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

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Preview: Thunder (55-27) at Spurs (67-15)
Date: May 10, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Kevin Durant was at his shot-making best in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against San Antonio, knocking down contested jumpers, scoring in transition and willing the Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-evening victory.

He made all six of his field goal attempts to finish with 41 points, and yet his biggest impact may have come on the other end of the floor.

Durant used his 6-foot-11 frame to make life difficult for Kawhi Leonard, and if he can bring the same type of defensive intensity into a pivotal Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Thunder become an even more imposing mountain for the Spurs to climb than they already were.

'There's no individuals in this game, there's no individual matchups,' Durant said. 'There's no strictly 1-on-1 matchups in this game. There's 10 guys on the court. I may guard a guy, or he may guard me, but it's a whole team trying to stop the ball.'

Durant has long been one of the league's most unstoppable scorers, a shooting guard with a center's wing span and a point guard's handle who can get his shot wherever and whenever he wants it.

But he's always taken pride on coming through defensively in the biggest moments, and he told teammate and friend Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter that he was up for the challenge. Leonard was 0 for 5 in the final period of Oklahoma City's 111-97 victory and Durant even took a charge, a rarity for him.

'I think he did a good job at both ends of the court,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. 'He had a fine game all the way around without any doubt.'

Now the Spurs head back home, where they have lost just two games all season, looking to rekindle the ball movement and energy that led to an overwhelming 32-point win in Game 1. That game seems like ages ago.

The Thunder have awakened, and they're not going to go quietly.

'This is going to be fun, I'm excited,' Durant said. 'This is playoff basketball. This is what you live for. This is the type of basketball you've been dreaming about as a kid. You've just got to embrace the challenge and play extremely hard like we've been playing.'

A look at the only game on the NBA schedule on Tuesday night.

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Thunder at Spurs, Series tied 2-2, 8 p.m., TNT

All that beautiful ball movement that the Spurs have been known for over the last five or six seasons has disappeared as this series has worn on. San Antonio shot 60 percent and had an incredible 39 assists in the Game 1 rout.

The Spurs had 19 assists in each of their next two games and then just 12 in the Game 4 loss on Sunday.

'They have been down, but things do slow down in the playoffs,' Popovich said. 'Having said that, we need to have a little bit more ball movement and get a few more passes out on the court, for sure.'

The stagnancy the Spurs showed on Sunday was a common criticism the Thunder have heard over the years, when at times their offense has devolved into Durant and Westbrook taking turns taking shots.

'Guys wanted the ball and just didn't make shots. We never really got into a good offensive rhythm but we kept making runs,' Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. 'Guys kept making plays at certain times but we had a lot of open looks that we didn't make. If you don't make shots, the assists don't come.'

The Spurs could also use more of the dominant Aldridge they saw in the first two games. The big free agent prize of last summer exploded for 79 points and made 33 of his 44 shots in the first two games.

But the Thunder did not panic and make rash adjustments to the game plan. Instead, first-year coach Billy Donovan stuck to the principles they started the series with, refusing to double Aldridge in the post too aggressively.

Aldridge has scored 44 points on 16-for-39 shooting over the last two games.

'He's just missing shots. That's all it is,' Thunder center Steven Adams said. 'We're sticking to the same principles. He's just missing shots, thankfully.'


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Thunder at Spurs
Sat, Apr 30 Final 92 to 124
Recaps

GAME 2
Thunder at Spurs
Mon, May 2 Final 98 to 97
Recaps

GAME 3
Spurs at Thunder
Fri, May 6 Final 100 to 96
Recaps

GAME 4
Spurs at Thunder
Sun, May 8 Final 97 to 111
Recaps

GAME 5
Thunder at Spurs
Tue, May 10 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Spurs at Thunder
Thu, May 12 - 8:30PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors' Curry wins 2nd straight MVP
May 9, 2016

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry is adding a second straight MVP award to his record-setting season.

A person with knowledge of the award says Curry will be announced as the winner perhaps as soon as Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the NBA has not revealed the winner.

With his unmatched long-range shooting and slick ball-handling, Curry led the Warriors to an NBA-record 73 wins in the regular season as both he and his team somehow improved after he won the MVP and led Golden State to its first championship in 40 years the previous season.

The honor comes as no surprise as Curry has been the front-runner since early in the season to repeat. The only drama remaining is whether he will become the first player ever to win the award unanimously.

Curry led the league in scoring with 30.1 points per game and shattered his own record for 3-pointers by making 402, becoming the first player in league history to top 300 and 400 in a season.

But Curry is more than just a scorer. He averaged 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, led the NBA with 2.1 steals per game, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from 3-point range and 90.8 percent from the foul line.

More than the numbers, Curry put on a show almost every night during Golden State's record-setting season that started with 24 straight wins and ended with the Warriors breaking the single-season wins record of 72 set by Chicago in 1995-96.

With range that extended to halfcourt - and sometimes even beyond - and the ability to create space for his own shots with his ball-handling and opportunities for his teammates by the way he stretched the floor, Curry made the Warriors offense click.

His collection of skills has been unmatched in NBA history and he has done it with a baby-faced look and a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that makes him look more like the kid next door than one of the league's more imposing stars.

''The way that I play has a lot of skill but is stuff that if you go to the YMCA or rec leagues or church leagues around the country, everybody wants to shoot, everybody wants to handle the ball, make creative passes and stuff like that,'' Curry said after winning AP Male Athlete of the Year earlier this season. ''You can work on that stuff. Not everybody has the vertical, or the physical gifts to be able to go out and do a windmill dunk and stuff like that. I can't even do it.''

Curry has become one of the world's most intriguing and popular athletes, playing golf and doing public service announcements with President Barack Obama.

He was the first Warriors player to lead the league in scoring since Rick Barry's 35.6 scoring clip in 1966-67, joining Barry and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in franchise history to average 30 or more points in a season.

''He's incredible. He's different. He's something that we've never seen before,'' said Allen Iverson, the 2001 MVP. ''We've never seen this. It's crazy to me. Just me being the biggest Michael Jordan fan, to see somebody come around like this, I have my idea of me being incredible, you know what I mean. But this dude right here!? It's different. It's a whole different monster.''

