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[StarDust Bum]

Spurs prepare without All-Star Leonard
May 15, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) If all hope seems lost for the San Antonio Spurs heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference finals without injured stars Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, they only need to look back a few days to see what's possible.

But even the Spurs know that beating Houston on the road in a series clincher without those two stars is a far different task than the one they face on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors with Leonard and Parker on the sideline.

''I understand the Warriors are a very talented team, so we're going to have to be really sharp tomorrow,'' forward Pau Gasol said. ''We've got to limit our mistakes because those guys really make you pay. They have so many weapons that the game could swing in a heartbeat, as we experienced.''

Leonard's injury when he landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot and turned his already tender left ankle severely altered Game 1 and possibly the entire series. Golden State rallied from 23 points down after Leonard left to win 113-111 Sunday as the Spurs struggled on both ends of the court without one of the game's best two-way players.

Leonard had an MRI on Monday and will not play in Game 2, leaving the Spurs angry at what they considered a dirty play by Pachulia and frustrated by their predicament.

''Yesterday in itself was a roller coaster, a lot of different emotional things going on,'' guard Danny Green said. ''The playoffs for us have been rough. No one will feel bad for us. We have to continue to go out there and play. There's no Tony, no Kawhi as of right now. I felt like we've been to hell and back in just three hours. We'll figure it out.''

The Warriors are expecting just that after watching role player Jonathan Simmons fill in with 18 points and stellar defense in the 114-75 win at Houston last Thursday and knowing how prepared and professional Gregg Popovich coached teams usually are.

''We have no intention of letting our guard down,'' said Warriors big man David West, who played for the Spurs last season. ''We know that they're very capable and that system is as strong as it's been. There is no deviation in terms of our attack and our game plan. We'll go out and try to protect our home court.''

Golden State dominated Game 1 after Leonard went down, outscoring the Spurs 58-33 to earn the comeback win. San Antonio shot just 37 percent after the injury, with twice as many turnovers as assists. The Warriors, who struggled to score in the first half, shot 58 percent after Leonard left.

But with time to prepare a new game plan without Leonard, the Warriors are expecting a different type of challenge in Game 2.

''It makes them less predictable,'' Golden State forward Draymond Green said. ''Obviously, when Kawhi's on the floor, you know it's going to run through him. So it makes it a lot less predictable. But I think we come out on edge from the jump, play our game, and we'll be just fine.''

The Warriors are dealing with their own injuries although they aren't as significant as missing an MVP candidate in Leonard. Forward Andre Iguodala was listed as questionable because of a sore left knee that limited him to 10 minutes in Game 1. Acting coach Mike Brown said he noticed Iguodala hobbling so he was cautious not to overuse him.

Iguodala had an MRI but the results weren't yet available when practice ended.

Coach Steve Kerr was back on the court for the Warriors' light workout - they met, watched film and ran through a few sets on the floor - after attending the game and providing a halftime talk with his team down by 20. Recovering from a follow-up procedure May 5 at Duke University to repair a spinal fluid leak that stems from a pair of surgeries following the 2015 championship run, the 51-year-old Kerr returned to practice for the first time in more than three weeks Saturday.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 2 - Spurs at Warriors
May 15, 2017

Western Conference Finals - Game 2 (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)
San Antonio at Golden State (Warriors lead 1-0)

Golden State rallied from a 25-point second-half deficit to defeat San Antonio 113-111 in a riveting Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Warriors failed to cover the spread as 10-point home favorites, while the 224 combined points soared ‘over’ the 209.5-point total.

However, Golden State (76-15 straight up, 45-43-3 against the spread) did hook up its backers for second-half wagers as an 11-point favorite when it trailed 62-42 (+9 adjusted). Gamblers had all sorts of chances to bet the Warriors as significant underdogs with in-game bets. In fact, according to multiple reports, William Hill had them available at +900 on the money line when they trailed by 25 early in the third quarter.

We’ll never know how those in-game bets would’ve fared if not for an unfortunate play. Before it occurred, San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard was clearly playing like the best player on the court.

However, he went down in the third quarter when the Spurs were ahead by a 78-55 score. As Leonard took a deep two-point jumper from the baseline, Golden State center Zaza Pachulia stepped out to contest the shot. When Leonard landed on Pachulia’s foot, his already-injured left ankle twisted and he was unable to return.

As of Monday afternoon, Leonard was considered ‘doubtful’ for Tuesday’s Game 2. Most books had the Warriors listed as 14-point home ‘chalk’ with a total of 211. San Antonio was +1000 on the money-line at most offshore books (risk $100 to win $1,000).

The Spurs are already without starting point guard Tony Parker, who will miss the rest of the playoffs after being injured against Houston in the previous series. Without Leonard, they are missing their two best playmakers, but we should also note that they smashed Houston at Toyota Center without both players just two games ago.

San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich took his first career loss (against 316 victories) Sunday when his team was leading by 25 points or more. He wasn’t happy at all with Pachulia.

When he faced the media Monday and was asked about the play, Popovich said, “How much more difficult is it? Come on, man. How would it be if Curry didn’t play? How much more difficult would that be? I’m not a happy camper. But that’s a silly question. The two-step lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate. It’s dangerous, it’s unsportsmanlike, it’s just not what anybody does to anybody else. This particular individual has a history with that kind of action. You can go back and look at the Dallas game where he got a Flagrant 2 for elbowing Patty Mills. The play where he took Kawhi down and locked his arm in Dallas and could’ve broken his arm. Ask David West, his current teammate, how things went when Zaza was playing for Dallas and he and David got into it. Then think about the history he’s had and what that means to a team, what happened last night. A totally unnatural closeout that the league outlawed years ago and pays great attention to it. And Kawhi’s not there. And you want to know how we feel about it? You want to know if that lessens our chances? We’re playing very possibly the best team in the league. We don’t know what’s going to happen in the East. But 9.75 people out of 10 figure the Warriors will beat the Spurs. Well, we’ve had a pretty damn good season. We’ve played fairly well in the playoffs. I think we’re getting better. And we’re up 23 points in the third quarter against Golden State and Kawhi goes down — like that — and you want to know if our chances are less and how we feel? That’s how we feel.”

