Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 10/29/18
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Indiana Pacers Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The Indiana Pacers found a higher gear on the last two legs of their road trip and head home with some momentum. The Pacers will try to keep the offense flowing and post a third straight win when they make a one-game stop at home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Indiana, which heads back out for visits to New York and Chicago this week, fell at Minnesota last Monday but shot 52.9 percent from the floor in a 116-96 triumph at San Antonio on Wednesday and exploded at Cleveland on Saturday, shooting 64.9 percent from the floor in a 119-107 win. "We definitely moved the ball at a high level," Pacers star guard Victor Oladipo told reporters. "A lot of guys touched it, a lot of guys (scored) in double figures (Saturday), so that's huge." The Trail Blazers split the first two stops on their four-game trip and are coming off a 120-111 loss at Miami. "I thought (Miami) made some timely shots," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "We gave up a key rebound on a free throw, that hurt us. But they made some big plays in the last three minutes. The timely shooting made the difference."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS Indiana
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (3-2): Portland star Damian Lillard totaled 83 points in the first two games of the road trip and is averaging 33.8 in the early going. The Trail Blazers trailed by 19 in the third quarter at Miami but came all the way back to take the lead before running out of gas in the setback, and Lillard's 42 points on 15-of-28 shooting sparked the comeback. "Sometimes when the team is struggling -- we weren't making shots, we weren't getting a ton of stops -- sometimes you've got to take it upon yourself to light a fire, be a spark that the team needs. I tried to do that," Lillard told reporters.
ABOUT THE PACERS (4-2): Indiana's starting five combined to shoot 67.2 percent from the floor on Saturday and point guard Darren Collison enjoyed his best game with a season-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Collison was held to a total of 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting in the previous two contests. "I was able to get a rhythm," Collison told reporters. "You look at some of our games, either we blew them out or we got blown out in the first five games. I wasn't able to find a rhythm. I felt like this game, I knew it was going to be a little bit close because we're missing (guard) Tyreke (Evans) a little bit and I was going to find my rhythm."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Evans (personal) sat out Saturday but is expected to return on Monday.
2. Trail Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic scored a season-low five points on 2-of-7 shooting Saturday - the first time he failed to reach double figures in 2018-19.
3. Portland took both meetings last season, including a 114-96 win at Indiana.
PREDICTION: Pacers 125, Trail Blazers 122
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Hawks vs. 76ers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
Joel Embiid has been outstanding so far for the Philadelphia 76ers, who enter Monday's home contest against the Atlanta Hawks looking for back-to-back victories after ending a two-game losing skid with Saturday's victory over Charlotte. Embiid's streak of 30-point, 10-rebound efforts ended at four games following the 105-103 victory over the Hornets, but the center pulled down 14 rebounds to go with 27 points despite a left-ankle injury suffered in practice Friday.
Embiid received plenty of help as the Sixers displayed the depth that makes Philadelphia an Eastern Conference contender, getting double-doubles from Ben Simmons and Robert Covington to improve to 3-0 at home. "Covington's best game of the year," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters after the forward scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, hit a late 3-pointer and hounded Charlotte's Kemba Walker all night. The Hawks, projected by many to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, saw their two-game winning streak end with Saturday's 97-85 defeat to Chicago, a game in which the trio of Trae Young, Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore combined to shoot 11-of-35 from the field and commit 15 turnovers. "It was a lesson in how you handle success," Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce told the media afterward.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE HAWKS (2-3): Young, the fifth overall pick in this summer's draft, is averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 assists through five games, but recorded season lows in both categories (13 points, four assists) Saturday. Backup center Dewayne Dedmon shined in his second game of the season, scoring 13 points with 13 rebounds and five blocked shots off the bench. Atlanta ranks 25th in the league in free-throw percentage (72.4 percent).
ABOUT THE 76ERS (3-3): Embiid opened the season with six consecutive double-doubles, averaging 29.2 points and 12.7 rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the field. Philadelphia played much better defense after giving up 123.7 points per game in its previous three contests, holding Charlotte to 38.9 percent shooting from the field overall and just 18 fourth-quarter points. Guard J.J. Reddick is shooting 45.4 percent from 3-point range in his past four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta F DeAndre Bembry is 7-of-13 from 3-point range through five games, finishing 2-of-5 Saturday.
