Wednesday 12/21/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga TODAY 18:00

Benfica

v

Rio Ave

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		2/7	4	11	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BENFICA	RECENT FORM
A DH WA LH LH WA W​ Most recent​	3 - 1 1 - 0 4 - 0 6 - 1	H LH LA WH WA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Benfica have not lost a home league game in 2016

EXPERT VERDICT: Benfica will finish the year at the top of the Portuguese table and the champions have a chance to extend their lead with another victory. They haven’t lost at home in the league since September 2015 so low-scoring Rio Ave may find it tough to trouble the home defenders.

RECOMMENDATION: Benfica to win 2-0
1

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:00

B Munich

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RB Leipzig

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		4/11	17/4	7	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B MUNICH	RECENT FORM
A LH WA WH WH WA W​ Most recent​	Unknown	H WA WA WH WA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Leipzig have lost just one match in their debut Bundesliga season

EXPERT VERDICT: Only goal difference separates Bayern and Leipzig at the top of the Bundesliga table and they face off to decide who goes into the winter break in front. Bookmakers strongly favour Carlo Ancelotti's men but they have been workmanlike at times this season and Leipzig should put up a bold bid to be number one at Christmas.

RECOMMENDATION: Leipzig
1

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Inter

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Lazio

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		Evs	27/10	13/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT INTER	RECENT FORM
A LH WA LH WH WA W​ Most recent​	1 - 2 2 - 2 4 - 1 1 - 3	A DH WA WH LA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Inter have won their last six home games

EXPERT VERDICT: The appointment of former Lazio gaffer Stefano Pioli has helped to calm the chaos at the San Siro and Inter’s expensive squad are starting to get the results that their owners’ cash injection has demanded. The Nerazzurri will be aiming for further progress in the new year and can ensure that they go into 2017 on the best possible terms by beating Lazio.

RECOMMENDATION: Inter
2

Italian Serie A Th 22Dec 19:45

Fiorentina

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Napoli

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		5/2	5/2	11/10	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 Th 22Dec 19:45

Roma

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Chievo

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		1/3	9/2	7	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

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:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Isles finally break skid
By The Sports Xchange

BOSTON -- The New York Islanders ended a five-game losing streak, holding off a third-period Boston charge and defeating the Bruins 4-2 Tuesday night.
Thomas Greiss stopped 48 shots and Anders Lee had two goals and an assist as the Isles blew most of a three-goal lead before hanging on.
Nikolay Kulemin and Thomas Hickey scored the other Islanders goals, while Josh Bailey had two assists.
Anton Blidh and Dominic Moore scored the Bruins' goals.

Penguins 7, Rangers 2
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh got goals from seven players to beat New at PPG Paints Arena to gain a share of the Eastern Conference lead.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust, Patric Hornqvist and Nick Bonino scored for the Penguins. Malkin had two assists, Crosby one, to go with their goals. Malkin moved into the team lead with 37 points.
Matt Puempel and Michael Grabner scored the Rangers goals.

Predators 5, Devils 1
NEWARK, NJ -- James Neal scored twice, and Viktor Arvidsson added three assists, as Nashville defeated New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Predators.
The Devils avoided the shutout when Sergey Kalinin's deflection beat Nashville's rookie goaltender Juuse Saros with 5:49 remaining in the third. Saros finished with 27 saves.

Blue Jackets 3, Kings 2 (SO)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Cam Atkinson scored two goals in regulation and Columbus extended its winning streak to a franchise-best 10 games with a shootout victory over Los Angeles in Nationwide Arena.
Sam Gagner scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Bluer Jackets matched the Philadelphia Flyers with the longest win streak in the NHL this season.
Jeff Carter scored both Kings goals.

Lightning 4, Red Wings 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Both teams lost their starting goalies early to injuries, but Tampa Bay dominated Detroit for its third win over them this season, breaking out of a slump at Amalie Arena.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stepped in for Ben Bishop only eight minutes into the game, stopped the first 22 shots he faced from the Red Wings before losing the shutout on a goal by Detroit's Anthony Mantha with 10.5 seconds left. Detroit lost its starting goalie, Jimmy Howard, early in the second period with what looked to be a right leg injury, with Petr Mrazek taking over but giving up three of the four goals.
Jonathan Drouin, Brayden Point, Vladislav Namestnikov and Brian Boyle scored for the Lightning.

Canadiens 4, Ducks 1
MONTREAL -- Jeff Petry scored a goal and recorded two assists to lead Montreal over Anaheim at the Bell Centre.
Paul Byron, Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty and Chris Terry also scored for the Canadiens.
Andrew Cogliano scored the lone goal for the Ducks.

Wild 2, Avalanche 0
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- For the first time in three tries this season, Minnesota got the best of Colorado.
Charlie Coyle and Mikko Koivu scored and Devan Dubnyk picked up his fifth shutout of the year for the red-hot Wild.
It was the eighth straight win for the Wild, who lost twice to Colorado earlier in the year.

Panthers 4, Sabres 3 (SO)
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jaromir Jagr, who had three assists, and Roberto Luongo, who got the win, reached impressive career milestones, leading Florida over Buffalo at the BB&T Center.
Jagr tied Mark Messier for second place on the all-time NHL list with 1,887 points and Luongo tied Terry Sawchuk for fifth place on the career NHL wins list with 447.
Nick Bjugstad, Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle scored in regulation for the Panthers while Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane and Rasmus Ristolainen scored for the Sabres.

Senators 4, Blackhawks 3
CHICAGO -- Ottawa Senators scored a pair of power-play goals, including Dion Phaneuf's game winner in victory over Chicago, which saw a five-game winning streak snapped.
The Senators also got 23 saves from Mike Condon, including one on a penalty shot by Marcus Kruger, to win a third straight game. The victory was also Ottawa's first in Chicago in 15 years.
Bobby Ryan, Derick Brassard and Tom Pyatt also scored for the Senators, while Richard Panik, Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte scored for the Blackhawks.

Blues 3, Stars 2 (OT)
DALLAS -- David Perron scored on a wraparound 1:55 into overtime to give St. Louis a win over Dallas at American Airlines Center.
Jaden Schwartz and Patrik Berglund also scored for the Blues, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Jake Allen stopped 36 of 38 shots for St. Louis, which is now 5-5 in overtime.
The Stars got goals from Patrick Eaves and Jason Spezza. The Stars, who have won consecutive games only once this season, are now 1-7 in overtime.

Canucks 4, Jets 1
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jannik Hansen scored a pair of goals as Vancouver defeated Winnipeg.
Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat also scored for the Canucks and Henrik Sedin added a pair of assists.
Blake Wheeler scored for the Jets, who saw a two-game winning streak snapped.

