Thursday 12/22/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Fiorentina

v

Napoli

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		13/5	5/2	21/20	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Fiorentina have drawn eight of their last 14 home league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Fiorentina are yet to lose at home this season, while Napoli have responded to their vanquish at Juventus by piecing together a six-game unbeaten run. However, the hosts boast the best home defensive record in the division and - having held Roma and Milan on their own patch this term - Napoli may have to settle for a point.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Roma

v

Chievo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		4/11	4	15/2	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROMA	RECENT FORM
H WH WA WA DH WA L​ Most recent​	3 - 0 3 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1	H WA LH WH DA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Roma are unbeaten in 20 Serie A home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Roma gifted Juventus a seven-point lead at the top of Serie A with defeat in Turin on Saturday but their superior home form should see them bounce back against Chievo. The hosts, who have won 11 consecutive matches in the capital, have shipped just six goals on home soil, while the visitors have notched only seven on their travels.

RECOMMENDATION: Roma to win 2-0
1

Italian Serie A Fr 23Dec 16:30

Juventus

v

Milan

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS4					More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
A WA LH WH WA WH W​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 0 2 - 1 1 - 0	A WH DA WH WA LH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: The last five meetings have produced a total of four goals in normal time

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus broke the hearts of the Milan faithful with an extra-time winner in last season’s Coppa Italia final and it could be worth supporting this Super Cup clash to go the distance in Qatar. The Old Lady are preparing for their fifth consecutive Super Cup but they have required extra time on two occasions and Milan - who have lost just one of their last seven - have a point to prove.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Antonio Damato STADIUM:

Premier League Mo 26Dec 12:30

Watford

v

C Palace

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5/4	23/10	11/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
H WH LA LH WA LA L​ Most recent​	0 - 1 2 - 2 0 - 2 1 - 1	H LA LH WA DH LH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have won just twice in 19 league away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Watford have seen off some strong opposition at Vicarage Road this season, beating Manchester United and Everton as well as Leicester and Hull, and while they did suffer an off-day to lose to Stoke in November, that was a rare blemish on a solid record. Crystal Palace have one win in ten and are conceding too many goals.

RECOMMENDATION: Watford
3


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

Premier League Mo 26Dec 15:00

Burnley

v

Middlesbro

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		15/8	11/5	29/20	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Burnley have claimed 16 of their 17 points at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Burnley will be happy to be back on home soil after consecutive away defeats at West Ham and Tottenham. The Clarets are a much better outfit when playing in front of their own fans, claiming all but one of their 17-point tally and 14 of their 16 goals at Turf Moor. Middlesbrough have won just once on the road and look vulnerable favourites.

RECOMMENDATION: Burnley
2


REFEREE: Craig Pawson STADIUM:

Premier League Mo 26Dec 15:00

Swansea

v

West Ham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		8/5	21/10	9/5	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Swansea are unbeaten in three games against West Ham, winning 4-1 at Upton Park in May

EXPERT VERDICT: Swansea’s dreadful away form continues, but in south Wales they have lost just one of four matches under Bob Bradley. Even that was to Manchester United, with the Swans beating Sunderland and Crystal Palace, so there have been signs of life. West Ham ended a seven-match winless run with two wins in a week leading up to Christmas, but a pair of 1-0 home wins over Burnley and Hull is no proof of a return to form.

RECOMMENDATION: Swansea
1


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Red Wings put G Howard on IR
By The Sports Xchange

The Detroit Red Wings placed goaltender Jimmy Howard on seven-day injured reserve Wednesday.
Howard injured his right leg stopping a shot with 14:21 left in the second period of the 4-1 road loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. Howard did not put weight on his leg as he was helped off the ice. He was replaced by Petr Mrazek.
The 32-year-old Howard, who was on IR last month with a groin injury, is 5-7-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in 17 games (15 starts) this season.
The Red Wings also recalled goaltender Jared Coreau from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.

--The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Ben Smith on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Smith, 28, was not able to play against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night because of the injury. He has two goals and one assist in 28 games this season.
In a corresponding move, the Maple Leafs recalled forward Byron Froese from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Froese, 25, owns 17 points (12 goals, five assists) in 26 games with the Marlies this season. In 56 games with the Maple Leafs in 2015-16, he recorded two goals, three assists and 16 penalty minutes.

--The Carolina Hurricanes activated goaltender Eddie Lack from injured reserve.
Lack, 28, has missed the last 14 games because of a concussion. Before sustaining the injury, the Norrtalje, Sweden, native posted a 1-2-1 record with a 3.78 goals-against average and .856 save percentage in five games this season.
The Hurricanes also reassigned goaltender Michael Leighton to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. Leighton, 35, is 2-1-0 with a 3.53 goals-against average and .875 save percentage for Carolina.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (13-11) at Sabres (12-11)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thursday night's game between Carolina and Buffalo will serve as the second half of an unexpected home-and-home series for the Hurricanes, but not for the Sabres.

The two teams squared off on Saturday in Carolina, with the Hurricanes picking up a 2-1 shootout victory. Both teams were scheduled for games to open the week, but Carolina's Monday game against the Detroit Red Wings was postponed due to an ice problem at PNC Arena.

"We apologize to our fans who made the trip to PNC Arena tonight hoping to see the Hurricanes extend their nine-game home point streak," said Hurricanes president Don Waddell in a statement. "A mechanical problem arose early this evening with the cooling system that keeps the ice solidified."

With that ice mishap behind them, the Hurricanes (13-11-7) will look for a similar performance to Saturday's shootout victory. Joakim Nordstrom scored in regulation, and Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho scored in the shootout. Cam Ward made 23 saves and stopped both shots in the shootout for Carolina.

Carolina led the game 1-0 until Buffalo's Evander Kane evened the score with 2:37 left in regulation.

With that victory, the Hurricanes improved to 8-0-1 in their last nine home games.

"It was a tight game throughout the whole match," center Jordan Staal said, according to the team's website. "Shootouts have been a sore spot for us. (Ward) did a great job and a couple big goals from two skilled guys got us over the top."

"It's good to get the win in the shootout," said Stempniak, per the team's website. "Those points make a difference at the end of the year."

The Sabres (12-11-8), meanwhile, cannot find a way to win in the shootout. On Tuesday, the Sabres picked up a point for the fourth straight game but fell in their fifth shootout of the season. Buffalo is 1-5 in shootouts this year, and starting goaltender Robin Lehner is 0-3 in shootouts and has yet to stop an attempt in six tries this season.

"Keep trying and keep working at 'em," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "We keep practicing them a different way, focus a different way, mindset a different way and it's what we've got to keep doing."

