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NBA |
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2/24/2020 |
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FOUND
8
GAMES |
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-938
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-12.5 (-107)
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Over 243.5 (-103)
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+680
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+12.5 (-103)
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Under 243.5 (-107)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 24, 2020The Milwaukee Bucks can hang their hat on a plethora of scintillating performances this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo has had his sizable hand in most of them.Arguably the best effort put forth by the Bucks came late last month against the Washington Wizards, a team they will visit on Monday night.Khris Middleton highlighted a career-high 51-point performance with seven 3-pointers as Milwaukee erupted for a season-best point total in a wire-to-wire 151-131 win over Washington on Jan. 28.The Bucks scored a franchise-record 88 points in the first half and shot a blistering 55.6 percent from the field, 51.4 percent from 3-point range and 91.4 percent from the free-throw line.Impressive numbers to be certain -- and they did it without Antetokounmpo, who sat out with an ailing right shoulder.Milwaukee is in the midst of a sterling 16-2 run and owns an NBA-best record of 48-8 heading into Monday's rematch. They have already clinched a playoff berth too, doing so without playing Sunday when the Wizards lost to the Chicago Bulls.Even more bad news for the Wizards: The reigning league MVP is expected to suit up with the mindset of improving his game."I'm just trying to get better, because I know that my team wants me to be better, and I know when getting better, I can help my team win easily, put them in the right spots easily," said Antetokounmpo, who collected 31 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists in Milwaukee's 119-98 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday."... We've got 26 more games until the playoffs. Just try to take as much of these 26 games, play good basketball, learn as much as possible, take notes, watch clips, so I can make my mind stronger and smarter -- and that's pretty much it." A scary notion indeed, considering Antetokounmpo boasts team-leading averages in points (30.0), rebounds (13.6) and assists (5.8) on a club that has recorded 18 20-point victories this season."That's what we want him to do," fellow All-Star Middleton said of Antetokounmpo. "We want him to play aggressive and prove that he's the best player on the court every night, and we're going to be right behind him backing him up." Middleton has returned from the All-Star break with a flourish, making 21 of 33 shots to total 53 points to go along with 17 rebounds in two games.Washington answered a promising 5-2 stretch before the All-Star break with back-to-back setbacks to Cleveland and Chicago, much to the chagrin of coach Scott Brooks."I don't think I've ever been on a team that gave up 16 'and-ones' in two nights. It's disappointing," Brooks said. "We talk about growing and playing with some toughness. Last two nights just wasn't the case ... and the 'and-ones' were about as soft as you can get." Bradley Beal, who initially had a season-high 47 points in the first meeting with Milwaukee, did himself six better for a career-best total of 53 in the Wizards' 126-117 loss to the Bulls.The 26-year-old Beal made 15 of 27 shots from the floor and 18 of 20 from the free-throw line to move past Jeff Malone into second place on the franchise's all-time scoring list.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020The Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, will play host to the Miami Heat on Monday night in a rematch game.Miami whipped the Cavaliers 124-105 on Saturday night, improving to 23-3 at home."It's a beautiful thing we've created," Heat center Bam Adebayo said of Miami's home-court advantage. "We want to keep it going." However, as good as the Heat have been at home, they have struggled on the road, playing to a 13-17 record away from American Airlines Arena.But the Cavaliers may not be able to take advantage of Miami's road weakness, considering that Cleveland is just 7-22 at home this season.Miami has beaten Cleveland eight straight times -- regardless of the location -- but the Cavaliers are still hopeful."We're going to take a lot of good lessons from here," Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman said after Saturday's loss in Miami.Osman, who led the Cavaliers with 19 points on Saturday, is a 6-foot-8 24-year-old from Macedonia who has shown some potential.In 2015, he was the first pick of the second round -- No. 31 overall -- for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded him to Cleveland on draft night.Osman, who has played for Turkey's national team, has had more than one big game against the Heat. On Jan. 25, 2019, he posted a career-high 29 points in a 100-94 loss to Miami. His scoring average has gone from 3.1 points as a rookie to 13.0 last season and 11.0 in the current campaign.Guard Collin Sexton, a 6-1 speedster in his second year in the league, leads the Cavaliers in scoring this season (19.8). But Sexton doesn't have great court vision, and his assist totals are low for a starting point guard - 3.0 last season and 2.8 in the current campaign.In fairness, Sexton doesn't have much in the way of passing options on this struggling Cavaliers team. That was especially true on Saturday, when power forward Kevin Love sat out for the second time in three games due to a foot injury.Love, a five-time All-Star and an NBA champion in 2016, is averaging 17.