When the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round playoff series vs. the New York Knicks began, all eyes were on Joel Embiid’s surgically repaired knee and his overall conditioning level after he’d only been back for six games following a two-month absence.
As the series (which the Knicks lead 2-1 after Philly’s Game 3 win on Thursday) has progressed, however, attention has increasingly shifted to Embiid’s face. Specifically, the left side of his face, which has been visibly drooping, and his left eye, which hasn’t been blinking.
In his postgame interview on Thursday, Embiid confirmed that he has been dealing with, and has been treated for, a case of Bell’s palsy for the last week-plus, since a few days before Philadelphia’s Play-In victory over the Miami Heat last Tuesday.
Joel Embiid confirmed that he has had a case of Bell’s palsy over the last week-plus. He said it began 1-2 days before the Play-In game against the Heat. He had migraines. It has affected the left side of his face and mouth.
Embiid: “It’s been tough… It’s unfortunate.” pic.twitter.com/0EOPWlAGXx
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) April 26, 2024 In a previous report before Embiid spoke, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Embiid had been trying to keep the condition private so as to avoid a distraction for the Sixers, but as this has become increasingly visible to even casual observers, it was going to be hard to keep it under wraps.
Here is a good explanation of what Bell’s palsy is and how it’s affecting Embiid from Dr. Brian Sutterer, who has been calling attention to Embiid’s condition for the past few days.
The good news for the Sixers is despite the Bell’s palsy diagnosis and the surgically repaired knee, Embiid is playing fantastic. He was particularly brilliant in Game 3, when he became the 13th player in NBA history to score 50 points in a playoff game.
Embiid finished with 50 on the dot to go with eight rebounds and four assists. He made 13 of his 19 shots, including five 3-pointers, while marching to the line for 21 free throws.
As well as Embiid played on Thursday, there’s a strong case to be made that he should’ve been ejected from the game for this blatantly flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson, who limped his way through the rest of the first half and was unable to return in the second half.
Joel Embiid received a Flagrant 1 after this foul on Mitchell Robinson 😳 pic.twitter.com/2ygeQh8gMG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2024 It was one of several plays by Embiid that erred on the side of flopping and sometimes outright dangerous.
After the way Game 2 ended, with the league admitting in its Last Two-Minute Report that officials screwed up the sequence that led to New York winning in absolutely wild fashion, it wasn’t all that surprising that the whistle went Philadelphia’s way on Thursday. Embiid took more free throws by himself than the Knicks did as a team.
But you know what they say: bad calls even out. Theoretically. So the Sixers get the raw end of the deal in Game 2 and Embiid gets to stay in Game 3 when he probably should’ve been tossed. And now we’ve got a series. Let’s just now hope that Embiid’s latest reported ailment is on its way to healing.
It was a night to forget for Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. According to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oubre crashed his Lamborghini hours after the team’s Game 2 loss against the New York Knicks.
The Sixers guard reportedly ran a red light and crashed into another car.
The incident reportedly occurred around 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Police said Oubre “disregarded a red traffic signal” and crashed into a 2023 Hyundai Elantra. Both cars were towed from the scene, but no injuries were reported.
“Everything is good,” Oubre said. “I’m OK. The people who were involved are OK, but I’m gonna need to probably get a driver or something and just stay off the roads and behind the wheel. But everything is good.”
The incident came just hours after the Sixers suffered a heartbreaking and controversial Game 2 loss against the New York Knicks. The Knicks erased a 101-96 deficit in the final seconds, and Donte DiVincenzo ended up nailing a game-winning 3-pointer.
Oubre tallied just 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting to go along with three assists and two rebounds in the 104-101 loss.
The Sixers did bounce back in a big way with a 125-114 win in Game 3 of the opening-round series on Thursday behind a 50-point performance from Joel Embiid. Oubre added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and seven rebounds in the victory.
The Pacers have momentum on their side as they return home to host the Bucks in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Indiana won Game 2 in Milwaukee, running away in the second half to take home-court advantage. They’ll try to keep it going on Friday evening.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined so far with a calf issue and Damian Lillard cooling off in the second half of games, Pascal Siakam has been the most consistent star in this series. Siakam is showing why the Pacers traded for him earlier this season, and the former Raptor is averaging 36.5 points and 12 rebounds per game. Siakam’s 73 points were the most of any player in the playoffs through the first two games of each series.
