Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Wednesday, March 7, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Wednesday’s NBA
Pacers won six of last nine games with Utah; three of last four series games went over total. Jazz is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Indiana. Jazz won 15 of its last 17 games; they covered six of last eight road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under the total. Indiana won seven of its last nine games; they’re 7-1 in last eight games as home favorites. Six of their last seven games stayed under.
Road team won seven of last nine Memphis-Chicago games; Grizzlies covered four of last five visits to the Windy City, four of which stayed under the total. Memphis lost its last 14 games; they’re 13-11-1 as road underdogs. Last four Memphis games stayed under total. Bulls lost six of their last seven games; they’re 6-3 as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under the total.
Home side won last six Houston-Milwaukee games; Rockets are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Wisconsin. Five of last seven series games went over. Houston won their last 16 games; they are 8-1 vs spread in last nine road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Milwaukee lost five of its last six games; they’re 2-3 as home underdogs. Four of their last five games went under the total.
Toronto won its last four games with Detroit; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Raptors won their last five games (4-1 vs spread); they covered their last four games as road favorites. Under is 3-0-1 in their last four games. Pistons lost six of their last seven games; they’re 4-5 as home underdogs. Under is 5-1-3 in their last nine games.
Kings won four of last six games with New Orleans; six of last nine series games went over total. Pelicans are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Sacramento. New Orleans won its last nine games; they’re 10-3 as road favorites, and 5-3 vs spread if they played night before. Last six Pelican games went over the total. Sacramento lost six of its last eight games; they’re 3-8 in last 11 games as home underdogs. Over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games.
Cavaliers lost six of last nine games with Denver, which just beat Cavaliers by 9 in Cleveland Saturday. Cavs are 2-1-1 vs spread in last four visits here. Last four series games went over total. Cleveland is 3-4 in its last seven games; they’re 6-3 vs spread as road underdogs. fFve of their last seven games stayed under. Denver lost three of its last five games; they’re 3-6 in last nine games as home favorites. Nine of their last ten games went over.
Home side won last nine Magic-Laker games; Orlando is 0-4 vs spread in last four series games played in Staples Center. Seven of last eight series games stayed under. Orlando lost eight of its last ten games; they’re 8-3 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went under the total. Lakers won five of their last six games; they’re 6-3 as home favorites. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
NBA
Long Sheet
Wednesday, March 7
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UTAH (34 - 30) at INDIANA (37 - 27) - 3/7/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 66-46 ATS (+15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 3-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MEMPHIS (18 - 45) at CHICAGO (21 - 42) - 3/7/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 2-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 2-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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HOUSTON (50 - 13) at MILWAUKEE (34 - 30) - 3/7/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 33-50 ATS (-22.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in the second half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 66-81 ATS (-23.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 399-470 ATS (-118.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 368-446 ATS (-122.6 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 263-320 ATS (-89.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 3-2 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 3-2 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (46 - 17) at DETROIT (29 - 35) - 3/7/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 36-27 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DETROIT is 65-79 ATS (-21.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 113-162 ATS (-65.2 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
DETROIT is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NEW ORLEANS (37 - 26) at SACRAMENTO (20 - 44) - 3/7/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SACRAMENTO is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 60-86 ATS (-34.6 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 6-4 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 6-4 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CLEVELAND (37 - 26) at DENVER (35 - 29) - 3/7/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 20-42 ATS (-26.2 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in non-conference games this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
DENVER is 177-224 ATS (-69.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 2-2 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 3-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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ORLANDO (20 - 44) at LA LAKERS (28 - 35) - 3/7/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 62-81 ATS (-27.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 72-101 ATS (-39.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
ORLANDO is 21-36 ATS (-18.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 141-179 ATS (-55.9 Units) in March games since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 162-204 ATS (-62.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 3-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 3-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NBA
Wednesday, March 7
Trend Report
UTAH @ INDIANA
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games
Indiana is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
TORONTO @ DETROIT
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto
MEMPHIS @ CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 10 games at home
HOUSTON @ MILWAUKEE
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
NEW ORLEANS @ SACRAMENTO
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Sacramento is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
ORLANDO @ LA LAKERS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Orlando's last 11 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Orlando's last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Lakers's last 11 games when playing at home against Orlando
LA Lakers is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home
CLEVELAND @ DENVER
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Denver's last 11 games
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Utah Jazz vs. Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
6th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Indiana Pacers worked their way into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference with wins in three straight and are aiming for No. 3. The Utah Jazz, who visit the Pacers on Wednesday, are in their own playoff battle but are on the outside looking in at 10th place in the West despite their own three-game surge.
