Saturday 12/31/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Chelsea

v

Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		1/4	21/4	14	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWAWAWHW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 3 - 0 1 - 0	AWHWALHDHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea have won their last 12 Premier League matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea are two matches short of equalling the Premier League record for consecutive victories and they should make it 13 wins on the spin when Stoke visit Stamford Bridge. Top goalscorer Diego Costa and influential midfielder N'Golo Kane return from suspension and the Blues can keep a five straight clean sheet.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Leicester

v

West Ham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		11/10	13/5	27/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEICESTER	RECENT FORM
ALALHWALADHL​ Most recent​	2 - 2 2 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 2	ALHLADHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Leicester have kept one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Fallen champions Leicester are in a relegation dogfight and they will be dragged into deeper trouble if this result goes against them. The Foxes were excellent defensively last season but are really struggling for clean sheets this term which should encourage West Ham to attack in what should be a high-scoring battle.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Southampton

v

West Brom

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		8/11	11/4	9/2	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOUTHAMPTON	RECENT FORM
ALHDHWADAWHL​ Most recent​	3 - 0 0 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 3	ADHWALHWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Brom have scored one goal in their last six matches against Southampton

EXPERT VERDICT: West Brom could land an upset at St Mary's after being well rested since Monday whereas Southampton played with ten men in Wednesday's 4-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham. Saints like to play on the counter but that won't be possible against a defensively-minded West Brom, who could land a sucker punch if the hosts get tired.

RECOMMENDATION: West Brom
1


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Burnley

v

Sunderland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		7/5	9/4	23/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BURNLEY	RECENT FORM
HLALHWALALHW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 3 - 1 2 - 2 0 - 2	ALHWALHLHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Burnley have collected 19 of their 20 points at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Turf Moor has been a fortress for Burnley this season but they may have to settle for a point against Sunderland in a huge match for the Black Cats. Sunderland have won four of their last eight games and, apart from a shocker against Swansea, the other defeats in this decent spell came against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Man Utd

v

Middlesbro

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		1/4	5	15	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
ADAWHWAWAWHW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 0 3 - 1 4 - 1	ADHWALHLHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Middlesbrough have scored just seven away goals this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United are on the march and they look a solid bet to land another three points against powder-puff Middlesbrough. There is no doubt that Boro are a well-organised unit but they offer little in the final third and are unlikely to repeat the efforts which earned them draws at Manchester City and Arsenal.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Lee Mason STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Swansea

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Bournemouth

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		19/10	12/5	8/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA	RECENT FORM
HWALHWALALHL​ Most recent​	2 - 2 1 - 2 4 - 2 1 - 0	ALHWALHWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea have conceded 41 Premier League goals this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Bob Bradley has been sacked but he may not have been the only issue at Swansea and the Welsh club could be heading for another defeat when Bournemouth head to the Liberty Stadium. Eddie Howe's visitors were unfortunate to lose 3-0 at Chelsea last time out and a similar level of performance can be rewarded with maximum points.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
1


REFEREE: Kevin Friend STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: 'Canes edge 'Hawks
By The Sports Xchange

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Cam Ward made 27 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes survived another close game, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday night at PNC Arena.
Elias Lindholm, Lee Stempniak and Jay McClement scored for the Hurricanes, who increased their home-ice points streak to 11 consecutive games.
Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempny's first career goal and Vinnie Hinostroza had Chicago's other goal. Scott Darling stopped 25 shots.

Predators 4, Blues 0
ST. LOUIS -- Yannick Weber and Filip Forsberg scored 2:34 apart in the second period and Juuse Saros earned his first career shutout to lead Nashville over St. Louis.
Saros, making his sixth start of the season and seventh of his career, stopped 25 shots in handing the Blues only their second shutout of the season, their first at home. A 21-year-old native of Finland, Saros has allowed only seven goals total in his six games this season.
Viktor Arvidsson and Colin Wilson scored the other Predators goals.

Sharks 2, Flyers 0
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Aaron Dell posted his first career shutout as San Jose Sharks continued its mastery of Philadelphia at SAP Center.
The 27-year-old back-up goalie stopped 21 shots to improve his record to 4-1 during only his fifth start and sixth appearance of the season.
Patrick Marleau scored a first-period power-play goal and defenseman Justin Braun added insurance late in the third to provide Dell with his offensive support.

Canucks 3, Ducks 2 (OT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Henrik Sedin's goal with 59 seconds left in overtime gave Vancouver a comeback victory over Anaheim.
Sedin converted a two-on-one with Loui Eriksson, putting a high shot past Ducks goaltender John Gibson. Eriksson and Jack Skille also tallied for the Canucks.
Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell scored in regulation for the Ducks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (13-14) at Bruins (19-15)

Date: December 31, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Back in the old days of the NHL, when there were six teams in the league, home-and-home series were commonplace, with the teams playing in one city on Saturday night and even riding the same train to play in the other the next.

And Game 2 would often boil over because of incidents that may have happened in Game 1.

The amount of teams, and the lower number of back-to-backs, have cut down on these two-game mini-series. And when we do see them now they're usually accompanied by a travel day -- by chartered jet in between.

The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres meet Saturday at TD Garden, two days after the Bruins rallied from two goals down and defeated the Sabres 4-2.

But just because there's a day in between, you can't automatically eliminate carryover from the first game.

On Thursday night, Boston's David Backes took a hit to the head from Buffalo's William Carrier and made his way to the dressing room, officially with an upper-body injury.

"He's being assessed today and (the organization) should produce something when they know more," Bruins coach Claude Julien said Friday. "Obviously he's seeing the doctors and he's seeing everybody else. That's all I have."

Carrier will not face league discipline, which means he could be on the ice and available for some "discipline" Saturday -- unless he can't play after aggravating a hand injury in a fight with Adam McQuaid. The Boston defenseman sought some revenge but wound up getting cut in the fight because he was held by one of the linesmen. Carrier cut his hand.

The Bruins ended a two-game losing streak with the comeback win and finished 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip. The victory also got them back with as many wins as losses -- 19-15-4.

"We showed that we can battle back," said Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. "I think the really good thing was that we battled back in the second and then in the third we just took it to them. We weren't afraid to lose the game, we wanted to win it."

"It should give us a boost for the next game," said Boston's David Krejci, who tied the game 2-2 after Patrice Bergeron started the comeback and before Ryan Spooner tallied twice, the second into an empty net. "We have to focus and be ready from the puck drop, not just when we're down a couple goals. We have to start playing right away, that's what we have to focus on."

The Bruins have often been victims of poor starts, falling behind by either two or three goals in six of their last 12 games -- and of playing poorly at home, where they are just 8-9-0 this season.

It was the first time since 1993 that the Sabres didn't earn at least one point in the front end of a home-and-home set with the rival Bruins -- Buffalo was 4-0-2 in those games before Thursday.