"I need to keep working on them," Lehner said. "The first one there, it caught me a little off-guard. And (Aleksander) Barkov's a good shooter. What can I say?"

One bright spot for Buffalo has been the play of young defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has taken another step forward as the team's best blue-liner. Ristolainen had a goal and an assist against the Hurricanes and has 15 points in his last 13 games. Last Friday, Ristolainen picked up his second career overtime goal, becoming only the fourth Sabres defenseman in franchise history to score multiple overtime goals in his career.

Ristolainen leads all Buffalo skaters with 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 31 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (21-7) at Blue Jackets (21-5)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A franchise-record winning streak has pushed the Columbus Blue Jackets near the top of the Eastern Conference. Extending their run to 11 straight games and taking the conference lead could be tougher than first anticipated.

Leading scorer Cam Atkinson may be sidelined Thursday night when the Blue Jackets play host to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a matchup involving the league's most potent offense against one of its stingiest defenses.

Pittsburgh (21-7-5) has scored 114 goals, including a league-best 22 from Sidney Crosby, for a league-high 3.45 per game. Columbus (21-5-4), meanwhile, has allowed a conference-low 62 goals, or 2.07 per game.

Columbus is second in the league with an average of 3.30 goals scored per game, and Atkinson has been a big reason for that. He had two goals -- including the 100th of his NHL career -- as Columbus won its 10th in a row, 3-2 in a shootout over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

However, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Atkinson was wearing a walking boot on his left foot Wednesday after blocking a shot in the win.

"We'll see how it feels (Thursday)," Atkinson told the Dispatch. "It's precautionary, that's why I'm wearing the boot. It's not for fashion reasons. ... Personally, I'm a pretty fast healer. Hopefully, I will be able to rock and roll."

Atkinson has scored 13 points (six goals, seven assists) during the Blue Jackets' winning streak, and has recorded 21 of his team-best 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) at home.

After reaching a personal milestone Tuesday, Atkinson is on the cusp of two more -- he needs two assists to reach 100 and two points for 200 in his career. But he's fared poorly when facing the Penguins, notching just two goals with an assist in 14 games.

Still, Atkinson's breakout season has been a key to Columbus' success in 2016-17. The Blue Jackets are 11-3-1 at home, and one point behind Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers for the East's top spot.

"We're just finding ways to win," said Brandon Dubinsky, who's picked up three assists in his last two games, and has a goal with five assists over his last six games versus the Penguins.

Curtis McElhinney made 44 saves on Tuesday in his first action since Dec. 3, but Sergei Bobrovsky will likely start Thursday. Bobrovsky has won eight straight games, and is 19-5-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts. He's won four of six career starts vs. Pittsburgh after joining the Blue Jackets in 2012.

Columbus' winning streak matches the NHL's longest this season set by the Philadelphia Flyers from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14. While not currently on a winning streak, Pittsburgh improved to 8-0-2 over its last 10 games following Tuesday's 7-2 rout of the Rangers.

"It will be interesting to see how it shakes out down the stretch here going into the playoffs because right now it's tough for the (Metropolitan Division) to lose," the Penguins' Ian Cole told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"You go on a seven-game winning streak (from Dec. 1 to Dec. 14), and you don't really make up any ground. That's unique, but when you're in that position, you have to try and keep winning games and stay as focused as best you can."

Focused would be appropriate to describe Crosby's play. After missing the first six games of the season to recover from a concussion, Crosby has been red-hot, recording a point in 22 of 27 games. The Penguins are 10-1-1 when Crosby has had at least two points in a game this season.

Crosby will be looking for a point in his 10th consecutive game at Nationwide Arena. Overall, he has four goals and 10 assists during his streak in Columbus, and 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 17 career games against the Blue Jackets.

Matt Murray made 26 saves against the Rangers to improve to 13-2-1 with a 1.85 GAA, a .938 save percentage and a shutout this season. He won in his only career start against Columbus, 2-0 on Dec. 21, 2015, in his second NHL game.

Marc-Andre Fleury is 8-4-2 with a 2.28 GAA and a .928 save percentage in 14 career starts versus the Blue Jackets. Three of those wins have come in Columbus.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (20-11) at Devils (12-13)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

When the 2016-17 NHL season started, it was expected that the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils would find themselves battling one another for playoff positioning within the competitive Metropolitan Division.

Nearly three months into the season, though, the Flyers (20-11-4) are on much more solid ground than the Devils (12-13-7), due in large part to recent streaks that have taken the teams in opposite directions.

Philadelphia won ten games in a row from Nov. 27 through Dec. 14, a run which catapulted the Flyers into a comfortable Wild Card position after an uneven 9-10-3 start to the season.

Meanwhile the Devils, who started strong at 9-3-3 through Nov. 15, are mired in a seven-game losing streak (0-6-1) and are fighting not to drop into last place in the Eastern Conference.

"It doesn't get much lower than where we are now," said Devils forward Kyle Palmieri. "The bottom line is it's seven straight losses; and it's up to us to come out and find a way to get some better results."

The coaches and players believed that New Jersey was turning a corner last weekend when the team played two solid, competitive games, albeit in back-to-back losses to the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers.

Then on Tuesday night, the Devils were thoroughly dominated in a dispiriting 5-1 home-ice loss to the Nashville Predators.

When asked afterward if there were any positives he could derive from his club's most recent defeat, Devils head coach John Hynes simply replied, "No."

New Jersey has scored just nine goals during its seven-game losing streak, while surrendering 24. The lack of scoring is spread throughout the lineup. Travis Zajac has not scored a goal in nine games; Michael Cammalleri and Beau Bennett are both without a goal in eight straight; Palmieri is in a seven-game drought; and Taylor Hall has not scored in the last six matches.

"We have to make sure we are a better team against the Flyers," said Hynes.

Philadelphia skated to a 3-2 shootout victory at home against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. Claude Giroux scored the game-tying goal late in the second period, while Wayne Simmonds had the decisive goal in the shootout, and goaltender Steve Mason stopped 36 of 38 shots for the Flyers on Wednesday.

The win puts the Flyers at 1-1-1 since their ten-game winning streak ended.

"This was definitely a must-win for us," Mason said on NBCSN after beating the Capitals. "You go on a ten-game winning streak, you can't let that slide and then go on a losing streak."

Mason has been a workhorse in goal for the Flyers. He has started 17 of the last 19 games since fellow netminder Michal Neuvirth was sidelined with a knee injury on Nov. 12. Mason has allowed two goals or fewer in 12 of his last 17 starts.

Besides Neuvirth, the Flyers are also without a pair of injured forwards. Both Sean Couturier and Matt Read are on I.R. and will not play against the Devils on Thursday.

