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NBA Preview for Aug. 3: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Daily Fantasy Picks, Odds
August 3, 2020
Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors sent a message to the rest of the NBA Saturday that they should be considered in the group of title contenders.
Toronto has a chance to reinforce that point in Monday's slate opener against the Miami Heat, who need as many victories as possible to fend off challenges from Indiana and Philadelphia for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Lowry could be the focal point of many daily fantasy basketball lineups after he produced his second-highest point total of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers finish off the six-game schedule against the Utah Jazz in a matchup in which LeBron James has found success this season.
In between the opener and nightcap sit a quartet of intriguing contests that could see a few under-the-radar stars, like Thomas Bryant, continue their strong runs in Orlando.
NBA August 3 Schedule
Toronto vs. Miami (1:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Denver vs. Oklahoma City (-4.5) (4 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Indiana vs. Washington (4 p.m. ET)
Memphis (-4) vs. New Orleans (O/U: 239) (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
San Antonio vs. Philadelphia (-6.5) (O/U: 229) (8 p.m. ET)
Los Angeles Lakers (-6) vs. Utah (O/U: 219) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Games can be live-streamed on ESPN Player, ESPN app and NBA League Pass.
Odds obtained from Caesars Palace and Oddschecker
Daily Fantasy Picks
Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto
After his double-double, Lowry will be a coveted option in most DFS contests.
The Raptors guard put up 33 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while knocking down five three-point shots in the win over the Lakers.
Lowry was not as successful in two regular-season meetings with Miami, but he still earned a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds December 3.
Miami is coming off a decent defensive performance against Denver's guards, but part of that triumph was because of the Nuggets missing a handful of backcourt players.
If Lowry works off Fred Van Vleet, Pascal Siakam and others to create mismatches away from Jimmy Butler, he could turn in his best performance of the season against the Heat.
LeBron James, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
James produced a pair of double-doubles in his two meetings with Utah.
He totaled 52 points, 22 assists and 11 rebounds in contests that were played in November and December.
In the last three games, James produced a double-double by eclipsing the 10-rebound mark against Brooklyn, the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto.
If there is a criticism of his production, it is that he has only hit the 30-point plateau twice in the last seven contests.
If James provides more scoring on top of the high numbers in other stat categories, he may be one of the top five DFS options in Orlando.
James is averaging 20.1 points in games directly following Lakers' losses, and one of his most successful performances in that scenario was a 32-point showing against Utah in the second game of the season.
Thomas Bryant, C, Washington
Bryant is coming off a 30-point, 13-rebound outing against Brooklyn Sunday.
On Monday afternoon, the center faces an Indiana Pacers squad that lacks frontcourt depth and was exploited in the paint Saturday in its win over Philadelphia.
Myles Turner struggled with foul trouble in his matchup with Joel Embiid, which forced JaKarr Sampson and Doug McDermott into more minutes.
Bryant is not in the same echelon of talent as Embiid, but he can take tips from that performance to keep Turner off the court.
In his only matchup with the Pacers this season in November, Bryant produced 20 points, 11 rebounds and a pair of assists.
Bryant has reached the double-digit point mark in seven of his last eight games, and if he cleans up on the glass against Indiana's depleted squad, he could carry good daily fantasy value.
If you go after higher-priced players like James, Lowry and Donovan Mitchel, Bryant could be a solid complement as a cheaper option at center if you can't afford Embiid and others.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference