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Tuesday represented an all-too familiar set of circumstances for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They entered their battle with the Brooklyn Nets missing several key contributors: Donovan Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome. They struggled through the first three quarters, falling behind by as many as 18 points. And then, in the fourth quarter, they exploded to swipe the game, 109-104, right out from under Brooklyn’s noses.

It was a fitting way for the Cavaliers to match their season-opening mark of 15 consecutive victories. They may not have Boston’s championship pedigree or Oklahoma City’s historic wire-to-wire statistical dominance, but when it matters most, no matter who is on the floor, they find a way to win. Entering Tuesday’s action, Cleveland led the NBA with an astonishing +38.6 clutch net rating. They are essentially playing out the end of a sports movie every night. Unsurprisingly, that has taken them within striking range of one of the NBA’s most sacred numbers.

Only two teams have ever won 70 games in a season. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls won 72 en route to a championship. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the regular-season record with 73, but lost the NBA Finals to these same Cavaliers. The widespread presumption has been that no team would ever win 70 games again. Too much needs to go right for it to happen.

Cavaliers become first NBA team to clinch playoff spot after tying Heat 3-pointer wiped away in wild finish
Sam Quinn
Cavaliers become first NBA team to clinch playoff spot after tying Heat 3-pointer wiped away in wild finish
The Bulls, obviously, were led by arguably the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan. They kept Scottie Pippen despite two turbulent, mostly Jordan-less seasons beforehand, and managed to acquire Dennis Rodman in the offseason for pennies on the dollar. But they also played in an NBA that was somewhat watered down due to expansion. The Raptors and Grizzlies began play in 1995, and the Hornets, Heat, Timberwolves and Magic had all joined within the seven previous years. The talent pool hadn’t quite caught up to that expansion yet, so teams around the league were stretched thin. That left room for a super team like the Bulls to run roughshod over the competition.

The Warriors had a different set of advantages. They were by far the NBA’s best shooting team at a point in history in which the value of 3-pointers was only just beginning to be understood. They took twice as many 3s as the last-place Milwaukee Bucks, for instance. That doesn’t happen anymore. Leading the NBA in both shooting volume and percentage made a team basically unstoppable. Doing so when your best players never miss games helps as well. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green combined to miss just six all season. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs also won 67 games.

Why does this matter? Because it ensured that the Warriors needed to keep winning all season. The Spurs were a genuine threat to steal the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for most of the season, so Golden State couldn’t load manage much down the stretch.

The stars just don’t really align like that anymore. Perfect health. Limited load management. Ideal opponent circumstances. The maximization of market inefficiencies. This is typically what it takes to win 70. There’s a reason it’s only happened twice.

And yet, here we sit. On March 11, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 55-10. They have won 15 games in a row, and need to win 15 of their remaining 17 games to reach 70 for the season. The stars might not have aligned quite as well for Cleveland as they did for Chicago or Golden State, but they are within realistic striking distance of 70 if they choose to pursue it.

The Cavs have a reason to pursue 70 wins
That choice is relevant here, and fortunately for anyone rooting for history, the Cavaliers, like the Warriors before them, have a reason to keep winning. While they’ve more or less locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they only lead the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA by two games. They split their head-to-head matchups, and Cleveland should hold the conference record advantage, but that’s still a pretty meager lead. As long as Cleveland wants to maintain home-court advantage in a possible Finals matchup against the Thunder, winning remains a priority.

The schedule is reasonably favorable to the Cavs down the stretch as well. They’ll have a chance to extend their winning streak to 16 against the Grizzlies on Friday, and Jaren Jackson Jr. remains sidelined with an ankle injury. After that, they don’t play another team currently seeded in the top five in either conference for the rest of the month. They have multiple games left against competitive teams like the Knicks, Pacers and Clippers, but none against true heavy hitters like the Thunder, Celtics or Nuggets. Assuming health, they will likely be favored in every game they play the rest of the season.

