NBA Today
SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Nov. 13
Denver at Cleveland (8 p.m. EST). Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets will try to stop Cavaliers star LeBron James, who has scored 41 points in three of his last four games.
STARS
Wednesday
— Dwight Howard, Magic, recorded his first career triple-double with 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks as Orlando beat Oklahoma City 109-92.
— Paul Pierce, Celtics, hit a fallaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left and finished with 34 points and Boston sent Atlanta to its first loss 103-102.
— Wilson Chandler, Knicks, scored a career-high 27 points, missing only one of his 12 shots, and New York routed Memphis 132-103.
— Elton Brand, 76ers, scored a season-high 25 points to lift Philadelphia to a 106-96 win over Toronto.
— Tracy McGrady, Rockets, snapped out of a slump to score 22 of his 27 points in the second half to lead Houston past Phoenix 94-82.
SLOW START
San Antonio, missing Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to injuries, is off to its worst start since going 2-13 in 1996-97. The Spurs (2-5) lost to the Bucks 82-78 after nearly rallying from a 10-point deficit in the final 3 minutes.
HELPING HAND
The Nets announced Wednesday they are providing 1,500 free tickets over the next two months to unemployed fans who submit resumes to the team. The NBA team plans to send the resumes to its 120 corporate sponsors and a couple hundred firms that own season tickets.
SIDELINED STAR
Kevin Durant missed the Oklahoma City Thunder’s loss to Orlando because of a sore left ankle. Coach P.J. Carlesimo said Durant is day-to-day and his status for Friday’s game at New York is up in the air.
BACK IN ACTION
Greg Oden returned to Portland’s lineup following a six-game absence because of a sprained right foot sustained in the season opener. The hard-luck center was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft, then missed all of last season following knee surgery and only managed to play 13 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers in his long-awaited debut last month. He was not in the Trail Blazers’ starting lineup Wednesday, coming off the bench to score three points and grab two rebounds in 16 minutes. Portland beat Miami 104-96.
BOMBS AWAY
The uptempo New York Knicks set a franchise-record with 19 3-pointers in a 132-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. New York was 19-of-34 from beyond the arc, eclipsing the previous mark of 17 against the Atlanta Hawks in 2005.
STATS
Hawks forward Marvin Williams, who made one 3-pointer all last season, had four on Wednesday and is 8-for-11 this season from behind the arc. … Chris Paul extended to seven his record streak of 20-point, 10-assist games to start a season. … The Knicks (5-3) are off to their best start since 2000-01 and haven’t lost in five games when they’ve scored 100 or more points.
MOVING ON UP
Shaquille O’Neal scored 18 points to move past John Havlicek into 10th on the NBA career scoring list. With 26,402 points, O’Neal needs 267 to pass Dominique Wilkins. … Kobe Bryant moved within three points of Larry Bird for 22nd place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Bird scored 21,791 points with Boston.
TEMPERS FLARE
Houston’s Rafer Alston and Matt Barnes of Phoenix were ejected, and three other players drew technical fouls in a third-quarter skirmish between the Rockets and the Suns. What was mostly a shoving match broke out just after Tracy McGrady’s 3-pointer put Houston ahead 74-55 with 27 seconds left in the quarter. Alston, apparently upset after Barnes knocked him back with his shoulder, shoved the Phoenix player.
SPEAKING
“The last play was drawn up: Get the ball to Pierce; get the hell out the way. Superman’s in the booth. Let’s go home. That was the play, and if you don’t believe that ask Doc Rivers and he’ll say the same exact thing.”—Celtics forward Kevin Garnett on the last-second shot by Paul Pierce that gave them a 103-102 victory over the Hawks.
Denver Nuggets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and six rebounds to lead the Nuggets past the Bobcats 88-80 on Tuesday night.
Denver covered as 3-point road favorites as the game played under the 194-point total posted by oddsmakers.
LeBron James dropped 41 points and handed out six assists to lift the Cavaliers over the Bucks 99-93 on Tuesday night.
Cleveland couldn't cover as 11.5-point home favorites as the teams played under the 192-point total set by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Denver has won 3 straight games.
Cleveland has won 5 straight games.