2. The 76ers entered Sunday eighth in the NBA in turnovers per game (12.8), while the Hawks rank last out of 30 teams (18.4).
3. The Hawks play seven of their next 11 on the road starting Monday.
PREDICTION: 76ers 121, Hawks 106
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Sacramento Kings vs. Miami Heat Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Kings vs. Heat Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The Sacramento Kings are surprisingly scrappy in the early going and might be coming together quicker than anticipated. The young, rebuilding club will try to make it three consecutive wins when the Kings open a four-game road trip by visiting the Miami Heat on Monday.
The Kings own one of the youngest rosters in the NBA and are trying to turn all of that talent into a team that can compete for a playoff spot in the near future, and second-year guard De'Aaron Fox is stepping up into a leadership role. "I think right now, everybody kind of looks at me," Fox, who is averaging a team-high 17.7 points, told the Sacramento Bee. "(In crunch time), coach wants the ball in my hands, even if I'm not shooting the ball, just create for somebody else. I've embraced it and guys have embraced it for me to be a playmaker. They trust me, so I've got to go out there and trust myself." The Heat will try to stop Fox and company with a defense that held the Portland Trail Blazers to 42 percent shooting in a 120-111 victory on Saturday. "Guys really stepped up tonight," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the win. "Even giving up 111 points, it sounds funny, but our defensive efforts and commitment on that side of the floor against two really dynamic playmakers, I thought was very good."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE KINGS (3-3): The average age of Sacramento's roster is just over 25, making 30-year-old forward Nemanja Bjelica one of the team's elder statesmen. Bjelica, who never averaged more than 6.8 points in three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and was set to return to Europe over the summer before signing a three-year deal with Sacramento, started each of the first six games and turned in his best effort on Friday with 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 116-112 win over the Washington Wizards. "All my life, all my career I was underrated," Bjelica told reporters. "But I don't have a problem with that. I just love the game of basketball and I worked really hard to be here today."
ABOUT THE HEAT (3-2): Miami center Hassan Whiteside is averaging 11.8 points and 14.6 rebounds and is finding ways to impact games when he struggles on the offensive end. Whiteside was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting on Saturday but blocked six shots and grabbed 16 rebounds. "He even mentioned it to me right before I walked in here (for the postgame interview)," Spoelstra told reporters of Whiteside. "He mentioned that he was just trying to do whatever he could to put his fingerprints on this win. And down the stretch, that was a couple big contests to force some misses and a couple big rebounds. And even the offensive rebound. That's winning basketball."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Miami PF Kelly Olynyk is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and scored a season-high 19 points on Saturday.
2. Kings C Willie Cauley-Stein recorded a double-double in each of the last two games.
3. Sacramento took both meetings last season by a total of five points - one in overtime.
PREDICTION: Heat 109, Kings 107
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Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Nets vs. Knicks Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The New York Knicks' five-game losing streak began with a loss to crosstown rival Brooklyn earlier this month. They will try to snap that string in a rematch when the Nets visit Madison Square Garden for the first time this season Monday night.
