Portland Trail Blazers vs. Seattle SuperSonics
- The division rival Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics are set to renew hostilities on Friday when they meet at KeyArena.
Brandon Roy scored 19 points with 14 rebounds for a double-double on Thursday, as the Trail Blazers defeated the SuperSonics 92-88. The Trail Blazers failed to cover the 8.5-point spread, while the 180 points fell UNDER the posted total of 191.5.
Travis Outlaw had 19 points off the bench, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 in the victory.
The SuperSonics were defeated 92-88 by the Trail Blazers last time out, as 8.5-point underdogs. The 180 points fell UNDER the posted total of 191.5.
Earl Watson had 15 points with eight rebounds and nine assists in a losing effort.
Team records:
Portland: 29-25 SU, 27-27 ATS
Seattle: 14-39 SU, 26-26-1 ATS
Portland most recently:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Boston are 2-8
After playing Seattle are 5-5
After a win are 3-7
Seattle most recently:
When playing on Friday are 9-1
Before playing LA Lakers are 1-9
After playing Portland are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Portland
Seattle is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Portland
Next up:
Portland home to Boston, Sunday, February 24
Seattle home to LA Lakers, Sunday, February 24
Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns
- The fans at US Airways Center will be treated to a game between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns when they take their seats on Friday.
The Celtics lost 119-117 to the Warriors last time out, as 3.5-point favorites on the road. The 236 points sailed OVER the posted total of 219.
Ray Allen shot 11-for-17 from the field with a game-high 32 points in the loss.
The Suns fell 130-124 to the Lakers last time out, as 3-point favorites. The combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 224.
Amare Stoudemire had a double-double for the Suns, scoring 37 points and hauling down 15 boards.
Current streak:
Boston has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Boston: 41-11 SU, 31-19-2 ATS
Phoenix: 37-17 SU, 24-28-2 ATS
Boston most recently:
When playing on Friday are 2-8
Before playing Portland are 4-6
After playing Golden State are 3-7
After a loss are 8-2
Phoenix most recently:
When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Detroit are 5-5
After playing LA Lakers are 8-2
After a loss are 10-0
A few trends to consider:
Boston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Boston is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Phoenix is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home
Next up:
Boston at Portland, Sunday, February 24
Phoenix home to Detroit, Sunday, February 24
Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- The Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers will both be trying to pick up a win on Friday when they battle at STAPLES Center.
The Jazz were badly outplayed in the fourth quarter, but held on to defeat the Warriors 119-109 on Tuesday. The combined 228 points made it OVER the posted total of 224.
Deron Williams tossed in a game-high 29 points to lead the Jazz, and Andrei Kirilenko added 18 in the win.
Corey Maggette scored 30 points and hauled down 10 boards to lead the Clippers past the Grizzlies 100-86 last time out. The Clippers covered the 8-point spread, while the combined 186 points fell UNDER the posted total of 197.
Tim Thomas came off the bench to score 17 points, and Cuttino Mobley added 12 in the win.
Current streak:
Utah has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Utah: 35-19 SU, 29-25 ATS
Los Angeles: 18-33 SU, 23-28 ATS
Utah most recently:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Atlanta are 4-6
After playing Golden State are 3-7
After a win are 9-1
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Friday are 2-8
Before playing LA Lakers are 5-5
After playing Memphis are 5-5
After a win are 0-10
A few trends to consider:
Utah is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Utah is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Utah is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
LA Clippers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games when playing at home against Utah
Next up:
Utah home to Atlanta, Saturday, February 23
LA Clippers home to LA Lakers, Saturday, February 23
Friday’s Pregame Buzz
NBA
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic
* 76ers are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
* Road team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
* Underdog is 21-7 ATS in the last 28 meetings.
* The OVER is 11-5 in Orlando's last 16 games vs. Atlantic Division.
Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks
* Knicks are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games vs. Atlantic Division.
* Raptors are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Home team is 13-6-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings
* The OVER is 7-1 in Toronto's last 8 games as a favorite.