Well, that just about covered Pop’s opinion.

And one can certainly understand his thinking. When Leonard left the game, Golden State promptly ripped off an 18-0 run. Steph Curry led the way with 19 points in the third quarter. I was on the Warriors as six-point favorites for the third quarter, a line I snagged at halftime when the deficit was 62-42. They easily covered that, trimming the deficit to 90-81 going into the final stanza.

Steve Kerr’s team, one he’s relinquished to Mike Brown for the time being after undergoing another back procedure, would take its first lead since the opening moments of the game when Kevin Durant got a bucket with 4:09 remaining. The advantage lasted for less than two minutes, as LaMarcus Aldridge’s jumper put San Antonio back in front, 104-103.

The Spurs would extend the lead to 106-103 on a pair of free throws from Jonathon Simmons with 2:12. The next possession was critical. Curry and Durant both missed 3-pointers, but San Antonio could corral the defensive board either time. After Shaun Livingston rebounded Durant’s miss, he found Curry on the left wing for a tying trey with 1:47 left.

Following a San Antonio miss, Golden State pushed the ball and Thompson found Draymond Green for an easy bucket and a foul. Green made the FT for a three-point advantage with 1:15 remaining. Next, Danny Green missed a potential tying 3 from the corner, but Aldridge secured the offensive rebound. His turnaround fadeaway shot went in and out. Durant found a cutting Curry for a layup to put the Warriors ahead by a 111-106 count.

After a Popovich timeout with 38 ticks left, Manu Ginobili penetrated for a quick dunk to the slice the deficit to three and only use four seconds. San Antonio pressed and Patty Mills ripped away a steal from Thompson, who committed a mind-boggling foul to put Mills at the charity stripe. He made both to make it a one-point game with 31 seconds left.

With the shot clock dripping down on the ensuing possession, Curry penetrated to his left and buried a sick floater with nine seconds left. The Spurs last-ditch 3 to tie by Aldridge was off the mark, but Mills grabbed the rebounds and was fouled with 0.5 seconds left. Mills would make the first FT and miss the second on purpose, but the ball was swatted out of bounds and the Warriors were in the win column.

Curry produced 40 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, hitting 14-of-26 shots from the field and 7-of-16 from 3-point range. Durant finished with 34 points, five boards, four assists, four blocks and one steal, while Green contributed nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a pair of steals.

Pachulia tallied 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal. Thompson never really got involved, making only 2-of-11 FGs in a six-point effort. Thompson had four rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks and three turnovers.

In only 23-plus minutes of playing time, Leonard had 26 points, eight rebounds, one steal and three assists compared to just one turnover. Aldridge would finish with 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block, but he did cough up six of the team’s 17 turnovers. Ginobili contributed 17 points and three steals while knocking down 7-of-10 field-goal attempts. Simmons was also in double figures with 12 points, as he drained 2-of-3 from downtown.

San Antonio (69-26 SU, 49-44-2 ATS) owns a 33-14 SU record and a 26-19-2 ATS mark in this season’s road assignments. The Spurs won two of three regular-season matchups with Golden State, winning by 29 points at Oracle last October and by 22 at home in March.

Popovich’s club has thrived as an underdog all season, compiling an 8-2-1 spread record with seven outright victories. Game 1 was its only double-digit ‘dog spot of the year.

Golden State has posted a 41-5 SU record and a 22-22-2 ATS ledger in its home games this year. The Warriors have won back-to-back games over San Antonio, including a 110-98 road win in late March.

Golden St owns a 22-33 spread record as a double-digit favorite this year, going 19-19-2 in home ‘chalk’ spots. The Warriors are unbeaten in five home playoffs games, but they have limped to a 1-4 spread record.

Andre Iguodala is ‘questionable’ for Game 2 due to a sore knee. Iguodala was limited to only 10 minutes of action in the series opener. He had two points, one assists, one steal and one turnover. In nine postseason games, the University of Arizona product is averaging 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

In the nine games Leonard has missed this year, San Antonio has gone 8-1 SU. These results have been based on solid defense, allowing only 91.6 PPG.

VegasInsider.com Kevin Rogers pointed out some Game 2 trends, nothing that “the Warriors have won nine of their last 11 Game 2’s at home in the playoffs, but were very consistent against the spread the last two seasons in this situation. In their 2015 championship run, Golden State failed to cover in all four Game 2’s as a home favorite, but the Warriors cashed in all four opportunities in 2016. This time around, the Warriors have split in their first two opportunities by blowing out Portland in the opening round before Utah cashed late in Game 2 of the second round.”

The ‘over’ is 3-1 in the four head-to-head meetings between these clubs this year.

The ‘over’ is 10-3 for San Antonio in these playoffs, going 5-2 in its road outings. Going back to the last two regular-season contests, the Spurs have seen the ‘over’ go 12-3 in their last 15 games. For the season, they’ve watched the ‘over’ go 53-40-2 overall, 27-21 in their road contests.

The ‘under’ is 53-38 overall for Golden State, but it has seen the ‘over’ cash at a 6-3 clip in the postseason. The ‘over’ is 3-2 in the Warriors’ five home playoff games, but the ‘under’ is 24-22 in their home contests for the year.

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David offered up his thoughts on the opener from Sunday and the total for Tuesday.

“The ‘under’ started off well in Game 1 but Golden State finally found its shot and the officials certainly gave both teams plenty of opportunities. The pair combined to shoot 61 free throws, 33 of them given to Golden State and that’s surprising considering San Antonio is one of the best teams in the league at keeping teams off the charity stripe. If these teams keep up the same number of attempts going forward, it will be very hard to see any ‘under’ tickets connecting in this series,” said David.