Likewise, New Jersey is expected to be missing a pair of injured forwards, as both Vernon Fiddler and Jacob Josefson missed practice Wednesday and are not expected to play against the Flyers.

Thursday's contest at the Prudential Center will be the first of five meetings between these two division rivals this season. A year ago, New Jersey posted a 2-1-1 mark against Philadelphia, though they lost both contests played on their home ice, one in regulation and the other in overtime.

"Any time you play teams like this in your division, there's a little more feel to it," Giroux said to Philly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (17-14) at Panthers (15-13)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- On Tuesday night, right winger Jaromir Jagr tied for second place on the NHL career points list, and goalie Roberto Luongo tied for fifth place in all-time wins.

On Thursday night, Jagr and Luongo could break those ties.

Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said on Tuesday that Jagr is a "great guy" in addition to being a future Hall of Famer.

"It was really cool to be a part of it," Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said Tuesday after Jagr was credited with three assists to tie Mark Messier for second place on the points list behind Wayne Gretzky.

"What a great human being (Jagr) is -- the way he comes to work every day is unbelievable. It was great watching the bench get so excited for him when he tied (Messier). The fans were really excited for him as well.

"The two points (for the Panthers in the standings) were great. But topping it off with what Jags did -- and Louie (Luongo). I mean, Louie tying Terry Sawchuk for fifth all-time is amazing as well."

More history could be in store on Thursday night. Fans will surely be on "NHL milestones watch" when Jagr, Luongo and the rest of the Florida Panthers (15-13-5) play host to the Boston Bruins (17-14-3).

But there will be something else to monitor that night, and it's the standings. With a win in regulation, the Panthers would tie the Bruins.

The Bruins currently hold the third and final playoff position in the Atlantic Division but are coming off a gruesome 4-2 home loss to the slumping New York Islanders.

Boston outshot New York 50-29 in that game and still lost.

"We got back in the game in the third period," Boston coach Claude Julien told Boston Bruins.com after his team fell behind 3-0. "But it was a little too late."

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was pulled after allowing three goals on just 13 shots.

It remains to be seen if the Bruins will go back to Rask or try backup Anton Khudobin, who stopped all 13 shots he faced on Tuesday.

Either way, Boston will try to shut down on offense that features players such as Jagr and Aleksander Barkov, who has 11 points in his past eight games.

"They are smart players," Buffalo's Sam Reinhart said on Tuesday when asked about linemates Jagr and Barkov. "They use their size. They are always in position. Knowing who you are out against is important against those guys."

The Panthers are glad to be home, where they are 9-5-0 and playing much better than their road record of 6-8-5.

But that may not mean as much on Thursday because the Bruins are a better road team than home squad so far this season. They have the best road record in the Atlantic Division at 9-5-3 but are just 8-9-0 at home.

Bruins right winger David Pastrnak, who is second in the NHL with 19 goals, has missed two straight games after having surgery on his right elbow. He skated Wednesday and could return for Thursday's game. Bruins left winger Frank Vatrano (left foot) is hoping to make his season debut on Thursday. He was injured while running in September, prior to the opening of camp. After a strong rookie season -- eight goals in 39 games -- he was expected to possibly become a top-six forward this season.

Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau (torn Achilles tendon) and defenseman Alex Petrovic (broken foot) could return in one month. Panthers center Jonathan Marchessault (groin) has missed three straight games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (18-11) at Lightning (16-14)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- Lineup shuffling will take place for the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues when the teams meet at Amalie Arena on Thursday.

The Lightning will be without two-time Vezina Trophy finalist in goaltender Ben Bishop, who is out an estimated 3-to-4 weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury suffered during the first period of Tuesday's victory against Detroit.

Bishop was injured when he flexed out his right leg to make a stop on Detroit defenseman Nick Jensen and got up awkwardly while shaking his head. During the next stoppage in play, Bishop went over the bench and headed for the locker room.

That means the Lightning will turn to former first-round draft pick Andrei Vasilevskiy to handle the workload while Bishop is out. Vasilevskiy, in his third season, is 7-4-1 with a 2.41 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage. He posted shutouts in back-to-back starts earlier this season, but made starts in consecutive games only once this season.

The 22-year-old is ready for the extra workload.

"Sure, that's why I'm here," Vasilevskiy said. "That's what I'm working for every day, that's going to be a good opportunity for me to play more games."

Vasilevskiy has experience stepping in for Bishop, leading the Lightning to within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals last season after Bishop was injured in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Tampa Bay eventually lost in seven games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"The kid is ready to play, he's a pro," forward Brian Boyle said. "We have goaltending depth. Now we have to use it."

The Lightning called up Kristers Gudlevskis from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Wednesday to back up Vasilevskiy.

Tampa Bay is also awaiting the return of top scorer Nikita Kucherov, who missed the last four games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Kucherov has not skated with the team in more than a week, though he is still listed as day-to-day, along with Ondrej Palat, who has missed three games. Palat participated in Tuesday's morning skate, though he was wearing a no-contact jersey.

The Blues, meanwhile, will be without center Paul Stastny, who suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury during the third period of Tuesday's overtime victory at Dallas.

"He took a hit in the beginning of the third period so he's day-to-day," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "He's rehabbing and we'll see. But with a game (Thursday), it's doubtful that he'll be able to play."

Stastny's absence leaves the Blues looking for somebody to take on the 20 minutes per night he plays, along with the role he plays as the team's top faceoff center, taking 36 percent of the team's draws.

"Obviously it's a top-six center so if it looks like he's not able to play, we'll have to make an evaluation which way we want to go," Hitchcock said of finding a replacement.

St. Louis expects to get back top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo after he missed Tuesday's game because of illness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (19-8) at Canadiens (21-7)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- If you're guessing a combined score for Thursday night's meeting between the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild, take the under.

Way under.

The Wild and Canadiens bookend the top four defensive teams in the NHL, with Minnesota leading the way with a 1.87 goals-against average (58 goals in 31 games). Montreal ranks fourth in that category, at 2.16 goals against (69 in 32 games played).

A large factor in both team's stinginess is their starting goaltenders. Carey Price has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his last nine starts, posting a 7-1-1 record during that stretch. At the other end, Devan Dubnyk has been everything his team could have asked for in goal for the Wild since being acquired in January 2015, and is 9-0-2 in his last 11, recording a 1.51 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in that span.

But while Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien confirmed Price would get the nod against Minnesota, counterpart Bruce Boudreau was coy after his team practiced on Wednesday, as they -- like Montreal -- will also play on Friday.

"I don't know who will be playing in goal tomorrow," he told reporters. "So everybody is assuming it will be Dubnyk. But, I mean, we have back-to-backs, and (Darcy Kuemper) played pretty good the last game. So we're going to talk about it, and see who goes (against Montreal)."

