NBA Betting News and Trends For Sunday, April 1, 2018

Sunday’s NBA games
Embiid (orbital fracture) is out here. 76ers won/covered their last five games with the Hornets; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Charlotte. Six of last series games stayed under the total. Philly won its last nine games, covered its last seven; they’re 4-2 in last six games as road favorites. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Charlotte split its last eight games; they’re 1-10 as home underdogs this year. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Wizards won their last five games with the Bulls; they’re 3-3 vs spread in last six visits to Chicago. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games. Washington lost four of its last six games; they’re 5-1 in last six games as road favorites. Five of their last six games stayed under. Bulls lost seven of last eight games; they’re 4-2 in last six games as home underdogs. Last three Chicago games stayed under.

Rockets won last three games with the Spurs; they covered five of last six series games, are 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to the Alamo. Three of last four series games stayed under. Houston won its last ten games; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten road games. Four of their last five games went under total. Spurs won seven of last nine games; they’re 0-2 as home underdogs this season. Three of their last four games went over.

Indiana won its last three games with the Clippers; they covered last five series games played here. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Pacers won their last four games; they’re 5-2 in last seven games as road underdogs. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Clippers won three of their last four games; they’re 3-1 in last four games as home favorites. LA’s last five games all stayed under the total.

Cavaliers won five of their last six games with Dallas, which covered three of its last four visits to Cleveland. Three of last four series games stayed under. Mavericks lost seven of their last eight games; they’re 3-7 in last ten games as road underdogs. Last four Dallas games went under the total. Cavaliers won seven of their last eight games; they covered last four games as home faves. Four of last five Cleveland games stayed under.

Oklahoma City won six of last nine games with New Orleans, but lost last two; Thunder is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Bourbon Street. Four of last five series games went over. OKC lost last three games by total of 8 points; they’re 3-5 in last eight games as road favorites. Four of their last five games stayed under. Pelicans lost their last three games; they’re 5-3 as home underdogs. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games.

Home side won last five Orlando-Atlanta games; Magic is 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Four of last six series games stayed under total. Orlando lost eight of its last 10 games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 5-1 in last six Magic games. Hawks lost their last five games; they’re 3-5 as home favorites this season. Four of their last six games went under the total.

Pistons won three of last four games with the Nets; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five visits here. Four of last five series games stayed under. Detroit won six of its last seven games; they’re 4-0 vs spread in last four road games, 4-2-1 on road if they played night before. Three of their last four games went over. Brooklyn is 4-3 in its last seven games; they’re 4-0 vs spread at home if they played night before. Over is 6-2 in Nets’ last eight games.

Jazz won seven of last ten games with the Wolves; they’re 3-1 vs spread in last four visits to the Twin Cities. Under is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Utah split its last six games; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four road games. Four of their last five games went over total. Minnesota won four of its last six games; they’re 1-6-1 vs spread in last eight games. Six of their last nine games went over total.

Nuggets won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee; Four of last six series games went over total. Bucks are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Denver. Milwaukee won four of its last five games; they’re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs. Nine of their last ten games went over the total. Nuggets split their last 10 games; this is their first home game in 17 days. Denver is 2-4 in last six games as home favorites. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Golden State won its last ten games with Phoenix (6-4 vs spread); Suns are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Oakland. Four of last five series games went over. Phoenix lost its last 11 games but covered three of last four; they’re 5-4 in last nine games as road underdogs. Suns’ last six games stayed under. Warriors are 4-7 in their last 11 games, 3-4 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Memphis/Portland split their last 10 games; Grizzlies are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Oregon. Four of last six series games stayed under. Memphis lost five of its last seven games; they’re 5-5 vs spread in last ten games as road underdogs. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games overall. Trailblazers won seven of their last ten games; they’re 8-1 in last nine games as home favorites. Under is 3-1 in their last four games.