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists.Miami is also playing shorthanded. Rookie guard Tyler Herro -- who has been a terrific shooter off the bench and has lived up to the hype as a first-round pick from the University of Kentucky -- and starting power forward Meyers Leonard have each missed seven straight games due to ankle injuries.In addition, Miami's top player, five-time All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler, missed Saturday's game due to personal issues.Butler leads Miami in scoring (20.6), assists (6.2) and steals (1.8). He also makes 83.6 percent from the foul line and attempts more free throws (9.1 per game) than anyone on the Heat.Without him on Saturday, the Heat didn't get to the line as much - rookie guard Kendrick Nunn led the way with six free throws.The Heat, though, still have a lot of firepower, including Adebayo, a versatile player who has emerged as an All-Star in 2019-2020 in his first season as a full-time starter. He is averaging 16.0 points, a team-high 10.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He had a team-high nine assists against Cleveland on Saturday.Nunn is averaging 15.5 points, and Miami's bench is potent with players such as Goran Dragic (16.1 points, 5.0 assists) and Jae Crowder (16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds).--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+318
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+8.5 (-108)
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Over 227 (-107)
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-379
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-8.5 (-102)
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Under 227 (-103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking for their 27th victory in 29 home games when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.But the Sixers may not have All-Star guard Ben Simmons.Simmons, who sat out Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, left after five minutes in what turned out to be a 119-98 loss on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.ESPN.com reported that Simmons will undergo an MRI exam Sunday on his back.Regardless of who's available, the Sixers need to regain some positive momentum at home, where they feature the best record in the league. They're also allowing only 101.9 points in their 28 home games, almost 10 points fewer than in their road games. Philadelphia is a mind-boggling 9-20 on the road."Being locked into the defensive side of it," Sixers head coach Brett Brown told reporters when asked why the team is so solid at home. "Not letting our offense get crippled because of our defensive inadequacies at times on the road." After Thursday's win over the Nets, All-Star center Joel Embiid called himself "the best player in the world." But Embiid struggled against the Bucks despite a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. He made just 5 of 18 shots and the Sixers converted only 35 percent of their shots overall."We never got in a rhythm," Embiid told reporters. "Losing Ben, then foul trouble, not making shots and some calls that could have gone a different way. But it's on us." The Hawks have had their share of struggles this season, but they are coming off an impressive 111-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.John Collins tied his career-high with 35 points to go along with 17 rebounds and the Hawks made a late push to stun the Mavericks,"I feel like I definitely took advantage of the mismatches I had (Saturday)," Collins said. "As you guys know, I can crash the basket pretty well, so I think I definitely took advantage of that and made the most of it." Collins is currently the league leader in February with six games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.Trae Young also continued to stay hot with 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, one game after exploding for 50 against the Miami Heat."They stopped trapping so hard, and I was able to get into my rhythm, get downhill, get some floaters, get some layups to go, and then obviously late in the fourth I was able to get my shot going," Young said.Still, the Hawks will travel to Philadelphia with a subpar 17-41 overall record and 6-24 on the road. Yet they're beginning to play at a much higher level and will be searching for their third win in a row when they face the Sixers."It feels good for us to come out of the All-Star break with two really, really big games for us against two really good teams," Young said. "Hopefully we can keep this momentum going." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+143
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+3.5 (-104)
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Over 213.5 (+102)
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-160
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-3.5 (-106)