The Wild (19-8-4) is coming off a 2-0 shutout of the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to eight games. It's the second-longest winning streak in team history, one shy of the record of nine games set back in March 2009. The team, which sits second in the Central Division, has yet to lose in regulation in December and is 10-1-3 in its last 14 games.

While Minnesota is getting the saves from its netminder, it's also getting its bang for its buck from offseason free-agent signing Eric Staal. The veteran center, who signed a one-year deal with the Wild, leads the team with 15 assists and 25 points. His 10 goals rank second on the team only to Charlie Coyle, who trails Staal overall by two points.

"It's always nice to play in Montreal, especially (right now), we're rolling, we're pretty hot," said defenseman and Montreal native Marco Scandella. "It's hard to win in the Bell Centre, so we're going to have to be ready, play our game and play some good road hockey."

The Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a big win of their own after holding off the Anaheim Ducks with a 5-1 win on Tuesday night, which saw Montreal (21-7-4) dominate the shot clock as well, 34-13.

"Everyone's working hard and we're not giving up a lot of chances," Paul Byron said after the game. "We played a smart game. We're playing against good teams and you don't want to give them space or chances to score."

Defenseman Jeff Petry matched a career high with a three-point night and was one of five different goal scorers. His efforts made the absence of veteran blue-liner Andrei Markov easier to absorb. Markov was injured on Saturday and won't play against the Wild; he's also unlikely to play on Friday and remains day-to-day.

"We're very happy with the way our team is playing but I'd say it's the group of leaders we have on our team that makes the coaches' jobs easier," head coach Michel Therrien said after practice on Wednesday. "We have a solid group of leaders who make sure that things are done the right way."

The Canadiens have not only been successful at keeping the puck out of their net, the offense has been finding ways to win, too. With Tuesday's victory, Montreal became the fourth NHL team this season to hit 100 goals and rank fourth in the league with an offense averaging 3.13 goals per game.

While Max Pacioretty has been heating up after a foot injury slowed him down in November, Byron has helped pick up the slack in the absence of center Alex Galchenyuk. Byron scored his 11th goal of the season in his 32nd game, matching his career high set last year -- in 62 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (17-12) at Senators (19-11)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- On their way home from a long road trip early last week, the Ottawa Senators were given a rude sendoff by the Anaheim Ducks, who pasted them by four goals.

The Senators have a chance for some payback under similar circumstances Thursday night.

The Ducks (17-12-5) are coming off one of their worst losses of the season when they visit Canadian Tire Centre, the last stop on a six-game road trip. In Montreal on Tuesday, they managed only 13 shots on goal in a 5-1 beating by the Canadiens.

The game was the second in two nights and third in four for the Ducks, who are playing 11 of their 15 December games on the road.

"I don't have any excuses," center Ryan Getzlaf told The Orange County Register. "We didn't play structured. That's how we got beat."

Coach Randy Carlyle also refused to blame exhaustion for the lackluster showing which saw Andrew Cogliano score Anaheim's goal.

"If you want to use it as an excuse, yes, it's an excuse," Carlyle told reporters. "That's not what we're supposed to be about. I look at it totally differently, because we were in position, as favorable position as you can be on the road, down one goal and on the power play to start fresh ice in the third period."

The Ducks power play, ranked No. 2 in the league, failed to get the job done on any of its three chances at the Bell Centre.

Meanwhile, the Senators (19-11-3) have been flying high since they were rolled over at Anaheim's Honda Center. They claimed seven of eight available points since and are riding a three-game winning streak after an impressive 4-3 victory in Chicago on Wednesday.

Leading the way offensively are Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard, who own four and three-game goal scoring streaks, respectively. Also, Zack Smith has six points in his last three games while Mark Stone has six in four.

But the key has been the goaltending of Mike Condon, who is 7-3-2 while Craig Anderson remains on personal leave.

"I think Mike is like everybody now," coach Guy Boucher said of his backup, who was acquired for a fifth round pick in a trade with Pittsburgh in the first week of November. "What you see is a definite commitment to battling, paying the price and doing the extra work and being on the same page."

Condon should also be anxious to get another crack at the Ducks. His worst outing as a Senators was that Dec. 11 afternoon in Anaheim, when he surrendered three goals on 13 shots and was pulled after one period.

The Ducks are expected to start goaltender John Gibson, who gave up only a goal to Ryan Dzingel on the 22 Ottawa shots he faced in Anaheim.

The game will be the last for both teams before the Christmas break.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (16-13) at Predators (15-12)

Date: December 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Perhaps it was the presence of their fathers on their road trip to Philadelphia and New Jersey. Maybe it was a case of good timing to catch a pair of opponents who were either due for a fall or simply not very good. Or it might have been just time for the Nashville Predators to play well on the road.

In any event, Nashville swept the road trip, leaving it with a better chance to salvage what was shaping up as a rough December. The Predators try to finish the week 3-0-0 on Thursday night when they host the Los Angeles Kings in Bridgestone Arena.

After entering the quick trip only 3-9-2 away from the Music City, Nashville (15-12-5) registered a 2-1 shootout victory Monday night over the Flyers, then stomped the Devils 5-1 on Tuesday. The Predators were solid defensively in both games, giving them three straight contests with one goal allowed after yielding at least three in nine straight games, and upped their December record to 4-4-2.

"It was probably our cleanest, strongest road win of the year," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said of the game in New Jersey.

While the Devils aren't exactly an elite opponent, every aspect of the Predators' game passed muster Tuesday. James Neal's two first-period goals gave them the early lead for the first time in seven games. The defense corps played a third straight good game without P.K. Subban (upper-body injury), and backup goalie Juuse Saros was just a garbage-time goal away from his first career shutout.

"We had a good start to the game," said defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who scored his first goal of the season with a booming point blast in the second period. "An early goal from Nealer, and then he just followed it up again, that's a big start on the road."

That's the kind of start Los Angeles (16-13-3) is probably hoping for in game six of nine straight on the road in a trip that opened Dec. 13, takes a break for Christmas after Friday night's match in Dallas and concludes Dec. 29 in Edmonton.

The Kings are 2-2-1 during their lengthy journey, eating a tough 3-2 shootout loss Tuesday night in Columbus. They pumped 46 shots on net to the Blue Jackets' 27 and won 32 of 62 faceoffs, but couldn't solve backup goalie Curtis McElhinney.

"We've got to put the puck in the net," Los Angeles center Jeff Carter said. "We had a lot of good chances. I thought we did a lot of good things. We played well enough to win."

Even Kings coach Darryl Sutter, known for his brevity in post-game scrums after losses, couldn't find much bad to say about his team after they controlled play against a team which has 10 straight wins and only five regulation losses this season.

