Wednesday 3/2/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:00

Malaga

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Valencia

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		21/20	23/10	14/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MALAGA	RECENT FORM
HLAWHWALHDAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 0 - 0 4 - 0 1 - 0	HDHWHWAWAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Eighteen of Malaga’s 26 games have produced under 2.5 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: In five meetings with Spain’s big three this season, Malaga have conceded just four goals. At home they are virtually unbreachable but need more firepower – their second top scorer behind Charles has just three goals. Valencia’s only away in in the league in the past four months was at lowly Granada.

RECOMMENDATION: Malaga to win 1-0
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:00

Schalke

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Hamburg

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		17/20	13/5	10/3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SCHALKE	RECENT FORM
HWALADHDHLAD​ Most recent​	0 - 0 3 - 3 4 - 1 3 - 1	HLALHDHWADHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hamburg have won only one of their last nine games in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: Two out-of-form sides meet in the Bundesliga and Schalke look vulnerable odds-on favourites after scoring just twice in their last five matches. Hamburg are at least finding the net regularly – both teams have scored in 11 of their last 13 league games – and the outsiders in Gelsenkirchen may be able to claim a fourth draw in five matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:00

SV Darmstadt

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B Dortmund

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		7	15/4	2/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SV DARMSTADT	RECENT FORM
AWHLAWHLALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 3 3 - 2	AWHWHWAWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Only one of Darmstadt's six league wins have come at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Promoted Darmstadt are holding their own in the top flight but their home form is a major concern – their only win on their own patch came on September 22. It's hard to see them doubling that tally against Borussia Dortmund, who scored three goals in the last ten minutes to see off Hoffenheim at the weekend, but the hosts can at least hit the net for the sixth time in seven games.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:00

B Munich

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Mainz

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		1/8	8	20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B MUNICH	RECENT FORM
ADAWAWHWADAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 4 - 1 3 - 1 0 - 0	ALHWAWHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bayern have won all 11 home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Franck Ribery’s return from injury means all Bayern’s attacking gems are available and Mainz should be fearing the worst. Martin Schmidt’s men are unbeaten in six at home (five of them wins) but far less reliable on their travels and Bayern, who average 3.3 goals per home game, can win well.

RECOMMENDATION: Bayern to win 3-0
1

 

[superbeets]

Coppa Italia TODAY 19:45

Inter

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Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		13/8	23/10	8/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
ALHWADALHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 3 0 - 0 1 - 2	HWAWHWADHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juve are unbeaten in their last eight league and cup meetings with Inter

EXPERT VERDICT: Three days after Juve beat Inter 2-0 in Serie A, the Nerazzurri can avoid defeat in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. Juve, like they are in the league, are in control of this tie, having won 3-0 at home in the first leg. Both clubs sent out strong sides then and will do so again, and Juventus can stand firm.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 19:45

Arsenal

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Swansea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/11	17/4	9	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
HDAWHWHDHLAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 0 0 - 2	HWAWADHDHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea have scored in eight of their last nine matches in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: Swansea have won on two of their last three visits to the Emirates and could give title-chasing Arsenal another fright. The onus will be on the Gunners to force the tempo and while they should find a way through, it may leave them vulnerable to Swansea counter-attacks.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Bruins F Rinaldo suspended five games
By The Sports Xchange

Boston Bruins forward Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for five games without pay due to an illegal check to the head, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning when Rinaldo delivered the check to the head of Tampa Bay forward Cedric Paquette. Rinaldo received a minor penalty for the first-period incident.
He drew the suspension for being a repeat offender and will forfeit $51,829.25. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Boston also recalled forward Noel Acciari from the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League. Acciari, 24, had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 42 games for Providence.

---The Nashville Predators agreed on a two-year contract extension with forward Miikka Salomaki, the club announced.
The deal is worth $1.225 million, according to the Predators. Salomaki will receive $575,000 next season and $650,000 in 2017-18.
Salomaki, 23, has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 45 games this season.

---The Buffalo Sabres recalled forwards Daniel Catenacci and Cal O'Reilly from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, the team announced.
Catenacci played three games for the Sabres earlier this season without scoring a point. He has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 41 games at Rochester. O'Reilly has one assist in five games with Buffalo this season. He had 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 44 games for Rochester.
Buffalo also sent forward Justin Bailey to Rochester. Bailey was scoreless in eight games with the Sabres.

---The Calgary Flames assigned defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League.
Wotherspoon, 22, played in six games for the Flames and didn't score. He has four assists in 40 games for Stockton this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

The NHL trade deadline is no different than those in Major League Baseball or the NBA: the rich get richer and the bad teams throw in the towel and accrue assets for the future. Can I tell you with certainty who will win the Stanley Cup after Monday's NHL trade deadline passed? I can't, but I can tell you which teams to bet against the rest of the season.

