The Bum's 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The opening round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs continues Wednesday night with four Game 5s, featuring the Wizards/Raptors and Pacers/Cavs facing critical Game 5s with their series' all even at two wins apiece. Also, the Rockets look to finish off the T-Wolves and the Jazz attempt to knock out the Thunder.

Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-6, 205)

Every time it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers are about to roll over and end their reign atop the Eastern Conference, they bounce right back with a win. The Cavaliers will try to take the lead for the first time in the best-of-seven, first-round series when they host the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Cleveland had a chance to take the series lead in Game 3 and could not hold onto a 17-point advantage in a 92-90 loss, but LeBron James took over down the stretch in Game 4 and guided his team to a 104-100 triumph and tie the series at two games apiece. "We came on the road in a hostile environment and got a big win after a letdown last game," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters after the victory. "I thought we played good enough to win that last game. The guys thought that as well. When you lose a tough game like that it’s hard to bounce back, especially on the road. It’s just tribute to our guys’ character, who they are, and we bounced back and won a tough game." The Pacers are showing plenty of fight in the series and are undaunted by Cleveland taking back homecourt advantage. "It's 0-0 and it's anybody's series right now," center Myles Turner told reporters. "And we've gotta be the hungry team. We've got a road win before, and we gotta go do it again."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Indiana, FS Ohio (Cleveland)

SERIES PRICE (PER WESTGATE LV SUPERBOOK):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Cavaliers opened as 6.5-point home favorites for Game 5 and by Wednesday morning that number was down to -6. 64 percent of consensus selections are on the underdog Pacers. The total hit betting boards at 205 and has been steady.

ABOUT THE PACERS (50-36 SU, 50-36 ATS, 32-53-1 O/U): Indiana placed seven scorers in double figures in the Game 4 loss but All-Star Victor Oladipo struggled to 5-of-20 from the floor and Game 3 hero Bojan Bogdanovic went 4-of-13. "I thought we were frantic offensively throughout the game and I just didn't think we played the game the right way," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "I thought there were some quick shots, some heroic shots that were taken throughout this game, and you're not going to win if you play the game like that." The positives came up front, where Turner and reserve center Domantas Sabonis combined for 36 points on 16-of-21 shooting.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (52-34 SU, 33-52-1 ATS, 39-45-2 O/U): James finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in Game 4 but took the time out to praise the efforts of his teammates. Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood, who all joined the team at the trade deadline, combined for 24 points off the bench. "It means a lot to Rodney, Jordan and Larry,” James told reporters. "It’s their first opportunity in the postseason. It was a must-win for us in a hostile environment. For them to play the way they did meant a lot."

INJURY REPORT:

Pacers - PG Joe Young (Questionable, Illness).

Cavaliers - PG George Hill (Questionable, Back).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Pacers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
* Cavaliers are 16-36-1 ATS in their last 53 home games.
* Under is 16-4-1 in Pacers' last 21 vs. NBA Central.
* Under is 7-1 in Cavaliers' last 8 home games.
* Under is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings.




Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors (-7.5, 215.5)

The Toronto Raptors won the first two games of their first-round, Eastern Conference series over the Washington Wizards but could not find a way to win on the road. The Raptors leaned into some bad habits in a Game 4 loss and will try to correct some mistakes when they host Game 5 on Wednesday.

Toronto won a franchise-record 59 games during the regular season and earned the top seed in the East for the first time while playing a band of basketball that encouraged ball movement and 3-point shooting, but some of those traits were hard to find down the stretch in Game 4's 106-98 setback. "At some point we've got to make sure we keep our composure and execute," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We missed some shots we normally make. ... We turned down some good looks I thought we'd normally step into." The Wizards allowed an average of 122 points in the first two games of the series but cut that number down to 100.5 in the next two. "You have to have resolve to win in this league," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "We've had some tough moments this year with (point guard) John (Wall) missing half the season, but we found it, and it put us in a position to make the playoffs through resolve. You win playoff games, and you win playoff series with having that. We have that, and we have to continue to have that because we have to win two more games, and one of them has to be on the road."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Washington, TSN 1/4/5 (Toronto)

SERIES PRICE (PER WESTGATE LV SUPERBOOK):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Raptors opened as 7-point home favorites and as of Wednesday morning that number is up to -7.5, which is in line with consensus numbers that are showing 52 percent of pointspread wager on the Raptors. The total hit betting boards at 215 and has been bumped up slightly to 215.5.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (45-41 SU, 39-46-1 ATS, 39-45-2 O/U): All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal fouled out of Game 4 with just under five minutes left, but Wall took over down the stretch and finished with 27 points and 14 assists in the win. "Just go in attack mode,” Wall told reporters. "Even when Brad’s in the game, he’s telling me, 'Be aggressive.' At the same time, I'm trying to find him. I'm trying to keep him going and play my game. That gets my teammates involved and makes the job easier for those guys. They are knocking down shots and cutting for me, and I’m going to get my opportunities to score the ball." Wall is averaging 26.3 points, 13 assists and three steals in the series.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (61-25 SU, 45-40-1 ATS, 44-41-1 O/U): DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 35 points in Game 4 but was just 10-of-29 from the floor. "I took some shots that I wish I could have had back," DeRozan told reporters. "But it's just my mindset going out there and being aggressive, wanting to win, wanting to feel like I was doing whatever it took offensively to push us to a win. But with that came some bad shots that I will definitely understand next time." DeRozan and Kyle Lowry (7-of-15) combined for more than half of Toronto's shot attempts in the loss.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards - PG John Wall (Probable, Ankle), SG Jodie Meeks (Out For Season, Suspension).

Raptors - SF OG Anunoby (Probable, Ankle), PG Fred VanVleet (Doubtful, Shoulder).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Wizards are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Raptors are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Over is 4-0 in Wizards' last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Over is 7-3 in Raptors' last 10 home games.
* Under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings in Toronto.




Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 207)

The Utah Jazz won the last three games of a contentious Western Conference first-round series and aim to close out Oklahoma City when they visit the Thunder in Wednesday's Game 5. The Jazz averaged 114 points while winning two games on their home floor and now look to hand Oklahoma City a bitter home setback.

The hotter Utah shoots and the better it plays, the more heated the emotions and tussles have become between the squads. "This is the playoffs. It's going to be war," Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio said after Game 4. "You're playing seven games and you've got to win four. We know that it's going to be another war next game, and we just need to be tough but at the same time mentally ready for that. We're not backing down, but at the same time we know we have to be ready for a fight and respond." The Thunder very much know their backs are against the wall as they also face the prospect of forward Paul George leaving as a free agent. "We gotta win. Nothing to it. We've just gotta win," Oklahoma City forward Carmelo Anthony told reporters. "We can sit here and say what we gotta do, or what we didn't do or what we did do, but it comes down to having the will to win that game Wednesday and forcing a Game 6 back in Utah and taking it from there."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Oklahoma

SERIES PRICE (PER WESTGATE LV SUPERBOOK):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Thunder opened as 3-point home favorites for Game 5 as they look to stave off elimination at the hands of the Jazz. As of Wednesday morning that number is up to -3.5 with 64 percent of the consensus pointspread wagers siding with the desperate Thunder. The total hit betting boards at 208 and has been bet down to 207. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (51-35 SU, 46-40 ATS, 42-43-1 O/U): Standout guard Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points and 8.5 rebounds as the best player in the series and his 33-point effort in Game 4 represents the most scored by a rookie in franchise playoff history, surpassing Karl Malone (31 in 1986). "It's definitely an honor to have a record like that," Mitchell told reporters. "Definitely an honor. No doubt about that, but we have one more game, so I'm focused on that." Rubio is having a solid series with averages of 18.5 points, eight assists, 7.8 rebounds and two steals while small forward Joe Ingles has exposed George the past two games while knocking down 10 3-pointers and averaging 20.5 points.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (49-37 SU, 35-50-1 ATS, 39-47 O/U): George scored 32 points and Westbrook contributed 23 points and 14 rebounds in Game 4 but the team's 5-of-26 effort from 3-point range helped sink their chances. "We were aggressive. We were in attack mode," George told reporters. "We were aggressive. We missed shots. I don't think all season long we've finished a game with only five 3-pointers. We missed shots." Westbrook notched a double-double in each game - three are of the points/rebounds variety - while averaging 21.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists but is shooting just 36.7 percent from the field.

