Saturday 11/26/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

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Spanish La Liga TODAY 12:00

Malaga

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Deportivo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		Evs	9/4	16/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MALAGA	RECENT FORM
H WA DH WA LH WA D​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 1 4 - 1 3 - 1	H WA LA LH DA DH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Malaga have lost only one of their last nine home league games - yet with just one clean sheet

EXPERT VERDICT: Deportivo have thrown away eight points from winning positions in their last four matches, the worst incident being last week’s 3-2 home loss to Seville after leading 2-0. With just two away goals scored in six road matches, Depor are hard to fancy at Malaga, who are still buzzing after boring Barca into submission last time out.

RECOMMENDATION: Malaga
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Premier League TODAY 12:30

Burnley

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Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		8	5	1/3	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BURNLEY	RECENT FORM
H LA LH WA DH WA L​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 6 2 - 4 0 - 1	A LA WH WH DA WA D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man City have won four of their five Premier League away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City are understandably rated short-priced favourites to win at Turf Moor and they should beat Burnley with something to spare. Eight times City have recorded Premier League victories this season and on seven of those occasions Pep Guardiola’s side were also leading at the break.

RECOMMENDATION: Man City-Man City double result
2


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Leicester

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Middlesbro

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		10/11	5/2	15/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEICESTER	RECENT FORM
H WA DA DH LA LH W​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 2 0 - 0	A DH LA DH WA DH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Boro are unbeaten in their last three away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Leicester have won only three of 12 league games but all of those victories have come at the King Power Stadium, where the Foxes have conceded only four goals. Middlesbrough have drawn four of six matches on the road, recording stalemates at Arsenal and Manchester City and can grab another point.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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REFEREE: Lee Mason STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Liverpool

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Sunderland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		1/6	15/2	18	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVERPOOL	RECENT FORM
H DH WH WA WH WA D​ Most recent​	2 - 2 0 - 0 2 - 1 3 - 0	A LA LA LH LA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: None of Liverpool’s eight league wins have been to nil

EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool were frustrated by Southampton last time out but it should be business as usual for the rampant Reds when Sunderland visit Anfield. Liverpool are committed to attack but their defensive concentration usually slips to allow opponents a consolation goal and a high-scoring home win looks likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool to win 3-1
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REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Hull

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West Brom

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		2	21/10	17/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HULL	RECENT FORM
A LH LA WA LH WA L​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 2 1 - 3	A DH DA LH LA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in six of West Brom’s last seven

EXPERT VERDICT: Hull have won just one of their last ten Premier League matches but the visit of West Brom shouldn’t scare them and both teams to score looks a good wager. The Baggies have notched in seven of their last eight away outings while Hull found the net against Southampton, Liverpool and Arsenal.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
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REFEREE: Paul Tierney STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Swansea

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C Palace

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		13/8	12/5	15/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA	RECENT FORM
H LA LH DA LH LA D​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 0	A DH LA LH LA LH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in Crystal Palace’s last four matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Swansea may be without a win in 11 league games, but only a last-minute equaliser denied the Swans all three points at Everton last Saturday. Crystal Palace are also struggling having lost five on the spin, and the Eagles haven’t kept a clean sheet in the league this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
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REFEREE: Kevin Friend STADIUM:

 

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NHL roundup: Rangers top Flyers to get back on track
By The Sports Xchange

PHILADELPHIA -- Less than 48 hours after getting mowed down by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers got back on track with a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Friday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.
Derek Stepan, Matt Puempel and Kevin Hayes each scored goals and Lundqvist, who was pulled in Wednesday night's 6-1 loss to the Penguins, turned aside 40 of 42 shots to lead the Rangers to their second win in three games.
Chris VandeVelde and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for the Flyers, who lost three of their last four games to fall below .500 for the first time since Nov 11. Steve Mason took the loss, stopping 20 of 23 shots.

Blackhawks 3, Ducks 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist to lead Chicago over Anaheim at the Honda Center.
Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman each added a goal, Brent Seabrook contributed two assists and goalie Corey Crawford stopped 34 shots as the Blackhawks broke a two-game losing streak.
Nick Ritchie and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks, who got 22 saves from John Gibson in their third successive loss and fourth in six games.

Wild 6, Penguins 2
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Charlie Coyle scored twice and Zach Parise added his second goal in as many games as Minnesota broke out against Pittsburgh.
Nino Niederreiter scored two goals and Mikael Granlund also scored for Minnesota, which won back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 27 and 29. Devan Dubnyk made 34 saves in goal for the Wild.
Phil Kessel scored his sixth goal of the season and Bryan Rust added his third for the Penguins, who have one win in the past three games. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 30 shots.

Sharks 3, Islanders 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Aaron Dell stopped 26 and San Jose got a late tie-breaking goal from Patrick Marleau to beat New Yok.
The Islanders tied the game with their goalie pulled with 57.2 seconds remaining when Nick Leddy one-timed John Tavares' feed past Dell.
But Marleau struck for his sixth goal with 22.5 seconds left to give San Jose its third straight win.
Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns also scored for the Sharks while Brenden Dillon also scored for the Islanders.

Capitals 3, Sabres 1
WASHINGTON -- Daniel Winnik, Marcus Johansson and Brett Connolly scored goals to support a steady performance from backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer in a Washington win over Buffalo.
Making a rare home start and just his fifth nod of the season, Grubauer was in control for most of the contest, racking up 29 saves to help Washington finish its five-game set in D.C. at 4-1.
Sam Reinhart scored the Sabres lone goal.

Predators 5, Jets 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville routed Winnipeg, getting two goals each from Colin Wilson and Ryan Johansen.
Mike Fisher collected three assists for Nashville, while Roman Josi added two helpers. James Neal added his ninth goal in 10 games as the Predators scored their sixth straight home victory.
Dustin Byfuglien's wrister from the point struck the stick of Wilson and fluttered in for the Jets' lone goal.

Flames 2, Bruins 1
BOSTON -- Chad Johnson continued his hot goaltending, stopping 35 shots, 19 in the third period, to lead Calgary over Boston.
Sam Bennett scored the Flames' first goal and set up Alex Chiasson with the winner.
Johnson, 4-1 with a 1.20 goals against average in his last five starts, was bidding for his second straight road shutout when the Bruins' David Pastrnak scored his 12th goal of the season.

Red Wings 5, Devils 4 (OT)
NEWARK, N.J. -- Mike Green scored with 1:42 remaining in overtime to give Detroit a victory against New Jersey at Prudential Center.
Frans Nielsen scored twice for the Red Wings, who also received goals from Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.
John Moore, Adam Henrique, Michael Cammalleri and Pavel Zacha scored for the Devils.

Blue Jackets 5, Lightning 3
TAMPA, Fla. -- Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Saad each finished with a goal and an assist as Columbus knocked off Tampa Bay.
Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno also scored for the Blue Jackets, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots to pick up the victory.
Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and assist for Tampa Bay, Jason Garrison scored his first of the season and Ben Bishop finished with 33 saves while taking the loss for the Lightning.

