Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

A new Sixers column? Let’s get after it…

Evan Turner puts Philadelphia on blast

I’m certainly someone who holds a grudge when it comes to Philly sports figures who sucked in this fair city of ours. Some, however, ultimately slip through the cracks, forgotten for even freaks like myself. One player I hadn’t thought of in a long, long time was Turner.

On Monday night’s NBC pregame program before the Sixers took on the Heat in Miami, Turner, now a commentator, remarked that he “can’t stand Philadelphia.”

Turner doubled-down on his comments on social media after, calling his three-and-a-half years with the Sixers “a disgusting experience as a player” and referring to Boston as a “real sports city” in comparison.

This isn’t some guy like Donovan McNabb or Bobby Abreu, who were criticized often back in the day despite putting up stellar stats. He was, to be frank, terrible in Sixers red, white and blue. The No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Turner’s demeanor and disappointment on the court were the epitome of the post-Allen Iverson era, pre-Process era malaise that defined this Sixers franchise.

Sure, I’m just some idiot writing all of this from the comfort of his couch, but Philadelphia is far from the reason Turner’s career didn’t pan out despite his lofty draft status and his All-American accolades at Ohio State.

On the list of things that keep me up at night about the state of the Sixers and the things that have gone wrong for the organization in the last quarter of the century, Turner rarely warrants mention. Well, until now, I guess!

What happens if the Sixers only crack the Play-In Tournament?

I don’t mean this from a matchup perspective, but simply for what it means for us as Sixers fans, in our souls. I will preface with the caveat that I attended the Sixers’ Play-In home win over Miami back in 2024 and was rather thrilling as Nicolas Batum caught fire, nailing six threes on his way to 20 points in the victory, but I don’t want to have to deal with the stress of that!

It is what it is at the end of the day given the injuries Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have dealt with on top of Paul George’s suspension this season, but it remains a deflating and perhaps even a little bit of an embarrassing charade the team will have to go through, and, more importantly, overcome, if they can not be one of the top-six teams in the Eastern Conference. The East is the toughest it’s been in forever, so, I get that aspect, but we’d be adding another game (or more) to the never-ending anxiety this fan base faces. We don’t deserve it!

25 years ago this week…

On April 1, 2001, the Sixers hosted the Pacers in a playoff preview. Iverson, in the midst of his MVP campaign, torched Indiana for 37 points, adding seven assists and three steals along the way in the 104-93 win. The victory was the Sixers’ 51st of the season. They’d go on to finish with 56 wins on the year, the most for the franchise since its 58-win season in 1985.

A rookie grade for VJ Edgecombe

With seven regular season games remaining on the schedule for the Sixers, it feels apt to grade Edgecombe’s rookie season, 68 games in. He has roughly a 16-6-4 stat line. The shot was worlds better than I imagined it’d be. He’s played with the energy I expected. He’s been a blast to watch.

I give him an A- as the No. 3 pick.

Let’s see what his age-21 season holds for him come the fall!

How about the referees on Monday night in Miami?

For the well-being of Liberty Ballers as a whole, I will keep my mouth shut about whatever was happening on that front…

By this time next week, a men’s college basketball season that began all the way back in early November will end with nets having been cut and a champion crowned.

The Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament will begin this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Michigan, Arizona, UConn and Illinois will aim to add their names alongside some of the greatest, most revered teams in their sport’s history.

Though March and much of the month’s trademark madness is over, the most consequential and pressurized games of the season remain. This year, those high-stakes contests will take place between four teams that were all in the top 12 of the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll heading into the NCAA Tournament.

FINAL FOUR PREDICTIONS: Who will advance to 2026 national championship?

For millions of fans across the country, it’s not only a chance to see a champion be determined, but to get a final taste of the sport they love until a long, seven-month offseason begins.

Here’s what you need to know to watch the Final Four this weekend:

Mark Cuban says he has one big regret after cashing out of the Dallas Mavericks — and it’s not the sale itself.

“I don’t regret selling, I regret who I sold to. Yeah, yeah, I made a lot of mistakes in the process and I’ll leave it at that,” the billionaire entrepreneur said on an episode of the Intersections podcast published Tuesday.

