The biggest news to come out of last night’s busy NBA 12-game schedule was that yes, Ron Artest was going to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojakovic. We hope the Maloof brothers don’t get rid of The Palms Hotel anytime soon!
In terms of on-court action, the Pistons needed extra time, but their 106-102 win over the Bucks gave them a 35-5 record, making it the fourth-best 40-game start in American history. the NBA.
My free game Thursday is in South Alabama over Denver at 9:00 ET. Another 2-1 night on CBB on Wednesday and my college career has hit 16-6-1, since January 14! Even more impressive, my CBB 15 * plays have been cashed at a rate of 77.8% since January 1, after winning my first CBB total play of the season.
My 15 * game on DePaul / Marq ‘below’ Wednesday, ‘covered’ for OVER 30 points! Don’t miss my 15 * CBB Underdog Shocker tonight, my LONE game on a 36 game CBB ‘board’!
Thursday night’s NBA undercard has just three games on TNT with a doubleheader. The Phoenix Suns are in Miami to take on the Heat at 8:05 ET. The Suns beat the Heat 11-93 in Phoenix on January 6, scoring 47 points in the first quarter! Shaq was capped at eight points, the season low, in that contest, and these days he must feel like he still plays for the Lakers. Tonight’s game marks Miami’s 12th straight contest against a Western opponent. Miami is 7-4 SU and ATS in the top 11. The Heat are favored by 5 1/2 points tonight with a total of 211 1/2.
At the end of the game (10:35 ET), the Mavericks, owners of the league’s third-best record at 32-10, visit Seattle to face the Sonics. Dallas is 17-6 on the road (tying Detroit for the most road wins of any team) but just 10-11-2 ATS. Seattle has won back-to-back games for the first time since Bob Hill took over as head coach (4-7 overall), but comes in at just 14-27, after last year’s 52-win season. Dallas is favored by 5 1/2 points with a total of 210 1/2.
No. 9 West Va entered the AP poll at No. 9 on Monday, the school’s first visit to the top 10 in 24 years. The Mountaineers’ stay will not last long, as last night they were defeated at home (58-52) by a Marshall team that entered the game with a 7-9 record. The loss ended West Va’s 12-game winning streak, which was the longest in the country.
Illinois easily beat Minnesota 77-53 last night and captured its 32nd straight home win (a new school record). Gonzaga also has 32 consecutive home wins, but both schools are in the top 10 behind Southern Illinois, which has the longest home winning streak in the country with 33 consecutive wins.
For those of you who did not get the late scores, two Mountain West Conference schools are noteworthy. Air Force, a school in its THIRD coach in three seasons, opened 17-3 after beating UNLV last night (52-50).
Former Nugget head coach Jeff Bzdelik has done a great job. Especially when you consider that last year’s MWC co-player of the year (center Nick Welch 6-10) was lost with injury, before the start of the season. Last night, the Falcons overcame an 11-point deficit in the first half and finished the game with a 14-5 closing run!
Everyone remembers Steve Fisher’s dramatic run to the national title with Michigan in 1989. Well, these days, Fisher is living the good life in San Diego. Yet in his seventh year at San Diego State, Fisher has the Aztecs at their best start (13-6) in more than 20 years and their best conference start (6-1) in more than 30 years.
The Aztecs beat New Mexico 75-69 last night (a lack of coverage that hurt!) But Fisher’s team deserves congratulations on their great start. At guard Brandon Heath (17.9 points per game) and forward Marcus Slaughter (16.6-10.6 RPG), the Aztecs possess the most dynamic inside-outside combo in the league.
Tonight at 7:00 ET on ESPN, No. 2 Duke plays his first game since losing to Georgetown on Sunday (ending with a 17-0 start). The nation’s remaining three undefeated lost last Saturday and Duke will try to match the effort of Pittsburgh, which beat Syracuse 80-67 on Monday, not Florida, which lost last night in South Carolina 68-62, when the Blue Devils visit Blacksburg.
Duke escaped against Va Tech in their first meeting against the Hokies (12/4), winning 75-74 with a 40-foot shot from Sean Dockery at the bell. Va Tech enters this game 0-5 at ACC, but all five losses have come by just 25 points combined. Duke is favored by 11 points and the total is 141.
The only other game on national television tonight in the 36 college basketball board game schedule is a Sun Belt, La-Lafayette game in Western Kentucky. At 9:00 ET on ESPN2, the Hilltoppers, 13-5, including a 5-1 conference record, the best in the league, host the Rajun ‘Cajuns, who are just 5-12 and possess the worst record. conference call of any of the Sun Belt 11. teams (1-5). Western Ky is favored by 11 points with a total of 142 1/2.
In a game not on TV but NOT to be missed, No. 3 Memphis receives 14-3 UAB at 8:00 ET. The Tigers are off to the second-best start in school history, but they’re actually looking up at the Blazers in the C-USA standings. The UAB is 4-0 in the league, while Memphis is 3-0. With West Va’s loss last night, the UAB’s 10-game winning streak is the longest in the country. Memphis is favored by 10 with a total of 154.
Ness notes are available Monday through Friday at 1:00 ET. Due to travel plans, my NFL coverage will begin next Monday.