INJURY REPORT:

Jazz - SF Thabo Sefolosha (Out For Season, Knee).

Thunder - SG Andre Roberson (Out For Season, Knee).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Jazz are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Thunder are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 12-3 in Jazz's last 15 vs. Western Conference.
* Over is 4-1 in Thunder's last 5 overall.
* Home team is 21-9 ATS in the last 30 meetings.




Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets (-12, 216)

The Houston Rockets look to close out the Western Conference first-round series with Minnesota when they host the Timberwolves in Wednesday's Game 5. Houston holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after using a 50-point third quarter to prevail in Game 4.

The Rockets led by just one point at halftime of Game 4 before the explosive quarter that fell one point short of the postseason record set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962. "We can be that team," Houston reserve guard Eric Gordon told reporters. "We just hadn't gotten into a flow throughout this whole series. It was good to see that." Eighth-seeded Minnesota faces an uphill climb against the top-seeded Rockets and instantly forgetting about the defensive breakdowns might be a tall task. "Fifty points in a quarter is a lot of points," Timberwolves shooting guard Jimmy Butler said. "That can't happen. That's the game in itself."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS North (Minnesota), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

SERIES PRICE (PER WESTGATE LV SUPERBOOK):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Rockets opened as big 11.5-point home favorites as they attempt to knock the Wolves out of the playoffs. That opening number wasn't big enough for bettors as 53 percent of the consensus pointspread wagers are on the favorite Rockets and the line is up to -12 as of Wednesday morning. The total hit betting boards at 219 and has been dropped way down to 216.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (48-38 SU, 39-44-3 ATS, 47-38-1 O/U): Backup point guard Derrick Rose tallied 17 points in each of the past two games and he would be in line for a lot of minutes once again with starter Jeff Teague (two points on 1-of-7 shooting) dealing with a dislocated right pinky finger. Center Karl-Anthony Towns put together back-to-back strong games by averaging 20 points and 15.5 rebounds after averaging 6.5 points (on 5-of-18 shooting) and 11 rebounds in the first two games of the series. Butler is averaging 17.8 points in the series with a high of 28 while small forward Andrew Wiggins is chipping in 16.3 per game.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (68-18 SU, 43-42-1 ATS, 35-50-1 O/U): Guard James Harden scored 22 of his 36 points in the third-quarter spree and is averaging 30.8 points in the series on 41.8 percent shooting. "We had the mentality to be aggressive, make or missed shots," Harden told reporters of the third-quarter outburst. "That's what we do. We shoot the basketball, and eventually they'll start falling." Point guard Chris Paul was all-around solid with 25 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals in Game 4 and is averaging 20.8 points in the series.

INJURY REPORT:

Timberwolves - PG Tyus Jones (Questionable, Knee), C Justin Patton (Out For Season, Foot).

Rockets - SF PJ Tucker (Probable, Knee), PF Luc Mbah a Moute (Early May, Shoulder).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Timberwolves are 7-17 ATS in their last 24 road games.
* Rockets are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Timberwolves last 5 road games.
* Under is 10-1 in Rockets last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Over is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Late Tips
April 25, 2018

Eastern Conference Tips

Western Conference - Game 5 (Rockets lead 3-1)
Minnesota at Houston (NBATV, 9:35 p.m. ET)

-- Houston (68-18 straight up, 43-42-1 against the spread) took control of its first-round series against eighth-seeded Minnesota by exploding for a season-high 50 – yes, FIFTY! – points in the third quarter (alone) on its way to taking a 3-1 advantage with a 119-100 win as a six-point road favorite. The 219 combined points slithered ‘over’ the 217.5-point total.

-- Tied at the end of the first quarter and ahead by merely one point at intermission, Houston outscored Minnesota by 30 in the third quarter of Game 4. James Harden led the way for the winners with 36 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists compared to just one turnover. The perennial All-Star guard and 2018 MVP candidate made 12-of-26 field-goal attempts, 5-of-11 launches from 3-point land and 7-of-7 free-throw attempts. Chris Paul produced 25 points, six rebounds, five steals and six assists compared to merely one turnover. Eric Gordon drained 4-of-10 treys in an 18-point effort, while Clint Capela made his presence felt with 14 points, 17 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists. Trevor Ariza finished with 15 points, two boards and three assists without a turnover. The Rockets had a 20/6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

-- Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 22 points and 15 rebounds in Game 4, while Jimmy Butler finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists compared to only one turnover. Derrick Rose continued to have a strong series, contributing 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Andrew Wiggins had 14 points, while Jamal Crawford finished with 19 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds in defeat. Jeff Teague had a horrible game with only two points, five assists and three turnovers. He was 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from downtown.

-- As of early this morning, most books had Houston installed as a 12-point favorite with a total of 216.5. The Timberwolves were available for a generous +750 return on the money line (risk $100 to win $750).

-- Mike D’Antoni’s squad has produced a 36-7 SU record and a 18-24-1 ATS mark at home this season.

-- Minnesota (48-38 SU, 39-44-3 ATS) is 17-26 SU and 18-24-1 ATS in its road assignments this season.

-- Minnesota has lost 13 straight games at Houston. The Rockets are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in eight games against the T-wolves this year. Five of the seven wins have come by lopsided margins of 18 points or more.

-- Teague left Game 4 with a jammed pinky finger on his right shooting hand, but he is listed as ‘probable’ for tonight’s Game 5. Teague is averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals in the series to date.

-- After missing nearly three weeks of action with a sprained ankle, Houston reserve forward and 3-point specialist Ryan Anderson returned to the court for Game 3 and 4 at Minnesota. Anderson logged 18-plus minutes of playing time in Game 3, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long distance. He also had three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in the losing effort. In Game 4, Anderson went scoreless on just three FGAs (all from downtown) in 17 minutes of action. The 10-year veteran out of Cal-Berkeley averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds during the regular season, draining 38.6 percent of his 3-balls.

-- VegasInsider.com NBA guru Antony Dinero is ranked No. 2 among 33 VI NBA handicappers in overall money (+25.97 Units) this season. Dinero believes it’s going to take a Herculean effort for Minnesota to find a way to force a Game 6, noting that Towns and Wiggins will have to make it happen. Dinero said, “The Timberwolves were able to pull off a Saturday night upset but have otherwise been outclassed by the West’s top seed. Despite Derrick Rose emerging as a consistent X-factor, Minnesota has really struggled to compete in part because both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins have struggled to impose their will and deliver easy baskets in all three losses. It’s no coincidence that Towns and Wiggins each had their most effective performances in Game 3, combining for 38 points on 50.0 percent shooting. The young duo managed just 44 points on 45 shots in the first two losses at Houston and will have to step up their level of play significantly to get the T-wolves back home for a Game 6.”