Team records:
Denver: 4-3 SU, 6-1 ATS
Cleveland: 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS
Denver most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Boston are 3-7
After playing Charlotte are 5-3
After a win are 5-5
Cleveland most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
Before playing Utah are 6-4
After playing Milwaukee are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Denver
Next up:
Denver at Boston, Friday, November 14
Cleveland home to Utah, Saturday, November 15
Dallas Mavericks vs. Chicago Bulls
Jason Terry led the way for the Mavericks with 21 points in their 106-99 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles covered as 5-point road favorites as the game played over the 197-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Derrick Rose led Chicago with 26 points, 10 boards, and six assists in its 113-108 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Atlanta won as 2.5-point road underdogs as the teams played over the 188-point total set by oddsmakers.
Current streak:
Dallas has lost 3 straight games.
Chicago has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Dallas: 2-5 SU, 2-5 ATS
Chicago: 3-5 SU, 4-4 ATS
Dallas most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Orlando are 5-5
After playing LA Lakers are 7-3
After a loss are 5-5
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Indiana are 3-7
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Dallas is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games when playing Chicago
Dallas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Dallas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Dallas's last 13 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chicago's last 13 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Chicago's last 25 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games at home
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Next up:
Dallas home to Orlando, Friday, November 14
Chicago home to Indiana, Saturday, November 15
Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors
Allen Iverson dropped 30 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Pistons past the Kings 100-92 on Tuesday night.
Detroit covered as 7-point road favorites as the game played under the 199-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Stephen Jackson scored 30 points to lead the Warriors over the Timberwolves 113-110 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Golden State couldn't cash as 6-point home favorites as the teams played over the 204-point total listed by sportsbooks.
Team records:
Detroit: 5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS
Golden State: 3-5 SU, 4-4 ATS
Detroit most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing LA Lakers are 8-2
After playing Sacramento are 7-3
After a win are 5-5
Golden State most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing LA Clippers are 3-7
After playing Minnesota are 5-5
After a win are 0-10
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games at home
Golden State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
Golden State is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Golden State's last 11 games
Next up:
Detroit at LA Lakers, Friday, November 14
Golden State at LA Clippers, Saturday, November 15
Tips and Trends
Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers
Nuggets: In case you missed it, Denver is playing small ball right now due to numerous injuries that has depleted the team's frontcourt. Kenyon Martin has missed the last two games with a sprained wrist but hopes to return while 7-footer Steven Hunter is likely out for the season with a knee injury and Chris Andersen is sidelined for at least a couple weeks with a broken rib. That means 6-11 center Nene is the only healthy player taller than 6-8 who will be playing for the Nuggets.
Nuggets are 5-0 SU in the last 5 meetings.
The UNDER is 12-4 in Denver's last 16 games overall.
Key Injuries - F Kenyon Martin (wrist) is day-to-day.
C Chris Andersen (ribs) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 97
Cavs (-5.5, O/U 199.5): Cleveland star LeBron James has scored 41 points in three of the team's last four games and enjoyed his best shooting game of the season in a 99-93 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday. James made 16-of-24 shots (67 percent) and has finally started sinking some 3-pointers. After missing 13 straight in his first five games, he has hit 6-of-17 in the last three. One thing James has struggled with is matchups with buddy Carmelo Anthony, who has been on the winning end in the last five meetings. Anthony's Nuggets are 6-2 all-time in eight career meetings with the James' Cavs.
Cavs are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
The UNDER is 7-1 in Cleveland's last 8 games vs. Northwest Division.
Key Injuries - NONE
PROJECTED SCORE: 103
DENVER (4 - 3) at CLEVELAND (6 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 4-0 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-0 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS (2 - 5) at CHICAGO (3 - 5)
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 DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT (5 - 2) at GOLDEN STATE (3 - 5)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 2-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 2-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Denver at Cleveland
Denver: 10-25 ATS after 2+ consecutive unders
Cleveland: 17-6 ATS off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite
Dallas at Chicago
Dallas: 10-5 ATS after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6
Chicago: 11-20 ATS in November
Detroit at Golden State
Detroit: 37-24 ATS in non-conference games
Golden State: 2-10 ATS off a close home win by 3 points or less
DENVER vs. CLEVELAND
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
DALLAS vs. CHICAGO
Dallas is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Dallas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Chicago is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Dallas
Chicago is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
DETROIT vs. GOLDEN STATE
Detroit is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Detroit
Golden State is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Andre Gomes NBA Preview
Denver @ Cleveland
The Cavs are in a sequence of 5 wins in a row, however they struggled against the Bucks in their last game when it wasn't expected. Today they will host the Nuggets of Carmelo, who is coming from three wins in a row. So, we have two confident teams going head to head in a TNT game. Lebron has been dominating in the last games of the Cavs and probably there won't many games where he will have the motivation he will have for this one, as he is 2-7 vs Carmelo and that fact is creating some buzz on the media. Cleveland has been winning the games, because Lebron has been amazing at every level and also the Cavs are a much more consistent team this season.
