Sunday 12/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Sassuolo

v

Inter

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		13/5	13/5	Evs	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SASSUOLO	RECENT FORM
A LA LA DH WH LA L​ Most recent​	3 - 1 3 - 1 0 - 7	A DA LH WA LH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Inter have not won in any of their last five away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Inter are a difficult side to get a grip on and their form on the road remains a concern. The Milan outfit have triumphed only twice on their travels - at struggling duo Pescara and Empoli - and having shipped ten goals in their last five may be vulnerable. Sassuolo are failing to scale the heights of last season but they remain capable and could be tough to thwart.

RECOMMENDATION: Sassuolo
1

Premier League TODAY 13:30

Bournemouth

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/10	23/10	13/8	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Southampton have scored more than once just twice in 16 league games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Southampton were struggling for goals even before Charlie Austin's injury and now the powder-puff Saints are a side to avoid. They failed to break ten-man Stoke down in a bore draw on Wednesday, while Bournemouth have taken some decent home scalps this season, including Liverpool and Everton.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
2


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

French Ligue 1 TODAY 14:00

Nice

v

Dijon

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		11/20	16/5	5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NICE	RECENT FORM
H DA WH WH WA DA L​ Most recent​	3 - 3 1 - 1	H DA LA LH DA DH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Nice are unbeaten at home this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Table-toppers Nice look likely to extend their Ligue 1 lead when they face lowly Dijon at Allianz Riviera. Lucien Favre’s team are unbeaten at home in the league this season, conceding just six goals, and face a Dijon team who are yet to win on the road since their top-flight return.

RECOMMENDATION: Nice to win 2-0
1

Italian Serie A TODAY 14:00

Napoli

v

Torino

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		9/20	7/2	6	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NAPOLI	RECENT FORM
A WH DH DH WA WA W​ Most recent​	2 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 1	H WA WH WH D*A LH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: There have been 54 goals in Torino’s 16 league outings

EXPERT VERDICT: Expect the goals to flow at the San Paolo as two of Serie A’s most enterprising sides go head-to-head. Having got their act together of late Napoli are worthy favourites on home soil, but Torino rarely go down with a whimper and may have some joy on the break in what should be a high-scoring shootout.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3

German Bundesliga TODAY 14:30

SV Darmstadt

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B Munich

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		18	7	1/7	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SV DARMSTADT	RECENT FORM
H LA LH LA LH LA L​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 3	A LA LH WA WH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bayern Munich have scored at least twice in seven of their last nine Bundesliga away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Darmstadt have won just one of their last 12 Bundesliga matches and it is difficult to see them putting up much resistance against the champions. Polish hotshot Robert Lewandowski has scored five goals in his last three games and can set Bayern on their way to a comfortable victory.

RECOMMENDATION: R Lewandowski first goalscorer
1

Spanish La Liga TODAY 15:15

Leganes

v

Eibar

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		13/8	21/10	15/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEGANES	RECENT FORM
A LH WA LH LH DA D​ Most recent​	Unknown	A LH WH WA WA LH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Eibar have picked up only five of their 22 points away from home this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Eibar have won only one away game this season while Leganes have just one victory in seven at home and it’s hard to make a case for either side to claim three points. The draw is worth a small bet and there may be a lack of early action - Leganes have scored only two first-half goals this season while Eibar have conceded seven times in the last 15 minutes of games.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Stars halt Flyers' winning streak at 10
By The Sports Xchange

DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars ended the Philadelphia Flyers' 10-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Adam Cracknell scored the game-winning goal early in the third period and Antti Niemi made 31 saves for Dallas. It was Philadelphia's first loss since Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers.
The Stars' Radek Faksa tied the game 1-1 on a rebound at 4:48 of the second period. It was Faksa's fourth goal of the season and Antoine Roussel had the primary assist after he took the initial shot.
Faksa's goal came minutes after Jason Spezza and Brandon Manning fought near the Flyers' net. It was Spezza's first fight since March 3, 2009 and only the fifth of his career.
Jordie Benn scored into the empty to give Dallas a 3-1 lead.

Canadiens 2, Capitals 1
WASHINGTON -- Jeff Petry scored the go-ahead goal and Carey Price stopped 20 shots to record his 250th career win as Montreal snapped Washington's six-game losing streak.
Price was slated to sit out Saturday's game, but was pulled Friday night after allowing four goals on 18 shots in less than 27 minutes in a 4-2 loss to San Jose and coach Michel Therrien opted to start him against the Capitals. Price was 5-9-4 with a 3.08 goals-against-average in 18 previous games versus Washington.
Nicklas Backstrom scored the Capitals' only goal during a 5-on-3 power play in the second period. Braden Holtby made 23 saves for Washington in a matchup of the NHL's past two Vezina Trophy winners.

Wild 4, Coyotes 1
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Backup Darcy Keumper made 27 saves as Minnesota won its seventh straight game.
Ryan Suter, Tyler Graovac, Chris Stewart and Eric Staal scored for the Wild.
Brendan Perlini's second goal of the season with 1:54 to go spoiled Kuemper's bid for his eighth career shutout and first of the season.
Kuemper, making his first start since a Nov. 29 loss in Vancouver, earned his first win in more than a month to raise his record to 3-2-1. He was making a spot start in place of Devan Dubnyk, who leads the league in goals-against-average (1.62) and save percentage (.947).

Maple Leafs 2, Penguins 1 (OT)
TORONTO -- Jake Gardiner scored after two minutes of overtime and Toronto defeated Pittsburgh.
It was the second loss in two nights -- both in overtime -- for the Stanley Cup champion Penguins, who won seven in a row before that.
Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh.
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was cut in the neck by a skate and left the game for more than nine minutes with Matthew Murray taking his place before returning in the first period. Fleury made 41 saves and Murray six.
Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen made 33 saves.

Rangers 2, Predators 1 (OT)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jimmy Vesey got one of New York's two goals in the shootout as it edged the Nashville.
Mats Zuccarello got the other shootout goal for the Rangers, while Henrik Lundqvist stopped both Predators' attempts.
Lundqvist made 31 saves for New York while backup goalie Juuse Saros, making his fourth start of the season, stopped 26 of 27 shots.
The Rangers swept their two-game road trip through Dallas and Nashville, while the Predators dropped to 2-4-2 in December.
New York initiated scoring at 7:47 of the first period as Rick Nash beat Saros from a bad angle. Nashville's Mike Fisher tied it at 9:22 of the second period with his ninth goal of the season and fourth in the last three games.

Blackhawks 6, Blues 4
ST. LOUIS -- Vinnie Hinostroza scored off a rebound with 4:25 left in the third period to lift Chicago over St. Louis.
Hinostroza got a backhand shot past goaltender Jake Allen to give the Blackhawks their first lead of the game and snap the Blues' point streak at home at 14 contests (11-0-3). Artemi Panarin added at empty-net goal with 49 seconds to play.
The win improved the Blackhawks' record to 5-0-1 in their last six games.
Patrik Berglund scored two goals for St. Louis and Joel Edmundson had three assists.

