Dion Waiters scored 20 points, Tyler Johnson added 16 and the Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 104-89 on Saturday night, improving to 21-4 over their last 25 games.

Goran Dragic scored 15 and Hassan Whiteside added 12 points and 14 rebounds for Miami, which started 11-30 and is now on the cusp of a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference.

”We know where we started at,” Johnson said in a televised postgame interview. ”There’s no pressure.”

Dragic played only 41 seconds after halftime, leaving after taking an elbow from Toronto’s Cory Joseph. Dragic eventually returned to the bench with an icepack over his right eye, which appeared to be nearly swollen shut.

DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points for the Raptors, who have lost 15 of their last 25 games. Toronto, still without injured All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, managed only seven assists – an NBA low for any team this season – on 33 field goals.

”They’re without their quarterback,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ”That makes a significant difference.”

DeRozan was 5 for 10 from the field in the first quarter, and 0 for 6 the rest of the way. Norman Powell scored 14 and Delon Wright, the brother of former Heat player Dorell Wright, scored a season-high 13 for the Raptors.

”You look at the calendar and there are 15 games left,” DeRozan said. ”That should be all the motivation we need. We don’t have much time.”

The Heat (32-34) moved past idle Chicago (31-34) for No. 9 in the Eastern Conference, a game behind No. 7 Detroit (33-33) and a half-game back of No. 8 Milwaukee (32-33).

”You better respect them because they’re here to stay,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.

The Raptors trailed by as many as 25 and lost Patrick Patterson with 9:55 remaining, after he was ejected following Toronto’s fifth technical of the night. A 12-0 run in the fourth, mostly by backups, got Toronto within 11, but the Raptors never got the Heat lead down to single digits in the second half.

After falling in Atlanta on Friday, Toronto has now lost consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 12 and 14.

”I really respected the way our young group went in and competed at the end,” Casey said.

TIP-INS

Raptors: DeMarre Carroll (left ankle soreness) was a late scratch and replaced by Powell. … Toronto finished 2-3 on its five-game road trip. … The Raptors outrebounded Miami 48-35, but had 10 shots blocked.

Heat: Miami made 11 3-pointers. It has won 17 consecutive games when making at least 10 from beyond the arc. … The Heat were held to two rebounds in the first quarter, tying a franchise low for any quarter. … Whiteside got his eighth consecutive double-double and 44th of the season. The Heat single-season record is 53, by Rony Seikaly in 1991-92.

HELLO AGAIN

Toronto forward Serge Ibaka started for the third time at Miami this season, tying a regular-season record for any Heat opposing player. He also started twice for Orlando in Miami this season before getting traded to the Raptors. Ibaka could make what would be his record-setting fourth start in Miami on March 23, when Toronto returns.

LITTLE DIFFERENT

Miami visits Indiana on Sunday for the first time since Dec. 11, 2015. The Heat used 10 players in that game; of those, only three – Dragic, Whiteside and Josh Richardson – have played for Miami this season.

UP NEXT

Raptors: Host Dallas on Monday, the start of a two-game homestand. Toronto and Dallas haven’t met yet this season.

Heat: Visit Indiana on Sunday. The Miami-Toronto game ended at 10:30 p.m.; with Daylight Savings Time set to rob them of an hour, that left the Heat exactly 18 1/2 hours before tip-off against the Pacers – with a two-hour flight to make as well.

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Cleveland At New Orleans
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 31, 2013
Where: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: 6 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Cleveland), Fox Sports New Orleans
PREDICTION: Hornets 90, Cavaliers 83

Oddsmakers currently have the Hornets listed as 6-point favorites versus the Cavaliers, while the game’s total is sitting at 193.

Cleveland is playing out the string as an undermanned squad with Irving and rookie guard Dion Waiters (knee) both sidelined. Coach Byron Scott denies his team has given up on the season despite the recent results and is hoping to see solid effort over the final 11 games. “This is a big-time test,” Scott said after the loss to the 76ers. “We’re going through some adversity as far as losing. It’s going to test the type of character we have in that locker room. We’ll see if guys go south or north or whatever.”

