NBA Doubleheader – Best in the East and West

Thursday Night NBA Doubleheader

The top teams from both conferences are on the NBA betting schedule on Thursday, but unfortunately they don’t play against each other, as the Lakers take on Phoenix and the Cavaliers face Houston.

The Lakers and Suns meet up on Thursday for the first time since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal shared MVP honors at the All-Star Game. Kobe’s Lakers are undefeated since then and an impressive 10-1 in the month of February, while Shaq’s Suns have won four of their last five games. Don’t get too excited though Suns fans, because those wins came against Charlotte, Oklahoma City, and the Clippers (twice), while the one loss was against Boston.

The Suns took care of Charlotte on Tuesday night in a 112-102 win as 7-point favorite on the NBA odds. Steve Nash led Phoenix with 22 points despite exiting briefly with a sprained ankle. Shaq and Jason Richardson each added 20 points, with O’Neal also recording 11 rebounds. The latest on Nash is that he’s day-to-day with the ankle sprain and could play on Thursday night.

The Lakers posted their fifth win in a row on Tuesday after downing the Thunder 107-93 as 7.5-point favorites. Bryant scored a game-high 36 points and Pau Gasol chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

In two previous meetings this season the Lakers defeated the Suns both times. Los Angeles earned a 105-92 win as a 4.5-point road favorite back in November and picked up a 115-110 win as a 13.5-point home favorite in December.

Cleveland and Houston meet up on Thursday night with both teams riding five-game winning streaks. The Cavaliers posted their fifth straight win on Tuesday after cruising past Memphis 94-79 as 15.5-point favorites. Daniel Gibson led the Cavs with 19 points, while LeBron James played only 29 minutes and had 15 points and eight assists. Cleveland guard Delonte West missed Tuesday’s game with soreness in his now-healed fractured wrist. West had just returned from the injury on Sunday after missing 16 games. He’s is listed as probable for Thursday’s game.

The Rockets have won their last five games, all without Tracy McGrady, who is out for the year after knee surgery. Houston topped Portland 98-94 on Tuesday as a 4.5-point favorite. Ron Artest dropped in 21 points and Aaron Brooks continued his recent strong play with 20 points.

The Rockets and Cavaliers met up in Cleveland in December when the Cavs came away with a 99-90 win as 7.5-point favorites. James led Cleveland with 27 points and nine boards, while Yao Ming had 19 points for Houston.