On the other side, the Nuggets are also being more consistent this season, the team is 3-0 with Billups and even though he is yet to have an amazing game in terms of shooting, the truth is that his leadership has been very important in order for the Nuggets to win games. This game promises to be a great show and with points, taking in consideration the moment of both teams. Denver is 5-0 SU on their last 5 games against Cleveland and there may have a feeling of revenge by the Cavs in this game. However, Billups has also some revenge issues against Cleveland.
Dallas @ Chicago
Unlike the game between the Cavs and the Nuggets, we will have in here two teams who are struggling this season. Dallas lost their last 3 games, while Chicago has lost 4 of their last 5 and the scenario isn't the best for them, as some players are with physical problems. Rose, Gooden and Hughes are injured and even though they might play, nothing guarantees that they will be at 100%. The team is coming from two home losses in a row, where they couldn't be consistent and they committed a lot of errors. The Bulls depend a lot from their backcourt and that's why it's normal for them to have streaks during a game. Sometimes everything goes well, sometimes the ball simply doesn't enter the basket.
On the other side, the Mavs are still adjusting to a new system and Josh Howard is questionable for today. They are coming from a loss against the Lakers by 99-106. Having in account they have just lost by 7 points, we can consider that as positive, considering how strong the Lakers are right now. Last season, Dallas won both games of the series and we are talking about a spot where both teams need to win games badly!
Detroit @ Golden State
The Pistons finally won a game with Allen Iverson and that's already a motive of more confidence, however I have to say the Kings deserved to win that game, as Sacramento was almost always superior during the game and that was a surprise, considering they were playing without Kevin Martin. Fortunately for the backers of the Pistons, the team covered the spread of the last seconds of the game. Today they will have a tough game at Golden State against a team who is coming from a close home win against the Wolves after overtime. Corey Maggete will return today and he will be the offense weapon the Warriors were lacking.
The Warriors are coming from 3 ATS losses in a row and in these big games with the national audience, Don Nelson uses to find a way to be competitive against the top teams. In the Pistons, a lot has been talked about Allen Iverson, but people should be more concerned with Richard Hamilton, who after shooting 0-8 FG against the Boston, has shot 4-16 FG vs Sacramento, showing how horrible he has been lately. Detroit suffered a boost of confident with their win at Sacramento, but facing this Warriors may be a problem, especially when Hamilton is 4-24 FG on his last two games. Detroit won the two games of the series last season, when the Warriors had done the same in the previous season.
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
Has the NBA slowed down this year?
If you look at the points being scored per game, your answer would be “Yes.”
Thirteen teams averaged 100 points per game during the 2007-08 NBA regular season and two clubs were just below the century mark with 98 PPG. A good attack is often a direct relation to bad defense and it should be noted that 17 clubs gave up an average of 100-plus PPG last season.
Fast forward to this year, and the numbers have changed drastically on both ends of the court even though it’s early in the season. Defensively, only seven teams are allowing 100 PPG or more. Washington (108.8 PPG) and Sacramento (106.1 PPG) are the cellar dwellers when it comes to defense and it’s probably no surprise that the Wizards and Kings are a combined 3-10 so far.
Nobody has even played 10 games yet so the sample size isn’t a great barometer but the NBA only has six teams averaging 100 PPG or more at this point, led by the L.A. Lakers (106.7 PPG). Another eight to nine could be listed as borderline clubs but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on, especially for gambling purposes. The ‘under’ has cashed in 54 percent of the games played this season.
Three games on tap tonight, including a televised double-header on TNT.
Let’s take a closer look.
Denver at Cleveland
“A rule of thumb in sports gambling that I tend to follow is never bet against a team that has won three or more games in a row,” said VI handicapper Matt Moore. If you play by those rules, then you would more than likely pass on Thursday’s battle between Denver (4-3 SU, 6-1 ATS) and Cleveland (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS).
