Wednesday 3/23/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

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[superbeets]

International Th 24Mar 19:45

Czech Rep

v

Scotland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
PMSK		8/11	13/5	15/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN CZECH REP	RECENT FORM
HWAWHLAWHWAL​ Most recent​	1 - 0 3 - 1 3 - 2	HWADALHLHDAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Czech Republic have won four of their last six at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Czech coach Pavel Vrba will be concentrating on preparing for France and is unlikely to do too much tinkering ahead of a major tournament. The Czechs beat both Holland and Iceland at home during qualifying and thrashed a decent Serbia side 4-1 in a November friendly. They can overcome a Scotland side lacking experience.

RECOMMENDATION: Czech Rep
3

 

[superbeets]

International Th 24Mar 19:45

Wales

v

N Ireland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC2		13/10	2	12/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN WALES	RECENT FORM
HWAWHDALHWHL​ Most recent​	2 - 2 1 - 2	HDAWHDHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Northern Ireland are unbeaten in eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Wales aren’t entirely a one-man team but they are far, far weaker when Gareth Bale isn’t around – and he’s not their only world-class star missing in Cardiff. Chris Coleman’s men must also do without Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and Northern Ireland can grab a draw.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

League One Fr 25Mar 17:30

Swindon

v

Wigan

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/4	13/5	10/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWINDON	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHWHDAD​ Most recent​	2 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2	AWHWADHDADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swindon’s Nicky Ajose is League One top scorer with 20 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Title contenders Wigan are on a 16-game unbeaten run in the league and beat Swindon 1-0 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. However, the Robins have proved hard to beat with their last defeat coming eight games ago against playoff chasers Port Vale and they can at least trouble the Latics.

RECOMMENDATION: Wigan to win 2-1
1

 

[superbeets]

League One Fr 25Mar 19:45

Peterborough

v

Coventry

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		31/20	23/10	17/10	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT PETERBOROUGH	RECENT FORM
HLHLALADHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1	HLALHLALAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Coventry have won four of the past five meetings

EXPERT VERDICT: Both sides are in poor form with Coventry claiming three points in only one of their past six games. Top scorer Adam Armstrong is out of form having not scored in his last six. Howeverm, Peterborough’s 2-1 win last Saturday was their first in their last eight games – during that run they’ve let in 19 goals.

RECOMMENDATION: Coventry
2

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[superbeets]

International Fr 25Mar 19:45

Ireland

v

Switzerland

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

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN IRELAND	RECENT FORM
AWHWHWALADHW*​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 2 2 - 1 3 - 0	HWALHWAWALAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ireland were unbeaten at home in Euro 2016 qualifying

EXPERT VERDICT: Ireland were impressive in home matches during Euro 2016 qualifying and they may represent the best value in this friendly. The Irish won three of their five Group D home games, claiming a 1-0 victory over Germany and securing qualification with a 2-0 win against Bosnia in Dublin. Switzerland lost home and away to England.

RECOMMENDATION: Ireland
1

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[superbeets]

League One Sa 26Mar 12:30

Burton

v

Oldham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		3/4	13/5	15/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BURTON	RECENT FORM
HDAWADALHWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 2	AWADHDALHWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Burton have won seven of their last ten home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Burton’s charge to the Championship should continue with three more points against Oldham. The relegation-threatened Latics are better away from Boundary Park than at home, but they look no match for the table-topping Brewers. Burton won 4-0 at Port Vale last week and can get the Pirelli-faithful purring.

RECOMMENDATION: Burton
3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Jets D Enstrom out indefinitely
By The Sports Xchange

Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice announced Tuesday that veteran blueliner Toby Enstrom is scheduled for knee surgery and is out indefinitely.
Enstrom, a top-four defenseman with the NHL club since it moved north from Atlanta in time for the 2011-12 season, scored a pair of goals and chipped in 14 assists this season.
Enstrom has been bothered by the knee injury since November, Maurice told reporters.
The news comes a day after the Jets announced center Mathieu Perreault is out indefinitely with a concussion.
Winnipeg recalled defenseman Julian Melchiori on an emergency basis. Melchiori, 24, has played 62 games for the Manitoba Moose this season recording seven points (three goals and four assists) and 46 penalty minutes. He has played two NHL games, including one this season against Vancouver.

