Bucks Star, Damian Lillard looses $100,000 to fan in Mr Beast Challenge

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard faced off against an nba fan in a three-point shooting challenge organized by YouTuber Mr. Beast.  The challenge took place during the NBA All-Star Game on Monday.  The rules were simple: Lillard had to hit 3 logo three point shots before the fan could hit just one.  At the very last second, the fan hit a three pointer before Lillard could complete his third deep three. Fans, Players, Mascots in the Arena went crazy when they realized that the fan had made the winning shot. The fan himself was stunned, unable to process what had happened. Overcome with excitement, he took a victory leap into a pit of money as he celebrated the joy of winning against one of NBA’s long shooters.

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NBA Expert Picks: Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic

It’s another exciting southeast match up this Thursday at the Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic game. Orlando Magic will host Charlotte Hornets at the Kia Center, Orlando on the 13th of February, 2025. The Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic game is one of the 15 games scheduled for Thursday. Matchplug has the updated analysis for the Charles Hornets VS Orlando Magic game.  Read below for Matchplug’s odds, and analysis on Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic in this preview. Betting Preview for Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic Betting On The Charlotte Hornets The Hornets are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 13-38 record. They’ve met Orlando Magic 124 times in the regular season and will be meeting them for the third time this season on February 13. The Hornets are heading into Thursday’s game after losing two previous matches and only winning two of their last 10 matches. Betting On The Orlando Magic  Despite having a great start this season, the Magic are 3-7 over the past 10 games. They are coming off a 112-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday and don’t seem to have gotten the momentum to dominate Thursday’s game. MatchPlug Prediction For Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic For this match, the Orlando Magic are favored to win on the spread in the last 1XBet Charlotte Hornets VS Orlando Magic. Final Prediction: Orlando Magic Spread

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NBA Expert Picks: Washington Wizards VS Indiana Pacers

The Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers meet on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Capital One Arena. The matchup will be broadcast locally on Monumental Sports Network and FanDuel Sports Network – Indiana. Matchplug has the updated analysis for the Washington Wizards VS Indiana Pacers game.  Read below for Matchplug’s odds, and analysis on Washington Wizards VS Indiana Pacers in this preview. Betting Preview for Washington Wizards VS Indiana Pacers Betting On The Washington Wizards Washington Wizards have been struggling to keep up this season. They have won 3 and lost 7 of their last 10 games. Their last game at the at Capital One Arena ended in a disappointing 131-121 loss. So far, they have entered games as underdogs 53 times this season and won nine of those games. Betting On The Indiana Pacers Pacers have met the Wizards 195 times in the regular season, with the Pacers leading 108-87.  This Thursday’s game will be their second game this season and the Indiana Pacers will be heading to the match pretty confident after winning their previous game 115-103 against the Wizards in November.  MatchPlug Prediction For Washington Wizards VS Indiana Pacers Despite being on a two-game losing streak, the odds favor the Pacers to win Thursdays game. The reason is quite self explanatory as they are one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and the Wizards have also struggled throughout this 2025 season.  Final Prediction: Indiana Pacers Over/Under

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NBA round-up: Doncic Shines in Season Opener as Lakers dominates Jazz

Luka Doncic made an impressive debut for the LA Lakers on Monday, returning from injury with 14 points in a big 132-113 victory against Utah Jazz.  The Slovenian superstar who was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month in a jaw-dropping deal was playing his first game since sustaining a calf injury in December. Despite spending 24 minutes in this match due to fitness issues, Doncic wowed his fans  and showed glimpses of a great future with the Lakers. One of the best moments of the night was Doncic making a full-court pass to James for a bucket in the first half. The pass earned him one of the loudest ovations of the night from fans.

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Anthony Davis ‘AD’ shines in Dallas Debut

One week after AD’s unexpected trade to Dallas, he dominated the American Airline Center fans all with a bittersweet 116-105 Mavs win against Rockets. In this monster debut, Anthony Davis has made history, becoming the the third Mav in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to record 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in any half, putting Dallas up 17 at the break. Sadly, Anthony Davis left the game before the final minute due to lower body injury in the third quarter. Despite this, the Mavs held things down on the court to secure the win, dishing Rockets their six losing streak.

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Lakers Cancel Deal for Mark William Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers cancelled their trade to acquire Mark Williams from Charlotte after the center failed his physical, sources told The Associated Press on Saturday night. The source, who requested to remain anonymous, said the Lakers weren’t planning to announce their reason for pulling the plug on the deal. Prior to the news break, The Lakers had agreed to trade rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish,  and draft considerations to Charlotte on Wednesday in exchange for the 23-year-old Williams, a third-year pro and former first-round pick.  But the Lakers decided to cancel the trade immediately after they learned more about William’s injury history. In the past three seasons, he has played in only 84 of 212 games due to back problems and other issues.