"We played a really strong game. We came back against a team that's lost only five games, I believe, all season," Sutter said.

This will be the teams' second meeting of the season. Los Angeles won the first matchup 3-2 on Oct. 27 with an overtime marker from Carter.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (12-12) at Avalanche (11-19)

Date: December 22, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Tyler Bozak is supposed to enjoy a homecoming of sorts when his Toronto Maple Leafs play at the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Bozak played two seasons with the University of Denver Pioneers, located a few miles from Pepsi Center, before signing with Toronto.

His return to his college roots is tainted by injury. Bozak missed Monday's game against Anaheim with a lower-body injury that could keep him out of Thursday's matchup with Colorado. He didn't take part in practice Wednesday in Denver and his status for the game is uncertain.

Toronto's Center Ben Smith will not play. The team announced he will be out indefinitely after having surgery on his hand. Smith missed Monday's game with what was called an upper-body injury. The Maple Leafs (12-12-7) recalled Frederick Gauthier from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and the center might be in the lineup Thursday with Smith now ruled out.

Toronto may not need Bozak or Smith to get by the reeling Avalanche (11-19-1). Colorado lost four straight games overall and six in a row at home. The Avalanche are last in the NHL with 23 points and are struggling to score. They had only one goal in their just-completed two-game road trip, a cosmetic goal at the end of a 4-1 loss in Winnipeg on Sunday.

It has left the once-dominant franchise scrambling for answers as the relatively young season is slipping away.

In a 2-0 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday, the Avalanche managed 18 shots and only two on five power plays. They were shut out for the sixth time in 20 total losses.

"We're not getting enough shots on net," leading scorer Matt Duchene told reporters after the loss to the Wild. "That's just not good enough offensively. You've got to create stuff to get shots ... it's not going to be the perfect play that goes in every time. It has to be some gritty ones, too, and we're not getting that."

Even with a young, talented core, Colorado is struggling under first-year coach Jared Bednar. While he tries to get the offense going, the Avalanche must stop Auston Matthews, the 19-year-old star of Toronto. Matthews, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, leads the Maple Leafs with 15 goals after getting one in the 3-2 loss to the Ducks.

He started the season with a four-goal outburst on opening night and has proven worthy of being the No. 1 pick.

"I feel comfortable going up against anybody," Matthews told The Toronto Globe and Mail. "It's not really up to me who I play against."

More of the burden will fall on Matthews if Bozak can't play. Toronto is fighting to stay in reach of a playoff position in the highly competitive Eastern Conference.

For Colorado, the playoffs may already be out of reach only 31 games into the season. The Avalanche were 9-9 at one point but have earned only five points in their last 13 games and need a dramatic turnaround to even make a postseason push.

It can start with a win against Toronto before the league goes on hiatus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but for now the Avalanche have forgotten how to win.

"We've lost four in a row," goaltender Semyon Varlamov told The Denver Post. "It's embarrassing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (15-17) at Canucks (14-16)

Date: December 22, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Winnipeg Jets did not have to wait long for a chance to avenge their last loss to the Canucks in Vancouver.

The Jets (15-17-3) will visit the Canucks (14-16-3) again Thursday night after suffering a 4-1 setback on the same Rogers Arena ice on Tuesday night. It is rare for teams to play a doubleheader like this one in the same city.

But the Jets are hoping that familiarity breeds success, if not contempt, the second time around.

"We know exactly what they are going to do," said Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. "If they make changes, we will be able to adapt to them pretty quickly. We kind of lit the fire a little bit (Tuesday), and now I think we are going to want the next one a little bit more."

The loss ended Winnipeg's longest winning run of the season at two games. The Canucks are now within striking distance of a Western Conference playoff spot when just last week it appeared that they would not even come close to one.

"We have a pretty good idea of what they are trying to do," said Jets captain Blake Wheeler, who scored his team's only goal Tuesday on a power play. "I think they are going to have a pretty good idea of what we're trying to do. It's going to be a matter of wills, the next game I guess."

Does this two-game affair feel like a min-playoff?

"It's fine," said Wheeler. "These games all kind of blend together. The team doesn't really matter. You have to prepare the same way. We will try to use this to our advantage, pick up some things we did well (Tuesday), some things maybe we can get better at on Thursday."

The Canucks will try to deliver a better start. Vancouver allowed Winnipeg to take a 1-0 lead on Tuesday, marking the 25th time that the Canucks have allowed their opponent to score first.

"It's tough to explain," said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin. "(The Jets) came out hard. It's the NHL. It's not easy to predict what's going to happen."

At the outset of the season, many observers predicted that the Jets would have a much easier time making the playoffs than the Canucks. But after struggling for most of the season before their current homestand, the Canucks are starting to talk more about postseason possibilities rather than just getting through games.

It is virtually impossible to determine a team's playoff chances after only 33 games -- and not really worth trying to figure them out. But the Canucks are showing signs of becoming a strong home team, sporting a 10-5-2-0 record in their barn.

And, having earned five of a possible six points thus far on a four-game homestand that will conclude Thursday night, the Canucks are daring to dream a little -- or at least change the topic from their recent struggles.

"We talked going into this (that) we needed maybe four out of five (wins before the Christmas break) to get back into the race," said Sedin. "We've given ourselves a good start on this homestand, but we have to finish it off. (Thursday) is another big game against a team that's right there battling with us."

In other words, Sedin is not complaining about playing the Jets twice two days apart in Vancouver.

"It's fun games to be a part of," he said. "Our division is really tight. If you can get on a roll like Calgary got on a couple weeks back, then you're right back in it. We feel that we're playing good enough to be in the race."

While the Jets are reasonably well rested after getting extended breaks in the past week, the Canucks will be playing their fifth game in 10 days, and have only had two days off once in that span. But Vancouver winger Jannik Hansen, who scored two goals on Tuesday, welcomed the challenge, suggesting that the second game of the doubleheader against Winnipeg will be a test of his club's character as players battle fatigue.

"Everybody can play well when you're feeling great," said Hansen. "It's when (you're not feeling great) that you have to work for it. Those are the points that are going to make the difference."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/13 10 54.5 69 OVER
12/14 4 21.5 30 OVER
12/15 8 42.5 49 OVER
12/16 7 37 34 UNDER
12/17 10 52 50 UNDER
12/18 6 31 31 PUSH
12/19 5 OFF OFF
12/20 12 64.5 68 OVER
12/21 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/22 10 - - -
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

Thursday’s games

Sabres won four of last five games with Carolina; Hurricanes lost last four visits here, outscored 15-8. Over is 5-1-4 in last ten series games. Carolina lost five of its last six road games; they’re 4-3 in last seven games overall. Three of their last four games went over. Sabres are 3-5 in last eight games; five of their last seven games went OT. Buffalo won four of last six home games. Over is 3-2-1 in their last six games.