Red Wings 6, Ducks 4
DETROIT -- Tomas Tatar scored three goals for his first career hat trick to lead Detroit to a come-from-behind victory over Anaheim.
The Red Wings snapped a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) after trailing 3-1 in the second period.
Xavier Ouellet had a goal and an assist and Dylan Larkin and Frans Nielsen also scored for Detroit, which scored its most goals in a game this season. Thomas Vanek had two assists and Petr Mrazek stopped 21 shots.
Rickard Rakell had two goals, defensemen Shea Theodore and Cam Fowler scored for the Ducks. Jonathan Bernier made 17 saves before being replaced by John Gibson after two periods. Gibson stopped nine shots.

Oilers 3, Lightning 2 (SO)
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Mark Letestu and Connor McDavid converted their attempts in the shootout as Edmonton defeated undermanned Tampa Bay.
Leon Draisaitl recorded a goal and an assist and Milan Lucic also scored for the Oilers. Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots and two of three in the shootout.
Jonathan Drouin scored in regulation and in the shootout while Tyler Johnson also scored for the Lightning, who were missing five forwards as they played their third game in four nights on a trip through Western Canada.
Tampa Bay lost wingers Ondrej Palat and team-leading scorer Nikita Kucherov on this road trip, adding to a long list of injuries that includes sniper Steven Stamkos.

Senators 3, Devils 1
OTTAWA -- - Zack Smith set up the winner and added an insurance goal into an empty net as Ottawa defeated New Jersey.
Mike Condon made 29 saves to backstop the win.
Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard had the other goals for the Senators, who padded the distance between themselves and the Devils in the Eastern Conference standings.
John Moore scored for the Devils while Kevin Kinkaid made 28 saves in the New Jersey net.

Hurricanes 2, Sabres 1 (SO)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho converted in the shootout and Carolina picked up a rare victory in that format.
The Hurricanes are 2-4 in shootouts this season.
Joakim Nordstrom scored in the first period for Carolina and the goal nearly stood up before Evander Kane's goal with 2:37 left in regulation.
Carolina has at least one team point in six of its last seven games, though it hasn't won back-to-back contests since a five-game winning streak Nov. 12-22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (16-12) at Bruins (16-13)

Date: December 18, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The Los Angeles Kings, spending most of December on the road, bring their traveling road show into Boston for a Sunday matinee.

And when they hit the ice for fourth game of a nine-game journey, they will face a Bruins team missing its leading goal scorer.

David Pastrnak, the 20-year-old who has carried the Boston offense this season, underwent right elbow surgery for the removal of an olecranon bursa on Friday. He is officially listed as day to day and expected to be out at least two games. But teammate David Backes missed five games earlier this season with the same surgery.

"It's not a fun little procedure he's going through," Backes said, "but he's in the hands of great doctors and hopefully he'll be back even sooner than I was."

Pastrnak has only one goal in the last four games, but six in the last seven and his 19, four more than all of last season, are more than twice anyone else on the roster.

He is also a team-best plus-15 and is second in the NHL to Sidney Crosby in goals.

"It's never easy when you hear that kind of news for one of your better players this year, so those are challenges you have to face and get through," coach Claude Julien said Saturday. "We'll certainly do our best to get some wins here without him."

Peter Budaj, the workhorse Kings goalie with Jonathan Quick expected to be out until mid-February, shut down Sidney Crosby and the high-scoring Penguins in a 1-0 overtime victory on Friday night, shouldn't have as much trouble with the offensively challenged Bruins without Pastrnak. Boston has scored two goals or less in 21 of its 32 games.

In Pittsburgh, Budaj, pulled from his previous start in Buffalo in the first game of the trip, made 39 saves in ending the Penguins' seven-game winning streak.

"That's the most important thing is to win," said Budaj, who notched his third shutout of the season after Quick was lost in the opener. "The shutout is like the cherry on the cake. It feels great."

The Bruins have lost five of their last six, getting at least one point in three of the six. They have lost three in a row at home, where they are 7-8 this season -- and it was poor play on home ice that cost Boston a playoff berth for a second straight season last year.

The Bruins won in overtime in Montreal on Monday night, then lost in OT at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, then lost at home to Anaheim in the third game in four nights.

And the Kings went into Pittsburgh Friday and won.

"Circle the wagons and stick together. That's what we do," LA coach Darryl Sutter said.

Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of Sutter, winner of two Stanley Cups, agreeing to coach the Kings.

"Dean (GM Lombardi) had called me a couple times just to see if I was interested in coaching again, not implying anything. And we talked off and on anyways about different things," Sutter told the LA Times. "My intent always was, I'd sort of left my window open, but there were only three or four places I'd go because I wasn't going just to coach somewhere again."

So he left his Viking, Alberta, farm for the job and is still there.

The Kings opened this trip with a 6-3 loss at Buffalo and then won 4-1 in the finale at Joe Louis Arena before winning Friday. They have a mandatory day off Monday, visit Columbus on Tuesday and still have to go to Nashville, Dallas, Vancouver and Edmonton before finally playing at home Dec. 31.

The Bruins, who had to benefit from two days without a game, host the New York Islanders on Tuesday before a four-game trip and a Dec. 31 return home. The road, however, isn't scary for this Bruins team, which is 9-5-3 away from home.

The Kings won both meetings between the teams last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (11-17) at Jets (14-16)

Date: December 18, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The good news is somebody is going to win Sunday afternoon's game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre.

The bad news is the contest features two of the coldest teams in the NHL.

The Avalanche come to town having lost nine of their last 11 games, including a 10-1 debacle against the Montreal Canadiens a week ago.

The Jets aren't much better, having lost four straight until a 4-3 shootout victory over Florida on Thursday.

Getting out of the Pepsi Center may be just what the doctor ordered for the Avalanche, who own the league's worst home record of 4-10-1. The team's power play has hardly been firing on all cylinders, not only going 0-for-6 in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Panthers, but also giving up the game-winning short-handed goal.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told the Denver Post that losing that way after entering the third period at home in a tie game was inexcusable.

"You can't go out and get power-plays and have them score short-handed," Landeskog said. "I honestly do not know what to tell you guys, other than that's not the way we want to do it. That's not the way it's supposed to be done and that's not acceptable, bottom line."

The Jets' special teams haven't been lighting it up either. They gave up three power-play goals in the second period against Florida - all with defenseman Tobias Enstrom in the penalty box with a trio of separate infractions - dropping them to 28th in the league. The Jets have given up at least one power-play goal in four straight games. On the flipside, their own power play has fizzled over the past five games, going an anemic 1-for-14.