He agreed in late 2023 to sell a controlling stake in the franchise to casino magnate Miriam Adelson and her family.

Cuban, who spent nearly 20 years as one of the “shark” investors on “Shark Tank,” said the grind of owning an NBA franchise ultimately pushed him toward the exit, describing it as an all-consuming emotional rollercoaster that wore him down over time.

“It’s a big emotional commitment, right? You hear the passion and everything — now imagine going up and down like that every single game. That’s hard,” he said.

The intensity of fan reactions — especially when the team struggled — made him wary of his children working in that environment and being subjected to what he described as abusive treatment, Cuban added.

But while the celeb money-man defended the decision to sell, he drew a line at how things unfolded after the deal — particularly a blockbuster trade involving franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić.

Cuban said he was blindsided when the Mavericks moved the star player, describing a chaotic late-night phone call that left him stunned.

“I got a text from a then-general manager and he said ‘Call.’ And I did and I thought he was asking me what I thought about a potential trade for Luka he was like, ‘No, Mark, it’s done,’” Cuban recounted.

“I was like, ‘What did we trade him for?’ And he told me — and no disrespect to Anthony Davis — but I’m like, ‘He’s hurt a lot.’”

The former owner said he immediately viewed the deal as a catastrophic mistake — one he had no power to stop.

“I called the new owner and he started telling me stuff that wasn’t true that he had been told as the reason why he approved it and I’m like, that’s not true — um, this is a mistake but nothing I can do,” Cuban said.

Cuban framed Dončić as a once-in-a-generation talent who should have been untouchable under any circumstances. he added.

Beyond basketball logic, Cuban suggested the decision was influenced by internal tensions and personal dynamics within the Mavericks organization.

Cuban also pointed to former general manager Nico Harrison as a key figure in the decision-making process, arguing that personal relationships may have skewed the front office’s judgment.

He noted Harrison had been close with Anthony Davis, the former Lakers star who went to the Mavs in the Dončić swap, since Davis was about 13 years old, while head coach Jason Kidd also previously coached him.

“You talk about confirmation bias, that there’s there was some of that, as well,” Cuban said, suggesting those ties contributed to the decision to trade away Dončić.

The comments highlight a growing rift between Cuban and the new ownership group led by Adelson, whose family acquired about 73% of the franchise in a deal valued at around $3.5 billion.

Cuban retained a minority stake but has increasingly signaled he no longer holds meaningful influence over basketball operations.

The Post has sought comment from Cuban and Adelson.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are “California Dreamin'” of a better playoff spot when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.

Cleveland has won six of its past seven games to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings, and the recent return of center Jarrett Allen is stoking this late-season surge.

My Cavaliers vs. Lakers predictions see Allen posing a big problem for the Los Angeles defense, and our NBA picks like him to light up La-La Land inside.

Cavaliers vs Lakers prediction

Cavaliers vs Lakers best bet: Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points (-125)

Jarrett Allen missed about a month with a knee injury, but he looked fantastic in his first game back last Friday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers center put in just 18 minutes against the Miami Heat, but he still went 8-for-10 from the floor with 18 points and 10 rebounds. 

Allen took the night off against Utah yesterday, the first of back-to-back road contests, giving him a full three days of rest and recovery before tonight's contest with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the second leg of a back-to-back and have major defensive issues inside. Their star-studded backcourt leaves DeAndre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, and Maxi Kleber as middling options in the paint.

The Purple and Gold are left black and blue by bruising interior attacks like Cleveland, which ranks Top 4 in touches in the key. The Lakers have allowed 53 points in the paint per game this month and didn’t have an answer for Allen in their most recent run-in with the Cavs.

He finished 8-for-11 for 17 points in 24 minutes during a 129-99 blowout of L.A. in late January. All of Allen’s field goal attempts came inside the paint, and all but two were directly at the rim.

Allen is expected to see an uptick in minutes, and his player projections sit north of 12.5 points, with a ceiling flirting with 15.

