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

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY APRIL 16, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Miami Heat Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
10:30 PM San Antonio Spurs Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY APRIL 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
10:30 PM New Orleans Pelicans Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Indiana Pacers Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
8:00 PM Utah Jazz Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
9:30 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 19, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
9:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
9:30 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
2:30 PM Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
5:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
7:30 PM Houston Rockets Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
10:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY APRIL 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
1:00 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center
3:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
6:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Updated Mon Apr 16 12:00 AM EDT


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NBA PLAYOFF RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/15/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/14/2018 1-6-1 14.29% -28.00

TOTALS.............6-9-1........40.00%....-19.50

[StarDust Bum]

Whoa, Your Wife Is Ugly!

Three guys die together in an accident and go to heaven.

When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: Don't step on the ducks!"

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place.

It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first guy accidentally steps on one.

Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest woman he has ever seen. St. Peter chains them together and says:

"Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to the ugly woman!"

The next day, the second guy steps accidentally on a duck, and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, and with him is another extremely ugly woman.

He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first guy.

The third guy has observed all this and not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly woman, is very, VERY careful where he steps.

He manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to him with the most gorgeous woman he has ever laid eyes on: a very tall, tan, curvaceous, sexy blonde.

St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.

The guy remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"

She says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

— Idaho is the fastest growing state in this country.

— Penguins 5, Flyers 1— Pittsburgh scored two goals 0:05 apart.

— Mets 3, Brewers 2— Wilmer Flores hit a walk-off homer on a cold day in Queens.

— Cardinals 3, Reds 2— Cincinnati is off to a 2-13 start this season.

— Celtics 113, Bucks 107 OT— Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton sent game to OT with a 3-pointer at the buzzer of regulation.

— Satoshi Kodaira won his first PGA tournament, beating Si Woo Kim in a playoff on Hilton Head. He started Sunday six shots out of the lead- it is 6th year in a row the winner of this tournament started the final round 3+ shots out of the lead.

Quote of the Day
“When all is said and done, more is said than done.”
Aesop

Monday’s quiz
What team did Bartolo Colon begin his major league career with?

Sunday’s quiz
Steve Kerr was once the GM of the Phoenix Suns.

Saturday’s quiz
Kevin Durant began his NBA career with the Seattle SuperSonics, in 2007-08. Sonics then moved to Oklahoma City the next year.

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

Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend

13) Idea for a reality TV show: Pro teams do exit interviews with players after each season; would be television gold to see some of them, especially with disgruntled players, or with guys who are delusional about their abilities. Kind of like a postseason Hard Knocks.

For instance, Cowboys/Dez Bryant exit interview in December must’ve been a good one.

12) Los Angeles Angels used nine different starting pitchers in their first 15 games this year, the most by any team in their first 15 games since the 1960 Baltimore Orioles.

11) Monday morning’s 11am Orioles-Red Sox game was postponed late Sunday afternoon, so no need to post your fantasy lineups early Monday. This is first time since 1984 the Patriots Day game was rained out.

It also means I get to sleep later Monday morning ��

10) Odd managing in the Brewers-Mets game Sunday; Mets led 1-0 in top of 5th inning, Brewers had a guy on 3rd with two men out, and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin was due up, you think they’d pinch-hit for him, but Chacin grounded out to shortstop. Since Chacin hit, you assume he’ll pitch the bottom of the 5th inning, right?

Wrong. Milwaukee takes Chacin out after not pinch-hitting for him with the tying run on third base. Go figure. Must be an analytics thing.

9) Boston media will be happy; Angels’ rainout in Kansas City Sunday means that Shohei Ohtani will make his next start against the Red Sox in Anaheim Tuesday night.

8) Six baseball postponements Sunday; the only time in last 20 years with six postponements in one day was September 12, 2008.

7) Oakland starting pitchers have finished the 6th inning in 3 of their 16 games; three times by Sean Manaea, zero times by everyone else.

For the record, the A’s traded Ben Zobrist for Manaea, back when they helped he Royals win the World Series with that trade- now it is paying off for them.

6) Saturday night in Dodger Stadium, Arizona’s Deven Marrero hit a home run, but passed the runner on first base, who was going back to tag up, thinking the ball might be caught.

Play results in a 2-run single for Marrero, but he does not score because he passed a runner, so he was out on the play- that doesn’t happen very often.

5) Matt Harvey hasn’t gotten an out in the 6th inning in any of his starts since May 28, 2017 vs Pittsburgh- thats 11 starts in a row. Harvey is a free agent after this season; good luck there.

4) NFL Draft note: New England drafted a DL/LB with its first pick in five of last six drafts.

3) Pacers 98, Cavaliers 80— Lebron James teams had won their last 21 first round playoff games, but that streak was ended rudely here.

2) Twins had a miserable baseball-free weekend at home, with a foot of snow falling; now they head to Puerto Rico to play a couple of games with the Indians in San Juan.

1) They had 23 inches of snow in Green Bay this weekend, in mid-April. Oy.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Tip Sheet
April 15, 2018

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 6 Miami at No. 3 Philaelphia (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

2017-18 Regular Season (Series tied 2-2)
Mar. 8 - Heat (-1) vs. 76ers 108-99 (Under 210.5)
Feb. 27 - Heat (-1) vs. 76ers 102-101 (Under 205)
Feb. 14 - 76ers (-4.5) vs. Heat 104-102 (Over 202.5)
Feb. 2 - 76ers (-4) vs. Heat 103-97 (Under 203)

2017-18 Postseason (76ers 1-0)
Apr. 14 - 76ers (-6.5) vs. Heat 130-103 (Over 214)

The 76ers last suffered a defeat on March 13 at home against the Pacers. Philadelphia finished the regular season with 16 consecutive wins, while extending that overall streak to 17 victories in a row with Saturday’s 130-103 blowout of Miami.

