STATSYSTEMS SPORTS STAT/SHEETS, 12/15/14
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** Monday, 12/15/14 NBA Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014-15 National Basketball Association season we will analyze all of your daily basketball action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of Stat/Systems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
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Betting News & Notes – Week #8
Advanced statistics have taken over basketball in recent years and the National Basketball Association has embraced the curve with their new Player Tracking stats, using special cameras high above the court to capture everything from player speed, to distance traveled, to how much teams share the basketball. But does this new breed of basketball stats have any benefits to bettors? We combed the Player Tracking numbers and found some figures that stand out when measured against some of the best and worst bets in the NBA. Note: All stats prior to December 10th, 2014.
•Field Goals At The Rim
Making baskets at the rim is key to winning games, covering the spread or topping totals, needing to cash in all your “Bunnies” while limiting those missed opportunities up close. Teams that can make these layups generally have a well-rounded offense and these “Gimmies” are still important even as the league focuses more on outside shooting. On the other side of the ball, if a team defends the basket well or struggles to finish at the rim, they have a greater chance of producing lower-scoring games. A mix of both stats on offense and defense makes a team a good ATS play, as they minimize opponents’ easy opportunities at one end of the floor while making the most of theirs on offense.
The Golden State Warriors lead the NBA in opponent field goal percentage at the rim, holding opponents to 47.5 percent shooting near the basket, which has helped contribute to a 14-6 ATS record this season. That stingy defense down low has also led to plenty of Unders in Warriors games, with an 8-12 Over/Under record despite Golden State having the fourth-best scoring offense in the NBA - revealing strong value in examining field goal defense at the rim. The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to defending the rim, allowing foes to hit 57.5 percent of their up-close attempts. The Hawks have a 12-8 Over/Under mark this season.
As for ATS results, the Los Angeles Lakers (9-12-1 ATS) allow 56.8 percent shooting at the rim - second worst in the league - and are followed by the Charlotte Hornets (6-12-1 ATS) at 56.7, Minnesota Timberwolves (7-12-1 ATS) at 56.7, Cleveland Cavaliers (9-11 ATS) at 55.9, and the Miami Heat (9-11-1 ATS) at 55.7 percent. Those five teams - ranked 25th to 29th in defensive field goal percentage at the rim - are a combined 40-58-4 ATS (covering just 41 percent of the time). When it comes to making shots close to the basket, the Toronto Raptors rank seventh in the NBA in at-the-rim field goal percentage (62.8 percent), something that has helped push their Over record to 14-8 Over/Under and produce a 13-9 ATS mark. The Dallas Mavericks are the league leaders in the category with an outstanding 76.3 percent clip up close, helping them post a 14-9 Over/Under count.
•Points Per Touch
Points per touch - the amount of times a player scores per time they touch the ball - is a good measure of pace and efficiency. Teams that score quickly and make the most of every possession tend to score more than teams that don't. Toronto lead this category with .271 per touch and .376 points per halfcourt touch while the Denver Nuggets (10-9-2 Over/Under) are second in the category with .270 points per touch. The San Antonio Spurs have the seventh lowest PPT at 0.22, and along with a stingy defense (94.3 points allowed), have been a solid Under play at 9-12 Over/Under on the year.
•Points Created By Assist Per Game
Teams that work the ball around to create open looks are another thing that bettors should examine when capping the spread or total. The mark of a well-balanced team are the chances created as a group. More often than not, a made 3-pointer or open layup is created by an assist, so this is a stat that can be a good reference point of a high-powered or a stagnant offense.
The league-leading Warriors lead this category, as they do many statistical groups, but Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics (13-6 Over/Under) are third in the category with 59.5 points per game created by assists. Other top Over bets ranking high in points created by assists per game are the Mavericks (14-9 Over/Under) at 57.3 and Los Angeles Clippers (12-7-1 Over/Under) at 58.8.
The Lakers are second last in this category, at 44.9, thanks in part to Kobe Bryant’s one-man offense. It’s no wonder Los Angeles is beginning to lean toward the Under with a 3-7 Over/Under record in its last 10 games. Other notable Under teams ranking among the bottom in points created by assists are Detroit (9-13 Over/Under) at 45.9 and the Brooklyn Nets (7-12 Over/Under) at 47.3.
