Weekly Notes - East
By Chris David
1) Cleveland
Weekly Recap - Don't look now folks but LeBron James and the boys are starting to pull away from the pack, not only in the East but the West too. Thursday's home win over the L.A. Lakers (93-87) completed a season sweep of the defending champs, which could matter down the road. The team did get some bad news when they found out that starting point guard Mo Williams (shoulder) will miss a month and Delonte West (finger) is now going to be miss some games too.
Weekly Outlook - Cleveland has four games this week but will get a day of rest between each battle. The Cavs visit Miami on Monday and Indiana on Friday, which should be nice tests considering the injury issues. Home tilts versus Minnesota on Wednesday and the L.A. Clippers on Sunday could be letdown spots but very winnable.
2) Atlanta
Weekly Recap - After losing a tight contest to the Thunder (91-94) on Monday, the Hawks bounced back with double-digit home wins over the Kings (108-97) and Bobcats (103-89). The 'over' went 2-1 last week.
Weekly Outlook - We're going to see if Atlanta can live up to its hype this week with four tough games on tap, and three are on the road. After facing Houston and San Antonio in the Lone Star State, the Hawks host the Celtics on Friday before jetting down to Orlando on Saturday.
3) Boston
Weekly Recap - Boston went 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS last week and it's hard to evaluate the team at the midway point. The loss to Dallas (90-99) at home on Monday was the Celtics third straight on their homecourt and the seventh this season. Even they lost at Detroit (86-92) on Wednesday, Boston has played much better on the road (16-6) this season.
Weekly Outlook - Doc Rivers and his troops start the week with what looks like a winnable home game on Monday versus the L.A. Clippers. Then, they have three tough battles that follow. The club will play two road games in two nights, starting Friday at Orlando and then at Atlanta. And to cap off the week, the L.A. Lakers visit Boston on Sunday for an afternoon showdown.
4) Orlando
Weekly Recap - Orlando needed to get home and it needed to regain its confidence. The Magic started the week with a loss at the Staples Center to the Lakers (92-98), which concluded a 1-3 road trip out West. Fortunately, Stan Van Gundy's team bounced back with a pair of victories and then cooled off the Bobcats (106-95) in overtime on Saturday.
Weekly Outlook - This week offers two on the road and two at home. A Monday battle in Memphis will be followed by a couple days off. Then, Boston heads to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday for a TNT encounter. Atlanta visits on Saturday then the Magic head to Detroit on Sunday for a game on zero days rest.
5) Miami
Weekly Recap - The theme of the week for Miami was "Blowout." Fortunately, the Heat was on the right side in three of their four contests last week. Miami ripped Indiana, Washington and Sacramento by double digits, but was destroyed by 39 points at Charlotte in the middle of the stretch.
Weekly Outlook - Miami has four more games on tap this week, and this time three will be on the road. Cleveland visits South Beach on Monday for another LeBron vs. Wade showdown. The Heat face the Raptors in Canada on Wednesday before they play back-to-back road games, which starts Friday at Detroit and ends in Milwaukee on Saturday.
6) Toronto
Weekly Recap - The Raptors began the week with two straight losses but closed with two straight wins, including a solid 106-105 home victory on Sunday against the L.A. Lakers. Toronto covered as a four-point home underdog and wound up going 2-2 ATS last week. The 'over' went 3-1.
Weekly Outlook - Toronto catches a couple days off before starting a back-to-back set on Wednesday versus the Heat at home. After visiting the Knicks on Thursday, the Raptors will be off until Sunday when they host the Pacers in another evening battle.
7) Chicago
Weekly Recap - After losing a pair of bad road losses to the Warriors (97-114) and Clippers (97-104) to start the week, the Bulls bounced back with decisive victories at Phoenix (115-104) and Houston (104-97). The total went 2-2.
Weekly Outlook - The Bulls continue their seven-game road swing on Monday when they visit San Antonio. Then, a trip to Oklahoma City follows on Wednesday before the trip comes to a close on Friday at New Orleans.
8) Charlotte
Weekly Recap - With the good come the bad and that was the case with Charlotte over the last seven days. Larry Brown watched his team score two victories at home over the Kings and Heat, but they ended the week with double-digit losses at the Hawks (89-103) and versus the Magic (95-106). Gamblers suddenly hoping on the red-hot Bobcats last week, wound up watching them go 1-3 ATS.
Weekly Outlook - Those same bettors will have a chance to measure Charlotte when it tips off a six-game road trip against the West. The 'Cats will have four games to play this week on the road and they're broken into a pair of back-to-back scenarios. The first round will feature Nuggets and Suns, which is daunting. The second will be the Warriors and Kings, and that happens on Friday and Saturday. The battle against Golden State will be Stephen Jackson's first return to Oakland since being trade.