Sharks 4, Flames 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Joonas Donskoi scored twice for San Jose, and Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton added two assists apiece in a win over Calgary.
Thornton, the Sharks' top-line center, became the 37th player in league history to appear in 1,400 career games while Patrick Marleau and Paul Martin also added goals.
Sam Bennett scored the Flames' lone goal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 11
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Calgary 5-1-1 past seven road Anaheim Over 6-1-1 past eight overall
Chicago 5-0 past five overall Arizona Under 7-2-1 past 10 overall
Columbus 9-0 past nine overall Edmonton Under 4-0 past four overall
Tampa Bay 2-7-2 past 11 overall Ottawa Over 5-1-1 past seven overall
Washington 6-1 past seven overall Vancouver Over 5-1 past six overall

Road Fire
The Calgary Flames are just 5-6 in their past 11 games at home, and 7-9 in 16 games overall at the Saddledome. However, the Flames have been snuffing out plenty of teams on the road, going 5-1-1 in their past seven games away from home. The past two road wins have come at the expense of the Coyotes, but the Flames also have impressive road wins in Dallas, Boston and Columbus during the stretch. The next two Tuesdays the Flames will be in San Jose and Colorado looking to stay hot on the road.

Imperfect Storm
The Tampa Bay Lightning have really struggled with their captain Steven Stamkos (knee), who is expected to be sidelined at least another three to five months after surgery to repair a right lateral meniscus in his knee. Tampa is 2-7-2 in their past 11 games overall, and 1-5-2 over their past eight games on the road. The Lightning have picked up the pace offensively lately, however, posting 13 goals over their past four games (3.3 GPG), and it's no surprise the 'over' is 4-1 in their past five outings. The 'over' is also 4-1 in Tampa's past five games against Western Conference foes. Remember that Thursday when St. Louis pays a visit to the Ice Palace.

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, Dec. 21
There are just two games on the docket Wednesday, but one is a very highly anticipated Eastern Conference tilt. The Capitals invade the City of Brotherly Love looking to drop the Flyers. The Caps haven't had a lot of success in Philly, going 4-9 in their past 13 trips to Philly. The Caps have won six of their past seven overall, while the Flyers are 6-1 in their past seven at home. Something's gotta give. Total bettors might want to hammer the 'under' in this one. The under is 5-1-2 in the past eight meetings in this series, and 5-2 in the past seven in Philadelphia. The 'under' is 15-7-4 in the past 26 for Philly against teams with a winning percentage over .600.

The Coyotes are really struggling, but perhaps facing the Oilers will be the elixir to cure their ills. Arizona has won just once in the past five tries on home ice, and they're 3-9 in their past 12 games overall. The home team has won five of the past seven in this series, and Edmonton has really struggled in recent seasons against Arizona. The Oilers are 3-14 in their past 17 games in Glendale, and 5-26 in the past 31 meetings overall with the Coyotes.

Thursday, Dec. 22
The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres meet for the second time in four days, and the home team looks to avenge a 2-1 shootout loss to the Hurricanes last Saturday. The Sabres are 4-0-1 in their past five meetings with the Hurricanes, and they have won four straight on home ice against Carolina. The 'over' has been the play when these two get together. While the most recent meeting was an 'under' result, the over is 6-1-4 in the past 11 encounters.

The Bruins pay a visit to South Florida, and the road is where the Bruins have been most comfortable this season. They are 4-2-3 in their past nine games on the road, and they have had plenty of success in Sunrise, too. Boston has won each of their past three road games with the Panthers, and they're 5-1 in the past six meetings overall. Three of the past four, and six of the past 10 meetings, have resulted in one-goal outcomes. The Cats are 5-4 in their past nine home games, including a 2-1 loss to the Bruins back on Nov. 1.

Friday, Dec. 23
In the final day before the Christmas holiday break, there are a total of 12 games on the schedule. The Canadiens have likely had this date circled on their calendar for quite some time. Montreal visits Columbus, as they look to avenge a 10-0 rout at the hands of the Blue Jackets back on Nov. 4. It was Montreal's first regulation loss of the season, and it matched the most embarrassing loss in Habs' franchise history. Since that game the Habs are a dismal 3-5-1 in their past nine games on the road. The Jackets have rattled off nine straight victories, and they are averaging 4.0 GPG during the impressive win streak.

Edmonton and San Jose meet for the first time this season. The Sharks are 14-3-4 in the past 21 meetings in this series, and they are 7-1-1 in their past nine home games against the Oil. The series hasn't been as lopsided as it sounds, however, as six of the past 10 battles have resulted in one-goal games, with one game decided in overtime and two requiring a shootout to decide a winner.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (19-8) at Flyers (19-11)

Date: December 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- On Wednesday night in South Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Flyers (19-11-4) and Washington Capitals (19-8-3) will renew what has become a pretty intense Metropolitan Division rivalry.

"They are a good team and we know what they are about," Flyers center Brayden Schenn said. "Obviously, there's a little rivalry there and the teams don't really like one another. But that will get the guys going and hopefully it will be a bounce back game for us."

After a season-high 10-game win streak, the Flyers lost back-to-back games to the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. The Capitals had their own six-game win streak snapped on Saturday with a 2-1 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens and have four games in hand on the Flyers.

The Capitals' power play, led by reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, has heated up lately with at least one goal in 11 of the last 15 games, going 14-for-55 (25.4 percent). Nine different players have scored power-play goals in that span and six of Ovechkin's team-high 14 goals have come on the man-advantage.

"On the power play, we just weren't bearing down as much," right wing T.J. Oshie told CSNMidAtlantic.com. "We weren't hitting the net enough. And now we're working together, we're winning puck battles, we're getting goals from both units. It's trending up, but with how good this power play has been in the past, it was only a matter of time until we got that hard mentality, that work ethic back to win puck battles and get second chances and third chances."

The Flyers' power play, on the other hand, has run dry, going 0-for-11 the past four games after leading the NHL to start the season.

Flyers right winger Wayne Simmonds, who leads the team in goals (16) and power-play goals (8) said he's more interested in taking two points away from the Capitals.

"Every time we play a divisional opponent, they probably have a couple games in hand on us and our division is pretty strong this year," Simmonds told the South Jersey Courier-Post. "We want to be able to get every point, especially against our division."

Wednesday night could mark the return of Capitals left winger Andre Burakovsky, who has been scratched the past three games after managing just two goals and eight assists in in his first 27 games. Burakovsky practiced on a third line with center Lars Eller and rookie Jakub Vrana.

"If he gets in the lineup, hopefully he'll come in and be reset and go from there," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

Washington defenseman John Carlson skipped Tuesday's practice because he was under the weather but is expected to play against the Flyers, who were eliminated by the Capitals in six games in the first round of last year's playoffs. Carlson leads the Caps in ice time and is tied with Matt Niskanen for most points among defensemen (14).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (17-12) at Coyotes (11-16)

Date: December 21, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- One day, Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett will admit that he owns the Edmonton Oilers' playbook.

How else to explain why Tippett owns the Oilers?

Heading into Wednesday's meeting at Gila River Arena -- the third of the season between these teams -- Tippett owns a 25-game point streak against Edmonton and is 21-0-4 in that span. The last time the Oilers beat the Coyotes in regulation was Jan. 25, 2011.

"There's nothing to it," said Tippett, who is 26-2-4 against Edmonton since he became the Coyotes coach before the 2009-10 season. "It's different years, different players. Move on."

One part of the Coyotes' success against the Oilers that has been a constant is goalie Mike Smith, who is 15-1-1 with .928 save percentage and a 2.24 goals against average versus Edmonton in his career.

"He gets into a roll and then when he does and he feels really good, the further he gets into a game and more confident he is, the better he plays," said Edmonton coach Todd McLellan, who is in only his second season with the Oilers.