"At this point, confidence is pretty low (with the power play)," Jets captain Blake Wheeler told the Winnipeg Free Press. "So, it's something you've gotta work for. The power play is supposed to be your best players on the ice, on the penalty kill you're trying to shut down their top guys. It's not really rocket science. We've got to find a way to build that confidence and get into a rhythm. It doesn't really seem like there's much of a plan right now."

Part of the problem is opposing teams have figured out the Jets' power play goes through super rookie Patrik Laine, who has seven goals with the man advantage this year. Foes usually station a defender within a stick's length of Laine.

The good news for the Jets is they have completed the most grueling stretch of their season in November and early December, during which they had played the most games of any team. Winnnipeg is finally getting a bit of a breather from the schedule-maker.

The Jets come into Sunday's game rested and in good spirits, having taken part in their annual skills competition on Friday.

Winnipeg native Calvin Pickard will start against his hometown team for the second time in his career but just the first time at the MTS Centre. He beat the Jets 4-3 in a shootout two years ago this week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (19-11) at Blackhawks (21-8)

Date: December 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks are scheduled to meet only two more times this season, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to see these surging clubs face off in the postseason.

When the Sharks and Blackhawks hit the ice Sunday evening, two of the Western Conference's best teams will each be looking for their fifth straight win.

This is their second matchup of 2016-17 and the Sharks' only regular-season game at the United Center. San Jose is 2-6-2 in its last 10 visits to Chicago, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is not expecting an easy game.

"We've got a very good team to get ready for (Sunday) night," he said.

On Nov. 23 in San Jose, Logan Couture scored a power-play goal, Joel Ward added a shorthanded tally, Brent Burns had two assists and Martin Jones stopped 33 shots in the Sharks' 2-1 win over the Blackhawks.

Chicago (21-8-4) opens up a four-game homestand, where it is 12-2-3, with an NHL-best 46 points after rallying with three goals in the third period, capped by an empty-netter from Artemi Panarin, to beat the St. Louis Blues 6-4 on Saturday.

Panarin has been the Blackhawks' most productive player during their winning streak. With four goals and five assists in the last four games, the reigning Calder Trophy winner now has 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) tying Patrick Kane for the team lead. Panarin also scored in the loss to the Sharks last month.

Also productive for Chicago has been Scott Darling, who has been solid in goal while Corey Crawford recovers from an appendectomy. Though he has surrendered four goals in each of his last two games, Darling has given up only 16 goals in his last eight contests, posting a 5-2-1 record with a shutout.

"When you play this much, just like any goalie, there's going to be some games where you have some bad bounces or bad luck," Darling told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You're not going to have shutouts every game. ... Put it in the rearview mirror and get ready for the next one."

Based on the timeframe given for Crawford to heal following surgery, he should be back during this homestand, which ends Dec. 27 against the Winnipeg Jets.

If Crawford is not activated and Darling is given a well-deserved breather, then Lars Johansson would make his NHL debut against the Pacific Division leaders. In 16 games with Rockford of the American Hockey League, the 29-year-old native of Sweden was 6-7-0 with a 2.63 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and a shutout.

The Blackhawks could be without Artem Anisimov, who is day-to-day after leaving in the first period Saturday with an upper-body injury. Anisimov has 14 goals this season, but his six game-winners ties Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings for the league lead.

San Jose (19-11-1) will try to close its four-game road trip by extending its longest winning streak of the season. After shootout wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, the Sharks scored four goals in the first 26:44 and held on to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Friday.

Rookies Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier have made big impacts for the defending West champions. Labanc has four goals including a game-winner in 18 games so far and Meier, the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, scored on his first shot during his pro debut against the Canadiens.

"We've got young guys that have come in and basically knocked down the door," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the San Jose Mercury News. "They're not coming in just hoping to survive."

Labanc and Meier are part of a balanced offensive attack that's been key to the Sharks' success through the first three games of this road trip. Eight players have scored at least one goal and 14 players have registered a minimum of one point, with Burns (goal, three assists) and fellow blueliner David Schlemko (goal, two assists) leading the way.

Burns is continuing to play at a Norris Trophy-winning level, coming into this contest on a seven-game points streak, in which he has five goals and two assists, and he leads all defensemen with 13 goals and 133 shots taken. But since joining the Sharks in 2011, Burns has been held in check by the Blackhawks as they've limited him to one goal in eight games in Chicago.

If Jones starts in goal, he will be looking for his ninth road win of the season. Starting with a shutout against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 8, Jones is 7-2-1 with a 1.97 GAA and .927 save percentage away from home.

His lone win over three games in Chicago came Feb. 9 when he made 33 saves in a 2-0 victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (17-11) at Islanders (11-13)

Date: December 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A little over a week ago, the New York Islanders were enjoying their best stretch of the season and appeared to be possibly on their way to curing some things that ailed them in the first two months of a disappointing start.

Sub-par play has returned for the Islanders, who will look to snap a four-game losing streak Sunday night when they host the Ottawa Senators.

New York is 11-13-6 and its 28 points are the fewest in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders reached their position by going 6-10-4 through their first 20 games, a stretch that featured eight one-goal losses.

Following a 3-2 loss at San Jose on Nov. 25, the Islanders went 5-0-1 from Nov. 28 through Dec. 8. The Islanders were a period away from possibly getting a point Dec. 10 in Columbus but gave up four goals in a span of 12-plus minutes during the third period of a 6-2 loss.

That was followed by a 4-2 loss to Washington Tuesday, a 5-4 loss to Chicago Thursday and Friday's 3-2 overtime defeat at Buffalo. In each game during this streak, New York has held a lead at some point and scored the game's first goal.

On Friday, Ryan Strome scored the first goal and Alan Quine netted a power-play goal for a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

"It's just frustrating," Strome said after the Islanders scored the first goal for the 10th time in 11 games. "We play a good 40 minutes and the third period we kind of seem flat. It's kind of been the downfall of our team a little bit this year, our third periods and finding ways to win."

In third periods this season, the Islanders have given up 35 goals, nearly half their total from last season when the team had 100 points and won a playoff series for the first time since 1993. New York has given up six power-play goals in the third period and 14 in the last five minutes of regulation.

"So many games we've been tied or had the lead going into the third," New York center Shane Prince said. "We've got to find a way to close it out."

Ottawa has hit a rough patch in recent weeks by going 3-4-2 in its nine games starting with a 5-4 loss to Buffalo on Nov. 29. Before this slump, the Senators were 8-4-2 in their previous 14 contests.

In this stretch, Ottawa has dropped three one-goal games, dropping its record to 9-2-3.

The Senators nearly played another one-goal game Saturday in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Zach Smith scored an empty-net goal after Derrick Brassard and Bobby Ryan scored in the first two periods.