-- VI’s Kevin Rogers is No. 3 among VI’s NBA handicappers in both overall money (+17.16 Units) and winning percentage (55%). He pointed out some interesting numbers that pertain to tonight’s matchup. Rogers said, “The Rockets enter Wednesday’s action at 6-17-1 ATS in their past 24 opportunities as a double-digit home favorite. Houston failed to cover in the series opener as an 11.5-point ‘chalk,’ but it routed Minnesota in Game 2 as a 10.5-point favorite. The T-wolves have lost 11 of their past 12 SU in the role of a road underdog dating back to Jan. 24, while covering the spread only four times in that span.”

-- The ‘over’ is 47-38-1 overall for Minnesota, but the ‘under’ is 22-21 in its road assignments.

-- The ‘under’ is 50-35-1 overall for the Rockets, 24-19 in their home games.

-- The ‘under’ was a winner in Games 1 and 2 at Houston before the ‘over’ hit in the past two games in Minneapolis. Totals have been an overall wash (4-4) in eight head-to-head meetings between these clubs this season. However, dating back several seasons, the ‘over’ is on a 16-5 run in the last 21 games of this rivalry.

-- Tip-off on TNT is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

Western Conference - Game 5 (Jazz lead 3-1)
Utah at Oklahoma City (TNT, 9:30 p.m.)

-- Utah (51-35 SU, 46-40 ATS) has won three games in a row over the Thunder to take a 3-1 series lead. First, Quin Snyder’s club outscored OKC 28-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 2 to pick up a 102-95 win as a 3.5-point road underdog. Next, the Jazz won a 115-102 decision as a five-point home ‘chalk’ Saturday in Salt Lake City. Then on Monday night as a five-point home favorite again, Utah outscored OKC by 23 combined points in the second and third quarters en route to a 113-96 victory.

-- As of early this morning, most spots had Oklahoma City (49-37 SU, 35-50-1 ATS) listed as a 3.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 207.5. The Jazz were +150 to win outright (risk $100 to win $150).

-- Sportsbook.ag has the updated series price as Utah -1100, with the Thunder as the +650 underdog (risk $100 to win $650).

-- Thing were quite chippy in Utah’s Game 4 win two nights ago, with several mini-skirmishes taking place and resulting in technical fouls. I would think the referees will try to set an early tone with quite a few whistles in hopes of preventing the game from getting too physical. This could lead to some early bonus situations and might make an ‘over’ in the first quarter or first half worth your consideration. Most spots had the first-quarter total at 50.5 (‘under’ -125, ‘over’ -105) this morning, while the first-half tally was 100.

-- In the Game 4 triumph, Utah rookie sensation was the catalyst once again with 33 points, seven rebounds, one blocked shot and four assists without a turnover. All five Jazz starters scored in double figures with Joe Ingles draining five treys on 11 attempts in a 29-point effort. Rody Gobert produced 16 points and 10 rebounds while making 7-of-11 FGAs. Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors finished with 13 points apiece, as Rubio handed out eight helpers and pulled down six rebounds. Royce O’Neale contributed 10 points and nine rebounds in 20 quality minutes off the bench.

-- OKC’s Paul George had a team-best 32 points on Monday’s losing effort. He had six rebounds, two assists and two steals, but he committed six turnovers as well. The Thunder had an abysmal 10/14 assist-to-turnover ratio. Russell Westbrook went 7-of-18 from the field and finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds, but he had more turnovers (five) than assists (three). Carmelo Anthony made merely 5-of-18 FGAs and missed all six of his launches from beyond the arc. ‘Melo had 11 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

-- Westbrook has been in the middle of most of the tussles between these squads. He avoided a Game 5 suspension but was issued a $10,000 fine by the NBA and handed a postgame technical foul for coming on the court as a sub to confront Gobert during Monday’s defeat.

-- Utah has been absolutely on fire since Jan. 24, going 32-7 SU and 23-16 ATS. However, we’ll nonetheless note that the Jazz are just 1-4 both SU and ATS in its past five games as an underdog.

-- OKC owns a 28-15 SU record to go with a 17-25-1 ATS mark at home this year.

-- VI’s Dinero offered this take on OKC’s struggles: “Russell Westbrook has been dreadful offensively, while Carmelo Anthony has been tough to watch at both ends of the floor against Utah. The presence of Rudy Gobert has really kept the Thunder from getting as deep into the paint as they would like, so it’s critical that they do more damage from 3-point range than they have thus far. They’re a combined 9-for-40 from beyond the arc in the series, including 0-of-9 in Game 4. If that change in OKC, not even its excellent homecourt edge will make a difference.”

-- Although Westbrook, George and Anthony are postseason veterans (or ‘Melo was while with the Nuggets at least before his ill-fated tenure with the Knicks), it’s Rubio and Mitchell who have shined in their postseason debuts. Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocked shots per game in this series. The Louisville product has hit 45.3 percent of his FGAs, 34.5 percent of his 3-pointers and 87.5 percent of his FTs. Rubio is averaging 18.5 points, 8.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocked shots per game. The 27-year-old veteran of seven NBA seasons has a 32/14 assist-to-turnover ratio and has made 85.7 percent of his FTs.

-- Utah is 21-22 SU and 22-21 ATS on the road.

-- The ‘under’ is 43-42-1 overall for the Jazz, but the ‘over’ is 24-18-1 in its road assignments.

-- The ‘under’ is 47-39 overall for the Thunder, 24-19 in its home outings.

-- After cashing in both games at Utah, the ‘over’ is 3-1 in the series to date. However, the ‘under’ cashed in the four regular-season meetings of this rivalry.

-- NBA-TV will have the broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Golden State All-Star guard Steph Curry is listed as ‘doubtful’ for Friday’s Game 1 home game vs. New Orleans. In 51 regular-season games, Curry averaged 26.4 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

-- After eliminating Miami last night to improve to 20-1 in its past 21 games, Philadelphia is now the +160 ‘chalk’ to win the Eastern Conference. The Raptors have the second-shortest odds (+170, risk $100 to win $170), while the Cavs are at +300. Boston is at 20/1, followed by the Pacers (40/1), Wizards (50/1) and Bucks (100/1).

-- Those above numbers to win the East are from Sportsbook.ag, as are these numbers to win the NBA Championship: Golden State is the -110 ‘chalk,’ while the Rockets have 2/1 odds. The 76ers are next at 8/1, followed by the Raptors (15/1), Cavs (18/1), Jazz (28/1), Pelicans (50/1), Celtics (100/1), Wizards (200/1), Pacers (250/1), Thunder (250/1), Bucks (500/1) and T-wolves (1,000/1).

-- I think the Pelicans are worth a super-small play at 50/1.

-- Milwaukee has been installed as a five-point home favorite vs. Boston for Thursday's Game 6. The Celtics took a 3-2 series advantage with last night’s 94-89 win as 4.5-point home favorites. The 183 combined dropped ‘under’ the 202.5-point tally to end a streak of eight straight ‘overs’ for the C’s. Milwaukee had seen the ‘over’ hit at a frenetic 19-2 clip in its 21 previous outings before Game 5. The total for Game 6 is 200 points.

-- I had a rough night with my picks Tuesday, but at least I kept my nice streak of guaranteed plays going with a winner on the Celtics. Since the playoffs started, my guaranteed picks are 7-1 (87.5%, +5.92 Units). You can get signed up for my postseason package here.

[StarDust Bum]

Bucks, Celtics square off
April 25, 2018

By Kyle Markus

Eastern Conference Game 6 Preview
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks might be on the verge of elimination, but if their first round matchup against the Boston Celtics follows its theme, there is nothing to worry about. The home team has won all five games to open this series and Milwaukee needs that trend to remain with Game 6 on the horizon.

A win last time out has given Boston a 3-2 lead and one more victory would clinch its berth in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It won’t be easy and indeed the oddsmakers believe the Bucks are going to force a Game 7 as they are the favored team in this contest at home.

This series has been a lot of fun to watch and the intensity will hit yet another level with Milwaukee in win-or-go-home mode in NBA basketball gambling.

Game 6 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.

We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Odds Analysis

The Bucks are five-point favorites in Game 6, as the oddsmakers believe they will win this one and force a decisive game. The betting public believes this one is evenly pegged as an even amount of money is coming in on both sides to cover the spread.

The scoring total is listed at 200 points. The “over” could be the more popular choice based on the fact that four of the first five games have surpassed that point total.

Milwaukee is listed as the -210 favorite to win this game, while the Celtics are +176 underdogs. Once again, the early action is coming in evenly on the moneyline, as this game figures to be well-played and competitive with the Bucks the slight favorite.

Last Time Out

After losing a pair of games in Milwaukee which knotted this series at two games apiece, the Celtics bounced back with a 92-87 victory in Game 5. The defense led the way as Boston smothered Milwaukee, allowing only 37 percent shooting from the field.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a solid all-around game for the Bucks but he did not take over like he has at certain times this series. The Greek Freak finished with with 16 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks. Even though it was nearly a triple-double, Antetokounmpo only attempted 10 shots as Boston did a nice job limiting his impact.

The Celtics got contributions from several different players and were led by Al Horford, who finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Injury Report

Celtics reserve point guard Marcus Smart returned to the court for the first time since thumb surgery in mid-March. Boston has been hit hard by injuries this season as they don’t have their two stars, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, for the rest of the year. The absence of Irving is why the Bucks have been given a good shot to win this series.

The return of Smart should be a small boost to Boston’s chances. He played well in his return to the court, finishing Game 5 with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Smart is one of the better defenders in the NBA and hopes to be a difference-maker for the rest of this series.

Free NBA ATS Picks

Most of the games in this series have been nip and tuck and this one should not be any different. Look for Boston to hang around until the very end and cover the spread.

The Bucks won’t care too much about that as long as they win. Milwaukee is the choice on the moneyline, while the “over” is the pick on the scoring total in NBA basketball betting lines.

NBA ATS Pick: Bucks 103, Celtics 99

BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at TOR 07:00 PM
TOR -7.5

IND at CLE 07:00 PM
U 205.5

UTA at OKC 09:30 PM
UTA +3.5

MIN at HOU 09:30 PM
U 216.5

[StarDust Bum]

LeBron blocks shot, hits winning 3-pointer at buzzer
April 25, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, a crowning moment for another brilliant performance, to give Cleveland a 98-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in Game 5, putting the Cavaliers within one victory of advancing in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Moments after blocking Victor Oladipo's possible go-ahead driving layup, James caught the inbounds pass, took two dribbles and dropped the winner over Thaddeus Young.

As Cleveland's sellout crowd exploded, James hugged rookie teammate Cedi Osman before jumping on the scorer's table to celebrate another of those moments that will define his career.

James finished with 44 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and went 15 of 15 from the line.

Kyle Korver added 19 points and Cleveland's much-maligned defense tightened just in time as the Cavaliers seized their first lead in the first-round series after being down 1-0 and 2-1.

Cleveland can close out Indiana with a win Friday night in Indianapolis.

Domantas Sabonis scored 22 points, and Young had 16 for the Pacers.

ROCKETS 122, TIMBERWOLVES 104

HOUSTON (AP) - Clint Capela had 26 points and 15 rebounds, James Harden added 24 points and Houston pulled away in the third quarter to finish off Minnesota in five games.

Houston will await the winner of the Utah-Oklahoma City series. The top-seeded Rockets are headed to the second round for the second year in a row after taking care of the eighth-seeded Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Crawford added 20 points. Minnesota was in the postseason for the first time since 2004.

THUNDER 107, JAZZ 99

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 45 points and Oklahoma City rallied from 25 points down in the second half to fight off elimination and beat Utah.

Westbrook also had 15 rebounds and seven assists. Paul George added 34 points and eight rebounds.

Utah takes a 3-2 lead back to Salt Lake City for Game 6 on Friday.

Oklahoma City took advantage after Utah's post players, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, got into foul trouble. Both finished with five fouls, and Oklahoma City was able to get to the basket consistently for the first time in the series. Jae Crowder had a career playoff-high 27 points for Utah. Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, and Joe Ingles added 16.

RAPTORS 108, WIZARDS 98

TORONTO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points, Kyle Lowry had 17 points and 10 assists and Torontobeat Washington in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.

Toronto rebounded after losing Games 3 and 4 in Washington. Game 6 is Friday night in Washington.

The only team in the NBA to avoid a three-game losing streak this season, the Raptors went 5-0 following back-to-back losses during the regular season, and have not lost three straight since last year's second-round sweep against Cleveland.

Delon Wright scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Raptors. John Wall had 26 points, and Bradley Beal added 20 for the Wizards.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 26, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/25/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/24/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
04/23/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/22/2018 1-7-0 12.50% -33.50
04/21/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/20/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/19/2018 1-5-0 16.67% -22.50
04/18/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
04/17/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +900
04/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/15/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/14/2018 1-6-1 14.29% -28.00

TOTALS.........31-43-1........41.89%.....-76.00

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

NFL W-L records of the last nine Big X QB’s drafted in rounds 1-2:

2017: Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech 0-1

2013: Geno Smith, West Virginia 12-19

2012 Robert Griffin III, Baylor 15-26

2012: Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M 37-40

2012: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State 6-19

2011: Blaine Gabbert, Missouri 11-34

2010: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma 34-45-1

2009: Josh Freeman, Kansas State 25-36

2006: Vince Young, Texas 31-20

Quotes of the Day
“He’s an awesome athlete. He will not be able to play (quarterback) in this league—mark my words. When he throws, he hopes.”
An unnamed AFC offensive coordinator, talking about Lamar Jackson

Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Browns are 2-41 in their last 43 games; who were the Browns’ starting QB’s in those two wins?

Wednesday’s quiz
Didi Gregorius played for the Reds, Diamondbacks before coming to New York.

Tuesday’s quiz
The NHL team that used to play in Quebec City was called the Nordiques

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) Here are record of major league teams with best/worst records in games where winning run scores after the 6th inning:

Best: Mets 8-2, Blue Jays 6-1, Phillies 7-2, Rockies 4-0
Worst: Bronx 0-5, Indians 1-5, Nationals 1-5, Padres 1-5

12) Mentioned yesterday how 181 college players declared early for an NBA Draft where only 60 players will be taken. Last year, 137 players declared early.

11) Thing is, if he didn’t hire an agent, the player who declares can go thru workouts, get an evaluation, then drop out of the draft if he isn’t going to be drafted as high as he would like and go back to college— its a no-lose situation for the player, which is why lot of guys do it.

10) In last five NFL Drafts, only three teams haven’t drafted a player who has made at least one Pro Bowl; Bills, Broncos, Colts.

9) Braves called up prize prospect Ronald Acuna Tuesday night; he was 11 for his last 33 in AAA ball.