[StarDust Bum]

Curry drops 40, Warriors top Blazers in OT
May 9, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Stephen Curry nailed a 3-pointer in overtime and gestured to the crowd, exclaiming over and over: ''I'm back! I'm back!''

Golden State's superstar certainly was.

Curry returned from a sprained right knee to score an NBA-record 17 points in overtime, finishing with 40 as the Warriors rallied to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals with a 132-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

''I love this game, I love playing and love competing. And really, really missed being out there with my teammates,'' Curry said. ''To help our team get a win tonight and in that fashion, that was a good feeling in that moment to be back on the floor and playing.''

Playing for the first time since he was injured in Game 4 of the first-round series against Houston, Curry was rusty for three quarters and sensational down the stretch after the Warriors trailed by as much as 16 points.

Originally expected to play about 25 minutes off the bench, Curry picked up a heavier workload in the second half after Shaun Livingston, who had been starting in his absence, was ejected in the second quarter after arguing a call and picking up two technical fouls.

Curry's victorious return came hours after a person with knowledge of the award told The Associated Press that Curry would repeat as NBA MVP, with the announcement coming as early as Tuesday.

The Warriors can win the series Wednesday night at home in Game 5.

Damian Lillard finished with 36 points and 10 assists for Portland.

Curry's fast-break layup gave the defending NBA champions a 120-118 lead with 2:21 left in the extra period. He followed with a 3-pointer, strutting and pumping his fist in celebration.

''You knew he'd catch his rhythm eventually,'' Klay Thompson said. ''He's probably the best player in the world, the best shooter of all-time. He was getting good looks. We'll take those all day.''

Harrison Barnes' layup extended the lead to 125-118 and Portland couldn't catch up. Thompson finished with 23 for the Warriors.

Curry finally made his first 3 of the game to give the Warriors a 103-100 lead with 4:35 left in regulation, but Portland was ahead in the final minute before Barnes tied it at 111-all with a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left. Both Lillard and Curry missed to force the OT.

Curry led the Warriors to an NBA-record 73 wins in the regular season, a year after leading the team to its first NBA championship in 40 years. He averaged just over 30 points per game this season.

''Remarkable,'' Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. ''I mean, he looked fresh. He had his rhythm. He made tough shots, he made nice passes, he fought through screens. Obviously 17 points in overtime. It was a hell of a performance.''

The Trail Blazers narrowed the series to 2-1 on Saturday night when Lillard scored 40 points in a 120-108 Portland victory while Golden State was still without its star guard. The Blazers became the only team to defeat the Warriors twice this season.

Curry came off the bench with 5:56 left in the first quarter and Portland up 16-2. His only points in the quarter came off a pair of jumpers before he went back to the bench.

Livingston felt he was fouled just before halftime and was thrown out after arguing with referee Scott Foster. The 12-year veteran guard was averaging 12.1 points and 5.5 assists in the playoffs. He had started six of the eight playoff games while Curry nursed his knee injury.

Portland led 67-57 at the half, scoring a franchise playoff-record 41 points in the second quarter alone. Lillard led all scorers with 17 points.

Curry said his legs were sore after the game.

''To be expected,'' he said. ''I pride myself in the work I put in in the offseason to get through the 82-game schedule and be fresh for the playoffs. I was off my feet for a week and some change. You obviously lose a little bit but deep down when I got the work the last four days and broke a sweat and put the time in, that helped me get through these 38 minutes.''

TIP-INS

Warriors: The Warriors are 11-0, counting the playoffs, in games after a loss. ... The Warriors are 8-1 in Game 4s since returning to the postseason in 2013. ... Green blocked seven shots, most of his career in the regular season or playoffs.

Trail Blazers: Plumlee has eight playoff games this season with 10-plus rebounds, matching Cleveland's Kevin Love for the most.

CURRY'S NUMBERS

Curry led the league in scoring during the regular season with 30.1 points per game and broke his own record with 402 3-pointers.

He also averaged 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds, led the NBA with 2.1 steals per game, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from 3-point range and 90.8 percent from the foul line.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (535) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (536) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-05-10 21:35:00 - 2016-05-10 21:35:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO using money line in Home games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 24 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.35 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (535) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (536) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-05-10 21:35:00 - 2016-05-10 21:35:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO using money line in Home games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 24 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.35 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (535) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (536) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-05-10 21:35:00 - 2016-05-10 21:35:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 24 Overs and 47 Unders for the this season (+20.6 units)

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NBA > (535) OKLAHOMA CITY @ (536) SAN ANTONIO | 2016-05-10 21:35:00 - 2016-05-10 21:35:00
Line: OKLAHOMA CITY BTB PowerLine: OKLAHOMA CITY-3
Edge On: OKLAHOMA CITY (4)

[StarDust Bum]

5/9 - Yesterday's Results: 3 - 1
Overall : 54 - 62

TUESDAY, MAY 10

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OKC at SA 08:00 PM

OKC +7.0

U 199.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Thunder 95, Spurs 91-- Road team has won three of five series games. This was only the second time this season Spurs lost consecutive games.

-- In his career, Gregg Popovich is 2-10 in elimination games on the road.

-- Penguins 4, Capitals 3 OT-- Pittsburgh advances in six games.

-- Bronx 10, Royals 7-- Lorenzo Cain hit three HRs in a losing cause.

-- Stations Casinos is going to buy the Palms in Las Vegas for $312.5M.

-- The NBA Draft has 60 picks, two per team; 63 players were invited to the NBA Combine. If you've declared for the draft but weren't invited to the Combine, please go back to college, unless your goal in life was to play in Turkey or the D-League.

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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings......

13) Only ten NBA head coaches have had their current job for more than two years. You grab the big money for as long as you can, put up with the insanity, then go on TV and relax. When coaches who win 50+ games get fired, you know its a nutty job.

12) Of the 32 NFL kickers who finished last season. 21 of them were not drafted.

11) Stephen Strasburg gets $175M for seven years from the Nationals; unusual for a Scott Boras client not to give free agency a shot. Finally, a sane person-- take the $$$ and run while you can!!!!

10) TV guys always are quick to praise AT&T Park in San Francisco, but there are bullpens on the field for one reason; the geniuses who planned this scenic ballpark forgot to incorporate them in the stadium's original plans. Whoops.

