Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 11/5/18
Monday’s NBA
Houston won its last two games after a 1-5 start; they’re 3-1 on road, 0-0 as AU. Over is 3-1 in their road games. Pacers won three in row, five of last six games; they’re 3-1 at home, 2-1 as HF. Six of Indiana’s last seven games stayed under. Rockets won six of last nine games with Indiana; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Last five series games stayed under the total.
Miami lost its last three games; they’re 1-3 on road, 1-1 as AU. Six of last seven Heat games went over. Pistons lost their last four games; they’re 3-1 at home, 0-2 as HF. Under is 3-1 in their home games. Heat won four of last six games with Detroit; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Six of last eight series games went over.
Cleveland is off to a 1-8 start; they’re 0-4 on road, 2-2 as AU. Under is 4-2 in Cavaliers’ last six games. Orlando lost four of its last five games; they’re 1-4 at home, 0-1 as HF. Under is 3-1 in their last four games. Cavaliers won eight of last ten games with Orlando; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Magic Kingdom. Under is 3-1 in last four series games.
Chicago lost its last four games but covered last three; they’re 1-3 SU on road, 1-3 as road underdogs. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. New York lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 2-3 at home, 2-0 as HF. Under is 6-3 in their last nine games. Knicks lost three of last four games with Chicago; Bulls are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan. Four of last six series games stayed under the total.
New Orleans lost its last five games after a 4-0 start; they’re 1-4 on road, 2-3 as AU. Seven of their last nine games went over. OKC won its last four games after an 0-4 start; they’re 2-2 at home, 1-3 as HF. Three of their last four games went over. Thunder won seven of last ten games with New Orleans; four of last six series games went over. Pelicans are 1-3 vs spread in their last four visits to OKC.
Celtics won four of their last five games; they’re 3-2 on road, 1-1 as AU. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. Denver is off to an 8-1 start; they’re 5-0 at home, 3-1 as HF. Under is 7-1-1 in their games this season. Boston won six of its last eight games with the Nuggets; they covered three of last four visits to Denver. Four of last five series games went over the total.
Toronto is off to a 9-1 start; they’re 3-1 on road, 2-2 vs spread. Raptors beat Lakers by 14 in LA last nite. Over is 6-3-1 in Toronto games. Jazz lost their last three games; they’re 0-3 at home, losing by 1-8-10 points. Four of last five Utah games went over the total. Raptors won eight of last ten games with Utah; they covered their last five visits to SLC. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games.
Memphis won five of its last seven games; they’re 2-3 on road, 2-1 as AU. Four of their last six games stayed under. Golden State won its last seven games (6-1 vs spread); they’re 4-1 as HF. Five of their last six games went over. Warriors won four of last five games with Memphis (3-2 vs spread); Grizzlies are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Oakland. Three of last four series games stayed under.
Butler didn’t play Sunday in Wolves’ 30-point loss in Portland; will he play here? Minnesota lost four of its last six games; they’re 0-5 on road, 1-4 vs spread. Over is 3-2 in their road games. LA are 3-1 at home, 2-0 as HF; they’re 5-4 overall. Over is 4-1 in their last five games. Clippers lost their last six games with Minnesota (1-5 vs spread); Timberwolves covered last four series games played here. Last four series games went over the total.
By Kevin Rogers
Game of the Night: Celtics at Nuggets – 9:05 PM EST
The Warriors own the best record in the Western Conference at 9-1, but the Nuggets (8-1 SU, 6-3 ATS) are right behind and handed Golden State its only loss of the season. Denver remains unbeaten at Pepsi Center at 5-0 after rallying past Utah on Saturday, 103-88 as 4 ½-point favorites. The Nuggets outscored the Jazz in the fourth quarter, 35-15 after trailing by five points, while limiting an opponent to less than 100 points at home for the third time this season.