* The OVER is 7-2 in Toronto's last 9 games overall.
* The OVER is 9-4 in New York's last 13 Friday games.
Houston Rockets at New Orleans Hornets
* Rockets are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.
* Rockets are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 Friday games.
* Hornets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.
* Hornets are 42-20-1 ATS in their last 63 games overall.
* Road team is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Underdog is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.
* The OVER is 11-5-1 in New Orleans' last 17 games vs. Southwest Division.
* The UNDER is 39-18-1 in Houston's last 58 games vs. Southwest Division
Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons
* The OVER is 8-3 in Milwaukee's last 11 games vs. Central Division.
* The OVER is 6-2 in Detroit's last 8 games vs. Eastern Conference.
* The OVER is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.
Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers
* Cavs star LeBron James has been a one-man show of late. In 9 games this month, James is averaging 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists per game. He has also put together consecutive triple-doubles in the last 2 games and could also be extra motivated after Cleveland pulled off a blockbuster trade on Thursday, reeling in Ben Wallace and Joe Smith from Chicago and Wally Szczerbiak from Seattle. BIG EDGE: CAVS
* The Wizards have been struggling to win lately, losing 9 of their last 10 games. Forward Antawn Jamison said: “We’ve got to play with a sense of urgency.” All-Star forward Caron Butler has missed 6 straight games and 9 of 11 with a strained left hip flexor, and his status is uncertain for this contest. The Wizards are 2-8 this season when Butler doesn't play. EDGE: CAVS
* Wizards are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
* The OVER is 8-0 in Washington's last 8 games vs. Eastern Conference.
* The OVER is 8-1 in Washington's last 9 road games.
* The UNDER is 13-6 in the last 19 meetings at Cleveland.
Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls
* Nuggets are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
* Nuggets are 37-18 ATS in their last 55 vs. Central Division.
* Nuggets are 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
* Bulls are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Bulls are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 home games.
* The OVER is 7-3 in Chicago's last 10 games vs. Northwest Division.
* The OVER is 6-2 in Denver's last 8 games overall.
Boston Celtics at Phoenix Suns
* The Suns are tied with Golden State for the league lead scoring, averaging 110 points per game. Meanwhile, Boston has turned in its 2 worst defensive performances of the season in the first 2 contests on its 5-game road trip, allowing 124 points at Denver Tuesday and 119 at Golden State on Wednesday. EDGE: SUNS & OVER
* Boston forward Kevin Garnett is fresh off his best offensive performance since returning from an abdominal injury, scoring 17 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in 30 minutes of action against Golden State. Garnett's two highest-scoring games in the NBA have come against Phoenix, scoring 47 points in 2005 and 44 in 2007 with the Timberwolves. EDGE: CELTICS
* Boston is averaging 107 points in its last 10 games, and Paul Pierce is scoring 27 ppg in his last 5 games alone. Thanks to Phoenix's run-and-gun style, the Suns haven’t been able to stop anyone on defense, allowing 105 ppg this season. EDGE: OVER
* New Suns center Shaquille O’Neal had 15 points and 9 rebounds in his team debut against the Lakers on Wednesday night. Phoenix head coach Mike D'Antoni was encouraged by his performance, saying Shaq “got stronger as the game went on.” With Shaq in the lineup, Amare Stoudemire also gets to play his natural power forward position, and he scored a team-high 37 points and grabbed 15 boards with O’Neal in the lineup. EDGE: SUNS
* Celtics are 36-15-1 ATS in their last 52 road games.
* Celtics are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Friday games.
* Road team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* The OVER is 17-4 in PHO last 21 vs. Eastern Conference.
* The OVER is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings.
CBB
Davidson at Winthrop
* Davidson is 36-17-1 ATS in its last 54 games overall.
* Davidson is 37-18 ATS in its last 55 road games.
* Winthrop is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games overall.
* The OVER is 9-2 in Davidson's last 11 Friday games.