Stars 2, Canucks 1
DALLAS -- Esa Lindell scored his first career goal and added an assist, and Antti Niemi stopped 30 of 31 shots, including all 14 he faced in the third period, to help Dallas top Vancouver at American Airlines Center.
Radek Faksa also scored for the Stars, who won for the first time this season when conceding the game's first goal. Dallas had been 0-7-3 when allowing the first goal.
Jayson Megna had the lone goal for the Canucks.

Coyotes 3, Oilers 2
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Oliver Ekmann-Larsson and Radim Vrbata scored in a shootout and Mike Smith logged 32 saves as Arizona beat the Edmonton at Gila River Arena.
Shane Doan's deflection goal at 8:06 of the third period tied the score at 3 while Max Domi scored the other Coyotes' goal.
Conner McDavid and Adam Larson scored for the Oilers.

 

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Preview: Capitals (13-5) at Maple Leafs (8-8)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- It is one thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs to gain the lead, it is quite another for them to hold it.

They will try to get it right again on Saturday when they play the Washington Capitals at the Air Canada Centre.

The Capitals (13-5-2) will be playing their third game in four nights Saturday, after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Friday at the Verizon Center to complete a five-game homestand with four wins.

The Maple Leafs (8-8-4) have not played since Wednesday when they were up to their old tricks at New Jersey.

Toronto led 3-0 after the first period and 4-3 after the second before losing 5-4 in a shootout.

"We've managed ourselves into losses instead of victories, just by our (inability) to take care of the puck a little bit," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "We've got a little better, but we have a long way to go. We have to do a better job when we're ahead."

One positive for the Maple Leafs Friday was that center Auston Matthews, the first player taken in this year's draft, scored twice to end a 13-game goalless drought.

That could not prevent the Maple Leafs from losing for the fifth time in 20 games this season in which they have taken a lead into the third period.

"We've done lots of good things, but we've also identified areas that we're not good enough in and it's become clear as time has gone on," Babcock said. "For a club like us, we've got a long way to go. We understand that totally, but we're excited about the work we're getting done."

They will be facing a formidable opponent in the Capitals' left winger Alex Ovechkin, who has 12 goals and five assists.

"He's probably the best scorer of this generation of players," said Leafs left winger Matt Martin. "To go with that, he has the size and strength to have an impact on the game. When he's going, he's very tough to stop. More than anything you try and limit his chances rather than take them all away, he's so dynamic. You have to be physical on him, but he's not one to shy away from it either. He's a big body, 240 pounds I think and when he hits, it hurts. But we have to be hard on him."

Frederik Andersen, who did not play Wednesday when Jhonas Enroth got the starts, will return to the Toronto goal Saturday.

The Capitals also have had third-period troubles. They allowed a third-period goal in 11 of their past 12 games. They have allowed teams to tie or threaten in the third period in seven games.

"The most frustrating part is we've done it a few times this year," said goaltender Braden Holtby, who is the likely starter on Saturday after backup Philipp Grubauer played Friday. "And once it happens a few times, it's a habit. It's something we need to address and get better at and try and clamp down in third periods."

"You can't sit back and just defend in this league," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "So you've just got to keep playing. You see that around the league, teams that get a couple-of-goals lead, you tend to say, 'Okay, we're in good shape,' and you stop attacking and playing the right way."

After the game on Friday, the Capitals recalled left winger Paul Carey from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League and he will join the team in Toronto. He has five goals and nine assists in 16 games at Hershey. The 28-year-old has played one game with Washington this season.

 

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Preview: Hurricanes (8-7) at Senators (12-7)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators will be trying to keep their recent offensive surge going when they play the Carolina Hurricanes at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

After 12 games scoring two goals or fewer, the Senators (12-7-1) scored four goals and three goals, respectively, in wins over the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins against two of the best goaltenders in the NHL, Montreal's Carey Price and Boston's Tuukka Rask.

Senators forward Mark Stone, who scored against the Bruins in Ottawa's 3-1 win on Thursday, has three goals and three assists in his past three games. The Senators, winners of two games in a row, have been generating offense with strong defensive play which has been creating opposition turnovers.

Goals by Ottawa defenseman Chris Wideman and Kyle Turris against Boston were the result of turnovers.

"We played real strong defensively and in the neutral zone," Turris, who has a team-leading nine goals. "It was just an all-around solid game for us."

"We were always in the right spots. We were always above the guys making it difficult for them and frustrating them," Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, who is 10-4-1, said, "and we were able get out of our zone really easy (Thursday). That's a credit to our guys beating the forecheck and beating the pressure."

The Senators defeated the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime at Canadian Tire Centre on Nov. 1.

The Hurricanes have at least a point in 21 of the past 26 games against the Senators, going 16-5-5 since March 29, 2009.

The Hurricanes (8-7-4), an early season surprise in the NHL, had their five-game winning streak ended with a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Hurricanes' three-game swing through Eastern Canada started with a 2-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes have been one of the best possession teams in the NHL. They have 115 more shot attempts than they have allowed, third best in the league after the Los Angeles Kings (138) and the Boston Bruins (122). That's a Corsi of 53.53 percent for the Hurricanes.

"We can be better," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "The power play can be better, we can be at the net, be harder at both nets -- theirs and ours. There's some things we did well, but some things you can improve on moving forward."

With Carolina goaltender Eddie Lack out with a concussion, Cam Ward has started eight games in a row, giving up two goals or fewer in six straight.

 

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Preview: Canadiens (15-4) at Red Wings (10-10)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings (10-10-1) will be without their most important player this season when they host the Montreal Canadiens (15-4-2) Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has been outstanding in 2016-17, left Friday night's 5-4 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils midway through the first period with a groin injury.

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Howard is expected to miss about a week.

Howard has a 1.82 goals-against average and .940 save percentage and is 5-5-0.

Petr Mrazek got the win in relief Friday.

"With Petr to come in and make the saves and get the win, I think can do similar for him what the Buffalo win did for us on Wednesday, and that's build his confidence and hopefully he can come out with a real good outing tomorrow," Blashill said. "When you haven't played a bunch in a little bit and it's not going your way to get in there and get a W is great thing for Pete."

Mrazek has started only one of the past nine games. He allowed four goals in each of his past four starts, going 0-3-1, before stopping 13-of-16 shots Friday.

He is 5-5-1, with a 3.18 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.

"We know Petr's a big-time goalie in this league," Blashill said. "I know it's a young career, but he's proven that lots of times. I've got tons of belief in Petr. Now he gets a chance to go tomorrow night and win a big hockey game for us."

Mrazek said he is ready.

"I work hard with Jeff (goaltending coach Salajko) on the ice, so I've been working hard to be ready every game," Mrazek said.

The team is recalling goalie Jared Coreau from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and begin a five-game road trip Saturday.

"It's a trip that's coming at just the right time for us," Montreal coach Michel Therrien told the Canadiens website. "It's going to be tough. We'll face good teams, and I'm eager to see how we respond. We've been playing with confidence, but we'll take things one game at a time,"

Said Canadiens goalie Carrie Price: "We're happy to have this time together. And also to enjoy a bit of sun."

The trip also takes Montreal to Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles.

The Canadiens also sustained an injury on Friday.

Forward Charles Hudon suffered an upper-body injury during practice Friday morning and did not travel to Detroit as a precautionary measure.

