The Bum's 2017 NBA Finals - Picks, Trends, News !

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Best Bets - Finals MVP
June 1, 2017

2017 NBA Finals MVP

NBA Finals MVP Outsiders

The NBA Finals that has a chance to save a overall lackluster 2017 NBA playoffs season is just a few days away now and the hype machine is starting to go in overdrive.

There is no denying just how great the accomplishments of Cleveland and Golden State have been the past few years and with each organization having a championship, we get the rubber match and it should be great.

But while bettors are pouring over series prices, Game 1 lines and even other prop bets, its the Finals MVP that has my attention today.

Sportsbook.ag NBA Finals MVP Odds

A first look at the Finals MVP odds shows it likely being a three-horse race between Durant, LeBron, and Curry. Those three guys are clearly the favorites depending on which team comes out on top, and you know others like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and Klay Thompson will get some love from their respective teams.

Of those three second tier guys, I believe you've got to lean towards Irving (+1200) simply because of his ability to take over multiple games on a more consistent basis then the other two. Love and Thompson tend to have one or two spectacular games, but they are often overshadowed by their other teammates already mentioned, and will have a tough time surpassing any of them in the MVP race.

However we can make a case of two other guys (one from each team) to put their stamp on this NBA Finals rematch and get involved in the MVP conversation at the same time.

If Golden State wins the Title: Draymond Green (+750)

It won't take long for anyone associated with the Warriors (either with the team, a fan, or otherwise) to remind people that if Green hadn't been suspended for that Game 5 last year, we could be looking at a Golden State team going for three in a row.

Green's ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor, from basically everywhere on the floor, will be a huge asset to the Warriors in this series. Green will be covering anyone and everyone for the Cavs at some point in this series and it could very well be his play that determines the winner.

Defensively, everyone knows what Green is about and Cleveland definitely has their hands full there. But, offensively, Green will see a lot of open looks at least early on, and when he's hot with his shooting stroke the Warriors are basically unbeatable.

The Cavs will look to force Green to beat them with his shot as they would prefer to contain Curry, Durant etc, and Green hitting those shots puts the Cavs in a bind.

If Draymond can bring solid offensive numbers to the table every time out there, maintain his composure and hound the Cavaliers with his defense, we might see him lift up that MVP award at series' end.

If Cleveland wins the Title: Tristan Thompson (+10000)

Obviously more of a flyer here, but Thompson is likely going to have just as many opportunities to positively affect each game for his team as Green will for the Warriors, and his big presences inside is sure to be an asset that Cleveland won't hesitate to use.

Thompson's motor and ability to get extra possessions on the offensive glass could easily turn a game or two Cleveland's way in this series.

He's not quite the all-around scorer that Green is, but Thompson can put a double-double on you in a hurry, and given the perception of the Warriors still being a smaller, softer, team inside, Thompson will be asked to throw his body around in the paint right from the outset.

He's been a much better free-throw shooter in these playoffs as well, meaning Golden State can't automatically default to hacking him when they are in a bit of trouble.

Admittedly it's tough to envision many scenarios where Thompson is considered the best Cavs player in the series should they win, but the huge price tag on this wager deserves at least a bit of flyer consideration, especially if he's asked to guard guys like Durant in crunch time.

Hey, we saw Andre Iguodala win the MVP in the 2015 series for his all-around contribution, and Thompson definitely fills that role this year.

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Curry out to atone for letting title slip
June 1, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Sure, Stephen Curry heard the scrutiny. It was deafening. It was everywhere. Even the two-time reigning NBA MVP wasn't immune.

Curry's forgettable NBA Finals last year ended with Kyrie Irving hitting the deciding 3-pointer in his face and Curry unable to shake Kevin Love as Cleveland took Game 7 to complete a masterful comeback and steal a championship on Golden State's home court.

A month later, Steph was stepping back again as the Warriors welcomed Kevin Durant to their star-studded roster. When the season began last fall, Curry unselfishly gave up some of his own scoring chances so Durant could seamlessly find his way, not making as many 3s - or half-court buzzer beaters for that matter - and lacking the same efficiency and flair.

Curry is fully healthy this postseason and ready to reclaim that championship that got away last June as the Finals begin with Thursday's Game 1.

''I thought it was kind of ridiculous to be honest,'' Curry said of the critics. ''Ignore is probably not the word. I heard it, reacted to it as almost like, I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone type of situation. Because I know what I was doing on the floor and what my job is every night on this team, so I could go to sleep at night pretty proud of the way I was playing.''

Irving winning that matchup against the MVP rallied the Cavs, fueled a comeback from a 3-1 deficit as Cleveland captured its first major team sports title in 52 years.

Now, all the focus of this Finals is on LeBron and KD. And that might be just the opening Curry needs to shine brightest again on the big stage after the struggles last year, when he shot just 40 percent in the Finals and had more turnovers (30) than assists (26).

Lately, Curry and Durant have engaged in intense shooting competitions to stay sharp and have a little fun at the same time as the Warriors wait once more. They're the first team to begin a postseason 12-0, so it has made for plenty of rest and downtime - far different than a year ago when Golden State went seven games in the Western Conference finals to Durant's former Oklahoma City Thunder.

It has made a big difference for Curry, who missed six playoff games in 2016 because of ankle and knee injuries and was never 100 percent after that.

''He's pretty sharp,'' said player development coach Bruce Fraser, who passes to Curry daily. ''He's been shooting it pretty well. I would rather have him like this than like he was going into the last Final. He's competitive and he wants to win, so you can bet that he's not happy about last year and he's going to go after this one.''