Cavaliers vs Lakers same-game parlay

As much as the Cavaliers need to keep rolling, the Lakers are caught in the middle of their own postseason push.

Los Angeles was able to take care of Washington last night, and Luka Doncic has fresh legs after serving a one-game suspension.
 
Doncic is back in the mix, playing the role of primary ball handler and dishing out dimes. Forecasts call for as many as nine assists against a Cleveland defense sitting 27th in opponent assist rate.

Cavaliers vs Lakers SGP

• Lakers -2
• Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points
• Luka Doncic Over 7.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Center of Attention

With a few days off since returning to play, Allen will see his minutes trend back toward his usual workload.

Boasting a high ceiling, projections call for as many as 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a shot swat against a weak L.A. interior defense.

Cavaliers vs Lakers SGP

• Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points
• Jarrett Allen Over 6.5 rebounds
• Jarrett Allen Over 1.5 assists
• Jarrett Allen Over 0.5 blocks

Cavaliers vs Lakers odds

• Spread: Cavaliers +2 (-110) | Lakers -2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Cavaliers +115 | Lakers -135
• Over/Under: Over 236.5 (-110) | Under 236.5 (-110)

Cavaliers vs Lakers betting trend to know

Los Angeles has come through as a moneyline winner in 15 of its last 17 games (+14.10 Units / 21% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Lakers.

How to watch Cavaliers vs Lakers

Cavaliers vs Lakers latest injuries

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Neither the New York Knicks nor the Houston Rockets can afford to slip a game in the NBA standings at the moment, yet one of them will tonight.

My Knicks vs. Rockets predictions and these NBA picks look at Houston’s most inconsistent piece as reason enough to trust New York on Tuesday, March 31.

Knicks vs Rockets prediction

Knicks vs Rockets best bet: Alperen Sengun Under 8.5 Rebounds (+102)

The New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets have one thing in common: rebounding. The two lead the NBA in rebounding rate in March, both at 54.8%.

This has been a season-long emphasis for both, though more the Rockets. Up until March, Houston led the NBA in rebounding by snagging 54.5% of available boards, while New York was No. 5 at 51.7%.

Going against an equally-quality team on the glass, one led by Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart, should expose Alperen Sengun for his inconsistencies. The Turkish big man has an All-NBA career in front of him, but in his fifth season, he still too often puts forth a dud.

Rebounding is the one area Sengun should contribute no matter anything else, no matter the opposing defensive game plan, no matter if his shot has abandoned him for a night.

Yet he has fallen short of this modest prop in two of his last three games and in seven of 13 games in March despite the Rockets’ overall surge on the glass.

The Knicks’ frontcourt has too many dedicated rebounders. Expect Sengun’s inconsistency to rear its head tonight.

Knicks vs Rockets same-game parlay

Sengun’s struggles should be Karl-Anthony Towns’ and Mitchell Robinson’s gains.

The pair of 7-footers make New York a unique matchup nightmare for everyone else in the league, their games different enough to allow some overlap in their minutes while their mere existences provide the Knicks a 7-footer on the court at pretty much all minutes.

There will be nowhere for Sengun to hide.

Knicks vs Rockets SGP

• Alperen Sengun Under 8.5 rebounds
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds
• Mitchell Robinson Over 7.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: New York's Defensive Rebounding

A not insignificant number of basketball coaches liken rebounds to forced turnovers; they end an opponent’s possession.

Towns and Robinson crashing the boards tonight should serve to undercut Houston’s offense. The Rockets are No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rebounding rate. Severing some of those second chances will diminish Houston’s effectiveness.

Knicks vs Rockets SGP

• Knicks moneyline
• Under 217.5
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds
• Mitchell Robinson Over 7.5 rebounds

Knicks vs Rockets odds

• Spread: New York +1 | Houston -1
• Moneyline: New York -110 | Houston -110
• Over/Under: Over 217.5 | Under 217.5

Knicks vs Rockets betting trend to know

Houston is 2-8 against the spread in its last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Rockets.

How to watch Knicks vs Rockets

Knicks vs Rockets latest injuries

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For bench and role players in the NBA, March nights can feel like auditions. 

Not the spotlight-soaked kind that is only reserved for superstars, but the raw, flickering moments that are held in the shadows of an 82-game grind, when the margins become razor-thin, the rotations unstable, and the cracks begin to show. 

The latest five-game stretch for the Lakers has been exactly that: a stress test disguised as survival.

At least one player has been missing in the starting lineup, and in some cases several. Day-to-day isn’t just an injury update, it’s a Facebook status. 

With no guarantee of who’s available for the Lakers from one night to the next, bench and role players need to step up and seize the opportunity. 

Different names. Different nights, but the same end goal. 

Let’s start in Orlando on March 31, where Luke Kennard authored a moment that felt like it belonged in June. Off the bench, and still relatively new to the locker room, he dropped 13 points and buried a buzzer-beating three that didn’t just win a game, but introduced him to Lakers lore. 

LUKE KENNARD HITS THE GO-AHEAD 3 TO WIN IT FOR THE LAKERS

LOS ANGELES HAS WON 9 GAMES IN A ROW! pic.twitter.com/1kZR6dsqQk

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2026

“He’s a problem,” head coach JJ Redick said. “He’s very steady and very consistent in execution and effort. He’s just been a terrific decision maker for us.”

Kennard isn’t supposed to be a savior. He’s supposed to be a three-point specialist. But in that moment, he became something else: a glimpse of what this Lakers team might need off the bench when the floor shrinks in the postseason and the stars inevitably get swallowed by series-long defensive schemes.

In Indiana a few days later and without two starters, including sixth man Rui Hachimura, the Lakers normal rotation was bent out of shape. One of those missing starters was center DeAndre Ayton. That thrust backup big man Jaxon Hayes into the starting lineup. He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.

By the time the team returned home from their six-game road trip to face the Wizards, the situation had tipped from inconvenient to borderline absurd.

Luka Doncic was suspended after picking up his 16 technical foul against Brooklyn. No Marcus Smart. A backcourt held together with duct tape and opportunity for other guys to shine. 

Jarred Vanderbilt stretched beyond his usual 17 minutes into something closer to responsibility. Bronny James Jr., a name still carrying more expectation than experience, logged a season-high 26 minutes — not as a novelty, but as a necessity.

And other role players? They didn’t just hold the line — they pushed it forward.

Hachimura returned with 14 points. Kennard caught fire again with 19, drilling four from deep like a man who suddenly knows exactly where he belongs. Hayes stayed perfect — 8-for-8 from the field, casually adding a three-pointer to a résumé that, until recently, didn’t include one.

“I’m an NBA player. I can’t just work on dunks all day,” joked Hayes of his three-point shooting prowess. 

This wasn’t a one-off.

Nobody knows more about that requirement than the man who has the most wins in NBA history —both regular season and postseason combined — the architect of four NBA titles, LeBron James. 

James has seen this before.

He’s lived it. He’s won because of it. He knows these moments for these players can pay dividends during the postseason. 

“In the postseason it can be a different guy every night,” James said, cutting straight to the truth. “Luka [Doncic] and AR [Austin Reaves] are going to do what they do, but every given night… you can have a different guy step up and make impact plays. It definitely helps to have moments like they’ve had.”

The Lakers will only go as far as Doncic, James, and Reaves will take them, but playoff games could be determined by nights like these. 

By whether Kennard’s confidence holds when the lights get hotter. By whether Hayes’ evolution is real or just a well-timed stretch. By whether Vanderbilt and Bronny can make the most of smaller minutes in bigger moments.

Repetition is the mother of learning, and right now, the Lakers bench and role players are cramming for an exam they know is coming.

The postseason doesn’t ask politely. It demands answers.

And for the first time in weeks, the Lakers might actually have a few more of them.

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With eight games to go, the Toronto Raptors are still fighting to seal a Top 6 spot, and that tight race could look a little different after tonight’s visit to the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit continues to compete despite Cade Cunningham’s absence, but my Raptors vs. Pistons predictions expect Scottie Barnes to make his mark on this matchup as Toronto looks for a third straight win.