The Heat built a 12-point first quarter lead at 35-23, but the Sixers scored the final six points of the quarter to trail by six. Philadelphia headed into the half down, 60-56, but blew the game open in the third quarter by outscoring Miami, 34-18, thanks to five treys. The Sixers dropped a 40-point spot in the fourth quarter to easily cash as 5 ½-point favorites, while picking up the franchise’s first playoff win since Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The key to Philadelphia’s success in Game 1 was its prowess from long range by hitting 18-of-28 three-point attempts. The trio of J.J. Redick, Marco Belinelli, and Dario Saric each knocked down four three-pointers, while Belinelli led the way with 25 points off the bench. Ben Simmons struggled from the floor in his playoff debut (5-of-13), but the Sixers’ young star scored 17 points and dished out 14 assists, while pulling down nine rebounds.

Miami’s starting five had its problems hitting shots as Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, Josh Richardson, and Hassan Whiteside combined to shoot 13-of-40. Whiteside put together a putrid effort by scoring only two points in 12 minutes of action, but Kelly Olynyk pumped in 26 points off the bench to help Miami reach triple-figures.

Expecting the Heat to right the ship in Game 2 and even up this series appears to be a long shot when you look at Miami’s form outside of South Florida plus the recent NBA playoff trends for visitors.

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David explained, “Only 10 teams in the NBA posted winning records on the road and the Heat weren’t one of them. Including Saturday’s loss, the Miami is now 5-16 in their last 21 away games and that includes a 1-11 mark against playoff teams while allowing 109.8 PPG in those 12 contests. Earning a split on the road is nothing more than wishful thinking and bettors should note that in the last three postseasons, home teams have gone 27-5 straight up in Game 2 after winning Game 1 of their series.”

The total for Game 2 opened 215 ½, which was a tad higher than Game 1’s closing number of 214. David believes you have value with the ‘under’ with the contingent that Joel Embiid plays.

“Philadelphia’s offense has been on fire lately and it’s helped the ‘over’ go 5-1 but a lot of the scoring has had to do with their pace, which is much quicker without Embiid in the lineup. His return would pump the breaks on the offense and it would also improve the defense of the 76ers. Philadelphia is still going to chuck from distance but another repeat of 18 triples is unlikely. Plus I don’t see the pair combining for another 60 free throw attempts.”

Although Miami has gone through several roster overhauls throughout the years, the last time Erik Spoelstra’s team trailed, 2-0 in playoff series came back in the opening round of 2010 against Boston. The Heat were knocked out in five games of that series, as Miami has posted a perfect 6-0 record in its last six opportunities in Game 2 of a playoff series after losing the opener since 2011.

Western Conference First Round
No. 7 San Antonio at No. 2 Golden State (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

2017-18 Regular Season (Warriors 3-1)
Mar. 19 Spurs (-8) vs. Warriors 89-75 (Under 210)
Mar. 8 Warriors (-11) vs. Spurs 110-107 (Under 223)
Feb. 10 Warriors (-10.5) vs. Spurs 122-105 (Over 219)
Nov. 2 Warriors (-8.5) at Spurs 112-92 (Under 219.5)

2017-18 Postseason (Warriors 1-0)
Apr. 14 - Warriors (-8) vs. Spurs 113-92 (Under 205.5)

The Warriors struggled towards the end of the regular season by losing seven of their last 12 games. Golden State flipped the switch, at least in Saturday’s Game 1, as the Warriors destroyed the Spurs in a Western Conference Finals rematch, 113-92 as eight-point home favorites.

The victory was the fifth straight in the playoffs for Golden State over San Antonio after sweeping the conference finals in four games last May. Stephen Curry remained out for the Warriors with an MCL injury, but Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant picked up the slack by combining for 51 points. Thompson connected on 11-of-13 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, while Draymond Green put together a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Steve Kerr’s squad jumped out to a 57-41 halftime lead, while not giving the Spurs any room to come back in Golden State’s sixth consecutive win in a playoff series opener. San Antonio has lost five straight playoff games for the first time since 2010-11 when the Spurs were swept by Phoenix in the second round, followed by a Game 1 loss the next season to Memphis.

The Spurs shot 40% in the Game 1 loss on Saturday, as Rudy Gay led San Antonio with 15 points off the bench. The lone San Antonio starter to post double-figures was LaMarcus Aldridge with 14 points, while the Spurs were outrebounded by the Warriors, 50-31.

The game barely finished UNDER the total of 205 ½, in spite of the two teams combining for 56 points in the final quarter. The Spurs and Warriors needed seven points in the final two minutes to eclipse the OVER, but scored six points, which included two missed free throws. The UNDER improved to 4-1 between San Antonio and Golden State this season, which is in stark contrast to the 6-1 mark to the OVER in 2016-17.

Gregg Popovich’s team will try to fix their road woes as the Spurs are in the midst of a 1-13 SU and 4-10 ATS funk away from AT&T Center since February 10. Only four of those losses came in the favorite role, while the lone victory came at Cleveland as 4 ½-point underdogs, 110-94 on February 25.

Since 2015, the Warriors own a 9-2 SU and 6-5 ATS record in Game 2’s of a series after capturing Game 1. In 2015, Golden State failed to cover in all four opportunities in this situation, but have cashed in six of the past seven chances since 2016.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA playoffs

Monday’s games


Heat vs 76ers (1-0)


Miami led Game One 60-56 at half, then lost by 27, as 76ers made 18-28 on arc in winning their 17th game in row. Home side won last ten series games; Heat is 2-4 vs spread in last six games in this building. Under is 3-2 in last five series games. 76ers’ last loss was March 13; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten home games. Miami is 5-6 in its last 11 games; they’re 1-3-1 vs spread in last five road games. Miami starters other than Johnson shot combined 8-31 in Game 1; sub Olynyk scored 26 points in 31:00 off Heat bench.