Curry wants to take back the championship that got away, and help KD and so many other veterans without a title earn their ring.

He has scored 20 or more points in 10 straight playoff games and led the Warriors in scoring in eight of their 12 postseason contests. Twice he has dished out eight assists.

''It's just been such better progression for Steph this postseason,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''I mean last year, right from Game 1 against Houston he was injured and fighting an uphill battle. I thought he was amazing under the circumstances of his injury but to me he looks fresher, faster, stronger than he did a year ago.''

Curry made a point to do everything necessary for Durant to make a smooth transition incorporating into the offense, even if that meant his own numbers were down a year after his second MVP and another record 402 3-pointers as Golden State topped the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' wins record going 73-9.

He took two fewer shots per game, his scoring average dropped from a league-leading 30.1 to 25.3 and his 46.8 percent shooting was his worst since 2012-13. But he still hit 324 3s for the second most in NBA history to his 402 a year ago and paced himself so he is peaking now.

''That's a part of maturing and getting older in this league is you've got to realize every year you're a year older so you've got to tweak some things,'' teammate David West said. ''I thought he did a good job of that. He took some flak for it early from the outside noise but I just thought he was intent on making sure he was playing his best ball late. He's put us in a great position.''

The 29-year-old Curry has remained his unflappable, playful, perfectionist self, yelling ''finish strong!'' to himself the other day as tried for a 10th straight made 3 from the baseline. He missed, letting out a loud ''ahhhh!''

''I'm just playing aggressive, playing confident. Obviously shots are falling. I'm trying to do other things other than just scoring so I can help my team put us in the best situations to win,'' Curry said. ''That's it, really. The moment is bright right now and you've kind of got to live up to it. This is what we live for as basketball players to be playing in these type of games that matter the most. We have four wins left, we have to do whatever we can to get them.''

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Lakers-Celtics paved way for Cavs-Warriors
June 1, 2017

By the time the Los Angeles Lakers met the Boston Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals in the 1980s, defensive stopper Michael Cooper had enough with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and the rest of the Celtics.

''It's respectful to acknowledge the person that you're playing, but I'm not taking you out to dinner,'' Cooper said, thinking back on those days. ''I'll spit in your food before I eat with you.''

Lakers vs. Celtics. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. East Coast vs. West Coast.

It's the rivalry against which all others are measured, the one essentially responsible for the modern NBA evolving from a fringe sport that put its championship series on tape delay to a global sensation built around the most recognizable athletes in American sports. And as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors prepare to face off in the finals for the third straight season, the two teams that have grabbed a stranglehold on the rest of the league over the last three seasons are drawing comparisons to the game's greatest matchup.

''I think basketball-wise it's going to be great,'' said Celtics Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, now an analyst for NBATV. ''That is going to lend itself to people talking about it years from now. But really, (the Lakers-Celtics) was the birth of the NBA and the average fan across the country was that Larry-Magic time. It was completely unique unto itself.''

McHale was directly involved in one of the defining moments of the rivalry, when he clotheslined Lakers forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup during Game 4 of the 1984 finals in Los Angeles. It's a play that lives in Celtics lore, the gritty, Northern Minnesota forward blasting the Showtime Lakers right in front of Jack Nicholson. The play touched off a mini-brawl between the two teams and helped spark a Boston comeback that evened the series that the Celtics went on to win in seven games.

''We knew how dirty they could get. I loved it back then,'' said Cooper, who now coaches the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA. ''In today's game, he would've got a two or three-game suspension. Back then, it made it fun. Rambis's neck wasn't broken? OK, get up. Kevin got dunked on a couple times and we made a big melee out of it. You come out and live to play another day.''

The more often the teams met on the big stage, the more heated the rivalry became. Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave James Worthy a choke sign after he missed a free throw. Bird went toe-to-toe with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It's the kind of edge and nastiness that is often said to be lacking in the modern NBA with the high salaries and player movement. But last year's series - won by Cleveland in seven games - had its share of tension, from LeBron James' dismissive scoff at Stephen Curry after blocking his shot in Game 6 to Klay Thompson suggesting James ''got his feelings hurt'' to James stepping over Draymond Green in Game 4, a confrontation that led to Green's suspension and the turning point of the series.

''I'm hoping there's some real fiery competitiveness and some dustups and guys willing to fight each other for it,'' McHale said. ''I think that's fine. There should be that feeling.''

The Lakers and Celtics met three times in four years, with Los Angeles winning in 1985 and 1987. The only thing that prevented four straight meetings was a Houston Rockets upset of the Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference finals, something that McHale laments to this day. The Celtics desperately wanted the Lakers because they knew Magic and Worthy and Kareem would push them to their competitive limits.

''I think the Lakers were one of those teams that you knew you could play well and still lose. We had a good enough team where if we played well, normally it just took care of itself,'' McHale said. ''We'd win. If we played well, the outcome was determined just by our play. Against the Lakers, you could play really well and still lose.''

When two teams play that often at the highest level, there are no more secrets, no tricks to be pulled, no gimmicks said Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, whose Detroit Pistons faced the Lakers in back-to-back finals in 1988 and 1989.

''The intensity level is off the charts, just in terms of the team competition and also the individual competitions on the court,'' said Thomas, now an analyst for NBATV who has recently started importing Cheurlin Thomas champagne from France. ''Both of you really do know each other so well. You know all of their tendencies, all of their habits, all of their plays.

''Then it becomes a game of concentration. Who can concentrate for that two-and-a-half hour period without making a mistake?''

For the most part, the Cavs and Warriors have tried to downplay any talk of acrimony or tension, with Curry saying this week ''you can call it a rivalry, but it's still in development.''

