Steve Merril’s NBA Full Court Report (February 2)

The NBA takes center stage with a pair of nationally televised games on Thursday nights. Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference meet when Cleveland visits Miami. Meanwhile, the defending world champion Spurs visit a young but talented team from Golden State.

Below is a look at both TNT matches tonight.

CLEVELAND at MIAMI (-7,198) (TNT)

The Cavaliers have been a very streaky team this season, both for the good and the bad. They started the year 9-2 ATS and then went just 1-8 ATS. That was followed by an 8-1 ATS run and then a recent 2-6 ATS drop. The Cavaliers are heating up once again as they entered last night riding a 6-0 SU (5-0-1 ATS) run. Cleveland extended their outright winning streak to seven games, but ultimately failed to cover the point spread by a single point, winning 91-85 as a 7-point home favorite.

LeBron James led the way with a triple-double by posting 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Nets. The win improved Cleveland’s home record to 17-5 SU this season, but the Cavaliers have been weaker on the road, going just 10-12 SU. Cleveland has also struggled against top teams with a 4-7 ATS underdog record, compared to a 21-10 ATS record as a points favorite. However, Cleveland has gone 4-2 ATS in his last six underdog roles.

Miami was embarrassed in the first head-to-head meeting on December 15 when Cleveland won 115-107 as the home favorite by 1½ points. Cleveland dominated the game more than the final eight-point margin would seem to indicate, as the Cavaliers held a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

Miami enters this game with three straight wins, including a 118-114 home win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday in which the Heat barely covered as a 4 ½-point favorite. Overall, Miami is 9-3 SU (7-5 ​​ATS) over its last twelve games.

Star guard Dwyane Wade continues to battle an ankle injury and missed the Heat’s 91-85 win in Charlotte on Saturday night. Wade has played well the past two games, scoring 32 and 28 points, but point guard depth is a concern as backup Jason Williams remains out with a broken finger.

SAN ANTONIO (-7) in THE GOLDEN STATE (TNT)

Golden State played its third straight game last night without leading scorer Jason Richardson, who is battling back pain. Richardson is questionable again tonight and leads the Warriors in scoring (22.8 ppg) and is second in assists (2.8 ppg), steals (1.4 ppg) and third in rebounds ( 5.9 points per game).

Golden State lost in Seattle 111-107, but point guard Baron Davis played terrific and led the way with 35 points and nine assists. The Warriors led 62-56 at halftime but were outscored 29-9 in the third quarter and trailed by 14 points entering the final period.

Golden State had outplayed its previous two opponents without Richardson when the Warriors beat Portland 98-83 on Saturday, following a 106-105 overtime loss to the Lakers the night before. Golden State led the Lakers by seven points going into the fourth quarter. Overall, the Warriors have been playing better than their recent direct record seems to indicate, as Golden State has led entering the fourth quarter in seven of their last nine games.

San Antonio has won and covered five straight games and overall the defending world champions are 36-10 SU this season and 15-7 SU on the road. Despite the solid win/loss percentage, bettors have overrated the Spurs as evidenced by the team’s mediocre 22-23 ATS record.

The Spurs must now play their third road game in just four nights and must travel without a break following an 86-82 win at Portland. San Antonio is shorthanded as veteran backups Nick Van Excel (16 minutes per game) and Robert Horry (19 minutes per game) are questionable with injuries and didn’t play last night.

The Spurs dominated the first game at Golden State on November 23. San Antonio led 66-36 at halftime and outshot the Warriors 55 to 38 percent.

STEVE MERRIL is a professional sports handicapper and a documented member of The Professional Handicappers League. Get your Premium plays here.

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