9) Milwaukee
Weekly Recap - The Bucks went 2-2 SU last week, but they helped gamblers with a 4-0 ATS mark. Close calls at Houston (98-101) and Toronto (96-101) helped the team managed to cover despite losing.
Weekly Outlook - After a one-game road trip to Dallas on Tuesday, the Bucks quickly head home for a matchup against Philadelphia on zero days rest. The team catches two days off before hosting Miami on Saturday. Milwaukee has gone 13-7 SU and 12-8 ATS at the Bradley Center this season.
10) New York
Weekly Recap - The Knicks rallied past the Pistons (99-91) at home on Monday before almost blowing a big halftime lead. New York was hoping to gain confidence before two big tests but it didn't happen as the team lost by double digits to both the Lakers and Mavericks over the weekend at MSG.
Weekly Outlook - New York starts the week with two home games against Minnesota and Toronto, with a day separated between each contest. Then they face a tough back-to-back road spot which starts on Saturday at Washington and concludes in Minnesota.
11) Philadelphia
Weekly Recap - The 76ers started the week with a pair of bad losses, which featured a big blown lead at Minnesota (103-108) and another pitfall versus the banged-up Trail Blazers (90-98). Philadelphia did bounce back over the weekend with double-digit victories versus the Mavericks (92-81) and Pacers (107-97).
Weekly Outlook - Philadelphia has a good shot to keep the streak alive this week with three battles against sub .500 teams in the Pacers, Bucks and Nets. They also get a nice barometer on Friday when the L.A. Lakers visit Wachovia Center.
12) Indiana
Weekly Recap - The Pacers went 1-3 both SU and ATS last week and all three losses had two things in common - the club gave up 107 points or more and all of the outcomes were by double digits. The win was against Detroit (105-93) on Friday and that too was decided by more than 10.
Weekly Outlook - Indiana has four games on deck this week, with two at home and two on the road, but all will be broken up with a day of rest. After facing the 76ers in Philadelphia in Monday, the club entertains the Lakers on Wednesday. Then, the Cavaliers visit on Friday which is followed by a road trip to Toronto on Sunday.
13) Detroit
Weekly Recap - Detroit began the week by falling to New York (91-99) at Madison Square Garden, which was a tight game. The Pistons did bounce back as live home underdogs on Wednesday against Boston (92-86). Unfortunately, they closed the week with a pair of losses at home to Indiana (93-105) and Portland (93-97). Even though Detroit has recently gone 4-3 without shooting guard Ben Gordon, the offense continues to struggle.
Weekly Outlook - The Palace of Auburn Hills will be busy this week as the Pistons will host three games and all against quality opponents. Detroit will have three days off before facing an ever-improving Memphis team on Wednesday. Then, Miami visits on Friday and Orlando comes to town on Sunday.
14) Washington
Weekly Recap - The Wizards started the week with promise by posting a 97-92 victory on MLK Day. The win was quickly silenced with three straight home losses to the Mavericks (93-94), Heat (88-112) and Clippers (78-92). Washington went 2-2 ATS and the 'under' was 3-1.
Weekly Outlook - Washington will finish up its six-game homestand on Tuesday when the L.A. Lakers visit the Verizon Center. If the Wizards can't snap their three-game slide to the defending champions, then they do have chances to get back to track over the weekend. The clubs heads to New Jersey on Friday before hosting New York on Saturday.
15) New Jersey
Weekly Recap - The Nets' losing streak has reached 11 games after the team dropped four contests last week, both SU and ATS. What's even more embarrassing as that New Jersey lost every game by double digits and its getting outscored by 19.6 PPG during its current slid.
Weekly Outlook - You'd be going out on a limb if you're going to bet the Nets, since they've gone 3-8 ATS during the 11-game skid. However, they do play all three this week at home and the matchups aren't threatening with the Clippers, Wizards and 76ers visiting.
Weekly Notes - West
By Kevin Rogers
1 - Lakers
Weekly Rewind: Los Angeles began the week with a Finals rematch victory over Orlando, but started an eight-game road trip at 1-2 SU/ATS with losses at Cleveland and Toronto. The lone victory on this trip came at New York, but the Lakers are 2-6 ATS the last eight on the road.
Weekly Outlook: The Champs take the court four times this week, with games against Washington (Tuesday), Indiana (Wednesday), and Philadelphia (Friday). The Lakers wrap up the week on Sunday afternoon with a nationally televised game at Boston.
