Boston, MA

Kevin Durant scores 38 points as Phoenix Suns edge Utah Jazz 131-128

Published

2 weeks ago

November 18, 2023

Kevin Durant scores 38 points as Phoenix Suns edge Utah Jazz 131-128

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 38 points and Devin Booker had 24 points and a career-high 15 assists to boost the Phoenix Suns to a 131-128 win over the Utah Jazz in an NBA In-Season Tournament game Friday night.

Durant’s 3 lifted the Suns to a 124-115 lead before the Jazz rallied to get within one point in the final minute. Durant struck again with his sixth 3 with 18 seconds left.

Durant also collected nine rebounds and nine assists. He has scored at least 25 points in 11 straight games for the longest active streak in the NBA.

Jordan Clarkson scored a season-high 37 points for Utah. He has four straight games with 26 or more points, the longest such streak of his career.

Lauri Markkanen scored 21 points for Jazz, and John Collins had 15 points and 14 rebounds.

The Suns (6-6) improved to 1-1 in West Group A while the Jazz (4-8) dropped to 2-1.

CLIPPERS 106, ROCKETS 100

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer while getting fouled with six seconds to play, sending the Clippers to their first victory since his arrival and snapping their six-game losing streak.

Harden dramatically drew the foul from Jae’Sean Tate and drilled his vintage 26-footer from atop the key before completing the four-point play to secure the win for the Clippers, who had lost their first five games since acquiring Harden from Philadelphia.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points for the Clippers. Harden had a season-high 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against the Rockets, his team for nine seasons from 2013-21.

Alperen Sengun had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, whose six-game winning streak ended because they allowed the Clippers to finish the game on a 12-1 run.

LAKERS 107, TRAIL BLAZERS 95

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — LeBron James matched his season high with 35 points and Lakers handed the Trail Blazers their sixth straight loss.

Anthony Davis added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the Lakers moved to 3-0 in Group A of the In-Season Tournament.

Jerami Grant had 24 points for Portland. With the loss, the Blazers fell to 1-2 in the tournament and were eliminated from a shot at winning their group.

The Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the final quarter. Rui Hachimura’s 3-pointer put Los Angeles in front 97-83 with just over seven minutes left, sending fans to the exits.

CELTICS 108, RAPTORS 105

TORONTO (AP) — Derrick White made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26.8 seconds remaining, lifting Boston to the victory in an In-Season Tournament game.

Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Celtics won their sixth straight meeting with Toronto. Jayson Tatum scored 17 points for Boston, Jrue Holiday had 14 and White 13.

Boston improved to 2-0 in tournament play after beating Brooklyn last Friday.

Toronto’s Scottie Barnes got open for a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left that would have tied the game, but his shot bounced off the rim.

Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder each scored 23 points for the Raptors. Gary Trent Jr. and Barnes both scored 14 points.

76ERS 126, HAWKS 116

ATLANTA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, leading Philadelphia to the victory in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.

The Sixers improved to 2-1 in Group A play, with one game remaining. The Hawks dropped to 1-1.

Tobias Harris had a season-high 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Tyrese Maxey finished with 19 points and eight assists.

Trae Young led six Hawks in double figures with 22 points. Young also had 13 assists. Jalen Johnson had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Sixers hit 27 of 28 free throws.

BUCKS 130, HORNETS 99

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 27 points, Malik Beasley added 20 and the Bucks remained unbeaten in NBA In-Season Tournament play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who have won three straight. Beasley made six 3-pointers and Lillard had five as the Bucks went 22 of 45 from beyond the arc.

Milwaukee’s victory sets up a key showdown on Nov. 28 in Miami against the Heat, the only other undefeated team in East Group B. Both teams are 2-0 in tournament play.

LaMelo Ball scored 37 points for the Hornets. Mark Williams had 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Charlotte’s Miles Bridges looked strong in his first NBA action in 583 days, scoring 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 33 minutes. Bridges missed all of last season and served a 10-game suspension to start this year for his role in a domestic violence incident in 2022.

