Miami At San Antonio
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 31, 2013
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), Fox Sports Southwest (San Antonio), NBATV
PREDICTION: Heat 98, Spurs 94

Oddsmakers currently have the Spurs listed as 1½-point favorites versus the Heat, while the game’s total is sitting at 198½.

Forward LeBron James put his outside shooting on display in the victory over New Orleans, knocking down seven 3-pointers – one shy of his career high. James made six consecutive 3-pointers in the first half and finished 7-of-10 from behind the arc while scoring 36 points. “I hadn’t done that probably since high school or the early years with Cleveland,” James said afterward. “I felt good. Just tried to keep the Heat wave going.” Miami shot a season-high 60.9 percent in the contest and was 14-of-27 from 3-point range.

Last time out for Miami, they were a 108-89 winner as they battled the Hornets on the road. The Heat covered in the match as a 7.5-point favorite, while 197 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 57-15 SU, 38-34 ATS

is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games
is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of last 11 games when playing on the road against San Antonio

When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing New York are 7-3
After playing New Orleans are 5-5
After a win are 9-1

Duncan scored a season-best 34 points against the Clippers and continues to play like someone much younger. The 36-year-old Duncan also grabbed 11 rebounds against the Clippers for his 31st double-double of the season and is averaging 17.6 points and 10 rebounds. “He’s done the work to put himself in the position to have games like this and to have the season that’s he had,” Popovich said afterward. “You couldn’t be more proud of the guy on what he did out there.” Point guard Tony Parker had 24 points against the Clippers and is averaging 21.8 points in four games since returning from an ankle injury.

San Antonio won its last outing, a 104-102 result against the Clippers on March 29. The Spurs failed to cover in that game as a 4-point favorite, while the 206 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 55-17 SU, 37-33-2 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Miami
is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of last 11 games when playing at home against Miami

When playing on Sunday are 7-3
Before playing Memphis are 5-5
After playing LA Clippers are 8-2
After a win are 6-4

The post Miami vs. San Antonio Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Instead, New Orleans’ first overall draft choice sent the Boston Celtics out of the Big Easy with the sick feeling that accompanies a lost lead in the dying seconds.

Davis outreached Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green for a last-second tip-in, and the Hornets snapped a four-game skid with an 87-86 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night.

“His first game-winner comes on night when he’s sick and puking and doesn’t feel his best,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “So kudos to him.”

Davis had missed the morning shootaround with an upset stomach. He was listed as a game-time decision and wound up with nine points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in 28 minutes.

Ryan Anderson scored 21 points and Eric Gordon 18 for the Hornets. Gordon’s floater to win it in the waning seconds missed, but Davis followed up for the winner.

“I was really tired, but I knew my team needed me, so I was trying to fight through it,” Davis said. “I’m glad I did. It was a big win for us.”

Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 28 points in the last six minutes to nearly lead Boston back from a nine-point deficit, but missed a jumper with 16 seconds left that could have put the Celtics up by three.

Garnett, returning from a two game absence caused by a left thigh injury and the flu, scored 20 points to go with six rebounds, but took the blame after Boston’s second-straight loss for not picking Davis up in time.

“It was my block-out. I was trying to help Avery (Bradley)” defend Gordon’s drive, Garnett said. “That’s just when you’re trying to help a teammate and you’re reacting. … I’m acting off impulse as a big man to try to block shots and protect the basket and (Davis) took advantage.”

Davis said he was unaware of who stood in his way for the winning tip.

“I was just following like I was supposed to,” Davis said. “I just saw the ball. I wasn’t looking at nobody else.”

The Celtics got the ball back one last time with 0.3 on the clock, and Pierce inbounded to Garnett, who could not get off a turnaround jumper before the horn.

The loss dropped Boston into seventh in the Eastern Conference, 3½ games behind Brooklyn for the fourth seed, which carries with it home advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets beat Dallas, while fifth-place Atlanta beat Milwaukee to pull 1½ games ahead of the Celtics.

Boston coach Doc Rivers said the Celtics got what they deserved, adding that he could see it coming late in the second quarter when Boston “went from being a solid, good-looking team to show time.”

“We started dancing around, stopped defending. You could see our guys laughing and joking,” Rivers said. “We don’t learn because we have done this three or four times this year.”

