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NHL notebook: Bruins prospect Subban fractures larynx
By The Sports Xchange

Boston Bruins goaltender prospect Malcolm Subban has a fractured larynx, the club announced Sunday.
Subban was struck in the throat with the puck during warmups prior to Saturday's AHL game between the Providence Bruins and Portland Pirates.
"Malcolm Subban was struck in the throat with a puck Saturday night during pregame warmups," the Bruins' statement said. "He was transported to Maine Medical Center and was diagnosed with a fractured larynx. He stayed overnight at Maine Medical Center and was transported to Mass General Hospital on Sunday for further evaluation.
"He is in stable condition and will be sidelined indefinitely. The team will provide additional details when they become available."

--The Arizona Coyotes assigned forward Steve Downie to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
Downie, 28, has collected six points (three goals, three assists) in 26 games with the Coyotes this season and has scored one goal in five games with Springfield. He has 1,057 penalty minutes in 434 career NHL games.

--The Chicago Blackhawks reassigned defenseman Viktor Svedberg to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
Svedberg, 24, tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games with the Blackhawks this season since making his NHL debut on Oct. 9. He has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 30 games with Rockford.

Preview: Ducks (25-18) at Penguins (26-18)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks were making fools of the prognosticators during a horrible start after being a sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup following last season's deep playoff run.

Goaltending and the NHL's best penalty kill have helped them regroup, though, and the hottest team in hockey is looking more like the contender many believed it was.

Anaheim seeks a seventh consecutive victory Monday night when it visits a Pittsburgh Penguins team also riding a hot streak with plenty of help from Sidney Crosby, who has put his own rough start behind him.

The Ducks (25-18-7) scored only 10 goals while going 1-7-2 in October and looked nothing like the 109-point Western Conference finalists from 2014-15. They still have the league's lowest-scoring offense, but they've outscored their last six opponents 25-12 after rolling Arizona 5-2 on Friday.

Corey Perry scored to give him four goals and three assists during the streak, while Patrick Maroon finished with a goal and two assists. Anaheim is three points ahead of the Coyotes for the Pacific Division's third and final automatic playoff berth, a striking turnaround from where it was following the season's first few weeks.

"In the beginning of the season, we had no confidence. But everyone is chipping in now, and everyone has confidence. Trust me," Maroon said. "We have such a close team, so everyone picks each other up and everyone is here for each other."

John Gibson got the night off after beating Los Angeles on Thursday. He leads the league with a 1.92 goals-against average, and Frederik Andersen has a 1.72 GAA in six starts and one relief appearance since Jan. 1.

The Ducks have allowed a power-play goal in each of their last two, but they've still killed off a league-best 89.1 percent of their penalties on the season.

"We've been scoring, but one big thing is we've been keeping teams to two goals or less," said Hampus Lindholm, who also scored against Arizona. "We have to keep playing defensive hockey if we want to go somewhere."

Perry and Chris Stewart scored and Gibson made 23 saves to give the Ducks a 2-1 win over the Penguins on Dec. 6, ending a four-game losing streak in the series. Crosby had an assist in that contest and looks to extend his point streak to 11 in the rematch.

The Pittsburgh captain has 10 goals and eight assists during his hot stretch and has 49 points in 50 games, a pace that seemed unlikely after he had just two goals and nine points through his first 18 games.

Crosby, who is tied with Evgeni Malkin for the team scoring lead, assisted on Kris Letang's third-period goal, tied the game 2-2 on his goal with 1:15 left in regulation and assisted on Letang's overtime tally in Saturday's 3-2 win over Florida.

Letang has eight goals and 16 assists over his last 16 contests for the Penguins (26-18-7), who have won five of six and are tied with New Jersey for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

Crosby has six goals and five assists during a seven-game point streak against the Ducks.

"Those two guys put the team on their backs," coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby and Letang. "They raised their level at a critical time in the game. I thought those two guys were terrific."

Marc-Andre Fleury should be back in net after getting Saturday off. He has a 3.17 GAA over his last eight but also has two shutouts in that span.

Malkin has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury and his status is unclear for this one.

Preview: Devils (26-20) at Rangers (29-18)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers value defenseman Ryan McDonagh's leadership just as much as his contributions on the ice, and losing him for any period of time would leave a major hole in the lineup.

The 26-year-old captain is in danger of missing his first game of the season Monday night as the Rangers seek their first three-game winning streak since mid-November when they host the New Jersey Devils.

McDonagh has elevated his play over the last month, recording two goals and seven assists in his last 12 and finishing with one of each in Thursday's win over Minnesota. But after being whistled for four minutes of penalties in the first period against Philadelphia on Saturday, McDonagh was sucker-punched by Wayne Simmonds and fell to the ice.

He didn't return as the Rangers (29-18-5) fought back for a 3-2 shootout victory, and his status against the Devils (26-20-7) is unclear after the club declined to provide an update Sunday.

Keith Yandle's goal with 12.9 seconds left in regulation extended the game before Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored in the shootout.

"When you lose your captain, a guy like Mac, it's tough," Yandle said. "The emotions were really high and we wanted to go out there and really have his back. Finding a way to get the two points is huge."

Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves to help bring New York to the verge of winning three straight for the first time since a nine-game run from Oct. 25-Nov. 15. Chris Kreider scored for the second straight game to get the Rangers on the board early in the final period.

'In the third, we played our best hockey,' Lundqvist said. 'We had the determination to get the things done. I think it shows to ourselves what type of mentality that you need to win games.'