Mike Condon made 29 saves and the defenders in front of him blocked 18 shots with most coming in a six-shot third period for New Jersey.

"Winning teams, that's what they're able to do," Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. "I like that twice we took away back doors, which has hurt us lately. I really like that we had a back door, box up mentality.

Ottawa will play without third leading-scorer Mike Hoffman. Hoffman is serving the final game of his two-game suspension for cross-checking San Jose's Logan Couture to the head on Wednesday.

Smith replaced Hoffman on the top line with Brassard and Stone. He also had an assist as the line produced four points.

"My game doesn't change, but when you move up with guys like that, there is an obligation to put up points," Smith said. "I'm just glad we found a way to contribute."

The Senators will hope for another night of key contributions without Hoffman, especially since after their first visit to Brooklyn, their next three games are against the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers.

The Islanders are 7-4-1 in the last 12 meetings with Ottawa. Erik Karlsson scored the game-winner in overtime in Ottawa on Dec. 5, 2015 while New York had a pair of three-goal periods in its two home wins over the Senators on Jan. 22 and March 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (12-12) at Rangers (22-10)

Date: December 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

For the second Sunday in a row, the New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.

Last Sunday, the Rangers blanked the Devils 5-0 in the first of four meetings this season. New York scored twice on the power play, twice at even strength and once shorthanded. Five Rangers scored and 12 players recorded at least one point.

"It's a team we've seen pretty recently so we kind of know what to expect from them (Sunday)," Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh said. "Anytime you play the Devils it's another tight-checking game. So, we have to make sure to take away their speed and skill to make it tough on them."

Antti Raanta started in goal for the Rangers last Sunday and stopped 19 shots to record his second shutout of the season, and second in a row last week. Whether he gets the starting nod again this Sunday hasn't been made public.

Coach Alain Vigneault did not name a starter following the Rangers' 2-1 shootout victory in Nashville on Saturday night in a game in which New York's No. 1 goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular, finishing with 30 saves while also denying both shooters he faced in the shootout.

Raanta had started four games in a row, allowing a total of three goals while winning three of four, before Lundqvist returned to the lineup Thursday and stopped 27 shots in a 2-0 road victory over the Dallas Stars.

"It was a pretty good test for us going on the road and getting two wins here," Lundqvist said. "It wasn't always pretty these past couple nights, but we found a way to get four big points on the road."

The Rangers won five of their last six games, and allowed two goals or fewer in all six. Saturday marked the 23rd time in 33 games this season, and the tenth time in the past 12 contests, that New York gave up two goals or fewer. The Rangers are 19-3-1 when allowing fewer than three goals this year.

Rick Nash scored for the second consecutive game since returning from a groin injury and has six goals in the last ten games he has played. Jimmy Vesey and Mats Zuccarello scored in the shootout for New York on Saturday.

The Devils close out a four-game road trip Sunday. New Jersey is riding a season-high five-game losing streak after Saturday's 3-1 setback in Ottawa.

"There were a lot of good things," goaltender Keith Kinkaid said of his team's play in Ottawa. "We'll adjust for (Sunday) and bring the same compete level."

Kinkaid stopped 28 of 30 shots Saturday, with Ottawa's third goal scored into an empty net.

Devils coach John Hynes would not say if Kinkaid or the team's No. 1 goaltender, Cory Schneider, would start against the Rangers on Sunday.

The Devils need to find a way to generate more offense if they hope to beat the Rangers. Over the last five games, New Jersey scored six goals, getting outscored 22-6 during the losing streak.

Defenseman John Moore, a former Ranger, scored New Jersey's goal Saturday, his career-high fifth on the season. Of the 41 goals scored by the Devils over their past 17 games, ten have come from the team's defensemen.

While the Devils play well on home ice this season (8-1-2), they are 4-11-4 away from the Prudential Center. That has had much to do with their recent struggles since the Devils play 19 of their 29 games in November and December on the road.

"You get into these things and you don't get out of it right away," Hynes told NorthJersey.com. "You get out of it by starting to play a little bit better and getting to your game. That is the challenge of the segment of the schedule we're in."

 

[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 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Sunday’s games

Kings won three of last four games with Boston; three of last four series games stayed under the total. LA lost three of its last four visits to Boston. Kings won three of last four games; under is 2-1-2 in their last five games. Kings won three of last four road games. Bruins lost five of last six games, losing last three home tilts. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Jets won three of last four games with Colorado; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Teams split last four games in this building. Avalanche lost eight of last ten games but won two of last three on road. Four of last six Colorado games went over total. Winnipeg lost four of its last five games; they lost three of last four home games. Over is 3-1 in their last four home games.

Canucks are 5-3 in last eight games with Columbus, but Blue Jackets won 6-2/2-1 in last couple visits here. Under is 6-3 in last nine series games. Columbus won its last eight games, allowing total of 11 goals; five of those eight wins were on road. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Vancouver lost three of last four games, but won last three at home. Four of Canucks’ last five games went over total.

San Jose won 2-0/2-1 in its last two games with Chicago; Sharks lost three of last five games in this building. Over is 5-5 in last ten series games. San Jose won its last four games, three by a goal, the last three on road. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Blackhawks won five of last six games, four of last six at home. Under is 8-3 in Chicago’s last 11 games. Blackhawks are 4-2 if they played night before.

Islanders won six of last nine games with Ottawa; seven of last eight series games stayed under the total. Senators won three of last five visits to Brooklyn. Ottawa lost three of last four games, both overall and on road; they’re 3-0 if they played the night before. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games. New York was outscored 18-10 in losing its last four games; over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Home side won last four Devil-Ranger games; New Jersey lost four of last five visits to Manhattan. Under is 2-1-2 in last five series games. Devils lost last five games, outscored 22-6; over is 5-1-2 in their last eight road games. NJ lost its last four road games. Rangers won five of their last six games (under 5-0-1); they won three of their last four home games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (19-5) at Canucks (13-16)

Date: December 18, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - John Tortorella has a chance to reach a coaching milestone Sunday night against the team that fired him.

The Columbus coach will post his 500th National Hockey League career win if the Blue Jackets (19-5-4) beat his former Vancouver Canucks (13-6-2) at Rogers Arena.

"It means I've been in the league a long time," Tortorella told the Columbus Dispatch.

He repeatedly contended the milestone will mean "nothing," but this season has been quite meaningful for the Blue Jackets. They have won eight straight games - one shy of a franchise-record winning streak - and are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Tortorella's second campaign in Columbus is another chapter in his redemption story. It began in Vancouver in 2014-15 after he and former Canucks coach Alain Vigneault swapped teams.

