The Bum's National Basketball League Apri's Picks/Trends/News Thru the Playoffs !!

[StarDust Bum]

Jones suspended, Casey fined by NBA
May 22, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) Cleveland's Dahntay Jones has been suspended for one game by the NBA for striking Toronto's Bismack Biyombo in the groin.

The league also fined Raptors coach Dwane Casey $25,000 on Sunday for his criticisms of the officiating.

Biyombo remained on his knees on the court after time expired in Game 3 on Saturday night after Jones hit him with 17.6 seconds remaining. The little-used reserve will miss Game 4 of the series Monday night.

Casey's comments, including his belief that Biyombo isn't getting enough calls, came in his postgame press conference following the Raptors' 99-84 victory. Cleveland leads the series 2-1.

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors' Green could face discipline after flagrant foul
May 23, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Thunder aren't sure whether Draymond Green intentionally targeted Steven Adams' groin area on Sunday night.

They just know they don't appreciate it.

Green said he was just gathering himself after a foul by Adams when he kicked Oklahoma City's center in the groin, and he feels the Flagrant 1 foul he was called for in Game 3 should be rescinded.

Perhaps the play wouldn't have drawn so much attention if Green hadn't kneed Adams in the same area in Game 2.

''It happened before, mate,'' Adams, a 7-foot center from New Zealand, said. ''He is pretty accurate, that guy.''

Adams and the Thunder beat Golden State 133-105 to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals, and the now-reeling Warriors could enter Game 4 Tuesday in Oklahoma City without their All-Star forward if the NBA deems the play worthy of a suspension after a review Monday.

Green said doing something like that intentionally is not his style.

''I followed through on a shot,'' he said. ''I'm not trying to kick somebody in the midsection. Somebody wants to have kids someday. I'm not trying to end that on the basketball court.''

The play was part of an ongoing battle between Green, an undersized but rugged 6-foot-7 power forward, and Adams, who has asserted himself with physical play and is one of the main reasons the Thunder lead the series.

''Honestly, I think it's intentional,'' Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook said. ''That's two times in the last two games. I don't think you can keep (hitting) somebody in their private areas.''

Warriors coach Steve Kerr disagreed.

''Stuff like that happens all the time,'' Kerr said. ''There's contact, people's arms, legs flailing. If they think it's on purpose, play the game, you know. This stuff happens all the time. Westbrook kicks out his feet on every 3 and there is contact. I mean, that's just part of the game. So I don't understand how that can be deemed a Flagrant 1. I think it should be rescinded.''

Green was called for the flagrant with 5:57 left in the second quarter, and the Oklahoma City crowd chanted, ''Kick him out! Kick him out!''

Adams wasn't aware of the crowd's response.

''Straight to the drawers, you don't think about any of that stuff,'' he said. ''It was rough.''

Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he was proud of Adams for not retaliating.

''He takes a physical pounding and he's a tough kid,'' Donovan said. ''He's got a great pain threshold, and, again, he doesn't retaliate. He just tries to keep playing.''

The Thunder handled the situation well, outscoring the Warriors 24-7 the rest of the first half to take a 72-47 lead.

''It takes a little pain off my mind since then, I guess it kick-started us,'' Adams said. ''I guess you could say that.''

[StarDust Bum]

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 24 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+18.7 units)

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 19 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+15.1 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play UNDER TORONTO on the totalin All games off an upset win as an underdog
The record is 4 Overs and 20 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.6 units)

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 15 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+11.7 units)

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games in the conference finals
The record is 16 Overs and 2 Unders for the since 1992 (+13.8 units)

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND@ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Play UNDER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 12 Overs and 31 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.8 units)

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NBA TOP POWERLINE

NBA > (713) CLEVELAND @ (714) TORONTO | 2016-05-23 20:35:00 - 2016-05-23 20:35:00
Line: TORONTO6 BTB PowerLine: TORONTO3
Edge On: TORONTO (3)

[StarDust Bum]

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Raptors at Cavaliers
Tue, May 17 Final 84 to 115
Recaps

GAME 2
Raptors at Cavaliers
Thu, May 19 Final 89 to 108
Recaps

GAME 3
Cavaliers at Raptors
Sat, May 21 Final 84 to 99
Recaps

GAME 4
Cavaliers at Raptors
Mon, May 23 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 5
Raptors at Cavaliers
Wed, May 25 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 6
Cavaliers at Raptors
Fri, May 27 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 7
Raptors at Cavaliers
Sun, May 29 - 8:30PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

5/22 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 1 - 1
OVERALL : 67 - 71

MONDAY, MAY 23

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLE at TOR 08:30 PM

CLE -6.5

U 197.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Giants win 1-0 for second consecutive day, first time they've won consecutive games 1-0 since August, 1980.

