The Sacramento Kings came away with a thrilling overtime win against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night, but the victory will leave a sour taste as De’Aaron Fox, the team’s centerpiece, sustained a “moderate” sprain to his right ankle and is expected to miss some time per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Fox tweaked his ankle when he was attacking the basket in transition during the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 132-127 win. As he planted his foot to elevate for a layup, he stepped on Lakers guard Gabe Vincent’s foot, and fell to the ground. He began grabbing at his ankle and writhing in pain as play continued, but he managed to play the remaining seven minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.
After the game, Kings head coach Mike Brown didn’t give an update on Fox’s injury because the team didn’t know the extent of the injury. However, the reigning Coach of the Year did praise his star guard for playing through the pain.
“He’s tough as nails, man,” Brown said of Fox, who led all scorers with 37 points. “To try to show the grit that he showed and get out there to help us win a ballgame, that just speaks volumes to who he is and how much he wants to lay his body on the line to help his team.”
Losing Fox for any amount of time isn’t ideal for the Kings, and while no one player can account for his production on offense, especially in clutch situations, Sacramento has the depth to try and fill some of that void. It’s just a matter of who will be able to step up in Fox’s absence.
Surface-level changes are coming to the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. The games will be played on new, fully painted (i.e. no visible woodgrain) courts, all 30 of which share a visual aesthetic, the league announced Monday.
These alternate courts are intentionally louder than what you’re used to. Many have bright, bold color schemes. All feature a 16-foot wide “runway” across the length of the court, with the NBA Cup — the trophy awarded to the winner of the tournament — displayed enormously at center court and less enormously as silhouettes in both lanes. They have been designed to give In-Season Tournament games, which begin this Friday, a different look than standard regular-season fare.
All 30 courts, organized here by tournament group, have a shared aesthetic. NBA (High-definition looks of all courts are available in this NBA Twitter thread.)
Most of the court designs are stylistically linked to the teams’ City Edition uniforms, which home teams will wear throughout the tournament. All have either a logo or a wordmark on top of the NBA Cup at center court, with the name of the team or the city or both (or, in the case of the Philadelphia 76ers, “City of Brotherly Love”) on the baselines.
NBA DEBUTS IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT COURTS FOR ALL 30 TEAMS pic.twitter.com/OHmOA8LYGL
— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2023 Christopher Arena, the NBA’s head of on-court and brand partnerships, said that, for the most part, the league has aimed to treat the court “as a stage” and to “allow the focus of the game to be the game.” This meant that the playing surfaces themselves were not supposed to be distracting.
“For the bulk of our season, we are reinforcing that,” Arena said. “But to take 60 games out of that season and to put the focus on the stage and to really have something from a broadcast standpoint…that really forces you to stop and look and focus, we think that was the right thing to do for this tournament at this time in the history of the National Basketball Association.”
For five teams — the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers — this is the first alternate court in franchise history.
The Celtics, whose primary court is the only one in the NBA made out of red oak, will host their In-Season Tournament games on maple hardwood, like everybody else.
The first annual In-Season Tournament will begin on Nov. 3 with the first of seven tournament nights, all on Tuesdays and Fridays. Group play will conclude on Nov. 28, after which eight teams — the six group winners, plus one wild card from each conference — will advance to the knockout rounds. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5 (in NBA team markets), and the semifinals and the championship game will be played on Dec. 7 and 9 in Las Vegas.
Some more notes on the courts:
The In-Season Tournament will mark the first time NBA games have been played on completely painted courts. The court for the semifinals and the championship game in Las Vegas “will be similar,” Arena said. It will feature two dynamic colors, the runway and the NBA Cup. It will, however, be “more league-identified.” The “runway” is supposed to evoke a literal one, “up to Vegas and to winning the In-Season Tournament,” Arena said. It “isn’t normal,” Arena said, to “take on 30 courts and redesign them and paint them and get them to team facilities within the span of three or four months.” The NBA worked with three manufacturers (Connor, Horner and Robbins) and several finishing companies to locate, sand, paint and refinish the courts in time for the tournament. Initially, a more conservative design, wherein the “aprons” (out-of-bounds areas) were a certain color, was in play. After “we started to show some leaders,” there was a shift in a bolder direction, Arena explained. “And then you start to really think, ‘Let’s go mild to wild and see what we can do.'” In addition to the courts, there will be many smaller visual cues to distinguish In-Season Tournament games from regular-season games. “Every little detail has been thought of,” Arena said, from the score bugs on the broadcasts to the ball racks and the shooting shirts. In Vegas, the ball itself will have a commemorative logo on it.