The Celtics (6-3 SU, 4-5 ATS) began their five-game road trip squandering a double-digit lead and falling in the final seconds to the Pacers, 102-101 on Saturday. Boston’s four-game winning streak came to a halt in spite of the Celtics knocking down a 19 three-pointers, one game after drilling 24 treys in a home win over Milwaukee. The Celtics had won three consecutive road contests prior to Saturday’s defeat, but Boston has yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
Boston swept Denver last season, which includes a one-point triumph at Pepsi Center as two-point underdogs. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics in the road victory with 27 points, while Denver’s Nikola Jokic posted 24 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Boston is listed as an underdog for the second time this season as the Celtics fell to the Raptors on October 19 as three-point ‘dogs, 113-101. Denver has been the top UNDER team in the league this season with a 7-1-1 mark, including a 4-1 home UNDER ledger.
Upward Flight?
The Rockets (3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS) have been a huge disappointment out of the gate after finishing one victory shy of the NBA Finals last season. Houston began 1-5, but the Rockets have rebounded with consecutive victories at Brooklyn and Chicago. Granted those are likely lottery teams again this season, but the Rockets need some kind of momentum to avoid falling way behind in the Southwest division. James Harden returned after a three-game absence with a hamstring injury to score 25 points in Saturday’s victory over the Bulls, which included Houston limiting Chicago to seven third quarter points.
Houston travels to Indiana (7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS) as the Pacers seek their fourth consecutive win. Victor Olapido connected on the go-ahead three-pointer in Saturday’s 102-101 home underdog triumph over Boston as Indiana’s last three wins have come by a combined nine points. Last season, the Pacers lost both matchups with the Rockets by double-digits, while the past five meetings between these teams have finished UNDER the total.
Thundering Back
Oklahoma City stumbled out of the chute by going 0-4, while New Orleans caught fire early by compiling a 4-0 record. Things change fast, even just a few days into November. The Thunder (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) are rolling by winning four consecutive games, while the Pelicans (4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS) are on a five-game slide.
OKC downed the Suns and Clippers at home, while rallying from an 18-point deficit to shock the Hornets on Thursday. The latest victory for the Thunder came in Friday’s 134-111 drilling of the struggling Wizards as OKC delivered the knockout punch by outscoring Washington, 44-20 in the second quarter. The Thunder improved to 4-2 with Russell Westbrook in the lineup as the 2017 MVP isn’t quite averaging a triple-double yet (25.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 8.8 apg), but OKC has scored at least 111 points in each of its past four wins.
New Orleans wraps up a five-game road trip that has seen the Pelicans lose at Denver, Golden State, Portland, and San Antonio. All-Star Anthony Davis has been dealing with a lingering elbow injury as he missed the losses at Denver and Portland, while scoring 17 points in Saturday’s 14-point setback at San Antonio. The 95 points scored on Saturday was the lowest total for New Orleans through nine games, as the Pelicans look to capitalize off a 2-1 record against the Thunder last season.
Almost Perfect 10
The Warriors (9-1 SU, 6-4 ATS) have lost only once through 10 games, while coming off three straight wins by double-digits. The latest victory for the two-time defending champions came against Minnesota on Friday, 116-99 as 10 ½-point favorites, helped out by a 33-12 fourth quarter scoring advantage by Golden State. Only three Warriors scored in double-figures, but it was the star trio of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, who combined for 83 points and 11 three-pointers.
Golden State hosts Memphis tonight as the Grizzlies (5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS) lost in the final seconds at Phoenix on Sunday, 102-100 as four-point favorites. The Grizzlies have lost in four of the past five visits to Oracle Arena, including a pair of 13-point defeats last season. Since falling at Indiana on opening night, the Grizzlies have won and covered in each of their past two underdog opportunities, both coming at Utah.
Another Almost Perfect 10
Golden State is not all alone at 9-1. Back in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors (9-1 SU, 5-5 ATS) keep rolling after blasting the Lakers on Sunday, 121-107 at Staples Center. Even without leading scorer Kawhi Leonard in the lineup, the Raptors jumped out to a 42-17 lead after one quarter and never looked back as Serge Ibaka shot a scorching 15-of-17 from the floor for 34 points. Leonard missed the game with a foot injury as his status is up in the air for tonight’s contest at Utah.
The Jazz (4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS) have been silenced at home this season by going 0-3 at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah fell apart in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss at Denver, as top scorer Donovan Mitchell will sit tonight with an ankle injury. Utah is listed as a home underdog for the second time this season as the Jazz barely cashed as a 2 ½-point favorite in a one-point defeat to Golden State on October 19. The Jazz have struggled with the Raptors over the years by losing the last two home matchups, while posting an ugly 1-9 ATS mark the past 10 meetings since November 2013.