-- Padres lost in 17 innings Sunday, then on a messed-up pop-up Monday, wasting lot of good pitching by starters Rea, Pomeranz.

-- Sharks 6, Blues 3-- San Jose is one game away from Stanley Cup finals.

-- Royals lost Alex Gordon for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

-- Draymond Green will play tonight; he got fined but the league backed off on his suspension- the league prefers good TV ratings to actual justice.

-- Atlanta Braves have five of the first 80 picks in the June 9 amateur draft.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but........

13) Major league baseball teams aren't allowed to play more than 20 days in a row, so players on Colorado/Pittsburgh had to vote to play Monday, after Sunday's game was rained out in the second inning.

Pirates will now take the field 34 days in a row, Colorado 27, but playing yesterday was better than the Rockies flying in for one day later this season.

12) With Lucas Duda out for an extended time bith back issues, would the Mets trade for a 3B, move David Wright to first? He has been struggling with throws, anyway, this could be the time to put him at first base.

11) Interesting matchup in Chicago tonight: Indians are 7-0 when Josh Tomlin starts on the mound, White Sox are 9-0 when Chris Sale pitches.

10) White Sox announcer Steve Stone was talking about former Braves' slugger Rico Carty (.299 career BA, 204 HRs). Apparently Carty wasn't a trusting soul-- he kept his wallet in hsi uniform pants while he was playing. Seriously.

9) On the Pirate game yesterday afternoon, Colorado announcers were saying that when he played for the Bronx Bombers, New York coaches tried to get Dominic Cervelli to quit and become a minor league coach, like Crash Davis in Bull Durham.

Cervelli just signed a three-year, $31M extension; hope he sends a copy of his checks to New York, so they can see how wrong they were.

8) I've spent a lot of time keeping score at baseball games, was even an official scorer in the minor leagues for two years, but if I started keeping score again, I'd have to change the way I kept score, because of shifting defenses.

A good scorecard is something you can look at six months later and tell what went on in that game, even if you never saw the game. Jotting down "5-3" is no longer enough, because the 3B ("5") might have shifted to the right side of the infield. Now you need to take notes and be more descriptive, in order to be more accurate.

7) Raptors 105, Cavaliers 99- Why do teams play so much better at home?

6) Trevon Blueitt is going back to Xavier; the Musketeers have their top four guys on the perimeter back and are a top 25 team.

5) Drivers in this year's Indianapolis 500 represent 11 different countries.

4) In his last 1,001 innings pitched, Clayton Kershaw's ERA is 1.995.

3) Players who have come to bat with most men on base this season:
Rizzo 150, Polanco 147, Pujols 143, Abreu 137.

2) Players with 100+ PA who have driven in the highest %age of baserunners:
Bruce 26.7%, Betts 24.2%, Markakis 24.2%, Bradley Jr 23.4%

1) Players with 100+ PA who have driven in the lowest %age of baserunners
Gennett 1-64, MTaylor 2-68, Norris 3-85.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, May 24

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Tuesday's NBA Conference Finals betting preview and odds: Warriors at Thunder
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Oklahoma City raced past the Warriors in Game 3, turning every rebound and every errant pass into an opportunity to get out in transition.

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder (+1, 221.5)

Thunder lead series 2-1

The road to back-to-back championships for the Golden State Warriors ran straight into a wall in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated in a 133-105 triumph. The Warriors will try to pick themselves back up and avoid a 3-1 hole when they visit the Thunder for Game 4 on Tuesday.