But let's start with the winners from the deadline, and by winners I mean just for this season, which have to be the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche.

The Caps are +315 favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They sent Brooks Laich, the team's longest-tenured player, to Toronto for forward Daniel Winnik. Laich used to be a good player but is breaking down and had just one goal and six assists this season, playing mostly on the fourth line. Winnik ranked second among NHL forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game last season (3:16) and set career highs in assists (25) and points (34). This year, he had four goals and 10 assists for the sorry Leafs. He's an upgrade even though Laich was hugely respected in the Caps' locker room.

The Blackhawks, who are +625 second-favorites for a fourth title this decade and beat the visiting Capitals in a potential Finals preview on Sunday, probably are the most improved team. GM Stan Bowman was able to keep the team's top young players yet still able to bring back forward Andrew Ladd, a key member of the 2010 Cup team, as well as forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise. They also swapped defensemen with the Kings: Rob Scuderi for Christian Ehrhoff. Ladd, acquired from Carolina, had 17 goals and 18 assists this season. He was a very popular player on that 2009-10 Hawks team but was part of the salary-cap purge after winning the Cup. Ladd will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will cost too much to be re-signed. He had an assist Sunday in his Chicago debut. Weise had 14 goals and 12 assists in Montreal and Fleischmann 10 goals and 10 assists with the Habs. Both those guys will be free agents after the year as well.

The Rangers, +1600 to win the Cup, got perhaps the biggest "name" in Eric Staal from the Hurricanes. Carolina's former captain had spent his entire 12-year career with the club. The four-time All-Star has 10 goals and 23 assists. He joins brother Marc on the Blueshirts. Staal will be a free agent after the season. Noticing a pattern here?

The Panthers added some scoring punch in acquiring wingers Jiri Hudler from the Calgary Flames and Teddy Purcell from the Edmonton Oilers as well as defenseman Jakub Kindl from Detroit. Florida is +1500 for the Cup.

Anaheim landed forward Brandon Pirri from Florida and winger Jamie McGinn from Buffalo. Pirri has only played in 101 games since the start of the 2014-15 season but he has scored 33 goals in those games. He's out with an ankle injury right now. The Ducks are +1400 for the Cup. Colorado (+5000) landed winger Mikkel Boedker from the Coyotes. After Ladd, he was arguably the top rental forward on the market. He had 13 goals and 26 assists with 18 of those points on the power play. The Avs are simply battling to get into the playoffs.

Which teams are worse after the deadline? No question it's Arizona, Toronto, Calgary and Carolina. Those four all loaded up on young players and draft picks in their moves and that may well work out in the long term, but they are clearly in full tank mode the rest of this season. Bet against those clubs accordingly.

This Week's Games To Watch

Chicago at Detroit, Wednesday: One bad thing about realignment a couple of years ago was that it hurt this rivalry, one of the best in the NHL. With the Red Wings in the East, they face the Blackhawks now just twice a year. Chicago's Kane had his sixth game-winning goal of the season during Sunday's 3-2 win over Washington. That ties a career high. Jonathan Toews snapped his eight-game goal drought in the win. Newly acquired Weise and Fleischmann are expected to play alongside Teuvo Teravainen (the key young player Bowman was able to keep) on Chicago's third line. Weise wasn't able to debut Sunday because of some immigration problems. I'm a bit surprised the Red Wings were largely quiet ahead of the deadline. This game is nationally televised on the NBC Sports Network and the teams play again Sunday in Chicago.

Anaheim at Los Angeles, Saturday: The Ducks enter the week on an NHL-high eight-game winning streak and are two points behind the crosstown Kings in the Pacific Division. The Kings also made a move at the deadline, getting winger Kris Versteeg from Carolina. L.A. needed some forward depth because it has lost Marian Gaborik to injury. Gaborik will reportedly miss 10-12 weeks with a knee injury. Versteeg had 33 points (11 goals) with the Hurricanes and has plenty of postseason experience as well from his time in Chicago. The Kings moved Gaborik to long-term injured reserve to absorb Versteeg's salary. The Ducks lead the season series with the Kings 2-1 and beat visiting L.A. 4-2 on Sunday to snap the Kings' four-game winning streak. Corey Perry had his ninth career hat trick for the Ducks. The Kings haven't finished first in their division since the 1990-91 season, believe it or not. The Ducks trailed the Kings by 15 points on Jan. 2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won fove of its last seven games.
-- Detroit won its last three games.
-- Anaheim won its last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Maple Leafs lost six of their last seven games.
-- Chicago lost five of its last eight games.
-- Montreal lost five of its last eight games.

Series records
-- Maple Leafs lost six of last seven games with Washington.
-- Red Wings won three of last four games with Chicago.
-- Ducks won seven of last ten games with Montreal.

