HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  Peter

The Houston Rockets will be looking to keep their winning streak alive when they take on the Washington Wizards tonight.
The Wizards have lost three of their last four and will be looking to avoid a third straight road loss tonight after falling to the Grizzlies by 92-89 last night. Bradley Beal made five threes on his way to a career-high 37 points, while Nene Hilario added 17 points, but John Wall really struggled against the defense of Nick Calathes and scored just five points. Despite Wall's struggles, the Wizards were able to ride Beal in the second half and come back from a 16-point deficit only to fall short on a missed jumper that would have sent the game to overtime. With the loss, Washington drops back below .500 at 25-26 on the season and 12-13 on the road.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have won nine of their last 11 and will be looking to build on their six-game win streak after blowing past the Timberwolves by 107-89 on Monday. All five starters finished in double figures with Chandler Parsons scored 20 points and James Harden adding 19, but the best part about the win was the Rockets' defense in the fourth quarter where they held the Wolves to just 11 points after allowing 58 in the first half. Houston is now 35-17 on the season and 14-10 on the road where they've won their last three.
In ATS trends, the Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning record and 5-1 ATS in their last six road games, while the Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games and 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
Head to head, the Wizards are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Houston and the Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings overall.
The Rockets have really started to put it together over the last couple of weeks and it was nice to finally see them play some defense like they did on Monday, but the Wizards have been one of the surprise teams lately and I am expecting Wall to bounce back with a strong outing and keep this game close. I'm taking Washington with the hefty spread here.

Source:- http://sportschatplace.com/nba-picks/2014/02/12/houston-rockets-vs-washington-wizards

NEW YORK KNICKS VS. SACRAMENTO KINGS: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  Randy Chambers

The Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks will play their first of two schedule meetings this season.
The Kings have lost their last three games, including a 109-99 loss Tuesday to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they allowed Cleveland to shoot 47.7 percent from the field. Defense continues to be a problem for the Kings, as they’re allowing 103.5 points per game on the season. The offense hasn’t been there much either, as they’re shooting just 40.3 percent and scoring 94.8 points in their last five games. The Kings haven’t hit the 100-point mark in their last four road games. They are 23-26-2 against the spread on the season and 11-11-2 ATS on the road.
The Knicks have lost four of their last five and will play this quick home game before going on a four-game road trip. During this losing streak, the Knicks have gone back to not playing any defense, as opponents are shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and 46.5 percent from the field, which has equaled to 100.6 points in their last five. Carmelo Anthony is still doing a lot of the heavy lifting offensively, as he’s averaging 26.8 points in the month of February. The Knicks are 21-30 ATS and 10-19 ATS at home.
Neither team is playing terrific basketball, but New York has a lot more pep in its step and has won five of its last seven home games SU. It is also 5-1 ATS in its last six games against teams with a losing SU record and has beaten the Kings SU in three of their last four meetings.
Sacramento also allows 104.9 points per game in contests where it has had no days’ rest. With the way New York shoots the ball, I like my chances.
It’s no secret the Knicks are the better team in this contest and with the game being played in the Garden, I see New York covering the small chalk.

Source:- http://sportschatplace.com/nba-picks/2014/02/12/new-york-knicks-vs-sacramento-kings

Cavaliers-Pistons Preview: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO

Interim coach John Loyer would like to follow his winning debut by leading the Detroit Pistons to their longest home winning streak in six years.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, haven't won four straight in any fashion since LeBron James left for Miami.

The Pistons go for another win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night before both teams enter the All-Star break.

While Detroit (22-29) remains in playoff contention in the weak Eastern Conference, the team's erratic play cost coach Maurice Cheeks his job Sunday.

Loyer has taken the reins with the Pistons trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009, and the former assistant was verbally encouraging from the bench during a 109-100 win over San Antonio in his debut Monday.

"Brings positive energy, just comes to work each and every day, happy," said guard Rodney Stuckey, who had 20 points. "He's a really good teacher. We're all excited to have him as our head coach."

Loyer believes that approach can make a big difference.

"The ability to get your guys to play harder than the opponent - to me, that's a big part of coaching," he told the team's official website. "There's a lot of nights you're not going to make shots, a lot of nights the ball's not going to go in, a lot of nights you're going to throw it away. But the one thing you have control over is playing hard.

"I just think a few of our guys need very positive reinforcement. That's kind of who I am. That's who I was as an assistant and I told them I'll be the same guy as I was before. I'm not changing."