Lakers won three of last four games with Sacramento; under is 7-1-1 in last nine series games. Kings are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games played in Staples. Sacramento is 6-4 vs spread on road if they played night before; they lost six of last seven games overall, are 6-2 in last eight games as road underdogs. Under is 5-1 in their last six games. Lakers lost six of their last eight games; they’re 9-5 as home favorites. Under is 6-3 in their last nine games.

Game of the Night: Jazz at Timberwolves – 7:05 PM EST

The Northwest division has been the best division from top to bottom in the NBA this season. It’s highly unlikely that all five teams will reach the playoffs, but four squads have a great opportunity to make the postseason. Portland owns a 3 ½-game edge atop the division entering Sunday’s action, but Minnesota, Oklahoma City, and Utah are separated by a half-game for second place.

The Wolves (44-33 SU, 33-41-3 ATS) are seeking their first three-game winning streak since mid-January as Minnesota is fresh off victories over Atlanta and Dallas. Minnesota has struggled to cover numbers recently by posting a 1-6-1 ATS record in the last eight games, including a non-cover in Friday’s 93-92 triumph at Dallas as six-point favorites. To make matters worse, four of the Wolves’ last five opponents aren’t even in playoff contention.

The Jazz (43-33 SU, 39-37 ATS) rebounded from a buzzer-beating loss to the Celtics by holding off the Grizzlies, 107-97 on Friday. Utah shot 54% from the floor, but failed to cash as 14 ½-point favorites to drop to 1-6 ATS the last seven contests. Hitting the road isn’t the worst thing for Quin Snyder’s team, who owns a 13-1 SU and 10-4 ATS record in the past 14 games away from Salt Lake City.

Minnesota captured the first two matchups of the season, but Utah rebounded with a home victory in early March. The Jazz took care of the Wolves, 116-108 as seven-point favorites, while three players were ejected. Minnesota guard Jeff Teague was thrown out for hip-checking Utah’s Ricky Rubio, while Karl-Anthony Towns received a pair of technical fouls in the first half.

Wrong Direction

Playoff teams should be playing their best basketball heading into April. That’s not the case for the Pelicans and Thunder, as both squads have dropped three consecutive games. Oklahoma City (44-33 SU, 31-45-1 ATS) looks to stay out of the dreaded 7th or 8th playoff position in the West, which would mean an opening round matchup with Houston or Golden State.

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The Thunder have been squeezed in all three games of their current skid by losing each time by four points or less. The latest setback came in Friday’s overtime defeat to Denver, 126-125 as four-point favorites. OKC erased a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, as Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 33 points and 13 assists. However, the Thunder couldn’t hold a six-point advantage with less than 2:30 left to fall to 0-4-1 ATS the last five games.

The Pelicans (43-33 SU, 40-35-1 ATS) squandered a 10-point halftime edge in Friday’s 107-102 loss at Cleveland. New Orleans has failed to step up during this brutal stretch which has seen it lose to the Rockets, Blazers, and Cavaliers following a four-game winning streak. The Pelicans posted 45 second half points on Friday, while Anthony Davis was limited to 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting and finishing with a plus-minus of -20.

Oklahoma City swept the four-game series from New Orleans last season, but the Pelicans have taken the first two matchups this season. In their last meeting on February 2 in OKC, New Orleans rallied from an early double-digit deficit to pick up a 114-100 victory as 6 ½-point underdogs, led by Davis’ 43 points.

End of the Road

The Bucks (41-35 SU, 31-40-5 ATS) are on the cusp of a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference as they wrap up their four-game road swing. Following a loss to the Clippers to start the trip, Milwaukee picked up back-to-back wins over the Warriors and Lakers. In Friday’s victory at Staples Center, the Bucks blew a 14-point halftime lead, but staved off the Lakers in overtime, 124-122 to pull off the season sweep. Eric Bledsoe stepped up for Milwaukee by scoring 39 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a double-double with 27 points and 16 rebounds.

Milwaukee travels to Denver to face a Nuggets’ (41-35 SU, 35-38-3 ATS) squad that sits two games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with six games remaining. The Nuggets picked up a huge victory by edging the Thunder on Friday in overtime to close out their seven-game road swing. Denver looks to improve on a 27-10 record at Pepsi Center as four of its final six contests come at home.

