Nba

USATSI The Dallas Mavericks (25-24) go on the road to take on the Phoenix Suns (25-24) in a Western Conference tilt on Thursday evening. The Suns are playing solid basketball right now, winning four straight games, and on Tuesday, Phoenix topped the Charlotte Hornets 128-97. Meanwhile, Dallas has lost five of its past six matchups, including on Jan. 24 when the Mavericks fell to the Washington Wizards 127-126. Devin Booker (groin) and Cameron Payne (foot) are out for Phoenix, while Christian Wood (thumb) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring) are out for Dallas. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Suns as a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Mavericks vs. Suns odds The over/under for total points is set at 221. Before making any Suns vs. Mavericks picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every … [Read more...] about Suns vs. Mavericks prediction, odds, line, spread: 2023 NBA picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model

USATSI The Dallas Mavericks have won just one of their last six games and face a Phoenix Suns team on Thursday that has found a way to win its last four despite playing through a number of key injuries. Mavs center Christian Wood has missed the last three games due to a fractured thumb, and Suns center Deandre Ayton has also missed his last three starts due to illness, but how could their statuses impact your NBA DFS lineups on Thursday? Ayton is reportedly ready to make his return and has averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks in two previous games against Dallas this season, thus putting a spotlight on him for Thursday's NBA DFS player pool. Meanwhile, Dwight Powell has received an expanded role with the Mavs in Wood's absence and is coming off a season-high 22-point performance on Tuesday against Washington. Cameron Payne (foot) and Devin Booker (groin) remain out for the Suns, so Chris Paul should once again be considered a top option in the NBA … [Read more...] about NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for January 26 include Kyrie Irving

Getty Images We've heard about the "rookie wall" and how it can creep up on players midway through the season and their production, efficiency and impact just take a nosedive. But what about when the opposite is happening? Maybe we call it the "rookie ladder" or the "rookie Juggernaut," you know like the superhero from X-Men whose biggest scene was literally just him breaking through a bunch of walls. Maybe this visual will jog your memory: via Gfycat The name probably still needs to be workshopped, but the point I'm trying to make is that there's a slew of rookies right now who are breaking through that rookie wall and putting together some of their best performances. Keegan Murray is arguably the best example right now, a guy who is having the best month of his young career, while also having a positive impact on a winning team. Walker Kessler is another rookie that comes to mind who may not be putting up monster numbers but is starring in his role for the Jazz , … [Read more...] about NBA Rookie Rankings: Keegan Murray drops career-high vs. Thunder; Jeremy Sochan developing a 3-point shot

Getty Images If it feels like there's been a scoring influx across the NBA, that's because there has been. It's become commonplace for guys to get to 25 points or more on a nightly basis, even 30 points isn't an eyebrow-raising event anymore. It feels like almost nightly we see some of these insane scoring records reached that used to only be synonymous with Wilt Chamberlain. What's even crazier, is if a guy scores 40 points on one night, it'll likely be outdone the next day, or even later on in the same night. Over the course of this season there have been 17 instances of a player scoring 50+ points, and the seven games of at least 55 points is an NBA record for a single season. We haven't even gotten to the All-Star break, so the chances of that number going up are all but guaranteed. It's been an unprecedented season for individual offensive performances, so it only makes sense to take a look back at some of these historic games and rank the 10 best so far. 10. Joel … [Read more...] about Ranking NBA’s top 10 50-point performances from historic season: Damian Lillard cracks top three

USATSI TD Garden showcases a high-profile tilt between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics on Thursday evening. The Knicks are 26-23 overall and 14-10 on the road this season. The Celtics are 18-5 at home, with an East-leading 35-14 overall mark in 2022-23. Marcus Smart (ankle) is out for the Celtics, with Mitchell Robinson (thumb) and Evan Fournier (personal) ruled out for the Knicks. Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston as an 8.5-point favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 221 in the latest Knicks vs. Celtics odds. Before you make any NBA predictions with the Celtics vs. Knicks match-up, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past … [Read more...] about Celtics vs. Knicks prediction, odds, spread, start time: 2023 NBA picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model