Totals
-- Last four Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Detroit games stayed under total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Anaheim games.

Back-to-backs
-- Washington is 4-7 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Irving denies being unhappy in Cleveland
By The Sports Xchange

Kyrie Irving responded to a report that he was unhappy with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The All-Star point guard said he is focusing on winning a championship in Cleveland.
"Obviously there's going to be some misunderstandings; it's part of being on a team," Irving said. "For me, as a maturing young player in this league, I know what we have and the opportunity we have in order to be something special. My communication is open with all of my teammates, just knowing what's going on and how I feel about things.
"For me, all that other stuff, what everyone is going to say, they're going to pick one player, it's going to change every single week. When they think that we're down and out, they're going to choose one player, so, for me, it has no effect on my life or what's going on. It's all about winning and winning a championship for Cleveland."
Irving, 23, had two direct dust-ups with LeBron James in 2014-15, their first season together. This season, Irving was idle until December recovering from knee surgery. The report from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith came one day after Irving had one assist in a loss to the Washington Wizards on a night the Cavaliers played without James.

---Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari has two torn ligaments in his injured right ankle.
The Nuggets disclosed Gallinari has torn anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments and a sprain of the deltoid ligament, the result of a third quarter injury Friday against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
"It's worse than the one I had just two months ago," Gallinari said of the injury relative to the strain that caused him to miss six games in December.
With 22 games left in the regular season and the Nuggets outside the playoff picture in the West, it's possible Gallinari will be shut down for the season. The team officially listed him as out indefinitely.
Gallinari is averaging a career-high 19.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 53 games this season.

---Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks with an ankle injury, coach Steve Kerr said at morning shootaround.
Curry said he would play as long as he can help the team without risking further injury.
Kerr said Curry came out of Saturday's overtime win at Oklahoma City with a sore ankle. He made 12 3-pointers in the 121-118 win, including the game-winner from 30 feet to finish with 46 points.

---The Toronto Raptors officially added veteran power forward Jason Thompson to the roster, the club announced.
The 6-foot-11 Thompson was recently released by the Golden State Warriors after averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 28 games. The eight-year veteran has career averages of 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 569 NBA games.

---The Phoenix Suns signed point guard Phil Pressey to a second 10-day contract.
Pressey has played in four games for the Suns and is averaging 5.0 points and 6.0 assists. The third-year veteran played for the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season and averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14 games.

---Guard Jorge Gutierrez signed a second 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
Gutierrez signed his first 10-day contract with Charlotte on Feb. 20 and appeared in one game, scoring four points with two assists and one steal versus. Cleveland on Feb. 24.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (30-29) at Magic (26-33)

Date: March 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While the postseason chances of the Orlando Magic have drifted into the danger zone, there continues to be a growing concern for those of the Chicago Bulls - and the defensive slumps that have led to this rival each other.

The Bulls hope to end a historically bad stretch guarding the basketball when they visit the struggling Magic on Wednesday night.

Chicago (30-29) entered the season as a consensus title contender but slipped out of the Eastern Conference's top eight spots with Tuesday's 129-111 loss at Miami, its third in a row.

That defeat dropped the Bulls to 8-17 since a season-high six-game win streak. It also extended a miserable defensive stretch the franchise hasn't seen in 30 years.

Chicago has surrendered at least 100 points to 14 straight opponents, the longest such streak since it allowed 25 consecutive teams to reach that number from Dec. 21, 1985-Feb. 17, 1986 - in Michael Jordan's second season.

Chicago's current slump of 14 is just two more than it allowed in the entire 2013-14 season.

The latest setback came against one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. The Heat set a franchise record by shooting 67.5 percent and scored a season-high 129 points on Tuesday, handing the Bulls their sixth straight road loss.

Miami, which averages only 97.5 points, made 52 of 77 shots for the NBA's best single-game percentage since Utah matched it on Feb. 27, 2010, against Houston. No team has shot better since the Los Angeles Clippers' 69.3 percent on March 13, 1998, against Toronto.

It was a single-game high for a Bulls' opponent since field-goal percentage was first tracked in the 1983-84 season. Miami, which didn't even have leading scorer Chris Bosh, outscored Chicago 74-48 in the paint.

'A terrible defensive effort on our part,' Pau Gasol said. 'We knew that this team was a high-scoring team in the paint, we didn't force them to take 3s, we didn't force them to take long shots. They pretty much got everything that they wanted.'

Though Derrick Rose returned after sitting out two games with tendinitis in his right hamstring and Jimmy Butler is nearing a return from a strained left knee, Taj Gibson left Tuesday's game with a right hamstring injury. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.

While falling into the league's lower half defensively, the Bulls are on the outside looking in on the playoffs for the first time since Jan. 1, 2014. They are one-half game back of Detroit and Indiana for the eighth seed in the East.