Pregame.com
Oddsmakers have own rankings
Jeff Haney explains why it’s hard to say which are this year’s top college teams
The most widely hyped college basketball game of the weekend pits unbeaten Memphis against Tennessee in a clash of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation.
Or does it?
Sure, the Tigers and the Volunteers, who meet at 6 p.m. Saturday, are ranked 1-2 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls.
It does not necessarily follow that they are the top two teams in college basketball — at least from a betting outlook.
In the oddsmakers’ top 30 poll, released this week by Las Vegas Sports Consultants, Memphis is ranked No. 4 and Tennessee No. 6.
Kansas and UCLA held on to the top two spots in the LVSC poll, based on the oddsmakers’ power ratings. Memphis dropped from third to fourth in the poll after a week in which the Tigers barely got past Alabama-Birmingham, winning 79-78 as an 8 1/2-point favorite.
North Carolina, No. 3 according to the AP and Las Vegas Sports Consultants, moved up a notch in the oddsmakers’ poll on the strength of a 92-53 thumping of Virginia Tech as a 13-point favorite.
Drake, 23-3 overall and leading the Missouri Valley Conference at 14-2 at midweek, has been showing up on the sports highlight shows more frequently, becoming an underdog darling at No. 16 in the AP poll and perhaps a trendy pick heading into postseason play. The Bulldogs, however, have not impressed the LVSC oddsmakers, who dropped them from No. 29 into the ignominious “others receiving votes” category.
Butler, ranked No. 8 by the AP, also is more lightly regarded by Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which provides betting lines to most Nevada casinos. The Butler Bulldogs are barely hanging on at No. 30 in the LVSC poll.
The lack of a dominant team in college basketball has not gone unnoticed by gamblers this season, nor has the absence of a consensus in the various ranking systems, Las Vegas sports handicapper Joe D’Amico said.
“I think Memphis deserves to be ranked at least in the top two or three in the ratings, but it seems like if you look at 10 different places, you find 10 different opinions,” D’Amico said. “There have been a lot of surprises this year, a lot of teams that are tough to figure out.”
Just as the growing popularity of spread-offense systems has shaken up the college football landscape in recent seasons, the dynamics of big-time college basketball are shifting as well, D’Amico said.
About two decades ago network TV wielded much more power than it does in the age of cable, satellite and ESPN saturation.
“Look at the great coaches who would win constantly,” said D’Amico (online at allamericansports.info). “Bobby Knight at Indiana. Dean Smith at North Carolina. Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Great players from all around the country wanted to go to these schools because they knew they would be on TV every Saturday, and they wanted to become nationally known.
“Now a lot of other schools can get quality players. It’s really leveling off.”
Teams such as Xavier and Notre Dame, not typically noted as national basketball powerhouses, could make noise in March, D’Amico said. The same goes for Davidson and Gonzaga of the unheralded Southern and West Coast conferences.
“I don’t want to call them smaller conferences or lesser-known conferences anymore, because it seems like they’re all about equally known now,” D’Amico said.
They’re particularly known among gamblers, who have to be aware that even teams with poor straight-up records such as Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech have been covering the point spread at profitable rates this season.
Just as bettors can establish a good case for about eight NBA teams to win the title — instead of the usual three or four that essentially leave the field behind by this point in the season — they also could make an argument for more than a handful of college teams to win the tournament.
Still, the top two leagues look to be the Pac-10 and the Atlantic Coast Conference, thanks largely to UCLA (No. 2 in the LVSC poll), North Carolina (No. 3), Duke (No. 5), Stanford (No. 9), Washington State (No. 10) and Clemson (No. 12).
“UCLA looks strong, and most people didn’t think Stanford would be as strong as they are,” D’Amico said. “And if you asked me before the season where Washington State would be, I wouldn’t have said the Top 10.”
Driver odds
The odds on Ryan Newman to win the 2008 Sprint Cup dropped to 18-1 from 40-1 in Las Vegas sports books after his victory in the Daytona 500 as a 22-1 long shot. Jimmie Johnson (4-1) and Jeff Gordon (5-1) remain the betting favorites to win the season-long points title.