Inside the Paint – Monday
•Hot Teams
-- Lakers won their last three games, are 7-7 since Nick Young came back. (6-5 AU).
-- Chicago won/covered six of last eight games (2-3 AU). Atlanta won nine of last ten games (6-6-1 HF).
-- Orlando covered seven of last eight games (11-4 AU). Toronto won five of last seven games (1-4 last five HF).
-- Portland won 14 of its last 17 games (7-4 HF). Spurs won 12 of their last 15 games (8-6 A).
-- Detroit won its last two games after losing previous 13 (5-6 AU).
•Cold Teams
-- Hornets lost 12 of last 14 games (4-3-2 AU). Cavaliers lost last two games but won five in row at home (5-6 HF).
-- Indiana lost its last eight games (3-3-1 HF).
-- Celtics lost last three games (1-0 AF). 76ers lost last three games, by 16-18-5 points; they covered eight of last 11 (8-4 HU).
-- Bucks lost five of their last seven games (7-4 AU). Phoenix lost its last five games (1-4 vs. spread; 4-5 HF).
-- Clippers lost last two games after winning previous nine (4-7 HF).
•Totals
-- Seven of last nine Charlotte games went over total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Indiana's last eight home games.
-- Four of last five Boston games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Atlanta home games stayed under.
-- Seven of last eight Orlando road games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Milwaukee road games went over.
-- Five of last six Portland home games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Detroit road games went over.
•Series Records
-- Hornets won last five games against the Cavaliers.
-- Lakers lost four of last five games with Indiana.
-- Road team won last five Boston-Philly games.
-- Bulls won their last six games with Atlanta.
-- Raptors won their last nine games with Orlando.
-- Bucks lost six of last eight games with Phoenix.
-- Spurs won six of last seven games with Portland.
-- Clippers won their last seven games with Detroit.
•Back-To-Backs
-- Lakers are 2-3 vs. spread if they played night before.
-- Chicago is 2-4 vs. spread if it played night before.
-- Raptors are 4-1 vs. spread if they played night before.
-- Phoenix is 1-4 vs. spread if it played night before.
-- Spurs are 4-3 if they played night before, 1-3 on road.
•Incredible Stat of the Day
The Chicago Bulls are 6-0 straight-up and against the spread in their last six meetings with the Atlanta Hawks, including 4-1 ATS in the last 5 visits to Philips Arena. After their nine-game winning streak came to an end on the road, the Hawks may now have a difficult time extending their best stretch on their home floor in four years. Atlanta hopes to bounce back with their seventh straight victory at home, though it isn't likely to come easy Monday night against a Bulls team that owns the Eastern Conference's best road record.
•Situational Trends of The Day
--INDIANA is 3-16 ATS (-14.6 Units) after failing to cover 6 or 7 of their last 8 against the spread over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was INDIANA 88.4, OPPONENT 93.8.
--DETROIT is 28-8 OVER (+19.2 Units) when playing their 3rd game in 4 days over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was DETROIT 101.1, OPPONENT 104.8.
--DETROIT is 1-11 (-15.5 Units) against the money line revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points this season.
The average score was DETROIT 91.8, OPPONENT 100.1.
--PORTLAND is 15-34 (-22.4 Units) against the 1rst half line against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was PORTLAND 48.6, OPPONENT 53.2.
--INDIANA is 25-7 UNDER (+17.3 Units) the 1rst half total when playing their 3rd game in 4 days over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was INDIANA 43.9, OPPONENT 46.3.
•Matchup Trends of The Day
--LA LAKERS are 19-4 ATS (+14.6 Units) versus poor passing teams, averaging <=20 assists/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was LA LAKERS 106.5, OPPONENT 105.6.
--CHARLOTTE is 20-7 OVER (+12.3 Units) versus good ball handling teams - committing <=14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was CHARLOTTE 99.6, OPPONENT 103.1.
--PORTLAND is 13-1 (+12.4 Units) against the money line versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season.
The average score was PORTLAND 103.3, OPPONENT 95.4.