--The Boston Bruins recalled forward Frank Vatrano from Providence. The Bruins also recalled goaltender Jeremy Smith from Providence on an emergency basis.
Vatrano is the AHL's leading goal scorer, with 33 tallies in 33 games. He has appeared in 30 games with the Bruins in 2015-16, recording six goals and one assist for seven points with 10 penalty minutes.
Smith has played in 11 games in 2015-16 with Providence, compiling a 7-3-1 record and 2.07 goals-against average.

--The Minnesota Wild reassigned goaltender Steve Michalek to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, the club announced.
Michalek was recalled under emergency conditions on Friday and has not appeared in a game for Minnesota. He is 6-3-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average in nine games with Iowa.

--The Los Angeles Kings recalled forward Nic Dowd from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League, the team announced.
Dowd, 25, has 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 57 games for Ontario. He has 91 points (22 goals, 69 assists) in 139 career AHL contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (34-32) at Islanders (38-24)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Just two weeks ago, the New York Islanders were rolling right along.

They won six of seven on their longest road trip of the season and got a win in their first home game in nearly three weeks.

Now, a rough stretch at possibly the worst time with the regular season winding down has put the Islanders' postseason chances in jeopardy.

After briefly moving up to second place in the Metropolitan Division, New York is just 1-4-2 in its past seven games and has dropped to fourth heading into Wednesday night's home matchup with the Ottawa Senators.

The Islanders (38-24-9) still hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with Detroit and Philadelphia tied for the final playoff position just two points back. New York fell 4-1 to the Flyers on Monday.

'It's frustrating a little bit,' captain John Tavares said. 'Obviously it's an important time of year and we're not playing our best. The main thing is that we stay positive and stay together.'

The Islanders just came off a period in which they played 12 of 14 games on the road, finishing 8-4-2 after the sizzling start.

Now, after another loss, the Islanders have 11 games left in the season - including seven at home, where they are 21-9-4.

'We have to find a way to pull ourselves out of it,' right wing Kyle Okposo said. 'We got to come together as a team and just bring it, play better. Right now we're pretty inconsistent, kind of good shift, bad shift. We don't really turn the tide and that's what we need this time of year. '

Coach Jack Capuano doesn't think the team's lack of success is because of a lack of effort, but rather because some players are just struggling.

'You can't look at the team and say, 'Is there urgency?' There's a lot of guys playing with a lot of urgency,' he said. 'You got other guys that are struggling, so it might look like they're not playing with urgency."

The team's struggles have coincided with the absence of starting goalie Jaroslav Halak, who was injured late during a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on March 8. He is out for at least the rest of the regular season and into the start of a possible playoff appearance. Thomas Greiss, who was 18-6-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average at the time, is 1-4-1 with a 2.67 GAA since then.

Ottawa (34-32-8) makes its first-ever trip to Brooklyn after beating New York 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 5 and losing 5-2 on Jan. 22. Captain Erik Karlsson has five points in those games.

The Senators fell 4-2 at home to league-leading Washington on Tuesday. They were 0 for 4 on the power play, dropping to 0 for 27 in their last 10 games.

'We're getting some looks and we're doing some good things, but it's not enough,' said center Mika Zibanejad, who has six points in a five-game run. 'It's not enough when you don't win games. We just need to get better.'

The Senators lost defenseman Dion Phaneuf to a lower-body injury versus the Capitals and he will miss this contest. Winger Chris Neil was a late scratch because of illness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (39-26) at Rangers (41-24)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Boston's swing through California yielded zero points, knocked the Bruins further back in the Atlantic Division race and possibly cost them their goaltender for another crucial road contest.

The New York Rangers will take any potential advantage they can get as they battle for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

It's uncertain if Tuukka Rask will be available when the Bruins try to avoid a season-worst four-game slide Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Bruins (39-26-8) are three points behind in the division title race after scoring three times in losses to San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Tyler Randell scored unassisted in the second period of Saturday's loss to the Kings, but that came after Boston surrendered goals in the last minute of the first and within the first three minutes of the second.

