Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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05-25-19 | Bucks +2.5 v. Raptors | Top | 94-100 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 29 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on the Mil Bucks at 8:30 ET. Toronto had a great chance to win Game 1 of this series but the Bucks outscored the Raptors 32-17 in the 4th quarter, ending the game on a 10-run for a 108-100 victory. Milwaukee then routed Toronto in Game 2, 125-103 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. At the point, the Bucks were 10-1 SU & ATS in the 2019 playoffs. Oh, how things have changed since then! The Raptors have won the past THREE contests, including a 105-99 road win on Thursday that enabled them to take a 3-2 series lead. Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points in Game 5 (his fourth 30-point outing of the series) and has provided Toronto with the big-time performances the club was looking for when it acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs.The Bucks were up by 14 points early in Game 5 but entered the 4th quarter leading by just three. Toronto opened an eight point lead in that final period but Milwaukee tied it at 93-all with 2:44 left. However, it was Toronto which made the plays down the stretch. Milwaukee won a league-best 60 games in the regular season and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (25.9-12.3-4.9 this postseason) was adamant that his team will still win the series. "We're not going to fold," Antetokounmpo said afterward. "Come on, man. Best team in the league, man. We're not going to fold. We're going to go in and give it everything we've got. We can't fold. We're going to come back to Milwaukee." Malcolm Brogdon made his first start of the postseason in Game 5 and had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. PG Eric Bledsoe scored a series-best 20 but neither effort was good enough. "I'm not afraid of the moment," Leonard told reporters afterward. "This is what I work out for in the summer. I'm just trying to win. It's a matter of me being aggressive and don't shy away from anything." Leonard carried Toronto in teh Game 5 win, as Toronto's other four starters shot a combined 10 of 35 from the floor (28.6%). However, backup PG Fred VanVleet scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers in the Game 5 victory and is 10-for-12 from long range over the last two games, after being 2-for-11 over the first three games Milwaukee not only owned the NBA's best regular season record (60-22) but it also owned its best ATS mark, as well (47-34-1). That's a rare 'daily double. Expect Antetokounmpo to play 'HUGE,' Middleton to NOT go 2-of- 9 again plus I love the fact that Milwaukee's starting guards (see above) combined for 38 points. Can Kawhi really do it 'alone?' I'm with Giannis, this series is headed back to Milwaukee for a Game 7. Good luck...Larry |
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05-23-19 | Raptors v. Bucks -6.5 | Top | 105-99 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
My 10* Game 5 Tie-Breaker is on the Mil Bucks at 8:30 ET. Kawhi Leonard (31.8 PPG & 8.5 RPG) had carried Toronto's offense through the team's first two playoff series, as PF Pascal Siakam (20.8 & 7.3) and PG Kyle Lowry (12.4-5.0-7.1) were the only other Raptors averaging in double digits in the first two rounds. As for Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, he led Milwaukee to an 8-1 SU & ATS start to the postseason, averaging 27.4 points and 11.3 rebounds. However, I predicted this series was NOT just Kawhi vs Giannis. Antetokounmpo's supporting class had been strong. SF Khris Middleton (19.1-6.0-4.6) plus PGs Eric Bledsoe (16.0-3.3-4.3) and George Hill (12.1) looked "ready for primetime." What's more, combo guard Malcolm Brogdon (15.6-4.5-3.2 during the regular season), looked ready-to-go for this series, after scoring 10 points in 17 minutes in the clinching win over Boston, after missing the previous seven-plus weeks with a foot injury. More notably, Milwaukee's bench was averaging 37.4 points on 48.1 percent shooting, while Toronto's was averaging 21.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting. Milwaukee was "off' in Game 1 but outscored the Raptors 32-17 in the 4th quarter, ending the game on a 10-0 run to win AND cover, 108-100. In Game 2, it was all Milwaukee, as the Bucks won 125-103. The series shifted to Toronto for Game 3 and despite Giannis and Middleton combining for just 21 points (on 8 of 32 shooting), the Bucks had chances to win, before falling in OT. Leonard was the star (36 points) for Toronto and Siakam added 25 & 11. The Bucks then followed with their worst game of the series in Game 4. The team's 2-0 lead has evaporated, after Toronto's 120-102 victory on Tuesday. Leonard, who had topped 30 points in each of the first three games of the series, had just 19 in Game 4 while often appearing to be hindered by a left leg injury. PG Kyle Lowry scored 25 points plus three bench players excelled. SF Powell had 19, PF Ibaka had 17 & 13 (his best game of the series) and PG Van Vleet had 13. The series is now tied at two-all, with tonight's Game 5 looming large.I don'r remotely trust the Raptors on the road. Yes, they were 2-0 in Orlando but is that a big deal? In five road games since (against Philly and Milwaukee), Toronto is 1-4 SU and ATS, with those four losses coming by an average of 15.5 PPG. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is 6-1 SU & ATS at home during the playoffs, upping the team's home record this season to 39-9 SU, while averaging a whopping 119.1 points. Milwaukee's bench will bounce back (don't expect Toronto's reserves to come anywhere close to performing like they did in Game 4) and expect Giannis to be brilliant. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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05-20-19 | Warriors v. Blazers +4 | Top | 119-117 | Win | 100 | 14 h 31 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Por Blazers at 9:05 ET. The Warriors coasted to a 116-94 win in Game 1 but had to overcome a 17-point deficit in Game 2, before escaping with a 114-111 victory. "We stole that game," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. Golden St was down 15 at the half in Game 2 but a 39-24 third quarter put them back in position to win it in the 4th. Fast-forward to Game 3 in Portland. The Blazers opened a 66-53 halftime lead but once again, the Warriors dominated in the third quarter, outscoring the Blazers 29-13, before pulling away in fourth en route to a 110-99 triumph.The Blazers WILL NOT come back and win four in a row but the question here is, can they win this Game 4? Draymond Green scored a postseason-high 20 points to go with 13 rebounds and 12 assists on Saturday (his third triple-double of the playoffs), setting the tone for a Warriors team that fell into an 18-point hole in the first half and was down 14 with 8:08 left in the third quarter. His ability to push the tempo and get the rest of his teammates to feed off his energy propelled the Warriors to a victory. That said, let's NOT forget Curry, who scored a team high 36 points, his fourth straight 30-plus effort since K.D. was lost to a calf injury. Portland didn't just fold in the third quarter, as they totaled just 33 points in the entire second half, after putting up 63 points in the first half. "Our offense fell apart," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "We missed some shots. Took some tough shots. Didn't move the ball as well. They were scoring, so we were taking it out of the net. Didn't get any transition. So, I said at the beginning of the series, to beat Golden State, you've got to be able to score. Scoring 33 in the second half is not going to do it." Damian Lillard has yet to get rolling offensively in the series (he's shooting 32.6 percent from the floor and has committed 14 turnovers in the first three games, plus he and McCollum have been totally outplayed by Curry and Thompson. in the series. Is this "All she wrote?" The Warriors are just one win shy of earning their FIFTH straight NBA Finals appearance, something that hasn't been done since the 1960s Boston Celtics. As to the team's back-to-back wins in Games 2 and 3, the Warriors have become the first team in NBA history to rally from at least a 13-point deficit in consecutive playoff wins. However, SF Andre Iguodala (lower leg) left Saturday's game and is the Warriors don't expect him to play here. As for K.D, word is he only plays if the Warriors are forced to a Game 7 (fat chance that happens). That said, I am not tasked to "look ahead," just focus on the here and now. Portland has shown it can play with Golden State in Games 2 and 3 but the team has NOT been able to "close he show." I've had the Blazers in Games 2 and 3 and will "go to the well" with them again, here. Portland lost its first home game after the calendar turned to 2019 (Jan 4 to OKC) but then ended the regular season on an 18-2 SU run at home. The Blazers are 5-2 at home in the postseason, so that means they are on a 23-4 SU run on their home floor. Portland closed a three-point favorite in Game 3 but there has been a line 'swing' of right about a 'TD!". I'm 'barking' with the home dog! Good luck...Larry |
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05-19-19 | Bucks v. Raptors -2 | Top | 112-118 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Tor Raptors at 7:05 ET. The Bucks needed a 32-17 fourth quarter to win and cover Game 1 against the Raptors, including ending the game on a 10-0 run. I had the Bucks in that one and came right back with them in Game 2, saying that it was my belief that Game 1 was a HUGE "opportunity lost" for Toronto. Milwaukee was an incredible 9-1 SU & ATS this postseason at that point and after its Game 1 win, checked in at 38-9 SU at home, averaging 119.0 PPG. I said "lay the points," again. The Bucks had their way with the Raptors in Game 2, jumping out to a 35-21 first quarter lead and a 64-39 advantage at the half. After trailing by as many as 28 points, Toronto made a push to draw to within 13 in the third quarter but the final was 125-103. Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points and 17 rebounds but Ersan Ilyasova (17 points), Malcolm Brogdon (14) and George Hill (13) combined to go 17-of-29 from the floor off the bench in Game 2, with each of the three logging more than 20 minutes. "We have a great group of coaches who trust us, and I think it's all about chemistry," Ilyasova told reporters. "When we go to locker room, even when we lose the game, everybody stays positive. It's just we're all about the next game. I think for us it's big time when we go to the playoffs." Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in each of the first two games but in Game 2, Toronto's other four starters combined for just 33 points. Center Marc Gasol struggled to two points on 1-of-9 shooting in Game 2 and placed the blame for the loss on himself. However, he was hardly alone. All-Star PG Kyle Lowry, who scored 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Game 1, slumped to 15 points on 4-of-13 in Game 2. "The ball," as they say, is Toronto's court. The Raptors were 32-9 during the regular season at home and have gone 5-2 in the playoffs. Toronto has been best-known for its underachieving postseason but the difference in this year's team is, Kawhi Leonard. He's averaging 31.7 PPG (on 52.7% shooting) and 8.5 RPG in the postseason. It's up to him to 'carry' the Raptors to a win. That's my bet! Good luck...Larry |
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05-18-19 | Warriors v. Blazers -2 | Top | 110-99 | Loss | -113 | 15 h 38 m | Show |
My 10* Game of the Week is on the Por Blazers at 9:05 ET. The Golden State Warriors have gone up 2-0 in their series with the Blazers, despite the absence of K.D. (Durant was averaging a NBA postseason-high of 34.2 PPG). The Warriors coasted to a 116-94 win in Game 1 but had to overcome a 17-point deficit in Game 2, before escaping with a 114-111 victory. "We stole that game," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "I thought they outplayed us for much of the night, the majority of the night, but we brought enough competitive fire in the second half to overcome their great play. We've been here before. I think our experience helped us. We've done this a few times, and yeah, we stole it for sure. They outplayed us." As for Portland, the Blazers head home with some confidence due to the way they played for most of Game 2. "You know, you hate to lose a game, but I think we showed that we can compete with them," Portland head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "It was a much better game than we played in Game 1. Now we've got to go get two at home, but it starts with Game 3. But yeah, we beat them in the regular season, and we did play a good game, much better game at both ends of the floor tonight. So, we've got to take that into Game 3." This series was billed as a battle between the NBA's two-best backcourt duos. After two games, Curry and Thompson have 'KO'd' Lillard and McCollum. The Warriors' dynamic duo has combined to average 56.5 PPG, while the Blazers' twosome is averaging just 40.5 PPG. Curry has averaged 35.3 PPG in the three games KD has missed, with Thompson chipping in 25.7. Since Game 6 of the LAC series, Draymond Green is averaging 13.7-10.7-7.9. Maybe the Warriors can "win it all," without KD? Lillard came into the series averaging 28.4 PPG in the 2019 playoffs and McCollum came in averaging 26.6. A return home HAS to help. Here's the bottom line. Portland lost its first home game after the calendar turned to 2019 (Jan 4 to OKC) but then ended the regular season on an 18-2 SU run at home. The Blazers are 5-1 at home in the postseason, so that means they are on a 23-3 SU run on their home floor. "Home is where the heart is" (right?) and expect Lillard and McCollum to respond plus don't ignore the fact that Seth Curry matched his postseason high with 16 points off the bench in Game 2 and that Rodney Hood is averaging 14.5 points off the bench in the series. If not NOW, WHEN for Portland? Good luck...Larry |
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05-17-19 | Raptors v. Bucks -6.5 | Top | 103-125 | Win | 100 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Mil Bucks at 8:30 ET. The Eastern Conference finals features the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and the second-seeded Toronto Raptors. Leading MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the series averaging 27.4 points and 11.3 rebounds, as the Bucks went 8-1 SU and ATS against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, outscoring those opponents by an average of 15.3 PPG. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard averaged 31.8 points(8.5 RPG) in his 12 playoff games, including setting a franchise record with nine straight 20-point outings. Leonard had 41 points in Toronto's Game 7 two-point victory over the 76ers, including first Game 7-winning buzzer-beater in NBA history, which featured four bounces on the rim. Milwaukee has reached the East finals for the first time 2001, while Toronto is in the East finals for just the second time in franchise history. Game 1 was was somewhat of a surprise, as the underdog Raptors led most of the way on Wednesday. However, the Bucks outscored the Raptors 32-17 over the final 12 minutes, including 10-0 run in the final 3:31 of the contest for a 108-100 win and COVER! Talk about a 'miracle' ATS win for Milwaukee bettors. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points but only two came in the final stanza (both on FTs), as he struggled through a 10-of-26 shooting performance. PG Lowry was great, scoring 30 points (his 2019 playoff-high), including 14 poinst in the 4th quarter. Incredibly, he was the only Toronto player to make a FG in the 4th quarter (5 of 7), as the other seven players went a combined 0-15. In fact, on the game, take away Lowry and Leonard and the remainder of the Raptors went 14 of 51 from the floor (27.4%). Giannis was not spectacular but he did have a double-double (24 & 14). The game's breakout star was center Brook Lopez, who scored 29 points (a career playoff-high) with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. That's after averaging just 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in the five-game conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Another piece of good news for Milwaukee was that combo guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 points off the bench (in 27 minutes), after scoring 10 points in 17 minutes in the clinching win over Boston. He had missed the previous seven-plus weeks with a foot injury. The Raptors HAVE to feel that they let Game 1 "get away," while the Bucks believe they can improve Friday night in Game 2, after shaking off their rust. Obviously, both teams can improve in Game 2. The Raptors shot 37 percent (34-for-92) overall, including 35.7 percent (15-for-42) from behind the arc. The Bucks shot 39.8 percent (37-for-93) from the floor and only 25 percent (11-for-44) from three-point territory. I had the 'lucky' Game 1 winner in Milwaukee and wrote prior to that game, that this series is NOT just Kawhi vs Giannis. Milwaukee's bench entered averaging 37.4 points on 48.1 percent shooting, while Toronto's was averaging 21.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting. In an "off game" for both teams, Milwaukee's bench outscored Toronto's, 22-12 (winning margin was eight points!). It's my belief that Game 1 was a HUGE "opportunity lost" for Toronto. Milwaukee is an incredible 9-1 SU & ATS this postseason (no other remaining team comes close to matching that) and after its Game 1 win, checks in at 38-9 SU at home, averaging 119.0 PPG. Lay the poitst again, as this win comes with more 'breathing room!'
Good luck...Larry |
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05-16-19 | Blazers +7.5 v. Warriors | Top | 111-114 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Por Blazers at 9:00 ET. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson totally out-played Portland's backcourt duo of Lillard and McCollum in Game 1. Curry scored 36 points (made NINE three-pointers) and Thompson added 26. In contrast, Lillard had 19 points and McCollum 17. What's more, the Warriors shot 50.5% from the floor, including making 17 of 33 three-pointers. The Blazers made just 36.1% from the floor, including 7 of 28 on three-pointers. Curry took several uncontested three-point shots during his fourth 30-point effort of the postseason and Damian Lillard knows that something needs to change. "That was very poor execution defensively on our part," Lillard said. "Just having our bigs back that far; understanding the team we are playing against, they are not going to shoot midrange jumpers and try to attack the rim. If they see the opportunity to shoot a 3, they are going to tell you. They shoot it at a high clip. We've got to bring our guys up and run them off the line, and (Tuesday) they were setting solid screens and coming off shooting practice shots." Portland needs to shore its defense plus CAN'T commit another 21 turnovers. Kevin Durant is expected to miss Game 2 and after ranking 28th out of 30 teams in points off the bench during the regular season, the Warriors have gotten some much-needed help from its reserves in Game 6 vs Houston and in Game 1 vs the Blazers. Kevon Looney had 14 points and Shaun Livingston 11, as the Warriors dominated the Rockets 33-17 off the bench in that 118-113, series-clinching win. Then in Tuesday's Game 1, all eight Warriors backups who participated recording a positive plus/minus as Golden State's reserves outscored their Portland counterparts 36-28. However, will the Warriors be able to keep that up? The Warriors are just 19-28-1 ATS at home this season (including 3-4 in the playoffs) and remember won Game 4 at OKC plus Games 2 and 7 at Denver, which was the NBA's best home team this year. Head coach Terry Stotts is confident his team will shoot better and NOT turn the ball over as much. Lillard noted after Game 1 that Portland shot horribly, while Golden St shot "lights out," yet the Blazers trailed by just six points entering the fourth quarter. I agree. Take the points!
Good luck...Larry |
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05-15-19 | Raptors v. Bucks -6 | Top | 100-108 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* Eastern Conference Game 1 Stunner is on the Mil Bucks at 8:30 ET. The Eastern Conference finals comes down to the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and the second-seeded Toronto Raptors. Game 1 is Wednesday night and the series features tow of the NBA's best. Leading MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.4 points and 11.3 rebounds, as the Bucks went 8-1 SU and ATS against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, outscoring those opponents by an average of 15.3 PPG. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 31.8 points(8.5 RPG) in 12 playoff games, including a franchise record nine straight 20-point outings. Leonard had 41 points in Toronto's Game 7 two-point victory over the 76ers, including first Game 7-winning buzzer-beater in NBA history, which featured four bounces on the rim. Milwaukee has reached the East finals for the first time 2001, while Toronto is in the East finals for just the second time in franchise history. Leonard is carrying Toronto's offense, as PF Pascal Siakam (20.8 & 7.3) and PG Kyle Lowry (12.4-5.0-7.1) are the only other Raptors averaging in double digits in the postseason. Regarding Lowry, he's been a HUGE underachiever in his postseason career and he's shooting just 41.5 percent from the floor (28.1% on threes), so far. In contrast, Antetokounmpo's supporting class has been strong. SF Khris Middleton (19.1-6.0-4.6) plus PGs Eric Bledsoe (16.0-3.3-4.3) and George Hill (12.1) have more than looked "ready for primetime." What's more, combo guard Malcolm Brogdon (15.6-4.5-3.2 during the regular season), looks ready-to-go for this series, after scoring 10 points in 17 minutes in the clinching win over Boston, after missing the previous seven-plus weeks with a foot injury. Yes, Leonard makes Toronto a much more viable contender but can I really overlook the team's 3-14 record in playoff openers (1-1 this postseason)? This series is NOT just Kawhi vs Giannis. Milwaukee's bench is averaging 37.4 points on 48.1 percent shooting, while Toronto's is averaging 21.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting. Milwaukee comes in 37-9 at home this year (including the playoffs, averaging 119.2 PPG. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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05-12-19 | Blazers v. Nuggets -5.5 | Top | 100-96 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 36 m | Show |
My NBA 10* 2nd Round ‘GAME OF YEAR’ is on the Den Nuggets at 3:30 ET. The Denver Nuggets ended a five-year playoff drought by earning the West's No. 2 seed in 2019 (54-28). Their Game 5 home rout of the Blazers (124-98) put them ONE win away from the team's first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2009 but the Blazers responded with a 119-108 home in Game 6 (Portland's 13th win in its last 14 home games), sending this series back to Denver for a Game 7. Portland's dynamic backcourt duo of Lillard (29.8-4.3-5.8 this postseason) and McCollum (24.5-5.5-3.6) were HUGE in Game 6, scoring 32 and 30 points, respectively. However, backup Rodney Hood erupted for 25 on 8-of-12 shooting, posting a career playoff-high. Hood is averaging 16 points on 60 percent shooting vs the Nuggets. PF Zach Collins chipped in 14 points in Game 6 and the Blazers have outscored Denver by 22 points in 113 minutes with Hood and Collins on the floor during the series (according to NBA.com). An issue for Portland issue has been center Enes Kanter, who is averaging just 6.0 PPG on 26.1 percent shooting over the last three games, after averaging 19.7 on 60 percent through the first three contests in the series. Denver's star center Nikola Jokic is having quite a first-ever postseason. He's averaging 24.8-13.0-8.9 with 11 double-doubles in 13 games (four, triple-doubles). He's averaging 26.4-14.4-8.8 assists against Portland in this series. PG Jamal Murray is averaging 21.6-4.2-4.7 in the playoffs, including 24.7 PPG vs Portland. Veteran PF Paul Millsap is playing as he did when he was in his prime vs Portland, averaging at 18.7 & 9.0. The Golden State Warriors are in the Western Conference Finals for the fifth straight year and await the winner of this Game 7. I've noted above the play of Hood and Collins off the bench for Portland but I've said all season that the Nuggets are arguably the NBA's deepest team. Yes, Jokic is having a "breakout" postseason plus Murry and Millsap have been excellent in this series but note that NINE Denver players have gotten into all 13 games this postseason for the Nuggets. Jokic and Murray are topping 20 PPG, Millsap is averaging 15.0 and Harris is at 14.2. However, FIVE others are chipping in from 4.6 to 9.2 PPG. I expect Jokic to again lead the way (he's dominated Kanter lately) but I also expect Denver's depth to be a difference-maker. Also, Hood and Collins WON'T replicate their Game 6 heroics here for the Blazers. Denver was an NBA-best 34-7 at home during the regular season, going 26-4 in its final 30 regular season games at Pepsi Center. Throw in them winning FIVE of seven at home in the postseason and the Nuggets are 31-6 in their last 37 home games. There have been 133 Game 7s in NBA history and home teams have won 105, or 79%. I'm NOT about to "take the points" with the Blazers, as in 48 home games this season (regular and postseason, combined), Denver has outscored its opponents 113.0-to-102.9 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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05-09-19 | Nuggets v. Blazers -4 | Top | 108-119 | Win | 100 | 15 h 28 m | Show |
