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The Boston Celtics have officially secured the number 3 seed, with five out of eight wins inside the NBA bubble being enough to clinch an advantageous spot in the Eastern Conference bracket.
The Celtics find themselves matched up against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, which is sure to be a sizable challenge. The 76ers find themselves 3-4 in the bubble currently, with one more game to play against the Houston Rockets before facing the Boston Celtics.
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With two of the best scorers in the game in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Rockets are one of the most exciting offensive teams in the NBA. They also happen to be one of the most popular NBA picks against the spread, but probably not for reasons you think. Just looking at that firepower, you might be tempted to hit the over when the Rockets play. After all, they are second in the NBA in scoring with 118.1 points per game led by Harden’s league leading 34.4 points per game and Westbrook’s 27.5 points per game, which is 7th in the NBA. Only the Milwaukee Bucks score more points than the Rockets.
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It’s no secret Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the best NBA picks the 2019-20 season. Even though it remains to be seen if the prolonged layoff of nearly four months will take some of their momentum away as The Association prepares to resume its season in late July, the Lakers have done more than enough to cement their place as a bonafide NBA contender.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have surprisingly competed with the best of the league this season, shaking off critics of the trades that sent Russell Westbrook and Paul George packing. They sit at fifth in the West with a record of 40-24, and they have won lots of games Las Vegas has said they should not: they are 25-10 against the spread as underdogs (71.4% cover rate), and a league-best 23-8 as away underdogs (74.2% cover rate).
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have surprised the NBA world this season, exceeding expectations despite the preseason departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. They sit at fifth in the West with a record of 40-24. Even more impressive, they are 23-8 as away underdogs.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the top squads in the NBA all season, as well they should be with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and a good array of support. But if they cannot win it all in this crazy COVID-ravaged year, they may lose in more ways than one. No matter the night and no matter the matchup the Lakers are consistently one of the best NBA picks for tonight, because this team has the talent to outshine any opponent. The ball is obviously in their court as they sit in the driver seat for the new reformatted NBA playoffs.
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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the major sports that faced a setback earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as other sporting events progress, the basketball tournament is announced to return on July 30, 2020. It will be played in three sites at the ESPN Complex, Orlando, Florida. [Read more…]
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Basketball is a game made up of fierce matchups and tough competition. Therefore it’s no surprise that the prospect of an all-time great list is a hotly debated topic. From fans and analysts to the players themselves — everyone has an opinion.
So that got me thinking, amidst all the arguing: which players are guaranteed a spot? And after research, there are names that continue to crop up in spite of wild takes and team allegiance, either because they are too important to the game, or the stats don’t lie. [Read more…]
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In recent times the NBA has been billing itself as a truly global enterprise, breaking free of its primary market in the US to tap into burgeoning new-world markets such as China and South East Asia.
This has meant that, according to a study undertaken by Forbes, 35% of people who log on to NBA.com reside outside of the United States.
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America’s original sin is slavery, and long after the Emancipation Proclamation, the great divide in this country continues to manifest itself in a racist driven form. Segregation, Jim Crow, Voter Discrimination, Birtherism, the MAGA movement and back once again at the forefront- bigoted police brutality.
Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey released a long, poignant and powerful statement today. He fears for his eight-year-old son, and the world he’ll grow up in. In the statement, Casey harkened back to when he was eight year old himself, living in the Jim Crow era segregated south. The Pistons released this statement today, while many of our nation’s cities are recovering from riots last night, and bracing for more rioting to come tonight.
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The Covid-19 pandemic sabotaged all sporting activities across the globe with major leagues and tournaments halting on its account. The NBA is no exception; the 2019-20 season had to be called off for the safety of players, fans, and other stakeholders. Two months later, it is not yet clear when the league will resume. [Read more…]
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Luka Doncic has set himself up to be the future of the NBA. The third overall draft selection in
2018 has had a great start to his career and looks to be one of the best players in the league for
the considerable future.