Fight game
IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko is a minus-550 favorite (risk $5.50 to win $1) against Sultan Ibragimov in a matchup of heavyweights from the former Soviet bloc Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York (HBO, Cox cable Channel 200). Ibragimov is plus-375 (risk $1 to net $3.75), according to odds at all Station Casinos properties. The fight is a unification bout of sorts, as Ibragimov’s WBO belt also is on the line.
lasvegassun.com
Cavs' Gibson out four to six weeks
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson will miss four to six weeks with a left high ankle sprain, the team announced Thursday.
Gibson sprained the ankle midway through the third quarter of Wednesday's 106-97 win over the Pacers.
Indianapolis' Travis Diener and Gibson were both going for a loose ball. Diener dove and collided with Gibson's lower left leg. Gibson had to be helped to the locker room with 4:55 left in the quarter.
X-rays taken at the arena were negative, but an MRI taken Thursday confirmed the injury.
Gibson is averaging 11.5 points in 48 games for the Cavs this season.
Davidson at Winthrop
By Brian Edwards
BracketBuster Weekend starts tonight when Winthrop plays host to Davidson. What a great concept, and what a great matchup we have here.
Winthrop (18-9 straight up, 2-1 against the spread) is a school that has been to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last nine seasons, beating Notre Dame in the first round last year. However, Gregg Williams parlayed the win over the Irish into accepting the head-coaching gig at Wichita State.
Also, tragedy struck the Eagles in the off-season when DeAndre Adams died from injuries suffered in a May car crash. Therefore, with the loss of the head coach, the Adams’ tragedy and the departure of three starters including Torrell Martin and Craig Bradshaw, you would expect Winthrop to be in a transition year.
For certain, the Eagles aren’t as strong as they’ve been in recent seasons, but they still have an excellent shot at going dancing again. They lead the Big South with a 9-3 record.
As for Davidson, loyal readers and listeners of the Power Hours know that this is my team – just like Winthrop was last year and Northwestern St. the season before – that I’ve chosen as my “blind pick” to win outright in the first round of the NCAA Tournament regardless of whom its opponent is.
Davidson (20-6 SU, 15-9 ATS) has won 16 in a row, compiling a 10-6 spread record during that stretch. The Wildcats are unbeaten in Southern Conference action.
"Davidson has an outstanding team this year," Las Vegas Sports Consultants' oddsmaker John "The Coach" Harper told VegasInsider.com. "They had several shots at some big-time wins in non-conference, but didn't take advantage. Still, they should probably get a bid to the NCAA's if they don't win their conference tournament, but they'd feel a lot better if they would've won one of those games."
The Davison skeptic – or ‘hater’ (if you will) – will point out that the Wildcats had their shot at legitimacy with non-conference matchups against Duke, North Carolina, UCLA and N.C. State.
And those skeptics would be accurate – to some extent. To the knowledgeable college basketball bettor, on the other hand, it’s blatantly obvious that Bob McKillop’s squad is nothing but 100 percent legit.
Consider this: The Wildcats led UNC in their season opener with just more than a minute left to play. They went out West and led UCLA by double digits for most of the first half. They gave Duke all it wanted before losing by just a six-point margin. And, finally, they dropped a one-point heartbreaker in Raleigh to the Wolfpack.
But since then, Davidson has been dealing out nothing but woodshed treatment, albeit against lesser competition. Nevertheless, it says here that McKillop’s crew is more than ready to make its splash on the national scene.
The ‘So-Con’ powerhouse features one of the best backcourts in the nation with senior point guard Jason Richards and sophomore sharpshooter Stephen Curry. Richards likes to dish the rock, even before Dell Curry’s son arrived on the scene.
Richards goes into tonight’s tilt with 580 career assists. He leads the nation this year, dishing dimes at an 8.1 assist per game clip.