Both teams suffered losses to the Golden State Warriors over the weekend, with the Knicks stepping up first with a 128-100 loss to the defending champion Warriors on Friday to open a three-game homestand. "I saw our young guys. I just saw that look of, alright, we've done enough tonight. We played hard enough," New York coach David Fizdale told reporters after his team was outscored 47-16 in the fourth quarter. "I just got to get these guys to understand how to play 48 minutes. Right now we're playing college ball." The Nets had a much better fourth quarter against Golden State but they were outplayed in the first three en route to a 120-114 loss Sunday. D'Angelo Russell had 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in the defeat.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE NETS (2-4): Russell was 5-for-8 from 3-point range and Caris LeVert finished 4-for-7 as Brooklyn buried 20 3-pointers Sunday, seven in the fourth quarter. "The way the first half went we easily could have kind of folded and that's not what kind of guys we have in that locker room," coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. "They're a resilient bunch and I thought they competed their tails off and it was good for the fans to see that we didn't just succumb to their talent or their aura so to speak." Russell is averaging 24.5 points while making 11-of-17 from 3-point range in the last two games.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (1-5): Friday's loss came after Fizdale shuffled the starting lineup, moving veteran big man Enes Kanter to the bench. "He wants me to lead the second unit," Kanter, who started all of his 71 games last season and the first five in 2018-19, told the media. "That's what I'm going to do, go out there and lead the second unit. Just keep leading them." Kanter had 13 rebounds in 20 minutes against Golden State and is averaging 11.2 on the season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks SG Tim Hardaway Jr. has scored at least 24 points in five of the first six games.
2. LeVert is averaging 21.3 points while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor.
3. New York swept four meetings last season.
PREDICTION: Knicks 105, Nets 101
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Lakers vs. Timberwolves Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to downplay the distraction caused by Jimmy Butler's trade demand but are having a hard time coming together on the court. The Timberwolves will try to bounce back from a terrible effort and avoid a third straight setback when they host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Minnesota was crushed 125-95 by the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday as Butler struggled to four points on 2-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes. "You know, distractions happen all the time in every industry," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after the loss. "So, when you lose focus you're not going to perform up to your potential. ... We have to guard against that. I think human nature says you have to guard against it if you study how this league works." James is trying to teach his new teammates how to play like champions and was encouraged despite another tight loss after a 110-106 setback in San Antonio on Saturday. "You use these experiences for the better," James told reporters. "I think we played very, very well tonight, besides that four-, five-minute point in the third quarter. We just offensively stalled and defensively weren't in tune. Other than that, we played some really good basketball all the way down to the last possession."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (2-4): James is making some personal history with his new team and passed Shaquille O'Neal for the sixth-most made field goals (11,339) while passing Dirk Nowitzki and moving into sixth place (31,202) on the NBA career scoring list on Saturday. "Dirk has always been one of my favorite players, and I think Shaq is the most dominant player to ever play this game," James told reporters. "For me to be in the same conversation with those guys, in anything we're talking about as far as basketball, it's a tribute as far as just being humble and knowing where I come from." James is averaging 27.3 points, nine rebounds and 8.3 assists early in his first season with Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (2-4): Butler is trying to be a solid teammate on the court for as long as he remains in Minnesota and was not happy with his performance at either end of the floor on Friday. "We let our offense dictate what our defense was going to do," Butler told reporters. "Speaking for myself, I can never let that happen. My entire career has always been my defense dictates my offense. So, bad one." Butler is averaging 20.6 points on 47.9 percent shooting despite the poor effort against the Bucks and leads the NBA at an average of 3.4 steals.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves SF Andrew Wiggins (quad) missed the last two games and is questionable for Monday.
2. Los Angeles SF Brandon Ingram is eligible to return on Monday after serving a four-game suspension for fighting.
3. Minnesota took all four meetings last season.
PREDICTION: Lakers 122, Timberwolves 115
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Golden State Warriors vs. Chicago Bulls Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Warriors vs. Bulls Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The Chicago Bulls rebounded from an embarrassing effort with their best defensive performance of the season last time out and will need more of the same when the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors visit Monday night. The Bulls surrendered 135 points in a loss at Charlotte Friday, but forced 22 turnovers and registered a season-best 14 steals in the 97-85 win at Atlanta one day later.
