龙凤楼论坛-上海1314龙凤鲜花坊-夜上海论坛社区

Survivor Series is getting a facelift. The traditional team-based premium live event is evolving with two WarGames matches. The new iteration of WWE’s second longest-running PLE takes place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Nov. 26.

WarGames is a team-based match featuring two rings contained within a large cell. One member of each team begins the match with an additional superstar entering one by one in timed intervals. The match cannot conclude until all participants have entered the fray. At that point, the first team to score a victory by pinfall, submission, surrender or knockout is declared the winner. Survivor Series was traditionally contested with traditional multi-person elimination team matches. 2022 marks the debut of WarGames on WWE’s main roster following appearances in NXT, WCW and National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

On the men’s side, The Bloodline, comprised of Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn, will battle Team Brawling Brutes, which consists of Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. On the women’s side, it will be Team Damage CTRL, which features Bayley IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross, taking on the team of Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch. Plus, two more title matches tip the bill when the action kicks off.

Take a look below at the confirmed and predicted matches.

2022 WWE Survivor Series WarGames matches
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa) vs. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch and Ridge Holland), Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens (WarGames match): The building blocks for the men’s WarGames match were set on the SmackDown after Crown Jewel. Sheamus, returning from a storyline injury suffered at the hands of The Bloodline, and his fellow Brawling Brutes took the fight to Reigns’ tribe. A five-on-five WarGames match was confirmed the following week. Sheamus and McIntyre teased a fifth member had been acquired on the penultimate SmackDown before Survivor Series. Owens was revealed as the final participant later that evening, laying out Reigns and staring down his best friend Zayn.

Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky), Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley (WarGames match): Belair, Bliss and Asuka challenged Damage CTRL to WarGames on the Raw following Crown Jewel. Belair successfully defended her Raw women’s championship against Bayley in Saudi Arabia; meanwhile, Kai and Sky took the women’s tag team titles off Bliss and Asuka. Damage CTRL remains a thorn in the side of Belair and her allies. The trio is now boosted by their alliance with an unhinged Nikki Cross. Yim announced on Raw that she was joining up with Belair’s squad, which quickly drew her rival Ripley to be the fifth woman on Bayley’s side. Then on the go-home episode of SmackDown, Becky Lynch made her return after a few months away and announced she would also be joining forces with Belair’s squad, putting aside their rivalry that came to a head at SummerSlam.

SmackDown women’s championship — Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Shotzi: Shotzi won a Six-Pack Challenge on the SmackDown after Crown Jewel to earn a title shot against Rousey at Survivor Series. Shotzi pinned Lacey Evans in a match that also featured Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan and Xia Li. Following the match, Rousey’s ally Shayna Bazler choked out Shotzi while Rousey taunted her.

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor: The issues with Styles and Balor have been ongoing since Balor joined up with The Judgement Day. Balor tried to recruit Styles, which failed repeatedly. Styles eventually brought The O.C. back together and the two factions have engaged in a series of matches and attacks. Styles finally laid out a direct challenge for a pay-per-view match between himself and Balor, which Balor accepted and the two men now will meet at Survivor Series.

United States championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory: Rollins took advantage of a severely compromised Lashley, who had been assaulted by Brock Lesnar moments earlier, in a U.S. title match on Oct. 10 with Rollins emerging victorious. Theory cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Rollins following an assault by Lashley on the Nov. 7 episode of Raw. Much to Theory’s disappointment, Lashley interfered and cost Theory his title match. Things have only escalated between the trio, leading to the announcement that a triple threat match would go down at Survivor Series.

One of WWE’s premier events returns on Saturday when Survivor Series comes to Boston. For the first time, WarGames will be the focal point of the second-oldest pay-per-view in promotional history.

WarGames has been a staple for NXT but the match, which was made famous in NWA and WCW, has never happened on the WWE main roster. That changes this year with five-on-five matches on both the men’s and women’s side of the roster.

The match sees two members of each team start in the ring, with members of the other teams being added one at a time. There is a cage surrounding two rings and the match traditionally features a ton of chaos and wild moments.

On the men’s side, The Bloodline, comprised of Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn, will battle Team Brawling Brutes, which consists of Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. On the women’s side, it will be Team Damage CTRL, which features Bayley IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross, taking on the team of Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch. Plus, two more title matches tip the bill when the action kicks off.

