NBA News and Notes Sunday 2/13

NBA on ABC Betting Preview
By David Chan

Miami Heat at Boston Celtics

In a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston (38-14, 24-26-2 ATS) has a chance to clinch the regular season series against Miami when it hosts the Heat in a Sunday afternoon showdown.

The Celtics have won both of their previous meetings. At the Garden on Oct. 26, they handled Miami 88-80 and covered the 1-point spread without much trouble. Boston did not shoot well aside from Ray Allen’s five long balls, but Dwyane Wade (13 points) and Chris Bosh (eight points) combined to go 7 of 27 from the floor for the Heat.

Allen’s two outings against Miami went a long way in his breaking of Reggie Miller’s all-time 3-point record earlier this week. Following up his performance in Boston, Allen drained seven from downtown in a 112-107 win at Miami on Nov. 11. The Celtics, who were pegged as 6.5-point underdogs, dominated the first half and held on in the second despite LeBron James’ 35 points and Udonis Haslem’s 21.

The Heat is on

When asked about Sunday’s matchup, LeBron told the Miami Herald, “We know it’s a big game. They’ve beat us twice and it’s a team that we’re trying to catch.”

Well, not anymore. Trailing Boston in the standings ever since a dismal start to the season, the Heat (39-14, 27-25-1 ATS) have finally caught up, surpassed and now lead the Eastern Conference by a half game. Miami went into the Palace of Auburn Hills Friday night and led by 27 points at the end of the third quarter before finishing off the Pistons 106-92. The team improved to 30-6 since beginning its campaign 9-8.

“To be able to put this record together, it just shows commitment that we’ve had,” James continued. “It just shows that we’ve come so far.”

But the Heat still have a long way to go and they would find themselves right back in second place with a loss to Boston.

“It’s a really good team and really good atmosphere and we look forward to the challenge,” LeBron added.

Trending topics

The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last seven overall, 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with winning home records and 6-0 ATS in their last six Sunday games.

The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall and 1-4-1 ATS in their last six against the Southeast Division.

The over is 4-0 in Miami’s last four road games and 5-0 in its last five against the Eastern Conference.

Head-to-head, Boston is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings between the two teams and 4-0 in its last four at home against the Heat.

Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic

This is the first meeting this season between the two teams who contested the 2009 NBA Finals. Los Angeles (38-16, 25-28-1 ATS) captured its fourth title in the 2000s by rolling through the Magic 4-1, winning two straight in Orlando to clinch following a Game 3 loss. Led by MVP Kobe Bryant (32.4 points, 7.4 assists in the series), the Lakers covered the spread in four of five contests, including an ATS win by half a point in the Magic’s 108-104 home victory.

They faced each other twice last season. The spread was pushed in L.A.’s 98-92 win at the Staples Center and the Lakers again covered by half a point in their 96-94 loss at Orlando. Shannon Brown went off for 22 points in the Los Angeles victory while Dwight Howard has 16 boards as Orlando out-rebounded the Lakers 50-39 to get revenge.

No perimeter Magic

The Magic (34-21, 24-30-1 ATS) have won only five of their last 11 games (4-7 ATS) and a big reason for their current struggles is poor perimeter play. Orlando’s midseason blockbuster trades were supposed to shore up its outside play, but instead it has only gotten worse since the deal.

In Friday’s 99-93 home loss to New Orleans, the Magic turned the ball over 16 times and made only five of 21 3-point attempts. Guards Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson combined for only 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting (1 for 7 from beyond the arc).

“We give them the ball and we give them a lot of freedom,” head coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel of his perimeter players. “It’s not getting done that way so we have to find a different way to do it.”

“Our perimeter play right now is mind-boggling to me,” Van Gundy said after Friday’s setback. “Our decision-making is bad. We’re not shooting the ball well at all; another night where we cannot make a three. That ball should have been going inside; nothing but going inside.”

Trending topics

The Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last four overall and 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.

The Magic are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games and 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven against teams with winning SU records.

The over is 4-1 in L.A.’s last five overall and 4-1 ATS in its last five road games. The under is also 5-0 in Orlando’s last five overall and 8-2 in its last 10 home games.

Head-to-head, the Lakers are 4-0-1 ATS in the last five overall and 4-0 ATS in their last four trips to Orlando. The road team is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings and 11-1-1 ATS in the last 13 encounters. The under is 4-0 in the last four showdowns.

Sunday NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The Sunday NBA card is a healthy one with eight games on the docket. The Lakers look to stay hot on their East Coast swing at Orlando, while the Wizards attempt to win on the road for the first time all season against the suddenly-hot Cavs. We'll start in Beantown with the Celtics trying to make a trifecta against LeBron James and the Heat.

