Phoenix Suns vs Boston Celtics: Picks, Predictions & Statistics

Luka Doncic had a career night on Friday scoring 35 points, including a career-high eight made threes during the Dallas Mavericks’ 120-112 win over Portland.

On Saturday, the two best teams in the NBA - the Bucks and Lakers - hit the road for tough road tests.

Here’s a look at today’s NBA games:

BET OF THE DAY

Phoenix Suns (+6.5) @ Boston Celtics, 7:00 PM:

• The Suns have a 5-1 ATS record against the Celtics at TD Bank Garden from 2013-14. Stat courtesy of Statschecker.

The Phoenix Suns (17-24) got back on track in a big way blowing out the New York Knicks 121-98. Phoenix was on point, shooting 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three-point range as a team with three players scoring over 20 points.

Devin Booker led the way with a team-high 29 points, four assists and four rebounds. DeAndre Ayton had a monster game posting a huge double-double with 26 points and 21 rebounds. Ricky Rubio added a double-double of his own with 25 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.

Boston (27-13) dropped a second straight game despite a comeback effort in Milwaukee, losing to the Bucks 128-123. The Celtics outscored Milwaukee by 14 in the fourth quarter behind a big effort from Kemba Walker.

Walker went off for 40-point double-double with 11 rebounds on 14-for-23 shooting from the field. Marcus Smart added 24 points while knocking down a game-high five three-pointers.

The Celtics have hit a slump, losing five of the last seven games, and may be without Jaylen Brown for the second straight on Saturday night, which will hurt the team’s overall production on both ends of the court.

I’m anticipating another big scoring game from Booker which will be enough to cover the spread (+6.5).

2u - Phoenix Suns (+6.5) @ -110

Milwaukee Bucks (-8) @ Brooklyn Nets, 6:00 PM:

• Milwaukee has a 4-1 ATS record against the Nets at the Barclays Center since 2016-17.
• The Bucks have the fifth best record ATS this season (24-19). Stat courtesy of Statschecker.

Milwaukee (37-6) edged out their fifth straight victory in a statement win over the Celtics 128-123.

The Greek Freak - Giannis Antetokounmpo - put the team on his back with yet another huge game, posting 32 points with 17 rebounds and seven assists. Donte DiVincenzo contributed 19 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.

The Brooklyn Nets (18-22) dropped a second straight game and have lost eight of the last 10 following a 117-106 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Brooklyn kept pace for most of the game but slipped up late as they were outscored by 15 in the fourth. Spencer Dinwiddie was the lone Net to score in the 20s, totaling 26 points with a team-high eight assists.

Milwaukee has won each of the last six meetings against the Nets at the Barclays Center. Brooklyn has also been poor ATS this season with the eighth worst record in the league 18-22.

Take the Bucks to cover (-8).

1u -  Milwaukee Bucks (-8) @ -110

Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets (-2), 8:30 PM

•  Houston has a 16-10 ATS record against Los Angeles since 2012-13.
• The Lakers have a 3-5 ATS record at the Toyota Center since 2015-16. Stats courtesy of Statschecker.

The Lakers (33-8) were edged out by the Orlando Magic 119-118 and snapped a nine-game winning streak on Wednesday night.

LeBron James orchestrated the offense with a huge 19 points-19 assists double-double. Quinn Cook added a game-high 22 points off the bench on 9-of-14 shooting.

Houston (26-14) lost a second consecutive game after falling to the Portland Trail Blazers 117-107.

The Rockets put together a late surge but fell short despite Russell Westbrook totaling his seventh triple-double of the season. Westbrook scored a team-high 31 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists. The NBA’s leading scorer James Harden had an off night scoring 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Los Angeles may be without Anthony Davis for yet another game as he’s listed as questionable. The Rockets will also have the home-court advantage and have been successful ATS against the Lakers in the past. I’m rolling with Houston to cover the spread (-2) at home.

1u - Houston Rockets (-2) @ -110