Getty Images With the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, the rumors continue to come fast and furious. This season's Feb. 9 deadline could be especially intriguing given the parity in the league this season. A lot of teams feel like they have a chance to make a real run, and thus could be looking to make moves. It can be a lot to stay on top of, but we'll do our best to keep you covered. Here's a look at a few fresh rumblings from across the league's landscape. Plenty of interest in Fred VanVleet If the Toronto Raptors decide to make Fred VanVleet available prior to the trade deadline, the veteran guard will have no shortage of suitors. VanVleet could become an unrestricted free agent over the summer if he opts to turn down his player option for next season, and if the Raptors think they might lose him in free agency, they could instead look to trade him and get some value in return while they still have the opportunity to do so. If that second scenario occurs, expect … [Read more...] about NBA trade rumors: Nets willing to trade Seth Curry, Joe Harris; playoff contenders interested in Fred VanVleet

Getty Images Another night, another entry in the record books for LeBron James , who on Thursday night was named as a captain and starter for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. This is the sixth consecutive year that James, who received 7,418,116 fan votes, will be a captain, and 19th consecutive year that he'll be an All-Star. James' 19 All-Star Games matches Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most all-time, and also sets a record for the most consecutive appearances. The only other active players with double-digit All-Star appearances are Kevin Durant (12), Chris Paul (12) and James Harden (10). Perhaps the most interesting historical detail is why Abdul-Jabbar missed out on an All-Star Game in the prime of his career in 1978, and thus doesn't have a record 20 consecutive appearances. (It's also worth noting that Abdul-Jabbar sat out of the 1973 game and was an injury replacement in 1989.) On opening night of the 1977-78 season, Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers were taking … [Read more...] about Lakers’ LeBron James ties Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most career NBA All-Star Game appearances

Getty Images During a full slate of NBA games Wednesday night, there was only one matchup that had the potential to feature two players who have both won back-to-back MVPs. It was neither of the nationally televised games, though both of those matchups had their own built-in storylines as part of the league's "Rivals Week." It was the Denver Nuggets against the Milwaukee Bucks , where the two players who have combined to win the last four MVP awards were set to face off. But with the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic didn't play, neither did Jamal Murray or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a 107-99 loss against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee. It zapped all of the excitement out of what could've been one of the most thrilling matchups this season, especially considering both teams rank at or near the top of each conference. With a matchup like that, as rare as it happens every year, you would think the league would want to market … [Read more...] about Nikola Jokic sitting out vs. Bucks and Giannis is latest example of why NBA should shorten the schedule

USATSI The 2023 NBA All-Star starters were announced Thursday night, and naturally, a couple players who are looking at bench roles have a legitimate beef. First, here are the starters, which were selected using a weighted system in which the fan vote accounted for 50 percent, and the media and player votes 25 percent each. Western Conference: LeBron James (captain), Stephen Curry , Luka Doncic , Zion Williamson , Nikola Jokic Eastern Conference: Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), Donovan Mitchell , Kyrie Irving , Jayson Tatum , Kevin Durant Now, let's get to the starter snubs, starting with the most obvious. Joel Embiid It's not an honest snub unless you can say who should be replaced, and in this case, Embiid deserved to start over Anteokounmpo. The media and players agreed, voting Embiid third among frontcourt players behind Tatum and Durant, but Embiid wound up fourth in the fan vote, where Giannis was first. That was the difference. I get … [Read more...] about 2023 NBA All-Star: Joel Embiid biggest starter snub; Anthony Davis had a strong case over Zion Williamson

With more than half of the 2022-23 season in the books and the All-Star Game approaching, it's time to name the starters for the league's mid-season exhibition. Those starters were determined by a vote divided amongst fans (50 percent), media (25 percent) and players (25), and on Thursday, those starters were announced on TNT with an assist from the accounting firm Ernst and Young. With two guards and three front-court players coming from each conference, the following 10 players have been selected: Player Position Conference *LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers Forward West Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans Forward West Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets Center West Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Guard West Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors Guard West *Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Forward East Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Forward East Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets … [Read more...] about 2023 NBA All-Star Game roster announcement takeaways: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo voted team captains