Rockets, Spurs tangle in San Antonio
Separated by about 200 miles of I-10 concrete on the map, Houston and San Antonio are just two games apart in the NBA's Southwest Division entering their matchup Friday in the Alamo City. Neither the Rockets nor the Spurs are playing well currently and have both New Orleans and Memphis gaining ground on them. Houston is just 1-7 ATS this month and will be a six-point dog to the Spurs who are 1-3 SU their last four games.
If you’re a basketball purist, then you’re probably not all that happy to see Allen Iverson make the NBA All-Star Game. Iverson was voted in as a starting guard for the Eastern Conference by the fans, despite playing just 19 games of very average basketball (14.99 PER). But at least Tracy McGrady didn’t make it.
He was the leading All-Star vote-getter for a while despite playing just 34 minutes this year; Steve Nash (23.94 PER) passed McGrady late to secure a well-deserved starting spot for the Western Conference.
And anyway, it’s an exhibition game. Let’s take a look at some real basketball.
Houston at San Antonio (-6, 194½)
Friday, Jan 22, 8:30 p.m. (ET) - AT&T Center
The latest episode of the Battle of Texas doesn’t have nearly the same star power as we’re used to. Both McGrady and Yao Ming are out for the Rockets (23-18 SU, 21-20 ATS), who have managed to do quite well regardless.
Houston GM Daryl Morey earned NBA Executive of the Year honors last year for building a successful team and unearthing talents like Carl Landry (21.83 PER). But the excitement in Houston has abated somewhat with a 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS start to 2010.
The Spurs (25-16 SU, 21-19-1 ATS) have also had their hits and misses, losing three of their last four games SU and ATS to slip into a tie for fourth place in the West. San Antonio’s offseason acquisitions haven’t exactly set the AT&T Center on fire:
Richard Jefferson 13.44 PER, -1.0 Roland Rating
Antonio McDyess 11.88 PER, -4.4 Roland Rating
DeJuan Blair 17.11 PER, -1.8 Roland Rating
Keith Bogans 9.31 PER, -2.3 Roland Rating
Blair has played well enough to live up to his draft billing as a second-round steal. Nothing much was expected out of Bogans, but he’s been thrust into a starting role with the injury to Michael Finley. The bigger disappointments are the bigger-name signings.
Jefferson has been playing through back spasms and now finds himself coming off the bench. McDyess has neck problems and might finally be running out of gas at age 35. At least the Spurs can be thankful they have some depth this year.
The early betting odds had San Antonio favored by six points with a total of 195. The Spurs won their previous matchup with Houston this year, a 92-84 Thanksgiving special with the Rockets favored by a point at home.
L.A. Lakers at Toronto
Sunday, Jan 24, 6:00 p.m. (ET) - Air Canada Centre
The Lakers (32-10 SU, 18-23-1 ATS) have the best record in the NBA and the best point differential at plus-6.7, but they couldn’t beat the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. Cleveland outlasted the Lakers 93-87 Thursday night as three-point home faves to sweep the season series. And the Cavs did it without injured point guard Mo Williams (16.37 PER).
Los Angeles is now 4-4 SU and 3-4-1 ATS it its last eight games.
Trekking northward, the Raptors (21-22 SU and ATS) are also hovering around the .500 mark, which is not bad considering six of their last eight games were on the road. Their record during that span: 4-4 SU and 5-3 ATS.
Not coincidentally, those eight games were all with point guard Jose Calderon (17.69 PER, -5.3 Roland) back in action. Calderon’s production this year may be a little down, and Toronto may be a better balanced club with Jarrett Jack (13.87 PER, -1.3 Roland) in the starting five, but Calderon is still a very valuable player for the Raps.
Toronto has earned its reputation as being wonderful on offense and horrible on defense:
Offensive Efficiency: 108.5 points per 100 possessions (No. 4 in the NBA)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (No. 30)
Even with the defensively competent Jack taking a more prominent role, Toronto has taken the 'over' to the pay window in six of these last eight games. At 24-18-1 on the season, this is one of just five teams in the east with a positive 'over' record. The Lakers have the 'under' at 22-19-1 on the year and 5-1 in their last six.