Plus, SmackDown women’s champion Ronda Rousey is back in action when she defends her title against Shotzi Blackheart. Perhaps the most intriguing title match is the triple threat for the United States championship as Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory look to take the title off Seth Rollins.

Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE Survivor Series, which begins Saturday at 8 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston and streams live on Peacock.

2022 WWE Survivor Series predictions
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch), Drew McIntyre & Kevin Owens (WarGames Match)

It would make a ton of sense to have The Bloodline eat a loss here and refresh some challengers for Reigns and maybe even send Zayn out of the group to link up with Owens, now knowing inside info about how Reigns and his family tick. But WWE has seemed so committed to protecting the group, even when they could eat a meaningless loss here or there. Holland and Butch provide two bodies who are most likely to eat the loss than anyone on the Bloodline side, aside from Zayn if they choose to move that story forward now. I’d love to see it go the other way but picking The Bloodline always seems safe. Pick: The Bloodline wins — Brent Brookhouse

Very rarely is there an opportunity for The Bloodline to lose clean at a major event. Their status as record-setting champions makes them nearly bulletproof, but WarGames omits their titles from the equation. The Bloodline’s continued in-fighting could plant the seeds for something like Zayn’s exit or a coup in the group. Victory for the good guys will present Sheamus and Owens with well-deserved undisputed world title shots against Reigns. Simply, there are too many positive and intriguing outcomes stemming from The Bloodline’s defeat. Pick: The Brawling Brutes, McIntyre & Owens win — Shakiel Mahjouri

Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY, Dakota Kai), Rhea Ripley & Nikki Cross (WarGames Match)

As of the time of this writing, the fifth member of Belair’s team has not been announced. I’m operating on the assumption that person will be a returning Becky Lynch. If it is Lynch, it’s hard to imagine that her return wouldn’t tip the scales. Everything booked in these spots should set up something else down the road and Lynch’s return would help to shift Damage CTRL’s attention away from an endless feud with Belair. Of course, someone eventually has to take the title off Belair and Bayley felt like the best option. But dragging that out more feels pointless after they’ve had so many matches lately. Pick: Team Belair wins — Brookhouse

The success of Damage CTRL since its debut has been mixed, but Kai and Sky recapturing the women’s tag team titles were a good sign. Simply put: the villainous team is the more cohesive. Bayley’s faction is tight knit, they have a regular collaborator in Cross and Ripley plays well with Judgement Day. Ripley has emerged as her faction’s breakout member and a win here should vault her into a title match with Belair. I’ll reconsider my pick if Beth Phoenix is named the final member of Belair’s squad. Pick: Team Damage CTRL wins — Mahjouri

SmackDown Women’s Championship — Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Shotzi Blackheart

There is no logical reason Shotzi should win. She was not booked like a serious threat before becoming No. 1 contender and that hasn’t changed. There is some juice to squeeze out of a villainous Rousey run and her re-established alliance with Shayna Bazler. Rousey should win without much resistance and then on to the next one. Pick: Rousey retains the title — Mahjouri (Also Brookhouse)

United States Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory

Yes, Rollins is still fairly early in his run, but WWE has set a lot of twists in place with this story and this is a situation where it’s easy to see the title change hands a few times. Theory had to swallow a pretty ugly situation with his failed Money in the Bank cash-in but now is set to maybe be able to steal the title as Lashley and Rollins pick each other off. Call it a gut feeling, but Theory getting a win and having to somehow navigate Rollins and Lashley hunting him makes a lot of sense here. Pick: Theory wins the title — Brookhouse

Rollins’ U.S. title run is too fresh to give up on now. Rollins put a lot of people over and was finally rewarded with a singles title run. He can have a good match with just about anyone and has the fans behind him. Lashley is on track for a trilogy match with Brock Lesnar. Theory hasn’t been built up in a way to justify winning the title here. Rollins will retain in a fun match that benefits from the various styles involved. Pick: Rollins retains the title — Mahjouri

AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor

The Judgement Day just keeps missing out on fully catching on as a top-level force. Styles recently was joined by his old O.C. teammates and then added Mia Yim to the mix. It feels like a solid time to let Styles get a singles win and remain a presence at the top of the card while Balor can continue spinning his wheels with a Judgement Day group that just isn’t clicking. Pick: Styles wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Survivor Series is getting a dangerous makeover in 2022. The traditional multi-man tag team matches have been replaced by WarGames, a violent team-based match confined inside a steel cage spanning two rings.