PELICANS 115, NUGGETS 110

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 26 points and Brandon Ingram added 21, leading New Orleans to the victory.

Williamson and Ingram each scored twice during a late 8-0 run and the Pelicans narrowly held on after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Reggie Jackson and Aaron Gordon each missed 3-point shots for a tie game during the same possession in the final 30 seconds.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 22 to help New Orleans win its second straight NBA In-Season Tournament game.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, tied a career high with 18 assists and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Nuggets. Christian Braun had 24 points.

KINGS 129, SPURS 120

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored a season-high 43 points, and the Kings remained undefeated in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Domantas Sabonis had 27 points and 14 rebounds as Sacramento won its fifth straight. Malik Monk added 20 points in the Kings’ fourth straight win in San Antonio.

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama had 27 points and nine rebounds. He was 12 for 26 from the field after scoring a season-low eight points in a 123-87 loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Zach Collins had 28 points and Keldon Johnson added 21 points for the Spurs, who have lost seven straight.

KNICKS 120, WIZARDS 99

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Immanuel Quickley added 27 and the Knicks eliminated the Wizards from contention in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Washington has dropped all three of its games so far in this new tourney. The Knicks improved to 1-1. Teams play four games apiece in the preliminary round, with the six group winners and two wild cards advancing.

New York has won five of six overall and sent the Wizards to their fifth straight defeat.

Julius Randle scored 22 points for New York. Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 19, and Deni Avdija added 18.

CAVALIERS 108, PISTONS 100

CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland had a season-high 28 points and Evan Mobley and Max Strus scored 18 apiece as the Cavaliers handed the Pistons their 10th consecutive loss.

Mobley also had 10 rebounds and five assists, and rookie Craig Porter scored a career-best 12 points in 16 minutes for Cleveland, which returned home after a 2-2 West Coast trip. Jarrett Allen had 10 points and five blocked shots.

Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 29.2 points, did not play because of a right hamstring strain.

Cade Cunningham had 20 points and eight assists for Detroit in the In-Season Tournament game. The Pistons have the worst record in the league at 2-11, last winning on Oct. 28 against Chicago.

MAGIC 103, BULLS 97

CHICAGO (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 21 points, Jonathan Isaac added 18 and the Magic beat the Bulls in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.

For the second time in three nights, Orlando held Chicago to 33 points in the first half and blew a lead after going up by 19. But just as the Magic did in Wednesday’s 96-94 win at the United Center, they came away with a wild win.

Wagner drove for a go-ahead three-point play in the final minute. Isaac hit two free throws to make it a four-point game with 12 seconds left, sending the Bulls to their seventh loss in nine games.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 35 points. DeMar DeRozan scored 23 after missing a game due to personal reasons.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Boston, MA

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 12-3-2023

Published

4 hours ago

December 2, 2023

Press Room

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Boston Bruins Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 12-3-2023

The Columbus Blue Jackets face the Boston Bruins with both teams on opposite ends of the standings. The Blue Jackets have an 8-13-4 record and are in last place in the Metropolitan Division while the Bruins have a 16-4-3 record and have the best record in the Atlantic Division. Both teams look to improve in the Eastern Conference and the upcoming game should be a good one.

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Blue Jackets defense has let them down

The Blue Jackets are having a rough season with their offense struggling and scoring only 2.92 goals per game. Boone Jenner, Kirill Marchenko, and Johnny Gaudreau have scored 22 goals and 21 assists but the rest of the offense has struggled. Only three skaters have six goals or more and opponents can limit the top-heavy offense as a result.

The offense has struggled but the defense has let the Blue Jackets down, allowing 3.36 goals per game. Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov have combined for 2.4 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net with ease. The bright spot has been the play of goaltender Elvis Merzlikins who has a .911 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average on 570 shots with 4.3 goals saved above average.