The Rangers weren't able to hold on against New Jersey on Tuesday, though, allowing goals to rookie Joseph Blandisi and David Schlemko in the third period of a 3-2 defeat.

Lee Stempniak scored in that contest and also found the net in overtime to give the Devils a 2-1 victory in the first meeting Oct. 18 to end a six-game losing streak in the series.

New Jersey has gone 5-1-2 since Jan. 16 and is tied with Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, but it has allowed the tying goal late in the third in each of its last two, falling 3-2 in shootouts against Toronto on Thursday and Washington on Saturday.

Blandisi, who made his NHL debut Dec. 11 and has played 14 games, finished with a goal and an assist to give him three goals and five assists over his last six.

'We know we are in a race and we want to try to remain competitive and find a way to win more games than we lose,' coach John Hynes said. "When you get a lead like that you know the puck is going to be funneled to the slot or crease area. We're there, but there's a difference between being there and paying attention to details when there."

Cory Schneider allowed two goals or fewer for the 12th time in his last 14 starts, a stretch during which he's posted a 1.72 goals-against average. He's been in net for both meetings against the Rangers this season, stopping 57 of 60 shots.

Lundqvist has a 1.64 GAA in his last six against the Devils.

Preview: Lightning (29-18) at Senators (24-23)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

An improved offense has helped pace the Tampa Bay Lightning's most successful stretch of the season. They had little trouble finding the back of the net while winning the first two meetings with the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16.

The visiting Lightning look to win for the 11th time in 12 games Monday night against the Senators.

Tampa Bay (29-18-4) is averaging 3.5 goals during its 10-1-0 stretch - one goal more than through the first 40 contests.

'I think we all believe that we have a pretty good offense when we're rolling,' forward Tyler Johnson said after posting a goal and two assists in Friday's 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh.

'I don't know if we've seen that throughout the entire season, but for this last streak I think the offense has been alive."

The Lightning recorded a season high for goals in their 6-3 win at Boston on Oct. 12, and have matched it twice in the last six games. They've also gone 6 for 20 on the power play in the last five after going 2 for 21 in the previous eight.

"It's just been fun," said Johnson, who has three of his seven goals and five assists in nine contests. "We've been having a good time, and we've just got to keep on going and try to get better."

Tampa Bay's lone defeat over the last month came 5-2 at Florida in its most recent road game Jan. 23. The Lightning visit the Senators (24-23-6) for the first time in 2015-16 after outscoring them 9-3 in winning both matchups at home. Tampa Bay has earned at least one point in eight straight in this series.

Nikita Kucherov has recorded four of his team-leading 45 points with two goals and two assists against Ottawa. Teammate and ex-Senator Ben Bishop has posted a 1.62 goals-against average during a 4-0-2 stretch against his former team.

Ottawa had dropped three in a row and five of six before rolling to a 6-1 home victory over Toronto on Saturday. Two nights after the Senators held a players' meeting following an embarrassing 7-2 loss to Edmonton, Curtis Lazar recorded his first career two-goal game and Erik Karlsson had four assists as they won for the sixth time in 17 games.

'It was a different mindset,' said Ottawa's Craig Anderson, who looked solid while making 26 saves after yielding 12 goals in the previous three contests. 'I think we've had enough of the (losses) and we were sick and tired of it and our mindset (Saturday) was a complete 180.'

After allowing their previous three opponents to go 6 for 10 on the power play, the Senators killed all four penalties against the Maple Leafs.

Though Ottawa's struggles were momentarily halted, it still hasn't won back-to-back home contests since a five-game run Dec. 3-27.

'We can't get too high when we win one game just like we can't get too low when we lose one,' said Karlsson, who has recorded 12 of his NHL-leading 48 assists in the last nine games. 'For us, it was about hitting that reset button.'

Karlsson has a goal and no assists in his last three against Tampa Bay.

Anderson's yielded three goals each during a 1-2-1 stretch against the Lightning.

Preview: Panthers (31-15) at Red Wings (26-18)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers appear poised not to let their most recent setback completely derail another run of success.

They can bounce back Monday night with a second victory in five days over the Detroit Red Wings, who will try to win back-to-back home games for the first time in almost two months.

Florida (31-15-6) seemed headed for a sixth straight victory Saturday before allowing Pittsburgh to tie the game with two goals in the final 5:04 of regulation in the eventual 3-2 overtime defeat. Though disappointed, the Panthers were hardly sulking.

"There was a lull in our step but we got the one point,"â??defenseman Alex Petrovic said. "I think we just brush this one off. We'll bounce back, get ready for the next game."

For the third time this season, the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers have a point in at least five consecutive games. That's perhaps one reason this confident group doesn't expect that loss to mentally linger.

"I feel a lot better with this team because we know what to do ... and (can) concentrate the same way we have been doing the last (few) games," said forward Aleksander Barkov, who has a goal in a career-high four consecutive games and at least one point in the last six.

"We have to play 60-minute games."

Florida did so while winning the season's first two meetings with Detroit (26-18-8), most recently 6-3 at home Thursday. The Panthers' Vincent Trocheck had two goals with an assist and Jaromir Jagr also scored and topped the 1,100-assist mark with two.

The Panthers, who totaled 25 goals during their recent win streak, scored twice on the power play against the Red Wings. They are 8 for 22 with the man advantage in the last five after failing to convert any of their 25 chances in the previous nine.

