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

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, MAY 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLE at TOR 08:00 PM
TOR -7.0
U 215.0

NO at GS 10:30 PM
NO +10.5
U 228.0

[StarDust Bum]

2nd Round Playoff Trends
May 1, 2018

NBA Playoffs Round Two Betting Edges

With the top seeds having flexed their muscle in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, it’s one to Round Two where a series upset or two is always in the realm of possibility.

Here are four solid moneymaking angles from my powerful database that have withstood the test of time throughout 2nd round playoff action, along with a few tempting team trends. All results are ATS and since 1991, unless noted otherwise.

Enjoy.

Thou Shall Not Lay Points Into A No. 1 Seed

One golden rule in this round applies to top seeds, namely: do not lay points against No.1 seeds.

That’s because inferior teams are just 20-33-1 ATS when laying points into No. 1 seeds since 1996.

Worse, if the inferior teams are laying less the 5 points they are just 9-25 ATS, including 3-20 ATS when they own a win percentage of .575 or more.

Cleveland and Utah, you’ve been warned.

Tripped Out Favorites

Teams that take it on the chin three times in a row do not fare well when laying points in Round Two.

While it’s often times a rare occasion, it’s confirmed by the fact that teams laying points off three consecutive losses that are 3-14 ATS in these games since 1993.

Worse, if the tripped-out chalk dropped their last game straight up as a favorite these teams generally fall off the map - and out of the playoffs - going 3-7 SU and 0-10 ATS.

Role Reversals

You may not be comfortable changing roles in a relationship, but NBA teams in this round of the playoffs certainly are.

Round Two dogs (or picks) off a straight-up loss as a favorite are a 60% ATS proposition, going 37-25 ATS.

Best of all, send them home in this role and they respond with aplomb, going 6-1 SU and ATS.

Running On Empty

Home favorites that scored well below their average (77 or less points) in their previous game tend to fuel up with a frenzy the next game in this round.

That’s evident by a sparkling 22-10-1 ATS mark by Round Two favorites that tallied 77 or fewer points in their last game.

FYI: Put these same favorites up against .625 or greater opposition and they top off at 17-4 ATS, including 14-1 SU/ATS when laying four or more points.

There you have it.

Four rock-solid betting theories you can hang your hat on throughout the 2nd round of this year’s NBA playoffs.

Use your head and play accordingly.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Best Bet
May 1, 2018

Tuesday NBA Best Bet
New Orleans vs. Golden State – Game 2

Game 1 of this Western Conference Semi-Finals matchup was a whitewash for the Golden State Warriors as they turned on their scoring faucet in the 2nd quarter and left New Orleans in their wake. The 41-21 2nd quarter victory by Golden State basically put Game 1 on ice, ending the Pelicans nine-game winning streak and forcing them to reassess things going into Game 2.

If that wasn't bad enough for the Pelicans, there is a good chance they'll have to deal with Steph Curry tonight as the former MVP is looking to make his long awaited return from injury. If Game 1's loss was bad as the entire second half was basically garbage time, the Pelicans have to be extra worried about how Game 2 could turn out if Curry makes a seamless transition back into the fold. But will Curry's return actually be that seamless?

Golden State -11; Total set at 227

Outside of hanging tough in the first quarter in Game 1, there wasn't much that went right for New Orleans. The Pelicans were only down one point going into the second frame before the floodgates opened up and poured all over them, as Golden State finished with six different guys scoring in double figures, as superstars Klay Thompson (27 points) and Kevin Durant (26 points) led the way.

Tonight it looks like those two will have their partner in crime Steph Curry back and we all know how quickly he can fill up a stat sheet with his shooting ability.

Yet, Curry is returning after being out of game action for months and that's always problematic in itself. The Warriors rotations have been altered and honed since he went down, and now throwing him right back into the mix in the middle of a second round playoff series brings added intensity and pressure that may just hold the Warriors back a bit.

Remember, this was a knee injury for Curry, so having his legs and endurance on the floor is going to be tough for him tonight, and if Golden State decides to monitor his minutes and consistently pulls him on and off the floor, the rotations for the Warriors become even more fragmented.

That's not a good thing for a team that needs to cover a double-digit spread to bring home the cash for their backers, and with VegasInsider.com's betting percentage numbers already showing 85%+ of the action laying all those points with Golden State, oddsmakers surely wouldn't mind a disjointed, sub-par performance from Golden State tonight.

Now the Pelicans are going to have to improve their play as well to help that process along, and it probably starts with running the Warriors off the three-point line as much as they can. Curry's return will bring more spacing and an exponentially bigger threat from distance for Golden State's offense, but this team still managed to hit 11 of 27 shots from beyond the arc (40%) and that percentage was a lot higher before guys like Nick Young and Quinn Cook (a combined 2-for-7) were jacking up distance shots during garbage time.

New Orleans has to make sure the Thompson's, Durant's, and Curry's of the world – the former two were 7-for-15 from beyond the arc in Game 1 – don't get into a groove shooting the ball from distance. Slow down at least two of those three guys and the Pelicans will have a shot at a shocking upset tonight, but clearly that's easier said then done.

Yet, when you look at Round 1 for the Pelicans, they managed to sweep Portland and did so by negating their strength in the backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

Pelicans G Jrue Holiday was largely responsible for that and he did not have a good Game 1 in this series at all. Holiday dominated Round 1 with his defense and scoring ability, but going 4-for-14 from the floor for just 11 points against the Warriors the other day just isn't going to cut it. He and basically all of his teammates out there need to have a better shooting performance tonight and I believe they will, as those disjointed and fractured Warriors lineup rotations with Curry back will hurt them on defense as well.

