{"id":37795,"date":"2021-03-04T11:40:50","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T16:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=37795"},"modified":"2021-03-04T11:40:50","modified_gmt":"2021-03-04T16:40:50","slug":"big-slate-of-nba-games-ahead-of-all-star-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/03\/04\/big-slate-of-nba-games-ahead-of-all-star-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA: Big Slate of Games Ahead of All-Star Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ahead of the five-day break for All-Star Weekend, the NBA schedule is packed with a nine-game slate on Thursday. Thursday\u2019s slate of NBA action features one nationally televised game on TNT in addition to a couple of marquee conference matchups. Check out the Last Word on Pro Basketball staff\u2019s official predictions for NBA action on Thursday night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Big Slate of NBA Games Ahead of All-Star Weekend<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Miami Heat at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:30 pm ET on TNT\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/heat\/\" target=\"_self\">Miami Heat<\/a> (17-18) have turned a corner after the long absence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jimmy Butler<\/strong><\/a> earlier this season. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and his squad are 6-4 in their last 10 games including a six-game winning streak to end February. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pelicans\/\" target=\"_self\">New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> currently sit 15-20 for the 11th seed in the Western Conference. These two teams met once before, back on Christmas Day. Miami walked away with a 111-98 home victory, each team\u2019s second game of the year. Butler remains the \u201cX\u201d factor in this series. Although Butler played just 16 minutes in the first matchup, Miami still emerged victorious. Miami is just 4-10 in games without Butler this season, including their last loss to the Atlanta Hawks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Butler has been listed as questionable with right knee inflammation while missing the past two games, however, he traveled with the team to New Orleans. It\u2019s quite possible he plays. The betting line opened with New Orleans at -3 (110). If Butler plays, expect the Heat to at least cover this spread. If he sits, with New Orleans playing at home, the Pelicans should have no problem winning this one by more than three points.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jimmy Butler traveled with Heat to New Orleans for Thursday&#39;s game at Pelicans (9:30 p.m., TNT, Brian Anderson\/Grant Hill). So quite possible he could play<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/flasportsbuzz\/status\/1367236565865533448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 3, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>NBA Eastern Conference Rivals: Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tonight\u2019s NBA matchup with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/raptors\/\" target=\"_self\">Toronto Raptors<\/a> visiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/celtics\/\" target=\"_self\">Boston Celtics<\/a> is a tale of two tapes. Toronto, currently 17-18, is trending in the wrong direction after a run-in with the league\u2019s COVID-19 protocols. The Raptors have lost three of their last four including a postponed matchup with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/bulls\/\" target=\"_self\">Chicago Bulls<\/a> to end February. Five players including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vanvlfr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Fred VanVleet<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/siakapa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Pascal Siakam<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anunoog01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>OG Anunoby<\/strong><\/a> were ruled out for last night\u2019s 24-point loss to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pistons\/\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Pistons<\/a>. It\u2019s likey those same five will remain sidelined tonight. Boston sits fourth in the Eastern Conference with an 18-17 record while riding a nice three-game winning streak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every time Boston and Toronto match up, fans are reminded of the dramatic 2019-20 Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston opened as -8 (110) favorites on the betting line and should have no issues in this one. In their last two matchups this season, the Celtics have won by 12 and 14 points, respectively. Eight points is a large spread but expect another double-digit win for Boston tonight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;4495&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3><b>Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/bucks\/\" target=\"_self\">Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> travel to take on the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/grizzlies\/\" target=\"_self\">Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend. Despite their inconsistency, Milwaukee is still considered one of the best teams in the entire NBA. The Bucks are 21-14 for the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference. It\u2019s been difficult to get a true read on who the Bucks are this year. In their last 15 games, Milwaukee won five, lost five, and then rebounded for five more consecutive victories. The Bucks, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/antetgi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/strong><\/a> averaging 29.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season, are fully healthy heading into the break. However, can the Grizzlies catch them napping ahead of All-Star Weekend?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Memphis sits at 16-15 and near the back half of the Western Conference, which is where all the experts had them pegged heading into this season. The Grizzlies have also been without forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jacksja02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jaren<\/strong> <strong>Jackson Jr.<\/strong><\/a> all season while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/allengr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Grayson Allen<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anderky01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kyle Anderson<\/strong><\/a> are listed as questionable. Still, Memphis is 9-9 as underdogs against the spread this season and 17-14 ATS overall. Milwaukee, on the other hand, has a sub-.500 overall record ATS and just 6-9 as away favorites. The betting line opened with Milwaukee as -6 (110) favorites. Expect the Bucks to pull off a win, but this game plays closer than it should.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>NBA Battle Out West: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thursday\u2019s slate of NBA action concludes with a Western Conference matchup between the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/warriors\/\" target=\"_self\">Golden State Warriors<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/suns\/\" target=\"_self\">Phoenix Suns<\/a>. Golden State appears desperate for the All-Star break after concluding a four-game East Coast trip. The Warriors enjoyed one game at home before two away losses to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/lakers\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/trailblazers\/\" target=\"_self\">Portland Trail Blazers<\/a>. Golden State suffered their last loss to Portland just last night before a quick trip down to Phoenix. The Suns are 12-2 in their last 14 games since the beginning of February and, at 23-11, now own the second seed in the West.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;4534&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s never a good idea to bet against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Stephen Curry<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> but this matchup favors the Suns way too much. Phoenix is 23-11 against the spread this season including a 17-9 record ATS when favored. The Suns are also 12-7 ATS with one day of rest. The betting line opened closer than expected with the current trends of these two squads. Phoenix is favored just -2.5 (110), which may be indicative of Curry\u2019s prowess, but the Suns should easily cover this win.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<br \/>\n<a id=\"fetyWkxIST98nPaIETngng\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1296244819\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'fetyWkxIST98nPaIETngng',sig:'7O06jkaGNwJXp7rc2i_Y_Dd_uvhokicQpqx989XoFWs=',w:'594px',h:'390px',items:'1296244819',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ahead of the five-day break for All-Star Weekend, the NBA schedule is packed with a nine-game slate on Thursday. Thursday\u2019s slate of NBA action features one nationally televised game on TNT in addition to a couple of marquee conference matchups. Check out the Last Word on Pro Basketball staff\u2019s official predictions for NBA action on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3508,"featured_media":37800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608],"tags":[302,182,207,255,219,220,280,318],"class_list":["post-37795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","tag-boston-celtics","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-miami-heat","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-toronto-raptors"],"modified_by":"Dylan Guest, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3508"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37795\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}