Heat at Celtics

All of the sudden, Miami is the number one seed in the Eastern Conference following its eighth straight victory on Friday at Detroit. The Celtics have a game in hand on the Heat as Doc Rivers' club looks to bounce back from Thursday's home setback to the Lakers. Boston can shut the door on a tiebreaker for home-court advantage with a victory on Sunday after beating Miami twice this season.

The Celtics held off a furious rally in the season opener by downing the Heat, 88-80 at TD Garden. Miami was limited to nine first-quarter points in the debut of James and Chris Bosh in a Heat uniform, while the Heat tallied just 30 points in the first half. Ray Allen shut the door on the Heat with five treys and 20 points as the C's cashed in the role of a short home 'dog.

The venue shifted to downtown Miami for the second meeting two weeks later as the Celtics won a high-scoring affair, 112-107 as 6½-point underdogs. Allen burned the Heat with 35 points, while James equaled that amount with 35 points, but Dwyane Wade's eight points resulted in another defeat to Boston. The Celtics shot 54% from the floor and were able to overcome 32 made free throws by the Heat.

Things have changed for the better for Erik Spoelstra's squad, as Miami is 30-6 since a 9-8 start. The road has been kind to the Heat with wins in 17 of the last 21 games on the highway, including away victories over the Thunder, Magic, and Lakers in this stretch. Miami backers are happy in this span as well with the Heat racking up a 15-5-1 ATS mark on the road since a 106-95 loss at Dallas in late November.

The Celtics suffered only their fifth home defeat in 28 games with Thursday's loss to the Lakers in which Boston blew an early 15-point lead. Since winning at Staples Center on their last road trip, the C's have been held to less than 100 points in five straight games, even though only three of those contests finished 'under' the total. An interesting number to keep an eye is Boston's 8-0 ATS record this season when coming off consecutive ATS losses, as the C's failed to cover against the Bobcats and Lakers.

Lakers at Magic

Getting kicked out of Staples Center for the Grammy Awards and the All-Star Game hasn't been the worst thing for the defending champs. The Lakers won the first four games at New Orleans, Memphis, Boston, and New York, improving to 5-0 SU/ATS the last five on the highway. Los Angeles looks to keep it up with a trip to the new Magic Kingdom in a rematch of the 2009 NBA Finals.

Stan Van Gundy's team is trying to avoid a disappearing act in the Southeast Division as the Magic sit in third place behind the Heat and Hawks entering Sunday's action. Orlando slipped up on Friday night with a 99-93 home loss to New Orleans as 8½-point favorites. The game finished 'under' the total for the fifth straight time, while limiting opponents 99 points or less each game.

Since a three-game winning streak in late January, the Magic owns a 5-6 SU and 4-7 ATS mark the last 11 games, while going 3-6 ATS the previous nine contests at Amway Center. The Magic has struggled against the Lakers beginning with the Finals loss two summers ago. Orlando is 2-5 SU and 1-5-1 ATS the last seven meetings in this series after sweeping Los Angeles in the 2008-09 regular season.

The Lakers dominated the Knicks on Friday, 113-96 as three-point road 'chalk.' Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles with 33 points as the Purple and Gold cashed its third straight 'under' on this seven-game road swing. The Lakers have been equally consistent regardless of location this season with a 19-8 SU mark both at home and on the road.

What else to watch for:

This game won't exactly tip the scales in the Eastern Conference, but the Cavaliers and Wizards is definitely intriguing. Cleveland's overtime victory over the Clippers on Friday snapped a league-record 26-game losing streak, as the Cavs are 5-2-1 ATS the last eight games. Washington has failed to win a game away from the Verizon Center by racking up 25 consecutive defeats on the road. The Wizards have compiled a 3-11 ATS ledger the past 14 games as a road underdog, including losses at Minnesota, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Indiana.

The Clippers continue their East Coast swing at Toronto as Los Angeles is 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS the last six games. The Raptors are having their problems getting in the win column with defeats in 16 of their past 17 contests following Friday's loss to Portland. Toronto has turned into the ultimate 'fade' with a 2-10 ATS mark since late January.

The Grizzlies look for their 11th win in 14 games as Memphis welcomes in Denver to FedEx Forum. The Nuggets start a three-game swing after beating the Mavs at the buzzer on Thursday night to snap a two-game skid. Denver has covered five of its last seven on the road, while the Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS the previous five home games against rested opponents.

vegasinsider.com

Heat, Celtics in marquee NBA betting battle
By: Adam Markowitz

Many thought that it was a foregone conclusion at the outset of this season that the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat would meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. Though that might not ultimately be the case, there is no doubt that these are two of the best teams in the entire game, and they'll meet up on Sunday afternoon in Beantown.