The Bulls have won 14 of 18 against the Magic, including a 92-87 home win on Nov. 1.

Orlando (26-33) dropped to 4 1/2 games back of the East's final spot with Tuesday's 121-108 loss at Dallas. The Magic are 7-20 since Jan. 1, including 4-9 at Amway Center.

Opponents are shooting 53.4 percent through Orlando's 2-4 stretch and four of the last five have scored at least 115 points.

"It's less about my message now and more about a response," coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website. "Somebody has got to respond and pick us up on the defensive end and get us going on the offensive end."

The defensive flips this season for both the Bulls and Magic are disconcerting. The Bulls allowed 99.7 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting while opening 22-12. Since, opponents have averaged 107 points on 46.3 percent.

Orlando started 19-13 while holding opponents to 98.4 per game on 43.7 percent, but those numbers have dropped to 107.1 and 47.4 since.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (31-28) at 76ers (8-52)

Date: March 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A home-heavy stretch has the Charlotte Hornets feeling positive about their playoff prospects, but they will first need to avoid a letdown against the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers.

Before opening a seven-game homestand, Kemba Walker and the Hornets look to continue showing improvement on the road Wednesday night.

Charlotte (31-28) is sixth in the Eastern Conference, but just one game ahead of ninth-place Chicago.

The Hornets are confident they can create some separation with nine of their next 11 games at home, where they are 20-9. They coasted to a 126-92 rout of visiting Phoenix on Tuesday behind Walker's 26 points and nine assists.

"We've been doing real well at home, and we've got a lot of road games coming up," said Al Jefferson, who had 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench. "What we can't do is go out and get too comfortable.

"We said this game would mean nothing if we go to Philly and lay an egg. Every game is very important, especially going down the stretch this late in the season."

Walker has been the biggest contributor during a 7-2 stretch, averaging 23.1 points. However, his worst effort over that span came in Sunday's 87-76 loss at Atlanta, scoring nine points while missing 12 of 15 shots.

That came after Charlotte won five of its previous six road games, and that improvement is encouraging to coach Steve Clifford.

"We've done a lot better job on the road the last month, so we've given ourselves a chance here (at the playoffs). But this is a big stretch for us. When you have nine of the next (11) at home, you've got to take advantage of that. They understand that, and we're playing better.

"We're much more balanced in the way we're playing."

The Hornets have won seven of the last nine meetings with the 76ers (8-52), including a 113-88 thumping at home Nov. 20. They fell 89-81 in the latest visit to Philadelphia on Feb. 7, 2015, but Walker was out recovering from knee surgery.

He's averaging 24.7 points on 55.4 percent shooting over his last three matchups.

The 76ers are limping toward the end of another dreadful season, allowing 116.2 points during a nine-game skid. They've already endured losing streaks of 18 and 12 games this season, and another defeat would make them the first team to have three slides of at least 10 since the New Jersey Nets in 2009-10.

Philadelphia was officially eliminated from playoff contention with Monday's 116-108 loss at Washington. Coach Brett Brown, though, saw reason for optimism and cited the Sixers' 34-19 scoring edge in the third quarter.

"I was proud of a lot in that game. The third period, the camaraderie on the bench, the spirit on the floor," Brown said. "We just have to play longer."

It's unknown if Jahlil Okafor will be available after he sat out Monday with a bruised right shin. The center leads the team and all rookies with 17.5 points per game.

He scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting at Charlotte in November.

Ish Smith did his part to make up for Okafor's absence Monday, scoring 25 points with seven assists. The guard is averaging 15.9 points in 14 home games since being acquired in a trade with New Orleans.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (33-28) at Celtics (36-25)

Date: March 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Portland and Boston have shot up the standings of their respective conferences since mid-January, with the Trail Blazers doing much of their damage on the road while the Celtics seemingly can't lose at home.

One of those streaks will finally end Wednesday night.

The Trail Blazers carry their six-game road winning streak to TD Garden, where the Celtics haven't lost in nearly two months.

Portland (33-28) matched a low-water mark at nine games under .500 after its third straight loss on Jan. 8. Since, the Trail Blazers have a worse record than only Golden State and San Antonio at 18-4, helping them vault all the way to a tie for sixth in the Western Conference.

They are 14-2 since Jan. 23 and haven't lost on the road since Jan. 18, starting this season-high six-game trip with wins at Chicago, Indiana and New York.

One of the league's best backcourts was in prime form in Tuesday's 104-85 win over the Knicks. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 55 points, with Lillard scoring 24 in the first half and McCollum sealing the win with 21 of his 25 after the intermission.

Lillard's 30 points gave him at least that many in eight of his last nine games. He has averaged 32.9 points during the span, which included a career-high 51 against the league-leading Warriors on Feb. 19.

