2-1-1 on its season-high seven-game road trip with a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday as contributions came from all around.

Andreas Athanasiou had a career-high three points (goal, two assists), Thomas Vanek scored twice and Jared Coreau stopped 34 shots to record his first shutout in his fifth NHL game.

Coach Jeff Blashill wants to see his team build off the shutout.

"Now the challenge for every player is to follow that up again Saturday against San Jose," Blashill told the Red Wings' official website.

One of those players who may be listening closely is Gustav Nyquist, who's been mired in a season-long slump. Though he's appeared in every game, Nyquist has only four goals after averaging 24 over the previous three seasons.

"I think I am getting chances, I just can't find a way to put the puck past the goalie, and that's something I've got to do a better job of," Nyquist told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday.

Two of Nyquist's goals this season came in the win over the Sharks in October.

During the road trip, the Red Wings haven't scored in all 13 of their chances with the man advantage; however, they also haven't given up a goal in all nine short-handed situations.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 - - -
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 4 - - -
1/10 7 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 9 - - -
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Saturday’s games

Buffalo won its last three games with Winnipeg, allowing total of five goals; Jets won three of last five visits to western New York. Under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Winnipeg won six of its last nine games, winning last four road games. Three of their last four games went over. Sabres lost seven of last nine games, losing 4-2/3-1 in last two at home. Four of their last six games went over.

Lightning won seven of last ten games with Philly, winning three of last five visits here. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games. Tampa Bay lost three of last four games; they scored total of four goals in losing last three away games. Over is 4-3 in their last seven. Flyers were outscored 21-8 in losing last five games; they lost two of last three at home. Three of their last four games went over.

Minnesota won four of last five games with Los Angles, winning three of last five visits to Staples Center. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Wild won 13 of last 14 games, winning last five on road; over is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Kings lost six of last nine games; they lost four of last six at home. Under is 9-0-1 in their last ten games overall.

Devils are 5-3 in last eight games with Edmonton; Oilers lost three of last four visits to Garden State. Four of last five series games stayed under total. Oilers lost three of last five games, two of last three on road; under is 8-1-1 in their last ten games. New Jersey lost four of last six home games; they’re 4-6 in last ten games overall. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games.

Washington won six of last seven games with Ottawa; teams split last four games played here. Six of last nine series games stayed under. Capitals won last four games, scoring 19 goals; they split last four road games. Over is 3-0-1 in their last four road games. Senators lost last three games, all by one goal; they split last four home games. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Montreal won its last ten games with Toronto, winning last four visits here, three by one goal. Under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Canadiens won three of last four games; their last five games were all decided in overtime- this is their 7th straight road game. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Maple Leafs won six of their last seven games; they split last four at home. Last three Toronto games went over.

Rangers won seven of last eight games with Columbus, which had its 16-game win streak snapped Thursday. New York won four of last six visits to Ohio. Six of last seven series games went over total. Rangers won five of last six road games, four of last five overall; six of their last seven games went over. Blue Jackets won last eight home games; their last home loss was Nov 23. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Bruins won six of last seven games with Florida; they won last four visits to Miami. Under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Boston lost four of last six games overall, three of last four on road; over is 5-4-1 in their last ten games. Panthers lost five of last six home games, five of last seven overall; their last five games stayed under the total.

Home side won seven of last eight Islander-Arizona games; New York scored total of five goals in losing three of last four visits to desert. Islanders won four of last six games but lost three of last five on road. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Coyotes lost their last nine games, outscored 35-15, with five of the nine games at home. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Blues won three of last four games with Dallas; teams split last four games played here. Three of last four series games went over total. Dallas Stars lost last two games overall and seven of last nine on road. Six of their last eight games stayed under total. St Louis last four of last six home games; they’re 4-1 in game following their last five losses. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Calgary won five of last seven games with Vancouver; home side won last five series games. Canucks lost four of last five visits to Saddledome. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Vancouver won their last six games, allowing total of nine goals; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Flames won three of last four home games, four of last six games overall. Over is 4-2-2 in their last eight games.

Sharks won six of their last nine games with Detroit, but lost last two; Red Wings won 3-2/2-1 in last couple visits to Shark Tank. Under is 6-1-3 in last ten series games. Detroit is 4-6 in its last ten games, 0-3 in game following its last three wins; they split last six road games. Three of last four Red Wing games stayed under. San Jose lost its last three games after a 6-1 run; under is 2-1-1 in their last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Rockets win seventh straight
By The Sports Xchange

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ryan Anderson scored 19 points and Patrick Beverley and Eric Gordon each added 17 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a 100-93 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at Amway Arena.
The Rockets (29-9) won their seventh consecutive game and their 18th of the last 20. The Magic (16-22) have lost four of their last five and are leaving Saturday on a five-game West Coast road trip.
The Rockets hit 15 of 49 3-point shots, while the Magic made eight of 23.
Houston All-Star James Harden had 14 points and 10 assists, but he missed all eight of his 3-point attempts. Trevor Ariza had 13 points and six rebounds.
Reserve D.J. Augustin led the Magic with 19 points, but 16 came in the second period. Aaron Gordon had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Serge Ibaka scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Elfrid Payton had 12 points. Nikola Vucevic had nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