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Under 213.5 (-113)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020While the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic are entrenched in the seventh and eighth spots in the Eastern Conference, they are trending in opposite directions of late.The Nets look to continue their surge while the Magic hope to start getting on a hot streak Monday night when the teams convene in Brooklyn, N. Y.Brooklyn enters the contest with a 2 1/2-game lead over Orlando. In essence, the Nets hold the edge over the Magic in the race to avoid facing top-seeded Milwaukee in the postseason.Brooklyn sports an 8-4 mark since losing five in a row to elite teams from Jan. 14-23.The Nets have six wins over sub-.500 teams in this stretch and seven victories by double digits. During the last 12 games, the Nets are allowing 105.4 points.The latest win was a 115-86 rout at Charlotte on Saturday as the Nets rebounded nicely from squandering a 20-point lead and scoring one point in overtime at Philadelphia on Thursday. Brooklyn posted its second-largest margin of victory this season by holding the Hornets to 35.2 percent shooting and outscoring Charlotte 60-41 in the second half.Saturday was Brooklyn's second game since announcing Kyrie Irving would miss the rest of the season.The Nets saw eight players score in double figures while shooting 48.3 percent. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 21 points, Caris LeVert added 17 while Garrett Temple (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Jarrett Allen (12 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles."We played with a chip on our shoulder," said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, whose team endured a stretch of 12 losses in 14 games from Dec. 26-Jan. 23."I think we wanted to prove something. I felt it before the game in the locker room. We feel like we can still do something special." Orlando is ahead of ninth-place Washington and 4-11 since getting within one game of .500 on Jan. 15 when Markelle Fultz had a triple-double in a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic own one of the league's worst offenses and are averaging 103.5 points in their last 15 games.Orlando is allowing 105.7 points, which is amongst the best scoring defenses in the league. The Magic, however, are allowing 110.8 points in the last 15 contests.The Magic are starting a stretch where they play seven of nine on the road. They are coming off a 2-2 homestand in which they defeated Atlanta and Detroit but absorbed 16-point losses to Milwaukee and Dallas."It's a big game, but for us every game going forward are big ones," Orlando center Nikola Vucevic said. "But with that one (in Brooklyn), it's a head-to-head matchup, so it could be very important down the line for that (seventh) seed if we're tied." On Friday, the Magic endured a rough night from behind the 3-point line by making only 9 of 43 attempts (20.9 percent) and shooting 39.4 percent overall in a 122-106 loss to Dallas.The Nets are 10-2 in the past 12 home meetings with Orlando.In the first encounter this season on Jan. 6, however, Fultz scored 25 points and Vucevic grabbed 24 rebounds in the Magic's 101-89 home win.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020The sample size is small, but in their first two games since the All-Star break, the Houston Rockets appear to be clicking at full force.While posting double-digit wins over the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz, both on the road, the Rockets converted 45 of 97 3-pointers for a robust 46.4 percent from behind the arc.Their floor spacing has been tremendous and their depth -- bolstered by the recent additions of Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll plus the return from injury of Eric Gordon -- has overwhelmed opponents.Houston has won seven of nine games and will seek to continue building upon that momentum Monday when it hosts the New York Knicks.The Rockets climbed to fourth in the Western Conference with their 120-110 win over the Jazz, one game behind the third-place LA Clippers. Having pursued viability as a contender all season, Houston appears to have found it."If we guard at a high level like we've been doing, the sky's the limit for us," Rockets guard James Harden told reporters. "We've got to continue to get better possession by possession."We've got to try to put (together) a four-quarter game like that. And we're working on it." Defensive vigor remains a sporadic attribute for the Rockets, but with the offense clicking, Houston needs only to be solid on that end of the court. The byproduct of the floor spacing resulting from playing small has fully unlocked guard Russell Westbrook for rim attacks.Westbrook is averaging 34.2 points (on 55.8 percent shooting), 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists since the Rockets jettisoned center Clint Capela at the trade deadline. Harden is averaging 30.