With Boston now behind both Florida and Tampa Bay, it would start the playoffs on the road against one of those two if nothing changes. The Bruins host the Panthers on Thursday in their only home game over the course of a nine-game stretch that began with the California trip.

'They are good teams for a reason. Down the road, that's what we're going to face, and we have to make sure we're ready for that kind of hockey,' said Patrice Bergeron, who has gone without a point in four straight. "It's not going to be easy and we have to keep pushing forward and get better. We know the standings are tight and it's up to us."

Rask faced only 20 shots against the Kings, but the puck hit him in a spot with little padding during one save and "knocked the wind" out of him. He missed practice Tuesday with an undisclosed issue, although its uncertain if the problem stems from Saturday's incident.

Jonas Gustavsson, who lost 4-0 to Anaheim on Friday, likely would get the start if Rask can't go against the Rangers (41-24-8). The Bruins recalled Jeremy Smith from the minors to be the backup if necessary and also added AHL leading goal scorer Frank Vatrano in Tuesday's transactions.

Henrik Lundqvist had a rough Saturday as well while giving up four goals on 47 shots in a loss to San Jose, but he bounced back with 25 saves in New York's 4-2 win over Florida on Monday.

The Rangers have a two-point lead for second place in the Metropolitan despite going 1-2-2 in their previous five.

'We were confident,' Tanner Glass said after scoring in the empty net Monday. 'We knew we had to come back with a big win. I think we played hard all night. It wasn't perfect. No game is. I thought we battled hard.'

Rick Nash scored his first goal in six games since returning from a leg injury that kept him out for the previous seven weeks. He's not back to full strength yet, but he should be by the time the playoffs begin.

'It's no secret (that) it's been a grind the first five games after a long time away,' Nash said. 'Each game I'm just trying to do something to help the team and try to fit in.'

Lundqvist made 32 saves in the Rangers' 2-1 home win over the Bruins in the most recent meeting Jan. 11 after losing nine of his previous 10 starts against them, including the playoffs.

Boston has won 10 of the previous 12 matchups, including a 4-3 victory Nov. 27 behind a goal and an assist from Bergeron.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - March

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 15.5 20 OVER
3/5 11 58 62 OVER
3/6 6 30.5 34 OVER
3/7 7 36 38 OVER
3/8 8 44.5 41 UNDER
3/9 6 32.5 32 UNDER
3/10 6 32.5 29 UNDER
3/11 5 26.5 28 OVER
3/12 12 63.5 66 OVER
3/13 3 16 13 UNDER
3/14 6 30 41 OVER
3/15 8 43.5 40 UNDER
3/16 6 32.5 32 UNDER
3/17 8 43.5 51 OVER
3/18 6 32 26 UNDER
3/19 11 56.5 53 UNDER
3/20 7 37 34 UNDER
3/21 4 20.5 25 OVER
3/22 10 54.5 - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

We are witnessing something pretty unusual from an individual perspective in the NHL this season that you may not be aware of.

Take a look at the NHL points leaders. You have Ottawa's Erik Karlsson tied for fourth in the league with 73 points while leading with 60 assists. And you have San Jose's Brent Burns 10th in points with 65. He has 26 goals. What's so unusual about that? Both are defensemen.

The last time two defensemen finished in the Top 10 in points was in 1973-74 when Bruins legend Bobby Orr finished second in scoring and New York Rangers blueliner Brad Park finished tied for ninth. No defenseman has led the NHL in assists since Orr in 1974-75 when he tied Bobby Clarke with 89. Only Orr and Paul Coffey have finished a season in the top three in points. No defenseman has scored 30 goals since Washington's Mike Green had 31 in 2008-09. In the last 10 years, only eight defensemen had even topped 70 points.

Presumably either Karlsson or Burns is going to win the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman, although it's not just about scoring. Karlsson has won the award twice, including last season when he had 21 goals and 45 assists. He also leads the league in average time on ice this season and 29:05 per game. The Norris Trophy has never gone to a defenseman whose team missed the playoffs, however. Ottawa doesn't look likely to make it. San Jose should and is still in the Pacific Division race. The Sharks are +650 to win the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history.