Knicks 116, Bucks 111
MILWAUKEE -- Carmelo Anthony hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute to play and finished with 26 points as New York snapped a six-game losing streak by rallying to beat Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.
Anthony scored 12 points in the final quarter as the Knicks rallied from a 13-point deficit. Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points, Derrick Rose added 12 and Courtney Lee had 11 for New York.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker led Milwaukee with 25 points apiece. Greg Monroe had 19 off the bench for the Bucks, who shot 50 percent from the floor and hit 12 of 22 from 3-point range.

Wizards 112, Timberwolves 105
WASHINGTON -- John Wall had 18 points and a season-high 18 assists as Washington survived 41 points from Andrew Wiggins to defeat Minnesota.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 22 points as Washington won its ninth straight home game.
Marcin Gortat went 9 of 9 from the field for 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. The Wizards shot 58.2 percent from the field for a needed win after losing two games during a brief Texas road trip.

Cavaliers 116, Nets 108
NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving hit two clutch 3-pointers in the opening four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter as Cleveland blew most of a 24-point lead before getting a victory over Brooklyn.
LeBron James scored 29 of his 36 points in the first three quarters and was resting when Irving came through to stave off a Brooklyn comeback after Cleveland allowed the first 11 points of the fourth.
Irving returned from missing the previous three games due a tight right hamstring and scored 32 points, including the first 12 of the fourth quarter for Cleveland when the lead shrank to 86-80 in the opening minutes. He scored Cleveland's first points of the fourth at the foul line and then a long jumper, two 3-pointers and a layup to push the lead to 98-82 with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining.

Celtics 110, 76ers 106
BOSTON -- Al Horford got hot at just the right time.
Boston's first major free-agent signee scored five points in the first three quarters but then scored 14 in the fourth, including his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter with 17.2 seconds left that gave the Celtics a victory over Philadelphia.
Horford, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, was 2-for-9 from the floor through three quarters but then hit three 3-pointers and a two for 11 straight points for his team in a 3:01 span. He then hit the winner as the Celtics rallied from behind to their third straight win, their ninth in the last 11 games.

Clippers 106, Kings 98
SACRAMENTO -- Austin Rivers has his second straight big shooting night and Chris Paul returned to the lineup for an immediate impact as Los Angeles outlasted Sacramento at the Golden 1 Center.
Rivers followed up his season-high 28 points from the Clippers' Jan. 4 win over Memphis with a 24-point night, and Paul logged 12 assists -- including six in the fourth quarter -- while also moving to 10th on the all-time NBA assists list. Paul's feed to a cutting Luc Mbah a Moute for a dunk with 6:15 left in third quarter marked his 7,988th career assist and moved him past Rod Strickland.
The Clippers used a huge second period to slingshot them into a lead they'd never give up. There would be just one tie in the second half, 73-73 with 1:34 left in the third period, and the Kings would get as close as one point just once in the fourth.

Lakers 127, Heat 100
LOS ANGELES -- Lou Williams scored 24 points and Los Angeles rolled past Miami in a testy affair at Staples Center.
Luol Deng and D'Angelo Russell contributed 19 points apiece for the Lakers, who beat the Heat for only the second time in their last 10 meetings.
Rookie Brandon Ingram finished with 17 points and six rebounds, and Julius Randle added 15 points and six rebounds for Los Angeles. Tarik Black chipped in 10 points and 11 boards.

Grizzlies 128, Warriors 119 (OT)
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for four baskets on Memphis' first four possessions of overtime, capping a remarkable comeback by the Grizzlies that produced a stunning victory over Golden State.
Wrapping up a four-game trip with a second win, the Grizzlies trailed by 24 points in the third quarter and 18 with 7:47 remaining in the fourth before rallying to tie on a short jumper by Mike Conley with 7.4 seconds left in regulation.
The Grizzlies, who outscored the Warriors 32-13 in the fourth quarter, also dominated the overtime, using the four hoops by Gasol and Randolph to build a lead they never relinquished.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (17-19) at Pacers (19-18)

Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers will host the New York Knicks in an Eastern Conference showdown on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Pacers (19-18) have won four straight games, which is their longest winning streak of the season.

The teams matched up in New York last month and the Knicks put together a come-from-behind win, 118-111 behind Carmelo Anthony's 35 points.

Indiana led by as many as 15 points in that game, but New York put together a huge run in the fourth quarter. The Pacers, however, have been much better on their home floor this season (14-5), presenting the Knicks with a big challenge.