Two WarGames matches will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday night. The Bloodline’s unparalleled dominance will be tested against the combined might of The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch), Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. The other WarGames match features Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair in her ongoing crusade against Damage CTRL. Belair has gathered allies in Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Becky Lynch and Mia Yim to combat the quintet of Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley.

Plus, SmackDown women’s champion Ronda Rousey is back in action when she defends her title against Shotzi Blackheart. Perhaps the most intriguing title match is the triple threat for the United States championship as Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory look to take the title off Seth Rollins.

Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night in Boston.

Watch 2022 WWE Survivor Series WarGames
Date: Nov. 26
Location: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
Start time: 8 p.m. ET (kickoff show starts at 7 p.m. ET)
Watch live: Peacock

2022 WWE Survivor Series WarGames match card
Team Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa) vs. Team Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch, Ridge Holland, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens) (WarGames match)
Team Belair (Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Mia Yim) vs. Team Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley) (WarGames match)
SmackDown women’s championship — Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Shotzi
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor
United States championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory

The New York Knicks will host the Portland Trail Blazers in a cross-conference matchup on Tuesday’s NBA schedule. New York is 21-15 overall and 10-4 at home, while Portland is 10-25 overall and 5-14 on the road. The teams have alternated wins and losses over their last eight matchups, with the Knicks winning on the road the last time out, 123-107, in March 2023. The Blazers are 16-19 against the spread this season, while the Knicks are 20-15-1.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Knicks are favored by 12 points in the latest Trail Blazers vs. Knicks odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 228 points. Before entering any Knicks vs. Trail Blazers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on New York vs. Portland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Trail Blazers vs. Knicks:

Knicks vs. Trail Blazers spread: Knicks -12
Knicks vs. Trail Blazers over/under: 228 points
Knicks vs. Trail Blazers money line: Knicks: -701, Trail Blazers: +496
Knicks vs. Trail Blazers picks: See picks at SportsLine
What you need to know about the Knicks
The Knicks waltzed into their game Saturday with three straight wins but they left with four. They greeted the New Year with with a 121-105 win over the Washington Wizards. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle were among the main playmakers for the Knicks as the former scored 33 points to go along with eight assists, while the latter scored 39 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.

New York is undefeated (4-0) since trading for OG Anunoby from Toronto, and he’s made a big impact defensively. He’s averaging 1.5 steals per game after leading the NBA with 1.9 swipes per contest last season. The Knicks have also covered in those four games, which ties their longest ATS win streak of the season. However, New York has struggled against the spread versus the Western Conference, going 5-6, compared to a 15-9-1 ATS record against fellow East opponents. See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about the Trail Blazers
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but the Trail Blazers ultimately got the result they hoped for on Sunday. They came out on top against the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 134-127. The victory was some much needed relief for the Trail Blazers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak. Portland can attribute much of its success to Anfernee Simons, who dropped a double-double on 38 points and 11 assists.

The young Blazers have struggled offensively, ranking in the bottom three in points per game, offensive rating and field goal percentage. They also rank last in defensive rebounds, making it very important to note that Deandre Ayton (knee) is doubtful, while Robert Williams III (knee) is out for the season. Thus, a Knicks team, even without Mitchell Robinson (ankle), will look to pound the offensive glass to take advantage of Portland’s lack of size. See which team to pick here.

How to make Knicks vs. Trail Blazers picks
The model has simulated Knicks vs. Trail Blazers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered their fourth loss in five games when they fell to the Utah Jazz 132-116 on Monday night, and their star player understands how frustrated fans are with the team’s recent slide. Fans at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum booed the team in the first half as the Bucks fell behind Utah by as many as 33 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game that he gets how the fans feel.

“I think we have great fans, but around the league, if you don’t play hard and don’t give everything for the team, there are times where you might get booed,” Antetokounmpo said. “Shit, I’d boo myself tonight too.”

The boos were the loudest after Utah’s Kelly Olynyk grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a layup to put the Jazz up by 29 midway through the second quarter. Antetokounmpo, who has spent all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Bucks, said it was the first time he remembers being booed by the home crowd.

Antetokounmpo notched a triple-double with 25 points,11 assists, and 10 rebounds in the loss. He’s averaged 34.6 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists over his previous five games. Over the weekend, Giannis spoke out on how Milwaukee has to improve in multiple areas after following a loss to the Houston Rockets.