"We're going to have to start well and find ways to beat him with the old cliches of traffic and volume shooting and screens and deflections. It's nothing that this group hasn't talked about the 20 other times we've played him. He just seems to step up against us."

Oilers fans probably assumed that with center Connor McDavid in the fold and the Coyotes in the early stages of a rebuild, things would be different this season. Instead, Arizona defeated the Oilers 3-2, in a shootout Nov. 25 in Edmonton and 2-1 on Nov. 27 in Glendale despite being outshot 42-23.

"They seem to like to play against us and they've had success against us in the past so we've got to break out of that," Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "We've played some really good teams in the past little while and played really well against them so we've got to take that same mentality into (Wednesday).

"It's not just about beating Arizona. We want to get points in any game we can."

Edmonton got some bad news when right wing Tyler Pitlick left the team to fly back to Edmonton on Tuesday after leaving Monday's game in St Louis with an undisclosed injury.

"Usually if a player is on a flight to go back and see doctors it's not a real good thing but we've got our fingers crossed," McLellan said, noting Pitlick's hard-luck history of injuries. "I really felt for him last night. He was emotional. He had such a positive impact on our team and is just finding his way into the league now permanently. To have that happen is tough for the young man."

Oilers right wing Iiro Pakarinen (knee), defenseman Mark Fayne (leg) and defenseman Andrew Ference (hip) are on injured reserve. Coyotes center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) and left wing Max Domi (hand) are out indefinitely.

Cam Talbot is expected to start in goal for Edmonton. Smith is expected to go for Arizona, presenting the Oilers with the same old challenge.

"We've got to try and solve our issues with this Arizona team," McLellan said. "Hopefully, we have a performance that allows us to get over that hump."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Wednesday’s games

Washington won four of last six games with Philly; Caps won three of last five games in this building. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Washington won six of last seven games, winning last three on road. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. Flyers lost last couple games 3-1/2-1, after a long win streak; three of their last four games stayed under. Philly won four of its last five home games.

Arizona won nine of its last ten games with Edmonton; Oilers lost last five games in desert, with three of those five losses in OT/SO. Under is 3-1 in last four series games. Edmonton won three of last four games, with last two wins in OT/SO; Oilers lost three of last four road games- their last four games overall stayed under. Arizona lost seven of its last ten games, losing three of last four at home. Under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Cousins scores 55; LeBron passes Moses
By The Sports Xchange

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- DeMarcus Cousins scored a season-high 55 points, and his three-point play after his apparent ejection with 35 seconds left in the game lifted the Sacramento Kings to a 126-121 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The Kings forward scored on a driving layup and then appeared to receive his second technical foul when he shouted at the Portland bench and his mouthpiece flew toward the Blazers bench. Cousins sprinted off the court into the locker room, but moments later, referees motioned that he could return.
Cousins returned to a roar, made a free throw, then blocked a shot on defense on Portland's next possession to help the Kings hold on. On the night, he pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked three shots.
CJ McCollum scored 36 points for Portland. Mason Plumlee scored a career-best 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and guard Damian Lillard added 24 points and 15 assists.

Cavaliers 114, Bucks 108 (OT)
MILWAUKEE -- LeBron James hit a 33-footer with 24 seconds left in overtime, and he scored 34 points to lead Cleveland past Milwaukee. James moved past Moses Malone into eighth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 27,442 points. Malone had 27,409 NBA points, plus 2,171 points in the ABA.
The Cavaliers also got 28 from Kyrie Irving and 15 off the bench from Channing Frye. Jabari Parker led Milwaukee with 30 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25.
Cleveland's J.R. Smith had a relatively quiet night, scoring six points on a pair of 3-pointers, but left the game late in the second quarter after sustaining an injury to his right thumb. He did not return, and test results were inconclusive.

Spurs 102, Rockets 100
HOUSTON -- Patty Mills turned a scrambled offensive possession into a 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds left as San Antonio erased a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit en route to a win over Houston.
Houston had its 10-game winning streak snapped amid eight fourth-quarter turnovers. The Rockets also missed 31 of 38 3-point attempts, including a wide-open look from guard Eric Gordon following the Mills basket. The Rockets' streak of games with at least 10 3-pointers made ended at 27.
Mills and Manu Ginobili combined for 25 points off the San Antonio bench, hitting 7 of 11 3-pointers. Kawhi Leonard paced the Spurs with 21 points while LaMarcus Aldridge added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Houston's James Harden posted 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists but missed 10 of 11 3-point tries.

Hornets 117, Lakers 113
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nicolas Batum hit a go-ahead bank shot with 13 seconds remaining, and Charlotte fought back from a 19-point, first-half deficit to pull out a win over Los Angeles.
Batum's bank shot gave the Hornets a 115-113 lead. After the Lakers' Nick Young missed a 3-point attempt, Batum came back to hit two free throws for a 117-113 lead with six seconds remaining.
Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 28 points and added 10 assists. Batum had 23 points and 10 assists. Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers with 25 points, and Young scored 24.

Pelicans 108, 76ers 93
PHILADELPHIA -- Anthony Davis collected 31 points and 16 rebounds as New Orleans beat Philadelphia.
Terrence Jones added 17 points and 10 boards for the Pelicans, who salvaged the final contest of a three-game road trip with only their third victory in the last 11 games. E'Twaun Moore contributed 15 points.
Ersan Ilyasova had 14 points to lead the Sixers, who lost for the ninth time in their last 10 home games and the 11th time in 14 games overall.

Raptors 116, Nets 104
TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry scored 23 points and added eight assists as Toronto defeated Brooklyn.
The Raptors won for the 12th time in their past 14 games in giving the Nets their third straight loss. The Nets are 1-13 on the road, while the Raptors are 11-5 at home.
Norman Powell added 21 points off the bench for the Raptors, and DeMarre Carroll scored 17. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 19 points for Brooklyn.

Knicks 118, Pacers 111
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points, matching his season high, and led New York to a win over Indiana.
Anthony drained 7 of 11 3-point attempts. He was 13 of 25 from the floor overall. Derrick Rose, back in the New York lineup after missing three of the previous four games due to back spasms, scored 24 points and dished out six assists. Kristaps Porzingis contributed 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young paced Indiana with 21 points apiece. Al Jefferson scored 18 points off the bench, and Jeff Teague registered 17 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.

Magic 136, Heat 130 (2 OT)
MIAMI -- Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier scored 26 points apiece as Orlando defeated Miami in double overtime.
Fournier's 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the second overtime gave the Magic the lead for good at 126-123. Serge Ibaka's jumper with 53 seconds left increased Orlando's lead to 128-123.
Elfrid Payton scored 22 points and Ibaka scored 20 points and made 4 of 5 from 3-point range for the Magic. Vucevic also grabbed 12 rebounds. Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson scored 32 points apiece for Miami. Whiteside shot 14 of 22 from the field and finished with 15 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Celtics 112, Grizzlies 109 (OT)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Isaiah Thomas scored a career-high 44 points to lead Boston Celtics to an overtime win against Memphis.
Memphis center Marc Gasol (24 points, seven rebounds, six assists) missed a turnaround jumper with 1.9 seconds left in regulation. Boston center Al Horford (17 points, 14 rebounds) had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his short shot went in just after time expired.
Troy Daniels had 24 points off the bench for Memphis, and Mike Conley finished with 19 points and eight assists.