Rask blanked the Sabres 4-0 in Boston on Nov. 7. Former Boston University star Jack Eichel was injured for that game but will have a homecoming Saturday.

The Bruins are 10-1-2 in their last 13 games against Buffalo, 5-1-2 in their last eight at home.

The Sabres have lost five of their last six (1-3-2) to drop to 13-14-8. They are tied for last in the Eastern Conference, but the Bruins have lost four of their last five at home and three of the losses were to last-place teams.

Buffalo's Kyle Okposo, who scored Thursday, has five goals and 23 points in 26 career games against the Bruins, but the Sabres were unable to hold the early 2-0 lead.

"We were mentally ready for this game," Marcus Foligno said of the strong start. "I mean, everyone was mentally ready. It's frustrating because you have such a good first period and you can't get it going again in the second and the third."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (20-9) at Devils (14-15)

Date: December 31, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils conclude a home-and-home set and close out calendar year on Saturday afternoon when they square off at the Prudential Center.

The Devils skated to a 2-1 shootout victory in Washington on Thursday night, their first win over the Capitals since December 2014, a span of seven head-to-head meetings.

Keith Kinkaid, New Jersey's backup goaltender, made his ninth start of the season Thursday and turned in a magnificent game-stealing performance. He stopped 43 of 44 shots through regulation and overtime, and then both shots he faced in the shootout.

"He made some unbelievable saves," Devils forward Miles Wood told NorthJersey.com. "Overall, we owe this one to him."

However, the question remains whether Kinkaid will get the opportunity to follow up his best outing of the season with another start on Saturday. Devils coach John Hynes did not announce after practice Friday if Kinkaid or the team's No. 1 goaltender, Cory Schneider, would get the call in the rematch.

"Keith got a lot of work (Thursday) night, a lot of shots," Hynes said. "He came up big. He hasn't played a lot of time going back to back. It's how he feels, how are we going to deal with Cory, those are the things you want to take into consideration. That's why we haven't made a decision yet."

Thursday's victory was only the second for New Jersey in its last 11 games (2-8-1). The Devils have not won consecutive games since Dec. 3-6.

P.A. Parenteau scored New Jersey's only non-shootout goal in the win over Washington. Parenteau has scored goals in consecutive games and has netted five in his last eight contests.

The Capitals enter play Saturday with just one win in their last five games (1-2-2). Three of their last four losses (0-2-1) have come against Metropolitan Division rivals, including Thursday's against New Jersey. The Capitals have already suffered more regulation defeats within their division this year (4-6-4) then all last season when they posted a 20-5-5 record in such games.

Despite the home-ice loss their last time out, the Capitals did plenty of good things against the Devils. They unleashed a season-high 44 shots on goal, while attempting 78 shots in total.

"I thought we played pretty well and had chances," Washington's Jay Beagle said told the team's web site. "It was just a matter of putting it in the back of the net. (Kinkaid) stood on his head."

Following practice on Friday, Capitals coach Barry Trotz said that he does not expect any lineup changes for the rematch against the Devils. Rookie Jakub Vrana, who has only one goal in 12 games this season, likely will be a healthy scratch for the second straight contest.

Trotz added that the struggling Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has only three goals in 33 games and who had an egregious turnover on Parenteau's goal Thursday, would remain in the lineup for Washington.

"(Kuznetsov is) an important player for us," Trotz told reporters Friday. "If I sat out everybody who turns the puck over or has a bad shift in a game, I'd run out of players. He knows he made a mistake. He understands that. So, we move on."

While the Capitals have a healthy roster, the Devils will once again be without two injured forwards. Taylor Hall is out on a day-to-day basis with a lower-body injury; while Vernon Fiddler is expected to miss the next three-to-four weeks, also with a lower-body injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (25-5) at Wild (23-8)

Date: December 31, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau joked that he wanted to skip Friday's practice after Minnesota won its 12th game in a row on Thursday against the New York Islanders.

The Wild had a day between home games, leading to valuable practice time at this point of the season. But Boudreau knew the rhetoric following practice would fall on Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The buildup started before Thursday, when Minnesota extended its franchise-best streak and Columbus held up its end by winning its 14th straight game. Saturday features the first meeting of two teams on winning streaks of at least 12 games, according to STATS.

In fact, it's the first time in NHL history two teams have had concurrent win streaks of at least 12 games. Now, they meet.

"That's nuts," Wild forward Chris Stewart said.

Minnesota forward Erik Haula added: "It's quite interesting. We're just going to prepare like it's another game and just try to play like we've been playing. Try not to think about them too much, just try to focus on our team and what we can do, maybe, better."

Both teams say they are approaching Saturday as if it's another regular-season game. Indeed, it's midway through the regular season. Few regular-season games offer the same type of hype.

The Blue Jackets are at least going to enjoy the atmosphere in Minnesota.

"I want our guys to revel in it," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "I think we have to play better. I don't think we've been on top of our game. We have won, but I don't think we've outplayed teams, by any means, the last little while.

"Athletes look to hang their hat on something. In a grind of a season, certainly not even close to anything of a playoff, it's a good game to be involved in. I'm glad we've got the opportunity."

Columbus has the league's best offense, averaging 3.44 goals per game. The Wild have the stingiest defense, allowing 2.0 goals per game.

The Blue Jackets know what they need to beat Minnesota's defense and goaltender Devan Dubnyk.

"Just use our speed," Columbus forward Nick Foligno said. "I think that's been a big difference in our club, the speed at which we play, whether it's on the regroups, neutral zone attack, getting out of our defensive zone. Those are all things that help on the offensive zone and that's something we're going to have to do against a really good team."

The Blue Jackets lost in a shootout at Florida on Nov. 26. Their last regulation loss was Nov. 23. Minnesota hasn't lost since Dec. 2 in overtime against Calgary. The Wild's last regulation loss was Nov. 29.

"They have a will to win," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said of his team. "I mean, they like this. I'm sure Columbus is the same way. They like winning. Columbus gets down early and they say, 'OK, we've got to pick it up a notch,' and they're able to do it. It's a very tough stretch."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (15-12) at Lightning (18-15)

Date: December 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- Carolina enjoys a strong home-ice advantage.

The road, however, has not been quite as kind.

So the Hurricanes hope to jump on a jittery Tampa Bay Lightning team prone to falling behind in order to turn around some road woes.

Carolina extended its home point streak to 11 games (10-0-1) and improved to 11-3-1 at PNC Arena this season after beat Chicago on Friday. Away from PNC, though, the Hurricanes have won just five of 20 games this season with a 5-9-6 record.

With a trip to Tampa for a New Year's Eve meeting against the Lightning, Carolina hopes to carry over the home vibe at Amalie Arena.

"We are gaining confidence, we've done that the last little while and we are kind of firing on all cylinders at home," said center Jay McClement, who had the game-winning goal against Chicago on Friday. "We just need to continue to do that on the road."

