Spurs at Blazers Headline Wednesday NBA Northwest Action
The San Antonio Spurs come to the Pacific Northwest to battle the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. The Spurs are fresh off a 113-103 win over the Pacific Division leaders, the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday despite being short handed with point guard Tony Parker injured and out of action. Patty Mills stepped up on Tuesday for the Spurs with 25 points and so did Marco Belinelli with 20 points and Tim Duncan with 19.
Portland will be in their first game since the All-Star Break. They trail the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Northwest Division by 6.0 games but in a tie with the Houston Rockets for the third seed in the Western Conference standings. The Rockets are in action on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Dropping form the third spot means falling all the way to the fifth spot since the Clippers are guaranteed at least a four seed as a division champion. So keeping up with Houston is very important for Portland as the difference between third and fifth means starting the playoffs at home or on the road against the Clippers.
Portland was right in the thick of the Northwest race seemingly not long ago, but they have been struggling a bit over the last month after getting off to such a hot start. Perhaps the All-Star Break came at just the right time for them as they try to get things going back in the right direction. They need to get going now if they want to host a first round series. If the playoffs began today they would not as the rockets have a tie breaker advantage over them. They would instead be headed to Los Angeles to play the Clippers in Round One.
In other Northwest action on Wednesday, the Eastern Conference leading Indiana Pacers will be at the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets will visit the Utah Jazz. The Pacers are coming off a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night 108-98. Paul George led the Pacers with 26 points as they extended the Hawks losing streak to six in a row. The Wolves will be in their first game since the break.
The Nets and Jazz will both be in their first action since the break as well. The Jazz are looking forward to the NBA Draft Lottery, the the Nets are very much in the playoff picture. They currently sit second in the Atlantic Division at 24-27, 4.0 games behind the Toronto Raptors. The Nets are also seventh in the Eastern Conference standings as well.
Top Bet has odds on tonight’s Northwest Division games:
San Antonio at Portland– The Spurs are +3.5 -110 and the Blazers are -3.5 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Portland -130 and San Antonio +110. We like Portland -3.5 -110 in this one as they are the more rested team.
Indiana at Minnesota– Indiana is -4 -110 and Minnesota +4 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Indiana -170 and Minnesota +150. We like the Pacers -4 -110 in this one. The T-Wolves have trouble in close games.
Brooklyn at Utah– The Nets are -2.5 -110 and the Jazz are +2.5 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Brooklyn -165 and Utah +145. We like the Nets -2.5 -110 in this one.