Since being called up from the St. John's IceCaps on Nov., 17, the 22-year-old has a pair of assists in three games.

Defenseman Mike Green got the overtime winner for the Red Wings on Friday, Frans Nielsen scored twice and Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha also scored to give Detroit a modest two-game winning streak.

 

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Preview: Devils (10-6) at Penguins (12-6)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are blessed with not one but two goalies who have won the Stanley Cup in the last seven seasons. Not surprisingly, coach Mike Sullivan has declined to designate one or the other as the starter.

As well as Matt Murray is playing, and as uncharacteristically poorly as Marc-Andre Fleury is playing, Sullivan might have no choice but to soon give a majority of the starts to Murray.

For the second time in five days, Fleury was worked over Friday in a blowout loss. He gave up an opening-minute goal to Charlie Coyle of Minnesota -- one of Coyle's two goals in the first period -- and the Wild went on to the second dominant win over the Penguins in as many games this season, a 6-2 decision that, at times, didn't look to be that close.

"Usually that doesn't faze us," Fleury said of giving up a quick, early goal. "We're a good enough team to come back."

Only this time they weren't. While Sullivan suggested his teammates didn't give Fleury much help, it's all but certain that Murray -- off to a 6-1 start this season -- will get the call when the Penguins (12-6-3) return home Saturday night to play the New Jersey Devils (10-6-4) at PPG Paints Arena.

The Devils are off to a solid start, and are looking like a potential playoff team as the quarter pole of their season approaches despite a 5-4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. Detroit defenseman Mike Greene scored the game-winning goal with 1:42 remaining in overtime, beating goalie Cory Schneider, who made 28 saves.

With both teams playing on back-to-back nights, it's likely that the Devils will turn to backup goalie Keith Kincaid (2-1-1) on Saturday night.

"We'll take the point and hope to be better (Saturday) for sure," said Devils coach John Hynes, who, like Sullivan, once coached the Penguins' top farm club in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Sullivan is parceling out goalie starts carefully, trying to make sure both Murray -- who won the Cup for him as a rookie last season -- and Fleury remain sharp and get regular work.

But the more each goalie plays, the more disparate their statistics become. The Penguins have lost eight of the 14 starts made by Fleury (6-5-3), who has a 3.38 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Fleury has permitted three or more goals in six of his last seven starts.

"We weren't a lot of help to him," captain Sidney Crosby said after the Wild scored on three of four power-play opportunities. "We gave them some good really scoring chances. Not just your typical scoring chances but some really good looks. And we can't allow that to happen."

Murray, by contrast, is 6-1 with a 1.57 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. He gave up no more than two goals in each of his last four starts.

The Penguins, however, have given up 11 goals in Fleury's last two starts, including a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on home ice Monday night, Sullivan wouldn't fault his goalie following a second successive loss to Minnesota, who also beat the Penguins 4-2 in Pittsburgh on Nov. 10.

"I thought we put him in a tough spot," Sullivan said of Fleury, who was in net for the Penguins' Cup run in 2009. "The goals they got, they got grade A scoring chances. The type of saves he had to make were high quality. So I think we put him in a lot of the circumstances."

Still, Fleury said, "It's frustrating to give up that many goals. There were a few I should have stopped."

Sullivan seems more concerned with the overall unpredictable play of his entire team than he is any lack of steadiness by Fleury. The Penguins followed up that Monday night loss by beating up on the Rangers 6-1 Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, only to look unready to play against the Wild despite a Thanksgiving Day practice in Minnesota.

"It's hard for me to explain it," Sullivan said. "If I could explain it, I could probably solve it. It's been something that is part of our game for the first 20 games."

Two former Penguins players -- defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Beau Bennett -- will be with the Devils as the teams meet for the first time this season. Former Penguins general manager Ray Shero, who helped assemble that 2009 Penguins Cup team, now has the same job in New Jersey.

 

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Preview: Blue Jackets (11-5) at Panthers (10-9)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- They both have distinctive hairstyles, they are both considered old for their careers, but dare we say that right winger Jaromir Jagr has overcome long odds even more times than right winger Donald Trump.

Sticking to hockey from here on out in this story and forgetting -- mercifully -- about politics, the Florida Panthers' Jagr and his infamous mullet hairstyle have been counted out numerous times over the past several years.

With just two goals and seven assists entering Saturday's home game for the Panthers (10-9-1) against the Columbus Blue Jackets (11-5-3), Jagr is starting to hear the whispers again.

Has he lost a step ... or three?

Is he finally finished?

Is it time for him to hang up his hockey sweater and try a comfy cardigan instead?

Jagr, who turns 45 in February and is playing on a one-year, $4 million contract, is philosophical when asked about whether he is nearing the end.

"At a young kid coming in, you just go and play," said Jagr, who is third on the NHL's all-time scoring list. "You don't think about what could happen.

"It's like driving a car. When you are young, you go as fast as you can, and you don't think about getting killed. Same thing with hockey -- you don't play the same way when you are 18 as you do when you are 40. Now there's a little bit of fear of what can happen."

Jagr was still an offensive threat for the Panthers last season, leading the team in points with 27 goals and 39 assists in 79 games.

But while Jagr is trying to make his game great again -- his younger teammates have flourished.

Panthers forwards Jonathan Marchessault, 25, and Denis Malgin, 19, have played surprisingly well.

Marchessault, who is from Quebec, is on his third NHL franchise in four years, but he has finally made a significant impact. He has nine goals in 20 games, which is already a career high and more than the seven goals he managed last season in 45 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's been a stunning rise for Marchessault, who was often a healthy scratch last season in Tampa Bay.

Malgin has four goals and four assists in 20 games. A native of Switzerland, Malgin wasn't expected to be here at all, certainly not this quickly. He was the 102nd player selected in the 2015 draft, and he doesn't look impressive coming off the team plane.

In fact, both Marchessault and Malgin are listed at about 5-9, 175 pounds, which means that their games are about speed and skill as opposed to force and fight.

Speaking of Malgin, Columbus has its own teen-age budding star in rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, 19.

Werenski, a 6-2, 220-pounder who has great vision and elite puck-moving skills, is steering the NHL's top power-play unit.

Columbus relies heavily on Werenski, who averages 22 minutes per game and has five goals and 11 assists in 19 games. He added another power-play assist in Friday's 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It's no wonder that the former Michigan Wolverines star was the eighth overall selection in the 2015 draft.

"Zach is ready to handle anything we throw at him," Columbus coach John Tortorella told the media. "He has that demeanor -- I don't think he's afraid to make a mistake. If he does make a mistake, he comes right back. He's a talented player with his hands and legs but also with his mind."

Werenski has said he rarely gets nervous, and why should he?

He is on a pace to score 70 points. And even if he falls a bit short of that, only two rookie defensemen in the past 25 years have scored as many as 50 points in a season. And it has been more than three decades since a teen-aged rookie defenseman has had over 50 points.

 

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Preview: Wild (11-7) at Blues (11-7)

Date: November 26, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- Special teams figure to be a factor as the St. Louis Blues kick off a five-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in a game between two hot teams.