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists during that same span, and Houston has put opponents in compromising positions regarding how they aim to guard the Rockets' bevy of shooters.Utah attempted to utilize center Rudy Gobert against Westbrook. The results were unfavorable."Everybody's been doing it," Westbrook said of being defended by a big. "I don't know if it's working." For the Knicks, the game against Houston will mark just their second since the return from the All-Star break. The Knicks had two practices prior to their 106-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday and had two more scheduled in advance of their meeting with the Rockets.It is rare for teams to encounter such open expanses on the calendar, and the youthful Knicks made it an emphasis to take advantage of the opportunity to continue the process of growth and development.The Knicks have dropped three consecutive games following a season-best four-game winning streak, and having played just three games over the previous two weeks affords them the chance to solidify their foundation with attention focused squarely on the future."What we have talked about is ... what we control is today," Knicks coach Mike Miller said. "Let's take care of today. Let's get better today. Everybody in the building is working to try to get better. And if we can do that and keep our energy going in that direction, they have proven that when they do that they can have success and they can help themselves." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 24, 2020One team that's well rested as the result of a back-to-back matches up with another in the middle of a tough two-day sequence when the Dallas Mavericks play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.Neither team has fared well of late, which is of more significance to the Mavericks, who are in a battle for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves find themselves jockeying for lottery position.Dallas has gone just 7-8 in its last 15 games, including a split on a two-day, two-game trip to Orlando and Atlanta over the weekend.The Mavericks were rolling in a 122-106 win at Orlando on Friday, with Luka Doncic narrowly missing a triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kristaps Porzingis went for 24 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.Both were given Saturday off on the second night of the back-to-back, and the Atlanta Hawks took advantage with a 111-107 victory despite 33 points by Tim Hardaway Jr.The Mavericks didn't quietly pack their things and head back to Dallas after the game. Rather, owner Mark Cuban ranted about the officiating late in the game, and the Mavericks subsequently filed a protest over a key follow shot by the Hawks' John Collins with 8.4 seconds left."So they call a goaltend," Cuban expressed on Twitter. "(The referees) literally blew the whistle that it was a goaltend. There was a putback after the whistle. After review they said no goaltend, but count the basket? (What) is that? That's NBA officiating." The NBA is expected to rule on the protest on Monday.Doncic and Porzingis are rested and expected to face the Timberwolves, which isn't good news for the visitors.When the Mavericks hosted Minnesota in December, Doncic contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists to a 121-114 win, while Porzingis accumulated 19 points and six assists.The Timberwolves flew into Dallas late Sunday night after a competitive effort at Denver in which they were beaten 128-116.Minnesota opted to give D'Angelo Russell the night off, allowing him to join Karl-Anthony Towns (broken left wrist) on the bench, then used just nine players, with each getting at least 16 minutes.The loss was the Timberwolves' eighth straight on the road and 17th in 18 games overall as they adjust to a roster that was reshuffled at the trade deadline.Newcomers Malik Beasley (17), James Johnson (13) and Juan Hernangomez (seven) combined for 37 points in the loss to the Nuggets, while Jordan McLaughlin, who never left the bench in Minnesota's earlier loss at Dallas, recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Timberwolves rookie Jarrett Culver, the Lubbock native and Texas Tech product who had 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his first NBA trip to Dallas.Generally a disappointment in his rookie season, Culver sees brighter days ahead now that the Timberwolves have acquired a quality point guard in Russell."I can learn from (him)," Culver said to reporters recently. "When I do have the ball, (I can) see the things he does when he comes off pick-and-rolls. When I don't have the ball, (I'll) be able to cut and use him to be able to get looks. He's a great passer as well." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020The Phoenix Suns have been waiting for second-year center Deandre Ayton to start regularly stringing together big performances.That time appears to be getting closer for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick as the Suns face the Utah Jazz on Monday night in Salt Lake City.Ayton recorded 28 points, 19 rebounds and three blocked shots when the Suns posted a 112-104 road win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. It was his sixth double-double in seven games this month, and he scored 20 or more points in five of the games."His dominance on both ends, scoring around the basket and guarding at the rim, guarding in one-on-one situations after a switch," Phoenix coach Monty Williams said of Ayton's play. "Twenty-eight (points) and 19 boards, that's a monster night. I told him, we need him to play with that type of disposition every night." Ayton also had 28 points and 19 boards in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 8 before missing the final two games before the All-Star break due to an ankle injury.His return against Toronto