Points Beats Effort In Losing

Basketball Betting Lines

The Nuggets, who are in the midst of a five-game road trip, are 3-3 away from home this season.

(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - You have to figure the loss of All-Star big man Al Horford will eventually catch up to the Atlanta Hawks. So far, however, Atlanta has kept its head above water and will try to finish a four-game homestand in perfect fashion when they host Jamal Crawford and the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at Philips Arena.

Crawford, traditionally one of the NBA's top sixth men, averaged 16.1 points for the Hawks over the previous two seasons before signing with the Blazers as a free agent. The guard, who is making his first trip back to the ATL, is scoring at a lesser clip this season (12.0 ppg) and has been struggling recently, netting just 21 points in his last three games.

"Sure it was ugly but we needed a win and we'll take it. We know we can play better and we know we'll have to play better, but we're happy with the win," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said.

Veteran Portland center Marcus Camby is likely to miss a third straight game tonight with a sprained left ankle.

"I think I'm in a different state of mind," Smith said. "I'm playing as hard as I've ever played."

Their last three victories, against admittedly inferior competition in Charlotte, Minnesota and the Raptors, have come despite the fact they've played without Horford, who will be out for the next three to four months because of torn pec suffered last week.

(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince has scored 20 points in back-to-back contests but it hasn't been enough to lift his team to victory. Perhaps a third time will be a charm when Detroit takes on the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Target Center. Prince is averaging 10.5 points this season and has scored in double figures over the last four games. He delivered his second straight 20-point effort in Tuesday's 97-80 loss at Houston, while Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey added 18 and 16 points, respectively, in defeat.

Prince posted two steals for 400 in his career and needs one block for 400. Greg Monroe had only four points and grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds. The Pistons, who are last in the Central Division, have lost eight of their last nine games and fell to 1-6 as the visitor this season. They are averaging a league-low 85.0 points per game and have one of the worst records in the NBA at 3-11.

Wolves guard Jose Barea (ankle) has missed the past three contests and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. Forward Michael Beasley (foot sprain) hasn't played in the last six games and is out indefinitely, while Ridnour (personal) is questionable versus Detroit.

"Once we get everybody healthy ... we're very good," said Love, who is just one 30-point effort short of tying Kevin Garnett's franchise record of four in a row set from March 22-28, 2000. "We can surprise a lot of people. We just want to continue to get better."

comments

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•    Conversely, if I step on a creaky stair or floor board I hear the ditty of #SuperMario losing a life

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•    Trip to London started well as am on the right train!

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•    Wat if the Heat go on a 10 game losing streak ..like wat yall gon do ??

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•    I've got a chip on my shoulder, i'm on a losing streak. there's a cloud of contempt hanging over me.

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•    johnson umbaugh think I'm picturesque and illustrative :)

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•    I've been on Chris Paul's sack since he scored that triple double against the Raptors in 06 bitchesssss

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•    Team Haircut session = #losing lol oh well ! haha it grows back

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•    Sighhhhh losing a best friend <<<<

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•    I'm jus watching this replay of the Hawks vs. Blazers game

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