Today’s NBA games featured a Boston matinee, a New York showdown and a Los Angeles thriller, but the most exciting live betting affair happened in Houston where James Harden surprised betting websites and proved his MVP case against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
Harden is undoubtedly having an MVP-caliber season, and his performance in their win over the Cavs will help sway betting tips in his favour for the annual award.
Chicago Bulls 80-100 Boston Celtics
An NBA D-League team would have played better than the Bulls did in the first quarter of the game against the Celtics. Chicago scored only nine points in the opening frame, and they never recovered from there as Boston—despite struggling early—cruised to a comfortable victory at TD Garden.
Bulls’ star Jimmy Butler finished with just five points, while Isaiah Thomas scored 22 to lead five other Celtics that scored in double figures.
Miami Heat 98-102 Indiana Pacers
Miami’s battle for the last playoff spot in the East has just gotten tougher after Indiana escaped with a narrow victory. The Heat could have ended with a different result if Goran Dragic was available, but their leading scorer was unable to play after the swelling in his right eye – obtained in yesterday’s win over the Raps – got worse.
Indiana, meanwhile, relied primarily on their starters, particularly on Paul George who did much of the heavy lifting with 28 markers.
New York Knicks 112-120 Brooklyn Nets
The NBA-worst Nets won this New York matinee, all thanks to an excellent performance from the three-point territory. Brooklyn made 19 of their 38 attempts from beyond the arc, with Brook Lopez leading the charge as he banked six treys to finish with 25 points. They also took advantage of the Knicks defensive inconsistencies, pulling away early with a 13-point first-quarter lead.
Cleveland Cavaliers 112-117 Houston Rockets
James Harden bagged a triple-double in their thrilling win over the Cavaliers, solidifying his MVP case against another frontrunner in LeBron James. Harden finished the game with 38 points, 11 dimes and 10 boards to fuel the Rockets despite trailing by as much as 14 points in the game.
LeBron also played well with an efficient 60 percent shooting, but he committed eight costly turnovers that allowed Houston to claw their way back and take the W.
Portland Trail Blazers 110-101 Phoenix Suns
After a 29-16 third-quarter rally, the Suns looked to be staging a comeback for another clutch win, just like how they did it in yesterday’s triumph over the Mavs. However, Portland held firm and avoided what could have been another last-gasp upset.
Devin Booker, once again, paced the Suns’ offence, but his efforts were not enough with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combining for 65 points as they remain on track to topple the Nuggets from the West eighth seed.
Philadelphia 76ers 118-116 Los Angeles Lakers
This Staples Center showdown went down the wire after the Lakers battled back and kept the game close throughout the final quarter. Nevertheless, the Purple and Gold faltered in the final seconds, allowing the Sixers to bring Philadelphia another victory.
Although Los Angeles had a better game defensively, their offence left much to be desired. Not to mention that the Dario Saric-led Philadelphia had a great night shooting from the deep.
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