--INDIANA is 11-29 (-20.9 Units) against the 1rst half line versus good ball handling teams - committing <=14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was INDIANA 43.0, OPPONENT 47.5.
--CLEVELAND is 11-2 UNDER (+8.8 Units) the 1rst half total in home games versus poor teams - outscored by their opponents by 3+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was CLEVELAND 48.8, OPPONENT 45.2.
•Situation Analysis of The Day
--Play On - Road underdogs of 4 to 10.5 points (ORLANDO) - poor team - outscored by their opponents by 3+ points/game, off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog, a bad team, winning 25% to 40% of their games on the season.
(22-3 over the last 5 seasons.) (88.0%, +18.7 units. Rating = 3*)
The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (11-15 over the last 5 seasons.)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 6.2
The average score in these games was: Team 102, Opponent 101.6 (Average point differential = +0.3)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 14 (53.8% of all games.)
The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (13-2).
Since 1996 the situation's record is: (86-69).
--Play Over - Road teams where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points (CHARLOTTE) - poor shooting team - shooting <=43% on the season, after allowing 100 points or more 2 straight games against opponent after a combined score of 225 points or more.
(55-21 since 1996.) (72.4%, +31.9 units. Rating = 3*)
The average total posted in these games was: 195.5
The average score in these games was: Team 98.4, Opponent 102.1 (Total points scored = 200.4)
The number of games in which this system covered the total by 7 or more points was 36 (46.2% of all games.)
The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (7-2).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (13-6).
--Play On - Home favorites of 2 to 5.5 points versus the first half line (PHOENIX) - good free throw shooting team - making >=76% of their free throws, after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games, with a winning percentage of between 45-55% on the season.
(84-39 since 1996.) (68.3%, +41.1 units. Rating = 3*)
The average first half line posted in these games was: Team favored by 3.2
The average first half score in these games was: Team 51, Opponent 45.1 (Average first half point differential = +6)
The situation's record this season is: (1-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (6-6).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (14-8).
--Play Over - All teams where the first half total is 100.5 to 105 (LA LAKERS) - poor rebounding team (-3 to -5.5 reb/game) against a good rebounding team (+3 to +5.5 reb/game), playing on back-to-back days, in a game involving two bad teams (25% to 40%).
(93-39 since 1996.) (70.5%, +50.1 units. Rating = 4*)
The average first half total posted in these games was: 103.2
The average first half score in these games was: Team 53.1, Opponent 54.8 (Total first half points scored = 107.9)
The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (20-12).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (28-15).
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Monday's Week #8 Matchups
Systems Analyst Todd Smith
#701 CHARLOTTE @ #702 CLEVELAND - 7:05 PM
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season of inconsistency recently came off its highest high and is now trying to avoid a long low. The Cavaliers will try to pull out of a two-game slide when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Cleveland looked like it was headed for the top of the Eastern Conference during an eight-game winning streak but back-to-back road losses exposed some holes in the defense.
The Hornets pulled out of a 10-game slide with back-to-back wins but have since started another skid with two straight setbacks. Charlotte had its defense shredded from the outside in a 114-87 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, letting the Nets go off at 16-of-23 from 3-point range. The Cavaliers are in the middle of the pack in both 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage but have several players capable of getting hot from beyond the arc, most notably Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
•ABOUT THE HORNETS (6-17 SU, 8-13-2 ATS): Charlotte is trying to find a balance between guarding the perimeter and packing the paint on the defensive end. “Last year we were an elite defensive team (overall), but a poor 3-point defensive team,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “We’ve gone back to protecting the paint. If we’re going to be good defensively, then we can’t be middle-of-the-road at everything. You’ve got to be good at something.” Charlotte’s starting five was held to 37 points on 14-of-38 shooting in Saturday’s loss.
•ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-9 SU, 9-13-0 ATS): Cleveland’s rebuilt roster got off to a 5-7 start before dominating opponents with an average margin of victory of 14.5 points during the eight-game winning streak. LeBron James (knee) sat out a 103-94 loss on Thursday at Oklahoma City but was back in the lineup on Friday, when the Cavaliers gave up 119 points to a New Orleans Pelicans team that was missing Anthony Davis most of the game. “We really didn’t do, on an individual level, an acceptable job of defending anyone,” Cleveland coach David Blatt told reporters. “We did not control the ball, we did not close out well on the 3-point line, we didn’t defend drivers, we didn’t have any aggressiveness or physicality to speak of and their output was the result.”