Paul George has been on fire lately, averaging 28.6 points in his last five games. The Pacers are 10-2 this season when George scores 25 or more points.

The Pacers have averaged 117.5 points per game during their four-game win streak, including 121 points in their previous win over the Nets.

George credits better ball movement for the recent hot stretch. "Before, it was guys doing everything on their own," George told The Indianapolis Star. "Now, it's more organized. We move the ball and we know who has a good look and there's not selfishness in the shot selection."

Point guard Jeff Teague has also been on fire of late, averaging 16.7 points and 10.7 assists per game in January. He averaged 16 points and 8.9 assists in December.

"Coach pulled me aside a couple weeks ago and told me he wants me to move the ball and he wants me to try to get in the lane and kick out," Teague said. "I think it just became contagious. We're all just trying to get it to the open man and get our teammates open shots."

The Knicks (17-19) just snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 116-111 on Friday night.

Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing the previous three games and scored 24 points. The Knicks trailed by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter and came back to win.

Playing on a back-to-back after a comeback win won't be an easy task, but the Knicks are just glad to be back in the win column again.

"This club's going through adversity right now," Knicks center Joakim Noah said. "There's no question about it. Losing sucks. We've just got to bounce back."

"Making strides, that's all you can ask," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. "If we continue to do that, we're going to win games."

Both teams are averaging 105 points per game this season, but the Knicks have given up more to their opponents.

They've given up 100 or more points in seven consecutive games.

The Pacers have defeated the Knicks in eight straight games when playing in Indianapolis. New York is just 6-12 on the road so far this season.

Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) is still out for the Pacers. The Knicks expect to be fully healthy.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (14-23) at Celtics (22-14)

Date: January 07, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Having dealt with one of the NBA's prime young big men in Friday night's win, the Boston Celtics see another one Saturday night when Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans visit TD Garden.

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, just getting his NBA feet wet after his battles with injuries, was outstanding in just under 26 minutes Friday night. He scored 23 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the 110-106 loss to the Celtics.

Davis is another story entirely. He's already a star and comes to town averaging 28.6 points, 12 rebounds, 2.54 blocks and 1.4 steals per game for the Pelicans (14-23).

He had 25 points and 16 rebounds the first time these teams met, in New Orleans on Nov. 14. The then 1-9 Pelicans beat the Celtics by a point even though Isaiah Thomas scored 37 points and dished out seven assists.

Friday night, the Celtics hit a club-record 19 3-pointers, four of them by big man Al Horford in the fourth quarter.

It was the third straight game they've either set or tied the mark (they had 17 in each of the previous two). They are 53-for-103 - 51.5 percent - from behind the arc in those games, all wins.

"They need every one of those threes (Friday) and I give them credit," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. "That's what they do."

The Pelicans dropped a five-point decision at Atlanta Thursday, with Davis scoring 20 points and grabbing 19 rebounds and Jrue Holiday adding 18 points.

"We weren't moving the ball," Davis said. "We had 19 assists, but it felt like mostly one-on-one, then passing the ball. When we play one-on-one, we get a lot of bad shots."

Said coach Alvin Gentry: "We had 19 assists, but that's a bogus number really. A lot of them came from us trying to do too much and we lucked into finding an open guy to make a shot. It wasn't a flow. It wasn't anything that had a rhythm to it and we just never got that point in the game.

"Offensively, we're just not moving the basketball."

The Celtics (22-14) certainly are. They had 28 assists on 35 baskets Friday night (87 assists during the winning streak), as Avery Bradley scored 26 points and Thomas 24 for his 20th straight 20-point game.

Thomas is usually the man who does it for the Celtics down the stretch, but Friday night it was Horford.

"That guy's a four-time All-Star. He's won a ton of games, no matter where he's been. He's good - not worried about him," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the game.

The win was the ninth in the last 11 games for the Celtics, who have also finally figured out how to win at home. They have won four straight at TD Garden, lifting their record to 10-6 (12-8 on the road).

Stevens felt his team was out-toughed for the first 28 minutes of the contest before coming on, allowing the Celtics to escape on a night where they didn't play their best game.

"Our grit shows," said Marcus Smart, who had 14 points, eight assists and his usual stiff defense off the bench. "It showed what type of team we are. We stuck together. We didn't stray away from the plan that Brad drew up for us and we just really trusted one another and the game turned around for us."

The Celtics will again be without backup big man Tyler Zeller Saturday. Zeller missing his third straight game with illness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (22-15) at Timberwolves (11-25)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

It would seem as if a 41-point night from guard Andrew Wiggins would translate to a win for the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Friday night against Washington, though, that wasn't the case.

Wiggins posted his second 40-point game of the season by scoring 41 against the Wizards. But as Minnesota squandered a lead after three quarters, Wiggins' big night became irrelevant.

"We're finding different ways to (lose)," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told the Timberwolves Radio Network after Friday's loss. "It's disappointing."