The task won't be easy for Carolina, which remains without defenseman Justin Faulk and then lost forward Elias Lindholm to an undisclosed upper-body injury during Friday's victory against the Blackhawks.

"That's where your depth comes in to play and you need guys to step in and fill in the holes," Carolina goaltender Cam Ward said. "Those are key injuries, guys that are very important to our hockey club but we have confidence in the guys that have to step in. They work extremely hard off the ice take care of themselves and wait for an opportunity like this.

The Lightning are not one to feel sorry for another team dealing with injuries. Tampa Bay has now played more than a month without captain Steven Stamkos due to surgery for a partially torn meniscus and continues to deal with the loss of 2016 Vezina Trophy finalist goaltender Ben Bishop. In total the Lightning have endured 93 man games lost to injury on the season.

That could be a factor in some of the Lightning's sloppy play over the past month, prone to falling behind, which Tampa Bay has done in allowing the opening goal of the game in 24-of-37 games this season.

"We can't go losing (at the start) of every game," said left wing Ondrej Palat, who has two goals in two games since returning from injury. "We need to do something about our starts."

With Bishop out until at least the middle of January, Tampa Bay will continue to rely on former first-round draft pick Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has started all four games since Bishop was lost on Dec. 20 with an undisclosed lower-body injury. While Vasilevskiy is 2-1-1 since assuming the No. 1 role -- all four games have come in a back-to-back situation -- his .884 save percentage and 3.09 goals against average need to improve to keep the Lightning in the playoff race.

"Right now it's been tough for me because I've struggled a bit the past couple of games," Vasilevskiy said. "The team has played well and I've just given up some stupid goals on my mistakes and that's why we lost a couple of games. But, things happen and I'll keep working."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (22-9) at Penguins (24-8)

Date: December 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- Finding one reliable goalie can be a challenge to an NHL coach.

The Pittsburgh Penguins own two such goalies, and the importance of possessing that depth is evident to coach Mike Sullivan.

With the Penguins rolling along with an 11-1-2 record in December heading into their New Year's Eve game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, an injury to Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray could have been disruptive.

Instead, Sullivan is plugging in another Stanley Cup winner, franchise netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, who is playing his best hockey of the season.

"In times like this, we're fortunate we have two guys who are capable as these two guys are," Sullivan said. "We believe we have two No. 1 goaltenders. We've tried to manage these guys in such a way we keep both in it. I believe they have responded well."

Fleury couldn't have responded much better Wednesday night, coming off the bench after two periods with the Penguins down 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes and Murray hurting with a lower-body injury. Fleury went on to stop all 19 shots he faced as the Penguins rallied to win 3-2 - the seventh time they've won when trailing after two periods this season.

Fleury beat the New Jersey Devils in a home-and-home series before that game, and he's 5-0-1 in his last six games - a big improvement over his 6-5-3 record to start the season.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien knows the value of a strong backup goalie, too. Al Montoya doesn't get much playing time behind All-Star goalie Carey Price, but he shut out the Penguins 4-0 on Oct. 18 by making 36 saves. Montoya also was in net for a 3-2 win Thursday at Florida that ended an 0-2-1 stretch for the Canadiens (22-9-5).

"We didn't quit, and we were deserving of that win," Therrien said.

Fleury doesn't know if he'll be with the Penguins (24-8-5) at the end of the season - Murray has a new three-year contract, and Fleury could be dealt at the trading deadline. So, for now, he's trying to make the best of sharing a job that, for more than a decade, was his alone.

"It's a long season and a lot of things can happen -- it's very close to make the playoffs, every night is important, and (getting) two points is fortunate," Fleury said. "So it's fortunate we have good guys who can play."

Plus a couple of centers who can play the game, too.

Sidney Crosby is on a season-long scoring surge with 26 goals in 31 games, and a goal in each of his last five games. Evgeni Malkin (39 points) is also among the league's top three scorers and has six goals and 19 points in 14 games this month.

Crosby is scoring goals at a nearly goal-a-game pace, which has been seldom seen since the 1980s. Sullivan is appreciative of what he's seeing from the two-time Stanley Cup champion captain on a nightly basis.

"He's playing inspiring hockey for us," Sullivan said. "He can beat you so many different ways. He can play a power game. He can play a finesse game, he can beat you off the rush, he can beat you in a grind game underneath the hash marks, Sid can generate offense in various ways. That's what makes him as good as he is.

"It's hard to score in this league. Teams defend hard. Goaltending is as good as it's ever been, so it's hard to score. The way he's playing right now, to accomplish what he is at this point of the season, it's just been tremendous to watch. He's as driven a guy as I've seen in the game. He has an insatiable appetite to be the best."

It's also hard to stay around long in the league, yet Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will play in his 800th career game Saturday night - probably with Price back in goal. Weber spent his first 11 seasons with the Nashville Predators before being dealt to Montreal last summer.

"It feels like it just started, but it's been a long time," Weber told the team's website. "Some guys don't get the chance to play for a long time. You've got to enjoy every minute. And, before you know it, you get to 800 games. I've been very fortunate."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (14-15) at Jets (17-18)

Date: December 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Jaroslav Halak will not be raising a glass to bring in the new year with his New York Islanders' teammates after their game against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday night.

That's because the 31-year-old Slovak was placed on waivers Friday morning following a dismal performance the previous day in a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Halak not only surrendered four goals on 24 shots before being pulled, but gave up three goals in the span of 80 seconds in the second period. In fairness to Halak, the Wild are the second-hottest team in the NHL and are riding a 12-game winning streak.

Halak wasn't told of the news until the Islanders landed in Winnipeg early Friday. He returned immediately to New York and is expected to report to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

Islanders coach Jack Capuano expressed his displeasure with Halak following Thursday's loss.

"We needed a better effort from Jaro, quite honestly. Four goals on 24 shots isn't going to get it done. Jaro wasn't sharp at all, he gave up some soft goals and we had to battle back," he told reporters.

It's hard to argue that the Islanders need a spark. They're currently last in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 14-15-6 and 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference.

The Jets could use a little something, too, after a spirited 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the MTS Centre on Thursday. In fairness to them, the Jackets are the hottest team in the league with a 14-game winning streak.

The loss marked the seventh time this season that the Jets were unable to turn a two-game winning streak into a three-game run and that's playing a big part in them sitting outside of the playoff picture.

If they want a glimmer of hope of working toward that goal on the last day of 2016, they should consider getting a start on their New Year's resolutions of improving their specialty teams. The Jets are currently 21st on the power play with a success rate of 16.3 and 27th on the penalty kill (76.5 percent).

The Islanders' visit marks the first meeting of the season between the Jets and their long-time captain, Andrew Ladd, who was signed to a hefty contract as a free agent last summer - seven years for a total of $38.5 million. The Jets shipped Ladd to Chicago prior to last season's trading deadline.

