Cnotes53 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, March 23

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LA CLIPPERS (38 - 33) at INDIANA (41 - 31) - 3/23/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 218-273 ATS (-82.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
INDIANA is 40-32 ATS (+4.8 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
INDIANA is 220-165 ATS (+38.5 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 68-50 ATS (+13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-1 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (39 - 33) at WASHINGTON (40 - 31) - 3/23/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
DENVER is 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) in home games this season.
WASHINGTON is 152-199 ATS (-66.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (41 - 31) at NEW YORK (26 - 46) - 3/23/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 367-431 ATS (-107.1 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 39-63 ATS (-30.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
NEW YORK is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 4-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (19 - 53) at CLEVELAND (42 - 29) - 3/23/2018, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 5-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BROOKLYN (23 - 49) at TORONTO (53 - 19) - 3/23/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 40-32 ATS (+4.8 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BROOKLYN is 40-31 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games this season.
BROOKLYN is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BROOKLYN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-3 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 11-0 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (39 - 33) at OKLAHOMA CITY (43 - 30) - 3/23/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 87-64 ATS (+16.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 53-33 ATS (+16.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games this season.
MIAMI is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 22-6 ATS (+15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 30-42 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-1 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (37 - 34) at CHICAGO (24 - 47) - 3/23/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 28-38 ATS (-13.8 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-5 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (41 - 31) at SAN ANTONIO (42 - 30) - 3/23/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1041-910 ATS (+40.0 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 831-706 ATS (+54.4 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 192-147 ATS (+30.3 Units) in March games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 187-141 ATS (+31.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
UTAH is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (48 - 23) at PORTLAND (44 - 27) - 3/23/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PORTLAND is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in March games this season.
PORTLAND is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 47-33 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 2-2 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (21 - 51) at GOLDEN STATE (53 - 18) - 3/23/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-39 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 3-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 5-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 23

Clippers lost three of last four games with Indiana; under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Pacers are 7-2 vs spread in last nine series games, 2-2 in last four played here. Clippers lost four of their last five games; they?re 1-3 in last four games as road underdogs. LA?s last four games went over the total. Indiana lost three of its last four games; they covered last six tries as home favorites. Under is 9-1 in their last ten games.

Washington won five of last seven games with Denver; four of last six series games went over the total. Nuggets are 1-4 vs spread in their last five visits here. Denver is 4-5 in its last nine games; they?re 3-6-1 in last ten games as road underdogs. Over is 7-3 in their last 10 games. Washington is 4-6 in its last ten games, 1-5 vs spread in last six games as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over.

Knicks won four of last five games with Minnesota; six of last nine series games went over total. Wolves are 2-2 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan. Minnesota is 3-5 in its last eight games, 1-5 vs spread in last six tries as road favorites. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Knicks lost eight of their last ten games; they?re 2-7 in last nine games as home underdogs. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Cavaliers won their last six games with Phoenix; last three series games went over total. Phoenix is 3-2 vs spread in its last five visits to Cleveland. Suns lost their last nine games; they?re 4-7 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Under is 4-2 in their last six road games. Cleveland won four of its last five games; they?re 2-6 in last eight games as home favorites. Five of their last six games went over total.

Raptors won their last 10 games with Brooklyn (7-3 vs spread); under is 3-1 in last four series games. Nets are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Canada. Nets lost seven of their last 10 games; they covered last five games as road underdogs. Over is 3-1 in last four Brooklyn games. Toronto lost two of its last three games; they?re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Three of their last four games went over.

Thunder won five of last six games with Miami; last seven series games stayed under the total. Heat is 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Oklahoma. Miami won seven of last ten games; they covered five of last six games as road underdogs. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Thunder won six of its last seven games; they?re 3-1 in last four games as home favorites. Three of their last four games went over.

Road team won last six Milwaukee-Chicago games; Bucks covered three of last four visits to the Windy City. Four of last six five series games went over the total. Milwaukee lost three of its last four games; they?re 6-2 vs spread as road favorites this season. Bucks? last six games went over the total. Bulls lost four of their last five games; they covered last four games as home dogs. Three of last four Chicago games went over.

Jazz won their last four games with San Antonio; they?re 2-2 vs spread in last five visits to the Alamo. Six of last seven series games went over. Utah won 10 of its last 11 games; they?re 6-3 in last nine games as road underdogs, 8-5 if they played night before. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Spurs won/covered their last five games; they covered last four games as home favorites. Eight of their last nine games stayed under.

Celtics won four of last six games with Portland; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Oregon. Three of last four series games went over. Boston lost three of its last five games; they?re 10-3 vs spread as road underdogs this year. Four of last five Celtic games stayed under the total. Trailblazers won 13 of last 14 games; they covered last seven games as home favorites. Four of their last six games went over.

Warriors won last six games with Atlanta but Hawks covered three of last four; Atlanta is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Oakland. Over is 5-4-1 in last ten series games. Hawks lost seven of last eight games; they?re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs, 7-4-1 if they played the night before. Golden State lost four of its last six games; they?re 6-9-2 in last 17 games as home faves. Under is 8-2 in Golden State?s last ten games.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA

Friday, March 23

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Trend Report
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LA CLIPPERS @ INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Indiana's last 12 games

DENVER @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Denver's last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver

PHOENIX @ CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Phoenix is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing at home against Phoenix

MINNESOTA @ NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
New York is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota

BROOKLYN @ TORONTO
Brooklyn is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

MILWAUKEE @ CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home

MIAMI @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Miami
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

UTAH @ SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Antonio is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

BOSTON @ PORTLAND
Boston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Portland is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
Portland is 10-0-1 ATS in its last 11 games

ATLANTA @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games at home

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, March 23


Phoenix @ Cleveland

Game 857-858
March 23, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
102.413
Cleveland
120.524
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 18
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 12 1/2
230
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-12 1/2); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Tip Sheet
March 22, 2018

Game of the Night: Celtics at Blazers ? 10:05 PM EST

Boston (48-23 SU, 43-26-2 ATS) embarks on a late-season four-game West coast swing that continues to Sacramento, Phoenix, and Utah. The first stop is at the Moda Center to face Portland for the second time this season. The Celtics rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to stun the Blazers on Super Bowl Sunday, 97-96 on Al Horford?s game-winning jumper at the buzzer. Horford led the Celtics with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while leading scorer Kyrie Irving sat out with a bruised quad.

