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(Sports Network) - Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins has been pushing all the right buttons lately to the tune of a seven-game winning streak. Hollins hopes to be on point at the controls once again when his team resumes a four-game road trip tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Memphis has ripped off a season-best seven straight wins and one more victory will match a franchise-best run from Jan. 11-25‚ 2004. The team escaped with a one-point win its last time out in a 91-90 decision at Golden State on Monday‚ as Rudy Gay led the charge with 23 points and Mike Conley posted 20 and nine assists. Marc Gasol added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies‚ who erased a 20-point deficit in the second half and scored 13 points off nine turnovers in the fourth quarter.

“It was a big win for us. We were dead in the water in the first half because we had no answers. They were making 3s‚ driving and doing everything‚” Hollins told the team’s website. “I just told the team at halftime: ‘The way that we get back into the game is to attack the basket and touch them on defense. We just can’t let them run around and do what they want to do. We don’t play that way.’ We don’t quit‚ we fight.”

The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors by a lopsided 39-22 margin in the final stanza and evened their road mark at 4-4 on the season. They will also visit the Clippers and Suns on the current road swing and have won three in a row away from Beale Street. Gay is averaging 22.1 ppg during the win streak.

Memphis is also 9-3 since All-Star forward Zach Randolph went down on January 1 with a torn MCL. Randolph is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks of action.

Portland has been playing outstanding at home as evidenced by its 7-1 mark in Rip City and will close out a quick two-game residency tonight. Key reserve Jamal Crawford led six players in double figures with 26 points in Monday’s 101-89 win versus Sacramento and Gerald Wallace returned from a one-game absence to post 20.

Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 14 and 13 points‚ respectively‚ and the latter also grabbed a game-best 16 rebounds. Raymond Felton had 11 points and Craig Smith netted 10 for Portland‚ which was coming off a 2-4 road trip and has won three of five games since a three-game losing streak.

“We missed shots early‚ but our defense got aggressive‚ started to force some turnovers and create some easy baskets‚” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said on the team’s site. “It got us into the flow offensively … and created the momentum we rode throughout the game.”

Aldridge has reached double digits in scoring in every game this season. Center Marcus Camby left the win over the Kings with a groin injury and is questionable for Tuesday. Portland was beginning its first back-to-back-to- back stretch of the season.

Portland took two of three games from Memphis a year ago and is 11-3 in the previous 14 encounters between the two clubs. Memphis has dropped five of seven trips to the Rose Garden.

One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for the total score to go UNDER 187 points.

Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards

One of my pro basketball picks for today if for Boston to win and cover, and the total score to go OVER 185 points.

(Sports Network) - Washington’s only two wins this season have come at home.

The Wizards hope that trend continues today versus the Boston Celtics at the Verizon Center. They will close out a five-game homestand Sunday and fell to 1-3 on the residency following a 108-104 loss to Denver on Friday.

Nick Young ended with a season-high 25 points and Jordan Crawford tallied 18 points and six rebounds for the Wizards, who are 2-7 at home and 2-13 overall this season. John Wall had 13 points, 10 assists and nine boards, as the Wizards failed to build off of an impressive win over Oklahoma City.

“We’re competing at a good level but now we’ve got to close out games,” Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said.

JaVale McGee scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots in the loss to the Nuggets, while Chris Singleton scored a season-high tying 12 points. Wall is averaging 23.8 points, 8.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds per in his last four games. The Wizards are averaging 105.0 points and 20.1 assists per game in their last three games.

Boston has lost six of its last seven games and suffered a 79-71 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday in the finale of a three-game homestand at TD Garden.

The Celtics, playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, registered a season-low in points and got a team-best 14 points from Ray Allen. Paul Pierce had 12 points and Brandon Bass finished with 11 for Boston.

“We have some great offensive prowess here on this side and it’s frustrating when we can’t put the ball in the hoop,” said Allen.