9) Christopher Kamka points out that of Todd Frazier's first 27 RBI this year, 16 of them came from the 7th inning on.

8) JT Realmuto lost a home run Monday night because a runner on first base went back to first base to tag up and Realmuto passed him, which means he is out. Nice to know Milwaukee 1B Chris Carter was paying attention; this happened in another Brewer game last month at Miller Park, but no one ever noticed.

Realmuto gets a single and one RBI but loses the home run.

7) Speaking of the Marlins, Dee Gordon's 80-game suspension ends in late July, but if the Marlins make the playoffs, Gordon is also ineligible for those games.

6) Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News reports that of the top ten vote getters in the NBA MVP voting, eight of them played 2+ years in college.

5) Random stat of the day: since 1984, the Portland Trailblazers hold the odd record of having the worst 3-point % (0-20) in a game they won. Lot of teams won without making a 3-pointer, but Portland missed the most, way back on December 10, 2002.

4) If I was a Seattle Mariners fan, I'd be excited; they're clearly the best team in the AL West and if their starting pitchers stay healthy, they're going to make the playoffs.

3) I like to watch the Mix Channel on DirecTV on baseball nights; can monitor eight games at once on my bigscreen. One small problem; Dodger games are never on the Mix Channel- that is channel 720 on DirecTV, by the way.

2) I'd have to be a masochist to watch the A's; they're terrible. Oakland starting pitchers lasted a total of nine innings in their last three games- they've finished the sixth inning once in their last ten road games.

Your five starting pitchers are like your five offensive linemen in the NFL; if those five guys aren't solid, your team cannot win.

1) I do not understand the new slide rule at second base and I think lot of players, managers feel the same way. No idea what the rule is and how it is supposed to be applied, because of the drastic inconsistencies in the first six weeks this season.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, May 11

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Wednesday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
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Stephen Curry had a wild night in his return to the lineup scoring 40 points (including an NBA record 17 points in overtime).

Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 188.5)

Series tied 1-1

The Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are not content with playing 48-minute basketball games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The teams will try to decide things in the allotted amount of time when the series, which is knotted at two wins apiece, shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Dwyane Wade has been the best player in the series and was at it again with 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting in a 94-87 overtime win on Monday – the third overtime game in the series. “I worked my tail off to get my body to the point where I can play at an elite level and not worry about my age or anything,” Wade told reporters after logging 39 minutes in Game 4. “I know when I'm healthy I can play this game as good as anybody." Wade’s success and the strong play of Heat point guard Goran Dragic in the series has been in direct contrast to Toronto’s All-Star backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. DeRozan slumped to nine points on 4-of-17 shooting in Game 4 and is shooting 35 percent in the series while Lowry went 2-of-11 in the loss before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 4.5-point favorites and by Tuesday afternoon the spread had been reduced to -4. The total opened at 187 and was bet all the way up to 188.5 by Tuesday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE HEAT (54-39, 50-42-1 ATS, 37-55-1 O/U): Miami went 1-of-15 from 3-point range in Game 4 and trailed by nine points midway through the fourth quarter before Wade brought the team back and forced overtime on a driving layup with 12.6 seconds left. The Heat were playing without center Hassan Whiteside (knee) and had only three players reach double figures in scoring in an inconsistent offensive performance outside of Wade. "I'm shocked, at this point, that we haven't been able to score 100 points, and that's not at all to discredit Toronto,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It's actually the opposite. We have not been able to consistently get to our game."

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (62-31, 48-45 ATS, 44-48-1 O/U): Lowry appeared to break out of a postseason-long slump with a 33-point effort in Game 3 but struggled to find his shot again in Game 4. DeRozan injured his thumb in Game 2 and was clearly off with his shot in the last two contests, though he was reluctant to place all of the blame for his struggles on the injury. “It’s the feeling of being uncomfortable and not doing the things that you normally do with gripping the ball and everything,” DeRozan told reporters. “It’s nothing I’ll ever make an excuse about, but like I said, I know for sure I’m not going to shoot like I did (Monday in our) next game. I know that for a fact.”

TRENDS:

* Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Under is 8-1 in Heat last 9 overall.
* Under is 10-2 in Raptors last 12 overall.
* Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.



Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors (-12.5, 216.5)

Warriors lead series 3-1

It took Stephen Curry about three quarters to shake off the rust before breaking the hearts of Portland Trail Blazers fans in Game 4. Curry, who played a total of two halves in the first eight games of the postseason, scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime of Game 4 to give the Golden State Warriors a chance to close out the visiting Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Curry was not even assured of playing in Game 4 until making it through his pregame workout with no issues from an MCL sprain suffered in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Instead, the MVP logged 37 minutes off the bench and came alive in the fourth quarter before putting on a show in overtime and yelling, “I’m back” toward the crowd after draining one 3-pointer. "It took me awhile to get back in the flow," Curry told reporters. "When you miss three weeks, it’s really weird to walk back on the court. Like, the crowd out there going crazy and that competitive atmosphere again. So, just trying to get my bearings straight, make some plays and try and get a rhythm. And it took 48 minutes and things finally clicked.” Curry’s heroics overshadowed another strong performance from Portland point guard Damian Lillard, who finished with 36 points and 10 assists in the loss and was not ready to concede the series to the Warriors.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Following Steph Curry's historic performance in Game 4 the Warriors opened as 11.5-point favorites for Game 5 and the public jumped all over that number and the books were forced to move the line up to -12.5 by Tuesday morning. The total opened at 215.5 and was bumped up a full point to 216.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-43, 48-44 ATS, 49-43 O/U): Lillard felt Portland had chances to win each of the last three games in the series and will go back to his hometown of Oakland, Calif., for Game 5 refusing to let the defending champions off easy. "We want to go out there and make sure they respect us, make sure they understand it's not going to be what everybody thinks it's going to be," Lillard told reporters. "It's not going to be no rolling over, it's not going to be no out here being scared, it's not going to be any of that." The Trail Blazers got strong efforts from C.J. McCollum (24 points) and Al-Farouq Aminu (18 points, 13 rebounds) in Game 4 to support Lillard but had some coverage breakdowns on Curry that need to be cleaned up before Wednesday.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (80-11, 52-37-2 ATS, 49-41-1 O/U): Curry was supposed to play 25 minutes or so on Monday but was pressed into extra duty when Shaun Livingston was ejected just before the half for arguing with officials. Curry ended up with 40 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists – the most important assist coming when he found Harrison Barnes on the wing for a tying 3-pointer in the final minutes of regulation after crashing the lane and dragging a host of defenders with him. “The guy’s played basically one basketball game in three weeks,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Curry. “I expected what I saw early, I expected a lot of rust. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted the explosion. I figured that he’d find his stroke and make a few shots, but I mean, that was crazy.”