Irving remains sidelined to rest his knee, as Boston pulled off another epic late comeback in Tuesday?s victory over Oklahoma City. The Thunder held a 98-92 advantage with 24 seconds remaining in regulation before the Celtics went on an 8-2 run, capped off by Marcus Morris? three-pointer in the final seconds for a 100-99 triumph as 4 ?-point underdogs. Boston improved to 8-4 SU and 9-3 ATS since the All-Star break, but are 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS the last four games without Irving.

The Blazers (44-27 SU, 40-26-5 ATS) had their 13-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday?s 115-111 home setback to the red-hot Rockets. Portland lost to Houston for the third time this season, but managed a cover as five-point underdogs to improve to 11-0 ATS the last 11 games. In the defeat to the Rockets, the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to shoot 0-for-12 from three-point range, while scoring only 28 points.

Portland has been terrific as a home favorite since January by covering 13 of the past 14 when laying points at the Moda Center. Boston owns a solid 8-2 ATS mark as an underdog since late December, but has lost each of its last three straight-up as a road ?dog, including recent defeats at New Orleans, Houston, and Toronto.

Wild Wild West

There is a five-game separation in the Western Conference between the 4th-seed Oklahoma City and the 10th-seed L.A. Clippers as seven teams are seeking five spots. Both San Antonio and Utah are currently above the cut line for a playoff spot as the two squads hook up at AT&T Center for the final time this season.

The Jazz (41-31 SU, 38-34 ATS) have captured each of the first three matchups with the Spurs, including a 120-111 road victory in early February. Utah plays with no rest following Thursday?s victory at Dallas, as Quin Snyder?s club is currently on a ridiculous 21-3 run, including 11 straight wins away from Salt Lake City.

San Antonio (42-30 SU, 38-32-2 ATS) has caught fire on its current homestand by winning and covering the first five games. The Spurs have limited all five opponents to 101 points or less, capped off by a 98-90 victory over the Wizards on Wednesday as 5 ?-point favorites. Gregg Popovich?s team is on an 8-1 UNDER run, while scoring 98 points or less in five of the past seven contests.

Thunder Struck

Oklahoma City (43-30 SU, 31-42 ATS) squandered a late six-point lead in Tuesday?s last-second loss at Boston to snap a six-game winning streak. The Thunder start a final stretch with seven of the last nine games against teams currently in the top eight of their conference, as Oklahoma City faces Miami for the first time this season.

The Heat (39-33 SU, 37-30-5 ATS) enters Friday?s play on a three-game winning streak, including recent victories over Denver and New York. Miami has endured plenty of issues on the highway of late by losing nine consecutive road games before edging the Lakers by one point last Friday. As an away underdog, the Heat own a solid 6-2-1 ATS the last nine, but have dropped five of the previous six matchups with OKC.

L.A.st Stand?

The Clippers (38-33 SU, 38-32-1 ATS) fell out of the top eight of the Western Conference recently by dropping four straight games. Los Angeles ended that skid in Wednesday?s 127-120 triumph at Milwaukee to cash outright as 5 ?-point road underdogs, paced by DeAndre Jordan?s 25-point, 22-rebound effort. The Clippers continue their four-game road trip at Indiana looking to avenge a sweep at the hands of the Pacers last season.

Indiana (41-31 SU, 40-32 ATS) returns to Bankers Life Fieldhouse following Wednesday?s make-up game loss at New Orleans, 96-92. The Pacers have dropped three of four since a three-game hot streak, while sitting in the fifth position in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Indiana owns a solid 7-2 SU/ATS record in its last nine in the favorite role, including a 6-0 SU/ATS run in the past six opportunities as home chalk.

Washed Out

It?s been tough sledding for the Wizards (40-31 SU, 33-37-1 ATS) from an ATS standpoint lately as the Southeast leaders are 2-6-1 ATS the last nine games following Wednesday?s setback at San Antonio. Washington has lost six of its past eight contests against Western Conference foes as the Wizards welcome in the Nuggets. Scott Brooks? club beat Denver at Pepsi Center in late October, 109-104 as five-point underdogs, the third straight win for Washington in the series.

The Nuggets (39-33 SU, 32-37-3 ATS) picked up the first win on their road swing by pummeling the Bulls on Wednesday, 135-102 as nine-point favorites. Denver posed a 77-point first half, while drilling 20 three-pointers and nailing 61% of its attempts from the floor. The Nuggets have slumped to a 4-10 ATS record since the All-Star break, but have been listed as an underdog only three times in this span (1-2 ATS).

Steph?s Back

After missing the last six games with an ankle injury, two-time MVP Stephen Curry is ready to return to the Golden State lineup on Friday. The Warriors (53-18 SU, 30-40-1 ATS) lost four of six games without Curry, including Monday?s 89-75 setback at San Antonio. Even though Curry will come back against Atlanta, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green remain sidelined for Golden State.

The Hawks (21-51 SU, 35-35-2 ATS) play with no rest following Thursday?s setback at Sacramento, as Atlanta has lost 11 of 13 games on the second end of a back-to-back. However, Atlanta has cashed in eight of those 13 opportunities, while going 4-0 ATS in the last four tries on the road with no rest. In the previous matchup at Philips Arena in early March, the Warriors held off the Hawks, 114-109, but Atlanta grabbed the cover as 13-point ?dogs.

 

[Cnotes53]

Hoop Trends - Friday
March 23, 2018

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Nuggets are 0-13 ATS (-10.38 ppg) off a win in which they shot 50% or better from beyond the arc with at least 10 attempts.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Hawks are 0-15 OU (-13.80 ppg) as a road 8+ dog with no rest coming off a loss as a road dog.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Spurs are 12-0 ATS (7.46 ppg) as a home favorite off a game as a favorite in which Lamarcus Aldridge was the high scorer.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Bulls are 0-10 ATS (-8.15 ppg) at home off a loss in a home game in which they had 6+ double digit scorers.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Trail Blazers are 11-0 ATS (8.55 ppg) with more than one day of rest.