The Cavaliers were a 97-87 loser in their most recent outing at home against the 76ers. They failed to cover the 1.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (184) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 22-49 SU, 37-34 ATS
Current streak: lost 7 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against New Orleans

When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Atlanta are 3-7
After playing Philadelphia are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8

New Orleans is 3-3 on a seven-game homestand that wraps up against the Cavaliers. Point guard Greivis Vasquez has missed two of the last three games with an ankle injury and his status for Cleveland will be determined shortly before tipoff. Rookie backup Brian Roberts has just eight total assists in the last two games after recording a career-best 18 while filling in for Vasquez three games ago. Davis has scored in double digits in 12 of the past 13 games.

New Orleans was a 108-89 loser in its last match at home against the Heat. They failed to cover the 7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 197 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 25-48 SU, 36-37 ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.

is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland

When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Golden State are 5-5
After playing Miami are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7

The post Cleveland vs. New Orleans Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Duncan had 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and the Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-113 on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and 13 boards, and Manu Ginobili added 14 points and 10 assists for San Antonio (51-16), which is 1 1/2 games ahead of Oklahoma City for the top seed in the Western Conference.

“Tim saved our (butt),” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was ejected midway through the second quarter. “He obviously carried the whole night for us. He was great. It shouldn’t have to be that way.”

Nando De Colo had 11 points and Tiago Splitter 10 for the Spurs.

Playing without its top two players in point guard Kyrie Irving and center Anderson Varejao, Cleveland (22-44) led 103-102 with 5 minutes left in the game.

Opponents were averaging 96.2 points against the Spurs entering Saturday’s game, but the Cavaliers had 90 after three quarters. For a franchise and a coach that has won four NBA titles on the shoulders of its defense, the lack of focus is troubling to say the least.

“We’ve got to step up and play better,” Ginobili said. “The playoffs are around the corner; 15 games to go and we are doing worse than at the beginning of the season. We’ve got to go by this slump and get our things together.”

Wayne Ellington had 21 points and fellow reserve Marreese Speights added 19 for Cleveland. Shaun Livingston had 16 points, and Alonzo Gee and Dion Waiters added 15 apiece.

Neither offense was slowed by the loss of its starting All-Star point guards. Parker is expected to miss another two weeks with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and Cleveland will be without Irving (shoulder) for another three weeks.

It was defense that both teams were lacking.

“We’ve been emphasizing for two and half weeks and it hasn’t done any good,” Popovich said. “I need to learn another language or I don’t know what. But, very disappointed in our defensive execution in the last two to three weeks after we raised our stock from being a middle of the road defensive team last year to one of the top two or three this year.

“Then in the last three weeks, we decide to toss it; that it’s not important. I’m really concerned and disappointed in that.”

Frustration with that defense may have led to Popovich’s ejection. He was ejected with 6:33 left in the first half after arguing a charge Ed Malloy called on Boris Diaw against Luke Walton. After the initial technical, Popovich was quickly assessed a second and ejected after storming onto the court, yelling and pointing at Malloy.

San Antonio outscored Cleveland 19-12 down the stretch, but the Cavs shot 51 percent from the field.

Duncan blocked Tristan Thompson’s layup attempt with the Spurs leading 113-109 and 54.9 seconds remaining. Duncan also blocked Waiters’ shot with 17.9 seconds left and San Antonio leading 116-111.

It was two of the few defensive highlights for the Spurs.

“It’s not been great and I don’t know why,” Duncan said. “I think the effort is there. We’re playing hard. We’re giving up too many straight drives right to the rim. We’ve got find a way to kind of counter that; find a way to clean that up.”

Duncan had 13 points in the first quarter, going 6 for 9 and collecting six rebounds.

He tossed in a 2-foot jumper that gave the Spurs a 30-21 lead with 3 minutes left in the first quarter. Leonard picked up an assist on the basket, hustling in from out of bounds to tip his own missed shot to Duncan.

