NBA Today
Houston at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST). Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and the Rockets try to rebound from their first loss of the season when they visit Brandon Roy and the Trail Blazers.
STARS
Wednesday
• Tony Parker, Spurs, scored a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second overtime in San Antonio's 129-125 victory over Minnesota. He also had 10 assists and seven rebounds.
• Amare Stoudemire, Suns, scored 49 points on 17-for-21 shooting and had 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals as Phoenix beat Indiana 113-103.
• LeBron James, Cavaliers, had a season-high 41 points, including 15 on free throws, in Cleveland's 107-93 win over Chicago.
• Nate Robinson, Knicks, scored all of his 24 points in the first half and the Knicks ruined former coach Larry Brown's return to New York with a 101-98 win over Charlotte.
• Kevin Martin, Kings, scored 33 points and tied coach Reggie Theus' franchise record for points in an opener on his final free throw with 14.3 seconds left to help Sacramento beat Memphis 100-95.
MILESTONE
With a 103-96 win over Portland, Jerry Sloan reached 999 victories as Utah's coach, the most ever by a coach with one NBA team. Sloan is the longest tenured coach in professional sports and will look to become the first coach to win 1,000 games with one team when the Jazz host Oklahoma City on Friday night.
FAST START
Atlanta hit 12 3-pointers and improved to 3-0 for the first time in 11 years after an 87-79 victory over New Orleans.
WELCOME BACK LARRY
Back in his hometown arena, Larry Brown was loudly booed at Madison Square Garden during pregame introductions. Brown was fired after going 23-59 with the Knicks in 2005-06, a bizarre season in which he publicly feuded with players, and was accused by management of violating MSG media policies and attempting to broker trades behind former team president Isiah Thomas' back.
THIEVERY
Miami rookie Mario Chalmers had a franchise-record nine steals in the Heat's 106-83 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Of Chalmers' nine steals, five were quickly turned into fast-break layups and Miami scored 15 points in all off those takeaways. He set the tone for Miami on defense, and the Heat forced 26 turnovers — the most in the NBA — for the second time in two home games this season.
GREAT COMPANY
Tony Parker joined elite company with his 55 points and 10 assists. According to STATS, Inc., the last NBA player to accomplish that feat was Michael Jordan. He had 57 points and 10 assists for Chicago against Washington in December 1992.
SPURT
The Los Angeles Lakers used a 22-0 run in the fourth quarter to beat the Clippers 106-88. Trailing 81-79 with 8:16 left, the Lakers took over. Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom each scored six points and Jordan Farmar added four during the decisive run. Al Thornton ended the spurt by making a 3-pointer with 1:04 remaining — the Clippers' first points in over 7 minutes.
POLITICS AS USUAL
Kevin Johnson, the longtime NBA point guard and Sacramento native, defeated two-term incumbent Heather Fargo on Tuesday night to become Sacramento's first black mayor. He got a rousing ovation from the crowd when Gavin Maloof presented him with a jersey during a first-quarter timeout of the Kings' 100-95 win over the Grizzlies.
SPEAKING
"I'm just ready to go. Hopefully everything gets taken care of ... and I'll be able to get on the court with my team and try to learn these plays as fast as possible."_ Detroit's Allen Iverson, who sat out the Pistons' 100-93 victory over Toronto because Chauncey Billups, one of three players traded to Denver in exchange for Iverson, hadn't completed his physical with the Nuggets.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic
The 76ers were upset 106-83 by the Heat last time out, as 2.5-point favorites. The 189 points fell UNDER the posted total of 205.
Thaddeus Young had 19 points and four rebounds for the 76ers.
Dwight Howard dropped 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Magic over the Bulls 96-93 on Monday night.