The Jets will be without the player traded for Ladd, winger Marko Dano, who left Thursday's game with a lower-body injury after crashing into the end boards at high speed. He is expected to be out a minimum of several weeks.

"I was not overly optimistic last night and I wasn't any more optimistic this morning but he has to see the doctors," coach Paul Maurice said after practice on Friday.

Halak had a record of 6-8-5 in 21 games this season with a 3.23 goals-against average and a save percentage of .904. In 388 career games with the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and Islanders, his record is 206-123-42 with a 2.42 GAA and a save percentage of .916.

Halak was acquired from the Capitals in a trade on May 1, 2014. He was subsequently signed to a four-year, $18-million contract that is due to expire at the end of next season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (25-12) at Avalanche (12-22)

Date: December 31, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Strength goes up against weakness when the New York Rangers travel to Colorado to take on the Avalanche on Saturday night.

The Rangers are looking for their 12th win in their last 16 road games, and if recent history at Pepsi Center is any indication, they should get it easily. Colorado has lost nine straight home games and is in danger of finishing the month of December without a win on its own ice.

"We have to play like it's Game 7," Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie told HockeyBuzz.com. "We're sick of answering the same questions, but that's what comes with the territory when you lose nine in a row at home. It's got to stop (Saturday) in front of a great crowd. Traditionally it's a fun game to play on New Year's Eve, so it's a good opportunity for us to stop this home slide we're on."

It's not just that the Avalanche (12-22-1) are losing at home, they are getting beat handily. They have been outscored 12-3 in the last two games at Pepsi Center, a place where visiting teams used to have trouble winning.

"We show glimpses of playing well, but if you look at the history of the last-place teams in the league, I'm sure they did too. It's just not good enough; you can't show glimpses, it's got to be all the time," Barrie told HockeyBuzz.com. "What's making it hard for us to do, I'm not sure. If I had an answer, I'd be more than willing to share it."

New York (25-12-1) is coming off a 6-3 win in Arizona on Thursday. The Rangers scored four times on the power play in the win and are 14-3 when outscoring opponents on special teams.

Three of the Rangers' power-play goals were scored by 23-year-old Matt Puempel, who recorded his first career hat trick in the win. A first-round pick of Ottawa back in 2011, he has given New York a shot of offense.

"I've got to wake up from my dream here," Puempel told Newsday after the win. "Coming from Kanata, Ontario, to New York City, it's been a real life-changer on and off the ice. I've enjoyed every second. I'm just really grateful for this opportunity."

Puempel isn't the only one rolling for the Rangers. Six New York players have scored 10 or more goals, and the defensive corps is chipping in, too. Nick Holden, a former Avalanche player, has seven goals this season, more than the entire Colorado defense combined.

Both teams are dealing with injuries and illness heading into the New Year's Eve game. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist missed his second straight game with the flu but could be well enough to start Saturday night.

Center Rick Nash is getting closer to a return from a groin strain that has shelved him for most of December, but New York is being cautious with him to avoid a setback.

"We're going to play it a little safer this time," Nash told Newsday after a light skate at Gila River Arena in Arizona. "I didn't do anything hard. I didn't take one hard stride ... I'm still a while away."

The Avalanche are still without goaltender Semyon Varlamov because of a groin strain. He skated a little Thursday but is not ready to return.

"He's feeling better," coach Jared Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com.

Calvin Pickard will get the start again in goal in hopes of ending the home-ice drudgery for both the players and the fans.

"They deserve better and we have to give them better," Barrie told HockeyBuzz.com. "We've got a lot of work to do to win our fans back."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (15-14) at Stars (16-14)

Date: December 31, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

DALLAS -- The Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars share a common goal for Saturday's game at American Airlines Center: win and end the year on a positive note.

For Florida (15-14-8), which dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to Montreal at the BB&T Center on Thursday, winning in Dallas appears to be crucial - especially considering the Panthers have dropped 10 of their last 13 games.

And for a club rocked by injuries so far this season, getting forward Reilly Smith (concussion) back on Saturday could be just the boost the Panthers need.

"Again, we had to use a lot of our top guys for penalties," Florida interim coach Tom Rowe said after the loss to the Canadiens. "We got a lot of penalties in the beginning. I had to only use four guys and that really hurts them. They got to short shift the rest of the way. It catches up to you at some point in time."

Smith is one of four Panthers with Dallas ties. Defenseman Jason Demers, who has already equaled his career high with seven goals this season, and centers Jaromir Jagr and Colton Sceviour also once suited up for the Stars.

Despite Florida struggling in its past 13 games, the Panthers still have a respectable road record of 6-8-5 away from Sunrise.

Rowe opted to not hold practice on Friday before he and his team hopped a plane to the Lone Star State.

The Panthers made several roster moves on Friday, including recalling forward Greg McKegg from Springfield of the American Hockey League. McKegg has already appeared in 19 NHL games this season.

Florida also placed Aleksander Barkov on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Rowe said Barkov should miss two to three weeks. The Panthers also sent young forward Kyle Rau to the AHL.

As for Dallas (16-14-7), the Stars are on their first notable roll of the season. They have won three straight, their longest positive streak this season.

Dallas defeated Colorado, 4-2, on Thursday, improving to 11-5-3 on home ice.

Goaltender Kari Lehtonen left that game early in the third period with a potential concussion following a collision with Jarome Iginla.

Lehtonen went through the NHL's concussion protocol and returned to the Dallas bench late in the game. And on Friday, the Finnish-born netminder went through practice without issue and could even get the start against the Panthers.

"Yeah, he's 100 percent," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of Lehtonen after practice on Friday. "I even reviewed it again today, it was more of an incidental (play) where the player got turned backwards. Anytime that happens, it's part of the protocol now."

Lehtonen had stopped 13 of the 14 Avalanche shots he faced prior to leaving the ice 5:46 into the third period. He was replaced in net by Antti Niemi.

On Friday, Dallas got some additional positive injury-related news regarding veteran forward Patrick Sharp, who has been out the past 12 games with concussion symptoms.

Sharp, who last played Dec. 1 at Pittsburgh, will return to the ice Saturday against the Panthers.

"Sharp is cleared to go and indicated that he's up and ready to play," Ruff said. "So for me, (it's) an opportunity to get him in there tomorrow (Saturday)."

However, fellow forward Antoine Roussel, out the past three games with an upper-body issue, will not return against the Panthers. He could still play the final game of the homestand, Wednesday against Montreal.

"He (Roussel) is not quite there yet. Today was sort of an 80 percent day at practice for him, but he's moving closer to that date," Ruff said.

Dallas has a history of winning on New Year's Eve, especially since most of those games have been at home since the franchise relocated from Minnesota in 1993.

And Ruff would like to see that success continue against Florida because that would mean the Stars' winning streak goes from three games to four.