The Orlando Magic will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles is 1-2 overall and finished last season 43-39, while Orlando is 2-0 overall and finished last season 34-48. The Lakers have won their last six matchups with the Magic but are only 3-2-1 against the spread during that span.
The Magic are 2-0 against the spread this season while the Lakers are 0-3 against the number. However, Los Angeles is favored by 2 points in the latest Lakers vs. Magic odds, and the over/under is 218.5 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Magic picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Magic. You can head to SportsLine to see its NBA picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Magic vs. Lakers:
Lakers vs. Magic spread: Lakers -2 Lakers vs. Magic over/under: 218.5 points Lakers vs. Magic money line: Lakers: -130, Magic: +109 Lakers vs. Magic picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Magic Last Friday, Orlando didn’t have too much breathing room in its game against Portland, but it still walked away with a 102-97 victory. The squad ran away with 63 points in the first half and ground out a win in the second half by allowing only 42 points.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 23 points in the victory, and Cole Anthony remained hot with 18 points off the bench after pouring in 20 in a win against the Rockets on opening night. Orlando has held opponents to just 40.1% shooting from the floor so far this season and will be looking to use an energetic young roster to play harassing defense again on Monday.
What you need to know about the Lakers Meanwhile, the Lakers fought the good fight in their overtime contest against the Kings on Sunday but took a 132-127 hit to the loss column. Despite the defeat, the Lakers got a solid performance out of Anthony Davis, who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 16 rebounds. Davis has also made an impact defensively this season, blocking two or more in the last three games he’s played.
LeBron James also exceeded his stated minutes cap yet again, playing 39 minutes (his cap is allegedly 28-30) and finishing with 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. James is averaging 23.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists over the first three games of his 21st NBA season. Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) remains out for Los Angeles.
How to make Lakers vs. Magic picks The model has simulated Magic vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick where one side hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Flavor Flav may not be the first person fans would expect to perform the national anthem at a sporting event. However, he did exactly that prior to Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.
Decked out with a No. 59 Bucks jersey and a red chain, the Public Enemy rapper sang a unique rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Fiserv Forum.
YEAH BOY.
S/O @FlavorFlav for the flavorful anthem! pic.twitter.com/O1UT9sYTZG
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 29, 2023 The rapper received a small round of applause from the crowd as he winded down the national anthem, while several Bucks players held back laughter. In typical Flavor Flav fashion, he put his own spin on the national anthem by repeating the final verse three times before wrapping up.
He did receive a standing ovation from the crowd.
Flavor Flav commented on his performance on X, stating that performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” was a “long time bucket list item” for him.
“I can’t live my life worried about what people might say about me,” the rapper added. “I won’t let that stop me from trying new things and doing things I wanna do. Some people might not like that. But a sure failure is you stop trying.”
The New Orleans Pelicans (2-0) will try to build on their impressive start to the season when they host the Golden State Warriors (2-1) on Monday night. New Orleans beat Memphis on the road in its opener before defeating New York on Saturday. Golden State lost to Phoenix in a season-opening thriller, but it responded with road wins over the Kings and Rockets. These teams split their four meetings last year, with the home team winning on every occasion.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans are favored by 4 points in the latest Warriors vs. Pelicans odds, while the over/under is 226 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Pelicans vs. Warriors picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Warriors. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Warriors vs. Pelicans:
Pelicans vs. Warriors spread: Pelicans -4 Pelicans vs. Warriors over/under: 226 points Pelicans vs. Warriors money line: Pelicans: -169, Warriors: +142 Pelicans vs. Warriors picks: See picks here Why the Pelicans can cover New Orleans is off to an outstanding start, winning both of its games behind big performances from Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Williamson is averaging 23.5 points per game, while Ingram is not far behind at 22.5, with the former All-Stars finally healthy at the same time after playing just 12 games together last season. The Pelicans hit 14 of 32 3-pointers in their win over Memphis to open the campaign.
Golden State is in a brutal scheduling spot on Monday night, as this will be its third road game in four days. The Warriors opened the season with a loss to Phoenix before winning a pair of road games by single digits. They have only covered the spread three times in their last nine October games, while New Orleans has covered at a 10-4-1 clip in its last 15 games dating back to last season.
