NBA Friday Action Gets The Weekend Started
After a quiet Thursday with just two NBA games, the league returns to full action on Friday the 7th of November. There are plenty of games to enjoy and whether you want to see if the Cavs can turn it around, or whether you enjoy seeing LeBron lose, there could be something of interest for you.
When it comes to seeing tipped teams lose, basketball fans would have enjoyed Thursday night as the NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs, slipped to a 98-81 defeat at the Houston Rockets. Life isn’t too easy for the NBA Champions. The other game on Thursday saw the Trail Blazers triumph against the Mavericks by a score of 108-87.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Denver Nuggets
While there were plenty of noises coming out from the Cavs that there would need to be a development this season, there was an expectation that the introduction of LeBron James would transform the team and ensure that they received a big push towards the Play-Offs and even the title this season. So far, as the 1-3 record indicates, this is not the case and the Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling to find form.
The buzzer defeat to the Utah Jazz left James looking on in disbelief, this is not a basketball player accustomed to losing twice in the space of twenty four hours. Of course, it isn’t just LeBron on board at the Cavs, there is also Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, players who made the Cavs the bookies favourite for the Championship. The team isn’t coming together yet though, and it seems as though the chemistry isn’t available yet for the Cavs.
Irving delivered 45 points in the game but many people looked at the fact that he didn’t offer any assists as to being a true reflection of where the Cavs are at the moment. Perhaps one of the reasons that the Cavs aren’t winning at the moment is the fact that James appears to prefer to allow the team to develop, as opposed to dominating teams. Many felt that LeBron would come in and dominate games, but it almost looks as if he is sacrificing points and games at the moment to develop a better team structure as opposed to an outfit that is solely based on his skills, talent and drive. There is a need for the Cavs to work on their defensive approach to games, and this is likely to be a more pressing issue than the points the team score.
The Nuggets also have a 1-3 start but they don’t have the expectations or pressure placed on them that the Cavs have. The Nuggets started the campaign with a win but have lost their next three games, shipping an average of 114.3 points in these defeats.
The Cavs triumphed in both games last season and even though Cleveland are short of where they should be, they should have too much for Denver. The Cavs at 1.90 for -4.5 is a great bet to get the weekend started. Bet Now!
Atlanta Hawks @ Charlotte Hornets
Both of these teams currently have a record with more losses than wins, a 1-2 record for the Hawks while the Hornets hold a 2-3 record, so at least one team will return to parity after the end of this game in Charlotte. The Hornets will be hoping that home advantage makes a difference, with the team looking to pick up their 3rd win 4 matches at home, but they will be looking to stop a run of defeats to the Hawks at home in this game. Al Jefferson has been on form this season, grabbing 28 points against Miami in midweek, and he will need to be on form in this game if the Hornets want to get a 3-3 record before the weekend truly kicks in.
One thing that Atlanta will need to improve is how they start games. It is easy to focus on the final quarter but if a team gives themselves too much to do, it will mean that fourth quarter heroics are out of the question.
It looks as though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is likely to return for the Hornets after bruised ribs, while Paul Millsap will be looking to continue a strong run of scoring form against Charlotte.
It is going to be a close one but taking the Hawks at odds of 1.86 with a +2.0 start could be the best way to get a return from this game on Friday night. Bet Now!
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Orlando Magic
With a 2-2 record, it is not as if the Timberwolves are ripping up trees with their form so far in the 2014/15 NBA season but up against an Orlando Magic team that is sitting with a 1-4 record, the Timbewolves are clearly doing something right that their opponents is not.
One thing to look out for will be the battle of the Montenegrin centers who both go by the name of Nikola. Vucevic plays for the Magic while Pekovic plays for the Timberwolves, and both of these players will be central to their teams’ hopes of success on Friday night.
Vucevic is crucial to the long-term success of the Magic, a fact that is highlighted by the fact he signed a $53 four year contract extension with the team in October. The player, who stands at 7 foot tall, grabbed 17 points on Wednesday as the Magic halted their four game losing streak.
Pekovic is also showing some good form, having already picked up two double-doubles this season, the second coming in the midweek win against the Nets. The win was also achieved thanks to Kevin Martin delivering 26 points, a game high for his team and with Andrew Wiggins, the top pick in the NBA Draft, grabbing 17 points, an NBA best for the player, the Timberwolves showed a good bit of form in their last game.
It has been 6 years since the Timberwolves triumphed in Orlando but with odds of 1.90 for the Timberwolves at -3.0, this is a bet that should pay off. Bet Now!
The stage is set for the Euroleague Championship match and it looks like being a fantastic evening. The team from the host city are involved in the match and not only are Fenerbahce Istanbul looking for their first ever Euroleague, they want to be the first Turkish team to lift the trophy. This may see... 
The regular season record for Real Madrid stood at 23-7 and CSKA Moscow’s stood at 22-8, but for both teams, the only important record is the Final Four one and this stands at 0-1 for both of them. These are the teams that sat at the top of the regular season table but that counts... 
The Euroleague Final Four is upon us again and the Semi Final games take place on Friday evening. The matches are all taking place in Istanbul and it is inevitable that focus will on Fenerbahce, playing in their home city. There will be plenty of backing for the Istanbul side but of course, they face...