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

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Premier League TODAY 13:30

Watford

v

Tottenham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		9/2	29/10	7/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
HLALHWALALHD​ Most recent​	1 - 2 0 - 1 1 - 2 0 - 0	HWHWALHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have one won of their last 13 matches against Tottenham

EXPERT VERDICT: Tottenham should be away bankers to win the first Premier League match of 2017. Mauricio Pochettino will have to find solutions at the back with Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen suspended but Watford also have a stack of absentees and Spurs showed their class with a fine 4-1 win over Southampton on Wednesday.

RECOMMENDATION: Tottenham
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REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 16:00

Arsenal

v

C Palace

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		1/3	19/4	9	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWALALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 0 5 - 1	ALHWADHLHLAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have kept one clean sheet this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace could be forgiven for having one eye on their huge game against Swansea which comes only 48 hours after this trip to the Emirates. Sam Allardyce may decide to hold something back and that should help Arsenal to land a comfortable victory, particularly as Palace are poor at the back even when they are fully concentrated.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal-Arsenal double result
2


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

Championship Mo 2Jan 15:00

Blackburn

v

Newcastle

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/4	3	13/20	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BLACKBURN	RECENT FORM
HDALHLHLALAD​ Most recent​	0 - 2 4 - 3 0 - 0 3 - 0	ALHWAWAWHLHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Newcastle have scored in their last 11 away league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Newcastle beat ten-man Newcastle 3-1 on Friday and the extra rest could be telling when they head to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn. Rovers conceded late on in a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield on Saturday and this looks the ideal chance for Newcastle to gain revenge for their surprise 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture in November.

RECOMMENDATION: Newcastle
2


REFEREE: Andy Woolmer STADIUM:

 

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NHL roundup: Jackets win 15th straight, halt Wild's ride at 12
By The Sports Xchange

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Cam Atkinson scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who extended their winning streak to 15 games while snapping Minnesota's run of 12 straight wins with a 4-2 victory over the Wild on Saturday.
Jack Johnson and Seth Jones also scored for Columbus, which hasn't lost since Nov. 26 in overtime at Florida. Brandon Saad added two assists for the Blue Jackets, who are two games away from tying the longest win streak in NHL history set by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993.
Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker scored for Minnesota. Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk allowed four goals on 25 shots. Bobrovsky won his last 13 starts and allowed two goals or fewer in 11 games during that span.
The meeting was the first in NHL history between teams with active win streaks of 12 or more games, according to STATS.

Penguins 4, Canadiens 3 (OT)
PITTSBURGH -- Evgeni Malkin scored on a power play 1:54 into overtime after Conor Sheary tied it in the final minute of regulation and Pittsburgh finished the best December in the franchise's 50-year history (12-1-2).
The Penguins pulled Marc-Andre Fleury (37 saves) with just over a minute to go to add an extra attacker, and got the tying goal when Justin Schultz's shot from just inside the blue line deflected first off Montreal's Max Pacioretty and off Sheary's body and past Carey Price (37 saves), who spent most of the third period protecting a one-goal lead.
Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel scored 3:21 apart in the second period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. Alexander Radulov, Paul Byron and Brian Flynn scored for the Canadiens.

Rangers 6, Avalanche 2
DENVER -- Chris Kreider had three goals for his first hat trick of the season, Henrik Lundqvist returned from a two-game absence for a milestone win and New York crushed Colorado.
J.T. Miller had two goals and Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan had two assists apiece for the Rangers, who are 9-3-0 in their last 12 games. Lundqvist had 25 saves to record his 390th career victory, which is the most by a European-born goaltender in the NHL. He passed Dominik Hasek for the mark.
Blake Comeau and Cody McLeod scored for the Avalanche and Calvin Pickard had 31 saves. Colorado lost its nine straight at home -- the longest home losing streak in franchise history -- and went winless at Pepsi Center in the month of December.

Kings 3, Sharks 2
LOS ANGELES -- Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist and Alec Martinez registered two assists as Los Angeles defeated San Jose.
Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings, who broke a three-game losing streak and won for the first time in three meetings with the Sharks this season. Goalie Peter Budaj made 18 saves to post his 16th victory of the season.
Brett Burns and Kevin Labanc scored for San Jose, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Martin Jones stopped 24 Los Angeles shots and had his three-game winning streak ended.

Capitals 6, Devils 2
NEWARK, N.J. -- In a battle of backup goalies, Philipp Grubauer and Washington defeated Keith Kinkaid and New Jersey.
Grubauer made 21 saves, while Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams led the Capitals with a goal and an assist apiece. Six players scored for Washington and 13 recorded at least one point.
Kinkaid finished with 20 saves for the Devils, who failed on each of their season-high nine power-play opportunities.

Lightning 3, Hurricanes 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Brian Boyle and Jonathan Drouin scored power-play goals against the NHL's top penalty-killing team as Tampa Bay defeated Carolina.
Alex Killorn also scored for the Lightning, who won four of the past six games and have points in six of seven. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each had a pair of assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 26 saves.
Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, who lost in regulation for the second time this season in eight back-to-back situations. Cam Ward made 22 saves for Carolina.

Bruins 3, Sabres 1
BOSTON -- Frank Vatrano, Patrice Bergeron and Tim Schaller scored as Boston completed a home-and-home sweep of Buffalo.
The Bruins swept the four-game season series 13-4 -- including a 4-2 victory Thursday in Buffalo, marking the first time either swept the other in a season set. Boston outscored the Sabres 13-4 in the four games. Tuukka Rask stopped 26 shots to improve to 19-7-3 this season and 13-5-1 lifetime against Buffalo.
Former Boston University star Jack Eichel scored with 21.2 seconds left in the second period -- his seventh goal in 15 games -- for the Sabres. Robin Lehner made 25 stops in falling to 3-10-3 lifetime against the Bruins.

Canucks 3, Oilers 2 (SO)
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Bo Horvat had a pair of assists and added the shootout winner as Vancouver defeated Edmonton.
Alexandre Burrows and Sven Baertschi also scored for the Canucks (17-18-3), who extended their winning streak to three games. Jacob Markstrom made 42 saves.
Drake Caggiula and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers (19-12-7), who lost two of their last three -- both past regulation. Cam Talbot stopped 30 shots. Edmonton sent the game to overtime with 1:33 left in regulation as Leon Draisaitl made a nice feed to McDavid at the side of the net on the power play and he scored his 14th of the season.