Houston Rockets vs Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions Picks
The Houston Rockets are slowly turning things around with wins in back-to-back games as the roles are becoming more defined. The Rockets will try to make it three straight when they visit the red-hot Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Houston kept former All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony in a reserve role and welcomed MVP James Harden (hamstring) back to the lineup following a three-game absence on Saturday, and both players looked comfortable while combining for 42 points in the 96-88 win at Chicago. "Once we get guys into rotations and comfortable, the sky's the limit for us," Harden told reporters of the Rockets, who are also working small forward James Ennis into the flow while waiting for shooting guard Eric Gordon (leg) to return. The Pacers pulled out close wins in each of the last three games and swept a back-to-back when All-Star guard Victor Oladipo buried a 3-pointer in the final seconds on Saturday to down the Boston Celtics 102-101. "I told our guys we want to go out there and play like we believe we can win this game," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "The Celtics are a very good team, a lot of talent over there. We're not going to make excuses for the schedule. This was a tough back-to-back, and all I asked our guys to do was play like you believe you can win this game. And they did."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS Indiana
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (3-5): Houston's two-game winning streak corresponds with an uptick in accuracy from Anthony, who is 17-of-26 from the floor in the two victories after a 2-of-12 performance in a 104-85 loss to Portland on Tuesday. The steadying force in the Houston rotation is center Clint Capela, who collected 12 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday for his fifth consecutive double-double. The 24-year-old is averaging 15.3 points and 11.5 rebounds while recording multiple blocks in five of the last six contests.
ABOUT THE PACERS (7-3): Oladipo scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter on Saturday, including the go-ahead 3-pointer. "I was just trying to get to any spot and win the game," Oladipo told reporters. "Get to my spot wherever I could get a shot off and win the game. I saw the clock going down and I just felt like I could get to that spot and I shot it with confidence." Oladipo is averaging 22.5 points and 7.3 rebounds and recorded a double-double in each of the last two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden committed eight of the team's 19 turnovers on Saturday.
2. Indiana PF Domantas Sabonis is averaging 13.6 points on 67.1 percent shooting.
3. Houston took the two meetings last season by an average of 22 points.
PREDICTION: Pacers 109, Rockets 103
Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons Preview and Predictions Picks
The Miami Heat are having trouble getting stops in a three-game losing streak, during which they are allowing an average of 123.7 points. The Detroit Pistons, who host the Heat on Monday, are enduring their own slide with losses in four straight following a four-game winning streak to start the season.
Miami allowed 102 points through the first three quarters to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and a turnaround on defense in the final period proved to be too late in a 123-118 setback. "The fourth quarter defense and the effort from the guys is what's going to be required for 48 minutes," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "We were able to hold them to 21 points, and you could feel the intensity of the guys on the court laying it all out there for better or worse. That's the type of desperation and urgency we're going to need for a complete game." The Pistons had a similar problem starting slow on Saturday due mostly to foul trouble in the frontcourt. "It's almost like you've got to play with your hands behind your back," Detroit center Andre Drummond told reporters after the 109-99 loss at Philadelphia. "Can't really touch nobody. But that's the way they're calling the game now, so I've got to figure a way to adjust to try to stay in the game. It's hard to play like that."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE HEAT (3-5): Miami was without point guard Goran Dragic (toe) on Saturday and made the unusual move of starting small forward Justise Winslow at the point. The 22-year-old nearly pulled off a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists while adding two blocks and two steals. "That's emptying your tank out there," Spoelstra told reporters of Winslow. "And that's what we need from a full roster. Whatever your minutes are, you're playing as hard as you can. You felt his presence out there. Even through some of the mistakes, he just made so many plays and did everything to try not to be denied."