Why the Warriors can cover Golden State won just 11 road games last season, but it has already picked up two quick road wins this year. Star guard Stephen Curry scored a game-high 24 points and hit four 3-pointers in under two minutes late in the fourth quarter of a 106-95 win against Houston on Sunday. Klay Thompson chipped in 19 points, while Gary Payton II scored 15 points off the bench.
Veteran forward Draymond Green saw his first action of the season, scoring four points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists in his return from an ankle injury. New Orleans has not demonstrated consistency in recent years and it lost its last two games against Golden State last season. The Warriors have covered the spread in four of the last five meetings between these teams, and they have won 13 of the last 19 games outright. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pelicans vs. Warriors picks The model has simulated Warriors vs. Pelicans 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls will face off in a Central Division clash on Monday. Indiana is 2-0 overall and finished last season 35-47, while Chicago is 1-2 overall and finished last season 40-42. The Pacers have won the last three head-to-head matchups, which followed a four-game winning streak by the Bulls in the series.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indiana is favored by 3 points in the latest Pacers vs. Bulls odds, and the over/under is 229.5 points. Before entering any Bulls vs. Pacers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Pacers vs. Bulls. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bulls vs. Pacers:
Pacers vs. Bulls spread: Pacers -3 Pacers vs. Bulls over/under: 229.5 points Pacers vs. Bulls money line: Pacers: -153, Bulls: +129 Pacers vs. Bulls picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Pacers Last Saturday, Indiana earned a 125-113 win over Cleveland, which made it back-to-back victories for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton were among the main playmakers for the Pacers as the former earned 26 points along with nine rebounds, while the latter shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 assists.
Through two games, the Pacers are leading the NBA with 134 points per game, as well as topping the league with an offensive rating of 128.6. That comes despite not a single player logging even 30 minuntes per game as Indiana has shown off its improved depth. Seven different players are averaging in double-figures, including newcomer Bruce Brown with 15 points per game.
What you need to know about the Bulls Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Bulls last Saturday, but the final result did not. The match between Chicago and Detroit wasn’t a total blowout, but with Chicago falling 118-102 on the road, it was darn close to turning into one. The Bulls found out winning isn’t easy when you don’t work as a unit and post 13 fewer assists than your opponent.
The loss came about despite an amazing performance from Zach LaVine, who went 7 for 13 from beyond the arc en route to a career-high of 51 points. Chicago appears to be top-heavy as LaVine is averaging 25 PPG, with DeMar DeRozan at 24.3 PPG, but the Bulls’ other three starters are combining to average just 25.7 PPG. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pacers vs. Bulls picks The model has simulated Pacers vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on the NBA schedule as the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards are set to tip at 7 p.m. ET on Monday at Capital One Arena. Washington is 1-1 overall and the Wizards finished last season 35-47, while Boston is 2-0 overall and the Celtics finished last season 57-25. The Celtics have dominated the Wizards recently, winning four of the last five meetings with Washington.
The Celtics are favored by 10 points in the latest Wizards vs. Celtics odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 229. Before entering any Celtics vs. Wizards picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston-Washington. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Wizards:
Wizards vs. Celtics spread: Wizards +10 Wizards vs. Celtics over/under: 229 points Wizards vs. Celtics money line: Wizards: +368, Celtics: -498 Wizards vs. Celtics picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Celtics On Friday, Boston was able to grind out a victory over the Miami Heat, taking the game 119-111. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Celtics. The Celtics can attribute much of their success to Derrick White, who recorded 28 points along with six rebounds.
Jayson Tatum finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists against the Heat, while Jrue Holiday recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Celtics are scoring 113.5 points per game on average this season. Defensively, Boston is giving up 107.5 points per game.
What you need to know about the Wizards Washington earned a 113-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The victory was just what the Wizards needed coming off of a 143-120 loss in their prior matchup.
Guard Jordan Poole led Washington with 27 points in Saturday’s win. Forward Kyle Kuzma also had a productive performance against the Grizzlies, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds. For the season, Kuzma is averaging 23.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
How to make Wizards vs. Celtics picks The model has simulated Wizards vs. Celtics 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The Miami Heat will head out on the road to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday at Fiserv Forum. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W’.