"Obviously, to get back in it (the playoff race), you got to get on a run. We talked about one game at a time," Ruff said. "It started with the beginning of this homestand, getting off to a good start. We did and we've been able to carry some of that momentum."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (11-20) at Flames (19-17)

Date: December 31, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- Penalty troubles cost both the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night in losses on home ice for the respective teams.

While the Flames (19-17-2) surrendered two power-play goals in a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the Coyotes (11-20-5) allowed the New York Rangers to score four times on seven chances with the man advantage during a 6-3 loss.

Players on both teams vowed that they'll be more disciplined heading into a matchup between the two Pacific Division rivals at the Scotiabank Saddledome on New Year's Eve.

"We can play five-on-five with any team," said Calgary goalie Chad Johnson, who's looking to bounce back after losing his past four starts. "When you're short-handed, you're not going to score goals and it's going to be hard to get momentum. When you take penalties, it just kills you.

"Even late in the third (against the Ducks) when it's a 2-1 game, we're taking penalties. It just can't happen. We're fighting to get points here."

Center Sam Bennett said that continual trips to the penalty box, six of which resulted in power plays, cost the Flames against the Ducks.

"We took the momentum away from us and we gave it to them and we couldn't come back after that," Bennett said. "There's a couple plays that are just undisciplined and we've got to be better as a group. We talk about it and talk about it, but at the end of the day, we have to go out there and do it."

After Arizona's sixth straight setback and fifth in a row on home ice, the Coyotes held a players-only meeting to address the situation.

"It's got to stop," said left winger Anthony Duclair, who has found the back of the net in two straight games after going through a 21-game drought without a goal. "We've got to put an end to it. It's just embarrassing."

Right winger Tobias Rieder, who also scored against the Rangers, said the Coyotes have to find a way to stop taking bad penalties against top teams.

"We've got to work harder, we've got to stick together as a team and find our way out of it," Rieder said. "We've just got to find a way to be better."

Veteran center Martin Hanzal, an alternate captain with the Coyotes, took full responsibility for two undisciplined penalties he took against the Rangers.

"The leadership's got to be better starting with myself," Hanzal said. "It's just not good enough right now. My penalties (were) stupid penalties. It was just unacceptable."

The Flames are hoping to have defenseman Dougie Hamilton back in the lineup against the Coyotes on Saturday. Hamilton missed Thursday's game against the Ducks and also didn't attend Friday's practice at the Saddledome because of illness.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes loaned defenseman Kevin Connauton to the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners for a conditioning assignment on Friday. Connauton has one assist in nine games with the Coyotes this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/13 10 54.5 69 OVER
12/14 4 21.5 30 OVER
12/15 8 42.5 49 OVER
12/16 7 37 34 UNDER
12/17 10 52 50 UNDER
12/18 6 31 31 PUSH
12/19 5 OFF OFF
12/20 12 64.5 68 OVER
12/21 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/22 10 54.5 51 UNDER
12/23 12 62.5 68 OVER
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 54.5 63 OVER
12/28 5 27.5 29 OVER
12/29 12 65.5 70 OVER
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Thomas' 52 points sparks Celtics
By The Sports Xchange

BOSTON -- Isaiah Thomas pulled off another of his amazing finishes at TD Garden Friday night. And this one was his best.
Boston's Little Big Man scored a career-high 52 points, including a club-record 29 in the fourth quarter, allowing the Celtics, predictably a bit flat after a tough loss in Cleveland the previous night, to hold off the undermanned Miami Heat 117-114.
It was the fourth-highest scoring total in Celtics history, behind Larry Bird's 60 in 1985, Kevin McHale's 56 in 1985 and Bird's 53 in 1983.
Thomas scored 29 of the Celtics' 35 points in the quarter, the last basket a three coming on a long bomb from well behind the 3-point line. He hit six 3-pointers in the quarter and finished 15-for-26 from the floor, 9-for-13 in the fourth, 9-for-13 from 3-point range and 13-for-13 from the foul line.
Amazingly, Thomas, who came in averaging 6.3 assists per game, didn't have a single assist -- and heard chants of "M-V-P" from the home crowd in the latter stages of the game.
Bird (1983) and Darren Daye (1995) had held the club record with 24 points in a fourth quarter.

Hawks 105, Pistons 98
ATLANTA -- Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver combined for 48 points and Atlanta beat Detroit to climb over the .500 mark for the first time since Nov. 30.
Atlanta got 26 points, six rebounds and five assists from Millsap and won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 9. Millsap has scored at least 20 points in seven of 12 games since missing three games with a hip injury.
Kyle Korver knocked down three 3-pointers and scored a season-high 22 points as Atlanta avenged an earlier 36-point loss to the Piston.

Rockets 140, Clippers 116
HOUSTON -- James Harden recorded his seventh triple-double on the season while second-year forward Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 29 points off the bench to fuel Houston's win over Los Angeles at Toyota Center.
Harden finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while Harrell helped finish off the Clippers with 13 fourth-quarter points to propel the Rockets to a hard-fought victory. Houston led by 25 points midway through the second quarter but needed Harden and Harrell to carry it to victory.
Reserve Raymond Felton paired 26 points with eight assists off the bench while center DeAndre Jordan added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Los Angeles guard Austin Rivers and coach Doc Rivers were ejected 25 seconds apart in the second quarter, with the former sent to the locker room following his contact with official J.T. Orr.

Pelicans 104, Knicks 92
NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis had 23 points and 17 rebounds and Tyreke Evans came off the bench to score a season-high 16 points to lift New Orleans to a victory over New York at the Smoothie King Center.
In winning their fourth consecutive game and for the fifth time in six games, the Pelicans improved to 14-21. It was a team effort as the Pelicans placed six players in double figures, led by Davis, who had his 21st game this season of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds
Jrue Holiday had a double-double for the Pelicans -- 12 points and 11 assists -- and E'Twaun Moore and Buddy Held had 12 points each.

Timberwolves 116, Bucks 99
MINNEAPOLIS -- In a game that featured several of the NBA's bright young stars, Minnesota's stars shined just a little bit brighter than Milwaukee's did.
Led by youngsters Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, the Timberwolves took care of the visiting Bucks at Target Center.
Wiggins led all scorers with 31 points, his fourth 30-point performance of the season. LaVine added 24 points and Towns registered his 23rd double-double of the season, the fourth most among all NBA players. Towns finished Friday's game with 18 points and 16 rebounds, just one game removed from his first career triple-double.