#703 BOSTON @ #704 PHILADELPHIA - 7:05 PM
The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t destined to win many games this season, which makes letting an 18-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter feel extra painful. Philadelphia will try to recover when it hosts the Boston Celtics on Monday, two nights after letting the Memphis Grizzlies escape town with an overtime victory. The Celtics are also struggling and have lost three straight games after falling to the New York Knicks on Friday.
The 120-115 overtime loss dropped Philadelphia to 0-12 at home and coach Brett Brown touched on the pain the squad was feeling. “I want to stand here and tell everybody that it’s a great learning experience and there’s some truth to that,” Brown told reporters. “But the truth of the matter is, that’s a gut-wrenching loss. That’s a fact. I feel for those guys.” Boston beat the 76ers 101-90 on Nov. 19 in Philadelphia when Brandon Bass scored 23 points and Jared Sullinger added 22.
•ABOUT THE CELTICS (7-14 SU, 10-11-0 ATS): Boston was outplayed and outhustled by the Knicks, which greatly disappointed coach Brad Stevens. “In basketball at this level or any level, the minute you feel sorry for yourself it’s going to snowball on you,” Stevens told reporters. “You have to earn things. You have to go out and do them.” Boston committed 17 turnovers against the Knicks while receiving strong efforts from forward Jeff Green (28 points) and center Tyler Zeller (19).
•ABOUT THE 76ERS (2-21 SU, 12-11-0 ATS): Philadelphia is low on the talent scale and that has turned out to be a good thing for rookie Robert Covington. The former D-League player is showing he can score and his 24-point showing against the Grizzlies marked the fourth time in five games that he has scored 20 or more points. Covington has landed the trust of Brown, who has kept increasing his playing time and had him on the floor for 45 minutes (out of 53) against Memphis.
#705 LA LAKERS @ #706 INDIANA - 7:05 PM
After a rare instance of being celebrated on the road, Kobe Bryant hopes to resume the role of enemy when the Los Angeles Lakers try to sweep a three-game road trip Monday against the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers look to extend their season-best three-game winning streak. The injury-riddled Pacers have dropped eight straight overall and are 2-9 against Western Conference teams.
Bryant stopped the show Sunday in Minnesota, as the home team and crown honored him after passing Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's all-time scoring list en route to a 26-point night and a 100-94 victory. "It was different," Bryant told reporters. "I'm so used to being the villain all the time on the road it took a minute to kind of adjust. It felt good to be appreciated like that." The Pacers wiped out most of a 29-point deficit Saturday against Portland but couldn't finish the comeback in a 95-85 defeat.
•ABOUT THE LAKERS (8-16 SU, 11-12-1 ATS): Bryant's comeback after missing most of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon continues to be one of the best stories of the season, as he's averaging 25.4 points. Bryant lamented his aches and pains after Sunday's game but is averaging 30 points in the second game of back-to-backs this season. Big men Jordan Hill (13.1 points, 8.8 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (13 points, 7.3 rebounds) have played well of late.
•ABOUT THE PACERS (7-17 SU, 12-11-1 ATS): Indiana desperately misses star Paul George, who remains out indefinitely while recovering from a broken leg, and will also be without guard George Hill (knee). The Pacers rank 28th in offensive efficiency, largely because they don't have a go-to guy. Veteran guard Rodney Stuckey (12.8 points) leads the team in scoring, and the Pacers need more from the frontcourt duo of David West (11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds) and Roy Hibbert (11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds).
#707 ORLANDO @ #708 TORONTO - 7:35 PM
The Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors are both coming off thrilling wins, but the Magic have at least gotten a chance to catch their breath. The Raptors will try to ride the momentum of an overtime victory when they host Orlando in the second of a back-to-back on Monday. Toronto is traveling back from New York after Kyle Lowry’s 21-point, 11-assist effort secured it a 95-90 overtime victory over the Knicks on Sunday.