The loss in Washington, D.C., came two days after the Timberwolves suffered one of their biggest gut punches of the season.

Minnesota managed to fall behind the Philadelphia 76ers by 26 points before clawing its way back. A 3-pointer by Ricky Rubio in the final seconds seemed to guarantee overtime, but Philadelphia scored with under a second remaining to deal the Timberwolves yet another disappointing finish.

Minnesota (11-25) will now try to bounce back from its unsuccessful road trip by welcoming the Utah Jazz (22-15) on Saturday for a game at Target Center. It's the second time the teams have met, with Utah winning the previous matchup 112-103 at Target Center.

Utah, which allows the fewest points per game in the NBA (95.3), is on a small losing streak of its own. The Jazz have dropped their last two games -- both on the road -- to the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.

In Thursday's loss, Utah's typically stingy defense allowed Kyle Lowry to score 33 points en route to the Raptors' 101-93 win in Toronto. DeMar DeRozan added 23 for the Raptors.

"We weren't physical enough and it hurt us," Utah coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune after the game. "We just got beat."

Though Utah lost on Thursday, the Jazz did see the return of point guard Dante Exum, who missed the previous two weeks with tendinitis. Exum did not play in Utah's first game against Minnesota but now gives the Jazz a bit of backcourt depth now that he's healthy again.

"It's just a sharp pain whenever I run or jump," Exum told the Salt Lake Tribune. "So it was definitely limiting me playing to my full potential. That's why I had to make the decision."

Minnesota's bench remains a question mark for Saturday. Guard Shabazz Muhammad missed Friday's game because of illness, and his status for Saturday is uncertain.

Though Utah isn't a high-scoring team -- the Jazz average 99.0 points per game, third fewest in the Western Conference -- Minnesota's defense has struggled as of late. Such was the case Friday for the Timberwolves, who surrendered 112 points to the Wizards.

Thibodeau knows his team will have to be much better defensively in the second game of a back-to-back.

"The discipline, the intensity, the finishing of the defense, there's a lot of closeouts where we were two steps in and then we don't challenge the shot correctly," Thibodeau told the Timberwolves Radio Network. "If you let a guy shoot, he's going to get rhythm."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (14-22) at Thunder (21-16)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Thunder ended 2016 with one of their best and easiest wins of the year. In the New Years Eve game, they thrashed the L.A. Clippers to sprint into 2017 with high optimism.

Since then, the Thunder found a rough patch with losses in three straight games, all on the road. That includes a 118-116 nail biter to Houston Thursday.

Oklahoma City doesn't seem to be extremely worried about the streak. Most likely because each of the defeats were close games down the stretch in the fourth quarter that they could have won.

"Oh yeah, we're gonna be alright," Victor Oladipo said to ESPN.com. "We're gonna be just fine. We just got to keep getting better."

The losing streak could have come to an end in Houston if Russell Westbrook had been able to connect on a 3-pointer he took over James Harden with five seconds left and the game tied at 116-116.

"I thought it was going to go in," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told NBA.com. "It was right on line. He had his balance, he had his legs under him and it hit the back of the rim."

On one hand, Donovan had every right to believe the shot was going in. Westbrook leads the NBA in clutch points with 138. No one else in the league has over a 100.

However, Westbrook is also 2 of 18 on go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds during his career. That includes 0-for-6 this season. The latter will not stop Westbrook from attempting them.

The Thunder return home the Chesapeake Energy Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday for the first of only three games in Oklahoma City month. It is also the perfect opportunity to end the three-game skid.

The Nuggets are also mired in a losing streak. Theirs is four games long and stretches back to Dec. 30.

In each of the last four defeats, Denver's opponents scored at least 120 points. That includes 127 by both the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs.

The defensive struggles have been a focal point for Nuggets coach Michael Malone.

"We can't be a team that just relies on their offense to pick up our defense," Malone told The Denver Post. "We have to pick up our defense every night regardless of whether we're making shots or not."

If the Nuggets do not reign in their defense Saturday, they will find themselves trying to outscore Westbrook, who leads the league in scoring. But it's his supporting cast on which Denver will need to focus.

When the two teams met Nov. 26 in Denver, Oklahoma City pulled out a 132-129 victory. While Westbrook had a triple double, five other players scored more than 10 points.

The Nuggets need to find a way to limit the rest of the Thunder while not letting Westbrook overwhelm them. It's the type of challenge Malone is looking to see if his team will accept.

"In this league you can't let go. You've got to bend, not break," Malone told The Denver Post. "We have to get that fight back for four quarters for us to be a competitive team."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (24-11) at Bulls (18-18)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- If the Toronto Raptors are going to continue to be one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams, coach Dwane Casey acknowledges his team has to put forth a balanced effort.

Casey, who has built his reputation on defense, wants the Raptors to thrive on both ends of the floor. But he knows there will be nights like the one Toronto had Thursday when the Raptors didn't lead the Utah Jazz until the final minutes of a 101-93 victory.