Despite yielding a season high for goals at Florida, Detroit coach Jeff Blashill was happy with his team's overall effort.

"I thought our Florida compete level was awesome," he said. "It didn't go our way that night but certainly if your compete level is like that every night it's going to go your way eventually."

The Red Wings rebounded with a more solid defensive effort to snap an 0-4-1 home skid with Saturday's 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar each had a goal with an assist and Petr Mrazek stopped 28 shots for Detroit, which can win consecutive home contests for the first time since a four-game run Dec. 1-10.

'It is imperative that we get wins at home,' said veteran defenseman Mike Green, who has a goal in two straight games. 'We haven't been getting our points at home, so (Saturday) was a big night for us to get going in the right direction."

Jimmy Howard yielded five goals on 32 shots at Florida last week but the Panthers are likely to see Mrazek, who is 8-2-1 in 2016 and has a 1.30 goals-against average in his last 10 starts. He made 30 saves in a 2-1 overtime home defeat to Florida on Nov. 29.

Second among NHL rookies with a team-leading 37 points, Larkin has three goals against the Panthers and four with three assists in the last six games.

Florida's Roberto Luongo has a 1.93 GAA during a three-game winning streak at Detroit.

Grand Salami - February

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 - - -
2/9 12 - - -
2/10 3 - - -
2/11 9 - - -
2/12 7 - - -
2/13 10 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

NHL

Hot teams
-- Ducks won their last six games, outscoring foes 25-12. Penguins won five of last six.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- Tampa Bay won nine of its last ten games.
-- Florida won five of its last six games.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost three of their last four games.
-- Ottawa lost five of its last seven games.
-- Red Wings lost five of their last eight games.

Series records
-- Penguins won four of last five games with Anaheim.
-- Rangers won six of last eight games with New Jersey, but lost last two.
-- Lightning won four of last five games with Ottawa.
-- Panthers won five of their last six games with Detroit.

Totals
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Anaheim games.
-- Over is 5-3-1 in last nine Devil-Ranger games.
-- Seven of last nine Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Florida games.

Back-to-backs
-- None

Preview: Bulls (27-23) at Hornets (25-26)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Nicolas Batum is finally healthy, and that can spell bad news for a Chicago Bulls team missing its most important player.

Batum looks to exploit the absence of Jimmy Butler and continue giving Chicago fits as the Charlotte Hornets host the Bulls on Monday night.

Batum, who is second on the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game, has missed eight of Charlotte's last 19 games with a sprained right toe, and the Hornets (25-26) have split those contests. The 6-foot-8 guard, however, has found a comfort level of sorts the last two games and finished one assist shy of a triple-double versus Washington on Saturday, totaling 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 108-104 victory.

"I wasn't myself for the last four weeks, so I've been trying to get back to where I was before the toe injury,' Batum said. "I want to get back to the way I played the first 30 games. The past two or three games, I've been feeling much better."

Batum averaged 16.3 points in the first 30 games he played, hitting 36.2 percent of his 3-point shots. He's been a handful for the Bulls, averaging 23.3 points and 9.0 rebounds while making 10 of 14 shots from beyond the arc and connecting at a 50.0 percent clip overall in helping Charlotte win two of three.

He had 24 points and hit two key 3-pointers down the stretch in the most recent meeting, a 102-96 victory at Chicago on Dec. 5. While Batum has done substantial damage from outside offensively, he has also utilized his height defensively in this series, pulling down 24 of his 27 rebounds at that end. That's not surprising considering he has a success rate of 64.6 percent on rebounding opportunities and a 76.4 percent adjusted rate on caroms within 3 1/2 feet of him.

Batum might have free reign Monday since the Bulls (27-23) will again be without Butler - the All-Star guard who is averaging a team-high 22.4 points to go with 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game - as he nurses a strained left knee. He was sorely missed down the stretch Saturday at Minnesota, where the Timberwolves closed the game on a 12-0 run in the final 2:55 to deal the Bulls a 112-105 defeat.

Butler's absence loomed large as Andrew Wiggins had six of those points in the final 1:24. The 6-8 Wiggins backed down the 6-3 Derrick Rose for a turnaround jumper in the post, spun free from Rose in the paint for layup and lost him on a screen before hitting a mid-range jumper.

"They went to Wiggins. We had a smaller guy on him,' Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Obviously Jimmy is missed in those types of situations, guarding a bigger wing like that.'

It's easy to envision either Rose or the 6-4 E'Twaun Moore having the same type of struggles with Batum, who scores 9.2 of his points per game in either catch-and-shoot situations or on pull-ups. While Moore did have 17 points and seven assists, the Bulls were also outscored by 11 points when he was on the floor.

Hornets swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has averaged 12.2 points on 53.5 percent shooting in five games since missing the first 46 due to shoulder surgery.

Rose has picked up the scoring slack with Butler sidelined, averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 assists in the two games his backcourt partner has missed.

Preview: Kings (21-30) at Cavaliers (36-14)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

If there's any team that can relate to rumors of a coach being on the hot seat currently circling the Sacramento Kings, it's the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If there's a coach who can take the heat, it's probably George Karl.

The Kings try to avoid an eighth loss in nine games Monday night in Cleveland, where Karl was fired long ago by a Cavaliers organization that's still finding its footing after its latest coaching change.

Reports emerged after Sacramento's 128-119 loss at Brooklyn on Friday that Karl might be dismissed before the All-Star break, a fate that wouldn't be unfamiliar for a coach who's been let go by Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee and Denver over a nearly four-decade career on the sidelines.