ABOUT THE PISTONS (4-4): Detroit fell behind by 22 points at the break on Saturday and trailed after the first quarter in each of the last four games. "We held them to 27 percent in the second half, which is a hell of an effort defensively for us," Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters after Saturday's setback. "But our starts have been atrocious. Our approach to start the game has to be here. We come out in the first half the way we came out in the second half, we're a pretty good team." The bright spot at Philadelphia came from power forward Blake Griffin, who fought through foul trouble and scored 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Heat SG Josh Richardson scored a season-high 32 points on 10-of-18 shooting on Saturday and is averaging a team-high 20.8 points.
2. Detroit SG Reggie Bullock (ankle) sat out Saturday and is day-to-day.
3. The home team took each of the four meetings last season.
PREDICTION: Pistons 121, Heat 116
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Preview and Predictions Picks
The Cleveland Cavaliers may be finding it difficult to focus on basketball with all the turmoil surrounding the team. They will try to stick to matters at hand when they visit the Orlando Magic on Monday for the finale of a two-game road trip.
The trip began with an ugly 126-94 loss at Charlotte on Saturday, the team's second straight blowout loss amid testy contract negotiations with acting coach Larry Drew, trade requests, foot surgery for star forward Kevin Love and a slew of lineup changes that have yet to pay dividends. "I haven't been on the job long, so I still have some time to try and find it but I'm very happy with our squad," Drew told reporters after the loss to the Hornets. "I think we've got a good group. I think we just gotta get it out of them." The Magic will be playing the second half of a back-to-back but the first half was an excellent one, as they snapped a four-game losing streak with a surprising 117-110 win at San Antonio. Aaron Gordon broke out of a slump with 26 points as Orlando had its best offensive output of the season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (1-8): Not long after indicating he would like to be traded, veteran J.R. Smith led Cleveland with 14 points in the loss the Hornets. He and Kyle Korver combined to make 7-of-11 from 3-point range while the rest of the team went 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. Rookie Collin Sexton had scored at least 12 points in five straight games before being held to a season low-tying four points on 1-of-5 shooting.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (3-6): Gordon averaged just over 10 points while shooting 34.3 percent in his previous three games before carrying the load against the Spurs. "I was just taking what they were giving me," he told FS Florida in a postgame interview. "When coach calls my number I've got to be ready. I gotta continue to do that. Make shots." Rookie center Mo Bamba recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds Sunday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Smith needs two 3-pointers to move past Daniel Gibson (578) and into fifth place on the franchise's all-time list.
2. Magic SG Evan Fournier has three steals in each of his last two games after recording a total of three through his first seven contests.
3. The teams split four meetings last season, with Orlando taking the final meeting 116-98 at home.
PREDICTION: Magic 107, Cavaliers 99
Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks Preview and Predictions Picks
The New York Knicks hope to get much more out of their starting five - or perhaps go with a new one - when they host the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Leading scorer Tim Hardaway Jr. was held to a season-low seven points on 2-of-10 shooting and the other four starters combined for just 29 as the Knicks fell 108-95 at Washington on Sunday.
The Wizards entered with the worst scoring defense (123.9 points allowed per game) in the league but had no issues stifling a New York team that managed to make only 5-of-27 from 3-point range. Hardaway, who entered the game averaging 25.1 points, also took a knee to the back in the first half and ended his night early, leaving his status for Monday in question. The Bulls dropped four in a row at home to teams that entered Sunday with a combined 27-10 record - the last three by a combined 11 points. Zach LaVine continues to carry the load for a team playing without four injured starters, scoring 21 points while making 12-of-13 free throws in the 96-88 loss to Houston on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE BULLS (2-8): While LaVine did a nice job getting to the line against the Rockets, he was 4-for-16 from the field and Chicago shot a season-low 38.9 percent. "We had one bad quarter and unfortunately it was a really bad third quarter," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters of a seven-point effort in the third. "We were settling for shots. In fourth quarter, we got back in it by attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line." Rookie Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for his second career double-double.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (3-7): Enes Kanter had 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench at Washington and fellow reserve Allonzo Trier provided a nice spark with nine points in 22 minutes while mixing it up multiple times with Wizards star guard John Wall. "I want our whole team to be that way," coach David Fizdale told reporters of Trier's toughness. "That's Knicks DNA. Every player when you go back through the history with those teams, the toughest teams, that's the attitude." The rookie is averaging 14.5 points on 71.9 percent shooting over his last four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks PG Frank Ntilikina is 0-for-10 from 3-point range over his last three games.