Orlando failed to cover as 6.5-point home favorites as the teams played under the 197-point total set by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Orlando has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS
Orlando: 2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Utah are 6-4
After playing Miami are 4-6
After a loss are 5-5
Orlando most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Washington are 5-5
After playing Chicago are 2-8
After a win are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Next up:
Philadelphia home to Utah, Tuesday, November 11
Orlando home to Washington, Saturday, November 8
Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Rockets went down to the wire with the Celtics but lost 103-99 at the Toyota Center Tuesday night
Boston won as a 3-point road underdog. The final score played over the 177.5-point total set by sportsbooks.
The Trail Blazers were defeated 103-96 by the Jazz last time out, as 6.5-point underdogs. The 199 points made it OVER the posted total of 186.5.
Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points apiece in a losing effort.
Current streak:
Portland has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Houston: 3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS
Portland: 1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS
Houston most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing LA Clippers are 5-5
After playing Boston are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4
Portland most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Minnesota are 3-7
After playing Utah are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games when playing Portland
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Portland's last 9 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games at home
Next up:
Houston at LA Clippers, Friday, November 7
Portland home to Minnesota, Saturday, November 8
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
TNT is back on the hardwood Thursday with a pair of conference battles. Before we delve into each matchup, let’s recap some early observations from a gambling perspective.
-- New York has adapted quickly to Mike D’Antoni’s philosophy of run ‘n gun, attempting a league-high 88.7 shots per game. Unfortunately, D’Antoni is starting to realize that the Knicks aren’t the Suns, evidenced by the second worst shooting percentage (39%) in the league. Surprisingly, the Knicks took only 77 shots in Wednesday’s 101-98 win over Charlotte and what’s probably more shocking is that the team hit 49.4 percent of the shots.
-- The Raptors have jumped out to a 3-1 start largely because they do one thing other teams have trouble doing in the NBA – shooting well from the outside. Toronto is connecting on 55 percent from 3-point land.
-- Toronto's lone loss of the season came on Wednesday at home against Detroit (100-93). Time will tell if shaking up the roster (Billups for Iverson) was the right move, but opponents are having trouble stopping a red-hot offense (104.5 PPG) that has helped the club start 4-0.
-- The Clippers’ offense (83.5 points per game) is embarrassing with or without Baron Davis. After posting 51 points in the first half against the Lakers yesterday, the team was outscored by 22 points (59-37) in the final 24 minutes.
-- I was kind of shocked that Milwaukee dealt point guard Mo Williams in the offseason to Cleveland after inking him to a long-term deal. However, after watching the Bucks play this year you can already see progress under head coach Scott Skiles. A fun player to watch is backup guard Ramon Sessions, who is averaging 15 PPG off the bench and is easily the best ball defender on the roster.
-- Larry Brown is already starting to show his presence in Charlotte. The game has slowed down considerably, watching the Bobcats average a league-low 67.3 attempts per game. Keep an eye on ‘under’ plays for this club, which now stands at 3-1.
**Philadelphia at Orlando**
Philadelphia (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) completes its Sunshine State swing on Thursday and hopes it has a better effort than last night. The 76ers were blasted 106-83 by Miami in wire-to-wire fashion. The team has played just one back-to-back spot this year and wound up losing a 95-88 road decision on Nov. 1 to Atlanta.
Mo Cheeks’ squad has been night and day offensively and it’s translated into wins and losses. The club has averaged 120.5 PPG in its two victories but just 86 PPG in the two setbacks.
Defensively, the 76ers have started the year soundly. The unit had surrendered 92 PPG in the first four games before giving up 106 to the Heat last night, and that includes games against a pair of teams (Sacramento, New York) that are known to play above the century mark. The defensive mindset has helped the ‘under’ notch a 4-1 mark.
Philadelphia’s acquisition of forward Elton Brand (17.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG) in the summer has improved the team approach already in place, evidenced with six players averaging double figures. Keep an eye on second-year standout Thaddeus Young (15.3 PPG), who has flourished with Brand’s presence and opened up his outside game.
After this game, the 76ers will be off until next Tuesday when the team welcomes Utah to Wachovia Center.