The Kings (21-30) haven't really refuted them, but they may be saying all they need to with the way they're playing. Sacramento has followed a five-game winning streak with one victory in the last two weeks, though Karl himself wasn't completely discouraged after Sunday's loss in Boston by the same score from Friday.

"We're in a losing mode," Karl said. "We're losing games, but our basketball has not been bad basketball. It's been not good enough to win basketball, which happens in the NBA every night. Just because you lose doesn't mean you don't play good basketball."

The numbers don't really back him up, especially defensively. Sacramento has allowed 111.3 points per 100 possessions during this 1-7 stretch, 6.4 more than it was giving up in its first 43 games.

"Biggest thing, I guess we've got to find a better energy and effort as a team," said DeMarcus Cousins, who said after Friday's loss that the team had a "bigger issue than just energy and effort" but wouldn't elaborate.

"We've got to find a solution, because right now whatever we're doing isn't working."

The Cavs' solution to being in first place in the Eastern Conference was to fire David Blatt after a season and a half of reports of locker room tension, and the jury is still out through nine games since Tyronn Lue has taken over. They're 6-3 after bouncing back from back-to-back defeats with Saturday's 99-84 win over New Orleans.

"We need to win every time we play, but coming off those two losses we had to show our mental toughness and understand we have to take care of home floor," said Kyrie Irving, who had 29 points to bump his average over the past six games to 24.7.

Saturday's victory came without Kevin Love, who suffered a bruised left thigh a night earlier against Boston and is questionable for this one. Matthew Dellavedova has missed the last three with a sore left hamstring, and his status is unclear.

The Kings have their own injury concerns heading into Monday's game. Rudy Gay missed Sunday's loss with a left ankle sprain and Ben McLemore sat with a sprained right wrist.

Sacramento might not be the only team disillusioned by Karl these days. The coach provided the Cavaliers a bit of bulletin-board material before Sunday's loss, saying that he thought Boston - which bested Cleveland on a buzzer-beater Friday - could "have a chance" against the Cavs in a playoff series.

Cousins had 26 points, 13 boards and four steals in a home win over Cleveland last season that LeBron James missed, while James, Love and Irving combined for 63 in a 101-90 victory at Quicken Loans Arena.

James-led teams have gone 14-1 in their last 15 against the Kings.

Preview: Clippers (34-17) at 76ers (8-43)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers continue to soar without Blake Griffin behind an outstanding effort defensively. That's also been one of the decisive factors in their one-sided string of victories over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Seeking their 19th win in 23 games, the Clippers look to improve on the NBA's best road record since Dec. 25 on Monday night and win their ninth in a row in this series.

Griffin was averaging a team-high 23.2 points when he suffered a partially torn left quadriceps tendon on Christmas Day. He's now out for an extended period after breaking his hand punching a member of the equipment staff during an altercation.

Paul Pierce has averaged just 7.4 points while filling in, but the Clippers' 18-4 record since the game Griffin sustained the quad injury is the league's third-best behind Golden State and San Antonio. Their 11-2 road mark is the NBA's best over that span.

Los Angeles has been particularly good defensively, allowing an average of 93.1 points over its last seven games after giving up 101.3 in its previous 44. The club held Miami to 39.8 percent shooting in Sunday's 100-93 win in the second of this four-game trip.

Because of their success since Griffin went down, there had been speculation that the Clippers (34-17) were attempting to move the star power forward before the trade deadline. However, a report surfaced Sunday that the team has rebuffed all inquiries.

The NBA is expected to announce decisions stemming from their investigation soon.

'We're trying to hold it down until our big fella comes back,' guard Chris Paul said.

After missing his first nine shots, including the worst one-quarter shooting effort (0 for 7) of his career, Paul hit two late 3-pointers and finished with 22 points Sunday. Jamal Crawford added 20 points off the bench for a fourth straight game.

Without Griffin and Pierce, Austin Rivers had 26 points, DeAndre Jordan scored 22 with 13 rebounds and Paul added 15 points and 14 assists in a 130-99 home win over Philadelphia on Jan. 2. Rivers, though, is out at least four weeks due to a broken hand.

"You never want to see anybody get injured on your team or any other team," Crawford told the team's official website. "When that happens, hopefully that guy gets back as soon as possible, but we have to hang together until then."

The Clippers have scored 124.8 per game in their last four against the 76ers. Paul has averaged 24 points on 60.5 percent shooting in his past five at Philadelphia (8-43).

They've also limited the 76ers to 86 points and 38.5 percent shooting during their eight-game run in this series, taking the past seven by an average of 27.1 points.

The 76ers, however, seek their first back-to-back wins since March 18 and 20 following a 103-98 home victory over Brooklyn on Saturday. Jahlil Okafor shined with 22 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks and Nerlens Noel contributed 18 points.

T.J. McConnell filled in with a career high-tying 17 points as Philadelphia shot 46.9 percent to snap a four-game losing streak. Ish Smith, averaging 15.8 points and 7.9 assists since joining the 76ers, hopes to return after missing the game with a sprained ankle.

'I was just trying to do my best impression of him,' McConnell said.

The Clippers did a nice job against Smith last month, holding him to four points on 2-of-9 shooting. Okafor led the 76ers with 23 points.

Preview: Lakers (11-42) at Pacers (27-24)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's not clear if Indiana Pacers fans will get to see one player who was a key part of their past and one who tormented them many seasons ago.