Big Loss For Stars

Crushing loss for the Dallas Stars as they battle Chicago and St. Louis for the Central Division lead and potential No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Stars center Tyler Seguin will miss three to four weeks because of a cut to his Achilles' tendon suffered on the skate of Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman late in Thursday's game. General manager Jim Nill said that Seguin suffered a 15 percent cut, but that he should be back for the playoffs. For a point of comparison, Karlsson suffered a 70 percent tear in 2013 and it sidelined him 10 weeks.

"I can't really picture myself missing Game 1," Seguin said of the playoffs. "If I can come back for the last game of the regular season that would be quite the goal for me."

The Stars lead the NHL in scoring at 3.2 goals per game. Seguin is tied for fourth in the league with 73 points and seventh in goals with 33. Dallas currently leads the Blues by two points atop the Central and the Blackhawks by four. The Stars are +550 to win the West.

This Week's Games To Watch

Boston at NY Rangers, Wednesday: This also is nationally televised on the NBC Sports Network. The Bruins are battling Florida, Tampa Bay and Detroit for the Atlantic Division title. The B's have dropped three straight -- all in California -- and are 16-16-5 at home compared to 23-10-3 on the road. The Rangers are trying to hold on to second place in the Metropolitan Division but they are just 4-4-2 over their past 10. Henrik Lundqvist has given up three goals or more in five straight outings entering Monday. Boston and New York meet for the final time in the regular season. They have split two one-goal games, each winning at home.

Philadelphia at Colorado, Thursday: The Flyers' chances for a wild-card spot took a hit when it was announced on Sunday that goalie Michal Neuvirth probably misses the rest of the regular season. He's dealing with a lower-body injury. Neuvirth is 28-17-8 with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage that ranks him fifth in the league. The Flyers still have Steve Mason, and he's not too shabby, but Mason can't play every single game. For example, the team concludes the regular season with four games in five nights, and every point matters. Rookie Anthony Stolarz is now his backup. He has never played an NHL game. The Avs may not have winger Nathan MacKinnon again here. He injured his knee in Friday's win over Calgary and missed Sunday's game. His 52 points rank second on the team.

St. Louis at Washington, Saturday: It's the Blues' only trip to the nation's capital this season. That Seguin injury for Dallas could help St. Louis more than any team as it appears to be the top threat in the Central Division with the Blackhawks in a funk right now. Goalie Brian Elliott returned to the lineup and made his first start Saturday since suffering an injury on Feb. 22, He shut out the Canucks. The Capitals have very little to play for at this point as they are going to finish with the most points in the NHL. They can clinch the top seed in the East this week and remain Cup favorites at +400. Thus, you might see the team put up a stinker or two the rest of the way. That was the case Sunday night in a 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh. St. Louis and Washington haven't played yet. They close the regular season against one another on April 9.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- None

Cold teams
-- Ottawa lost its last three road games. Islanders lost six of their last seven games.
-- Bruins lost last three games, outscored 9-3. Rangers lost four of their last six games.

Series records
-- Islanders won five of last eight games with Ottawa.
-- Rangers lost seven of last nine games with Boston.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Ottawa-Islander games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Boston games.

Back-to-backs
-- Ottawa is 2-8 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Bruins-Rangers in Key Eastern Showdown

With fewer than 10 games left to go in the regular season, the Boston Bruins (39-26-8) and the New York Rangers (41-24-8) are trying to cement their playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. They'll meet Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden; the puck drops at 8 PM ET on NBCSN.

The Bruins have run hot and cold all season, and they're chilly right now after losing three straight road games. No. 1 netminder Tuukka Rask (.918 save percentage) is projected to start for Boston, but this is the front end of back-to-back games for the Bruins, so they might go with Jonas Gustavsson (.913 SV%) instead. Neither man has played all that well for Boston this year. They're also not getting enough help from their defense, which allows 30.8 shots on goal per game (No. 21 overall).