Wizards 118, Nets 95
WASHINGTON -- Trey Burke scored 20 of 27 his points in the first half as the Washington Wizards won their eighth straight home game with a rout over Brooklyn.
John Wall had 19 points and 14 assists for the Wizards, who ended 2016 winning nine of 12 games and moving into playoff position despite starting 2-8.
Washington shot 56.6 percent from the field despite playing without second-leading scorer Bradley Beal. Beal suffered a sprained right ankle in the first half of Wednesday's 111-105 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Pacers 111, Bulls 101
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored nine of his 32 points during the final 4:07, and Indiana recorded 14 of the game's last 18 points and defeated Chicago in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
A Jimmy Butler basket tied the contest at 97, but George was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer at the 4:07 mark. His three free throws gave Indiana the lead. Thaddeus Young, who added 17 points, scored the Pacers' other five points during the game-closing run.
Myles Turner had 15 points for Indiana, Glenn Robinson III scored 12 and added 10 rebounds and Jeff Teague finished with seven points and a career-best 17 assists.

Spurs 110, Trail Blazers 94
SAN ANTONIO -- Backcourt mates Tony Parker and Danny Green scored 18 points apiece and San Antonio had five players in double figures as it roared from behind and beat Portland at the AT&T Center.
Winners of four in a row, the Spurs trailed by five points at halftime but led by seven after three quarters. San Antonio was at its best early in the fourth in blowing past the reeling Trail Blazers.
It was the eighth time this season, and the fourth game in a row, that San Antonio had at least a 20-point lead at some point in the contest.

76ers 124, Nuggets 122
DENVER -- Joel Embiid scored 23 points, Ersan Ilyasova had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Philadelphia beat Denver.
T.J. McConnell tied a career high with 17 points and also had eight assists for the Sixers, who escaped at the end to stop a four-game skid.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points and Emmanuel Mudiay had 22. Danilo Gallinari finished with 18 points.

Warriors 108, Mavericks 99
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Klay Thompson scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in a third-quarter runaway, propelling Golden State to a victory over Dallas.
Kevin Durant posted his first triple-double as a Warrior with 19 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high 10 assists, helping Golden State improve upon its best-in-basketball record with a seventh straight home win.
The Mavericks, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back after a 101-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, played the Warriors even for 14 minutes and hung within arm's length into the third quarter.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (21-14) at Kings (14-18)

Date: December 31, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Now that the holidays are just about over, the Sacramento Kings are finally coming home. The Memphis Grizzlies are heading out of town, hoping to find some stable footing during a week on the West Coast.

From both places, both teams seem optimistic about where they're headed in 2017.

The Kings and Grizzlies close out the calendar year with a matinee special at Golden 1 Center on Saturday in a game that Kings coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee was "the cherry on top" of a month-plus grind on the road. For the Grizzlies, the grind is just beginning.

The road treated Sacramento well. The Kings (14-18) went from an afterthought to eighth place in the Western Conference and carved out their longest winning streak in 11 months while playing 12 out of 16 games on the road from Nov. 27 through Wednesday's 102-89 loss at Portland. That defeat ended the Kings' four-game roll.

Now, with playoff aspirations in Sacramento percolating again, the Kings will play eight of their next nine games at home, including seven in a row beginning Jan. 4.

"We've been on the road a lot," Joerger told the Bee. "It's been three weeks since we've had a practice, let alone a good one."

Their most recent game wasn't a good one. Sacramento allowed Portland to move at will offensively and fell behind 60-44 by halftime while allowing the Blazers to make eight 3-pointers and shoot 51.2 percent.

The Kings also played for the seventh time in eight games without forward Rudy Gay, who aggravated a right hip flexor in a win Monday over Philadelphia. His status for Saturday is questionable. Guard Aaron Afflalo's status also is unclear because of an elbow sprain that kept him out two straight games.

"It's no reason to get down or get drained," Sacramento forward DeMarcus Cousins (29.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 35 minutes per game) told reporters. "Or to start thinking negative."

The Grizzlies' broke out to a fast start under new coach Dave Fizdale, who replaced Joerger and guided Memphis (21-14) to an 18-9 mark in his first third of the season. But a 96-92 loss to the Kings at home on Dec. 16, two days after a 93-85 win over defending champion Cleveland, started the Grizzlies on a negative rut that has seen them lose five of eight.

Now they play seven of their next nine on the road. Memphis is 8-7 on the road this season, 4-1 on the West Coast, and comes into Sacramento riding a 114-80 home rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Memphis won despite playing its second straight game without starting point guard Mike Conley (left big toe), whose status for Saturday remains questionable.

After the Kings, the Grizzlies have road games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers and in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.

"We have some great teams we've got to play on the road, and we're looking forward to it," Memphis guard Troy Daniels told reporters after the Thunder win. "We know guys are coming back and there are fluctuations with the rotation every now and then. So it's very important for everybody to find their rhythm."

Center Marc Gasol is one Grizzly who hasn't struggled with that. Gasol leads the Grizzlies in scoring (20.1 points) and blocked shots (1.6), and is second in assists (4.2) and third in rebounding (6.2). He's played 33 of Memphis' 35 games after missing 30 games with a fractured bone in his foot last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (24-7) at Hornets (19-14)

Date: December 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James had plenty to celebrate in 2016, beginning with delivering Cleveland's first championship in 52 years. As he turned 32 on Friday and reflected on one of the more memorable years in his life, James has one goal for the new year: just keep it going.

James' numbers are up compared to last season's championship. While the point difference is negligible (25.4 this season, 25.3 last season), he's within range of setting career highs in rebounding and assists. His overall shooting percentage is down, but his 3-point shooting is up drastically.

"It must be the wine drinking. Get better with age, I guess," James laughed. "I just feel great. I've conditioned myself and I'm having one of the best seasons of my career so far and I just want to try to continue to keep it going."

James, however, does not believe in New Year's resolutions.

"I'm not a start-over guy on the first of the year, I just try to continue it. Keep it going," he said. "I'm not New Year's resolution guy, I don't say, 'let's get to a new start.' Let's just keep it going. My calendar doesn't stop. My hours continue to go and we want to continue to be as great as we can be even going into Jan. 1."

The Cavs won eight of their last 10 entering Saturday's New Year's Eve visit to the Charlotte Hornets. They've already swept the two home games against Charlotte in Cleveland this season.

The Hornets won five of six after their last loss to the Cavs triggered a four-game losing streak. Kemba Walker became the fourth player in Hornets history to reach 7,000 points -- and the youngest to get there -- in Thursday's win against the Miami Heat.

Walker reached 7,000 in 26 years, 235 days to eclipse Larry Johnson's old team mark of 26 years, 360 days. Walker remains fourth on the team's all-time scoring list behind Dell Curry, Gerald Wallace and Johnson.

"I guess that's pretty cool," Walker said. "I would've never thought that'd be me accomplishing milestones like that."

Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving was forced out of the final minute of Thursday's win against the Boston Celtics with cramping in his right hamstring and calf. Irving, who like James played more than 40 minutes in the victory, did not need an IV or any medical treatment after the game and Coach Tyronn Lue was confident he'd be fine to play Saturday against the Hornets.