"It feels great," he said. "You feel like you get any sniff at the rim or any look at the rim, they got a great chance of going in."

That was the feeling all of February as he averaged 29.8 points to help Portland to a 9-2 record, its third-best mark in that month in franchise history. Lillard matched Stephen Curry with seven 30-point games in February, helping coach Terry Stotts win coach of the month.

However, Lillard has struggled in six career games against the Celtics, averaging 14.2 points on 33 percent shooting while making only 8 of 31 3-pointers.

Boston (36-25) beat the Blazers 90-89 last January in Portland to snap a four-game slide in this series.

The Celtics haven't had a skid of any kind since the middle of this January, and by that point they were already in the midst of their current run at TD Garden. They have piled up 11 straight home victories, the last nine as part of a 14-4 stretch that has them with the East's third-best record and within 4 1/2 games of Atlantic Division-leading Toronto.

Boston opened its season-high five-game homestand with wins over Milwaukee, Miami and Utah. The Celtics trailed the Jazz for most of Monday's game but rallied in the fourth quarter for a 100-95 win.

'We're really locking in, and being resilient and believing in one another. And we're believing in what coach Brad (Stevens) draws up for us,' said Jae Crowder, who scored 22 points and hit a key 3-pointer in the final minute. 'We've been doing a great job when it's crunch time of finding the right shot. That takes a lot of togetherness, and I think we've shown that. We gotta continue to show that to win games.'

While Boston has averaged 111.4 points since Jan. 22, third most in the league, Portland has posted 112.8 since Feb. 8.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (28-31) at Raptors (39-19)

Date: March 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Kyle Lowry may be eager to get back on the court after sitting out following a career-best, 43-point performance.

The Utah Jazz are probably looking forward to facing Lowry's Toronto Raptors after being forced into a faster tempo that isn't quite their forte their last time out.

Lowry is expected to return Wednesday night as the Raptors seek to establish a franchise record with their 11th straight overall home victory.

The All-Star guard helped Toronto (39-19) post a 10th straight home win to set a single-season mark with the highest scoring effort of his career in Friday's 99-97 win over Cleveland. Coach Dwane Casey opted to rest Lowry two days later since he had played every game and logged the most minutes on the team.

The result was a 114-101 defeat at Detroit that ended a four-game win streak. The Raptors trailed by as many as 26 points in a game that was tied at halftime.

'To be a good team in this league, you have to be able to handle success, and we just embarrassed ourselves trying to do that,' Casey said. 'We didn't come out with any defensive disposition. That has nothing to do with Kyle. He doesn't change anyone's defensive focus.'

Lowry said the move was for the "long term," although not to keep him fresh for the postseason in his mind.

"I'm not really worried about long term, long term, the championship, I'm just worried about the next week coming up," Lowry said. "The next game is Utah so be ready and be sharp for that game."

Toronto's previous 10-game overall home win streak comprised of an eight-game run to close 2001-02 and the first two of the following season.

With Lowry running the offense, the Raptors play at one of the league's slowest tempos with 95.5 possessions per 48 minutes.

No one plays slower than the Jazz (28-31) at 93.4. Utah fell 100-95 on Monday at Boston, which is the Eastern Conference's fastest team at 101.5 possessions per 48 minutes.

The action may have played out a little faster than Utah liked since its 101 field-goal attempts was its most in a regulation game. The club averages 80.7 shots.

The Jazz, losers of three straight, had captured 11 of their last 16 against East foes before falling Saturday to lowly Brooklyn 98-96 at home. They opened a four-game trip by shooting 37.6 percent.

'I think these last two (losses) have been pretty deflating for us,' forward Gordon Hayward said. 'We got to find a way to pick ourselves up. We got three more tough games on this trip."

Utah is 1-3 since Shelvin Mack, Hayward's college teammate at Butler, joined the starting lineup after being acquired from Atlanta on Feb. 18.

Reserve forward Trevor Booker is expected to rejoin the Jazz on Wednesday after he left the team so he could attend his grandmother's funeral in South Carolina.

The Raptors signed former Sacramento and Golden State forward Jason Thompson on Tuesday. Thompson was waived by the Warriors on Feb. 22 after he was primarily a starter for the Kings in his first seven seasons.

"We are pleased to add a player like Jason who has logged quality minutes in more than 500 career games," team president Masai Ujiri said.

Toronto had taken four straight over Utah before a 93-89 loss Nov. 18. The Jazz overcame 17 turnovers behind Derrick Favors' 18 points and 11 boards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (24-34) at Grizzlies (35-24)

Date: March 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While the Memphis Grizzlies are holding things together amid an injury-filled stretch, the ailing Sacramento Kings are quickly falling apart.

The series history in Memphis suggests the Kings will continue crumbling Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies seek a season sweep and their 12th straight home win over the Kings, who have lost three straight and are fading fast from the Western Conference postseason race.