Spurs vs Warriors (1-0) 


San Antonio is 0-8 vs spread in last eight road games; their last road cover was March 8, a 110-107 (+11) loss here in Oakland. Spurs lost Game One 113-92 here Saturday, as Thompson was 11-13 from floor, 5-6 behind arc. San Antonio lost nine of last ten games with Golden State; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Oakland. Warriors are 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Game 1 was 57-41 at half, not much of a contest; Warriors had 51-30 edge on boards, shooting 45.3% from floor but also grabbing 10 offensive rebounds. No Curry or Leonard in this series.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, April 16


Miami @ Philadelphia

Game 701-702
April 16, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
115.552
Philadelphia
130.453
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 15
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 6 1/2
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-6 1/2); Over

San Antonio @ Golden State

Game 703-704
April 16, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
116.139
Golden State
128.208
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-9 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, April 16

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MIAMI (44 - 39) at PHILADELPHIA (53 - 30) - 4/16/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MIAMI is 90-71 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 54-36 ATS (+14.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 47-33 ATS (+10.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-5 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-5 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (47 - 36) at GOLDEN STATE (59 - 24) - 4/16/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 130-95 ATS (+25.5 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-35 ATS (+18.5 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-8 ATS (+16.2 Units) in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 1045-917 ATS (+36.3 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 142-109 ATS (+22.1 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-46 ATS (-16.6 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-41 ATS (-12.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 10-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-4 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 16

Heat vs 76ers (1-0)

Miami led Game One 60-56 at half, then lost by 27, as 76ers made 18-28 on arc in winning their 17th game in row. Home side won last ten series games; Heat is 2-4 vs spread in last six games in this building. Under is 3-2 in last five series games. 76ers’ last loss was March 13; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten home games. Miami is 5-6 in its last 11 games; they’re 1-3-1 vs spread in last five road games. Miami starters other than Johnson shot combined 8-31 in Game 1; sub Olynyk scored 26 points in 31:00 off Heat bench.

Spurs vs Warriors (1-0) 

San Antonio is 0-8 vs spread in last eight road games; their last road cover was March 8, a 110-107 (+11) loss here in Oakland. Spurs lost Game One 113-92 here Saturday, as Thompson was 11-13 from floor, 5-6 behind arc. San Antonio lost nine of last ten games with Golden State; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Oakland. Warriors are 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Game 1 was 57-41 at half, not much of a contest; Warriors had 51-30 edge on boards, shooting 45.3% from floor but also grabbing 10 offensive rebounds. No Curry or Leonard in this series.

Wizards-Raptors
Tor 114-106, -7.5, O211

Heat-76ers
Phil 130-103, -6.5, O212

Spurs-Warriors
GState 113-92, -8, U209.5

Pelicans-Blazers
NO 97-95, +5.5, U216.5

Bucks-Celtics
Bos 113-107 OT, -4.5, O199.5

Pacers-Cavaliers
Ind 98-80, +7.5, U212.5

Jazz-Thunder
OKC 116-108, -4.5, O205

Wolves-Rockets
Hst 104-101, -11.5, U215.5




NBA

Monday, April 16

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Trend Report
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Miami Heat
Miami is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Miami is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Miami is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Miami's last 13 games on the road
Miami is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Philadelphia
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing at home against Miami


San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
San Antonio is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
San Antonio is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
San Antonio is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Golden State
San Antonio is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Golden State
San Antonio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State
San Antonio is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 7-15 ATS in its last 22 games
Golden State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Golden State is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games at home
Golden State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Golden State's last 12 games at home
Golden State is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
Golden State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Golden State is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The opening round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs continues Monday night with two games tipping off tonight, including the Warriors looking to win their fifth straight playoff game against the Spurs.

Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers (-6.5, 215.5)

The Philadelphia 76ers' phenomenal 17-game winning streak now includes one playoff victory, the franchise's first in six years. The Sixers will try to make it two straight over the Miami Heat in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series when the teams meet in Game 2 on Monday in Philadelphia.

After a slow start in Saturday's opener, Philadelphia outscored the Heat by a whopping 74-43 margin in the second half en route to a convincing 130-103 Game 1 victory. "I feel this group has something special in it," coach Brett Brown told reporters after his team made 18-of-28 3-pointers and recorded 34 assists against just 10 turnovers in a dominant effort. The last nine of the Sixers' 17 straight wins have come without All-Star center Joel Embiid (orbital fracture), who could return as soon as Game 2 or 3. The Heat will need to get more out of their own big man, as Hassan Whiteside provided just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 12 lackluster minutes.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Sun (Miami), NBCS Philadelphia

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Sixers opened as 7-point home favorites and as of Monday morning that number is down to -6.5. According to consensus numbers 72 percent of the side wagers are on the favorites, so this is a little bit of reverse line movement. The total hit betting boards at 216.5 and has been dropped slightly to 215.5.