Now, the Raptors must deal Saturday night with an up and down Chicago Bulls team that has experienced its share of drama, but that has played well against the NBA's top teams.

And in order to become the Bulls' latest victim after Chicago knocked off defending champion Cleveland 106-94 Wednesday night, Casey knows the Raptors can't depend solely on either their offense or their defense.

"I want to be successful on both sides," Casey told reporters after Thursday night, according to The Globe and Mail.

Entering Friday night, the Raptors rank third in 3-point field goal percentage (38.9). Toronto connected on 8 of 21 3-point attempts against Utah. Kyle Lowry, who scored a game-high 33 points, was 4-of-8 from behind the arc for Toronto (24-11), which didn't grab its first lead until DeMar DeRozan hit a pull-up jumper to give the Raptors an 89-88 lead.

As they have throughout the season, the Raptors continued to rely on the 3-pointer, which Casey told reporters likely won't change.

"I think we've adjusted our philosophy here to take in that change, to shoot the three," Casey said, according to The Globe and Mail. "Some shots I would have said five or six years ago that were bad shots, are good shots."

Meanwhile, who will lead the Bulls offense as the season progresses remains a point of contention, depending on who you ask.

Media reports this week suggested that Chicago (18-18) is shopping guard Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 25.2 points per game. But on Friday, fellow guard Dwyane Wade shot down the suggestion and said the rumors were based largely on the size of the market the Bulls play in.

On Friday, Wade referred to Butler as the cornerstone of the franchise.

"It's the Bulls. Our best player is in a rumor right now," Wade told reporters on Friday. "It doesn't matter. It's been a rumor every week, but it hasn't happened. It's a big market -- something to talk about. A couple of extra (web) hits. It's the way the world works, the world we're in. Somebody decided to write something with no merit."

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, whose job security has also been a point of discussion, refused to lend credence to the reports that the Bulls could be looking to be move their star player. Chicago enters Saturday night's game having won two straight games and four of their last six.

"I'm not going to comment on the rumors," Hoiberg told reporters Friday.

Asked if he was surprised by the speculation, Hoiberg said he wasn't.

"That's the world we live in, unfortunately," Hoiberg said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (20-16) at Mavericks (11-25)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks are each in a state of flux going into Saturday night's clash at American Airlines Center.

The Hawks have begun what appears to be a roster overhaul by trading popular shooter Kyle Korver to the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. More deals could be made before the Feb. 23 trade deadline, with Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha likely on the block.

Millsap and Sefolosha, like Korver, are on expiring contracts.

The Hawks (20-16) began Friday in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and with a five-game winning streak. But just two seasons ago, Atlanta went 60-22 to claim the top seed in the East before slumping to 48-34 last year.

That slide, coupled with the uncertain futures of several veterans, had the front office looking for more change. Since last season, the Hawks have also lost starters Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

Millsap, the only starter left from the 60-win team in 2014-15, declined to offer an opinion the franchise's direction.

"Not my place," he told reporters. "My job is to get out there and play basketball. I'm going to miss Kyle but other than that, life goes on, the season goes on. You just have to be ready for whatever happens. Right now, we have to win basketball games."

The Mavericks (11-25) are coming off a demoralizing home loss Thursday night to Phoenix. Not only did the 102-95 setback drop Dallas back into the Western Conference cellar, it likely signaled roster changes to come.

Backup center Andrew Bogut doesn't necessarily want to leave Dallas, but acknowledged why a trade would make sense. For a team likely headed to the lottery, a big man of Bogut's value could fetch draft picks and/or young talent needed to rebuild.

Though the Mavericks continue to insist that the playoffs this season remain their goal, losing on their floor to lottery-bound Phoenix was a big blow. Dallas is 4 1/2 games out of eighth in the West.

Dirk Nowitzki has been starting at center with Bogut's move to the bench. Nowitzki has been working his way back into game shape after missing four weeks with Achilles soreness.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle isn't ready to pronounce Nowitzki close to 100 percent. Nowitzki has averaged 11.5 points on 39.1-percent shooting in his six games since coming back.

He scored 13 on 5-of-14 shooting in the loss to the Suns.

"I think it's too early to judge any of that stuff," Carlisle said. "Last year there was all that talk about (Chandler) Parsons struggling and I said, 'Hey, don't judge it until after the All-Star break', and that may be what we're looking at with him.

"This has been a long road, so the good thing is he's moving better. He's obviously feeling good, or else we wouldn't have him out there and we're a team that's still trying to put things together, so I don't know if pinning it on him is the way to go. I don't think it is."

