NBA Premiums, 11.22

• The Celtics were on a 9 game winning streak and virtually flawless on offense. They faced one of the NBA’s most inconsistent defenses and only put up 50 pts at the half. That ruined both of our wagers.
• The Bucks were off a ton of rest and playing Portland without Lillard. The Bucks have been one of the best 1Q teams in the NBA since the season started, too. Two teams that are predicated on defense and slower paced and it didn’t matter– the opposite occurred and we paid the price.

Ja Morant is doubtful and we know the Grizz continue to play without Desmond Bane. The Kings have absolutely no reason to change their style of play– it’s working! They’re running fast, they’re the #1 offense in the NBA right now, they’re healthy, and this is a game they can win by margin. Their approach should be the same as always– tire out a Grizzlies team that likes to go fast at home too. In this case, we like that for the over, but the Grizz probably don’t have the personnel to keep up offensively. Go Kings!

I think there’s a chance the Lakers itch their way back into this game so I’d rather not take the full game, plus the number sits very close to where I would put it (-8), but the Suns start fast and efficient at home and I don’t think LAL can keep up early. In general, the Lakers are a slower, older team who falls to teams like Phoenix. The Suns are starting to figure things out without CP3 and even though they miss their leader in tougher spots (namely on the road), they’ve been lights-out at home. The Suns assist ratio, rebounding, offensive and defensive efficiency are all top 7 marks at home over the last 2 weeks. The Lakers run at the fastest pace in the NBA when they’re on the road and oh, PS – their offensive efficiency is dead last when away from the Staples Center, too. The Suns do what they do and they hurt LAL early, and by margin.