-- The Timberwolves are 10-0 OU (11.60 ppg) after Andrew Wiggins had more turnovers than assists last game.

 

[Cnotes53]

Popovich stays the course for Spurs
March 22, 2018

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Gregg Popovich is not changing how he coaches, not after 22 seasons leading the Spurs.

The NBA's most tenured steward is always going to focus on defense. He's always going to dismiss talk of his brilliance because ''it's just basketball.'' And he's not going to overwork his players even though an unprecedented rash of injuries has the Spurs battling for their playoff lives for the first time in two decades.

''At this point, he's not changing,'' Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''It's a formula that has worked quite well. They have great veteran leadership and they pass it along to the young guys. You see the young guys are growing. That's why they're so good.''

They're not as good as they have been, but their impressive success this year is a testament to Popovich.

San Antonio has been without MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games this season and Tony Parker, Rudy Gay and Danny Green have all missed significant time with various injuries. In all, the Spurs have missed 165 games as a team while battling everything from sprained MCLs to fractured wrists.

The injuries haven't dramatically altered how Popovich manages the 82-game regular season.

''I think Pop did a great job overall, it's not easy,'' Parker said. ''It was a tough one for him this year. Since I've been here, we have never had that many injuries. So, Pop did the best he could and I think overall he did a good job.''

Aside from All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, no Spurs player is averaging more than 28 minutes per game and veterans Parker and Manu Ginobili are averaging 20 minutes per game. Popovich has also been able to sit Aldridge, Ginobili and Pau Gasol for rest during the season.

Popovich was among the first coaches to sit players for rest rather than injury. He opted to keep Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green at home rather than have them play at Miami on Nov. 30, 2012. The action resulted in a $250,000 fine and sharp rebuke from then NBA Commissioner David Stern. The NBA changed its rules to allow teams to rest its players, but only if they listed in a timely manner who would be resting on their injury reports.

Popovich doesn't have the firepower to repeat that mass seating now.

''It was hard to rest guys, limit guys' minutes,'' Green said. ''We had some guys come back from injuries, that's when he limited some of the guys' minutes.''

But Popovich still has made sure players received their needed rest.

The 40-year-old Ginobili has provided the Spurs with a needed lift this month after sitting out eight games to rest. In Wednesday's victory over Washington, Ginobili outran 31-year-old Ramon Sessions to a loose ball and then dove on it to save the possession.

''It just tells you that nobody has an excuse not to do it,'' 37-year-old center Pau Gasol said of Ginobili's hustle. ''A 40-year-old does it, what about a 25 or 30 or 35 or 37 year old?''

Parker has not sat out any games for rest, but he did miss the first 19 games of the season after recovering from left quadriceps tendon surgery. Even before he lost his starting position to Dejounte Murray, Parker has spent a lot of time on the bench. Not that Parker has enjoyed the time off the court.

''For me personally, I'm just trying to get back to 100 percent it was almost too much rest,'' Parker said. ''I wish I had played more games, but it is what it is. Other guys, I hope they feel fresher. We're going to need it.''

While Parker may not enjoy the rest, it seems to be paying off.

The Spurs have won five straight after losing eight of 11 games to drop into 10th place in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs. San Antonio was in sixth place, one-half game behind Oklahoma City.

The Spurs recently beat a short-handed Golden State team by 14 points. The Spurs played with energy that they haven't shown since early in the season when they were third in the West.

That should help then down the stretch, and possibly into the playoffs. Being rested, healthy and playing good defense is a recipe that has yielded five championships in Popovich's tenure and extended the careers of franchise stalwarts like Tim Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

''Everybody's bringing the juice,'' Murray said. ''We're playing together on offense. I just feel like there's more juice on defense. As I always say, defense, we've all got to be on the same page and be hungry and greedy on `D.' We've got to keep going, we can't get comfortable.''

 

[Cnotes53]

LeBron, Cavs send message with win
March 22, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) The drama has included turmoil and trades, head-scratching losses, infighting, injuries and illness.

Cleveland's stormy season seems extracted from the script of a scandalous TV soap opera - ''All My Cavaliers.''

But just when it looked as if LeBron James and this group of Cavaliers, some of whom have yet to play together, were about to implode with the postseason in sight, a startling win may have turned them around.

''I always say there is one game during the season that changes your team,'' acting coach Larry Drew said following Cleveland's 132-129 win over Toronto. ''That game can be early, it can be midway, it can be late. There's always one game that kind of changes your team, the mindset.

''And I really believe tonight's game might have done that for us.''

With James on a mission to remind the Raptors of his magnificence, the short-handed Cavs, missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue, rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half Wednesday night to stun the Eastern Conference's top team and send a message to the NBA.

Don't count them out.

James scored 14 in the fourth and finished with 35 points, 17 assists and didn't commit a turnover in 40 minutes, a stat line not seen since the league began charting turnovers in 1977-78, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

At 33, James continues to defy age while padding his impeccable resume. Although Houston's James Harden appears to be a lock to win MVP honors this season, there is no debate about the game's best all-around player.

Since Feb. 7, the day before the Cavs deconstructed their roster with three major trades, James is averaging a triple-double - 30.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.5 assists.

''It just seems like every night, every night the things that he does, I sit over there and I just kind of shake my head,'' Drew said. ''I'm just glad that I'm coaching him.''

James scored or assisted on 80 of his team's 132 points, and in the process silenced any doubts as to whether the Cavs could handle an improved Toronto team that has more depth, shooters and experience than the squads Cleveland dispatched the past two postseasons.

At halftime, none of that seemed possible. Toronto tied a franchise record with 79 points in the first half, and James confessed the Cavs ''had that depleted feel'' as they headed to the locker room.

On his way back to the floor, James, who recently couldn't recall a season with as much adversity as this one, grabbed a box score from one of the team's media relations staffers, took a quick glance and handed it back.