Flames 4, Coyotes 2
CALGARY, Alberta -- Michael Frolik scored for the first time in 20 games and added an assist to lead Calgary over Arizona.
Dennis Wideman, Lance Bouma and Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period. Brian Elliott made 27 saves in the Calgary net to record his fourth straight win.
Brendan Perlini and Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, who lost their seventh straight game. Backup Louis Domingue finished with 20 saves while making a rare start in net for Arizona.

Panthers 3, Stars 1
DALLAS -- Jaromir Jagr and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist and James Reimer stopped 34 of 35 shots to help Florida snap a four-game losing streak.
Jussi Jokinen also scored for the Panthers, who lost 10 of their previous 13 games and were 0-1-3 over their past four contests. Jagr's first-period goal was the 756th of his storied career, third-most in NHL history.
Dallas got its lone goal from Patrick Eaves, but the Stars saw their season-long three-game winning streak snapped. Kari Lehtonen stopped all 18 shots he faced for Dallas in relief of Antti Niemi, who was pulled late in the first period after allowing three goals on 20 shots.

Islanders 6, Jets 2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- John Tavares scored and Thomas Greiss stopped 32 shots as New York improved to 10-0-1 in its last 11 New Year's Eve games by routing Winnipeg.
Nikolay Kulemin, Shane Prince, Ryan Strome, Anders Lee and ex-Jet Andrew Ladd also scored for the Islanders, who won for the fourth time in five games while improving to 1-1-0 on their four-game road trip. Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson recorded two assists apiece.
Shawn Matthias and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Winnipeg, which has lost two straight. Connor Hellebucyk stopped 11 of 15 shots before he was replaced by Michael Hutchinson, who allowed two goals on nine shots.

 

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Preview: Red Wings (16-16) at Maple Leafs (16-12)

Date: January 01, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings are facing different situations as they take their Original Six rivalry outdoors on Sunday at BMO Field for the Centennial Classic.

As a new year begins, the Maple Leafs, buoyed by a four-game winning streak, are being quietly and unexpectedly mentioned in playoff conversation.

"We're right there," Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly said after a 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. "We believe in this group, we have a lot of confidence, so we want to keep this rolling. Each game we play now is a big one."

The Red Wings, meanwhile, are facing the prospect of having their run of reaching the playoffs end at 25 seasons.

Despite a 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the Red Wings have slipped to 24th overall and seventh in the Atlantic Division, three points behind the rebuilding Maple Leafs, who are fifth in the Atlantic and seventh overall.

"We've got to deal with it; just got to keep on playing," Red Wings left winger and captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "Most teams when they rebuild, they tank for a few years. We try to do it a little differently, mix in younger players.

"It's not going to be easy for us and we all know that. It's not like we have the team we had in the mid-2000s. But you won't have those teams forever, either."

As the expectations begin to mount for the Maple Leafs, they enter a difficult part of their schedule. Over the last two seasons, they have a total of four wins in January.

Following Sunday's game against the Red Wings, seven of the Maple Leafs' next 12 games are away. After not traveling well earlier in the season, they have won their last five games on the road.

"There are nights when you might not play your best and you struggle at times, but you walk out of here with two points and we'll take that," Rielly said.

"The big picture is that we're getting better and we're moving forward. We're getting some luck, we're getting tougher around the net, both offensively and defensively, and that's making a big difference."

There are only five Maple Leafs left from the team that defeated the Red Wings, 3-2, in a shootout Jan. 1, 2014, in an outdoor game played before a crowd of 105,491 at Michigan Stadium.

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock was behind the Red Wings' bench then.

"They've definitely changed a lot," Red Wings left winger Drew Miller said. "They've got some big talent there and obviously that's bright for their future.

"When you have players like that that you can count on to put up points and be that young, it's got to be exciting for them."

Said Babcock: "This is a special one, our 100th-year anniversary in the NHL and our team getting better."

After Antoine Bibeau got his first NHL the win Thursday in the second of back-to-back games in Florida, No 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen is expected to be in Toronto's goal on Sunday.

"We had got one point out of a backup until (Thursday) so, you know, if you look at it there's 20 games he's got to play and you've got to get some points," Babcock said.

"That being said, good job. He's a kid, he was a bit deep at times and things like that, but he did a good job."

With Jimmy Howard out because of a sprained knee, Jared Coreau probably will start for the Red Wings on Sunday. Detroit has won two of his three starts and he has been better than Petr Mrazek.

"I thought (Thursday in Ottawa) was his best game of the three," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "Not to say the first two weren't good. I see his confidence growing.

"Like any player, and it is just magnified at the goaltending position, the more comfortable you get, the greater chance to have confidence."

Red Wings center Riley Sheahan, who missed the game Thursday because of an upper-body injury, skated Friday and is considered a game-time decision on Sunday.

 

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Preview: Senators (20-12) at Capitals (20-9)

Date: January 01, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals finally broke out of their offensive funk in time for the New Year, and will look to continue their winning ways on Sunday at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., against the Ottawa Senators, who are aiming to snap a two-game losing streak.

The Capitals had lost four out of five before crushing New Jersey 6-2 on Dec. 31, registering the most goals they've scored in a game since a 7-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 16.

Washington coach Barry Trotz hopes that his club's offense can become more consistent in 2017 as it begins a stretch of nine games in 16 days.

"We have to make it harder on goaltenders night-in and night-out," Trotz said.

Washington is playing solid defense, allowing only 77 goals on the season, and has excelled recently at snuffing out its opponents' power play.

The Capitals held New Jersey scoreless in nine power-play tries Saturday and have killed 24 straight penalties.

"Success on the first couple of kills breeds some confidence," defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "After each one we got a little momentum.

"You get in a rhythm of just when you want to pressure, and sharing clears and things like that, reading off each other, and you can have good stretches that can carry over for a period of time, for sure."

Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin was one of six scorers for Washington, tallying his 17th goal of the season and the 994th point of his storied career in the victory on Saturday.

Ottawa coach Guy Boucher, who saw plenty of Ovechkin while he worked in Tampa Bay, understands it will take more than one player to slow the dangerous goal scorer.

"He's such a powerful guy," Boucher said. "He's got the speed and he can shoot from anywhere. We have to be aware when he's on the ice.

"We have to be all defense no matter whose line is on. Whoever plays against him, we have to be smart and different guys have to change fast so that we have the right guys on."

The Senators are coming off an emotional overtime loss to Detroit on Dec. 29, when the team retired longtime star Daniel Alfredsson's No. 11 jersey.

Boucher felt his team came out flat in losing its second straight game, and with a mandated five-day break coming up after Sunday's game, he wants his team to be ready.

"We want to make sure that we put everything out there," he said.

Ottawa will have defenseman Dion Phaneuf in the lineup even though he didn't participate in Saturday's skate, with Boucher noting he gave the veteran a day off for a "little thing."

Forward Zack Smith (abdominal strain) will not be in the lineup, however, as the Senators hope to have him return after its break.

"He's a big part of our team," Boucher said. "If you look at the previous games, he's one of the big reasons we were having success. He gave us a lot."

Mike Condon will make his 14th straight start in net for Ottawa. Braden Holtby likely will get the nod for Washington, which begins a stretch in which it will play six of eight at home.

"For the most part, we've played pretty well at home," Niskanen said. "It will be good to try to get on a little bit of a roll. We have to start with trying to win two in a row, and hopefully, things will snowball from there."

 

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Preview: Flyers (20-14) at Ducks (18-12)

Date: January 01, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Philadelphia Flyers will try to end a seven-game losing streak against the Anaheim Ducks and halt another post-Christmas skid when the teams meet Sunday afternoon at Honda Center.

The Flyers haven't defeated the Ducks since a 4-3 win on Dec. 2, 2011, which marked the debut of Bruce Boudreau as Anaheim's coach after Randy Carlyle was fired two days earlier. Boudreau was let go at the end of last season and Carlyle was rehired by the Ducks.

In the last 10 games against Anaheim, the Flyers are 1-7-3, and they continue to struggle coming out of the Christmas break, losing the first five games two years ago, the first three last season and the first two this year.

Both teams enter this game with 44 points, but Philadelphia has dropped five of six following a 10-game winning streak, the team's longest in 31 years. The Flyers have been shut out twice in the last three games, including Friday at San Jose against rookie goaltender Aaron Dell.

Flyers goalie Steve Mason, who has started 20 of the past 22 games, left the San Jose game at the first intermission after he was hit on an exposed part of his hand by the stick of Joe Thornton as the Sharks center was skating through the crease. Anthony Stolarz was solid in relief, stopping 21 of 22 shots on goal.

"I thought (Stolarz) was excellent," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He was prepared coming in, and I thought he played very well for 40 minutes. He had some tough saves and he looked confident doing it."

Mason took shots during practice in Anaheim on Saturday morning and told reporters he would wait until Sunday morning to see how he felt. But Stolarz is expected to get the start in the finale of a four-game road trip.

"I just want to go out and show I can play at this high level," Stolarz said.

The Ducks lost another game in the five-minute overtime period Friday night, this time 3-2 at the Vancouver Canucks. Anaheim is 0-7 in the five-minute overtime and 1-1 in shootouts this season.

"You're going to look back at some point and say the points are really going to cost you," Carlyle told the Orange County Register following the latest overtime loss.

Anaheim winger Corey Perry continues to struggle through the worst start to his 12-year career, sitting on seven goals for the last eight games after finishing goal-less in November. He has been productive against the Flyers in recent games, scoring in Philadelphia on Oct. 20 in a 3-2 win by the Ducks, collecting two goals in a 4-2 win in Anaheim last December and getting two assists in a 4-1 road victory in February.

The Flyers have been vulnerable on the power play of late, surrendering five goals over the last three games, while the Ducks have 11 power-play goals in the last 10 games for a 32.3 percent success rate.

Brayden Schenn led the Flyers with seven goals in December, but the 2009 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings has not scored against the Ducks in eight career games.

 

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Grand Salami - January

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 3 - - -
1/2 3 - - -
1/3 7 - - -
1/4 6 - - -
1/5 7 - - -
1/6 6 - - -
1/7 12 - - -
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 4 - - -
1/10 7 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 9 - - -
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

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NHL

Sunday’s games

Red Wings won three of last four games with Toronto; they won four of last six games in Toronto. Last nine series games stayed under the total. Detroit lost six of its last nine games but won last two on road. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Maple Leafs are back from a 4-0 road trip, winning last two games in OT/SO; they lost four of last five home games. Under is 9-1 in Toronto’s last ten games. This is an outdoor game.

Washington won five of last six games with Ottawa; Senators were outscored 11-3 in losing last three visits here. Three of last four series games went over total. Ottawa lost 4-3/3-2 in their last two games; they’re 2-3 in last five road games. Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Senator games. Caps lost four of last six games; they won in New Jersey Saturday, are 3-2 in last five home games. Over is 4-3-1 in their last eight games.

Flyers lost their last seven games with Anaheim; they were outscored 14-9 in losing last three games in this building. Over is 6-1-2 in last nine series games. Philly lost five of last six games, losing last four away games by combined score of 15-4; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Ducks lost four of last five games; their last three losses were all in OT. Under is 3-1-2 in their last six games.

 

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NBA roundup: Harden scores 53 to lead Rockets over Knicks
By The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON -- James Harden recorded a 50-point triple-double while Ryan Anderson played a capable second fiddle as the Houston Rockets outlasted the game New York Knicks 129-122 on Saturday night.
Harden finished with a career-high 53 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high-tying 17 assists to carry the Rockets through another lackadaisical defensive effort. Houston matched its franchise record for wins in a month (15) set in Nov. 1996, while sending the Knicks to a fourth consecutive loss.
Anderson added 25 points and six rebounds for the Rockets, who led by as many as 19 points yet were in a battle down the stretch when the Knicks cut the deficit to three points multiple times in the fourth quarter. Houston reeled off a 7-0 spurt to seize control for good, capped by a Trevor Ariza layup.
The Knicks were without starters Kristaps Porzingis and Courtney Lee and reserve forward Kyle O'Quinn, while Forward Carmelo Anthony did not return for the second half, succumbing to a sore knee. Brandon Jennings filled in admirably, scoring 32 points and adding seven assists and Derrick Rose paired 21 points with seven assists.

