Ninth in the NBA Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers know very well what they need to do: continue winning and get the coveted eighth seed.
Following today’s win sparked by Damian Lillard’s sensational live betting performance, they are now only one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the spot; and online gambling pundits and betting websites have them as legitimate challengers for the last playoff place as the season winds down.
Dallas Mavericks 111-104 Brooklyn Nets
After an embarrassing loss to the Sixers last Saturday, the Mavs bounced back against the Nets behind Dirk Nowitzki’s 23 points. J.J. Barea also exploded for Dallas with 20 on eight of 12 shooting as they led by as much as 18 points. The results though could have been different for Brooklyn if Jeremy Lin didn’t suffer a right ankle sprain just seven minutes into the match.
Boston Celtics 99-105 Philadelphia 76ers
Building on the momentum they got in their 42-point blowout of the Mavericks, the Sixers edged the Isaiah Thomas-less Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center. Al Horford impressed for the Celts with his 27 markers, but he was the only bright spot on a Boston offence that’s undoubtedly missing Thomas’ fourth-quarter exploits. Philly rallied on the final canto, 29-20, behind a balanced attack headed by Dario Saric to pull the upset.
Phoenix Suns 95-112 Detroit Pistons
The Suns kept the game close up until the end of the third quarter, but they noticeably lost steam at the start of the fourth and Detroit simply romped on to victory. Phoenix late-game meltdown, however, was self-inflicted as they shot only 35.4 percent and lost the battle on the glass, 63-47. It also didn’t help them that Devin Booker was out, joining Eric Bledsoe and other veterans in street clothes.
Indiana Pacers 91-116 Toronto Raptors
It wasn’t much of a competition as the Raps led by as much as 27 points in the game, and it was pretty much over midway through the final quarter with Coach Dwane Casey sitting all his starters. Toronto got a balanced contribution from the starters with DeMar DeRozan scoring 22 and Serge Ibaka and DeMarre Carroll adding 16 and 12, respectively.
Minnesota Timberwolves 109-123 New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans’ three-pointers made the difference in this tightly contested affair which saw both teams shoot above 50 percent from the field. Jrue Holiday and Jordan Crawford sparked the Pels’ performance from deep as they combined for a total of eight made threes.
On the other hand, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins provided a much-needed presence in the painted area.
Sacramento Kings 102-118 San Antonio Spurs
Already suffering from a two-game losing skid, San Antonio looked to be on their way to more frustration after a slow start against Sacramento. However, a strong second and third quarter did well for them to regain their confidence. Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge displayed real veteran characteristics as they kept the Spurs’ attack running to deny the Kings any chance of a comeback.
Cleveland Cavaliers 125-120 Los Angeles Lakers
Trailing by 10 points at the end of the third, the Cavaliers staged a fiery fightback in the last 12 minutes to extend the Lakers’ winless run to five. The game turned into a battle of the guards with Kyrie Irving and D’Angelo Russell both scoring at least 40 points for their respective teams. Though, Irving’s co-Big Three members LeBron James and Kevin Love made a bigger impact than Russell’s supporting Purple and Gold crew.
Portland Trail Blazers 115-104 Miami Heat
Both teams are eyeing to secure the eighth seed in their respective conferences, but Portland showed that they wanted to win more. Although Miami displayed great team basketball, it wasn’t enough as Damian Lillard carried the Blazers on his shoulders and torched the Heat with his season-high 49 points on a remarkable 66.7 percent shooting clip.
Jusuf Nurkic also came up big with 21 points and 12 rebounds while C.J. McCollum chipped in 18.
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more basketball betting options.