Finally, with the dynamic of this series being what it is (1-0 Golden State) and the series shifting to New Orleans after tonight, I don't think the Pelicans really want to find themselves in a “must-win” situation at home in Game 3 against the defending champs who have been to three consecutive Finals. I'm not so sure New Orleans will be able to avoid that situation entirely, but I do expect a much better effort from them in Game 2 as they should find a way to keep tonight's game well within this number.

The fact that they are already being written off by basically everyone tonight suggests to me that being in the minority ATS isn't a bad option, and with New Orleans covering this number in three of their four regular season meetings with Golden State this year, including one SU victory in Oakland, seeing a close game may not be as far-fetched as the 85% of bettors laying all those points with Golden State would want you to believe.

Best Bet: New Orleans +11

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Playoff Tips
May 1, 2018

Eastern Conference – Game 1
Cleveland at Toronto (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

2017-18 Regular Season (Cavaliers 2-1)
Apr. 3 Cavaliers (-1.5) vs. Raptors 112-106 (Under 223)
Mar. 21 Cavaliers (+1.5) vs. Raptors 132-129 (Over 227)
Jan. 11 Raptors (+2.5) vs. Cavaliers 133-99 (Over 221.5)

-- This Eastern Conference semifinals get started tonight with Game 1 at Air Canada Centre. As of early this morning, most betting shops had Toronto (63-25 straight up, 47-40-1 against the spread) installed as a 6.5-point home favorite with a total of 215. The Cavaliers were +220 on the money line (risk $100 to win $220).

-- Cleveland (54-35 SU, 33-55-1 ATS) has compiled a 22-22 SU record and a 20-24 ATS mark in its road assignments this season. The Cavaliers advanced past Indiana in the opening round, but they needed to go the seven-game distance to do so. For his team to survive the Pacers, franchise icon LeBron James had to muster a Herculean effort on a game-by-game basis that has many observers wondering how long he can carry this team in these playoffs. In other words, James had minimal help and will need much more assistance for his squad to make the East finals.

-- The oddsmakers are clearly in line with that notion. This is evidenced by the series price, which has the top-seeded Raptors as -185 favorites. The Cavs are +160 underdogs (risk $100 to win $160).

-- James has led his team to the NBA Finals in seven straight seasons. That’s four times he took the Heat there, while he’s had the Cavs battling for the O’Brien Trophy against Golden State in each of the last three campaigns. James has garnered three NBA Finals MVP Trophies during his storied career.

-- ‘King’ James delivered one of the finer performances of his storied career to close out Indiana. He became the first player in NBA history to make the first seven field-goal attempts in a Game 7. James produced 45 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals in Sunday’s 105-101 victory. The Pacers covered the spread as 5.5-point underdogs, while the 206 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 200.5-point total in the final minutes. Gamblers on the ‘under’ had plenty of life down the stretch with the combined score at 190 with 1:59 remaining. However, Thaddeus Young’s tip-in with 17.1 seconds remaining trimmed the deficit to 103-98 and sent ‘over’ backers to the window to collect.

-- Young’s tip shot got Indiana ahead of the number by one-half point. Bettors on the Pacers have George Hill and Victor Oladipo to thank for the spread cover. After Young’s bucket narrowed the gap to five, former Pacer George Hill was fouled. He made 1-of-2 free throws before Oladipo missed a deep trey. Hill was then fouled again with the Cavs up six. Once again, Hill made merely one of a pair of FTs with 6.5 ticks left. Trailing by seven, Oladipo drained a 27-footer with 0.6 seconds left to provide Indiana backers with the backdoor cover.

-- Whether he was milking the situation a bit to add to his legend in vintage Kobe-like fashion (the examples of Kobe doing this could be the basis of a 500-page novel!) might be a fair question but whatever the case, James complained of leg cramps and headed back to the locker room late in the third quarter. Upon his return, he could be seen slamming Gatorade and eating orange slices on the bench. James had played every one of the first 35 minutes, scoring 38 of his team’s 75 points. His teammates were 12-of-49 from the field at that time. The Pacers had erased a 14-point deficit with a 20-5 run to briefly to take the lead. Things were looking dire for the Cavs. Hill had missed Games 4, 5 and 6 with back spasms, but head coach Tyronn Lue inserted him into the game in the third quarter. He started making plays at both ends of the court and Kevin Love stepped up to make three baskets, including a pair of 3-pointers. Lue had surprisingly started Tristan Thompson, who had played sparingly throughout the series. It was the 37th different starting combination used by Lue this year and the fourth different one in the Indiana series. Thompson responded by grabbing seven rebounds in the first quarter alone and finished with 15 points and 10 boards. Love added 14 points and six boards, knocking 4-of-8 launches from 3-point land. Hill and J.R. Smith scored 11 points apiece. Hill logged only 19 minutes of playing time, but he had six rebounds, one blocked shot and three assists compared to just one turnover. He made 9-of-11 FTs despite missing two in the last minute that hurt Cleveland backers.

-- How sensational was James in the seven games against Indiana? He averaged 34.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game. James shot at a 55.3 percent clip from the field and had a 54/26 assist-to-turnover ratio.

-- Toronto has posted a 37-7 SU record and a 24-19-1 ATS mark in its home games this season.

-- Toronto got all it wanted in the first round from the Wizards, needing six games to advance to the East semifinals. The Raptors trailed the Wizards 78-73 going into the final stanza of Game 6, only to outscore the home team 29-14 the rest of the way to collect a 102-92 victory as two-point road ‘chalk.’ Kyle Lowry led the way with 24 points, six rebounds, one steal and six assists compared to only two turnovers. Lowry made 9-of-15 FGAs and 3-of-7 from long distance. DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and four assists without committing a turnover. Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points, 12 boards and a pair of blocked shots, while Pascal Siakam made a major splash with 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Playing 22 minutes in a reserve role, Siakam hit 5-of-6 FGAs. The Raptors won the battle of the boards by a 47-42 margin and had an outstanding 18/6 assist-to-turnover ratio in the close-out win.

