What is going on with the Boston Celtics? Expected to win the Eastern Conference, the Celtics instead enter this week just 10-10 and already way behind Toronto for the top seed in the East. The defense has been solid but the offense is among the league’s worst. Here’s a look at two interesting matchups in the NBA this week. Check back for NBA odds.
Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – November 26th Edition
🎥 Luke Walton addresses the team’s turnovers, free throws and energy on defense. pic.twitter.com/K0fqa5F5e8
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) 25 de noviembre de 2018
Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets
- When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET (NBA TV)
The Lakers come off a surprising 108-104 home loss to Orlando on Sunday. LeBron James went 8-of-14 from the field and 6-of-11 from the stripe on his way to 24 points. He turned it over six times, though. The Lakers have now dropped both their games to the Magic this season, and they’re currently sitting on the No. 7 seed out West. JaVale McGee finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks. McGee and New Orleans center Anthony Davis are the only players in the NBA with at least five blocks in four games this season.
Denver won its third straight game Saturday, 105-98 over the Thunder in OKC. Jamal Murray made 9-of-23 from the field for 22 points, adding eight rebounds and eight assists. Torrey Craig got the start for Gary Harris (ankle) against the Thunder and scored eight points with 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and two turnovers in 36 minutes.
Denver lost at the Lakers on Oct. 25, 121-114. James had 28 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in his first home victory as a Laker. Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points and McGee added 21. The Lakers trailed by eight points with six minutes left in the fourth quarter before Lance Stephenson, who finished with 12 points, started a 15-2 rally with back-to-back 3-pointers. Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Nuggets.
The two teams have met 172 times in the regular season, with the Lakers leading the all-time series 104-68. Los Angeles last took a season series versus the Nuggets in 2011-12, winning 3-1. In Denver, the Lakers are 2-8 in their last 10 regular season road games at Pepsi Center. Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw was the head coach of the Nuggets for two seasons (2013-15) compiling a record of 56-85.
Golden State Warriors at Toronto Raptors
- When: Thursday, 8 PM ET (TNT)
Potential NBA Finals preview. Could the Dubs have superstar Steph Curry back for it? Curry has missed the last eight games with a groin strain. In that time the Warriors have gone 3-5 with a middle-of-the-pack offensive rating of 107.1 points per 100 possessions (18th in the NBA).
However, Curry will start practicing again with the team this week. Not clear if he will be ready by Thursday, though. Curry was playing at an MVP level before the injury, averaging 29.5 points per game and shooting 49.2 percent from three — and hunting those shots again. When he has been on the court this season, the Warriors have had an offensive rating of 119.6, 12.5 per 100 possessions better than the team over the past eight games. When he was on the court this season the Warriors have outscored opponents by 14.3 points per 100 possessions.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green underwent an MRI on his right toe recently and the results confirmed a sprain. He’s more likely to play by Thursday than Curry. In regular season games Curry has missed, the Warriors are 42-64 (.396) all-time. Since 2014-15, the Warriors have a 25-23 (.521) mark without Curry in the lineup. Since 2012-13, the Warriors have a 9-6 record when both Curry and Green are absent from the lineup (3-3 in 2018-19, 6-2 in 2017-18, 0-1 in 2016-17).
Curry’s father, Dell Curry, spent the last three seasons of his career with Toronto (1999-2002), averaging 6.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 15.1 minutes over 194 games (14 starts) with the Raptors. The Warriors have won eight straight vs. the Raptors and the past four in Toronto.
This Raptors team is perhaps the franchise’s best ever, though. Toronto’s 122–83 victory Nov. 17 at Chicago was the largest margin of victory (+39) in a road game in franchise history and the largest by any NBA team in a road game this season.
Toronto has outscored its opponent in the first quarter five straight games. The Raptors 12-1 this season when ahead after one-quarter of play. Serge Ibaka is currently averaging a team-high 5.7 points in the first quarter and shooting .608 from the field.