The Magic stepped up against red-hot Atlanta on Saturday and held their ground, earning a 100-99 win when Tobias Harris’ jumper beat the buzzer. “When I walked in (to the arena) I said, ‘We’re going to get this win,’” Harris told reporters. “So it was the mindset that I had, and everybody on this team had the mindset that we were going to fight all the way to the end.” Harris put up 23 points and 13 rebounds in Toronto on Nov. 11 but it wasn’t enough as the Raptors grabbed a 104-100 victory.
•ABOUT THE MAGIC (10-16 SU, 16-10-0 ATS): Orlando lost in Atlanta on Friday night and Harris was confident the Magic would not fall to the same team two nights in a row. “I think it just comes from the endless hours in the gym when no one is watching, getting those repetitions and getting those shots up,” Harris told the reporters of the source of his confidence. “(Saturday’s winner) is a pretty basic shot for me – a two-dribble pull-up jump shot – that I work on.” The 22-year-old forward has reached 20 points in three of the last five games.
•ABOUT THE RAPTORS (18-6 SU, 14-10-0 ATS): Toronto did not need buzzer-beating dramatic to take out the Knicks on Sunday, it just had to hang on until overtime and let the defense take over down the stretch. The Raptors are not quite as explosive offensively with DeMar DeRozan out with a groin injury but Louis Williams averaged 20.5 points in the last two games – both wins – and Terrence Ross stepped up with a season-high 22 points on Sunday. Toronto has already beaten Orlando twice this season, posting a 108-95 win at the Magic on Nov. 1 in addition to the Nov. 11 triumph.
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#709 CHICAGO @ #710 ATLANTA - 7:35 PM
Two surging Eastern Conference contenders clash when the Atlanta Hawks host the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Hawks look to bounce back after having their nine-game winning streak snapped Saturday at Orlando, while the Bulls aim for their fourth straight win. Atlanta is third in the East, one game ahead of the Bulls, but has lost six straight meetings with Chicago dating to Dec. 22, 2012.
Atlanta was a second away from matching the fifth-longest winning streak in franchise history before Tobias Harris' buzzer-beater sent it to a 100-99 defeat. The Hawks will be happy to be back home, where they are 11-2 and have won six straight. The Bulls, who won 93-75 at Miami on Sunday, are 11-3 on the road, including an 8-0 mark against Eastern Conference opponents.
•ABOUT THE BULLS (15-8 SU, 11-12-0 ATS): Chicago continued to showcase its balance against the Heat, as Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points to help make up for relatively quiet nights from Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. "With what we have, there shouldn't be many nights where we struggle offensively," Dunleavy told reporters. "If the outside shots aren't going, we have many ways to get inside, and we can push the ball. We've got a lot of options." Center Joakim Noah (ankle) has missed three straight games and is day-to-day.
•ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-7 SU, 13-10-0 ATS): Atlanta mirrors Chicago in that the Hawks have a defense-first philosophy with plenty of offensive weapons. Point guard Jeff Teague (17 points, seven assists) leads five players who average double-digit points, but coach Mike Budenholzer wants to see his team be more aggressive with the ball than it was against the Magic. "I think offensively we've got to get a little bit better," Budenholzer told reporters. "We've got to attack more. We've got to get in the paint."
#711 MILWAUKEE @ #712 PHOENIX - 9:05 PM
The Milwaukee Bucks are three wins shy of last season’s total already and look to continue that progress when they begin a four-game Western road swing against the Phoenix Suns on Monday. The Bucks managed only 15 victories in 2013-14 and stand in playoff position in Eastern Conference after beating the Los Angeles Clippers 111-106 on Saturday at home. The Suns are allowing 108.2 points during a five-game losing streak, including a 112-88 drubbing at Oklahoma City on Sunday.
The victory over the Clippers ended a rough 1-5 slide by the Bucks. “Last year we would lose games and we would make excuses and talk about the future,” Milwaukee guard Brandon Knight told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “This year we’re trying to find solutions.” Phoenix was without leading scorer Goran Dragic (16.1) on Sunday due to a lower-back strain and the talented guard could return as soon as Monday.