The Blues enter the matchup with 247 penalty minutes, fourth most in the NHL. St. Louis had four penalties in the first period in its 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday that snapped its four-game winning streak.

The extended penalty kill time took a toll on the Blues physically and made it impossible to get into an offensive rhythm as St. Louis managed a season-low two shots in the first period at Washington.

"It's tough when you take I think four in the first," Blues center Robby Fabbri told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "A lot of our best players are on the PK and then playing five-on-five as well. It was a little bit of a slow start, which kind of killed us at the beginning and we picked it up a little too late."

The Blues' saving grace is that they are third in the NHL on the penalty kill at 88.1 percent. However, St. Louis has been short-handed 34 more times than Carolina and San Jose, the top two penalty kill teams.

"That's a discipline problem," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told the Post-Dispatch. "It's not role players that are doing it. We're having the same people hurt us, taking penalties. It puts it in our hands; we'll have to do something."

The question is, can the Wild take advantage? Minnesota was just 9 of 57 (15.8 percent) on the power play this season, 20th overall in the NHL, entering its Friday night game against Pittsburgh. But the Wild scored three times with the man advantage in a 6-2 win over the Penguins.

"I hope it's something we can improve on and keep working at," Wild left winger Zach Parise told NHL.com. "That's such a big part of the game for us. Again, when you can get one on the power play, it's hard to score five-on-five, so when you can get one on the power play, it's amazing what it does for the team and the guys as individuals."

Minnesota, who is kicking off a five-game road trip, enters the game a winner of its last two after beating Winnipeg and Pittsburgh at home.

Parise and defenseman Jonas Brodin each have two goals in the Wild's last two games. The Wild's offense has come alive, scoring nine goals during that stretch, after scoring just nine goals in their previous six games.

"He's skating extremely well, I think, and he's just brimming with confidence right now," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said of Brodin to NHL.com. "He's got a lot of ability and his shot is a rocket."

Blues right winger Vladimir Tarasenko leads the team with nine goals and is coming off a two-goal performance at Washington.

St. Louis could be getting healthier as left winger Alexander Steen skated with the team on Friday for the first time since suffering a non-concussion-related upper body injury on Nov. 15 against Buffalo. Steen is not expected to play against the Wild.

 

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Preview: Canucks (8-11) at Avalanche (9-10)

Date: November 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Vancouver Canucks are playing the second of a back-to-back but it might be the Colorado Avalanche that are at a disadvantage.

The Canucks fell to the Stars, 2-1, in Dallas on Friday night and now face a Colorado team that is dealing with injuries. When the puck drops Saturday night the Avalanche will be without No. 1 goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who is out with an upper-body injury.

They'll also play their fifth straight game without captain Gabriel Landeskog because of a lower-body injury. Landeskog skated at practice Friday and was scheduled to be on the ice Saturday morning but has been ruled out.

The silver lining is Landeskog is skating and Varlamov's injury doesn't appear too serious.

"(Varlamov) should be full practice by Sunday," coach Jared Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com.

The other bright spot is Calvin Pickard will get the start. Pickard has played well in relief of Varlamov this season, including a shutout against the Minnesota Wild three weeks ago. He is 4-1 with a 2.07 goals-against average and beat Minnesota 3-2 in his last start a week ago.

Pickard is excited to be playing Saturday because the game will be the second of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader.

"As Canadians we all grew up watching it, so it's going to be fun," he told HockeyBuzz.com.

The Avalanche (9-10) recalled goalie Spencer Martin from San Antonio of the AHL to serve as Pickard's backup and reassigned forward A.J. Greer to the Rampage.

Vancouver (8-11-2) is dealing with injuries of its own. Winger Sven Baertschi missed Friday's loss in Dallas because of a toe injury. He took a shot off his skate in the second period of Wednesday's win in Arizona and couldn't play against Dallas. He had a goal and two assists Wednesday and his line combined for eight points.

"It is a little disappointing," linemate Alex Burrows told the Vancouver Sun of Baertschi's injury, which is considered day-to-day. "I saw him get off (the ice) and it was like, shoot, it's too bad because I think we were just starting to peak and we had good things going. Hopefully, he will be fine. It's part of the NHL. You're going to have guys who go out of the lineup. You just have to dig deeper and try to get some chemistry with someone else."

Winger Jack Skille, who played for Colorado last year, returned to the lineup Friday after missing one game.

The Canucks are finishing up a quick three-game road trip before returning home to play the Wild on Tuesday. Vancouver is 4-3-1 in the past seven games and Burrows' line is starting to play well.

They'll have to deal with a confident Pickard, who supplanted Reto Berra as the backup with some fine play last year. He signed a two-year, $2 million contract in the offseason.

"It definitely gives you a sense of comfort," he told HockeyBuzz.com. "But that being said, things change quickly. You have to always stay on your toes and be ready for when you're called upon. Every game's an audition for everybody, so it's another game for me tomorrow to prove that I belong in this league."

 

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Preview: Blackhawks (14-6) at Kings (11-9)

Date: November 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings have put together their longest winning streak of the season and could be adding a key piece to their team.

The Kings may have Marian Gaborik in the lineup for the first time this season as they seek their fifth win in a row Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, who hope to wrap up their final Circus Trip with a winning record.

Los Angeles (11-9-1) has outscored its opponents 15-8 while winning four straight, all in regulation. The Kings haven't won five straight regulation contests since Dec. 26, 2015, to Jan. 2.

The possible addition of Gaborik could keep the Kings surging, but a decision on him suiting up is expected to be based on how he does during a morning skate Saturday, according to a website published by the team.

"I feel good," Gaborik said Friday. "(Playing Saturday is) the plan, so obviously (Saturday) we'll have a morning skate and go from there, but I think I should be good to go."

Gaborik was placed on injured reserve Sept. 26 after breaking his right foot during the World Cup of Hockey, the latest serious injury in a lengthy list as he enters his 16th NHL season. A three-time 40-goal scorer, Gaborik needs 14 more for 400 in his career, and has 14 in 31 career games versus Chicago.

With Gaborik out and Anze Kopitar struggling (two goals in 19 games), Jeff Carter has been carrying the Kings offense. Though he didn't record a point in Los Angeles' 4-2 win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, Carter had four goals -- with three game-winners -- and two assists in his previous three contests.

The Blackhawks have been able to contain Carter, holding him to one goal in the last five matchups.

Los Angeles was blanked 3-0 by the Blackhawks on Oct. 30 in Chicago as Corey Crawford recorded 32 saves. The Kings have won two straight, each by one goal, over Chicago at Staples Center.

With a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, Chicago (14-6-2) improved to 3-3-0 heading into the finale of its longest road trip of the season.

Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist in the win, and is tied with Artemi Panarin for the scoring lead on the road trip with four points. Among current Blackhawks, Kane is the leading scorer at Staples Center with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 15 games.

The reigning Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner has recorded at least two points in four of his last five appearances in Los Angeles, helping the Blackhawks to a 3-1-1 record.

A player who's blossomed during the road trip for the Blackhawks has been right wing Ryan Hartman. Three of his five goals have come over the last six games, including the game-winner against the Ducks.