In many ways, when Game 1 tips off on Thursday night in Oakland, California, a new generation of NBA fans will get to understand what it felt like to watch the Lakers and Celtics battles from the 1980s that their fathers and grandfathers still rave about.

But McHale remembers sitting in his office as an executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the mid-90s and finally reflecting on how far the league had come. Salaries were skyrocketing. The game's influence was growing overseas and the NBA Finals - the ones that were shown on tape delay during McHale's first championship with the Celtics in 1980 - were now must-see, primetime television.

All that success couldn't have happened without Larry, without Magic, without those three epic showdowns between the Lakers and the Celtics.

''It was like somebody seeing color TV for the first time,'' McHale said of being a part of that history. ''There was a whole different vibe that had nothing to do with the game. It was the NBA just growing. It's different. That was like watching the moon walk. There's never another thing like that. That was just amazing.''

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Cavs the champs but Warriors favored
June 1, 2017

Some predictions see the NBA Finals ending quickly. A video game simulation has them going the distance.

All seem to agree on the Golden State Warriors winning.

Beaten last year by Cleveland's historic comeback, the Warriors will try to avenge that defeat and get back on top when they face the Cavaliers again, the first time two teams have met three straight times in the NBA Finals.

Game 1 is Thursday at Oracle Arena, where the Cavaliers won their first championship last year by becoming the first team to rally from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. The Warriors are back with a more formidable team after adding Kevin Durant, a healthier one after Stephen Curry was banged up last postseason, and not even LeBron James and the Cavs are given much chance of stopping them.

''I think they're the prohibitive favorite,'' ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. ''I think when you're the prohibitive favorite against LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, that means you're a heck of a team, and they sure are.''

The Warriors are 12-0 in the playoffs and have won 27 of their last 28 overall. Cleveland will have to slow down a team that has been clobbering teams by 16.3 points per game in the postseason.

A lackluster postseason could be salvaged by a close, compelling series, which was the result of an NBA 2K17 simulation that ended with Durant leading the Warriors to a Game 7 rout.

The Warriors are a powerhouse, but the Cavs are 12-1 in the playoffs and give themselves a shot no matter who else does.

''Since I've been in this league, it's hard to get to the playoffs, let alone march all the way to the finals,'' guard Iman Shumpert said. ''But I think we got a great group of guys, headlined by one of the best guys to ever do it. That gives us a chance in any game.''

Some things to watch in the series:

A LOT OF LOVE? Cleveland almost certainly needs the Kevin Love of the last round to have a chance at the upset. He averaged a quiet 13.8 points in the first two rounds, then busted out for 22.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. Golden State will try to keep him in check with Draymond Green, one of the league's best and most versatile defenders.

''When he's going, he makes their team a lot better,'' Green said, ''so it is my job to try to take him out of the game.''

WHAT HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE? The Cavaliers' nine-game postseason road winning streak, three shy of the 2001-02 Lakers' league record, started with victories last year in Games 5 and 7 in Oakland. The Warriors won at least once in Cleveland in each of the last two NBA Finals, part of their franchise-record streak of 14 straight series with a road victory.

STRAIGHT SHOOTERS? All-Star Klay Thompson is shooting 38 percent from the field in the postseason and 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala is just 3 for 27 from 3-point range. The Warriors' best lineup against the Cavaliers probably has both players on the floor at the same time, with Iguodala on James and Thompson defending Irving, so Thompson said he doesn't get caught up in whether his shot is falling.

''What happened in the past in my mind doesn't really count now unless we go out and finish the deal,'' he said. ''So as long as I perform at this stage now and play my hardest, that's all I can ask for. It's been working up to this point, so I can't change what I'm doing.''

NO WORRY FROM CURRY: After a knee injury in the playoffs and a quick turnaround following the conference finals, Curry wasn't in top shape last June. He's in better health now, even while wearing a sleeve over his elbow to protect some swelling.

''Obviously not really dealing with any bumps or bruises really besides this elbow that's not really a factor,'' Curry said. ''So other than that, feeling fresh.''

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLE at GS 09:00 PM

GS -7.0

U 223.5

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Curry, Durant power Warriors past Cavs
June 1, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kevin Durant drove through the lane untouched for dazzling dunks. He dished off even when he could have slammed it home, and did it all on defense.

Oh, he hit from long range, too.

What a dominant NBA Finals opener with the Warriors.

Durant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Golden State past James and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-91 on Thursday night in Game 1.

As this highly anticipated rematch tipped off at last, the biggest difference from last year was clear.

''KD,'' James said.

Stephen Curry did his share by scoring 28 points with six 3-pointers and 10 assists as this sure-to-be thrilling trilogy began, a long-expected, spectacular grand finale envisioned ever since that July day Durant left Oklahoma City to join the loaded Warriors.

''We could be a lot better than we were tonight but in the Finals you get a `W,' we'll take it,'' Durant said.

James wound up with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists a day after dealing with bigotry far away from basketball. Someone painted a racial slur - the N-word - on the gate of his Los Angeles home, leaving James to address racism rather than his seventh straight Finals appearance or stopping KD. James said he would do his best to be ready for the series opener when his mind was elsewhere, concerned for his wife and children back in Ohio.

''We did a great job of covering the 3-point line but other than that they played a hell of a game,'' James said.

Durant punished Cleveland for leaving him free, taking the ball to the hoop for emphatic dunks as a man on a mission to deliver what he came for: a championship. He had six slams in the first half alone for the Warriors, who at 13-0 are already the first team to go this far in a postseason unblemished.

''They're the best I've ever seen,'' Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. ''They're 13-0. They're constantly breaking records every year.''

Game 2 in the series is Sunday night back at Oracle Arena with its deafening sellout crowd.

Once his night was finally done, Durant found mother Wanda at the end of the Warriors bench and held her in a warm embrace.

He had won the first battle with King James.

''Those are two big household names, so we know you guys and the fans are going to want to see that and pick up on it,'' said acting Warriors coach Mike Brown, facing a Cleveland franchise that fired him not once but twice. ''I'm sure LeBron probably thinks he could play better, and you tip your hat off to KD.''

Kyrie Irving, who hit the deciding 3-pointer with Curry's hand in his face last June as Cleveland rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win its first championship, scored 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting. Kevin Love grabbed 21 rebounds and scored 15 points, while Tristan Thompson was held scoreless and to four boards.

Durant's only other Finals ended at the hands of LeBron and Miami in 2012. He shot 14 for 26 in his fifth 30-point performance this postseason, receiving a rousing ovation when he sat down for good with 2:16 remaining.

Curry sported a fresh haircut for the occasion and the two-time reigning MVP initially wore a black sleeve on his shooting arm to protect a tender elbow that still had some swelling, but he quickly removed it and found his stroke. He shot 11 for 22, 6 of 11 on 3s.

The sleeve didn't feel right, but Curry joked of his arm wear, ''As a little kid I always wanted to be like Allen Iverson and that was the only way I could really come close.''

This marks the first time in NBA history the same two teams played in three straight Finals and just the fourth time it has happened in the four major sports leagues.

Golden State finally warmed up after nine days off, while the Cavs had a six-day break since beating Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.

Warriors starting center Zaza Pachulia returned after missing the final two games at San Antonio with a bruised right heel and contributed eight points and six rebounds.

Golden State's four turnovers tied an NBA Finals low.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: James' 3-pointer in the third quarter moved him past Reggie Miller (320) for second place on the NBA postseason list, which is led by Ray Allen with 385. ... Cleveland committed 12 of its 20 turnovers in the first half - ''20 in the Finals is not going to get it done,'' Irving said.

Warriors: Coach Steve Kerr had hoped to feel well enough to return to the bench but stayed behind the scenes in the locker room as he continues to deal with complications from back surgery nearly two years ago. ''My heart goes out to him,'' NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. ... Curry became the fifth player in NBA history with 300 career playoff 3s after coming in with 295. ... Klay Thompson, playing more stellar defense while missing all five of his 3-point tries and scoring just six points, notched his 77th career postseason game to tie Jeff Mullins for most in franchise history.

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Defense fails Cavs in 113-91 Game 1 loss
June 2, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James bit on a pump fake and got no help as Kevin Durant drove to the basket for one of his several uncontested dunks. Stephen Curry was left alone behind the 3-point line and made Cleveland pay time and again.

The defensive woes that plagued the Cavaliers late in the regular season were glaring against the star-laden Golden State Warriors in a 113-91 loss in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Durant had six dunks in the first half alone to match his most ever in a game, Curry hit six 3-pointers and the Cavaliers looked like the team that stumbled down the stretch in the second half of the season.

''We're just going to have to dig our feet in and be able to guard the basketball,'' guard Kyrie Irving said. ''So it's more or less a heart thing, a prideful thing. Going into Game 2 we'll be a lot more settled in, a lot better on the defensive end.''

Cleveland went just 23-23 after Jan. 10 and was ranked in the bottom third statistically on defense all season. The lapses were mostly glossed over as the Cavs streaked through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Cleveland shut down Indiana's Paul George, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan and Boston's Isaiah Thomas before he went down with a hip injury on the way to a 12-1 postseason record.

The Cavaliers are going to have to make some adjustments to slow down the Warriors.

When Cleveland stayed on Curry, Durant got easy dunks in transition.

''That's when they become very dangerous because those guys, they sprint down the lane, they sprint to the 3-point line, they put a lot of pressure on your defense,'' James said. ''But the ball is the number one thing. We got to stop the ball first and then fan out to the 3-point line if those guys go there.''

When the Cavs gave help, Curry hit 3-pointers. The only thing that kept Cleveland in the game in the first half was the usually brilliant play from James and Irving and several missed layups by Golden State.

But after a 13-0 run to open the second half with help from four of Cleveland's 20 turnovers, the game was never close, leaving Cleveland to figure out a way to regroup before Game 2 on Sunday.

''Some of our lack of communication led to mistakes and led to buckets. They got downhill, got to the spots where they wanted to go,'' forward Kevin Love said. ''That led to us not being able to set our defense and get out and play in transition, play fast like we wanted to. Uncharacteristic with the number of guys that turned the ball over, but we have to credit those guys for creating some of the turnovers.''

The turnovers were an issue all night, with James committing eight of them. Making matters worse was a lack of scoring help from any of their role players. James finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, Irving scored 24 points and Love had 15 points and 21 rebounds.

No one else seemed to show up with the most glaring absences being Tristan Thompson, who had no points and four rebounds and was outplayed at times by Zaza Pachulia, and J.R. Smith, who made just one basket.

Midseason acquisitions Deron Williams and Kyle Korver missed all seven shots they took and failed to score.

''There's no time to be disappointed,'' Irving said. ''They capitalized a lot on our mistakes, a lot of transition, easy baskets that we can't allow going into Game 2. So definitely a lot of things we can correct and get better at.''

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Friday’s six-pack

Early pointspreads on some interesting college football games this fall:

— Sept 16: Clemson @ Louisville (-2)

— Sept 23: Notre Dame (-4) @ Michigan State

— Sept 30: Colorado @ UCLA (-4)

— Oct 7: Wisconsin (-8) @ Nebraska

— Oct 14: Oklahoma (-8) vs Texas

— Oct 21: Louisville @ Florida State (-6.5)

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Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Nike’s Phil Knight turns 80 years old this year; to commemorate this, there is a 16-team college hoop event (actually two 8-team tournaments) in Portland Thanksgiving weekend, with lot of heavy hitters in the field. Here are the first-round games:

North Carolina-Portland, Arkansas-Oklahoma,
Georgetown-Michigan State, UConn-Oregon

Duke-Portland State, Butler-Texas
Florida-Stanford, Gonzaga-Ohio State

This is a one-time event, being staged to celebrate Phil Knight’s 80th birthday.

12) There will also be a solid mid-major tournament in the Bahamas Nov 17-19, with Bradley, Coastal Carolina, Duquesne, Iona, No Kentucky, Tex-San Antonio, Vermont, Weber State.

Lot of solid mid-major teams here; this’ll be a good tournament.

11) There have been two major league games this season where both starting pitchers gave up 10+ hits; surprising that Sale/Quintana Tuesday nite was one of them (other one was a Nova-Colon matchup).

10) Bryce Harper’s suspension was reduced to three games, Hunter Strickland got six games but the big loser in the Nats-Giants fracas Monday was Washington’s Michael Morse, who went on the 7-day DL with a concussion sustained in the scuffle.

9) Mike Trout’s thumb injury is same one the Clippers’ Chris Paul had; Trout talked with Paul before his surgery this week.

Trout had surgery on his left thumb Wednesday, but was at the ballpark that night and came out in the dugout for each of Albert Pujols’ at-bats, in case Pujols hit his 600th home run.

8) Weird play in the Brewers-Mets game Thursday; Milwaukee had bases loaded with one out and Eric Sogard up. Sogard hits a foul pop by the Brewers’ dugout; the bat boy grabs his chair, but runs into the Mets’ 3B and the ball drops.

The home plate umpire calls the batter out, then the umps huddled and the call was reversed, which sent Terry Collins off the edge- he was ejected, but then Sogard hit into a double play, so the Mets benefitted from the changed call.

7) Last time the National League won the season series against the American League was 2003, and they ain’t gonna win it this year, either.

6) Golden State 113, Cleveland 91— Warriors had four turnovers, Cleveland had 20. LeSean McCoy of the Buffalo Bills bet $200,000 on Golden State to win the series- he gets $262,500 back if the Warriors win the championship. He made the wager at Planet Hollywood in Vegas.

I’m sure the NFL was thrilled to see the picture of his $200K ticket on Twitter.

5) Someone on Twitter captured Mr Met giving a fan the finger as he ran down the stadium tunnel after the Mets’ 7-1 home loss to Milwaukee Wednesday nite. Was that kind of a night.

Problem is, Mr Met can’t flash his middle finger, since he has only four fingers on each hand- there is no middle finger. If you’re an aficionado of loopholes, this is a good one for Mr Met’s attorneys, if the feisty mascot sues to get its job back.

No truth to the rumor that Kathy Griffin has applied to be the new Mr Met.

4) ESPN’s Mark Adams posted a list of each Division I basketball budget last year on Facebook; somehow he left Siena’s out, but all the other ones are there.

Kentucky’s basketball budget last year was $18,910,412; next highest in the SEC was Texas A&M, at $9,301,170. Gonzaga got to the Final Four with a budget of $7,261,657.

3) Cincinnati Reds have scored in the first inning in each of their last six games; they went 2-4 in those games.

There were 1,060 home runs hit in May, 2nd-most in any month ever, behind May 2000. Of the 1,060 homers last month, 630 of them were solo blasts; the other 430 came with men on, including 16 grand slams.

2) Los Angeles Angels have scored two runs in six home games this year; with their pitching, you’d figure that would be bad news, but they won five of the six games. Go figure.

1) Oakland A’s have already used 11 batters in the #2 spot this year. In 53 games. Those 11 players have combined to hit .175 while batting in the 2-spot. Oy.

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NBA Final Best Bets Record:

Date W-L-T % Units Record

06/01/2017................. 2-0-0.................. 100.00%................... +10.00


ATS / O/U:


06/01/2017...................1 - 0 .........................1 - 0....................+ 10.00

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Durant dominates Game 1 of Finals
June 2, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James had a simple explanation for what stood out in Game 1 of the NBA Finals: KD.

With a motivated Kevin Durant playing some of the best basketball of his career and taking the pressure off Stephen Curry, Golden State dominated Cleveland 113-91 in Game 1 on Thursday night and showed that Cavaliers-Warriors III might not look anything like the previous showdowns.

''You take one of the best teams that we had ever assembled last year, that we saw in the regular season and in the postseason, and then in the offseason you add a high-powered offensive talent like that and a great basketball IQ like that, that's what stands out,'' James said. ''I mean, it's no if, ands, or buts. It is what it is. We've got to figure out how to combat that, which is going to be a tough challenge for us.

''But that's what stands out.''

Durant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, didn't commit a single turnover and spent much of the night guarding James on the defensive end in an impressive return to the Finals stage five years after his only previous trip with Oklahoma City.

Durant lost to James and the Miami Heat in five games in 2012 and then James and the Cavs knocked off the 73-win Warriors in a seven-game thriller last June.

But with Durant added to a mix that includes fellow All-Stars Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, this year's Warriors proved to be too tough for James and Cleveland to handle in Game 1.

