NBA Thursday

[Raji]

an Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (-3, 186 ½)



Home or away, the Spurs’ focus is on defense.



San Antonio has the stingiest defense in the NBA, allowing less than 90 points per outing. The Spurs held Lakers star Kobe Bryant to a meager 18 points – 12 points under his season average –en route to a 107-92 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday. They are also limiting their opponents to 43 percent shooting from the floor and 31 percent from behind the arc.



Dallas is averaging more than 100 points per contest and is shooting a stunning 47 percent from the field. The Mavericks are also shooting above 36 percent from the three-point line. Dallas has only played against three teams with winning records, including the mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trailblazers.



The Spurs have won four straight games and are 7-1 straight up (SU). They are also 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games after a SU win. The road club is also 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings between the Spurs and Mavericks.



Pick: Spurs +3



Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns (-7 ½, 203)



Bulls coach Scott Skiles has hinted at inserting forward Andres Nocioni into his staring lineup against the sizzling Suns.



News flash, Scott: It’s not going to make a difference.



Chicago has been atrocious on offense. The Bulls rank second-last in the league in scoring (86.5), field-goal percentage (38.1), and three-point field-goal percentage (26.4). They have also struggled defensively, allowing 95 points per contest on 43 percent shooting. They also allowed more than 100 points in an embarrassing 101-71 setback to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.



The Suns are averaging more than 100 points per showing and are shooting an exceptional 46 percent. Former MVP Steve Nash is leading the Suns in scoring with 20.6 points per outing. Six other players are also averaging double-figure points, including Leandro Barbosa (19.1), Shawn Marion (17.2) and Amare Stoudamire (15.6).



The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between the Bulls and Suns.



Pick: Suns -7 ½


Raji