“I’ve noted in previous pieces on VI about how well San Antonio has played after allowing 110 or more points this season and it’s hard to ignore that trend. Popovich and his staff have been excellent at making adjustments no matter who is on the court. The Golden State team total is listed at 111 ½ for Game 2 and I believe the Spurs will do enough to keep the Warriors below that number.”

As David noted, San Antonio has allowed more than 110 PPG this season 12 times and that includes Game 1. In the ensuing matchups, the Spurs have buckled down and only allowed 98.7 PPG. That effort has translated into a 9-2 record (7-4 ATS) and three of the wins have come in the playoffs.

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

[StarDust Bum]

May's Best Bets:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

05/12/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%.......... -0.50
05/11/2017.......... 2-0-0........ 100.00%....... +10.00
05/10/2017...........2-0-0.........100.00%.........+10.00
05/09/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%........... -0.50
05/08/2017.......... 0-2-0 ..........0.00%.......... -11.00
05/07/2017.......... 2-4-0......... 33.33%.......... -12.00
05/06/2017.......... 0-2-0........... 0.00%.......... -11.00
05/05/2017.......... 2-2-0......... 50.00%........... -1.00
05/04/2017.......... 0-4-0........... 0.00%.......... -22.00
05/03/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%......... + 9.50
05/02/2017.......... 4-0-0......... 100.00%........ +20.00
05/01/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%........... +9.50

Totals................20 - 18...........52.63%%..........+ 2.00

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

05/12/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............0 - 1........0,00...-1.00
05/11/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/10/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/09/2017............0 - 1 .........00.00%............-1.10.............1 - 0......100.00....+1.00
05/08/2017............0 - 1..........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1 ......0.00%....-1.10
05/07/2017............2 - 1..........66.66%............+0.90............0 - 3.......0.00%...-3.30
5/06/2017.............0 - 1...........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1.......0.00%...-1.10
5/05/2017.............1 - 1...........50.00%............-0.10.............1 - 1......50.00%...-0.10
05/04/2017............0 - 2...........00.00%............-2.20.............0 - 2......0.00%.....- 2.20
05/03/2017............1 - 1...........50.00%...........- 0.10.............2 - 0......100%....+ 2.00
05/02/2017............2 - 0..........100.00%.........+ 2.00.............2 - 0.......100%....+ 2.00
05/01/2017............2 - 0..........100.00 %........+ 2.00.............1 - 1.......50%.......- 0.10

Totals...................11 - 8............57.89%.........+2.20..............9 - 10.......47.36%...-1.90

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s NBA Western Conference Finals Betting Preview: Spurs at Warriors

Head coach Steve Kerr watched the game from the locker room on Sunday and delivered the team a pep talk during halftime with the Warriors down 20 points.

San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (-13.5, 208.5)

Warriors lead series 1-0

The San Antonio Spurs were on their way to a shocking win in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals until star small forward Kawhi Leonard went down with a sprained left ankle in the third quarter and the Golden State Warriors responded with a big rally. The Warriors will try to stay undefeated in the postseason and take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Tuesday.

The Spurs led by as much as 25 points and were up 23 when Leonard landed on Golden State center Zaza Pachulia's foot after attempting a jump shot with 7:53 left in the third quarter, forcing him out of the game for good. The Warriors immediately went on an 18-0 run and outscored San Antonio 58-33 after Leonard's exit en route to a 113-111 triumph. "I think it was the pressure," Spurs point guard Patty Mills told reporters of the difference, according to ESPN.com. "They upped their defensive pressure, and we kind of got rattled from that, not knowing what to go to and being organized. For the majority of the game, we were organized. We were trying to take the air out of the gym. But they upped their aggressiveness defensively, and it kind of caught us out of rhythm." The Spurs can look to recent history when starting a game without Leonard after crushing the Houston Rockets 114-75 with the star on the bench in the clinching game of the conference semifinals.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 12-point home favorites for Game 2 and the total hit the board at 211, but all of that was thrown out the window Monday afternoon when Spurs' head coach Greg Popovich declared Kawhi Leonard OUT for Tuesday night. When the books reposted the numbers the Dubs were up to -14 and the total was down to 208.5. During the day Monday the public bet the Spurs enough to force the spread down to -13.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Spurs - SF Kawhi Leonard (Doubful, ankle), PG Tony Parker (Out For Season, quadricep).

Warriors - SG A. Iguodala (Questionable, knee), SF Kevon Looney (Out Indefinitely, hip).

ABOUT THE SPURS (69-26 SU, 49-44-2 ATS, 53-40-2 O/U): Leonard originally suffered the injury in the last round and aggravated the ankle by stepping on the foot of one of his own teammates on the bench earlier in Game 1 before landing on Pachulia and leaving the contest. "I feel good," Leonard told reporters after the game. "I’ll get back healthy. I have faith in my teammates, and we’re going to see what happens [in] Game 2." Leonard scored 26 points in 24 minutes before leaving and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge tried to pick up the slack while posting 28 points but missed a tying 3-point attempt in the final seconds.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (76-15 SU, 45-43-3 ATS, 38-53 O/U): Golden State is being led by assistant coach Mike Brown while head coach Steve Kerr continues to deal with complications from back surgery, but Kerr watched the game from the locker room on Sunday and delivered the team a pep talk during halftime with the Warriors down 20 points. “It’s always great to hear coach Kerr’s voice and give his perspective,” Curry told reporters. “It’s actually a fresh perspective from somebody who is watching the game, so he sees a lot of different angles and he sees how things are developing from a broader perspective. So, that’s obviously huge for us." Curry scored 26 of his 40 points after the break while Durant, who was hounded by Leonard for the first 28 minutes of the contest, saw things open up on the offensive end in the second half as well.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 6-2 ATS this season without Kawhi Leonard in their lineup.
* Warriors are 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 9-2 in Spurs last 11 overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 74 percent of users are siding with the road underdog Spurs and Over is picking up 71 percent of the totals wagers.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 16


San Antonio @ Golden State

Game 719-720
May 16, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
128.292
Golden State
134.781
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 6 1/2
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 14
208 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+14); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 16

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SAN ANTONIO (69 - 26) at GOLDEN STATE (76 - 15) - 5/16/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 103-88 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 148-120 ATS (+16.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 84-64 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 88-62 ATS (+19.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 1004-876 ATS (+40.4 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) in road games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 152-106 ATS (+35.4 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-5 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, May 16

Western Conference – Finals – Best of 7 – Game 2 – GSW Leads 1-0

San Antonio at Golden State, 9:00 PM ET
San Antonio: 18-7 OVER revenging a loss vs opponent
Golden State: 34-15 OVER in home games after a close win by 3 points or less




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 16

Warriors blew a 25-point 3rd quarter lead, lost Game 1, now Leonard is out for this game, as well as Parker (out for year). Spurs are 8-1 in last nine games Leonard missed, but this is tough. Warriors are 6-5 in last 11 games vs San Antonio, 2-2 this year- they lost four of last six visits to Oakland. Underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in last five series games. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Spurs are 3-4 on road in playoffs; over is 9-2 in their last 11 games. Golden State is 9-0 (5-4 vs spread) in playoffs; road team is 8-1 vs spread in those games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Conference finals:
San Antonio-Golden State
GState 113-111, -10, O209.5




NBA

Tuesday, May 16

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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9:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. GOLDEN STATE
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
San Antonio is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Golden State is 6-12-2 ATS in its last 20 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing San Antonio

[StarDust Bum]

Leonard latest to deal with ankle injury
May 16, 2017

Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 2 of the Western Conference finals with an ankle sprain, though the San Antonio Spurs' MVP candidate has already made it back from the injury once this postseason.

Ankle injuries in basketball are not uncommon, at any level. But when you're one of the best players in the league, playing on the NBA's postseason stage against the league's best team, it becomes a big deal.

Add in how some are questioning (see Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ) whether Leonard was injured by a dirty play in the series opener Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, and it's even bigger.

Still, none of that changes the uphill challenge Leonard faces getting back on the court again. He returned after missing the close-out game against Houston last week and looked fine in the opener against the Warriors until he re-injured his ankle.

''It's always unique when you have injuries to lower extremities because you can't still train as normal,'' ESPN analyst Jalen Rose said. ''Like, if you have injuries to your hips, your quads, your hamstrings or your knees or your Achilles or feet, it just hampers your ability to not only do the rehab but to keep your conditioning up.''

Referring to Golden State forward Draymond Green, Rose said: ''Draymond talked a lot after the game how basically he was gassed at halftime because the team had been off multiple days and the Spurs were just coming off a series and seemed the team more in shape to perform at the beginning of the game. That's the same thing that's going to happen with an ankle injury for Kawhi.''

While it's difficult to make such a quick recovery from a sprained ankle, history shows it can be done.

Here's a look at some other players who have suffered sprained ankles and still were able to perform well in previous NBA playoff series or NCAA Tournaments.

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ISIAH THOMAS, 1988

Thomas' effort in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Final against the Los Angeles Lakers likely goes down as the most memorable performance with a sprained ankle, even though it came in a losing cause. Thomas severely sprained his ankle yet still had 43 points, eight assists and six steals in the Detroit Pistons' 103-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Thomas scored 25 points in the third quarter alone . He came back two nights later and played 28 minutes and scored 10 points in the Pistons' 108-105 loss.

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MATEEN CLEAVES, 2000 (NCAA)

Cleaves sprained his ankle early in the second half of Michigan State's 2000 NCAA championship game matchup with Florida. He returned to the game with the ankle heavily taped and ended up with 18 points as the Spartans beat the Gators 89-76.

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KOBE BRYANT, 2000

Bryant sprained his left ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The injury caused him to miss Game 3, but he returned for Game 4 and scored 28 points to help the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 120-118 in overtime. The victory gave the Lakers a 3-1 lead in a series they eventually won in six games. Bryant proved particularly valuable in helping the Lakers survive in overtime after teammate Shaquille O'Neal fouled out.

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STEPHEN CURRY, 2013

Curry withstood a sprained left ankle to collect 29 points and 11 assists as the Golden State Warriors edged the Denver Nuggets 110-108 to take a 2-1 series lead in the first round of the 2013 Western Conference playoffs. The Warriors won the series in six games before losing to San Antonio in the conference semifinals.

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ISAIAH THOMAS, 2016

Thomas sprained his left ankle last season when the Celtics lost 110-83 to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round series, but he returned two nights later to play in Game 6 as Boston tried to avoid elimination. Thomas scored 25 points in Game 6, though Atlanta wrapped up the series with a 104-92 victory.

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JOEL BERRY, 2017 (NCAA)

Berry was dealing with injuries to both of his ankles when he helped North Carolina win the NCAA Tournament this year. Even with his ankles bothering him, Berry scored a game-high 22 points to go along with six assists as the Tar Heels defeated Gonzaga 71-65 in the NCAA championship game.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, MAY 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SA at GS 09:00 PM

SA +14.0

O 209.5

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors trounce Kawhi-less Spurs in Gm. 2
May 16, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Steve Kerr provided a strong message, just not from his usual spot on the bench: Play with urgency from the opening tip this time.

The Golden State Warriors did just that for their ailing coach watching from the locker room, and left Gregg Popovich questioning and criticizing his Spurs players for a lack of belief and feeling sorry for themselves without injured superstar Kawhi Leonard.

Stephen Curry had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in three quarters and the Warriors trounced on the short-handed Spurs, running away from San Antonio for a 136-100 rout Tuesday night and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Kevin Durant added 16 points and Draymond Green provided another impressive all-around performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Rookie Patrick McCaw had 18 points and five assists off the bench shooting 6 for 8 as Golden State earned its second-most lopsided postseason victory ever to go to 10-0.

''That's just been the message all year, just play with urgency and start the game off with some energy and throw the first punch,'' Durant said. ''Unlike Game 1 we did that tonight. We know they're a little undermanned but they still play extremely hard, so we knew we couldn't come out here and relax and think they were just going to give us the game. We had to go take it.''