The last time these teams met up prior to the All-Star break in Milwaukee, the Nuggets shot lights out in a 134-123 triumph as 2 ½-point underdogs. Denver knocked down 24 three-pointers on 40 attempts, while all five Nuggets’ starters hit at least three treys. Center Nikola Jokic put together a triple-double with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 17 assists, as Denver tries to pick up its 10th home win over Milwaukee in the last 11 tries.

Avoid the Letdown

As the calendar turns to April, the Cavaliers (46-30 SU, 28-47-1 ATS) still haven’t clinched the Central division title. In fact, Cleveland could finish anywhere from the third to fifth seed in the Eastern Conference depending on how the next two weeks goes. The next three games for the Cavaliers following Sunday come against the Raptors, Wizards, and 76ers, all teams in the top six of the East.

LeBron James and the Cavs have won seven of their past eight games, including Friday’s comeback victory over the Pelicans. The potential letdown could come against the Mavericks (23-53 SU, 39-36-1 ATS), who have dropped seven of their previous eight contests and have won a total of nine road games this season. Dallas has covered in its last two tries as a double-digit away underdog, while Cleveland has put together an ugly 1-13 ATS mark this season when laying at least 10 points.

By Kevin Rogers

Preview: 76ers at Hornets
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Philadelphia 76ers look to extend their winning streak to 10 without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid in the lineup as they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon. The 76ers pushed their winning streak to nine with a 109-101 victory at Atlanta on Friday in the first game since Embiid (22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds) suffered a fractured orbital bone.

“Without Joel it just means we run more, we shoot the ball a lot more from 3, and it’s a quicker game,” Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons told reporters of Embiid, who has no timetable for return after surgery. “But we lose that big presence of him in the post, changing shots and things like that. So we lose a lot, but we’re able to move the ball a lot quicker.” The 76ers are a half-game behind Cleveland for third place in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand and a half-game up on Indiana for fourth as they go for a sixth straight win over Charlotte. The Hornets had won four straight before losing two in a row, including a 107-93 loss at Washington on Saturday afternoon in which they allowed 18 makes from 3-point range. Veteran center Dwight Howard notched his fifth straight double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but leading scorer Kemba Walker was just 3-for-9 from the field and finished with single digits (seven points) for the first time since March 6.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (45-30): Simmons recorded 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in Friday’s victory for his 11th triple-double of the season and the fifth in 10 contests as he continues put up impressive numbers. “I’m just happy that we got the win,” Simmons told reporters. “. ... But I think my teammates, if I didn’t have these guys, I wouldn’t get these triple-doubles. They make it easy for me.” Guard J.J. Redick has raised his level of play the last three games, averaging 19.7 points - more than three above his season mark.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-43): Rookie guard Malik Monk has showed plenty of progress in March and ended the month by scoring 17, dishing out three assists and draining three 3-pointers in Saturday’s loss. Center Willy Hernangomez, acquired from the New York Knicks in early February, has also picked up his production of late while averaging 8.5 points and six rebounds over the last eight contests. Third-leading scorer Jeremy Lamb (13.1 points) missed Saturday’s game with a foot injury and his status is uncertain.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 76ers have registered at least 30 assists in eight consecutive games, matching the club record in 1980.

2. Howard is fourth in the league with 48 double-doubles - five shy of his total with Atlanta last season.

3. Philadelphia G Marco Belinelli is averaging 14.9 points over the last seven games - more than three above his season mark.

PREDICTION: 76ers 108, Hornets 98

Preview: Wizards at Bulls
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Washington Wizards look to continue adding victories after clinching a playoff berth for the fourth time in five seasons when they visit the struggling Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon. The Wizards got All-Star point guard John Wall back in the lineup Saturday after he missed more than two months with a knee injury and they rolled over Charlotte 107-93 to seal a spot in the postseason.