As for Curry, the son of the best (ever) perimeter shooter in the now-defunct Metro Conference, he’s third in the nation in scoring, pouring in 25.8 points per game. Curry, who wasn’t recruited by any ACC schools, has got ‘game galore.’
All he lacks is size and muscle, but both of those traits are improving by the day. And with apologies to Tennessee’s Chris Lofton and a few others, Curry is – without question – the country’s best pure shooter.
It says here that Davidson is deserving of a seed in the 8-9 game if it runs the table. If the Wildcats don’t win out, they should at least make the Tournament via an at-large berth, assuming they win in this spot here.
We’ll find out tonight if Davidson can pull that trick. Or then again, we may find out that the Wildcats are not the 2007 version of Winthrop, and that the Eagles are still what they were last year – the most dangerous low-major squad in America.
Whatever the case, BracketBuster weekend starts tonight with plenty at stake. And, by the way, Davidson is listed as a 3½-point favorite at most sports books.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
vegasinsider.com.
With 16 straight wins, Davidson may be dangerous for big schools
DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) -An overly ambitious schedule left Davidson with a 4-6 record heading into January. All the preseason talk about the Wildcats becoming the latest mid-major darling had been silenced.
Bob McKillop never panicked. The soft-spoken veteran coach saw improvement in close losses to North Carolina, Duke and UCLA. He remained optimistic even after more damaging losses to Western Michigan, Charlotte and North Carolina State.
Today it appears the painful lessons have paid off.
Behind high-scoring sophomore Stephen Curry, senior assist machine Jason Richards and an improving frontcourt, the Wildcats haven't lost in two months.
Closing in on a second perfect Southern Conference regular season in four years, Davidson's 16-game winning streak is second-longest in the nation to unbeaten and top-ranked Memphis (26-0).
Davidson (20-6, 18-0) is back on the list of dangerous small schools the big boys don't want to face come NCAA tournament time.
``The six losses were not something we had to run and hide from,'' McKillop said Thursday. ``Nor were they losses that we didn't profit from.''
Curry has been the key to Davidson's turnaround.
The son of former NBA 3-point specialist Dell Curry was too small to get scholarship offers from major schools, but the baby-faced Curry has grown four inches since he signed with Davidson. Now 6-foot-3, doctors have told Curry he may have two more inches left in his late growth spurt.
Displaying a keen knowledge of the game groomed from hanging out with his dad at NBA practices while growing up, Curry is averaging 25.8 points, fifth-best in the country. He's scored 30 points or more seven times, including games of 41 and 30 against UNC Greensboro in a span of six days.
``His release is quick and fantastic, but I think the way he reads screens is phenomenal,'' UNC Greensboro coach Mike Dement said after Davidson's 75-66 win Tuesday. ``He's a step ahead of everybody. Seemingly if you just give him that inch, he'll knock it down.''
Curry has hit 111 3-pointers, and his 1,401 points is more than any sophomore in the nation.
``He rains 3s like bolts of lightning,'' McKillop said.
Most of the time it's Richards getting him the ball. The 6-2 senior, Curry's golfing buddy, is averaging a nation-best 8.1.
``To be able to turn decision-making over to one of the players on the court is a very comforting feeling for a coach,'' McKillop said.
The front line, a weakness early, is now making an impact. Junior Andrew Lovedale moved into the starting lineup and has thrived. Junior Max Paulhus-Gosselin is a gritty defender who had seven steals against UNC Greensboro on Tuesday. Thomas Sander and Boris Meno are experienced seniors, and sophomore Will Archambault scored 28 points against Furman last week.
``Anybody on the floor can put up numbers,'' Curry said. ``You can focus on me if you want, but we've got guys that will score and take the pressure off.''
All of that has led to a dominating run in the lower-tier Southern Conference. The Wildcats have won 28 straight league games, second only to the 44 straight won by Jerry West-led West Virginia in the 1950s.
However, the league has never received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Not holding a marquee out-of-conference win, the Wildcats will probably have to win the league tournament to secure a third straight NCAA berth.