The Nuggets won their third consecutive game on Tuesday with an 88-80 road victory against Charlotte. Denver now stands at 3-0 since point guard Chauncey Billups joined the team from a trade with Detroit. The former Colorado standout hasn’t shot the ball extremely well with his new club but he’s provided a boost defensively.
In the games he played, the Nuggets have given up 91.7 points per game. Prior to his homecoming, Denver was 1-3 and allowing 104 PPG.
Three straight wins is nice but not better than five in row, which is exactly what Cleveland has done its last five games. The Cavaliers stopped Milwaukee 99-93 on Tuesday, but failed to cover as healthy 12-point home favorites. The team has gone 3-2 ATS during its recent run.
Recent history against the Nuggets shows that the Cavaliers could have trouble earning their sixth consecutive win on Thursday. Denver has won five in a row against Cleveland, including a dominating season sweep last year that saw George Karl’s club win by 22 and 30 points.
The Cavs have gone 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS at home, while Denver is 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS on the road this year.
Tip-off for this non-conference battle starts at 8:00 p.m. EST with TNT providing national coverage.
Dallas at Chicago
After losing to the L.A. Lakers 106-99 on Tuesday at home, Dallas (2-5 SU, 2-5 ATS) is probably very happy to leave its digs, considering its 0-3 record both SU and ATS at American Airlines Center this year. The two victories for the Mavericks this season have come on the road albeit against a weak Minnesota (95-85) team and a banged-up San Antonio (98-81) squad.
The Mavs travel to United Center on Thursday to face Chicago (3-5 SU, 4-4 ATS), who did start the year 3-0 at home before suffering back-to-back losses in the Windy City, including a 113-108 setback to Atlanta on Tuesday.
Head coach Vinny Del Negro shouldn’t be too upset with his team’s start, considering their opponents have notched a combined record of 38-17. Another promising factor for the Bulls is the play of rookie Derrick Rose, who this writer believes is a lock for the Rookie of the Year awards. He’s averaging 18.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 5.3 APG, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. The Rose vs. Jason Kidd matchup on Thursday should be intriguing, considering the resemblance between the two players.
Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle is known to have a defense-first attitude but his style hasn’t translated on the hardwood with his new team. In the Mavs’ victories, the team allowed 85 and 81 points. In the five losses, the club has given up an average of 105.8 PPG. The ‘over’ has gone 4-1 in the losses, while the ‘under’ is 2-0 in the wins. If you like the Mavs, then perhaps the ‘under’ is the play and vice versa.
The Bulls’ offense is averaging 102 PPG at home this year, compared to 89 PPG on the road. The ‘over’ has produced a 3-2 record in Chicago.
Dallas won both regular season meetings against Chicago last year, including a 103-98 win on the road. The total went 1-0-1.
Chicago is another team that has been hurt by the injury bug this year. Drew Gooden (ankle) and Larry Hughes (shoulder) are ‘questionable’ for Thursday, while point guard Kirk Hinrich (thumb) is expected to miss three months.
Detroit at Golden State
It took three games, but Detroit (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) finally earned its first win with Allen Iverson in the lineup. On Tuesday, the Pistons rallied past the Kings 100-92 and barely covered as 7½-point road favorites. Iverson dropped in 30 points and dished out nine assists in the much-needed win.
The four-game West Coast trip for Detroit continues Thursday against Golden State, who notched a 113-110 overtime win against Minnesota on Tuesday. The Warriors failed to cover as 5½-point home favorites, which was their third straight non-cover.
Stephen Jackson scored 30 points in the win over the T-Wolves and has been the team’s best player, even though he’s logging a ton of minutes. Jackson is averaging career highs in points (23.8 PPG) and assists (5.6), and minutes (43) per game as well.
Corey Maggette (hamstring) has missed the last four games and Al Harrington (back) might not see playing time with Golden State again, since he’s been rumored in early season trade talks.
Despite missing a ton of offensive players, Don Nelson’s team hasn’t stopped its run ‘n gun style, especially at home. The club is averaging 108 PPG and giving up 107 PPG, which has produced a perfect 4-0 ‘over’ record.
The Pistons are averaging 99 PPG on the road this year, which has helped the ‘over’ go 3-1.
Detroit dominated Golden State last year by winning and covering a pair of games. The Pistons outscored the Warriors by 29 points in the two games, and lit up the scoreboard for 109 and 111 points. The total went 1-1.
TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 10:35 p.m. EST.
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