Stan Van Gundy’s team opened the season with two straight losses but Orlando (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) has rebounded with a pair of wins, including a 96-93 victory over Chicago at home on Monday. The Magic failed to cover as eight-point favorites, dropping their ATS ledger to 1-3.
Orlando struggled with its shot in the first two losses (84.5 PPG) but rebounded with 121 points against Sacramento last Saturday before the aforementioned victory over the Bulls.
The Magic’s success depends on how they shoot from 3-point land. The team is averaging 25.8 attempts per game, which is the second highest behind the Knicks (29.7). Center Dwight Howard (21.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG) is the only starter that doesn’t launch from downtown.
Orlando has had the Sixers number in recent meetings, winning five of the last six. Philadelphia has managed to save some face by covering three of the six. The ‘over’ has gone 4-2 during the Magic’s mini-dominance.
This contest will be the middle game of a five-game homestand for Orlando. Washington visits on Saturday before Portland on Monday.
TNT will be offering national coverage of this game at 8:00 p.m. EST.
**Houston at Portland**
Houston (3-1 SU, 1-3 ATS) faced its first test of the young season on Tuesday and came up short in a 103-99 defeat to the defending champions, Boston Celtics. Looking at the box score, you would be surprised to see just a four-point margin considering the Rockets shot 39 percent from the field, including 7-of-24 (29%) from 3-point land. On the other end of the court, Boston shot a blistering 52% from the field.
The Rockets have shown the ability to slow it down or pick up the pace this season depending on the opponent. The club has outscored opponents by an average of 11 PPG, which is the fourth best in the NBA.
One pleasant change for Rick Adelman’s team is the production from the free throw line. Last year, the Rockets averaged 22.5 attempts and connected on just 72.5 percent from the stripe. It’s still early, but the club is first in the league in percentage (88.5) and ranked eighth (29) in trips to the line.
Houston’s “Big Three” of Yao Ming (22.3 PPG), Ron Artest (18.3 PPG) and Tracy McGrady (18 PPG) is a tough match but the bench continues to be a major weakness.
Thursday’s battle at Portland is the first game of a five-game road trip for Houston. The Rockets are 1-0 both SU and ATS in their only road battle this year.
Portland (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) will be playing its second game in two nights after suffering a 103-96 decision at Utah on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers were in control for the first 36 minutes but were outscored by 11 points (29-18) en route to the loss.
The Blazers are averaging 90.7 PPG this year and it appears that the young club is in need of another scoring option other than Brandon Roy (20 PPG, 5.3 APG). What’s more disturbing is the inability to get to the free throw line. Head coach Nate McMillan’s team is attempting 17.3 shots from the stripe per game, which is the second worst in the league.
Not only will Houston bring its defense to Rose Garden on Thursday, but also a swagger against Portland. The Rockets won all four meetings (3-1 ATS) against the Blazers last year, including both road trips to the Great Northwest as well. The ‘under’ went 3-1.
Portland has one more home game on Saturday vs. Minnesota scheduled before the club embarks on a five-game road trip, which begins Monday at Orlando.
vegasinsider.com
Houston (3-1, 1-3 ATS) at Portland (1-3 SU and ATS)
The Rockets make the trek to the Pacific Northwest for a meeting with the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.
Houston tipped off the season three straight victories before losing to Boston 103-99 Tuesday night as a three-point home chalk, suffering its third straight ATS setback. Tracy McGrady had 26 points and six assists, but Yao Ming played less than 29 minutes, finishing with just eight points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, the Celtics’ entire starting lineup reached double figures in scoring. Houston shot just 39.1 percent, while Boston hit at a 51.9 percent clip.
Portland fell to Utah 103-96 last night, just missing the cover as a 6½-point road underdog in taking its second consecutive SU and ATS defeat. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each had 18 points, and the Blazers were up by seven at the half before struggling down the stretch. Portland ended up shooting 43.8 percent on the night, while the Jazz shot a solid 52.7 percent.
Houston is on a 5-0 SU run in this rivalry, having cashed in the last three meetings, including both of last season’s contests in Portland.