Golden State was the more aggressive team in Game 2 and came away with a 118-91 victory, seemingly correcting all the mistakes that plagued the team in the second half of a Game 1 loss. Those mistakes came back in a big way in Game 3 as Oklahoma City raced past the Warriors, turning every rebound and every errant pass into an opportunity to get out in transition. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 63 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists in the emphatic win and most importantly sliced their turnover count from 11 in Game 2 to five in Game 3. “My teammates did a great job of driving the basketball and taking the pressure off of me,” Durant told reporters. “Not letting me handle the ball as much and just taking the pressure off me, and I was trying to make the correct passes and the simple passes.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as one-point road favorites after getting destroyed as road faves in Game 3. The line moved briefly to 1.5 Monday morning but has since returned back to the opening number. The total opened at 222 and, at the time of publication for this preview, has come down a half point to 221.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (82-13, 53-40-2 ATS, 51-43-1 O/U): Twice during their run to the 2015 title the Warriors fell behind 2-1 in a series before ultimately winning, but never were they as thoroughly crushed as they were on Sunday. “We got our butts kicked,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “It doesn’t matter if (the loss was by) one point or 30. You’ve got to look at the tape and you’ve got to figure out how you can be better and then you come back with a better effort. But they were the more desperate team (Sunday), they were beating us to loose balls, to rebounds, and our quick shots just fed their transition.” Warriors All-Star Draymond Green was held to six points on 1-of-9 shooting in the loss and was whistled for a flagrant foul for kicking Oklahoma center Steven Adams in the groin in the second quarter.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (65-31, 46-49-1 ATS, 46-50 O/U): The game was knotted at 40 with under nine minutes left in the first half when Oklahoma City put its foot on the gas, outscoring the Warriors 32-7 over the rest of the half while holding the best shooting team in the NBA to 2-of-23 from the field over that span. The Thunder followed that up with a 45-point third quarter to stun the defending champs and were matter-of-fact about their dominating effort after the game. “We were able to catch the ball, drive, get to the paint and kick-out,” Durant told reporters. “We were letting the ball move and our bodies move and that helped us out.”

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 home games.
* Home team is 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Oklahoma City.

CONSENSUS: As usual, the Warriors are picking up the majority of the betting action - even as after getting beaten so badly in Game 3. 61 percent of the Consensus picks are on the Dubs. Currently, 69 percent of the wagers are on the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 24


Golden State @ Oklahoma City

Game 715-716
May 24, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
134.726
Oklahoma City
128.207
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 6 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 1 1/2
222
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-1 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 24

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GOLDEN STATE (82 - 13) at OKLAHOMA CITY (65 - 31) - 5/24/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-40 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-33 ATS (+4.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 49-39 ATS (+6.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 59-42 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 67-47 ATS (+15.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 26-35 ATS (-12.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 28-39 ATS (-14.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-6 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-5 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 24

Oklahoma City-Golden State (OC 2-1)
Thunder was up 25 at half in Game 3, cruised to an easy win. Warriors starters other than Curry/Thompson shot 5-21 from floor. Golden State won seven of last ten games with Oklahoma City; two of three games in this series stayed under. Warriors are 2-3 in their last five visits here; four of those five games went over total. Thunder won four of last five home games. Golden State is 2-3 in its last five road games. Time to step up for Warriors here, or else they'll be down 3-games-to-1.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 13-8, over: 12-9
Conference final: Favorites: 3-4, over: 3-3-1




NBA

Tuesday, May 24

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Oklahoma City is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

Game 4 - Warriors at Thunder
May 24, 2016


For the first time in these playoffs, the reigning NBA champion trails in a series. Oklahoma City (65-31 straight up, 46-49-1 against the spread) dominated Golden State in Sunday’s Game 3 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, coasting to a 133-105 win as a two-point home underdog. The 238 combined points soared ‘over’ the 219.5-point total.

Golden State (82-13 SU, 53-40-2 ATS) trailed by six after the first quarter, then went into intermission down 25 points after the Thunder went on a 38-19 roll in the second quarter. The lead would reach 37 going into the final stanza.

Billy Donovan’s club scored only 16 points in the fourth, but it still produced the highest output of any team in this postseason. The 133 was a franchise-record in the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook led the way with 30 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Kevin Durant had a game-high 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Durant made all 12 of his free throws, pulled down eight boards and blocked three shots.

Serge Ibaka added 14 points, eight rebounds and two rejections, while Andre Roberson contributed 13 points and six boards. In only 18 minutes of playing time from off the bench, Enes Kanter tallied 10 points and 12 rebounds. Dion Waiter had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists.

In the losing effort, Steph Curry had 24 points, five rebounds and three assists, but he struggled at a 3-of-11 clip from downtown. Klay Thompson finished with 18 points but was limited to one rebound and one assist compared to three turnovers. No other Warrior scored in double figures. They made only 41.3 percent of their overall shots, hitting only 10-of-33 from deep.