“We’re moving the ball and it’s gone to the post a little more,” Duncan said. “That’s where I’m a little more effective. I still haven’t gotten my shot back the way I want it. I’m just trying to be aggressive.”

Waiters’ 3 with 7 minutes left in the first half capped a 13-5 run that gave the Cavaliers a 48-44 lead.

After CJ Miles made both free throws on Popovich’s technicals, the Spurs closed the first half on a 22-11 run to take a 66-61 lead. Ginobili had eight points in the run and Duncan added seven.

Cleveland shot 61 percent from the field in the first half.

“I think they’re the best team in the league,” Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. “I don’t know if they’re going to win it. They have the best talent and the best coach, so they have a great shot of winning another championship. I think for us, we played this game really well.”

The Spurs never trailed in the third quarter, but Livingston’s layup with 1:20 left tied the game at 90 to set up the fourth quarter.

Game notes

Varejao, who missed his 41st game, will not return after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. . Splitter is the only player to appear in every game for San Antonio this season, having started 45 of 67 games. . The Spurs continue to use their D-League affiliate to develop their young reserves, sending De Colo and Aron Baynes to the Austin Toros on Friday. De Colo was recalled prior to Saturday’s game, playing 24 minutes while going 4 for 6 from the field. . San Antonio is 34-6 overall at home against Cleveland. . Ellington (ankle) played 22 minutes after being listed as a game-time decision.

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Cleveland At Toronto
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 10, 2013
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
TV: 6 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Cleveland), SNET1 (Toronto)
PREDICTION: Raptors 100, Cavaliers 97

Oddsmakers currently have the Raptors listed as 6-point favorites versus the Cavaliers, while the game’s total is sitting at 203.

Cleveland has one of the top, young backcourt duos in the league with point guard Kyrie Irving (23.2 points, 5.7 assists) and rookie shooting guard Dion Waiters, who are the team’s top two scorers. Irving has topped 20 points in three straight games and has 32 games of 20 or more points this season. Waiters leads all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (14.6 per game), assists (3.2 per game) and steals (1 per game). Forward Tristan Thompson (11.4 points, 9.3 rebounds) teams with that duo to give the Cavs three promising players age 21 or younger.

Cleveland was a 103-92 loser in its last match at home against the Grizzlies. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 195 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Cleveland:
Team record: 21-41 SU, 32-30 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 6 of last 9 games

When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Washington are 5-5
After playing Memphis are 2-8
After a loss are 6-4

Toronto has a new star in Rudy Gay, who has put up 19.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 16 contests since being acquired from Memphis. Gay teams with DeMar DeRozan (17.8 points) to form a dynamic scoring duo, and Kyle Lowry (12.6 points, 6.1 assists) is settling into his role as a distributor. Forward Andrea Bargnani (12.7 points) is back on the mend after leaving Friday’s game against the Lakers with a strained right elbow. Bargnani, who missed 26 games earlier this season with a torn right elbow ligament and strained right wrist, is listed as day-to-day.

Last time out for Toronto, they were a 118-116 loser as they battled the Lakers on the road. The Raptors covered in the match as a 7.5-point underdog, while 234 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Toronto:
Team record: 24-39 SU, 32-30-1 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games at home
is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Cleveland

When playing on Sunday are 3-7
Before playing Boston are 4-6
After playing LA Lakers are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6

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Irving skipped Friday’s morning shootaround with symptoms from a stomach flu that has coursed its way through Cleveland’s team and also sickened family members of players and coaches.

“He’s a little under the weather,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said, adding Irving will be re-evaluated before tipoff against the Memphis Grizzlies. The team listed Irving as “doubtful.”

Irving was recently held out of three games to rest a hyperextended right knee, and following Wednesday’s win over Utah, the 20-year-old said the injury was still bothering him. Those comments prompted Scott to say he would consider shutting down Irving again, rather than risk him making it worse.

However, after speaking with Irving and trainer Max Benton, Scott isn’t as worried.

“I don’t think the knee is that big of an issue,” said Scott, who had no explanation to why Irving would say his knee was not 100 percent.

“You’ll have to ask him,” Scott said.

