The Bum's 2018 NBA Trends/Stats/Best Bets Thru The Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

Raptors rout 76ers 125-89 to win Game 5
May 7, 2019
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TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Raptors came up with a new load management plan for Kawhi Leonard. It was to make sure their star forward didn't have to shoulder the entire offensive burden.

Leonard had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and the Raptors used a balanced attack and a huge second quarter to rout the Philadelphia 76ers 125-89 Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Toronto can advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in four seasons with a victory in Game 6 at Philadelphia on Thursday night. The Raptors lost in six games to Cleveland in the East finals in 2016.

If the 76ers can extend the series to a seventh game, it would be played in Toronto on Sunday night.

Leonard, who had scored 33 or more points in each of the first four games of the series, shot 7 for 16 from the field and 7 for 8 at the line before checking out with 7:22 to play and Toronto up 103-73. He had four assists and two steals.

''Tonight was one of those games where we let him rest a little bit, which is important,'' Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. ''He had a big double-double, but he didn't have to do everything offensively.''

Leonard scored 39 points in Toronto's Game 4 win on Sunday.

Lowry scored 19 points, while Danny Green shot 5 for 7 from 3-point range and finished with 17 points. Marc Gasol scored 11 points and Serge Ibaka had 10. All five Toronto starters scored in double digits.

''Kawhi still had a great game and the surrounding cast contributed,'' 76ers coach Brett Brown said.

The 36-point margin was the largest in Toronto's postseason history, and marked Philadelphia's worst playoff defeat since a 40-point loss to Boston in Game 1 of the 1982 Eastern Conference finals.

''The spirit, I thought, went away a little bit quicker than I'd wished,'' Brown said.

Up by one after the first, the Raptors outscored the 76ers 37-17 in the second to take a 21-point lead, 64-43, at halftime.

''The second period is where it got away from us,'' Brown said. ''I give Toronto credit, we didn't have the answers for a few of their players and it snowballed.''

Ahead 92-70 at the start of the fourth, Toronto extended its lead to a game-high 40 points on a dunk by Normal Powell with 2:24 remaining.

The Raptors shot 16 for 40 from 3-point range, setting a franchise record for 3-pointers in a postseason game. They hadn't made more than 10 in the four previous games this series.

''The 3-point shot was punishing tonight,'' Brown said.

Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and Tobias Harris had 15 for the 76ers, who have lost two straight after winning the previous two.

Joel Embiid scored 13 points and had eight turnovers. Embiid started despite missing the morning shoot-around because of flu-like symptoms.

''Offensively there was a rhythm to his game that was clearly out of synch,'' Brown said. ''He's been in bed for two days.''

Embiid also battled illness in Games 2 and 4.

''I know I've got to do a better job for us to win,'' Embiid said.

Sixers guard Ben Simmons shot 3 for 5 and finished with seven points, seven rebounds, and five turnovers.

Siakam scored nine points in the first and Lowry had eight as Toronto led 27-26 after one. Leonard had seven rebounds and five points in the first.

Ibaka needed three stitches to close a cut on his forehead after he was inadvertently elbowed by Leonard in the opening quarter. Ibaka returned to start the second and, despite a visible bump on his head, soon scored his first points by blowing past Embiid for a dunk.

Green scored nine points in the second, making three of Toronto's four 3-pointers. Toronto shot 12 for 21 in the second while Philadelphia shot 6 for 20.

Leonard, who missed six of his first eight shots, punctuated Toronto's decisive second quarter with a powerful one-handed slam, driving into the paint from near center court and splitting a pair of defenders to throw it down with 2.6 seconds left.

''That was pretty impressive,'' Siakam said. ''Plays like that always give us energy.''

TIP-INS

76ers: Simmons turned the ball over on each of Philadelphia's first two possessions. ... Embiid and Simmons had more turnovers (12) than made baskets (eight) through the first three quarters. ... Philadelphia recorded seven assists on eight made baskets in the first. ... The 76ers shot 1 for 10 from 3-point range in the first half. They finished 6 for 24. ... The Sixers had more fouls in the first half (16) than field goals (14).

Raptors: Leonard had 13 points and 10 rebounds at halftime. ... F OG Anunoby (appendectomy) joined his teammates on the bench for the first time since undergoing emergency surgery two days before the start of the playoffs. ... Toronto shot 29 for 33 from the foul line.

TAKE WING

As Embiid headed to the bench in the fourth, fans behind the Raptors' bench mocked the 76ers big man by mimicking the airplane celebration he showed off after a big dunk in Game 3.

''I didn't notice, I just saw them shake their bodies,'' Embiid said. ''But good for them.''