OKC dominated the boards by a 52-38 margin. The Thunder made 50 percent of its overall shots, going 8-of-25 from 3-point range. They did a lot of work at the charity stripe, draining 33-of-37 attempts (89.2%).

For tonight’s Game 4, the Westgate SuperBook opened the matchup as a pick ‘em with a total of 222 points. After moving to one, the number was increased to 1.5 points early Monday night. The total was down to 221.5 as of early this morning. OKC was available on the money line for a +105 return (risk $100 to win $105). For first-half wagers, it’s a pick ‘em.

With its outright victory in Game 3, OKC improved to 1-1-1 ATS in its three games as a home underdog. Meanwhile, Golden State has compiled a 1-4 spread record when listed as a road favorite by 3.5 points or fewer.

VegasInsider.com's Chris David had this take on Game 4: “Tuesday’s game is a very tough handicap because the eyeball test should have you leaning to Oklahoma City after what we saw from them on Sunday. However, you can’t ignore the fact that Golden State hasn’t dropped back-to-back games all season. The Warriors have gone 12-0 in these situations and more importantly, they’ve produced an 8-3-1 record at the betting counter. This includes a 3-0 mark in the playoffs with victories coming by 27, 7 and 27 points.

“The one close call took place in Game 4 at Portland from the Moda Center, which is often considered one of the toughest venues in the NBA and very similar to Chesapeake Energy Arena since it’s the only pro game in town. Golden State won the contest in overtime 132-125 and as I’ve noted before, the offensive production shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Warriors are averaging just under 121 points per game in these situations and seeing a team total of 110 ½ for Tuesday’s contest could have you leaning to their high side.”

OKC now owns a 37-11 SU record and a 24-23-1 ATS mark in its home games. Golden State has won 36 of its 46 road outings while posting a 25-19-2 spread ledger it its road contests.

The ‘under’ cashed in the first two games of this series before the ‘over’ appeared in Game 3. The ‘under’ also went 2-1 in three regular-season meetings.

The ‘over’ is 51-43-1 overall for the Warriors, 26-20 in their road assignments.

The ‘under’ is 50-46 overall for the Thunder, 28-20 in their home contests.

David had this opinion for the total: “Even though the ‘over’ connected easily in Game 3, the oddsmakers didn’t rush to adjust the total for Game 4 and have kept the number in the same neighborhood. The effort from OKC on Sunday was the sixth time they scored 130-plus points this season. Looking at the following games, the Thunder’s offense has proven they’re not a fluke by averaging 111 PPG. Coincidentally, they have a team total of 110 ½ as well for Tuesday and the numbers tell you’ll that the outcome should be tight.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern tonight on TNT.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- The last time Golden State trailed in a series was when the Cavs took a 2-1 advantage in last year’s NBA Finals. On that occasion, the Warriors responded to win three consecutive games and win the world title.

-- Gamblers could have taken Toronto at 200/1 odds to win the NBA championship after getting run out of Quicken Loans Arena in Game 2. After back-to-back home wins, however, the Raptors have pulled even with Cleveland at 2-2 in the Eastern Conference finals.

-- Dwane Casey’s squad raced out to an 18-point lead in last night’s Game 4 at Air Canada Centre, only to fall down by three midway through the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers went cold in the final five minutes and Toronto regained the lead and captured a 105-99 win to even the best-of-seven set. The Raptors won outright as six-point home underdogs, while the 204 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 197-point total. They hooked up money-line supporters with a sweet +230 payout (paid $230 on $100 wagers).

-- After struggling immensely for the most part in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Toronto All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have erupted in back-to-back home wins over Cleveland. Lowry was nothing short of sensational, scoring 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting from the field. The Villanova product hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range and also produced five rebounds, five assists and three steals. DeRozan finished with 32 points on 14-of-23 shooting. Bismack Biyombo has been terrific in the last two contests, snaring 14 rebounds while rejecting three shots.

-- Toronto starting center Jonas Valinciunas was available for Game 4 for the first time since spraining his ankle in Game 3 at Miami in the East semifinals. Casey opted not to play him, though, but gamblers can certainly count on seeing the big man in Game 5 at Cleveland. Valinciunas had recorded four straight double-doubles before being sidelined.