-- Cleveland won two of three head-to-head meetings with Toronto during the regular season. However, both of those wins (both SU and ATS) came at home by scores of 132-129 and 112-106. The only meeting in Toronto was a blowout in the form of a 133-99 shellacking. The Raptors won outright by a 34-point margin as 2.5-point home underdogs on Jan. 11. Fred VanVleet led seven Toronto players in double figures with 22 points, four rebounds, one steal and four assists without a turnover. The Wichita St. product hit 8-of-11 FGAs and 6-of-8 attempts from downtown. Valanciunas added 15 points and 18 rebounds for the winners, while James scored a game-high 26 points.

-- VanVleet missed four of the first five games of the Washington series recovering from a shoulder injury. He returned for Game 6 and tallied five points, four rebounds and four assists compared to only one turnover in 18-plus minutes of playing time.

-- Cleveland has been an underdog of six points or more just once this season, going 0-1 ATS. On the flip side, the Raptors are 27-22 ATS when favored by six points or more.

-- Toronto has won seven home games in a row and is 5-0-1 ATS in its past six home contests.

-- When these teams met in the East semifinals last year, Cleveland dealt out broom treatment in a 4-0 series sweep. The Cavs, who are 6-1 SU and 5-1-1 ATS in last seven games of this rivalry, won by scores of 115-94 and 109-102 in Games 3 and 4 played at Toronto.

-- VegasInsider.com’s Chris David thinks we’re in store for a long series that’ll eventually go the Raptors’ way. David said, “I’m predicting a Toronto win in seven games and one key factor will be keeping LeBron off the free-throw line, especially after watching him shoot an eye-opening 63-of-77 from the stripe against the Pacers.” David continued, “Backing Toronto as a home favorite hasn’t been a great investment. Since the team snapped its playoff drought in 2014, they’ve gone 13-8 SU and 7-13-1 ATS in that role at the Air Canada Centre. However, I’m thinking Toronto has turned a corner here recently. The Raptors have already exercised two demons in this year’s playoffs, the Game 1 losing skid and never holding a 2-0 lead in a series. They also took Game 6 at Washington, who had won eight straight playoff games in D.C. before that outcome. While the overall numbers aren’t great in Canada when laying points, Toronto has won five straight and eight of its last nine as a home favorite and a 6-3 ATS mark is profitable in my book.”

-- The ‘over’ went 2-1 in three regular-season encounters between these clubs.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed at a 21-8 clip in Cleveland’s past 29 games at Toronto.

-- The ‘over’ 44-43-1 overall for the Raptors, but the ‘under’ is 22-21-1 in their home outings. Totals were an overall wash (3-3) for Toronto in the Washington series, with the ‘over’ going 2-1 in its three home games.

-- The ‘under’ is 46-41-2 overall for the Cavs, 22-22 in their road assignments. They had seen the ‘under’ cash in six straight games until the ‘over’ appeared in Games 6 and 7 against the Pacers.

Western Conference – Game 2
New Orleans at Golden State (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

-- Golden State (63-25 SU, 38-49 ATS) made quick and easy work of New Orleans in Saturday’s Game 1 at Oracle Arena. Playing without Steph Curry, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 41-21 in the second quarter, 27-19 in the third and coasted to a 123-101 triumph as 7.5-point home favorites. The 224 combined points inched ‘over’ the 223.5-point total. Alvin Gentry’s team got no closer than 19 in the second half. Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were the catalysts. Thompson tallied 27 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots, while Durant went for 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks. Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet with a triple-double that included 16 points, 15 boards, 11 assists, three steals and two rejections. Andre Iguodala (12), Quinn Cook (11) and Shaun Livington (10) were also in double figures for the winners.

-- Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in Game 1. Jordan Crawford scored 14 points on 6-of-7 FGAs in merely eight minutes of playing time off the bench. E’Twaun Moore had 15 points thanks to 7-of-11 shooting from the field, but Jrue Holiday made only 4-of-14 FGAs. Holiday, who was sensational in a first-round sweep of Portland, had 11 points, three rebounds and four assists without a turnover. Rajon Rondo had nine points, eight rebounds, one steal, one block and 11 assists compared to just two turnovers. Darius Miller had nine points, three boards, one steal and six assists compared to only one turnover. -- As of early this morning, most spots had Golden St. listed as an 11-point ‘chalk’ for tonight’s Game 2. The total was 227 points, while the Pelicans were +600 on the money line (risk $100 to win $600).

-- After missing more than a month of games with a knee injury, Curry is ‘probable’ to make his postseason debut tonight. Curry told reporters he could’ve played in Game 1, but the Warriors’ medical staff thought it best to rest him for one more game. The Davidson University product has missed 16 games in a row and 22 of the past 23. Curry has played only one game since March 8. He averaged 26.4 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 51 regular-season games. Steve Kerr isn’t planning on limiting Curry’s minutes.

-- Gentry offered this assessment of his team’s disappointing Game 1 performance: “It’s one game. At the end of the day, it’s one game, and you know, we’ve been playing great basketball, and I’m not so sure if the week off helped us, really. I thought we lost a little bit of our rhythm.”

-- Kerr’s team is 33-12 SU and 19-25 ATS at home this year. The Warriors have won 13 consecutive home playoff games since losing Game 7 to the Cavs two seasons ago.

-- New Orleans (52-35 SU, 49-37-1 ATS) has produced a 26-18 SU record and a 28-16 ATS ledger on the road this season.

-- The Pelicans have been double-digit underdogs twice this year, going 1-1 ATS. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 18-20 ATS as double-digit ‘chalk.’

-- For the updated series price at Sportsbook.ag, the Warriors are -2750 favorites. The Pelicans are +1300 underdogs (risk $100 to win $1,300).