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Warriors are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 9-1 in Trail Blazers last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 9-1 in Warriors last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 11

Miami at Toronto, 8:00 ET
Miami: 17-7 ATS after having lost 2 of their last 3
Toronto: 3-12 ATS in all playoff games

Portland at Golden State, 10:35 ET
Portland: 16-32 ATS after allowing 105 points or more 2 straight games
Golden State: 22-11 ATS off a road win




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 11

Miami-Toronto (2-2)
Four series games decided by total of 21 points; three went to OT, road team won twice. Miami lost six of last nine games with Toronto, four of last five in Canada. Home side won nine of last 13 series games overall. Eight of last nine Miami games stayed under total, as have 10 of last 12 Raptor games. Lowry had 33 in Game 3 but is 12-46 in the other three games. Raptors are -44 with Valanciunas on bench. and he is not coming back in this series. Miami won Game 4 despite going 1-15 on the arc.

Portland-Golden State (GS 3-1)
Golden State nine of last 11 vs Portland, and covered 11 of last 14; with Curry putting on show (40 points) in Game 4, Blazers seem dead, with 0-5 SU/ATS record in last five visits to Oakland. Three of four in series went over total. Golden State won ten of its last 13 games, covered nine of last 11. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Lillard was just 4-12 on his 2-pointers in Game 4; Blazers had double digit lead Curry came off bench and played Superman. Warriors covered their last six home tilts.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 10-7, over: 8-9




NBA

Wednesday, May 11

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. TORONTO
Miami is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home

10:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
Portland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
Golden State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Basketball Trend Report

MIAMI (54 - 39) at TORONTO (62 - 31) - 5/11/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 50-42 ATS (+3.8 Units) in all games this season.
MIAMI is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 41-30 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
TORONTO is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 174-218 ATS (-65.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 47-62 ATS (-21.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-7 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 8-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


PORTLAND (49 - 43) at GOLDEN STATE (80 - 11) - 5/11/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-37 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-30 ATS (+7.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-36 ATS (+8.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-38 ATS (+15.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 75-60 ATS (+9.0 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 58-39 ATS (+15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-16 ATS (+14.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 101-80 ATS (+13.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 66-44 ATS (+17.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-4 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
12 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
May 10, 2016

**Miami at Toronto**

-- Miami (54-39 straight up, 50-42-1 against the spread) and Toronto haven’t settled anything through four games. The series is knotted at 2-2 after the Heat rallied late in regulation to force overtime and eventually capture a 94-87 win in Monday’s Game 4. Miami’s OT cover as a 4.5-point home favorite produced yet another wrong-side winner in this best-of-seven set. Despite the extra session, the ‘under’ still cashed with the 181 combined points staying below the 194 points.

-- I had Toronto and the ‘under’ in Game 4. I also had the ‘under’ in Games 1 and 2. The series opener was poised to hit 177 combined points before Kyle Lowry’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer forced overtime. Due to the extra session, Miami’s 102-96 victory saw the 198 combined points inch ‘over’ the 192-point total. Lowry had missed his first six 3-point attempts and was 2-of-12 from the field before hitting the buzzer beater on the lowest-percentage shot he took the entire game. That was the first bad beat of the series and even those on the Heat as an underdog (+4) and on the money line (+160) had to suffer through OT before cashing a winner. From a gambling standpoint, the Game 1 results for the side and total set an eerie tone that continues to hang over this series.

-- In Game 2, Toronto won a 96-92 decision as a five-point home favorite in yet another overtime game. This time around, the ‘under’ cashed despite the extra session with the 188 combined points falling just shy of the 189-point tally. The Raptors’ All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Lowry missed one free throw apiece in the last 11 seconds to prevent ‘over’ backers from cashing another miracle winner. Lowry’s miss from the charity stripe with five seconds remaining also prevented Toronto supporters from getting a fortunate push. I had Miami and the ‘under’ in Game 2 to go 2-0, but there were anxious moments galore all the way to the horn. The Heat allowed a 77-70 lead midway through the fourth quarter to get away.

-- Toronto won Saturday’s Game 3 by a 95-91 count. Lowry, an All-Star who has been playing horrible throughout this postseason, finally regained his form in the second half by scoring 29 of his 33 points to propel his team to a 2-1 series advantage. The Raptors won outright as 5.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a sweet +200 return (risk $100 to win $200). The 186 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 187.5-point total.

-- Let’s get back to Monday’s Game 4 and just stick to what happened with the total for now. Toronto starting center Jonas Valanciunas sprained his ankle in Game 3 and was ruled out for the rest of the series. Valanciunas had scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in only 22 minutes of playing time before sustaining the injury. However, Miami starting center Hassan Whiteside also injured his knee in Game 3 and was out for Game 4. Nevertheless, we saw the total for Game 4 curiously moved 6.5 points to 194. On one hand, you could see that Whiteside’s absence would take the Heat’s rim protector away. After all, Whiteside averaged an NBA-best 3.7 blocked shots per game during the regular season and was swatting away 2.8 attempts per game in these playoffs. But Whiteside, who has been averaging 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during the postseason, left Game 3 after playing only eight minutes and the ‘under’ still cashed. And now Toronto would be without Valanciunas, who had recorded four consecutive double-doubles and was averaging 18.3 points per game in the series. This meant Toronto’s offense was taking a hit, especially considering the unfathomable struggles of Lowry and DeRozan in recent weeks.

