RADIO
A night with no NBA feels like punishment. Monday had 13 30+ point scorers and five games come down to the last possession. It was a great send-off before the one-day break and tonight’s return to action hands us a 13-game slate. The only teams not playing tonight are the 76ers, Wizards, Warriors, and the Heat.
The contrast between pace in most of tonight’s games are fairly wide. In matchups like the Spurs-Grizzlies and Hawks-Jazz, both latter teams are in the bottom half in pace. That doesn’t mean they won’t fly around with faster teams, they just have tendencies to play slower, although everyone watching the Grizzlies and Jazz this season knows that they can compete with anyone in terms of scoring or pace. Since the Jazz game isn’t posted yet, just know that game has serious high-scoring potential.
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DEN @ IND
Nikola Jokic (DEN) MORE 24.5 Points – Tyrese Haliburton (IND) MORE 20.5 Points
This is the premier matchup of the night. Myles Turner will have his hands full with Nikola Jokic, but even a solid defender like Turner can’t contain the reigning MVP when the pace of the game will be so fast. The Pacers have been piggybacking off of Haliburton’s consistency and after a slow start to the season look to get above .500 for the first time. The two main scorers here should lead the charge for their respective teams and looking more directly, the Turner-Jokic matchup will really be the deciding factor.
Haliburton going up against the Nuggets doesn’t really change his outlook. Haliburton has been the Pacers best player all season regardless what the stats say. He’s been distributing and playmaking like some of the league’s best and as long as he’s playing, there’s no reason to buy into his downside. He’s putting up 20-points and 10-assists fairly regularly and even against a defensive specialist, it’s going to be more dependent on Haliburton’s ability rather than the defensive skill.
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MEM @ SAS
Ja Morant (MEM) MORE 29.5 Points – Keldon Johnson (SAS) MORE 22.5 Points
Although this doesn’t seem like it will be a high-scoring game, the Spurs have been one of the most underrated teams this season. Granted, recently their four-game losing streak might-say otherwise, but they are keeping most games competitive. After starting 5-2 and since dropping to 5-6, it’s hard to determine whether or not the Devin Vassell injury had lingering consequences. Keldon Johnson has picked up the slack and has since turned into the team’s focal point, but the Spurs were winning when Vassell was the tip of the spear. If Johnson is playing against a weak group of undersized guards or slow-footed big, Johnson has his work cut out for him.
For Ja Morant, there isn’t a team he can’t score against. In the 10 games he’s played this season he’s scored 30-points in half. After flirting with a 30-point triple-double against the Celtics last game, it’s clear he’s on the right path, it’s just a matter of what the Spurs try to do to stop him and if it’s actually effective. There’s already doubt in any defensive scheme to limit a guard like Morant, since simply hitting his outside shot tears any game plan to shreds.
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MIL @ OKC
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) MORE 33.5 Points – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) MORE 27.5 Points
Both of these superstars are playing near the top of their game, but for Giannis Antetokounmpo, he hasn’t scored over 33 points since October 29th in a game against the Hawks. It’s always hard to bet against ex-MVP’s like Steph Curry, Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic, so I’ll leave that up to the bettor. Taking the under in games where they actually should play well is asking for trouble, but it would make sense if the Bucks supporting cast was enough to beat the Thunder and Antetokoummpo was able to take a backseat tonight. Not that it will happen, but unless he carries the load tonight, 34-points is a certainly a hill to climb.
The positive thing about this bet is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have no problems scoring 30-points himself. He’s the only player on Oklahoma City with the ability to absorb double-teams and still be productive. There’s a reason why he’s playing so well and his statlines are following suit. Until they decide to shut him down, Gilgeous-Alexander is lined up to have massive night each night, even against matchups like Jrue Holiday.
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LAL @ LAC
LeBron James (LAL) MORE 26.5 Points – Paul George (LAC) MORE 26.5 Points
This spot was reserved for the Hawks-Jazz game if MonkeyKnifeFight posted it, but it seems like we are stuck with the battle for L.A. With how bad the Lakers have been thus far, taking the over on LeBron James is tough on any given night. He will score, but he doesn’t command the scoring like once did although he’s still managed to score 30-points twice this season. The Clippers aren’t well equipped to handle James, but they will be able to clog the paint and make things tough. Scoring 27-points tonight is still asking a lot because of how rarely he’s done it so far in the beginning of the season.
For Paul George, until Kawhi Leonard returns, which will likely not happen till playoffs, he has every asset under the Clippers control and the green light to play freely. George is on a 5-game streak of scoring 26-points or more and there’s no reason for it to be coming to an end, especially against this Lakers defense. In the Clippers first game of the season against the Lakers, both George and Leonard combined for 29-points and still came away with the win. With Leonard out and the Lakers still struggling, George’s upside remains incredible high.
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