“We have to be better. We have to play better. We have to defend better. We have to trust one another better. We have to be coached better. Every single thing, everybody has to be better. Everybody,” Antetokounmpo said. “It starts from the equipment manager. He has to wash our clothes better. The bench has to be better. The leaders of the team have to be more vocal. We have to make more shots. We have to defend better. We have to have better strategy.”

Those comments didn’t have much of an impact on Monday night.

The Bucks made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason when they shipped off Jrue Holiday in a deal that brought Damian Lillard to town. While they haven’t been as dominant as many expected, they’re firmly in the race to win the Eastern Conference with a 25-12 record. The recent slide, however, have them 3.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (28-8).

Milwaukee will host Boston on Thursday in hopes of securing a victory and evening the season series at 1-1.

We’ve got another exciting Southwest Division matchup on Tuesday’s NBA schedule as the Memphis Grizzlies will visit the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is 22-15 overall and 11-7 at home, while Memphis is 13-23 overall and 10-10 on the road. The Mavs have won two of three matchups this season, and the road team has won all three of their meetings in the 2023-24 season. The Grizzlies are 15-21 against the spread, while the Mavs are 21-16 versus the number.

Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavs are favored by 8.5 points in the latest Grizzlies vs. Mavericks odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 235 points. Before entering any Mavericks vs. Grizzlies picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Memphis vs. Dallas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Grizzlies vs. Mavericks:

Mavericks vs. Grizzlies spread: Mavericks -8.5
Mavericks vs. Grizzlies over/under: 235 points
Mavericks vs. Grizzlies money line: Mavericks: -364, Grizzlies: +287
Mavericks vs. Grizzlies picks: See picks at SportsLine
What you need to know about the Grizzlies
Winning is just a little bit easier when you nail nine more 3-pointers than your opponent, a fact the Grizzlies proved on Sunday. They managed a 121-115 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead the Grizzlies to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jaren Jackson Jr., who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 10 rebounds.

Ja Morant (shoulder) did not play in that game and has been ruled out for the rest of the season. Memphis is 6-3 straight up and 5-4 against the spread with Morant this season, compared to 7-20 SU and 10-17 ATS without him. He’s part of a lengthy injury report for Memphis as Derrick Rose (hamstring) is also out, while Santi Aldama (knee) is doubtful and Jackson (knee) is questionable. While Memphis is just 4-12 ATS at home this season, it is a respectable 11-9 against the spread on the road in 2023-24. See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about the Mavericks
Meanwhile, the Mavericks waltzed into their match Sunday with two straight wins but they left with three. They came out on top against the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 115-108. The Mavs can attribute much of their success to Luka Doncic, who scored 34 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds, and Kyrie Irving, who went 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 35 points and five assists.

Dallas is 12-7 when both Doncic and Irving are in the starting lineup, compared to 10-8 when one or both sit. While both are set to suit up on Tuesday, Dallas will be without Dereck Lively II (ankle), Dante Exum (foot) and Maxi Kleber (toe). That likely means the ball will just be in Doncic’s and Irving’s hands even more, which is a good thing, as the Mavs are extremely efficient on offense, averaging the fewest turnovers per game and the second-most 3-pointers made per game. See which team to pick here.

Key Betting Info
The Grizzlies have really struggled as the underdog this season and are currently 7-16 in that position. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have dominated as the favorite so far this season and are currently 17-6 when expecting a win.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

The Grizzlies are 5-10 against the spread in their last 15 games vs teams that win more than 55 percent of games.
The Mavericks are 15-8 against the spread in their last 23 games when favored.
The Mavericks are 11-6 against the spread in their last 17 games vs teams that win less than 45 percent of games.
How to make Mavericks vs. Grizzlies picks
The model has simulated Grizzlies vs. Mavericks 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton had to be carried off the floor by his teammates on Monday after slipping on the court against the Boston Celtics. Haliburton underwent an MRI on Tuesday and it revealed a Grade 1 left hamstring strain that will likely sideline him for at least two weeks, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Late in the second quarter on Monday, Haliburton was driving to the basket against Derrick White when he planted and tried to spin back the other way. Unfortunately, his right leg gave out and he ended up doing the splits in an awkward fall to the ground. He seemed to know right away that something was wrong and grabbed for the back of his left leg.

The Pacers went on to win the game 133-131 in Haliburton’s absence, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called the injury “very deflating.”