“We’ve got to be the hungry team,” Siakam told reporters after the Game 2 win on Tuesday. “We’ve got to be the team that’s coming in and wanting to show something. That’s the attitude that we’ve got to have against those guys, because they’ve done it before.”
Here’s what to know about Friday’s Game 3:
Pacers vs. Bucks — Game 3 info Time: 5:30 p.m. ET | Date: Friday, April 26 Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (try for free) Odds: Pacers -6, O/U: 221.5
Storylines Bucks: Damian Lillard has put up big numbers in his first two playoff games as a Buck. With Giannis out, Dame has shouldered the offensive burden, posting 35 points in a Game 1 win. All of those points came in the first half. Lillard then scored 34 points in Game 2, and 26 of them came in the first half. The other eight came in the third quarter. That means Lillard, famous for his “Dame Time” clutch shots in the playoffs, has yet to score a fourth-quarter point in this series. That’s destined to change soon, and the Bucks will need it to if they’re going to pull this series out. In addition to Antetokounmpo’s issue, Khris Middleton is also nursing an ankle injury ahead of Game 3.
Pacers: Siakam has stolen the show for Indiana, and the team has settled in after a rough first half of Game 1. The Pacers have out-scored the Bucks by 29 points in the last six quarters of basketball, and they played more at their pace in Game 2. Every starter scored in double figures for the Pacers on Tuesday, and they shot 55.6% from the field.
Prediction The Pacers have looked like the stronger team for most of this series. Without Giannis returning, and with the Pacers being at home on Friday, expect that to continue as the East’s No. 6 seed takes a 2-1 series lead. Tyrese Haliburton should up his scoring a bit, too, after totaling just 21 points in the first two games: Pick: Pacers -6
The Houston Rockets announced Tuesday afternoon that former NBA player Robert Reid died at 68. Reid was a 13-year NBA veteran, 10 of which he spent with the Rockets. Reid was drafted in 1977 in the second round by Houston after playing four years of collegiate ball at St. Mary’s University.
After Reid’s first five years in the league, he announced his retirement due to religious reasons, but after taking a year away to devote more time to his Pentecostal faith, Reid returned to the Rockets and played eight more years in the league. During his time with the Rockets, he was a key piece in Houston’s many postseason runs.
Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta released the following statement on Reid’s passing:
“It is with great sorrow that my family and I received the news of the passing of Rockets legend, Robert Reid. I have had the privilege of knowing Robert for over 40 years, and his presence always brought joy and positivity to any room he entered. I will never forget watching the Rockets teams he was a part of in the 80s compete in the Finals and the love he had for the game. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Diana, and all those who held him dear. Robert’s absence will be deeply felt, and he will be fondly remembered.”
During the 1980-81 season, Reid was the third leading scorer behind Hall of Famers Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy, averaging nearly 16 points a game. Despite finishing with a 40-42 record, the Rockets made a surprising run to the NBA Finals that year before falling to the Boston Celtics, and Reid was a key piece in that postseason success.
Three years later, Reid, Hakeem Olajuwon, and the Rockets again found themselves in the NBA Finals after getting past Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Lakers in the Western Conference finals during the 1985-86 season. They met the Celtics in the NBA Finals again and lost once more.
After 10 years with the Rockets, Reid was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he spent a season and a half, then he played with the Portland Trail Blazers for a year before ending his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1991.
Reid ranks in the top 10 of many categories in the Rockets record books, including games played (4th), steals (5th), points and rebounds (8th), blocks (9th), and assists (10th). He played a significant role in the Rockets’ first two NBA Finals appearances and helped lay the groundwork for the franchise’s two championships that followed in the ’90s.
Before the 2023-24 season, the Golden State Warriors reportedly offered Klay Thompson a two-year, $48 million contract extension. That’s a significant chunk of change, but a far cry from the five-year max he signed in 2019 that is set to expire after the season.
Things haven’t gone his way since then. Thompson is shooting career-low percentages from both the floor and from behind the 3-point line. Warriors coach Steve Kerr brought him off the bench for the first time since his rookie season in Golden State’s last game before the All-Star Break. Meanwhile, owner Joe Lacob has said that “plan 1A” for the offseason is to get below the luxury tax line, a difficult task if Thompson returns on a hefty contract.
All parties involved would prefer Thompson retire as a Warrior. He even told The Ringer’s Logan Murdoch that he would be open to a reduced role if it meant staying in Golden State — which may be a necessity given the rise of Brandin Podziemski. But if push comes to shove and the Warriors aren’t willing to pay Thompson what he believes he is worth, Marc Stein is reporting that there are increasing murmurings about one team that might: the Orlando Magic.
