NBA Preview: Celtics and Spurs to Continue Streaks

The Hawks travel to Boston in a bid to break the Celtics’ 11-game winning streak while the Spurs defend their own 6-game streak at Denver.

Tired Celtics can keep winning
This has been a strange double-digit streak for the Celtics. Sure it’s getting talked about but Boston haven’t played like a team obsessed with setting any kind of jaw-dropping win streak. Think of the 2007-8 Rockets, who played with near playoff level intensity at times during their 22-game streak. The Celtics have played well certainly throughout this current run but always looked like a team more focussed on more important matters in April. That all seemed to change with 0.4 seconds on the clock last night. Paul Pierce’s game-winning shot to beat the Knicks capped off the most passionate performance by Boston during this current run.

Tonight they return home to take on Atlanta, another likely playoff contender. The Hawks’s form has been patchy of late due to the absence of top-scorer Joe Johnson. Atlanta have lost three of their last six games, including an awful performance in a 103-80 defeat in Detroit on Tuesday. The Hawks will get better but they simply won’t be a factor against any of the NBA’s elite outfits until Johnson is healthy and contributing again.

Boston’s Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal both sat Wednesday through injury. Neither look likely to start tonight but at least Shaq is finding other ways to keep busy. Rajon Rondo may only have one good foot at the moment but so long as he can suit up and Paul Pierce is out there with him, it’s hard to see anyone but the best in the NBA stopping this Boston team. Bet on the Boston Celtics as -7.5 favorites with Sports Interaction.

Diverse Spurs can keep winning
Carmelo Anthony is still a Nugget, at least for now. Melo is a prime target for the New Jersey Nets, who could offer up a Herschel Walker sized bounty for Denver’s superstar in the near future. The Knicks are rumored to be his preferred choice but none of this trade talk around Melo will help the Nuggets ahead of a big home game against the Spurs tonight.

San Antonio have won six in a row, with a Manu Ginobili jumper keeping the streak alive in a 92-90 win over the Bucks. The Pepsi Center is a tough place to go and win, with the Nuggets having won their last 10 home games, but the Spurs have the depth to succeed. Bet on the San Antonio Spurs to win as -1.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.