ABOUT THE HEAT (44-39 SU, 40-37-6 ATS, 38-44-1 O/U): Whiteside has expressed displeasure at times with head coach Erik Spoelstra and the center seemed to display frustration over his limited minutes in Game 1. "It's not about him," Spoelstra told the media. "This series and this game, it's going to move quickly. It's not necessarily an indictment to his (play)." The play of another 7-footer, Kelly Olynyk, was perhaps another reason for Whiteside's limited contributions, as Olynyk scored a team-high 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting - including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc - off the bench.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (53-30 SU, 48-33-2 ATS, 42-40-1 O/U): With Embiid sidelined, Philadelphia has been thriving on its many quality outside shooters, and the quartet of JJ Redick, Dario Saric, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova combined to hit 15-of-23 long-range attempts in Game 1. "Whether Ersan comes in or Marco comes in, that's who we are," Brown told reporters. "That's what we're trying to coach here. And the guys have bought in. We play fast, we look for each other. The 3-point shot, without Joel, has become a real big part of our identity. We'll continue to do that. You have to do that or you won't win games when it matters." Rookie Ben Simmons was the one finding most of those shooters and he finished his playoff debut with 17 points and 14 assists.

INJURY REPORT:

Heat - SG Dion Waiters (Out For Season, Ankle).

76ers - C Joel Embiid (Questionable, Face), SG Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Out Indefinitely, Knee).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Heat are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* 76ers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
* Over is 5-0 in Heat last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 5-0 in 76ers last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Home team is 7-1-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings.




San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (-9.5, 205.5)

The Golden State Warriors came into the postseason injured and slumping but quickly proved they can flip the switch to playoff mode with a dominating Game 1 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The Warriors will try to keep the pressure on and get off to another hot start to make it a 2-0 cushion when they host the Spurs in Game 2 on Monday.

Golden State dropped 10 of its last 17 games in the regular season and struggled on defense but tightened things up that end and held the Spurs to 17 first-quarter points to establish a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in Game 1. "Just wanted to put our best defensive lineup on the floor from the beginning," Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who inserted small forward Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup, told reporters. "I think the whole point of these games here early in this series is to re-establish our defense. I think you guys know, over the last month or so, our defense has been subpar. Can't win in this league in the playoffs unless you defend, and they defended tonight, and we went with our best defensive group." San Antonio's starting unit wasn't up to the task and only LaMarcus Aldridge (14 points) scored in double figures among the starting five. "I thought we were very prepared physically and mentally," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "But I was mistaken. As I said, we looked like deer in the headlights. The defense was really poor as far as following game plan of the first quarter, and it's a bad combination to play defense like that and not shoot at the other end."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Southwest (San Antonio), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Warriors opened as 9.5-point home favorites for Game 2 and as of Monday morning that number has not moved. Consensus numbers are showing a fairly even split with 55 percent of the side wagers on the Dubs. The total hit betting boards at 206 and has been dropped slightly to 205.5.

ABOUT THE SPURS (47-36 SU, 42-39-2 ATS, 38-44-1 O/U): San Antonio shot 40 percent from the floor in Game 1 and managed only three offensive rebounds in the 113-92 setback. "We've got to regroup, feel hurt, upset, kind of desperate," guard Manu Ginobili told reporters. "We don't want to go home (down) 0-2. But at the same time, we've got to be smarter. Offensively, we're going to have to move the ball better, sharper, be more aggressive and see what happens. We are underdogs. We've talked about it. To get a win here, we've got to overachieve." Popovich started Rudy Gay in the second half over Kyle Anderson to generate more offense and could insert Gay into the starting lineup for Game 2.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (59-24 SU, 35-47-1 ATS, 39-43-1 O/U): Starting Iguodala over Quinn Cook left Golden State without a true point guard, leading to All-Star forward Kevin Durant running the offense. "It's not just one guy who has the ball all the time and making all the plays," Durant, who finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, told reporters. "I think that's the beauty of our team, that all of us can go off and score 30 or get eight, nine assists or grab 11 rebounds. That's just the beauty of our team, and all of us chip in when it comes to facilitating and orchestrating." The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 44 made field goals in the win, led by forward Draymond Green's 11.

INJURY REPORT:

Spurs - SF Kawhi Leonard (Out For Season, Quadricep).

Warriors - PG Stephen Curry (Late April, Knee), SG Patrick McCaw (Out Indefinitely, Back), SF Chris Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Spurs are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 road games.
* Over is 5-0-1 in Spurs last 6 road games.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Warriors last 4 home games.
* Over is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings in Golden State.
* Favorite is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, APRIL 16
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIA at PHI 08:00 PM
PHI -6.5
U 215.5

SA at GS 10:30 PM
SA +9.5
O 205.5

[StarDust Bum]

Heat snap 76ers 17-game winning streak, even up series
April 17, 2018

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Dwyane Wade turned in a vintage performance, scoring 28 points to end the 76ers' 17-game winning streak and lead the Miami Heat to a 113-103 Game 2 win over Philadelphia on Monday night and even the first-round playoff series.

Playing without injured All-Star center Joel Embiid for the 10th straight game, the Sixers nearly pulled off an epic comeback and rallied from 16 down to just two points late in the fourth.

Philly fans were going wild and suddenly the home-court edge that had made the Sixers unbeatable for a month seemed like it would perk the team back up for one more notch on the winning streak.

Wade buried two big buckets down the stretch that pushed back the Sixers and tied the series as it shifts to Miami for Game 3 on Thursday.

The Sixers lost for the first time since March 13 to Indiana. They won 16 straight to end the regular season and the first game of the playoffs.

Ben Simmons led the Sixers with 24 points and Dario Saric had 23.

WARRIORS 116, SPURS 101

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Durant sparked a decisive third-quarter run on the way to 32 points, Klay Thompson added 31 points and five assists in another superb playoff performance and the Warriors rallied in the second half to beat the Spurs for a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

As Stephen Curry remains out likely for the entire series nursing a sprained left knee, the defending champions used all the offensive power they had to take both home games in the best-of-seven series. Wearing a dark checkered sport coat, Curry was all smiles watching another lopsided win without him.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 34 for the Spurs and Rudy Gay moved into the starting lineup and scored 12 points.