Losing Marc Gasol for the season in early February was a huge blow to Memphis (35-24), which has played its last five games without defensive specialist Tony Allen due to a sore left knee.

But others have stepped up - mainly Zach Randolph inside - and the Grizzlies have won five of their last seven games to solidify their place as a top-five team in the West.

Randolph has helped fill the void of Gasol's team-leading 16.6 points per game, averaging 17.1 in seven without him, while Lance Stephenson, Vince Carter, P.J. Hairston and Matt Barnes have expanded their offensive roles.

The Grizzlies fell 111-106 at lowly Phoenix on Saturday, but Randolph finished with 22 points and six assists in Monday's 103-96 win at Denver to help Memphis close its three-game trip with two wins.

'It's a happy locker room,' coach Dave Joerger said. 'We played with the focus that was lacking in Phoenix."

Memphis has three winnable games ahead on its homestand, closing it with Friday's game against Utah and Sunday's rematch with the Suns. The Grizzlies are 14-3 at FedExForum since Dec. 14.

Sacramento (24-34) hasn't fared so well while banged up and sits four games back of Houston for the West's No. 8 seed - the spot it held after a season-high five-game win streak in mid January. Since, the Kings are 4-11.

Making matters worse is a growing injury report.

Second-leading scorer Rudy Gay (strained right shoulder) and Seth Curry (sprained right foot) sat out Monday's 131-116 loss to Oklahoma City. Gay suffered his injury in Friday's 117-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which Curry scored a career-high 19 points.

Gay and Rajon Rondo had MRIs on Monday morning, though Rondo returned from a one-game absence due to a sore thumb by registering a franchise record with his 39th double-digit assist game.

Even DeMarcus Cousins sprained his ankle against Oklahoma City, though he had it re-taped and returned to post 35 points and 12 rebounds.

While Rondo and Cousins should play Wednesday, Gay and Curry are considered day to day.

Sacramento went winless on its homestand while playing the Nos. 2-4 offenses in the league when it comes to effective field-goal percentage: San Antonio, the Thunder and the Clippers. The Kings' four-game trip goes through Memphis, Dallas, San Antonio and New Orleans, followed by a homestand opener against East-leading Cleveland.

"I think we're all frustrated," coach George Karl said. "No one's going to feel sorry for us, no one's going to give us a game. We're going to just have to figure out how to go get one."

It's been more than six years since Sacramento won in Memphis. The Kings have lost 11 straight at FedExForum as part of a 3-19 stretch against the Grizzlies that dates to November 2009.

Memphis won this season's first two meetings, 103-89 on Nov. 3 and 121-117 on Jan. 30.

Cousins finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in the second meeting in Memphis, but he made only 3 of 17 shots and committed six turnovers. He missed the first game in Sacramento due to a strained right Achilles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (23-35) at Rockets (29-31)

Date: March 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Although James Harden and Dwight Howard lead a prolific offense, the Houston Rockets' inability to contain opponents is halting a potential playoff push.

Those struggles may worsen if Anthony Davis returns for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Coach Alvin Gentry believes his All-Star forward will play Wednesday night when the visiting Pelicans try to move closer to a playoff spot by dealing the eighth-place Rockets their 10th loss in 14 games.

Harden has scored 34.0 per game and Howard is averaging 18.6 points and 13.0 rebounds over the past eight for a Houston team that has been fine offensively. The Rockets (29-31) have put up 110.4 points over their last 19 but have given up even more, allowing an NBA-high 113.4 since Jan. 18.

Houston, barely holding on to the final postseason spot with a half-game lead on slumping Utah, dropped its second in a row and sixth in eight games Monday, 128-121 at Milwaukee.

Howard finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds, Harden added 26 and nine assists and Trevor Ariza had 20 and 11. Houston, however, let the Bucks shoot 59.3 percent.

'The offense, for us, will come easy. We can score the ball. We all know that,' interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 'The defensive end of the floor is where the problem is.'

Bickerstaff's club doesn't look like it'll catch a break as it tries to take three of four in the season series with New Orleans (23-35). Davis is listed as day to day after hurting his toe prior to Saturday's 112-110 loss to Minnesota, though his coach sounded more than optimistic Tuesday.

"No pain, no anything, so he'll be ready to go," Gentry said after practice.

Davis has averaged 33.0 points and 13.3 rebounds in his last four games, including a franchise-record 59-point effort in a win at Detroit on Feb. 21. He had scored 26.0 per game in his prior four against Houston before suffering a concussion in the first half of a 112-111 home defeat Jan. 25.

The Pelicans fell to 1-6 without Davis on Saturday, even though Ryan Anderson filled in with 31 points and 14 rebounds and Eric Gordon scored 31 after missing 16 games with a broken finger. Anderson has averaged 18.9 points over his last eight against the Rockets.