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Bruins are carried by their great defense

The Bruins are having a great season with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.32 goals per game. David Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle, and Brad Marchand have scored 29 goals and 42 assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense has also been great. Pavel Zacha, James van Riemsdyk, and Matthew Poitras have combined for 18 goals and 26 assists while defenseman Charlie McAvoy has three goals and 12 assists from the point to open up the offense.

The offense has stepped up but the defense has led the way, allowing only 2.50 goals per game with only three goals in their last two games. Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm have combined for 3.6 defensive point shares and 66 blocked shots while Charlie McAvoy and Derek Forbort have combined for 2.2 defensive point shares to give the Panthers two great defensive pairings. In addition, goaltender Jeremy Swayman has been great with a .930 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average on 357 shots with 9.6 goals saved above average.

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Full-Game Side Bet

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Rating:

The Blue Jackets look to pull off the upset but the Bruins look to step up on their home ice and dominate this game. The Bruins, who average 3.32 goals per game, should find the back of the net at will against the Blue Jackets, who allow 3.36 goals per game, with David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots with great puck movement. The Bruins, who allow only 2.50 goals per game, should limit the Blue Jackets offense with Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Jeremy Swayman to make plenty of big saves. The Bruins should win the game and cover the spread in a decisive victory on their home ice.

Prediction: Bruins -1.5 (-120)

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Rating:

The Bruins are led by their defense and both defensive units look to step up and control this game from the opening puck drop. The Blue Jackets should limit the Bruins offense with Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to make plenty of big saves. The Bruins, who have only allowed three goals in their last two games, should eliminate and potentially shut out the Blue Jackets, who average only 2.92 goals per game, with Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy, and the rest of the defensive unit forcing turnovers in the neutral zone and defensive zone while goaltender Jeremy Swayman blanks the shots on the net. The Under should cover in a low-scoring game with both defenses stepping up.

Take the Under on 6 goals.

Prediction: Under 6

Written By
Mayer Fink , “Mike Fink”

Mike Fink is a sports writer and a passionate football fan. After graduating from college, Fink picked up the passion he had since being a young child in following and covering all things sports and we are very excited to have him as a part of the StatSalt team. In recent weeks, Mike started a podcast which you can find on Spotify, called “The Mike and Grover Show” and it discusses all things football. He covers all forms of sports betting and also bets on all of the plays he gives out. Mike would advise hockey betting since the odds give you great payouts “Hockey is built to bet the Money Line Underdogs. Be sure and follow him on a daily basis.

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Boston, MA

Gamethread: Boston College Men’s Basketball vs. NC State

Published

10 hours ago

December 2, 2023

Press Room

Gamethread: Boston College Men’s Basketball vs. NC State

Coming off a dominant win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, BC men’s basketball will take on their first ACC opponent today against NC State in Chestnut Hill. The Wolfpack are ranked 22 spots higher in KenPom but have lost two games in a row and struggled on offense in their last loss against Ole Miss. The Eagles are still undefeated at home and will be looking for Quinten Post and Claudell Harris Jr. to continue their hot streaks.

Who: NC State Wolfpack (4-2) vs. Boston College Eagles (4-2)

When: Saturday, December 2nd @ 4 pm EST

Where: Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA

How to watch: This game will be available on ACCN.

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Boston, MA

Mild Saturday, rain Sunday – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

16 hours ago

December 2, 2023

Press Room

Mild Saturday, rain Sunday – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Good morning! It’s been a gloomy start with overcast conditions and areas of fog. It’ll be mild start to finish today. Today is your best weekend day to get outside! Tomorrow, it’ll feel cooler with showers and a northeast breeze.

It’s a mainly dry Saturday with a frontal boundary to our north. If you’re near the Mass/New Hampshire border you might getting a passing sprinkle. High temperatures will get back in the 50s this afternoon. We’ll see a lot of clouds through the day, but should see some breaks in the cloud cover this afternoon.

Overnight, we’ll have layers of clouds. Some of us get a shower by sunrise.

Tomorrow high temperatures will be in the 40s with overcast conditions, a northeast breeze and showers. Below is what radar could look like throughout the day tomorrow.