''He can just go get a bucket,'' Green said. ''That's one of the things that we need, a guy who can go get a bucket, get to the foul line. ... That's huge for us. You are talking one of the best players in the game. To have a game like that when he's playing that way, it's tough to beat. Thirty-eight, 8, 8, zero turnovers? We're real tough to beat when he's doing that.''

Durant played well in his first Finals trip but didn't have the help he has now with a two-time MVP in Curry, one of the league's best two-way players in Thompson and a do-it-all demon like Green.

With his big output in Game 1, Durant joined Hall of Famers Rick Barry, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players to score at least 25 points in each of his first six Finals games.

''This is what every player wants to be, is the highest level of basketball,'' Durant said. ''That's what you dream about as a kid, is to play at the highest level. I wouldn't do my teammates any good if I wasn't just enjoying the moment.''

Durant provided a conundrum for Cleveland's defense. While the Cavs mostly left Harrison Barnes open last season and thrived when he made just 5 of 32 shots in the final three games as the Cavs overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the title, that wasn't an option with Durant.

There were a handful of times Cleveland was more focused on Curry and the 3-point shooters, but Durant made them pay with six first-half dunks. His presence also forced James to work on the defensive end, sapping some needed energy he needs on offense if Cleveland is going to keep up with Golden State.

Durant also did a good job defensively in his 1-on-1 matchups with James, who still managed 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists but also turned the ball over eight times.

''Kevin's a competitor,'' Green said. ''Obviously being that he's guarding LeBron, he's taking that challenge on. And I expect nothing less out of him, being the competitor that he is.''

Durant's presence also benefited Curry, who hit six 3-pointers on the way to a 28-point night. Curry shot just 40 percent in the Finals a year ago and had more turnovers (30) than assists (26) as he nursed injuries to his knee and ankle.

But after winning the first two games a year ago before blowing the 3-1 lead, the Warriors aren't about to get ahead of themselves even if Cavs coach Tyronn Lue called them ''the best I ever seen.''

''A lot of us have been through both sides of a championship run and a Finals,'' Curry said. ''You're not going to see crazy celebrations. You're not going to see us getting ahead of ourselves. We're going to enjoy what we do on the floor and going to be passionate about it and have each other's backs when we're out there, but every 48 minutes is a separate event.''

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s six-pack

Early pointspreads on some interesting college football games this fall:

— Sept 9: Oklahoma @ Ohio State (-8)

— Sept 16: Texas @ USC (-12)

— Sept 23: Arkansas vs Texas A&M (-10) (@ Arlington)

— Oct 7: Michigan State @ Michigan (-15)

— Oct 21 USC (-6.5) @ Notre Dame

— Oct 28: Georgia (-3) vs Florida (@ Jacksonville)

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) Davidson College is in the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time in 115 years; they upset North Carolina on Friday. Apparently their best pitcher is a 5-10 kid named Durin O’Linger who is a very good pitcher but not a pro prospect— great student, going to go to pharmacy school next. Terrific story.

Mr O’Linger threw 140 pitches in a game on May 24, then threw 51 more two days later. On the 27th, he threw 45 more pitches, then threw 92 against the Tar Heels yesterday.

All of this ignited a small firestorm on Twitter ignited by ESPN’s Keith Law, who went after the Davidson coach for abusing the kid’s arm. Couple of his ex-teammates objected strongly to that. It is an interesting debate; the kid will never play pro baseball, and he wants to make history for his school, with his friends. It is the kid’s choice, yes?

12) Westgate Casino in Las Vegas has a $1,500 NFL SuperContest every year; you pick five NFL games a week, and there are prizes— first place has been as much as $900,000 in the past.

This year, they’re adding a new angle; a separate $5,000 “Gold” SuperContest where there is only one winner— curious to see how many people sign up for that event.

11) From ESPN: Clayton Kershaw has been the betting favorite in his last 150 starts; next longest active streak is Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland (29).

10) 14 college freshmen were drafted by NBA teams last June; 20 are expected to be selected this year.

9) Lebron James is in his 8th NBA Final; his team has been underdog in six of those eight.

8) Cleveland Cavaliers are still paying former head coach Mike Brown, who is the interim head coach of the Warriors right now.

7) Mets’ catcher Travis d’Arnaud says he uses a different bat every day, often times one that belongs to a teammate. Mets’ TV guy Keith Hernandez said he never heard of that before.

Best wishes to Hernandez by the way; he had knee replacement surgery Friday.

6) Cubs had bases loaded, one out in 6th inning Friday and they pinch-hit for Kyle Schwarber. Baseball is a tough game. Schwarber is hitting .139 vs lefties this season.

5) Marlins’ 1B Justin Bour stole his first career base Thursday, in his 310th career game.

4) Las Vegas Golden Knights have been posted at 200-1 to win the Stanley Cup next season; they don’t have any players yet- they’re an expansion team. Who would bet on them?

3) Quincy McKnight averaged 18.9 pts/game at Sacred Heart last year but will transfer to Seton Hall, as big $$$ schools continue to poach good players from low D-I programs. McKnight will sit next year, then have two years left to play.

2) If you don’t think medicine and science are bleeping amazing, consider this; Hall of Famer Rod Carew was on TV during the Twins-Angels game Thursday night. He had both a heart transplant and a kidney transplant earlier this year, now says he feels good. Great to hear!!!

1) Kansas State WR Corey Sutton got a release from his scholarship, can go anywhere he likes now; K-State had originally blocked his transfer, but it was becoming a PR debacle so the school relented and he is gone.

[StarDust Bum]

After dunkfest, Cavs must slow Dubs at rim
June 2, 2017

The first-half list of baskets for Golden State's Kevin Durant in Game 1 of the NBA Finals went like this: layup, dunk, jumper, dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk, layup, dunk, layup.