Indiana entered play Tuesday a half-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 spot but just three games above the No. 8 spot in a tightly packed East. "It says that we're a good team and we can play," Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo told reporters after a 92-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. "There are guys in this locker room that can play at a high level. It's great to have those guys. I'm happy to be a part of this program and this team. We just have to continue to keep getting better." The Jazz are winners of 15 of their last 17 games but still entered play on Tuesday 1 1/2 games out of the No. 8 spot in the West -- just four games behind the No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers. "We've won three games in a row," Utah point guard Ricky Rubio told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Maybe we have some things that we can do better, but the winning is all that matters."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Indiana
ABOUT THE JAZZ (34-30): Center Rudy Gobert is one of the key players leading the charge up the standings for Utah and he delivered 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, 17 rebounds and a pair of blocks in Monday's 94-80 win over Orlando. "Rudy's playing out of his mind right now," Utah guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters. "I think it's him being aggressive on both ends. We're doing well. But it starts with Rudy, and he's been leading us." Gobert is averaging 14.9 points on 62.6 percent shooting, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over the last 17 contests.
ABOUT THE PACERS (37-27): Oladipo committed a career-high 10 turnovers on Monday but shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic stepped up to carry the offense with 29 points. "I think (Bogdanovic is) a good shooter and you have games or a week or so where you may lose your rhythm, might be fatigued and you have to find that by working and maybe getting some rest," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "He's been pretty consistent for us all season long and tonight and nights where Victor doesn't have anything going, we need guys like that, guys that can go and get something." Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points on 56.5 percent shooting, including 57.7 from beyond the arc, over the last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz PF Derrick Favors (neck) sat out Monday and is day-to-day.
2. Pacers PF Trevor Booker, who signed with the team on Saturday, is expected to make his debut against the Jazz.
3. Indiana earned a 109-94 win at Utah on Jan. 15 in a game Gobert missed.
PREDICTION: Jazz 102, Pacers 99
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Toronto Raptors vs. Detroit Pistons Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Toronto Raptors will try to increase their lead atop the Eastern Conference when they put a five-game winning streak on the line at the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. A strong fourth quarter led the Raptors to a 106-90 win over Atlanta at home Tuesday night, giving Toronto a season high-tying two-game lead in the East.
"We're trying to be one of those teams that takes care of business whenever possible and that will set you up for better standings in the long run," Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, who had seven assists Tuesday, told reporters of his team's ability to lock down and avoid a letdown against a last-place team. "Anytime we're favored or whatever we're trying to not take anything for granted or overlook anyone." The Pistons have lost three straight for the third time in less than a month and are in danger of falling out of playoff contention. They sit 4 1/2 games behind eighth-place Miami with 18 to play - 10 of which will take place on the road - and coach Stan Van Gundy is aiming to hit the reset button before the difficult stretch run. "It's hard to come in and tell a team, 'We've got to make more shots.'" Van Gundy told the media at Tuesday's practice. "Our focus today was on the things we can control every night. Getting back on defense, getting matched up, pulling in and taking the roll man, blocking guys out, setting screens, moving the ball. That stuff you can do every night and we're not doing them consistently."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, TSN 4/5 (Toronto), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (46-17): DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points in Tuesday's win while four others scored in double figures for Toronto, which improved its NBA-best home record to 27-5. C.J. Miles finished with 14 points and is averaging 15.3 points in 22 minutes over the last three games while making 12-of-27 from 3-point range. Kyle Lowry, who matched DeRozan with a team-high 20 points in a 123-94 win over Detroit on Feb. 26, dipped to four points against Atlanta but handed out seven assists against zero turnovers
ABOUT THE PISTONS (29-35): Detroit once again struggled to find production beyond the Blake Griffin-Andre Drummond combination Monday. The two big men put up a collective 40 points on 15-of-27 shooting against Cleveland, compared to 50 points on 19-of-60 for the 10 other players to appear in the game. Some help might soon be on the way in the form of guard Reggie Jackson, who could return to practice this weekend as he rehabs a sprained ankle that has kept him out since Dec. 26.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors SF OG Anunoby (ankle) has missed three straight games and PG Delon Wright (toe) left Tuesday's game and did not return.