My 10* NBA Game of the Week is on the Por Blazers at 10:35 ET. The Denver Nuggets ended a five-year playoff drought by earning the West's No. 2 seed in 2019 (54-28) and with Tuesday's 124-98 home rout of the Blazers, are ONE win away from the team's first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2009 (Can you say 'Melo?). Star center Nikola Jokic continued his stellar series with 25 points and 19 rebounds in Game 5 and he is averaging 26.4 points, 14.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists against Portland. He's averaging 24.5-13.1-9.0 in his first-ever postseason with 10 double-doubles in 12 games (including four triple-doubles). Portland's dynamic guard duo of Lillard and McCollum came up woefully short in Game 5. Despite scoring 22 points, Lillard was just 9-of-21 shooting, including 2-of-9 from three-point range. As for McCollum, he had just a2 points, while making only 5 of 16 shots (31.3%). I've noted all season that Denver is arguably the league's deepest team and in back-to back impressive wins (116-112 at Portland in Game 4 and Game 5's home blowout), 13-year veteran power forward Paul Millsap has scored 21 and 24 points. He's been a difference-maker in the series, averaging 19.0 & 9.6, while recording three double-doubles. In contrast, Portland PF Al-Farouq Aminu managed just three points on 1-of-8 shooting in Game 5, after scoring a series-best 19 points in Game 4. As for center Enes Kanter, he is honoring Ramadan by not eating from sunrise to sunset and got dominated by Jokic, scoring just nine points on 2-for-9 shooting (he did have a team-high eight rebounds). We've got two must-wins," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters after Game 5. "Somebody was going to have a must-win after (Tuesday), and it's us. So we've got two must-wins ahead of us."That's pretty simple and I'm far from counting Portland out, here. Can Denver really beat them THREE in a row? After all, the Nuggets finished the regular season (from Dec 1 through its end) going a pathetic 1-10 SU on the road vs Western Conference playoff teams. They were just 1-4 SU on the road in the postseason, prior to their Game 4 win. As for Portland, the Blazers had not lost a home game since March 7, 129-121 in OT to OKC, when its 12-game home winning streak was broken in Game 4. The Nuggets are headed back for a SECOND straight Game 7 at home. Good luck...Larry |
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05-08-19 | Rockets v. Warriors -6 | Top | 99-104 | Loss | -107 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Showdown (Part 3) is on the GS Warriors at 10:35 ET. The Houston Rockets have the momentum in this series, having won Games 3 and 4 at home to knot this Western Conference semifinals series at 2-2. However, the Rockets will have to figure out a way to win a game in Oakland if they are to finally get the best of the Warriors in this series. The Houston/Golden St rivalry has turned into a best-of-three for the second straight year. Houston broke the 2-2 tie with a win in Game 5 at home in last year's Western finals but Golden State then swept the final two games to reach the NBA Finals, where the Warriors captured their second straight championship and third in four years (note: Chris Paul missed Games 6 & 7). Houston has made 66 three-pointers in the series, 26 more than the Warriors. James Harden has drained 18 three-pointers while averaging 35.8 points but two other Houston players have been key. Shooting guard Eric Gordon has made 16 three-pointers while averaging 23 points and power forward P.J. Tucker is averaging 12.3 points and 10.7 rebounds over the past three games, while also harassing K.D. However, Kevin Durant is averaging 36 points in the series, with a high game of 46 and a low output of 29. However, Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have not held up their end. Curry is 12-of-46 (26.1%) from three-point range in the series and Thompson is just 8-of-26 (30.8%). Joining the above-mentioned trio in the starting lineup have been Green and Iquodola. Green is averaging 15.8-11.2-8.2 and Iquodala 13.6 & 5.2. Iguodala has played 29 or more minutes in all four games of the series. He played more than 29 minutes just seven times during the regular season. He's also started all four games alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Green, after never having joined that All-Star quartet in the starting lineup in any regular-season game during his Warriors career. Here's what happened down the stretch in the last two games at Houston. Houston was clinging to a one-point lead in Gamer 3 when Iguodala's three-pointer put Golden State up 112-110 with 45 seconds remaining. Harden made two free throws a few seconds after that to tie it and Durant missed a jump shot on the other end to give Houston a chance to win it in regulation. Chris Paul was in the lane when Klay Thompson forced a jump ball. Harden got the ball but didn't have time to get a shot off before the buzzer. Houston then won by five in OT (who will forget Curry's blown dunk shot?) In Game 4, the Rockets were up by nine before the Golden State scored the next seven points, capped by a three from Stephen Curry, to get within 110-108 with 19 seconds left. Harden made one of two free throws with 11.5 seconds left. Kevin Durant missed a three after that. But the Warriors got the rebound and Curry also missed a 3-point attempt before Golden State was forced to foul Chris Paul. "We got a couple of wide-open looks," Durant said. "They just didn't fall for us." Paul made one of two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to secure the four-point victory. However, Golden St knows it out-shot Houston 48.2 percent to 44.4 and out-rebounded the visitors 41.5 per game to 33.5 in the first two games of this series. We saw BOTH home teams (in similar 2-2 series) win in blowout fashion last night and after ca$hing two straight wins on the Rockets, I'm "all in" on the defending champs in this one. Lay it! Good luck...Larry |
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05-06-19 | Warriors v. Rockets -113 | 108-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 28 m | Show | |
My 9* Rivalry Showdown Part 2 is on the Hou Rockets at 9:35 ET. The Houston Rockets outplayed the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 but barely escaped with the win. Is that an indication of a "lost chance" by the Warriors or should we anticipate that a slightly better effort from Golden St would give them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series? James Harden stepped up down the stretch to lead the Rockets to a 126-121 overtime victory in Game 3. He finished with 41 points and led the charge as Houston scored 52 points in the paint and dominated the interior. SG Eric Gordon scored a postseason career-high 30 points, Clint Capela added a double-double (13 & 11) plus Houston's players and coaches were effusive after Game 3 in their praise of power forward PJ Tucker, who finished with seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks while doing the best job on the team of slowing Durant Kevin Durant scored 46 points to keep the Warriors in the game (he's averaging 39.4 points over the last seven games!) plus Draymon Green added his third triple double in the team's last four contests with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. However, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggled from the floor. Curry went 7-of-23 from the floor and endured the most embarrassing moment of Game 3 when he missed a dunk in the final stretch of overtime that would have cut the deficit to three points. Curry suffered a dislocated finger in Game 2 and is shooting 35.3 percent from the floor in the series and is 8-of-32 from beyond the arc. Houston has played "second-fiddle" to Golden St in recent years, most notably in last year's seven-game loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. The Rockets won an NBA-best 67 games last season and took a 3-2 lead in that series, only to lose Game 6 and Game 7 (at home), without an injured Chris Paul in either contest. Both teams had stretches this season in which they looked vulnerable but Houston came into the postseason playing better basketball (Rockets went 20-4, while the Warriors were a modest 15-9 over the regular season's final eight weeks), The Rockets had chances to win each of the first two games in this series (in Oakland) but failed to make the key play. That 'turned' in Game 3 and I say (will bet) that the Rockets will get the better of the Warriors again in Game 4. Good luck...Larry |
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05-06-19 | Bucks v. Celtics -1.5 | Top | 113-101 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Bos Celtics at 7:05 ET. The Milwaukee Bucks didn't panic after losing 112-90 at home to the Celtics in Game 1 of this series. The Bucks didn't need to make any drastic changes, they just needed to increase the aggressiveness and execution. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way, averaging 30.5 & 11.0 in Games 2 and 3, with Milwaukee shooting 47.4% as a team and scoring 123 points in both wins. Boston's star, PG Kyrie Irving, scored 26 points on 12-of-21 shooting in the Game 1 win but went a combined 12-of-40 (30.0%) from the floor in Games 2 and 3, including 3-of-13 from three-point range (23.1%). Antetokounmpo led the way in Game 3 with 32 points but it was the supporting cast that pushed Milwaukee over the top. Shooting guard Pat Connaughton scored 14 points and PG George Hill led the "Bench Mob" with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting in 29 minutes. For Boston, after shooting 54.0% in its surprising Game 1 upset, the Celtics have made just 69 of 167 shots (41.3%) in Games 2 and 3. The Bucks' playoff win in Boston in Game 3 was rather noteworthy. It was the first playoff win in Boston for the Bucks since May 13, 1987. Yes, Milwaukee was just 0-5 in that span but FOUR of those losses came in an Eastern Conference first-round series last year, when the Celtics survived in a seven-game series (home team won all seven games). Getting back to Boston, its Game 3 home loss was just the Celtics' SECOND home playoff loss in 14 games the last two postseasons. If Boston head back to Milwaukee down 3-1, it would likely be "all she wrote." Expect Kyrie to shine and I'm backing Boston. Good luck...Larry |
