Tag: trae young

Oklahoma’s Trae Young a betting favorite to win NBA 3-Point Contest

There will be a Sooners flavor to NBA All-Star Saturday night. Trae Young is a favorite to win the NBA 3-Point Contest.

There will be a Sooners flavor to NBA All-Star Saturday night.

Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and Trae Young will be two of the eight participants in the NBA 3-point Contest.

The 3-point Contest will be the second of the three events on NBA All-Star Saturday night. Hield and Young will be attempting to knock off reigning winner Joe Harris.

Who has the best odds to knock off the 2019 winner?

The Sooners’ most recent star and star Atlanta Hawks’ point guard, according to BetMGM.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Feb. 15  at 5 p.m. ET. 

Young, who is sixth in the NBA in 3-pointers made and shooting 36.9 percent from three, has the second best odds to win the 3-Point Contest at +350. Hield, who has made the third-most 3-pointers this NBA season and is shooting 38.5 percent from three, is tied with the fifth-best odds at +500.

Harris, the reigning 3-Point Contest champion, is the odds on favorite at +300.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

The NBA All-Star Saturday night events begin at 7 p.m. CT on TNT.

*Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

All-Star Friday: The best pictures

All-Star Friday: The best pictures

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WATCH: Gilgeous-Alexander shows off crazy handles in Rising Stars Game

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander impressed with his patented Shai scoop during the first half of the Rising Stars Game on Friday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was just out there doing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander things.

While guys like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were out there throwing down the most aggressive dunks they could, Gilgeous-Alexander stayed on brand, working his way to the hoop and scoring buckets with his signature “Shai scoop” that fans in Oklahoma City have come to love.

Of course, he had to make it a little extra fancy because it is All-Star Weekend.

Gilgeous-Alexander got the starting nod in his second-straight Rising Stars Game, alongside Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, RJ Barrett, and Luka Doncic for Team World.

After making a layup and a 3-pointer, Gilgeous-Alexander showcased the skills that have helped make him the Thunder’s leading scorer and very likely earned him a spot in Saturday’s nights Skills Challenge, where he is replacing Derrick Rose, who withdrew due to a reported injury.

With Team World trailing 24-22, Gilgeous-Alexander brought the ball over midcourt, pulling the ball behind his back to bait Ja Morant before going between his legs to avoid Trae Young. He then took two steps and flipped it up uncontested for the score.

The play was impressive enough to make the announcers stop their conversation and admire the moves.

Gilgeous-Alexander played 12 minutes in the first half, scoring 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field as Team World took an 81-71 lead into the break.

5 potential candidates for the Rising Stars game MVP award

The Rising Stars game will have a bevy of players who have a solid chance at winning the contest’s MVP award.

One of the most exciting weekends of the NBA regular season has arrived, with the league’s top players meeting in Chicago for All-Star weekend. The festivities start Friday night, when the young stars will showcase their talents in the Rising Stars game.

New Orleans Pelicans phenom Zion Williamson is primed to throw down some crazy dunks, and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will likely dazzle the fans with his quickness and athleticism.

The U.S. team will play the World team in the Rising Stars game at 9 p.m. EST.

With Williamson, Morant, Luka Doncic and Trae Young headlining the game, here are five potential candidates to win the Rising Stars game’s MVP award.

Zion Williamson

Williamson has only played 10 games before the All-Star break, but he has already wowed fans and the league with his talents.

He’s scoring 22.1 points per game and playing 27.4 minutes per game, while shooting 57.6% from the field. According to BetOnline, Williamson has the best odds to win the game’s MVP award, with Morant in second and Doncic in third.

Williamson is heading into the All-Star posting back-to-back 30-point games.  With the Pelicans currently in 11th place in the Western Conference, they’ll have a tough task in trying to move up the ranks into the eighth spot.

But if Williamson continues his stellar play, the Pelicans will have a solid chance at making the playoffs.

Ja Morant

Morant has showed his playmaking and scoring abilities, and with him leading the young Grizzlies, he is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year.

A former AAU teammate of Williamson’s, Morant leads rookies in assists per game (7.1) and is second behind Williamson in points per game (17.6).