New Orleans had won five of seven before losing to the Timberwolves. Now it will try to bounce back and close to within four games of its Southwest Division rivals.

"These games do mean an awful lot, especially when you're (at) the bottom looking up," Gentry said. "For us, every game is going to be like that though. We've just got to have wins if we're going to be any factor in the playoff race."

The Pelicans are averaging 108.1 points over their past eight, but they're also scuffling on the defensive end by allowing 113.5 in the last six. That was the case in the last meeting when Harden had 35 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Ariza added 31 with eight 3-pointers.

Howard did not play in that contest after totaling 15 points in the first two matchups. Gordon led New Orleans with 26 and six 3-pointers and Davis scored 24 in a 110-108 home win Dec. 26.

The Pelicans have lost eight of nine in Houston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (29-30) at Timberwolves (19-41)

Date: March 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Thanks to some solid play at home, the Washington Wizards have fared well since the All-Star break. They'll need to carry that success over to the road, where a good amount of their time will be spent going forward.

The Wizards can end their road struggles to the Minnesota Timberwolves by matching a season high with a fourth straight victory Wednesday night.

Trying to reach .500 for the first time since Jan. 15, Washington (29-30) is 10th in the Eastern Conference but 6-2 since the break and within striking distance of the final three playoff spots. Five of those victories are part of a season-high six-game home winning streak, but the Wizards play 14 of the final 23 on the road, including five of the next six.

"We're taking the right strides and winning," star guard John Wall said. "We've just got to keep playing the right way. ... Keep adding a W in the win column."

The Wizards went 2-5 on the road in February, beating two of the league's worst teams in New York and Philadelphia. Minnesota (19-41) also falls into that category, but Washington has averaged 88.6 points in losing five straight there. The Timberwolves are also averaging 112 points and shooting 49.8 percent while winning five of eight at home.

"It's a good young team," said Wall, who was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting in last February's 97-77 loss at Minnesota in their last meeting. "I love (Andrew) Wiggins and (Zach) LaVine. Definitely (Karl-Anthony Towns). To me, he's the rookie of the year."

If the Wizards are to turn things around in Minnesota, they must offer a more complete effort than was shown in Monday's 116-108 win over Philadelphia.

Wall and Marcin Gortat combined for 29 points in the fourth quarter as Washington used a 16-0 run in the final period to prevail. One night after holding a Cleveland team minus LeBron James to 40 percent shooting in a 113-99 victory, the Wizards allowed lowly Philadelphia to shot 48.3 percent and open the second half on a 26-6 run

The Wizards also shot 48.3 percent but their 17 turnovers were the most in as many games.

'You always appreciate a win but it's not the way we wanted to win,' said Wall, who finished with 37 points on 13-of-26 shooting. 'I feel like we took a step back.'

Gortat scored 18 and has a career-high 20 rebounds.

"We just show up and we play hard," he said.

The Timberwolves showed up in Dallas on Sunday, but didn't seem to play all that hard during a 128-101 defeat. After shooting 50.6 percent in the previous three games, Minnesota shot 37.8 and gave up their second-most points of the season while the Mavericks made good on 52.8 percent of their attempts.

"We just look like a tired basketball team,' said interim Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell, whose club allowed an average of 112.7 points and 48.3 percent shooting during a 5-6 February.

After posting 30 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's two-point win at New Orleans, Towns recorded his rookie-leading 34th double-double with a modest 12 and 11 boards Sunday.

The Timberwolves are 3-14 when Towns scores 12 or less.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (31-29) at Bucks (25-35)

Date: March 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers were better on the first game of this road trip than they were in back-to-back home losses but it still resulted in a dispiriting defeat.

Facing a last-place team next doesn't automatically mean that Indiana will avoid its longest losing streak of the season.

The Milwaukee Bucks just posted their highest-scoring total of the season and have already put up 120 points in a win over the Pacers heading into Wednesday night's matchup.

Indiana (31-29) is in a tight race for an Eastern Conference playoff spot and those hopes have been hampered by a three-game slide - the club's sixth losing streak of that length.

The Pacers fell 96-95 to Charlotte on Friday and 111-102 to Portland on Sunday before leaving on a four-game journey that began with Monday's 100-96 loss to Cleveland. The game featured 25 lead changes and 17 ties.

"We showed more spirit than we did the last two home games but we gotta figure out a way to close these games out," coach Frank Vogel said.

Monta Ellis scored 28 points to break out of a four-game slump in which he averaged 11.8 on 28.3 percent shooting.

Paul George added 23 for the Pacers, who have dropped five straight Central Division road games.