on Friday wasn't all that enthralling as he had 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 118-101 loss.Ayton bounced back a night later with a 12-of-20 shooting performance in Chicago. He collected 10 offensive rebounds and was superb during the fourth quarter, when he had 12 points and eight rebounds."It's one thing when you hear it from Coach on doing the right thing, but it's another thing hearing it from your teammates," the 21-year-old Ayton told reporters. "Those (guys) you see every day laughing and joke around, goof around with, but when it's serious time, you know when they're serious."So just hearing it from everybody saying how much I can take over this game. I just woke up." Ayton's season-high outputs are 31 points and 21 rebounds. He's averaging 19.0 points and 12.2 boards but has played in just 25 games due to a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policy.Ayton will look for another strong effort when he goes up against two-time reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on Monday.The Jazz have won the past eight meetings and 15 of 16. Utah posted a 96-95 win in Phoenix on Oct. 28 while Ayton served his suspension.Utah has sputtered coming out of the All-Star break, suffering consecutive home losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. The Jazz had no answers for Houston's backcourt in Saturday's 120-110 loss as James Harden scored 38 points and Russell Westbrook added 34.The Jazz held a four-point halftime lead before Houston took control by outscoring Utah 38-19 in the third quarter."We're not good enough to just walk in games and play lackadaisical and take possessions off," veteran point guard Mike Conley told reporters. "Good teams like (Houston) will beat us. Our energy was low in the third quarter. I think we didn't come out with the same energy that we left the first half with." Utah coach Quin Snyder noticed, especially on a night when the Rockets outscored his team by 39 points from 3-point range. Houston was 20 of 48 while the Jazz were 7 of 31."When we don't make shots, it really impacts our defense," Snyder said. "That said, I thought in the third quarter, we didn't have the same energy we needed on the defensive end. We didn't get our hands on balls, we didn't get deflections, and we fouled just once which tells you a little about our (lack of) aggressiveness." All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points one night after netting just 12 in the loss to the Spurs.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020Kawhi Leonard said the Los Angeles Clippers weren't ready to play Saturday before losing at home to the Sacramento Kings. He doesn't expect that to be the case Monday when the Clippers host the Memphis Grizzlies.Leonard had 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but he and the Clippers managed only two points in the final six minutes in a 112-103 defeat."I just don't feel like we were locked in early and it just took too late," Leonard said to the Los Angeles Times. "It was too late for us to turn that switch on." It was the third straight loss for Los Angeles, which looked rusty after being off nine days during the All-Star break. Against the Kings, the Clippers missed 20 of their first 24 shots from the floor and managed a season-low 13 points in the first quarter. Sacramento led the game until the fourth quarter, when Los Angeles briefly grabbed the lead.However, after newly acquired guard Reggie Jackson converted a 3-pointer with 6:03 remaining, the Clippers didn't score again until Leonard slammed an alley-oop pass from Marcus Morris with 57.5 seconds left. By then, the outcome had been practically decided."At the end of a game, there's going to be times you're not going to score but you can't let the other team score," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.The Clippers played without two of their key performers -- Paul George (strained hamstring) and Patrick Beverley (groin injury). Jackson, who was waived by the Detroit Pistons last week, and Morris, acquired in a three-team trade Feb. 6 and playing just his fourth game with the Clippers, started in their places.In his first game with the Clippers, Jackson finished with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes. After a scoreless first half, Morris finished with six points, two rebounds and five turnovers in 32 minutes.Lou Williams had 24 points and Montrezl Harrell added 16 for the Clippers, but it wasn't enough.The Grizzlies fell 117-105 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Josh Jackson came off the bench to score a season-high 20 points for the Grizzlies, who have dropped the first two of their four-game road swing. Ja Morant had 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting but committed five turnovers.The Grizzlies rallied from a 25-point third-quarter deficit and closed to within four in the fourth quarter before fading."Guys are turning it up after the All-Star break," guard Dillon Brooks, who finished with seven points on 3-of-14 shooting before fouling out, told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. "We got to hold our own and come out every single game like we came out in the second half. It's intensity, focus, we just need to lock in." The Grizzlies will have to raise their play without power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who sustained a sprained left knee late in the second quarter against the Lakers. Jackson will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the club said Sunday.Jackson is the team's second-leading scorer at 16.9 points per game.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NCAAB |
