NBA Betting News and Notes
By Chris Bernucca
Flip finally flips
After Tuesday's 110-98 home loss to Oklahoma City, Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders finally lost patience with his underachieving team, particularly on the defensive end.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Saunders said, "We could take five guys in this room out here and we could have a chance. I think I can go out there on the floor and take anybody on the team, 1-on-1 at (54) years old, and drive right around them. They can't guard anybody."
The over/under is 8-4 in Washington's last dozen games. Despite being 10th in opponents' field-goal percentage, the Wizards are 23rd in points allowed at 102.9 per game.
Washington is off until Saturday, when it hosts San Antonio. The Spurs crushed the Wizards, 106-84, on Nov. 21.
D'Antoni does defense
The book on coach Mike D'Antoni is that he is an offensive innovator whose philosophy of shooting in "Seven Seconds or Less" doesn't put much emphasis on the defensive end.
The recent numbers tell a different story. The Knicks have played to the under in their last eight games, with the number ranging from 194 to 202 - meager totals by D'Antoni's previous standards. And New York has not given up triple digits in a loss since Dec. 2 at Orlando.
D'Antoni has anchored offense-only players Eddy Curry and Nate Robinson to the bench while giving regular playing time to Jonathan Bender, who clearly is not ready for the rigors of the NBA. And while the Knicks shoot plenty of 3-pointers, only one rotation player - Danilo Gallinari - is making them at better than 33 percent.
Unless D'Antoni radically alters his rotation, expect this unlikely trend to continue.
No bang for your Bucks
Since scoring 55 points in an early season game, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings has gotten plenty of attention. The Bucks roll into town, and the local beat writer does a piece on the hotshot rookie.
Here's a better story idea: The Bucks have been so bad lately that their stars have been benched. Monday's loss at Charlotte was Milwaukee's 14th in its last 18 games, and coach Scott Skiles sat Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd for the entire second half.
Bogut and Redd, who will make an aggregate $27 million this season, were a combined 1-of-10 in the first half.
"It's not so much producing. It's body language and the way we look out there," Skiles said afterward. "The bottom line: this is the NBA. You have to produce. It's what pro sports is. And we need more consistent production out of our key players."
The Bucks also are not producing for bettors, going 1-4 against the spread after winning five in a row. They have three winnable games before a murderous six-game road trip, so their ability to snap out of it could make or break their season.
Misfiring Pistons
No NBA squad this season has been streakier than the Detroit Pistons, who for extended stretches have looked like both a potential top-four seed and a lottery team.
After a 2-4 start, the Pistons have won three straight, lost seven in a row, won six of seven and lost eight in a row. The current slide also includes an 0-8 mark against the spread.
Detroit has had injury issues, with Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon - arguably its three best players - missing significant time. But the Pistons put together wins without that trio, so the problems go deeper than that. And now, rookie coach John Kuester has to quickly incorporate the returning players.
"Getting everyone acclimated is a part of the NBA," Kuester told the Detroit News. "We need to lock in to what we have to do, taking care of business. We have to have a sense of urgency."
The Pistons play just once in the next six days, giving them some practice time before a Texas two-step through Dallas and San Antonio next week.
On the schedule
Friday, January 1, Orlando at Minnesota
The Magic are 10-5 on the road and overdue with three straight losses both straight up and ATS. They have won and covered their last three visits to Minnesota and are unlikely to brave single-digit temperatures to party on New Year's Eve.
Saturday, January 2, Memphis at Phoenix
The Grizzlies are 13-8 straight up since a 1-8 start and have climbed to the cusp of the Western Conference playoff race. This is the opener of a three-game road trip vs. West teams that could reveal a lot about Memphis, which is 4-5 straight up and ATS in its last nine road games. The Griz were thumped, 126-111, at Phoenix on Nov. 25.
Tuesday, January 5, Golden State at Denver
Since a 111-103 win at Dallas on Nov. 24, the Warriors have lost nine of 10 road games, winning only at woeful New Jersey. They are 3-6-1 ATS in those games and venture into the Pepsi Center, where the Nuggets are a solid 13-2 straight up, including a 135-107 pasting of Golden State on Dec. 1.