Tip-off in this NBA betting battle from the TD Garden in Boston is slated for 10 a.m. (PT) in a game that will be televised nationally on ABC.

This will be the second contest of a four-game roadie for Miami, a trip that starts off with a duel against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. The team has won seven in a row and is 5-2 against the NBA odds in that stretch, proving once again that this club is certainly one to be reckoned with.

It seemed impossible that one of these three studs – Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh – could really emerge as an MVP candidate, but LBJ has proven that he is absolutely the league's most valuable player, whether he wins the award or not. We can just look at what has happened to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers without James in the fold, and now we can look at the marked improvement for the Heat.

James has been amazing, averaging 26.4 points, 7.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per night. He really is just doing everything for this club, and there is no stopping him when he is on his game. Wade is "merely" averaging 25.2 PPG, while Bosh is "just" putting together 18.2 PPG and 8.0 RPG.

If there's a team that is deep enough to stick with this Miami team though, it's the Celtics. The depth is borderline absurd, and that doesn't even include all of the names that are out injured at the moment.

Boston was defeated on Thursday night by the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that Ray Allen became the all-time leader for three-point field goals in NBA history. This was Boston's second loss in a row and its fourth failed attempt at beating the pro basketball odds in its last five games.

Still, with two full days to rest, one would hope that the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Semih Erden and Nate Robinson will be able to get back into the lineup. If not though, we know that the starting five of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo will be ready to roll. These five men know what it takes to get through the best in the league, having already won an NBA title and now finished as a runner-up last year to the Lakers, and there is a real argument for this team to be considered the best in the biz.

So far this season, the pendulum has swung in favor of the Celtics in this series. Boston won 112-107 down in South Beach in November and 88-80 here in Beantown to open the NBA season in October. Over the course of the last 20 meetings, the C's have dominated, going 17-3 SU and 15-5 ATS against their Eastern Conference brethren.

Don't be shocked if Miami turns the tide and gets back in the win column on the road, especially after the two losses to the Celtics earlier this year.

Lakers continue trip in Orlando
By: Michael Robinson

The Los Angeles Lakers might never want to return to Southern California after a wildly successful road trip so far. They meet the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon in a nationally televised contest.

Los Angeles (38-16 straight-up, 25-28-1 against the spread) played lackluster basketball during a recent homestand (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS), but has won and ‘covered’ four straight since departing for a seven-game trip last Saturday.

Coach Phil Jackson’s team seems to be peaking after dispatching the hated Celtics on Thursday night (92-86 as two-point ‘dogs). Some feared a letdown for the Friday night game at the NY Knicks, but it was even more impressive (113-96 as three-point favorites.

The 209 combined points scored went ‘under’ the 211½-point total. The ‘under’ is 3-0 in the Lakers’ last three games, allowing just 88.7 PPG.

Kobe Bryant had 33 points against New York on 12-of-17 shooting from the field. Center Andrew Bynum had 12 points and nine rebounds and seems more motivated after being mentioned in trade rumors for Denver’s Carmelo Anthony.

This is a huge game Sunday for Bynum. His biggest asset is to match up with physical centers like Orlando’s Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol is much better suited at power forward, where he can create offensive mismatches in the low post.

Orlando (34-21 SU, 24-30-1 ATS) has hit a lull following an initial surge after the dramatic roster makeover that brought over Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson.

The Magic are just 9-9 SU (7-10-1 ATS) since their nine-game winning streak (8-1 ATS) ended on January 8. They haven’t beaten a winning team in over a month.

Orlando’s last game on Friday was a prime example of its problems. New Orleans came to town on a four-game losing streak and minus center Emeka Okafor. Trevor Ariza (ankle) returned after missing three games, but was just 4-of 16 shooting. The Hornets still won 99-93 as 8½-point ‘dogs.

The 192 combined points scored went ‘under’ the 192½-point total. The ‘under’ is 5-0 in Orlando’s last five games with the offense scoring just 96.6 PPG. The ‘under’ is 8-2 in Orlando’s last 10 home games overall.

Howard (22.5 PPG) has done his part offensively and on the boards (13.9 RPG). He took advantage of his matchup with New Orleans’ backup pivot Aaron Gray to score 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. However, he took just one shot in the fourth quarter as the team was wary of him being fouled and shooting free throws (4-of 12 from the line).

Turkoglu is a player who’s capable of stepping up late in games, but he’s been bothered by injuries and is shooting 34.9 percent the last nine games (9.1 PPG). He did score 16 points against New Orleans (7-of-10 shooting), so hopefully he’s breaking out of his slump.

Orlando has been without power forward Brandon Bass the last six games. He’s undersized, but brings a much more physical presence than backup Ryan Anderson. Bass is questionable for Sunday, although Gasol should have a nice day offensively either way.