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05-05-19 | Nuggets v. Blazers -3 | 116-112 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 2 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout is on the Por Blazers at 7:05 ET. The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers battled each other in the longest postseason game since 1953 on Friday, with Portland coming out on top 140-137 in only the second four-overtime contest in postseason history. Now, some 41 hours after the end of that memorable contest, the teams will tip it off again in Game 4. "(The Blazers) have the same turnaround," Denver head coach Mike Malone said after Game 3. "You try to learn from the loss and get (the players) ready for battle. Both teams are exhausted. It's the same for them as it is for us. We will not use it as an excuse. We haven't used it all year long, and we won't use it now." Portland head coach Terry Stotts added this after his Blazers had finally put away the Nuggets to grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. "I have no idea what happened in the first half, the second half or the first three overtimes. I've never been involved in a game like that, regular season or playoffs." To set the record straight, Game 3 was a three-hour, 35-minute marathon that left players and coaches drained at the final buzzer. There were 24 lead changes and 18 ties. Denver center Nikola Jokic logged a game-high 65 minutes and finished with 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists for his third triple-double of the postseason. He led the Nuggets in scoring, rebounding and assists in the regular season and is doing so again in his "breakout" postseason (24.8-12.9-9.1). Jamal Murray added 34 points in 55 minutes for Denver in the loss while Gary Harris (13 points, 50 minutes) and Paul Millsap (17 points, 13 rebounds, 49 minutes) were also pushed to the limit. Murray's averaging 20.5 PPG in the postseason plus four more players chip in between 9.1 and 13.1 PPG, while two others add 6.3 & 6.2 PPG. Denver is the NBA's deepest team. Star PG Damian Lillard added 28 points in 58 minutes in the win and leads Portland this postseason, averaging 30.8-4.4-6.0. However, it was his backcourt mate, CJ McCollum, who drained the big shots in the fourth quarter and in the third overtime to keep the game alive, before finishing with 41 points in 60 minutes. McCollum is averaging 24.9-5.6-4.12 in the playoffs. Center Enes Kanter is battling a separated shoulder but still managed 18 points and 15 rebounds in 56 minutes in Game 3 and is averaging a double-double this postseason (15.6 & 10.2). Let's NOT ignore Rodney Hood, who came off the bench to score seven of his career playoff-high 19 points in the fourth overtime. His three-pointer with 18.6 seconds remaining gave the Blazers a 138-136 lead they wouldn't relinquish. He's averaging 17.0 PPG in the series!! Denver is the deeper team, so does that favor them here off Friday's 'marathon?' I guess one could argue that but I'm NOT one of them. Look at the facts. The Nuggets finished the regular season (from Dec 1 through its end) going a pathetic 1-10 SU on the road vs Western Conference playoff teams. Here IN the playoffs, the Nuggets are 1-4 SU on the road. Meanwhile, the Blazers last lost a home game way back on March 7, 129-121 in OT to OKC. Portland takes a 12-game home winning streak into this contest and with this pointspread, should cover "with room to spare!? Good luck...Larry |
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05-05-19 | Raptors +2 v. 76ers | Top | 101-96 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Tor Raptors at 3:35 ET. The Philadelphia 76ers dropped the first game of their Eastern Conference opening round series at home vs the Brooklyn Nets but rebounded to win and cover the next four games. Could it be deja vu all over again for Philly in their semifinal series against the Toronto Raptors? The 76ers were manhandled 108-95 by the Raptors in Game 1 but then won Game 2 by the score of 94-89, which broke a 14-game losing streak for the 76ers in Toronto. Was that win a breakthrough? It sure looked like that in Game 3, as the 76ers routed the Raptors, 116-95. All five Philly starters scored in double digits but Embiid (33 & 10) and Butler (22-9-9) were the key performers. Leonard's been outstanding for Toronto this postseason, averaging 31.5 PPG on shooting 57.9%, including averaging 37.7 points on 60.9 percent shooting in this series. All-Star PG Kyle Lowry is shooting 36.1 percent from the floor in the series and slumped to seven points on 2-of-10 from the floor in Thursday's loss. Lowry's had a history of very erratic play in the postseason. Maybe a bigger problem for Toronto is that the 6-9 Pascal Siakam, who had a breakout regular season and is averaging 23.3 points and 5.7 rebounds on 36.3 minutes through the first three games. He's listed as doubtful due to a right calf contusion. Embiid has been hampered by a sore left knee throughout the postseason but had a playoff career-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots in only 28 minutes in Game 3. He became the first player since Boston's Kevin McHale to post at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in less than 30 minutes in a playoff game. Butler was the star in Philly's Game 2 win and was excellent again in Game 3 (see above). Not only did all five Philly starters reach double digits in Game 3 but all five are averaging double figures during Philly's eight postseason games. I realize Philly looks to be in a great position in teh series, especially with Siakam listed as doubtful but don't be surprised to see him "give it a go." However, I'm still not completely sold on Philly plus one never knows when Embiid's sore left knee will act up. As for Toronto, Leonard is capable of carrying his team plus as noted above, Lowry has been know to follow dreadful efforts in the playoffs with excellent ones. Also, Ibaka (15.0 & 8.1 in the regular season) is overdue for a big game, as is veteran center Gasol, who has been dominated by Embiid (Gasol is 6-of-20 from the floor in the series). The Raptors had held opponents under 100 points in six straight playoff games (winning the first five), allowing the 76ers to shoot 51.2 percent from the floor in Game 3, while scoring 116 points. "I think we had six straight games of tremendous effort and tremendous defense, right?" Toronto head coach Nick Nurse asked reporters. "(Thursday) night we didn't have that, so again I think that the six in a row is what you're trying to get back to, with that kind of effort and whatever." Toronto has lost back-to-back games but has lost THREE straight just ONCE all season, way back from Nov 12-16. I'm "all over" the Raptors in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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05-04-19 | Warriors v. Rockets -3.5 | Top | 121-126 | Win | 102 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
My 10* Rivalry Showdown is on the Hou Rockets at 8:30 ET. The Golden State Warriors brushed aside the chatter about officiating after Game 1 (a 104 victory) and earned a 115-109 win in Game 2 on Tuesday. The teams have been off for three days when they resume their bitter rivalry tonight in Houston, as the Warriors look to take a commanding 3-0 advantage in Saturday's Game 3. The Rockets had their chances in each of teh first two games but it was the Warriors who made the big (key) plays. K.D. is averaging 34.2 PPG in the postseason but it's impossible to ignore the recent play of Green and Iquodala. With Cousins out, Kerr has returned to the starting lineup which won the team it first title, beating the Cavs in the 2015 NBA Finals. Iquodala, who won the 2015 Finals MVP, has been added to the starting lineup and he's averaged 15.0-4.3-3.3 the last three games, after averaging just 5.7 PPG during the regular season. Green has long been considered one of the NBA best overall players but he had a so-so season. However, he's averaged 15.0-11.7-8.7 the last three games. His defense, along with Iqoudala's, KD's and Thompson's, make the Warriors one helluva team. However, the Rockets have given the Warriors first the last couple years, but in the end, always seem to fall short. Will it change here in 2019? James Harden had to leave Game 2 briefly after getting scratched in both eyes. "He got raked pretty good in the eyes, but that's him," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "I mean, I didn't have a doubt that he was coming back unless it was something catastrophic. I'm sure he would have loved to play better. Under the circumstances, I thought he played great." Harden averaged 36.1-6.6-7.5 in the regular season but he's shooting just 37.7% in the postseason (down from 44.2%), while averaging 29.0 PPG. This is Houston's game to win.The Rockets have had off since Tuesday and falling behind 0-3 leaves them in an impossible position. As good as Golden St is, Houston has won the last two season series against them and led 3-2 in the Western Conference finals last year, before Paul got hurt and couldn't play in Games 6 & 7 (Golden St won both). All hands are on deck for this one and if not now for Houston, when? Good luck...Larry |
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05-02-19 | Raptors -117 v. 76ers | Top | 95-116 | Loss | -117 | 25 h 25 m | Show |
My 10* Las Vegas Insider is on the Tor Raptors at 8:05 ET. The Toronto Raptors lost their Game 1 against the Orlando Magic in the first round, 104-101. No one could have been too surprised, as the Raptors fell to 2-14 in playoff openers. However, Toronto rebounded to sweep the next four games against the Magic, covering all four. Toronto fans were on "high alert" for Game 1 of this second round series with the 76ers, who like the Raptors, lost Game 1 of their first round series against the Nets but then won and covered the next four. So what happened in Game 1 vs Philly? Kawhi Leonard scored a playoff career-high 45 points, as the Raptors won convincingly, 108-95. However, Toronto was NOT able to carry its positive mojo into Game 2, as the 76ers 'stole away' homecourt advantage in the series with a 94-89 win. Philly's victory snapped a 14-game losing streak for the 76ers in Toronto, as Jimmy Butler scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. "He was just a tremendous rock," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters of Butler, who had just 10 points in Game 1. Philadelphia set the tone for its Game 2 victory by holding Toronto to 17 first-quarter points and it maintained the defensive intensity for most of the contest. Butler was the lone standout among Philly starters but the 76ers bench come up big. James Ennis scored a playoff career-high 13 points, while Greg Monroe backed up Embiid with 10 points and five rebounds (note: Joel Embiid has been battling knee issues but it was a stomach illness that nearly caused him to miss Game 2 before he contributed 12 points in 32 minutes). Philly's bench totaled 26 point for the game. As for Toronto, Leonard scored 35 points and Pascal Siakam added 21 (note: he shot just 9 of 25 from the floor). Leonard made 13-of-24 shots in Game 2 but the rest of the Raptors were 20-of-66 (30.3%). Toronto's bench scored a total of just FIVE points, shooting a combined 2-11 (18.2%). Toronto will need a more balanced effort in Game 3, Leonard (40.0) and Siakam (25.0) need help. The Sixers' defense was shaky in Game 1 but terrific in Game 2, as they held the Raptors to 36.7 percent shooting, including 27.0 percent from beyond the three-point arc (10 of 37). Raptors head coach Nick Nurse isn't focused solely on statistics. He believes the Raptors simply missed too many shots. Sure, the Sixers' defense might have been improved but the Raptors missed 27 three-point attempts (poor shooting, not good defense). As poorly as Toronto played, Danny Green misfired on a potential three-pointer that would have tied Game 2 in the waning seconds. Leonard makes Toronto a "different team" this postseason and speaking of defense, the Raptors have allowed fewer than 100 points in SIX straight playoff games.That's a recipe to win on the playoff road and this win comes with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |
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04-30-19 | Celtics v. Bucks -7 | Top | 102-123 | Win | 100 | 13 h 3 m | Show |
My 10* NBA Game of the Week is on the Mil Bucks at 8:05 ET. Boston was able to get past Milwaukee last year, escaping with a Game 7 win at home to eliminate the upstart Bucks in the first round. However, the Bucks won more games than any team in this year's NBA (60) and opened their second round series with the Celtics this postseason as prohibitive favorites, after averaging 121.8 points during a four-game, first-round sweep of the Detroit Pistons. Boston won 49 games during the regular season (11 fewer than Milwaukee) and while the Celtics also delivered a four-game sweep in the first round (over the Pacers), Sunday's Game 1 results has to be considered stunning. Fourth-seeded Boston frustrated Milwaukee MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and received an outstanding performance from Al Horford while posting a dominating 112-90 victory. Kyrie Irving opened the series with 26 points and 11 assists (no surprise, as he's led the team in scoring all season) but it was Horford's performance that had all talking after the game. Horford had 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the 22-point triumph and led the charge against Antetokounmpo, who was just 7-of-21 shooting while scoring 22 points. Horford was on the floor at the same time as Antetokounmpo for 22 minutes. During that time, Antetokounmpo made just 2 of 11 shots and had two shots blocked by Horford, as the Bucks posted a 63.3 offensive rating in those minutes. The top-seeded Bucks shot just 34.8 percent from the floor and had 11 shots blocked! Forward Khris Middeton (18.3-6.0-4.3 during the regular season) contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists but Milwaukee's other three starters combined for just 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting. So what should we expect in Game 2? Boston not only played great D in Game 1 but also shot 54 percent. It was the team's highest field goal percentage in a conference semifinal game since Game 5 in 2010 at Cleveland. Boston is unbeaten in the postseason and is attempting to start a postseason with six straight wins for the first time since 1985-86. The Celtics are allowing 91.4 PPG in their first five playoff games. Getting back to Milwaukee, the Bucks' 34.8 shooting percentage was their worst in a postseason game since Game 6 of 2015's first round contest against the Chicago Bulls. Do NOT expect a repeat performance. Milwaukee averaged 118.1 PPG (1st) in the regular season, while making 47.6% from the floor (3rd). The Bucks have averaged 119.2 PPG at home in going 35-9 SU (includes the postseason) and what's more, Milwaukee held its opponents to 43.3% shooting during the regular season, best in the league. The "real" Bucks show up tonight, as does the team's would-be league MVP. Sunday's loss was the third-worst loss by a No. 1 seed in a series opener under the league's current format. The Bucks have NO intention of joining the 2018 Toronto Raptors as the only top seed to fall behind 2-0 in this round under the current 16-team format that began in 1984. Lay the points. Good luck...Larry |