Penguins won last two games with Columbus, after losing five of previous six to Blue Jackets; Pittsburgh lost three of last four visits to Ohio. Three of last four series games stayed under. Penguins won eight of last ten games overall and last three on road- three of their last four games went OT. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Columbus won its last ten games, last two in OT; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games.

Road team won seven of last ten New Jersey-Philly games; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Flyers won three of last five visits to Garden State. Philly won 11 of last 13 games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Flyers won three of their last four road games. Devils lost their last seven games, scoring total of nine goals; over is 5-1-4 in their last ten games. New Jersey lost 4-1/5-1 in its last two home games.

Bruins won five of last six games with Florida, winning last three visits to South Beach. Under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Boston lost six of its last eight games overall; they split last four road games- six of its last nine games went over total. Panthers won their last two games after a 1-6 skid; they won last two home games. Over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games overall.

Blues won eight of last nine games with Tampa Bay, winning three of last four games in this building. Over is 3-2 in Blues’ last five visits to Bay Area. St Louis lost four of last six games but split last four on road; under is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. Lightning lost five of last seven games but split their last four home games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Minnesota won its last three games with Montreal, outscoring them 10-3; home side won six of last seven series games. Over is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Minnesota won its last eight games, allowing total of ten goals; three of those wins were on road. Under is 4-2-2 in Wild’s last eight games. Montreal won four of its last six games; over is 5-2-1 in its last eight; they lost two of last three home games.

Anaheim won seven of last nine games with Ottawa; they won three of last four games in this building. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Ducks are 5-3 in last eight games but lost five of last seven road games; over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Senators won last three games, outscoring foes 13-5; they split last four home games- over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Kings won three of last four games with Nashville but lost three of last four visits to Music City; over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Los Angeles lost five of last eight games, losing last two, 1-0/3-2. Kings’ last three games stayed under the total. Predators won last two games but lost four of last six home games; seven of their last ten games went over the total.

Toronto won four of last six games with Colorado in series where visitor won seven of last ten meetings. Three of last four series games went over. Maple Leafs lost seven of last nine games with all nine staying under the total- they split last four road games. Colorado lost its last four games, outscored 13-5- they lost their last four home games; four of their last five games stayed under the total.

Home side won eight of last ten Winnipeg-Vancouver games; Jets lost four of last five games in this building, including a 4-1 decision two nights ago. Over is 2-0-1 in last three series games in Vancouver. Winnipeg lost five of its last seven games; they were outscored 13-5 in losing last three road games. Under is 2-1-2 in their last five road games. Canucks lost four of their last six games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Westbrook scores 42 in Thunder's win over Pelicans
By The Sports Xchange

NEW ORLEANS -- Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 42 points, including 11 consecutive in the final five minutes, and reserve guard Alex Abrines scored 18 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
Westbrook, the NBA's leading scorer, added 10 rebounds and seven assists and fell short of his 51 triple-double of the season. The Thunder, who had lost three of four games coming in, also got 14 points and 14 rebounds from center Enes Kanter.
The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points and had 15 rebounds, and by Jrue Holiday with a season-high 23 points.
Tyreke Evans cut the Oklahoma City lead to 89-87 with a 3-pointer from the right wing, but the Thunder then went on an 11-0 spurt, fueled by reserve guard Alex Abrines' nine points that included two 3-pointers. Abrines added another long-range jumper and Oklahoma City led 105-89 with 8:04 left. Abrines finished 5 of 10 from long range.

Cavaliers 113, Bucks 102
CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving scored 31 points and passed for a career-high 13 assists, and LeBron James had 29 points and nine rebounds to lead Cleveland to its second win over Milwaukee in 24 hours.
With Kevin Love again sidelined by a knee injury, James and Irving logged heavy minutes one night after James played 47 and Irving 45 in Tuesday's victory at Milwaukee.
Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds on a night James and Irving combined for 60 points, 19 assists and 15 rebounds. It was the Cavs' first appearance knowing J.R. Smith would be out an extended period of time. Smith fractured his right thumb in Tuesday's victory at Milwaukee and will require surgery.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Jabari Parker scored 27 for the Bucks.

Rockets 125, Suns 111
PHOENIX -- James Harden had 27 points and 14 assists and made five of Houston's 18 3-pointers to help the Rockets recover from their first December loss.
Eric Gordon had 24 points and made 7 of 13 3-pointers. Forward Ryan Anderson had 15 points and three 3-pointers for the Rockets.
Houston has made at least 10 3-pointers in 28 of its last 29 games, falling short only in a 102-100 loss to San Antonio that broke a 10-game winning streak Tuesday. The Rockets are 11-1 in December, with victories over Golden State and Oklahoma City.
Devin Booker had 28 points and Brandon Knight 17 for the Suns, who have lost four in a row and eight of 10. T.J. Warren had 19 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes, the most he has scored and played in three games since returning from an unspecified head injury.

Mavericks 96, Trail Blazers 95
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer and Dallas escaped with a victory over Portland.
Lillard scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half as the Trail Blazers rallied from a 24-point halftime deficit. Allen Crabbe came off the bench for 14 points for Portland, which lost its fourth straight game and eighth in the last nine contests.
Harrison Barnes went for 28 points and Deron Williams collected 23 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Mavericks.
Williams scored 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting and Barnes added 14 points for the Mavericks, who shot .500 in the first half in mounting a 62-38 lead.

Grizzlies 98, Pistons 86
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Marc Gasol tied his career high with 38 points and Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak.
The veteran center made 14 of 17 shots from the field and 8 of 11 free throws. He added five rebounds and four assists. Gasol had a 38-point game against New Orleans last year.
JaMychal Green was the only other Grizzlies player to score in double figures with 10 points and nine rebounds. Grizzlies forward Chander Parsons returned after an 18-game absence with a bone bruise on his left knee. He scored two points in 15 minutes.
Jon Leuer had 18 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Pistons, who have dropped four straight. Reggie Jackson also scored 18 points and had seven assists. Jackson retreated to the locker room in the opening minutes after experiencing left knee soreness but returned later in the quarter. Andre Drummond had 13 points and 19 rebounds.

Timberwolves 92, Hawks 84
ATLANTA -- Karl-Anthony Towns, taking advantage of the absence of Dwight Howard, had 17 points and 17 rebounds as Minnesota defeated Atlanta for its first consecutive victories this season.
Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points and Zach LaVine had 17 points for Minnesota as the Timberwolves followed a home victory on Monday against Phoenix.
Dennis Schroder had 21 points and seven assists as the Hawks lost for the sixth time in their past seven home games. Paul Millsap, who started at center with Howard sidelined by back tightness, had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Mike Muscala scored 16 points off the bench, hitting his first six shots.