Tyrese Haliburton had to be carried to the locker room after slipping and suffering an injury on this play.

Hoping for the best 🙏pic.twitter.com/ZYGh2euvA3

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 9, 2024
Haliburton was unable to walk off on his own power, and multiple teammates had to come scoop him up off the ground and carry him down the tunnel.

Tyrese Haliburton being carried to the locker room by his teammates after slipping on the floor @Firststarlog👇 pic.twitter.com/qenZ8qLGg0

— Daniel Alameda (@AlamedaViews) January 9, 2024
Any absence whatsoever is bad news for the Pacers, who go as Haliburton goes. But Wojnarowski reports the star guard avoided serious injury, and the Pacers will be thankful his likely return is coming in weeks instead of months.

Haliburton, a fourth-year point guard, is in the midst of a breakout campaign that includes leading the Pacers to the championship game of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament back in December. Entering Monday night, Haliburton was averaging 24.2 points and a league-leading and career-high 12.7 assists per game. He is on pace to become the first player since John Stockton in 1995 to average 12 assists in a season. Additionally, he led all Eastern Conference guards in the first return of fan votes for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be played in Indiana.

With Haliburton leading the way, the Pacers play at an extremely fast pace and have the best offense in the league. In fact, their 122.4 offensive rating would be the best in NBA history. Thanks to their high-powered offense, they sit in sixth place in the East at 21-15.

The ending of the Indiana Pacers 133-131 win over the Boston Celtics saw a controversial overturned call in the final seconds of the game and social media users were vocal about it — including LeBron James.

Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown was pulling up for a potential game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining when he was fouled by Buddy Hield. However, the Pacers challenged and overturned the initial call to a clean block. At that point the score was tied 131-131, so Brown missed the chance of giving his team the lead with two free throws. Brown himself called for an investigation. He had put up a season-high 40 points by going 17-for-26 from the field.

Jaylen Brown said referee James Williams told him he was sure that Brown did not get hit in the head. Buddy Hield told Joe Mazzulla what everyone can see, which is that he did in fact do so.

Brown said there should be an investigation into this game.pic.twitter.com/ETHznGoJgU

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) January 9, 2024
The next morning, James also gave his two cents on officials overturning that foul call and defended Brown — after all, this was a familiar feeling for him. Just a little over a week ago on his birthday, James was frustrated with a call in his own game. The Lakers star hit what appeared to be a game-tying 3-pointer against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but officials ruled it a 2-pointer instead and the Lakers lost 108-106. James was visibly upset about it.

“See what I’m saying! JB clearly got hit in the back of the head,” James wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “They reviewed the play, just to reverse it and say he didn’t. MAN WHAT!! Good ass game to have an ending like that. And yall see why I be going (apeshit) out there when it happens.”

Eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter also appeared shocked at the referees’ decision on Brown. While watching live in a stream with Quentin Richardson, he screamed and laughed in disbelief. Richardson said it looked like a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial in which officials purposely made a game go into overtime. Brown himself also mentioned BWW on social media.

Despite the loss, the Celtics still have the NBA’s best record at 28-8. They’ll play again on Wednesday as they host the Timberwolves at 7 p.m. ET.

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown said a controversial overturned call in the final seconds of his team’s 133-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night “doesn’t make any sense” and “should be investigated” by the NBA. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, and the scored tied at 131-131, the Celtics, who were playing without Jayson Tatum, put the ball in Brown’s hands and let him go to work.

He drove baseline and tried to pull up for a a jumper, but was fouled by Buddy Hield — at least according to the initial call on the floor. That would have given him two potential go-ahead free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining in the contest. Take a look:

The Pacers challenged, however, and after a review, the call was overturned to a clean block. And because the Pacers had imminent possession, they were awarded the ball. On the ensuing play, Bennedict Mathurn was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two of his three attempts at the line to give the Pacers the win.

Everyone on the Celtics’ side was furious at how the game ended, both in real time and after the fact. Brown appeared to mouth “that’s bullshit,” on the court, while Celtics announcer Brian Scalabrine lost his mind on the broadcast. Replays show that while Hield did hit the ball, he also hit Brown in the back of the head.

The explanation given by crew chief James Williams at the time was “after review, the backside defender, Buddy Hield, hits the ball, therefore the call on the floor has been overturned.”