Health is no given. Cleveland was obviously without three core players on Tuesday. Notably, Jerome was listed out with a “rest” designation, suggesting that the Cavaliers plan to be cautious down the stretch. But no core member of the rotation is dealing with an injury that is expected to keep them sidelined for a significant stretch. Mitchell is dealing with left groin soreness. Hunter had an illness. Everyone figures to at least be in the mix moving forward even if they are missing games occasionally.

With LeBron James leading the way, Cleveland toppled the last team to win 70 in a regular season back in the 2016 Finals. Therefore, the organization is likely aware of the toll that pursuit put on the Warriors and might prefer to avoid taxing its players similarly. If Cleveland gets to the final week or so of the season with 12 or fewer losses, it might come down to how badly their opponents need wins. Two of their final three games come against the Pacers, who are currently in a three-way tie for the No. 4 seed in the East. If that remains the case, the Pacers will obviously plan to go all-out in those matchups. The other game in that stretch comes against a Knicks team that currently has a five-game cushion for the No. 3 seed in either direction. If Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau were ever to rest his best players, that would be the time.

The odds of going 15-2 across any stretch on an NBA schedule are slim, but the odds of starting a season 55-10 are far slimmer. The hardest part is done. Cleveland has twice won 15 games in a row. It’s unlikely, but finishing 15-2 is attainable and doing so comes with the carrot of joining one of the most exclusive clubs in NBA history.

It seems as though every time the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers meet, something overly dramatic occurs. Whether it’s a feud over the rights to a game ball or an NBA Cup upset, these teams have stumbled into one of the more fun rivalries in basketball. Tuesday was yet another stunner. But this time, it was purely a basketball matter.

With 6.1 seconds to go and the Bucks leading 112-110, Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard was fouled with a chance to tie the game. He split his free throws, though, putting Milwaukee in the driver’s seat up 112-111. Damian Lillard then calmly sank two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to extend the lead to three, meaning Milwaukee’s worst-case scenario, barring something catastrophic, was overtime.

And then something catastrophic happened.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell could be seen munching on some popcorn during his team’s 109-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. That snack was probably what he had leftover from pranking rookie Jaylon Tyson, who got his fill after the game.

Mitchell was sidelined for the game with groin soreness, and he watched his teammates while shoveling down some popcorn on the bench. That wound up being foreshadowing for his postgame antics.

In a video posted to social media by Mitchell, he followed Tyson to his car in the team garage, where the rookie found it full of popcorn when he opened the door.

There’s no telling how long it took Tyson to de-popcorn his car before driving home, but based on the video, he might have been in that garage for a while. He might even get flashbacks the next time he smells popcorn at Rocket Arena.

Tyson, a former standout at Texas Tech and California, was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In his 40 games with the Cavaliers, Tyson has averaged 3.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. The rookie is still carving out a role for himself on a talented roster that just won its 15th straight game and clinched the Central Division title.

A pair of evenly matched foes battle when the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks take on the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday in Los Angeles. The Mavericks (50-32), who were 25-16 on the road in 2023-24, are 31-21 against conference opponents. The Clippers (51-31), who were 25-16 at home, are 30-22 against the West. The Clippers won two of three games against Dallas during the regular season, including the lone matchup in Los Angeles.

Tipoff from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Mavericks are 3-point favorites in the latest Mavericks vs. Clippers odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 222. Before making any Clippers vs. Mavericks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Mavericks vs. Clippers and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Clippers vs. Mavericks

Mavericks vs. Clippers spread: Dallas -3
Mavericks vs. Clippers over/under: 222 points
Mavericks vs. Clippers money line: Dallas -148, Los Angeles +125
DAL: The Mavericks have hit the game total under in 38 of their last 57 games (+17.10 units)
LAC: The Clippers have hit the team total under in 22 of their last 33 games (+9.45 units)
Mavericks vs. Clippers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Mavericks can cover
Forward P.J. Washington is averaging 12.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal in 73 games, including 45 starts. Washington registered his first double-double with the Mavericks after a 14-point, 13-rebound effort at Sacramento on March 26. He also recorded a team-high 32 points and a career-high five steals against Golden State on April 5. Washington became the second player in Mavericks history to have a game with at least 30 points, five steals and two blocks.