Game 3 is Thursday as the series shifts to San Antonio.

[StarDust Bum]

Wade turns back the clock and 76ers in Game 2 Heat victory
April 16, 2018

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Dwyane Wade snuffed out one 76ers' rally by popping a 16-foot fadeaway with the shot clock ticking down. Wade made a halfhearted attempt at reaching his hand out toward a fallen defender before he scooted on his way.

Wade was up, the Sixers were down and suddenly, a series.

The Heat had to have this one - a brooding Joel Embiid is angling for a comeback.

Wade turned in a vintage performance, scoring 28 points to end the 76ers' 17-game winning streak and lead the Miami Heat to a 113-103 Game 2 win over Philadelphia on Monday night and even the first-round playoff series.

''It's just in my DNA,'' Wade said. ''I love the stage.''

The 36-year-old flashed the form of a three-time NBA champion with the Heat, not the journeyman who bounced around the last two seasons with forgettable stints in Chicago and Cleveland.

Wade made 11 of 17 shots and put on a show in the second quarter and put it away in the fourth.

''I saw moments,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''That's what defines Dwyane Wade.''

The 76ers could soon get their defining Process moment from Embiid.

The Sixers sorely needed Embiid, their All-Star center out with a broken orbital bone, to settle them as they fell in a quick a 16-point hole.

The Sixers lost for the first time since March 13 to Indiana. They won 16 straight to end the regular season and the first game of the playoffs and played their 10th straight game without Embiid.

''You need Joel Embiid,'' Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Embiid went on Instagram after the game and wrote, ''sick and tired of being babied.''

Pack the black mask for Miami.

''Joel is a superstar. Of course we're missing him offensively, defensively,'' Sixers forward Dario Saric said. ''He's a guy who wants to play all the time. I can't wait for Joel to come back and help us because we're a better team with him.''

Even without Embiid, the Sixers trimmed the lead to two points late in the fourth.

Philly fans were going wild and suddenly the home-court edge that had made the Sixers unbeatable for a month seemed like it would perk the team back up for one more notch on the winning streak.

Not so fast.

Ersan Ilyasova made a tip shot to close to 98-96 but Wade answered and stripped Saric and finished on the other end with a basket that steadied the Heat.

The series shifts to Miami for Game 3 on Thursday.

Wade's play resembled his glory days at times and he carried the Heat in a sensational second quarter that was the difference. He pump-faked his way to 15 points in the quarter - impressive enough, even moreso that he outscored the potent Sixers by two points.

Wade made his first seven shots of the game and passed Larry Bird for 10th on the NBA's career postseason scoring list.

''I play the game for these moments,'' Wade said.

After a Game 1 victory where they couldn't miss, the Sixers couldn't make a big bucket in the first half. The Sixers made a team playoff-record 18 3s in Game 1 and missed a whopping 16 of 18 3s in the first half.

The Heat slowed the game down - exactly the kind of style where the Sixers needed Embiid in the middle - and used a collective of defenders on Ben Simmons that rattled the rookie point guard early.

The passing-and-pushing offense that got the Sixers to the No. 3 seed in the East failed them for the first time since early March.

But there was life left in the fourth.

Saric was fouled by Wade and sank both from the line to make it 91-82 and he followed with a 3 the next time down that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Saric broke up a pass on defense that led to a Simmons dunk and suddenly 18 straight wins was within reach.

Wade contributed with baskets, assists and free throws over the final 4 minutes to close out the win.

''We played Game 1 like a regular-season game and tonight was a playoff game,'' Wade said.

Simmons, who had a triple-double in the opener, led the Sixers with 24 points and Saric had 23.

''I hate this feeling but maybe it's a good reminder for everybody for next game to lock in,'' Simmons said.

TIP-INS

Heat: Goran Dragic scored 20 points and James Johnson had 18.

76ers: Philly native and Hollywood star Kevin Hart rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell and sat courtside a few seats down from Allen Iverson.

Wade said he was motivated by Hart's trash talk. ''To be able to hush a crowd, that's a great feeling,'' Wade said.

LINEUP CHANGE

Ilyasova got the start at center for the first time in Embiid's absence over Amir Johnson.

REMEMBERING GREER

The 76ers held a moment of silence for Hall of Famer Hal Greer. Greer died Saturday after a brief illness. He was 81. He's the 76ers' career leader in points, field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played.

''He was a graceful man. He was class. He was a gentleman,'' Brown said.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Thursday and Game 4 is Saturday in Miami.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY APRIL 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
10:30 PM New Orleans Pelicans Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Indiana Pacers Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
8:00 PM Utah Jazz Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
9:30 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 19, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
9:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
9:30 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

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...........7-12-1........36.84%....-31.00

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

— Rockies 6, Pirates 2— Colorado TV guys estimated the crowd for this game at 1,500 on a cold, snowy night.

— Nationals 8, Mets 6— New York bullpen blew a 6-1, 8th inning lead.

— Bryce Harper got sawed off on the fists and still hit a HR into the RF bullpen.

— Heat 113, 76ers 103— Series is now tied 1-1.

— Big guy Omar Yurtseven transfers from NC State to Georgetown; not good for the Wolfpack.

— RIP Harry Anderson 65, who played a funny judge on the TV show Night Court for nine years.

Quote of the Day
“I’d feel a little bit uneasy if I were at the top of this draft and I decided I had to have a quarterback. The pressure to get a quarterback is so great in this league, I get that. But we can’t create ’em. I wouldn’t be surprised if only one of these guys is left standing in four or five years, and if so, I’d guess it would be Sam Darnold.”
Sean Payton

Tuesday’s quiz
What state is Vice-President Mike Pence from?