Green, coming off a career-high 43 points in Boston’s loss to Miami on Monday night, scored 13 points, all in the first half.

Boston had been in control much of the game and led by as many as 13 after Pierce’s 3 made it 60-47 early in the third quarter.

Then Boston slumped offensively, scoring only 12 in the period, and New Orleans whittled away.

The Hornets went on a 9-2 run that included dunks by Robin Lopez and Al-Farouq Aminu, and tied the game at 65 on Anderson’s free throws late in period.

The Hornets then surged into the lead early in the fourth quarter when Brian Roberts hit a driving layup and 3. Anderson later added six straight points to put New Orleans ahead 78-69.

The momentum changed once more when Pierce worked his way inside for a layup and Garnett followed a reverse layup, igniting a 10-0 run that included four more free throws from Pierce.

After Anderson restored New Orleans’ lead with a 3, Pierce tied it with a driving two-handed dunk and followed that with a 3 to put Boston up 84-81 with 2:34 left.

That gave Pierce 11 of 15 Boston points in a span of about three-and-a-half minutes, but he finished the game with a couple of missed mid-range jumpers, giving New Orleans just enough of a window to pull out the upset.

Boston led by as many as 12 in the opening half, taking a 50-38 lead on Garnett’s layup, and the Celtics led 55-45 at halftime.

Game notes
While Austin Rivers’ broken right hand prevented him from playing against the team his father coaches, the younger Rivers said he was able to take his father out for dinner at one of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans restaurants on Tuesday. “That’s the first time I’ve ever paid for my dad,” Austin Rivers said. “The bill came and I was ready to get up. … He looked at me like, `It’s your turn now.’ It feels good. You work hard. Finally you take care of somebody that has taken care of your whole life.” … The Hornets won the teams’ only other matchup this season, 97-78 in Boston on Jan. 16. … Boston fell to 12-21 on the road and wraps up its three-game road trip with games on Friday at Dallas and Saturday at Memphis.

The post Anthony Davis’ late tip-in lifts Hornets past Celtics appeared first on IdealCapper.

With four days before their next game against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, the Nets essentially are giving Johnson five days to rest his heel and get better.

“We’re just concerned with the four (games) in five (days) and a little bit of the mentality that we had going to the All-Star break,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “You have four days (off), so you’re tempted to say we hold him out one more it’ll give him five days to get healthy.”

Johnson missed three games because of the sore left heel before returning for the team’s last six. During that span, he averaged 13 points on 47.1 percent shooting in 33.6 minutes.

He had 20 points in 37 minutes on 8-of-11 shooting in Monday night’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Johnson had hoped the injury wouldn’t linger on when he returned, but it has.

In 61 games, the 31-year-old veteran is averaging 16.6 points on 42.7 percent shooting.

The post Joe Johnson (heel) out vs. Hornets appeared first on IdealCapper.

Oklahoma City At Denver
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, March 1, 2013
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Altitude (Denver)
PREDICTION: Nuggets 115, Thunder 113.

Odds aren’t yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.

Forward Kevin Durant posted his third triple-double of his career when he had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Wednesday’s rout of the Hornets. Durant has two triple-doubles in four games, a startling development since he didn’t have a single triple-double over his first five NBA seasons. Only injured Boston point guard Rajon Rondo (five) has more triple-doubles this season. “When you get a triple-double, people think it’s just about the guy that gets it,” Durant said. “Your teammates make so many great plays to put you in position to do that. So, it’s not just me.” Durant averages 28.6 points.

Last time out for Oklahoma City, they were a 119-74 winner as they battled the Hornets at home. The Thunder covered in the match as a 15-point favorite, while 193 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Oklahoma City:
Team record: 42-15 SU, 33-21-3 ATS
Current streak: won 3 straight games.

is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Denver
is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver

When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing LA Clippers are 6-4
After playing New Orleans are 10-0
After a win are 5-5

Point guard Ty Lawson continued the best scoring stretch of his career with 30 points in the victory over the Trail Blazers. Lawson has strung together eight consecutive 20-point outings and is averaging 26.1 points during the span. Lawson has scored 20 or more in 15 of the past 21 games since mid-January. He is averaging 16.6 points and 7.1 assists. Forward Danilo Gallinari averages a team-leading 16.9 points and is questionable after missing the previous two games with a thigh bruise. Wilson Chandler has started the two games Gallinari has missed, scoring 23 in Monday’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers but just seven against Portland.