2. Pistons SF Stanley Johnson (back) sat out Tuesday's practice and is questionable for this one.
3. The Raptors have scored at least 100 points in 16 straight games, which is tied for the franchise record.
PREDICTION: Raptors 108, Pistons 103
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Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The red-hot Houston Rockets take aim at their 17th consecutive victory when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Houston recorded a 122-112 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and stands six victories shy of the franchise record 22-game winning streak from the 2007-08 season, which ranks fourth in NBA history.
The Western Conference-leading Rockets recorded their 50th victory of the campaign while going 17-of-33 from 3-point range against the Thunder and are eight wins shy of the franchise record (58-24 in 1993-94). MVP candidate James Harden had 23 points and 11 assists against Oklahoma City and has scored more than 20 points in each of the past six contests. Milwaukee lost 92-89 to the Indiana Pacers on Monday for its fifth setback in the past six games. Despite the slide, the Bucks are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and five games clear of the ninth-place Detroit Pistons.
Video: Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Full Game Highlights / March 6 / 2017-18 NBA Season
TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS Wisconsin
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (50-13): Point guard Chris Paul scored 25 against the Thunder and broke out of a long-range shooting slump by going 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Paul was just 11-of-48 from behind the arc over the previous nine games and his shooting success came after he reported early for Tuesday's shootaround to get in some extra shooting with teammate Eric Gordon. "I just shoot it," Paul told reporters after the victory. "I've never shot this many 3s - the way Coach (Mike D'Antoni) encourages it is cool. But I can shoot."
ABOUT THE BUCKS (34-30): All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has 19 30-point performances and his next one will make him the 10th player in franchise history to record 20 such efforts in a single season. Antetokounmpo posted 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to the Pacers for his 32nd double-double, which matches last season's career-best total. Swingman Khris Middleton will look to bounce back from a 1-of-7 shooting performance and is averaging just eight points on 6-of-21 shooting over the past two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden scored 31 points as the Rockets posted a 115-111 home win over the Bucks on Dec. 16.
2. Houston F Trevor Ariza has made at least three 3-pointers in each of the past six contests.
3. Milwaukee backup C Tyler Zeller (hip, back) is questionable after missing Monday's game.
PREDICTION: Rockets 122, Bucks 110
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
6th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Chicago Bulls dropped six of their last seven games and are one of several teams in a race to the bottom in the Eastern Conference, but they are no match for the Memphis Grizzlies when it comes to losing. The Grizzlies will be trying to snap a 14-game skid when they visit the Bulls on Wednesday.
Memphis is getting more competitive recently and suffered the last four losses by single digits, including a 100-98 setback at the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. "We go out there and play hard, and to not be able to close out games like this is definitely challenging for us," forward Jarell Martin told the team's website. "But we've got to keep our focus, go into practice and keep getting better and better. I feel it (the pressure of the losing streak), and I definitely want to break it. No one should like losing, so I definitely feel that we all should come out with that eager mindset and try to get us a victory." The Bulls had a chance for rare back-to-back wins on Monday but instead fell 105-89 at home to the Boston Celtics. "Things got tough and we just shut down and we quit playing," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. "Our offense was brutal, absolutely brutal. We got stagnant, we quit moving, and again, when things got tough and they got into us, we just kind of gave in and said, 'OK, this is too hard for us tonight.' As opposed to getting tough and getting them off you and making plays and getting into the paint. Very disappointing."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (18-45): Memphis owns the worst record in the NBA and is spending the rest of the season on player development, a plan to which even the veterans seem to be buying in. "Right now, winning cannot be the only goal -- it's got to be a consequence," center Marc Gasol told reporters. "It's about how can we find enough things that happen as a consequence that also results in a win? The losing streak cannot be an excuse for you not to do your job. Worrying about that will only bring more frustrations. You want to do all the right things and may the chips fall where they may. That's where we're at." Gasol scored a team-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds in Monday's setback.