Rondo suffered a sprained right wrist in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors and is listed as questionable for Sunday. The Celtics are just 1-4 as the visitor this season and may not have guard Keyon Dooling either. Dooling is questionable with a balky knee.

Boston has defeated Washington twice already this season and has won 10 of the past 13 meetings between the teams. The Celtics have prevailed in four of their previous six trips to the nation’s capital.

(Sports Network) - Many thought the Memphis Grizzlies would be in trouble after Zach Randolph went down with a torn MCL‚ but that hasn’t been the case.

The Grizzlies are 6-3 since the big man went down and will shoot for a fifth straight win tonight against a lowly Detroit Pistons team at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Memphis made it four wins in a row with a 93-87 victory at New Orleans on Wednesday‚ as Marc Gasol finished with 22 points‚ 12 rebounds and seven assists. Mike Conley added 18 points and 10 assists for Memphis‚ which shot 49.3 percent from the floor.

O.J. Mayo provided 16 points off the bench and both Rudy Gay and Tony Allen added 12 points in a winning effort.

“I liked our focus‚ our intensity and our discipline at the beginning of the game‚” Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said. “I told our coaches that if we could battle that for 48 minutes‚ that would be what we’re trying to build to.”

Memphis moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season (7-6). It is in the midst of playing six of seven games on the road and owns a 2-4 mark away from Beale Street this season.

Detroit has played poorly this season as evidenced by its 3-12 record and will play two straight and four of the next five games at The Palace.

The Pistons have lost three straight and nine of 10 games‚ and are winless in the last four games as the host. In Wednesday’s 93-85 setback at Minnesota‚ Tayshaun Prince ended with a season-best 29 points and Ben Gordon finished with 18 for Detroit‚ which got 13 points and 12 rebounds from Greg Monroe.

“We can’t keep playing well for 42 minutes and then the last six minutes give the game away‚” said Monroe. “As a team‚ we have to get better and finishing and putting the game away.”

Detroit will also host Portland before visiting Oklahoma City‚ and then will return to Auburn Hills for back-to-back games versus Miami and Atlanta. Prince has scored 20 or more points in three straight games and is averaging 23.0 ppg in that stretch. Monroe is posting 17.0 points and 10.5 boards in his last six games for a Pistons team averaging a league-low 85.0 ppg.

Pistons guard Will Bynum (foot) is probable for this evening. Detroit is just 2-5 as the host this season and hasn’t lost five straight at home since the 2009-10 campaign.

Memphis swept a home-and-home series with Detroit a season ago and has won four of the last five matchups. The Grizzlies are unbeaten in three straight trips to The Palace.

One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for Memphis to win and cover.

(Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets will aim to climb above .500 for the first time this season when they resume a three-game homestand by hosting the struggling New Orleans Hornets.

The Rockets won the opener of the residency and their fourth straight overall Tuesday when Samuel Dalembert continued his stellar play with 14 points and 12 rebounds lifting Houston past the Detroit Pistons‚ 97-80.

The veteran center‚ who was signed on Christmas Day‚ has averaged a double- double of 15.3 points and 11.8 rebounds‚ while shooting over 69 percent from the floor during the Rockets’ current run.

“He’s just playing wonderful basketball for us right now‚” coach Kevin McHale said.

Luis Scola added 14 points and five rebounds against Detroit for the Rockets‚ who improved to an impressive 5-1 in Space City.

“It’s awesome‚” said Kyle Lowry‚ who had 13 points‚ five rebounds and five assists. “It was a goal of ours [to get back to .500] and now we just have to build off it.”

Patrick Patterson ended with 12 points for Houston‚ which also regained the services of Courtney Lee. The guard returned to the lineup after sitting out eight games with a right calf strain and had six points off the bench. Meanwhile‚ Goran Dragic and Kevin Martin also reached double figures for the Rockets with 11 points apiece.

New Orleans has hit the skids and hit them hard‚ dropping its fifth straight contest‚ a 93-87 setback to Memphis‚ in the Big Easy on Wednesday.