"We clamped down," Chicago forward Jabari Parker told the Chicago Tribune. "We had a really good scout (report). We were prepared. We asked a lot of questions, especially from my end. So we were ready going in." The Bulls have lost five of the last six against Golden State, including a 119-112 decision last season, and the Warriors come in after averaging 128.8 points during a four-game winning streak that included a 120-114 triumph at Brooklyn on Sunday. Stephen Curry continued his scorching start to the season with 35 points in Golden State's latest victory and has scored at least 29 in all seven contests. Curry made seven 3-pointers Sunday - pushing his total to 46 on the season - and has at least five in seven consecutive games, breaking the NBA record of six straight with five that was set by George McCloud during the 1995-96 season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), WGN (Chicago)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (6-1): Kevin Durant has also gotten off to a strong start alongside Curry and has been especially hot the last three games while averaging 35 points and shooting 66.1 percent from the field. Golden State has won six of seven despite Klay Thompson's shooting slump as the normally lethal guard is just 5-for-36 from 3-point range and shooting 39.7 percent from the field overall after scoring 18 on Sunday. Versatile forward Draymond Green was held to eight points in the triumph at Brooklyn, but finished with season highs in assists (13) and steals (five).
ABOUT THE BULLS (2-4): Guard Zach LaVine is averaging a team-high 29.3 points and has led Chicago in scoring each game, including 27 to go along with 11 rebounds in Saturday's victory. Rookie forward Wendell Carter Jr. posted his first career double-double Saturday with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes of work while guard Ryan Arcidiacono scored a career-high 13 points, dished out seven assists and had two steals in the win. "I know I'm not a proven player in this league," Arcidiacono told reporters. "But I know I can shoot it. So I'm going to shoot it with confidence."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Golden State G Shaun Livingston (foot) missed Sunday's contest and is questionable for the matchup with the Bulls.
2. Chicago F Chandler Hutchison got his first two NBA starts over the weekend with F Bobby Portis (knee) out, grabbing 11 rebounds in 46 minutes.
3. Warriors F Alfonzo McKinnie, a Chicago native, is 11-for-16 from the field during the four-game winning streak.
PREDICTION: Warriors 118, Bulls 104
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Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Raptors vs. Bucks Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks are the last two remaining unbeaten teams in the NBA, but only one will stay that way after Monday. The Bucks host the Raptors on Monday in a showdown of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto was expected to be near the top of the East, but Milwaukee is more of a surprise, and the Bucks are trying to downplay the significance of the matchup. "You can fall into that trap (of putting too much importance on one game)," Milwaukee swingman Khris Middleton told reporters. "It's a big game, definitely. ... It could be a statement win, but at the same time, it's still one game early in the season. Teams are still trying to find themselves. We're still trying to learn ourselves too. But it's been a great start to the season - 6-0 so far, 7-0 would be great." Toronto's 6-0 start marks a franchise best, and the team is having a lot of fun. "Well, winning's fun, right?" first-year coach Nick Nurse told reporters. "That helps. But I also think that this is basketball and we don't have to be miserable every day going to work. We all understand we've got unbelievable owners, organization, fans, players. We've got a little history of winning right now going. You better enjoy that. You better make that some fun."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (6-0): Toronto is building solid chemistry between the long-tenured players like Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas and newcomers Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who came over from the San Antonio Spurs in the trade that sent All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan away. Leonard is averaging a team-high 26.6 points and eight rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor and Green is firing away at 45 percent from 3-point range. Lowry is averaging 10.3 assists and shooting 57.5 percent from the floor, including 52.8 percent from 3-point range, for a Raptors offense that ranks second in the East in team field-goal percentage (49.5).
ABOUT THE BUCKS (6-0): Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 25 points, 14.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists but was limited to 19 minutes in a 113-91 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Antetokounmpo took an elbow to the head in the first quarter and cleared concussion tests but sat out the entire third quarter while being checked out by team trainers. "I think we just wanted to be extra cautious," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "Make sure everything was OK and kind of give him an extra look. Everything is good."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Toronto PG Fred VanVleet (toe) sat out the last two games and is questionable for Monday.
2. Middleton is averaging 21.8 points while shooting 57.1 percent from 3-point range.
3. The Raptors took two of the three meetings last season, but Milwaukee earned a 122-119 overtime victory at Toronto on Feb. 23 behind 26 points from Antetokounmpo.
PREDICTION: Raptors 116, Bucks 113
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Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Mavericks vs. Spurs Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
The San Antonio Spurs aim to earn consecutive wins for the first time this season when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. DeMar DeRozan continued his solid start with the Spurs by posting 30 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Saturday's 110-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, which gave San Antonio a nice recovery from a 20-point loss to Indiana at home three days earlier.