Bucks 116, Bulls 96
CHICAGO -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and Jabari Parker added 27 as Milwaukee took charge in the second half to pull away Chicago.
Greg Monroe scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and rookie Malcolm Brogdon had 15 points and 11 boards as the Bucks (16-16) outscored Chicago 36-20 in the fourth quarter and beat the Bulls (16-18) for the third time in three tries this season.
Jimmy Butler scored 26 points for Chicago, which lost its second straight and for the eighth time in 11 games. Robin Lopez had a gritty night, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds, seven assists and blocked seven shots and was dominant as Milwaukee took charge late in what had been a tight, physical game.

Cavaliers 121, Hornets 109
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- LeBron James scored 32 points, including 17 in the first quarter, and Kevin Love added 28 points and 10 rebounds in Cleveland's victory over Charlotte.
Kyrie Irving missed the game with a hamstring injury and Jordan McRae was coach Tyronn Lue's surprise replacement. McRae scored a season-high 20 points in his second career start and first this season.
Guard Kemba Walker did his best to keep the Hornets close with 37 points, but he didn't get enough help. Frank Kaminsky scored 15 points off the bench, Nicolas Batum had 13 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.

Grizzlies 112, Kings 98
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Mike Conley scored 22 points in his return from a two-game absence, and Memphis overcame the absence of Marc Gasol for much for the second half with lights-out shooting in the victory over Sacramento.
Memphis canned a franchise-record 17 3-pointers, including 11 in the third quarter and kicked off a four-game California road trip with its second straight win. Conley, who missed two straight games with a toe injury, played 29 minutes in his return and made 8 of 11 shots from the field but Gasol left the game less than three minutes into the third quarter and suffered a sprained ankle.
DeMarcus Cousins finished with 26 points, eight assists, five steals and four rebounds, but the Kings dropped their second straight after a season-best four-game winning streak. Matt Barnes added a season-best 20 points and made five 3-pointers for Sacramento.

Thunder 114, Clippers 88
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook collected his 16th triple-double of the season to lead Oklahoma City to the victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Westbrook posted 17 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. He actually hit the triple-double mark in less than 20 minutes in the first half and is now two triple-doubles away from matching his total from all of last season. Enes Kanter came off the bench to score 23 points.
Brandon Bass had 18 points and Marreese Speights added 18 off the bench. Chris Paul was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Jazz 91, Suns 86
SALT LAKE CITY -- Rudy Gobert recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds for his 23rd double-double of the season and helped Utah escape with the victory over Phoenix.
Gordon Hayward added 18 points and nine rebounds and Rodney Hood chipped in 13 points for the Jazz. Utah earned its sixth straight victory over Phoenix after sweeping the Suns last season.
Devin Booker scored 20 points and Eric Bledsoe added 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Suns. Phoenix shot 7 for 22 from the floor in the fourth quarter and scored only one basket over the final 6:45

 

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Preview: Magic (15-19) at Pacers (16-18)

Date: January 01, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers will ring in the new year by hosting the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.


The Pacers will be going up against former coach Frank Vogel for the second time this season. Vogel coached the Pacers for seven seasons, and led them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

Indiana always had a strong defensive identity under Vogel, so it was only fitting that they delivered their best defensive performance of the season when facing him earlier this year, winning 89-69.

Indiana (16-18) snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Jeff Teague made only 2-of-13 shots from the field, but still might have been the game's MVP.

Teague dished out a career-high 17 assists, including six in the first eight minutes of the game to set the tone.

"We played as a team and moved the ball really well," Teague said. "Guys were getting open and knocking down shots. We've got to continue to play like we did tonight."

Paul George delivered in the clutch, and scored a game-high 32 points. He's heating up, scoring over 30 points in consecutive games.

"It was good to get off to a fast start and make the other team play catch-up instead of us," George said. "Trying to chip away at the lead all the time gets exhausting."

The match-up down low will be a key in this game.

Myles Turner of the Pacers and Serge Ibaka of the Magic are two of the best shot-blockers in the game. Myles Turner has blocked at least one shot in 22 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.

The Magic and Pacers are ranked in the top seven in the NBA in blocked shots per game.

The Magic (15-19) have been playing better of late, winning five of their last eight games. They lost their previous game, however, to the Charlotte Hornets, 120-101 in Orlando.

"We went stone cold," Coach Frank Vogel told ESPN.com. "If you can't beat them from the perimeter, you're going to have a long night. Those guys are really sharp."

They Magic has had three days off to prepare for this game, and are hoping to start finding some consistency.

"One or two games we show flashes, and then we drop off," Ibaka told NBA.com. "We've got to be more consistent than we've been. We know that we can be a lot better."

Indiana is 12-5 at home, but the Magic actually played better in road games (8-8).

This will be the second of four meetings between these teams this season. The final two games will both be played in Orlando on Feb. 1 and April 8.

The Pacers will be without Rodney Stuckey (left hamstring strain), and Evan Fournier is listed as questionable for the Magic (right heel contusion).

Being a holiday, it will be an earlier start, tipping off 6 p.m.

 

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Preview: Pistons (15-20) at Heat (10-24)

Date: January 01, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

MIAMI -- No team in the NBA is playing worse than the Detroit Pistons right now, and the Miami Heat are below them in the Eastern Conference standings.

That is indicative of how unappealing Sunday night's New Year's Day matchup is between Detroit (15-20, 12th place) and Miami (10-24, 13th place).

Only the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, and Miami, one game ahead of the last-place Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, are nowhere near the postseason.

The Heat, riding a four-game losing streak, is looking like a lottery team for the 2017 NBA Draft. And their top two players, center Hassan Whiteside (eye injury) and point guard Goran Dragic (back), are questionable for Sunday.