Warriors 104, Jazz 74
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State overcame a sluggish start with a Klay Thompson-led, second-quarter flurry Tuesday night, eventually rolling to a victory over Utah.
Stephen Curry had a game-high 25 points, Kevin Durant chipped in with 22 and Thompson totaled 17, helping the Warriors record their seventh straight home win over the Jazz.
The 74 points allowed were the fewest of the season for the Warriors, who won by 30 or more points for the fifth time. Joe Johnson led the Jazz with 14 points.

Clippers 119, Nuggets 102
LOS ANGELES -- J.J. Redick scored 27 points, and Los Angeles coasted past Denver.
The Clippers, who played without injured forward Blake Griffin (knee surgery), received 16 points and 15 assists from point guard Chris Paul and 13 points and 13 rebounds from center DeAndre Jordan.
Will Barton came off the bench to score 22 points to lead the Nuggets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Forward Danilo Gallinari contributed 17 points, and Kenneth Faried chipped in 15 points and 11 boards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (13-13) at Cavaliers (20-6)

Date: December 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The young, rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks pushed the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers to the limit Tuesday night before falling 114-108 in overtime.

The Bucks will get another chance against the Cavs on Wednesday night when the teams meet in Cleveland for the second part of a back-to-back, home-and-home series.

"They were going against the world champs and took them down to the wire," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said of his players. "We have a quick turnaround here ... but we get to watch video, clean up some of the mistakes and give them another fight."

The biggest obstacle for Milwaukee on Tuesday night was finishing. The Bucks shot a respectable 46 percent from the field but struggled at the rim. Milwaukee also settled for 3-pointers on multiple occasions, and the results weren't pretty. The Bucks went 7 of 27 from beyond the arc, including a 5-of-18 showing over the final two quarters and overtime.

"There were a lot of threes being taken," Kidd said. "For us, our strength is in the paint, but we need to be able to finish and ... we didn't finish when we had to."

After being run out of the gym in the teams' first meeting this season, the Cavs found a rhythm against Milwaukee on Tuesday -- especially from long distance, where they knocked down 17 3-pointers.

Overall, though, Cleveland shot just 40 percent from the floor and was dominated inside by the Bucks, who outscored the Cavs 54-28 in the paint and held a 51-43 advantage on the boards.

"It's big time for our team," said Cavs star LeBron James, who passed Moses Malone on Tuesday to move into eighth place in all-time NBA scoring. "It was a great road win. We know this team plays us tougher every single time.

"It was a big win for us to come in here and get a win in a building that last time we didn't play particularly well in and they beat up on us. It was a good win for us."

James played 47 minutes Tuesday, and Kyrie Irving (28 points) played 45 minutes. Richard Jefferson, starting in place of the injured Kevin Love, was on the floor for 35 minutes. Coach Tyronn Lue, who got attention for leaving his starters home to rest last week when the Cavs visited Memphis, had no plans to rest his top players late in the front end of this back-to-back.

"At that point (with the game being close), those guys weren't coming out," Lue said. "It put us into a tough situation with the game going into overtime. We were here, and it was a game we could win and we felt good. Kyrie and LeBron did a good job and brought us home."

Making matters more challenging, Cleveland could be playing short-handed again Wednesday. Love, who sustained a knee injury over the weekend against the Lakers, was described as questionable for Wednesday by Lue.

In addition, shooting guard J.R. Smith left the Tuesday game in the second quarter due to a right thumb injury and did not return. Tests were inconclusive, and more will be performed Wednesday. Smith has missed five games this season because of knee and ankle injuries.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Grizzlies (18-12) at Pistons (14-16)

Date: December 21, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Coach Stan Van Gundy hasn't revealed how he will tinker with the Detroit Pistons' lineup on Wednesday. He will say without hesitation that at least one change will be made as his team tries to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Pistons' defense has collapsed during that stretch of double-digit defeats, including a 113-82 thumping in Chicago on Monday night. Van Gundy called that performance "disgusting" and vowed to shake up the lineup for his team's home game against Memphis. He confirmed that after practice on Tuesday.

"I definitely know where I'm leaning," he told reporters. "I just don't want to discuss it with you guys. I'll talk to you about it after the game."

Power forward Joe Leuer and point guard Ish Smith are the most likely candidates to move into the lineup. Leuer is averaging career highs of 11 points and 6.3 rebounds and could replace either Tobias Harris or Marcus Morris. Smith started the first 21 games at point guard while Reggie Jackson recovered from knee tendinitis. The Pistons have gone 3-6 since Jackson's return.

No matter which rotation Van Gundy uses, the Pistons (14-16) need to rediscover their defensive principles. They had given up the second-fewest points in the league before the skid, but the last three opponents have averaged 113.3 points.

"You've got to play a lot harder. That's always the starting point," Van Gundy said. "Until you do that, really nothing else matters. That's where it starts."

Detroit could be catching Memphis at the right time. The Grizzlies (18-12), who have also lost three straight, will be playing the second game of a back-to-back. They lost at home to Boston in overtime, 112-109, on Tuesday and then headed to Michigan.

Center Marc Gasol and guard Tony Daniels scored 24 points apiece but Memphis couldn't contain Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, who torched them for 44 points.

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley had 19 points and eight assists over 35 minutes in his third game since returning from a lower-back injury. It's uncertain whether Conley will play two straight nights at this juncture.

"Playing an NBA game is a shock on the body after sitting down for a couple of weeks," Conley told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "And the mind follows it. The more you play, the easier it becomes. I'm not worried about (performance). I'm just trying to stay healthy."

Memphis will soon get a boost from its major free-agent acquisition. Forward Chandler Parsons, who bolted Dallas for a four-year, $94 million contract from the Grizzlies, missed his 18th consecutive game on Tuesday with a left knee bruise.

Parsons participated in a full-contact workout on Monday.

"It's days now," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale told the Commercial Appeal about Parsons' return to action. "We're down to a matter of days. I'm really excited, but I'm also a realist from a standpoint that he'll be rusty, too."

Memphis recorded one- and two-point victories over Detroit last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (8-19) at Hawks (14-14)

Date: December 21, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Dwight Howard is expected to return to the Atlanta lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but the Hawks showed at Oklahoma City that they can win without their new center.

Forward Paul Millsap took Howard's position in the middle as the Hawks went small on Monday, and he provided 30 points and 11 rebounds in the 110-108 victory over the Thunder.

"I just tried to frustrate the guys as much as possible," said the 6-foot-8 Millsap, who played center in high school and college. "I had some help down there rebounding. It wasn't all me. I had a lot of help."

The victory was the second in three games for the up-and-down Hawks (14-14) and they can get back over .500 with a home victory against the Timberwolves.

Howard said after missing the Thunder game because of back tightness that he expected to play against Minnesota (8-19).

"It's nowhere near anything long term," he said. "In the Toronto game (Friday), it's been bothering me since then. It started flaring up after the last game (Saturday). Instead of allowing it to keep going and playing through it, rest it and I should be ready to go Wednesday."

In addition to Millsap, the Hawks got a big game from point guard Dennis Schroder against the Thunder.