``I can't even get distracted by that,'' McKillop said. ``It plays too many games with your mind and it's something I have no control over.''
Perhaps Davidson would be in better shape if it didn't play so many good teams early.
While other mid-major schools are touting wins over mediocre teams from major conferences to boost their NCAA hopes, Davidson only has close defeats to elite teams.
The Wildcats lost by four to then-No. 1 North Carolina, by six to then-No. 7 Duke and led then-No. 7 UCLA by 18 in the first half before losing 75-63.
``I think taking great shots from teams like that have to make you better,'' McKillop said. ``Maybe if we didn't get better from those experiences we wouldn't have pushed as hard as we've pushed the entire season.''
But Davidson will probably face more pressure than any team in the nation at the league tournament in two weeks. In the 2004-05 season, Davidson went unbeaten in league play, lost in the conference tournament, and ended up in the NIT.
``I very much want our players to smell the roses of where they are right now and what they've accomplished rather than looking at it as some scary monster,'' McKillop said. ``Too often we think about what might happen rather than what is happening.
``I dare say I don't think there will be any teams that win 18 conference games this year in the country.''
Slumping Wizards missing more than stats with Butler, Arenas hurt
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) -Forget for a moment all the points, rebounds, steals and assists that Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler would provide if they were on the floor. The Washington Wizards also need their fire.
Those who are healthy enough to play had the audacity to think they could just show up and beat another struggling team, the New York Knicks, in the first game after the All-Star break. The result was a lifeless overtime loss Tuesday night, Washington's ninth defeat in 10 games and the kind of performance that could knock the team right out of the playoff race.
''I think we have to understand the situation we're in,'' All-Star forward Antawn Jamison said.
''Atlanta's gotten better. Philly's playing well. Chicago's going to make a run,'' he said. We've got to play with a sense of urgency because if we don't, things are going to get out of hand. We've got 29 games left, and they're going fly by. We talked about it before the game, especially during halftime, and still to come out with no energy and kind of go through the motions is kind of disappointing.''
As one of the team captains, Jamison took responsibility for Tuesday's halfhearted effort, but Jamison has always been a softer-spoken, follow-my-example leader. Coach Eddie Jordan can be stern, but he's also not a yeller or screamer. The team's heart-on-the-sleeve veterans - the ones most likely to yell in a huddle or rev up teammates on the court - are Arenas, Butler and Etan Thomas, all of whom are injured.
''I'm trying to stay in everybody's ear as much as possible, but it's still a little different coming from the sideline,'' said Butler, who has missed six straight games and nine of 11 with a strained left hip flexor. ''That's why the coaches always emphasized the point that they need a voice on the court. And, right now, I'm crippled of that voice. I can't do it.''
Jordan called his team's effort against the Knicks ''unacceptable.'' The Wizards already are going to struggle to beat good teams because of their injuries, so a home loss to a bad team really hurt.
''We should have played harder,'' Jordan said. ''But that's a sign of where we are with our health and with our youth.''
The Wizards have operated on the theory that all will be well once everyone's healthy, but the medical report is a daily mixture of good news and setbacks. Jordan could field a relatively competitive lineup with the five players who weren't at full strength for Wednesday's practice - Arenas, Butler, Thomas, Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson.
''We're doing the best we can,'' said Jordan, who had eight healthy players for the workout. ''Some guys can't practice. It's pretty difficult, but we're trying to find ways to get some reps in for our younger guys. We walked through a lot of defensive situations at the end of practice, so we got something accomplished. It's just tough to do any scrimmaging.''
Arenas, who has missed most of the season because of a knee injury, hopes to return sometime next month. All-Star forward Butler had hoped to play Tuesday before his hip stiffened during the morning shootaround - the Wizards are 2-8 this season when he doesn't play - and his status is uncertain for Friday's game at Cleveland.
''I'm trying to remain optimistic about getting out there, but at the same time I've got to see how I feel,'' Butler said. ''I need to feel good in practice. Pain free.''