-- The Westgate opened Cleveland as a 10.5-point home favorite vs. Toronto in Wednesday’s Game 5 at Quicken Loans Arena. The total was 198.5 on the send-out, but the betting shop quickly moved it down to 198 points.

-- Doug Gottlieb said this on his show Monday: “I like Cleveland plus the points tonight. I love the Cavs at 6.5.” When his sidekick said, “ The Cavs are +6.5?” Gottlieb: “Yes.” Then after getting corrected, Gottlieb said, “That’s what I meant. I like the Cavs getting the points.” Huh? Anyway, when Gottlieb quickly looked to transition to another topic, here’s where he went: “So The Bachelor starts tonight…” Need I say more?

[StarDust Bum]

OKC seeks 3-1 series lead
May 24, 2016


GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (82-13) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (65-31)

Western Conference Finals
Sportsbook.ag Line: Golden State -1.5, Total: 221.5

The Warriors will be hoping to prevent a 3-1 series deficit when they face the Thunder in Game 4 on Tuesday.

Golden State was the most dominant team in regular season history, but the team now finds itself in serious trouble in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors were absolutely embarrassed on Sunday night, losing 133-105 as 2.5-point favorites in Game 3. They shot a miserable 41.3% from the floor in that loss, but they also allowed the Thunder to make 50.0% of their shots. The Warriors will need to be a lot better on both ends of the floor in Tuesday’s Game 4 or they’ll be facing an insurmountable 3-1 series deficit.

One thing that bodes well for Golden State is the fact that the team is 10-2 ATS revenging a loss versus an opponent this season. The team is also 18-8 ATS revenging a straight up loss as a favorite versus an opponent over the past two seasons. Both teams will be entering this game at full strength, so hopefully injuries will not play a role in the outcome of this game.

If the Warriors are going to get back into this series then PF Draymond Green (16.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, 2.1 BPG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) will need to play well for the Warriors. He has been miserable in this series and truly hit rock bottom last game, scoring just six points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field. Green also had just four boards and three assists and his team is counting on him to post a near triple-double. He’ll also need to keep his cool in this game, as Green is a flagrant foul away from an automatic suspension.

PG Stephen Curry (25.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 5.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG in playoffs) is also going to need to step his game up moving forward. The regular season MVP has been lousy for Golden State, shooting just 7-for-17 from the field and 3-for-11 from the outside in Game 3. He had 24 points in the game, but that total was a bit misleading and he must find a way to be more efficient the rest of the series. It’d be wise for Steve Kerr to put the ball in his hands a lot more in Game 4.

The Thunder have been playing extremely well in the postseason and look like the better team in this series. The reason Oklahoma City has emerged with a 2-1 series lead has been because of the emergence of SF Kevin Durant (27.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.3 APG in playoffs). It was not long ago that Durant was considered the best player in the NBA and he has been playing like it throughout the postseason. He had 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field in Game 3 and will need to continue to be aggressive moving forward. The Warriors have no match for him and his jumper is better than ever right now.

It has also helped the Thunder that PG Russell Westbrook (25.3 PPG, 11.1 APG, 2.2 SPG in playoffs) has outplayed Curry in this series. Westbrook had 30 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in Game 3 of this series and his athleticism and speed have given the Warriors a ton of issues. He’ll need to keep attacking the rim the remainder of this series.

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors' Green fined, not suspended
May 23, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) Draymond Green was fined $25,000 but not suspended by the NBA on Monday for kicking Oklahoma City center Steven Adams in the groin.

The league also upgraded the foul to a flagrant 2, which would have resulted in an automatic ejection had officials given it that ruling when it happened. That moved him closer to an automatic suspension for accumulation of flagrant foul points.

But Green will be on the court when the Warriors try to even the Western Conference finals at 2-2 on Tuesday at Oklahoma City.

Green was called for a flagrant 1 foul after he was fouled by Adams with 5:57 remaining in the second quarter and kicked his leg up into Adams' groin. Though the Thunder felt it was intentional, Green and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said they believed the flagrant would actually be rescinded by the league.

NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe disagreed.

''After a thorough investigation that included review of all available video angles and interviews with the players involved and the officials working the game, we have determined that Green's foul was unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine,'' VanDeWeghe said in a statement.