Schroder, adjusting to the starting role after Jeff Teague was traded in the offseason, had 31 points and eight assists at Oklahoma City. It was his second 31-point outing in the past 10 games and he also had a 33-point effort.

Schroder struggled with turnovers and decision-making during the Hawks' seven-game losing streak, but has responded after some tough love from coach Mike Budenholzer.

"I just tried to do everything I can to win games," Schroder said. "He got on me. He said do this, do that, do this. I just try to compete out there."

The victory at Oklahoma City snapped a six-game losing streak by the Hawks against Western Conference team and they face another in the Timberwolves.

Minnesota won both games against the Hawks last season, including a 117-107 victory at Atlanta in which Andrew Wiggins scored 33 points.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points, Wiggins scored 26 and Zach LaVine contributed 23 points as the Timberwolves defeated Phoenix 115-108 in Minnesota on Monday.

The Timberwolves are the only team in the NBA with three players averaging at least 20 points -- Towns (22.3), Wiggins (22.0) and LaVine (20.8). That hasn't translated to anything close to a winning record, though, in Tom Thibodeau's first year as coach.

"It's all about improvement," Thibodeau said "Each and every day, do the right things. The big thing for me is, I'm disappointed in losing, but I'm not disappointed in our team. I see the way they're working. I see the improvement. We're trying to build habits."

Wiggins and LaVine are just in their third year in the NBA and Towns his second. It takes time to learn to win.

"It's not like we're getting blown out or getting killed by other teams," Wiggins said. "We're playing good games. We're just not finishing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (12-15) at Bulls (14-13)

Date: December 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- In winning three straight games, the Washington Wizards found ways to make all the plays they needed to before their streak was snapped Monday night.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, were just happy to see what was a miserable week's worth of games finally draw to a close with a blowout victory over one sub-.500 team before another one -- Washington -- comes for a visit Wednesday night

The Bulls won for the first time in four games with a 113-82 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. The win came at a much-needed time for Chicago, which lost on back-to-back nights to Milwaukee after falling in stunning fashion when the Bulls blew a 21-point lead in a loss to Minnesota last week.

A 31-point victory at home proved to be just the remedy before the Wizards come in looking for their fourth win in five games

Chicago (14-13) shot a season-best 59.8 percent from the floor and tied a season-high with 34 assists on 49 field goals. Jimmy Butler led a parade of seven scorers who reached double figures for a team that was glad to finally experience a positive outcome following three head-scratching losses.

"We needed this in the worst way," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after Monday's victory. "Last week was an embarrassing week for everybody. Guys played for each other. I thought we played as complete of a game as we have all season."

Now, the Bulls will try to back up Monday's bounce-back game with a victory over a losing team. Chicago, which has posted wins over the likes of Cleveland and San Antonio this year, hasn't fared nearly as well as teams with losing records.

Hosting a Wizards team that saw a three-game winning streak stopped Monday night with a 107-105 loss to Indiana provides a gauge of what the Bulls may have learned during their recent struggles.

"We studied," Butler told reporters after Monday's victory. "Everybody took the criticism that they very well deserved and learned from it. We got back in the gym and got better."

The Wizards (12-15) have been better of late as well. Washington came within an eye lash of extending its winning streak to four games against the Pacers Monday night. But what Bradley Beal thought was a go-ahead 3-point field goal with 15 seconds remaining turned out to be instead a game-tying basket that Indiana responded to for the win before the Wizards missed a last-second shot.

Losing in such disappointing fashion proved to be a tough pill to swallow for Washington, which has struggled on the road (2-9).

"It's a little more frustrating," Wizards guard John Wall told the Washinton Post after Monday's loss. "(Monday was) a game we played well. We got stops when we needed. We executed the game plan that we wanted. Even the last shot, we got a good look."

But even in a loss, Wizards coach Scott Brooks hopes his team can use a performance like Monday's as a positive before they face the Bulls.

"I just want our guys to keep their heads up and get ready for the next game," Brooks told reporters.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (16-12) at Pelicans (10-20)

Date: December 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

NEW ORLEANS -- Even on those rare occasions when Russell Westbrook is not recording a triple-double, the amazing Oklahoma City Thunder guard is doing things with the basketball that defy logic and history.

Westbrook takes his triple-double express into New Orleans on Wednesday night, and the Pelicans (10-20) won't have to look far to find the danger he represents.

Westbrook finished just shy of his 51st career triple-double in a tough 110-108 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, scoring 46 points to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Westbrook was jostled several times on the Thunder's final offensive possession, which ended with his short 3-point attempt that was rebounded by center Steven Adams, whose potential game-tying dunk came just after time expired.

Still, there is no doubt who will be in charge Wednesday night for the Thunder. Westbrook is averaging 30.9 points (first in the NBA), 10.9 assists (second) and 10.5 rebounds (13th). He is the second player in NBA history -- behind Oscar Robertson in the early 1960s -- to average more than 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists through the first 28 games of an NBA season.

Westbrook recorded seven consecutive triple-doubles earlier this season and has 13 this year. The rest of the NBA has 17. Oklahoma City (16-12) is 28-3 since the beginning of last season when Westbrook has a triple-double.

If it's possible, Westbrook is drawing more defensive attention than usual with the absence of Victor Oladipo (sprained right wrist). Thunder coach Billy Donovan spent the bulk of Tuesday's practice working on trying to find more options when defenses go small.

"(We worked on) areas of playmaking that can happen in the low post," Donovan said. "I feel like Enes (Kanter) down low inside generated some offense for us. That's where we have to have the second playmaker, with the ball hitting the paint on post-ups and our guys playing through the post and reading help and getting the ball out of there if they're getting doubled."

"We were just working on switches with the bigs, and staying in front of guards, and different offensive concepts for when teams play small," Adams said. "Coach mentioned that we want to dictate how they play instead of them dictating the way that we play."

Coming off a 13-point loss in San Antonio on Sunday night, the Pelicans used a 42-point second quarter Tuesday night to build a 19-point lead against Philadelphia and hung on in the fourth period for a 108-93 victory, only the fourth road win of the season for New Orleans.

The Pelicans won despite Anthony Davis' ice-cold shooting night. Davis, held to only 12 points against the Spurs, led New Orleans with 31 points and 16 rebounds, but went 12 of 30 from the field, which included missing eight of his first nine shots.

Davis said the key to the 42-point second quarter was the Pelicans' ball movement.

"We just came out with a lot of energy moved the ball," Davis said. "Any time we move the ball, it's easy for us to score. I just wanted to be aggressive. I was rushing a lot of shots. Even though I got off to a bad start, I changed my game and started diving. I still had a lot of airballs, but I started to get into a little groove (at the end). I'm happy to go home."

The Thunder defeated the Pelicans 101-92 in Oklahoma City on Dec. 4 with Westbrook recording his fifth consecutive triple-double (28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists). Davis led the Pelicans with 37 points and 15 rebounds in the first of four regular-season games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (21-8) at Suns (8-20)

Date: December 21, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets will get a chance to pad their already gaudy 3-point-shooting numbers Wednesday night when they run into one of the league's weakest defensive teams, the Phoenix Suns, for the first time this season.

The Rockets are shooting 3's at a record-setting pace this season, having already attempted 1,128. They've made 423, which already is approaching some teams' season total from last year.

The scary part is the Rockets have posted those numbers despite not having seen the Suns yet.