Kings 94, Jazz 93
SALT LAKE CITY -- DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and eight rebounds and hit several key free throws in the final minute to rally Sacramento over Utah.
Ty Lawson added 19 points off the bench to lead Sacramento to its fourth win in six games. The Kings shot 18 of 36 (50 percent) from the field after halftime to fuel the comeback. Cousins had scored 55 points Tuesday in the Kings' home win over Portland.
Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert both had double-doubles to lead the Jazz. Hayward finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Gobert added 17 points and 14 rebounds. The loss snapped Utah's three-game home winning streak

Wizards 107, Bulls 97
CHICAGO -- John Wall scored 23 points and Bradley Beal had 21, and Washington beat Chicago at the United Center.
The Wizards won for the sixth time in eight games and overcame an early 13-point deficit. Marcin Gortat also scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds for Washington, which also got 10 points off the bench from Marcus Thornton.
Jimmy Butler had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Chicago, which has lost four of its last five games. Dwyane Wade (19 points), Taj Gibson (17 points, 11 rebounds), Nikola Mirotic (11 points) and Doug McDermott (10 points) reached double figures for the Bulls.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (16-12) at Pacers (15-15)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Isaiah Thomas, Boston's Little Big Man, leads the Celtics into Indiana Thursday night looking for a sweep of a three-game road trip.

After missing four games with a groin strain -- the Celtics losing three of those games -- Thomas has returned, continuing his outstanding offensive push that tends to carry this team.

He was good in a home win over the Toronto Raptors in his home return, Thomas was better (shooting-wise) in a victory at Chicago and then erupted for a career-high 44 points in Tuesday night's comeback win at Memphis.

"(The Grizzlies) were punking us in the first half," Thomas told CSNNE after the game. "This might turn the season around (for us) for real."

The first win over a quality opponent came after the Celtics (16-12) fell behind by 17 points -- Thomas scoring 36 of his 44 in the second half and finishing the game 17-for-17 from the foul line.

He scored the second-most points by a Celtics guard in the last 50 years, trailing only Danny Ainge, who traded for him. According to Basketball-Reference, Thomas is the fourth player in the last 30 years to score 44 points with 16 or fewer shot attempts.

And, according to a tweet from Jay King on Masslive.com, "Before Isaiah Thomas tonight, only one player had ever made at least 17 FTs and seven 3-pointers: Kobe Bryant on the night he had 81 points."

"I'm a killer, I'm a killer," Thomas said. "My team needed me to score, my team needed me to make plays. They got me open, Coach put me in position to be successful, and I just took it from there."

In his three games back, Thomas is 28-for-51 from the floor, 12-for-21 from 3-point range (7-for-10 Tuesday) and has 93 points and 15 assists while going 25-for-26 from the foul line.

For the season, Thomas is averaging 26.6 points per game, seventh in the NBA.

He scored 19 of his 23 points in the final minutes to lead Boston to a 105-99 victory over the Pacers in Indianapolis Nov. 12.

While Thomas was lighting it up in Memphis Tuesday, the Pacers were losing to Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks to end their two-game winning streak and fall to 15-15.

"Carmelo got hot and made some tough shots," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said after Anthony went 7-for-11 from 3-point range and scored 35 points, as the Knicks overcame a 15-point second-half deficit. "When he wasn't scoring, (Derrick) Rose did a good job of taking over.

"You have to finish. If you don't finish, whether you are at home or on the road, you are not going to win ball games. It comes down to executing and making plays when you have to."

With Paul George sitting out the first meeting with Boston, Jeff Teague scored 20 points to lead the losing cause for the Pacers.

George scored 16 points in New York, but was just 6-for-16 from the field -- in a game that saw Anthony hit more 3-pointers than the six made by the Pacers on 23 attempts.

George was 1-for-8 from the floor in the second half, saying after the game, "It's frustrating. We just can't get the job done. Inconsistent team. That's all there is about this team. It's just an inconsistent team."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (13-17) at Knicks (15-13)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks opened a three-game homestand on Tuesday by rallying for their biggest comeback win of the season. Trailing by as many as 15 points, the Knicks ended a three-game losing streak with a 118-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

New York (15-13) will try to keep the momentum going when it entertains the Orlando Magic (13-17) at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. The homestand ends on Christmas Day with a visit from the Boston Celtics.

Orlando also fought back from being double digits down in its 136-130 double-overtime win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

The Magic trailed by as many as 13 points before securing their eighth road victory of the season.

"Good win. We fought hard," Orlando guard Evan Fournier said. "We weren't very happy about the first half. We talked about it in the locker room. We came out more aggressive, trying to get into our stuff offensively.

Fournier scored 26 points in the win. It was the 13th time he scored at least 20 points this season.

The Knicks received 35 points from Carmelo Anthony for the third time this season in the win over Indiana. Derrick Rose, in his first game back after missing three with back spasms, added 24 points and six assists. Kristaps Porzingis contributed 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. It was the third time this season the Knicks had three players score 20 or more points.

"All three of us are capable of doing it," Porzingis said. "It is not about us three. It is about getting the team involved, playing together and sharing the ball.

"It's good we are making shots, but it is important that the rest of the guys are involved and playing their game."

The Knicks were down by as many as 81-66 with 4:45 left in the third quarter. Anthony got is started with a step-back jumper.

Anthony drained 7 of 11 3-point attempts. He was 13 of 25 from the floor overall.

"I'm just happy that we won," Rose said. "I was just trying to get a feel for the game. With me being out, I tried to come in and get them going.

"I saw Melo was hot, and the team did a great job of finding Melo and KP in the second half. We were making the extra pass tonight."

Joakim Noah added 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double this season. New York sank 13 of its 23 3-point tries, matching its most 3-pointers this season.

Anthony averaged 23 points in the three games against Orlando last season.

On Wednesday, the Westchester Knicks, New York's NBA Development League team, traded forward Cleanthony Early, the Knicks' 2014 second-round draft pick, to Santa Cruz, the D-League team of the Golden State Warriors, for guard Courtney Fells in a three-team deal that involved the D-League's Texas Legends. Early averaged 4.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game in 56 games with the Knicks spanning two seasons. Fells, 30, has spent most of his career playing in Europe.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (25-4) at Nets (7-20)

Date: December 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets are in the NBA's top three in possessions per game and 3-point attempts.

The similarities on offense end there.

The NBA's top-scoring offense meets the league's worst-scoring defense Thursday night when the Warriors visit the Nets.

Golden State (25-4) averages 100 possessions per game and is capitalizing on it by averaging a league-best 117.4 points per game and producing an offensive rating of 116.