In their last action, Denver was a 111-109 winner on the road against the Trail Blazers. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (220) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Denver:
Team record: 37-22 SU, 34-25 ATS
Current streak: won 3 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 8 games
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Atlanta are 3-7
After playing Portland are 6-4
After a win are 8-2

The post Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Dallas At Brooklyn
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, March 1, 2013
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Southwest (Dallas), YES (Brooklyn)
PREDICTION: Nets 97, Mavericks 92

Oddsmakers currently have the Nets listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Mavericks, while the game’s total is sitting at 194.

Forward Dirk Nowitzki struggled in the loss against Memphis with just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting. The poor outing followed Nowitzki’s best three-game stretch of the season in which he averaged 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds. Nowitzki has closed in on his previous All-Star form after struggling earlier in the season upon returning from preseason knee surgery. He is averaging 16 points and 6.6 rebounds. The Mavericks tallied just 46 points over the final three quarters against Memphis after putting 38 on the board in the opening quarter.

Dallas:
Team record: 25-32 SU, 33-24 ATS
Current streak: lost 3 straight games.

is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road

When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing Houston are 7-3
After playing Memphis are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4

Last time out for Dallas, they were a 90-84 loser as they battled the Grizzlies on the road. The Mavericks covered in the match as a 7.5-point underdog, while 174 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Point guard Deron Williams is playing well despite struggling with inflammation in both ankles. Williams matched his season high with 33 points in Tuesday’s win over the Hornets as he scored Brooklyn’s final 11 points. Williams was encouraged by his decisive closing stretch. “It’s something I’ve kind of struggled with this year and I was really successful at it most of my career,” said Williams, “so it feels good to be able to finally have a game like that.” Williams is averaging 23.8 points over the last four games to raise his season average to 17.3.

The Nets were a 101-97 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Hornets. They covered the 3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (198) made winners of OVER bettors.

Brooklyn:
Team record: 34-24 SU, 26-30-2 ATS

is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Dallas
is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Chicago are 3-7
After playing New Orleans are 2-8
After a win are 5-5

The post Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

The person spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been officially announced.

The 6-foot-10 McRoberts, who played at Duke, has played in 41 games this season with three starts and is averaging 3.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Warrick, in his seventh NBA season, was acquired earlier this season in a trade with the New Orleans Hornets. Since joining the Bobcats he has averaged 6.9 points per game and 3.2 rebounds, but his playing time has diminished in recent weeks.

The post Magic acquire Hakim Warrick appeared first on IdealCapper.

“This is our union and we have taken it back,” National Basketball Players Association president Derek Fisher said.

Fisher said it was a day of change for the union, one that had seemed inevitable since a review of the union last month was critical of Hunter’s leadership and urged players to consider whether they wanted to keep him.

They didn’t.

“We want to make it clear that we are here to serve only the best interests of the players,” Fisher said. “No threats, no lies, no distractions will stop us from serving our memberships.”

In brief remarks, Fisher said a new executive committee was elected, and he will remain as president. The Spurs’ Matt Bonner is vice president, Miami’s James Jones is secretary-treasurer and the Nets’ Jerry Stackhouse is first vice president. The Clippers’ Chris Paul and Willie Green, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Denver’s Andre Iguodala, and the Hornets’ Roger Mason, Jr. are vice presidents.

Hunter said he had “yet to receive any notification” of his firing.

“If accurate, it is indicative of the extremely troubling process followed by the NBPA during the past few weeks,” he said in a statement. “During the days and weeks ahead, my legal team and I will begin carefully reviewing the actions taken and statements made against me in the meeting room in my absence. I look forward to gathering the evidence showing how certain individuals made sure the outcome was preordained.”

Hunter had led the union since 1996, guiding the players through three collective bargaining agreements and helping bring their average salaries to more than $5 million, highest in team sports. But Fisher pushed for the review after a falling out between the two leaders, and though it found Hunter wasn’t guilty of any criminal activity involving union funds, it cited him for a number of conflicts of interests and poor choices that led the players to remove him.

Commissioner David Stern was aware of the union’s actions but had little comment.