The fit is obvious. The Magic rank 27th in 3-point attempts and 29th in 3-point percentage. Their No. 5-ranked defense is built around four starters in Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. (along with reserve Jonathan Isaac), who can defend multiple positions, making it easy to protect Thompson on that end of the floor as he continues to decline. Eight players have given the Magic at least 750 minutes this season. They are all 26 and under, and not one of them has played in a playoff game. Thompson has obviously played in quite a few.
Orlando’s balance sheet for next season is complicated. They are currently looking at over $30 million in cap space, but that figure could go up or down depending on what they decide to do about their own players. Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris, key role players on this year’s team, are both set for unrestricted free agency. Joe Ingles has an $11 million team option. Isaac’s $17.4 million salary is non-guaranteed. The Magic can generate a max salary slot if they want to. They can also operate above the cap.
Thompson won’t generate anything close to a max offer, but something like that two-year, $48 million offer he turned down in the offseason makes plenty of sense for Orlando if Golden State won’t step up to the plate. It’s a short enough contract not to affect their long-term plans and would expire before Banchero’s inevitable max extension kicks in for the 2026-27 season.
It would also give the Magic badly-needed short-term shooting and veteran experience as they attempt to rise from the play-in range of the standings to genuine championship contention. Wagner and Banchero handle the ball more than most pairs of forwards, so the Magic could get away with not having a traditional primary ball-handler in their backcourt. If they ever decided to trade for one, Thompson’s hefty cap number on a short deal would be helpful.
The Magic are in a “use it or lose it” phase of having cap space. Wagner and Suggs become extension-eligible this offseason, but those deals wouldn’t kick in until the 2025-26 seasons begin. That gives them the 2024 offseason to spend their space before, at least from a salary perspective, they lock into something resembling their current roster. From that perspective, a Thompson pursuit would be relatively low-risk. He checks several boxes for them at a very limited opportunity cost. If they eventually want to pursue a high-priced guard that fits closer to the age range of the rest of their core, they’d still have enough draft capital and matching salary to do it down the line.
The Warriors should be the favorite to sign Thompson this summer. Nobody wants to see dynastic players finish their careers elsewhere. But as a starter or a reserve, Thompson still has plenty to offer a winning team. If the Warriors don’t pay him for that, maybe the Magic will.
JJ Redick doesn’t want to hear any more excuses from recently installed Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers. While appearing on ESPN on Tuesday morning, Redick didn’t shy away from harsh criticism of his former coach, who spoke during All-Star Weekend about the difficulties of coming in midseason to take someone else’s job. Rivers was hired in late January after the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin, and since then, Milwaukee has gone just 3-7.
Rivers said that taking over the Bucks job has been “probably more difficult than I thought,” but Redick was fed up with hearing the excuses.
“I’ve seen the trend for years; the trend is always making excuses,” said Redick, who played under Rivers for four years (2013-17) when they were both with the Clippers. “Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of the season is hard… just like getting traded in the middle of the season is hard for a player. We get it. But it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus.”
Redick also took issue with Rivers’ comments following Milwaukee’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in their final game before the All-Star break. The Bucks lost 113-110 to a Grizzlies team that didn’t play any starters or significant role players, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and the rest of Milwaukee’s rotation played heavy minutes. After that loss, Rivers said, “We had some guys here, we had some guys in Cabo,” questioning his players’ effort.
“They lose to Memphis, ‘oh it’s his players’ fault,'” Redick said. “Memphis was playing G League guys and two-way guys.”
Redick ended his rant by calling out Rivers’ comments after he said the Clippers consulted him before making the blockbuster trade that landed them James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Then you look at his quotes over the weekend; now he wants to take credit for the James Harden trade to the Clippers working out?” Redick said. “He wants credit for that? There’s never accountability with that guy.”
Redick played under Rivers for four years when they were both with the Los Angeles Clippers, so there’s a personal history of knowing how he is as a coach. And from the sounds of it, Redick clearly has strong opinions about how Rivers, as he views it, doesn’t take accountability when his team doesn’t live up to expectations.
One of Rivers’ current players, Patrick Beverley, took to social media to defend his coach and call out Redick. Beverley, who played for Rivers with the Clippers before reuniting with him by getting sent from the 76ers to the Bucks at the Feb. 8 trade deadline, said Rivers “saved” Redick’s career.