Wall, who finished with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting and 14 assists in 33 minutes in the victory, will sit out Sunday’s game in the second of a back-to-back as he tries to ease his way back to form. Washington holds down the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference after winning for just the second time in six games, but drained 18-of-39 from 3-point range Saturday and received 48 points combined from Otto Porter Jr. and Bradley Beal. The Bulls snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 90-82 victory at Orlando on Friday night as rookie Lauri Markkanen registered 13 points and eight rebounds. Chicago plays four of its last six contests at home where it is 15-22 with four consecutive losses and will attempt to end a five-game losing streak against Washington, including two in 2017-18.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (42-34): Porter looked fine Saturday with 26 points despite suffering an ankle injury and scoring just seven in a 103-92 setback against Detroit on Thursday. Beal had been just 3-of-18 from 3-point range in the previous three games before connecting on six of his eight attempts from beyond the arc Saturday to finish with 22 points - his best output in four contests. Kelly Oubre Jr. saw his six-game streak of double-figure scoring games end by recording nine Saturday and is just 1-for-23 from 3-point range the last four contests.

ABOUT THE BULLS (25-51): Center Cristiano Felicio pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in Friday’s win and has double-figure boards three times in his last seven games while averaging 8.6 in that stretch. Markkanen averaged 17.5 points in his last two outings to push his season mark to 14.9 - second on the team behind Zach LaVine (16.7), who will likely be held out the rest of the season with knee tendinitis. Point guard Cameron Payne is averaging 10.3 points and 4.8 assists over the last six games after scoring 11 versus Orlando.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Washington G Tomas Satoransky is expected to replace Wall in the starting lineup Sunday after recording six points against Charlotte.

2. Chicago G Sean Kilpatrick is averaging 10 points in three games since joining the team, but is 8-for-27 from the field.

3. The Bulls are last in the league in field-goal percentage (43.4), but are near the top of the league in rebounds per game (44.9).

PREDICTION: Wizards 110, Bulls 96

Preview: Rockets at Spurs
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The San Antonio Spurs are back up to fourth in the Western Conference thanks to LaMarcus Aldridge playing through some pain, but the race is far from over. The Houston Rockets, who visit the Spurs on Sunday, are much more secure in their position at No. 1 in the West and are still going strong with wins in 11 straight.

San Antonio is just a half-game ahead of Minnesota and Oklahoma City tied for fifth and one game clear of Utah and New Orleans tied for seventh after beating the Thunder 103-99 on Thursday to snap a two-game slide. The Spurs, who haven't missed the playoffs since 1997, are three games ahead of the ninth-place Clippers with six to play, including a visit to Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Rockets don't need any more wins after clinching the No. 1 spot but refuse to lose and recovered from a 21-point, second-half deficit to stun the Phoenix Suns in a 104-103 win on Friday. Houston is starting to rest players and didn't have Chris Paul or Eric Gordon available on Friday but leaned on its depth as Gerald Green buried the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (62-14): The West is jumbled enough at the bottom that Houston could see one of seven different teams in the first round of the playoffs and making sure they are ready for a deep run into the spring is the top priority. MVP candidate James Harden and center Clint Capela got a day off during Thursday's 118-86 thrashing of the Chicago Bulls before Paul, Gordon and Nene took Friday off, though all could be available against San Antonio. The Rockets built plenty of depth on their roster with in-season additions like Green and Joe Johnson, who combined for 31 points on Friday, giving the starters a chance to take a breather down the stretch.

ABOUT THE SPURS (44-32): Aldridge suffered a knee injury in Tuesday's 116-106 loss at Washington and was questionable heading into Thursday but ended up playing 34 minutes and collecting 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win. "We need him to be there, even if he feels bad," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told reporters of Aldridge. "He's become so important and we depend on him so much. It's great to see him compete like that, fight through the pain and have a great game." Ginobili is trying to do his part as well and scored 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench against the Thunder.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rockets SF PJ Tucker went 5-of-7 from 3-point range on Friday after going 8-of-24 in the previous four contests.