Phoenix has allowed 3-pointers to be made at a 38.7-percent rate, the second-highest in the league.

While the sight of the Suns should bring smiles to the Rockets, so should their Talking Stick Resort Arena, where Houston has prevailed in its last five visits.

In fact, last year's season series between the Rockets and Suns was dominated by the road team. After the Rockets recorded 111-105 and 116-100 wins at Phoenix, the Suns finished off the three-game series with a 124-115 win at Houston.

The 114.0 scoring average against the Suns was nothing new for the Rockets. They have taken advantage of the subpar Phoenix defense in recent years to score 100 or more points nine straight times.

Houston got a lot more resistance in its 102-100 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. The Rockets had made at least 10 3-pointers in 27 consecutive games before getting harassed into 6-for-38 shooting from beyond the arc by the Spurs.

In the process, the Rockets saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end.

"The biggest thing that happened," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni explained to reporters after the game when asked to explain how his team had blown a fourth-quarter lead, "is that we had about three or four wide-open shots we missed."

Some were 3-pointers, which continued a game-long pattern. James Harden shot 1-for-11 from beyond the arc; Eric Gordon went 1-for-8.

Harden's 10 missed 3's came on the same night as he made 10 shots and 10 free throws, and had 10 rebounds. He finished with 31 points.

Houston will see a healthier Suns group Wednesday night than in any of the three meetings last season. Three of Phoenix's top players -- Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and T.J. Warren -- never faced the Rockets last year.

The Suns have lost three in a row, including two straight since Warren has returned from a head injury that sidelined him for 12 games. He has been generally ineffective (total of two points on 1-for-6 shooting with only three rebounds) in his return as a reserve.

Suns coach Earl Watson insisted at practice Tuesday that he's not concerned.

"He has to find his rhythm," Watson told reporters. "At (Oklahoma City on Saturday), he couldn't find his rhythm to get shots up. Against Minnesota (on Monday), he took shots that he normally makes, (but) he missed. (In Tuesday's practice), he made those shots."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (11-17) at Jazz (18-11)

Date: December 21, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- Once DeMarcus Cousins gets unleashed on offense, there are few defenses that can figure out how to restrain him. Cousins has a knack for dominating in so many ways, it can be scary for another team experiencing the other side of it.

Cousins made a statement on how tough he can be to handle at times in leading Sacramento to a 126-121 victory over Portland on Tuesday night. The Kings center poured in a season-high 55 points while adding 13 rebounds and three blocks. He went 17 of 28 from the field and 16 of 17 from the free throw line.

Cousins averaged 35.3 points and 11.3 rebounds while leading Sacramento to three wins in its last four games.

"He's a tough matchup for a lot of teams," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters before Sacramento played at Utah two weeks ago. "Coaching against him, we always thought every year he just gets better and better. Now getting to coach him every single day, his talent level is fantastic."

Cousins may be looking to make another statement when Sacramento (11-17) returns to Salt Lake City to face the Jazz for the second time in 11 days. Utah limited him to 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting and is the only team to hold Cousins to fewer than 20 points in the Kings' last 13 games.

Utah found a perfect formula for limiting the damage he could do. The Jazz forced Cousins away from the basket and kept him off the free throw line.

"I could have played better," Cousins said after the game. "That's the bottom line. I didn't think I completed plays I should have (against the Jazz). When I have nights like this, we don't have a good chance of winning."

Utah endured one of its sloppiest offensive games of the season in that previous matchup with the Kings. The Jazz gave up a season-high 22 turnovers. Those mistakes led to a season-high 36 points off of turnovers for Sacramento.

It still wasn't enough for Sacramento to overcome a dismal fourth quarter in a 104-84 loss. The Kings scored only eight points on 3-of-22 shooting over the final 12 minutes. Sacramento opened each half with big runs to take a lead, but could not shake the pesky Jazz.

"We guarded," forward Gordon Hayward said following the game. "They got nothing easy. It seemed like a lot of the shots were contested. That's just what happened. Then we were able to get the ball up the court and they weren't set. We got some good looks. People knocked down timely threes."

Utah (18-11) looks to recapture some lost momentum after falling flat in a 104-74 loss to Golden State on Tuesday night. The Jazz finished with a season-low in points and shot 35.5 percent from the field. Their loss snapped a three-game road winning streak.

Rudy Gobert was the only Utah starter to finish in double-figures against the Warriors. He totaled 11 points and 16 rebounds to notch his eighth consecutive double-double.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (7-21) at Trail Blazers (13-17)

Date: December 21, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- It has been a difficult season for the Dallas Mavericks in terms of injuries, which is reflected in their 7-21 record heading into Wednesday night's date with the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

But the Mavericks now have their entire backcourt available for the first time all season.

In a 117-107 loss at Denver on Monday, backup point guard J.J. Barea returned after missing a month with a calf injury. He tallied 11 points, four assists and three rebounds in 13 minutes.

"It was fun," Barea told the Dallas Morning News. "I missed it. I didn't know how I was going to feel, but I felt better than I thought I was going to feel."

That gave Dallas Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Devin Harris and Barea in the backcourt rotation.

"Now everybody's ready to go," Barea said. "It's something we didn't have early in the year."

Barea could see more playing time against the Trail Blazers.

"I expect his minutes will go up as we go forward," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "There's a possibility he could play in the second half (also) at Portland, but I don't know that."

The Mavericks aren't so far behind in the Western Conference standings that they can't think about making the playoffs for the 16th time in the last 17 years.

"I want to see us all together and see if we can make a run," Barea said. "You never know what can happen. I see this team working hard and trying to win as many games as we can, no matter what."

The Mavericks aren't really all together yet with what Carlisle refers to as "the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Recovery Boutique." Still out is franchise player Dirk Nowitzki, who has missed all but five games this season with a strained right Achilles tendon. Nowitzki hopes to practice Thursday, which would be the next step to getting back on the court for a game. His last game was Nov. 25 against Cleveland.

Also missing is center Andrew Bogut (knee), who isn't expected back until the end of December at the earliest.

The Trail Blazers' recent slide continued Tuesday night in Sacramento with a 126-121 loss to the Kings. Portland (13-17) has lost three straight and seven of its last eight.

The Blazers have given up 132 (Denver), 135 (Golden State) and 126 points in their past three contests and rank among the NBA's worst in every defensive category. Even so, point guard Damian Lillard isn't ready to panic.

"It's way too early," said Lillard, who had 24 points and a career-high 15 assists at Sacramento. "I completely understand our defensive numbers and how up and down we've been. But we have plenty of time to turn this thing around."

Portland had no answer for Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins, who went for 55 points, one shy of his career high, to go with 13 rebounds. The Blazers led by 12 points late in the third quarter and were still on top 101-93 with 10:52 to go.

Several Blazers shined at the offensive end, including guard CJ McCollum, who scored 36 points on 13-for-22 shooting, and center Mason Plumlee, who totaled 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Stan Van Gundy is definitely one of the more entertaining head coaches in the NBA. And with his Pistons currently struggling, you can expect a lineup change for Wednesday's game against Memphis. What will that be? I have no idea. But after Monday's ugly loss against Chicago, Van Gundy said rather humorously afterward: "I guarantee you on Wednesday we're not trotting that five out there" regarding his starting five. "It was a disgusting performance," SVG added of the Bulls' loss. "By all of us, me included. It was unprofessional, embarrassing, humiliating, whatever you want to say. It was terrible." The Pistons' starting five of Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris, Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson was a combined minus-153 for the Chicago loss. Drummond certainly isn't coming out. Most likely it will be Morris out and Jon Leuer in.