Roy Hibbert and Kobe Bryant are both questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers in Monday night's visit to face Paul George and the Pacers.

It's an interesting debate as to whether fans in the Hoosier state are more interested in watching Hibbert or Bryant play for Los Angeles (11-42) in this contest.

Hibbert spent his previous seven seasons with the Pacers (27-24), making the All-Star team twice and ranking 11th in club history with 5,909 points, fourth with 990 blocks and seventh with 3,623 rebounds. The center developed into one of the league's top defensive players before he was traded in the offseason to the Lakers for a second-round pick.

He sprained his left ankle in Saturday's 106-102 loss at San Antonio so it's not clear if will be on the floor as a visitor for the first time at Indiana.

The retiring Bryant is set to play his final game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, although he is questionable with a right shoulder issue. The five-time NBA champion won the first of those titles over the Pacers in 2000 in a six-game series that marked Indiana's only trip to the NBA Finals.

Although Bryant is the NBA's worst shooter among qualifying players at 35.4 percent, he's been more effective at 40.7 percent while averaging 28.3 points in his last four games. He scored 25 on Saturday as the lowly Lakers nearly ruined the Spurs' perfect home record.

The 37-year-old guard said afterward that it isn't easy getting his aging body ready to play.

"I was happy that I was able to get loose a little bit," he said. "I felt like the tin man for a while. I couldn't find any oil anywhere to loosen up these joints."

Bryant will play in the All-Star Game opposite Pacers star George, who has totaled 61 points on 52.9 percent shooting in his last two games after averaging 14.0 on 27.3 percent in his previous two.

"I think as one of the leaders of this team, offensively I'm looked upon to be the scorer," George said. "I think I was pressing in the past two games, it was just my rhythm. I feel like my rhythm, I'm not rushing, I'm playing my pace and it's been putting me at a better rhythm."

Indiana used a style it calls "smash-mouth" in Saturday's 112-104 home victory over Detroit with big men Myles Turner starting alongside Ian Mahinmi, who returned to the lineup after a four-game absence with a sore lower back.

'Coach (Frank Vogel) has been telling us we're a smash-mouth basketball team," Turner said.

The Pacers held a 42-38 edge on the glass and should enjoy similar success against a Lakers team near the bottom of the league in rebound margin at minus-4.1.

Los Angeles missed a chance at its second three-game win streak Saturday. Julius Randle had 15 points and 17 boards.

Indiana has captured four of the last five meetings after winning 107-103 on Nov. 29 behind George's 39 points. Bryant made 4 of 20 shots and scored 13.

Preview: Nuggets (21-31) at Nets (13-39)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

After rallying to win on one side of the East River, the Denver Nuggets can match their best win streak of the season by earning a Big Apple sweep on the other.

The Nuggets continue their three-game trip heading into the All-Star break with a visit to Barclays Center to face the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Denver (21-31) has gone on a minor surge since the end of January and won its second straight and fourth in six games with Sunday's 101-96 victory over the New York Knicks.

Emmanuel Mudiay recovered from an ugly start to his first game at Madison Square Garden with nine of his 15 points coming during a 11-2 fourth-quarter spurt that put the Nuggets in control. Mudiay shot just 2 for 12 through three quarters before taking over, and in spite of his shooting woes, he took great care of the ball.

"I thought Emmanuel Mudiay was terrific," coach Michael Malone said. "Made some huge plays for us down the stretch. Nine assists, zero turnovers, for a 19-year-old rookie point guard is outstanding."

The complete lack of turnovers was a first for Mudiay, who has a 1.64 assist-to-turnover ratio and averages 3.6 giveaways. His only other crisp game with at least nine assists was when he had 11 with just one turnover in a win against Milwaukee on Nov. 11.

Former Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each had 19 points to lead Denver, which is in position for its third three-game streak of the season and first back-to-back away wins since a three-game streak Dec. 3-15.

The victory came two days after Denver rallied from a 16-point hole by outscoring Chicago 42-21 in the fourth quarter of a 115-110 home win. The Nuggets had only a 24-17 edge in the quarter this time, but they held the Knicks scoreless for nearly 5 minutes.

To stay on track, the Nuggets will have to end a three-game skid against the Nets (13-39), who have won two of those games by 23 points or more - both in Denver. The only close matchup was a 102-96 loss during the previous visit to Barclays on Dec. 23, 2014.

Denver has averaged 89 points during its skid against Brooklyn, but the Nuggets have put up 105.2 in their last six games, while the Nets have given up roughly the same amount (105.6) during a 1-6 stretch.

Brooklyn had its best offensive game of the season with a 128-119 home win over Sacramento on Friday, but facing the only team below it in the Eastern Conference the next night wasn't enough to earn consecutive wins for the first time in two months.

The Nets followed an 18-of-28 performance from 3-point range against the Kings by missing 10 of 15 from beyond the arc in Saturday's 103-98 loss at Philadelphia.

The dropoff mirrored that of Joe Johnson, who was 11 of 16 with five 3s and 27 points against Sacramento but just 2 of 8 with nine versus the 76ers.

"When you get consistent how you play, then we'll start turning these games into wins," said interim coach Tony Brown, whose team trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but was down 69-64 entering the fourth. "I commend them for getting back in it, but obviously there's still a lot of work we have to do."

Preview: Raptors (34-16) at Pistons (27-25)

Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Over the past month, no Eastern Conference team has been more efficient offensively than the Toronto Raptors.