“We await notification from the union as to who we should be dealing with because it has been a principle of faith with us that we will deal with whomever the union tells us to deal with,” Stern said.

Released in January, the review conducted by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP criticized Hunter for hiring family members and friends. It said he knew his 2010 contract extension wasn’t properly ratified by union rules, and raised questions about everything from travel expenses to the amount he spent on gifts.

Players acted quickly, putting Hunter on a leave of absence Feb. 1. He hoped to be invited to Saturday’s annual meeting, which included about 35 players, superstar LeBron James among them.

Hunter’s family did, and that was another central issue of the report. He had since fired his daughter and daughter-in-law, and cut ties with a financial institution that employed his son. He also instituted an anti-nepotism policy at the NBPA.

Fisher, Paul, Bonner, Mason and Jones were holdovers from the previous executive committee. Stackhouse, who along with James was vocal during the meeting, joins Iguodala, Curry and Green among the newcomers.

Fisher and Hunter clashed during the 2011 lockout, and their fractured relationship divided the union. Hunter originally persuaded the executive committee to vote to request Fisher’s resignation last year. Fisher did not resign and instead pushed for the outside review, which lasted more than eight months and cost the union more than $4 million.

The law firm reviewed NBPA documents and emails, and interviewed more than three dozen witnesses. It found that Hunter spent more than $100,000 on gifts for executive committee members — including a watch worth more than $20,000 for Fisher before their falling out — and accepted a payout of $1.3 million for unused vacation time when records made it unclear how his time off was kept.

Fisher remains president even though he isn’t on an NBA roster, having asked the Dallas Mavericks for his release after a brief stint earlier this season. He gave no update on what would happen to the executive director position. Union attorney Ron Klempner was appointed to the position on an interim basis when Hunter was placed on leave.

“The current interim regime in control of the NBPA has set a terrible precedent for the union,” Hunter said. “It violates every tenet of fairness upon which the union was founded. Now that this has occurred, I will continue to examine all of my options, including whether the fairness that was absent from the NBPA process might be available in a different forum.

“In addition, given the legitimate legal and governance questions surrounding the eligibility of the members who voted and the adherence, or lack thereof, to the constitution and bylaws, I do not consider today’s vote the end, only a different beginning.”

The post Billy Hunter unanimously voted out appeared first on IdealCapper.

The team announced the decision following a morning practice.

Hayward was unavailable Monday as well when the Jazz suffered their most lopsided home loss in franchise history, 125-80 to the Houston Rockets.

Hayward is the team’s third-leading scorer. He has averaged 13.5 points this season and 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in January.

The post Shoulder sidelines Gordon Hayward appeared first on IdealCapper.

New Orleans At San Antonio
When: 8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports New Orleans, KENS (San Antonio)
Prediction: Spurs 101, Hornets 91

Oddsmakers currently have the Spurs listed as 10-point favorites versus the Hornets, while the game’s total is sitting at 192.

New Orleans’ resurgence has been buoyed by the return to form of guard Eric Gordon. A right knee injury kept him out for the first 29 games, and he struggled with his shot as a reserve early in his comeback. But the 24-year-old has been much better of late, averaging 19.2 points over his last five games. “I’m starting to hit jump shots more,” Gordon told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I just need to get it all flowing together. There are points in the game when I do and some that I don’t. It’s going to come together.” Monday’s triumph marked the first time this season the Hornets have allowed more than 100 points and won

The Hornets were a 114-105 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Kings. They covered the 5.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (219) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 14-27 SU, 22-19 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games
When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
Before playing Houston are 7-3
After playing Sacramento are 3-7
After a win are 4-6

When San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich opted to send stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker home rather than have them play in a nationally televised game earlier in the season, he likely had this stretch of the schedule in mind. San Antonio will have played more games than any team in the league by the end of the week. “It’s been a tough beginning, travel-wise,” Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re getting to be a pretty tired team. It’s been a lot of games quickly. We’ve never had this many games in this period of time before.” San Antonio will enjoy three days off following Saturday’s game against Phoenix

The Spurs were a 90-85 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the 76ers. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as favorites, while the total score (175) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 33-11 SU, 25-18-1 ATS
Current streak: won 5 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games at home

When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing Dallas are 8-2
After playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

The post New Orleans Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Free Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.