This Man Doc actually saved your career. Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire go on TV and say that. @jj_redick
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 20, 2024 Redick responded to Beverley on social media, pointing out that when a sign-and-trade was executed to send him from the Bucks to the Clippers in 2013, something that would’ve needed his approval before being done, he was fielding a similar offer from another team before ultimately deciding to join L.A.
Pat my guy I had a four year offer with player option for the same money to be a starter for a different team. FOH “saved my career”. https://t.co/5lXowm2j8e
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) February 20, 2024 Despite the slow start to Rivers’ tenure in Milwaukee, there’s still time for him and the Bucks to turn things around. They are third in the Eastern Conference, but there will be a ton of pressure for him and this roster to make a deep run in the playoffs. After making three major moves in trading for Lillard, firing Mike Budenholzer to hire Griffin, and now pivoting to Rivers midseason, all eyes are on Milwaukee to see if this complicated situation will work.
The NBA, as much as any other sports league, tends to surprise us with unexpected moves. From Wilt Chamberlain to Charles Barkley to Kawhi Leonard to Donovan Mitchell, we’re consistently shocked by NBA trades that we didn’t see coming.
With the Feb. 8 trade deadline rapidly approaching, how about a little thought experiment? We have plenty of lists of players who are likely to be traded. This season it’s Pascal Siakam, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray — the usual suspects. But the whole point of a shocking NBA trade is that it’s unpredictable. Maybe we need to start thinking bigger.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a handful of All-Star level players who could, in theory, be on the move. We’re not saying that any of these trades are likely (let’s chill with the social media attacks, please), but if we’re going to be surprised, perhaps one or more of these players will be involved.
Here are 10 big-name stars who could unexpectedly be traded before the deadline:
With all the focus on Dejounte Murray as the deadline nears, perhaps it’s the other Atlanta guard who could wind up finding a new home. Young has put up gaudy numbers in his five-plus seasons in Atlanta, but there are certainly questions about whether his style of play and defensive shortcomings are conducive to winning at the highest level. With the Hawks in free-fall (currently 15-23 and 11th in the East) and Young owed $138 million over the next three seasons, a surprise trade of the franchise player would be an effective way to hit the reset button.
After being traded from the Phoenix Suns last season, Bridges has looked every bit of a future No. 1 option — averaging 26 points in 27 games on 47/38/89 shooting splits. That hasn’t exactly continued this season, as Bridges’ numbers have fallen to 21 points per game on 45/35/84 splits. It’s becoming more evident that the lanky All-Defense wing is more of a complementary player (an excellent one at that) as opposed to a superstar, so it might be in Brooklyn’s best interest to trade him to a contender in exchange for young players and/or picks to help fuel its rebuild.
The Cavs have been playing well recently, but that shouldn’t obscure the problem they could potentially encounter if they allow Mitchell to enter free agency in the summer of 2025. Mitchell was open about thinking he was going to the Knicks before he was traded to Cleveland, so it might be dangerous for the Cavs front office to think Mitchell will eventually commit long-term. In the case of another early playoff exit, the rumors of Mitchell’s discontent and a potential trade request could be on the horizon. Perhaps it’s best for the Cavs to get ahead of things and trade him before their leverage severely diminishes.
The Nuggets have a winning formula they almost certainly don’t want to mess with, but one of the major concerns heading into their impending title-defending playoff run is depth. With the loss of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green from last year’s tight postseason rotation, they’ll have to rely on the likes of Reggie Jackson, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther to play crucial minutes. If the font office feels they’re not enough, they can turn Porter into multiple quality pieces due to his $33 million price tag. He also has three years left on his contract after this season, providing security for any team who would potentially trade for him.
Green’s troubles have been well documented, but he’s largely been considered a difficult trade candidate due to the remaining three years and $78 million on his contract after this season. That may not be the case, however. The Warriors enter Monday at 12th in the Western Conference, and if they don’t turn things around quickly, they must seriously consider heading in a different direction. Green may have worn out his welcome in the Bay after his latest suspension, but he would still be desirable for a contender given the way he’s performed on both ends over the past few seasons. Last year the Warriors’ net rating improved by a team-best 12.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
With Kawhi Leonard already locked up with an extension, George said he was “very optimistic that something will get done” for him as well. But what if it doesn’t? Leonard was willing to take less than the max for the benefit of the team, but if George refuses to do the same, perhaps he and the Clippers will be at an impasse. It’s a lot of hypotheticals, of course, but if they don’t see an agreement forthcoming with George, a surprise trade before the deadline would be one way to bolster the Clippers’ future fortunes.