This virulent flu bug has bitten the Cavs hard.

Rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller as well as Daniel Gibson and team trainer Max Benton all missed games earlier this week with the stomach virus. Waiters is expected back after sitting out two games, and both he and Gibson are listed as “probable” to play against the Grizzlies.

Zeller returned on Wednesday after being sick and losing five pounds. He and Waiters became so ill last weekend that they had to be taken to the hospital.

Scott has been leery of making any unnecessary contact with his players.

“I’m not touching their hands right now,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of knuckles stuff. I’m trying to stay away from them as much as possible. Hopefully, this thing will be over today or tonight. It’s made its way through our team.”

The post Kyrie Irving doubtful with flu appeared first on IdealCapper.

Irving made it through a full practice on Sunday and took part in the Cavs’ morning shootaround Monday. Barring any setbacks, Cavs coach Byron Scott said Irving will start against the Knicks. The Cavs rested Irving all last week, holding him out of games against Chicago, Toronto and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cavs listed Irving as “probable” for the game with the Knicks, who were beaten at home on Sunday by the streaking Miami Heat, winners of 14 straight. Cleveland also listed rookie guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller as “questionable” because of illness.

The Cavs went 2-1 last week without Irving, who has missed 14 games in his second NBA season because of injuries. He banged knees in practice last month with teammate Omri Casspi and played in two road games despite soreness before the team sat him out. Irving missed 11 games with a broken index finger.

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2012, Irving is averaging 23.3 points, 5.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds.

He scored a career-high 41 points on Dec. 15 in a loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Irving played that game wearing a protective mask over a broken jaw.

The Knicks have lost 10 consecutive games in Cleveland.

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L.A. Clippers At Cleveland
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, March 1, 2013
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), Fox Sports Ohio (Cleveland)
PREDICTION: Clippers 97, Cavaliers 93

Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 7-point favorites versus the Cavaliers, while the game’s total is sitting at 199.

Los Angeles got a brief scare when center DeAndre Jordan had his nose bloodied early in the third quarter and had to leave the game, but he returned briefly in the fourth after X-rays were negative. Forward Blake Griffin did the heavy lifting inside with his 24th double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Shooting guard Chauncey Phillips is struggling to find his form. For the second straight game, he scored three points on 1-for-6 shooting.

The Clippers were a 99-91 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Pacers. They covered the 1.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (190) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Los Angeles:
Team record: 42-18 SU, 34-26 ATS
Current streak: won 3 straight games.

LA Clippers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games
LA Clippers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 6 games when playing Cleveland
LA Clippers are 1-11 SU in their last 12 games when playing Cleveland

When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Oklahoma City are 5-5
After playing Indiana are 2-8
After a win are 6-4

Rookie guard Dion Waiters continues to carry the offense in Irving’s absence, averaging 24.7 points in the last three games. The Clippers got an early glimpse of his ability in a home loss to the Cavaliers during the first week of November, when Waiters hit seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 28 points. Veteran Shaun Livingston has performed admirably in starting the past two games in place of Irving, scoring 15 points in each and shooting a combined 10-of-18.

The Cavaliers were a 103-92 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Raptors. They covered the 5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (195) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Cleveland:
Team record: 20-38 SU, 31-27 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
is 11-1 SU in their last 12 games when playing LA Clippers
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games

When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing New York are 1-9
After playing Toronto are 2-8
After a win are 6-4

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Both were huge breaks for the Miami Heat.

James scored 28 points, Wade scored 11 of his 24 in the final five minutes – when Miami needed him most – and the Heat extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to 11 games, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-105 in a back-and-forth matchup Sunday night.

The Heat blew a 22-point second-half lead, then rallied from eight down with 5:16 left.

“We’re a veteran ballclub and we’ve been in every situation that an NBA game can offer us,” James said. “We don’t get too high, we don’t get too low, we just play the 48 minutes out and see where it takes us.”

Dion Waiters scored 26 points, C.J. Miles added 19 and Kyrie Irving scored 17 for Cleveland, which outscored Miami by a stunning 30 points over a 17-minute stretch of the second half, yet still came up empty.