The 36-point Warriors' win is second to a 39-point victory for Philadelphia at St. Louis on April 6, 1948.

Jonathon Simmons scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half as the lone bright spot for the Spurs.

''It looked pretty collective to me. I don't think it was one guy who didn't believe and he infected everybody else or anything like that. As a group they just let themselves down,'' Popovich said. ''The truth always quote-un-quote sets you free. You can't sugarcoat it or say `if we had just made a couple shots we'd have been right there. That's pretty lame. So, call it like it is. We didn't come to play. We felt sorry for ourselves. We need to get slapped and come back and play Game 3 and see who we are.''

Leonard re-injured his left ankle in Sunday's 113-111 Game 1 loss after coming down on Zaza Pachulia's foot. Popovich on Monday called out the Warriors starting center for the ''dangerous'' and ''unsportsmanlike'' closeout - which had Pachulia insisting he is not a dirty player, was only playing hard, and felt badly that the All-Star forward was injured.

Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in San Antonio.

Pachulia left the game injured for a Warriors team already without key reserve forward Andre Iguodala, held out because of soreness in his left knee that limited him to 10 minutes in Game 1.

An X-ray on Pachulia's bruised right heel was clear but he was scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday.

Golden State quickly established its pass-happy, up-tempo style to take the Spurs out from the opening tip. It was a drastic difference from a game of catch-up two days earlier when the Warriors rallied from 25 down and a 20-point halftime deficit.

The bench contributed a season-best 63 points.

''They came out with a sense of urgency from the beginning and they played that way for 48 minutes,'' acting Warriors coach Mike Brown said.

Klay Thompson, still struggling to find his steady shooting touch, had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Warriors had 39 assists - the most by any team this postseason - including 30 on their initial 38 baskets.

Shaun Livingston scored in double figures for the first time this postseason with 10 points for Golden State.

Simmons started in Leonard's place and made 6 of 9 shots to begin the game while the rest of the Spurs were 3 for 22.

LEONARD'S STATUS

Popovich wasn't about to guess whether Leonard would return in time for Saturday's game, saying it could be Friday or even game day before that would be determined.

''I have no idea. Just depends on how the ankle heals,'' Popovich said. ''I'd probably list him as questionable. But the thing that worries me is that he did it again, the exact same thing. So one would logically think maybe it will take longer, but I'm hoping that's not true and we'll have him for Game 3. But I don't know. I don't think we're going to know until Friday and Saturday, probably.''

TIP-INS

Spurs: The Spurs had 23 offensive rebounds after 14 in Game 1. ... Patty Mills, playing in place of the injured Tony Parker, had another quiet night. After he went 1 for 8 and missed all six of his 3s in the first game, he finally hit from long range midway through the second Tuesday.

Warriors: Kerr attended his second game this series but again watched behind the scenes as he recovers from a May 5 procedure at Duke University to repair a spinal fluid leak. ... Golden State's 23 first-half assists were its most ever in a playoff half, topping 22 against Phoenix on May 4, 1994. The Warriors notched their fourth 30-assist game this postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s six-pack

— Late night Tuesday had a lot of fun baseball stuff; A’s/Angels won wild games out on the west coast.

— Celtics won the NBA Draft Lottery; Lakers get the 2nd pick.

— Since 2000, Buffalo Bills have had nine head coaches and seven GMs. That’s a lot.

— Mets’ SS Asdrubel Cabrera finally goes on the DL with his sprained thumb.

— Freddie Freeman has 13 hits, four homers in his first seven games in Rogers Centre in Toronto.

— Miami Marlins are already committed to paying $95.3M to only eight players next season- their payroll is a total mess. They’ve ranked 25th or lower in attendance the last five years. Oy.

**************************

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings………

13) Further proof the world is slowly going crazy…..

“Volunteers at an overdose prevention site in Vancouver say they saved the life of a (pet) rat named Snuggles after the little rodent overdosed on heroin.”

CNBC reported the pet rat was brought in by a woman who said it had eaten heroin off a table.

You cannot make this stuff up.

12) Cosmopolitan Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas started charging customers to park this week, the 23rd Strip property to charge customers to park in visits to resorts. Self-park is $7-10 a day; valet parking is $13-18 a day.

11) Supposedly, one of the main reasons that Ben Simmons spent his six months of college at LSU is because lot of higher-profile college programs weren’t fond of the idea of having a camera crew following him around all season, for the infomercial his people did on him that aired on Showtime.

I mean, how do you do a 90-minute “documentary” on a basketball player, but never have either his high school or college coach on to talk? Supposedly Simmons has grown another two inches since we last saw him play– he is now just about 7-feet tall. I’ll be very curious to see him play in NBA games.

10) Since 2005, there have been 30 games that weren’t played at Coors Field that had a total of 12 or more runs. Under was 17-13 in those games.

9) Washington Redskins signed free agent LB Nico Marley, grandson of music legend Bob Marley; his dad Rohan Marley played ball at Miami.

8) 16.9% of Ben Roethlisberger’s passing attempts last year went 20+ yards downfield; the next highest percentage of any NFL QB last year was Cam Newton, at 13.9%.

7) For the first time in 10 years, the winner of the Main Event at the World Series of Poker will be crowned in July and not November. Wish they would legalize online poker in this country so ESPN would start showing the WSOP the way it used to- enjoyed watching that stuff.

6) Diamondbacks’ catcher Chris Iannetta was hit in the face by a pitch over the weekend; he broke his nose, a couple teeth and got stitches in his upper lip. Catchers are tough people.

5) Stanford/Long Beach State will play basketball the next three years; this year in Long Beach, the next two years on the Farm. At least Stanford goes on the road once, more than most Power 5 schools do.

Tulsa/Oklahoma State will play a home/home series starting this winter, which is very unusual.

4) Back in late January, Alabama opened as -4.5 over Florida State in the college football season opener this fall. That spread is now Alabama -7.