SEE YOU SUNDAY?

While walking off the court after the game, Embiid paused to tell rapper Drake, Toronto's Global Ambassador, that the 76ers would be back for Game 7.

THE HAUNTING

The 76ers had 19 turnovers, leading to 31 points for Toronto.

''That is haunting,'' Brown said. ''You cannot win with those types of numbers.''

UP NEXT

Game 6 in the series in Philadelphia, on Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Nuggets rout Portland 124-98, a win away from West final
May 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

DENVER (AP) Nikola Jokic scored 25 points and tied a team playoff high with 19 rebounds, and Paul Millsap injected some experience into a series dominated by youth, sparking the Nuggets' 124-98 blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Nuggets can secure their first trip to the Western Conference Finals in a decade with a win in Game 6 on Thursday night in Portland.

Millsap scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half of the first lopsided game in a series that was so evenly matched coming in that Denver held a cumulative scoring advantage of 464-462.

The Nuggets never trailed and stretched a six-point lead after one quarter to 18 at the half and 28 heading into the fourth quarter. They led by as many as 31 before a parade of backups gave the starters some much-needed breathers.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 22 points but again struggled from the arc, going 2 of 9 on 3-pointers.

RAPTORS 125, 76ERS 89

TORONTO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and the Toronto Raptors used a huge second quarter to rout the Philadelphia 76ers 125-89 Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Toronto can advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in four seasons with a victory in Game 6 at Philadelphia on Thursday night. The Raptors lost in six games to Cleveland in the East finals in 2016.

Leonard, who had scored 33 or more points in each of the first four games of the series, shot 7 for 16 from the field and 7 for 8 at the line before checking out with 7:22 to play and Toronto up 103-73.

Kyle Lowry scored 19 points, while Danny Green shot 5 for 7 from 3-point range and finished with 17 points. Marc Gasol scored 11 points and Serge Ibaka had 10.

Up by one after the first, the Raptors outscored the 76ers 37-17 in the second quarter to take a 21-point lead, 64-43,at halftime.

Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and Tobias Harris had 15 for the 76ers, who have lost two straight after winning the previous two. Joel Embiid scored 13 points and had eight turnovers.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 8, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
10:35 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


05/07/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/06/2019 1-2-1 33.33% -6.00
05/05/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/04/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.00
05/02/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals..............10-11-1 47.61% -11.00


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS


05/07/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-11.50
05/06/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 0..................+5.00.............-6.00
05/05/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-1.00
05/04/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/03/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-11.50
05/02/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


Totals.....................3 - 8.....................-29.00...................7 - 3.................+18.50.............-10.50


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


Totals....................23 - 21..................-0.50.................25 - 27................-19.50..............-20.00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Odds for the Byron Nelson golf tournament this week:

13-2— Brooks Koepka

16-1— Hideki Matsuyama

18-1— Jordan Spieth

20-1— Aaron Wise, Henrik Stenson

25-1— Marc Leishman

30-1— Patrick Reed, Keith Mitchell, Branden Grace

Quote of the Day
“I learned the value of hard work by working hard.”
Margaret Mead

Wednesday’s quiz
What was the nickname of the old ABA team that played home games in Virginia, and had Julius Erving/George Gervin on it?

Tuesday’s quiz
2016 was the last time the NBA Finals went to a 7th game, when Cleveland beat Golden State.

Monday’s quiz
Chicago Bulls (24-11, .686) have the best W-L %age in NBA Finals games. San Antonio (23-11, .676) have the next-best record.

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

13) PJ Tucker plays for the Rockets; he is 34 now. He is an important player for them, but only scored 7.3 ppg this season, shooting 37.7% on arc. He started every game, playing 34.2 mpg.

Winning teams have role players who flourish in that role; Tucker makes $8M a year, so he is obviously well compensated for that role.

For five years, from 2007-13, Tucker played pro ball in Israel, Ukraine, Germany and Italy. This is a guy who has paid his dues and probably could write a hell of a book.

12) When Jacob deGrom was playing shortstop in college for Stetson, he hit one home run; off of Chris Sale, who pitched for Florida Gulf Coast.

11) Quote of the Day, part II, from Kyrie Irving after shooting 7-22 in Monday’s loss:

“For me, I had 22 shots, I should’ve shot 30 … just the consistency of going at it, staying aggressive is always going to put us in a great position……”

10) Best over teams in baseball:
— Mariners 25-10-2, +13.57 units
— With Sox 19-12-2, +6.59
— Royals 21-14-1, +6.23
— Rangers 19-12-1, +5.04
— Cubs 19-13, +5.04

Best under teams:
— Reds 23-11-1, +10.69 units
— Blue Jays 21-14, +5.92
— Brewers 21-15-1, +5.22
— Tigers 18-13, +4.34
— Rays 19-14-1, +4.17

9) There are 65 Power Five college football teams; CBSSports.com ranked them #1-65 this week, with Rutgers coach Chris Ash #65, Colorado coach Mel Tucker #64. Tucker was interim coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, but hasn’t coached a game in Boulder yet.