2 - Nuggets
Weekly Rewind: Denver is riding a six-game winning streak thanks to both Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups being healthy again. The Nuggets held off the Warriors in overtime, then blew out the Clippers at home. Denver failed to cover in an overtime win over New Orleans, dropping to 2-5-1 ATS the last eight at Pepsi Center.
Weekly Outlook: The Nuggets conclude a three-game homestand hosting the Bobcats on Monday, but Anthony is likely out with a sprained ankle. It will be a rough road trip for George Karl's team beginning Wednesday in Houston. Denver heads to Oklahoma City on Friday, followed by a trip to San Antonio on Sunday, as the Nuggets are 1-7-1 ATS the previous nine road contests.
3 - Mavericks
Weekly Rewind: The Mavs finished a very up-and-down road trip at 3-2 SU/ATS, wrapping up the week with a 50-point demolition of the Knicks at MSG. Dallas also picked up wins at Boston and Washington, but lost at Toronto and Philadelphia.
Weekly Outlook: Dallas has three games on the slate, starting with Milwaukee on Tuesday at home. The Mavs make a quick descent to Phoenix on Thursday, trying to beat the Suns for a second time this season. Dallas returns home on Saturday to host Portland, as the Blazers beat the Mavs in late December, 85-81.
4 - Blazers
Weekly Rewind: Portland finished up a four-game Eastern swing with a 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS mark, despite playing three games without leading scorer Brandon Roy. The Blazers fell by five at Washington, but rebounded with a 98-90 victory at Philadelphia. Portland took Boston to overtime, and covered as 10 ½-point 'dogs in a 98-95 setback. The trip concluded on a solid note with a 97-93 win at Detroit, improving to 5-1 ATS the last six games.
Weekly Outlook: After seven straight games against the Eastern Conference, Portland plays four Western Conference opponents this week starting with the Hornets on Monday. The Blazers host the Jazz on Wednesday, prior to a two-game trip to Texas beginning Friday with the Rockets. The week concludes on Saturday in Dallas against the Mavs.
5 - Spurs
Weekly Rewind: San Antonio topped New Orleans on the road, but finished the week with consecutive home losses to the Jazz and Rockets. The Spurs are struggling, dropping four of five both SU and ATS.
Weekly Outlook: It's all home-cooking for the Spurs, playing four games at the AT&T Center this week. San Antonio hosts Chicago on Monday, with the Bulls in the midst of a long road trip. The Spurs entertain the Hawks on Wednesday, followed by the Grizzlies on Friday. Gregg Popovich's team wraps up the week hosting the Nuggets on Sunday.
6 - Suns
Weekly Rewind: Phoenix is a tough team to back right now, with the Suns going 2-7 ATS the last nine games. The Suns finished a winless four-game trip with a seven-point loss at Memphis, but bounced back by beating down the lowly Nets at home, 118-94. Phoenix failed to cover against Chicago and Golden State at home, but did manage a nine-point win over the Warriors.
Weekly Outlook: The Suns take on the Jazz for the first time this season on Monday in Salt Lake, trying to halt Utah's five-game home winning streak. Phoenix comes home for a pair of games on Tuesday against Charlotte and Thursday against Dallas. The Suns hit the highway for a four-game trip beginning on Sunday in Houston.
7 - Jazz
Weekly Rewind: It was smooth sailing for Utah, picking up victories at San Antonio and New Jersey, improving to 6-1 SU and 5-0-2 ATS the last seven contests. The last non-cover for the Jazz came on January 4 in a four-point home defeat to the Hornets.
Weekly Outlook: Utah tries to stay hot when the Jazz host the not-so-hot Suns on Monday. Jerry Sloan's club travels to Portland on Wednesday, followed up by a Friday home contest with Sacramento. The Jazz try to knock off the Kings after Sacramento upset Utah in early November as 15 ½-point 'dogs.
8 - Rockets
Weekly Rewind: Houston began the season as one of the best pointspread plays, but the Rockets have faltered recently against the number. Rick Adelman's team has failed to cover eight of their last ten games, while going 0-4 ATS the last four at home. The Rockets edged the Bucks in overtime, then followed that up with a strong victory at San Antonio. Houston stubbed its toe the next night with a home loss to Chicago.
Weekly Outlook: The Rockets continue a six-game stand at the Toyota Center with the Hawks on Monday. The following three contests come against playoff-caliber teams in the Western Conference, hosting Denver (Wednesday), Portland (Friday), and Phoenix (Sunday).
9 - Grizzlies
Weekly Rewind: Memphis continues to impress, sitting right outside the playoff picture in the West. The Grizzlies shined on national TV by beating the Suns on MLK Day, but were edged out by the Hornets two days later, 113-111. Memphis came down to the wire against Oklahoma City, as Rudy Gay's jumper lifted the Grizzlies to a big home win over the Thunder, 86-84, the tenth straight home victory for the Grizz.