3) Alabama hired Yasir Rosemond as an assistant basketball coach; he has extensive recruiting ties in the Atlanta area- he previously was an assistant at Georgia and Oregon.

2) Old Italian proverb: “When the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.”

1) Geddy Lee, lead singer of Rush, was at the Braves-Blue Jays game in Toronto Tuesday. Lee is a huge baseball fan and apparently has a great memorabilia collection.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge
Wednesday’s game

Quick turnaround for Celtics, who won Game 7 here against the Wizards two nites ago. Boston is 8-5 in playoffs, 5-2 at home- over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Cleveland is 8-0 in playoffs, 4-0 on road (3-0-1 vs spread)- they haven’t played in 11 days- which is worse? Quick turnaround or 11 days without a game? Over is 6-2 in Cleveland’s last eight games. Cavaliers won eight of last ten games with Boston, winning four of last five in this building; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Cavs are 3-1 vs Boston this season, with wins by 6-6-23 points.

Conference finals:

San Antonio-Golden State
GState 113-111, -10, O209.5
State 136-100, -13, O211

Cleveland-Boston

[StarDust Bum]

LeBron, Celtics meet again in playoffs
May 16, 2017

INDEPENDECE, Ohio (AP) LeBron James is a meticulous dresser on and off the court, so his fashion choice on Tuesday was no accident.

He had worn the sleeveless T-shirt before in practice, but the black cutoff with the picture of a gold-and-green leprechaun throwing a punch had deeper meaning this time: The Celtics are next.

James will renew his personal rivalry with the NBA's most storied franchise on Wednesday as the Cavaliers, who have been waiting for an opponent since May 7, open the Eastern Conference finals in Boston. This will be the sixth time that James has faced the Celtics in the postseason, and his history with them has run from the great to the forgettable.

So while the T-shirt was for his alma mater, Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, it was also a nod to the Celtics, the team James has played in the postseason more than any other.

And it was a not-so-subtle jab. Remember, this is the same guy who came home from California last June wearing an ''Ultimate Warrior'' T-shirt after the Cavaliers shocked Golden State to end Cleveland's half-century title drought.

''They're a worthy opponent,'' said a rather gruff James, who didn't have much to say about the Celtics or anything else after the Cavs concluded their final practice during a lengthy layoff. ''We have to game plan every game. We have to game plan for what they bring to the table. And we have to mentally focus on our challenges that we have every game.''

No team in the East gets James' attention more quickly than the Celtics, who survived an exhausting, seven-game series against Washington to make their first conference final since 2012.

James is aiming for his seventh trip to the Finals - a streak shared only by Bill Russell and other members of those famed Celtics teams in the `60s - and he'll have to go through Boston again to get there. The last time he lost before the Finals was in 2010 to the Celtics, who eliminated James in six games in the conference semifinals.

On the way to the locker room following that Game 6 loss, he yanked off his Cavs jersey for what many thought was the last time. Two months later, James took his talents to South Beach.

Two years later, he returned with Miami to Boston, scored 45 points in Game 6 of the conference finals, forced a Game 7 and led the Heat to the first of two straight titles.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who was an assistant on Doc Rivers' staff for the Celtics in 2012, agreed that James' Game 6 masterpiece was the turning point in his career.

''We thought we had a chance to win that series,'' Lue said. ''LeBron came in and had 45 points, think he made six 3s and he was just determined that he wasn't going to let his team lose.''

Not much has changed since and James, who has averaged 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 29 career playoff games against Boston, is having the best statistical start in league postseason history.

He's the first player to score at least 275 points with 70 rebounds and 50 assists in his team's first eight games, he's scored 30 or more in six straight and, in a sweep of Toronto, he became the first player to score at least 35 in each win.

''He wants to go down as the greatest ever and he's focused on that every day,'' Cleveland forward Kyle Korver said. ''It's amazing, the level of focus and intensity he puts into his daily habits is something that I don't people understand how hard it is to do.''

The Cavaliers won three of four against the Celtics during the regular season. And while Cleveland was beaten out by Boston for the conference's top seed, James and his teammates served notice with a 114-91 dismantling of the Celtics on their parquet floor on April 5.

''It's two different teams,'' James said when asked if there was something to be gained from that victory. ''We're a totally different team. They're a totally different team at this point. I don't take nothing away.''

James has reverence for the Celtics' history, their mystique and raucous fans. If anyone can appreciate Boston's consistent excellence, it's the three-time champion who has often glanced into the rafters in Boston to admire the retired jerseys and 17 championship banners overhead.

''I've looked up there and seen how cool it was, but I don't think I actually paused,'' he said. ''I haven't paused in my career yet - at all.''

[StarDust Bum]

Game 1 - Cavaliers at Celtics
May 16, 2017

Eastern Conference Finals

No. 2 Cleveland at No. 1 Boston (TNT, 8:30 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Regular Season (Cavaliers 3-1)
Nov. 3 Celtics at Cavaliers (-10.5) 128-122 (Over 207)
Dec. 29 Celtics at Cavaliers (-6) 124-118 (Over 207)
Mar. 1 Cavaliers at Celtics (-2) 103-99 (Under 224)
Apr. 5 Cavaliers (+4) at Celtics 114-91 (Under 222)

LeBron James is riding an incredible streak of Eastern Conference championships by playing in the last seven NBA Finals. James and the Cavaliers have yet to lose a playoff game in this postseason after sweeping through the Pacers and Raptors, but Cleveland will have to knock out Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals without the benefit of home-court advantage.

Boston (53-29) finished two games ahead of Cleveland in the regular season to wrap up the top seed and set themselves up for home-court against the defending champions if they were to meet in the East Finals. The Celtics dug themselves a 2-0 hole in the opening round against the Bulls before beating Chicago in four straight games, which included three victories at the United Center. Boston needed seven games to eliminate Washington in the conference semifinals as not once did the road team come out victorious.