2. Thirty of Bulls SF Justin Holiday's 42 baskets have come from beyond the arc.
3. Chicago won three of four meetings last season with the victories coming by a total of 10 points.
PREDICTION: Bulls 106, Knicks 104
New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder Preview and Predictions Picks
The Oklahoma City Thunder are finding their groove just as the New Orleans Pelicans are hitting a rut. The Thunder will try to earn their fifth consecutive win and hand the Pelicans a sixth straight loss when the teams meet in Oklahoma City on Monday.
New Orleans won its first four games before hitting the skid and is trying to salvage the finale of a five-game road trip after falling at fellow Western Conference contenders Denver, Golden State, Portland and San Antonio. "We've got to play better," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "It's that simple. There is no secret formula. We've got to do a better job of protecting the ball. We've got to stay within what we're supposed to do from a game plan standpoint, and we have to execute." The Thunder are moving in the opposite direction with their winning streak coming after four consecutive losses to begin the campaign. Oklahoma City put together its best offensive game of the young season on Friday at Washington, when it shot 57 percent from the floor and rolled to a 134-111 victory.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS New Orleans, FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-5): New Orleans' 120.6 points allowed ranks 29th in the NBA and that number jumped to 124 during the five-game slide. "We're not playing defense, we're not guarding anybody, we're making the game hard on ourselves," Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis told reporters. "It shouldn't be this easy. It's hard to score buckets in there and it's so easy for them on the other end. We're not physical. We're not stopping anybody one-on-one. We're just not playing basketball. We need to go back to the basics of guarding your man." Davis played in only two of the last five games due to an elbow injury but logged 40 minutes on Saturday and is probable for Monday.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-4): Oklahoma City is forcing an NBA-best 18 turnovers and forced the Wizards into 19 miscues on Friday, leading to 26 points. "I'm seeing a cohesive team effort that has really been contagious," center Nerlens Noel told the team's website. "We've really been putting a lot of effort and energy into the defense end, being able to guard the ball one on one, switching off into pick and rolls and just communicating. I think every day from game to game, practice to practice, guys have just been building on it and building an identity within ourselves." Star point guard Russell Westbrook is turning up his effort on the defensive end and recorded at least three steals in each of the last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans PG Elfrid Payton (ankle) sat out the last four games and is questionable for Monday.
2. Thunder PF Jerami Grant scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting Friday and is averaging 14.5 during the four-game winning streak.
3. New Orleans took two of the three meetings last season, including a 109-104 win at Oklahoma City on April 1.
PREDICTION: Thunder 123, Pelicans 119
Toronto Raptors vs Utah Jazz Preview and Predictions Picks
The Utah Jazz will try for a fourth time to pick up their first home win of the season when they host the red-hot Toronto Raptors on Monday. At 0-3 in Salt Lake City, the Jazz are one of two teams in the NBA yet to record a victory at home, where they will play their next three games.
Utah has been much better on the road but it collapsed down the stretch at Denver on Saturday and fell 103-88. "The score didn't reflect our effort," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told the media after his team was outscored 35-15 in the fourth quarter. "But ultimately you've got to put the ball in the basket. We weren't able to do that in the fourth quarter." The Raptors are tied for the best record in the NBA after winning 121-107 at the Los Angeles Lakers late Sunday night. Serge Ibaka hit his first 14 shots en route to a career-high 34 points to lift Toronto to the easy victory without star swingman Kawhi Leonard (foot), who is questionable for this one.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (9-1): Ibaka was 8-for-8 from the floor in the first quarter alone as Toronto raced to a 42-17 lead and he finished 15-for-17, later crediting point guard Kyle Lowry for helping to simplify the attack. "Kyle is making the game so easy for me and ," Ibaka told Sportsnet in a postgame interview. "The fact that he can shoot at the 3-point line just makes the game for us easy." Lowry's phenomenal assist binge continued with 15 more helpers against the Lakers, giving the veteran point guard at least 10 in each of the last eight games, and he turned the ball over just once.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (4-5): Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell missed Friday's loss to Memphis due to a hamstring injury and left the game in Denver with an ankle issue before returning to complete a 16-point effort. He missed all seven of his 3-point tries against the Nuggets and Utah finished 6-for-31 from beyond the arc, including 2-for-16 by the starters. Rudy Gobert recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Denver for his eighth double-double, second in the league entering Sunday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz SG Alec Burks (hand) has missed four straight games.