8) When Marlins’ OF Cameron Maybin was a kid in Asheville, NC, he had an excellent summer job one year. He was batboy for the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League, the same team Crash Davis wound up playing for at the end of the classic movie, Bull Durham.

7) Baltimore Orioles are off to an awful 6-17 start; their starting pitching is suspect, and it could be a long year at Camden Yards. Without starting pitching, you have no chance to compete.

From 2013-16, Baltimore hurler Chris Tillman was 56-30 with a 3.62 ERA, a good pitcher. Things have changed.

Since May 24, 2017, in 19 starts, Tillman is 1-11, 9.35. Is he hurt? Is he tipping his pitches? Something is amiss.

6) Richmond Spiders had a QB named Kyle Lauletta, who may or may not be drafted tonight; watching some clips of him, one thing is very obvious; Richmond’s football team has great helmets- that spider logo looks tremendous on a helmet, either dark blue or white.

5) Former Vikings’ coach Brad Childress will be head coach, Michael Vick offensive coordinator of the Atlanta team in the new AAF, a spring football league that starts next year.

4) According to Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com, Josh Rosen went to the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana in 2016 and did not make a favorable impression while there.

Manning Passing Academy bills itself as “…..the premier offensive football skills camp in the nation for QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs.”

Friend of mine’s son went there 15 or so years ago; former LSU/Patriots’ QB Tom Hodson was his camp counselor.

3) I have two friends who know more about football than any of my other friends; one says Josh Rosen is the best QB in the draft, the other says Baker Mayfield, so go figure.

2) Clemson QB Deshaun Watson was the 12th pick in last year’s NFL Draft; I will predict right here that none of the QB’s in this year’s draft will be as good as Watson. Teams messed up last year when they dismissed Watson.

1) President Macron of France is 39 years old; his wife just turned 65.

When Macron was 15, he was a student and Brigitte Trogneux was a 40-year old teacher at La Providence, a private school in Amiens, northern France. At the time, she was married with three kids.

In this country, the scandalous affair that followed would have been serious trouble for Ms Trogneaux, who is now Mrs Macron. Not so in France.

In today’s world, it is just another day, another weird day.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds: Celtics at Bucks

Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks (-5, 199.5)

Celtics lead series 3-2.

The home team has won each of the first five games of the first-round series between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, a trend the Bucks hope to maintain when they host a do-or-die Game 6 on Thursday. The second-seeded Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 92-87 win at home Tuesday night, moving to within a victory of a second-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Al Horford switched from power forward to center and led Boston with 22 points and 14 rebounds as the Celtics survived a sluggish affair to push seventh-seeded Milwaukee to the brink of elimination. "We needed to make an adjustment and do something," Horford told reporters of the lineup changes, which included the return from injury of guard Marcus Smart and a rare start for rookie forward Semi Ojeleye. "Coach (Brad Stevens) saw that and he went with his gut and that, and a combination of Marcus Smart, I think paid off for us tonight." The Bucks shot well over 50 percent from the floor in the previous three games before being held to 36.8 percent in Game 5, and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was limited to just 10 shot attempts. "It's on me. I had open shots, but they wasn't my shots," Antetokounmpo told the media. "I think my teammates did a great job finding me, but coming the next game, Game 6, I've got to be more aggressive and make more plays."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, NBCS Boston, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



LINE HISTORY: The Bucks opened as 4.5-point home favorites and as of Wednesday night that number has been bet up slightly to -5. This line move is despite 52 percent of consensus wagers coming in on the underdog Celtics. The total hit betting boards at 200 and has been dropped to 199.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Celtics - PG K. Irving (Out For Season, Knee), PF D. Theis (Out For Season, Knee), SF G. Hayward (Out For Season, Ankle).

Bucks - C J. Henson (Doubful, Back).

MATCHUP CHART:



ABOUT THE CELTICS (58-29 SU, 54-31-2 ATS, 47-39-1 O/U): Smart, who was out since March 11 with a thumb injury, added an instant dose of defense and toughness that Boston lacked while allowing an average of 110 points in losing games 3 and 4. "You can look at stat sheets all you want; with Marcus it just doesn’t tell the story," Stevens told reporters. "It's his energy, it's his emotion, it's little plays that turn out to be game-changing plays. ... Those are huge plays. And we have other guys that are making them when he hasn't been here, but he makes them every night. He makes them every night that he plays." Horford is averaging 18.2 points on 54.5 percent shooting and 8.6 rebounds in the series.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (46-41 SU, 35-47-5 ATS, 50-36-1 O/U): While Antetokounmpo vows to be more aggressive in Game 6, some of his teammates hailed him for doing other things to keep his team in it Tuesday night. "I felt like he had a great game tonight," Khris Middleton told reporters of Antetokounmpo, who had 10 rebounds and handed out nine assists, his best total in over two months. "He played more as a playmaker, which they wanted him to do, I guess. He's got to trust us and we've got to trust him. He's going to find ways to get his shot, get to the paint, or his midrange or threes or whatnot. When he sees everybody crowding in on him, he's got to trust us and trust the pass and that's what he did tonight." Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points but was 9-of-21 from the floor after shooting 40-for-65 through the first four games of the series.

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Bucks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 8-1 in Celtics last 9 overall.
* Over is 11-1 in Bucks last 12 games following a straight up loss.
* Celtics are 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (58 - 29) at MILWAUKEE (46 - 41) - 4/26/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 52-31 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 36-46 ATS (-14.6 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 38-51 ATS (-18.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-6 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
11 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA

Thursday, April 26

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Celtics
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 9 games
Boston is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games on the road
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 19 of Milwaukee's last 22 games
Milwaukee is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston


------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, April 26


Boston @ Milwaukee

Game 501-502
April 26, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
115.805
Milwaukee
116.638
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 5
200
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+5); Under




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 26

Celtics (3-2) @ Bucks

Home side won last seven series games; Celtics lost last three visits here, by 4-2-24 points, but they’re 3-1 vs spread in last four visits here. Six of last seven series games went over the total. Bledsoe was just 5-15 from floor in Game 5; Bucks need a 3rd scorer to compliment Middleton, Antetokounmpo- 5-15 ain’t good enough. Boston lost its last five road games, but they’re 12-5 vs spread in last 17 road games overall. Milwaukee won five of its last six home games; they’re 2-12 vs spread in last 14 games as a home favorite.

Wizards-Raptors
Tor 114-106, -7.5, O211
Tor 130-119, -7, O214
Wsh 122-103, -1, O217.5
Wsh 106-98, +1.5, U217
Tor 108-97, -7, U216

Heat-76ers
Phil 130-103, -6.5, O212
Mia 113-103, +6.5, U217
Phil 128-108, -2.5, O213.5
Phil 106-102, -4, U212.5
Phil 104-91, -10, U215.5
76ers win series, 4-1

Bucks-Celtics
Bos 113-107 OT, -4.5, O199.5
Bos 120-106, -1, O200
Mil 116-92, -5, O205.5
Mil 104-102, -5.5, O203.5
Bos 92-87, -4.5, U202.5

Pacers-Cavaliers
Ind 98-80, +7.5, U212.5
Clev 100-97, -8, U209
Ind 92-90, -1.5, U209.5
Clev 104-100, -1.5, U206.5
Clev 98-95, -6.5, U206

Spurs-Warriors
GState 113-92, -8, U209.5
GState 116-101, -9 O205.5
GState 110-97, -3.5, O205.5
SA 103-90, +5.5, U206.5
GState 99-91, -11, U204.5
Warriors win series, 4-1