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2/24/2020 |
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FOUND
13
GAMES |
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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+130
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+3 (-117)
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Over 142.5 (-114)
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-152
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-3 (+100)
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Under 142.5 (-106)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020Louisville is once again atop the ACC, but Florida State sits in position to claim that spot for itself.With first place in the league at stake, the No. 11 Cardinals aim to avenge an earlier loss to the eighth-ranked Seminoles, who look to run their home winning streak to 22 games on Monday night in Tallahassee, Fla.Following losses at Georgia Tech and Clemson, Louisville (23-5, 14-3) bounced back last week to drop Syracuse and North Carolina at home by a combined 41 points. Those wins, coupled with Duke's loss at North Carolina State, helped propel the Cardinals back to the top of the conference -- one-half game ahead of both the Blue Devils and Seminoles (23-4, 13-3).After handling the undermanned Tar Heels 72-55 on Saturday, Louisville knows it's in for a major test off a quick turnaround. Florida State shot a blistering 55.2 percent and forced 16 turnovers during a 78-65 win at then-No. 7 Louisville on Jan. 4.The Cardinals, who shot 38.7 percent in that contest, rebounded nicely from the defeat by winning 10 in a row. However, the Seminoles' last home loss came against then top-ranked Duke 80-78 on Jan. 12, 2019."These are the games that you want to play in and you want to be meaningful," Louisville coach Chris Mack told the school's official website."(Florida State is) going to be a heck of a challenge for our team. ... Our guys are well-tuned with what Florida State does on both ends of the floor. It's just being up to the challenge to be better than them." Florida State's M. J. Walker (10.5 points per game) was better than most while scoring a season-high 23 points and hitting five of his team's 11 made 3-pointers at Louisville. Walker scored 12 to pace a balanced effort in Saturday's 67-61 win at North Carolina State, during which the Seminoles used their physical, offensive play to get to the free-throw line 16 more times than the Wolfpack."It's understanding a lot of guys on our team can really drive the ball, big strong bodies," Walker told The News & Observer. "We've got to take advantage of that. We've got to make sure we're aggressive and make plays out there." Florida State guard Trent Forrest had a season-high 20 at Louisville, where the visitors went to the line just five times -- nine fewer times than the hosts. Forrest has averaged 14.8 points on 56.1 percent shooting with 5.0 assists in the last four games against Cardinals.Louisville star Jordan Nwora, third in the ACC at 18.2 points per contest, went 11 of 15 from the floor and finished with 32 points against the Seminoles last month. After totaling seven points on 2-of-11 shooting versus Georgia Tech and Clemson, Nwora combined for 35 in the two games since, and went 7 of 15 from the field against North Carolina.Six-foot-11 teammate Malik Williams has averaged 13.3 points over a six-game stretch, and totaled 22 rebounds in the last two. Cardinals center Steven Enoch, meanwhile, is dealing with an ankle issue but appears set to play Monday.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
GAME RECAP
Feb 24, 2020TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Trent Forrest scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime, and No. 6 Florida State rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat No. 11 Louisville 82-67 on Monday night.The Seminoles took over first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference and leads No. 7 Duke by a half game.Patrick Williams' thunderous dunk put an exclamation point to a 15-0 run that put the Seminoles (24-4, 14-3) ahead for good. Florida State outscored Louisville 50-27 in the second half and extended its home winning streak to 22 games.Devin Vassell and M. J. Walker each scored 12 points for FSU, which set a school record for ACC regular-season wins with three remaining in the 20-game schedule.Ryan McMahon scored 14 points and Jordan Nwora had 13 points and eight rebounds for Louisville (23-6, 14-4), which went more than seven minutes without a field goal during one second-half stretch.The Cardinals played shorthanded most of the night after junior center Malik Williams injured his left foot minutes into the game. He returned to the bench with a boot on the foot.BIG PICTURELouisville: The Cardinals shot well in the first half, making 52% before cooling off to just 32% in the second.Florida State: The Seminoles shot 50% in each half and overcame nine first-half turnovers to complete a season sweep of Louisville.UP NEXTLouisville hosts Virginia Tech on Sunday.Florida State visits Clemson on Saturday.