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04-29-19 | Blazers v. Nuggets -4 | Top | 113-121 | Win | 100 | 14 h 33 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Den Nuggets at 10:30 ET. The third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers will be well-rested when they visit the second-seeded Denver Nuggets for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday. The Blazers eliminated the OKC Thunder in five games last Tuesday, while the Nuggets needed all seven games to get past San Antonio. Denver edged the Spurs 90-86 this past Saturday night at Pepsi Center. Portland PG Damian Lillard exploded for 50 points in the team's Game 5 clincher against the Thunder, with the last three coming on a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer from 37 feet away. Lillard (33.0-4.4-6.0) and backcourt partner CJ McCollum (24.4-5.4-4.0) carried the scoring load in the first round but the team was able to overcome the loss of starting center Jusuf Nurkic (15.6 & 10.4 during the regular season) thanks to the play of Enes Kanter (13.2 & 10.2). Denver has arguably been the NBA's deepest team all season but its first round win came mostly on the back of the team's All Star center, Nikola Jokic. He led the Nuggets in scoring (20.0), rebounding (10.8) and assists (7.2) in the regular season and recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 7. Jokic's postseason debut has been a "coming-out" party. His 43 points in Game 6 established a franchise playoff record he averaged 23.1-12.1-9.1 assists vs the Blazers with six double-doubles (included were triple-doubles in Games 1 & 7). Point guard Jamal Murray, the team's second best player during the regular season (18.2-4.2-4.8), was inconsistent in the first round but came through with a team-high 23 points in the clincher. The Blazers are better rested but the Nuggets come in with plenty of confidence. Denver was an NBA-best 34-7 at home during the regular season, going 26-4 in its final 30 regular season games at Pepsi Center. Throw in them winning THREE of four at home in the first round and the Nuggets are 29-5 in their last 34 home games. The Nuggets fared well against the Trail Blazers in the regular season, winning the first three meetings (extending their winning streak to SIX in a row over Portland), before the Blazers ended that six-game skid with a 115-108 home win on April 7.However, in that contest, Denver rested both Jamal Murray AND Nikola Jokic. Safe to say Jokic won't be rested here and I believe a fully-healthy Kanter would have a difficult time dealing with Jokic. However, it's hard to see Kanter being 100 percent. He reportedly played through a separated shoulder in the Game 5 win last Tuesday and has received treatment all week while practicing on a limited basis. I think the Blazers are doing a very good job taking care of it. But, I mean obviously, I'm not going to lie, it hurts pretty bad," Kanter told reporters Friday. "I mean I'm having a hard time changing my shirt or eating food. So it's a process. We're just taking it day by day, see how it feels."That does NOT seem like promising news for Portland fans (bettors). Good luck...Larry |
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04-28-19 | Rockets v. Warriors -5.5 | Top | 100-104 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* NBA Game of the Month is on the GS Warriors at 3:30 ET. The Golden State Warriors barely escaped the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals last season. PG Chris Paul went down in Game 5 of that series with a hamstring injury and the Warriors would go on to take the series, winning Game 6 at home in a rout and then eking out a Game 7 win in Houston, as the Rockets 'shot themselves in the foot' by missing 27 three-pointers in a row during the decisive Game 7. The teams meet in a rematch a round earlier this year and the while the top-seeded Warriors own the homecourt advantage this time around, the fourth-seeded Rockets did win both regular season meetings in Oakland during the regular season. The Rockets went up 3-0 in their series with the Jazz and after a Game 4 'stumble,' closed out Utah back at Houston in Game 5. Meanwhile, the Warriors were shocked in Game 2 at home by the Clippers and then again at home in Game 5, after they entered that contest off back-to-back wins in LA. Golden St took care of the Clippers easily in Game 6, as K.D. had a career playoff-high 50 points and the team's defense (thanks in large part to Andre Iguodala) harassed LA's Lou Williams into 3-for-21 shooting in the series finale (note: Williams had 36 and 33 points in Gam2 and Game 5 wins at Oakland). Maybe it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the Rockets had an easier time in the first round than the Warriors, as over the regular season's final eight weeks the Rockets went 20-4, while the Warriors were a modest 15-9. However, while James Harden struggled to 37.4 percent from the floor in the first round, Kevin Durant averaged 35 points on 56.7 percent shooting vs the Clippers. The rivals will be meeting in the postseason for the fourth time in the last five seasons, with Golden State having prevailed in the previous three. The Rockets lost 10 of 11 in the regular season and eight of 10 in the playoffs to the Warriors to begin the Steve Kerr coaching era but have won each of the last two season series. However, let's NOT forget Houston's loss to Golden St in last year's Western Finals (see above). Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both limped off the court after rolling ankles in Friday's Game 6 but I sure wouldn't count them out, here. Game 1 is HUGE and I'm making a 'big play" on the three-time NBA champs (over a four-year span). Good luck...Larry |
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04-27-19 | Spurs v. Nuggets -6 | Top | 86-90 | Loss | -109 | 16 h 35 m | Show |
My 10* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on the Den Nuggets at 10:05 ET. The San Antonio Spurs forced a Game 7 with Thursday's 120-103 win at home. LaMarcus Aldrige had pretty much been a non-factor in the first five games of the series but scored 26 points and added 10 rebounds in Game 6. DeRozan, the team's leading scorer in the postseason so far at 22.5 PPG, chipped in 25-7-7, plus Rudy Gay had 19 points. San Antonio opened the fourth quarter on a 22-4 run, blowing the game open and finished the contest shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. The Nuggets dominated the paint in Game 6 (outscored the Spurs 72-36) but shot a woeful 6 of 24 (25%) on threes. Jokic posted a career-playoff high of 43 points and just missed a triple-double with 12 rebounds and nine asists. The series concludes with Saturday's Game 7 in Denver. San Antonio is looking to avoid its second straight first-round exit, after staving off elimination by shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and committing just eight turnovers. Can the Spurs really do that again here in Denver?The Spurs did win Game 1 of this series in Denver but in Game 2 and 5 losses at Pepsi center, the Spurs averaged just 97.5 PPG on 43.2% shooting, including 28.6% on threes. Denver's All-Star center Nikola Jokic's postseason debut has been a "coming-out" party. His 43 points in Game 6 established a franchise playoff record and he enters Game 7 averaging 23.5-11.7-9.0 with five double-doubles in the series. Denver has arguably been the NBA's deepest team all season but its bench totaled only 13 points on 5-of-24 shooting in Game 6. Doesn't that almost HAVE to change here in Game 7? Here's the rub. The Spurs had gone 0-6 SU (0-6 or 0-5-1 ATS) against Western Conference playoff teams on the road since the calendar turned to 2019, before winning Game 1. Throw in San Antonio's road losses (and non-covers) in Games 2 and 5 and the Spurs are 1-8 SU and 1-8 ATS (or 1-7-1 ATS) in tonight's situation since Jan 1. As for Denver, the Nuggets were an NBA-best 34-7 at home during the regular season, going 26-4 in their final 30 regular season games at Pepsi Center. Throw in this series and the Nuggets are 28-5 in their last 33 home games. Home teams win Game 7s more than 80% of the time and I'm laying the points. This is NOT "your father's" Spurs! Good luck...Larry |
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04-25-19 | Nuggets v. Spurs -3 | Top | 103-120 | Win | 100 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the SA Spurs at 8:05 ET. The 48-34 San Antonio Spurs entered the 2019 postseason as the West's No. 7 seed but they've been playoff regulars, as 2019 marked the team's 22nd consecutive postseason appearance (it's the longest streak among the four major North American sports). As for the 54-28 Denver Nuggets, they lost a chance to make the postseason last year when they lost in OT at Minnesota in the season's final game. However, Denver surprised this season by battling the Golden State Warriors until the final week for the West's top-seed. The Nuggets ended a five-year playoff drought by earning the West's No. 2 seed with a record in the regular season. The Spurs shocked the Nuggets in Game 1, winning at Pepsi Center. However, the Nuggets have won Games 2, 4 & 5 of the series and tonight in San Antonio are in position to win a playoff series for the first time since 2009. Meanwhile, the Spurs are looking to avoid their second consecutive first-round exit and to avoid that scenario, will have to put up a better effort than they did in Game 5. The Nuggets dominated Game 5, leading by 11 at the half and by as many as 30 points in the final quarter to seize their first lead of the series. I've noted all season that the Nuggets are arguably the NBA's deepest team. Jamal Murray paced Denver with 23 points, one of SEVEN Nuggets in double figures. All-Star center Nikola Jokic has four double-doubles (including one triple double) during a strong playoff debut. He's averaging 19.6-11.6-9.0 in the series. Second-year PG Derrick White starred in the first three games of this series, averaging 23.0 PPG, as the Spurs went up 2-1. However, he's struggled in two straight losses, averaging just 10.0 PPG on 8-of-19 shooting (42.1%). LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Spurs in Game 5 with 17 points and 10 rebounds but overall, has been a non-factor in the series, after leading San Antonio in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (9.2) during the regular season. Spurs SG DeMar DeRozan added 17 points but made just 6 of 15 shots. He's averaged just 18 points in the back-to-back setbacks, dropping his team-best series average to 22.0. Here's the rub. "A close-out game is the hardest game that many of our young players will ever play in, especially against a team like San Antonio," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters."We want to win two straight," Spurs guard Bryn Forbes said,. "Our goal is to play the best two games we can put together and try to win these next two." I just don't see the veteran Spurs "going out' in this Game 6 at home. After all, when the Nuggets 'rocked' the Spurs in Game 4, that victory snapped a 14-game losing streak in San Antonio which stretched back to March 4, 2012. That Game 4 win also was just Denver's SECOND win on the road (in 13 tries!) vs Western Conference playoff teams since Dec 1. This series is headed back to Denver for a Game 7.
Good luck...Larry |
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04-23-19 | Thunder +3.5 v. Blazers | Top | 115-118 | Win | 100 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
My 10* play is on the OKC Thunder at 10:35 ET. The Portland Trail Blazers are on the verge of reaching the Western Conference semifinals after taking a 3-1 series lead over the sixth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Portland is best-known as an offensive team but the team's defense has been equally important in building a 3-1 lead in this first-round playoff series with OKC. The Blazers have held the Thunder under 100 points in each of their three wins. That said, let's NOT ignore Portland's dynamic guard duo of Lillard (28.8) and McCollum (26.3), who have helped the team take a 3-1 lead. Lillard and McCollum combined for 51 points and 11 assists in Game 4, which was 34 points more than the Thunder's starting backcourt accounted for. Then there is center Enes Kanter, who has stepped in for the injured Nurkic to average 13.3 & 9.5, outplaying OKC's Steven Adams (Adams was held to six points on Sunday, his first single-digit effort of the series). Can (will?) Portland close it out there in Game 5? Paul George is averaging 26.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in the series but is shooting only 37 percent from the floor, including 30.8 from three-point range. Guard Russell Westbrook is averaging 21.3--8.3-9.8 but is shooting 36.3 percent from the floor, including 30.4 from the three-point line. OKC needs more form its complementary players as noted by backup point guard Dennis Schroder. "We've got to move the ball," he told reporters. "They're doing a great job playing (All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George), but I think the other guys who were on the floor got to be aggressive, got to get the ball, make a play for somebody else or finish." That makes sense but if OKC is to win, Westbrook and George will have to come up big. Game 1 came down to the wire but then Portland routed OKC in Game 2, Westbrook was 5 of 20 in Game 2 but rebounded with 33 points and 11 assists in Game 2, a 120-108 OKC win. Westbrook was 5-of-21 from the floor in Game 4, including 0-of-10 in the second half, as the Blazers again routed OKC (George struggled with an 8-of-21 effort). No series pick from me but I expect OKC's "Big 2" will carry the day, here (watch out for Adams, as well). Good luck...Larry |
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04-23-19 | Nets +8.5 v. 76ers | 100-122 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 57 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on the Brk Nets at 8:05 ET. The Brooklyn Nets (+7.5) upset the 76ers in Game 1 by a score of 111-102 in Philly, as the home team heard boos coming off the court. However, Philly has recovered to win THREE in a row, including a 112-108 victory at Brooklyn in Game 4. "We were right there," guard Spencer Dinwiddie told reporters after Saturday's loss put the Sixers up 3-1. "We feel like we should've won. We weren't saying this was a learning experience when we won Game 1. So we can't fall back on that now. We need to try to pull off something incredible." To do so, sixth-seeded Brooklyn will need to keep its emotions in check following a contest that saw multiple ejections after a scrum along the baseline. The Nets have relied on the backcourt duo of Caris LeVert and D'Angelo Russell, who combined for 46 points in Game 4. Russell (22.3) is leading the team in this series, followed by LeVert (21.8) and fellow guard Dinwiddie (17.5). Center Jarrett Allen is averaging 11.8 & 6.3 and is coming off his best game of the season, going for 21 & 8 on Saturday. However, after shooting a league-best 47.4% from three-point range this season, Joe Harris missed all six of his long-range attempts in the Game 4 loss and is 0-for-12 in the three straight defeats, after making 3-of-4 in the victory in Game 1. He averaged 13.7 PPG during the regular season but is averaging just 8.8 in the series, while shooting 18.8% on threes. Joel Embiid is averaging 25.3 points (on 51% shooting), 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and four assists while playing about 26 minutes per game. He led the way for Philadelphia with 31 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and six blocked shots in Game 4, after sitting out Game 3. He was limited to an average of 22.5 minutes through the first two games of the series and missed 14 of the final 24 regular-season games (not to mention Game 3 of this series). Is it possible Embiid could 'sit' tonight, or at least be limited? Let's not forget that the Nets were 8-18 through Dec 5 but went 34-22 from that point to finish 42-40 and grab the sixth seed. Brooklyn does NOT have to win here, to "get the cash" and note that Philly was just 13-17 ATS its final 30 regular season games. The bet is to take the points! Good luck...Larry |
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04-23-19 | Magic +12.5 v. Raptors | 96-115 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 52 m | Show | |
My 8* play is on the Orl Magic at 7:05 ET. The Raptors were shocked by the Magic in Game 1 of this series, as Orlando won 104-10 in Toronto. That shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, as the Raptors fell to 1-10 in the openers of first-round series in franchise history with the loss and to just 2-14 in Game 1 of any postseason series. However, what is different this year is, Toronto has Kawhi Leonard. Leonard scored 37 points in the Raptors' 111-82 Game 2 victory and while he was less than 100% in Game 3 (dealing with an illness), he still manged 16 points and 10 rebounds. Leonard led the assault in Toronto's 107-85 Game 4 win, scoring 34 points. As for Orlando, after making 14 of 29 three-pointers (48.3%) in their Game 1 win, the Magic have gone a woeful 29 of 111 (26.1%) from three-point range in three straight losses. Leonard is averaging 28.0 points in the series and said after Game 4 he is enjoying being back in the playoffs after missing the postseason last season while injured with the San Antonio Spurs. Power forward Pascal Siakam is averaging 22.3 points and nine rebounds in the series, following his excellent regular season. The Magic are averaging just 86.7 points during their three straight losses, scoring 85 or fewer points in two of the losses. That said, Orlando won Game 1 here and also won on the road as part of a 2-2 split in the regular season. Yes, Leonard's presence makes Toronto a different team in 2019 but the Raptors have NEVER previously won four straight in a playoff series. Expect the Magic to play 'loose' here and let's not forget, the Magic are getting about two 'TD' (excluding extra-points). Take those points! Good luck...Larry |
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04-22-19 | Rockets v. Jazz +2.5 | Top | 91-107 | Win | 100 | 16 h 34 m | Show |
My 10* NBA Game of the Week is on the Ut Jazz at 10:35 ET. James Harden incredibly missed his first 15 field-goal attempts and finished 3-of-20 from the floor but came through with a pair of thee-pointers in the fourth quarter and had no trouble getting to the free-throw line (14 of 16) while finishing with 22 points in Houston's 104-101 victory in Game 3. Harden scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and added 10 assists and six steals in the victory. PG Chris Paul scored 18 points, Clint Capela recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds and P.J. Tucker scored the last of his 12 points at the free-throw line to seal the win on Saturday. Utah saw guard Donovan Mitchell score a series-high 34 points in Game 3 but he missed a wide-open look at a three-pointer that would have tied the game with 8.7 seconds left. Overall, Mitchell was just 9 of 27 from the floor and he missed FIVE of his 17 free-throw attempts. Head coach Quin Snyder gave Jae Crowder the Game 3 start but he finished with just five points in 24 minutes. SF Joe Ingles is only 4-of-17 from three-point range in the series. One could look at this series this way. The Utah Jazz did about as well as any team can possibly do defensively against James Harden in Game 3, yet still couldn't come away with a victory. "We didn't capitalize as much as we needed to, especially during a stretch there in the third quarter where I thought we had a chance to build a little bit of a lead," Snyder told reporters after the game. "We got some looks that we had to take, and they didn't fall." The Jazz were understandably deflated after the game but struggling Donovan Mitchell promises he and his teammates will put forth an extreme effort in Game 4. "I don't think anybody is going to just lay over Monday," Mitchell said during a press conference. "I don't think that is going to be the case. I don't think that is what our organization is based on. ... It is an uphill battle, but we are not going to lay over and give them a game." Houston is in prime position to close out the first-round series with Utah but the Rockets haven't swept a playoff series since taking three straight from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 1997 postseason (that's more than 20 years ago!). The Jazz finished the regular season with an eight-game winning streak at home, with an average margin of victory of 14.8 PPG. Here in Game 4, the Jazz are small home dogs, unlike in Game 3 in which they were a small favorite. Expect Utah to send this series back to Houston. Good luck...Larry |
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04-21-19 | Raptors v. Magic +5.5 | Top | 107-85 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Orl Magic at 7:05 ET. The Toronto Raptors Lost Game 1 of this series, 104-101 at home. That could hardly been too much of a surprise, as the Raptors fell to 1-10 in the openers of first-round series in franchise history and just 2-14 in Game 1 of any postseason series. However, what is different this year is, Toronto has Kawhi Leonard. Leonard scored 37 points in the Raptors' 111-82 Game 2 victory. He was way less than 100% in Game 3 (dealing with an illness) but he still manged 16 points and 10 rebounds. Stepping into the void was third-year forward Pascal Siakam, who scored 30 points (a career playoff high) on 13-of-20 shooting while also collecting 11 rebounds in 42 minutes, as the Raptors eked out a 98-93 win to take a 2-1 series lead. Orlando won 13 of its final 14 regular-season home games but shot just 36.3 percent from the floor and committed 16 turnovers in Game 3. Swingman Terrence Ross scored a team-high 24 points off the bench, while center Nikola Vucevic scored 22 on 7-of-13 shooting. The Magic may have lost but Vucevic's return to scoring form in Game 3 was great news. He had averaged 20.8 points (51.8% shooting) and 12.0 rebounds during the season, but had averaged 8.5 points and 7.0 in the first two games of the series. His 22 points and 14 rebounds on Friday need to be replicated in Game 4. Staritng guards Augustin (Game 1 hero) and Fournier also need to play MUCH better, as in the two losses, the duo has combined to shoot 9 of 37 (24.3%). Orlando may be the No. 7 seed but the Magic went 22-9 (.710) in the regular season after Jan 31. Only the Houston Rockets (24-8, .750) and Milwaukee Bucks (24-9, .727) had a better winning percentage in the NBA during that span. As noted above, the Magic won 13 of their last 14 home games. The Magic hardly played well in Game 3 but still lost by just five points. Expect a MUCH better effort here and remember, the Raptors (in their SIXTH straight postseason), are a "money-burning" 7-18 (28.0%) ATS on the road in the playoffs. Home dog barks LOUDLY in this one! Good luck...Larry |
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04-21-19 | Celtics v. Pacers OVER 204 | 110-106 | Win | 100 | 6 h 8 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekend Wipeout Winner is on Bos/Ind Over at 1:05 ET. The Indiana Pacers (48-34) went 8-14 down the stretch and the Boston Celtics (49-33) were able to earn the East's No. 4 seed and the homecourt advantage in their first round series with the Pacers, despite going just 7-6 down the stretch. In what was supposed to be a six or seven game series, Boston has controlled both ends of the floor against Indiana and with a 3-0 series lead, can become the first NBA team to advance to the second round of the playoffs when the teams play Game 4 of their best-of-seven series Sunday in Indianapolis. Boston held the Pacers to just 74 points in a 10-point Game 1 win, then outscored Indiana 31-12 in the fourth quarter of Game 2, for an eight-point win. The Pacers had SEVEN players in double digits at home in Game 3 but still weren't able to crack 100 points, losing 104-96. Kyrie Irving finished Game 3 with 19 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and just two turnovers and is averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists in the series. Jaylen Brown, who is starting at shooting guard with Marcus Smart (oblique) sidelined, scored 23 points while making 8-of-9 shots on Friday, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. As for Indiana, the Pacers fell victim to another bad quarter in Game 3, losing the third by a 21-12 margin. "The silver lining is that we've been in every single game," PG Darren Collison told reporters. "All it takes is one win. Definitely ain't going to be no quit in us. I know it sounds foolish outside looking in, being down 3-0, but in this locker room there's definitely not going to be no quit." No team in NBA history has ever won a series after falling behind 3-0 and Indiana is basically reduced to playing for pride at this point. Defense was an issue down teh stretch for Indiana, which allowed 11 of its 13 opponents to score 102 or more points. In fact, Boston averaged 115.5 PPG in the two high-stakes meetings from Indiana in the final two weeks, 114-112 in Boston and later 117-97 at Indiana. Not sure whether the Pacers can earn their way into the win column but I believe we'll see the Pacers give a four-quarter offensive effort. Have three straight unders, this one is Goin' Over! Good luck...Larry |