The Cavaliers were actually tested more in the opening round sweep against Indiana than they were in the second round against Toronto. Cleveland failed to cover in the first two wins at home, while needing to overcome a 25-point deficit in a 106-102 Game 3 triumph at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tyronn Lue’s club needed six games to eliminate Toronto in the conference finals in 2016, but the Cavs cruised to a four-game sweep with two of those wins coming by 21 points or more.

James continues to play at a high level for the Cavaliers, who are seeking a third straight NBA Finals appearance after last June’s incredible rally from 3-1 down to stun the Warriors for the franchise’s first title. James is averaging 34.4 points per game, which is eight points higher than last year’s average in the postseason, while Kyrie Irving is nearly mirroring his numbers from the 2016 championship run (25.2 ppg) by scoring 23.8 ppg through Cleveland’s first eight victories.

Isaiah Thomas has gone from nice NBA player early in his career to a legitimate superstar since his first season in Boston in 2015-16. The diminutive point guard averaged a career-high 28.9 ppg in the regular season, while posting an incredible 53-point effort in a Game 2 overtime victory over Washington in the conference semifinals. Thomas helped carry Boston to a 115-105 win in Game 7 over the Wizards by scoring 29 points and dishing out 12 assists to lead the C’s to their first conference finals appearance since 2012 against Miami.

The Cavaliers captured the season series with the Celtics by taking three of four matchups. Cleveland won the first two meetings at Quicken Loans Arena, as the Cavs hung on to beat the Celtics on November 3 by a 128-122 count. Boston outscored Cleveland by 11 points in the fourth quarter to pick up a cover as 10 ½-point underdogs, but James was too much for the Celtics by scoring 30 points and collecting 12 assists.

In late December, Kevin Love put together one of his best games of the season with 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead Cleveland to a 124-118 triumph as six-point favorites. Both teams shot over 50% from the floor, while Thomas topped the 30-point mark for the second time against Cleveland. However, Thomas shot 2-of-11 from three-point range in those two defeats, while converting on all 27 free throw attempts.

Boston broke through at home on March 1 with a 103-99 win as 1 ½-point favorites, as the Celtics limited the Cavaliers to 40% shooting from the floor. Thomas led Boston with a game-high 31 points as the Celtics snapped a three-game home losing streak to Cleveland that included a pair of defeats in the 2015 playoffs.

Cleveland rebounded in the final matchup at TD Garden on April 5 as the Cavaliers jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead and cruised to a 114-91 rout as four-point underdogs. Thomas struggled again from downtown by hitting only 1-of-8 three-point attempts, while James ran all over the Celtics for 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting.

From a pointspread perspective, the Celtics have caught fire since dropping the first two games to the Bulls in the opening round by posting a terrific 9-2 ATS record the last 11 contests. Brad Stevens’ squad has cashed in each of their past five home games, while flipping to a home underdog for the first time in the playoffs in Game 1.

Like Boston, Cleveland failed to cash in its first two playoff contests, but the Cavaliers are riding a 5-0-1 ATS run the past six games. Since James returned to Cleveland in 2014, the Cavs are 1-2 SU/ATS in playoff openers on the road as both losses came at Golden State in the Finals.

The Celtics and Cavaliers hooked up in the playoffs in 2015 as Cleveland pulled off a four-game sweep in the opening round of the 40-42 Boston club. After winning the opening game by 13 points, each of the final three victories came by exactly eight points apiece, while Boston was limited to 95 points or fewer in the last three losses.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened the total for Game 1 at 219 ½ and the number has been pushed up to 220 as of Tuesday evening.

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David provides his thoughts on the total for opener.

“If you’ve been betting the ‘over’ in this year’s playoffs, then accept our congratulations! The high side has connected at a 58 percent clip in the postseason and that number spiked up in the conference semifinals as 14 of the 21 (67%) games went ‘over’ the number. The oddsmakers aren’t expecting things to slow down in this series and it should be known that there hasn’t been a total this high in the conference finals since the Suns and Lakers were running and gunning in the 2010 playoffs,” said David.

“Based on what we’ve seen from both teams, the opening number seems fair and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go higher throughout the series. The new-look NBA relies heavily on 3-point shooting and both the Celtics (35.1) and Cavaliers (33.1) haven’t shied away from that trend. It’s arguable that the long break between series could hurt Cleveland, especially because they couldn’t miss (43.4%) from downtown in its first eight playoff games.”

“Cleveland has watched the ‘over’ go 6-2 in the playoffs and it will be facing a Boston team that’s watched the ‘over’ go 6-1 in seven games played at TD Garden in the playoffs. The Celtics offense is in great form (122.5 PPG) and they’ll be facing a Cavaliers defense that has looked suspect (104.9 PPG) this season. If the officials help out on Wednesday with their whistles, bettors might be cashing the ‘over’ early.”

Cleveland took care of its business as a short road favorite this season by going 11-3 both SU and ATS and that includes two wins in the playoffs against Indiana and Toronto. Meanwhile, Boston struggled as a home underdog by compiling a 1-2 mark this season. If you go back to the 2015-16 season, the Celtics went 2-6 SU and 2-5-1 ATS.

VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia said to keep an eye on the point guards, "Odds are great that the paint will be open since there are so many big men in this series roam out to the perimeter, which means Irving and Thomas should both have room to work and get into the lane. As a result, look for the pace to be a little faster and scores to be higher than they normally are in the Eastern Conference finals."

The Cavaliers enter this series as heavy -900 favorites (Bet $900 to win $100) at the Westgate to advance to their third straight NBA Finals. In spite of owning the top-seed and home-court advantage, the Celtics are listed as a +600 underdog (Bet $100 to win $600) to knock off the Cavaliers four times.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. from TD Garden and can be seen on TNT.