Monday’s quiz
Bartolo Colon begin his major league career with the Cleveland Indians, in 1997.

Sunday’s quiz
Steve Kerr was once the GM of the Phoenix Suns.

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

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…..
13) Tonight in Oakland, the A’s commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first-ever game in the Oakland Coliseum. Admission is free, place will be packed as the A’s play the White Sox.

50 years ago, the A’s lost 4-1 to Baltimore in their home opener; Rick Monday hit a solo homer for the A’s only run. A pinch-hitter named Tony LaRussa had Oakland’s only other hit.

12) If I was a D-I college basketball coach, I’d make sure my school offered a course called Financial Literacy, and all my players/support staff would take it.

How to write a check, open a savings account, invest money, divorce laws, child support, stock market- all that stuff would be covered. Every day things you will need whether you play in the NBA or not.

You read about a lot of pro athletes going broke after they’ve made millions and it makes you want to puke. They need to learn how to handle their own money instead of trusting others— in this crazy world of ours, it is a debatable strategy to trust strangers with your money.

11) Ice problems in Toronto; CN Tower was closed Monday, after reports of ice chunks falling off the tower, endangering buildings and pedestrians.

The roof on Rogers Centre was damaged by falling ice; Royals-Blue Jays game was postponed.

A chunk of ice also flew off the roof of one of the Kansas City Royals’ team buses and broke the windshield of the second bus. One of the players grabbed the wheel of the bus after the driver was hit by a piece of the broken glass.

10) Nickname of the Day: Teams at the U of Arkansas-Monticello are known as the Boll Weevils.

9) Arizona Wildcats are hurting for basketball players; they signed 6-6 wing Omar Thielemans from Belgium, who was described this way: “……..is a good athlete who is a “mid-major” level player.” That description came from someone who has seen Thielemans play in Europe, and it didn’t sound like much of an endorsement for a kid headed to the Pac-12.

8) For the record, the last major league baseball game to have only one hit: Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Cubs on September 9, 1965.

Astros-Rangers was headed that way Sunday night; Bartolo Colon was still throwing 92 in the 8th inning, and he is 44 years old.

7) High school football games in Alabama are going to have instant replay at every game starting this fall. Note to self: Never, ever visit Alabama- it seems like a very strange place.

Even Texas doesn’t have instant replay for high school games; they probably will now.

6) Sports Illustrated’s Peter King mentioned more than once in his weekly column Monday that the Bills might trade as many as three first-round draft picks to move into the top 4 of the draft next week. If I owned an NFL team that had a top 4 pick, I’d tell my GM to accept any offer of three first round picks in a trade, or else I’d fire him. First round picks are gold.

Say the Browns draft a QB with the first pick, doesn’t matter which one; the Giants take either Barkley or Chubb, and the Jets take the QB they want. Then if I’m the Browns and Buffalo calls and wants to give me three #1 picks for the 4th pick, I’m just fine with that.

5) Guy I know who knows a lot about the NFL is down on Wyoming QB Josh Allen, and that is being kind. Allen won me a lot of units when I picked Wyoming on this site, but he has to become a more accurate passer and he damn well better learn how to slide when he runs with the ball. I still like him, but the accuracy thing reminds me a little of Jake Locker.

4) My thought is that FOX should put together a QB classroom TV show like the one Jon Gruden used to do, using Troy Aikman in Gruden’s role. I think he’d be very good at it, and I’d think he’d enjoy doing it.

3) Baseball injuries:
— Pirates lost 2B Josh Harrison (broken hand) for six weeks
— Rays lost OF Kevin Kiermaier (thumb ligaments) for 8-12 weeks

2) This spring, someone in my fantasy baseball league offered me Aaron Sanchez and Braves’ prospect Ronald Acuna for Giancarlo Stanton— not a strong offer, but Acuna is being touted as God’s gift to baseball and the second coming of Barry Bonds— I declined.

Acuna started the season at AAA Gwinnett so the Braves can keep him under team control for an extra season; as you read this, he is hitting .139 in AAA.

1) It was windy as hell and raining sideways for the Boston Marathon Monday; too bad. People work so hard to get ready to run the 26-mile marathon. Hell, I get tired driving 26 miles.

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but….

13) Tonight in Oakland, the A’s commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first-ever game in the Oakland Coliseum. Admission is free, place will be packed as the A’s play the White Sox.

50 years ago, the A’s lost 4-1 to Baltimore in their home opener; Rick Monday hit a solo homer for the A’s only run. A pinch-hitter named Tony LaRussa had Oakland’s only other hit.

12) If I was a D-I college basketball coach, I’d make sure my school offered a course called Financial Literacy, and all my players/support staff would take it.

How to write a check, open a savings account, invest money, divorce laws, child support, stock market- all that stuff would be covered. Every day things you will need whether you play in the NBA or not.

You read about a lot of pro athletes going broke after they’ve made millions and it makes you want to puke. They need to learn how to handle their own money instead of trusting others— in this crazy world of ours, it is a debatable strategy to trust strangers with your money.

11) Ice problems in Toronto; CN Tower was closed Monday, after reports of ice chunks falling off the tower, endangering buildings and pedestrians.

The roof on Rogers Centre was damaged by falling ice; Royals-Blue Jays game was postponed.

A chunk of ice also flew off the roof of one of the Kansas City Royals’ team buses and broke the windshield of the second bus. One of the players grabbed the wheel of the bus after the driver was hit by a piece of the broken glass.

10) Nickname of the Day: Teams at the U of Arkansas-Monticello are known as the Boll Weevils.

9) Arizona Wildcats are hurting for basketball players; they signed 6-6 wing Omar Thielemans from Belgium, who was described this way: “……..is a good athlete who is a “mid-major” level player.” That description came from someone who has seen Thielemans play in Europe, and it didn’t sound like much of an endorsement for a kid headed to the Pac-12.