New York is expected to stick with top goalie Henrik Lundqvist (.922 SV%) on Wednesday. Lundqvist hasn't gotten much support from his defense, either, at 30.4 shots allowed per game (No. 20). However, after losing four consecutive starts, Lundqvist will skate into the Garden on a winning note following Monday's 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers (+135 away).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Mutombo unhurt in attack at Brussels airport
By The Sports Xchange

Former NBA player Dikembo Mutombo was unharmed Tuesday morning at the Brussels airport during the deadly attack that left 31 dead and more than 200 injured.
The Basketball Hall of Famer posted on social media from Belgium after the tragedy: "I am safe here. God is good."
Mutombo was passing through Brussels' Zaventem International Airport, where two bombs went off during an attack carried out by ISIS terrorists.
The 7-foot-2 Mutombo is a global ambassador for the sport and a humanitarian who works with his charitable foundation in his native Congo.
The 49-year-old Mutombo was an eight-time NBA All-Star during his 19-year career that ended in 2009. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

--Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons probably will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee that will end his season.
Parsons has been diagnosed with a meniscus tear. He is expected to get a second opinion, but reports out of Dallas indicate Parsons is done for the season meaning that both of Parsons' first two seasons in Dallas ended prematurely with right knee problems.
In the past 27 games, Parsons has averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

--Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, the club announced.
The procedure was to repair a slight tear of meniscus cartilage in Okafor's right knee. He will immediately begin his rehabilitation program.
Okafor averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 53 games this season. He hasn't played since Feb. 28.

--Indiana Pacers point guard Ty Lawson, won't serve any jail time for driving while drunk in 2015. Instead, the 28-year-old was sentenced to one year of probation.
Lawson avoided serving time despite being admonished by the judge in Tuesday's hearing in Denver County Court. He was a member of the Nuggets when he was stopped
"You have a terrible history," Judge Olympia Z. Fay told Lawson as she sentenced him. "You are going down a bad path."
In addition to one year of supervised probation, she ordered him to refrain from drinking alcohol and using marijuana during that period. He also must undergo sobriety checks and pay court costs.

--LeBron James created a stir this week when he unfollowed the Cleveland Cavaliers' Twitter account.
Was that a sign that the all-star forward wanted to out of Cleveland? That he's not happy with management? That he was trying to motivate his teammates?
None of the above. James said that it's part of his annual social media blackout as the playoffs near to help him focus on trying to lead the Cavaliers to an NBA championship. Only this year his social media fast is coming a little earlier than normal.
Championship-starved Cleveland hasn't won a title in any of the major professional sports since 1964.

--The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Ray McCallum to a second 10-day contract.
McCallum has appeared in six games and made two starts with the Grizzlies after signing his first 10-day contract with the team on March 12.
He has averaged 8.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 24.3 minutes. He has shot 38.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (41-30) at Wizards (35-35)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Wizards began the week by staying hot and cooling off the Atlanta Hawks.

Looking to move above .500 for the first time in four months, the Wizards can extend their season-high winning streak to six by sweeping this home-and-home series with the visiting Hawks on Wednesday night.

John Wall had 27 points and 14 assists and Bradley Beal scored 25 as Washington (35-35) snapped Atlanta's five-game win streak with Monday's 117-102 victory. The Wizards, last above .500 at 6-5 on Nov. 24, are 1 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

'We know our backs are against the wall with what we're trying to accomplish,' Wall said. 'We've just got to keep grinding and competing.'

The Hawks (41-30) lost for just the third time in 13 games as they remain in the mix with Miami and Charlotte for the top spot in the Southeast Division. Atlanta last dropped two straight during a three-game skid Feb. 19-22.

After hitting half of their shots in each of the previous two contests, the Hawks made 48.7 percent Monday. However, they missed all five 3-pointers while being outscored 28-16 in the fourth quarter.

'(The Wizards) were very aggressive,' said Hawks center Al Horford, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. 'They were all over us, a lot of pressure.'

Atlanta also couldn't handle the Wizards' hot shooting, with Washington hitting 50.5 percent overall and 13 of 25 from beyond the arc.

'It wasn't one of our better nights,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. 'I'm sure (Washington) had a lot to do with that.'

