NBA betting results and game round ups for the games played on Monday 2nd January 2023, including a 71 (seventy one) point game for Donovan Mitchell as the Cavs defeat the Bulls 145-134 after overtime.
All odds provided are courtesy of PlayUp, Australia's best NBA sportbook.
Chicago Bulls 134, Cleveland Cavaliers 145 - OT
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Cleveland Cavaliers, odds 1.63
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (-3.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Over (221.5), odds 1.88 - by a mile helped by overtime and Mitchell!
Mitchell sets new franchise record with 71 points, to become only the 7th NBA player in history to score 70+ in game.
New Orleans Pelicans 111, Philadelphia 76ers 120
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Philadelphia 76ers, odds 1.45
Line: Philadelphia 76ers (-5.5), odds 1.88
Total Points: Over (230.5), odds 1.88 - squeaked over!
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zion Williamson dominated the 76ers to the point that coach Doc Rivers said trying to defend the New Orleans big man was like “guarding a fast Shaq.”
The only thing that could slow down Williamson was a hamstring injury.
Joel Embiid had 42 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden scored 27 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat a New Orleans Pelicans team that lost Williamson to a strained right hamstring, 120-111 on Monday night.
Williamson scored 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting through three quarters before he left for the locker room in the fourth. Williamson pulled up on a fastbreak and handed off the ball late in the third. Williamson, averaging 26 points, gingerly ran to the corner and lingered on the court for a bit before he was lifted from the game. Williamson’s career has been defined by injuries and dominance, notably a career-best 42 points last week against Minnesota.
There was no immediate word if Williamson would miss any time.
“That was extremely difficult,” coach Willie Green said. “It was right at a pivotal moment during the game. We'll do some imaging and look at him. Hopefully, he'll be OK.”
Without Williamson, the Pelicans couldn’t keep up with the 76ers.
Embiid pushed the lead in the fourth on a driving, crashing layup and spun around like a top on his rear end for dramatic effect. He sank the free throw for a 106-96 lead. He did walk gingerly to the bench moment later but stayed in the game.
Embiid had his eighth game this season with at least 35 points and 10 rebounds and was serenaded by the fans with “MVP! MVP!” chants.
De’Anthony Melton buried a 3 for the 76ers for a 113-107 lead and Harden came right back and hit another 3 to seal their 10th straight home win.
It’s a shame for NBA fans the teams don’t each other again this season. CJ McCollum hit a franchise-best 11 3s and Williamson added 36 in the Pelicans’ 127-116 home victory on Friday night. It was the second banger in four nights, only this time in Philly.
McCollum scored 26 points.
“We guarded the hell out of him and he still scored 26. We made him work for it,” Rivers said.
Williamson, Harden and Embiid all put on a show through the first three quarters. Even 76ers reserve Georges Niang hit five 3s off the bench to get the home crowd roaring as the public address announcer bellowed “Bang, bang, Niang!”
Embiid, playing with a sore lower back, continued his pursuit of a second straight scoring title with 15-of-24 shooting and he made all 10 free throws. Harden was crafty in the second quarter when he scored 10 points on and-1s. He had a four-point play in that run and two three-point plays, including a layup that saw him scoot past the stanchion and high-five fans.
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TIP-INS
Pelicans: Green spent the first seven seasons of his playing career with the Sixers. The Sixers weren’t all that good during Green’s tenure but he deeply appreciated playing with Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
“There’s only one AI. He had a way with people,” Green said. “He had a big heart. Sometimes that could be misunderstood. We all loved him as teammates.”
76ers: G Tyrese Maxey, normally a starter, received a rousing ovation when he checked in late in the first quarter. Maxey had 12 points as the Sixers ease him back in the lineup after he missed almost six weeks with a broken foot.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Houston on Wednesday
76ers: On a three-game homestand that includes games Wednesday against Indiana and Friday against Chicago.
San Antonio Spurs 103, Brooklyn Nets 139
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Brooklyn Nets, odds 1.09 - possibly the shortest odds of the season so far!
Line: Brooklyn Nets (-13.5), odds 1.90 - minus 13.5 and they still beat covered the spread!
Total Points: Over (237.5), odds 1.88
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving made his first seven shots, sparked a big bench celebration with a one-handed follow slam after he finally missed and scored 27 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 139-103 on Monday night for their 12th straight victory.
Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists for the Nets (25-12), who have ridden the longest winning streak in the NBA this season to within a game of Boston for the best record in the league. Brooklyn has won 16 of its last 17 games.
“I don’t think we really pay attention too much to the streak, we just really want to play well for one another,” Irving said.