"He gives us a little abrasiveness, some net presence, some presence in the puck areas," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

Also in remarks after the game, Quenneville said it was "likely" that Scott Darling would start in net against the Kings. Darling is 4-0-0 in six games, including four starts, with a 2.94 GAA and .904 save percentage, but 1-0-1 with a 1.97 GAA and .941 save percentage in two career starts against the Kings.

Crawford, meanwhile, is 6-2-0 with a 2.56 GAA and .900 save percentage in his career at Staples Center.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews missed Friday's game with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. Toews, who failed to record a point through the first five games of the road trip, has just four goals and eight assists in 21 games this season.

His first goal of 2016-17 came in the win over Los Angeles in October.

 

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Preview: Ducks (9-8) at Sharks (12-8)

Date: November 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

With a little more than a quarter of the season gone, the San Jose Sharks know the points they accumulate now might pay off come playoff time.

San Jose goes for its fourth win in a row on Saturday night when it plays host to the Anaheim Ducks, who hope to get some better production from two of their stars while trying to snap a three-game skid.

This is the fourth game of a five-game homestand and a stretch in which the Sharks (12-8-1) play seven games in 11 days. San Jose coach Peter DeBoer now is the time to rack up points.

"We're in the middle of a really tough stretch of the schedule, lot of games, short number of days. We're just trying to grind through and put points in the bank," he said Friday.

San Jose has been doing just that when playing its division rivals at the SAP Center. The Sharks improved to 10-1-0 in their last 11 at home against the Ducks with a 2-1 overtime victory on Oct. 25 as Joe Pavelski scored early and assisted on Marc-Edouard Vlasic's winning goal.

Pavelski has two goals and three assists in a season-high five-game points streak. He is tied with Brent Burns for the team lead with 18 points.

Burns, who signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension on Tuesday, has posted three straight multi-point games, totaling two goals and four assists.

Burns has failed to register a point in three straight at home against Anaheim. However, one of the assists during his current run came on Patrick Marleau's game-winning goal with 23 seconds left in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday. San Jose led 2-1 in the final minute before rookie Aaron Dell surrendered the tying goal with 55 seconds remaining.

"We're finding ways to win, and they're close games, too, so we can build off of that," Marleau said after San Jose's seventh win in nine home games.

Martin Jones has been stellar in goal for the Sharks, stopping 59 of 60 shots in his last two games, but he has had a surprising lack of success when facing Anaheim. In eight career starts, Jones has a 1.63 goals-against average and .933 saver percentage but is just 3-5-0.

Special teams play has also had a hand in the Sharks' dominance at home against the Ducks in recent years. In the last 11 home games, San Jose has killed off 24 of Anaheim's 25 power plays.

Anaheim (9-8-4) is in the middle of the pack in the Pacific and just three points behind San Jose despite winning just three of 10 on the road this season. The Ducks suffered their third straight loss, 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

All of the losses in Anaheim's current skid have been by the same score, dropping the Ducks to 0-8-4 when scoring two goals or less.

"We've got to score goals. ... We've had opportunities, it's not like we're not trying, we're not playing," Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said Friday.

After scoring a career-best 31 in 2013-14, Getzlaf's goal-scoring dipped to 25 in 2014-15, then to 13 last season and just one this season. The 31-year-old center hasn't scored a goal in 15 straight games.

Linemate Corey Perry, also 31, has four goals in 20 games after averaging 36.6 in the previous three seasons. He has failed to score in 13 straight.

"With me and (Perry) not scoring the way we are right now, we need to put pucks in the net. We play a lot of minutes. We need to find ways to score goals," Getzlaf said.

A turnaround might not happen against the Sharks. Getzlaf has two assists, and Perry has had a goal and an assist in the past seven meetings.

With the loss to Chicago, John Gibson fell to 6-7-3 with a 2.62 GAA with a .906 save percentage and one shutout. Games on back-to-back days could signal that Ducks coach Randy Carlyle will go with Jonathan Bernier in goal.

In six starts this season, Bernier is 3-1-1 with a 2.04 GAA and .938 save percentage. One of the losses, though, came against the Sharks despite exiting after 20 minutes with an injury. In three career starts at San Jose, Bernier has allowed 14 goals for a 6.03 GAA.

 

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Grand Salami - November

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
11/1 12 66.5 57 UNDER
11/2 3 16.5 16 UNDER
11/3 12 65.5 65 UNDER
11/4 3 16 24 OVER
11/5 13 69 70 OVER
11/6 6 32 33 OVER
11/7 3 15 14 UNDER
11/8 10 55.5 60 OVER
11/9 3 15.5 11 UNDER
11/10 10 54.5 54 UNDER
11/11 6 31.5 30 UNDER
11/12 11 56.5 61 OVER
11/13 6 32 28 UNDER
11/14 1 5.5 4 UNDER
11/15 13 70.5 63 UNDER
11/16 2 10.5 11 OVER
11/17 10 53.5 52 UNDER
11/18 5 26 22 UNDER
11/19 11 57 53 UNDER
11/20 5 26 24 UNDER
11/21 7 37 36 UNDER
11/22 5 26.5 25 UNDER
11/23 12 64.5 68 OVER
11/24 2 10.5 7 UNDER
11/25 11 58.5 - -
11/26 9 - - -
11/27 6 - - -
11/28 2 - - -
11/29 12 - - -
11/30 3 - - -

 

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NHL

Saturday’s games

Washington won seven of last eight games with Toronto; three of last four series games stayed under the total. Caps won 6-2/4-2 in their last two visits to Toronto. Washington won four of last five games, but lost 5-1/2-1 in last two road games. Over is 5-3-2 in their last ten games. Maple Leafs lost their last three games, outscored 9-6; five of their last six home games went over the total.

Home side won last four Carolina-Ottawa games; Hurricanes are 6-4 in last ten series games, but they lost 6-4/2-1 in last two visits to Ottawa. Under is 3-2 in last five series games. Carolina won five of its last six games; under is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Ottawa won its last two games but lost three of its last four at home. Under is 7-2-1 in Senators’ last ten games.

Montreal won eight of last ten games with Detroit but lost last two visits here 3-2/4-3, in series where the home side won last six meetings. Canadiens lost four of last six games, losing 3-2 in each of last two road games. Red Wings lost four of last six games; under is 5-2-2 in their last nine games. Detroit lost four of its last five home games.

Penguins/Devils split last ten meetings, with seven of last eight staying under total. Devils lost three of last four visits to Steel City. New Jersey lost four of last five games after an OT setback last night; they were outscored 11-5 in losing last three road games. Three of their last four games went over total. Pittsburgh lost lost three of its last four games with last three going over total. Penguins split their last four home games.

Florida won three of its last four games with Columbus; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Blue Jackets lost 3-2/3-2 in their last two visits here- they’ve won five of their last seven games overall- over is 2-0-1 in their last three road games. Florida is won four of last six games, is 3-2 in last five at home; under is 2-0-1 in their last three games.

Blues won four of last five games with Minnesota; over is 1-1-6 in last eight series games. Wild lost three of last four visits here. Minnesota won 6-2/3-1 in its last two games; they’re 3-2 in last five on road. Under is 5-1-1 in Wild’s last seven games. St Louis won four of its last five games, won five of their last six at home; over is 3-1-2 in their last six games.