It was time to get to work.

''I know with LeBron I could see that he was going to take it to another gear, he was going to take it to another level,'' said Drew, who is filling in while Lue addresses health issues. ''I could kind of see that in his eyes. ... You can kind of see as the game kind of went on, he just kind of took it upon himself, and started making more plays. Bron is just that guy that when things seem a little bleak, he's the guy that can get you over that hump.''

The Cavs haven't finished their climb, but they're nearly over their injury bug.

Forwards Tristan Thompson (ankle) and Rodney Hood (back) could be back in the lineup as early as Friday against Phoenix, and Larry Nance Jr. (hamstring) will likely be back on the floor by next week. Kyle Korver will be out a few more games after he was excused to be with his family in Iowa following the sudden death of his younger brother, Kirk.

Cleveland isn't quite whole, but with James that doesn't really matter.

''You can't overlook 'em or underlook 'em,'' Raptors forward DeMar DeRozan said. ''No type of way, no matter what type of changes they make.''

James has carried less talented teams than these Cavs to the NBA Finals. And as the three-time champion showed against the Raptors, there is no player who can take over a game like he can.

With 11 regular-season games left, the Cavs are up against the clock to get healthy, tweak their rotations and work out any kinks before the playoffs begin. They trail second-place Boston by six games in the East.

But Cleveland's win over the Raptors was a needed confidence boost in a season that has sometimes defied description.

''We got work to do,'' said James, who will be seeking his eighth straight Finals appearance. ''There's a lot of teams in the East that's been playing better basketball than us for the majority of the season. We want to try to continue to just to build off what we did the last couple games and if we do that, we'll put ourselves in a good position going into the postseason.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Bucks' Giannis doubtful to play Friday
March 22, 2018

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Milwaukee Bucks say Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for Friday night's game against the Chicago Bulls with a sprained right ankle.

The All-Star forward got hurt in the second quarter of a 127-120 loss on Wednesday to the Los Angeles Clippers when he appeared to trip over teammate Shabazz Muhammad under the Bucks' basket.

Antetokounmpo is fourth in the league in scoring at 27.3 points a game.

 

[Cnotes53]

2017-18 NBA CONFERENCE STANDINGS

EASTERN CONFERENCE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 x-Toronto 53 19 0.736 - 29-6 24-13 35-9 10-3 L1 8-2

2 x-Boston 48 23 0.676 4? 24-13 24-10 30-15 10-3 W1 6-4

3 x-Cleveland 42 29 0.592 10? 24-11 18-18 30-14 11-5 W3 6-4

4 Philadelphia 41 30 0.577 11? 23-11 18-19 26-18 7-7 W5 7-3

5 Indiana 41 31 0.569 12 24-13 17-18 30-18 10-6 L1 6-4

6 Washington 40 31 0.563 12? 20-15 20-16 26-18 7-6 L1 4-6

7 Miami 39 33 0.542 14 22-13 17-20 26-18 9-5 W3 7-3

8 Milwaukee 37 34 0.521 15? 22-15 15-19 23-23 5-10 L2 4-6

Detroit 32 40 0.444 21 21-14 11-26 19-26 7-7 L1 3-7

Charlotte 32 41 0.438 21? 20-17 12-24 19-25 10-4 W2 4-6

o-New York 26 46 0.361 27 18-17 8-29 14-29 6-9 L1 2-8

o-Chicago 24 47 0.338 28? 15-21 9-26 18-24 4-9 L3 4-6

o-Brooklyn 23 49 0.319 30 14-24 9-25 14-28 1-12 L1 3-7

o-Orlando 21 51 0.292 32 14-21 7-30 13-31 4-9 L3 2-8

o-Atlanta 21 51 0.292 32 15-22 6-29 9-36 3-9 L1 2-8


WESTERN CONFERENCE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD CONF DIV STREAK L10

1 y-Houston 58 14 0.806 - 28-6 30-8 37-8 11-3 W7 9-1

2 y-Golden St. 53 18 0.746 4? 27-8 26-10 30-15 10-3 L1 6-4

3 Portland 44 27 0.620 13? 25-12 19-15 26-16 7-6 L1 9-1

4 Oklahoma City43 30 0.589 15? 25-11 18-19 25-20 5-9 L1 7-3

5 New Orleans 43 30 0.589 15? 22-15 21-15 22-22 7-6 W4 6-4

6 San Antonio 42 30 0.583 16 28-8 14-22 24-20 8-6 W5 6-4

7 Minnesota 41 31 0.569 17 27-9 14-22 30-15 9-4 W1 5-5

8 Utah 41 31 0.569 17 24-12 17-19 27-16 6-8 W1 9-1

Denver 39 33 0.542 19 27-10 12-23 24-23 6-6 W1 5-5

L.A. Clippers 38 33 0.535 19? 20-15 18-18 22-23 11-3 W1 5-5

L.A. Lakers 31 40 0.437 26? 18-16 13-24 15-28 5-9 L4 4-6

o-Sacramento 24 49 0.329 34? 13-23 11-26 11-34 4-9 W1 5-5

o-Dallas 22 50 0.306 36 14-23 8-27 12-35 5-11 L4 3-7

o-Memphis 19 53 0.264 39 14-23 5-30 16-27 5-10 L3 1-9

o-Phoenix 19 53 0.264 39 9-27 10-26 13-32 3-9 L9 1-9


x-clinched playoff berth
y-denotes division winner
z-clinched top seed in conference
o-eliminated from playoff contention

 

[Cnotes53]

FRIDAY, MARCH 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DEN at WAS 07:00 PM
DEN +1.5
O 216.5

LAC at IND 07:00 PM
LAC +3.5
U 216.0

BK at TOR 07:30 PM
TOR -11.5
U 221.0

MIN at NY 07:30 PM
MIN -7.5
O 226.0

PHO at CLE 07:30 PM
PHO +14.5
U 228.0

MIA at OKC 08:00 PM
OKC -6.0
U 218.0

MIL at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +5.5
U 216.0

UTA at SA 08:30 PM
UTA +3.5
U 193.5

BOS at POR 10:00 PM
POR -6.5
U 203.0

ATL at GS 10:30 PM
ATL +10.0
O 220.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Kyle Lowery has triple-double, Raptors edge Nets 116-112
March 23, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry returned from a six-game absence with a right ankle injury only to strain his left knee after scoring 29 points, and the beat-up, undermanned Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks 106-94 on Friday night

Curry grimaced as he hopped around and made it to the bench on a tender left side with 3:09 left in third after JaVale McGee fell over and the center's right elbow appeared to pound into Curry's left knee. The two-time MVP immediately sat in a chair and put his head down before going into the locker room.