The Wizards have averaged 111.2 points and shot 49.1 percent in the last five games. Monday marked the first time during the streak that an opponent reached 100 points or shot better than 40.5 percent.

'This probably is the best stretch we've ever played, to be honest,' Wall said.

The star point guard has totaled 51 points in two games and averaged 12.2 assists in the last six. He's averaged 23.5 points in the past four regular-season games against the Hawks, and recorded 25 assists while the teams split this season's first two meetings - both at Atlanta.

After winning for the second time in 16 regular-season games at Philips Arena, Washington returns home where it's won three in a row and nine of 10.

Though the Hawks won the last two matchups at Washington en route to a six-game second-round playoff series victory last year, they've dropped four of five regular-season matchups there.

Jeff Teague averaged 21.3 points and 7.3 assists in the three playoff games at Washington last season. He also scored 28 in the Hawks' most recent regular-season victory at the Verizon Center on Nov. 25, 2014.

Teague had 23 points Monday.

Teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. has averaged 19.0 points and gone 11 of 16 from beyond the arc in the last three.

Kyle Korver, however, has scored 10 while attempting just five 3-pointers and making two against the Wizards this season. His only points Monday came while hitting one of those two chances.

"We've got to find a way to get Kyle cleaner, more free,' Budenholzer said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (30-41) at Cavaliers (50-20)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

There's no question LeBron James' latest effort on the court suggests he is doing all he can to help the Cleveland Cavaliers hold onto the Eastern Conference's top seed.

With a few inquiries lingering about his recent work on social media, James will try to turn the outside talk back to basketball with another strong performance against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

With the Internet abuzz about his social media habits, James dropped 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Monday's 124-91 rout of Denver, helping the Cavaliers regroup from an ugly blowout loss to his former team in Miami two nights earlier.

James' 41st triple-double helped Cleveland (50-20) clinch its second straight Central Division title and 50-win season. His 19th of the 30-point variety - five more than Michael Jordan and seven more than Magic Johnson - softened the blow of Saturday's embarrassing 122-101 loss in which the Cavs trailed by as many as 33 points while James sat the entire fourth quarter.

However, the discovery that the four-time MVP unfollowed his own team on Twitter earlier in the day had the Internet exploding. When asked why by a reporter, he responded, "Next question."

James, though, had plenty to offer beforehand on the Cavaliers' accomplishments.

"Along the journey you never want to take things for granted and accomplishments that happen along the way,' he said. 'You've got to take it in. It's not given every year, obviously, that you can win a division title, win 50 games in a league where it's so hard to win."

The latest victory pushed Cleveland's advantage in the East 1 1/2 games over Toronto.

James carried the load against the Nuggets without Kevin Love, who sat with an illness, while Kyrie Irving made just 4 of 12 shots for eight points.

Love has missed three games this month, though he is expected to play against the Bucks. He averaged 23 points and 14.5 rebounds in two November meetings with Milwaukee.

James averaged 32 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists while the Cavs and Bucks split those games. Cleveland has won three of four in this series and five of six at Quicken Loans Arena, where it's 29-6.

James has scored at least 30 points against the Bucks 18 times in 45 career meetings, reaching 40 five times and 50 twice. He has two triple-doubles against them.

Milwaukee (30-41) was searching for its fifth win in seven games Monday but coughed up a 13-point third-quarter lead before Andre Drummond's tip-in with 2 seconds left sealed a 92-91 loss at Detroit.

The Bucks fell to 9-27 on the road with their third loss in four games.

'We play great defense on their last shot, force a miss and the ball bounces to the best offensive rebounder in the league,' coach Jason Kidd said. 'We did just about everything right and still lost the game.'

Giannis Antetokounmpo has four triple-doubles in the last 15 games, and he posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists against the Pistons. The third-year pro poured in a career-high 33 points - making 12 of 15 shots - in a 115-100 loss at Cleveland on Nov. 19.