Also giving Dallas a boost is fifth-year veteran center Daniel Gafford, who is expected to play despite nursing a tender elbow. In 74 games, including 66 starts, he is averaging 11 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 assists in 24.5 minutes. In a 130-104 win at Charlotte on April 9, Gafford poured in 26 points, while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. He registered a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds in a 108-106 win over Golden State on April 5. See which team to pick here.

Why the Clippers can cover
Although listed as a game-time decision, Kawhi Leonard is Los Angeles’ leading scorer and has played in and started 68 games this season. In three games against the Mavericks, Leonard averaged 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and one block in 32 minutes. He scored 20 or more points in nine of his final 10 games, including a 29-point effort in a 100-97 win at Orlando on March 29. For the season, he is averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 34.3 minutes.

Forward Paul George is also a big part of the Clippers’ success. The 33-year-old has been dominant, reaching 18,000 career points in a 105-92 win at Phoenix on April 9. He is one of seven active NBA players with 18,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists. In 74 games, all starts, George is averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.8 minutes. He averaged 16.5 points, six rebounds and three assists in two games against Dallas this year. See which team to pick here.

How to make Clippers vs. Mavericks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 227 points. The model also says one side hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick and analysis at SportsLine.

So who Mavericks vs. Clippers, and which side hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Clippers vs. Mavericks spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,600 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard will not be available for the team’s playoff opener against the Dallas Mavericks as head coach Ty Lue told reporters that Leonard will be out. Prior to Sunday’s press conference, Leonard was regarded as questionable. To that point, he hadn’t taken any contact in practice due to the swelling in his right knee.

Lue did not immediately name a replacement for Leonard. Additionally, Lue had no update as to whether Leonard will be available for Game 2 onward.

In the lead up to Game 1 president Lawrence Frank told reporters the following:

“Kawhi’s been dealing with inflammation for almost three weeks in his right knee; he’s doing everything, our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play,” Frank said Thursday, via ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. “Progress has been made, but more progress needs — the inflammation needs to continue to reduce so he can do functional basketball movements. We’re hopeful it’s going to get there.”

Frank said that Leonard, who hasn’t played since March 31, has done “the mental preparation part of it, the film study, the personnel review” at practice. When it comes to advancing to full-contact work, he said, the team is taking it day by day. On Sunday, Lue said that “we haven’t gotten that far yet,” when asked about Leonard’s availability to partake in contact work.

“Inflammation is unpredictable,” Frank said then. “We’d love to have a crystal ball and Kawhi would love to have a crystal ball and know exactly on this day, but you just control what you can control. And hopefully the inflammation reduces in a short amount of time and he’s back on the court. That’s the goal.”

Lawrence Frank’s opening statement on Kawhi Leonard:

“Kawhi’s been dealing with inflammation for almost 3 weeks in his right knee. He’s doing everything, our medical staff is doing everything to get the inflammation down so he can play. Progress has been made, but more progress,… pic.twitter.com/mc8JZTfZBN

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 18, 2024
Leonard is dealing with “some very, very stubborn inflammation,” Frank said, via The Athletic’s Law Murray, but “everything structurally is in a really, really good place.”

Before Frank’s press conference, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Stadium (22:26 here) that Leonard “received an injection in his knee to alleviate inflammation” and “after a period of rest, he’s been ramping up.” Charania reported Leonard has been doing “some pretty intense” on-court workouts “in the last week or so.”