Vigneault went to the New York Rangers after the fiery Tortorella was unceremoniously dismissed in the Big Apple following battles with players, particularly Brad Richards, and media. Supposedly mellower, Tortorella was suspended for six games by the NHL after (by his own admission) he tried to "get" then Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley between periods following a first-period brawl in Vancouver.

In other words, Tortorella wanted to beat up Hartley. But the Canucks were never the same after the January 2014 incident.

Vancouver's new president of hockey operations, Trevor Linden, fired Tortorella after his first season, and it looked like he would not get another chance to coach in the NHL. It also looked like the Canucks would be on the hook financially for the four years left on Tortorella's contract. But Blue Jackets president John Davidson, who was a TV broadcaster in New York while Tortorella was an assistant with the Rangers during an earlier stint 20 years ago, hired him to replace Todd Richards only seven games into the 2015-16 season.

Now, the Blue Jackets appear to be a lock to make the playoffs, and Tortorella should easily surpass the 34-33-8 record he posted in his first season in Columbus. He is also a strong candidate for coach of the year.

Thus far, Tortorella, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2004 Stanley Cup title and ranks as the NHL's all-time winningest U.S.-born coach, has kept his emotions in check.

"Now, he's earned the perception -- and we talked extensively about that, too," Davidson, referring to the coach's hotheadedness, told the Globe and Mail. "But we wanted someone that's won, someone with a passion for the game and someone who wanted to prove he could still do it. He checked all the boxes."

The Blue Jackets are also checking several boxes on the ice. Sergei Bobrovsky, who ranks among the league's best goaltenders with a sparkling 1.97 goals-against average, has won seven of the eight games during the win streak. In the past nine games, the Blue Jackets have allowed only 13 goals - never more than two per outing.

Offensively, the Blue Jackets, who have no superstars, are getting most of their points from lesser lights. Cam Atkinson, a 27-year-old Riverside, Conn., native who was drafted by Columbus in the eighth round (157th overall) in 2008, leads the team with 29 points. Alexander Wennberg, a 22-year-old Swede drafted 14th overall by Columbus in 2013, ranks second with 25 points and Brandon Saad, a former Chicago Blackhawks pest who is in his second season with Columbus, sits third with 23.

Clearly, Tortorella is getting a lot -- if not the most yet - from his youth-laden players.

"I think we're much more comfortable with one another," he told the Globe and Mail. "I'm not so sure if it's about roles. It's just about a standard of play for the team -- individually, but as a team, too. You have to raise the standard if you want to compete in this league."

Meanwhile, the Canucks, hard-pressed to make the playoffs as Tortorella's mild mannered replacement Willie Desjardins faces speculation about his future, will try to prove that they have also raised their standard.

"(The Blue Jackets) have been playing really hard as a team," said Vancouver winger Loui Eriksson. "Everyone knows the kind of coach they have there. They've been doing a good job. It's definitely going to be a tough challenge for us."

While Tortorella's redemption story continues, the Canucks will try to show that they have redeemed themselves following a 1-4 road trip that ended before their home win over Tampa Bay.

"We've shown we can be a good team," said Vancouver defenseman Luca Sbisa. "We beat (Tampa Bay) twice in (approximately) a week. We showed we can do it. We just have to find consistency. (Sunday's game) is going to be a test again. (The Blue Jackets) are probably the best team in the league right now. It's nice to get the win (over Tampa Bay) and go into that game with a good feeling."

The Canucks will feel even better if they can prevent their former bench boss from reaching a coaching milestone.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'NBA- Off one point exact loss'

After coming up one point short in an NBA regular season contest one would assume teams should have a chip on their shoulder and come out looking to make a statement next time they hit the court.

In testing the theory, surprisingly teams do not always have the ability to bounce back after the aggravating event. In fact, since 2012 teams are just 85-110 straight-up, 87-104-4 against the betting line after being nipped by one point exact on the scoreboard.

Breaking those numbers down further, a consistent long term patterns tells us to 'Play-On' any favorite running the hardwood against a team off a one point exact loss. That's because it will result in a money-making 62.0% hit rate as chalks are 67-39-2 against the betting line split between 46-25-2 ATS on home court, 21-14 ATS wearing road jersey's.

Although, a winning percentage of 62.0% is considered major success, we can improve the hit rate to a whopping 79.2% by 'Playing-On' any home chalk of -4.0 to -6.5 points facing a road team off a one point demoralizing effort (19-4-1 ATS).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: James, Irving, Love big for Cavs
By The Sports Xchange

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored 26 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and Kyrie Irving had 21 points and matched his career high with 12 assists in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 119-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Kevin Love had 27 points and a season-high 17 rebounds as all three of the Cavs' stars returned with big games after coach Tyronn Lue rested them in Cleveland's previous game on Wednesday. Irving took a week off because he complained to Lue he had tired legs in last Saturday's win over Charlotte.
The Lakers snapped an eight-game losing skid Friday at Philadelphia, but they've been known to give the league's elite fits. They smashed the Golden State Warriors by 20 earlier this season, the second straight season they've beaten their in-state rivals.

Thunder 114, Suns 101
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook collected his 13th triple-double of the season to lead Oklahoma City to a victory over Phoenix at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Just days after saying he was tired of hearing about triple-doubles, Westbrook poured in 26 points, 11 rebounds and 22 assists, which is a career high. It's only the fifth time since 1983 that a player had a triple double and reach at least 20 points and 20 assists.
Thunder center Steven Adams added 19 points and six rebounds while Enes Kanter came off the bench to score 12 points as Oklahoma City broke a two game losing streak and raised its record to 16-11.

Warriors 135, Trail Blazers 90
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kevin Durant scored 13 of his game-high 34 points in a first-quarter runaway, propelling Golden State to a victory over Portland.
Backup Ian Clark had 23 points, Stephen Curry contributed 19 points, Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Draymond Green posted a 13-assist, 12-rebound double-double, helping the Warriors improve their best-in-basketball record to 24-4.
The 45-point margin of victory was the Warriors' largest of the season, surpassing a 149-106 crushing of the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 23.

Hornets 107, Hawks 99
ATLANTA -- Marvin Williams matched his season high with 19 points, including the game-clinching 3-pointer with 27.8 seconds left that lifted Charlotte to a win over Atlanta and end its four-game losing streak.
Atlanta twice erased a double-digit lead in the second half and led 95-94 with 3:50 remaining. But the Hornets regained the lead on Marco Belinelli's third 3-pointer of the fourth quarter and Atlanta could never get closer than two points.
Williams, who played with Atlanta from 2005-2012, shot 7-for-10 from the field and added six rebounds. Belinelli shot 8-for-11 to finish with 19.

Pacers 105, Pistons 90
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Paul George had 26 points and the Indiana Pacers took control late in the first half and rolled to a win over Detroit at The Palace.
George also grabbed seven rebounds, while Pacers point guard Jeff Teague supplied 19 points, a career-high-tying nine rebounds and seven assists. Backcourt partner Glenn Robinson III recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Thaddeus Young added 12 points and Miles Turner and C.J.Miles chipped in 10 apiece for Indiana, which salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip.

Rockets 111, Timberwolves 109 (OT)
MINNEAPOLIS -- James Harden and Ryan Anderson came together and the two agreed that Houston wasn't going to lose in Minnesota.
The timing just happened to be in the final minutes when Houston was down by double digits.
The confidence among the hot-shooting Rockets is immense.
Harden scored 10 of his 28 points in overtime and Houston won its 10th straight game, defeating Minnesota.

Nuggets 127, Knicks 114
DENVER -- Kenneth Faried had a season-high 25 points and three blocked shots, Emmanuel Mudiay scored 22, and Denver beat New York.
Will Barton had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who had seven players score in double figures.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points in his return to Denver. Anthony, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 draft, played his first seven-and-a-half seasons with the Nuggets before being dealt to New York in February 2011.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (20-7) at Wizards (11-14)

Date: December 18, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards would be wise not suggesting Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is a one-trick big man. If there a need for any pregame chatter, they can focus on their own winning and varied formula.

The Wizards (11-14) are playing their best basketball of the season and coming off their best offensive performance of the season. John Wall scored 29 points and Bradley Beal had 25 as Washington dominated the Detroit Pistons 122-108 on Friday night for their second straight win and fourth in five games. Shooting 57.1 percent from the field and hitting 12 of 25 on 3-pointers against the second-best scoring defense in the league was the latest example of the early-season underachievers coming together.

"I think we're getting into a nice little rhythm that we're understanding what we want to do as a basketball team on both ends," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "We're still not where we need to be but I see some progress, I see some belief in each other and that's what it's about. There's a lot of good players and good teams in this league, the common denominator is they play together and for each other. We still are trying to build that chemistry and comradery as a group. I think it's starting to pay off."

Beal and Wall combined for 15 assists and one turnover. The offensive flow over this recent stretch stems from a renewed focus guarding their opponents.

"It's been good, we just figured it out," Beal said. "To me it has just been on the defensive end. We've been taking care of guarding guys, and pressuring guys when we need to, and getting stops, and it's just making it easier for offense. We've always believed in our offense, we score over 100-points a game, we trust our system, but when we get stops and defend we're a really good team."

The Clippers (20-7) are one of the NBA's best teams and Friday's 102-98 victory at the Miami Heat was the latest example. Blake Griffin scored 20 points and Chris Paul had 17, but it was Jordan's stat-stuffing work that stole the show.

The big man had 12 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks in Los Angeles' fourth straight win which Jordan sealed with a putback in the final seconds.

This came after Miami center Hassan Whiteside described Jordan as a one who "just catches lobs."

"I just wanted to come out here and get a win," a smiling Jordan told the Los Angeles Times after the victory.

Asked if team was trying to feed Jordan in his matchup with Whiteside, Paul said: "C"mon, man. Big fella (Jordan) is first team All-NBA, first team All-Defense. He ain't got to say nothing."

The Clippers rank eighth in scoring defense at 101 points per game, well ahead of the Wizards (106.3).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (10-16) at Mavericks (6-20)

Date: December 18, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

DALLAS -- While the Dallas Mavericks keep adding losses, they're finally getting close to adding two key components that should make adding somes wins a little easier.

Dallas, a Western Conference-worst 6-20, have had superstar Dirk Nowitzki out of the lineup for all but five games with an Achilles injury. And spark plug point guard J.J. Barea, a diminutive figure but a critical cog for the Mavs' offensive success, could be back in action next week.

When Dallas takes on the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, it will mark the 16th consecutive game that Barea has missed with a calf injury.

Nowitzki, 38, who made some waves recently talking about the possibility he might retire if his health doesn't allow him to play to his standard, said his return is not far off from Barea. However, he's not certain he will be back before the calendar turns to 2017.

"That's what I'm hoping for, but when this happened, I never thought I'd be out to the end of December," Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News. "At this point, it's hard to say, but if it keeps responding I'll show up soon."

Still, Nowitzki and Barea won't be able to help Dallas against a Kings team that came to Dallas on Dec. 7 and slapped the Mavs with a 120-89 loss.

The Kings (10-16) return to Dallas coming off a big road win at Memphis, the team that first-year Kings coach Dave Joerger used to coach.

"It was not an enjoyable game to coach from that aspect," Joerger said. "But now I'm here (with the Kings) and these are my guys now, and so I'm really proud of them, congratulated them."

Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins, who has been embroiled in an ugly situation involving columnist Andy Furillo at the Sacramento Bee, had 22 points against the Grizzlies. The Sacramento Kings say they are looking into the incident in which Cousins confronted and shouted obscenities at the columnist after Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN.

Video of the confrontation was made public Saturday. The column addressed an incident at a New York nightclub earlier in December in which Cousins and teammate Matt Barnes are being sued over an alleged assault. It also referenced a situation at a bar last May that involved Cousins and his younger brother, Jaleel, that led to his Jaleel's arrest.

Upon seeing the Sacramento columnist for the first time since the article was published, Cousins decided to confront him.

"We're going to have some real f---ing issues," Cousins said to the columnist. "Don't ever mention my brother again."

"We are committed to being open and transparent, and any hint of media censorship is unacceptable," the Kings said in a statement released by the team. "There is an ongoing review into this matter, and we will take the appropriate steps immediately upon its conclusion."

So Sacramento will have to navigate through more off-court turbulence created by Cousins if they are going to end three-game win streak with back-to-back victories for the first time since Nov. 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (7-18) at 76ers (6-20)

Date: December 18, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers have too many young, highly drafted big men, and not enough minutes to go around.

That has led one of them, Nerlens Noel, to speak out, and put the 76ers in a quandary as they head into Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets in Philadelphia.

The Sixers' other promising bigs, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, started Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers and played 28 and 23 minutes, respectively.

Noel, making his second appearance of the season because of knee and ankle issues, played eight minutes off the bench and finished with two points, five rebounds and a blocked shot.

"I just want to be on the court playing basketball," Noel said after the 100-89 loss. "I don't really care who I'm playing with. I'm not an eight-minute player, so I don't know what that's about.

"So I don't care where. ... I think I'm too good to be playing eight minutes. ... That's crazy. Need to figure this (crap) out."

Noel, drafted sixth overall and acquired by Philadelphia in a draft-night trade in 2013, told the Philadelphia Inquirer before the start of training camp that it is "just silly" to have three starting-quality centers on the same team, and thought management would have swung an offseason deal involving one of them.

Noel underwent minor knee surgery late in October and missed the first 23 games.

