Durant, Thunder look to roll past Nuggets
Kevin Durant is rolling with 19-straight games scoring 25 or more points. That hasn't helped Oklahoma City recently however, with the Thunder dropping its last three games entering Friday's tilt vs. the Nuggets. Denver hopes to get All-Star Carmelo Anthony back after the forward missed the last two contests with a sprained ankle. The Nuggets sled into frigid OK City on an eight-game win streak.
Let the snubbery begin. The NBA All-Star reserves have been announced, and among those not playing at Cowboys Stadium next month: Josh Smith (22.0 PER) and David Lee (21.6 PER). Well, that’s democracy for you.
The fans get to vote for their favorite players, even if they’re not necessarily the best players in the league. If they had voted for Sonny Weems, good for them.
Besides, we’ve got something even more spectacular this week: the Lakers versus the Celtics. But we begin with one of the most profitable teams in the NBA versus one of the hottest.
Denver at Oklahoma City
Friday - 8 p.m. (ET)
The Thunder have lost three games in a row to fall out of playoff position in the Western Conference at 24-21. But they covered two of those losses to maintain a very healthy 27-18 ATS record. The betting public still hasn’t caught up with Oklahoma City – although maybe that will change after people get a glimpse of Kevin Durant (24.6 PER) at the All-Star Game.
Durant has been playing MVP-quality basketball all season. And he’s been getting plenty of help; Thunder reserves are getting plenty of burn this year, with point guard Eric Maynor (14.2 PER, +4.7 Roland) playing very well since coming over from the Jazz just before the holidays.
On Friday night, the youngsters from OKC will host the seasoned Denver Nuggets (31-14 SU, 21-22-2), winners of their last eight games in a row at 4-3-1 ATS. MVP candidate and All-Star Carmelo Anthony (24.5 PER) missed the last two games with a sprained ankle; Denver covered both as Joey Graham (9.0 PER) stepped into the starting lineup with some effective minutes. Graham’s still a below-average player, though, so Nuggets fans will be happy to know that Anthony was expected to return against Oklahoma City.
Betting odds were still pending at press time as oddsmakers waited for confirmation on Anthony’s status. The Thunder have covered each of their last six meetings with the favored Nuggets, despite losing the last three straight – all at the Pepsi Center. The OVER was 5-1 during those games to improve to 19-7 in the last 26 OKC-Denver matchups.
L.A. Lakers at Boston
Sunday - 3:30 p.m. (ET) ABC
This is an All-Star Game in its own right. The Lakers (35-11 SU, 21-24-1 ATS) are sending Kobe Bryant (23.6 PER) and Pau Gasol (23.0 PER) to Dallas, and they could have sent Andrew Bynum (20.3 PER). The Celtics (29-14 SU, 18-25 ATS) hit the trifecta with Kevin Garnett (20.1 PER) voted onto the Eastern squad, joined by Paul Pierce (19.0 PER) and Rajon Rondo (20.0 PER) as reserves.
Noted hoops expert Stephen Colbert called it “the hard bigotry of high expectations.” It’s difficult to beat the marketplace when the public is infatuated with you, but the Lakers have taken their act on the road for seven of the last nine games, enough of a break from the spotlight to go 6-3 SU and 5-3-1 ATS.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have gone just 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS in their last six games and are only 6-14 ATS at the Garden.
This will be the first time the Lakers and Celtics have met this year. During the 2008-09 regular season, it was Los Angeles sweeping the series 2-0 SU and ATS, including an amazing 110-109 overtime win in Boston with the C’s laying seven points.
There are a number of differences in Sunday’s rematch, the biggest being the 7-foot Bynum, who was injured last February and didn’t play. The Lakers also now have Ron Artest (12.3 PER, +6.0 Roland) starting at small forward, although his production level has dipped of late due to plantar fasciitis.
Boston had the full lineup out for last year’s game. This year has been littered with injuries, but the C’s are as healthy now as they’ve been all season. Only newcomer Marquis Daniels (9.8 PER) remains on the shelf, and his minutes have been mopped up quite nicely by Tony Allen (13.5 PER, +0.8 Roland).
The Celtics will be playing their third game in four days; the Lakers had Thursday off while Boston was losing 96-94 at Orlando (-3½).