Colorado is 5-3 in its last eight games with Vancouver; Canucks won 5-2/3-1 in last two visits to Denver. Over is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Vancouver lost three of last four games, is 2-5 in its last seven road games; over is 6-3-2 in its last 11 games. Avalanche are 4-3 in last seven games but 2-3 in last five at home; under is 4-1-2 in their last seven games.

Home side won five of last six Chicago-Los Angeles games; Blackhawks lost 3-2/4-3 in last to visits to Staples. Over is 5-1-4 in last ten series games. Chicago won in Anaheim yesterday, is 3-3 on this long road trip; under is 3-1-2 in those six games- they scored four goals in last three games. Los Angeles won its last four games, allowing two goals in all four games; over is 3-0-1 in those four games.

Anaheim won three of its last four games with San Jose; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Ducks lost four of last five games in Shark Tank. Anaheim lost its last three games, all by 3-2 scores; they pushed total in last six games. Ducks lost two of their last three road games. San Jose won its last three games, outscoring foes 9-3; under is 4-0-3 in their last seven games.

 

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NBA roundup: Warriors run string to 10 straight
By The Sports Xchange

LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Durant had 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors won their 10th straight with a 109-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Staples Center.
Stephen Curry scored 24 points and dished out five assists for the Warriors (14-2), who own the best record in the NBA. Klay Thompson contributed 18 points and seven rebounds, while Draymond Green added 12 points and eight rebounds for Golden State, which beat the Lakers for the second time in three days.
Eight of the Warriors' victories during the streak have been in double figures.

Spurs 109, Celtics 103
BOSTON -- Kawhi Leonard took over down the stretch and San Antonio extended its three winning streaks with a victory that ended Boston's three-game winning streak.
The Spurs, who trailed by 14 points in the first half, rallied for their eighth straight win overall, their ninth in as many road games and also beat Boston for the 10th consecutive time.
Leonard, who finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, scored nine points in the fourth quarter -- all in the final 7:17 -- as the Spurs improved to 13-3.

Heat 90, Grizzlies 81
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Guard Tyler Johnson scored a game-high 22 points off the bench as Miami defeated Memphis at FedExForum to snap the Grizzlies' six-game winning streak.
Johnson, who matched his season high for points, also grabbed five rebounds and had two steals and a block.
The Heat led by as many as 17 points in the second half; Memphis never had a lead in the game and in the fourth quarter drew no closer than eight points after a put-back dunk by forward Troy Williams (9 points, 6 rebounds) at the 5:31 mark cut the lead to 78-70.

Raptors 105, Bucks 99
MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and almost single-handedly led Milwaukee back in the closing minutes, but DeMar DeRozan's 25 points helped Toronto to victory at the Bradley Center.
DeRozan hit 9 of 18 shots from the field, including a contested 16-footer with 16 seconds left. He also grabbed seven rebounds and finished with four assists.
Toronto got 19 points from Kyle Lowry and 14 from Demarre Carroll while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and hitting 14 of 31 3-pointers.

Knicks 113, Hornets 111 (OT)
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony's jumper with three seconds left in overtime gave New York a win over Charlotte at Madison Square Garden.
Anthony poured in a season-high 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose scored 16 points each for the Knicks.
Nicolas Batum led Charlotte (8-7), losers of four straight, with 18 points and Kemba Walker added 17 points, including the play that sent the game into overtime.

Pacers 118, Nets 97
INDIANAPOLIS -- Glenn Robinson III started in place of injured Paul George and scored a career-best 20 points, leading Indiana to a victory over Brooklyn.
The Pacers announced during the game that leading scorer George (20.8 points per game), who has lower back soreness, also will miss Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nov. 30 game at Portland.
Rodney Stuckey came off the bench to score 18 points for Indiana, Myles Turner and Al Jefferson each had 16, Monta Ellis added 14 and Thaddeus Young contributed 11. The Pacers shot a season best 55.2 percent from the field (48 of 87).

Jazz 95, Hawks 68
SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and George Hill added 23 to help Utah cruise to a commanding victory over Atlanta.
Rudy Gobert added 10 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high five blocked shots for Utah, while Trey Lyles chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The Jazz earned their first home victory over the Hawks since the 2008-09 season.
Dennis Schroder scored 16 points to lead Atlanta while Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha chipped in 11 apiece. The Hawks lost for the fourth time in five games.

Pistons 108, Clippers 97
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Marcus Morris led a balanced attack with 17 points and Detroit ended six years of futility against Los Angeles with a victory at The Palace.
The Pistons had lost 11 straight to the Clippers, including six at The Palace. Their last victory came in November 2010.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 points and a career-high 10 assists and Andre Drummond collected his 11th double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Ish Smith had 16 points and seven assists, Tobias Harris chipped in 15 points, and reserve forward Jon Leuer added 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the victory.

Cavaliers 128, Mavericks 90
CLEVELAND -- Kevin Love scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and stayed hot from the 3-point line in Cleveland's dismantling of Dallas.
Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 11 assists and Tristan Thompson scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. None of them played the fourth quarter in a game that was long over by halftime.
A 3-pointer from Love, one of seven he made Friday, extended the lead to 68-28 in the second quarter. One game after he scored 34 points in the first quarter on Wednesday, Love made seven more 3-pointers Friday to give him 15 in the last two games. He made 18 through the first 12 games of the season.

Bulls 105, 76ers 89
PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade scored 26 points apiece as Chicago closed out a six-game road trip with a rout of Philadelphia.
Taj Gibson contributed 12 points and Robin Lopez had 10 for Chicago, which went 4-2 on the trip. Rajon Rondo finished with six points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.
The Bulls never trailed and led by as many as 28 points. Butler made 10 of 15 shots from the floor and did not play in the fourth quarter.
The 34-year-old Wade, in his first year with Chicago after 13 with Miami, sank 11 of 18 shots from the field and departed with 7:13 left in the game.

Wizards 94, Magic 91
ORLANDO, Fla. -- John Wall scored six of his 26 points in the final two minutes to deliver Washington a win over Orlando at Amway Center.
The Wizards lost an early 19-point lead as they took advantage of 15 Magic turnovers in the first half. Orlando clawed its way back thanks to a stellar defensive effort that held the Wizards to 6-of-29 shooting from beyond the arc.
Washington made the shots when they counted, though, including two by Otto Porter to help erase a four-point Orlando lead in the fourth quarter.
Porter scored 19 points and Bradley Beal added 14 points for the Wizards.

Timberwolves 98, Suns 85
PHOENIX -- Minnesota forward Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, and center Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 and 10 rebounds and the Timberwolves pulled away to defeat Phoenix at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Wiggins and Towns took advantage of defensive mismatches to score 14 points in the final seven minutes, helping Minnesota break a three-game losing streak.
Zach LaVine had 13 points and Gorgui Dieng and Ricky Rubio had 11 apiece as the Timberwolves finished on a 24-5 run after forward P.J. Tucker's free throw gave the Suns an 80-74 led with 7:13 remaining.