The Cavaliers are now 1-8 against the Heat since James signed with Miami in July 2010.

“We had a very good chance against a very good basketball team, the world champions, and we lost the game because of mental mistakes,” Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. “That’s just something that we can’t have happen again.”

In fairness, it wasn’t just mental mistakes that doomed Cleveland late. There was a bit of luck involved for the Heat.

Miami was up by two and held possession with 1:03 remaining. The shot clock was running down and Chris Bosh was open to try a 16-footer from the right wing. As Bosh was about to release, James got inexplicably free under the basket, thrusting both his arms skyward. Bosh threw him the pass — and James, enjoying the best shooting season of his career, did the unthinkable: He missed the easy one.

This is where the luck comes into play.

The rebound found its way back to Bosh, the Heat ran down another shot clock, and Wade got loose for a two-handed dunk that pushed Miami’s lead to 105-101 with 24.4 seconds left.

It was a double-whammy for Cleveland. Miami scored and took nearly 40 seconds off a dwindling clock in the process.

“Hey, I’m a smart player. That’s what basketball IQ is all about,” James said afterward, unable to hold back a sly grin. “I have no idea how I blew that layup. But it did work out for us. Got an extra possession, D-Wade was able to turn the corner and get a slam.”

Said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “I liked that play.”

Wade started what turned into a 16-4 run with a fadeaway with just under 5 minutes to go, then added a three-point play on the next Miami possession to cut the Cavs’ lead to 97-94.

And after Irving missed a layup with 1:35 left, Wade got the rebound and set up Battier for a 3-pointer that put Miami on top again — and for good.

“I thought that we had the game,” Cavaliers forward Alonzo Gee said.

Sure looked like that was the case, after a ridiculously good third quarter.

Down 68-46 early in the third, the Cavaliers looked finished — last-place team, on the road, against the reigning NBA champions who just happened to have the league’s longest current winning streak.

Midway through the third, Miami’s lead was still 17.

With two minutes left in the period, the cushion was 10.

By the start of the fourth, it was nonexistent.

The C.J. Miles Show lasted for all of 63 seconds. And they were a scintillating 63 seconds.

It starts with 1:35 left, a 3-pointer from Miles getting the Miami lead down to seven. Then he got a rebound, came downcourt and connected on another 3-pointer. Lead down to four. Another stop by the Cavs on one end, then another 3-pointer for Miles on the other — that one coming both with him drawing a foul from Chalmers, and with Spoelstra getting hit with a technical from referee Ed Malloy for arguing.

Miles made the technical free throw to tie the game, the free throw for the Chalmers hit to put the Cavs ahead, and they carried that 82-81 lead into the fourth, having closed the quarter on a 36-13 run.

“Guys just finally decided to start playing,” Miles said.

Miami used a 23-4 run in the first half to take what looked like a commanding 42-22 lead — with more than 9 minutes left until the break. And after Cleveland got within seven, Miami answered with another burst.

James didn’t miss in the final 4:29 of the half, scoring 10 points on a 4-for-4 run from the floor and fueling what became 16-5 spurt that gave Miami a 64-46 lead going into the locker room. And for good measure, Miami got the first two baskets of the second half, pushing the lead to 22, the biggest of the night.

Over, right?

Not even remotely close. Not until the final frantic seconds, as the Heat not only extended their win streak but won for the fourth time in five nights.

“We found a way,” Wade said. “I felt like in the first three quarters, I couldn’t move. But in the fourth, you just find it. … We just turned that other switch on.”

Game notes

Miami’s two wins over Cleveland this season, both at home, have come by a combined six points. … The Cavs were without Daniel Gibson (personal) and Omri Casspi, who remained hospitalized in Orlando after surgery to remove his appendix. … Heat F Mike Miller (ear infection) was back with the team Sunday, though did not play. “He can’t hear anything we’re saying,” Spoelstra quipped before the game. … The Heat held a moment of silence pregame for Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, the moment ending with warm applause from the crowd.

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