Pelicans-Blazers
NO 97-95, +5.5, U216.5
NO 111-102, +6, U216
NO 119-102, -3.5, O215.5
NO 131-123, -6.5, O217
Pelicans win series, 4-0

Jazz-Thunder
OKC 116-108, -4.5, O205
Utah 102-95, +4, U206.5
Utah 115-102, -5, O209
Utah 113-96, -5, O208
OKC 107-99, -2.5, U207.5

Wolves-Rockets
Hst 104-101, -11.5, U215.5
Hst 102-82, -10.5, U212.5
Minn 121-105, +6, O217
Hst 119-100, -6, O217
Hst 122-104, -12, O217
Rockets win series, 4-1

---------------------------------------------

NBA

Thursday, April 26


Current NBA Playoffs betting stats:

Home Teams:

29-10 Straight Up
24-14-1 ATS

Favorites:

31-8 Straight Up
25-13-1 ATS

Over-Under:

19-20

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Essentials
April 26, 2018

Eastern Conference First Round - Game 6 - Celtics lead 3-2
Boston at Milwaukee (-4.5/200), TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET

If one could only guarantee that frustration gets channeled the right way, the Bucks would be the lock of the century in Thursday’s lone NBA playoff game. You can understand how even down 3-2 against the Celtics, seventh-seeded Milwaukee feels it is the better team in the series.

It lost Game 1 in overtime, blew a 20-point lead before surviving Game 4 and fell in Boston on Tuesday after getting hosed by a missed shot-clock violation that could’ve completely altered the next few possessions.

Mix in the fact that forward Giannis Antetokounmpo felt his Game 1 ejection in OT was unwarranted and clinched that loss, not to mention his lack of fourth-quarter involvement in Game 5 and you can surmise the Bucks will have their superstar leader engaged for this one.

Unless Milwaukee rallies in the series and wins the next two games, Thursday’s contest will be the final one at Bradley Center, home to the team since 1988. An emotionally charged atmosphere awaits the young Celtics, who are still looking for their first road win as they look to advance to an Eastern Conference semifinal series against Philadelphia where they will be an underdog despite opening the series at home as the highest-seeded team.

Boston knows it can’t look past the Bucks given how this series has unfolded. Without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward available, the Celtics are utilizing a collective approach to try and make the most of finishing second in the Eastern Conference this season. Marcus Smart returned for Game 4 to help aid the cause, while second-year wing Jaylen Brown, rookie forward Jayson Tatum and third-year point guard Terry Rozier have joined veteran center Al Horford as the team’s driving forces with their two max players sidelined.

Brad Stevens has been up to the challenge of making the most of his remaining pieces, a talented group light on playoff experience. He’s outcoached counterpart Joe Prunty, who probably needs to pull this series out to hang on to the gig he inherited on an interim basis when Jason Kidd was let go on Jan. 22.

The latest tweak saw a commitment to a smaller look with rookie forward Semi Ojeleye replacing burly 6-foot-10 center Aron Baynes in the starting lineup. He was placed on “Greek Freak” duty and fared extremely well, resulting in Antetokounmpo finishing with a series-low 10 field goal attempts. Baynes played a series-high 30 minutes in the 116-92 Game 3 blowout loss the Celtics suffered after the action shifted to Milwaukee, so it’s not hard to take the leap that Stevens and his staff will stick with going small now that Ojeleye has proven with worth and Smart is back in the mix.

A standout defender whose grit and versatility makes him an asset even when he’s not playing well on offense, Smart logged 25 minutes in his first game since breaking his thumb on March 11. He shot 2-for-7 and turned it over five times in a rusty showing, but he blocked a game-high three shots.

It’s no coincidence that from an efficiency standpoint, Milwaukee’s Game 5 effort was by far its worst this postseason, not to mention its lowest-scoring. The Bucks had averaged 108.3 points over the first four games of this series, which all went over the posted total. After books adjusted after the first two contests, moving the total from 199.5 to 204-plus for Games 3 and 4, Smart’s return forced the number to close at 202.5 on Tuesday and has it right back around 200 for Game 6.

The Bucks have a number of guys they need to make sure get going in addition to Anteokounmpo, who is averaging 25.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in the series despite his Game 5 struggles. He’s shooting 60 percent from the field, so there’s a good chance he’ll be able to identify some counters for Ojeleye and Smart, the two new wrinkles he had to deal with on Tuesday.

Khris Middleton is averaging 25.0 points and shooting 57 percent from the field, which includes shooting 18-for-30 from 3-point range. Milwaukee can’t possibly ask for more from him from a consistency standpoint. He shot a series-worst 43 percent in Game 4, putting up a series-high 21 shots from the field, so you can expect he’ll also have some counters in place.

Center John Henson is likely to be sidelined once again due to a back issue that has kept him out of the last three contests after he played 37 minutes in the first two, so the Bucks will probably start Tyler Zeller once again before going small themselves. Jabari Parker has been the beneficiary of the extra minutes, averaging 16.7 points while shooting over 50 percent.

Betting on a team facing a must-win spot is always dicey and Chris David of VegasInsider.com is hesitant to lay the points with Milwaukee in Game 6.

“Outside of the blowout win in Game 3 at home, the Bucks haven’t performed well in the role of home favorites in the second-half of the season. Including that outcome, Milwaukee has gone 6-5 SU and more importantly 2-9 ATS,” said David, expanding on his position on the ‘dog. “If this line was shorter, I wouldn’t have as much issue with the Bucks but six points is a little too rich to lay and Boston has been a solid underdog this season and in the playoffs under Brad Stevens.”

The Bucks must get better play out of lead guards Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon, who combined to shoot 6-for-20 in Game 5, squandering opportunities that where there to be had since most of Boston’s defensive focus was on Antetokounmpo and Middleton. The ability of Rozier and Shane Larkin to be productive in the series, actually winning the matchup at the point, has helped swing the series in Boston’s favorite. For Milwaukee to win its third game of the series as a favorite, Bledsoe and Brogdon must improve. The Bucks are 7-1 straight up (5-3 ATS) in their last eight games as a favorite.

“Boston has gone 7-11 this season when catching points and while that’s nothing to boast about, a 12-6 record at the betting counter in those games shows you that they don’t lay down,” added VI’s David. “In the postseason, the Celtics are 4-11 overall as road underdogs during Stevens’ tenure and again a profitable 9-6 ATS.”

It’s a certainty Boston will be in action at home on Saturday night. Whether the Bucks are out there for a Game 7 or lamenting plays that made the difference in their elimination as they watch the Celtics host Philly depends entirely on making the most out of their opportunities tonight.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, APRIL 26
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -4.5
O 201.0

[StarDust Bum]

Bucks top Celtics, force Game 7
April 26, 2018

MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo asserted himself in the biggest game of his budding career with his team on the brink of playoff elimination.

Now it's on to Game 7 for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the Bucks pulled away late to beat the Boston Celtics 97-86 on Thursday night to force a winner-take-all game Saturday night in Boston.

''At the end, it was (all) about will,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''I was out there, I was trying to make plays, I was trying to be aggressive.''

He had plenty of company to help keep the Celtics on their heels down the stretch.

Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon each added 16 points, with Brogdon hitting a momentum-swinging 3 from the left corner to give the Bucks a two-possession lead with 5:22 left.

Just getting to Game 7 is a small but significant step for a young team that lost in six games to the Toronto Raptors a year ago. The up-and-coming Bucks haven't played a seventh game in the playoffs since losing to Atlanta in the first round in 2010.