Atlanta owns a five-game winning streak against the Mavs, including the last two in meetings in Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (20-17) at Spurs (29-7)

Date: January 07, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

How the Charlotte Hornets cope with the balanced offensive attack of the San Antonio Spurs will be a key aspect of the game play when the two teams meet on Saturday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The Spurs (29-7) return home after a dominating 129-91 win on Thursday over Denver in which LaMarcus Aldridge led San Antonio with 28 points. Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and Tony Parker, who has been hot of late, added 21 points and nine assists for the Spurs.

The victory over Denver improved the Spurs' record on the road to 17-3; San Antonio is the only team in the NBA that's been better on the road than at home (12-4) this season. The Spurs play five of their next six games at home.

Aldridge has been on a tear offensively, claiming San Antonio's high-scorer honors in four of the Spurs' past six games.

"He's in a great rhythm right now and needs to stay like that," Parker said of Aldridge. "He's a great shooter, a great scorer. When he plays like that, he forces a double team and makes everybody's job easier."

San Antonio has also been buoyed by the continued solid play of center Pau Gasol, who was the Spurs' main offseason free agent acquisition. Gasol is first on the team in rebounding (7.9), first among San Antonio's regular starters in field-goal percentage (50.9 percent) and third in scoring (12.3 -points per game).

Gasol is one of only four players in NBA history and the sole active player to reach 19,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks in his career.

"He's a smart player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Every coach likes to add smart players to the mix."

Charlotte (20-17) heads to the Alamo City for the only time in the regular season on the heels of a 115-114 loss at Detroit on Thursday.

The Hornets will be without shooting guard Nicolas Batum, who suffered a hyperextended right knee during the contest against the Pistons.

The team confirmed the injury diagnosis during an MRI exam on Friday. There was no structural damage found.

Meanwhile, the Hornets roared back in the fourth quarter from a 19-point deficit and led by one in the closing seconds before two free throws by the Pistons' Reggie Jackson with 1.9 seconds to play dropped Charlotte to its third loss in its past four games.

"The bottom line is that if we want to be the team that I think we can be, you got to win tonight," Hornets coach Steve Clifford. We just aren't where, to me, where we need to be. We had very little defensive readiness to start and we got to get better bench play."

Kemba Walker poured in 20 of his team-high 32 points in the fourth quarter in which the Hornets scored a season-high 44 points, but still came up short. Marvin Williams added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets in the loss while Spencer Hawes hit for 18 points.

"It's frustrating," Hawes said after the loss. "We battled, and we don't have to question whether this team is going to do that or not.

"When you dig a hole on the road like we did (Thursday), especially on the second night of a back-to-back, you put so much into just getting yourself back into the game and just giving yourself a chance," Hawes continued. "That being said, it came down to a one-possession game at the end."

San Antonio beat the Hornets 119-114 when the two teams met on Nov. 23 at Spectrum Center. The Spurs own a nine-game home win-streak against Charlotte dating back to Nov. 15, 2006 and have won 38 of the 53 games the teams have played all-time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (17-21) at Trail Blazers (16-22)

Date: January 07, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard won't cure all the ills that plagued the Portland Trail Blazers over the past month, but the All-Star point guard's return after missing five games with a sprained left ankle in the Trail Blazers' 118-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night was a welcome sight for his coaches and teammates.

"It's always good to have your best player out there," Portland coach Terry Stotts said after Lillard contributed 21 points and 10 assists to the win over the Lakers.

After playing 36 minutes against the Lakers, Lillard said he will be good to go Saturday night, when the Blazers (16-22) play host to the Detroit Pistons (17-21) at Moda Center.

Lillard missed seven games with an Achilles tendon injury last season.

"I didn't prepare as well as I needed to come back, and it took a few games to get my rhythm and wind back," he said. "This time, I did a lot of conditioning and individual workouts leading up to tonight. I felt good out there."

C.J. McCollum, who had gone for 43 and 35 points in the last two games while running the point in Lillard's absence, moved back to his normal shooting guard position and collected 27 points and seven assists in Thursday's win.

"Makes the game much easier when Dame's on the floor," said McCollum, who was 11 for 21 from the field but only 3 for 11 from 3-point range. "The defense can't key in on me as much when he's out there."

Lillard's plus/minus rating against the Lakers was plus-28, far better than that of any other player in the game.

"We were really good when he was on the floor," center Mason Plumlee said. "It was good to have him back."

The Pistons arrive in Portland off Thursday's 115-114 victory over Charlotte, in which the Hornets roared back with a 44-point fourth quarter to nearly steal a win. Marco Bellinelli's 3-point bank shot was just a split second after the buzzer as Detroit nearly lost despite leading by 19 points with 10 minutes left.

"We played a great three quarters," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said afterward. "I'll talk about that."

Van Gundy also talked about Boban Marjanovic, who came out of nowhere with a season high in points (15) and a career high in rebounds (19) in 22 minutes off the bench. The 7-3, 290-pound Serbian -- given an opportunity with backup center Aron Baynes out with an ankle sprain and starter Andre Drummond in foul trouble -- totaled seven points and seven rebounds in the previous seven games. Marjanovic had only 35 points and 26 rebounds all season entering Thursday.