Perhaps that mantra can spur Detroit to a sixth straight home win, which would be its longest such streak since a seven-game run March 14-April 4, 2008.

The Pistons have had plenty of recent success against the Cavaliers (19-33), winning seven straight for their longest winning streak in the series since taking eight in a row from Jan. 5, 2002-Nov. 28, 2003.

Brandon Jennings had 21 points and 13 assists in a 115-92 win at Cleveland on Dec. 23 and enters this matchup averaging 25.0 points over his last six home games.

The Cavs are on the brink of their first four-game winning streak since James departed via free agency after the 2009-10 season.

Dion Waiters, who sat out Dec. 23 with a wrist injury, is averaging 20.7 points on 44.6 percent shooting from the field in the last three games after going 3 for 15 with six points over the previous two.

The guard had 20 points and eight assists in Tuesday's 109-99 win over Sacramento, helping Cleveland overcome the absence of Anderson Varejao due to a sore back.

The center reportedly will sit out against Detroit, leaving the Cavaliers without their top rebounder at 10.3 per game.

Anthony Bennett helped pick up the slack Tuesday, getting season highs of 19 points and 10 boards. The top pick in last year's draft is averaging 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in the past eight games - much better than his season marks of 3.8 and 2.8.

"You're starting to see a little bit of what we see in practice and the reason why we drafted him," coach Mike Brown said. "He's a talented young man and he's starting to come to life a little bit. He's even better than what you saw."

Bennett scored seven points in the first meeting with Detroit.

Source:- http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/preview/2014021208/cleveland-cavaliers--detroit-pistons

Charlotte Bobcats vs Brooklyn Nets: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  TAYLOR BECHTOLD

The Brooklyn Nets have shown a renewed focus on the defensive end to get back on track following their longest losing streak of 2014.

They'll look to continue that upward trend against the Charlotte Bobcats, who are coming off a rare scoring surge.

The Nets seek their fourth consecutive home victory while extending their winning streak there against the Bobcats to five Wednesday night.

After allowing 92.9 points per game and a 41.5 field-goal percentage during a seven-game home winning streak, Brooklyn (23-26) slipped by surrendering 224 points on 55.1 percent shooting in consecutive losses in late January.

Since then, the Nets have tightened things up, allowing an average of 90.3 points and a 42.3 field-goal percentage in three straight victories at Barclays Center.

The Nets bounced back from a 111-95 loss at Detroit on Friday with one of their best defensive performances in a 93-81 home win over New Orleans on Sunday. They limited the Pelicans to just 28 first-half points - their lowest total since allowing 28 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 27, 2005.

Brooklyn, 13-5 overall and 9-2 at home in 2014, appears to have a decent chance to keep it going against Charlotte, which ranks near the bottom of the league at 94.8 points per game.

The Bobcats (23-29), however, shot a season-best 54.9 percent - including 12 for 24 from 3-point range - in a 114-89 rout of visiting Dallas on Tuesday.

Al Jefferson continued his outstanding stretch with 30 points on 14-of-23 shooting as Charlotte won for the fourth time in six games and moved within 1 1/2 games of the seventh-place Nets in the Eastern Conference.

"It was really important to get this one and go to Brooklyn and beat a seed ahead of us," Jefferson said.

Jefferson, who missed a 95-91 home win over Brooklyn on Nov. 20 because of an ankle injury, has been a force lately with 27.5 points per game while shooting 55.4 percent over his last 14.

Kemba Walker had 31 points in the November win that snapped a seven-game losing streak in this series, but his status is uncertain after leaving Tuesday's win with stiffness in his Achilles.

Nets guard Deron Williams had 32 points in a 105-96 victory in the most recent matchup in Brooklyn on April 6. The point guard has averaged 22.3 points in four home meetings since joining the Nets.

Joe Johnson scored 15 in that contest and finished with 19 while hitting 4 of 9 from 3-point range in the Nov. 20 loss at Charlotte. His career 20.9 scoring average versus the Bobcats is the highest of any opponent he's faced.

The Nets, who visit Chicago on Thursday before the All-Star break, could use more production from a starting unit that totaled 34 points without a double-digit scorer against the Pelicans.

Williams and Johnson combined for 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, though rookie Mason Plumlee finished with a career-high 22 points and matched his best with 13 rebounds in a strong effort by the reserves.

"Any time we can rest our older guys - it's no secret we're old, so we look at this as a win in a couple of ways," Plumlee said. "We can rest them and keep them fresh, and going into the All-Star break that's good."

The Bobcats have dropped four straight road meetings by an average of 12.0 points.

Source:- http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/preview/2014021217/charlotte-bobcats--brooklyn-nets

San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  NOEY KUPCHAN

Though they're sitting atop the Southwest Division, the banged-up San Antonio Spurs have fallen off their earlier pace over the last three-plus weeks.

They've played well against Boston of late, but the Celtics are starting to hold their own.

The visiting Spurs go for a fifth consecutive win in the series as the teams play their final game before the All-Star break Wednesday night.

San Antonio (37-15) is looking to get back on track after falling 109-100 at Detroit on Monday. Reserve Marco Belinelli had 20 points but was the only Spur to score more than 12 for San Antonio, 6-7 in its last 13.

The Spurs gave up 59 points in the first two quarters and trailed by as many as 23 against the Pistons, who were playing their first game under interim coach John Loyer.

"We lost the game because we probably played the worst defense we've played all season, especially in the first half," coach Gregg Popovich said. "We didn't bring it mentally or physically."

San Antonio continues to play without Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, and Tiago Splitter missed his second straight game with a shin contusion. Danny Green, who recently returned from a broken hand, is expected to be OK after spraining his knuckle Monday.

"We're playing with a lot of different guys right now, we're missing a lot of our key guys," Tim Duncan said. "(We'll) try to finish this road trip strong and get a win in Boston and see if we can get healthy over the break."

The Spurs have allowed an average of 91.8 points in taking four straight from the Celtics, including a 104-93 victory Nov. 20. Tony Parker led six Spurs in double figures with 19 points as San Antonio scored 25 off 17 Boston turnovers.

The Celtics (19-34) have followed a 3-19 stretch by winning four of five. Jeff Green led the way with 29 points in Monday's 102-86 victory at Milwaukee.

"There are a lot of good things going on out there right now. There are guys stepping up," guard Jerryd Bayless said. "We have to continue to get it all the way around from everybody. When that continues to flow and everybody is playing well together we are a pretty good team."

Green, averaging a team-leading 16.6 points, has scored 25.0 per game over the last four.

"I am confident in every shot I put up," Green said. "Whenever it leaves my hand, I am confident that it will go in. ... That is my game, driving to the rim."

Jared Sullinger extended his career-best streak of double-doubles to six with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie Kelly Olynyk added 14 and 11 off the bench.

"We talked about this before, Kelly and Jared's ability to pass, play and score," Stevens said. "It's great to have them in because they make so many basketball plays and you can run so much through them. They can handle the ball and they can do all kinds of things."

Sullinger is averaging 19.8 points and 12.8 boards during his run. He had 19 and 17 on Nov. 20.

All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo could return after sitting out Monday's game, the second of a back-to-back. He's averaged 14.0 points, 11.0 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 61.3 percent shooting in three games this month.

Fellow guard Avery Bradley's status is uncertain due to a sprained ankle.

Source:- http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/preview/2014021202/san-antonio-spurs--boston-celtics

Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  JEFF BARTL

The Toronto Raptors haven't played this well before the All-Star break since Chris Bosh's final season north of the border, but in no way does that mean they're satisfied.

They'll look to head into the long weekend on a positive note by ending a five-game home losing streak to the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Toronto (27-25) leads the Atlantic Division by three games and is enjoying its best run before the break since going 29-23 in 2009-10. It is coming off a 108-101 home victory over New Orleans on Monday after dropping three of four to end a five-game road trip.

Patrick Patterson - starting in place of the injured Amir Johnson - scored a season-high 22 points, while Kyle Lowry added 19 and 12 assists.

"There's no one on this team that's not focused. There's no one on this team that's not ready to play," said Patterson, who may start again Wednesday with Johnson nursing an ankle injury. "We have to go into (the game against Atlanta) with the same mentality that we had (Monday).

"Nobody can focus on the All-Star break, no one can focus on getting away and being with family. We have to handle what we have here and get things done."

DeMar DeRozan, who also scored 22 points against the Pelicans, won't get as much time off as he's headed to New Orleans to compete in the 3-point contest and All-Star game for the first time in his five-year career. He stressed the need to head into the break with a solid showing at home.