''This is what you work for. Embrace that moment. Go out as a team, attack it together ... find a way to get a win,'' coach Joe Prunty said.

The Celtics had their shots to win in it six. They led by nine early, then drew as close as 80-78 with 7:13 left on Marcus Morris' 3-pointer.

The Bucks made the last big push to close out the Celtics.

Boston had to settle for perimeter looks down the stretch. They couldn't hit enough 3s, finishing 10 of 36 (28 percent) on the night, and the Bucks limited Boston on the glass.

''We got stagnant and we weren't very good,'' coach Brad Stevens said

At the other end, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks' charge right at the heart of the Celtics' defense.

After Eric Bledsoe picked off Jayson Tatum's inbounds pass, Antetokounmpo converted an offensive rebound with a putback off the glass for an 89-81 lead with 3:08 left. It was part of an 11-3 run late to help the Bucks pull away for 10-point advantage.

With his team facing elimination, Antetokounmpo vowed to be more aggressive following a five-point loss in Game 5.

The two-time All-Star produced in the crunch time, scoring 20 points in the second half on 8-of-14 shooting.

''It's big. We've grown as a team,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''For us to win Game 6 - we have a big opportunity ahead of us.''

Tatum finished with 22 points, and Terry Rozier had 18 for the Celtics. After holding the edge on the glass for most of the series, Boston got outrebounded 48-39.

''Clearly their speed and length and athleticism affected us,'' Stevens said. ''They were quicker to the ball all night than us, best probably exemplified by the rebounding numbers.''

TIP INS

Celtics: Stevens stuck with the same starting five he used for Game 5, with Semi Ojeleye in for Aron Baynes for a quicker frontcourt on defense. ... Former President Bill Clinton attended the game and exchanged handshakes with guard Marcus Smart. ... Jaylen Brown added 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Bucks: C John Henson (back) missed his fourth straight game, with Thon Maker getting his first start of the series over Tyler Zeller. Maker finished with four points and one block. ... Held a 25-4 edge on transition points. ... Jabari Parker had another strong game off the bench with nine points and 11 rebounds, while Tony Snell had six points.

YOUNG CELTICS

Veteran forward Al Horford chalks up Game 6 as another valuable learning experience for his young teammates.

No better education than a seventh game in the playoffs on home court.

''It's going to be new for our group. This whole playoff experience has been new, we have a lot of new pieces,'' Horford said. ''As a basketball player, fan, one of the places that you want to enjoy and be is the TD Garden for a Game 7.''

He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

QUOTABLE

''We got great looks this whole series. It's a matter of knocking it down and trusting the pass. ... We need to have that same mentality going into Game 7.'' - Middleton.

UP NEXT

Game 7 is Saturday night at the TD Garden in Boston.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 27, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
8:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
10:30 PM New Orleans Pelicans Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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NBA PLAYOFF RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/26/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
04/25/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/24/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
04/23/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/22/2018 1-7-0 12.50% -33.50
04/21/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/20/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/19/2018 1-5-0 16.67% -22.50
04/18/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
04/17/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +900
04/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/15/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/14/2018 1-6-1 14.29% -28.00

TOTALS.........32-44-1........42.10%.....-76.50

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

— Steelers traded WR Martavis Bryant to Oakland for the 75th pick (3rd round).

— Three of the top 22 players taken were defensive guys from Alabama.

— Braves 7, Reds 4— Ronald Acuna hit his first major league homer.

— Atlanta Hawks parted ways with coach Mike Budenholzer after five years.

— Last time there were no WR’s taken in first round of the draft was 2008.

— Amazon signed a deal to stream NFL games for two years, roughly $130 million.

Quotes of the Day
“I’m not saying I watch a ton of tennis. But when you watch Wimbledon and see these tennis players and their ability to move side to side, attack the net, backpedal back to the baseline, it is a skill set as far as footwork goes that’s definitely transferable to football.”
Texans’ coach Bill O’Brien

Friday’s quiz
Who was commissioner of the NFL before Roger Goodell?

Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Browns are 2-41 in their last 43 games; Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III were the Browns’ starting QB’s in those two wins.

Wednesday’s quiz
Didi Gregorius played for the Reds, Diamondbacks before coming to New York.

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Friday’s Den: Running diary of first two hours of NFL Draft

8:16: Cleveland Browns take Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield with the #1 pick in the draft; time will tell on all these picks, but my quick analysis is this— when we last watched actual college football games, no one had Mayfield in the top 10 picks. No one.

Now all of a sudden, he is the #1 pick. The team that took Johnny Manziel took a guy who has a lot of similarities to Manziel.

Cleveland is 2-41 in its last 43 games; they traded for Buffalo’s QB Tyrod Taylor this winter. How long before Mayfield gets to play for the Browns?

8:21: Giants take Sequon Barkley and my godson, a huge Giants fan, isn’t happy— he wanted Big Blue to take Sam Darnold or trade out of the pick.

Have to think the Giants could’ve gotten a boatload of picks from Buffalo to move out of this spot, but they didn’t.

Is it possible that Eli Manning is the real GM of the Giants? They fired Ben McAdoo LY when he benched Eli for a game, after Eli had gotten Tom Coughlin fired the year before. Manning is a 37-year old QB who needs a better offensive line than he currently has.

8:29: Jets and Giants didn’t use up much time; Jets grab QB Sam Darnold from USC.

NFL Network has Deion Sanders doing player interviews; I can’t stand him, so it is off to ESPN, where they just had a package about how Darnold’s parents, grandfather and sister all played college sports. I’m sure the Jets drafted Darnold because his sister played volleyball at Rhode Island.

Cleveland has had 28 different starting QB’s since 1999; that not good.

8:36: With the second pick of the night, Cleveland takes Denzel Ward, a DB from Ohio State which means that QB’s Allen/Rosen are now sliding down the draft board, since Denver and the Colts don’t need a quarterback, and they have the next two picks.

8:43: Broncos have to be happier than hell to get Bradley Chubb, the DE from NC State. No way did they think he would be available with the 5th pick.

8:47: Colts take offensive lineman Quentin Nelson from Notre Dame; Andrew Luck will be a happy guy, but not often a guard is the #6 player in the draft.

8:53: Finally, the Bills make a trade- they move up to the #7 pick. They take Josh Allen; he might be only kid in country where playing for Buffalo is a weather upgrade.

Tampa Bay got two second round picks to drop down to #12; good haul for them.

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock thinks Allen is a project; right now, AJ McCarron is the Buffalo QB, so the project will hit the field sooner than later.

Allen and Carson Wentz had the same college coach; Craig Bohl, who won multiple I-AA national titles at North Dakota State. That had to help Allen here.

9:01: Chicago Bears take Roquan Smith, a LB from Georgia; Bears’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio got a hole-in-one playing golf Thursday, so that plus drafting Smith makes it a big day for Fangio.

49ers, Raiders are next on the clock and don’t need a QB; Josh Rosen can’t be having fun right now.

9:04: 49ers take Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey; Fighting Irish had two offensive linemen taken in top nine picks- their OL coach has bolted and now works for the Bears, who didn’t take an offensive lineman.

9:09: Arizona trades with Oakland to move up to #10; Carson Palmer retired and Sam Bradford is always hurt, so this has to be a quarterback, doesn’t it?

Josh Rosen is an Arizona Cardinal, taken 10th; he is the 4th QB taken in the draft. Last time five QB’s were taken in the first round was 1999. It is good to play QB in a dome; eight home games indoors, plus at least two road games in California every year.