Nick Young scored 24 points with six 3-pointers as the defending champions were already down their other All-Stars - Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

Young, Patrick McCaw, Jordan Bell and Zaza Pachulia joined Curry in the starting lineup. Pachulia had nine rebounds, while Bell scored 12 points.

McCaw went down hard and headed to the locker room at the 10:24 mark of the first quarter. He returned to start the second, playing with a bruised lower back. Young went to the locker room late in the first half but was OK.

Curry overcame a slow start in his return, shooting 10 for 18. He had rolled the ankle at Atlanta on March 2 but initially kept playing before re-injuring it again.

RAPTORS 116, NETS 112

TORONTO (AP) - Kyle Lowry had 25 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in his 10th triple-double with Toronto, Jonas Valanciunas scored 23 points and the Raptors beat Brooklyn for their 12th straight victory over the Nets.

DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points, Fred VanVleet had 16 and Pascal Siakam 11 to help the Eastern Conference leaders bounce back from a loss at Cleveland on Wednesday night. The Raptors improved to an NBA-best 30-6 at home.

Brooklyn's D'Angelo Russell had 18 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his first career triple-double. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe each scored 18 points, DeMarre Carroll had 14 and Jarrett Allen 13 for the Nets.

SPURS 124, JAZZ 120, OT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had a career-high 45 points, helping San Antonio overcome Donovan Mitchell's 35-point performance for Utah.

The Spurs won their sixth straight and beat the Jazz for the first time in four meetings this season.

Utah's 12-game road winning streak came to an end, but only after Mitchell had 14 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers in the final two minutes to force overtime.

San Antonio remained sixth in the Western Conference with the same record as fifth-place New Orleans, a half-game behind Oklahoma City for fourth. Utah remained eighth in the West.

TIMBERWOLVES 108, KNICKS 104

NEW YORK (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota beat New York to clinch its first winning record in 13 years.

Taj Gibson scored 18 points, and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and 11 rebounds to help the Wolves improve to 42-31. They came into the night tied with Utah for seventh place in the Western Conference. Nemanja Bjelica also had 17 points.

The Timberwolves hadn't finished with a winning record since going 44-38 in 2004-05, the season after their last playoff appearance. Minnesota is trying to end the NBA's longest current postseason drought.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a career-high 39 points for the Knicks. They have dropped two in a row after winning two straight following a nine-game losing streak.

CAVALIERS 120, SUNS 95

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James scored 27 points in three quarters, Kevin Love added 20 and Cleveland welcomed back three players from injury in a blowout victory over Phoenix.

James added nine assists and six rebounds before watching and cheering from the bench in the fourth while the Cavs rolled to an easy win with their healthiest roster in weeks. Forwards Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood all returned from injuries.

Phoenix was without its top two scorers, Devin Booker (right hand sprain) and T.J. Warren (left knee inflammation). But even they might not have been able to stop the Suns from losing their 10th in a row and 25th in 27 games. Troy Daniels scored 20 points, and Marquese Chriss had 19 to pace Phoenix.

CELTICS 105, TRAIL BLAZERS 100

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Marcus Morris scored 30 points and short-handed Boston handed Portland its its second straight loss following a 13-game winning streak.

Terry Rozier added 16 points for the Celtics. They are second in the Eastern Conference behind Toronto but have had to deal with recent injuries to Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum each had 26 points for the Blazers.

THUNDER 105, HEAT 99

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 17 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Oklahoma City beat Miami.

Westbrook went 6 for 7 from the field and made 3 of 4 free throws in the final period. He also finished with 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Steven Adams added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder. They have won seven of eight.

James Johnson scored 23 points, and Goran Dragic added 20 for the Heat.

BUCKS 118, BULLS 105

CHICAGO (AP) - Shabazz Muhammad scored 21 points and Milwaukee overcame a sluggish start to beat Chicago.

Milwaukee star swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game because of a sprained right ankle.

Former Bull Tony Snell added 18 points, and Brandon Jennings had 16 points and five assists to help the Bucks move within a half-game of seventh-place Miami in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Denzel Valentine led Chicago with 20 points.

PACERS 109, CLIPPERS 104.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points and Indiana used a late 9-0 run to hold off Los Angeles, putting the Pacers on the precipice of clinching a playoff spot.

The Pacers won for only the second time in five games, but can clinch a playoff berth with one more win or a Detroit loss. Lou Williams led Los Angeles with 27 points.

NUGGETS 108, WIZARDS 100

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 25 points and Denver beat Washington to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Bradley Beal led Washington with 24 points as it failed to gain ground in a competitive East.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:00 PM Phoenix Suns Orlando Magic Amway Center
8:00 PM Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:00 PM New Orleans Pelicans Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:30 PM Charlotte Hornets Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center


**********************

March NBA Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

03/23/2018 4-15-1 21.05% -62.50
03/22/2018 10-2-0 83.33% +39.00
03/21/2018 8-7-1 53.33% +1.50
03/20/2018 9-5-0 64.29% +17.50
03/19/2018 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
03/18/2018 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
03/17/2018 9-13-0 40.91% -26.50
03/16/2018 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
03/15/2018 5-13-0 27.78% -46.50
03/14/2018 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
03/13/2018 13-8-0 61.90% +21.00
03/12/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
03/11/2018 10-8-0 55.56% +6.00
03/10/2018 7-3-0 70.00% +18.50
03/09/2018 13-7-0 65.00% +26.50
03/08/2018 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00
03/07/2018 4-10-0 28.57% -35.00
03/06/2018 7-7-1 50.00% -3.50
03/05/2018 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50
03/04/2018 5-9-0 35.71% -24.50
03/03/2018 10-4-0 71.43% +28.00
03/02/2018 9-10-0 47.37% -10.00
03/01/2018 6-2-0 83.00% +19.00


