Remember when the Phoenix Suns transformed the calculus of the Western Conference by trading for Kevin Durant? He and Devin Booker showed terrific synergy in three big road wins, but then came the home opener on Wednesday. KD came down from a layup in pre-game warmups, and his left foot found a wet spot on the floor. He ended up in a boot and may have a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which could cause him to miss the remainder of the regular season and maybe even some of the first round of the postseason. An MRI on Thursday will reveal more, according to ESPN. Durant also missed 20 games with Brooklyn and Phoenix after a knee injury in early January. As we head into Week 22 of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, check out our top two NBA picks.
NBA News: Betting Preview for Week 22
Utah Jazz at Miami Heat
Monday, March 13 – 7:30 pm ET | The Jazz are in a tailspin right now, having lost four in a row, five of eight and nine of 13 overall. Their last four losses have come against San Antonio, Oklahoma City (twice) and Dallas, so we’re not talking about elite NBA competition. That loss in Dallas came on Tuesday as Kyrie Irving put up 33 points for the Mavericks, 17 coming in the fourth quarter. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 31 points of his own, and Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in 21. The Jazz were missing two starters (shooting guard Jordan Clarkson with a sprained finger and center Walker Kessler with a non-COVID illness).
The Heat have dropped three of five, including a 104-100 home loss to Cleveland on Wednesday. They see the Cavaliers again at home on Friday night before going into the weekend. Miami shot 57% as a team over the first three quarters, but then the Cleveland defense held them to just 18 points in the fourth period. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 28 points in the loss. Tyler Herro chipped in 22, and Bam Adebayo scored 17. Herro dropped a three-ball with 20.1 seconds on the clock in regulation to make it a two-point game, but that was as close as the Heat would get. Miami did turn the ball over 24 times, a season worst, and Cleveland turned those miscues into 29 points. Miami to win.
Milwaukee Bucks at Sacramento Kings
Monday, March 13 – 10:00 pm ET | Milwaukee saw a 16-game winning streak come to an end last weekend when they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers at home, 133-130, in what could turn out to be a preview of an entertaining playoff series. They started a road trip by firing off two wins to start a new streak, beating Washington and Orlando on the road by a combined 17 points. Their win over Orlando came on Tuesday in 134-123 fashion, and they host Brooklyn on Thursday before visiting Golden State on Saturday and ending up in Sacramento two nights later. In the win over the Magic, Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 26 points, and Jevon Carter and Khris Middleton each contributed 24. Bobby Portis Jr (16) and Jae Crowder (15) also hit double figures in points, and Portis also had 11 boards. Jrue Holiday (neck) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (non-COVID-19 illness) missed the game, but the Bucks still cruised to their 18th win in their last 19 games, shooting 59% overall from the floor and making it 14 wins in a row over Orlando.
The Kings will make a tougher adversary for the Bucks. Sacramento has won six of seven, including a 123-108 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The key quarter in that win was the third, when the Kings went off for 38 points while holding the Pelicans to just 20. Kevin Huerter led Sacramento with 25 points, and Damontas Sabonis posted his eighth triple-double of 2022-23 (19 points, 11 boards, 11 assists). His 52 double-doubles lead the NBA. The Kings were playing without injured star De’Aaron Fox, and Davion Mitchell started in his place, putting up 15 points and six assists. Trey Lyles came off the bench to score 14. You’ll want to check the injury report before locking in your wagers, to see what the status is on Fox as well as Giannis and Jrue for the Bucks. With their rosters the way they are now, give me Sacramento to win.
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