Thunder 132, Nuggets 127 (OT)
DENVER -- Russell Westbrook had 36 points, 18 assists and 12 rebounds to spark a late rally and lead Oklahoma City past Denver in overtime.
Westbrook scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and finished an assist shy of his career high. Victor Oladipo had 26 points for the Thunder, which ended a three-game skid.
Wilson Chandler led a depleted Denver roster with a season-high 30 points 11 rebounds and Jameer Nelson had 21 points and 13 assists, both season highs for him.

Rockets 117, Kings 104
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Trevor Ariza scored all 18 of his points on six 3-pointers and Houston was dialed in from long distance in a victory over Sacramento at Golden 1 Center.
Ariza knocked down 6 of 11 3-pointers and the Rockets finished with a season-best 21 in shooting their way to their fourth win in five games.
Seven players scored in double digits for Houston, and seven knocked made at least one 3-pointer.

Trail Blazers 119, Pelicans 104
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard had 27 points and 11 assists to lead Portland past New Orleans at Moda Center.
CJ McCollum scored 24 points and Mason Plumlee contributed 12 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Trail Blazers, who had lost five of their previous six outings.
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans (6-11), whose four-game win streak ended.

 

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Preview: Knicks (8-7) at Hornets (8-7)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE -- The Charlotte Hornets won't have too much time to dwell on giving up a 13-point lead to the New York Knicks, only to lose 113-111 in overtime on Friday in New York.

The two teams will go at it again on Saturday in Charlotte.

The Hornets have lost in overtime in two of their last four games.

Forward Carmelo Anthony sank a jumper with three seconds left in overtime to lift the Knicks (8-7) to their third straight win and sixth straight at Madison Square Garden. It was the 18th time in his career that Anthony delivered a game-winning shot.

"He (Anthony) is going to get a good shot up," said Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. "He's got the experience and the size.

"He makes big shots. It's a luxury to have. He was fantastic tonight."

The nine-time All-Star poured in a season-high 35 points and 14 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose scored 16 points each for the Knicks.

Anthony had a chance to win it for the Knicks in regulation, but his fade away jumper was off.

"When I missed that one, I had a good look at it," Anthony said. "I felt like I could get that same look again off of a different move rather than facing up, put the defender on my back and make him make a decision after that."

Marco Belinelli led Charlotte (8-7), losers of four straight, with 19 points. Nicolas Batum just missed out on a triple-double, tallying 18 points, nine rebounds and a team-high nine assists and Kemba Walker scored 17 points, including the play that sent the game into overtime.

Over his last four games, Belinelli is averaging 16.8 points while hitting 15-of-24 from beyond the arc (62.5 percent).

The Hornets surrendered a 70-57 in the third quarter. New York responded with a 22-4 run to take a 79-74 lead going into the fourth. Anthony accumulated 11 points in the quarter.

"The biggest difference was that stretch in the third quarter," said Hornets coach Steve Clifford. "We played a good first half. We played a good fourth quarter. (Derrick) Rose made a big shot (to take a three-point lead at the end of regulation) and (Carmelo) Anthony made three contested shots.

"The one time we doubled (him), he found (Kristaps) Porzingis for three. It really came down to that. Guys making plays and their guys made plays.

"If we're not more physical it's not going to work out for us. We're going to have to have everyone fighting for the ball."

Center Cody Zeller returned from a three-game absence, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Hornets and forward Frank Kaminsky added 13 points and nine rebounds in 40 minutes off the bench.

Charlotte's Marvin Williams left in the third quarter and did not return (hyper-extended left knee). Knicks center Joakim Noah returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with flu-like symptoms. He played 17 minutes, scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds.

 

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Preview: Spurs (13-3) at Wizards (5-9)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Wizards won their first road game of the season Friday night. Now John Wall and crew must hand the San Antonio Spurs their first road setback in order to keep Washington's modest win streak going.

The Spurs (13-3) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter at Boston for a 109-103 victory over the Celtics on Friday. Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and 10 rebounds.

"It was a great win for us against the really active team," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

San Antonio improved to 9-0 on the road and extended its overall winning streak to eight games.

The Wizards (5-9) can't dare to dream so extravagantly after a slow start, but perhaps they're turning the corner.

Wall scored 26 points, including the final seven for Washington in Friday's 94-91 win at the Orlando Magic. The point guard also had 10 assists and three steals while fueling a defensive effort that forced 19 turnovers.

"He's one of the best players in the league," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "His game and the way he attacks pick and rolls, the way he can guard, his length, his toughness. That's what he does. He's a two-way player. ... A couple extra more minutes than I would've liked, but we needed all the minutes out there for him."

All five starters for Washington played at least 32 minutes, topped by Wall's 39. Washington couldn't rely on its lackluster second unit as Orlando rallied from 17 points down in the first quarter to an 83-79 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat and Wall took over offensively for the Wizards, who quickly retook the lead by holding the Magic without a point over five possessions.

"I think in that time span (late fourth), we got five stops in a row to close out the game. That is very important for us to do to get ourselves back into the game. As long as we have that mindset that we are going to defend and that we are going to be tougher, we have to do a better job of rebounding and if we had rebounded I think it would have been a bigger margin than what it was."

While Washington receives little production from its second unit, San Antonio's reserves had 56 points and 17 rebounds against Boston. Patty Mills scored a season-best 19 points and rookie Davis Bertans had a career-best 15 points. Veteran David Lee also had 15 and 12 rebounds in under 18 minutes.

"He's been playing really well," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Lee, who he coached early last season. "You kind of saw that toward the end of last year when he was with Dallas and he's been a really good fit."

 

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Preview: Pistons (8-9) at Thunder (9-8)

Date: November 26, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The first part of the NBA season continues to be a roller coaster for the Oklahoma City Thunder. From winning six of their first seven games to dropping seven of their last 10, the revamped team has been anything but predictable.

Coming off Friday night's overtime victory in Denver, the Thunder (9-8) completed a three-game road trip, their longest of the season so far. And they return home looking for answers for a variety of issues that seem to be hurting the team.

One of those is Oklahoma City's inability to defend the 3-point line with any tenacity. In their last 10 games, they are allowing teams to shoot 42 percent from deep, which is the worst in the NBA during that span.

"That's the next step that we have to take from a defensive perspective -- the awareness, the understanding and the decision-making," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told NBA.com. "We're doing a much better job of being in the right spots, but once we're in that spot and have to get out to the 3-point line, there have been times we've been slow getting there or we've lost our man on the back side with exchanges. There have been times where we've given too much help."

On Nov. 20, the Thunder allowed the Indiana Pacers to shoot 11 of 22 from 3-point range. Two nights later, the Los Angeles Lakers also knocked down 11 from behind the arc. Even in a win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Thunder allowed them to hit 11 3-pointers.

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who has given up his share of uncontested 3-pointers, says it comes down to focus.

"It's just being focused on when to help and when not to help," Westbrook said, "having a real sense of urgency on that aspect to not give up so many threes."

When Oklahoma City faced Detroit earlier in the month, 3-point shooting was not a problem. The Pistons won despite knocking down only 5-of-16.

In the Nov. 14 matchup, Detroit was also without the services of center Andre Drummond. When the Thunder and Pistons meet in Oklahoma City, Drummond will be in the lineup with his 14.9 points, 14 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 steals.