Most were easy.

And easy isn't supposed to happen, especially not at the rim in the NBA Finals.

Forget all the things that Cleveland did wrong offensively in Game 1, the poor shooting and the 20 turnovers and how the bench basically contributed nothing and how Rihanna got - and merited - more commentary from ABC's Jeff Van Gundy than J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson did.

The Cavs can score. They'll likely be better on Sunday night in Game 2. That isn't the issue.

The issue is this: If the reigning NBA champions don't show some toughness - especially at the rim - soon, they won't be reigning NBA champions much longer.

''I think that's how Cleveland is going to approach it, make it a physical game,'' Michael Cooper, now the coach of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream who went through some epic Lakers-Celtics battles as a player in the 1980s, said before the series began. ''Golden State wants a finesse game.''

Finesse won Game 1.

And after a team has been blown out in the playoffs, history shows that team typically tries to make a statement in Game 2 that things will be different.

Funny thing is for Cleveland, the Cavs had the answer they needed to just that three months ago in Andrew Bogut. Problem is, they only had him for 58 seconds .

Let's clear up a misconception: Golden State's biggest undoing on the way to blowing that 3-1 lead in last season's NBA Finals was not Draymond Green's Game 5 suspension for connecting with LeBron James' midsection.

The Warriors lost that series because Bogut - their best rim protector - got hurt in Game 5 .

And this year, it was Cleveland's turn to lose Bogut.

He started the year in Dallas, got traded to and ultimately waived by Philadelphia, and signed with Cleveland because the Cavs knew they needed - and wanted - another tough guy who could clog the lane and had playoff experience. And there is no doubt he would have been eager to go against the team that jettisoned him to the Mavericks to make room for Durant.

But Bogut checked into a game against Miami for his Cavs debut, collided with Heat rookie Okaro White, and broke his left leg. Season over. So while he was tweeting Thursday about Santa Claus and Australian Rules Football, Durant was dunking on the sort of nonexistent defense typically seen at an All-Star Game and not the NBA Finals.

Durant had six dunks, all in the first half.

- The first came off a great cut to beat James.

- The second, James got no help after he swiped unsuccessfully at the ball.

- The third, James slipped and again no help came.

- The fourth, Kyrie Irving didn't stop the ball as Durant sailed past.

- The fifth, Shaun Livingston faked the Cavs out and Durant was left all alone.

- The sixth, Durant drove the lane and Smith ran away to cover Stephen Curry.

''We made a lot of mistakes. They capitalized,'' James said. ''And we get an opportunity to get a couple days to see what they did and see what we did wrong and how we can be better in Game 2.''

To be fair, playing the Warriors is a slew of pick-your-poison decisions. Overcommit to the lane, and their shooters will tee off from 3-point range. Overplay the perimeter, and the rim is undefended. They've won 28 of their last 29 games. They're 80-15 this season. They could post the second-best record in NBA history when counting the regular season and playoffs, behind only the 1995-96 Bulls.

Today's NBA isn't the sort of league where someone is going to clothesline Durant or any other Warrior to send some sort of foolish overly physical message, nor should it be. Though Kevin McHale's aggressive at-the-rim takedown of Kurt Rambis in the 1984 title matchup remains a quintessential moment in postseason lore (and swung that Celtics-Lakers series totally Boston's way).

And this series is a long way from over. James has been on the losing end of Game 1 of the Finals seven times in eight tries. He was down 1-0 in all three of the series where he went on to win a ring. Not even a 3-1 deficit last year was enough to faze him.

But someone from Cleveland, maybe many someones, had better find a way to make life tougher for the Warriors going forward starting on Sunday.

Or else a lot more dunks are coming.

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors' Kerr considers Game 2 return
June 2, 2017

The health of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has improved, and there is a chance he may return for Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, according to ESPN.com.

"He may coach Sunday. He's feeling better," a source close to Kerr told ESPN's Marc Spears late Thursday night.

Kerr has been bothered by back problems resulting from last year's surgery.

The Warriors have not confirmed that Kerr will be back Sunday, and guard Klay Thompson and acting head coach Mike Brown have not been told Kerr will be coaching on Sunday.

"I hope he comes back as soon as possible, but I haven't heard anything yet," Thompson told Slam Magazine.

On Friday's media conference call, Brown said he had heard nothing to change his status.

"I'm gonna coach until they tell me it's different," he said. "I haven't heard anything from him. I'm going to plan on continuing to coach until either he or (Warriors general manager) Bob Myers tells me that it will be different."

Kerr still has two days to make a decision on whether he will return to the sidelines on Sunday.

ESPN.com reported Kerr considered returning for Game 1 of the Finals before he had a setback on Wednesday that convinced him to let Brown continue in his role as acting head coach.

Kerr has been out since Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

His absence have not affected the team's performance, since the Warriors have won all 11 games without him, including Thursday's Game 1 of the Finals.

[StarDust Bum]

Curry urged teammates to be themselves
June 2, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry spoke up, just in case his Golden State Warriors needed another reminder from their MVP and leader. His message as the NBA Finals began: be yourselves.

Forget the juicy story lines, or avenging something that happened last June, that championship that got away. Set aside the hyped-up Cavs-Dubs rivalry, constant talk of the trilogy, Part III.

Just go play. And it worked splendidly for the two-time reigning MVP and Kevin Durant in their first Finals together.

Durant was utterly dominant 11 months after leaving Oklahoma City last July to join the Warriors, while Curry found a groove once he removed the black sleeve from his shooting arm protecting his tender right elbow. It just didn't feel right.