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04-20-19 | Rockets v. Jazz -2.5 | Top | 104-101 | Loss | -104 | 16 h 53 m | Show |
My 10* LEGEND Play is on the Ut Jazz at 10:35 ET. Houston at the buzzer, 112-11. Then, both Denver and Portland won the next night, dropping the Rockets to the No. 4 seed. However, Houston has shown no signs of a let down, routing the Jazz 120-90 in Game 1 and 118-98 in Game 2. "The Rockets are playing at an unbelievably high level," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "They're going to make plays. The adjustment to that is to just keep competing. That's the mindset that we have to have." Utah is struggling to find a rhythm on offense and in particular, the Jazz have made just 15-of-65 (23.1%) from three-point range in the first two games. James Harden is averaging 30.5-8.5-10.5 in the first two games plus backcourt mates Gordon (16.5) and Paul (15.5) are supporting him nicely. Center Clint Capela is averaging a double-double (11.5 & 11.0) and he's been supported by fellow frontcourt players Tucker (13.5), House (9.5) and Faried (9.0 & 6.0). On the Utah side, center Gobert (16.5 & 12.) and PG Rubio (16.0) have out-performed the Jazz' best player, Donovan Mitchell (23.8-4.1-4.2 in the regular season). Mitchell has averaged just 15.0 PPG, while shooting percent, including 4 of 15 on threes. Jae Crowder was a valuable role player in the regular season (11.9 & 4.8) but he's scored just 14 points in two games, shooting 16.7% from the floor, including 2 of 13 on threes. After watching the first two games, Houston looks unbeatable. However, is it EVER that simple? Utah's Snyder put it simply. "Our group has always been a group that's responded, and that's what we have to do. We played poorly, and we have to be better. That will be the focus." I'll add that the Jazz finished the regular season with an eight-game winning streak at home, with an average margin of victory of 14.8 PPG. Good luck...Larry |
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04-19-19 | Blazers v. Thunder -7.5 | 108-120 | Win | 100 | 14 h 5 m | Show | |
My 9* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the OKC Thunder at 9:35 ET. The Portland Trail Blazers were able to edge the OKC Thunder 103-99 in Game 1 and then had little trouble going up 2-0 in their first-round series by routing OKC 114-94 in Game 2. It will come as no surprise that the Blazers have been led by their dynamic guard duo of Lillard (29.5-4.0-5.0) and McCollum (28.5-7.0-4.0). On the OKC side, Paul George has led the Thunder by averaging 26.5 & 9.0, while PG Westbrook has added 19.0-9.5-10.5. That said, Westbrook made just 5 of 20 shots in Game 2 has been soundly outplayed by Lillard. "I know how quickly things can change," Lillard told reporters. "I know that a series doesn't start until you win a game on the road. I also know how capable their team is. So, we've just got to maintain our focus, stay sharp in the things we've been sharp in and understand how well we played in the first game and the second game is not going to be good enough in the third game, especially on their home floor. We've got to keep our heads down and keep working." Lillard and McCollum have led the way but Enes Kanter (13.0 & 11.5) has been HUGE for Portland, as he's played OKC center Steven Adams to a standstill. Here's what OKC must change in Game 3. The Thunder have made only 10 of 61 shots (16.4%) from three-point range. Paul George is 6 for 22 on his three-point attempts and Russell Westbrook is 1 for 10 in the series. Jerami Grant and Dennis Schroder are both 0 for 8 and Terrance Ferguson 2 for 7.It's hard to make up numbers that bad! What's more, OKC has committed 16 turnovers in each of the first two games, with Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has pointed toward the miscues as one reason for the team's stagnant offense. OKC returned from the All Star break to go 7-13 and seemed headed for the West's No. 8 seed and a first round meeting with the Warriors. However, the Thunder won their final FIVE regular season games (4-1 ATS) to earn the No. 6 seed. OKC got what it wanted (avoiding Golden St). Tonight, the Thunder need to "step up" and avoid falling down 0-3 vs the Blazers. My bet says Westbrook responds and the Thunder do just that! Good luck...Larry |
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04-19-19 | Celtics v. Pacers -3 | Top | 104-96 | Loss | -103 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Ind Pacers 8:35 ET. Kyrie Irving is making the most of his first playoff series with the Boston Celtics. He scored 20 points and helped lead a dominant defensive effort in a series-opening 84-74 win and then finished with 37 points, six rebounds and seven assists in Wednesday's come-from-behind 99-91 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference best-of-seven matchup. Boston trailed by 12 points with 11 minutes remaining in Game 2, before putting together a 16-0 run during a fourth quarter in which the Celtics would outscore the Pacers 31-12 for a 99-91 win. In Game 1, the Pacers led 45-38 at the half but then got outscored 26-8 in the quarter. "It's always been one quarter that kills us in the second half," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young told reporters of his team, after Indiana fell behind 2-0 in the series. "We're getting good looks and shots are not falling. ... We gotta put together a 48-minute game and we haven't been able to that."That pretty much sums it up. Jayson Tatum scored 26 points in Wednesday's win and was the catalyst in a game-ending 10-0 surge by producing six points and one assist. Tatum is averaging 20.5 points on 54.8 percent shooting in the series but Boston could use more balanced scoring. Kyrie is averaging 28.5-5.5-7.0 but Boston needs more from the rest of its players. Indiana knows all to well about players underachieving in the series, so far. Big men Sabonis and Turner, who averaged 14.1 & 9.3 and 13.3 & 7.2 during the regular season, respectively, have been playoff "no-shows." Sabonis is averaging a woeful 4.0 PPG (7.0 RPG), while Turner has hardly been much better (6.5 & 6.5). Shooting guard Wesley Matthews (10.9 PPG in the regular season) was held to six points in Game, his second straight single-digit effort. Boston has won five straight meetings overall with Indiana, the last four of which have come in a 20-day span. The Pacers have shot 39 percent in the series, including 31 percent on three-pointers and have totaled just 165 points in the first two games. Considering that Indiana has lost its last 10 games when the team has failed to reach triple digits (note: The Celtics have won five in a row when holding opponents under 100), the Pacers have to find a way to "score the ball." Consider this. Remember that the Celtics went up on Milwaukee with two series-opening wins at home in the first round last year, only to lose two straight on the road to let the Bucks right back in that series. Boston did go on to win that in seven games but the Celtics finished a pathetic 1-7 on the road in the 2018 postseason. Pacers get back in it here. Good luck...Larry |
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04-18-19 | Nuggets v. Spurs -3.5 | Top | 108-118 | Win | 100 | 13 h 15 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the SA Spurs at 9:05 ET. Denver was an NBA-best 34-7 at home, after going 26-4 in their final 30 regular season games at Pepsi Center but the SA Spurs, who had gone 0-6 SU (0-6 or 0-5-1 ATS) against Western Conference playoff teams on the road since the calendar turned to 2019, would win Game 1 last Saturday by the score of 101-96. In Tuesday's Game 2, the Nuggets found themselves down 19 points (78-59) late in the third quarter, headed for an 0-2 hole in the series. However, PG Jamal Murray, who made critical mistakes down the stretch in Game 1 and was dreadful for the first three quarters of Game 2, erupted to score 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of the comeback victory. Murray missed all eight of his field-goal attempts over the first three quarters but coach Michael Malone stuck with him and he was a blistering 8-of-9 shooting as Denver outscored the Spurs 39-23 over the final 12 minutes (55-27, after that 78-59 deficit). "We don't quit," reserve guard Malik Beasley told reporters. "Playoff experience matters, but as long as you play hard and play together, that's what matters on the court." Guard Gary Harris scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Game 2 and is averaging 21.5 points in the series. Center Jokic, who led Denver is scoring (20.0), rebounding (10.8) and assists (7.2) on the season, added 21-13-8. Veteran PF Millsap had 20 points, one of four 20-point scorers for Denver in Game 2. I've noted often that Denver is arguably the NBA's deepest team. Denver has FIVE players averaging in double digits plus four more are averaging between 5.8 and 8.7 PPG (does not include "IT" who has played just 12 games this season, after playing in two of the team's six April games and hasn't played in the series). As for the Spurs, it was a big missed opportunity. "We got Game 1. We fought, tried to get Game 2, but we got homecourt shifting our way," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "Now, it's on us to go home and do what we need to do, understand if we take care of home, like we've been doing all year, we can come back here with an opportunity. We feel great where we're at. We understood it wasn't going to be a cake walk." Aldridge (21.3 & 9.2) and DeRozan (21.2-6.0-6.2) were the Spurs' "one-two punch" during the regular season and although the Spurs can't quite meet the overall depth and strength of Denver's bench, the Spurs still own quite a impressive group of role players. In Game 1, White had 16 points (he's averaging 16.5 in the series), Forbes (15 points) and Gay (14 points). Then in Game 2, DeRozan poured in 31 points,Aldridge added 24 and PG D White 17 but no other player scored in double digits. Let's not forget that the Spurs led Tuesday's game from the middle of the first quarter to the middle of the fourth (often by double digits). The Spurs now return home and have to be more than just a little angry that they are not up 2-0. What better head coach could a team ask for in this situation than Pop. The Nuggets have to feel as if they are playing with 'house money' after stealing Game 2 bu the task ahead is a formidable one. Denver has lost 13 straight games in San Antonio, a streak that dates back to March 4, 2012. Even of more importance is the following. The Nuggets finished the regular season going a pathetic 1-10 SU on the road vs Western Conference playoff teams since Dec 1. Lay the more than reasonable points with the Spurs. Good luck...Larry |
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04-17-19 | Pacers v. Celtics OVER 203 | Top | 91-99 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
My NBA 10* 1st Round Total of the Year is on Ind/Bos Over at 7:05 ET. The Boston Celtics finished the regular season going 5-5 SU but just 1-9 ATS over their final 10 regular season games. However, the Celtics were able to edge the Pacers for the 4th-seed in the East. The Pacers sure made it easier for Boston, as after winning their first road game after the All Star break., Indiana lost 10 straight road games (2-8 ATS), before winning at Detroit amd Atlanta to end the season. The two teams met Sunday at TD Garden in Game 1 of their first-round series, with the Pacers taking a 45-38 halftime lead. However, the Celtics outmuscled in the Pacers in the second half on their way to an 84-74 win (Boston outscored Indiana 26-8 in the third quarter). Indiana shot just 33.3 percent from the floor (including 6-of-27 on threes) in Game 1 plus also went only 12-of-21 from the FT line. Just ONE starter scored in double digits, as the team's five starters combined for only 38 on 15-of-44 (34.1%) shooting from the floor. Also, the Indiana bench contributed to the team's poor offensive effort, with the usually reliable Domantas Sabonis (3-for-9), Tyreke Evans (3-for-11) and Doug McDermott (1-for-7) combining to shoot just 7-for-27 (25.9%). The Celtics had five players score in double digits, yet scored only 84 points, while shooting 36.4 percent, overall. Despite their lowest scoring game of the season, the Celtics prevailed 84-74 in Game 1 by dominating the second half and limiting the Pacers to 29 points. The Pacers were just 2-of-19 from the floor in the third quarter and made only eight FGs in the entire second half, going 8-for-38 (21.1 percent). The 74-point total was 15 points lower than any previous game this season for the Pacers. The Celtics shot just 32 percent in the first half, before improving to 41 percent in the second half, in what was their lowest scoring game of the season. So what to expect in Game 2? Is it possible that either team will shoot so poorly again? The Pacers shot 47.5% from the floor during the season (4th-best), including 37.4% on threes (5th-best). No way they shoot 33.3%, including 22.2% in Game 2. As for Boston, the Celtics shot 46.5% on the season, 10 percent better than in Game 1. These teams played in Boston down the stretch (March 29), with the Celtics winning 114-112. This game may not reach that level of scoring but I expect both teams to be in 100s and the current total is about a 'TD' lower than what it closed in Game 1 (210.5). This one is Goin' Over! Good luck...Larry |
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04-16-19 | Spurs v. Nuggets -6.5 | Top | 105-114 | Win | 100 | 14 h 30 m | Show |