Asked about the report, Frank said, “We don’t comment on any specific treatments, obviously.” He added that Leonard is “doing everything he can and we’re doing everything we can medically.”

Frank directly said that “there is no gamesmanship here.” He said the Clippers “want to be as transparent as possible, and also it’s OK to say what the truth is: It’s unpredictable. We’re hoping it’s trending in the right direction.”

Once the swelling is at “an acceptable level,” Frank said, then Leonard can “start with on-court work, and then you continue to build up on it and you get to a point where, first from Kawhi’s standpoint and then from a medical standpoint, we’re comfortable where he can play in a high-level playoff game.” He repeatedly said that there needs to be less swelling before Leonard can do “functional basketball movements” and take contact.

At the end of March, Leonard had played in 68 of Los Angeles’ 74 games. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34.3 minutes per game in the regular season, with .525/.417/.885 shooting splits, and he’ll likely be named to an All-NBA team. The fourth-seeded Clippers could contend for a championship this season, based on how they played from mid-November to early February, provided that Leonard is available, but they could also fall in the first round to the Mavericks, who finished the regular season much stronger.

“This guy lives for these moments,” Frank said. “He played 68 games this year, he’s done a ton of heavy lifting and he prepares himself to be his best when his best is needed. So he’s going to do, like he has, everything in his power to get on the court.”

Frank also cautioned that, “obviously, if he’s not healthy to play at a certain moment, then he won’t be out there.”

Given that Leonard tore the ACL in his right knee in the 2021 playoffs, an injury that cost him the entirety of the following season, and then tore the meniscus in the same knee in last year’s playoffs, an issue with this specific knee is surely the last thing the Clippers wanted to be dealing with. This is where they are, though, and they must simply hope that Leonard can successfully ramp up, suit up and hold up.

“There’s no one who’s more frustrated than Kawhi, who desperately wants to be out there to play,” Frank said. “You just control what you can control.”

The No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers battle in Game 1 of their first-round matchup of the 2024 NBA playoffs on Sunday evening. The Bucks have a home-court advantage and are looking to take control of this series with a win. Milwaukee had the second-best home record in the East this season at 31-11. However, the Bucks are expected to be without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) in this matchup.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Indiana is the 1-point favorite in the latest Pacers vs. Bucks odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 231.5. Before making any Bucks vs. Pacers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Pacers and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pacers vs. Bucks:

Pacers vs. Bucks spread: Indiana -1
Pacers vs. Bucks over/under: 231.5 points
Pacers vs. Bucks money line: Indiana -120, Milwaukee +100
IND: The Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against Milwaukee
MIL: The Bucks are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games
Pacers vs. Bucks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bucks can cover
Forward Khris Middleton will have to step up but he’s shown he’s capable of that in the past. Middleton has a nice jumper from the outside to space the floor and can score off the dribble. The 32-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He scored 17-plus points in two straight games to end the regular season. In his last outing, Middleton had 17 points and five assists.

Center Brook Lopez stands at 7’1 but is a floor spacer. Lopez can shoot from 3-point range with ease while being a serious shot blocker. The Stanford product logged 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game during the regular season. Additionally, he shot 36% from beyond the arc. In the Jan. 3 game against the Pacers, Lopez dropped 16 points, five boards, and knocked down two 3-pointers. See which team to pick here.

Why the Pacers can cover
Center Myles Turner makes things difficult on opposing players in the paint. Turner brings elite rim protection to the lane while owning the bounce to rise up for dunks. He also has the jumper to hit 3-pointers. The Texas product averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per contest. Additionally, he made 35% of his 3-point attempts. On April 14, Turner finished with 31 points, 12 boards, and four blocks.

Forward Aaron Nesmith is a great swingman and two-way threat. Nesmith continues to be very active off the ball as both a cutter and perimeter shooter. The Vanderbilt product runs with tremendous effort as a defender. He put up 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and shoots 41% from downtown. Nesmith dropped 15-plus points in three of his last five games. In the April 12 loss to the Cavaliers, he totaled 15 points and six rebounds. See which team to pick here.