Towns was the subject of plenty of trade rumors this past offseason, but the Wolves’ strong performance to start the year has quieted them significantly. That being said, Minnesota’s financial future is frightening with the salaries of Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, along with Jaden McDaniels’ extension set to kick in next season. Towns has done a great job fitting in, but Edwards is clearly the alpha moving forward. Another team could easily talk themselves into Towns being their top offensive option given his unique skill set for his size, and Minnesota could shed a large salary while perhaps adding some depth.
The reports of Williamson butting heads with the Pelicans’ brass have trickled in consistently over the past few seasons, so it’s not crazy to imagine a break-up between the two at some point. Having missed only eight games this season and getting in better shape every day, Williamson’s trade value is as high as it’s been since his rookie year. His fit with Brandon Ingram is murky, and other GMs must be salivating at the thought of a five-out offense with Williamson having a cleared-out paint to operate. Conversely, Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas would also be freed up offensively in New Orleans. It would be a shock, but a Williamson trade could actually make some sense.
Despite solid counting stats (24 points, nine rebounds, five assists per game), Randle’s efficiency has fallen off significantly this season as his 3-point shooting has taken a serious hit. More than that, it’s become clear that there’s a ceiling on the Randle-Jalen Brunson duo in terms of championship aspirations. If the Knicks are going to go big and bring in another star, Randle is likely the one heading out the door — not only because of his $26 million yearly salary, but also since it’s hard to see him coexisting with two other stars.
The Jazz are red hot and Markkanen is playing great — what better time for Danny Ainge to pull off a sneak attack? The 7-foot sharpshooter would fit into virtually any lineup and is on a team-friendly contract through next season, so he’ll have no shortage of suitors around the league. The Jazz reportedly don’t view Markkanen as untouchable, but it would take a hefty haul to get him. It will be interesting to see if Ainge and the Jazz are swayed by any potential offers heading into the deadline.
The Washington Wizards (7-31) will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they host the Detroit Pistons (3-36) on Monday afternoon. Washington snapped a six-game losing streak with a 127-99 win at Atlanta on Saturday. Detroit has not won a game since the end of December, losing all seven of its games in January. The Pistons are coming off a 112-110 loss to Houston last Friday and they have the worst record in the NBA.
Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Monday at Capital One Arena. The Wizards are favored by 5.5 points in the latest Wizards vs. Pistons odds, while the over/under is 240.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Pistons vs. Wizards picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Detroit-Washington. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Wizards vs. Pistons spread: Wizards -5.5 Wizards vs. Pistons over/under: 240.5 points Wizards vs. Pistons money line: Wizards -218, Pistons +180 Wizards vs. Pistons picks: See picks here Why the Wizards can cover Washington snapped a six-game losing streak with one of its most impressive performances of the season on Saturday night, cruising to a 127-99 victory. Kyle Kuzma poured in 29 points, while Jordan Poole added 20 points. Atlanta shot a season-low 34% from the floor and failed to score 100 points for the first time this season, ending a streak of 94 straight games with at least 100 points.
Small forward Deni Avdija finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, while center Daniel Gafford had 10 points and six rebounds. Kuzma leads the Wizards with 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, scoring in double figures in nine of his last 10 games. Washington has won 16 consecutive home games against Detroit, and the Pistons are riding an 18-game road losing streak.
Why the Pistons can cover Detroit has lost all seven of its games this month, but three of those contests have been close calls. The Pistons took Utah to overtime before losing to Golden State by just four points, with both of those outings coming on the road. They covered the spread as 8-point home underdogs against Houston on Friday, coming up just short in a 112-110 final.
Four of Detroit’s five starters finished in double figures against Houston, led by 19 points and seven rebounds from small forward Kevin Knox II. Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren each scored at least 15 points, while point guard Alec Burks chipped in 19 points off the bench. Washington is 2-13 in its last 15 home games, and it has covered the spread just one time in its last seven Monday home games. See which team to pick here.
How to make Wizards vs. Pistons picks The model has simulated Pistons vs. Wizards 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
We’ve got another exciting Western Conference matchup on the NBA schedule as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to tip at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Crypto.com Arena as part of the NBA on MLK Day action. Los Angeles is 19-21 overall and 13-7 at home, while OKC is 27-11 overall and 11-6 on the road. The teams have split their two head-to-head matchups this season both straight up and against the spread.