Irving shot 11 for 14, Durant was 10 for 14 and neither played in the fourth quarter for the Nets, who are 23-7 under Jacque Vaughn. T.J. Warren finished with 18 points and Brooklyn shot 62% from the field.
The Nets never trailed for the second straight game in an easy start to the new year after going 12-1 in December. They are two wins shy of matching the franchise's longest winning streak, having won 14 in a row twice while based in New Jersey.
“It just felt easy,” said Ben Simmons, who had nine assists and six rebounds.
Keldon Johnson scored 22 points for the Spurs.
“They were rolling from the jump all the way to the end of the game,” Johnson said.
Irving was 6 for 6 in the first quarter, with three 3-pointers, for 15 points and the Nets shot 64% in opening a 37-25 lead.
He finally missed on a 3-pointer in front of the Brooklyn bench but had teammates rushing off the sideline moments later screaming and celebrating when he streaked into the lane after Yuta Watanabe's missed jumper and slammed it down for a 46-27 lead.
Irving said it had been a struggle to regain strength after spraining his ankle in the 2021 playoffs. He joked that the reaction from his teammates was due to surprise over his leaping abilities.
“I’m like this close to getting tired of people downplaying my athleticism at times in that locker room,” he said, holding his fingers close together.
Brooklyn led 74-47 at halftime and surpassed 100 points in three quarters for the second time this season, both in the last six games.
Devin Vassell scored 14 points for the Spurs.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Coach Gregg Popovich said he walked about 80 blocks in New York on Monday, eating Italian, Turkish and Lebanese food. Popovich noted that he'll be able to fit in plenty more on this trip, with the Spurs off Tuesday before facing the Knicks on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, near their team hotel. The Spurs were then planning a team meal after Monday's game. ... The Spurs have lost six straight to the Nets.
Nets: The Nets were without Royce O'Neale and Markieff Morris because of illnesses not related to COVID-19. ... Joe Harris scored eight points after missing four games due to left knee soreness. ... The Nets congratulated Durant during the game for recently moving into 15th place on the NBA's career scoring list. He passed Tim Duncan, the Spurs' five-time champion. Soccer starts Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi were at the game, with Mbappé getting a thunderous ovation when shown after the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Spurs: At New York on Wednesday.
Nets: At Chicago on Wednesday.
Denver Nuggets 111, Minnesota Timberwolves 124
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Minnesota Timberwolves, odds 2.25
Line: Minnesota Timberwolves (+2.5), odds 1.88
Total Points: Over (232.5), odds 1.88
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 29 points, including 15 in the third quarter to help Minnesota withstand a push by Denver, and the Timberwolves held on for a 124-111 win against the Nuggets on Monday.
Jaden McDaniels had 21 points and Kyle Anderson added 19 for Minnesota, which snapped a six-game losing streak and won its fourth in a row against Denver.
With Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic leading the way, the Nuggets made their push early in the third. But Edwards answered the call, scoring 10 of the final 12 points of the quarter to put the Timberwolves back in front for good.
“They tell me,” Edwards said of his teammates pushing for him to take control. “Especially this group of guys, they be upfront with me. ‘Hey, it’s time to take over.’ Someone told me going into the third quarter after the first time, ‘Alright, take this game over.’”
Jokic finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, and Murray added 14 points after a scoreless first-half. Bones Hyland added 18 points off the bench, but Denver was undone by its sluggish start on the second game of a back-to-back following Sunday’s home win against Boston.
The Nuggets had won 10 of their previous 12 games.
“What I saw was just a team that was more urgent, was more desperate and wanted it more,” Malone said of Minnesota. “Usually that team is going to win the game. Disappointing. Great win last night, but who cares. You just gave it right back tonight.”
Playing without D’Angelo Russell (illness) and Naz Reid (low back spasms) was just the latest blow to the Timberwolves, who have been without Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain), Taurean Prince (right shoulder subluxation) and Jordan McLaughlin (left calf strain) for extended absences.
Holding leads has also been an issue, such as Saturday when Minnesota let an 18-point advantage slip away in a disappointing home loss to last-place Detroit.
Wolves coach Chris Finch wondered if there was a sense of entitlement with his struggling, star-laden team and considered possible changes. Finch didn’t have many options for changes due to being short-handed, but seldom-used Luka Garza and Nathan Knight provided a spark off the bench and helped defend Jokic.
Meanwhile, energy and focus were no problem against the first-place Nuggets.
“Very, very proud of our guys after the weekend,” Finch said. “Obviously, we desperately needed a win here, regardless of who we had playing or who we were playing. It was a total team win. Everybody who came in contributed, executed the game plan to a high level. Played with toughness, played together. It was really fun to watch.”