Game
Recap from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-242
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-5 (-117)
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Over 128 (-105)
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+202
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+5 (+100)
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Under 128 (-115)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020When West Virginia is good, it's really good. But consistency has been -- and remains -- one of the biggest issues surrounding the No. 17 Mountaineers as they head into Austin on Monday to square off against battered, but suddenly hot, Texas.The Mountaineers hoped this latest visit to the Lone Star State would help them build some momentum for a solid spot in the NCAA Tournament, with games Saturday against TCU and then Monday at Texas. After all, West Virginia dominated those two teams in Morgantown earlier this season.Instead, the Mountaineers laid an egg in Fort Worth in the first game of the trip, losing to TCU 67-60 in overtime to drop their fourth game in five outings. West Virginia has lost five straight games on the road since a win on Jan. 6 at Oklahoma State."I don't know what to do," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins told reporters afterward. "I'm incredibly frustrated. We've lost to the bottom part of the league. You can't do that. You just can't do that. I really thought this could be a special year that all West Virginians could rally around. Maybe it still can be." Derek Culver paced the Mountaineers (19-8, 7-7 Big 12) against the Horned Frogs with 18 points and 12 rebounds, his sixth double-double this season. Taz Sherman added 16 for West Virginia but missed the shot that could have won the game for the Mountaineers at the end of regulation.Texas heads home after an impressive 70-59 win at Kansas State on Saturday, its second straight victory with a makeshift lineup created by injuries to two starters.The Longhorns (16-11, 6-8) got a career-high 26 points and a career-best five steals from guard Courtney Ramey in the win, while Matt Coleman III, who had missed Wednesday's home win against TCU with a bruised right heel, returned to the starting lineup and registered 12 points. Andrew Jones added 12 points while hitting 3 of 5 from 3-point range.Ramey had 21 of his game-high 26 points in the opening half (matching his previous career high), as the Longhorns built a 42-23 lead at the break. Texas held the Wildcats without a field goal for the final 7:40 of the first half and led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half."I think what got us going was the defensive end -- the physicality," Ramey told the Salina (Kan.) Journal. "When you're physical on defense it just comes natural on offense. And hitting shots builds your mental attitude toward attacking." Texas swept the season series from the Wildcats for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign."Today we asked them to play with grit," Texas coach Shaka Smart said. "It's hard to come in here and play if you don't have a level of grit to you. Courtney did a good job of setting the tone with that, and our other guys did a great job as well." It will take grit and a lot more for the Longhorns to beat West Virginia and continue their winning streak. The Mountaineers lambasted Texas 97-59 in the teams' first meeting of the season, handing the Longhorns their worst loss of the Smart era.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+632
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+12 (-114)
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Over 150.5 (-116)
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-919
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-12 (-102)
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Under 150.5 (-104)
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+653
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+11.5 (-107)
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Over 134.5 (-104)
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-959
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-11.5 (-109)
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Under 134.5 (-117)
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+757
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+13 (-105)
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Over 139.5 (-110)
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-1177
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-13 (-111)
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Under 139.5 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Feb 23, 2020Standards set by previous Kansas teams left the No. 3 Jayhawks looking up at the top spot in the Big 12 standings for an unusually long period of time.After their incredible string of 14 consecutive conference championships was snapped last season, Kansas toiled in second place for several weeks after losing for the first time ever to Baylor at home.By beating the top-ranked Bears in a colossal rematch Saturday, Kansas (24-3, 13-1 Big 12) is back in its customary position, tied for the league lead coming down the stretch.The challenge of maintaining that perch begins with a quick turnaround Monday when the Jayhawks play Oklahoma State (14-13, 4-10) at home in Lawrence."We haven't done anything yet," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "All this did was set up a bigger game on Monday and a bigger game (next) Saturday and those sorts of things."But to think we've been looking up at Baylor all year long ... and the guys kind of just hung in there and hung in there and hung in there. It's nice to grind and see some good things happen." Udoka Azubuike was largely responsible, recording 23 points and 19 rebounds for his 11th double-double. Relying again on the conditioning that led to an impressive makeover of his 7-foot frame, the senior center logged 36 minutes. He went 11 of 13 and remains the nation's leader in field goal percentage at 74 percent."Coming in, I had a mindset that, yeah, I've been hearing people say all kinds of stuff, doubting me and all that stuff," Azubuike said. "My teammates did a good job getting me the ball. We just stuck to what Coach wanted us to do." Much of what Self has insisted the Jayhawks do on the defensive end is happening. They limited Baylor to 39.7 percent shooting, playing aggressively while counting on Azubuike as a backstop.The Kansas guards can also play aggressively knowing that if opponents use help tendencies to offset penetration it can create lob opportunities for their dominant post.Not only have