"This is going to be a tough road trip for us," guard Rodney Stuckey said. "It doesn't get any easier. We've got to go to Milwaukee, Charlotte, who has beaten us twice already, and Washington, so it's going to be a tough one."

Indiana and Milwaukee (25-35) have split two meetings, with the Pacers posting a 123-86 rout Nov. 21 and the Bucks - the Central's worst team - responding with a 120-116 victory Dec. 31.

Milwaukee surpassed that point total by shooting 59.3 percent in Monday's 128-121 victory over Houston. Jabari Parker scored a career-high 36 points and Khris Middleton had 30.

Parker is averaging 22.8 points on 53.8 percent shooting over his last six games and made his first 3-pointer of the season against the Rockets with a season-high five assists.

"He didn't force anything, he just let the game come to him," coach Jason Kidd said. "The touches that he had, he was even finding guys. He's a guy that wants to win and you saw that tonight."

The Bucks are 5-3 since O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee replaced Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams in the starting lineup. Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken over the bulk of the ballhandling duties, recording 18 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and 11 assists Monday after posting his first career triple-double three games earlier.

"It's really good because he's able to draw a lot of attention and everybody gets open because he gets one step ahead of his man," Parker said.

Carter-Williams was a late scratch Monday because of patella tendinitis while Jerryd Bayless returned after a five-game absence with a left knee injury.

The Pacers' C.J. Miles has missed five straight games with a strained left calf although Vogel said he may be ready to return Wednesday.

The Bucks lead the NBA with 50.1 points in the paint per game with the Pacers languishing near the bottom at 40.4. Indiana averages 21.4 drives for the East's second-worst mark with an average of 13.5 points off drives for one of the league's worst figures.

Milwaukee attempts 15.7 3-pointers per game for the NBA's second-worst mark and ranks last with 18.8 points per game off catch-and-shoot situations.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (31-29) at Spurs (50-9)

Date: March 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

It's been a foregone conclusion that the San Antonio Spurs are going to the playoffs for the 19th consecutive season. They can make it official Wednesday night.

After an outstanding road trip, the Spurs return home looking to clinch another postseason berth with a win over the surging Detroit Pistons.

San Antonio (50-9) is only behind Golden State for the league's best record, and the Warriors have already clinched a playoff spot. Now, the Spurs can join them. They're 22 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Utah, and both teams have 23 games remaining.

A 19th straight playoff appearance would tie San Antonio with Boston (1951-69) for the fourth-longest streak in NBA history. The Spurs have the second-longest active streak in American professional sports behind the NHL's Detroit Red Wings (24).

San Antonio has won 25 of its last 28 games, including five in a row while averaging 109.0 points.

The Spurs concluded their yearly "Rodeo Road Trip" with a seventh win in eight games Saturday, leading the entire way in a 104-94 victory over Houston.

"Our guys played well and stayed locked in the whole trip," said LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 26 points and 16 rebounds. "I think everybody was motivated to finish the trip off right."

Now they'll try to keep their perfect home record intact. The Spurs are 28-0 at home this season and have won 37 in a row on their own court, but lost their most recent matchup there against Detroit, 105-104 on Jan. 6, 2015.

A victory Wednesday would equal the third-longest such streak in NBA history, tying Boston's 38-game run over two seasons from 1985-86.

In an effort to boost its chances at another championship run, San Antonio signed veteran point guard Andre Miller on Monday after he was waived by Minnesota four days earlier.

Miller, who turns 40 later this month, is the oldest player in the NBA, so it's only fitting that he joins the league's oldest roster with an average age of 32 - a full two years older than the next team (Dallas).

He's expected to add depth to a team known for resting players ahead of the playoffs.

"He's gonna be terrible. That's why we brought him in. He's got no chance to fit in whatsoever. I can't believe we did that," coach Gregg Popovich deadpanned before turning serious.

"His basketball IQ is off the charts," he added. "What a pro, tough minded, disciplined and he'll pick up things very quickly. He's picked up already a lot. He'll be fine."

Kawhi Leonard has totaled 56 points on 18-of-28 shooting and 6 of 9 from 3-point range over the last two games, putting his recent calf injury behind him. The All-Star forward, however, has missed 16 of 19 shots while totaling 15 points in the last two matchups with the Pistons (31-29).

Tony Parker picked up the slack with a season-high 31 points and Aldridge added 22 with 13 boards in a 109-99 win at Detroit on Jan. 12.

While the Spurs are a regular in the playoffs, the Pistons are trying to get back there for the first time since 2009. They're tied with Indiana for seventh in the East after following a five-game slide with a season high-tying fourth straight win, 114-101 over Atlantic Division-leading Toronto on Sunday.

"Young, dumb and we don't know any better," said guard Reggie Jackson, who had 19 points and eight assists. "That's who we are. We just continue to fight and continue to battle. We come out and try to be the best versions of ourselves."