Saturday's Best NBA Bet
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers
The Celtics shipped off Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder just before Thursday's trade deadline and paid for it later in the day. Boston got hammered at Denver -- which had just made a deal of its own -- by 14 points. Without any real big man other than Glen Davis, the Celtics got out-rebounded 52 to 38.
As for the trade that brought in Jeff Green (who should make his debut on Saturday), coach Doc Rivers hopes it eventually pays off.
"We needed to get a ‘3’ and a ‘4’ as far as a swing guy," Rivers told the Boston Globe. "This gives us the ability to do what I did the year we won it, which is at times we can go small with Green at ‘4’ and Kevin (Garnett) at the ‘5’ and Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen) and it spread the floor. I think people forget how many times we did that in the playoffs. We haven’t been able to duplicate that."
A key assumption to the deal is Shaquille O'Neal will return from injury. Shaq should be healthy when the Celtics need him for the playoffs, but he won't be ready for Saturday due to his Achilles' problem. Fellow big man Jermaine O'Neal won't return until April because of a knee injury.
The trade may pay dividends in the future, but it won't against the Clippers.
Pick: Clippers
Bulls start trip at Milwaukee Bucks
By: Michael Robinson
The Chicago Bulls will look to step up their road play when they start a five-game trip at Central Division rival Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
The Bulls (39-17 straight-up, 33-21-2 against the spread) have had a mixed bag of results since the All-Star break. It began with an awful 118-113 loss as 8 ½-point favorites at lowly Toronto on Wednesday. It was the second-most points Chicago has let up this season.
Big man Joakim Noah returned after missing 30 games with a thumb injury. He showed his value with 16 boards (nine offensive) in 25 minutes, but the team got caught looking ahead to a Miami Heat home showdown on Thursday.
The Heat clash lived up to its billing. It was a back-and-forth affair with each team owning at least a nine-point lead in the second half. The game was tied at 89-89 before a Luol Deng three-pointer led to a 93-89 win and ‘cover’ as three-point ‘dogs.
The 182 combined points scored went ‘under’ the 192-point total. The ‘over’ was 4-0 in Chicago’s previous four.
Noah (seven points, eight boards) was in foul trouble most of the game, but he did help limit Miami’s Chris Bosh to a historically bad 1-of-18 from the field. Omer Asik was Noah’s backup, which caused a DNP for veteran Kurt Thomas. Thomas started when Noah was out and it’s going take time for team chemistry to sort out.
Chicago is now 5-1 SU and ATS in its last six games, going 4-0 SU and ATS before the break.
The Bulls are a dominant home team (26-4 SU, 19-9-2 ATS). The road is a different story (13-13 SU, 14-12 ATS) and they can’t afford another poor effort in the 90 mile trek up to Wisconsin.
The Bucks (22-35 SU, 26-29-2 ATS) are starting a four-game homestand and are 1-1 SU and ATS since the break. They beat Minnesota on Tuesday night, 94-88 as eight-point home favorites. Starting point guard Brandon Jennings had 27 points and Corey Maggette added 20 off the bench.
Milwaukee had a ‘back-to-back’ at the Knicks on Wednesday and it was made infinitely harder by the debut of New York forward Carmelo Anthony. The former Nugget had 27 points in front of the raucous crowd. The Bucks’ John Salmons had 27 of his own and they at least ‘covered’ the 6 ½-points in the 114-108 loss.
The 222 combined points scored went way ‘over’ the 199½-point total. It was Milwaukee’s highest output in regulation since January 8, and the ‘under’ was 9-1 in its previous 10 games.
The last two games are a microcosm of the Bucks’ season. They have a bunch of solid players, but no superstar to carry them offensively every night or to pull out close games in the fourth quarter (like New York’s Anthony).
Shooting guard Michael Redd used to be that kind of guy, but he hasn’t played since January 2010 with a knee injury. Redd is back practicing some with the team, but he’s not cleared yet and the former 20 PPG scorer will make little impact the rest of this year.
Coach Scott Skiles’ team is last in the league in scoring (91.7 PPG), but can improve as long as the current starters stay healthy and Maggette (13.3 PPG) contributes off the bench.
Milwaukee is 14-13 SU and 11-14-2 ATS at home. The ‘under’ is 19-8 in those games.
The Bucks are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight against the Central and 0-5 ATS in their last five following an ATS win.
Milwaukee’s Drew Gooden (out, foot) is the only injury for either team besides Redd.
Both meetings this year were in Chicago, with the Bulls going 2-0 SU and ATS. The ‘under’ went 2-0 and is 4-0 in the last four overall. Chicago is 4-1 ATS in the last five in Wisconsin.
Tip-off from the Bradley Center will be 5:30 p.m. (PT).