I’m assuming Nick Saban is #1 and Dabo Swinney #2, but they haven’t released their top 25 yet. Thats sportswriting in May; stretch things out as much as possible.

Herm Edwards is ranked #54, which is interesting; the guy went 54-74 in the NFL. Lasting eight years as an NFL head coach should get him higher than #54 on the college list.

8) This will be the first time since 1996 that the Kentucky Derby winner won’t be running in the Preakness; Grindstone won the ’96 Derby, then never raced again because of injury.

7) Over last two years, San Diego’s Hunter Renfroe has pinch-hit with bases loaded three times; he has nine RBI in those AB’s, with two of the three hits walk-offs.

6) When Maximum Security was DQ’d at the Kentucky Derby Saturday, a woman from Ohio lost out on a $186,000 prize she would’ve won via a promotion through Rocket Mortgage.

5) Georgia Bulldogs have five top 100 recruits coming to Athens in the fall, so they figure to be a vastly improved team next season.

4) Start of Monday’s Giants-Reds game was delayed 18 minutes because of a swarm of bees that gathered near the seats behind home plate.

Giants-Reds split the four-game series, despite Cincinnati outscoring the Giants 24-2 in the first three innings of the four games.

3) College basketball transfer portal:
— James Bolden jumps from West Virginia to Alabama.
— Nevada poached Desmond Cambridge (15.7 ppg) from Brown.
— Marquette poached grad transfer Jayce Johnson (7.1 ppg) from Utah.

2) Get well soon to Mets’ broadcaster/former pitcher Ron Darling, who was diagnosed with treatable thyroid cancer recently. He is expected to return to TV sometime next month.

1) 51 years ago tonight, May 8, 1968, Catfish Hunter threw a perfect game for the A’s against Minnesota; he also knocked in three of the A’s runs in their 4-0 win.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
May 7, 2019
By Kevin Rogers

Eastern Conference Semifinals – Game 5 (Bucks lead 3-1)
Boston at Milwaukee (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

Things change quickly in a playoff series for better or worse. Boston stuck it to Milwaukee in Game 1 in a 22-point blowout at Fiserv Forum, but the Celtics have gone from flying high to one loss away from elimination in a 10-day span.

Milwaukee captured a pair of victories at TD Garden, where the Celtics lost a total of one playoff game last season. After the Bucks topped the Celtics in Game 3 as two-point underdogs, 123-116, Milwaukee rallied Boston to take Game 4 in Beantown, 113-101 as one-point ‘dogs. The key to both road wins in this series is Milwaukee’s ability to thrive after halftime by outscoring Boston, 33-23 in the third quarter of Game 4.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the Celtics once again with 39 points and 16 rebounds, while Milwaukee overcame a horrific shooting night from three-point range going 8-of-37. Khris Middleton put together a 4-of-19 performance from the floor after scoring 20 points in Game 3, but George Hill stepped up off the Bucks’ bench to score in double-digits for the third time in this series with 15 points.

Kyrie Irving’s struggles from the floor continued in Game 4 as the Celtics’ guard scored 23 points, but shot 7-of-22, including hitting 1-of-7 three-point attempts. In the three Boston losses, Irving has converted 4-of-20 shots from downtown, while converting on 19-of-62 field goal attempts (30.6%). Gordon Hayward has been missing in action recently for Boston by scoring 10 points or fewer in each of the past three games, including a measly two points in Game 4.

Milwaukee improved to 7-1 SU/ATS in the playoffs following Monday’s win, while owning a solid 9-2 ATS mark in the underdog role. The Bucks are flipped to a home favorite on Wednesday, as Mike Budenholzer’s team is 9-1-1 ATS in the past 11 wins at Fiserv Forum. The Celtics are listed at their highest underdog price this season (+9) as the last time Boston was receiving nine points, it knocked off Philadelphia in overtime in Game 3 of the second round in 2018.

VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia checks in with what could be the final game of the Celtics’ season, “The Celtics face the difficult obstacle of having to find a chemistry on the road that has thus far eluded them at home. Irving is struggling to have the impact he envisioned having on “his” team after being liberated from a supporting role under LeBron James, which is why it’s looking increasingly likely that he’ll give up and seek out a better fit in New York.”