The Cavs' Channing Frye, acquired from Orlando at the trade deadline, has averaged 12.6 points while making 22 of 37 3s over the last seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (48-21) at Celtics (41-30)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs doesn't weigh on the Toronto Raptors' minds as much as some might believe. Their goals extend way beyond any superficial regular-season accomplishment.

That includes setting a franchise record for victories in a season, something Toronto can match by sweeping the four-game series with the host Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

The Raptors (48-21) set the mark each of the last two seasons, but both playoff runs ended with first-round defeats. They've made it clear during a successful 2015-16 that advancing deep in the postseason is the main focus.

Still, home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs would be a nice luxury. Toronto trails Cleveland by 1 1/2 games for the top spot and has won four in a row after beating Orlando 105-100 on Sunday.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 25 points and Luis Scola added 20 and eight boards for the Raptors, who will play for just the third time on the road in 12 games this month.

'I really don't look at it like we're chasing Cleveland,' DeRozan said. 'At the end of the day, we're going to have home-court advantage regardless (in the first round). Our biggest focus is just getting everything we need to get together, especially defensive-wise, as a team.'

Toronto decided to rest reserve point guard Cory Joseph against the Magic despite also playing without Patrick Patterson, who was nursing an ankle injury. Coach Dwane Casey said holding out Joseph was a "strategic" move and he hasn't ruled out resting others as the regular season draws to a close.

'Eventually when we get to the seventh game of the conference final - if we get there - we'll worry about (home-court advantage) then,' Scola said. 'We're fighting for it, because it's the right thing to do, but we can't lose sleep over it.'

Boston (41-30) probably tossed and turned a bit after Friday's 105-91 loss to the Raptors, wondering how Kyle Lowry got free so often. Lowry scored 32 points and made five 3-pointers, giving him a four-game stretch in which he's averaged 29.5 points and shot 50.0 percent from the floor.

Lowry had 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting against Orlando, and the Celtics hope he's off again as they try to avoid being swept in the season series. They've won back-to-back games since that defeat, beating Philadelphia 120-105 on Sunday and Orlando 107-96 the following night.

Kelly Olynyk had 22 points against the Magic in his fourth game back after missing 11 with a right shoulder sprain. He scored 17 while going 5 of 22 from the field over the previous three.

'When (the bench is) playing well it's even tougher for the defense to figure out who to stop,' said guard Isaiah Thomas, who finished with 28 points. 'Kelly stepped in and had a hell of game. He made shots and we need him to do that.'

Thomas has averaged 26.5 points in 10 games this month, although his 20 against Toronto were the fewest in that stretch.

Amir Johnson, who spent his previous six seasons with the Raptors, had a season-high 18 points against the 76ers before finishing with 11 and 11 boards against Orlando.

Coach Brad Stevens said forward Jae Crowder will miss his sixth straight with an ankle injury, but that he could return sometime during Boston's five-game road trip that begins Saturday against Phoenix.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (29-41) at Pistons (37-34)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Since coming over from Orlando last month, Tobias Harris has been a key contributor to the Detroit Pistons' push toward the playoffs.

Facing his former team for the first time since that trade, Harris and the Pistons try for a fourth straight victory Wednesday night against the visiting Magic.

Detroit (37-34) acquired Harris for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova on Feb. 16 in a move intended to provide a proven scorer for this season's playoff push and a young building block for the future. On his third team in five seasons, the small forward who turns 24 in July signed a $64 million, four-year deal last summer that now belongs to the Pistons.

'God closes one door to open up another,' he posted on Instagram at the time of the trade.

After breaking in with Milwaukee, Harris played parts of four seasons with the Magic (29-41) and averaged a career-high 17.1 points in 2014-15. That slipped to 13.7 in 49 games before the trade, but he's averaging 16.6 points and shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range in 17 games with Detroit.

More importantly, the Pistons are 10-5 since Harris joined the starting lineup Feb. 22. Though he's shot 40 percent in the last three contests, Harris had five of his 13 points in the fourth quarter Monday before Andre Drummond's tip-in with 2 seconds left gave Detroit a 92-91 victory over the Bucks.

One percentage point behind Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Detroit improved to 3-1 on a nine-game homestand despite its last three opponents shooting 52.3 percent.