Of course, the term “chip on his shoulder” got tossed around, since Rosen slipped out of the top five.

9:18: Dolphins take S Minkah Fitzpatrick, as Nick Saban contributes a player to the team he used to coach.

This is the 10th year in a row Alabama had a player taken in the first round of the draft.

9:24: Tampa Bay takes Vita Vea, a defensive tackle from Washington. Bucs traded for Jason Pierre-Paul and drafted this guy, so they’re intent on improving their defense.

Couple of guys on TV said Via has to work to control his weight so he’ll be more durable and have better stamina.

9:31: Washington Redskins aren’t popular in Dallas, but they took Da’Ron Payne, a DT from Alabama. Having two of the top 13 players selected has to help your recruiting, right?

Imagine how different college football would’ve been for the last decade if Nick Saban had won while coaching the Dolphins and stayed there?

9:40: Saints traded next year’s #1 pick to move up from #27 to #14; they took DE Marcus Davenport from UTSA, after guys from NFL Network went on for five minutes about how great Lamar Jackson would be playing for the Saints. Whoops.

They must really love Davenport, to trade a #1 pick to the Packers to move up. Saints DL coach Ryan Nielsen and UTSA coach Frank Wilson worked together at Ole Miss, so he must know.

Green Bay now has two #1 picks next season.

9:45: Oakland takes T Colton Miller, then Bills traded up to #16 to take Tremaine Edmunds a LB from Virginia Tech.

9:56: Chargers get a steal with S Derwin James from Florida State; he was hurt a couple years ago when Showtime did their reality show on FSU football. Good kid; he’ll help them.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6s on tap: LeBron, Raptors, Jazz look to advance
April 26, 2018

LeBron James saved a game. Russell Westbrook and Paul George saved a season.

And now, Game 6 awaits them all.

A trio of possible series-ending games are on Friday night's NBA playoff schedule: Cleveland at Indiana, Toronto at Washington and Oklahoma City at Utah. For the Cavaliers and Raptors, the scenario is they advance with a road win or head back home for Game 7 on Sunday. The Thunder don't have such a safety net; they must win in Salt Lake City, or it'll be the Jazz going to the second round.

James went from goaltending to game-winning in a matter of seconds in Game 5 on Wednesday night, his straightaway 3-pointer at the buzzer giving Cleveland a three-point win and a 3-2 series lead. Westbrook and George looked well on their way to summer vacation in their Game 5 matchup with the Jazz , before they combined for 54 points in a 61-28 Oklahoma City run that rallied the Thunder from a 25-point second-half deficit.

The stars carried the Cavs and Thunder.

The Raptors, they have a 3-2 lead thanks to a more unsung hero. Delon Wright was fantastic for Toronto in the fourth quarter of Game 5 against Washington , and the Raptors held serve by beating the Wizards to reclaim the lead in their series.

What James did was stunning in Game 5, and his final half-minute was memorable to say the least. He went from potential goat (turning the ball over, which the NBA said was a bad call) to hero (blocking Victor Oladipo's layup, which the NBA later said was also a bad call and should have been goaltending) to hero by hitting the game-winner.

''He's the best player in the world,'' Cleveland's Kyle Korver said. ''He's on our team, he's going to give us a chance every single night. We all have to do our part but he is that good.''

Oklahoma City was finished, done, ousted - except no one told Westbrook and George. Those players alone shot 20 for 35 (and 6 for 9 from 3-point range) in the final 20 minutes of Game 5 against Utah, while the Jazz shot 11 for 36, 1 for 16 from 3-point range. So a 25-point hole in the third quarter ended up as a eight-point win, and now Utah will inevitably feel pressure in Game 6.

In Toronto, Wright scored 11 points in the fourth as the Raptors pulled away.

Some other things to know going into Friday's Game 6 matchups:

RAPTORS AT WIZARDS

Toronto leads 3-2. Game 6, 7 p.m. EDT, NBATV.

NEED TO KNOW: The Wizards have been so much better at home than on the road, winning eight consecutive playoff games in Washington, so pushing this to a Game 7 is not out of the question. But another fourth-quarter collapse like in Game 5, when coach Scott Brooks' team gave away a lead and went more than 3+ minutes without a point, could spell the end of what would amount to a disappointing season for the No. 8 seed Wizards. ''We're having trouble closing out games in Toronto,'' Brooks said Thursday at the Wizards' arena. ''We've done a pretty good job of closing out games here.''

KEEP AN EYE ON: DeMar DeRozan. He has been the unquestioned star of this matchup for No. 1 seed Toronto, putting up 28.8 points and 5.0 assists, with three games of at least 30 points apiece.

PRESSURE IS ON: Washington's trio of max-contract players. While PG John Wall has been mostly terrific all series, averaging 26.6 points, 12.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds, his minutes (38.8) might be catching up to him. He faded late in Game 5, as did SG Bradley Beal, who was great in Games 3 and 4 at home, less so on the road. The biggest issue for the Wizards is a lack of production from their third-best player, SF Otto Porter Jr., who is scoring only 10 points per game and has made five 3s all series. As a whole, the Wizards need to be better from beyond the arc than in Game 5, when they went 5 for 26, 1 for 10 in the fourth quarter.

INJURY UPDATE: Porter sat out the last regular-season game with a strained right calf and his playoff problems could be connected to that. ... The leader of Toronto's second unit, PG Fred VanVleet, has played a grand total of three minutes in the series because of a hurting right shoulder.

CAVALIERS AT PACERS

Cleveland leads 3-2. Game 6, 8 p.m., ESPN.

NEED TO KNOW: When James gets a chance to land a knockout blow, he delivers. The last 11 times a James team has gotten to 3-whatever in a series, it has closed out the matchup in its very first opportunity. That's not a great sign for the Pacers.

KEEP AN EYE ON: How Indiana responds. It's very simple - after the NBA's Last 2 Minute Report on Thursday for Game 5, the Pacers can very easily get lost in how Oladipo's layup should have counted. Would James have gone for a 3-pointer if the Cavs were down by two in that situation? The Pacers need to regain focus and not worry about what's already done, since calls were missed both ways in that game.

PRESSURE IS ON: Oladipo. He's had a great year, and will likely be the league's Most Improved Player. And he's had a strong first five games, as well. But if he's going to be thought of as someone who's gotten to that next level, staring James down and fending him off in an elimination game would probably help his cause.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The Pacers are 27-2 this season when holding opponents under 98 points, and 2-0 in this series when that happens.

THUNDER AT JAZZ

Jazz lead 3-2. Game 6, 10:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN.

NEED TO KNOW: Westbrook finally broke out in Game 5 and took over. Oklahoma City got Utah post players Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors in foul trouble, allowing Westbrook to play his normal aggressive style. Westbrook scored 33 of his 45 points in the second half to help Oklahoma City rally for a 107-99 win. He likely will attack Utah's bigs going forward, rather than trying to avoid them and settling for jumpers.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Jazz F Jae Crowder. After getting ejected in Game 4, he scored a career playoff-high 27 points in Game 5. He scored 24 points in the entire series before Wednesday's game. With George focused defensively on Utah star rookie Donovan Mitchell, opportunities likely will be there for Crowder.

PRESSURE IS ON: Thunder F Carmelo Anthony. As OKC was rallying from the 25-point hole, Anthony wasn't involved. He played 6-1/2 minutes during that run, with zero shots and zero points.

HOME COOKING: Utah has won six straight home games, by an average of nearly 19 points apiece.