Separated by about 200 miles of I-10 concrete on the map, Houston and San Antonio are just two games apart in the NBA's Southwest Division entering their matchup Friday in the Alamo City. Neither the Rockets nor the Spurs are playing well currently and have both New Orleans and Memphis gaining ground on them. Houston is just 1-7 ATS this month and will be a six-point dog to the Spurs who are 1-3 SU their last four games.
If you’re a basketball purist, then you’re probably not all that happy to see Allen Iverson make the NBA All-Star Game. Iverson was voted in as a starting guard for the Eastern Conference by the fans, despite playing just 19 games of very average basketball (14.99 PER). But at least Tracy McGrady didn’t make it.
He was the leading All-Star vote-getter for a while despite playing just 34 minutes this year; Steve Nash (23.94 PER) passed McGrady late to secure a well-deserved starting spot for the Western Conference.
And anyway, it’s an exhibition game. Let’s take a look at some real basketball.
Houston at San Antonio (-6, 194½)
Friday, Jan 22, 8:30 p.m. (ET) - AT&T Center
The latest episode of the Battle of Texas doesn’t have nearly the same star power as we’re used to. Both McGrady and Yao Ming are out for the Rockets (23-18 SU, 21-20 ATS), who have managed to do quite well regardless.
Houston GM Daryl Morey earned NBA Executive of the Year honors last year for building a successful team and unearthing talents like Carl Landry (21.83 PER). But the excitement in Houston has abated somewhat with a 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS start to 2010.
The Spurs (25-16 SU, 21-19-1 ATS) have also had their hits and misses, losing three of their last four games SU and ATS to slip into a tie for fourth place in the West. San Antonio’s offseason acquisitions haven’t exactly set the AT&T Center on fire:
Richard Jefferson 13.44 PER, -1.0 Roland Rating
Antonio McDyess 11.88 PER, -4.4 Roland Rating
DeJuan Blair 17.11 PER, -1.8 Roland Rating
Keith Bogans 9.31 PER, -2.3 Roland Rating
Blair has played well enough to live up to his draft billing as a second-round steal. Nothing much was expected out of Bogans, but he’s been thrust into a starting role with the injury to Michael Finley. The bigger disappointments are the bigger-name signings.
Jefferson has been playing through back spasms and now finds himself coming off the bench. McDyess has neck problems and might finally be running out of gas at age 35. At least the Spurs can be thankful they have some depth this year.
The early betting odds had San Antonio favored by six points with a total of 195. The Spurs won their previous matchup with Houston this year, a 92-84 Thanksgiving special with the Rockets favored by a point at home.
L.A. Lakers at Toronto
Sunday, Jan 24, 6:00 p.m. (ET) - Air Canada Centre
The Lakers (32-10 SU, 18-23-1 ATS) have the best record in the NBA and the best point differential at plus-6.7, but they couldn’t beat the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. Cleveland outlasted the Lakers 93-87 Thursday night as three-point home faves to sweep the season series. And the Cavs did it without injured point guard Mo Williams (16.37 PER).
Los Angeles is now 4-4 SU and 3-4-1 ATS it its last eight games.
Trekking northward, the Raptors (21-22 SU and ATS) are also hovering around the .500 mark, which is not bad considering six of their last eight games were on the road. Their record during that span: 4-4 SU and 5-3 ATS.
Not coincidentally, those eight games were all with point guard Jose Calderon (17.69 PER, -5.3 Roland) back in action. Calderon’s production this year may be a little down, and Toronto may be a better balanced club with Jarrett Jack (13.87 PER, -1.3 Roland) in the starting five, but Calderon is still a very valuable player for the Raps.
Toronto has earned its reputation as being wonderful on offense and horrible on defense:
Offensive Efficiency: 108.5 points per 100 possessions (No. 4 in the NBA)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (No. 30)
Even with the defensively competent Jack taking a more prominent role, Toronto has taken the 'over' to the pay window in six of these last eight games. At 24-18-1 on the season, this is one of just five teams in the east with a positive 'over' record. The Lakers have the 'under' at 22-19-1 on the year and 5-1 in their last six.