Meanwhile, there still is some hope for the Pistons, who made the playoffs last season. But Detroit has lost seven of its past eight games.

Worse yet has been the inconsistency -- the Pistons have 14 double-digit wins and 12 double-digit losses.

"We're certainly not out of (the playoff chase), but every loss puts you more in jeopardy," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told the media earlier this week. "You can't run from that fact."

Van Gundy, a former Heat coach who is in his third year running the Pistons, has put the blame for Detroit's recent failures squarely on his own shoulders.

"I'm embarrassed, not by my players but by me, my performance," Van Gundy said. "I'm not getting it done."

Van Gundy said he has never seen a team with performance swings the likes of which he has seen this season with Detroit. He also said that "everything is on the table" in terms of trades.

The Pistons are 4-10 since point guard Reggie Jackson returned from a knee injury that caused him to miss the season's first 21 games.

Jackson, who has struggled this season, might have turned the corner with 20 points and eight assists in Friday's 105-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Forward Marcus Morris missed the Hawks game because of an injury to his left knee, and he was replaced by Tobias Harris, who had been benched for three games.

During those three games, Harris averaged 23.3 points, earning his promotion.

Perhaps Jackson and Harris offer some hope. And perhaps a trip to Miami to face the struggling Heat is exactly what the Pistons need.

After all, the Heat allowed Isaiah Thomas to score 52 points -- with no assists -- in a 117-114 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday.

Unlike the Pistons, who get routed a lot, the Heat plays -- and loses -- close games frequently. The Heat has played 22 games in which they were within five points with five minutes to play.

Miami is 7-15 in those instances.

The Heat lacks a player with the killer instinct of Thomas, who told reporters on Friday night that playing against Miami in the fourth quarter "felt like I was alone, shooting in the gym."

Thomas might have been referring to a feeling of being locked in with 29 points in that fourth quarter, but it's also a pretty strong indictment of Miami's once-proud defense.

Whiteside, who was poked in his right eye during the Celtics game, will see a doctor this weekend and his status for the game is not yet known.

Dragic has missed two straight games because of his back injury.

The Heat also is dealing with long-term injuries to starting power forward Josh McRoberts (foot) and starting shooting guard Dion Waiters (groin).

"It's painful in our locker-room," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told the media following the loss to Boston.

Spoelstra meant pain as in emotional distress, but he could just as easily have been discussing injuries and physical anguish. With the Heat right now -- and the Pistons for that matter -- there is enough pain to go around.

 

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Preview: Spurs (27-6) at Hawks (17-16)

Date: January 01, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer will never admit it publicly, but the one regular-season win he would like more than any other would be against San Antonio.

Budenholzer, who was the San Antonio staff for 19 seasons, is a disciple of Spurs coach Greg Popovich. He runs the same offensive system, stresses the team aspect and demands his players work hard on defense.

But since he took the Atlanta job in 2013, Budenholzer has not been able to beat his mentor. Atlanta is 0-6 against the Spurs in Budenholzer's four seasons on the bench. He gets another crack on Sunday when the Hawks host the Spurs at Philips Arena. San Antonio has won the last 11 games against Atlanta.

"We've got another tough team ahead of us," Atlanta forward Paul Millsap said. "We've got to get to work and come out and take care of business like we did (against Detroit)."

Both Atlanta and San Antonio enter the game on a winning streak. Atlanta (17-16) has won two straight after its 105-98 victory over Detroit on Friday. San Antonio (27-6) has won four straight after its 110-94 victory over Portland on Friday.

Atlanta's last win put the Hawks above .500 for the first time since Nov. 30. It was a ray of hope for a team that slumped badly after an unexpected 9-2 start.

"We wanted to finish this part of the season and head into the New Year right," Atlanta center Dwight Howard said. "We've got two good home wins and we're hoping to get one more."

San Antonio hopes to get Kawhi Leonard back for the game. The forward, who averages 24.4 points, has missed the last two games with a stomach virus. The Spurs said Leonard is questionable.

Even if Leonard can't go, the Spurs can bank on forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who averages 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds. Aldridge has scored in double figures in 27 of 30 games, but he had only eight against the Trail Blazers.

San Antonio's depth makes it a difficult team to put away. The Spurs have trailed in the second half of their last three games.

"The slow starts have cost us some games this year," San Antonio center Pau Gasol said. "We have to do a better job of coming out with more of an edge to the game."

The Hawks and Spurs have a return game on March 13 in San Antonio.

 

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Preview: Trail Blazers (14-21) at Timberwolves (11-22)

Date: January 01, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- Sunday's meeting between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Portland Trail Blazers features two teams that could not be more eager to put the 2016 portion of the 2016-17 season behind them.

Much more was expected of a young but talent-rich Timberwolves roster under the tutelage of highly coveted new coach Tom Thibodeau than the 11-22 record produced thus far. But recent signs point to the team's early season growing pains starting to taper off.

After falling to 6-18 following a 116-108 loss to Golden State on Dec. 11, the Timberwolves have won five of their past nine games, including Friday night's 116-99 victory over Milwaukee at Target Center.

Minnesota, which has already lost 10 games in which it has led by 10 points or more, was up by as many as 17 points while leading Milwaukee from start to finish.

Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 31 points and Zach LaVine added 24 with the help of six 3-pointers.

One game after his first career triple-double, Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in his 23rd double-double (18 points, 16 rebounds) of the season, but Shabazz Muhammed provided the spark early on.

A game after the Denver Nuggets limited Minnesota's bench to eight points, Muhammed came off the bench to score a season-high 22 points in 18 minutes, including 17 in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting from the field.

"I thought he was terrific, I thought he was very, very efficient," Thibodeau said of Muhammed. "He had some tough matchups, competed defensively. Probably his best game, I thought he did a great job."

Muhammed, who had been struggling of late, was happy to contribute to the win.

"It felt good to see the ball go in a lot tonight, and hopefully I can carry that on throughout the season," Muhammed told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Minnesota's 30 assists on Friday was another positive indicator of a team beginning to gel. In fact, all five starters, and six Timberwolves overall, had at least three assists against the Bucks.

"We're playing connected," Wiggins said. "The chemistry is building every day. We know where people are going to be, and we're playing unselfish, playing together."

