NBA Tuesday Matchups Recap: LeBron Breaks Scoring Record
James Becomes NBA's Leading Scorer
Thunder Play Spoiler in LA
LeBron James made history last night as he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the leading points scorer in NBA history. Let’s take a look at the NBA Tuesday Matchups Recap on a night where all eyes were on LA.
LeBron needed just three quarters to score 36 points and officially eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s leading scorer, but despite the momentous occasion the Lakers team couldn’t deliver as the Oklahoma City Thunder played spoiler in a 133-130 win.
The Thunder, who closed as 7.0-point road underdogs, never trailed in the second half as they secure a huge win to move them 1.5 games above the 13th placed Lakers in the Western Conference NBA standings.
Both sides shot efficiently from beyond the arc as the teams combined to comfortably go Over the 239.5 point total, but on a night of individual celebration there’s no hiding the disappointment of another crucial game dropped for a Lakers team that moves to 25-29-1 ATS this season.
The New Orleans Pelicans earned a 116-107 home win over the Atlanta Hawks to further compound the Lakers loss as they begin to make up ground in the crowded playoff race in the West.
The Pelicans closed as 1.0-point favorites as the team made it three straight wins and ATS covers on the back of an impressive 30 point night from Brandon Ingram.
Nuggets, Grizzlies Roll at Home
The Denver Nuggets exacted quick revenge over the Minnesota Timberwolves in an impressive 146-112 home win.
The Nuggets closed as 8.0-point favorites in the absence of Jamal Murray but made light work of the game and spread as they erupted for 49 points in the opening quarter. Nikola Jokic recorded his 19th triple-double of the season with 1:28 still to play in the first half and the Timberwolves failed to ever recover from a red-hot start from Denver.
Michael Porter Jr scored 19 points in the opening quarter, which equalled what the Timberwolves scored as a team in the opening period. Despite strong market support on the Under in the lead up to tip-off this game comfortably eclipsed the 233.5 point total on a night where Denver shot 62% from the field.
The Memphis Grizzlies picked up a much-needed 104-89 home win over the Chicago Bulls as they try to avoid sliding back in the standings.
The Grizzlies closed as 9.5-point favorites against a Chicago team playing the second night of a back-to-back. The Bulls were also without DeMar DeRozan for this one as they struggled drastically against the number one half-court defense in the NBA.
This game stayed comfortably Under the 233.5 point total as the Grizzlies now move to 9-1 to the Unders in their last 10 games.
Nets, Magic Fall as Home Underdogs
The Brooklyn Nets got some more Cam Thomas magic as his 43 point effort saw them cover the spread in a 116-112 home loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The Nets closed as 7.0-point underdogs and while it seemed the Suns would comfortably win and cover a bunch of missed free throws and turnovers down the stretch saw them help the Nets back inside the number. Even early bettors got handed a huge lifeline as the 4.5 point opener also went the way of the Nets.
The New York Knicks picked up a big road win in Orlando as they downed the Magic 102-98 as 1.5-point favorites.
The Magic led at the end of every quarter heading into the final frame, but a 36-29 fourth quarter outburst from the road team saw them pick up a crucial win as they continue to fight for a top six seed in the East.
On the whole, it was yet another impressive market showing on totals as the full game Overs/Unders went 3-3 on this six-game slate. The sides were also split 3-3 ATS between favorites and underdogs.
That’s all for our NBA Tuesday Matchups Recap. Be sure to check back for more NBA betting analysis and market recaps.
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