Jarrett Jack netted 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting to keep the Hornets within striking distance‚ but it wasn’t enough to snap their slide.

Trevor Ariza and Jason Smith totaled 18 and 14 points‚ respectively‚ for New Orleans.

“Jarrett Jack was big in the fourth quarter‚” Ariza said. “He made some tough shots‚ but we couldn’t come through in the end.”

The Rockets have lost six of their last seven games with the Hornets but with Chris Paul in Los Angeles and David West in Indiana‚ this New Orleans team is far different from the one Houston has struggled with.

One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for the total score to go UNDER 184 points.

(Sports Network) - The Oklahoma City Thunder own the best record in the NBA. Tonight‚ they hope to pad that lead when they play the league’s worst team‚ the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.

Oklahoma improved to 12-2 with an impressive win on Monday in Boston‚ as Kevin Durant scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook added 26‚ including two clutch three-pointers in the final minutes that helped the Thunder earn a 97-88 victory over the Celtics.

Thabo Sefolosha provided 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter for Oklahoma City‚ which won its seventh consecutive game‚ its longest streak since a team-record nine game run from Jan. 29-Feb. 21‚ 2010.

“They digged themselves a hole and I think from the start we were locked in on both ends‚” Durant said. “The offense could use some more work‚ but I think we did a good job with being aggressive.”

Thunder center Kendrick Perkins played at TD Garden for the first time since the Celtics traded him to Oklahoma City last February. He finished with seven points and five rebounds in just under than 28 minutes.

A win tonight would give the franchise its best start since the Seattle SuperSonics went 13-2 to open the 2004-05 campaign. The Thunder‚ who have won four in a row on the road‚ are also trying to start the year 7-1 away from home for the first time since the Sonics were 8-1 back in 1996-97.

At the other end of the spectrum are the Wizards who come into tonight’s contest having lost four in a row and owning the league’s worst record at 1-12. Their most recent setback came on Monday when they dropped a 114-106 decision to the Houston Rockets.

John Wall paced the Wizards with a career-high 38 points. He also recorded eight assists‚ six rebounds and four steals‚ while Jordan Crawford contributed 17 points off the bench.

“You don’t feel good about yourself‚” Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said. “As a team‚ that’s how it has to be.”

Oklahoma City has won the last five meetings in this series.

One of my pro basketball predictions for tonight is for Oklahoma to win and cover the point spread.

(Sports Network) – A day after getting routed in Memphis without Derrick Rose, the Bulls will get right back to work by hosting a floundering Phoenix club in the Second City.

Rose, the reigning NBA MVP, was a late scratch in Monday’s 102-86 setback on Beale Street thanks to a sprained toe.

The dynamic guard’s status is unknown for tonight’s contest as Chicago attempts to improve to 6-0 at the United Center for the first time since taking its first seven games there during the 1996-97 season, the fifth of six title-winning teams during the Michael Jordan-era.

Rose, who is averaging team highs of 20.8 points and 8.7 assists, initially suffered the injury on Jan. 10 against Minnesota and missed the following night’s game against Washington. He returned for two contests at Boston on Friday and Toronto on Saturday before suffering a flare-up.

“I went out there to shoot and was a little more sore than usual and decided to sit out,” said Rose. “I was mad, but hopefully it’ll get better. If it’s up to me, I want to play tomorrow (against Phoenix).”

John Lucas and C.J. Watson split time at point guard against the Grizzlies in Rose’s absence and recorded four turnovers apiece. Chicago, which lost for the first time in six games, posted 19 total turnovers and was just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc.

Luol Deng led the Bulls with 20 points and six rebounds while Watson added 17 points and Taj Gibson has 16 and three blocks.

The Suns, meanwhile, come in on a four-game skid after dropping the opener of a five-game road trip on Sunday in San Antonio, 102-91.

Marcin Gortat paced Phoenix with 24 points and 15 boards. Steve Nash added 20 points and 10 assists despite battling a bruised right quadriceps.