2. Raptors PF Pascal Siakam has three double-doubles in his last eight games after recording zero in his first 138 career contests.
3. The teams split a pair of meetings last season, with the road team winning both.
PREDICTION: Jazz 110, Raptors 106
Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets Preview and Predictions Picks
The Denver Nuggets are cruising along in the early going and showed what they are capable of when they put their foot on the pedal in the fourth quarter in a 103-88 win over Utah on Saturday. The Nuggets will try to turn the trick again against a top contender when they host the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Denver outscored the Jazz 35-15 in the fourth quarter on Saturday to continue the team's best start since 1976, and coach Michael Malone insists his squad is just doing the little things right. "We're third in defensive efficiency," Malone told reporters. "Our turnovers are way down, and we're the best rebounding team in the NBA. And those are things, I don't care if the league is 3-point shooting or not, when you defend and when you take care of it and you rebound, you're going to give yourself a chance every night." The Celtics had a four-game winning streak come to an end with a 102-101 loss at Indiana on Saturday, and center Al Horford is using it as a learning experience. "Games like this will help us learn to value possessions," Horford told reporters. "There were times I'm not even focused on offense, I'm thinking defensively we need to get stops. ... We have to be better in that regard. Some of these games early in the season that have worked in our favor but we're living on the edge a little too much. Maybe this will wake us up as a group and understand that we need to be better."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Boston, Altitude (Denver) Linea: Nuggets -2
ABOUT THE CELTICS (6-3): Boston point guard Kyrie Irving scored 18 points in Saturday's setback but missed a key layup attempt in the final seconds and put the loss on his own shoulders. "Great play call by Coach Stevens and I just smoked the layup," Irving told reporters. "It was just my body position. That was fully my responsibility to get open and to finish that shot. I rushed it. I got my left hand on the backboard and instead of finishing the play, I just put too much whatever on it and it just shorted. This one was my responsibility. I should have put us up four with that layup." Irving knocked down 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the loss and is 15-of-27 over the last four contests.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (8-1): Center Nikola Jokic scored seven points on 3-of-9 shooting on Saturday but still managed a double-double with 16 assists and 10 rebounds. "I think it speaks to his greatness," Malone told reporters of Jokic. "Some guys can impact the game with solely their scoring and their ability to score baskets. Nikola can dominate a game without scoring at all and not many guys can do that." Jokic is 17-of-42 from the floor over the last four games but is averaging 9.5 assists in that span - all wins.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics PF Marcus Morris is 18-of-29 from 3-point range over the last five contests.
2. Nuggets PF Paul Millsap is shooting 59.1 percent from the floor during the four-game winning streak.
3. Boston took the two meetings last season by a total of seven points.
PREDICTION: Celtics 110, Nuggets 107
Minnesota Timberwolves vs LA Clippers Preview and Predictions Picks
Lou Williams has led the way with a productive second unit for the Los Angeles Clippers and hopes to continue his personal hot streak when they return home to take on the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Williams averaged 23.7 points and drained 8-of-12 from 3-point range as the Clippers went 1-2 on their just-completed road trip that ended with a 120-95 win at Orlando on Friday, and they'll play four of the next five at home.
"(Williams) got it going in the third and fourth quarter and that changed the game," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters of Williams, who made all five 3-point attempts and scored a season-high 28 on Friday. "He is just an amazing, amazing shooter and he shoots from all angles. ... He is a professional scorer and you see it every time he plays." The Clippers received 63 points from their reserves in the win over Orlando and will need more of the same against Minnesota, which has won the last six meetings and four in a row at Los Angeles. The Timberwolves are not the same team as the one that made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years in 2017-18 as injuries and turmoil have led to a 4-6 start after the 111-81 setback at Portland on Sunday - equalling the most lopsided loss in coach Tom Thibodeau's tenure. Jimmy Butler, who has requested a trade, did not play at Portland and the All-Star is a game-time decision for Monday along with fellow guards Derrick Rose (ankle) and Jeff Teague (knee).