''During a game, players - at times - flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul, but Green's actions in this case warranted an additional penalty.''

The NBA determines a flagrant 1 foul to include ''unnecessary contact.'' A flagrant 2 is defined as ''unnecessary and excessive contact.''

Green now has three flagrant foul points during the postseason. One more will force him to miss Golden State's next game.

Green was an All-Star and the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, but had a dismal game as Oklahoma City took a 2-1 lead. He was 1 for 9 from the field with six points and the Warriors were outscored by 43 points when he was on the court.

[StarDust Bum]

ON BASKETBALL: Green's history may have helped him
May 24, 2016

MIAMI (AP) Draymond Green has a history, and in this case it seems to have been helpful.

He's a kicker.

Only a minute before the overly excitable Golden State forward kicked Oklahoma City's Steven Adams in the midsection during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday night, his leg flailing upward either clumsily or intentionally depending on perspective, he was under the basket as teammate Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer.

Green went up and tried to tip in the rebound. He missed.

Here's the notable part of that otherwise nondescript play: His right leg went up in similar fashion that time as well, a reaction easily unnoticed because no defender was within reach of his size 15 foot, nobody got kicked and nobody ended up in a heap on the court in pain afterward.

So Green has done this before. Lots of times, it turns out. There was an aggregated bunch of clips posted to social media showing Green's legs going all sorts of directions after shots and drives, sometimes making contact and sometimes not. And Green does have a reputation for being aggressive, like most great defenders do. He's the sort of player that doesn't mind being called a pest.

But dirty or suspension-worthy?

In this case, damning video and the fact that he got Adams in the midsection in Game 2 as well notwithstanding, it didn't seem so and the NBA agreed. So after spending the bulk of Monday deliberating what to do next, the decision came down that Green will be eligible to play in Game 4 of the series Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

(By the way, the Thunder lead the series 2-1 - easily overlooked amid Kickgate.)

Predictably and immediately, there was Twitter outrage because Twitter's favorite thing is outrage. Green wasn't suspended, yet Cleveland's Dahntay Jones got a one-game ban just one day earlier for striking Toronto's Bismack Biyombo in the midsection. And the NBA surely knew that letting Green play in Game 4 would get conspiracy theorists to say that the league not having a one-size-fits-all approach was done to favor the champions.

Green is a starter, an elite defender for the Warriors. Golden State needs him.

Jones is a backup who has scored 20 points all season. Cleveland hardly needs him.

Yet in this case, it's Green's history that oddly enough seemed to work in his favor. He's hardly a poster child for good behavior; he leads the NBA in postseason technicals this year, and tied for third-most in the regular season in that department. He's also one more flagrant away from an automatic suspension in these playoffs. But for now, he plays on.

''During a game, players - at times - flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul,'' NBA Executive Vice President for Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in the release announcing the league's decision on Green.

He's right, but that might not have been what this was.

This seemed like just more crazy-leggedness from Green.

He didn't get away scot-free. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant-2 and will cost Green $25,000. The upgrade to the flagrant-2 was the NBA's way of saying he should have been ejected Sunday, although making him stick around for the rest of Oklahoma City's 133-105 win was probably a harsher punishment than getting to watch it from the sanctity of the locker room would have been.

The Thunder were phenomenal in Game 3. Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan has more than held his own against Rick Carlisle, Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr - all champion coaches, all coaches of the year - so far in his first NBA playoffs. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are playing off each other maybe as well as ever. A different role player seems to step up nightly, Adams included.

They have the Warriors in trouble, without question.

But of course, Green kicking Adams in the midsection wound up being a much bigger story than the Thunder kicking the Warriors in the mouth. And if Green and his teammates don't figure out a solution soon, they'll be kicking themselves while the Thunder play in the NBA Finals.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (715) GOLDEN STATE@ (716) OKLAHOMA CITY | 2016-05-24 21:05:00 - 2016-05-24 21:05:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 28 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+22.15 units)

NBA > (715) GOLDEN STATE@ (716) OKLAHOMA CITY | 2016-05-24 21:05:00 - 2016-05-24 21:05:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 19 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (+16.05 units)

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TOP POWERLINES

NBA > (715) GOLDEN STATE @ (716) OKLAHOMA CITY | 2016-05-24 21:05:00 - 2016-05-24 21:05:00
Line: OKLAHOMA CITY2 BTB PowerLine: OKLAHOMA CITY-7
Edge On: OKLAHOMA CITY (9)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Warriors (73-9) at Thunder (55-27)
Date: May 24, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Draymond Green knows who is responsible for his kick to the groin of Thunder center Steven Adams: Russell Westbrook and the rest of the NBA stars who get to the foul line with a whole lot of salesmanship.