"It's our fifth game of the season," DeRozan told reporters Saturday. "You've got to kind of enjoy it, because this is the beginning stages. We're going to keep building and keep getting better and better. It gives you a lot of faith." DeRozan is averaging 27.2 points, 7.8 assists - well above his career average of 3.1 - and six rebounds in his first five games with San Antonio. The four-time All-Star shot just 28.2 percent in two matchups last season with the Mavericks, who fell 113-104 to Utah at home Sunday night. Dennis Smith Jr. returned from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury to score 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting for Dallas, which has shot under 42 percent from the field in three straight games.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas, San Antonio)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (2-4): Veteran forward Harrison Barnes, the team's leading scorer last season, was limited to seven points in 34 minutes in Sunday's loss and is 8-for-30 from the floor in two games since returning from a hamstring injury. DeAndre Jordan finished with 12 points and 19 rebounds versus the Jazz for his sixth straight double-double to begin the season. The veteran center also had a career-high nine assists in the defeat.
ABOUT THE SPURS (3-2): San Antonio has allowed an average of 118.6 points on the season but a handful of defensive stands late in the game against Los Angeles was a nice departure from the norm. "That sort of thing is what we are used to," coach Gregg Popovich told the media after his team held the Lakers to 18 fourth-quarter points. "That's really the first time this year that we've done that. If that will become a habit, we will have a good opportunity to win a lot of games." Both Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol had double-doubles off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Gay is averaging eight rebounds - more than two over his career mark - while making 6-of-10 from 3-point range through the first five games.
2. Smith hit 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc against the Jazz after making 4-of-18 through his first four games.
3. Spurs F LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 27.5 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead his team to three wins in four meetings with the Mavericks last season.
PREDICTION: Spurs 112, Mavericks 103
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets Preview and Predictions 10-29-2018 in NBA
NBA Previews 28th October 2018 by Gracenote
Pelicans vs. Nuggets Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/28/2018
After four straight wins to open the season with their superstar doing plenty of heavy lifting, the New Orleans Pelicans tasted defeat for the first time without him. The Pelicans open a five-game road trip with Anthony Davis's status in question when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Davis averaged 27.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, a league-leading 3.8 blocks and 2.5 steals during New Orleans' 4-0 start but he was absent for Saturday's 132-111 loss to Utah at home due to an elbow sprain. "There's not any long-term concern," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of Davis. "He came in today and tried to shoot at shoot-around, and there was a still a little bit of pain. ... I'm not going to risk anything over one game." The Nuggets also opened 4-0 before suffering a 128-111 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. They made just 6-of-23 3-pointers -- 3-of-17 by the starters -- and entered Sunday's action ranked 29th in the league at 29.2 percent from long range.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (4-1): Nikola Mirotic (25 points, eight rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (18 points) did their best to carry the scoring load without Davis, but the five-time All-Star was severely missed on the other end of the floor. It didn't help when another starter -- guard Elfrid Payton -- left the contest with a sprained ankle that has his status in doubt. Reserve big man Jahlil Okafor made his first real impact of the season with 11 points and six rebounds in just 14 minutes.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (4-1): Center Nikola Jokic continued his strong start with 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Lakers while guard Jamal Murray chipped in 22 points and a season-high 10 boards, but the team is still waiting for a little more from veteran forward Paul Millsap. "I feel like I'm just rushing everything. Everything's rushed," Millsap -- who is shooting 37.2 percent while making 1-of-8 3-pointers -- told the Denver Post. "That's normally not how I play basketball. I don't rush anything in life. For me to get out there on a basketball court and rush things, it's a little unprecedented." Guard Monte Morris provided a boost in the loss to the Lakers with a career-high 20 points off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mirotic is averaging 23.8 points and 9.4 rebounds.
2. Jokic has recorded four straight double-doubles.
3. The Nuggets won both meetings at home last season, including a 146-114 victory in which Murray scored 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting.
PREDICTION: Nuggets 120, Pelicans 113
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