The Trail Blazers started slow a year ago as well but caught fire in the second half to finish fifth in the Western Conference.

Building on that success was expected, but Portland has won just two of its last 13 games and now leads Minnesota by just two games in the race to avoid the Northwest Division cellar.

"It's been a little disappointing," Blazers forward Moe Harkless told the Portland Oregonian. "I think we all came in with the expectations of improving and building on what we had last year at the end of the year. We haven't done that thus far. And it's obviously still a long season, but we haven't done that."

Portland took advantage of nine Spurs turnovers to forge a 32-22 lead after one quarter on Friday night in San Antonio.

The Trail Blazers extended that advantage by as much as 13 in the second quarter before the Spurs began to chip away and eventually pull away in the second half for a 110-94 win.

"We were very good defensively and we moved the ball offensively and we played a great first half," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "San Antonio played well in the second half and shot its 3-pointers really well. We didn't play up to their level after halftime."

A trip to Minnesota might have come at just the right time for the Trail Blazers, who fell to 14-21 overall and 5-13 on the road this season.

Portland has won 12 of the last 16 meetings between the teams and leads the all-time series 70-36, including 34-18 in Minneapolis.

All indications are the Trail Blazers will be without Damian Lillard (left ankle sprain) for the fourth straight game. Portland is 5-5 all time without him in his career (1-2 this season).

"I don't feel comfortable playing at the level I want to be able to play," Lillard told the Oregonian. "I'm still day to day."

 

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Preview: Raptors (22-10) at Lakers (12-24)

Date: January 01, 2017 9:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- A visit to the City of Angels might be what the Toronto Raptors need to kick off the New Year on a high note.

The Raptors (22-10) will try to end a two-game slide when they play the reeling Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center.

The Raptors, who will be making the fifth stop on a six-game trip, lost to the Phoenix Suns 99-91 in their last outing on Thursday. Toronto, which fell to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, is 2-2 on its current journey.

Against the Suns, forward Patrick Patterson left the game with a strained left knee. Patterson, a key contributor off the bench, is listed as questionable.

"It takes away a spacer, a floor spacer and a knockdown shooter from three," Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry told the Toronto Sun regarding Patterson. "It takes a guy out who can guard bigger guys, but you know, it's next man up."

Lowry and Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan have stepped up their usually stellar play this season, particularly in December. Lowry connected on a franchise-record 59 3-pointers during 14 games in last month -- the most made in any month by a Raptor. Dee Brown, who made 54 3-pointers in April 1999, held the previous record.

Lowry's 59 3-pointers ranks second in NBA history behind Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon's 66 treys in the same month.

DeRozan, a native of nearby Compton, has been one of the NBA's top performers this season. In December, DeRozan, who was sixth in the league in scoring at 27.4 points per game heading into Saturday's games, averaged a team-high 25.5 points last month when the Raptors posted a 10-4 record.

DeRozan, who scored 30 or more points in five of those games, surpassed Chris Bosh to become the franchise scoring leader with 10,314 points in the loss to the Warriors. DeRozan also is the club leader in games played with 553.

The Lakers (12-24) can only marvel at the Raptors' success. Los Angeles can't seem to find its way out of recent tailspin, resulting in losses in six of the last seven games and 14 of 16.

In the Lakers' last game on Thursday, they were clearly outplayed in the second half of a 101-89 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

"I'm very frustrated, but I'm still trying keep it all in perspective," Lakers forward Julius Randle said.

Much of the Lakers' frustrations have been the result of their defense. The Lakers ranked 27th in opponents' scoring at 110.1 per game. They also have allowed the opposition to shoot 47.9 percent from the field, which was the league's worst.

"I really thought we had turned a corner a little bit. I mean obviously you don't fix everything overnight, but I thought we had made some big progress," Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

"I was disappointed to see that we had the same type of result again in a very similar game to what we have seen in the past week or two, but I'm still very confident that our group is going to get it."

They will be pressed to do so against Toronto. The Raptors have captured the last four meetings with the Lakers.

 

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'Raptors Faves in L.A.'

Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers January 1, 9:30 EST

The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center for a Non-Conference clash. Both teams come in off back-2-back defeats with Lakers losing 102-100 vs Utah as +5.5 point home dogs and 101-89 on home court most recently vs Mavericks as -3.5 point favorites. The Raptors suffering the same fate lost a seesaw battle vs Warriors 121-111 as +9.5 point dogs in Oakland then stumbled 99-91 as -8.5 point road chalk in Phoenix in their last effort.

The teams last met north of the border in early December, a no-doubt 113-90 win/cover by the Raptors as they caught Lakers playing their third game in four night's. Since that meeting, Lakers have won just twice in sixteen attempts (5-11 ATS) posting a 101.7 mark in offensive efficiency metrics while allowing opponents 113.0 points per 100 possesions. As for Raptors, the team has won 10-of-14 (8-6 ATS) dropping 114.6 per 100 possesions while giving up 102.5 in defensive efficiency.

That discrepancy in scoring prowess, defensive metrics along with the fact Toronto carries a 9-3-1 ATS record off a loss and owns a sparkling 13-2 ATS record on the road netting 100 or more points oddsmakers have given Toronto the nod opening Raptors -7.0 point road chalk.

 

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NBA

Sunday’s games

Orlando won five of its last seven road games, is 8-2 in last 10 games as a road underdog. Over is 9-4 in Orlando’s last 13 games. Indiana lost four of last five games; they covered five of last seven home games. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Pacers won eight of last nine games with Orlando; four of last five series games stayed under the total. Magic lost four of last five visits to Indiana (1-4 vs spread).

Detroit lost seven of its last eight games; they’re 4-9 vs spread as road underdogs. Under is 9-4-1 in their last 14 games. Miami lost seven of last eight games; they’re 3-4 as home favorites. Six of Heat’s last nine games stayed under the total. Pistons won four of last six games with Miami; four of last five series games stayed under total. Teams split last four visits to South Beach (under 3-1).

San Antonio won/covered eight of its last nine games; they’re 11-5 as road favorites. Over is 7-2 in Spurs’ last nine games. Hawks won three of last four games; they’re 1-7-1 vs spread in their last nine home games. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Spurs won their last ten games with Atlanta, covering four of last five; under is 4-1 in last five series games played here. San Antonio won/covered last five visits here.

Trailblazers lost 11 of last 13 games; they’re 3-10 vs spread as a road underdog. Four of last five Portland games stayed under total. Timberwolves are 4-3 in their last seven games, 4-3 as home favorites. Over is 5-2 in Minnesota’s last seven home games. Portland won four of last five games with Minnesota; under is 6-3 in last nine series games. Blazers won by 5-6 points in last two visits here.

Raptors lost their last two games after a, 13-2 run; Toronto is 3-4 as a road favorite. Over is 10-5 in their last fifteen games. Lakers lost 13 of last 16 games, are 6-5 as home underdogs. Last four LA games stayed under the total. Lakers lost last four games with Toronto; they lost by 33 in Toronto four weeks ago. Last four series games stayed under the total. Teams split last four series games played here.

 

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Preview: Providence Friars (10-4) at Butler Bulldogs (11-2)

Date: January 01, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Providence College has had Big East foe Butler's number the past three seasons.

The Friars have won six of the seven meetings, including all three last season.

"I think we've been fortunate and we've matched up pretty decent with them through the years," Providence coach Ed Cooley said. "We've had some great games against them. Many of the games have come down to the wire, just like many games in our league."

The No. 13 Bulldogs (11-2) will get another crack when they host Providence (10-4) on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

"They're very well-coached and obviously a lot better than people thought they were going to be," Cooley said of Bulldogs, who were picked to finish sixth in the Big East by the coaches.

Butler will be happy to be back on its campus -- and not simply because of the home-court edge.

Following a 79-76 at St. John's on Thursday night in the Big East opener, the team's charter plane lost cabin pressure and was forced to land in Pittsburgh.

"There's no doubt that was a traumatic experience for all of us but especially our inexperienced travelers," Bulldogs coach Chris Holtmann said.

Rather than fly home Friday, the team decided to take a bus back to Indianapolis in advance of the matchup with Providence, which also lost its conference opener in an 82-56 rout by No. 17 Xavier on Wednesday night.

The Friars have lost two in a row, previously falling to Boston College 79-67.

"I've got to do a better job," Cooley said of the performance against Xavier. "I don't know what happened to our sense of urgency. I don't think we've played well the last two games."

In particular, Cooley said his Friars performed poorly defensively in those two games.

Prior to those outings, Cooley was pleased his team's defense, allowing opponents an average of 58.9 points in the first 12 games.

Junior forward Rodney Bullock, struggled with just two points on 1-of-11 shooting at Xavier, leads the Friars with team-high averages of 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Cooley said Bullock's level of confidence has improved this season.

"Hopefully he'll continue to play at elite level for us to have success," Cooley said.

Junior forward Emmitt Holt, who played his freshman season at Indiana University before transferring to a junior college, is next with 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Butler has impressive victories over ranked teams Arizona, Cincinnati and Indiana, but Holtmann has continually described his team as a work in progress.

"We've had some stretches where we've played really good basketball and then some other times where we've really struggled," Holtmann said.

The Bulldogs certainly struggled against St. John's, which was last in the Big East last season.

"I thought our defensive approach mirrored our approach in general," Holtmann said. "We had an immature approach to the game and we didn't provide nearly enough resistance for them. Right now we're a long ways from being a good team. We have a lot of stuff to figure out in a short amount of time."

Holtmann describes the Big East as an absolute grind every game.

"In a league this good, you are really trying to see how your guys respond in the critical moments," Holtmann said. "In those moments in the non-conference, by and large, with the exception of a couple of games, certainly Indiana State, we responded well. We have to do more consistently going forward."

 

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Preview: Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-2) at Purdue Boilermakers (12-2)

Date: January 01, 2017 4:30 PM EDT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Two of the Big Ten's most impressive early season teams -- No. 15 Purdue, which has won seven in a row, and Minnesota, which already has four more victories than it amassed in 2015-2016 -- will collide on Sunday in Mackey Arena.

At 12-2, 1-0 in the Big Ten after crushing Iowa 89-67 on Wednesday night, Purdue has a more mature pulse this season, getting improved guard play from juniors P.J. Thompson and Dakota Mathias along with freshman Carsen Edwards.

Edwards scored 19 in his first Big Ten game, Mathias added 17 and point guard Thompson has 53 assists and only 10 turnovers through 14 games.

While power forward Caleb Swanigan (averaging 17.8 points and 12.4 rebounds) and 7-2 center Isaac Haas (14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds) are the Boilermakers' 1-2 punch, three starting guards have made Purdue a more complete team, one that is averaging 84.6 points a game.

"I try to make sure that we are ready to play from the beginning," Thompson said Friday. "Our team has been ready to play more times than not. We try to get more film time in and we study the playbooks the coaches give us.

"But if you don't look at it and learn, then it's not going to help you. I'm more vocal now. I make sure I talk during warmups. It's nothing too big. It's just little stuff."

Purdue led Iowa and Big Ten scoring leader Peter Jok 49-25 at halftime and increased the advantage to as many as 31 points during the second half.

"I think it shows the maturity of our team, the way we came out to start each half in the Iowa game," Mathias said. "I think it was a big step for us. We're doing a good job of moving the ball and finding the open man."

Junior forward Vince Edwards said Carsen Edwards' 19-point effort in his first conference game was eye-opening. Vince and Carsen are not related.

"It was major," Vince Edwards said. "He is a bad man. To come out as a freshman -- in your first Big Ten game -- I was really impressed with him. And he did it in a lot of different ways. That was a nice start, to come out fearless and ready to go."

Coach Matt Painter has rotated eight players and has gotten solid production with a variety of combinations.

"I think for our guys to understand how to play at times with different lineups is important," Painter said. "For the most part, we've stayed with how we play and make the right play and have good shot selection."

For Minnesota, improving to 12-2 after going 8-23, 2-16 in the Big Ten last season, is reason for optimism, although the Golden Gophers lost their Big Ten opener Tuesday night at home to Michigan State, 75-74, in overtime.