-- VI’s David offered this assessment (and lean towards New Orleans) of the Pelicans-Warriors heading into tonight’s Game 2: “After watching Golden State run New Orleans in Game 1, I’m not surprised the number has reached double figures and that’s been a common theme this season and in the previous playoffs as well. As a home favorite of 10-plus points this season, the Warriors went 25-5 SU but just 12-17-1 ATS. And in the last four postseasons, Golden State has gone 14-1 as a double-digit home favorite yet they burned bettors again with a 5-10 record versus the number. While the Warriors may seem like the obvious lean in Game 2, laying an inflated number doesn’t appear to be the logical wager.”

-- The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the past six head-to-head meetings between these clubs.

-- The ‘over’ is 50-37 overall for the Pelicans, but they’ve seen the ‘under’ go 23-21 in their road assignments. New Orleans has seen the ‘over’ hit in three straight games and seven of its past 10.

-- The ‘under’ is 45-42-1 overall for the Warriors, 22-21-1 in their home contests.

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

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Why have the Knicks not hired Marc Jackson yet?! He’s the answer for the winning-starved franchise. He’s a native New Yorker and had some of his best years while playing for the Knicks. Jackson went to St. John’s and has the moxy and everything else needed to excite the fan base and handle the media. The only acceptable hire ahead of Jackson would be Jeff Van Gundy.

-- Boston improved to 9-0 ATS with eight outright wins in nine games as a home underdog this year with last night’s 117-101 over Philadelphia. The Celtics won outright as five-point ‘dogs and hooked up money-line supporters with a +170 return. Nevertheless, the 76ers are still -195 favorites to win the series, leaving the Celtics as +167 ‘dogs.

-- With a 1-0 series lead, Boston has been made a 3.5-point home underdog to the 76ers for Thursday’s Game 2 in Beantown. The total is 207 points. Boston’s Jaylen Brown has been upgraded to ‘probable’ after missing Game 1.

-- For Wednesday’s Game 2 on TNT at 8:05 p.m. Eastern, Houston has been made an 11-point ‘chalk’ vs. Utah. The total is 204.5 points. The Rockets won Game 1 in blowout fashion. Ricky Rubio will be ‘out’ again for Game 2 with a hamstring injury.

[StarDust Bum]

Curry has 28 in return, Warriors take 2-0 lead over Pelicans
May 2, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry came off the bench to score 28 points in a triumphant return from a knee injury and nearly six weeks off, and the Golden State Warriors held off Anthony Davis and the pesky New Orleans Pelicans for a 121-116 win Tuesday night to go ahead 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points with a huge 3-pointer with 3:10 to play, to go with seven assists and six rebounds in Golden State's franchise-record 14th consecutive postseason victory at Oracle Arena. Draymond Green contributed 20 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds while battling Davis on both ends all night.

Davis finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pelicans, who also got 22 points and 12 assists from Rajon Rondo.

Andre Iguodala converted a snazzy three-point play with 6:41 left when he flipped the ball up and it came back down and through the net as he was fouled by Rondo, then Golden State pulled away.

The best-of-seven series resumes with Game 3 on Friday at New Orleans.

CAVALIERS 113, RAPTORS 112

TORONTO (AP) - LeBron James had 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, J.R. Smith scored 20 points and Cleveland beat Toronto in overtime to win Game 1 of the second-round playoff series.

Kyle Korver scored 19 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime after Cleveland never led in regulation. Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have eliminated Toronto in each of the past two postseasons.

Toronto's Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds to go in overtime that could have won it for the Raptors, who couldn't hold on to a 14-point, first-quarter lead.

Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 21 rebounds, Kyle Lowry had 18 points and 10 assists, and DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points for the Raptors, who host Game 2 on Thursday night.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 2, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Utah Jazz Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 3, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:30 PM Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Golden State Warriors New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
10:30 PM Houston Rockets Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 5, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:00 PM Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
8:30 PM Toronto Raptors Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 6, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Golden State Warriors New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
8:00 PM Houston Rockets Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena


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MAY'S NBA BEST BET RECORD: ( BASED ON 5 UNITS )

05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50


BEST BETS................ATS....................UNITS.. ................O/U..............UNITS..............TOTAL

05/01/2018...............1 - 1..................- 0.50...................0 - 2.............-11.00.............-11.50

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Updated NFL over-under win totals for 2018:

— New England Patriots 11.5, over -$116

— Pittsburgh Steelers 10.5, under -$116

— Philadelphia Eagles 10, over -$125

— Minnesota Vikings 10, over -$125

— Green Bay Packers 10, under -$135

— New Orleans Saints 9.5, over -$135

Quotes of the Day
“The funny thing was that when it was called the D-League, I felt like a lot of people didn’t understand that the ‘D’ stood for development. They’d think of a D-grade in school, so it sort of did the talent level a disservice. In reality, the talent is incredible in this league. I think I’ve now coached six McDonald’s All-Americans at this level.”
Northern Arizona Suns head coach Cody Toppert

Wednesday’s quiz
What famous broadcaster was once radio announcer for the ABA’s Spirits of St Louis?

Tuesday’s quiz
Giants’ P Jeff Samardzija was a WR in college at Notre Dame.

Monday’s quiz
Felix Hernandez threw the last perfect game in the major leagues, in 2012.


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

13) Kentucky Expo recently had an autograph session with members of the old Kentucky Colonels of the ABA, a team that got screwed over bigtime when the ABA folded in 1976.

The Colonels were awesome; their last five years in the ABA, they went 281-139, winning the ’75 (2nd-to-last) ABA title. Hubie Brown coached the Colonels their last two seasons; they had players like Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, Louie Dampier, Maurice Lucas.

12) When the ABA folded, the Spurs, Nets, Pacers, Nuggets got absorbed into the NBA; the owners of the Spirits of St Louis were paid off to go away (an excellent story for another day), and that left the Colonels as the odd team out, since only four teams would go to the NBA.

11) John Y Brown owned the Colonels; he had gotten rich from buying KFC from the original Colonel Sanders. He turned a $2M investment into $284M in seven years.

The NBA paid Brown $3M to fold the Colonels and then bought half-interest in the NBA’s Buffalo Braves— he bought the other 50% the next year, then wound up trading the Braves franchise for the Boston Celtics- the guy that bought the Braves then moved them to San Diego, where they became the Clippers.

10) Think about how this all changed the course of history:
— Maurice Lucas went to Portland and the Blazers won the NBA title in his first year there.
— Buffalo Braves wound up losing their team.
— Spurs might’ve disappeared forever had the Colonels gone to the NBA.
— Brown somehow wound up being Governor of Kentucky.

9) When the 2017-18 NBA regular season ended earlier this month, there were 265 players with G League experience on NBA rosters. 17 of 30 first-round draft picks from the 2017 NBA draft spent some time in the G-League this season.

8) This past season in the G-League, players were either on an A contract that paid $28,000 or a B contract that paid $26,000. Next year, all G-League players will be paid $35,000.

7) NFL rushing yards per game leaders last year:
Ezekiel Elliott 98.3, Todd Gurley 87.0, Le’Veon Bell 86.1

6) When you think about Charlie Blackmon’s big numbers, most people would credit the thin air in Denver, but Blackmon has already hit nine homers on the road this season, one at home.

5) Giants put Johnny Cueto (elbow) on the DL.

4) A’s/Mariners will open the 2019 season in Japan, March 20-21; last time this happened was in 2012 and the A’s made the playoffs that year, so I won’t complain about it.

3) Since 2005, Cleveland Browns have drafted seven QB’s in rounds 1-3 of the draft; none of those seven guys is currently a starter in the league.

2) Braves 3, Mets 2— Third time Noah Syndergaard has allowed 10+ hits in a game; first two times were in 2015, when he was a rookie.

1) Siena finally decided on a basketball coach, after weeks of bungling their coaching search; they hire former Mount St Mary coach Jamion Christian, who was 101-95 in six years with the Mountaineers, 67-39 in NEC games.

It is getting way more difficult to be a mid-major or low major coach now, since players transfer at the drop of a hat— it is a form of free agency. If a program at a higher level doesn’t recruit well, they just poach a good player from a lower level, like they are a farm club.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jazz (48-34) at Rockets (65-17)
Date: May 02, 2018 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- While it certainly factored into the sluggish start that greased the skids to their demise in Game 1, the Utah Jazz were inundated with a number of causes behind their loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday in addition to the absence of starting point guard Ricky Rubio.

Defensively, the Jazz were overrun by the Rockets' exceptional 3-point shooting (17 for 32) and victimized early by some leaky transition defense. Rockets guard James Harden again tormented the Utah defense, cashing in seven 3s en route to a game-high 41 points, and the Jazz lacked energy in the first half following a short turnaround from the completion of their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder less than 48 hours prior to tipoff.

But the Jazz clearly missed Rubio, despite recording 20 assists on 38 field goals. While rookie guard Donovan Mitchell and veteran swingman Joe Ingles produced five assists each, and Utah received steady play from guards Dante Exum and Alec Burks off the bench, the Jazz didn't quite have that same verve that Rubio provides with his ball-handling skill and passing acumen.

"I think it makes Donovan handle the ball more than they would like," said Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, who drew the primary defensive assignment on Mitchell. "He's their dominant scorer at this point so when he has to handle the ball and get everybody involved in the game, it kind of takes away from him scoring the ball all the time or being aggressive all the time."

The Jazz also missed the defensive presence of center Rudy Gobert, despite the fact that Gobert logged 35 minutes in the 110-96 loss. A Defensive Player of the Year candidate and league leader by a healthy margin in defensive real plus-minus, Gobert was a non-factor on that end, failing to record a block for the first time this postseason and just the eighth time overall.

Gobert averaged 2.3 blocks and ranked second in the NBA in block percentage (6.0), yet the Rockets had success attacking the rim with Gobert stationed there to defend it, shooting 8 of 9 with Gobert within three feet of the rim. The key to their success? Doing what comes naturally.

"We just try to be us as much as possible," Rockets guard Chris Paul said. "I think James said it after last game: We've seen just about every defense you can have this past season, so if they switch, we adjust. If you back (up to protect the rim), we adjust. We just keep playing."

Utah, conversely, can't afford to maintain the status quo. The Rockets rode robust shooting to a 27-point, first-half lead and continued to exploit a Jazz defense that has stifled almost every other opponent. Harden averaged 34.3 points on 55.4 percent shooting against Utah during the season and looked alarmingly at ease attacking the Jazz off the dribble and from the perimeter.

Rubio, out with a left hamstring strain, won't be available to save the Jazz on offense. Defensively, Utah understands exactly what is required to ensure a superior performance.

"It takes all five guys on the court communicating, that's for sure," Jazz forward Jae Crowder said. "But you have to accept it. So, if they're cross-matching and they're running back you just got to demand the guy (to defend in transition) and stick with him for that possession and work it out. And that causes every guy on the court to know each guy's tendencies and what he likes to do.

"So, you have to communicate on the court very well in the situation that we're putting ourselves, which is in transition and working itself out in the half court and getting these guys in front of us and making it as tough as possible."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Jazz at Rockets
Sun, Apr 29 Final 96 to 110
Recaps

GAME 2
Jazz at Rockets
Wed, May 2 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockets at Jazz
Fri, May 4 - 10:30PM EDT

GAME 4
Rockets at Jazz
Sun, May 6 - 8:00PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Jazz try to slow Harden in Game 2 after Game 1 rout
May 1, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) No one on the Utah Jazz is using the word ''stop'' when referring to what they'll try to do to James Harden in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night after the Houston Rockets' star scored 41 points in a Game 1 rout.