My NBA 10* Game of the Week is on the Den Nuggets at 9:05 ET. Denver surprised this season by ending a five-season playoff drought. In fact, the Nuggets battled the Golden State Warriors until the final week for the West's top-seed, before finishing 54-28 to earn the No. 2 seed. As for the Spurs, they were inside the playoff 'cut line' almost the entire season (although not by much) and finished 48-34 (No. 7 seed) to make the team's 22nd straight postseason. The veteran Spurs led for most of Game 1 but the Nuggets were down just five with 2:24 left and had a chance to take the lead but Jamal Murray misfired on an 18-footer with 9.4 seconds left. The Nuggets also had an opportunity to force overtime but Spurs rookie PG Derrick White stole the ball from Murray with 2.1 seconds remaining and hit two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to seal the 101-96 victory. All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (9.2) during the season and his 'partner in crime' was shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (21.2-6.0-6.2). DeRozan had 18 points and 12 rebounds but made just 6 of 17 shots. He was one of five San Antonio players to score in double digits. Aldridge contributed 15 & 8 but was just 6-of-19 from the floor. Derrick White (16 points), Bryn Forbes (15 points) and Rudy Gay (14 points) picked up the slack and shot a combined 19 of 28 (67.9%). The Spurs held Denver to 42 percent shooting and Denver didn't score a point in transition. San Antonio held Denver center Nikola Jokic (20.0-10.8-7.2) to 10 points by double-teaming the All-Star center when he was in the low post. However, he added 14 rebounds and 14 assists in Game 1 to become the fourth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first career playoff game. Jamal Murray (18.2-4.2-4.8) had 17 points but was just 8-of-24 from the floor (33.3%), including missing that dreadful wide-open shot late, that might have been the difference between winning and losing. Denver was an NBA-best 34-7 at home during the regular season, going 26-4 in their final 30 regular season games at Pepsi Center. Meanwhile, the Spurs had gone 0-6 SU (0-6 or 0-5-1 ATS) against Western Conference playoff teams on the road since the calendar turned to 2019, before winning Game 1. It's hard to see White, Forbes and Gay combing for 45 points on 67.9% shooting, again. Also, will the Spurs go 7-of-15 from three-point range like in Game 1, with Denver going 6-of-28 (21.4%)? Denver is arguably the NBA's deepest team and with better shooting performances from Jokic and Murray, should win rather easily. Good luck...Larry |
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04-16-19 | Magic v. Raptors -9.5 | 82-111 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insider is on the Tor Raptors at 8:05 ET. The Toronto Raptors have been well-known for their postseason failures but still, the Orlando Magic's 104-101 win in this Eastern Conference first-round matchup was a considered a stunning upset. Then again, we shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the Raptors are now 1-10 in the openers of first-round series in franchise history and just 2-14 in Game 1 of any postseason series. As for Orlando, the Magic may be the East's No. 7 seed, but they went 22-9 (.710) in the regular season after Jan 31. Only the Houston Rockets (24-8, .750) and Milwaukee Bucks (24-9, .727) had a better winning percentage in the NBA during that span. Orlando's vet PG Augustin was 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, while pouring in 25 points in Game 1. His three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left was the game-winner, after he had tied the game with a layup. "These last few months, especially since after All-Star break, I think we have one of the best records in the NBA," said Augustin after Game 1. "It's just a mindset that we came in with. Our goal was to make the playoffs, and just not make it, we want to make noise and win a series or two. We feel like we can, we believe in ourselves, coach believes in us and I feel like that's all we need to get some good wins and build momentum." Orlando won with tits two best players, Vucevic (20.8 & 12.0) and Gordon (16.0 & 7.4) combing to make just 6 of 24 shots (.25.0%). The Magic's perimeter shooting made took up teh slacke, as the etam made 14 of 29 three-pointers (48.3%). The Raptors were confused on Augustin's decisive play, as neither small forward Kawhi Leonard nor center Marc Gasol made a move to contest his shot and the end result was a surprising setback. "It was a mistake made on that play," Gasol told reporters of the missed assignment. "We mis-communicated and he made a good shot." Kawhi Leonard (26.6 & 7.3) scored 25 points in his first playoff outing with the Raptors, while forward Pascal Siakam (16.9 & 6.9) also stood out with 24 points and nine rebounds. However, Raptors PG Kyle Lowry (14.2-4.8-8.7) missed all SEVEN of his shots (0-for-6 from three-point range), while going scoreless in the opener. OK, so the Raptors are in a familiar spot, as the fell to 2-14 in Game 1 of any postseason series in franchise history. However, Toronto has never had a player like Leonard, who won an NBA title with the Spurs in 2014, when he was named Finals MVP. The Raptors were 32-9 SU at home during the season and NO WAY the Magic hit 48% from three-point range again. Magic 'return to earth' in this one plus expect a huge bounce-back from Lowry. Lay it. Good luck...Larry |
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04-15-19 | Nets v. 76ers -7.5 | Top | 123-145 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
My 10* Situational Stunner is on the Phi 76ers at 8:00 ET. The Brooklyn Nets finished 42-40 to earn the East's No. 6 seed. It's the team's first playoff appearance since 2015, with the team entering this season off years of 21, 20 and 28 wins. Brooklyn guards D'Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie combined for 67 points on Saturday, leading the Nets to a 111-102 victory in Philadelphia over the 76ers to seize homecourt advantage away from the No. 3 seed. The 76ers saw Jimmy Butler score 36 points and Joel Embiid add 22 and 15 rebounds in his return from a knee issue, but they were a woeful 3-of-25 (12.0%) from three-point range. LeVert paced a 59-point attack for the Brooklyn's bench combined for 59 points in Game 1, getting 23 very productive minutes (23 points) from LeVert, roughly two months into his return from a dislocated foot. D'Angelo Russell started slowly by missing 12 of his first 15 shots but led the Nets with 26 points. The key to Game 1 for Brooklyn was its reserves outscoring Philly's by a 59-26 margin by adding 23 points. Four Brooklyn reserves played at least 20 minutes. Butler was terrific but while and Embiid had 22 & 15, it was 'quiet' 22 as he missed 10 of 15 shots. He also seemed to shay away from the physical play of Brooklyn's big men. Philadelphia saw its other three starters, Tobias Harris (18.2 & 7.9), JJ Redick (18.1) and Ben Simmons (16.9-8.8-7.7) combined for only 18 points on 8 of 23 shooting (34.8%). Philly heard plenty of boos in Game 1 (the 76ers trailed by as many as 16 points) and need to start strong in Game 2. The Nets are back in the postseason for the first time since 2015 and a win would mark the first time the team has held a 2-0 lead in a series since sweeping the New York Knicks in the opening round of the 2004 postseason. Philly was 31-10 at home during the regular season by averaging 117.9 PPG. I just don't see Brooklyn's reserves can possibly match their Game 1 performance plus expect Philly's starters to rebound. Philly shot 35.9% (8th) from three-point range on the season, so NO WAY we'll see another 3-of-25 effort. Also, Philly missed 13 FTs in Game 1. 76ers bounce back in a big way in this one. Good luck...Larry |
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04-14-19 | Jazz v. Rockets -6 | 90-122 | Win | 100 | 15 h 22 m | Show | |
My 8* Las Vegas Insideris on the Hou Rockets at 9:30 ET. The Houston Rockets won an NBA-best 67 games last season and led the Warriors 3-2 in the Western Conference finals, before Chris Paul missed Games 6 and 7, which Golden St won. While last year's MVP James Harden had another MVP-like season this year (36.1-6.6-7.5), the Rockets finished a much more modest 53-29, leaving them with the No. 4 seed in the West. In fact, the Rockets had the No. 3 seed in its sights in their final game of the regular season, before OKC came back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to nip Houston at the buzzer, 112-11.The Jazz followed last year's 48-34 record by going 50-32 this season, entering the playoffs as the West's No. 5 seed for the second straight year (Utah ousted No. 4 seed OKC last year in six games). The Rockets then handled the Jazz fairly easily in the second round of last season's playoffs, taking the series 4-1 with Houston's wins coming by 14, 21, 13 and 10 points. The teams split four regular-season meetings this season, with each team recording one road victory. The Jazz have an excellent starting-five in leading scorer Mitchell (23.8-4.1-4.,2), PG Rubio (12.7 & 6.1 APG), swingman Ingles (12.1-4.0-5.7), PF Favors (11.8 & 7.4) and center Gobert (15.9 & 12.9). However, Favors missed five of the team's last six games and Rubio (quadriceps) missed the final three games of the regular season (he is expected to give it a go in Game 1). Mitchell sat out the team's final regular season with a back issue and while it's hard to imagine he's not playing, he is being listed as questionable. Also, Korver (9.1 PPG off the bench) has missed the last six games with a knee injury. As noted, Harden could win a second straight MVP and is joined by Gordon (16.2) and Paul (15.6-4.6-8.2) to give Houston quite the guard trio. Both House (9.4) and Green (9.2) are also dangerous perimeter players (swingmen), who have been known to "light it up." Then there is center Clint Capela, who averaged career highs in points (16.6) and rebounds (12.7). He missed 15 games with a thumb injury (team went 5-1) but after he returned and after Houston lost his first game back (right after the All Star break), the Rockets won 20 of their final 24 games. Another major addition was PF/C Faried, who in 25 games down the stretch with Houston, averaged 12.9 & 8.2. The Jazz have too many health-related question marks entering this series to take them in Game 1. Houston's only losses in their last 24 games came by two points at home to Golden St, by one-point in OT at Memphis, by six points at Milwaukee (owners of the NBA's best record) and then that one-point disaster in Game 82 at OKC. The Rockets want that rematch with Golden St and will get it a round earlier than they had hoped but first they need to take care of business vs the Jazz. I always take the playoffs (and each series) one game at a time and off of last year's results, I really like the Rockets here in Game 1. Good luck...Larry |
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04-14-19 | Thunder v. Blazers -3 | Top | 99-104 | Win | 100 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
My 10* PERFECT STORM is on the Por Blazers at 3:30 ET. The Blazers opened March 1-3 but won 14 of their last 17 games to clinch the No. 3 in the West at 53-29 (edged the Rockets in a tie-breaker). The Thunder seemed headed for the West's No. 8 seed (and a first-round series with the Warriors) but OKC ended the season on a five-game winning streak to finish 49-33, one game better than the Spurs (No. 7) and Clippers (No. 8). The series will feature star PGs Damian Lillard (25.8-4.6-8.9) and Russell Westbrook (22.9-11.1-10.7). Lillard averaged 34.8 points and 7.8 assists while Westbrook averaged 29.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the teams' four regular season games. However, OKC took all FOUR of the regular season meetings. Paul George (28.0-8.2-4.1), not Westbrook, led the team in scoring this season. However, he is struggling with right shoulder soreness. He insists that he will play in the opener. George was superb against Portland in the regular season with averages of 38 points and 10.5 rebounds and said the postseason is no time to sit with an injury. "It's playoff time, so it's more than this, it's about being out there with my guys," George told reporters. "As much as I can get it a hundred (percent) as possible, or close to it, you can expect me out there Sunday." Portland has a key player with an injury question as well. Lillard's backcourt partner CJ McCollum (21.0) missed 10 games late in the season with a knee injury and didn't fare well upon his return, averaging 10.0 PPG in two games before being rested in the season finale. He made just 8-of-26 shots (30.1%), including 2-of-11 form three-point range. "I feel good, I feel like I'm ready to play, looking forward to the playoffs," McCollum told reporters. "I'm glad I was able to get back and get a couple of games in, get a few game minutes in before the playoffs start. ... My wind is fine, no minutes restrictions." The season-ending ending injury to Portland center Nurkic (15.6 & 10.4) was expected to be a 'killer,' but Enes Kanter has been a 'savior,' averaging 13.1 & 8.6 in his 23 games for the Blazers (team went 18-5 in those game). Portland will rely on Kanter to combat OKC center Steven Adams (13.8 & 9.5), his former Thunder teammate. A closer look at OKC's closing five-game winning streak revels wins over the Lakers, Pistons and T-wolves (no big deal there), the team's miracle comeback from 14 down vs Houston and a season-ending win at Milwaukee, when the Bucks rested all their starters. Just prior to that stretch, OKC had gone 7-13 SU and a money-burning 5-15 ATS in its previous 20 games. As noted above, Portland closed its season on a 14-3 SU run, including eight straight home wins. Average winning margin in Portland's last 14 victories was 11.0 PPG. Forget the regular season, Portland was 32-9 SU at home, averaging 118.2 PPG with an average winning margin of just shy of nine points per. The Blazers win this one with "room to spare!" Good luck...Larry |