How to make Pacers vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 233 points. The model also says one side hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Bucks vs. Pacers, and which side hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,600 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.

The Cavaliers will be in front of their home fans on Tuesday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will take on the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W’.

Last Saturday, Cleveland couldn’t handle Indiana and fell 125-113. The Cavaliers have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.

Evan Mobley put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 33 points and 14 rebounds. He hasn’t dropped below two blocks for three straight games.

Meanwhile, New York also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to New Orleans by a score of 96-87.

Even though they lost, the Knicks were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Pelicans only pulled down four.

Cleveland now has a losing record at 1-2. As for New York, they now also have a losing record at 1-2.

Not only did the pair lose their last games, but neither team managed to cover the spread. Looking ahead, the Knicks are expected to win a tight contest, barring any buzzer beaters. This contest might not be the best time to bet Cleveland against the spread since they’ve let bettors down the last three times they’ve played.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Cavaliers have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 45.7 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like the Knicks struggle in that department as they’ve been even better at 50.3 per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds
New York is a 3-point favorite against Cleveland, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Knicks as a 2.5-point favorite.

The over/under is set at 215.5 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History
New York has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Cleveland.

Apr 26, 2023 – New York 106 vs. Cleveland 95
Apr 23, 2023 – New York 102 vs. Cleveland 93
Apr 21, 2023 – New York 99 vs. Cleveland 79
Apr 18, 2023 – Cleveland 107 vs. New York 90
Apr 15, 2023 – New York 101 vs. Cleveland 97
Mar 31, 2023 – New York 130 vs. Cleveland 116
Jan 24, 2023 – New York 105 vs. Cleveland 103
Dec 04, 2022 – New York 92 vs. Cleveland 81
Oct 30, 2022 – Cleveland 121 vs. New York 108
Apr 02, 2022 – Cleveland 119 vs. New York 101

Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season is underway and plenty of unexpected things have already happened on the hardwood. We wrote on some of the best future bets for awards earlier this month and some individual performances already have us re-evaluating where the best value is. Are you looking to place early wagers now to get the best odds possible for your favorite season-long award races? We’ve got you covered with three options we feel have stood out the most so far.

Doncic kicked off the season on a “minute restriction” and has still blown by all expectations early on. The Dallas Mavericks superstar’s odds have risen from +550 since early October and his team’s early success could help bolster his chances. Dallas hasn’t played any real contenders yet but boasts a 3-0 record despite Kyrie Irving already having missed one game. Doncic will even out over time, but he’s shooting 55.6% from the field and 48.6% from deep early on. His one-man show will be hard to beat if he continues to move the needle by putting up otherwordly numbers and winning games en route to securing a playoff berth.

Victor Wenbanyama (-170) and Holmgren have improved their odds since the season began, but Holmgren has been just as impressive as the top pick from the 2023 NBA Draft, so far. The two gangly bigs have nearly identical stats, but Holmgren has been far more efficient. The Gonzaga product is shooting better than 60% from the field and deep, while Wembanyama is below league average in both categories. Bettors shouldn’t assume that Wemby winning this award is a foregone conclusion and Holmgren appears to have the chops to challenge the Frenchman early on.

This ticket excites me more than any other, as Thomas is on track for an unprecedented jump after posting 10.6 points per contest in 2022-23. Basketball fans saw that he could score at an elite level last season when the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets handed him the keys to the offense temporarily but he returned to a supporting role following the arrival of Mikal Bridges and others in a midseason trade. Now Thomas has become the youngest player to score at least 30 points in three consecutive games to start a season since Shaq while converting 61.4% of his field goals. He’ll surely be relegated to the bench once Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson, and Spencer Dinwiddie are healthy, but it’s clear that he’ll be a key part of the rotation moving forward. I don’t think that Chris Paul (+650) has the scoring upside to get the job done given the winners from previous years.