They're simply searching for ways to slow him down a bit after he's averaged almost 36 points a game in five meetings this season.

''He is a (heck) of a player so it's going to be tough, but we feel like we can just try to make it a bit tough on him for the whole (time) he's out there,'' Utah's Joe Ingles said.

Harden made seven 3-pointers in Game 1, leaving the Jazz focused on limiting him from long range.

''Just make him a driver,'' rookie Donovan Mitchell said. ''He loves getting back to that 3. They got comfortable in the first half and they went up 30. So just being able to make them uncomfortable and not let them dictate what we do on defense. Make sure we dictate what they do.''

Coach Mike D'Antoni isn't concerned about anything that the Jazz might throw at Harden on Wednesday and believes the only thing that can keep Harden from a big game is, well, Harden.

''There's no answer. He's seen it all,'' D'Antoni said. ''Now, he might play bad and that's because he's human. But there's nothing that you can conceivably come up with that can stop one of the best offensive players ever.''

Harden led the NBA in scoring in the regular season by averaging a career-high 30.4 points a game and ranks second behind LeBron James this postseason with 31 points a game.

Houston's Trevor Ariza, a player known for his defense, has the task of guarding Mitchell in this series. He was asked what he would try if he had to guard Harden. There was a long pause before Ariza let out a loud sigh and said with a laugh: ''I'd figure out a way to slow him down.''

But the veteran is happy to be playing with Harden and not against him.

''I'm glad I don't have that problem right now,'' he said. ''I wouldn't tell them what I think. I would let them try to figure it out on their own.''

The top-seeded Rockets expect to see a different team than they did in Game 1 after the Jazz had only about 36 hours between the end of Game 6 against the Thunder and the start of this series.

''I think a couple days' rest will help them and we'll get the best they've got,'' D'Antoni said.

The Jazz refused to use fatigue as an excuse for their poor performance in Game 1, but they did admit that they were feeling better about this game with a little bit of rest. Mitchell said having two days to break down film and work on their game plan has also been beneficial.

Despite trailing by double digits for most of Sunday's game, the Jazz don't seemed daunted or discouraged entering Game 2.

''A lot of people have been hitting me up saying: ''Try to keep your head up. It's only Game 1,''' Mitchell said. ''And my head was never down. I don't think any of our heads were ever down. It's just one game out of a long series ... I think being down 0-1 last series and seeing how we came back and responded definitely gives you a sense of more hope than if this would have been the opening round.''

The Jazz will try and even the series without starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who sat out Game 1 and is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. The Rockets believe Rubio's absence changed things for Mitchell. He scored a playoff-high 38 points in Game 6 to lead Utah to the win before scoring 21, which were his fewest of the postseason, on Sunday.

''It makes Donovan handle the ball more than they would like,'' Ariza said of Rubio's injury. ''He's their dominant scorer at this point so when he has to handle the ball and get everybody involved in the game it kind of takes away from him scoring the ball all the time or being aggressive all the time.''

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds: Jazz at Rockets

Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets (-11, 204.5)

Rockets lead series 1-0.

The Houston Rockets look to take a 2-0 lead when they host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal series. Star guard James Harden scored 41 points in Houston's series-opening 110-96 victory to continue his season-long assault of the Jazz.

Harden averaged 34.3 points in four meetings with the Utah in the regular season -- including a 56-point outing -- and the defensive-minded Jazz once again had no answers on slowing down the MVP candidate. "You can put a list of about 28 other teams that don't have an answer, either," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "There's no answer. He might play bad because he's human, but there's nothing that you can conceivably come up with to stop him." Utah isn't fretting over the Game 1 loss as it also lost the opener of its first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder before recovering to win in six games. "We were in the exact same situation," Jazz small forward Joe Ingles told reporters. "Everyone had written us off after Game 1, probably the way they have now. We have a great group. We love being able to have the time to watch the film and make some adjustments."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 12-point home favorites for Game 2 and as of Tuesday evening that pointspread is down to -11 with 53 percent of wagers coming in on the underdog Jazz. The total hit betting boards at 206 and has been dropped to 204.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Jazz - SG D. Mitchell (Probable, Ankle), PG R. Rubio (Early May, Hamstring), SF T. Sefolosha (Out For Season, Knee).

Rockets - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:



ABOUT THE JAZZ (52-37 SU, 46-43 ATS, 42-46-1 O/U): Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell is picking up a large portion of the ball-handling with veteran point guard Ricky Rubio (hamstring) sidelined and he committed four turnovers to go with 9-of-22 shooting while scoring 21 points in the opener. The point total was Mitchell's lowest in seven games this postseason and he was also hampered by a sore ankle, which he insists won't be a problem in Game 2. "My head was never down, and I don't think my teammates' heads were down," Mitchell told reporters. "It's one game out of a long series."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (70-18 SU, 45-42-1 ATS, 36-51-1 O/U): Harden had nothing to reveal for why he typically enjoys success against a team that ranked sixth in scoring defense at 102.4 during the regular season. "For the most part, I'm going to do what I do," Harden told reporters. "Offensively I think this team, us, we're different. We've seen so many different defenses throughout the year that have prepared us for this moment, whether it's (Utah center Rudy) Gobert being back at the rim or teams switching or whatever. We've seen pretty much it all, all year." Harden received complementary help from point guard Chris Paul (17 points), center Clint Capela (16 points, 12 rebounds) and forward PJ Tucker (15 points) in the opener.