[StarDust Bum]

May's Best Bets:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

05/16/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%.......... -0.50
05/12/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%.......... -0.50
05/11/2017.......... 2-0-0........ 100.00%....... +10.00
05/10/2017...........2-0-0.........100.00%.........+10.00
05/09/2017.......... 1-1-0......... 50.00%........... -0.50
05/08/2017.......... 0-2-0 ..........0.00%.......... -11.00
05/07/2017.......... 2-4-0......... 33.33%.......... -12.00
05/06/2017.......... 0-2-0........... 0.00%.......... -11.00
05/05/2017.......... 2-2-0......... 50.00%........... -1.00
05/04/2017.......... 0-4-0........... 0.00%.......... -22.00
05/03/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%......... + 9.50
05/02/2017.......... 4-0-0......... 100.00%........ +20.00
05/01/2017.......... 3-1-0.......... 75.00%........... +9.50

Totals................21 - 19...........52.50%%..........+ 1.50

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

05/16/2017............0 - 1..........00.00%...........- 1.10.............1 - 0......100.00 +1.00
05/12/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............0 - 1........0,00...-1.00
05/11/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/10/2017............1 - 0............100%...........+1.00.............1 - 0......100.00..+1.00
05/09/2017............0 - 1 .........00.00%............-1.10.............1 - 0......100.00....+1.00
05/08/2017............0 - 1..........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1 ......0.00%....-1.10
05/07/2017............2 - 1..........66.66%............+0.90............0 - 3.......0.00%...-3.30
5/06/2017.............0 - 1...........00.00%............-1.10.............0 - 1.......0.00%...-1.10
5/05/2017.............1 - 1...........50.00%............-0.10.............1 - 1......50.00%...-0.10
05/04/2017............0 - 2...........00.00%............-2.20.............0 - 2......0.00%.....- 2.20
05/03/2017............1 - 1...........50.00%...........- 0.10.............2 - 0......100%....+ 2.00
05/02/2017............2 - 0..........100.00%.........+ 2.00.............2 - 0.......100%....+ 2.00
05/01/2017............2 - 0..........100.00 %........+ 2.00.............1 - 1.......50%.......- 0.10

Totals...................11 - 9............55.00%.........+1.10..............10 - 10.......50.00%...-0.90

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s NBA Eastern Conference Finals Betting Preview: Cavaliers at Celtics

The second-seeded Cavaliers haven't played since May 7 and will continue to ride the red-hot duo of forward LeBron James (34.4 average) and point guard Kyrie Irving (23.8).

Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (+4, 219.5)

Series tied 0-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been scorching hot in the playoffs with eight straight victories and aim to keep the streak alive when they visit the Boston Celtics in Wednesday's opener of the Eastern Conference finals. Cleveland had few issues sweeping both the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors while the Celtics had to fight through a tough seven-game series against the Washington Wizards that ended on Monday night.

The second-seeded Cavaliers haven't played since May 7 and will continue to ride the red-hot duo of forward LeBron James (34.4 average) and point guard Kyrie Irving (23.8) as they look to shake off the rust. "I know our team is anxious to play," Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. "(Kyle) Korver and LeBron, those guys are talking about it, so our guys are just anxious to play and ready to go out there." Top-seeded Boston posted a 115-105 victory over Washington to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2012 and will be huge underdogs against the Cavaliers. "We gotta get ready for the defending champs, we know that," standout point guard Isaiah Thomas said after Monday's game. "The good thing about it is we've got homecourt advantage, so we're going to be ready on Wednesday to try to take care of home court. We know it's going to be tough but at this point, anything can happen, we really believe that."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as three-point road favorites for Game 1 and the public didn't think that was enough points, forcing the books to bump the number up to 4. The total hit the board at 219.5 and has been steady since its release Monday night.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - C E. Tavares (Out For Season, hand), PG K. Felder (Out Indefinitely, leg).

Celtics - No injuries to report.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (59-31 SU, 41-45-4 ATS, 53-36-1 O/U): Coach Tyronn Lue has vowed to get power forward Kevin Love more involved in this series after he averaged just 13.8 points and 9.1 rebounds during the first two rounds. Love averaged 23.7 points and 13 rebounds in three games against the Celtics this season and Lue feels the matchups will be more in Love's favor in this round, but Love maintains he's not overly concerned. "I told him, 'We're 8-0. I don't mind it,'" Love recently told reporters. "If I get five or six shots, if I get 15 shots, it don't matter to me, as long as we win. I've been in this position before; we're having success, so I'm happy. Feel good."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (61-34 SU, 49-44-2 ATS, 47-44-4 O/U): Thomas has carried Boston through most of the playoffs in an inspiring manner considering the tragic death of his sister to go along with numerous minor bumps and bruises. Despite the hardships, Thomas is averaging 25.4 points in the postseason - he had 29 points, 12 assists and just two turnovers in the Game 7 win over the Wizards - and has four 30-point outings. "He's dealing with more stuff, physically, and has obviously gone through what he went through at the start of the playoffs," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the win over Washington. "It's pretty remarkable."

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Celtics are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
* Under is 8-2 in Cavaliers last 10 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 7-0-1 in Celtics last 8 home games.
* Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Boston.

CONSENSUS: 68 percent of users are siding with the road favorite Cavaliers and Under is picking up 53 percent of the totals wagers.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 17

Quick turnaround for Celtics, who won Game 7 here against the Wizards two nites ago. Boston is 8-5 in playoffs, 5-2 at home- over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Cleveland is 8-0 in playoffs, 4-0 on road (3-0-1 vs spread)- they haven’t played in 11 days- which is worse? Quick turnaround or 11 days without a game? Over is 6-2 in Cleveland’s last eight games. Cavaliers won eight of last ten games with Boston, winning four of last five in this building; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Cavs are 3-1 vs Boston this season, with wins by 6-6-23 points.

Conference finals:
San Antonio-Golden State
GState 113-111, -10, O209.5
State 136-100, -13, O211

Cleveland-Boston




NBA

Wednesday, May 17

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 14 games when playing Boston
Boston is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 14 games when playing Cleveland


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NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 17


Cleveland @ Boston

Game 721-722
May 17, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
129.860
Boston
123.309
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 6 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 4
220
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-4); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 17

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CLEVELAND (59 - 31) at BOSTON (61 - 34) - 5/17/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 44-28 ATS (+13.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-7 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 11-4 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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