The Lakers won 129-120 as 3.5-point road underdogs on Dec. 23, while the Thunder captured a 133-110 win as 5-point favorites at home on Nov. 30. This time around, Los Angeles is favored by 1 point in the latest Lakers vs. Thunder odds and the over/under is 238 points. Before entering any Thunder vs. Lakers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Oklahoma City-Los Angeles. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Lakers vs. Thunder spread: Lakers -1 Lakers vs. Thunder over/under: 238 points Lakers vs. Thunder money line: Lakers -111, Thunder -108 Lakers vs. Thunder picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Thunder The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games against the Magic in their most recent tilt. Oklahoma City came out on top against Orlando by a score of 112-100 on Saturday. It was another big night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 37 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander is listed as questionable for Monday’s matchup with a knee injury and his absence would certainly change the complexion significantly. One of the leading NBA MVP candidates, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.5 points, 6.4 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game this season.
What you need to know about the Lakers Meanwhile, Los Angeles came up short against the Utah Jazz on Saturday and fell 132-125. D’Angelo Russell put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 6 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 39 points and eight assists. Those 39 points set a new season-high mark for him.
Anthony Davis also had a triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. With LeBron James (ankle) listed as questionable for Monday, Davis and Russell will have to carry another heavy load on Monday against the current No. 2 seed in the West. Los Angeles is currently the 11th seed and would miss the NBA play-in tournament if the postseason were to begin today.
Key Betting Info Davis (ankle) has been upgraded to probable for Monday’s matchup while James and Gilgeous-Alexander are listed as questionable by their respective squads. For the season, Davis has averaged 25.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and he’ll need to help pick up the slack for James’ lost production if he’s unable to participate.
Some of the betting trends to consider are:
The Thunder are 6-2-1 against the spread in their last 9 games as the road underdog. The Thunder are 9-4-1 against the spread in their last 14 games when not the favorite. The Lakers are 3-3 against the spread in their last 6 games when the spread was between -3 to +3. How to make Lakers vs. Thunder picks The model has simulated Lakers vs. Thunder 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The Toronto Raptors (15-24) will return from a six-game road trip when they host the Boston Celtics (30-9) on Monday night as part of the MLK Day NBA schedule. Toronto dropped the final three games of the road trip, including a 145-113 setback at Utah on Friday. Boston bounced back from a loss to Milwaukee with a 145-113 win over Houston on Saturday, remaining unbeaten at home this season. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference, leading the second-place Bucks by 2.5 games.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Scotiabank Arena. Boston is favored by 7 points in the latest Raptors vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 243.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Raptors picks, you’ll need to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston-Toronto. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Raptors vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -7 Raptors vs. Celtics over/under: 243.5 points Raptors vs. Celtics money line: Raptors +233, Celtics -286 Raptors vs. Celtics picks: See picks here Why the Raptors can cover Toronto will be happy to return home for the first time since New Year’s Day, when it picked up a 124-121 win over Cleveland as a 2.5-point favorite. Pascal Siakam poured in 36 points in that game, shooting 13 of 20 from the floor and 5 of 8 from 3-point range. All five starters scored at least 14 points, including a 20-point effort from Scottie Barnes.
Siakam scored a game-high 27 points in the loss to Utah last Friday, while Barnes had 19 points and three assists. Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are getting set for their second home game since being acquired from the Knicks last month. Boston has lost three of its four road games in January, falling to the Thunder, Pacers and Bucks.
Why the Celtics can cover The Celtics are coming off a 145-113 win over Houston on Saturday, as Jaylen Brown scored 32 points in 28 minutes and Jayson Tatum had 27 points before getting ejected in the fourth quarter. Tatum and Brown are one of the top duos in the NBA again this season, combining to average more than 50 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis, who had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Rockets, is the third-leading scorer with 19.2 points per game.
Toronto is riding a three-game losing streak and is coming off one of its worst showings of the season, getting crushed by the Jazz in a 145-113 final. Utah outscored the Raptors in every quarter, taking a 17-point lead into halftime. This is not a favorable spot for the Jazz to bounce back, especially when they are fatigued after a six-game road trip and have to face the top team in the conference. See which team to pick here.
How to make Raptors vs. Celtics picks The model has simulated Celtics vs. Raptors 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