Kevin Durant is rolling with 19-straight games scoring 25 or more points. That hasn't helped Oklahoma City recently however, with the Thunder dropping its last three games entering Friday's tilt vs. the Nuggets. Denver hopes to get All-Star Carmelo Anthony back after the forward missed the last two contests with a sprained ankle. The Nuggets sled into frigid OK City on an eight-game win streak.
Let the snubbery begin. The NBA All-Star reserves have been announced, and among those not playing at Cowboys Stadium next month: Josh Smith (22.0 PER) and David Lee (21.6 PER). Well, that’s democracy for you.
The fans get to vote for their favorite players, even if they’re not necessarily the best players in the league. If they had voted for Sonny Weems, good for them.
Besides, we’ve got something even more spectacular this week: the Lakers versus the Celtics. But we begin with one of the most profitable teams in the NBA versus one of the hottest.
Denver at Oklahoma City
Friday - 8 p.m. (ET)
The Thunder have lost three games in a row to fall out of playoff position in the Western Conference at 24-21. But they covered two of those losses to maintain a very healthy 27-18 ATS record. The betting public still hasn’t caught up with Oklahoma City – although maybe that will change after people get a glimpse of Kevin Durant (24.6 PER) at the All-Star Game.
Durant has been playing MVP-quality basketball all season. And he’s been getting plenty of help; Thunder reserves are getting plenty of burn this year, with point guard Eric Maynor (14.2 PER, +4.7 Roland) playing very well since coming over from the Jazz just before the holidays.
On Friday night, the youngsters from OKC will host the seasoned Denver Nuggets (31-14 SU, 21-22-2), winners of their last eight games in a row at 4-3-1 ATS. MVP candidate and All-Star Carmelo Anthony (24.5 PER) missed the last two games with a sprained ankle; Denver covered both as Joey Graham (9.0 PER) stepped into the starting lineup with some effective minutes. Graham’s still a below-average player, though, so Nuggets fans will be happy to know that Anthony was expected to return against Oklahoma City.
Betting odds were still pending at press time as oddsmakers waited for confirmation on Anthony’s status. The Thunder have covered each of their last six meetings with the favored Nuggets, despite losing the last three straight – all at the Pepsi Center. The OVER was 5-1 during those games to improve to 19-7 in the last 26 OKC-Denver matchups.
L.A. Lakers at Boston
Sunday - 3:30 p.m. (ET) ABC
This is an All-Star Game in its own right. The Lakers (35-11 SU, 21-24-1 ATS) are sending Kobe Bryant (23.6 PER) and Pau Gasol (23.0 PER) to Dallas, and they could have sent Andrew Bynum (20.3 PER). The Celtics (29-14 SU, 18-25 ATS) hit the trifecta with Kevin Garnett (20.1 PER) voted onto the Eastern squad, joined by Paul Pierce (19.0 PER) and Rajon Rondo (20.0 PER) as reserves.
Noted hoops expert Stephen Colbert called it “the hard bigotry of high expectations.” It’s difficult to beat the marketplace when the public is infatuated with you, but the Lakers have taken their act on the road for seven of the last nine games, enough of a break from the spotlight to go 6-3 SU and 5-3-1 ATS.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have gone just 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS in their last six games and are only 6-14 ATS at the Garden.
This will be the first time the Lakers and Celtics have met this year. During the 2008-09 regular season, it was Los Angeles sweeping the series 2-0 SU and ATS, including an amazing 110-109 overtime win in Boston with the C’s laying seven points.
There are a number of differences in Sunday’s rematch, the biggest being the 7-foot Bynum, who was injured last February and didn’t play. The Lakers also now have Ron Artest (12.3 PER, +6.0 Roland) starting at small forward, although his production level has dipped of late due to plantar fasciitis.
Boston had the full lineup out for last year’s game. This year has been littered with injuries, but the C’s are as healthy now as they’ve been all season. Only newcomer Marquis Daniels (9.8 PER) remains on the shelf, and his minutes have been mopped up quite nicely by Tony Allen (13.5 PER, +0.8 Roland).
The Celtics will be playing their third game in four days; the Lakers had Thursday off while Boston was losing 96-94 at Orlando (-3½).