"Every game from here on out are big games for us," Harris said. "We need every single one, win or lose it's going to affect us and it's going to affect the seeding so we need every game."

Detroit, which won four straight on two other occasions, has averaged 115.8 points while taking the last four from Orlando by an average of 18.3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 and Drummond added 17 with 12 boards in a 115-89 home rout of the Magic on Jan. 4.

Jennings had 17 points with six assists for Detroit in that contest, but has averaged 7.5 and 4.1 assists over 17 games while Orlando has gone 6-12 since the deal. He's totaled 13 points and gone 6 of 20 from the field in the last three games.

Jennings has started five straight but could return to the bench soon after fellow point guard Elfrid Payton played 31 minutes in Monday's 107-96 loss at Boston - his second game since missing five with an elbow injury.

'I just hope to continue to get back into the flow of things," said Payton, who sat out the first meeting with Detroit because of a ankle issue.

Ilyasova has averaged 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds all off the bench in 17 games since the trade.

Victor Oladipo scored 25 points Monday but the Magic shot 41.9 percent and went 5 of 18 from beyond the arc to lose their fourth in a row and eighth in 10. Though the Magic continue to slide, Oladipo has averaged 27.8 points in five games and shot 55.8 percent in his last 10 contests.

"Just going out there playing, playing as hard as I can," he said. "Letting the game come to me."

Oladipo has totaled 41 points on 16-of-29 shooting in the last two at Detroit.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (28-43) at Bulls (36-33)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Considering all the Chicago Bulls have endured this season, they finally appear healthy and confident now that it matters most.

Looking to complete a sweep of their four-game homestand, the Bulls could have an easier time if Carmelo Anthony isn't available for the New York Knicks in Wednesday night's opener of a home-and-home series.

Despite lingering injuries to key players, frequent stretches of underachieving and a failure to always buy into the philosophy of first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, Chicago (36-33) has won three in a row and holds a .001 percent lead over Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We've had some ups and downs, but we are finding ways to win games," guard Derrick Rose told the Bulls' official website.

In Monday's 109-102 win over Sacramento, Rose and Taj Gibson each scored 18 and Pau Gasol added 14 with 14 rebounds in 24 minutes, making his return after missing four games with a knee problem. Though the Bulls blew a 12-point lead, they overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the eighth time in 10 home games.

"We have to continue to go out and battle and hopefully play more consistently the next game," Hoiberg said. "The big thing was the overall urgency we showed down the stretch whereas before if we had a lead and it got cut it would continue to spiral the wrong direction. ... (Monday) the guys showed some toughness."

Perhaps that perseverance came from Monday's starting lineup of Gibson, Gasol, Rose, Mike Dunleavy and leading scorer Jimmy Butler. The configuration was the Bulls' desired one to start the season, but opened a game for just the second time.

Chicago won both of those contests.

"That group is pretty good," Dunleavy said. "Hopefully, if we can get healthy and stay healthy that's the key, round into form and give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs.

"There's a sense of confidence and comfort level with that group."

Rose has averaged 19.9 points and 52.4 percent shooting while playing 12 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Gibson has averaged 15.0 points in three games and second-year reserve Doug McDermott is averaging 19.4 while going 17 of 28 from 3-point range in the last five.

Chicago has averaged 106.9 points and shot 48.3 percent in the last 10 at home.

The Bulls went 5 of 21 from beyond the arc in a 107-91 loss at New York (28-43) on Dec. 19, but hit 10 of 16 to rout the Knicks 108-81 at home New Year's Day.

Anthony totaled 47 points in those games but could sit after a migraine forced him to miss Sunday's 88-80 loss to the Kings. Averaging 84.7 points and shooting 38 percent in a three-game skid, New York trailed 28-12 after one quarter Sunday en route to falling to 0-8 without Anthony.

"You take 'Melo out of the scenario, you can be a little more chancy and risky because you don't get maybe blown up because of your decisions," Sacramento coach George Karl said.

New York's Robin Lopez had 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds after totaling 11 and 11 boards in the previous two contests. He has 12 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers in the two games against the Bulls this season.

The teams conclude the season series Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.