thought some of you posters might want to read this one.,so here it is:

Thursday's NBA Tip Sheet


**Detroit at San Antonio**



-- Detroit (27-5 straight up, 18-14 against the spread) is off a win Tuesday as a nine-point road favorite against New Orleans, 96-86. The combined 182 barely slipped ‘over’ the closing total of 181.



-- The Pistons own the league’s best road mark, going 13-3 SU and 9-7 ATS.



-- Detroit already avenged last year’s best-of-seven series to San Antonio in The NBA Finals by rolling the Spurs 85-70 on Christmas Day as a six-point home favorite.



-- Head coach Flip Saunders has already eclipsed his win total (25) that he held last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves before getting fired.



-- Flip has definitely allowed his players to roam more this year, with the Pistons averaging 99 points per game, up from 93 PPG last year. The defense hasn’t been as stellar, but still solid at 91.5 PPG.



-- After this game, Detroit will host Charlotte on Saturday.



-- San Antonio (27-8 SU, 15-19 ATS) snapped New Jersey’s 10-game winning streak Tuesday by downing the Nets, 96-91. The Spurs failed to cover as eight-point favorites, while the combined 187 points skipped ‘over’ the closing total of 185.



-- Head coach Greg Popovich and company still predicate their success from defense. The team is holding opponents to 89.2 PPG, ranked second in the league.



-- Something has to give on Thursday, with Detroit having the best road mark and San Antonio going 17-1 at home, ranked first in the league.



-- Detroit is 14-3 versus the Western Conference and San Antonio is 13-5 versus the Eastern Conference.



-- Tip off for this game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST, with TNT providing national coverage.



**Golden State at Phoenix**



-- Golden State (17-16 SU, 16-17 ATS) will be playing its second game in two nights after hosting Miami on Wednesday.



-- The Warriors are 3-4 SU and 4-3 ATS when playing on no days rest, while the ‘over’ has gone 4-3.



-- Golden State has been decent on the road, going 8-8 SU and 9-7 ATS. However, the team is 2-5 both SU and ATS in the last seven games away from home.



-- After this game, the Warriors open a three-game homestand on Saturday versus the L.A. Lakers.



-- Phoenix (22-12 SU, 19-15 ATS) lost a thrilling triple-overtime setback on Tuesday as a 2 ½-point road favorite against Denver, 139-137. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Suns.



-- The Suns are 13-6 SU and 9-10 ATS at America West Arena. The ‘under’ is 10-8.



-- Phoenix has won and covered two straight games against Golden State this year, including a 118-110 victory on Dec. 7 at The Arena in Oakland.



-- Mike D’Antonio’s team is averaging 104.9 PPG on the year, ranked first in the league. However, the ‘under’ is 17-15 on the season, including 10-8 at home.



-- The Suns currently sit atop the Pacific Division and hold a three-game lead over the Clippers. The Warriors are four games behind in fourth place.



**Cleveland at L.A. Lakers**



-- This game pits two of the league’s best players go head-to-head on Thursday, with Cleveland and Lebron James facing Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers.



-- James (30.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.8 APG) and Bryant (34.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.5 APG) both have comparable numbers, but Kobe’s recent run of 45, 48, 50 and 45 points is one of the best ever displayed in the NBA.



-- Cleveland (20-12 SU, 18-13 ATS) will be playing the first of a six-game road trip on Thursday, which concludes the following Saturday at Utah. The Cavaliers are 7-6 versus the Western Conference this season.

-- The Cavs have been shaky on the road, going 6-7 both SU and ATS.



-- Mike Brown’s team is allowing 102 PPG away from home, compared to 91 PPG in Cleveland.



-- Cleveland has lost three of the last four meetings both SU and ATS against Los Angeles, including two straight at Staples Center. The ‘under’ is 3-1 during this stretch.



-- The Cavs were putting up points in bunches early in the season, but lately the team can’t find the bucket. The squad is averaging 92 PPG in its last eight games, helping the ‘under’ go 8-0.



-- Los Angeles (18-16 SU, 19-15 ATS) will be in a back-to-back spot on Thursday after facing Portland at Rose Garden last night.



-- The Lakers have struggled with no days rest, going 2-5 SU and 3-4 ATS.



-- Head coach Phil Jackson and his troops are the only team in the league to have a winning record (10-8) on the road, but are not above .500 (8-8) at home.



-- L.A. is 10-5 versus the Eastern Conference this year, including 2-1 against the Central Division.



-- This contest is slated for 10:30 p.m. EST, with TNT offering coverage.