Tuesday’s four-game NBA slate delivered a mix of blowouts and drama. The headliner was Boston’s one-point survival at home, with the Celtics holding off a feisty Brooklyn squad 125-124 in one of the tightest finishes of the young season. Down in San Antonio, the Spurs had no such stress, rolling past Sacramento 130-103 in a dominant performance. New York controlled Detroit from start to finish, 111-97, keeping things comfortable at Madison Square Garden. The lone upset of the night came in Los Angeles, where Portland stunned the Lakers 136-129, handing LA a tough home loss.
The XO Sports model had a strong showing, finishing 3-1 across the slate. Both top picks delivered, with Boston and San Antonio flagged as high-confidence calls at 83% and 84% probability respectively, and both came through. The New York pick also hit despite a much tighter 56% confidence projection. The model missed on Los Angeles, projecting a home win over Portland with 56% probability, but the Trail Blazers had other plans. Overall, a sharp night from the model with the top picks doing exactly what they were expected to do.