That doesn't bode well for the Detroit Pistons, who are struggling mightily defensively and were burned by the Raptors just last weekend.

Extra time between contests should also benefit the Raptors, who go for a 14th win in 15 games as they resume their road trip Monday night against the Pistons.

A 111-107 victory over Detroit last Saturday capped the Raptors' first perfect seven-game homestand and extended their franchise-best winning streak to 11. Their six-game trip began with a loss to Denver last Monday, but they've rebounded with wins over Phoenix and Portland.

Toronto (34-16) made 12 of 19 3-point attempts in Thursday's 110-103 victory over the Trail Blazers, with All-Star Kyle Lowry draining seven of them to match a career high.

'Cohesion, chemistry, continuity,' coach Dwane Casey said of the Raptors' recipe for success. 'We're not a finished product; we've got to stay hungry, we've got to stay focused. But I think those have been the keys to us winning.'

An efficient offense has also played a big role.

Since Jan. 9, the Raptors' average of 110.0 points per 100 possessions trails only Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. They're averaging 108.0 points in their last 11 victories, shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range.

With three days off since beating Portland, the Raptors should be well rested, and their offense, again, thrives when given extra time off. This will be the fourth time they're playing on three days' or more of rest, and they've averaged 109.7 points in winning the first three.

Toronto has also regularly been in sync offensively against Detroit, averaging 109.9 points in winning six of the last eight meetings. All-Star DeMar DeRozan had 29 points in last weekend's matchup and is averaging 26.0 points in his last four games.

Lowry shot 4 of 15 against the Pistons but has regained his touch, shooting 52.9 percent overall while going 12 of 20 from 3-point range in the last two.

Detroit (27-25) has had trouble stopping anyone over a 2-4 stretch, allowing an average of 107.3 points - 6.4 worse than its season average.

"For some reason, we're really struggling putting together 48 minutes of defense," Anthony Tolliver told the team's official website after Saturday's 112-104 loss at Indiana. "And it came back to bite us again."

Reggie Jackson had 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Tolliver added a season-high 17, but Detroit once again couldn't overcome a huge deficit. Both against the Pacers and the Raptors last weekend, the Pistons pulled within four points after trailing by 20 in the second half.

Jackson leads Detroit in scoring at 19.2 points per game and All-Star Andre Drummond isn't far behind at 17.1, but neither had much success against Toronto - Jackson scored 13 and Drummond finished with 10.

Detroit is clinging to eighth place in the East as it tried to end a six-year playoff drought.

'We're going to need to put together more than a one-game win streak,' Jackson said. 'It's something for us to be worried about.'

The quickly approaching All-Star break can be a worry to some coaches, as players' minds may drift to the week-long break, but Casey is confident his team will remain focused in its two games this week.

"Christmas time, All-Star time is always a dangerous time," Casey said. "We want to be the mature team, the professional team and go in with professional approach, a mature approach and that way you can go into the All-Star break and enjoy it."

Preview: Pelicans (18-32) at Timberwolves (16-36)

Date: February 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Last season, the New Orleans Pelicans seemed to be a team in the ascendancy in the Western Conference after Anthony Davis reached the playoffs for the first time.

This season, the Minnesota Timberwolves won't be going to the postseason but the Andrew Wiggins-led club may have stolen the mantle as the West's team on the rise.

The Timberwolves can record their second three-game win streak when they look to hand the visiting Pelicans a fifth straight defeat Monday night.

New Orleans (18-32) won 45 games a season ago to get to the playoffs for the first time in Davis' first three seasons. The Pelicans have been derailed by a 5-20 road record and numerous injuries, with Eric Gordon out with a fractured finger and fellow guard Tyreke Evans now set to be out until after the All-Star break due to right knee tendinitis.

Minnesota (16-36) will likely finish with an 11th straight losing record, although there is hope with Wiggins and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns forming a potent scoring duo. The Timberwolves are shooting 53.3 percent in their last three games, beating Chicago 112-105 on Saturday behind a combined 47 points from Towns and Wiggins.

"We've been working hard this whole year and I think it's finally coming together," Wiggins said. "The chemistry is there, we know where every guy's at, everyone knows their position, their spot on the team. We're getting better every game. Our record, we're better than what our record shows."

Towns is in a three-way tie for fifth in the league with 28 double-doubles, with Davis right behind him with 27. The rookie is averaging 22.1 points and 12.6 rebounds during a streak of seven straight double-doubles.

"I think every day everyone's seeing us get so much better as a team together," said Towns, who matched a season high Saturday with 17 boards.

The Timberwolves have been missing Kevin Garnett (leg), Kevin Martin (wrist) and Nikola Pekovic (foot), although Gorgui Dieng has blossomed since moving into the starting lineup for Garnett six games ago. Dieng is averaging 18.2 points on 67.2 percent shooting in that span with 10.5 rebounds per game.

One issue for Minnesota is that it averages 15.4 3-point attempts for the league's lowest mark and is shooting 32.0 percent from long range.

The Pelicans have been abysmal on 3-pointers in this losing streak, shooting 25.0 percent with a woeful 19.4 mark in the last three. Ryan Anderson, the team's leader among qualifying players at 38.6 percent, is 3 for 18 on 3s in this losing streak.

Anderson was 2 of 11 overall as New Orleans shot 39.1 percent in Saturday's 99-84 loss at Cleveland. Coach Alvin Gentry said afterward that he wanted to see better ball movement.

"The answer to not moving the ball is to move the ball," Davis said. "We've just got to trust in each other, trust in our teammates. We've gotta pass up a good shot for a great shot, that's how we fix that."

Norris Cole had a career-high 26 points while Davis scored 24 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Davis is averaging 30.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in his last three games.

New Orleans has won six straight over Minnesota, rallying from 17 down for a 114-99 home win Jan. 19 in which Davis scored 35.

Preview: Magic (22-28) at Hawks (30-23)

Date: February 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks already have lost more games than they did last season en route to the top playoff seed in the East and their first appearance in the conference finals.

The latest defeat came in heartbreaking fashion at the hands of the Orlando Magic, who haven't experienced victory much lately.

Atlanta looks to bounce back Monday night by winning for the sixth time in seven games at Philips Arena in the completion of a home-and-home set against an Orlando team seeking back-to-back wins for the first time in 2016.

The Hawks (30-23) had the NBA's second-best record at 60-22 in 2014-15 before being swept by Cleveland in the conference finals. They again sit atop the Southeast Division despite slipping a bit this season, but they had a three-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 96-94 loss to the Magic (22-28).

Atlanta rallied from 14 down behind 24 points from Jeff Teague and 23 from Kent Bazemore, but Nikola Vucevic hit an 18-footer at the buzzer to lift Orlando.

The Hawks shot 38.5 percent after a mark of 52 during their winning streak and fell to 13-15 away from home. They're the only division leader below .500 on the road.

"We have to stop putting ourselves in that situation of being down 14 on the road," forward Paul Millsap said after finishing with 14 points and shooting 5 of 14. "It is unacceptable. You make it tough on yourself when you dig yourself that hole."

Orlando needed the victory, especially one that came with such a thrilling conclusion. Vucevic finished with 22 points and Evan Fournier added 21 for the Magic, who have lost 15 of 18 in the new year. Aaron Gordon had 11 points and 13 rebounds and Elfrid Payton finished with 12 point and 12 assists.

"It's been a rough month for us, a lot of losses, so it's good to get a win against a good team," Vucevic said. "I wasn't happy about (my six turnovers) and I wanted to make up for it."

Coach Scott Skiles wasn't pleased with how the Magic nearly let a big lead slip away, though. They went scoreless for a long stretch after Payton's shot with 3:41 left before Vucevic's winner ended the drought.

Orlando had lost four straight, including two this season, and 17 of the previous 20 meetings with Atlanta.

"I've been in this scenario where we do our best and somehow we get beat because some circumstances happen and you get beat," Skiles said. "We've had a lot of close games that have been really disheartening for the guys.

"Human nature is human nature, and we have to battle human nature right now so that we don't feel like all is lost and we can come back from this. If you are feeling anxious, then it affects your energy and it looks like you aren't playing hard. So we can't fall into that trap now."

The Magic got back in the win column despite missing Tobias Harris, who is averaging 13.7 points. Harris hadn't sat out all season, but he received stitches in his head during Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and is dealing with a sore left ankle.

Harris' status is unclear against Atlanta, which will be without Tiago Splitter until after the All-Star break because of a hip injury.

Preview: Trail Blazers (25-27) at Grizzlies (30-21)

Date: February 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Not much was expected of the Portland Trail Blazers after losing four starters from last year's playoff team, but they've been able to rebuild on the fly.

Damian Lillard led the way in the first meeting with Memphis and C.J. McCollum shined in the second before the Grizzlies finally managed to slow them in the third.

Now defensive-minded Memphis looks to replicate that performance Monday night when it tries to avoid its first back-to-back losses since late December and win for the ninth consecutive time - including the postseason - at home against the Blazers.

Portland won 51 games and the Northwest Division before a five-game loss to Memphis in the first round of the playoffs, and it struggled early on in 2015-16 after losing LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Nicolas Batum over the summer.

The Blazers, though, seem to have found an identity of late behind one of the NBA's more dynamic backcourts. Lillard had 21 points and 10 assists for a career-high third straight double-double and McCollum scored 16 in Saturday's 96-79 win at Houston.

McCollum has averaged 22.7 points and hit 23 of 53 from 3-point range in the last nine of a 10-3 stretch that has the club one game out of the Western Conference's final playoff spot.

"We've been saying all year it's hard to be consistent," Lillard said after Portland led by as many as 32 points. "That's (what) we've been fighting. We showed signs by coming out and getting after it for a complete game."

Portland can take another step forward with a season-high third straight road win and by ending its eight-game road skid in this series.

Lillard had 27 points and made seven 3-pointers in a 115-96 home win over the Grizzlies on Nov. 5 before McCollum scored 26 in a 101-100 road loss Nov. 13. Memphis, however, held them to a combined 33 on 10-of-32 shooting in a 91-78 road win Jan. 4.

The Grizzlies (30-21) will try to avoid their first back-to-back losses since Dec. 23-26 after losing at home for only the second time in their last 14 games.

Marc Gasol had 22 points, Zach Randolph scored 20 with 14 rebounds and Matt Barnes added 17 and 11 on Saturday when the team's five-game winning streak was snapped in a 114-110 overtime loss to Dallas.

Coach Dave Joerger admitted Gasol has been slowed while dealing with a sore left knee. He had 31 points in the November home meeting but only scored seven last month.

"I have some issues but you have to push through it," Gasol said.

Randolph, who has two double-doubles in his last three games, had 26 points and 18 rebounds against his former team in January after tipping in the winning basket with less than a second left in the previous matchup in Memphis.