Thomas' return from open heart surgery is a long-term process because his sternum, which had to be broken during the operation, has been slow to heal. Daniels is gimpy with a bad ankle that will bother him the rest of the season. Stevenson has a sore right knee and didn't practice Wednesday.
Help from outside probably isn't on the way. The Wizards, just under the NBA's luxury tax threshold, aren't expected to make any significant moves before Thursday's trade deadline.
Two weeks ago, the Wizards were poised to challenge Orlando for the Southeast Division lead. Now Washington has fallen to sixth place overall in the Eastern Conference, in need of its emotional leaders in order to make the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
''This game's about men fighting and competing,'' Jordan said. ''And we just didn't have enough, in a sense, men - proven veterans who understand that. We're playing with a lot of young guys. We're playing with a lot of hurt guys. That's no excuse; it's just reality. ... You've got to have those personalities to be out there to do it.''
Cavs sign minor-leaguers
The Cavaliers have signed forward Kaniel Dickens and guard Billy Thomas from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.
The signings of Dickens and Thomas add some depth to a depleted lineup due to the blockbuster trade Thursday.
The Cavs added in the Thursday trade — Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith — are not expected to play tonight against the Washington Wizards. They all need to pass their physicals before they are eligible to play.
The Cavs had only six healthy players on the roster to play against the Wizards before the minor-league additions today.
In 29 games (28 starts), Dickens has averaged 20.4 points in 31.3 minutes per game. Thomas is averaging 15.7 points in 27 games (all starts).
The Cavaliers have signed forward Kaniel Dickens and guard Billy Thomas from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.
The signings of Dickens and Thomas add some depth to a depleted lineup due to the blockbuster trade Thursday.
The Cavs added in the Thursday trade — Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith — are not expected to play tonight against the Washington Wizards. They all need to pass their physicals before they are eligible to play.
The Cavs had only six healthy players on the roster to play against the Wizards before the minor-league additions today.
In 29 games (28 starts), Dickens has averaged 20.4 points in 31.3 minutes per game. Thomas is averaging 15.7 points in 27 games (all starts).
ohio.com
Houston (34-20, 29-24-1 ATS) at New Orleans (37-15, 32-19-1 ATS)
Two of the hottest teams in the league square off in the Big Easy, as the Rockets bring their 10-game winning streak into the New Orleans Arena to meet the Hornets, who have won five in a row.
Houston opened the second half of the season with Tuesday’s impressive 93-85 win in Cleveland as one-point road favorites, then followed it up with last night’s 112-100 home win over the Heat, barely covering as a 10½-point chalk. The Rockets are 7-1 ATS in their last eight.
Houston has won nine straight on the highway (7-2 ATS), and for the season they give up just 94.1 points per game on the opponents’ home floor on just 43.8 percent shooting.
Byron Scott’s Hornets came out of the All-Star break and blasted the Mavericks 104-93, covering as 3½-point home favorites. New Orleans is shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and putting up 111.8 points per game during its five-game streak, but the squad is just 3-5 ATS in its last eight. The straight-up winner has covered the spread in 28 of the Hornets’ last 30 contests.
The Hornets took the first meeting between these two this season, winning 87-82 on Jan. 13 as a one-point road ‘dog. New Orleans is 8-2 SU and ATS in the last 10 series clashes with the Rockets, including 4-1 (5-0 ATS) in the last five. However, the road team is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head battles and the underdog is 16-5 ATS in the last 21.
The Rockets are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 Friday tip-offs.
The Hornets come into this one 9-1 in their last 10 at home (8-2 ATS), and they’re 42-20-1 ATS in their last 63 overall and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 following a SU victory.
The under is 6-2 in Houston’s last eight overall and 39-18-1 in its last 58 against Southwest Division rivals. Meanwhile, the over is 7-2 in New Orleans’ last nine overall and 11-5-1 in its last 17 against Southwest Division opponents.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS
Washington (25-28, 30-23 ATS) at Cleveland (30-24, 25-29 ATS)
The freefalling Wizards stagger into the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland today for a matchup with the new-look Cavaliers.