Toronto has gone 10-3 at Air Canada Centre since losing eight of its first 12 there.

"We dropped a lot of games earlier in the season at home," said DeRozan, who has averaged 23.8 points while shooting 54.5 percent in his last six against Atlanta. "We really took the onus to understand that we've got to take advantage of home court, and that's what we've been trying to do."

The Raptors have lost seven of the last eight home meetings with Atlanta and dropped the first matchup this season 102-95 on the road Nov. 1 despite DeRozan's 31 points.

The Hawks, though, head into this contest on a season-worst four-game skid after falling 100-85 at Chicago on Tuesday. Paul Millsap scored a team-high 15 points for Atlanta (25-25), which has averaged 86.5 points during its skid - well below its season average of 101.8.

"We just have to stay together," Millsap said. "Get back to playing our style of basketball. We feel like we have not played at our pace in the last few games."

Atlanta was outrebounded 57-28 and ranks near the bottom of the league with a minus-3.2 differential. It made a charge in the second half, though, pulling to within eight points with 8:47 remaining after trailing by as many as 25.

"I think the second half is what we expect from our group, what we expect of each other, and the challenges to find a way to play that way for 48 minutes," coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The Hawks haven't lost in Toronto since Bosh hit a jumper in the closing seconds of a 106-105 defeat March 17, 2010, but they've dropped three of their last four on the road heading into this contest.

Source:- http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/preview/2014021228/atlanta-hawks--toronto-raptors

Memphis Grizzlies vs Orlando Magic: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

by  KEVIN CHROUST

The Orlando Magic probably aren't looking forward to the All-Star break quite as much as one might think. Sitting firmly at the bottom of the Southeast Division and 21 games under .500, they could enter the hiatus as the hottest team in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando seeks a season-best fourth straight win Wednesday night when it hosts the Memphis Grizzlies, who will go into the break on the outside of the playoff picture a season after reaching the Western Conference finals.

The Magic (16-37) have won five straight at home for the first time in over three years, including the first three of a four-game homestand - and their previous two opponents haven't exactly been pushovers.

Orlando's victories over Indiana and Oklahoma City marked the first time in 47 years that a team at least 20 games under .500 beat the clubs with the top two records in the league in back-to-back games.

"There's just a trust and confidence that is growing inside of us, especially with our young players," Glen Davis told the team's official website. "They are helping out tremendously - (Maurice Harkless), Tobias (Harris) and Kyle (O'Quinn). We've been through a lot this year, especially the month of January, and we want to make sure that we don't want to feel that pain again. We're trying to do whatever we can because we want to win."

Both wins were by one point, and Sunday's 93-92 victory over the Pacers featured a double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter against the league's best defensive team.

Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Victor Oladipo scored 13 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter.

"It starts with his enthusiasm for basketball, and it's really infectious to his teammates," coach Jacque Vaughn said of Oladipo. "They want to play for him, they want to play with him and I'm sure glad he's in a Magic uniform."

Oladipo has come off the bench for the last three games, which has worked well with the Magic getting an average of 19.0 points from him in the victories.

Very little has worked for the Magic against the West. They're 4-16 in non-conference games, and they've lost five straight to the Grizzlies (28-23), including a 94-85 defeat in Memphis on Dec. 9.

The Grizzlies held on Tuesday for a 92-89 home win over Washington, improving to 8-3 since Jan. 24 - a stretch in which they've yielded 88.2 points per game. Still, coach David Joerger said his team is ready for a mental breather.

"Mentally, we're tired," Joerger said. "We messed up in some plays coming out of timeouts where guys didn't go to the right spot. We lost some balls normally we don't lose. But at the end of the day, we got 11 different times in the course of the game we got three stops in a row. It was really all about our defense."

Marc Gasol and Nick Calathes each scored 18, while Zach Randolph, Courtney Lee and James Johnson added 13 apiece.

Calathes, filling in for the injured Mike Conley, is averaging 15.2 points on 53.5 percent shooting in six starts since the beginning of the month after cracking double figures twice in the first 34 games of his career.

"Ninety-eight percent of the time, he makes the right play and the right pass," Joerger said. "What he's doing right now in leading this ballclub is absolutely tremendous."

Conley was considered a game-time call against the Wizards, as was Tony Allen, who has been out since Jan. 5 with a hand injury.

Source:- http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/preview/2014021219/memphis-grizzlies--orlando-magic