2. Spurs SF Kyle Anderson is 19-of-27 from the floor over the last five games.

3. Houston took the first three meetings this season by an average of 14 points.

PREDICTION: Spurs 109, Rockets 106

Preview: Pacers at Clippers
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Los Angeles Clippers lost a game in the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference on Friday and are running out of time to make up any ground. The Clippers will try to stay in the race at the expense of another team jockeying for position in its conference when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Los Angeles dropped a 105-96 decision at Portland on Friday to fall two games behind eighth-place New Orleans with six games left in the regular season. "I thought offensively, as much as defensively, we were horrible," Clippers coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the setback. "I thought we never got to our formula that we have -- the draw and kick and attack. I thought we were passive most of the night. Why? I wish I knew. But clearly Portland has a confidence against us, and you can see it on the floor." The Pacers are winners of four straight and sit a half-game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 4 spot in the East and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, one game shy of third-place Cleveland. "We know it's going to be tough, obviously, with these road games," Indiana All-Star Victor Oladipo told reporters about earning homecourt advantage. "But if we take it one game at a time, we can accomplish it. That's what we're focused on."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE PACERS (45-31): Indiana opened the four-game road trip with wins over Golden State and Sacramento, recovering from slow starts in each contest before getting the upper hand late. "We know we're going to be in some tough fights and some dog fights each and every game," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young told the team's website. "Hopefully we can come out and jump on teams like we're supposed to. We're starting off a little slow right now, but like I said, it's getting us ready for the playoff atmosphere. Each and every time we step out on the court, especially when we're away, it's us five versus the whole world and that's how we have to treat each and every game." Young scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the 106-103 win at Sacramento and is averaging 18.3 points over the last four games to raise his season average to 12.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (41-35): Los Angeles' season has been marked by constant injuries to key members of the rotation and just when the team got one back, another was lost. The Clippers welcomed small forward Danilo Gallinari back from a broken hand on Friday only to learn that point guard Milos Teodosic would miss at least the rest of the regular season after tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot. Gallinari, who was playing for the first time since Feb. 22, got the start against the Trail Blazers and managed 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in 25 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Clippers G Austin Rivers slumped to three points on 1-of-8 shooting on Friday, ending a string of 15 straight games scoring in double figures.

2. Pacers SF Bojan Bogdanovic is averaging 22 points on 57.1 percent shooting over the last four games.

3. Los Angeles suffered a 109-104 loss at Indiana on March 23 as Bogdanovic led the way with 28 points.

PREDICTION: Clippers 113, Pacers 105

Preview: Magic at Hawks
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Atlanta Hawks host the Orlando Magic on Sunday in a matchup of the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference, and they will do so without their leading scorer. Point guard Dennis Schroder suffered a medial bone bruise and a sprained left ankle against Golden State on March 23, and his 19.4 points and 6.2 assists per game will be sidelined for Atlanta’s final six contests.

Schroder joins fellow guard Kent Bazemore, the Hawks’ third-leading scorer at 12.9 points per game, on the shelf for the rest of the way. Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer indicated before Friday’s 101-91 home loss to Philadelphia that several players on the roster, including Isaiah Taylor (12 points with seven assists against the 76ers) will share time at the point in the final six games. The Magic held Chicago to nine points in the third quarter Friday, only to go scoreless for almost six minutes in the fourth quarter of a 90-82 home loss. “I thought there were a handful of possessions that set up a poor fourth quarter by trying to go for the knockout punch, the dagger 3s, and just trying to force it a little bit when we had them on the ropes,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel told the media afterward.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (22-53): Orlando beat the Hawks on Feb. 8, but in 21 games since the Magic have allowed 106.1 points per game in going 4-17 during that stretch. Forward Aaron Gordon scored a game-high 18 points against Chicago and is averaging a team-leading 18.2 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds per game. Center Nikola Vucevic averages 17.1 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per contest for the Magic, who play four of their next six games on the road.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (21-55): Rookie guard Damion Lee has averaged 10.4 points in his first nine NBA games, scoring a team-high 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting Friday. Another rookie, forward John Collins, is sixth in the NBA in field-goal shooting (58.3 percent) while averaging 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Atlanta is 1-11 in its past 12 games and opponents are scoring 113.9 points per game against the Hawks during that stretch.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Magic lead the season series 2-1 and have beaten the Hawks six times in the past 10 meetings.