Totals...........153 - 163......48.41%....- 41.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s 6-pack

Since 1987, eight lowest-seeded teams to make the Final Four:

2006? #11-seed George Mason

2011? #11-seed VCU

2016? #10-seed Syracuse

2013? #9-seed Wichita State

2000? #8-seed Wisconsin

2000? #8-seed North Carolina

2011? #8-seed Butler

2014? #8-seed Kentucky

Quote of the Day
?I knew there was a lot of time. We just thought it was necessary at that time because they were getting on a good run. And I just wanted to make sure we kept our confidence and stayed committed to our game plan. I just looked at Jalen [Brunson], Mikal and Phil [Booth], and I could see in their eyes we were good.?
Jay Wright, on calling a timeout with 11:08 left Friday

Saturday?s quiz
Who was the first player from the AFL inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Friday?s quiz
Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic scene of A Few Good Men.

Thursday?s quiz
Topeka is the capital of Kansas.

**************************

Saturday?s List of 13: Wrapping up the Sweet 16

13) Here is our Elite 8: Both #1-seeds won Friday, are now 10-1-1 vs spread in this round the last four years. Rest of the Elite 8? Two #9-seeds, an 11-seed, two 3-seeds and 2-seed Duke.

12) Duke 69, Syracuse 65? Duke won first meeting 60-44; teams combined to go 8-43 in that game. This game snuck over total; teams combined to go 9-39 on arc, but Duke was 20-28 on foul line as they held on at the end.

Turns out that Jim Boeheim?s last game as a Syracuse player was a 91-81 loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament back when the game were televised in black-and-white. Boeheim played at Syracuse with the great Dave Bing, who was a really good player with the Detroit Pistons.

11) Villanova 90, West Virginia 78? Mountaineers went 7-28 on the arc; they lost seven of last nine games this season when shooting less than 35% on the arc. Villanova plays better defense than you?d think. And they have multiple guys who make 3-pointers- they were 13-24 here.

10) Kansas 80, Clemson 76? If you had the Jayhawks (-5), this was brutal. Clemson rallied back from a 62-42 deficit with 11:00 left and cut lead to 4 with 0:04.5 left, called timeout, but never fouled after Kansas inbounded the ball. Very bad beat for Kansas backers.

Bill Self is 8-2 in Sweet 16 games at Kansas; he is 2-5 in regional finals.

9) Texas Tech 78, Purdue 65? Teams that make the Final Four sometimes make it because they get lucky; Purdue big man Haas couldn?t play because he broke his elbow last week, which made the Boilermakers a far less formidable opponent.

Purdue made 11-24 on arc when they beat Butler without Haas; they were 7-18 in this game, and took only six foul shots the whole game.

8) How #11-seeds (or lower) have done in regional finals:
2017? Xavier (+8.5) L83-59 vs Gonzaga
2014? Dayton (+10.5) L52-62 vs Florida
2011? VCU (+11.5) W71-61 over Kansas
2006? George Mason (+8) W86-84 over UConn
2002? #12-seed Missouri (+6.5) L75-81 vs Oklahoma
2001? Temple (+6.5) L62-69 vs Michigan State
1990? LMU (+5) L131-101 vs UNLV

4-3 vs spread, all as underdogs, with two SU wins.

7) Random trend; over last 20 years, in the West Region final, underdogs are 16-4 against the spread. Michigan is -4.5 over Florida State in Staples Center tonight.

6) Generally, if an 8 or 9-seed gets this far, they had to beat the #1-seed to get here, but not this year because UMBC pulled their upset. Here is how #8 or #9-seeds have done in the Elite 8:
2014: Kentucky (-2.5) W75-72 vs Michigan
2013: Wichita State (+6) W70-66 vs Ohio State
2011: Butler (+3.5) W74-71 Florida OT
2004: Alabama (+8.5) L87-71 vs UConn
2000: North Carolina (+2.5) W59-55 vs Tulsa
2000: Wisconsin (+1) W64-60 vs Purdue
1998: Rhode Island (+4.5) L79-77 vs Stanford
1994: Boston College (+1.5) L74-66 vs Florida

6-2 vs spread, 5-3 SU

5) Dayton Flyers went 14-17 this season, its first losing season in 12 years; they had only one senior, but since the season ended, five other players have left the program, two to explore pro possibilities, three others to transfer to other schools.

Next season?s Flyers will be very young, and will take time to get to know each other.

4) Took the NHL?s Pittsburgh Penguins 25 years to get 100 points in a season; Las Vegas Golden Knights have done it in their first year in the NHL, a tremendous accomplishment.

3) As you know if you read this space at all, I watch a ton of sports on TV, but one thing I?ve lost my appetite for is pre and post-game shows and halftime shows. Mostly they just exist to amuse the people who are on the show, and usually, there are too many people on them anyway.

Highlight shows late at night? Still enjoy them.

2) Traded Marcell Ozuna for Madison Bumgarner in my fantasy baseball league this winter; Bumgarner broke his left pinkie Friday when he was hit by a line drive. Bleepin? awesome.

Of course, guy who hit the ball that broke his finger is on my team, too. No bueno.

1) On a happier note, Sunday night is the last Sunday night in 2018 without football or baseball, so thats a good thing.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA knowledge

Saturday?s NBA

76ers won five of last seven games with Minnesota; under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Wolves are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Philly. Minnesota won four of last six games; they?re 3-9 in last 12 games as road underdogs, 2-6 on road if they played night before. Over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Philly won its last five games; they?re 13-3 in last 16 games as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over.

Home side won last six Chicago-Detroit games; Bulls are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Five of last seven series games stayed under. Chicago lost five of its last six games; they?re 2-9 in last 11 games as road underdogs, 1-3 on road if they played night before. Three of last four Bulls games went over. Pistons lost seven of their last ten games; they?re 4-3 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games.