the Jayhawks tightened the Big 12 chase, they are poised to gain the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. BYU's 91-78 victory over No. 2 Gonzaga on Saturday factors into that equation as the Zags' 19-game winning streak was snapped. Kansas has won 12 straight after ending Baylor's 23-game streak."We are not going to (become) complacent from this one. We are going to build off it," said Devon Dotson, whose 18.2-point average leads Big 12 scorers.Oklahoma State has won four of six since losing its first eight Big 12 games. The Cowboys overcame an early 10-point deficit Saturday to down Oklahoma behind a career-high-tying 28 points from Cameron McGriff. Yor Anei added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds."This year as a whole hasn't gone the way we expected," Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton acknowledged. "We're hopeful. There's still a lot to play for out there for us. (Players) just keep responding." McGriff leads the balanced Cowboys in scoring (11.4) and rebounding (6.8). He is averaging 23.5 points over the past two games and has reached double digits in eight in a row."Cam, for the better part of a month, has been our most consistent player, quite honestly," Boynton said. "Even in the games we haven't won, he's played the right way and the way that we need more guys to play like. ... I'm just really proud of him." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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MLB |
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2/24/2020 |
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FOUND
12
GAMES |
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+110
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OFF
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Over 10.5 (-110)
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-129
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OFF
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Under 10.5 (-110)
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-124
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OFF
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Over 11.5 (+109)
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+106
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OFF
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Under 11.5 (-132)
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NHL |
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2/24/2020 |
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FOUND
1
GAME |
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FINAL |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+191
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+1.5 (-129)
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Over 5.5 (-104)
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-216
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-1.5 (+117)
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Under 5.5 (-108)
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GAME PREVIEW
If the Columbus Blue Jackets want to show the NHL that they are deserving of a spot in the postseason, they won't get a better opportunity than Monday night.On the lightest of nights in the league, Columbus will look to snap an eight-game winless streak (0-3-5) when it hosts the Ottawa Senators.Three major factors exist for the Blue Jackets: Monday night's contest is the only game on the NHL schedule, it's at home and, well, it's Ottawa.The Blue Jackets reside just outside of a wild-card spot, trailing the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes in a glut of Metropolitan teams trying to secure a berth behind the division's top three sides -- the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.Columbus can gain ground in the standings on Monday, although it will be its 64th game -- which is multiple games more than both the Islanders and Hurricanes.In the previous meeting with Ottawa on Dec. 14, Columbus let a point slip away as Anthony Duclair recorded a power-play goal in overtime to complete a hat trick and defeat his former club.During their current swoon, the Blue Jackets have fallen five times after regulation -- to Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia in overtime and New Jersey and Nashville in the shootout.However, Columbus coach John Tortorella hasn't wavered in his support for his squad or the results."I know I keep getting asked the question, 'How about the mindset of the team? Are they going to get down?' This team won't get down," Tortorella said. "That's one thing I fully trust is they're together and they'll keep on playing and try to find a way." Behind 2-0 after one period in Nashville on Saturday, the Blue Jackets clawed back with goals from Boone Jenner, Eric Robinson and Emil Bemstrom before Colton Sissons answered for the Predators. Nashville's Rocco Grimaldi clinched the win by beating rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins in the shootout's eighth round for another loss.Help is on the way for the Blue Jackets, who activated goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from injured reserve on Sunday.Korpisalo missed 24 games after suffering a knee injury in a Dec. 29 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. He had surgery to repair a torn meniscus the following day, and at the time, the Blue Jackets said he'd miss four to six weeks.Before the injury, the 25-year-old was en route to his best-ever season. He already has set career bests in starts (31), wins (17) and goals-against average (2.49). He's 17-10-4 on the season with two shutouts.The Senators, who dropped a 1-0 decision in the first meeting on Nov. 25 in Columbus, were also blanked in their last outing. Montreal goalie Carey Price provided the honors with a 30-save effort in a 3-0 win.The loss dropped Ottawa to 3-7-2 in its last 12 games.Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk had a busy night, racking up 19 penalty minutes before finally receiving a game misconduct with 2:08 left in the match.Tkachuk fought Brendan Gallagher after the Montreal forward's hard check of Ottawa's Thomas Chabot sent the defenseman to the dressing room. Chabot only played 4:22 of the first period and was ruled out with a lower-body injury."It stinks. Early in the game there we lose our best puck-moving defenseman," Senators goalie Craig Anderson said. "So it's unfortunate, but we'll have to wait and see what the situation is with him. It's a guy that plays a lot of minutes for us and we definitely missed him." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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