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NBA Expert Picks: Philadelphia 76ers VS Milwaukee Bucks 

The 76ers and The Bucks, hoping to bounce back from disappointing losses, are meeting again tonight for the Philadelphia 76ers VS Milwaukee Bucks matchup at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee.  Matchplug has the updated analysis for the eastern conference rivals game.  Read below for Matchplug’s odds, and analysis on Philadelphia 76ers VS Milwaukee Bucks In this preview. Betting Preview for Philadelphia 76ers VS Milwaukee Bucks  Betting On The Philadelphia 76ers  The 76ers fell behind by as many as 34 points in a 125-112 defeat to a shorthanded team missing their All Star Guard, Cade Cunningham. This loss ended Philadelphia’s four game winning streak and is their second loss this season. 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse openly criticized his team’s lack of effort. Right now, there’s no confirmation that 76ers big 3 will unavailable for Sunday’s game as it is not part of a back-to-back schedule. Betting On The Milwaukee Bucks  Milwaukee has not lost a series in Philadelphia since the 2011-2012 season and they’ve won their last six meetings, including the first two of the season. The buck closed the year with a 124-109 victory in Philadelphia on Oct. 23, then secured a 123-109 home win on Jan. 19.  However on Friday, Milwaukee let a 21-point lead slip away in a 115-110 loss to Atlanta. After the game, head coach Doc Rivers didn’t hold back as he criticized his team’s drop to 2-6 on January 27. MatchPlug Prediction For Philadelphia 76ers VS Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are going into tonight’s match as slight favorites over the Philadelphia 76ers. Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the bucks still have the home advantage over the 76ers. That said, we predict a win for Milwaukee Bucks with the total going over 225.5 Final Prediction: OVER 225.5

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NBA Expert Picks: Toronto Raptors VS Houston Rockets

Toronto Raptors face Houston Rockets on Sunday, 9th of February, 2025. This preview features Match Plug’s predictions, odds, and analysis of the Toronto Raptors VS Houston Rockets game. Tip off for this game starts at 2:00 pm ET. Note: Before you lock in your picks for Sunday’s game, read below for Matchplug’s odds, and analysis on Raptors VS Rockets In this preview. Betting Preview for Houston Rockets VS Toronto Raptors Betting On The Houston Rockets  They have been on a 6 game skid and are struggling on both offense and defense due to the absence of their key players- Fred VanVleet, and Jabari Smith Jr. Houston will need to bring their A game if they want to defeat the Raptors this Sunday. Betting On The Toronto Raptors The raptors have been pretty inconsistent this season. They lost 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. On Friday, they fell 121-109 to the Thunders but managed to cover as 18.5 underdogs with over 229.0. Their top scorers RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram will be absent on the court this Sunday.  MatchPlug Prediction For Houston Rockets VS Toronto Raptors Despite the Raptors missing key players like RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram, Houston will need to be on their A-game to break their losing streak. That said, we predict that the Raptors will win this game. Final Prediction: Raptors (+9.5) Spread

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NBA Expert Picks: Charlotte Hornets VS Detroit Pistons Sure Tips

Charlotte Hornets are playing against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, 9th of February, 2025. This preview features Match Plug’s predictions, odds, and analysis of the Boston Charlotte Hornets VS Detroit Pistons game. Tip off for this game starts at 1:00 pm ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Note: Before you lock in your picks for Sunday’s game, read below for Matchplug’s odds, and analysis in this preview. Betting Preview for Charlotte Hornets VS Detroit Pistons Betting On The Charlotte Hornets  Charlotte won their last meeting 98-94 with the Pistons in Detroit on January 3rd. Despite the win, they head to Caesar Arena on Sunday as a 9.5 point underdog to face the Detroit Pistons team that they’ve beaten twice this season. Last Friday, they won 117-116 over the San Antonio Spurs thanks to a three pointer shot from Miles Bridges. For now, It’s uncertain if Ja Forward Dalton Knecht, F Cam Reddish, and C Jusuf Nurkic will play Sunday’s game for Charlotte as trades are still going on. Betting On The Detroit Pistons  The Detroit Pistons have been doing great this season, despite the absence of their top player, Cade Cunningham.  On Friday, they dominated the 76ers 125-112, leading by 34 points at one stage of the game. With this, they’ve set up the opportunity for a winning homestand which closes with a final match against Charlotte Hornets this Sunday. MatchPlug Prediction For Charlotte Hornets VS Detroit Pistons Both teams have met 3 times this season in games ending with 1,2 and 4 points. With all the key players in the game, Charlotte should be able to hold its ground against the Pistons. With the Pistons in the 28th position, we predict that the Hornets will likely win this game on the spread. Final Prediction: Charlotte Hornets Spread.

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embiid

Triumphant return: Joel Embiid posts triple-double, hits go-ahead layup

Joel Embiid hopes coming back to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup isn’t a one-day thing. The center proved he hasn’t slowed down, after returning from a left knee injury that kept him absent for a month. Embiid delivered his first triple-double of the term on Tuesday night in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.  Embiid, who was absent in the last 15 matches, had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Philadelphia’s 118-116 victory. He played for 36 minutes while wearing a leg brace and went 12-for-23 from the field and 4-for-9 from the free-throw line.  “I wish I could play every game,” Embiid said of his expectations for the rest of the season. “Whatever God decides from that point on, I can’t control it. Goal is to be available every single night.” Nonetheless, coach Nick Nurse said after the match that Embiid would not compete on Wednesday night against Miami Heat. The center played in just his 14th game of a season he said has been “extremely” frustrating. The 76ers are 8-6 with him and 20-29 overall. They’ll need him to play again to advance to the playoffs. “Trying to find the positives, like support and family, but it’s tough,” he said. In the match against the Mavericks, Embiid appeared to be normal. His layup with 22 seconds on the clock put Philadelphia up by a point. He stole the defensive rebound on Dallas’ next possession and then defended the last play of the meeting when the Mavericks turned it over.  “I just wanted to come out aggressive, assert myself inside and out,” Embiid said. Embiid, who was drafted No. 3 overall by Philadelphia in 2014, entered the game averaging 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds. He still thinks the 76ers can turn things around. “We just got to get healthy and stay healthy,” he said.

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