“Brad Stevens needs to get everyone on the same page early and have a group in mind he’s going to want to turn to in case the game is spiraling away. Against a team that led the NBA in double-digit wins and margin of victory, that’s going to be important given the Bucks’ approach of stepping on the throat of teams at the new Fiserv Forum. Keep all this in mind when weighing whether to lay the big number,” Mejia said.

Western Conference Semifinals – Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
Houston at Golden State (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

Apparently, the Western Conference second round series between the Warriors and Rockets hasn’t started yet. Golden State won the first two games at Oracle Arena, while Houston responded with a pair of victories at Toyota Center to even up its series at 2-2. Now, the two Western powers travel back to Oakland as the two-time defending champions look to avoid their first three-game losing streak in the playoffs for the first time since blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals.

Houston held off Golden State in overtime to grab Game 3 and get back into the series, but the Rockets were not going to allow the Warriors to take a 3-1 advantage. The Rockets built a 13-point second quarter advantage and led 61-54 at halftime thanks to 18 points from James Harden. Houston held a 17-point cushion in the third quarter before Golden State made a furious comeback to cut the deficit to two points with 19 seconds remaining on a three-pointer by Stephen Curry.

Harden split a pair of free throws to go up three as Curry hoisted a three-pointer to tie the game in the final seconds, but missed as the Rockets held on for a 112-108 victory and the cover as one-point favorites. Harden finished with 38 points, including 6-of-17 from three-point range, while Eric Gordon overcame a 2-of-12 performance from downtown to post 20 points.

Golden State was limited to 8-of-33 shooting from long distance (24%), but Curry finally busted out after three subpar efforts by scoring 30 points. Kevin Durant continued his hot scoring run with 34 points, but Klay Thompson didn’t contribute much by putting up 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting. The Warriors didn’t help themselves at the free throw line by misfiring on seven attempts, their most misses in any game during the postseason.

After watching the ‘under’ easily cash in the opener of this series, the ‘over’ has cashed in the last three games and bettors riding the high side certainly had to sweat out a couple of those outcomes. The total for Game 5 opened at 220 and Chris David of VegasInsider.com provides his thoughts on Wednesday’s number.

He said, “We finally saw the Houston offense click in this series at home as it averaged 119 PPG in the two games from the Toyota Center. That average was certainly helped with shots from distance as Houston hit 35 bombs from 3-point land in their victories. The bigger issue for the Rockets has been their inability to score at Oracle Arena in the playoffs and that’s a large part of the reason why they haven’t been able to get past the Warriors. Since the 2015 postseason, they’ve played 11 games in the Bay Area and Houston is averaging 94 PPG. That lack of offense has resulted in a 1-10 record and not surprisingly, the ‘under’ has gone 9-2 in those games.”

“To be fair, this year’s Rockets squad has looked a tad sharper in their trips to Oracle. They scored 135 and 118 points in a pair of regular season wins and while losing Game 1 and 2 of this series, they did finish with 100 and 109 points. The issue with those playoff losses is that they came out flat and were held to just 19 and 20 points in the first quarter of the setbacks. Can Houston carry over the offensive momentum to Game 5? Past history doesn’t look great for it but the difference of this year’s Warriors team is their defense, which allowed 111 PPG in the regular season and 115.4 PPG in the playoffs. My lean would be to ride the hot team and play the Houston Team Total Over (107) on Wednesday.”

Since 2015, the Warriors are 2-1 SU/ATS in Game 5’s of a series tied at 2-2, as the two victories have come at Oracle Arena. The lone loss in this stretch came on the road at Houston in last season’s conference finals, but Golden State went on to win the final two games of the series. The last time Houston played a Game 5 on the road with the series even at 2-2, the Rockets fell in overtime to the Spurs, 110-107 as a 5 ½-point underdog in the 2017 second round.

[StarDust Bum]

Rockets-Dubs going 7?; Bucks can finish C's
May 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kevin Durant vs. James Harden. This duel may just go the distance, and the two stars know it.

Everyone figured the Western Conference semifinal between Golden State and Houston had a chance to be more like the NBA Finals in terms of talent on each side, and now it's tied at 2-all.

The NBA's best are dazzling on defense and trading big shots on offense.

''The way both teams are playing with such intensity and aggression, it's fun to be out there,'' Durant said. ''We're looking forward to Game 5.''

The series resumes Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, which could host its final game if Golden State doesn't handle business at home. The Warriors will move to new Chase Center in San Francisco next season.

''The mood's good. Playoffs, this is what it's about,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday afternoon once his team touched down in Oakland. ''Our team has been here many times. We've been in much worse situations, being down in a series, being on the road for Game 7s. We've pretty much seen it all. This is just another chapter in the book.''

