Daily Record: 4-8 (33.3%)
Season Record: 14-14 (50.0%)
Well, Friday certainly wasn’t kind to EST.
After a perfect 2-0 Thursday, we followed it up with a disappointing 4-8 performance across Friday’s 12-game NBA slate.
Several games came down to the final possessions, but unfortunately, most didn’t go our way. Let’s break down what happened.
Chicago Bulls 132, Milwaukee Bucks 125
EST Pick: Milwaukee Bucks — Incorrect
Milwaukee looked comfortable early, building a 15-point first-quarter lead before Chicago stormed back. Norman Powell led the Bulls with 25 points, while Caleb Wilson contributed 21. Tyler Herro scored 34 for Milwaukee, but the Bucks couldn’t hold on down the stretch.
A frustrating loss considering Milwaukee’s strong start.
Boston Celtics 107, New York Knicks 103
EST Pick: New York Knicks — Incorrect
Jayson Tatum delivered a tremendous performance, scoring 36 points, including 25 in the second half. New York fought back after trailing by double digits, but Tatum scored seven of Boston’s final eight points to secure the victory.
The defending champions are now 0-2, and their early-season struggles are becoming concerning.
Dallas Mavericks 121, Indiana Pacers 105
EST Pick: Indiana Pacers — Incorrect
Dallas dominated the first half, scoring 77 points and building a 34-point halftime advantage. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 24 points, while PJ Washington added 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana improved offensively after halftime, but the damage was already done. Dallas also suffered a setback when Cooper Flagg exited with shoulder soreness.
Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Orlando Magic 93
EST Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves — Correct
Minnesota controlled this matchup, holding Orlando to just 15 points in the third quarter.
Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels each scored 15 points as the Timberwolves relied on balanced scoring and strong defense.
Orlando struggled to find any offensive consistency, and Minnesota cruised to a comfortable 22-point victory.
Toronto Raptors 112, Washington Wizards 102
EST Pick: Washington Wizards — Incorrect
Scottie Barnes delivered an excellent all-around performance with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while RJ Barrett contributed 23 points and nine rebounds.
Toronto established an early lead and managed to withstand Washington’s attempts to fight back.
The Raptors looked far more composed offensively, and our decision to back Washington didn’t pay off.
Atlanta Hawks 128, Charlotte Hornets 81
EST Pick: Atlanta Hawks — Correct
Now THIS was a statement victory.
Atlanta absolutely demolished Charlotte by 47 points, setting a franchise record for its largest margin of victory.
Jalen Johnson and Aaron Wiggins each scored 19 points, while Charlotte committed an astonishing 27 turnovers.
This wasn’t competitive. Atlanta dominated from start to finish.
Detroit Pistons 128, Miami Heat 111
EST Pick: Miami Heat — Incorrect
Miami had no answer for Detroit’s offense.
John Collins led the Pistons with 23 points, including five three-pointers, while Paul Reed added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Miami, but his individual performance wasn’t enough.
Detroit scored 41 points in the opening quarter and never allowed Miami to establish control.
Houston Rockets 114, San Antonio Spurs 110
EST Pick: San Antonio Spurs — Incorrect
This was one of Friday’s most entertaining matchups.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Victor Wembanyama finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
San Antonio fought back and briefly took the lead late, but Sengun’s scoring and Amen Thompson’s game-saving block on Wembanyama secured Houston’s victory.
Another close game that unfortunately went against our prediction.
Utah Jazz 120, New Orleans Pelicans 119
EST Pick: New Orleans Pelicans — Incorrect
One point. That’s all that separated these teams.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Utah with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Keyonte George added 19 points and 10 assists.
New Orleans scored 38 points in the third quarter to take the lead, but Utah answered with 34 points in the fourth.
Zion Williamson contributed 23 points for the Pelicans, but New Orleans couldn’t finish the job.
Probably one of our most painful misses of the night.
Memphis Grizzlies 111, Golden State Warriors 108
EST Pick: Golden State Warriors — Incorrect
Golden State entered the fourth quarter leading 90-84, but Memphis completely turned the game around.
The Grizzlies unleashed a devastating 17-0 fourth-quarter run, with Ty Jerome finishing with 28 points and Cameron Boozer contributing 25 points and 13 rebounds.
Stephen Curry scored 24 for Golden State, but the Warriors managed just 18 points in the final quarter.
Another disappointing result for a team we expected to bounce back.
Los Angeles Lakers 125, Los Angeles Clippers 117
EST Pick: Los Angeles Lakers — Correct
The Lakers delivered when it mattered most.
Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with 28 points and nine assists, while Luka Doncic added 23 points and seven assists.
The Lakers exploded for 39 points in the third quarter, turning a tied halftime game into a comfortable advantage.
Darius Garland scored 26 for the Clippers, but they couldn’t overcome the Lakers’ second-half surge.
A solid prediction and an encouraging performance from the purple and gold.
Portland Trail Blazers 128, Sacramento Kings 120
EST Pick: Portland Trail Blazers — Correct
Portland overcame a slow start and took control with an explosive 44-point third quarter.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points, while Damian Lillard contributed 19.
Sacramento received an impressive 33-point performance from Darius Acuff Jr., while Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
Despite those performances, Portland’s second-half offense proved too much.
EST Final Thoughts
Four wins and eight losses. Not exactly the performance we were hoping for.
The biggest lesson from Friday is that we can’t keep expecting teams to bounce back simply because they’re talented.
Milwaukee, Miami, Golden State and San Antonio all disappointed, while several other games came down to a handful of possessions.
On the positive side, Atlanta, Minnesota, Portland and the Lakers delivered convincing performances.
The season record now stands at 14-14, exactly 50%.
There’s plenty of basketball left, but we need to start putting together more consistent performances.
Saturday brings another eight games and another opportunity to get back above .500.
No bias. Just sports.
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