The L.A. Clippers were a winner on this night. They landed the best player in Blake Griffin and that has to help turn the franchise around – right?

After just two winning seasons in 30 years and a dark history of draft futility, Griffin seems like a perfect cornerstone for the Clippers.

The Chicago Bulls improved on draft night. They are building around rookie of the year Derrick Rose, using two so-so picks to acquire athletic ability and versatility in James Johnson and Taj Gibson.

The Denver Nuggets had no first-round pick and for a while looked content to deal away their second-rounder and take the night off. Instead they made a move to improve their team, grabbing point guard Ty Lawson of North Carolina.

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The 3-point underdog Celtics have gotten standout performances from Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins.

Rondo is averaging 24.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists. Davis is chipping in 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Perkins is adding 13.4 and 11.0, respectively.

Can the Celtics close this one out tonight or will the Bulls tie up the series and send it back to Boston?
The Celtics are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Chicago. One thing is for sure, the games have been high scoring, with the over at 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Get all your NBA playoff odds with Bodog now.

An MRI Monday confirmed that Ben Gordon had a strained left hamstring and is listed as day-to-day, though Gordon said Sunday he thought he'd play.

Last year Boston was tied 2-2 in its series with Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit, going on to beat the Hawks and Cavaliers in seven games and the Pistons in six. They won the NBA title in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now the 8-point favored Celtics will be playing before friendly fans. They feel they're in good enough shape to recover from Sunday's tiring effort. They also know they're just two overtime losses from having swept the best-of-seven series. Get your NBA playoff odds in the Bodog Sportsbook now.

Already short-handed, the Celtics lost Leon Powe to a season-ending knee injury in Game 2 and saw Rajon Rondo sprain his right ankle. Now Pierce needs to stand up and lead.

Although he's averaging 20.5 points, his shooting percentage is down from 45.7 percent in the regular season to 40 percent, and he's deferring to teammates.

So far the Bulls are sticking with the Celtics and the result is Chicago being listed as a 2.5-point favorite for Game 3.

The Bulls need to improve on the 50-36 rebounding edge and 32-12 disparity in second-chance points that Boston had in Game 2. The favorite is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between these teams. Check out the Bodog Sportsbook for the best NBA basketball odds.

One area where the 8.5-point underdog Bulls must improve is against Rajon Rondo, who had 29 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. The Celtics might be better off if he scored fewer points and had more assists to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

Even though the favorite is 9-3 over the last 12 games between these teams, Chicago is 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a road underdog.

Can the Bulls pull off another shocking upset and head back to the Windy City up 2-0 in the series? Check out the Bodog Sportsbook for the best NBA basketball odds.

The Bulls played very well in the second half of the season to surge from well below .500 into postseason contention.

Boston won the first two matchups this season before Chicago’s 127-121 victory March 17, the lone meeting after the Bulls remade their team following the trade deadline.

This series could be decided at point guard. Rajon Rondo was good against Chicago, averaging 14.7 points and 10.3 assists this year, and he will have the experience edge over Derrick Rose, who performs in his first postseason.

The Bulls are clearly the underdogs vs. the defending NBA champs but their odds just got a lot better with Garnett expected to be out. Get all your NBA basketball picks in the Bodog Sportsbook before the big game.

The Bulls also are still within reach of passing Philadelphia for the sixth seed and the right to open the playoffs against Orlando. The seventh seed faces Boston.

If the Pistons win and finish the regular season with the same record as the Bulls, Detroit will be seeded ahead of Chicago because it has a better conference record.

The Bulls have lost two straight and nine of 11 away from the United Center. Chicago lost 104-98 at Detroit on Dec. 23, and has dropped five of seven at The Palace of Auburn Hills since the 2005-06 season. Bet on NBA basketball now.

After posting a season-low point total in a 96-67 loss to New Jersey on Sunday, the 76ers fell 101-98 at Charlotte on Tuesday for their third straight road defeat and second consecutive loss overall.

The 6-point underdog Sixers have won three straight in Chicago, taking the most recent meeting there 103-95 in overtime Dec. 2.

Andre Iguodala is averaging 21.6 points against the Bulls over the last two seasons and 24.0 in the last three games at the United Center.

The Bulls have won two in a row and five of six to grab a 2 1/2-game lead over Charlotte for the East's eighth and final playoff spot. Chicago trails the Detroit Pistons by just one game for seventh place.

Rose has been a major catalyst during this recent stretch, averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds in his last three games. The rookie point guard, though, missed his first game Tuesday after injuring his right wrist as he attempted a dunk in Monday's 101-99 victory at Washington.

The Bulls’ official Web site lists Rose, who underwent treatment on his wrist Wednesday, as a game-time decision. Head to the Bodog Sportsbook for the best in NBA betting.

A favorable schedule down the stretch should help the Bulls. Only two of their final 11 opponents have winning records, and both of those games are at home.

Just two games ahead of Chicago in seventh place are the Pistons, who have gone 7-14 since Feb. 8 to leave open the possibility that they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Detroit has lost four of its last five, all by five points or fewer.

Arron Afflalo will likely start again with Richard Hamilton doubtful, but Rodney Stuckey may be the key for Detroit. He had a career-high 40 points in the Pistons’ 104-98 home win over the Bulls on Dec. 23. Get all your NBA basketball odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today.