Washington has lost nine of its last 10 (3-7 ATS) including Tuesday’s 113-100 overtime home setback to the Knicks. The Wizards had lost eight straight before edging the Clippers 91-89 as 3½-point road underdogs on Feb. 13, their last game before the All-Star break.
The Cavaliers came out of the break and lost to the red-hot Rockets 93-85 on Tuesday as one-point home ‘dogs. They were able to rebound Wednesday with a 106-97 road win in Indiana as two-point favorites as LeBron James turned in a triple-double with 31 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Then the Cavs were involved in Thursday’s blockbuster 11-player, three-team trade that will send Delonte West, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace to Cleveland.
These squads have split their first two meetings this season, but Cleveland has won eight of the last 10 series clashes (5-4-1 ATS) dating back to 2006 (playoffs included). Washington got a 105-86 home win back on Dec. 5 as 10-point favorites, then the Cavs returned the favor on Jan. 23 with a 121-85 drubbing as a 4½-point home chalk.
The Wizards are on ATS runs of 43-21 on the highway against teams with a winning record, 5-0 when playing on two days’ rest and 8-3 following a SU loss of more than 10 points. On the opposite side, Washington is just 1-5 ATS in its last six against the Eastern Conference and 1-5 ATS in its last six against Central Division foes.
Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in its last six against the Eastern Conference but 0-4 ATS in its last four at home and 3-8 ATS in its last 11 at home against teams with a losing road record.
The over is 8-1 in Washington’s last nine road games, 8-0 against the Eastern Conference and 7-3 against teams with a winning SU record. The over is also 22-8-1 in the Cavs’ last 31 against the Eastern Conference and 5-0 against the Southeast Division.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Boston (41-11, 31-19-2 ATS) at Phoenix (37-17, 24-28-2 ATS)
The Celtics try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they visit US Airways Center in Phoenix to take on the high-scoring Suns.
Boston has dropped the first two games on its current five-game West Coast road swing, falling in Denver 124-118 as a one-point underdog on Tuesday and then dropping a 119-117 decision to the Warriors in Oakland as a three-point favorite on Wednesday. Prior to those two defeats, the Celtics had been 16-0 (10-6 ATS) against the Western Conference.
Phoenix opened the Shaquille O’Neal-era with Wednesday’s 130-124 loss to the Lakers as a 3½-point home chalk. Los Angeles shot 56.5 percent from the floor, and the 130 points allowed was the most the Suns have given up in regulation this season. O’Neal, appearing in the game for the first time in almost a month, played 29 minutes and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Mike D’Antoni’s squad leads the NBA in scoring at 110.1 points per game, but the Suns give up 104.5 per contest, including a whopping 114.2 ppg allowed in the last six contests, with Phoenix going 3-3 (2-4 ATS) during this stretch.
This is the first meeting of the season between these squads. Phoenix has won four straight (2-2 ATS) in this series and eight of the last 10 (6-4 ATS), and the straight-up winner is 8-2 ATS in those 10 clashes. One positive for Boston, though, is that the road team has dominated this rivalry, going 8-3 SU in the last 11 (10-1 ATS).
The Suns have followed up a 7-1 ATS streak by going 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight, including 1-5-1 ATS at home. For the season, Phoenix is 10-16-1 ATS inside its US Airways Center.
Despite the results in Denver and Golden State, the Celtics still have the second-best road record in the NBA at 18-7 (15-9-1 ATS). Going back to last year, the C’s are 48-21-1 ATS on the highway. Also, Doc Rivers’ club has enjoyed success on Fridays, going 7-3 ATS in its last 10.
The over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 series clashes, 7-3 in Boston’s last 10 overall and 7-3 in the Suns’ last 10 overall. Finally, Phoenix has topped the total in 17 of its last 21 against Eastern Conference foes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
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