TRENDS:

* Jazz are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Conference Semifinals games.
* Rockets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Conference Semifinals games.
* Over is 8-2 in Jazz's last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 18-6 in Rockets' last 24 home games.
* Jazz are 2-8 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 2

Jazz @ Rockets (1-0)
Game 1 was 64-39 at halftime; Houston made 17-32 on arc as they jogged to their Game 1 win. Utah PG Rubio (hamstring) is out here. Houston won/covered its last five games with the Jazz; Utah is 2-5 SU/ATS in its last seven visits to Houston. Eight of last 11 series games went over the total. Jazz lost three of their last five road games. Under is 6-3 in last nine series games. Rockets won five of their last seven home games (4-3 vs spread). Three of Rockets’ last four games went over total. Under is 6-3 in Utah’s last nine games.

Second Round
Pelicans-Warriors
GState 123-101, -7.5, O223.5
GState 121-116, -11, O229

Jazz-Rockets
Hst 110-96, -11.5, U206.5

76ers-Celtics
Bos 117-101, +5, O205

Cavaliers-Raptors
Clev 113-112 OT +7, O213.5

First Round
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
Tor 102-92, -2, U214.5
Raptors win series, 4-2

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
Mil 97-86, -4.5, U201.5
Bos 112-96, -4.5, O196
Celtics win series, 4-3

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
Ind 121-87, -1.5, O202
Clev 105-101, -5.5, O200.5
Cavaliers win series, 4-3

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
Utah 96-91, –7, U207.5
Jazz win series, 4-2

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

Wednesday, May 2

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Trend Report
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Utah Jazz
Utah is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
Utah is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games when playing Houston
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Utah is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Houston's last 25 games
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing Utah
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Houston is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Utah


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 2

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

UTAH (52 - 37) at HOUSTON (70 - 18) - 5/2/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
UTAH is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 8-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-4 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Playoff Essentials
May 2, 2018

Western Conference Semifinals - Game 2 - Rockets lead 1-0
Utah at Houston (-11/205), TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET

The Rockets have won their last three playoff home games by double-digits, which includes a commanding victory in this series opener on Sunday. Houston led by 25 points at halftime and finished 17-for-32 on 3-pointers to run away with a 110-96 win.

It was far from a perfect performance since the Rockets’ typically strong bench was outscored 40-13, but definitely provided a reminder that only the Warriors can match Houston’s ability to pull away from teams due to prolific shooting from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Rockets held the Jazz to just 7-for-22 shooting on 3-pointers as rookie star Donovan Mitchell made only one of his seven attempts.

Houston held on for the Game 1 cover as an 11-point favorite as Utah was able to pull within 11 points only once in the entire fourth quarter. Joe Ingles’ layup with 8.4 seconds remaining provided the game’s final basket, allowing those who got in on under 206.5 to sneak off with the cash.

Oddsmakers have the Rockets as an 11-point chalk again in Game 2 and have dropped the total slightly to 205.

James Harden scored his team’s first five points and finished with a dozen in the first quarter to ensure that the Rockets got off to a strong start. He finished with 41 points in easily getting the better of a defense regarded as one of the NBA’s best. Defensive player of the year frontrunner Rudy Gobert failed to come up with even one block.

Jazz head coach Quin Snyder commented that his team must make life harder on him but didn’t seem to have many answers on how to do so.

Harden matched a playoff career-high with his seven 3-pointers in Game 1. He averaged 34.3 points against Utah over the course of four regular-season victories – all by double-digits – so keep that in mind if you’re taking points.

The Jazz have now dropped five games against Houston by an average of 16.8 points in what has been a rough matchup for them since Gobert’s ability to control the paint doesn’t factor in as heavily due to the Rockets’ perimeter prowess and the fact Harden and Chris Paul can so easily get buckets for teammates.

Houston won big despite its entire bench being outscored by Jae Crowder 21-13, which has to be disconcerting if you’re the Jazz. Eric Gordon led the reserves with seven points, all on free throws, and went 0-for-6 from the field. That’s unlikely to happen again. Lue Richard Mbah a Moute saw his first action this postseason and shot 1-for-5 in his first stint since dislocating his shoulder on April 10. Ryan Anderson went scoreless in nine minutes, while Gerald Green came in only in garbage time late.

Expect a stronger effort from the Rockets’ backups at home now that they know what to expect in Game 2. The question now becomes, can Utah step up its level of play. Crowder will be invaluable in this series since he’s being counted on to do his best against Harden, while rookie Royce O’Neale stepped into the starting lineup with Ricky Rubio sidelined by a hamstring injury.

He’s unlikely to play until Game 4 at the earliest, so making this is a series will hinge on getting more from Mitchell, who shot 9-for-22 and is playing with nagging foot and ankle injuries. Dante Exum and Alec Burks also got increased minutes with Rubio out and combined to shoot 5-for-14, missing all three 3-point attempts. Outside of Crowder’s strong effort from beyond the arc, the rest of the Jazz combined to shoot 2-for-15 on 3s. That won’t cut it.

Houston’s ability to play small is also likely to force Snyder’s hand in how much he can utilize Derrick Favors and Gobert together since both can be taken advantage of on pick-and-rolls. Utah’s bigs combined to shoot 6-for-9 from the field but had nowhere near the impact they enjoyed against Oklahoma City. Snyder knew that incorporating both effectively would be a challenge coming into the series and quickly saw that come to fruition in Game 1. I’d expect to see more of Jonas Jerebko on Wednesday night in addition to more of either Burks or Exum in smaller lineups.

It remains to be seen if that tweak will result in a higher-scoring game. Dating back to the final few games of the regular season, the under is 6-3 in the last nine Jazz games. Utah surrendered 110 points, the second-highest figure it has given up in these playoffs, and has now given up at least that many in four of the five encounters with the Rockets, who torched them for a season-worst 137 way back on Nov. 5 thanks to Harden’s season-high 56 points. He shot 19-for-25 in that game, which was so long ago that Rodney Hood was in Utah’s starting lineup ahead of Mitchell, who led the way with 17 points off the bench.