Bucks at Cavaliers (TBA)

First of an NBA TV doubleheader. The league's schedule-makers have made things interesting with these division rivals. Cleveland had a home-and-home back-to-back last week with Memphis as did Milwaukee with Chicago. And Milwaukee hosted Cleveland on Tuesday night. Kevin Love didn't play that one for the Cavs as he had a "sore knee." Yeah right. I don't think Coach Tyronn Lue will rest LeBron James and Kyrie Irving here at home as he did last week in Memphis. Richard Jefferson started for Love on Tuesday and would here if it keeps Love out. The Bucks lost the two games in Cleveland last year by a combined 24 points.

Key trends: The Bucks are 4-10 against the spread in their past 14 on the road. The "over/under" is 5-2 in the past seven meetings in Cleveland.

Early lean: Wait to see what Cavs do.

Timberwolves at Hawks (TBA)

Minnesota beat visiting Phoenix 115-108 on Monday. Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 15 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins added 26 points. The Wolves went 24-for-25 from the line. Ricky Rubio has made his past 34 from there. Atlanta won in Oklahoma City 110-108 on Monday. Paul Millsap had a season-high 30 points, including the go-ahead bucket with 12.7 seconds left. Dwight Howard sat out with a minor back issue. Minnesota swept last the Hawks season and its 117-107 victory in Atlanta ended a 12-game losing streak there.

Key trends: The Hawks are 0-6 ATS in their past six home games. The over is 6-2 in the past eight meetings.

Early lean: Wait on Howard.

Grizzlies at Pistons (-6, 186)

Memphis hosted Boston on Tuesday. Detroit lost its third straight Monday, 113-82 in Chicago. The Pistons allowed the Bulls 69 first-half points. One Detroit starter had double-digit points: Harris with 10. It sure didn't look much like the team cared in that one. Keep in mind that Van Gundy is the team's personnel boss as well so he can make any types of trades he wants. Memphis swept the Pistons last year and has won seven of its past eight trips to Motown (well, a suburb of it).

Key trends: The underdog is 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 5-2 in the previous seven.

Early lean: Pistons and under.

Wizards at Bulls (-4.5, 207.5)

Chicago's three-game losing streak ended with its 113-82 home blowout of Detroit on Monday. Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, and Rajon Rondo had 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds. The Bulls shot 72.7 percent in the first half and led by 35 at the break. Washington's three-game winning streak ended in a 107-105 loss in Indiana on Monday on a last-second shot. Bradley Beal missed then a potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and scored 22 points. Marcin Gortat finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Chicago beat visiting Washington 106-95 on Nov. 12 behind 37 points from Butler. But the Wiz were without both John Wall and Beal.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 5-1 in the previous six.

Early lean: Bulls and over.

Thunder at Pelicans (+1, 210.5)

New Orleans was in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Oklahoma City lost 110-108 at home to Atlanta on Monday despite 46 points from Russell Westbrook. He missed a late 3-pointer and it was rebounded and dunked by Steven Adams, but a review determined it came after the final buzzer. Oklahoma's City's four starters other than Westbrook made 7 of 26 shots and scored 24 points. Guard Victor Oladipo missed a fourth straight with a bruised wrist. New Orleans lost in Oklahoma City 101-92 on Dec. 4 in the first meeting. Westbrook had a triple-double of 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

Key trends: The Thunder are 8-3 ATS in the past 11 trips to New Orleans. The under is 7-1 in OKC's past eight overall.

Early lean: Thunder and under.

Kings at Jazz (TBA)

Utah was in Golden State on Tuesday and Sacramento was hosting Portland Advantage: Kings, although they were expected to be without Rudy Gay again. The team also decided to hand DeMarcus Cousins a big fine instead of a suspension for his confrontation recently with a reporter. Utah beat visiting Sacramento 104-84 on Dec. 10 in the first meeting. The Kings shot 3-for-22 from the field in the final quarter and were outscored 26-8. The eight points is the season low for points in a quarter.

Key trends: The Kings are 7-2-2 ATS in the past 11 at Utah. The under is 5-2-1 in the Jazz's past eight on Wednesday.

Early lean: Wait on Gay.

Rockets at Suns (+5, 224.5)

Houston hosted San Antonio on Tuesday looking to extend its winning streak to 11 games. Rockets center Clint Capela, really the only post presence and rim defender the team has, was out with what is now being reported to be a broken fibula and will miss 4-6 weeks. That's a big surprise as he did suffer what was called a left leg bruise on Saturday but said he was fine or I would have mentioned this in Tuesday's Opening Line Report. That's a big loss. Phoenix lost a third straight Monday, 115-108 at Minnesota. Eric Bledsoe had 27 in a losing effort. Houston's current five-game road winning streak is its longest in the all-time series vs. Phoenix.

Key trends: The underdog is 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 5-1 in the past six.

Early lean: Suns and over.

Mavericks at Trail Blazers (TBA)

Second NBA TV game. Portland was in Sacramento on Tuesday. Dallas lost 117-107 in Denver on Monday. Deron Williams led Dallas with 23 points and eight assists. Backup point guard J.J. Barea returned to the lineup after missing a month with a strained right calf. He had 11 points in 13 minutes. Portland defeated Dallas, 105-95, in Big D on Nov. 4. Damian Lillard scored a season-high 42 points. The Trail Blazers also have won three of their past four home games against the Mavericks.

Key trends: The Mavs are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 12-3 in Portland's past 15 at home.

Early lean: Not sure why TBA unless oddsmakers think Dirk Nowitzki could actually return. Doubtful.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Wednesday’s games

Cavaliers won seven of last eight games; they’re 6-2 in last eight games as a home favorite. Over is 10-4 in their last fourteen games. Milwaukee is 4-6 on road, 2-6 as road underdogs. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Cavaliers won six of last eight games with Milwaukee; they needed OT to beat them on road last night. Bucks are 7-4 vs spread in last 11 series games. Over is 9-2 in last 11 series games.

Memphis won nine of last ten games with Detroit (8-2 vs spread), winning four of last five visits to Motor City. Over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Grizzlies lost four of last five games; they lost in OT at home to Boston last nite- they’re 4-5 as road underdogs. Detroit lost last three games, losing by 33 at Chicago Monday; Pistons are 7-4 as home favorites. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Hawks are 6-4 in last ten games with Minnesota but Wolves won last two; Minnesota covered four of last five series games, but lost five of last six visits here. Over is 6-2 in last eight series games. Minnesota lost five of last seven games but covered last four; they’re 4-5 as road underdogs. Over is 8-4 in their last twelve games. Atlanta lost five of its last six home games; they’re 0-5-1 vs spread in last six home tilts. Over is 4-1 in their last five games.

Wizards are 6-4 in last games with Bulls, but lost three of last four visits to Chicago, with losses by 5-5-11 points. Five of last six series games went over total. Washington won five of its last seven games, is 4-2 as a road underdog. Over is 9-1-1 in last eleven Wizard games. Chicago lost three of last four games, is 1-5 in last six tries as a home favorite. Under is 5-1-1 in Bulls’ last seven games.