OFF THE MARK
Denver, who started the day with the second-best shooting percentage in the league and tops from 3-point territory, simply struggled to make shots in the first half.
The Nuggets started the game 3 of 10 from the field, shot 38.9% in the first quarter, including a 1 of 8 mark from 3. They finished the first half at 40.9%.
“I think tonight it boils down for me, I think it’s mental,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “If you’re mentally tough, you’re not giving in to the ‘I’m tired.’ … (Championship) types of teams rise above all the BS, all the noise, all the excuses. You got to tell your body you’re not tired.”
POINT ANT
Without Russell and McLaughlin, the team’s primary point guards, the offense ran through Edwards. He had five assists and 10 rebounds.
“Finchy did a great job,” Edwards said. “He was calling plays. Other times, he’ll tell me when to go. He’ll be like, ‘Alright, go, go, go,’ like when I’m pushing the ball. So, he kind of helped me out tonight.”
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left the game for a short time with a right wrist sprain. He later returned to the game. … Aaron Gordon missed his first 10 shots of the game, but he finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds, including a career-high 12 offensive boards.
Timberwolves: Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points while starting for Russell. … Minnesota shot 60% in the fourth quarter, including 4 of 9 from 3 to stay in front.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Return home against Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Timberwolves: Host Portland on Wednesday.
Dallas Mavericks 111, Houston Rockets 106
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Dallas Mavericks, odds 1.33
Line: Houston Rockets (+7.5), odds 1.87
Total Points: Under (227.5), odds 1.88
HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic had 39 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as Dallas rallied from an 18-point second half deficit to beat the Houston Rockets 111-106 on Monday night for the Mavericks’ seventh straight win.
Doncic scored 29 of his points in the second half to lead the comeback. He finished 10 of 26 from the field, including 1 of 9 on 3-pointers and hit 18 of 22 from the free throw line.
“I was not worried in the first half, I just needed to be more aggressive,” Doncic said. “That’s what I did in the second half. In the first half, I was passive, and it didn’t work well for us.”
Doncic has scored at least 32 points in each of the last six games, including three 50-point games during that span.
“Winning is always great,” Doncic said. “The energy in the locker room is amazing, so to win seven in a row is pretty good, but we want more. I think today we played very bad, but great teams come back and win games.”
Christian Wood added 21 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points for Dallas, which has their longest winning streak since the 2010-11 season.
“To win seven (straight) in this league, it’s not easy to win in this league, it’s easy to lose in this league, but it’s hard to win,” said Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who was a player on the 2010-11 team.
The Mavericks shot 42%, including 13 of 43 on 3-pointers.
Kevin Porter Jr. had 25 points, Jalen Green added 20 points and Eric Gordon scored 19 points for the Rockets, who lost their fourth straight and seventh straight at home.
“We were getting our shots,” Porter said. “There were a couple missed plays, but that what happens. It’s been a long game. It’s the fourth quarter, trying to execute, trying to get shots in, and it just didn’t turn our way.”
Alperen Sengun, who missed Friday’s loss against the Knicks with lower back pain, scored 16 points. Houston shot 46%.
“I thought we did a good job on him the whole game,” Houston coach Stephen Silas said of the defense against Doncic. “The issue was the fouls. I don’t have enough money to get fined, so I will stop there.”
Trailing 100-93 midway through the fourth, Dallas answered with 14-4 run to take a three-point lead on a jumper by Hardaway with 2:55 remaining.
Houston cut the lead to one on a layup by Porter with two minutes left, but after trading missed shots, Spencer Dinwiddie hit a jumper with 10 seconds left to up the lead to 109-106. Sengun missed two free throws, and Doncic grabbed the rebound. Doncic was fouled and made two free throws to ice the game.
After a sluggish first half in which he scored 10 points on 3 of 12 shooting, Doncic heated up in the third quarter, scoring 19 points as the Mavs cut an 18-point Houston lead down to 87-83 at the end of the quarter on a three-point play by Doncic.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dinwiddie scored 11 points. … The Mavs turned 10 Houston turnovers into 14 points. … Josh Green (right elbow sprain) and Dorian Finney-Smith (right adductor strain) remained out of the lineup.
Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate (right ankle) is “getting closer”, Silas said, adding that he would like to see Tate go through a five-on-five practice before he returns. … Jabari Smith Jr. had 11 points.
ROCKETS REBUILD
Following postgame comments from Gordon on Friday that he’s seen no improvement from the Rockets since the beginning of the season, Silas said he and Gordon had talked on Monday and knew where each other stood.
“Rebuilding is hard,” Silas said. “It’s hard on everybody. … He was frustrated. I don’t necessarily agree with how he went about it, but I do understand his frustration.”