In the meantime, Embiid, the third overall pick in 2014, established himself after missing two seasons following two foot surgeries. He leads the 76ers, and NBA rookies, in scoring (17.5), rebounding (7.3) and blocked shots (2.5).

Okafor, the third overall pick in 2015, is scoring at an 11.7 point-per-game clip in 22 games.

Noel made his first appearance of the season last Sunday in Detroit, but sprained his left ankle and missed Wednesday's loss to Toronto.

While he has made it clear he would welcome a trade, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on a recent podcast that other teams "don't get good reports" on "how he's carried himself there, of his habits."

"There are teams willing to do a deal for him and bring him in but they don't want to give up much," Wojnarowski said. "And so at some point there, Philly has got to make a decision, 'What's the best we can get for him?' I think at some point he probably moves, too."

The Sixers, who along with Dallas have the NBA's worst record (6-20), have lost their last eight at home, and 10 of 12 overall.

Brooklyn is 7-18, which equals the league's second-worst mark. The Nets have dropped three of four, as well as their last eight on the road.

The Nets fell in Orlando on Friday night, 118-111, despite 22 points from Brook Lopez and 17 from Jeremy Lin.

Lin was playing in only his seventh game of the season, and his second since Nov. 2, after missing 17 games because of a strained hamstring and another with back tightness.

Lin is averaging 14.6 points a game, fourth on the team behind Lopez (20.2), Sean Kilpatrick (16.2) and Bojan Bogdanovic (15.2).

Justin Hamilton of Brooklyn has missed the last three games with a migraine. His status for Sunday's game is unknown.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (14-12) at Heat (9-18)

Date: December 18, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

MIAMI -- If you're healthy or close to it, you're playing. And if you're tired and we need you, you're also playing.

That's what Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas learned on Friday night, when he returned from a groin injury in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.

On Sunday, the Celtics (14-12) will visit the Miami Heat (9-18). Boston is in third place in the Eastern Conference but the Celtics also surely know that the Eastern Conference is tightly bunched and that the 11th-place Washington Wizards are only 2 1/2 games out of third place.

In other words, this is no time to let up, even if you are trying to work back from an injury that caused you to miss four games, which was the case for Thomas.

"Isaiah was gassed," Celtics teammate Jae Crowder told the media after Friday's game. "He was talking in the locker-room about how gassed he was. But he gives us a better chance to win."

Thomas played 35 minutes on Friday, including the entire fourth quarter. But Celtics coach Brad Stevens expressed similar thoughts to those of Crowder.

"You know," Stevens said half-jokingly, "(Thomas) didn't do anything all week."

Thomas did plenty on Friday, scoring a game-high 25 points.

On Sunday, Thomas will match wits with Heat point guard Goran Dragic. Thomas may all see some of Tyler Johnson, who missed Friday's game due to an illness.

Johnson is averaging 13.0 points this season. And while he has started all 25 of his games this season on the bench, he usually ends them on the court -- he leads all NBA players in fourth-quarter minutes.

But there is something else Johnson has added to his game this season, and that's his defense. He had a career-high four blocks in the last game he played, on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. His previous high in a game was two.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who is hoping to get Johnson back in time for Sunday night's home game against the Boston Celtics, said he's pleased with his team's defensive effort so far.

"We emphasize challenging a lot and that doesn't necessarily mean blocking shots," Spoelstra said. "Some people have a better feel for it and better physical gifts to do it."

Johnson, at 6-foot-4 and with good leaping ability, seems to fall into that category.

He is holding offensive players he's guarding to 41.5-percent shooting, which is 2.7-percent lower than their averages. Johnson is sixth on the team in that category. James Johnson is No. 1 on the Heat, holding shooters to 11.8-percent below their averages.

In addition, Tyler Johnson is third on the Heat with 17 blocks. Hassan Whiteside is obviously first, and James Johnson is second.

Among guards, Tyler entered the weekend ranked third in the NBA in blocks with 17 -- tied with ex-Heat star Dwyane Wade.

"Dwyane is arguably the best shot-blocking guard of all time, and I think he is," Spoelstra said. "J-Rich (Josh Richardson) has that ability. Tyler has that ability. Justise Winslow has that ability.

"Even Goran has become better at it just by working hard, challenging and taking pride on making it tough."

Having those defenders healthy and active is part of the blueprint that Spoestra envisions. It hasn't really happened yet this season due to injuries, but the potential is there.

And then there's this: When Tyler Johnson is able to get two blocks per game, the Heat wins. It's a small sample size, but they are 5-1 in those instances.

Perhaps Johnson learned something from Wade in the shot-blocking department.

"Maybe in just seeing someone taking pride on the defensive side of the floor," Spoelstra said. "Those guys (Johnson, Richardson and Winslow) have taken it to the next level to finish plays off."

And if those opposing perimeter players get past the Heat guards, Whiteside is often waiting for the block.

"A lot of the times, I know where his guy is going," Whiteside said of the player Tyler Johnson is guarding. "A lot of those (blocked) shots, I'm just watching (Johnson) get."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (18-8) at Magic (12-16)

Date: December 18, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The clock was quickly ticking toward midnight on June 30 and NBA free agency was about to begin.

Bismack Biyombo was about to get swamped with offers after his stellar playoff run. What team in the league does not need a rim-protecting center?

But Biyombo was still on the phone talking with his Toronto Raptors teammates. The group he became so close with during his only season in Toronto that took the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals.

There was little reason for Biyombo to leave.

Except he wanted more. And when the Orlando Magic came calling at midnight on July 1, offering a four-year, $70-million contract, Biyombo wanted to take the chance.

Leaving his former teammates was tough, but Biyombo said he wanted to be part of a rebuilding process and help a team grow from the ground up, rather than joining it midstream as he had with the Raptors.

This was his opportunity, not only to cash in as a free agent, but to be part of the change in a franchise's culture.

"In the end, it was tough," Biyombo said. "At some level, I think what we did in Toronto was special, but I wanted to go back through the process and do it again.

" ... When I had the opportunity to come (to Orlando), it was to go back and do it again. I believe there have been a lot of stories here. I want to be able to help to go back and make some more."

Biyombo, who will face the Raptors for the first time at Amway Center in Orlando, helped the Magic's defense improve. But that process has taken some time to develop and jell.

The Magic are 12-16 and fighting to stay in the early playoff race.

The Raptors are thriving and perhaps playing better for the experiences they shared last year.

Toronto has firmly planted itself as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, for now. A place they expected to be.

Their replacement options for Biyombo as backup center -- Lucas Nogueira, Pacsal Siakam and rookie Jakob Poeltl -- have performed admirably.

But none of them have provided the same defensive presence and timing Biyombo brings.

Toronto struggled with its defense in a 125-121 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. It has been a larger theme throughout the season for the Raptors despite their success.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where our problem is," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. "We've got to have defense in the game. We can score. I'm not worried about us scoring.