Also Wednesday, Boston will try to stave off elimination playing at Milwaukee. The Bucks are up 3-1.

''These kinds of situations show a lot about people,'' Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. ''It doesn't always mean you're going to have success. But competing at the level you need to compete and making sure you're as urgent as you've ever been on every possession is of ultimate importance.''

Back in the Bay Area, Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will try to find their shooting touch. They combined to shoot 9 of 35 on 3-pointers and 30 of 79 overall the past two games.

Curry and Durant each missed good looks from long range with a chance to tie Game 4 in the waning seconds.

Chris Paul and Harden, meanwhile, know they might have swung momentum after evening the series with Monday night's 112-108 victory.

''I hope so. I hope we have it,'' Harden said. ''We're not going to let up. We're going to keep coming at you until the end of the game.''

A look at Wednesday's games:

ROCKETS AT WARRIORS

Series tied at 2. Game 5, 10:30 p.m. EDT, TNT

NEED TO KNOW: The Warriors have acknowledged their lack of focus at times this season, losing badly at home on a handful of occasions and struggling with the basics such as taking care of the ball.

Now, they will try to channel positive energy into another performance like their 115-109 Game 2 victory at Oracle in which Golden State showed intensity on both ends.

''We love it. Obviously, we would love to be up 3-1 or have the series over, but there's no panic,'' Curry said. ''We're together and we understand what the task at hand is. It's very similar to the last series where you just roll with the punches and get the job done any way you can. We can take control of the series at home and take it from there.''

INJURY WATCH: Golden State flew later in the day Tuesday so players could receive treatment and get some recovery time, Kerr said.

Starting forward Andre Iguodala is probable after hyperextending his left knee late in Monday's loss.

Meanwhile, Harden's left eye is still red from an injury in Game 2.

''It just looks crazy but it's getting better,'' he said. ''The doctor said it might be a couple of days or it might be a week before it clears up.''

Durant grabbed his right elbow repeatedly during Game 4. The two-time reigning finals MVP was hurt when he trailed Harden on an early fast break and bumped the Houston star in the head while attempting to block the shot from behind.

In addition, guard Shaun Livingston is ''a little banged up,'' Kerr said.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Rebounding. The Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 55-35 in their Game 3 win then 50-43 on Monday - getting 20 from Clint Capela in the two victories.

Golden State held an edge on the boards in Games 1 and 2.

It starts with defense to generate rebounding opportunities like the Warriors had in their two wins at home.

PRESSURE IS ON: The Warriors' 3-point shooting.

Golden State shot 8 for 33 from deep in Game 4 while the Rockets finished 17 of 50.

''I thought we took a lot of quick, hasty shots where we didn't have the rhythm, where we let them off the hook,'' Kerr said. ''It's not anything elaborate.''

CELTICS AT BUCKS

Bucks lead 3-1. Game 5, 8 p.m. EDT, TNT

NEED TO KNOW: After heading to the bench with his fourth foul early in the third quarter, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points and seven rebounds in the fourth to help the Bucks pull away in Game 5. He has averaged 33 points per game in Milwaukee's three straight wins after struggling in Game 1.

INJURY WATCH: Stevens said Marcus Smart came through injury-free in his first game since suffering an abdominal injury on April 7, the second-to-last game of the regular season. Yet Stevens acknowledged there was some rust. ''When you haven't played full-speed, 5-on-5, especially when you're coming back for a playoff game, I think that's difficult,'' Stevens said. ''But we kind of knew that going in. I thought he did give us some good stuff, too, when he was in there.''

Smart played 15 minutes in Game 4, limited to three points while shooting 1 of 7 on 3-pointers.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Bench scoring. Boston's bench was outscored 32-7 in Game 4 after being outscored 42-16 in Game 3. With the Celtics' starters struggling in the third quarter in this series, they will need their reserves to step up in Game 5.

PRESSURE IS ON: Kyrie Irving. After declaring that he wouldn't have another performance like his 8-for-22 shooting in Game 3, he went 7 of 22 in Game 4. He hasn't been shy about saying that it's up to him to lead the Celtics during the postseason. It might be his final game with Boston before he can become a free agent this summer. The six-time All-Star had 23 points and 10 assists in the 113-101 Game 4 defeat, shooting 1 of 7 from deep.

Irving scored 26 points in Boston's Game 1 victory. Since then, he is 19 of 62, going 4 of 20 on 3s.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

509Boston -510 Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE is 45-26 ATS (16.4 Units) versus up-tempo teams averaging 88 or more shots/game in the last 3 seasons.