Charlotte guard Marco Belinelli, however, missed his last three games with a sprained left ankle and remains questionable for Saturday.

The Cavs are the only team in the league with three players averaging at least 22 points. Cleveland is 9-1 when James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love each score at least 20 points.

Love became the first player in Cavs history to score at least 30 points, grab at least 15 rebounds and make at least six 3-pointers in the win against Boston.

Cleveland won eight of the last nine games in this series since James returned to Cleveland prior to the 2014-15 season. The Cavs beaten Charlotte by an average of 9.6 points in the eight wins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (15-15) at Bulls (16-16)

Date: December 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Milwaukee Bucks will try to knock off the Chicago Bulls for the third time in a row this season when the teams meet Saturday night at the United Center.

The Bucks (15-16) dominated the Bulls (16-17) in two matchups earlier this month. Milwaukee pulled away for a 108-97 victory on Dec. 15 at home and one night later the Bucks limited the Bulls to a season scoring low in a 95-69 win in Chicago.

Although the season series has been one-sided, neither team has played particularly well in recent weeks. Chicago has lost seven of its past 10 games and Milwaukee has dropped seven of its past 11 as both teams stumbled below .500.

Fatigue could be a factor after both teams played on the road Friday.

The Bulls are coming off a 111-101 loss to the Indiana Pacers despite a team-high 25 points from forward Jimmy Butler. Guard Dwyane Wade added 20 points from the Bulls, but guard Rajon Rondo was benched for the entire second half after a mistake-filled start.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg played reserve guards Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant in place of Rondo. Hoiberg did not say whether Rondo, Carter-Williams or Grant would start against the Bucks.

Regardless of whether Rondo starts or comes off the bench, the Bulls cannot afford for him to be a non-factor going forward. Butler said Rondo had his teammates' full support.

"We're all in this together, so we have to make sure (Rondo's) mind is still with us," Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times. "We know his heart is going to be, but we don't want anybody drifting away because something like that may happen.

"(We've) just got to stay in his ear, make sure he's constantly about this team because we still need him out here if we're going to win games."

Wade also could rest on the second night of a back-to-back set, but Hoiberg did not commit to his status for Saturday's game.

The 34-year-old left Wednesday's game against Brooklyn because of a migraine, and he spent time on the bench Friday against Indiana after falling awkwardly on his left wrist. He later returned to the game.

The Bucks also will play for the second time in as many nights after a 116-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field in 32 minutes.

Bucks rookie guard Malcolm Brogdon had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in his first career start. Brogdon likely will start again Saturday in place of Matthew Dellavedova, who is out with a strained right hamstring.

"I don't think it's a big deal," Brogdon told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "When someone goes down, the next man has to step up. 'Delly' can't be replaced (with) what he brings to the team, his unselfishness.

"I think I'm in a great situation. I have great teammates that believe in me, and I also have a great coach. It's been a transition that has allowed me to gain confidence."

The Bulls are 10-6 at home this season. The Bucks are 5-9 on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (10-23) at Jazz (20-13)

Date: December 31, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- Recovering from a sprained toe has not been a simple thing for George Hill. The Utah Jazz point guard ended up being sidelined for nearly a month while dealing with his latest injury.

When Hill returned to the starting lineup against Philadelphia on Thursday, he could feel the effects of being out of action. Hill admitted to feeling a little rusty and lacking some of his usual stamina while running the offense.

Still, Hill was determined to not let it impede his progress. And he convinced Jazz coach Quin Snyder to let him play through any limitations caused by his still-healing toe.

"I told him when that game's on the line, I want to be in there," Hill said. "Just the competitive side kicks in and you worry about the rest later."

Hill's competitive fire benefited Utah once again in a 100-83 victory over the Sixers. He flexed his muscles on offense in the fourth quarter - scoring critical baskets and setting up others. Hill finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists.

Hill's presence is a steadying influence for a Jazz team that struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter during his absence.

"He played well in his first game back, especially there down towards the end of the game," forward Gordon Hayward said. "(Hill) kind of controlled it there on the offensive end for us. Can't say enough about his defensive play, too. His length and activity on the ball against other point guards is really helpful for us. It was great to have him back."

Having Hill back at the controls will give Utah a boost when Phoenix makes a return trip to Salt Lake City on Saturday. The Jazz hosted the Suns on Dec. 6 and never trailed in a 112-105 victory. Utah nearly fell victim to a furious Phoenix rally after blowing a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Suns come to Utah on a high note after holding Toronto to a season-low in points in a 99-91 win over the Raptors on Thursday. Phoenix held Toronto to just 40 percent shooting from the field. It was just the fourth time that the Suns held an opponent under 100 points this season.

Suns coach Earl Watson praised his defense's aggressiveness in snapping a two-game losing streak. It's something he wants to turn into a team trademark.

"Our thing is, let's be the first one to hit," Watson said. "Let's come out, be the aggressors, and let them try to counteract us. It was a great lesson to impose our will defensively."

Better defense will serve to make Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker even more dangerous on offense.

Booker has averaged 20.4 points over his last seven games and is scoring 18.8 points per game for the whole season. It is the most by a second-year Phoenix player since Amar'e Stoudemire averaged 20.6 points per game in the 2003-04 season.

Bledsoe is one of five NBA players averaging at least 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this season. He is chipping in 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 33 games. The last Suns player to average 19/5/5 in a season was Charles Barkley in 1992-93.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (22-12) at Thunder (20-13)

Date: December 31, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook is known as a relentless competitor.

The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard doesn't want to lose basketball games or a game of ping pong and will fight just as hard in both.

That competitive demeanor has put Westbrook in position to be on the verge of averaging a triple-double for the season. However, that same fiery attitude has led him to seek out battles with referees during games when he feels he has been wronged.

Entering Saturday's contest with the Los Angeles Clippers, Westbrook leads the NBA with 10 technical fouls. He received two of them Thursday night in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. That led to an automatic ejection from the game and a frustrated player.

"Honestly, I don't know, man. Honestly, it's crazy to be ejected like that, especially when I didn't do nothing," Westbrook told ESPN.com. "It's just crazy, man. Especially for me, because I feel like I don't get the benefit of the doubt most of the time, especially throughout the game with refs."

In Westbrook's estimation, he is being treating differently than other players in the NBA of his caliber when it comes to talking with of officials during games.

"I get so many techs just for talking," Westbrook said. "I can't even say nothing when I'm getting hammered every time I go to the damn basket throughout the games and previous games. Not tonight, but every night. I just don't get reffed the same way as other people, and I don't appreciate it."

The Clippers have had their own run-ins with refs this season. Coach Doc Rivers had to be led off the court early this season after being ejected from a game.

Then Friday night in Houston, guard Austin Rivers was tossed from the game after bumping into a referee following a layup. Coach Rivers soon joined his son in the locker room when he was ejected after getting two technicals.