ABOUT THE BULLS (21-42): Chicago was down 86-53 at the end of the third quarter and never challenged Boston while shooting 39.5 percent from the floor. "Terrible all around," Bulls guard Zach LaVine told reporters. "There's no excuse for what we did out there. It's on all of us. It starts with me and goes down the line; this was terrible. We've got to be better, we have to be able to fight. We'll pick it up next game, have a hard practice tomorrow and this won't happen again." LaVine went 1-of-11 from the floor in the loss and is shooting 38.9 percent in 19 games since returning from knee surgery.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Grizzlies SG Xavier Rathan-Mayes made his NBA debut on Monday after being signed to a 10-day contract and scored eight points in 26 minutes off the bench.
2. Bulls SF Denzel Valentine matched a season-high with 20 points on Monday.
3. The road team took each of the two meetings last season, with Memphis earning a 98-91 victory at Chicago on March 15.
PREDICTION: Bulls 106, Grizzlies 103
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The New Orleans Pelicans attempt to equal their longest winning streak in seven years when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. The red-hot Pelicans rode All-Star power forward Anthony Davis to their ninth consecutive victory Tuesday to move within one of the 10-game run by the 2010-11 club that was led by Chris Paul.
Davis recorded 41 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots as the Pelicans posted a 121-116 road victory Tuesday and he scored 31 of those points in the second half after leaving briefly in the second quarter after taking a blow to the ribs. "It was sore," Davis said in a postgame television interview. "I got hit in the ribs but knowing the position we're in, I just wanted to get back out there and do what I can to help the team." Davis is averaging 34.5 points over the past 13 games while scoring 40 or more on six occasions and falling two points short two other times. Sacramento has won two of its last three games and hasn't played since Sunday, when it defeated the New York Knicks 102-99.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, NBCS California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (37-26): Guard Jrue Holiday fell one point shy of his ninth straight 20-point effort but contributed a career-best 17 assists against the Clippers and made a key late-game steal on guard Lou Williams. "He really gets locked in, especially the last three, four minutes of the game when it really counts," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said afterward of Holiday. "I thought he did a great job on Lou Williams and some of the tough shots that he makes." Holiday is averaging 25.1 points and 8.6 assists during the winning streak and has picked up some of the scoring slack after All-Star DeMarcus Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
ABOUT THE KINGS (20-44): Second-year forward Skal Labissiere (right knee) is listed as questionable after being the hero for the first time in his NBA career during the victory over the Knicks. The 21-year-old ad-libbed on a play designed for Bogdan Bogdanovic or De'Aaron Fox to take the clutch shot but instead of passing the ball, he looked toward the basket and drained a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds for the first game-winning basket of his NBA career. "Just play with confidence," Labissiere told reporters when pressed about his audible. "When I'm hesitant the game becomes harder, so I just try to not even think about that. ... What happens, happens."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings are 2-1 against the Pelicans this season and have won four of the past six meetings.
2. New Orleans PG Rajon Rondo is averaging 11 assists over the past five games.
3. Sacramento C Willie Cauley-Stein (back) will miss his third straight game.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 110, Kings 106
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Denver Nuggets Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
7th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Denver Nuggets attempt to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in five days when the teams square off on Wednesday in the Mile High City. The Nuggets clicked offensively and were a stellar 19-of-35 from 3-point range while producing a 126-117 triumph on Saturday in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers, who are in third place in the Eastern Conference, rolled to a 112-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday after losing their previous two contests. Cleveland stands just a half-game ahead of the fourth-place Indiana Pacers as it embarks on a six-game road trip through the West. Denver is fighting for a playoff spot in the tightly packed Western Conference and suffered a hit with Tuesday's 118-107 road setback against the struggling Dallas Mavericks. "Very disappointing effort overall, very disappointing defensive effort," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters afterward. "We got to go home and regroup and try to get one (Wednesday) night."