2. The Hawks recorded a season-high 59 rebounds in Friday’s loss, led by C Dewayne Dedmon’s 15.

3. Orlando SF Wesley Iwundu was scratched from Friday’s lineup due to an illness, and SG Rodney Purvis scored five points in 23 minutes in his second NBA start.

PREDICTION: Magic 106, Hawks 99

Preview: Mavericks at Cavaliers
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Cleveland Cavaliers are winners of seven of their last eight games but are still fighting off a pair of teams to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers will try not to overlook the visiting Dallas Mavericks when they continue a four-game homestand on Sunday.

Cleveland will face three straight East playoff teams after finishing up with the lowly Mavericks, including a date with the East-leading Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. The Cavaliers are following the lead of superstar LeBron James, who scored 27 points in Friday's 107-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to reach double figures for the 867th straight game, breaking a record previously held by Michael Jordan. "It will probably go in my trophy case with a lot of accomplishments in my life," James told reporters, referencing the game ball that he kept as a memento. "That's a good moment, a special moment not only for myself but for my family and for so many kids that look up to me for inspiration, to know that you can actually go out there and do it." Dallas dropped seven of its last eight games but played another potential playoff team tough before falling just short in a 93-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Ohio (Cleveland)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (23-53): Dallas is looking for improvement from its young players as the season draws to a close and rookies Dennis Smith Jr. and Max Kleber are putting up solid performances. Smith battled foul trouble on Friday but still managed to record 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting and seven assists in 26 minutes and is averaging 17.8 points over the last four games. Kleber added 10 points in Friday's loss but did his best work on the defensive end with four blocks.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (46-30): Cleveland is getting healthy as it advances toward the postseason, and head coach Tyronn Lue is the next one expected to return. Lue missed the last eight games while dealing with health issues but attended Friday's game and the Cavaliers have a plan to increase his involvement gradually at practice and shootaround before he takes his place back on the bench. "I know he's itching to get back," assistant coach Larry Drew, who is serving as head coach while Lue is away, told reporters on Friday. "He's talked to management here in the organization and they've come up with a plan as far as when it's time for him to come back how often he'll be around and how they want to move forward as far as him getting used to getting back into the grind."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Mavericks SF Doug McDermott is 9-of-14 from 3-point range over the last five games.

2. Cavaliers PG George Hill (ankle) left Friday's game and is day-to-day.

3. Cleveland took five of the last six in the series, including a 111-104 win at Dallas on Nov. 11.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 109, Mavericks 99

Preview: Thunder at Pelicans
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

Seven teams are vying for five playoff spots in the Western Conference and the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans - who meet Sunday in New Orleans - are right in the middle of the battle. Both teams are suffering through ill-timed three-game losing streaks and are separated by a half-game in the West, with the eighth-place Pelicans holding a two-game edge on the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.

New Orleans saw superstar forward Anthony Davis struggle to 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting in a 107-102 loss at Cleveland on Friday. "I missed a lot of shots," Davis told reporters. "I have to play better. If I do make half of those shots that I missed, we probably wouldn't even be in that situation. It's on me." The Thunder saw their own stars struggle from the field in a 126-125 overtime loss to Denver at home on Friday, as Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George combined to shoot 25-of-65. Oklahoma City hosts Golden State and then visits Houston after finishing up with the Pelicans.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, NBATV FS Oklahoma, FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE THUNDER (44-33): Oklahoma City's three straight losses have come by a combined eight points and all were against West playoff hopefuls, making for a frustrating slide. "We just have to finish them," Westbrook told reporters after Friday's loss. "We did a good job of locking in when we needed to get stops. We just need to put the ball in the hole." Westbrook had 33 points and 13 assists and Anthony scored 23 before sitting out the entire fourth quarter and returning in overtime.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (43-33): Jrue Holiday continued his stellar play and kept New Orleans close while Davis struggled at Cleveland, producing 25 points on 12-of-18 shooting after recording a triple-double against Portland on Tuesday. Rajon Rondo (wrist) returned from a two-game absence to hand out eight assists and Nikola Mirotic added 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting after producing a total of seven points on 2-of-13 over his previous two games. "You have to do the right things to be able to finish games and I thought we put ourselves in a really good situation and had an opportunity to maybe steal a game here, but you have to do the right things in order to finish it," coach Alvin Gentry told the media.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. New Orleans scored 114 points in each of the first two meetings - both wins.