The Clippers come into Saturday's contest having lost five straight games, including Friday's 140-116 setback to the Houston Rockets.

Already playing without the injured Blake Griffin, the Clippers have also had to compete without point guard Chris Paul during four of their last five outings. After missing three straight games, he scored 21 points in a loss to New Orleans Tuesday. Paul then sat out the game against Houston for precautionary reasons.

According to Los Angeles coach Rivers, Paul could be back in the lineup Saturday in Oklahoma City.

"He may play," Rivers told mysanantonio.com. "We're just going to be very cautious with it. He didn't reinjure it or anything like that, but he did feel some fatigue, and that's enough. If it were a playoff game, he would play. But if there's fatigue, then that means to me more rest, and that's the route we're going."

Whether Paul plays or not, the Clippers will have their hands full with a Thunder squad that historically plays some of their best ball at home on New Year's Eve. In the eight consecutive seasons Oklahoma City has hosted a game on the final day of the year, the team has racked up a 7-1 record.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

This is my last NBA picks story for 2016, so what are the lasting memories of the NBA calendar year? Certainly "the Block" has to be No. 1: LeBron James' stunning block of an Andre Iguodala layup late in the fourth quarter in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. A fish may have saved Pittsburgh, as the movie goes, but that block saved Cleveland and helped bring the franchise its first NBA title. That play will live forever alongside Michael Jordan's final shot as a Bull and a few others. The past year also will be remembered for the Warriors' record-setting regular season and Steph Curry's ridiculous range. There was the breakup of the Thunder, with Kevin Durant nearly beating the Warriors in the West Finals and then deciding to join them in free agency. But that's OK, it gave us the triple-double monster that is Russell Westbrook. How about the Bucks putting the 6-foot-11 Greek Freak at point guard full time? Revolutionary. Or Kobe Bryant's ridiculous but amazing 60-point final game. The way Tim Duncan retired with grace, just like he did everything else. Shoot, we might even remember 2016 as the year the "Process" finally started to bear fruit in Philadelphia with the emergence of rookie Joel Embiid as perhaps the league's next superstar.

Grizzlies at Kings (TBA)

A 5 p.m. ET start. Memphis ended a two-game skid with authority Thursday, destroying Oklahoma City 114-80. Marc Gasol had 25 points and someone named Troy Daniels (OK I know who he is but making a point) had 22 points -- all in the fourth quarter in garbage time. That tied a franchise record for points in any quarter. Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley missed a second game with a toe injury but almost played so likely will here. Sacramento's four-game winning streak ended in a 102-89 loss in Portland on Wednesday. Rudy Gay had just returned from injury but was out Wednesday with hip strain. Sacramento snapped a 12-game losing streak at the Grizzlies on Dec. 16 with a 96-92 victory in Coach Dave Joerger’s first game back in Memphis. In his best game of the season, Kosta Koufos scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against his former team.

Key trends: The Grizzlies are 4-1 against the spread in the past five meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in six of the past seven.

Early lean: Wait on Conley and Gay.


Bucks at Bulls (-3, 201.5)

NBA TV game. Milwaukee was in Minnesota on Friday night and Chicago in Indiana, although the Bulls had the minor advantage of an afternoon start to get back earlier than normal. Keep in mind the Bulls could rest Dwyane Wade in one end of the back-to-back, although it likely would be on the road. The Bucks and Bulls played a home-and-home in mid-December and Milwaukee won both easily. Giannis Antetokounmpo, i.e. the Greek Freak, averaged 26.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.5 steals in the two.

Key trends: The Bucks are 2-7 ATS in their past nine in Chicago. The under is 4-0 in the past four meeting.

Early lean: Bulls and under.


Cavaliers at Hornets (TBA)

Cleveland beat visiting Boston 124-118 on Thursday but almost blew an 18-point fourth-quarter lead. Kyrie Irving led with 32 points but left with a hamstring injury. Irving said it was just cramps so if that's the case he should be fine to play here. Kevin Love added 30 points and 15 rebounds. LeBron (721) moved past Bingo Smith (720) for the third-most games in franchise history. Charlotte won a second in a row Thursday, 91-82 over Miami. Nic Batum had 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Marco Belinelli missed third straight game (ankle). Cleveland has won both meetings this year vs. the Hornets, both at home and each by at least seven. Overall, the Cavs have taken four straight vs. Charlotte.

Key trends: The home team is 4-0-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-1 in those.

Early lean: Wait on Kyrie.


Knicks at Rockets (-9, 222.5)

New York was in New Orleans on Friday with Courtney Lee questionable. Houston hosted the Clippers on Friday with guard Patrick Beverley expected to return from a one-game absence. I'm sure the Rockets' Mike D'Antoni, the early NBA Coach of the Year favorite, would love to sweep one of the teams that fired him here. The Rockets won at the Garden 118-99 on Nov. 2 behind 30 points and 15 assists from James Harden and are looking for their 10th season series sweep of New York over past 12 seasons.

Key trends: The road team has covered eight straight in the series. The over is 4-0 in Houston's past four.

Early lean: Rockets and over.


Suns at Jazz (-10.5, 206.5)

Phoenix ended a two-game losing streak with a 99-91 home upset of Toronto on Thursday -- although with the Raptors coming off a big game in Golden State on Wednesday, I recommended taking the Suns and the points. Eric Bledsoe had 22 points, Devin Booker 19 and Phoenix, one of the NBA's worst defensive teams, held Toronto to 40 percent shooting. Utah beat Philadelphia 100-83 on Thursday. George Hill returned after missing 13 games and had 21 points. The game marked the first in which Utah started its preseason projected lineup of Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. This team could take off now if all those guys stay healthy. Utah swept Phoenix last year and then won the first meeting this season, 112-105 at home on Dec. 6 behind 22 points and 11 rebounds from Gobert.

Key trends: The Suns are 0-4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 5-2 in the previous seven.

Early lean: Jazz and under.


Clippers at Thunder (TBA)

Los Angeles was in Houston on Friday with J.J. Redick listed as probable (hamstring) and Chris Paul (also hamstring) surprisingly out after just returning from his issues. Hard to see Redick playing both ends if he goes Friday. Oklahoma City had a four-game winning streak end Thursday in Memphis, 114-80. If Westbrook just misses averaging a triple-double for the season because of assists, look to this game. He had 21 points, five rebound and zero assists in 23 minutes -- getting tossed in the third quarter after two technicals. The 80 points were a season low for the Thunder. L.A. and OKC split back in November, each winning a 2-point game on the road. Westbrook hit the key late jumper in the Thunder's win but missed a winning 3-pointer in the loss.

Key trends: The Thunder are 5-2-1 ATS in their past eight at home. The over is 5-0 in the past five meetings in OKC.

Early lean: Wait on that L.A. backcourt.