-- Therefore, I confidently backed the ‘under’ again. In fact, I got a taste of some of the adjusted lines by going ‘under’ 189.5 (+155), ‘under’ 188.5 (+160) and ‘under’ 187.5 (+175) with real small plays. After witnessing Games 1 and 2, I was already thinking about the potential of overtime at intermission. Therefore, I took ‘over’ 98 for the second half, which was ‘over’ 177 points adjusted since the Heat had a 44-35 lead at halftime. Although yet another overtime period produced some serious anxiety, it prompted the second-half ‘over’ play to hit and all the ‘unders’ were winners as well.

-- The wrong-side winner for Game 4 was the Heat, who trailed by nine when Terrence Ross drained a 3-pointer from the right wing in transition with 6:39 remaining. With 4:11 left, Dwyane Wade’s bucket trimmed the deficit to 79-74. After a defensive stop, Wade scored again on a driving layup and made the subsequent free throw after being fouled. With the Raptors clinging to an 81-79 advantage with 1:58 remaining, Lowry hooked Justise Winslow on a drive to the basket for his sixth foul. Wade would pull Miami even on another driving layup with 12 ticks left, and Cory Joseph missed a potential game winner at the buzzer to end regulation. With 22 seconds remaining in OT, Miami had the ball and a two-point lead. Goran Dragic drove to the basket and made a layup and was fouled. His free throw put the Heat ahead of the number with a five-point lead. On Toronto’s next possession, Wade ripped a steal from Ross and dunked to provide the final score. With a chance to still cover, Ross turned the ball over again and Miami ran out the clock.

-- Wade scored 30 points to give him 34 career postseason games with 30 points or more. He also passed the great Magic Johnson for 13th on the all-time scoring list in NBA Playoff history. The Marquette product made 13-of-24 shots from the field. Dragic (5-16 FGs) and Joe Johnson (5-13) scored 15 points apiece despite struggling with their shot from the field. To his credit, though, Johnson made all five of his free throws and they were all at crunch time. Johnson had three steals, two blocked shots and three assists without committing a turnover, while Dragic had six rebounds and four assists. After taking a DNP in Game 3, Winslow logged 31 minutes and scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor. He had four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

-- DeRozan and Lowry were awful again in Game 4. DeRozan did jam his thumb in Game 3 and was playing in pain. He went 4-of-17 from the field to finish with only nine points. DeRozan had zero assists and committed three turnovers. As for Lowry, at least he found a way to help his team by playing a solid floor game. The Villanova product had nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, but he wasn’t available in OT and committed four turnovers. He was 2-of-11 from the field and scored only 10 points. Ross and Joseph scored 14 points apiece from off the bench, while Bismack Biyombo produced 13 points, 13 boards and a pair of blocked shots.

-- Lowry averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game during the regular season. He shot at a 42.7 percent clip from the field and made 38.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. In the playoffs, however, Lowry is averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He is hitting only 33.1 percent from the field and 19.7 percent from downtown. DeRozan averaged 23.5 PPG during the regular season while hitting 44.6 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from long distance. In the playoffs, he has averaged 17.7 PPG while making only 33.0 percent from the field and is an atrocious 3-of-19 from behind the line (15.8%).

-- Toronto (62-31 SU, 48-45 ATS) is 36-11 SU and 24-23 ATS at home this year.

-- Miami is 22-24 SU and 23-23 ATS on the road this season.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed at a 10-2 clip in Toronto’s last 12 games. The ‘under’ is 48-44-1 overall for the Raptors, but the ‘over’ is 25-22 in their home games.

-- The ‘under’ is on an 8-1 run in Miami’s last nine games. The Heat has seen the ‘under’ go 55-37-1 overall, 27-18-1 in its road assignments.

-- The Westgate SuperBook opened Toronto as a 4.5-point home favorite for Wednesday’s Game 5. The total was 187.5 on the send-out early Tuesday morning, but the tally was moved up to 188.5 within two hours. The Raptors are favored by 2.5 points for first-half wagers, while Miami is +165 on the money line (risk $100 to win $165).

-- VegasInsider.com’s Chris David leans to the Heat on the side. David said, “This is a real tough game to handicap and I can make arguments for both teams. Even though Miami barely covered in Game 4 as a favorite, the underdog covered the first three games in this series. It’s hard not to grab the points with the Heat, especially knowing that Toronto is 1-10-1 versus the number in its last 12 playoff games at the Air Canada Centre. However, the Raptors haven’t lost two straight games in this year’s playoffs and they’ve only dropped back-to-back games once since the All-Star break.”

-- David had this take on the total: “The total for Game 4 was steamed up from 188 to 194 as bettors were expecting a run ‘n gun game with the two centers out for each club. The logic made sense but neither team has been in great form offensively and that was evident on Monday as the pair combined for 7-of-35 (20%) from 3-point land. While the ‘under’ has been a great lean for both the Heat (8-3) and Raptors (9-2) in this year’s playoffs, I’m leaning to the high side in Game 5. Toronto has played better offensively off a loss (96.3 PPG) in the postseason and its defense at home hasn’t exactly been stellar (94 PPG) over this span.”

-- Whiteside has been ruled ‘out’ for Game 4.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

**Portland at Golden State**

-- I remember where I was when Michael Jordan hit six 3-pointers and scored 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals vs. Portland. I vividly recall Larry Bird’s fourth-quarter explosion to lift Boston past Atlanta in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals. And after Monday, I’ll always remember the night when Steph Curry came back from a knee injury and went wild in overtime of Game 4 at Portland in the West semifinals. It was on the same level as MJ, Larry Legend and other epic postseason performances in NBA history. It was downright nasty. You can apply all the adjectives – incredible, sensational or spectacular. Or you can just use the word his head coach Steve Kerr applied: “unreal.” Curry’s team trailed nearly the entire game and was staring at a 2-2 series tie. He was rusty after missing four consecutive games and more than two weeks due to a sprained knee.

-- Coming off the bench for the first time since 2012, Curry didn’t enter the game until his team was down 16-2. He missed his first nine attempts from 3-point land and was 6-of-18 from the field going into the fourth quarter. When Shaun Livingston was ejected for back-to-back technical fouls in the second quarter, it was clear that Curry would be forced to play major minutes in the second half. Livingston’s ejection ended up being a good thing, as Curry finally started to find his form late in the fourth quarter. He buried a crucial trey to trim Portland’s lead to one with 2:01 remaining. Though Curry missed a good look for a potential game winner at the end of regulation, he exploded in overtime. He scored 17 points – the most ever by a player in NBA history during the regular season or the playoffs – to spark the Warriors to a 132-125 win as six-point home favorites.