However, Detroit will not have guard Reggie Bullock after he suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee during Wednesday's win over Miami.

"Reggie's a pretty even-keel guy, so he's fine outwardly," coach Stan Van Gundy told Mlive.com. "But I know he's frustrated, because he wasn't ready to go at the beginning of the year and that cost him some time. And then he had worked his way back in the rotation. It's just really unfortunate for him."

The Pistons have already been missing guard Reggie Jackson with a fracture in his foot. The loss of Bullock weakens an already depleted Detroit backcourt.

The one piece of good news is that the Pistons expect to get Jackson back in early December. However, that doesn't help them when Van Gundy looks down the Detroit bench to find a defender to put in front of Westbrook, who had another triple-double Friday.

But Van Gundy wants to see what type of mindset his Pistons can take on the road as they face a new round of adversity.

"That's the kind of resilience we had a year ago. We haven't necessarily had that all the time this year," Van Gundy said. "It was really good to see. Now the challenge is to bring that same mindset and effort on the road. We've got four in a row on the road, all against good teams, all of them .500 or better. It's going to be a really tough week -- four games in seven days -- it's going to be difficult, so we've got to bring the same mindset and energy on the road."

 

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Preview: Grizzlies (10-6) at Heat (5-10)

Date: November 26, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Let's do it again.

After the Miami Heat beat the host Memphis Grizzlies 90-81 on Friday night, the teams fly south for the home-and-home rematch on Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Miami's win on Friday was improbable given the fact that the Heat were without two injured starters in point guard Goran Dragic (strained left elbow) and small forward Justise Winslow (sore left wrist).

In addition, center Hassan Whiteside, who entered Friday night leading the NBA in rebounding (15.4) and ranking second in blocks (2.57) while averaging 18.3 points, had a quiet night due to foul trouble.

He was whistled for three fouls in a 68-second span of the third quarter and scored just four points on 1-for-6 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and two blocks.

Miami had just one player score over 15 points, and that man -- reserve guard Tyler Johnson -- pretty much stole the game for the Heat, making 8-of-17 shots from the floor while grabbing five rebounds.

It was a big win for the Heat (5-10), who snapped a two-game losing skid while also ending a six-game win streak for the Grizzlies (10-6).

Saturday night's rematch in Miami may be more about will than skill. These two teams figure to be fairly gassed after playing on Friday and flying in late night.

The Grizzlies, who shot just 35.4 percent from the floor on Friday, including 21.1 percent on 3-pointers (4-of-19), had been playing well until this emotional letdown.

There was a reason for that letdown, however, and it may continue.

Memphis is without power forward Zach Randolph indefinitely. He is mourning the loss of his mother, Mae Randolph, who passed away on Thanksgiving.

Mae was a single mom, raising Zach and his three siblings on her own, and the burly NBA standout is no doubt feeling her loss.

"We have to take care of our brother," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale told the media on Friday, which is when Mae Randolph's death was confirmed. "Losing his mom on Thanksgiving was devastating."

Without Randolph -- who has been described as Memphis' spiritual leader -- the Grizzlies were out of sorts all night against Miami. The Heat never trailed and led by as many as 17 points.

The Grizzlies used star point guard Mike Conley off the bench as he deals with a restriction on his overall minutes.

Conley, who signed a five-year, $153 million contract extension this past summer, scored 16 points in 23 minutes. It was the first time he did not start a game since Jan. 3, 2012, when he was returning from an ankle injury.

Three Grizzlies players are out with injuries: small forwards James Ennis (strained calf) and Chandler Parsons (left knee bone bruise) and power forward Brandan Wright (left ankle tendinitis). Ennis, a former Heat player, and Parsons, a Florida native, should return in two weeks. Wright is out one more month.

To add depth, Memphis called up 6-4 rookie combo guard David Baldwin from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League. He averaged 18.5 points in two games with Iowa.

Memphis had just 11 players available on Friday, and Miami had 10.

Given all that, it's safe to expect more turbulence from both offenses on Saturday.

Memphis is 25th in the NBA in scoring. Miami is 28th in the league in scoring.

Whiteside, who fouled out on Friday, figures to bounce back offensively on Saturday, and that would help the Heat immensely.

But if he doesn't put up big scoring numbers, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will still take his other contributions.

"The boxscore does not tell the true impact Hassan had on this game," Spoelstra told the media when asked about Whiteside, who at times faced a zone-defense look against Memphis. "He had a great impact.

"He even had some (inspiring) words for his teammates. He wanted them to follow his lead, and we certainly did that defensively."

Miami's offense, on the other hand, will likely be without its quarterback again on Saturday as Dragic said he shouldn't have played Miami's previous game due to his elbow injury, and he is not about to make the same mistake twice.

"When I dribble, when I shoot the ball, when I pass the ball," Dragic said, "I cannot extend my elbow."

 

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Preview: Timberwolves (5-10) at Warriors (14-2)

Date: November 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two teams that played Friday and traveled after the game will get their depth checked Saturday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors meet for the first time this season.

The Timberwolves had to work the harder of the two Friday, rallying from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Phoenix to overtake the Suns 98-85.

Minnesota outscored Phoenix 31-10 in the final period to end a three-game losing streak.

"Our best fourth quarter of the year," gushed Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau afterward. "Things weren't going well in that game, but the fight was there and we just kept working the game and the game turned."

Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns scored seven points apiece in the comeback, which extracted a toll from the Timberwolves.

Wiggins wound up playing 41 of the 48 minutes and three other starters, including Towns, at least 35, leaving Minnesota in less-than-ideal shape Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

That said, the youthful Timberwolves have responded well to the adversity of the NBA schedule this season, winning on the back half of a consecutive-nights sequence both times they have encountered it.

Neither of those wins, however, has come at the expense of a two-time defending conference champ.

The Warriors have played like a three-peat candidate of late, winning 10 in a row, including 109-85 on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

No Golden State starter played more than 36 minutes in the wire-to-wire effort.

The Warriors nonetheless will have an incentive when they take the court Saturday -- to play better than Friday.

"It was one of the worst basketball games I've seen in my life," Warriors coach Steve Kerr insisted to reporters afterward. "We were awful, and they were awful. The people who bought tickets should get their money back, honestly."

Kerr is making no such claim about his home fans. They have witnessed Golden State win its last five home games by an average of 20.6 points.

The Warriors, who had to jettison much of their depth in order to create space to sign Kevin Durant in the offseason, have not played their best basketball this season on the second night of back-to-backs.

One of their two losses -- 117-97 to the Lakers -- came in the second game of a consecutive-night scheduling, and they had to hang on for a 124-121 win at Milwaukee the day after a blowout win at Boston last week.

The Timberwolves won the most recent meeting with the Warriors, handing Golden State one of its nine losses last season, 124-117 in overtime on April 5.

Wiggins (32) and Towns (20) combined for 52 points in that shocker, but it was backup Shabazz Muhammad who stunned the Warriors that night with 35 points.

Muhammad played a scoreless seven minutes off the bench Friday night in Phoenix.

The Warriors had won seven straight and 14 of 15 over Minnesota before the April matchup.