2. Thunder SF Paul George shot 38.3 percent from the floor in 14 games in March.

3. Davis averages 29.6 points on 56.6 percent shooting at home.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 113, Thunder 110

Preview: Jazz at Timberwolves
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz are both fighting to stay in the top eight of the Western Conference and are separated from each other by just a half-game. The Timberwolves will try to run their winning streak to three in a row at the expense of the Jazz when they host Utah on Sunday.

Minnesota leaned on All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns in its last two games, and the 22-year-old delivered with 56 points in a 126-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and 21 points and 20 rebounds in a 93-92 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. "Scratching out wins, it's critical," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after Friday's triumph. "Everyone is tough in the West. Sometimes it's going to be like tonight." Utah is tied for the seventh spot in the West, two games clear of the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers, but is only one game behind fourth-place San Antonio in the tightly-packed group. The Jazz held off lowly Memphis 107-97 on Friday to split a two-game homestand and will play three of its remaining six games on the road.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (43-33): Utah got an unexpected scoring boost off the bench on Friday from point guard Dante Exum, who scored 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and went 3-of-4 from 3-point range. The 22-year-old Australian suffered a separated shoulder in the preseason and did not make his season debut until March 15. "(Dante) ignited our team, and he really did it on both ends of the floor," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "He attacked on offense and came up with some big defensive plays. It's really good to see after everything he's fought through, and our team needed that tonight."

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (44-33): Towns was solid on Friday, but it was veteran Jamal Crawford taking over down the stretch when the team needed a boost in the fourth quarter. Crawford, 38, scored 13 of his 24 points in the final period, including a jumper in the final seconds to provide just enough cushion for the win after waving off a screen from Towns. "That was cold-blooded," Towns told reporters. "That was one of the most cold-blooded shots I've ever seen. He waved me off. He wanted to go 1-on-1. When you're in a zone like that? Why not?"

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Timberwolves PG Derrick Rose (ankle) sat out the last five games but is nearing a return.

2. Jazz PG Ricky Rubio (hamstring) missed Friday's game and is day-to-day.

3. Minnesota took the first two meetings but Utah earned a 116-108 home win in the latest matchup on March 2.

PREDICTION: Jazz 103, Timberwolves 95

Preview: Bucks at Nuggets
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The odds to make the playoffs are stacked against the Denver Nuggets as they begin a three-game homestand Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Denver sits two games behind Utah and New Orleans, who are tied for seventh and own the final two postseason spots in the Western Conference, and while the Nuggets have a favorable schedule down the stretch, so do the Jazz and Pelicans.