Road team won six of last seven Phoenix-Orlando games; Suns covered their last four visits to Orlando. Three of last four series games stayed under. Phoenix lost its last ten games (2-8 vs spread); they?re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs. Under is 4-2 in their last six games. Magic lost eight of their last nine games; they?re 1-8 as home favorites this year. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Home side won six of last seven Memphis-Laker games; LA is 0-4 vs spread in last four visits to Memphis. Over is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. Lakers lost their last four games; they?re 1-1 as road favorites this year. Four of their last five games stayed under. Memphis lost 22 of its last 23 games; they?re 3-7 vs spread in last ten games as home underdogs. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Rockets won seven of last nine games with New Orleans; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Pelicans are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Houston. New Orleans won its last four games; they?re 7-3 in last ten games as road underdogs. Four of their last six games stayed under total. Rockets won their last seven games; they?re 4-7 in last 11 games as home favorites. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games.

Dallas/Charlotte split their last ten games; under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Hornets covered three of their last four visits to Dallas. Charlotte won its last two games after a 2-6 skid; over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Hornets are 6-3 as road favorites this season. Mavericks lost their last four games; they?re 3-5 in last eight games as home underdogs. Last four Dallas games went over the total.

 

[Cnotes53]

Game of the Night: Pelicans at Rockets ? 8:05 PM EST

It?s been an eventful week for New Orleans (43-30 SU, 40-32-1 ATS), who has taken the court five times since last Saturday. The Pelicans are riding a four-game winning streak, while picking up three victories in a three-night span at Smoothie King Center.

Alvin Gentry?s squad knocked off the Mavericks on Tuesday, the Pacers in a make-up game on Wednesday, and outlasted the Lakers on Thursday. In the 128-125 triumph over Los Angeles, the Pelicans converted 48 two-point field goals, while MVP candidate Anthony Davis led the way with 33 points and nine rebounds. Guard Rajon Rondo put together one of his best games since joining New Orleans by scoring 24 points and dishing out 10 assists, while backcourt mate Jrue Holiday posted a 26-point effort on 12-of-16 shooting.

The Rockets (58-14 SU, 37-34-1 ATS) grabbed their seventh straight win on Thursday against the Pistons, but it wasn?t easy. Houston held off Detroit in overtime, 100-96, while the Pistons cashed as 10 ?-point underdogs. Point guard Chris Paul sat out with a hamstring strain, while James Harden struggled to reach the 21-point mark by hitting only 4-of-20 attempts from the floor and registered an 0-for-8 performance from three-point range.

Houston topped New Orleans last Saturday in the Big Easy, 107-101 road victory. The Pelicans covered for the third time in three meetings with the Rockets this season, but couldn?t hold down Harden, who led Houston with 32 points. New Orleans has lost nine of the past 10 meetings at Toyota Center since 2013, while four of the previous five matchups have finished UNDER the total.

All?s Well at Home

The 76ers (41-30 SU, 39-30-2 ATS) have picked up victories in 16 of their last 17 games at Wells Fargo Center since the calendar turned to 2018. Philadelphia is currently on a five-game hot streak after routing Charlotte, Memphis, and Orlando by double-digits each this week. The Sixers led the Magic by 30 points heading into the fourth quarter of Thursday?s 118-98 blowout to easily cash as eight-point favorites. Philadelphia improved to 9-1 the last 10 games in which it has exceeded the 100-point mark, while currently on a 4-1 OVER run.

Minnesota (41-31 SU, 33-37-2 ATS) travels to Philadelphia with no rest following Friday?s 108-104 victory at New York. The Wolves lost 13 of their first 15 road games in 2018, but are 2-1 in their past three away from the Target Center after beating the Knicks. Minnesota has struggled as a road underdog of late by compiling a 2-6 ATS mark, while looking to avenge a six-point home overtime loss to Philadelphia back in mid-December.

Lake Slow Down

The Lakers (31-40 SU, 37-34 ATS) have turned into one of the streakier teams in the league the last two months. Los Angeles has put together three separate winning streaks of at least four games since January, but are riding a four-game skid following Thursday?s 128-125 setback at New Orleans. Luke Walton?s team blew an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope lit up the Pelicans for 28 points on 8-of-11 shooting from downtown.

L.A. is in a rare road favorite role as they Lakers venture to Memphis to take on the reeling Grizzlies (19-53 SU, 29-41-2 ATS). Just when losing 22 of their last 23 games is a new low for the franchise, Memphis topped itself in a 61-point defeat at Charlotte on Thursday. Memphis has lost 17 consecutive road contests and it is highly likely that the Grizzlies will end the season with 23 straight setbacks on the highway as they face Minnesota twice, Utah, Portland, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City.

The Grizzlies have had some luck against the Lakers this season by capturing two of three meetings, including a 123-114 victory at FedEx Forum in mid-January. Los Angeles wasn?t a road favorite until January 31 at Orlando, but the Lakers have covered in each of their last two opportunities as away chalk against the Kings and Hawks.

The Buzz is Back

The Hornets (32-41 SU, 31-38-4 ATS) rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit to stun the Nets on Wednesday, 111-105, as Dwight Howard produced a 32-point, 30-rebound effort for Charlotte. The next night, Kemba Walker dropped 46 points in 28 minutes of a 140-79 demolition of the Grizzlies as eight-point favorites. Since a five-game winning streak in late February, the Hornets have stumbled to a 4-8 mark the last 12 contests, including a 2-6 record on the road.

Charlotte heads to Dallas to face a struggling Mavericks (22-50 SU, 37-34-1 ATS) squad. The Mavs have gone backwards of late by losing four straight, while allowing at least 114 points in each defeat. Dallas managed a backdoor cover as 8 ?-point underdogs on Thursday to Utah, 119-112 by outscoring the Jazz in the fourth quarter, 31-23. The Mavs seek the season sweep of the Hornets after upending Charlotte as a 6 ?-point road underdog in January, 115-110.