It’s no secret that the Jazz’s prized rookie views Paul as a mentor of sorts, but their friendship was a non-factor in the series opener. Paul said it was “easy” to set it aside since it’s competition and “nothing personal,” but we’ll see how Game 2 unfolds since the veteran should have an advantage at the point as he chases the first conference finals appearance of his 12-year career. Thus far, Paul is averaging 18.7 points and 6.5 assists in these playoffs, right in line with his regular-season averages. He had his best outing, a 27-point effort, in Game 2 against Minnesota.

Clint Capela added 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Jazz and has registered double-doubles in three straight playoff games. If he continues to match the production of Gobert and Favors on his own, Utah isn’t likely to win a single game in the series.

The under had been on a 9-1 run in Houston games entering Game 3 of the Minnesota series but the over came in three straight times as the Rockets put the Timberwolves away 4-1. The under barely held on in Game 1 against the Jazz, aided in part by Utah’s 13-for-22 performance from the free-throw line. The over went 3-1 in the regular-season meetings between these squads, who will get together in Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UTA at HOU 08:00 PM
UTA +11.0
O 206.0

[StarDust Bum]

Ingles career night leads Jazz over Rockets 116-108
May 2, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) Utah had a four-point lead in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night when Donovan Mitchell missed a jumper and sailed above three Houston Rockets to grab the rebound and finish with a nifty one-handed slam.

He did it right near the Jazz bench and his teammates went wild, cheering and pretending to fall backward on each other in awe.

Joe Ingles led the Jazz with a career-high 27 points, but it was the star rookie who provided the highlight of the night as the Jazz evened the Western Conference semifinals 1-1 with a 116-108 win.

Ingles made a career-best seven 3-pointers and Mitchell added 17 points and a franchise rookie-record 11 assists for his first game this postseason where he scored fewer than 20 points and didn't lead the team in scoring.

But he certainly provided an emotional boost to his team with his highlight-reel worthy play. He smiled broadly when it was brought up postgame, and said he was just trying to get the rebound on his miss when he made a split-second decision.

''I just happened to be up there,'' he said. ''So I said: `Why come down with it?'''

The Jazz squandered a huge early lead before using a big fourth quarter to regain control and head home for Game 3 on Friday in Utah with a chance to take a series lead over the top-seeded Rockets.

Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said Mitchell was the key to the win even though he didn't lead the team in scoring.

''He was breaking us down,'' D'Antoni said. ''He was getting in there and was finding guys in the corner. He's a handful whether he's finishing or not.''

The Jazz were behind by two with eight minutes left before using a 16-2 run to pull away.

After trailing by 25 points at halftime of the 110-96 loss in the series opener, the Jazz jumped out to an early lead in this one and led by as many as 19 in the first half.

''Last game, we came out completely opposite. Tonight, they kind of caught us off-guard,'' Houston's James Harden said. ''We adjusted to it in that second quarter, but we can't get down 19 no matter who we're playing.''

Houston regained the lead in the third quarter but couldn't keep pace with the Jazz in the fourth as their normally potent offense went cold.

Harden had 32 points and 11 assists, and Chris Paul added 23 points as Houston fell to the Jazz for the first time this season after winning the first five meetings.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder was pleased at his team's balanced scoring effort on a night six players finished in double figures, and he raved about the contribution of Ingles.

''Every time Joe has needed to step up his game, he has been able to,'' Snyder said. ''He's committed to that. He knew tonight he would need to make some shots and he was able to do it.''

Houston was down by one entering the fourth but Utah scored eight straight points on 3-pointers from Dante Exum and Jae Crowder before Mitchell's dunk made it 100-94.

Harden made a basket after that before Utah scored another eight straight points, with two 3s from Ingles, to make it 108-96 with 4 1/2 minutes left.

Harden ended a 2 1/2-minute Houston scoring drought with a 3-pointer about a minute later that was the start of a 9-3 run that got the Rockets within 111-105 with 1:46 left. But Rudy Gobert made one of two free throws before Exum put it out of reach with a dunk.

Utah led by nine before Houston used a 16-5 run to go up 71-69 for its first lead since it was 6-5 with about seven minutes left in the third. The Jazz went back up 86-85 by the end of the period.

After taking just four shots in Game 1 and finishing with 11 points, Gobert got going early Wednesday and had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting by halftime. But he was mostly quiet after the break, and finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Snyder said before the game that he didn't know when point guard Ricky Rubio would return. ... Utah assistant Igor Kokoskov was hired as head coach of the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. ... Ingles got a technical in the second quarter for arguing with Paul.

Rockets: Luc Mbah a Moute had four points and four rebounds in his second game back after missing the first series after dislocating his right shoulder on April 10. ... Paul also received a technical for barking at Ingles. ... Clint Capela finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

THEY SAID IT

The notoriously low-key Harden when told by a reporter that he looked irritated by Utah's defense on Wednesday: ''I look like that all the time. That's just my facial expression.''

UP NEXT

The series moves to Utah where Game 3 is Friday and Game 4 will be played on Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 3, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:30 PM Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Golden State Warriors New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
10:30 PM Houston Rockets Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena


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MAY'S NBA BEST BET RECORD: ( BASED ON 5 UNITS )

05/02/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50

Totals...............3-3-0.........50.00%.....-1.50


BEST BETS................ATS....................UNITS.. ................O/U..............UNITS..............TOTAL


05/02/2018...............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0.............+5.00............+10.00
05/01/2018...............1 - 1..................- 0.50...................0 - 2.............-11.00.............-11.50

Totals........................2 - 1..................+4.50...................1 - 2.............-6.00...............-1.50