As the Grizzlies’ lead guard, Morant leads the team in scoring and assists. The Grizzlies are ranked eighth in the West and are two games above .500 heading into the All-Star break.

With Morant at the helm, they have a good opportunity to exceed outside expectations this season by making the playoffs.

Luka Doncic

The Rising Stars game is used to highlight the league’s top young talent, and while Doncic is still only 20 years old, he’s already one of the best players in the league.

A league MVP candidate, Doncic has regularly flashed his blend of playmaking and scoring skills. As a budding point forward, Doncic ranks sixth in scoring (28.9) and third in assists (8.7).

Doncic is one of five players to rank in the top 10 of both points per game and assists per game. Young, James Harden, LeBron James and Damian Lillard are the other four players to have that distinction this season.

Doncic has one of the most versatile and complete offensive skill sets in the league, and with his talent, the Dallas Mavericks should be a solid playoff team. The Mavericks are currently ranked seventh in the West.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander has been scoring buckets steadily all season long, and the Thunder are ranked sixth in the West in part because of his play.

A second-year guard out of Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander has had the opportunity to thrive alongside Chris Paul, a future Hall of Famer. Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring a career-high 19.5 points per game, and he’s shooting 35.0% from the 3-point line.

Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best rebounding guards in the league, as he ranks 11th in rebounds per game among guards (6.1).

As a player who doesn’t get much attention compared to Williamson or Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander could be a dark horse to win the MVP on Friday night.

Trae Young

Young and Doncic are the only two players in Friday’s game who are also All-Stars, and if Young played on a better team, he might be a regular season MVP candidate as well.

This season Young ranks third in the NBA in scoring (29.7) behind Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. As one of the most gifted passers in the game, Young ranks second in assists behind James.

Much like Doncic’s, Young’s stardom is only growing. The difference with Young and other young stars, though, is that his team isn’t good.

The Hawks are heading into the All-Star break with a record of 15-41, ranking 14th in the Eastern Conference.

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Zion Williamson and Trae young starstruck meeting Barack Obama

SportsPulse: Zion Williamson and Trae Young got the chance to meet Barack Obama at an NBA Cares event and both young stars were in awe after meeting the former president.

SportsPulse: Zion Williamson and Trae Young got the chance to meet Barack Obama at an NBA Cares event and both young stars were in awe after meeting the former president.

This year has the youngest NBA All-Star class since 1980

If there are some new faces participating in the 2020 All-Star Game that casual basketball fans do not yet recognize, there is a reason.

If there are some new faces participating in the 2020 All-Star Game that casual basketball fans do not yet recognize, there is a reason.

This year (tied with 2002) will feature the most first-time NBA All-Stars since 1994. There will be 10 players that have never before made an All-Star team participating in Chicago this weekend.

Some of the starters in the game (Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Pascal Siakam) are rising stars that had not yet received this honor before this season. Others receiving their debut nods: Bam Adebayo, Brandon Ingram, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum.

After a late injury to Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, he was replaced by another first-time All-Star in 23-year-old Devin Booker.

Credit: HoopsHype

With the addition of Booker, the average age for the NBA All-Stars this year is now just 26.89 years old. This is partly due to key injuries suffered by veteran stars like Stephen Curry, Keven Durant as well as Klay Thompson. However, the rapid rise of the aforementioned second-year players Doncic and Young both factor in this historically fresh group as well. In fact, the average age of the squads this season represents the youngest from an All-Star team since 1980. It is also the third-youngest of all-time, according to our research.