Last Saturday, things could have been worse for Miami, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 106-90 loss to Minnesota. The Heat have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Bucks on Sunday, but the final result did not. They lost to Atlanta at home by a decisive 127-110 margin. The Bucks were down 101-80 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
The losing side was boosted by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Miami now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Milwaukee, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.
Not only did the two teams lose their last games, but neither team managed to cover the spread. Looking ahead, the Bucks are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. Miami might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last three times they’ve played Milwaukee.
The Heat came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bucks in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 128-126. Will the Heat repeat their success, or do the Bucks have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
The Utah Jazz will head out on the road to face off against the Denver Nuggets at 9:00 p.m. ET on Monday at Ball Arena. The Jazz might want some stickum for this game since the team gave up 18 turnovers on Saturday.
Last Saturday, Utah found themselves the reluctant recipients of a 126-104 punch to the gut against Phoenix. The Jazz were down 106-78 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Sunday. They put the hurt on Oklahoma City with a sharp 128-95 win. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 12 more assists than your opponent, as the Nuggets did.
Among those leading the charge was Nikola Jokic, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 14 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he’s now pulled down ten or more in the last three games he’s played.
Utah now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Denver, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
The Jazz are hoping to beat the odds on Monday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, keep Utah’s opponent in mind: they have a solid 7-3 record against the spread vs Denver over their last ten matchups.
The Jazz didn’t have too much breathing room in their contest against the Nuggets in their previous matchup back in April, but they still walked away with a 118-114 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Jazz since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds Denver is a big 8-point favorite against Utah, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Nuggets as a 7.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 227.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
The Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets get together for an Eastern Conference showdown on Monday. The Hornets are 1-1 and the Nets are 0-2 this season, with Brooklyn sweeping the four-game season series in 2022-23. Miles Bridges (suspension), Cody Martin (knee), James Bouknight (knee), and Frank Ntilikina (tibia) are out for Charlotte. Nicolas Claxton (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (calf) are out for Brooklyn.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. SportsLine consensus lists Charlotte as a 1-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 227.5 in the latest Nets vs. Hornets odds. Before making any Hornets vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Hornets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Nets:
Nets vs. Hornets spread: Nets +1 Nets vs. Hornets over/under: 227.5 points Nets vs. Hornets money line: Nets -102, Hornets -118 Brooklyn: The Nets are 24-20 against the spread in the last 44 road games Charlotte: The Hornets are 17-26 against the spread in the last 43 home games Nets vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Nets can cover Brooklyn’s offense is off to a flying start in 2023-24. The Nets are scoring more than 1.15 points per possession and shooting 42.9% from beyond the 3-point arc. Brooklyn is also shooting 49.4% from the field and 80.6% from the free throw line while generating 30.0 assists per game. The Nets are also securing 31.6% of available rebounds after missed shots, and potent guard Cameron Thomas is averaging 33.0 points per game on 62.5% shooting.
On the other side, Brooklyn is in the top 10 of the league in free throw prevention, assist prevention, and defensive rebound rate in the early going, and that comes after a very solid defensive season in 2022-23. The Nets held opponents to 46.3% shooting from the field and 51.8% from 2-point range last season, and Brooklyn also led the league with 6.2 blocked shots per game. With Charlotte shooting just 27.7% from 3-point range and committing more than 18 giveaways per game, Brooklyn’s defense should be in a favorable position. See which team to pick here.
Why the Hornets can cover Charlotte is led by a dynamic creating guard in LaMelo Ball, who averaged 23.3 points and 8.4 assists per game a season ago. He also scored 20 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed nine rebounds in Charlotte’s most recent game, and Ball keys a group that is averaging 27.0 assists per game this season. The Hornets are also in the top five of the NBA with 30.0 free throw attempts per contest, and Brooklyn’s defense is struggling in the early going.
The Nets are allowing 119.5 points per 100 possessions and 40.5% 3-point shooting to opponents while forcing fewer than ten turnovers per game. On the other end, Charlotte is stout to this point, giving up fewer than 1.05 points per possession and 25.4% 3-point shooting. The Hornets are creating 18.0 turnovers per game in 2023-24, and Charlotte was also firmly in the top 10 of the NBA in steals (7.7 per game) and blocks (5.2 per game) a season ago. See which team to pick here.
How to make Hornets vs. Nets picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting 225 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time. You can only see the model’s NBA picks at SportsLine.