-- Gamblers (like me) backing the Trail Blazers as six-point underdogs were left to rip up tickets that should’ve cashed. The ‘over’ had already hit at the end of regulation (111-111) with the 222 combined points jumping ‘over’ the 214-point total. Bettors on Portland to win outright (+220ish) were also prompted to check into the Heartbreak Hotel. Terry Stotts’s team led by 10 at halftime, hooking up money-line supporters in the first half with a +160 payout.

-- Curry finished Game 4 with 40 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, making 10 of his last 14 shots from the field. Draymond Green contributed 21 points, nine boards, seven blocked shots, five assists and four steals. Klay Thompson scored 23 points, while Mo Speights had 11 points in just nine minutes off the bench.

-- Damian Lillard had 36 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the losing effort. C.J. McCollum added 24 points, while Al-Farouq Aminu produced 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mason Plumlee also had a double-double with 12 points and 15 boards.

-- I don’t believe in bulletin-board material at this time of year. However, for those that do and think it will give Portland a boost in Game 5, there was this quote from Green after Game 4: “Do I think they’re done? Of course I think they’re done.”

-- The Westgate opened Golden State (80-11 SU, 52-37-2 ATS) as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 215 points. As of early Tuesday night, the line had moved up to 12.5 and the total was adjusted to 216.5. The Trail Blazers were available on the money line for a monster +800 return (risk $100 to win $800). The Warriors were 7.5-point ‘chalk’ for first-half bets.

-- Golden State owns a 44-2 SU record and a 27-19 ATS mark at home in Oracle Arena this year.

-- Portland (49-43 SU, 48-44 ATS) is 17-29 SU and 24-22 ATS on the road this season.

-- The ‘over’ is 49-43 overall for the Trail Blazers, 25-21 in their road assignments.

-- The ‘over’ is 49-41-1 overall for the Warriors, 24-21-1 in their home games.

-- VI’s David offered this analysis for Game 5: “Saying the Warriors will win in Game 5 isn’t exactly a profound prediction and it’s more than likely going to happen. Covering double digits is another story and while Golden State has gone 30-2 in the regular season when laying 10-plus points at home, it’s only 16-16 versus the number. Normally, I’d lean to the ‘dog and the points in this spot but I’m hesitant to back a Portland team that is now 1-4 both SU and ATS in this year’s playoffs. And that win came against a short-handed Clippers team when they couldn’t miss a shot in the final quarter. I’d rather not back a team that needs to shoot a high percentage and it’s hard to ignore the fact the Blazers are 0-6 (2-4 ATS) as double-digit ‘dogs this season, losing by an average of 14.5 PPG.”

-- TNT will have the broadcast at 10:35 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

Dubs look to clinch; Heat-Raps in Game 5
May 11, 2016

MIAMI (AP) Stephen Curry will lift another MVP trophy. Dwyane Wade will try to keep lifting the Miami Heat.

And by night's end, the NBA's Final Four may be in more focus.

Curry and Golden State will host Portland in Game 5 of their second-round series on Wednesday night, the Warriors leading 3-1 and one win from another trip to the Western Conference finals. That game will be preceded by Wade and the Heat in Toronto, with their East matchup knotted at two games apiece after four extremely close - though not always aesthetically pleasing - matchups.

''I'm sleeping like a baby,'' Toronto coach Dwane Casey said Tuesday. ''Waking up and crying.''

The night will belong to Curry, announced Tuesday as the league's first unanimous MVP. He'll get to show the trophy to the adoring home fans at Oracle Arena before tip-off of Game 5 of that series.

It's a regular-season honor, but what he did in Game 4 on Monday night in Portland won't be soon forgotten.

Curry scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime, finished with 40 in his first game back after missing two weeks with a sprained knee ligament, and helped the Warriors put the Blazers on the brink of elimination with a 132-125 win.

Put most simply, the MVP took over.

''When Steph would have a game like this last year, (former Warriors assistant) Alvin Gentry would say I've got two plays for you. `Steph, get the ball' and `Get the ball, Steph,''' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''Those were Alvin's two play calls so in Alvin's honor that's what we ran in overtime.''

A look at Wednesday's games:

---

Heat at Raptors, series tied 2-2. 8 p.m., TNT.

Wade will likely get a frosty reception in Toronto, with the national anthem faux pas from Game 3 still simmering.

It's what he's done after the anthems that is really troubling the Raptors.

He's been the best player in this East semifinal series. Wade led the Heat comeback from nine points down in the fourth quarter of Game 4, tying the series at 2-2. And with DeMar DeRozan (right thumb) hurting and Kyle Lowry reverting back to slumping form in Game 4 after a tremendous effort in Game 3, the Raptors have problems of their own.

''He was just D-Wade,'' Heat guard Goran Dragic said. ''When you see him so many times, it's normal. He's unbelievable. ... It's much easier for us when he makes those plays in crucial moments.''

Wade is averaging 27.3 points in the series, and in perhaps his best groove of the season - a byproduct of work he did starting last summer when he shed weight and added flexibility. He's remained committed to the new regimen, often working out on his own with a trainer before going to Heat practices.

''These are the times you get most excited about,'' Wade said.

Injured Heat center Hassan Whiteside (knee) didn't travel to Toronto, so he'll be out for the second straight game. And the Raptors still expect to be without center Jonas Valanciunas (ankle).

DeRozan will play, though his thumb is obviously a major issue. His Game 4 started with an airball, and he was particularly frustrated by a missed wide-open layup.

''I'm going to push through it,'' DeRozan said. ''You can't let frustration get to you at all. ... We have a great opportunity.''

---

Trail Blazers at Warriors, Golden State leads 3-1. 10:30 p.m., TNT

There's no shortage of people likely thinking that Portland is in trouble.

