Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/21
Preview: Denver At Cleveland
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, March 21, 2016
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
The Cleveland Cavaliers already clinched a playoff spot but are still trying to hold off the Toronto Raptors for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and are not looking their best of late. The Cavaliers will try to bounce back from a 21-point loss when they host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Cleveland has dropped two of its last four games and was crushed 122-101 in Miami on Saturday by a Heat squad that it could see in the playoffs. “We didn’t play with (our) potential,” Cavaliers star LeBron James told reporters after Saturday’s setback. “We didn’t play our game. We let them play their game and they took it to us.” The Nuggets took it to the Charlotte Hornets in a stunning 101-93 victory on Saturday that saw them snap a three-game slide at the expense of the hottest team in the East. Denver built up a 22-point lead in the third quarter and was strong on the defensive end after allowing teams an average of 118.7 points in the first three games of the road trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-41): Denver squandered opportunities to play spoiler with losses at Miami and Atlanta previously on the five-game trip but took advantage on Saturday by holding the Hornets to 9-of-32 from 3-point range. The Nuggets leaned on D.J. Augustin for 24 points in the win and have been impressed with the combo guard since picking him up from Oklahoma City at the trade deadline. Augustin is averaging 13.3 points in 16 games with Denver after putting up 4.2 in 34 games with the Thunder.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (49-20): Cleveland started a small lineup on Saturday with Kevin Love in the center spot and James at power forward and the Heat had no problem running up the score. “I went with my gut and went small,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. “It didn’t work out. I do like the small-ball lineup. I like it more when we get a chance to go to it in the flow of the game rather than starting like that. … We just need to keep working on it and keep adjusting it.” Centers Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov ended up playing a combined 29 minutes and scoring a total of six points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers SG J.R. Smith is 4-of-22 from 3-point range in the last four games.
2. Nuggets PF Kenneth Faried (back) sat out the last two games but could return on Monday.
3. James scored 34 points in Cleveland’s 93-87 win at Denver on Dec. 29.
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 103, Nuggets 91
Preview: Denver At Cleveland
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, March 21, 2016
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
The Cleveland Cavaliers already clinched a playoff spot but are still trying to hold off the Toronto Raptors for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and are not looking their best of late. The Cavaliers will try to bounce back from a 21-point loss when they host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Cleveland has dropped two of its last four games and was crushed 122-101 in Miami on Saturday by a Heat squad that it could see in the playoffs. “We didn’t play with (our) potential,” Cavaliers star LeBron James told reporters after Saturday’s setback. “We didn’t play our game. We let them play their game and they took it to us.” The Nuggets took it to the Charlotte Hornets in a stunning 101-93 victory on Saturday that saw them snap a three-game slide at the expense of the hottest team in the East. Denver built up a 22-point lead in the third quarter and was strong on the defensive end after allowing teams an average of 118.7 points in the first three games of the road trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-41): Denver squandered opportunities to play spoiler with losses at Miami and Atlanta previously on the five-game trip but took advantage on Saturday by holding the Hornets to 9-of-32 from 3-point range. The Nuggets leaned on D.J. Augustin for 24 points in the win and have been impressed with the combo guard since picking him up from Oklahoma City at the trade deadline. Augustin is averaging 13.3 points in 16 games with Denver after putting up 4.2 in 34 games with the Thunder.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (49-20): Cleveland started a small lineup on Saturday with Kevin Love in the center spot and James at power forward and the Heat had no problem running up the score. “I went with my gut and went small,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. “It didn’t work out. I do like the small-ball lineup. I like it more when we get a chance to go to it in the flow of the game rather than starting like that. … We just need to keep working on it and keep adjusting it.” Centers Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov ended up playing a combined 29 minutes and scoring a total of six points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers SG J.R. Smith is 4-of-22 from 3-point range in the last four games.
2. Nuggets PF Kenneth Faried (back) sat out the last two games but could return on Monday.
3. James scored 34 points in Cleveland’s 93-87 win at Denver on Dec. 29.
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 103, Nuggets 91
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