They combined for 66 points and 18 assists in a 113-91 Game 1 thumping Thursday night against LeBron James and the defending champion Cavaliers, who must find a way to defend the high-flying Durant when the best-of-seven series resumes Sunday at Oracle Arena.

''We were really, really good in that department at just being ourselves, playing Warriors basketball, knowing that there's a lot of talent out on the floor,'' said Curry, who had 28 points and 10 assists. ''And that's our best effort to win this championship, is just be ourselves.''

Cleveland might be thinking the same thing a day after that startling Game 1 defeat that featured 20 turnovers and Durant driving to the basket at will with nobody even close as he dunked again and again - six times in the first half alone. When the Cavs left him unguarded on the perimeter, Durant hit 3-pointers.

The Cavs watched film and vowed to get back to basics and the solid fundamentals that carried them this far, especially on the defensive end.

''We have to stop the ball first and foremost,'' said Cleveland's Kevin Love, whose 21 rebounds in Game 1 were a franchise postseason record. ''That's very apparent when you look at the film.''

Not only did the Warriors match a Finals low with just four turnovers, they took Tristan Thompson out of the equation by holding him scoreless. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue changed his rotation as he searched for someone who could make a scoring impact in the middle, saying that led to his decision to only play Thompson 22 minutes.

James and Kyrie Irving shot 19 for 42 between them but the sloppy ball handling allowed the Warriors to take nearly as many shots - 106 - as they had points, and 20 more attempts than the Cavs' 86.

Golden State was so good that Lue called them the best team he has seen. Sure, the Warriors won a record 73 games a year ago but in the end they failed to hold a 3-1 Finals lead as Cleveland rallied back in the series to win Game 7 and steal a title in Oakland.

They sure look unstoppable lately. Durant has scored at least 25 points in each of his six career Finals games, losing in his only other appearance to LeBron and Miami in 2012. KD also became the first player with at least 38 points and no turnovers in a Finals game since Shaquille O'Neal did so with 41 points on June 19, 2000.

''You cannot simulate what they bring to the table. No matter how many days that you have to prepare, you can't simulate what they have,'' James said. ''So it's great to get the first game up underneath us. We made a lot of mistakes. They capitalized. And we get an opportunity to get a couple days to see what they did and see what we did wrong and how we can be better in Game 2.''

Golden State realizes it might not get quite the open lanes and looks that Durant had Thursday as the Cavs try to adjust in the paint, yet the pass-happy Warriors are more than capable of opening up the game in other ways as efficiently as they move the ball.

''I think it's part of the reason people enjoy watching us play. People see so much unselfishness, they see the beauty in the pass,'' Andre Iguodala said. ''It can scare teams at times. What do you do? `Are we giving up 3s? Are we giving up runs at the basket?'''

That's up to Cleveland to figure out - and fast.

[StarDust Bum]

Trends to Watch - Game 2
June 2, 2017

NBA Finals Betting Trends - Game 2

-- The home team has gone 13-7 straight up in Game 2 of the last 20 NBA Finals

-- Four of the last six games have been decided by four points or less and the road team owns a 5-2 mark in the last seven Game 2's of the Finals

-- The ‘under’ has hit in four consecutive Game 2's of the Finals as the last 'over' cashed in 2010 between the Lakers and Celtics

-- Golden State improved to 4-0 SU in Game 1 matchups in this year’s playoffs while covering for the first time in a series opener against Cleveland

-- The Warriors are 7-0 SU and 3-4 ATS at home in the playoffs

-- Cleveland is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in Game 2’s this postseason, but the Cavs were blown out by the Warriors in Game 2 of the Finals last season, 110-77

-- LeBron James-led teams fell to 1-7 in NBA Finals openers in his career, but they have rebounded in Game 2's by posting a solid 4-1 SU/ATS record in the last five games in this situation

-- Overall, Cleveland is 6-1 SU and 5-1-1 ATS on the road in this year’s playoffs

Listed below are the past 20 Game 2's in the NBA Finals, with total results

GAME 2 OF THE NBA FINALS (1997-2016)

Year Matchup Total

2016 Golden State 110 vs. Cleveland 77 Under (209)

2015 Golden State 93 vs. Cleveland 95 (OT) Under (199)

2014 San Antonio 96 vs. Miami 98 Under (198.5)

2013 Miami 103 vs. San Antonio 84 Under (189.5)

2012 Oklahoma City 96 vs. Miami 100 Push (196)

2011 Miami 93 vs. Dallas 95 Push (188)

2010 L.A. Lakers 94 vs. Boston 103 Over (192.5)

2009 L.A. Lakers 101 vs. Orlando 96 (OT) Under (202)

2008 Boston 108 vs. L.A. Lakers 102 Over (191.5)

2007 San Antonio 103 vs. Cleveland 92 Under (175.5)

2006 Dallas 99 vs. Miami 85 Under (189)

2005 San Antonio 97 vs. Detroit 76 Over (171.5)

2004 L.A. Lakers 99 vs. Detroit 91 (OT) Over (171)

2003 San Antonio 85 vs. New Jersey 87 Under (187)

2002 L.A. Lakers 106 vs. New Jersey 83 Under (192.5)

2001 L.A. Lakers 98 vs. Philadelphia 89 Under (189.5)

2000 L.A. Lakers 111 vs. Indiana 104 Over (195)

1999 San Antonio 80 vs. New York 67 Under (171)

1998 Utah 88 vs. Chicago 93 Under (182.5)

1997 Chicago 97 vs. Utah 85 Under (185.5)