Denver will persevere without Gary Harris, their second-leading scorer who missed the last seven games with a knee injury. "Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to see him for a while,'' Nuggets coach Michael Malone told the Denver Post. "Just being completely honest. Obviously, I am not a doctor, but in talking to our training staff, Gary has been working hard to get back, but I think he is still a ways away.'' Milwaukee is jockeying for position with Washington and Miami for the final three playoff spots in the East while well clear of ninth-place Detroit after a 124-122 overtime victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday. Denver won the first of two meetings this season 134-123 on Feb. 15 behind 30 points, a career-high 17 assists and 15 rebounds from Nikola Jokic for its third straight victory in the series.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Altitude 2 (Denver)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (41-35): Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.3 points, 10.0 rebounds per game) recorded 27 points and 16 rebounds Friday, giving him five 25-point, 15-rebound games this season -- second-most in the Eastern Conference to Philadelphia's Joel Embiid (six). Eric Bledsoe (17.6 points) is averaging 24 over his last four games after erupting for a season-high 39 versus the Lakers. John Henson (8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds) remains day-to-day after missing his second straight game Friday with a finger injury while Malcolm Brogdon (13.3 points), who has missed the last 26 games with a quad injury, is working his way toward a return before the regular season ends.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (41-35): Jokic (17.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists) is averaging 23.2 points over his last 12 games after scoring 23 in Friday's 126-115 victory at Oklahoma City that capped a 3-4 road trip while Paul Millsap (14.8 points) recorded a season-high 36. Veteran guard Devin Harris (8.4 points), who was acquired at the trade deadline, reached double figures in points in eight of his last 11 games after scoring 12 on Friday. Will Barton (15.2 points) replaced Gary Harris in the starting lineup and averaged 17.4 during the road trip.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jokic has 14 triple-doubles since the start of the 2016-17 season, fourth-most in the NBA behind Russell Westbrook (65), LeBron James (29) and James Harden (25).

2. Milwaukee is 17-12 versus the West this season as it plays its final regular-season game against the conference this campaign. The 17 wins are tied for second-most among Eastern Conference teams with Philadelphia behind only Toronto (19).

3. Denver has won seven straight at home versus Milwaukee, which is 2-1 on its four-game road trip and trying for consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1999-2001.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 110, Bucks 106

Preview: Grizzlies at Trail Blazers
Gracenote
Mar 31, 2018

The Portland Trail Blazers appear to be locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference as they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday in their penultimate home game of the season. Portland, which is coming off a 105-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday for its 16th win in the last 19 games, boasts a three-game lead with six to play over San Antonio for third in the West with a three-game trip to Texas beginning Tuesday.

“We’ve got real faith in what we can accomplish,” the Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, who averages a team-best 26.6 points, told reporters Friday after recording 17 points and 11 assists. "And I think over time, that’s allowed us to become a really good team.” Memphis won two of the first three of four meetings this season, including a 108-103 victory Wednesday behind a combined 39 points from its Brookses - 21 by MarShon and 18 by Dillon. It was the Grizzlies' third victory in their last 27 games, including a 107-97 loss at Utah at Friday that kicked off a three-game road trip. Lillard missed the Memphis game to witness the birth of his son Thursday - the same day his half-brother was shot multiple times but is in stable condition, according to Lillard.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (21-55): Marc Gasol (17.6 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) scored 28 points, shooting 11-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from 3-point range, on Friday before sitting out the final 16 minutes with interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff telling reporters: "We'd like our young guys to get better." Memphis has been short-handed in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans missing the last four games because of personal reasons and Andrew Harrison sitting for the last two with shoulder and wrist injuries. MarShon Brooks, a first-round draft pick in the 2011 NBA draft who played the last three seasons with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association, is averaging 22.5 points in two games since signing a 10-day contract.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (47-29): CJ McCollum (21.7 points per game) is averaging 34 points versus the Grizzlies this season after pouring in 42 on Wednesday. Jusuf Nurkic (14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds) recorded five double-doubles in his last seven games - increasing his team lead to 23 - and is averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 boards during that span. Al-Farouq Aminu (9.5 points. 7.6 rebounds) is averaging 11.9 points and 9.0 boards over his last eight games with three double-doubles during that span.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lillard had his franchise-record made free throws streak end at 64 when he missed on his third attempt Friday.

2. The Grizzlies, who are last in the NBA in scoring at 98.8 points, are tied for the fewest road wins in the league (six) with Atlanta and lost 29 of their last 32 away from home.

3. Portland F Ed Davis (5.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 18.9 minutes) left Friday's game with eight boards after rolling his ankle in the third quarter.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 116, Grizzlies 98