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host the Celtics on Thursday.
Rockets: Travel to New Orleans on Wednesday.
Toronto Raptors 114, Indiana Pacers 122
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Indiana Pacers, odds 1.70
Line: Indiana Pacers (-2.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Over (226.5), odds 1.88
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bennedict Mathurin scored 21 points and Buddy Hield added 19 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 122-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors for their fourth consecutive victory Monday night.
Myles Turner had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Haliburton added 16 points and eight assists for the Pacers.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 32 points and Pascal Siakam had 26 for Toronto. Scottie Barnes added 23.
Indiana’s bench outscored Toronto’s reserves 54-7. The second unit included Mathurin, T.J. McConnell (15 points) and Jalen Smith (11 points and 11 rebounds).
“Their starters are a tough matchup for anyone in this league,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the Raptors. “They were tough at the start of each half. Our second unit came in and gave us what we needed — force, energy, attacking, unselfish play. They were the difference in the game as a whole.”
Carlisle had special praise for McConnell, who made a career-high seven free throws in seven attempts.
“T.J. McConnell is a once-in-a-decade player,” Carlisle said. “You don’t find those guys like that who have boundless energy and indomitable spirit that can lift the entire building with one defining loose ball play. His minutes have been a little less. But he gets everything he can out of the minutes.”
McConnell said defense was the difference.
“We locked in and got stops and do what we do best — that’s get out and run,” McConnell said. “We moved the ball and I thought we did that at a high level. Things kind of slowed down. (Mathurin) really bailed us out like he’s done all year. It’s been special to watch.”
Mathurin went 6 of 9 from the field and 7 of 10 on free throws.
“It was amazing the difficulty of some of those shots,” Carlisle said.
The Pacers, who shot 45% from the field, had a 50-36 edge in rebounds.
“When you play Toronto, it’s always a possession game,” Carlisle said. “They keep coming and coming. You have to outlast them.”
With the score tied at 101 in the fourth quarter, Haliburton sank a 3-pointer to put the Pacers ahead for good.
Toronto used a 20-2 run in the third period to take an 83-75 lead. With the Raptors leading 83-77 with 3:25 left in the quarter, O.G. Anunoby was called for a technical foul after pushing Mathurin.
Mathurin missed the technical free throw, but he scored six points, including a step-back 3-pointer, the rest of the quarter to help the Pacers grab a 91-90 lead after three.
“I’m trying to go with the flow,” Mathurin said. “I had a couple opportunities and went to the rim and got fouled a lot. I was trying to get myself going through my defense.”
Toronto led by 13 in the first quarter before settling for a 33-29 advantage after one.
Trailing 47-42 with 7:26 left in the first half, the Pacers outscored the Raptors 24-10 the remainder of the half to take a 66-57 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Precious Achiuwa played his first game since injuring his right ankle Nov. 9 against Miami. Achiuwa scored three points in 12 minutes. … Fred VanVleet started after missing two games with back spams. VanVleet scored nine points on 3-of-15 shooting.
Pacers: Indiana is 13-7 at home. The Pacers had 31 consecutive seasons of winning home records snapped in 2021. … Hield hit four 3-pointers and has made four or more in six straight games. … Chris Duarte went down in pain in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room. He was holding his left ankle. He missed six weeks earlier this season with a sprained left ankle. Carlisle said he was told Duarte could have gone back in if needed.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
Pacers: Visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Charlotte Hornets 115, LA Lakers 121
Betting Results:
Head to Head: LA Lakers, odds 2.02
Line: LA Lakers (+1.5), odds 1.88
Total Points: Under (241.5), odds 1.87
Golden State Warriors 143, Atlanta Hawks 141 - 2OT
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Golden State Warriors, odds 1.80
Line: Golden State Warriors (-1.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Over (235.5), odds 1.88 - helped by double overtime
Portland Trail Blazers 135, Detroit Pistons 106
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Portland Trail Blazers, odds 1.20
Line: Portland Trail Blazers (-9.5), odds 1.90
Total Points: Over (231.5), odds 1.91
LA Clippers 100, Miami Heat 110
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Miami Heat, odds 2.55
Line: Miami Heat (+4.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (220.5), odds 1.93
New York Knicks 102, Phoenix Suns 83
Betting Results:
Head to Head: New York Knicks, odds 1.88
Line: New York Knicks (+0.5), odds 1.85
Total Points: Under (226.5), odds 1.93
All betting results and odds provided by PlayUp, Australia's best NBA sportsbook.
By Dan Gelston, Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press and DJ Arthurs | 01/03/23
Follow DJ Arthurs on Twitter at @DJArthursJourno
