Three early-season NBA games, three different shapes. In Boston the home side meets a Brooklyn team whose defence has leaked all year. In New York a winless home side meets an undefeated visitor that has already beaten the same three opponents. In San Antonio the gap in quality is obvious, but the real question is how far it stretches.
Boston: the Celtics are at home and scoring efficiently, and they just won big at home the night before. Brooklyn has given up 110 or more in every regular-season game, including 136 to Indiana and 125 at Cleveland. The Nets' shooting is fine, so their losses come from defence, and Boston's scoring volume is the main thing in this game. Boston's second night in a row means starters may leave early, but it is a home-to-home spot with no travel, so I trust the winner. That's why I'm siding with Boston to win.
New York against Detroit: the Knicks are 0-3 and lost to Philadelphia, Boston and Orlando by 4, 6 and 9. Detroit beat those same three opponents, two of them on the road, scoring around 118 a game on good three-point shooting from a deep group of scorers. Jalen Duren is out for Detroit, which hurts the glass against Towns and Hart, but Detroit already won in Philadelphia without him. The Knicks' own defence is giving up 105 to 111. I expect a close game decided by a possession or a few points, so I'm siding with Detroit and the points they receive.
San Antonio against Sacramento: the Kings' frontcourt is hollow, with Murray, Raynaud, Cardwell and Simmons all out, so the Spurs should control the rim. But the Spurs are 1-2 with two home losses, and they play again the next night in Utah, which makes it likely the starters sit once the lead is big. Sacramento's two closer losses were by 11 and 8. A very large margin is a lot to ask, so I'm siding with Sacramento and the big cushion they get.