Orlando is 19-8 SU at home and 13-14 ATS. Those numbers have dipped recently at 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS in the last five.

This is the first meeting between the teams this year. The Magic won at home last year 96-94, but failed to cover the 2 ½-point spread. Los Angeles is 4-0-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall and the underdog is 11-1-1 in the last 13.

The ‘under’ is 4-0 in the last four meetings and 7-1 in the last eight.

ABC will have the broadcast at 12:30 p.m. (PT) from Amway Center, right after another great one in Miami at Boston.

Tips and Trends

Miami Heat at Boston Celtics

HEAT: (-1, O/U 189.5) Miami has been dominant of late, as they enter today's matchup on an 8 game SU winning streak. The Heat currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 39-14 SU and 27-25-1 ATS overall this year. Miami is 19-9 SU and 17-10-1 ATS in road games this season. The Heat are 1-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or fewer this year. Miami has plenty of revenge on their minds today, as they have already lost to the Celtics twice this season. F LeBron James might be having the best season of his career, and appears destined to win yet another NBA MVP award. James is averaging a team high 26.2 PPG, along with 7.4 RPG and 7.4 APG this year. G Dwyane Wade is averaging 25.2 PPG this season, while shooting nearly 50% from the field. The Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games against a team with a winning home record. Miami is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win. Miami is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as the listed favorite. Miami is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win. The Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against the Eastern Conference. Miami is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games as the listed road favorite.

Heat are 6-0 ATS last 6 Sunday games.
Over is 10-1 last 11 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%.

Key Injuries - F Udonis Haslem (foot) is out.

Projected Score: 100 (SIDE of the Day)

CELTICS: Boston is on unfamiliar grounds, as they no longer have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have lost 3 of their past 4 games SU, partly due to all the injuries to their roster. Boston is 38-14 SU and 24-26-2 ATS overall this season. Boston is 23-5 SU and 11-15-2 ATS in home games this year. The Celtics are 1-0 ATS as a home underdog of 3 PTS or fewer this season. F Paul Pierce is proving his usual offense for Boston, as he leads the team with 18.9 PPG this year. PG Rajon Rondo is averaging 11 PPG and an NBA high 12.3 APG this season. Boston leads the NBA in scoring defense, allowing a league low 91.5 PPG this season. The Celtics are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Sunday games. Boston is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as the listed underdog. The Celtics are 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games playing on 2 days rest. Boston is 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following a SU loss. The Celtics are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games against the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Celtics are 10-2-1 ATS last 13 games as a home underdog.
Over is 9-2 last 11 games following an ATS loss.

Key Injuries - C Shaquille O'Neal (achilles) is out.

Projected Score: 92

Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic

LAKERS: One strong road trip can change the opinions of millions. Los Angeles has stated just how important this road trip was for them, and they are responding like true Champions. The Lakers were able to beat Boston and New York on consecutive nights, and now they will look to beat the Magic this afternoon. The Lakers are 38-16 SU and 25-28-1 ATS overall this year. Los Angeles is 19-8 SU and 15-12 ATS in road games this season. The Lakers are 1-1 ATS as the listed underdog this season. G Kobe Bryant is averaging a team high 25.5 PPG this season. F Pau Gasol is averaging 18.8 PPG and a team high 10.4 RPG this year. C Andrew Bynum is averaging 11.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG this year for Los Angeles. The Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. Los Angeles is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win. Los Angeles is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Sunday games. Los Angeles is 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.

Lakers are 5-0 ATS last 5 road games.
Under is 21-8 last 29 games following a SU win.

Key Injuries - F Matt Barnes (knee) is out.

Projected Score: 94

MAGIC: (-1.5, O/U 196) Orlando isn't in their finest form right now, and that includes a rare home loss in their latest game against New Orleans. The Magic 34-21 SU and 24-30-1 ATS overall this season. Because of their recent struggles, the Magic have dropped to 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is 19-8 SU and 13-14 ATS in home games this season. The Magic are 2-2 ATS as a home favorite of 3 PTS or fewer this year. C Dwight Howard is averaging a team high 22.9 PPG this season, along with 13.9 RPG. Howard trails only Kevin Love for the most RPG in the NBA this season. PG Jameer Nelson is averaging 12.4 PPG and a team high 6.4 APG this year. Defensively, Orlando is allowing just 94.6 PPG, 6th fewest in the league. The Magic are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Sunday games. Orlando is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite. The Magic are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest. Orlando is 0-6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning SU record.

Magic are 1-4 ATS last 5 home games.
Under is 8-2 last 10 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - F Brandon Bass (ankle) is questionable.

Projected Score: 95 (UNDER-Total of the Day)