Green's kick felled the 7-foot, 255-pound Adams during the second quarter of Golden State's Game 3 loss to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals on Sunday night. Westbrook later said Green kicked Adams intentionally - and that didn't go over well with the Warriors' standout.

'There are multiple plays where I did it later in the game when I got fouled and my right leg went up,' Green said Monday. 'I always do it. Russell said I did it on purpose, but he's part of the superstar group that started all this acting in the NBA.'

Green even pointed to a play at the end of the second quarter, when Green fouled Westbrook on a long 3-pointer.

'Russell Westbrook kicked me at the end of the half,' Green said. 'He just didn't happen to catch me where I caught Steven Adams.'

Westbrook wasn't thrilled with Green's comments, calling Green's foul on the 3-pointer a 'dumb play on his part.'

'I've never been fined for one flop since I've been playing in the NBA,' Westbrook said. 'I don't know about no flopping or nothing. I don't know how to flop. But it seems like he was the one that was flailing, kicking his legs out and stuff yesterday. It wasn't me.'

Green was called for a flagrant 1 foul and Adams later noted that Green had kneed him in the same spot during Game 2. Green was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday and the foul was upgraded to a flagrant 2, but he was not suspended and will be in uniform when the defending champion Warriors try to even the series at 2-2.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he needs Green at his best.

'He needs to refocus a little bit,' Kerr said. 'He'll admit it. It was not one of his best games - in fact, it was one of his worst. The great thing with Draymond is he always turns it around. He's one of the great competitors that we have in the league, that we have on our team. When things aren't looking great, he usually plays his best.'

Kerr knows Green might have made himself a target for the officials.

'Does he have to be careful? I guess,' Kerr said. 'Now, people are watching for him or whatever. He's just going to play, he's going to be himself, and we'll see what happens.'

Green insists the hit that sent Adams to the floor wasn't that big a deal.

'I can see how somebody can think it was intentional, but yet nobody can go in my head and say, `Draymond was thinking about kicking him and he kicked him,'' Green said. 'If you watch my reaction, I walk back to the three-point line, clap everybody's hands, turn around and look like, `What's the dude on the floor for?''

Green scored six points, made 1 of 9 shots and committed four turnovers in a game to forget. Normally one of the league's best defenders, he was beaten numerous times individually by the Thunder, and the Warriors were outscored by 43 points with him on the floor.

With the crowd booing loudly every time Green touched the ball, he couldn't make plays to shut Thunder fans up.

'That's what was frustrating to me,' he said. 'I was just bad. I missed a couple easy ones and it just kind of killed my whole game. That was pretty frustrating, especially with all the boos, because I love boos and it usually helps me play well. It was frustrating that I couldn't get it going.'

Green has been below his standard throughout the series. He's averaging 13 points on 37 percent shooting in the series, and just 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the regular season, Green averaged 14 points on 49 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry expects Green to improve. Green bounced back after a poor Game 3 in a first-round loss to Houston to post 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 121-94 victory in Game 4.

'He's mentally strong, so nothing that happened last night is going to affect Game 4 except light a fire probably,' Curry said. 'You can look at trends and all that. In the Houston series, he was able to understand what he needed to do differently. He's a very smart guy. He has a great eye for the game. I think it matters to him a lot to have an impact on the game. He'll find a way.'


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Thunder at Warriors
Mon, May 16 Final 108 to 102
Recaps

GAME 2
Thunder at Warriors
Wed, May 18 Final 91 to 118
Recaps

GAME 3
Warriors at Thunder
Sun, May 22 Final 105 to 133
Recaps

GAME 4
Warriors at Thunder
Tue, May 24 - 9:00PM EDT

GAME 5
Thunder at Warriors
Thu, May 26 - 9:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Warriors at Thunder
Sat, May 28 - 9:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Thunder at Warriors
Mon, May 30 - 9:00PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

5/23 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 0 - 2
OVERALL : 67 - 73

TUESDAY, MAY 24

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at OKC 09:00 PM

GS -1.5

U 222.0