511Houston -512 Golden State
HOUSTON is 43-23 ATS (17.7 Units) in road games after playing a home game in the last 3 seasons.


NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 8


Boston @ Milwaukee

Game 509-510
May 8, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
115.121
Milwaukee
133.905
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 18
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 9
218
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-9); Over

Houston @ Golden State

Game 511-512
May 8, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
119.677
Golden State
133.246
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 13 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 6
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-6); Under


NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 8

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BOSTON (54 - 36) at MILWAUKEE (67 - 23) - 5/8/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 45-30 ATS (+12.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 44-28 ATS (+13.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 103-82 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 79-59 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 148-112 ATS (+24.8 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
BOSTON is 242-187 ATS (+36.3 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
BOSTON is 55-42 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 73-57 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 67-112 ATS (-56.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 13-8 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 11-10 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (59 - 32) at GOLDEN STATE (63 - 29) - 5/8/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 90-64 ATS (+19.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 39-52 ATS (-18.2 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-47 ATS (-16.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-27 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 49-65 ATS (-22.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-47 ATS (-20.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-41 ATS (-13.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 12-9 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-11 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
14 of 22 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 8

Milwaukee’s bench was +52 in its Game 4 win; Bucks are up 3-1 in series, can end things with a home win here. Celtics lost three of last four visits to Milwaukee; underdogs covered four of last five series games. Irving was only 7-22 from floor; will this be his last game with Boston? Irving/Brown shot combined 25-69 from floor in last two games. Bucks scored 119.7 ppg in losing last three games; they won/covered four of last five road games. Milwaukee won six of last seven games overall, covering three of last four at home. Five of their last seven games went over the total.

Home side won all four Houston-Golden State games; over is 2-0-1 in last three. Rockets shot 35-92 (38%) on arc in Games 3-4, after shooting 31-87 (35.6%) in Games 1-2. Houston took 50 3’s, 39 2’s in Monday’s win; their bench outscored Golden State’s 18-11. Rockets lost four of last five road games (1-4 vs spread, under 4-1). Warriors split last six games overall, split last four home games, losing twice to Clippers. Curry was 4-14 on arc in Game 4, was 6-23 in Games 3-4. Over is 6-2-1 in Golden State’s last nine games, 3-6-1 in Houston’s last ten. Warriors’ bench was only 4-8 from floor in Game 4.


NBA

Wednesday, May 8

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Trend Report
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Boston Celtics
Boston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 13 games on the road
Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Boston's last 16 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 15 games
Milwaukee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 16 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Boston
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston

Houston Rockets
Houston is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games
Houston is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 13 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Houston is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Golden State is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 8-14-1 ATS in its last 23 games at home
Golden State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Golden State's last 16 games at home
Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Houston
Golden State is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against Houston

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -8.5
U 219.5

HOU at GS 10:30 PM
GS -6.0
O 220.0

[StarDust Bum]

Bucks beat Celtics 116-91 to advance to East final
May 8, 2019
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MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks found another gear after their first loss of the playoffs.

Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics just couldn't keep up.

Antetokounmpo had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Bucks routed the Celtics 116-91 on Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

After sweeping Detroit in the first round, top-seeded Milwaukee struggled in Game 1 against Boston and lost 112-90 in one of its worst offensive performances of the season. But Antetokounmpo led the way as the Bucks responded with four straight wins by a combined 65 points.

''I think our mindset changed,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''In the first game, we weren't focused enough. We weren't ourselves. The next four games, we came out with a different approach, a different mindset.''

The Bucks used a balanced attack to close out the Celtics in Game 5, placing seven players in double figures. Khris Middleton had 19 points and eight rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe finished with 18 points.

Next up for the Bucks is the winner of the Philadelphia-Toronto series. The Raptors are up 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday night.

It's the first Eastern Conference final for Milwaukee since 2001.

''At the end of the day, we realize we've never been there before,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''We're really hungry to achieve our goals. That's all we care about. As long as we play hard, we really don't care about what anybody has to say.''

Prior to the clinching win, several Bucks took turns speaking to the team.

''Giannis' speech was, `A lot of us probably came from nothing and we have the opportunity to write our own story right now.' That's what everybody did,'' George Hill said.

The Celtics clamped down on Antetokounmpo for most of the game, but Middleton, Bledsoe, Hill and Nikola Mirotic picked up the scoring to help rob the game of any drama in the final minutes.

Hill finished with 16 points, and Mirotic had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon also had 10 points in his return to the lineup after being sidelined by plantar fasciitis.

''Everybody was ready to play,'' Hill said. ''Everybody was ready for the opportunity to put them away as quick as we can.''