"Until we individually make a decision to guard your man ... we're going to be an up-and-down team."

The Raptors have won games this year with one of the best offenses in the league. But their defense is middle of the road. They give up 105.8 points per 100 possessions and average 4.4 blocked shots per game, 22nd in the league.

The Magic have used Biyombo -- along with Serge Ibaka -- to rise to 5.6 blocked shots per game, sixth in the league. Their defense has played well with Biyombo as one of its anchors in the paint.

For sure, both Biyombo and the Raptors will be happy to see each other before the game. Then it will be back to business at tip-off.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (17-10) at Grizzlies (18-10)

Date: December 18, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz have been in the same situation that faces them in Sunday's 6 p.m. (Eastern) game at FedEx Forum. Quite recently in fact.

A four-game trip started badly for the Grizzlies with a 10-point clunker of a loss at Milwaukee on Nov. 12. The next day in Utah, rookie head coach David Fizdale held a grueling practice that flipped a switch.

The Grizzlies topped the Jazz 102-96 and have been on a 14-5 run since without star PG Mike Conley and pricey free agent F Chandler Parsons for long stretches.

That game started the Jazz on a four-game skid, but they have since won 10 of 12 games, and at 17-10 are a half-game behind Memphis (18-10) in the NBA Western Conference standings.

The Grizzlies had another misstep Friday, a 96-92 home loss Friday to Sacramento -- only the second team below .500 to beat Memphis this season.

The traditionally shooting-challenged Grizzlies hit only 37.7 percent from the field and 20 from the 3-point line in the loss to the Kings, coached by former Memphis boss Dave Joerger.

After a community Christmas event, Fizdale only held a film session Saturday, but would have plenty to say about an effort where the defensive-minded Grizzlies were outhustled in every category.

"We were all over the place, not competing on the ball, and many times we were just looking for the screen, like we don't want to get hit," Fizdale said.

Conley returned 2½ weeks after sustaining fractures in his back after hitting a stray knee while taking a charge Nov. 28 against Charlotte.

A 19.5-point scorer before the injury, Conley had only eight points in 29 minutes on Friday, shot 2-of-7 from the floor and missed a 3-point shot with the Kings hanging on 95-92.

Conley did pass Pau Gasol as the Grizzlies' career scoring leader at 8,968 points.

"We knew with Mike coming back there was going to be rust," Fizdale said. "The guys were out of rhythm trying to figure out and play with him. But that's zero excuse. Our effort was pathetic."

C Marc Gasol, who led Memphis with 20 points despite 6-of-18 shooting, said: "We have to come back tomorrow, get better, watch film and move on."

Utah, meanwhile, needed a fast-break 3-pointer from SG Rodney Hood with eight-10ths of a second left to escape with a 103-100 home win over lowly Dallas Friday.

"There was a lot of indecision, but Rodney could see open court and there was enough time so I just wanted him to go," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "We had been struggling in halfcourt."

C Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Hood added 15 points for Utah against the Mavs, who stayed in the game with 3-point shooting against a first-half defense Snyder called, "atrocious."

A year ago, Utah went 2-1 against Memphis, and two seasons ago won both games at FedEx Forum.

"They play extremely hard, and execute their stuff well," Fizdale said of the Jazz.

Snyder, whose team's road swing concludes Tuesday at Golden State, said: "Memphis will show you physicality, toughness and is a veteran team."

Before Friday's game Fizdale said that Parsons (knee bone bruise) and F James Ennis (calf) are "very close" to returning.

Snyder said Jazz PG George Hill, whose 20-point scoring average is second only to Gordon Heyward (22.5), is progressing but will remain sidelined because of a toe injury Sunday.

F Derrick Favors played 13 minutes in his second game back from injury Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (9-19) at Spurs (21-5)

Date: December 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

San Antonio is one of the best in the NBA because of its continual attention to detail but even a Spurs' team laden with veterans who have seen it all will have a hard time focusing on the task at hand when they square off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

That's because of what's scheduled after the game.

The Spurs will retire the No. 21 jersey of former power forward Tim Duncan in a lavish ceremony. Duncan's 19-year career, all with San Antonio, featured five championships and a 1,072-438 regular-season record. The .710 winning percentage is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over that time.

It's hard to predict how the usually stoic Duncan, a player who shunned the spotlight while becoming arguably the best power forward to ever play the game, will react when he's squarely the center of attention. But it will be memorable, especially if he gets emotional.

"It's going to be emotional for Tim because it's emotional for everybody," Spurs guard and longtime teammate Manu Ginobili said. "It's been 20 years of his life around something. He accomplished unbelievable things. It's going to be a great opportunity to close it the way he deserves."

On the court, the Spurs (21-5) are again among the league's elite teams, winning their past three games and seven of their last nine outings after a nine-game winning streak. Forward Kawhi Leonard, who leads the team with 24.5 points per game, has taken over for Duncan as the Spurs' leader.

Leonard has either led or shared the lead in scoring in 21 of the Spurs' 26 games. Pau Gasol, San Antonio's key offseason free agent acquisition and Duncan's replacement at in the paint, has picked up his statistical impact in the past few games, thanks to a coaching session with Duncan during the Spurs' off days earlier this week.

San Antonio beats teams with execution and depth, aspects that Gasol is enjoying through the first quarter of the season.

"We have such a deep group; we don't play our guys a lot of minutes so we're able to sustain our effort for the whole game," Gasol said Thursday after the Spurs beat Phoenix 107-92. "When teams ramp it up and make their runs and even get ahead, it's hard for them to sustain that. Our second halves and our fourth quarters are strong because we keep coming until we break the game open."

The victory over Phoenix was the 14th in San Antonio's first 15 games away from the AT&T Center, matching the best road start in NBA history by joining the 1970-71 Lakers and 2015-16 Warriors.

New Orleans heads to the Alamo City after a 122-100 loss to Houston on Friday in which the Rockets poured in 24 3-point baskets in 61 attempts, setting a new league record in both categories.

"You have to be good in transition defense and you have to run them off the 3-point line," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said of the Rockets. "And obviously we didn't do a very good job of either one of those."

Forward Anthony Davis paced the Pelicans (9-19) with 19 points despite playing just 22 minutes. Davis scored 12 of New Orleans' first 21 points and departed in the third quarter with a left lower-leg contusion but he should be available for Sunday's contest.

"Davis just got kicked, and the game wasn't in a position where I thought that it was worth the risk to put him back out there -- and we just weren't going to do it," Gentry said.

In the first meeting between the two teams this season, San Antonio beat the Pelicans 98-79 in its home opener on Oct. 29. The Spurs currently own a four-game winning streak against New Orleans dating to a 104-90 loss to the Pelicans on Nov. 20, 2015.