Jaylen Brown — and an irate Scal — have a legit gripe. This was a foul on the floor. You can’t watch that video and see clear grounds to overturn pic.twitter.com/jUE95m5Y5c

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 9, 2024
There was no pool report conducted after the game, but Brown, who finished with a season-high 40 points, didn’t need one. Here are his extended thoughts on the situation:

“I think he obviously hit me in the head. I think they definitely need to do some investigation, that’s all I’m going to say. I think that was an obvious one. I’ve never heard of head, part of the ball. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

“I went up and asked like, ‘Did I get hit in the head?’ [The official] looks me straight in the face and he says, ‘No, you didn’t get hit in the head.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ Then you come down on the other end, that cost our team the game. Then you expect us not to be frustrated. We’re trying to build good habits. We’re trying to win as many games as possible, and we just dropped one because of that.

“I feel like we have the right to be upset. The league should understand. Of course, we’re going to say something about it after the game. So I don’t think there should be any fines. But I definitely think that one should be investigated.”

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t go as far as Brown, but he noted that even the Pacers knew the call was wrong.

“I’m not bothered,” Mazzulla said after the loss. “Just, Buddy Hield told me that he fouled [Jaylen Brown].”

Hield, for his part, admitted as much, though he said it’s ultimately up to the refs to make the call.

“I mean, I told Joe what I told Joe,” Hield explained. “But they have three refs out there and they had the replay center, and that’s what replay is for, I guess. I was thinking I might have hit [Brown] a little bit, but they have three refs out there and they have cameras and they slow down the angles of it. I felt like it was not excessive contact. I know I touched the ball, I maybe nicked Brown in the head a little bit. I’m not too sure.”

Lakers superstar LeBron James chimed in on the call Tuesday morning, saying Brown “clearly got hit in the back of the head.”

See what I’m saying! 🤦🏾‍♂️. JB clearly got hit in the back of the head. They reviewed the play, just to reverse it and say he didn’t. MAN WHAT!! Good ass game to have an ending like that. And yall see why I be going 🦍 💩 out there when it happens

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 9, 2024
Despite the loss, the Celtics, now 28-8, still have the best record in the league. As for the Pacers, who improved to 21-15, they have bigger things to worry about than the call or the result. Tyrese Haliburton injured his hamstring against the Celtics and is expected to miss at least two weeks.

We’re just over a week into 2024 and the markets for some future bets have shifted quite a bit since 2023. Are you looking to find value as the back half of the season approaches? We’ve got you covered with one player-based award prop and two team bets worth considering.

It’s unclear what it takes to win this award, as SGA is the odds-on favorite despite being nowhere close to where De’Aaron Fox was in terms of volume scoring in the clutch en route to winning this honor in 2022-23. Kyrie Irving led the league in fourth-quarter points last season and finished outside the top 10 while Fox racked up 91 of the 100 first-place votes as the league’s top clutch scorer.

Stephen Curry (+500) leads the league in clutch points now and could be worth watching, but SGA has a much better outlook right now. The Oklahoma Thunder guard is averaging 3.1 points on 63.3 percent shooting in the clutch and will have opportunities to go on a big shot-making spree in the back half of the season to seal the deal. He went on a ridiculous run last season and could do so again in a season where there have been just three game-winning buzzer-beaters. Another dark horse worth considering is Tyrese Haliburton (+1500) should his hamstring strain not hinder him too much moving forward. These odds for this award are available at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Eastern Conference winner: Boston Celtics (+130)
The Boston Celtics suffered an overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday but still have a league-high 28 wins on the year. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are the two teams that could give the Celtics a run for their money. Joel Embiid has been dominant, but his team is 2-6 without him this season and it’s unlikely that he’ll play every game for the rest of 2023-24. The Bucks are looking to clean things up defensively but have lacked consistency on that end since swapping Jrue Holiday out for Damian Lillard. Boston’s plethora of scorers and capable defenders makes this bet seem like free money at this point.

New Orleans Pelicans to make play-in tournament: (+100)
The Pelicans are a respectable 22-15 and rank seventh in the Western Conference. Zion Williamson has been relatively healthy and Trey Murphy III is back in the mix after suffering a knee injury ahead of the season. But knocking off more than one team down the home stretch will be challenging. The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are looking to climb up while the new-look Phoenix Suns are finally getting to work on making their big three mesh. New Orleans appears destined to finish seventh or lower with teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and piping-hot Los Angeles Clippers directly ahead of them.