The NBA unveiled unique designs for the In-Season Tournament courts on Monday, and there was a lot to unwrap. While some teams understood the assignment, others played it too safe — and, of course, some tried to do a little too much.

There have been plenty of alternate jerseys over the years, but this is the first time the NBA has implemented an alternate court for all 30 teams. The inaugural In-Season Tournament will tip off on Nov. 3 and concludes with the championship game on Dec. 9. Until then, let’s have some fun examining the designs.

30. Washington Wizards
    It’s not a requirement to use the team’s main colors, but it feels like that would make the most sense. No hate on teal as it’s a great color, but overall this looks more like a court for the WNBA’s New York Liberty.

washington-wizards.png
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29. San Antonio Spurs
    The Spurs don’t deserve to be dead last because they took a chance, but it just didn’t work out. Although it was clever to try to use the Fiesta colors, this is giving Seattle SuperSonics nostalgia.

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28. Detroit Pistons
    For branding purposes, it feels like the Pistons should’ve incorporated some blue to this design because you should be able to tell whose court it is without having to read.

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27. Milwaukee Bucks
    The colors are not bad, but the Bucks logo needs to stand out more because it unfortunately gets overshadowed by the name of the arena.

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26. New Orleans Pelicans
    This is another one of those designs in which we can appreciate that a risk was taken, but it ended up giving more Halloween or space video game vibes.

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25. Sacramento Kings
    Points for the throwback logo, but otherwise there is not much exciting about the Kings’ design.

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24. Miami Heat
    The Heat have a cool team name and could’ve gotten really creative with this assignment, but unfortunately the design is bland, and that’s disappointing.

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23. Dallas Mavericks
    It’s not bad, but the font on the sidelines looks like it’s plucked from a newspaper and the logo could’ve been more exciting.

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22. Brooklyn Nets
    This looks too basic. Not really any creativity going on.

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21. Philadelphia 76ers
    Nothing necessarily wrong with the 76ers’ design except it’s boring and, like with other teams, more could’ve been done with the logo.

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20. Memphis Grizzlies
    Gold is awesome, but this doesn’t quite make sense for the Grizzlies. If the Vegas Golden Knights ever played basketball instead of hockey, this would fit them very well.

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19. Chicago Bulls
    The choice of making the logo white was interesting. It definitely stands out, but I’m not sure if this design as a whole should’ve been the final draft. It’s not quite there yet.

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18. Oklahoma City Thunder
    There could’ve been so many cool designs with the Thunder’s colors, but this is a forgettable look.

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17. Orlando Magic
    Not quite as magical as it could’ve been. Making the star the star of the show would fit the Dallas Cowboys better.

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16. Los Angeles Lakers
    There is no doubt purple and gold are iconic colors, but this might be a bit too much gold. It will either look really cool during a game or tire your eyes out.

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15. New York Knicks
    Good job on branding, but this is another example of a team overloading on color and potentially making it hard to keep fans’ eyes on the game. Staring at the logo could get disorienting.

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14. Denver Nuggets
    The Nuggets took a chance by making their literal mile high elevation (5,280 feet) their logo instead of the actual logo, and it kind of works. This design would be a cool graphic for TV or social media.

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13. Atlanta Hawks
    The logo feels like it’s part of the trophy, and maybe that’s a good thing. It’s a clean design. The only note would be to make the words “lift as we fly” a bit more visually exciting.

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12. Houston Rockets
    Maybe too much red, but it’s fun and looks like it has the makings of a cool varsity jacket.

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11. Minnesota Timberwolves
    Very similar to the Hawks because of the baby blue, but I still can’t deny the aesthetic is beautiful. Simple, yet classy and elegant.

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10. Golden State Warriors
    This feels like a design fans will either love or hate, so it deserves to be sort of in the middle. The colors represent the Warriors’ dynastic run over the years, but some might have issues with the shades of brown.