Irving scored 15 points for Boston, which shot 31.2% from the field. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris each had 14.

''Not what we expected,'' Boston center Al Horford said. ''Just disappointing for us. At the end of the day, really, you have to give Milwaukee credit. They're just a better team than us. That's a reality.''

Antetokounmpo picked up his third foul when Jaylen Brown drove to the hoop early in the second half, but he stayed in the game. He stole an Irving pass and slammed it home to make it 65-52 with 6:45 left in the third quarter.

Antetokounmpo, one of the front-runners for NBA MVP, closed out the period with consecutive baskets, including a finger-roll layup that gave the Bucks an 80-62 lead.

''They played like they wanted it,'' Irving said.

Irving went 6 for 21 from the field in what might have been his final game with Boston. He is eligible for free agency in the offseason, and his future is one of the major questions facing the Celtics this summer.

''I understand we didn't meet the outside expectations,'' coach Brad Stevens said. ''We rode a roller coaster most of the year.''

Irving's only 3-pointer of the night trimmed Milwaukee's lead to 38-32 with 2:51 left in the second quarter. But Brogdon and Mirotic each connected from long range to help the Bucks to a 52-39 advantage at the break.

Brogdon hadn't played since March 15. He also had four assists and three rebounds.

BOSTON SLAM

The Celtics' loss eliminated the chance for a ''Boston Slam,'' the possibility of an unprecedented sweep of all four major pro championships in a year.

The Red Sox won the World Series in October, and the Patriots took the Super Bowl title in February. The Bruins open the Eastern Conference final on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

PARDON ME

Referee David Guthrie accidently sat down on a fan's lap after getting knocked backward in a collision with two players. The game was momentarily delayed while attendants cleaned up a spilled beverage.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Marcus Smart was shaken up after Milwaukee's Brook Lopez fell on his legs after blocking his shot. Both exchanged pats on the back after Smart got up.

Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova had 10 points. Pat Connaughton finished with seven points and 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Milwaukee gets some rest before the start of the Eastern Conference final.

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors star Kevin Durant leaves with calf injury
May 9, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Golden State star Kevin Durant has left Game 5 of the Warriors' playoff series against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.

Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11 left in the third quarter. The team says he will not return.

Durant had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists Wednesday night. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP was averaging 35.4 points in the playoffs coming into the day.

The best-of-seven series was tied at two games apiece. Game 6 is Friday back in Houston.

[StarDust Bum]

SIZE=1]Durant hurt, Warriors hold off Rockets
May 9, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 27 points, including a key layup with 4.1 seconds left, and the Golden State Warriors overcame Kevin Durant's calf injury to beat the Houston Rockets 104-99 on Wednesday night for a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Durant strained his right calf late in the third quarter. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly following a baseline jumper. He finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.

James Harden scored 31 points for the Rockets, who will try to stave off elimination back home in Houston on Friday night.

Durant's status for Game 6 is unclear. After he departed with the injury, the rest of Golden State's array of stars helped the Warriors close it out.

Draymond Green received his fourth technical of the postseason with 3:39 left, and then knocked down a 3-pointer on the other end. Thompson followed Green's 3 with one of his own to make it 97-89 with 2:33 remaining.

Stephen Curry struggled with his shot yet again and finished with 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting. He went 3 of 11 from long range.

BUCKS 116, CELTICS 91

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, helping Milwaukee advance to the Eastern Conference final.

The top-seeded Bucks placed seven players in double figures in their fourth straight win after dropping the series opener. Khris Middleton had 19 points and eight rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe finished with 18 points.

Next up for the Bucks is the winner of the Philadelphia-Toronto series. The Raptors are up 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday night.

It's the first Eastern Conference final for Milwaukee since 2001.

Kyrie Irving scored 15 points for Boston, which shot 31.2% from the field. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris each had 14.

The Celtics clamped down on Antetokounmpo for most of the game, but Middleton, Bledsoe, George Hill and Nikola Mirotic picked up the scoring to help rob the game of any drama in the final minutes.

Hill finished with 16 points, and Mirotic had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon also had 10 points in his return to the lineup after being sidelined by plantar fasciitis.[/SIZE]

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 9, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
10:35 PM Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
3:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
3:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/08/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/07/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/06/2019 1-2-1 33.33% -6.00
05/05/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/04/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.00
05/02/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals..............12-13-1 48.00% -12.00


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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

05/08/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-1.00
05/07/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-11.50
05/06/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 0..................+5.00.............-6.00
05/05/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-1.00
05/04/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/03/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-11.50
05/02/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


Totals.....................4 - 9.....................-29.50...................8 - 4.................+18.00.............-11.50


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


Totals....................23 - 21..................-0.50.................25 - 27................-19.50..............-20.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

— Indians are 14-7 outside their division, but only 5-9 vs AL Central rivals.