The Blazers were written off in July after massive roster upheaval, probably left for dead in December after an 11-20 start, and certainly not expected to go anywhere when they dropped the first two games of the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers. But now, down 3-1 and heading into Oakland on the night when Curry gets a trophy, this is a very tall mountain to climb.

''The people that were writing us off are the ones talking about it,'' Portland coach Terry Stotts said Tuesday. ''We've always been pretty confident from the beginning of the season that we were going to be a competitive team.

''I don't necessarily think it's served as a chip or anything,'' Stotts said. ''A lot of things came together at one time.''

It all better come together for Portland now, or else.

The Blazers ran out to a 16-2 lead in Game 4 - and then Curry came into the game. Portland led by three with a minute left in regulation, but couldn't finish it off and now need to win three straight to pull an enormous upset.

''Of course I think they're done,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Game 4.

Predictably, that didn't seem to go over that well on the Blazers' side.

''Draymond does a lot of talking. That's what he does,'' Stotts said. ''We'll worry about our business and go about our business. Really, whatever he says doesn't have much of an impact on us.''

[StarDust Bum]

Whiteside not expected to play Game 5
May 10, 2016

MIAMI (AP) Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat will not accompany his team to Toronto for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series there on Wednesday night.

The Heat were flying north on Tuesday. Before departing, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Whiteside will remain home to continue getting therapy on his injured right knee.

Whiteside did not play in Game 4 of the Heat-Raptors series on Monday. He sprained the medial collateral ligament in the knee while taking an awkward fall in Game 3.

The Heat still plan to list him as day-to-day going forward. Game 6 of the series is Friday in Miami.

Miami and Toronto have split the first four games of the series.

[StarDust Bum]

Hawks look to rise again in East
May 9, 2016

ATLANTA (AP) Paul Millsap tossed and turned much of the night.

He didn't expect the summer to begin this soon.

Millsap and the Atlanta Hawks were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, capping a season that fell short of expectations from start to finish.

Now, the Hawks face some huge decisions, from figuring out a way to re-sign free agents-to-be Al Horford and Kent Bazemore to charting the future of the point guard position.

''It's tough, especially when you expect more,'' Millsap said Monday after the Hawks wrapped up their exit interviews with coach Mike Budenholzer. ''We really felt like we had a good chance.''

But really, this playoff exit wasn't much of a surprise. The Hawks struggled all season to find the sort of consistency that carried them a franchise-record 60 wins the previous year.

After slipping to a 48-34 record and fourth seed in the East, the Hawks did manage to get by injury depleted Boston in the opening round. That was it. LeBron James and the Cavaliers breezed past Atlanta in four straight games, the same result as the previous season when the teams met in the conference finals.

''For five or six years, whatever team LeBron James has been on, the East has been trying to figure out how to beat that team,'' Budenholzer said. ''We're just like the rest of the East right now.''

The biggest priority for the Hawks is re-signing Horford and Bazemore, who are both unrestricted free agents.

Horford has spent his entire nine-year career with Atlanta, and it's hard to imagine where the team would be without him. While he struggled in the playoffs, the 6-foot-10 center is the type of hybrid player that Budenholzer loves to have in his fast-paced offense, a big man who can run the court and even became a bit of a 3-point threat this season.

Bazemore was one of the most improved players in the league, a 6-5 bundle of energy who wasn't even drafted out of college but averaged 11.6 points a game in his first year as a starter. While still raw, his potential upside that is off the charts.

''They're two big pieces,'' teammate Kyle Korver said. ''Al has been the cornerstone of this team for a lot of years. What he brings to the table, there's just not anyone really like him in the NBA. Baze is obviously just figuring out who he is as a player. I think he'll keep on getting better.''

Horford would prefer to remain with the only NBA team he's ever known, but he's just starting to think about all the ramifications of the huge choice he'll face this summer.

''I really haven't had a chance to start thinking and talking about all this stuff, even with my family,'' Horford said. ''I had a rule this season: Focus on the team, focus on the now, I don't want to hear anything about the summer. Now the summer is here.''

The Hawks are also facing a reckoning at point guard, where Jeff Teague is the longtime starter but Dennis Schroder is coming on strong. Tellingly, the 22-year-old German led the Hawks with 21 points in the season finale, Sunday's 100-99 loss to the Cavs, and had the ball in his hands for a potential game-winning shot at the end.

Teague was merely a spectator, watching from the bench.

Budenholzer, who has the final say in personnel matters, could elect to keep both point guards for another season. But Teague's trade value is probably as high as it's going to get entering the final year of his contract. Schroder has made it clear he wants to be the starter someday.

While another sweep by the Cavaliers prompted inevitable questions about a major overhaul, that doesn't seem likely. Budenholzer often talks about the importance of continuity, and he's counting on getting a lot more next season from players such as center Tiago Splitter, who went down with a season-ending injury, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who barely played at all the first half of the season.

''Blowing it up is probably not the way to beat a team like Cleveland,'' Budenholzer said. ''We value what this group has done, the success that they've had.''

The core of the team may return.

But no one wants to go through this again.

''We all want more,'' Budenholzer said. ''I think it's great that we've put ourselves in that position where there's some expectations. People want and expect a lot of us. We expect that. Tomorrow, the challenge is to come in, get to work, find a way to get better, find a way to go to that next level.''

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Heat (48-34) at Raptors (56-26)
Date: May 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In his desire to show his respect for Canada and the Toronto Raptors, Dwyane Wade made sure to cut his warmup time before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

As it turned out, he didn't really need all that much.

The Miami Heat star will look to continue his high-scoring performances Wednesday night in front of what could prove an especially unwelcoming crowd in Toronto.

Wade was part of some controversy in Game 3 in Miami on Saturday when he decided to take a couple more shots instead of joining his teammates in line for the Canadian national anthem. He quickly tried to make amends after the 95-91 loss.

"No disrespect at all from me," Wade said. "I apologize for Canada thinking I would disrespect them as a county. So today, I just adjusted how I normally get ready for a game."

Wade was the first in line for the singing of "O Canada" before Monday's Game 4 and scored 30 points in a 94-87 overtime victory that tied the series. He had nine points in the final 6 1/2 minutes of regulation to lead the Heat's comeback and a finishing dunk in the third game against Toronto that's required additional time.