Weekly Outlook: The Grizzlies hit the court four times, beginning with a home test on Monday against the Magic. Memphis starts a two-game roadie in Detroit on Wednesday, followed by a Friday meeting in San Antonio. The Grizzlies try to avenge the last-second loss at New Orleans when the Hornets invade FedEx Forum on Saturday.
10 - Thunder
Weekly Rewind: Oklahoma City was involved in four nail-biters this past week, all being decided by a combined eight points. The Thunder edged the Hawks in Atlanta as six-point 'dogs, then slipped past the Wolves, 94-92 as seven-point road 'chalk.' OKC was on the short end of consecutive road heartbreakers, falling by two at Memphis and one at Cleveland, but cashed each time as road 'dogs.
Weekly Outlook: The Thunder returns to the Ford Center on Wednesday to host the road-weary Bulls, who will be playing the sixth game on their trip. OKC entertains Denver on Friday, followed by a Sunday meeting with Golden State.
11 - Hornets
Weekly Rewind: New Orleans is slowly coming back into the playoff picture after a strong January run. The Hornets split four games last week, but covered only once. New Orleans fell at home to San Antonio, but won back-to-back games over Memphis and Minnesota in the final seconds. The Hornets played without the injured David West on Saturday at Denver, but managed a cover as 12-point underdogs in an overtime loss to the Nuggets.
Weekly Outlook: The Hornets continue their road swing in Portland against the Blazers on Monday, before a trip to Oakland to take on the Warriors on Wednesday. New Orleans comes home on Friday to host Chicago, followed by a rematch with the Grizzlies on Saturday in Memphis.
12 - Clippers
Weekly Rewind: The Clips are playing (somewhat) inspired basketball over the last few weeks, going 9-6 SU and 11-3 ATS since a 31-point loss at Phoenix on Christmas. Los Angeles won three of four games, despite the victories coming over the Nets, Bulls, and Wizards. The lone defeat came at Denver, falling 105-85 as 10 ½-point 'dogs.
Weekly Outlook: L.A.'s eight-game road swing takes four stops this week, beginning in Boston on Monday. The Clippers battle a pair of cupcakes on Wednesday and Friday, playing the Nets and Wolves, respectively. Los Angeles will likely be favored in each of those games, but the Clips lost their only game as road 'chalk' this season at New Orleans. The week concludes on Sunday in Cleveland against the Cavs, as the Clips are 0-6 ATS the last six as a road 'dog of at least seven points.
13 - Kings
Weekly Rewind: The only thing Sacramento can be thankful for is that its disastrous road trip is over, going 0-6 SU and 1-5 ATS on the East Coast. The Kings' best effort came in the second half of a 105-103 loss at Charlotte, trimming a 23-point deficit to one in the final minute before coming up short. Sacramento managed to cover as 6 ½-point 'dogs, but proceeded to lose three straight at Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami by double-digits each.
Weekly Outlook: The Kings return to the friendly confines of Arco Arena on Tuesday against the banged-up Warriors, going for their second win in their last 15 games. Sacramento makes a quick trip to Utah on Friday, followed by a home rematch against Charlotte on Saturday.
14 - Warriors
Weekly Rewind: Golden State finished a seven-game homestand at 3-4 SU and 5-2 ATS, but the victories came over Sacramento, Chicago, and New Jersey. The Warriors covered as 11 ½-point 'dogs at Phoenix without Monta Ellis, as Golden State's leading scorer missed the game due to a sprained ankle.
Weekly Outlook: The Warriors play the back-end of a two-game trip on Tuesday in Sacramento against the struggling Kings, with the home team winning each of the first two meetings this season. Golden State returns to Oracle Arena on Wednesday against New Orleans, then hosts a tired Charlotte team on Friday, as the Bobcats will play their fourth game in five nights. Don Nelson's squad wraps up the week on Sunday in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.
15 - Timberwolves
Weekly Rewind: Minnesota was a bettors' best friend for most of the week, covering all three times as a home underdog. The Wolves made a massive rally to upend the Sixers in overtime on MLK day, but then proceeded to lose consecutive games by two points each against the Thunder and Hornets. Minnesota didn't finish the week in positive fashion by getting drilled at Milwaukee, 127-94.
Weekly Outlook: The Wolves hit the court four times, beginning with a matchup in the Big Apple against the Knicks on Tuesday. Minnesota travels to Cleveland on Wednesday, prior to a home game against the Clippers on Friday. The Wolves and Knicks hook up again at the Target Center on Sunday, as New York plays with no rest.