Brooklyn (7-20) averages a league-high 101.7 possessions per game and a respectable 106.6 points per game, placing them in the top 10. The drop-off comes with the offensive rating of 104, which places the Nets in the bottom third of the league.

The reasons for the differences is because the Warriors make 38 percent of their 3-point attempts while the Nets convert only 32.9 percent from long range. The Warriors also make the most of those possessions by shooting a league-best 49.6 percent, while the Nets make only 43.7 percent of their shots.

Golden State takes a five-game winning streak into the opener of a three-game trip that concludes with a Christmas Day visit to Cleveland. During the streak, the Warriors are averaging 114.2 points, shooting 47.8 percent, making 39.5 percent of their 3-point tries and averaging 32.2 assists.

Golden State kept the streak going despite being "held to" 24 assists in a 104-74 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The Warriors were held under 30 assists for the ninth time and below 25 for the third time but still found a way, especially defensively.

"It was ugly," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "We just continued to take good shots and we continued to take care of the ball. Nothing crazy. We did a good job sticking to the script."

The script included Stephen Curry leading the Warriors with 25 points, Kevin Durant adding 22 and Klay Thompson contributing 17 as Golden State won by at least 30 points for the fifth time.

Golden State's defense, which allows 103.9 points per game, gave up a season-low 74 and held a team under 90 for the fourth time.

"The game plan wasn't anything special or out of the ordinary," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Challenge jump shots, keep the ball out of the paint and rebound. I thought we did a great job of that. It was really one of my favorite games of the year for us."

The Nets rarely earn praise for their defense as they allow a league-worst 114.4 points per game, resulting in a defensive rating of 111.6. Brooklyn is allowing opponents to shoot 46.3 percent and make 36.9 of their 3-pointers, and those figures place them in the bottom third of defensive rankings.

Brooklyn, looking to snap a three-game losing streak, faces the league's best team before visiting Cleveland on Friday. The Nets allowed 21 fourth-quarter points in a 107-97 home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 14 but surrendered 114 points per game on a three-game road trip through Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto.

The latest setback occurred Tuesday in Toronto when the Nets allowed the Raptors to shoot 46.2 percent in a 116-104 loss. Brooklyn fell to 3-15 in its past 18 games.

Since Nov. 12, the Nets have allowed more than 110 points in 14 losses, and nine defeats were by double digits.

"Transition defense," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. "I was upset at halftime. I told the team our inability to get back on defense just wasn't good enough. You can miss the shots, you can even turn it over, but I thought we didn't get back."

Tuesday marked the first time Jeremy Lin was in the starting lineup since he injured his left hamstring Nov. 2. Lin returned last week after missing 18 games, and he played three games off the bench before Tuesday.

Lin scored 12 points in 25 minutes against Toronto. The Nets were outscored by 15 points when he was on the court, including a 17-3 run to end the first half.

"Just disappointed," Lin said. "Felt like we didn't play as hard as we're supposed to, and that's never a good thing. We didn't do a good job of getting stops."

Brook Lopez did not play, as the Nets rested him for the third time this season. In his previous two games immediately following a night off, Lopez scored 13 points against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 31 and 30 against the Lakers on Nov. 15.

Golden State swept the season series from the Nets last season.

Curry scored 21 of his 34 points after halftime in a 107-99 overtime win on Nov. 14, 2015. On Dec. 6. 2015, in Brooklyn, Curry scored 16 of his 28 in the third quarter of a 114-98 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (11-20) at Heat (9-20)

Date: December 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Two of the proudest franchises in the NBA -- the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers -- will meet Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, and neither one really wants to talk about the present.

The Heat own a 9-20 record, while the Lakers aren't that much better at 11-20.

The Lakers have won 16 NBA titles, the most recent in 2010. The Heat, who have a much shorter history having been founded in 1988, have three NBA championships, the most recent in 2013.

When they meet Thursday, part of the Lakers' and Heat's shared history will be on display. Former center Shaquille O'Neal, who played for both franchises, will have his jersey No. 32 retired by the Heat.

The Lakers, by the way, will unveil a 9-foot Shaq statue on March 24 at Staples Center, before a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

O'Neal, alongside Dwyane Wade, helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title. O'Neal averaged 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in four seasons with Miami.

He gave ex-Laker Pat Riley his only title as a Heat coach. Later, in his current capacity as Heat president, Riley brought in LeBron James and Chris Bosh, paving the way for two more titles.

Now, though, the Heat has a mess on its hands. The latest loss was a 136-130, double-overtime setback Tuesday to the Orlando Magic, a team the Heat routinely trounced over the years.

Miami's Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson each scored a career-high 32 points, and Whiteside added 15 rebounds and five blocks. However, those felt like empty numbers after such a bitter defeat.

"This was the most disappointing loss of the season because we had so many chances to win," Whiteside said.

Johnson's 32 points were the most ever scored by a Heat reserve.

Still, it was yet another loss for Miami, and Riley acknowledged on Wednesday that the Heat are frustrated.

Riley, speaking on the Miami radio show of WQAM's Joe Rose, mentioned the "R" word -- rebuilding.

"You can use the word rebuild," Riley said, "but we're going to do it fast. We love our young core, and what we have is flexibility. You need flexibility in this league to be able to move quickly. You can't get paralyzed by the (salary) cap. I think the No. 1 asset we have right now is flexibility."

The Lakers, meanwhile, are banking on a youth movement in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

Julius Randle, 22; D'Angelo Russell, 20; and Brandon Ingram, 19; are the young players the Lakers are relying on at the moment.

Randle, a 6-foot-9, 250-power forward and the seventh pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, is averaging 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds.

Russell, a 6-5 point guard and the second pick in the 2015 draft, is averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 assists.

Ingram, a 6-9, 190-pound small forward and the second pick in the 2016 draft, is averaging 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds.

"Whether they become what we hope they become," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told NBA TV in September, "that's up to them. But I think they want to become great players."

Unfortunately for the Lakers, they lost backup forward Larry Nance Jr. (knee) on Tuesday during a 117-113 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Nance is averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds.

"That's going to be a tough loss," Lakers coach Luke Walton told The Los Angeles Times. "Larry gives us versatility. He is probably our smartest player in terms of reading defenses and the ability to cover for people."

In other story lines:

--The Heat had three injured perimeter players on the sideline against Orlando: Wayne Ellington (hamstring), Rodney McGruder (ankle) and Dion Waiters (groin). All three have started games for Miami this season.

--Lakers backup point guard Jose Calderon (hamstring) is out two to four weeks.

--Los Angeles backup center Tarik Black (left ankle) sat out the Hornets game.