— Warriors 104, Rockets 99— Kevin Durant strained a calf muscle, will probably miss Game 6.

— Bucks 116, Celtics 91— Milwaukee is in Final Four for first time since 2001.

— Hey, sports betting is legal in Indiana now. It isn’t legal yet here in New York.

— UConn, Louisville, Indiana, and Texas Tech will be the four teams at the 2019 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in December.

— NBA teams that win Game 5 of a playoff series with a 2-2-1-1-1 format have won that series 162 of 189 times (85.7%).


**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Kawhi Leonard has played in all ten of Toronto’s playoff games this spring, playing 36.6 minutes a game; no nights off for “load management” He has been great.

During the regular season, Leonard sat out 22 games, played 34 mpg when he did play; is this a hint of things to come? Stars taking periodical days off to reduce the stress of a long season?

Steve Kerr suggested the regular season be cut back from 82 to 75 games, for that reason. As long as the players’ salaries get reduced by the same %age as the games are reduced, I’d be OK with it.

Taking games off when you’re not hurt is BS— people might be spending lot of money to take their kids to see a guy play, and then he doesn’t, for no reason. It is bad business.

12) Texas Rangers’ DH Joey Gallo is first big leaguer ever to hit 100 home runs before he hit 100 singles; he hit his 100th homer Wednesday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

11) From Baylor’s Twitter account:

“Baylor Athletics is thrilled to announce a lead gift for the Baylor Basketball Pavilion. This new facility will be made possible thanks to recently publicized $100 million anonymous gift as a part of Baylor University’s Give Light Campaign.”

Someone gave Baylor $100M; 100 million freakin’ dollars. Wow.

10) One of the funny things about watching baseball on TV every night is when a team is doing badly, their TV guys quickly transition to other stuff, like the local team’s NBA/NHL playoff games, or the team’s concessions stands, or the bobblehead giveaway next week, or next month.

Can’t be easy for these guys when a team sucks or is struggling; they travel with the team, with social media nowadays, any criticism they say on air gets back to the players quickly, but the job is to tell the truth, too. Delicate balance that some do way better than others.

9) “If I ain’t starting, then I’ll be departing….”

Matthew Baldwin could’t beat Justin Fields out for the QB job at Ohio State, so he is gone to TCU, where he will sit out this season, meaning he will have sat out for two years in a row after he started for only one year in high school in Lake Travis, TX.

8) We talked yesterday about CBSSports.com‘s ranking the power 5 college football coaches; they listed #1-25 Wednesday, with Washington’s Chris Petersen #3, behind Saban/Swinney. Lincoln Riley was #4, Jimbo Fisher #5.

7) They somehow list Duke’s David Cutcliffe at #21; if Cutcliffe is such a great coach, how come he can’t recruit competent WR’s? All I heard in the New York media during/after the draft was how terrible Duke’s WR’s were. Shouldn’t the #21 coach in the country be able to coach ‘em up better than they’ve been?

6) College basketball transfer portal:
— DJ Harvey bolts from Notre Dame to Vanderbilt.
— Vermont lands grad transfer Daniel Giddens from Alabama.

5) Florida Gators inked a home/home football series with Colorado; Buffs will visit Gainesville in 2028, the Gators will visit Boulder in 2029. What is interesting about this? It will be the first time Florida has left the Sunshine State for a true non-conference road game (non-bowl game) since losing at Syracuse in 1991.

4) Paul George had rotator cuff surgery since Oklahoma City was eliminated from the NBA playoffs, is going to have another operation on the other shoulder, and is expected to miss at least part of training camp next fall.

3) Toronto’s Trent Thornton used to be on my fantasy team; he was cut during his horrendous start last night against the Twins.
His four starts when he was in my lineup: 0-3, 9.00 ERA, 2.13 WHIP
His four starts when he was on my bench: 0-1, 2.42 ERA, 0.85 WHIP
Enough already.

2) Mike Fiers has started 162 major league games; he finished two of them, both of them no-hitters, throwing 134-131 pitches. Hell of a performance late Tuesday night.

1) Doug Kern came up with some great no-hitter knowledge:

Mike Fiers: First pitcher to throw his second no-hitter since Jake Arrieta 2015-16.

Fiers’ second one was against the Reds.
Arrieta’s second one was against the Reds.

Final out of Fiers’ second one: Eugenio Suarez.
Final out of Arrieta’s second one: Eugenio Suarez.

[StarDust Bum]