Thunder won three of last four games with New Orleans, but Pelicans are 6-3 vs spread in last nine meetings. Oklahoma City lost three of last four visits to Bourbon Street. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. Thunder lost three of last four games, are 1-5 vs spread in last six; they’re 1-2 as road favorites. New Orleans split its last six games but lost four of last five at home; they’re 4-1 as home underdogs. Last three Pelican home games stayed under.

Road team won last six Houston-Phoenix games Rockets won last five visits here (4-1 vs spread). Over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Suns lost four of last five games, are 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Over is 8-3 in last 11 Phoenix games. Houston had its 10-game win streak snapped last night; they’re 5-3 as road favorites. Over is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Don’t forget D’Antoni had his greatest days coaching the Suns but was stupidly fired; this has to mean a little bit more than usual to him.

Jazz won seven of last ten games with Sacramento (4-2-1 vs spread in last seven): Kings lost four of last five visits here (1-2-2 vs spread). Four of last six series games went over. Utah lost by 30 in Oakland last night; they’ve won four of last five games, are 4-7 as home favorites. Five of last six Jazz games stayed under. Sacramento lost five of last seven road games; they’re 4-8 as a road underdog Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Cousins had 55 points last night in a home win over Portland.

Dallas-Portland split last ten games but Mavericks covered four of last five; under is 3-1 in last four series games played here. Dallas lost three of last four visits here, losing by 6-19-21 points. Mavericks are 1-13 on road, 5-9 as road underdogs. Over is 6-3 in their last nine games. Trailblazers lost seven of last eight games, but they won/covered six of last eight at home- they’re 7-2 as home favorites. Over is 10-4 in their last fourteen games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Elon Phoenix (7-4) at Duke Blue Devils (11-1)

Date: December 21, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Now it's a matter for Duke to help make Harry Giles more comfortable.

The freshman's debut is out of the way, coming in less-than-spectacular fashion.

On Wednesday night, he'll play less than a half-hour from home when the fifth-ranked Blue Devils (11-1) meet Elon (7-4) at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

"It's going to be great going near (the) hometown," Giles said. "But it's just another chance to go play."

The 6-foot-10 player had been out with a knee injury, delaying his much-anticipated first college game. On the recruiting trail, he had been rated the No. 1 player nationally in this freshman class.

He was scoreless in four minutes Monday night against Tennessee State, but it was a sign of progress nonetheless.

"I'm just happy to be able to walk off the court healthy. I love the game," he said. "My whole goal was getting back on the court. I didn't know when that was going to be."

The Blue Devils play their final Atlantic Coast Conference tune-up, so Giles doesn't have much time to get up to speed.

"It's just a matter of him being in shape," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He hasn't played in 14 months."

For Giles, playing as a reserve and in limited minutes might take time to get used to.

"Just trying to figure it out, trying to get used to the speed. It was fast, too," he said. "Just trying to figure it out and get a feel for it.

"Frustrating because how it went. ... It was terrible, my performance. I just have to get better. ... That was shaking the rust off, getting the kinks out."

Three Duke freshmen began the season out with injuries. Now they're all back in various roles.

"It can't be about him or (Marques) Bolden or (Jayson) Tatum or whatever," Krzyzewski said. "It has got to be about Duke. Just fit in, and they want to."

Elon is coming off Sunday's 68-53 road victory against St. Peter's, snapping a three-game skid. The Phoenix won despite playing without senior guard Luke Eddy, who was dealing with a knee injury.

"It was a great team victory," Elon coach Matt Matheny said. "Our guys showed a lot of toughness and resiliency in adverse situations. I thought we played really well together."

Eddy had a streak of 42 consecutive starts snapped. He's averaging 11.4 points per game and tops the team with 43 assists.

With a 6-1 record, Elon had been off to its best start in 29 years. Then came a narrow loss at Georgetown followed by setbacks to UNC Asheville and Radford.

This is an Elon home game at the coliseum, which is about 15 miles from its campus and where the Phoenix have played a few high-profile opponents in recent seasons.

Duke owns an 18-5 series lead as the teams will meet for the sixth time in seven seasons. Duke also won in 2013 in Greensboro.

Five Elon players are averaging double-figure scoring, led by forward Brian Dawkins at 12.5 points per game, so the available options are numerous.

"To have multiple guys on the court that can score, even when we make substitutions, I think makes us difficult to guard at times," Matheny said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: American University Eagles (3-7) at Villanova Wildcats (11-0)

Date: December 21, 2016 6:30 PM EDT

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- The reigning top-ranked Villanova Wildcats look to extend their winning streak to 18 games when they host American University on Wednesday night at The Pavilion.

The Wildcats won all six games in last year's NCAA Tournament en route to the program's second national championship in addition to the 11 victories thus far in 2016-17.

Villanova (11-0), which will also be in search of its 44th straight victory at its on-campus arena on the Main Line, captured its fourth consecutive Big 5 title with a 78-57 win over Temple on Dec. 13.

Villanova was ranked No. 1 for three weeks last February, so this isn't completely new.

"It's the hardest thing you have to face, it really is," Wildcats head coach Jay Wright said. "Thank god we went through it last year, and it was hard. When I say hard, it's a challenge and I'll take that challenge any day of the year.

"It is difficult and again, having Josh (Hart), Kris (Jenkins), Darryl (Reynolds), it takes the players to do it. The coach can only say it so much, these guys get their teammates prepared. They have much more impact on the team, even than I do and I don't know if you can come from what we did last year without doing it with our seniors.

"Without our guys, I'm not sure if we could do it. It wasn't easy."

Hart, a preseason National Player of the Year candidate, has been sensational in the month of December, averaging 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

In Hart's last two games, he scored 37 points against then 23rd-ranked Notre Dame and 26 against the Owls with 18 coming in the second half. Hart has knocked down 20 of 33 shots in those last two games.

"We all believed Josh would develop into this kind of leader," Wright said. "But we thought it would take him a little longer. He had Arch (Ryan Arcidiacono) and Daniel (Ochefu) ahead of him for three years and is just a fun-loving guy. What he was doing when we were down was just bringing everybody together.

"In watching the La Salle tape, I lost count of how many times he grabbed (teammates) to encourage them, rub their head. He's just been an incredible leader."

American has struggled to a 3-7 start with a young team but it has won back-to-back games over Youngstown State and Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Freshman guard Sa'eed Nelson, a two-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, scored 16 points in the Eagles' 61-58 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday.

"He's got a really good feel for the game," American head coach Mike Brennan told AU Hoop Talk. "He rarely makes bad decisions and has been a beast offensively and defensively."

Sophomore guard Delante Jones (12.2 ppg) and freshman forward Mark Gasperini (12.0 ppg) also average in double figures for the Eagles.

This will be the second game in American's history against a No. 1 team. On Dec. 12, 1984, American fell 86-64 against top-ranked Georgetown.

The Eagles are 2-59 all-time against Top 25 opponents in their history. The two wins came against No. 17 La Salle (68-62) on Feb. 24, 1971, and No. 5 Georgetown (62-61) on Dec. 15, 1982.