The average age this season is a stark difference of 1.82 years younger than the average age of the teams just last season. It is worth noting that marks the largest drop since the All-Star festivities began in 1950.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Atlanta Hawks (15-39) head to the Amway Center to play the Orlando Magic (22-31) at 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze Hawks-Magic odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hawks at Magic: Key injuries

HAWKS

  • SF Cam Reddish (hand) questionable
  • SG DeAndre’ Bembry (hand) out
  • C Clint Capela (heel) out
  • PF Skal Labissiere (knee) out

MAGIC

  • SF James Ennis III (acquired) probable
  • PG D.J. Augustin (knee) out
  • PF Jonathan Issac (knee) out
  • SF Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) out

Hawks at Magic: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Magic 115, Hawks 100

Moneyline (ML)

The Magic (-358) have lost eight of their last nine games mostly because their offense has plummeted. Over those nine games, the Magic have scored the fewest points per game on the worst field-goal percentage and 27th-ranked three-point percentage. They also failed to score more than 100 points in five of those games. Despite their recent poor performance, the Magic are still seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference playoffs at the moment, which is a lot more than you can say about the lowly Hawks (+275). 

Atlanta has the third-worst record in the NBA but has won two of their last three games, including a double-overtime victory over the New York Knicks, 140-135, on Monday. The Hawks playing last night is what stops me from sprinkling a little action on their moneyline. They have a 1-8 record and are getting outscored 124.8-102.2 in the second game of a back-to-back. 

PASS ON A MONEYLINE WAGER.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The terrible Magic offense has a chance to break out of its slump when they meet an Atlanta defense that allows the second-most points per game and is ranked 27th in defensive rating.

Trends to factor in the handicap include:

  • Orlando is 6-5 against the spread in division games and at home against teams below .500 whereas Atlanta is 4-4 ATS in division games and 4-9 ATS in road games against teams below .500.

  • Atlanta is also 4-9 ATS when being spotted 7.5-9.5 points and Orlando is 2-2 ATS when laying that many points.
  • Atlanta is 2-7 ATS in the second game of a back-to-back with a -22.6 point margin of victory and -14.9 margin ATS. Orlando is 4-3 ATS with a rest advantage.
  • As a road ‘dog, the Hawks are 10-16 ATS with a -13.7 margin of victory.

BET MAGIC -8.5 (-110).

Over/Under (O/U)

STAY AWAY FROM THE TOTAL in Hawks-Magic. Orlando wants to play through center Nikola Vucevic at their fourth-slowest pace in the NBA. Also, the Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Orlando. However, the Hawks has a 32-22 Over/Under record and they’ve allowed 120 or more points in seven of their last nine games.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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USA Basketball made some laughable snubs on its preliminary Tokyo Olympics roster

The best 44 players, and they left these guys out?

USA Basketball released a preliminary roster on Monday of 44 names to be considered for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, and while LeBron James and Steph Curry are back in the fold for the national team, the list had some glaring omissions.

Notably, players like Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Carmelo Anthony, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and John Collins were left off the list entirely while Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Marcus Smart and Derrick White were among the 44 players to receive camp invitations.

Gregg Popovich will once again coach the team alongside Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce and Jay Wright. And sure, it’s never an easy task to name the best 44 American basketball players and expect everyone to be happy. But it’s pretty clear that Young, an All-Star starter averaging nearly 30 points per game, is more deserving than the Spurs’ backup point guard.

Even if Morant and Young weren’t going to get included on the final roster this year, you’d like to see USA Basketball work with the players who project to be the foundation of the national team going forward. They opted against that this time around, and plenty of basketball fans weren’t impressed.

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Trae Young joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant in NBA history with 40-point games

Trae Young continues to make NBA history and find his name next to some of the best to play the game.

Trae Young continues to make NBA history and find his name next to some of the best to play the game.

Young became the third player in NBA history to drop 40-points in ten games before turning 22, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Young has had nine such games this season with his latest 40+ point performance coming last night against the New York Knicks, dropping 48 points. One point shy of tying his career-high of 49, which he has hit twice, Young was efficient, shooting 13-of-30 and 6-of-13 from behind the arc.

Accompanying his high scoring rate were 13 assists for his fifth-best passing performance of the season. Over the past nine games, Young has been sharing the rock at a high clip averaging 12 assists a game.

Young has had a fantastic sophomore season, being named an All-Star starter after being drafted by Team Giannis. Young will also compete against fellow Sooner Buddy Hield in the 3-point contest on All-Star weekend.

All-Star festivities are set for this weekend and all events will be broadcasted on TNT.

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