"These games in this league always seem to come down to one or two possessions," Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said. "There will be plenty more close games. Hopefully, we can be on the other side of that.

"This is the most complete team we have had. Getting that feeling of winning again has really breathed life into the program. I always thought long-term that we were going to have to take a step backward to take two forward."

Minnesota sophomore forward Jordan Murphy, averaging 10.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, said his team must keep the Michigan State loss in perspective as it prepares to play red-hot Purdue.

"We have to keep in mind that we are 12-2," Murphy said. "It's not like we are 7-5 or 5-7."

 

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Preview: Tulane Green Wave (3-10) at Cincinnati Bearcats (11-2)

Date: January 01, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- Not many teams in the country can win a game scoring 56 points six days after putting up 93 in an overtime victory.

Such was the case for No. 23 Cincinnati, which beat Marshall at home 93-91 on Dec. 22 before winning 56-50 at Temple. The victory over the Owls was a resume-builder for the Bearcats, who despite a relatively soft non-conference schedule moved up to No. 29 in the latest RPI rankings.

Cincinnati (11-2, 1-0 American Athletic) hosts Tulane on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

At Temple, the Bearcats got back to playing defense the way they're capable of to help win a key AAC game on the road.

Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin wasn't too pleased when Marshall had 17 made 3-pointers and nearly pulled off the upset at Fifth Third Arena.

Cronin said his team gained some humility from that game, which translated to Wednesday when the Bearcats held Temple to 26.7 percent shooting overall and 5-of-26 from 3-point range.

Cincinnati ranks 25th nationally in scoring defense at 61.1 points per game. Against Temple, the Bearcats forced 16 turnovers with eight steals and 33 deflections, Cronin's pet statistic.

"This is as well as we've played defensively all season," Cronin told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Period. Hands down. Against a quality opponent, especially on the road, because they've got guys that can make shots."

Tulane will test the Bearcats on Sunday, but mostly from a mental standpoint.

Playing a game on New Year's Day against an opponent that on paper will be overmatched isn't easy. Cincinnati has defeated the Green Wave in three straight meetings and has won 16 straight games at Fifth Third Arena.

The Bearcats lead the series 23-14, including a 97-75 win over Tulane on Jan. 24, 2016, at Fifth Third Arena in the only meeting last season.

Tulane (3-10, 0-1) has struggled this season under first-year coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. but does have four players averaging in double figures, led by guard Cameron Reynolds, who ranks fifth in the AAC with 15.8 points per game.

Dunleavy, who spent 17 years as a coach in the NBA and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1991, has his work cut out for him but said he was not afraid to take on a challenge when he was hired.

Dunleavy's challenge on Sunday is to contain Bearcats forward Gary Clark, who on Monday was named AAC player of the week after scoring a career-high 26 points and his third double-double of the season against Marshall. Against Temple, Clark had 11 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes.

NBA scouts have been clamoring to get a look at Bearcats sophomore guard Jacob Evans, who has scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games, including 11 points in the Temple win.

 

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Preview: Arizona Wildcats (12-2) at Stanford Cardinal (8-5)

Date: January 01, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

No. 18 Arizona will be shooting for a sweep of its San Francisco Bay Area trip when it plays at Stanford on Sunday, and the return of point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright makes that an attainable goal.

The Wildcats (12-2, 1-0 in the Pac-12) rebounded from a horrible start at California on Friday, when they missed 16 of their first 19 shots and had only six points nearly 11 minutes into the game.

Arizona wound up beating the Bears 67-62, and the return of Jackson-Cartwright, who missed the previous six games with an ankle injury, was a major reason Arizona was able to recover.

"We would not have won if Parker didn't play," Arizona coach Sean Miller said.

Freshman Kobi Simmons scored 10 of his 14 points during a second-half Arizona run that put the Wildcats ahead, but he was acutely aware of Jackson-Cartwright's influence.

"He made a huge difference," Simmons said. "He affected everything -- spacing the floor, driving, finding the open man."

Jackson-Cartwright did not start in his first game back, but played 20 minutes and was in the game when the Wildcats had their second-half surge.

He scored only two points, but he had four assists, three rebounds, no turnovers and an obvious effect on Arizona's offense. The 5-foot-11 junior provided the maturity and playmaking that was lacking in an Arizona starting lineup that includes three freshmen.

"If you bring a veteran team to the arena with you that's one thing, guys who have been through the wars of conference play," Miller said. "But we brought a bunch of guys into tonight's game who had never played a conference game."

The three starting freshmen made their presence felt in the second half. Besides Simmons' 14 points, freshman Lauri Markkanen, Arizona's leading scorer this season at 15.9 points per game, added 13 points, and freshman Rawle Alkins chipped in with 10.

Junior center Dusan Ristic led the Wildcats with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

While the Wildcats are feeling pretty good about their uplifting victory at Cal, Stanford (8-5) is trying to recover from a disheartening 98-93 home loss on Friday to Arizona State, a team that was 7-6 and picked to finish 11th in the Pac-12.

The Cardinal had some outstanding offensive performances.

Marcus Sheffield scored a career-high 35 points, Reid Travis added 21 points, and Dorian Pickens scored 18 as Stanford shot 53.3 percent from the field and turned the ball over only seven times.

Somehow Stanford still lost.

The problem was on the defensive end, and first-year coach Jerod Haase cited a lack of emotional intensity.

"We have to be able to play with passion and have a greater sense of urgency," Haase said. "With Arizona, obviously, if we don't have that sense of urgency on every single play and every situation, just trying to do the right thing and say we're playing hard is not going to be enough. So that's something we're going to have to solve."

The Sun Devils hit 51 percent of their shots, including 13 of 24 3-point shots.

"I take that on my back," Travis said. "I feel I didn't have the guys ready on defense."

The Cardinal was 6-1 following a 14-point victory over Seton Hall, but they have lost four of six games since, with the home loss to Arizona State being particularly damaging.

"We can absolutely rebound from this, but I take no consolation," Haase said. "I am not going to hang my head and act like woe is me. We are going to get to work and find out what the solutions are and work until they are figured out."

Sunday's 5 p.m. game at Maples Pavilion may indicate whether Haase has found any answers.