Read on for my free NBA picks ahead of this March 31 clash.

Raptors vs Pistons prediction

Raptors vs Pistons best bet: Scottie Barnes Over 14.5 rebounds + assists (+102)

There’s a lot to like about the way Scottie Barnes is sparking a Toronto Raptors team that needs a strong finish to avoid play-in peril, and he’s a value pick for another do-it-all outing tonight.

Barnes has blown past this combo O/U number in each of his last four contests, and I see him repeating the trick against a Detroit Pistons team on the second night of a back-to-back set.

Barnes has flashed his passing skills ever since he came into the league, but he’s gone up another level lately, headlined by a 15-assist effort against the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

With Immanuel Quickley still out, Scottie is well placed for a fifth straight outing with double-digit dimes, and his playmaking allows Darko Rajakovic to turn to lineups without a traditional point guard.

He’ll be a factor on the glass, too, where he’s averaging 7.7 RPG this year, and that’ll be especially vital if Jalen Duren returns for the Pistons here after missing yesterday’s game in OKC.

Plus, Barnes finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists against Detroit earlier this month in another reminder that he belongs among the top two-way talents in the league.

The Raptors are still trying to prove they can beat the top teams in the East, and a monster stat line from Barnes is their best ticket to escaping with a victory tonight.

Raptors vs Pistons same-game parlay

With Barnes pulling the strings, Ja’Kobe Walter has cashed in some open looks from beyond the arc. Walter has knocked down 3+ triples in four of his last five contests, and he’s making his corner 3s at a 49% clip.

But I still see this game hitting the Under, which is 45-29 for the Raptors this season and 41-34 for the Pistons. Both teams rank in the Top 10 stingiest defenses, and there are some key bucket-getters on the injury report.

Raptors vs Pistons SGP

• Scottie Barnes Over 14.5 rebounds + assists
• Ja’Kobe Walter Over 1.5 3-pointers
• Under 220

Our "from downtown" SGP: Jump on Jenkins

Daniss Jenkins has embraced a bigger role without Cade Cunningham on the floor, and I see him putting up impressive numbers again here, despite a grueling battle with SGA last night. 

Jenkins has dished 6+ dimes in five of his last six outings for the Pistons, who are 28-9 SU at Little Caesars Arena, and he’s shooting a steady 39% from downtown in March.

Raptors vs Pistons SGP

• Daniss Jenkins Over 15.5 points
• Daniss Jenkins Over 5.5 assists
• Daniss Jenkins Over 3.5 rebounds
• Pistons moneyline

Raptors vs Pistons odds

• Spread: Toronto +2.5 (-110) | Detroit -2.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Toronto +125 | Detroit -150
• Over/Under: Over 220 (-110) | Under 220 (-110)

Raptors vs Pistons betting trend to know

The Pistons are 7-1 SU in their last eight matchups against the Raptors. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Pistons.

How to watch Raptors vs Pistons

Raptors vs Pistons latest injuries

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ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Iran soccer players and officials posed with pictures of children allegedly killed by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes before their World Cup warmup against Costa Rica on Tuesday.

There were no spectators at the stadium in Antalya but FIFA President Gianni Infantino was present.

The Iran players were joined by coach Amir Ghalenoei, Iran Football Federation vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi and staff members, holding the photographs while singing the national anthem.

Iran won the match 5-0.

The players' gesture came after they held small backpacks on Friday before another warmup against Nigeria, to honor the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in southern Iran. More than 165 people were killed, most of them children, in the Feb. 28 strike likely launched by the U.S.

Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility for the attack which has been widely criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups. The U.S. military is investigating and has said it would never target civilians.

Iranian government and soccer officials have said they do not want to boycott the World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico in June, but that it was not possible for the national team to go to the U.S. because of the war started by the U.S. and Israel.

The Islamic Republic’s team is to play three group stage matches in the U.S. The Iran ambassador in Mexico City has said the country asked FIFA to move those three games to Mexico after U.S. President Donald Trump discouraged the team from attending, citing safety concerns.