Wade totaled 68 points while making 26 of 49 shots in the two games in Miami. He had 17 on 7-of-17 shooting in his latest one in Toronto, a 96-92 overtime loss Thursday.

"I'm as confident as I've been all season now," Wade said. "Every other day we're playing and it's taxing, but I love that every time I come out on the court I feel just as good as I did the last game. It allows me to go out there and play the game I love the way I can. I'm enjoying this."

The Heat are returning north without center Hassan Whiteside, who will try to continue healing from a sprained ligament in his right knee. He had a combined 29 rebounds in the first two games in the series, including 17 in a 102-96 overtime victory in the opener May 3.

The Raptors won't have their center, Jonas Valanciunas, for the rest of the series because of a sprained right ankle. Like Whiteside, he was injured in Game 3.

Valanciunas averaged 18.3 points on 64.9 percent shooting and 12.7 rebounds in the first three games. Without him, the Raptors saw their shooting percentage drop from a postseason-high 47.1 in Game 3 to a series-worst 39.3 on Monday.

Toronto stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were a combined 6 of 28 from the floor and totaled 19 points with Lowry going 0 for 6 from 3-point range.

The Heat tried to keep both players from reaching the paint and taking advantage of Whiteside's absence.

"Lowry and DeRozan, they're going to take their shots. We're trying to make it tough for them," point guard Goran Dragic told the Heat's official website. "(In Game 3), we felt like we didn't shrink the floor well and tonight we did an amazing job."

DeRozan has shot 33 percent and 3 of 19 from beyond the arc this postseason, but he averaged 22.8 points in his previous four games before Monday's dismal effort even while dealing with an ailing thumb. Lowry has connected at 33.1 percent and 19.7 from 3 but looked like he had broken his slump in Game 3.

He had 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting and was 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. He went 2 of 11 from the floor in Game 4, however, and scored 10 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

"It's not like we're just going to bench Kyle and DeMar, and go away from them. They're our guys. We believe in them," coach Dwane Casey said. "They're our two All-Stars and sooner or later they're going to come through or be a part of what we're trying to do."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Heat at Raptors
Tue, May 3 Final 102 to 96
Recaps

GAME 2
Heat at Raptors
Thu, May 5 Final 92 to 96
Recaps

GAME 3
Raptors at Heat
Sat, May 7 Final 95 to 91
Recaps

GAME 4
Raptors at Heat
Mon, May 9 Final 87 to 94
Recaps

GAME 5
Heat at Raptors
Wed, May 11 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Raptors at Heat
Fri, May 13 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Heat at Raptors
Sun, May 15 - 3:30PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Trail Blazers (44-38) at Warriors (73-9)
Date: May 11, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Another missed opportunity has left the Portland Trail Blazers with no margin for error in their quest to overtake the Golden State Warriors.

They'll now need to be virtually perfect with Stephen Curry back and having rediscovered his shooting touch.

Curry's heroic return has the Warriors a win away from a second consecutive trip to the Western Conference finals when they return home for Wednesday night's Game 5.

Playing for the first time since spraining his right knee in Game 4 of Golden State's opening-round series with Houston, Curry shook off a rusty start to take over the final stages of Monday's Game 4. Hours before officially earning his second straight league MVP in a first-ever unanimous vote, the sharpshooter scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime to rally the Warriors to a 132-125 victory for a 3-1 series lead.

Curry missed his first nine 3-point attempts and was 6 of 18 from the field through three quarters, but he went 10 of 14 thereafter to finish with 40 points in 38 minutes.

"I figured he'd find his stroke and make a few shots, but that was crazy," coach Steve Kerr said. "Once he got going, he didn't look tired."

Curry's performance helped turn around a series that appeared to be shifting in the Trail Blazers' favor following Saturday's 120-108 Game 3 win and a sizzling start to Monday's matchup. Portland led 16-2 when Curry entered with 5:58 left in the first quarter and owned a 71-59 advantage early in the third before the Warriors began to mount their comeback.

The Blazers also couldn't close out Game 2 in Oakland, where they were outscored 34-12 in the fourth quarter in a 110-99 defeat.

"We played really well in Game 3 and got the win, Game 2 we played really well and we let that one slip away and then (Monday) we played really well again," guard Damian Lillard said. "They're a championship team. We competed with them. We're right there, we were one or two stops from winning the game. We let another one get away."

Lillard couldn't duplicate a brilliant 40-point effort in Game 3. Though he finished with 36 points, the star guard was 9 of 30 from the floor after Saturday's 8-of-13 display from 3-point range.

The near-misses have put Portland in a precarious spot. The Blazers will need to win twice at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors are 44-2 this season including the playoffs and have won six straight over Portland. Golden State also has yet to lose back-to-back games during its record-setting campaign.

"If I don't think they're done, I don't know who else is going to think it," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "We're going home with a 3-1 lead. I trust our team to come out ready to go and close this series out. We did what we needed to do; we came on the road and got one win."

Curry, who will receive his MVP award before the game, presents another obstacle to a Portland team that's also had difficulty containing Klay Thompson and Green. Thompson is averaging 30.5 points for the series and hit three 3s during a momentum-shifting 19-5 run during the third quarter of Game 4. Green compiled 21 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks on Monday and is averaging 24.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in the series.

Only nine teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series, though Houston did so against the Los Angeles Clippers in last year's West semifinals. Portland did win four straight over the Clippers in the opening round after losing the first two.

"The important thing for right now is that we've played better in every game, which is improvement, obviously," coach Terry Stotts said. "Just like in the Clippers series, we played better as the series went along. Same thing here."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Trail Blazers at Warriors
Sun, May 1 Final 106 to 118

GAME 2
Trail Blazers at Warriors
Tue, May 3 Final 99 to 110
Recaps

GAME 3
Warriors at Trail Blazers
Sat, May 7 Final 108 to 120
Recaps

GAME 4
Warriors at Trail Blazers
Mon, May 9 Final 132 to 125
Recaps

GAME 5
Trail Blazers at Warriors
Wed, May 11 - 10:30PM EDT

GAME 6
Warriors at Trail Blazers
Fri, May 13 - 10:30PM EDT

GAME 7
Trail Blazers at Warriors
Mon, May 16 - 9:00PM EDT