 

[Cnotes53]

Cavs get 3 players back from injuries
March 23, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) The Cavaliers are closer to being at full strength.

Forwards Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson, and Rodney Hood all returned from injuries on Friday night as Cleveland, which has been riddled with injuries all season, hosted the Phoenix Suns. Acting coach Larry Drew said none of the players will start and all will be on minutes' restrictions.

Drew, who is filling in while coach Tyronn Lue is on leave to address his own health, plans to keep his starting lineup intact and ease the returning players into the rotation.

LeBron James, Jose Calderon, George Hill, Jeff Green and Kevin Love were scheduled to started against Phoenix, which has lost nine in a row. Drew said he and Lue will talk again Saturday about lineup changes for the upcoming trip to Brooklyn, Miami and Charlotte.

''I really didn't want to disrupt the starting five that we have out there right now and those guys will be playing limited minutes, so I wanted to get them slowly back and acclimated to what we're doing,'' Drew said. ''There's a chance that there could be some early substitutions to get the guys in there. I'm not ruling that out, but right now I just kind of want to stay with the flow, stay with what we've done the last couple of ballgames and then we'll probably after tonight we'll see as far as where we stand as far as starters are concerned.''

Thompson missed nine games with a sprained right ankle, Nance Jr. was out four with a hamstring issue and Hood was out the past three games with a bad back.

Drew said he did not know if Lue will accompany the team on its trip.

But while the Cavs are healthier than they've been in weeks, the team is still missing Kyle Korver, who is with his family in Iowa following the death of his brother, and rookie Cedi Osman, who is sidelined with a left hip flexor strain.

 

[Cnotes53]

Irving set for surgery on left knee
March 23, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Celtics say All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to have surgery Saturday to alleviate pain in his left knee.

Irving has been out since March 11, missing the last four games. There is no timetable for his return from the ''minimally invasive'' procedure.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked before Boston's game in Portland on Friday night the ramifications of Irving's surgery.

''I don't know yet,'' Stevens said. ''He's going to have it tomorrow and we'll know more about timelines after that.''

The knee is the same one that Irving injured in the 2015 NBA Finals that required surgery.

Irving is averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Friday was his 26th birthday.

He is one of several key sidelined players for Boston, which is at Portland on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown (concussion protocol), Marcus Smart (thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and Gordon Hayward (ankle surgery rehab).

Stevens said the team will focus on its strengths in light on the injuries, although Brown could return as early as Sunday in Sacramento.

''Do what you do best. That's it,'' he said. ''Everybody's got something they do well otherwise they wouldn't be in the NBA. Don't try to be something you're not, don't try to make up for Kyrie's absence, or Smart's absence, or Tyson's absence by trying to do what they do. Just do you and just be good at it, be reliable at it. That's all we're going to ask.''

Despite the absences, the Celtics rallied to beat the Trail Blazers 105-100. Marcus Morris had 30 points.

''It's definitely hard having all those guys out, but we're just giving other guys an opportunity and they're taking advantage,'' Morris said afterward.

The Celtics (49-23) remain in second in the Eastern Conference behind the Raptors.

Stevens said he had not had a lot of discussion with the front office about adding another player.

''I think that there is the possibility of applying for an exception again because of all the knee injuries and the length of injuries,'' Stevens said. ''I don't know where we are with that, and I haven't talked to them about any particulars.''

He said if the Celtics added anyone, it would be to give the team perimeter depth.

The Celtics are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference, below the first-place Toronto Raptors.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, March 24


Minnesota @ Philadelphia

Game 501-502
March 24, 2018 @ 6:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
120.322
Philadelphia
121.970
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 7 1/2
222
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+7 1/2); Under

Chicago @ Detroit

Game 503-504
March 24, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
106.623
Detroit
116.135
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 9 1/2
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 12
210
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+12); Under

Phoenix @ Orlando

Game 505-506
March 24, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
00.000
Orlando
00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix

Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
( );

LA Lakers @ Memphis

Game 507-508
March 24, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
118.824
Memphis
102.126
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 17
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 4 1/2
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(-4 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Houston

Game 509-510
March 24, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
119.247
Houston
130.179
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 11
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 8
226 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-8); Over

Charlotte @ Dallas

Game 511-512
March 24, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
117.142
Dallas
113.298
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 4
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 1
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-1); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 24

76ers won five of last seven games with Minnesota; under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Wolves are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Philly. Minnesota won four of last six games; they?re 3-9 in last 12 games as road underdogs, 2-6 on road if they played night before. Over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Philly won its last five games; they?re 13-3 in last 16 games as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over.

Home side won last six Chicago-Detroit games; Bulls are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Five of last seven series games stayed under. Chicago lost five of its last six games; they?re 2-9 in last 11 games as road underdogs, 1-3 on road if they played night before. Three of last four Bulls games went over. Pistons lost seven of their last ten games; they?re 4-3 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games.

Road team won six of last seven Phoenix-Orlando games; Suns covered their last four visits to Orlando. Three of last four series games stayed under. Phoenix lost its last ten games (2-8 vs spread); they?re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs. Under is 4-2 in their last six games. Magic lost eight of their last nine games; they?re 1-8 as home favorites this year. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Home side won six of last seven Memphis-Laker games; LA is 0-4 vs spread in last four visits to Memphis. Over is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. Lakers lost their last four games; they?re 1-1 as road favorites this year. Four of their last five games stayed under. Memphis lost 22 of its last 23 games; they?re 3-7 vs spread in last ten games as home underdogs. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Rockets won seven of last nine games with New Orleans; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Pelicans are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Houston. New Orleans won its last four games; they?re 7-3 in last ten games as road underdogs. Four of their last six games stayed under total. Rockets won their last seven games; they?re 4-7 in last 11 games as home favorites. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games.

Dallas/Charlotte split their last ten games; under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Hornets covered three of their last four visits to Dallas. Charlotte won its last two games after a 2-6 skid; over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Hornets are 6-3 as road favorites this season. Mavericks lost their last four games; they?re 3-5 in last eight games as home underdogs. Last four Dallas games went over the total.