“Playing against Tim Duncan is a huge challenge,” said Gortat. “He is one of the best post guys in the history of the NBA.”

The Suns have struggled to an 1-4 clip on the road this season and will finish the difficult trek with visits to New York, Boston and Dallas.

Chicago has taken five of its last six contests with Phoenix.

One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for Chicago to win and cover the point spread.

01/17 10:45:11 ET

One of my pro basketball picks for today is for the Houston Rockets to win and cover the point spread.

The Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at Verizon Center.

Oddsmakers currently have the Rockets listed as 5-point favorites versus the Wizards, while the game’s total is sitting at 192½.

Houston won its last outing, a 107-105 result against the Trail Blazers on January 14. The Rockets covered in that game as a 1-point underdog, while the 212 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Last time out for Washington, they were a 103-90 loser as they battled the 76ers at home. The Wizards failed to cover in the match as an 8-point underdog, while 193 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Houston:
Team record: 5-7 SU, 7-5 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games
is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington

When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 5-5
After playing Portland are 5-5
After a win are 3-7

Washington:
Team record: 1-11 SU, 3-9 ATS
Current streak: lost 3 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of last 13 games
is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Oklahoma City are 2-8
After playing Philadelphia are 5-5
After a loss are 1-9

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One of my pro basketball picks is for the game total to go OVER 179.5 points.

The fans at Air Canada Centre will be treated to a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors when they take their seats on Friday.

Oddsmakers currently have the Pacers listed as 5-point favorites versus the Raptors, while the game’s total is sitting at 179½.

Last time out for Indiana, they were a 96-84 winner as they battled the Hawks at home. The Pacers covered in the match as a 2.5-point favorite, while 180 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Last time out for Toronto, they were a 98-91 loser as they battled the Kings at home. The Raptors failed to cover in the match as a 5.5-point favorite, while 189 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Indiana:
Team record: 7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto

When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Boston are 5-5
After playing Atlanta are 5-5
After a win are 4-6

Toronto:
Team record: 4-7 SU, 5-6 ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 7 of last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of last 7 games
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Chicago are 3-7
After playing Sacramento are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7

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One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for the total score to go OVER 178 points.

The fans at Bradley Center will be treated to a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks when they take their seats on Thursday.

Oddsmakers currently have the Bucks listed as 8-point favorites versus the Pistons, while the game’s total is sitting at 178.

The Pistons were a 100-86 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Mavericks. They failed to cover the 6.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (186) made winners of OVER bettors.

Milwaukee won its last outing, a 106-103 result against the Spurs on January 10. The Bucks covered in that game as a 2-point underdog, while the 209 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Detroit:
Team record: 2-8 SU, 2-8 ATS
Current streak: lost 5 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing Milwaukee
is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee

When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Charlotte are 4-6
After playing Dallas are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7

Milwaukee:
Team record: 3-6 SU, 3-6 ATS

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of last 24 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing Detroit

When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Dallas are 6-4
After playing San Antonio are 4-6
After a win are 4-6

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One of my pro basketball picks for tonight is for Oklahoma to win and cover the point spread.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Hornets will both be trying to pick up a win on Wednesday when they battle at New Orleans Arena.

Oddsmakers currently have the Thunder listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Hornets, while the game’s total is sitting at 183½.

Last time out for Oklahoma City, they were a 100-95 winner as they battled the Grizzlies on the road. The Thunder covered in the match as a 2.5-point favorite, while 195 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

In their last action, New Orleans was a 94-81 winner on the road against the Nuggets. They covered the 14-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (175) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Oklahoma City:
Team record: 9-2 SU, 5-6 ATS
Current streak: won 4 straight games.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing New Orleans
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road

When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing New York are 5-5
After playing Memphis are 7-3
After a win are 7-3

New Orleans:
Team record: 3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games
is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Oklahoma City

When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
Before playing Minnesota are 6-4
After playing Denver are 4-6
After a win are 4-6

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