Infantino has dampened Iran attempts to move its matches, saying FIFA wants its tournament “to go ahead as scheduled.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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March usually belongs to the college kids and their “madness,” but if you’ve ever tried tackling NBA player props in the waning days of the schedule, you know a thing or two about going mad.

With so many mixed motivations, along with injuries and changing rotations, the home stretch of the NBA season is loaded with pitfalls for prop bettors.

I search for simplicity in these complicated times and close out the month with my best NBA picks for Tuesday, March 31.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Paolo Banchero	Over 23.5 points	+100
Karl-Anthony Towns	Over 17.5 points	-105
Scottie Barnes	Under 7.5 assists	-140

Prop #1: Paolo Banchero Over 23.5 points

+100 at bet365

The Orlando Magic hit rock bottom in an embarrassing loss to the Toronto Raptors this past weekend.

But hey, you can only go up from there, right?

That’s true for Paolo Banchero, who finished 3-for-14 from the floor and scored just nine points in Toronto. His putrid performance kept Orlando on a 1-7 SU slide, pushing it back into the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.

I like a bounce-back spot for a desperate Banchero, with the team returning home to face the Phoenix Suns. Before that blip north of the border, he was on a tear, posting 30, 36, and 39 points in his previous three games while averaging more than 25 points this month.

Sunday’s shooting slump has knocked Banchero's points prop down a few pegs. His scoring total was as high as 25.5 O/U during that hot streak, and tonight’s projections sit between 23 and 25 points, with most books leaning above 24. 

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida, KPHE

Prop #2: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 17.5 points

-105 at bet365

The New York Knicks continue to take three steps forward and two steps back, following a seven-game winning streak with back-to-back losses. 

That stumble puts New York off the pace of the Celtics and Pistons atop the Eastern Conference standings and has fingers pointing at standout Karl-Anthony Towns, following an offensive power outage.

Towns has shot the ball just 17 total times in those losses, hitting 10 of those attempts and finishing with outputs of 13 and 15 points. NBA analysts are calling for KAT to play a bigger role and demand touches in the Knicks’ offense, especially with the playoffs closing in.

His point totals are shrinking like they jumped in a cold swimming pool, down from 20.5 to 17.5 O/U. That presents a buyback spot at Houston tonight.

Towns already torched the Houston Rockets for 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting back in February, and his player projections all sit well above this 17.5-point mark, ranging from 19.4 to as high as 23.4. 

Before going MIA the last two games, KAT has scored 21 or more points in seven of eight games. 

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC/Peacock, MSG

Prop #3: Scottie Barnes Under 7.5 assists

-140 at bet365

Scottie Barnes is doing his best John Stockton impersonation. The Toronto Raptors' small forward has stepped up as a primary ball handler, with the lineup missing key cogs in Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram. 

He’s dished out 10, 12, 12, and 15 dimes over his last four outings, generating 16.8 potential assists per game in that span.

Helping those helpers has been a slate of foes immune to playmaking, facing the likes of Utah, the L.A. Clippers, and New Orleans — all of which sit in the bottom half in opponent assist rate. Toronto has also shot a blistering 53% from the field in those outings.

Barnes, who was averaging 5.4 assists on 9.4 potential dimes before this stretch, will see his passing prowess come back to earth tonight. The Raptors visit the Detroit Pistons and their top-tier defense.

The Pistons’ drum-tight No. 2 defensive rating doesn’t let opponents pass gas, let alone the basketball. Detroit boasts the fifth-lowest defensive assist rate and the fewest assists allowed (23.4), tightening that belt to 22.5 assists allowed over the last dozen games.

Ingram could also return to action tonight after sitting out two of those previous four games. That will take the ball out of Barnes' hands more often.
 
Projections remain grounded while the prop market isn’t. Barnes' assist total is up to 7.5 O/U, but models barely breach six dimes, sitting as short as 5.3 assists. The Under is a juicy play, but worth it considering the contrast in forecasts and foe.

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Detroit Extra, Rogers Sportsnet Toronto, WMYD

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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