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9. Los Angeles Clippers
   While it might not be enough to be the top court on this list, good choices were made here. The Clippers’ logo stands out while also fitting perfectly with all the other parts. It just feels right.

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8. Indiana Pacers
   The Pacers got creative with this one and came up with a vibrant, fun design. Just like the Rockets, the Pacers have plenty of merch potential here.

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7. Portland Trail Blazers
   Portland and flannel? Perfect match. This design is creative yet it stays true to itself. Good use of colors without being too overwhelming or one-dimensional.

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6. Toronto Raptors
   Perhaps it’s missing red, but other teams made grey and black look boring while the Raptors made it feel luxurious. The “We The North” along the sideline helps make a statement.

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5. Utah Jazz
   The purple shines, but the overall design is not overwhelming. “Utah” stands out beautifully in the middle. No notes.

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4. Charlotte Hornets
   The colors, the logo: This is how you make a cool design that doesn’t look like a video game. Just enough to be exciting, but didn’t cross the line.

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3. Phoenix Suns
   The Suns had fun with their El Valle look. It’s worth applauding the effort made to come up with something special and vibrant that represents the community.

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2. Boston Celtics
   It’s perfect for the team, it just screams Boston, and everything came together cleanly. Lucky the Leprechaun can be proud.

NBA

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
   The Cavs did a great job creating a unique look for their court while making sure they didn’t go over the top. They found a perfect balance between creative and professional.

There may only be three games on the NBA schedule for Tuesday, but there are plenty of stars in the NBA DFS player pool. Options such as Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be popular selections as NBA DFS picks. However, Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) and Norman Powell (foot) are both questionable, and those are injuries to monitor throughout the day when forming NBA DFS lineups.

The Clippers host the Magic on Tuesday after reportedly acquiring 10-time All-Star James Harden from the 76ers earlier in the day. The Clippers sent four players, including role players such as Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, and picks to the 76ers, so the Los Angeles bench will likely be limited on Tuesday. Does that make it a viable NBA DFS strategy to stack Magic players such as Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz or Cole Anthony against a potentially depleted Clippers defense? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.

This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Monday, McClure highlighted Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Simmons had 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, returning 38 points on DraftKings and 36 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Tuesday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Tuesday, October 31
For Tuesday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley, who is listed at $8,100 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Mobley is coming off a monster performance with 33 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against the Pacers on Saturday. The day before, the 22-year-old had 14 points and 15 rebounds against the Thunder. Now that Mobley has some time to rest, he could have something even better in store against the Knicks.

Mobley, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, averaged 16.2 points and nine rebounds last year. He’s played an expanded role to begin this season as starting center Jarrett Allen (ankle) is set to miss his fourth straight game to open the year. Allen being sidelined has opened up dominant rebounding performances for the 6-foot-11 Mobley. Guard Darius Garland (hamstring) is also out and star guard Mitchell (hamstring) is questionable. Mobley could become one of the go-to scorers yet again and paired with his high rebounding floor, Mobley is a strong play for NBA DFS lineups.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes stacking Mobley with guard/forward Caris LeVert ($6,100 on DraftKings and $6,400 on FanDuel). LeVert was given complete control of the offense on Saturday with Mitchell and Garland sidelined, and the 29-year-old had 31 points, five rebounds and eight assists with 28 field-goal attempts. LeVert, himself, is listed as questionable for Tuesday with hamstring soreness, but you have to believe he’ll do everything he can to take the court with the abundance of shots he’s set to receive.

LeVert lit up the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs, particularly over the last four games of New York’s five-game series win. Over that stretch, he averaged 18 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while knocking down nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts. The eight-year veteran also had 17 points in the second game of the season where Mitchell played and Garland missed, so even if Mitchell is active, he still has the potential to outperform his price point in a limited NBA DFS player pool on Tuesday. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday, October 31
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Tuesday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.