"A great, great, great effort, on the boards and everything else," Van Gundy said. "The biggest reason that game got close was I took him out for a rest. I should have left him in there, as tired as he was. Probably the game would have been over. He was tremendous."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I doubt we see a ton of big names traded by the Feb. 23 deadline in the NBA, although it appears Kyle Korver is on his way to Cleveland, but I think it's all but a sure thing that the Dallas Mavericks will deal center Andrew Bogut. The Mavs signed Bogut to a one-year, $11 million free-agent deal this past offseason, but they have gone totally in the tank and there's no reason to keep him around. Bogut is injury-prone but still an excellent defender, rebounder and passer. This week, he basically told the world that he's on the market, saying: "Thankfully, I'm a free agent here, so I only have a couple of months more here and then will most likely move on," Bogut said of Dallas. "I've got a valuable contract ... having four months left on my contract, I'm a valuable commodity to be moved." Bogut is such a good teammate that he volunteered to come off the bench because the Mavericks struggled so much when he and Dirk Nowitzki are on the floor at the same time. The Boston Celtics have been rumored as a potential trade candidate. With that expiring contract, the Mavs wouldn't get much for him, maybe a second-round pick, some salary filler and a young, developmental player. Better than nothing.

Knicks at Pacers (-6.5, 216)

New York was in Milwaukee on Friday with it looking good for Kristaps Porzingis to return from a three-game injury absence. Whether he is good enough to play both ends of a back-to-back is another question. Indiana won a fourth straight Thursday, 121-109 over Brooklyn. Jeff Teague had 21 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, and Myles Turner finished with 25 points and 15 boards. The Pacers' 38 points in the third were a season high for one quarter. New York beat visiting Indiana 118-111 on Dec. 20 but hasn't won at the Pacers since March 17, 2012.

Key trends: New York is 1-8 against the spread in its past nine at Indiana. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of the past nine meetings.

Early lean: Pacers and over.

Pelicans at Celtics (-8.5, 211.5)

Boston hosted Philadelphia on Friday. New Orleans lost a second straight Thursday, 99-94 vs. Atlanta. Anthony Davis had 20 points and 19 rebounds for New Orleans, which shot just 36.6 percent. This one starts a five-game road trip for the Pels, who are just 4-12 away from home. New Orleans beat Boston 106-105 on Nov. 14 behind 25 points and 16 rebounds from Davis. The Celtics had won four straight in the series.

Key trends: The Pelicans are 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 11-0 in New Orleans' past 11 vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Pelicans and under.

Raptors at Bulls (+3, 207)

Toronto beat Utah 101-93 on Thursday. Kyle Lowry had 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and seven rebounds, while Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Raptors scored 27 points off Utah turnovers but didn't lead until less than four minutes remained. Chicago won at short-handed Cleveland 106-94 on Wednesday behind 20 points from Jimmy Butler. The NBA's worst 3-point shooting team hit a season-high 13 of them. First meeting of the season between Toronto and Chicago. The Bulls have won nine in a row in the series, four of those at home.

Key trends: The Raptors are 0-9 ATS in the past nine meetings. The over is 7-0 in the past seven.

Early lean: Raptors end the skid, and go over.

Nuggets at Thunder (-7, 218)

Denver lost a fourth in a row Thursday, 127-99 vs. San Antonio. Nikola Jokic had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Denver, which started 10-for-10 from the field. Forward Kenneth Faried missed his third straight game with back troubles. Oklahoma City lost his third consecutive game Thursday, 118-116 in Houston despite 49 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Russell Westbrook. It was the third-most points in his career. OKC beat Denver 132-129 in overtime on Nov. 25 and has won seven straight in the series.

Key trends: The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their past five in OKC. The over is 4-0 in the past four meetings.

Early lean: Thunder and over.

Jazz at Timberwolves ( +3, 196)

Minnesota was in Washington on Friday. Utah dropped its second straight Thursday, 101-93 in Toronto. The Jazz led for more than 44 minutes. Rudy Gay had 15 points and 16 rebounds, but the Jazz turned it over 19 times. George Hill missed his third straight game due to a lip laceration and concussion-like symptoms. Shame that guy can't stay healthy because the Jazz might be the West's third-best team when he plays. The visiting team has won eight of the past 12 games between the Jazz and Wolves. Utah won in Minnesota 112-103 on Nov. 28.

Key trends: The favorite is 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 5-1 in Utah's past six on the road.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

Hawks at Mavericks (+2, 201)

Atlanta won its fifth straight Thursday, 99-94 in New Orleans. Korver sat out because he's about to be traded to Cleveland and it's probably finalized later Friday. Dennis Schroder scored 23 points, and Paul Millsap added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Millsap will be next to go as he's also a pending free agent. Dallas lost 102-95 at home to Phoenix on Thursday. Deron Williams led the Mavericks with 20 points. Bogut had no rebounds or points and five fouls in 20 minutes, so maybe he already has mentally checked out of Dallas. First meeting of season between Atlanta and Dallas. The Hawks have won the past five.