The Blazers (25-27) have settled in defensively, limiting opponents to 94.2 points per game in their last six after giving up an average of 102.8 heading into that stretch. They could be tested by a Memphis team that has put up 104.8 over its past 11.

The Grizzlies have won 15 of the past 18 meetings overall, including playoffs.

Preview: Thunder (38-14) at Suns (14-38)

Date: February 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Kevin Durant said that he isn't scared of who his Oklahoma City Thunder just lost to.

The team's next opponent certainly isn't scaring anybody these days.

The visiting Thunder will be heavily favored Monday night to hand the free-falling Phoenix Suns an eighth straight defeat.

Oklahoma City (38-14) fell 116-108 at Golden State in Saturday's matchup between top NBA contenders. Durant had 40 points and 14 rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 27 with 12 assists.

The Thunder, who had won five straight and 12 of 13, trail the Warriors and San Antonio in the Western Conference.

'Man, we're not scared of either one of these teams,' Durant said. 'We're going to play our game. Nobody in this locker room is scared. We have to play them. If we want to get to where we want to get to, we have to play them. We're not ducking anybody.'

There won't be much to fear Monday in this matchup of a Thunder team averaging 109.8 points per 100 possessions to rank second in the league against a Suns club decimated by injuries that is at 99.7 to rank fourth-worst.

Phoenix (14-38) isn't even on its longest slide, having already dropped nine in a row. It's all part of a stretch of 22 losses in 24 games for the Suns' worst record in franchise history in such a span.

They fell to 0-3 since coach Jeff Hornacek was fired following Saturday's 98-89 home defeat to Utah, although the Suns took pride in cutting a 23-point deficit down to six with 1:34 left.

"It just shows our fight,' guard Devin Booker said. 'We're not going to give up. That's been the motto of our team all year. We might lose games but we're going to lay it all out there, and that's what we've been doing.'

If that sounds like Phoenix is ready to accept moral victories, Oklahoma City certainly isn't despite nearly ending Golden State's regular-season home win streak at 40 games. The Thunder fell behind by as many as 20 points before tying the game in the fourth quarter in a playoff-type atmosphere that featured celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce in attendance during Super Bowl weekend in the Bay Area.

'That's what we're supposed to do,' Durant said. 'When we get down we're supposed to tie the game up. No moral victories in here."

Durant's effort came one game after he capped a 37-point night with the winning 3-pointer in Wednesday's 117-114 home victory over Orlando. Westbrook entered Saturday with three straight triple-doubles before being held to three rebounds.

Enes Kanter had 14 points and 15 rebounds. The center is averaging 17.2 points on 63.2 percent shooting in his last five games.

Durant's first two seasons came alongside Earl Watson as a teammate. Watson took over as interim Suns coach when Hornacek was fired after a 91-78 loss at Dallas on Jan. 31.

The Suns are without injured top scorers Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe. They are rebuilding around young players like the rookie Booker, averaging 20.4 points in his last five games.

Oklahoma City will face Phoenix for the first time without Knight and the second time without Bledsoe after taking the first two meetings at home. Durant and Westbrook totaled 112 of the Thunder's 234 points.

NBA

Monday's hot teams
-- Hornets won three of their last four games (3-6 last 9HF).
-- Cavaliers won six of their last eight games (12-11HF).
-- Clippers won six of their last seven games (5-0 last 5AF).
-- Indiana won four of its last six games (11-8HF). Lakers won two of last three games, covered six of their last nine.
-- Denver won three of last four games, is 10-1 vs spread in its last 11.
-- Raptors won 13 of their last 14 games (7-7AF).
-- Minnesota won last two games, covered six of its last eight (3-7HF).
-- Hawks won three of last four games (5-1 last 6HF).
-- Portland won six of its last seven games (7-5 last 12AU). Memphis won nine of its last 11 games (8-3-1 last 12HF).
-- Thunder won 12 of their last 14 games (0-8 last 8AF).

Cold teams
-- Chicago lost four of its last five games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Kings lost seven of their last eight games (0-3 last 3AU).
-- 76ers lost four of their last five games (4-2 last 6HU).
-- Nets lost 11 of their last 13 games (4-10 last 14HU).
-- Detroit lost four of its last six games (3-4HU).
-- Pelicans lost their last four games (10-14AU).
-- Orlando is 2-11 in its last 13 games, but is also 4-1 vs spread in last five (2-6-1 last 9AU). .
-- Phoenix lost its last seven games (7-4HU).

Series records
-- Hornets won four of last six games with Chicago.
-- Kings won four of last six games with Cleveland.
-- Clippers won/covered last eight games with Philly.
-- Lakers lost six of their last eight games with Indiana.
-- Nets won their last three games with Denver.
-- Raptors won six of last eight games with Detroit.
-- Pelicans won their last six games with Minnesota.
-- Hawks won four of last five games with Orlando.
-- Grizzlies won eight of last ten games with Portland.
-- Thunder won five of its last six games with Phoenix.

Totals
-- 12 of last 16 Chicago games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games went over total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Clipper games.
-- Five of last six Indiana games went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine Brooklyn games went over total.
-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Toronto games.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Minnesota games.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Atlanta games.
-- Eight of last ten Portland games stayed under.
-- Seven of last eight Thunder games went over total.

Back/backs
-- Sacramento is 2-10 if they played night before (6-5 as underdog).
-- Clippers won their last five games if they played night before.
-- Denver covered five of last seven if they played night before.