Video: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons 1st Half Highlights / March 5 / 2017-18 NBA Season
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Ohio (Cleveland), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (37-26): Newcomer Larry Nance Jr. is averaging 14.8 points and 10 rebounds over the past four games and coach Tyronn Lue has anointed him as the starting center for at least two weeks with Tristan Thompson out with an ankle injury. Nance established career bests of 22 points and 15 rebounds in the victory over the Pistons and is thriving with the Cavaliers - the organization his father recorded 149 20-point outings for - since being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers. "To be honest, playing here, I have quite a bit of confidence," Nance told reporters. "Whether it's the coaching staff or the guys, they have confidence in me. Therefore I have confidence in myself. The numbers, the night individually that I had, is all secondary to the win."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (35-29): Shooting guard Gary Harris made six 3-pointers and scored 32 in the win over Cleveland but he struggled mightily against Dallas with just 11 points. Harris averaged 27 points and was 11-of-21 from 3-point range over the previous three games and had scored 23 or more points in five of the previous six games before a 5-of-13 shooting effort against the Mavericks. Backcourt mate Jamal Murray also struggled against Dallas with just six points on 2-of-8 shooting and he has failed to reach double digits in two of the past three games after scoring 17 or more in five of the previous six games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nuggets swingman Will Barton contributed 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Saturday's victory over the Cavaliers.
2. Denver C Nikola Jokic averaged just 7.3 points on 7-of-22 shooting during the team's three-game road swing and was benched for the fourth quarter of Tuesday's loss.
3. Cleveland F Jeff Green (back) is expected to miss his third straight game and fourth in the last five.
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 115, Nuggets 113
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Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Predictions 03-07-2018
6th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Los Angeles Lakers hit a bit of a snag on their way to a sixth consecutive win on Monday, falling off in the fourth quarter of a 108-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers will try to put the sting of that defeat behind them and continue their strong play since the All-Star break when they host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
Los Angeles held an 11-point lead with under six minutes remaining on Monday before Portland All-Star Damian Lillard got hot. "This is a tough one because we had the win," Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas told reporters. "I feel like we played a pretty solid game to secure the win, we just didn't execute and didn't get stops down the stretch. Once tomorrow comes you gotta have a short memory, good or bad." The Magic had a modest two-game winning streak come to an end in a 94-80 loss at Utah on Monday to begin a five-game road trip and are locked in a battle to avoid the basement in the Eastern Conference. "I mean, in our position, every night is tough," Orlando swingman Evan Fournier told the team's website. "It's not like we're an elite team, so we have to compete every night and play hard every night. We're on the road for a long time and that's going to make it harder, but every game will be hard."
Video: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Full Game Highlights / March 5 / 2017-18 NBA Season
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (20-44): Orlando is trying to develop young players down the stretch and is happy to have rookie Jonathan Isaac, who missed nine weeks with an ankle injury. Isaac went scoreless in each of the last two games but is impressing on defense. "He's legit on the defensive end," Magic coach Frank Vogel told reporters of Isaac. "We put him in there (in the second-half starting lineup) because (Jazz forward) Joe Ingles had 16 points and seven assists and was killing us in the first half. We put (Isaac) in there on him and he just slowed him down. It's a heck of a weapon. He's so young, and the future is just bright for him."
ABOUT THE LAKERS (28-35): A big piece of Los Angeles' success of late has been small forward Brandon Ingram, who missed the last two games and is not expected to play on Wednesday due to a groin injury. The 20-year-old took on a leadership role in the offense when point guard Lonzo Ball was injured prior to the All-Star break and averaged 18.9 points on 56.7 percent shooting, including 52 percent from 3-point range, and 5.1 assists over a 10-game span from Feb. 4 until suffering the injury on March 1. Rookie Kyle Kuzma started in Ingram's spot on Monday and contributed 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic G D.J. Augustin is 22-of-37 from 3-point range over the last eight games.
2. Lakers PF Channing Frye (appendectomy) returned to non-contact practice but is still without a timetable for a return.
3. The home team took each of the last nine meetings, with Orlando grabbing a 127-105 win on Jan. 31.
PREDICTION: Lakers 122, Magic 109
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