8) For the record, the last major league baseball game to have only one hit: Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Cubs on September 9, 1965.

Astros-Rangers was headed that way Sunday night; Bartolo Colon was still throwing 92 in the 8th inning, and he is 44 years old.

7) High school football games in Alabama are going to have instant replay at every game starting this fall. Note to self: Never, ever visit Alabama- it seems like a very strange place.

Even Texas doesn’t have instant replay for high school games; they probably will now.

6) Sports Illustrated’s Peter King mentioned more than once in his weekly column Monday that the Bills might trade as many as three first-round draft picks to move into the top 4 of the draft next week. If I owned an NFL team that had a top 4 pick, I’d tell my GM to accept any offer of three first round picks in a trade, or else I’d fire him. First round picks are gold.

Say the Browns draft a QB with the first pick, doesn’t matter which one; the Giants take either Barkley or Chubb, and the Jets take the QB they want. Then if I’m the Browns and Buffalo calls and wants to give me three #1 picks for the 4th pick, I’m just fine with that.

5) Guy I know who knows a lot about the NFL is down on Wyoming QB Josh Allen, and that is being kind. Allen won me a lot of units when I picked Wyoming on this site, but he has to become a more accurate passer and he damn well better learn how to slide when he runs with the ball. I still like him, but the accuracy thing reminds me a little of Jake Locker.

4) My thought is that FOX should put together a QB classroom TV show like the one Jon Gruden used to do, using Troy Aikman in Gruden’s role. I think he’d be very good at it, and I’d think he’d enjoy doing it.

3) Baseball injuries:
— Pirates lost 2B Josh Harrison (broken hand) for six weeks
— Rays lost OF Kevin Kiermaier (thumb ligaments) for 8-12 weeks

2) This spring, someone in my fantasy baseball league offered me Aaron Sanchez and Braves’ prospect Ronald Acuna for Giancarlo Stanton— not a strong offer, but Acuna is being touted as God’s gift to baseball and the second coming of Barry Bonds— I declined.

Acuna started the season at AAA Gwinnett so the Braves can keep him under team control for an extra season; as you read this, he is hitting .139 in AAA.

1) It was windy as hell and raining sideways for the Boston Marathon Monday; too bad. People work so hard to get ready to run the 26-mile marathon. Hell, I get tired driving 26 miles.

[StarDust Bum]

Rajon Rondo has a knack for performing in the playoffs
April 16, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Rajon Rondo is healthy and he's locked in.

That's good news for the New Orleans Pelicans, not so much for the Portland Trail Blazers. When Rondo is locked in during the postseason, the 6-foot-1 guard who won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics has shown he can be a tough out.

Over the course of his career, Rondo has averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Comparatively in the playoffs, he has averaged 14.3 points, 9.2 assists and six rebounds per game.

Not that he is buying into the Playoff Rondo hype, however.

''There's a lot of factors into that. I don't think you can break it down as simple as one or two things,'' Rondo said after practice Monday. ''The interview would probably be too long for me to break it down completely. It's a matter of me being healthy, minutes, my teammates trusting me, my coaching staff trusting me.

''I think we, as a team, we're playing pretty good under pressure.''

They are indeed.

Rondo dished out 17 assists in Game 1 of the series, helping the Pelicans take a 1-0 series lead.

''You know, he's one of the smartest players in the league,'' Portland coach Terry Stotts said. ''He can really orchestrate an offense. He makes his teammates better because he can find them. Defensively, he's really smart: He can sniff things out on the defensive end.''

This was the Rondo that New Orleans hoped it would see in the postseason when the Pelicans signed him to a one-year deal.

Rondo has a reputation as a mercurial player - at times locked in and controlling games, at others seemingly disinterested. A big reason for his success in New Orleans is he's healthy. After missing the first 13 games with a core muscle injury, Rondo played in 65 regular-season games, starting 63.

And he thrives under the playoff lights.

New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry mused about Rondo's playoff aptitude before Game 1.

''I think that anyone, if you go back to last year and you watched the Chicago team, what he meant to that team, they went in there and won two games in Boston when Boston was really good,'' Gentry said. ''And I think there is a sense of confidence that he has, especially this time of the year.''

Rondo played a major role in the Pelicans' 97-95 victory in Portland on Saturday night. He tied a franchise record with 17 assists, grabbed eight rebounds and stymied Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum with his defense.

Anthony Davis, who was on the receiving end of many of those assists and finished with 35 points in the game, said Rondo took charge of the game.

''He's just in a different mode,'' Davis said.

The Trail Blazers certainly noticed that.

Rondo was in Chicago last year when Playoff Rondo emerged. After an up-and-down season, he played well in the first game of the team's opening series against the Celtics. But he was particularly good in Game 2, just missing a triple-double with 11 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds as the Bulls put Boston in an 0-2 hole. Just as important was his defense on Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.

But he broke his thumb in that second game and was ruled out indefinitely before Game 3. Chicago went on to drop the series to the Celtics.

The Pelicans brought Rondo in hoping he would run the offense and boost Jrue Holiday in the shooting guard position. In the process, Rondo has developed extraordinary chemistry with Davis - and Holiday has had one of the best seasons of his career.

After DeMarcus Cousins injured his Achilles on Jan. 26, New Orleans shifted to more of an up-tempo offense and the change suited Rondo's ability to push the pace. He had 13 of his double-digit assist games in the 31 games he played after Cousins went out.

Rondo averaged 8.2 points and 8.2 assists this year and finished the regular season with 15 double-doubles and two triple-doubles.

Gentry has been impressed with what he's seen.

''He's a really bright player. One of the smartest guys I've ever been around,'' the coach said. ''I had the opportunity to coach Steph, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Grant Hill. When you start talking about the extremely smart players, he's one of those guys. I also think he has a way of giving confidence to the other guys. He makes them believe in themselves.''

After helping Davis notch his first playoff career victory, Rondo has the Pelicans believing there is more where that one came from.

[StarDust Bum]

On Pace: Indy opens eyes with blowout
April 16, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) They've spent the entire season on the fringe, virtually ignored by all but the most savvy fans and NBA insiders.

They don't have any household names or any superstars on their roster, just one All-Star and a role player best known for foolish on-court antics.

But as the Indiana Pacers strolled quietly into practice on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena, a building they silenced less than 24 hours earlier with an eye-catching playoff win in Game 1 over the Cavaliers, there was something unmistakable about them.

They're confident - and they're no longer a secret.

''People didn't expect us to do this well,'' Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said, leaning back in a cushioned chair at the end of Indiana's bench. ''We like that. That's what kind of drives our motor a little bit, being overlooked and no one expecting us to do what we're currently doing.''

The Pacers were the better team - by far - on Sunday, leading from tip to final horn in a 98-80 victory over Cleveland that snapped a 21-game winning streak in the first round for LeBron James, who had never opened the playoffs before with a loss and figures to be more aggressive in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Led by Victor Oladipo's 32-point, tough-shot-after-tough-shot performance, Indiana outplayed, outhustled and outlasted Cleveland, giving the Pacers a 4-1 record this season against the three-time defending conference champions.

This may have been a surprise to outsiders, but it was just another day on the office hardwood for the Pacers, who won 48 games during the regular season and were the only team to beat Golden State twice.

Didn't know that, did you?

Well, most of Indiana's accomplishments have been woefully under-publicized. That's what happens when only one of your games is shown on national TV, you're playing in a mid-market city and you appeared to throw away the future by trading away your biggest star, Paul George, last summer.

But the lack of attention doesn't faze Pacers. It fuels them.

''They underestimate us,'' Lance Stephenson said, referring to everyone, not just those Cleveland fans taunting the Pacers on Sunday. ''They didn't think we would get this far and they didn't think we was going to win that many games. But if you look at our team, I guess you could say we don't have that one player or the type of players that stand out, and that's why they underestimate us.''

Stephenson, the Pacers' instigator, spark and arch-enemy to James, set the tone for Indiana's impressive win in Game 1 with a thunderous first-quarter dunk he celebrated by bashing his head into the padded basket stanchion.

''I'm a little dizzy right now,'' he joked before Monday's workout.

His teammates' heads aren't spinning after the series-opening win over the Cavs, who swept the Pacers in the first round a year ago. They expected to play well, and they did. The Pacers aren't flashy, but fundamental. They do the little things: boxing out, diving for loose balls, taking charges.

They've been successful by following coach Nate McMillan's simple formula: share the ball, stop your man and stay connected.

''We've been playing like this all year,'' said Oladipo, the team's rising star who has been on a mission since coming over from Oklahoma City in the deal for George. ''Been playing hard on both ends all year. It just hasn't been magnified. So it's the playoffs now, we've been doing this all year. Now everybody sees.''

Young, who along with Myles Turner are the only starters from last year's playoff squad, said Indiana's success is rooted in the team's togetherness. A year ago, the Pacers were going in different directions.

''We had a lot of guys with egos that we really couldn't push aside'' he said. ''And there was a lot of miscommunication and a lot of different things that were going on. We didn't know if Paul was going to be here. We didn't know if Jeff (Teague) was going to stick around. There was a lot of uncertainty and no clarity from Day One and that hurt us from being a better team than we could've been.

''But this team here, we're all in. We take each and every step together. We try to work in unison each and every day. We come to work and put our hard hats on and we all believe in each other.''

The Pacers took Sunday's win in stride, like a team that has won bigger games before. There was no chest-thumping, no bragging, nothing but talk of doing it again.

''There ain't nothing to celebrate about,'' Stephenson said. ''We won the game, but we got more to accomplish.''

---

[StarDust Bum]

Jazz G Mitchell uncertain for Game 2
April 16, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has a left foot bruise and his status is uncertain for Game 2 of the Western Conference playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mitchell left Oklahoma City's 116-108 win Game 1 on Sunday after stubbing his toe in the third quarter, and he played sporadically the rest of the way. A team spokesman said Mitchell had an MRI on Monday, and the team will provide a status update on Tuesday. When asked if he was concerned about missing Game 2 on Wednesday, Mitchell said, ''Not at all.''

''I can walk,'' he said. ''I think tomorrow will be the deciding factor, but I feel fine. I feel fine right now.''

Mitchell is one of the league's top rookies. He averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the regular season. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

Mitchell did not try to run on the foot on Monday, saying there was no need to. He said he expects to be able to help the Jazz bounce back.

''We were stagnant,'' he said. ''The ball didn't move as much as we had hoped or as we would like. We made those adjustments in practice just now.''

Oklahoma City's Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook were asked about Mitchell after Sunday's game. At one point, Anthony said he'd already answered one and he'd let Westbrook take the second. Westbrook deflected it.

''We just came out and competed,'' Westbrook said. ''Both teams played hard.''

As for the actual game, Mitchell said Westbrook was focused defensively and Thunder guard Corey Brewer was a better defensive player than he thought. He said being exposed to the environment should pay off on Wednesday.

''Now that we've got the first game under our belt - some of us haven't played in the playoffs - we know the atmosphere, we know how loud it's going to be in here,'' he said. ''I think coming out the second game, we'll be more poised and more calm.''