The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games going back to last year’s postseason, but they are on positive pointspread runs of 4-1 against losing teams, 18-8-1 on one day’s rest and 19-9 on the road. The Blazers are on ATS streaks of 4-0 against Southwest Division teams, 5-0 at the Rose Garden and 7-2 playing on back-to-back nights.
The under for Houston is on streaks of 6-0 on one day’s rest, 5-1 against losing teams, 4-1 on the road and 10-4 against Western Conference foes. For Portland, the under is on stretches of 13-4 against the Southwest Division and a lengthy 37-17 versus Western Conference foes. Finally, in this rivalry, the under has been the play in seven of the last nine clashes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Gametimepicks.com
Tips and Trends
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic
76ers: Philly is coming off a terrible performance in a 106-93 loss at Miami on Wednesday. The 76ers shot just 38 percent from the field and allowed the Heat to score 35 points in the second quarter en route to a 59-38 halftime lead. “We kind of ran out of gas,” said Philadelphia F Elton Brand. Thaddeus Young led the team with 19 points, but the Sixers were -23 with him on the floor. They have now dropped four straight games both SU & ATS on the road dating back to the playoffs last year.
76ers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.
The OVER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Key Injuries - F/C Jason Smith (knee) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 94
Magic (-4.5, O/U 191.5): Orlando is still waiting for offseason acquisition Mickael Pietrus to make an impact defensively, which is the main reason the team signed him. Pietrus has totaled 20 points twice already, but head coach Stan Van Gundy has not hesitated to replace him with Keith Bogans when needed. “Yes, it’s been a problem,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t think he (Bogans) is a better defender, but for what we’re doing right now, he has a better knowledge of how we want to play.” That duo will be responsible for slowing down Philly's Andre Iguodala, who scored just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in Wednesday's loss at Miami.
Magic are 3-6 SU & ATS in their last 9 games overall.
The UNDER is 20-8 in Orlando's last 28 games overall.
Key Injuries - NONE
PROJECTED SCORE: 98
Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers
Rockets (-5, O/U 184): Houston begins a tough five-game road trip in Portland, where the team has won three straight times. In fact, the Rockets have won the last four meetings with the Blazers - each by at least nine points, including twice on the road. "It’s a brutal schedule, but this is what sometimes what can make a team," Houston head coach Rick Adelman said. "A five-game trip is a five-game trip. I’m not sure about having to come back to play New Orleans the day after the five-game trip. I don’t know who scheduled that, but they don’t travel much."
Rockets are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 road games.
The UNDER is 14-4 in Houston's last 18 games vs. Northwest Division.
Key Injuries - F Shane Battier (foot) is questionable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 95
Blazers: Portland will be happy to be back at home, where the team earned its only victory of the season to date. The Blazers edged the Spurs 100-99 there last Friday, but they have followed that up with a pair of road losses at Phoenix and Utah. They won't get to play a non-playoff team from last year until hosting Minnesota on Saturday before departing on a four-game road trip. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 18 points in Portland's 103-96 loss at Utah on Wednesday. The Blazers fell to 0-3 ATS on the road, but they beat San Antonio as a home underdog.
The UNDER is 13-4 in Portland's last 17 games vs. Southwest Division.
The UNDER is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.
Key Injuries - C Greg Oden (foot) is OUT.
G Martell Webster (foot) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 90
PHILADELPHIA (2 - 2) at ORLANDO (2 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in November games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-3 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 5-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON (3 - 1) at PORTLAND (1 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 265-214 ATS (+29.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 62-33 ATS (+25.7 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
HOUSTON is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 4-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA vs. ORLANDO
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
HOUSTON vs. PORTLAND
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games when playing Portland
Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Portland's last 9 games when playing Houston
Hot Teams
-- Magic won their last two games, allowing 98 ppg.
-- Rockets won three of first four games, winning by 11-10-12 points.
Cold Teams
-- 76ers are 0-2 on road, losing by 7-23 points.