Key trends: The Hawks are 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 4-1 in those.

Early lean: Mavericks and under.

Hornets at Spurs (-11, 206)

Charlotte lost 115-114 in Detroit on Thursday and lost Nic Batum for up to two weeks to a knee injury. But an MRI did come back clean. The Hornets' Marco Belinelli hit a banked-in 3-pointer at the buzzer vs. the Pistons but video confirmed it came just after. Kemba Walker had 32 points as the Hornets nearly rallied from a 19-point fourth-quarter hole. Center Cody Zeller sat out again as he remains the concussion protocol. San Antonio won its second in a row Thursday, 127-99 in Denver. LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points, and Tony Parker 21 and a season-high nine assists. San Antonio won in Charlotte 119-114 on Nov. 23 and also has taken the past nine at home in the series.

Key trends: The Hornets are 1-6 ATS in their past seven on Saturday. The Spurs are 7-0 ATS in their past seven at home. The under is 4-1 in the past five meetings in San Antonio.

Early lean: Spurs and under.

Pistons at Trail Blazers (-3.5, 210)

Detroit beat Charlotte 115-114 on Thursday despite nearly blowing a huge fourth-quarter lead. Reggie Jackson, who had 22 points, put Detroit up 115-113 when he made two free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining. Boban Marjanovic had 15 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. He had barely played all season, but Andre Drummond was in foul trouble and backup center Aron Baynes remains out with a sprained ankle. Portland welcomed Damian Lillard back from a five-game absence and beat the Lakers 118-109 on Thursday. He had 21 points and 10 assists. Detroit's 2-0 regular-season series sweep last year was the Pistons' first sweep of Portland since 2005-06. Jackson averaged 35.0 points for Detroit.

Key trends: The Pistons are 0-6 ATS in their past six after a win. The over is 9-1 in the past 10 meetings.

Early lean: Blazers and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Saturday’s games

New York snapped a 6-game skid last night; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten games as a road underdog. Three of their last four games went over over total. Indiana won/covered its last four games; they’re 9-5 as home favorites. Last five Pacer games went over. Knicks lost seven of last eight games with Indiana; they lost last five games in this arena (1-4 vs spread). Seven of last nine series games stayed under.

New Orleans lost seven of last nine road games, is 5-8-1 as a road underdog. Last four Pelican games stayed under. Boston won nine of last 11 games; they’re 7-6 as home favorites. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Celtics won four of last five games with New Orleans; Pelicans lost by 8-7 points in last couple visits here. Last three series games stayed under total.

Utah lost its last two games after winning four in row before that; they’re 8-1 as road favorites- favorites are 16-2 vs spread in their road games. Five of last six Jazz games stayed under. Timberwolves lost last three games; they’re 4-6 as a home dog. Four of their last six games stayed under. Jazz won its last four games with Minnesota and won five of last six visits to Twin Cities. Utah is 7-3 vs spread in last ten series games (over 5-5). Jazz

Nuggets lost their last four games; they’re 8-5 as road underdogs (2-4 in last six). Last four Denver games went over. Oklahoma City lost four of last five games but they’re 8-4 vs spread in last 12 home games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven home games. Thunder won their last seven games with Denver (5-2 vs spread); Nuggets lost last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Over is 7-1 in last eight series games.

Raptors lost three of last four road games; they’re 4-4 as road favorites. Three of Toronto’s last four games stayed under. Chicago won four of last six games; they’re 3-0 as a home underdog. Three of their last four games went over. Bulls won/covered their last nine games with Toronto; Raptors lost last four visits here (0-4 vs spread) with losses by 9-16-7-12 points. Last seven series games went over total.

Atlanta won four of last five games; they’re 2-4 as road favorites. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Mavericks lost four of last six games; they’re 6-7 vs spread as a home underdog. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Hawks won/covered their last five games with Dallas; Hawks won three of last four visits here (3-1 vs spread). Four of last five series games stayed under.

Hornets lost three of last four games; they’re 6-2-1 as a road underdog. Six of their last seven games went over total. San Antonio won/covered six of last seven games; they covered their last seven home games. Five of their last six games went over. Spurs won nine of last ten games with Charlotte but Hornets covered three of last four; Charlotte lost last five visits to Alamo (1-4 vs spread). Four of last six series games stayed under total.

Detroit lost 8 of last 11 games; they’re 4-9 as road underdogs. Last three Piston games went over the total. Trailblazers are 3-2 in last five games; they covered last three at home, are 9-3 as home favorites. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Pistons won last two games with Portland after losing previous five series games; they lost three of last four visits to Moda Center (1-3 vs spread). Nine of last ten series games went over total.