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles) Linea: Clippers -5.5
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-6): Leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns poured in a team-high 23 points on Sunday and is averaging 21 with 13 makes from 3-point range in the past five contests. Andrew Wiggins was the only other Minnesota player in double figures Sunday with 17 points and is averaging 19.3 in three games since returning from a quad injury. Guard Josh Okogie was held to six points on 2-of-8 shooting Sunday after averaging 14 in the previous three contests while fellow rookie Keita Bates-Diop scored his first four points in the NBA after making 2-of-7 from the field in 12 minutes.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (5-4): Boban Marjanovic continues to make a major impact and the 7-3 Serbian got his first start Friday before posting his second straight double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. "(Marjanovic) did a great job," Los Angeles' leading scorer Tobias Harris (21.2) told reporters. "Anytime he got a hand up for a target that's something I'm looking for. He has huge hands so he's going to grip the ball really fast, too. It's tough for defenses to guard." Harris, who also tops the team in rebounds (8.3 per game), has connected on 34-of-54 shots from the field over the last four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves shot a season-low 31.2 percent from the field Sunday and were 7-of-30 from 3-point range.
2. The Clippers assigned Gs Jerome Robinson and Ty Wallace to their G League affiliate in Ontario, Calif.
3. Butler has scored at least 20 points in six of the seven games in which he played, averaging 22.3.
PREDICTION: Clippers 112, Timberwolves 104
Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors Preview and Predictions Picks
Klay Thompson has found his long-range shot, making the Golden State Warriors even more difficult to crack as they prepare to host the improving Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. Thompson was just 5-for-36 from behind the 3-point arc in the first seven games but has drained 19-of-37 over the last three, including an NBA-record 14 against Chicago on Oct. 29 to help the Warriors extend their win streak to seven.
Stephen Curry has flown out of the gate by averaging 32.5 points, Kevin Durant is contributing 28.3 and Draymond Green has 44 assists combined the last four games, but Thompson adds another key element. "When Klay's going, and we've got KD and Steph going, we're pretty hard to beat," Golden State forward Kevon Looney told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We space the floor so much, and you've got to pick your poison." Memphis had the second-fewest wins in the league (22) last season and is off to a promising start, but coughed up a fourth-quarter lead in a 102-100 loss at Phoenix on Sunday in the middle of a three-game road trip. The Grizzlies' top two scorers - guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol - must recover after combining to miss 24-of-29 from the field in the loss to the Suns while the Memphis bench outscored its starters 59-41.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State) Linea: Warriors -14.5
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (5-3): Guard Shelvin Mack gave Memphis a chance to win with a season-high 21 points off the bench Sunday, and is averaging 18 over his last three contests while making 8-of-12 from 3-point range. Conley and Gasol had averaged 40 points between them in the previous three games - all victories - before struggling at Phoenix while third-leading scorer Garrett Temple had contributed 15.5 in that stretch before an eight-point effort Sunday. Rookie forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who was picked fourth overall in the 2018 draft, has scored in single digits three of the last four games after averaging 14.8 points the first four contests.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (9-1): Green finished Friday's 116-99 win over Minnesota with nine points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal while drawing plenty of praise from coach Steve Kerr. "Our fourth-quarter defense was tremendous," Kerr told reporters after outscoring the Timberwolves 33-12 in the final 12 minutes. "Everybody flying to the ball. I thought (Green) set the tone. I'm not sure I've seen Draymond play better since I've been here." Golden State continues to get strong contributions off the bench from forward Alfonzo McKinnie, who is averaging 9.6 points and shooting 61.3 percent from the field the last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis F Omri Casspi, who will receive a championship ring from Golden State on Monday, left Sunday's game with knee soreness.
2. Golden State G Shaun Livingston (foot) has missed the last four games and is listed as day-to-day, but could return soon.
3. The Warriors have won four of the last five meetings and scored 141 points in the last matchup Dec. 30, 2017.
PREDICTION: Warriors 123, Grizzlies 101