•ABOUT THE BUCKS (12-12 SU, 16-8-0 ATS): Milwaukee has scored at least 100 points in nine straight contests for the first time since 1991 and has not done it in 10 in a row since 1988. Knight is leading the way for the Bucks with 17.4 points overall while youngsters Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker continue to raise their level of play. Parker, the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in October/November is shooting 60.6 percent in six December games while Antetokounmpo is averaging 17.3 points in his last four outings.
•ABOUT THE SUNS (12-13 SU, 12-12-1 ATS): Phoenix gave up a season-high 41 points in the first quarter against Oklahoma City, trailed by 22 at halftime and shot a season-low 34.3 percent. Gerald Green started in place of Dragic and finished with a team-high 15 points Sunday while Eric Bledsoe contributed 12 on 4-of-12 shooting and the Suns were pounded 63-40 on the boards. One bright spot was rookie point guard Tyler Ennis, who contributed a season-high 11 points off the bench while fellow rookie T.J. Warren scored eight.
#713 SAN ANTONIO @ #714 PORTLAND - 10:05 PM
The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers ran into hiccups last week but regrouped over the weekend and each will try to continue those winning ways when they meet Monday in Portland. The Spurs are coming off a stretch of five games against losing teams but only managed a 3-2 record. The Trail Blazers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday then fell to the Chicago Bulls two nights later before finishing their five-game road trip with a win Saturday over the Indiana Pacers.
Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who leads the team in scoring and assists, has been battling a hamstring injury that’s kept him out three of the last four games. One of the best players for Portland is its point guard, Damian Lillard, and that makes Parker’s presence especially important. Portland leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge has played well against the Spurs in his career, averaging 19.8 points while shooting 55.7 percent from the field - his highest percentage against any opponent.
•ABOUT THE SPURS (17-7 SU, 12-12-0 ATS): San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich would probably prefer to give veteran forward Tim Duncan the night off after he played a season-high 40 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and another 32 minutes on Sunday night at altitude in Denver. The 38-year-old sat out the second game in three of the previous six back-to-back situations and has not played especially well in the other three. Duncan averaged 13.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in the five-game series win against the Trail Blazers in last season’s Western Conference semifinals.
•ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (18-6 SU, 13-10-1 ATS): Lillard enjoyed a solid playoff series against the Spurs last spring and scored at least 17 points in each game, though he only shot better than 40 percent from the field in Portland’s lone victory. The player who needs to heat up for the Trail Blazers is shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who shot 19-for-31 from 3-point range in the final three games of November but is 14-for-46 in seven games this month. Nicolas Batum is coming off a 14-point effort against the Pacers, his highest-scoring game since the season opener.
#715 DETROIT @ #716 LA CLIPPERS - 10:35 PM
The lowly Detroit Pistons try to finish off a three-game sweep of a Western road swing when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Detroit recorded wins over the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings to start the trip and will be attempting to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Clippers. While the Pistons have won consecutive games for the first time this season, Los Angeles has lost back-to-back games for the initial time this season.
The Clippers lost at Washington and Milwaukee on back-to-back nights and Matt Barnes was critical of Los Angeles’ effort. “It’s not good enough, we’re a veteran team,” Barnes told reporters. “We know we need to maintain and be consistent. In order to win a championship, you’ve got to be consistent.” The Clippers have won four straight home games and are 8-3 overall.
•ABOUT THE PISTONS (5-19 SU, 8-16-0 ATS): Josh Smith had a huge game in the win over the Kings, contributing 21 points, a season-high 13 rebounds, five assists and a season-best five blocked shots. “He played really hard,” Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. “At times he tries to do too much and he tries to make too many difficult plays. Put it this way: He does what Josh Smith at his best does, he fills up the stat sheet.” The 20-point outing was just the third of the season for Smith, who has back-to-back double-doubles.
•ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (16-7 SU, 10-13-0 ATS): Point guard Chris Paul committed six turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time in his career and was miffed over his performance as well as being called for four offensive fouls against the Bucks. “Just like (Friday) night, turnovers,” Paul told reporters. “I had six turnovers again. I never did that before. I don’t think I’ve ever had four offensive fouls in a game, either.” Paul had just 10 points against Milwaukee and has just one 20-point outing over the last nine games.
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