-- Trailblazers lost three of first four games, losing by 20-11-7 points.
Totals
-- Three of four Orlando games, four of five 76er contests stayed under the total.
-- Last three Portland games went over the total.
Hot and Cold Bets - Week 2
By Matt Fargo
Thursday – Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic
The Sixers made the playoffs last season despite a 40-42 record and they gave the Pistons a scare in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals before losing the series 4-2. Philadelphia improved itself by signing forward Elton Brand, making the Sixers a legitimate contender. They are off to a disappointing 1-2 start however, losing to the Raptors and Hawks, two teams who were also in the playoffs a season ago. All three games have stayed under the total. Orlando is also off to a disappointing 1-2 start, losing also to the Hawks and Memphis before handily beating Sacramento on Saturday. The Magic won three of the four meetings last season including both games at home by margins of 18 and 16 points. Orlando went 38-14 against conference foes last season and its 50-29-3 ATS record was second best in the NBA. The home team gets the call here.
NBA Thursday Preview
By Andre Gomes
Philadelphia @ Orlando
The Sixers are one of the most unpredictable teams on the league. They defeated the Knicks by 29 points, then couldn't beat the Hawks after a lead of 23 points, then they destroyed the Kings with a 34 points win, just to lose at Miami by 23 points. So, this is a case to wonder what's next for this team. Yesterday, the Sixers committed 26 turnovers and we can't say this was caused by a poor ball movement, it was a poor ball control, as the Heat had 18 steals! 18!!! Iguodala had an horrible game, he was early involved in foul trouble and finished the game shooting 1-7 FG and with more turnovers than assists: 1-4! The team had a small comeback in the 3rd quarter, but quickly they sank again. Today they will play at Orlando in a back to back game for them.
Orlando is currently holding a 2-2 record and they are far from the level they had last season. The Magic had a very hard time in defeating the Bulls at home in their last game, as they couldn't hold a lead of 17 points twice. Orlando struggled on their ball movement and committed a lot of turnovers. Today's game will be interesting to see the duel between the frontcourts. Howard and Brand are averaging a double double and they can be the key of this game. In a surprising way, the Magic have been always committing the same mistake game after game: Howard barely touches the ball on the final part of the games. He scored just 2 points in the last quarter against the Bulls and it's ridiculous that his team mates have more shots per game than Howard. These two teams are coming from poor offensive games and from the aggressive way they drive to the basket, I expect a good game in here and with a lot of points.
Houston @ Portland
Portland is having a tremendous schedule in this early season and they are paying the price of that. They are 1-3 right now and yesterday they lost at Utah, in a game where they had everything to win, after being up by 52-45 at halftime and by 78-74 at the end of the 3rd quarter. A couple of bad offensive options made them lose the momentum of the game and when you face the Jazz at Utah and you give them the momentum at the end of the game, there is nothing you can do. Today they will face the Rockets at home in a back to back game and this is the second time this will happen to them this season, the first time was against the Spurs and the Blazers bounced back in that game, winning it by 100-99. A lot has been said about the potential of the Blazers this season, but if the team continues to defend as they have been doing against the top teams of their conference, they will hardly win any of those games, as they are dead last in FG% allowed, with 52.4% FG! That's an amazing stat, considering they have already played five games this season! Roy and Aldridge clearly need to start doing better on both sides of the court.
The Rockets lost their first game of the season at home against the Celtics, where they couldn't handle the reigning champions down the stretch. A curious stat is that Yao Ming had probably in that game the worst game of this career, with 4-14 FG and 8 points. Also Ron Artest was terrible with 3-16 FG and the Rockets showed no offensive identity in that game. Last season the Rockets were the only team of the league to defeat the Blazers four times and all of those games ended with a low score. The line for this game is at 183 points (at the level of last season) and I believe Portland may be capable to be competitive in this game. They are always dangerous as an home dog (12-5 ATS last season) and already this season, they have shown that against the Spurs.