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

[StarDust Bum]

513Toronto -514 Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA is 46-25 ATS (18.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game in the last 3 seasons.

515Denver -516 Portland
PORTLAND is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent of 10 points or more in the current season.




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 9

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TORONTO (65 - 27) at PHILADELPHIA (57 - 35) - 5/9/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 211-265 ATS (-80.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 146-119 ATS (+15.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 54-37 ATS (+13.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) after a division game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 80-59 ATS (+15.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 81-59 ATS (+16.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-28 ATS (+17.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 11-6 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 12-5 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (61 - 33) at PORTLAND (59 - 33) - 5/9/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 94-77 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 32-23 ATS (+6.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 49-36 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 11-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 10-7 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
12 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 9

76ers have been held to 96 or fewer points in four of five series games; they won by 21 the one big game Embiid had (9-18 in Game 3, 14-42 in other four games combined). Simmons was 3-5 from floor in Game 5; he is taking only 8.4 shots/game in series, has been to foul line total of four times- they need lot more from him than that. Toronto crushed the 76ers by 36 Tuesday, can end series with road win here; Raptors are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Key for the Raptors is how much support Leonard gets; he’s been playing great. Five of last six series games stayed under the total. Home side won eight of last 11 series games.

Denver won last two games since losing 4-OT game in Game 3 in Portland; they can close series out with win here. Nuggets won nine of last 12 games with Portland, covered last four visits to Oregon. Eight of last nine series games went over. Home side won eight of last 11 series games. Jokic has 79 points, 49 rebounds, 31 assists in his last three games. Under is 4-2 in Blazers’ last six wins; four of their last five losses went over. Lillard/McCollum shot combined 14-37 in Game 5; they’ll need big game here to force Game 7. Portland coach Stotts is 15-33-2 vs spread in playoff games.




NBA

Thursday, May 9

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Trend Report
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Toronto's last 11 games
Toronto is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Philadelphia
Toronto is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Toronto is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 6-16 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games on the road
Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
Denver is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 9 games when playing Portland
Denver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Denver is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Portland is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games
Portland is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Portland's last 21 games at home
Portland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Portland is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Portland's last 9 games when playing Denver
Portland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver
Portland is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing at home against Denver


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NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 9


Toronto @ Philadelphia

Game 513-514
May 9, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
125.688
Philadelphia
127.880
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 2
213
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+2); Under

Denver @ Portland

Game 515-516
May 9, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
125.691
Portland
119.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 6 1/2
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 4
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+4); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Essentials
Tony Mejia

Eastern Conference Semifinals – Game 6 -- Raptors lead 3-2

No. 2 Toronto (-2/213) at No. 3 Philadelphia, ESPN, 8:05 p.m. ET

May 7 – Raptors (-6) 125 vs. 76ers 89 (Over 212.5)
May 5 – Raptors (+2) 101 at 76ers 96 (Under 216)
May 2 – 76ers (+1.5) 116 vs. Raptors 95 (Under 216.5)
April 29 – 76ers (+7.5) 97 at Raptors 89 (Under 220)
April 27 – Raptors (-6.5) 108 vs. 76ers 95 (Under 223)

April 27 - Raptors (-6.5) 108 vs. 76ers 95 (Under 227)

Feb. 5 - Raptors (+2.5) 119 at 76ers 107 (Under 231)
Dec. 22 – 76ers (-7.5) 126 vs. Raptors 101 (Over 222.5)
Dec. 5 - Raptors (-6.5) 113 vs. 76ers 102 (Under 229)
Oct. 30 - Raptors (-6) 129 vs. 76ers 112 (Over 227.5)

The 76ers entered this postseason as a popular choice to stun everyone and win the Eastern Conference.

They’re one loss away from coming out of it with everyone’s star shining a little dimmer.

Joel Embiid hasn’t been himself since before the All-Star break but has shown flashes of the game-breaking brilliance he put on display before his knee issues intensified to have Philadelphia up 2-1 in this very series. Then he fell ill. Unlucky, but unfortunately, the game stops for no one. He’s looked like a shell of himself over the past few games and his team has suffered.

Ben Simmons, who you would expect to step up to help make Embiid’s burden easier, has instead regressed. He’s taken a backseat to Jimmy Butler and is incredibly averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 assists in the series. Butler, who may leave for L.A. as a free agent this summer, has emerged as the leader Simmons is supposed to be and at this stage in their careers, is better-suited for the role.

Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick haven’t gotten off in the same game once in this series, which has been a major factor in the offense bogging down as often as it has. Redicks missed five of six looks in Game 5 and ended up a minus-21 for the game. James Ennis came off the bench to miss all four of his shots in 23 minutes and wound up a minus-30.

The Raptors imposed their will on Tuesday night thanks to a 20-point second-quarter advantage, holding Philadelphia to 6-for-24 from 3-point range for the game. The Sixers couldn’t have played worse, so if you’re into the bounce-back factor, getting back home and seeing a few shots drop early could get them going as they look to avoid elimination. Because of Simmons shrinking and Embiid looking drained, Brett Brown has ridden Butler as his catalyst, so ball movement has suffered. They’ve got to get back to sharing the ball and creating open looks for one another, but you have to wonder whether that’s going to be possible with the Raptors as locked in as they’ve been.

The Raptors have been locked in on the defensive end since falling behind in the series and have seen Pascal Siakam impressively make a huge difference despite being at less than 100 percent due to a calf shooting the ball poorly from beyond the arc. A more complete effort helped take some of the pressure off Kawhi Leonard, who has made a strong case for being the NBA’s best player in this series. With Danny Green knocking down five of seven 3-point shots, Toronto crushed the 76ers, handing them their worst playoff loss since the 1982 Finals.

Coming back from that starts with Embiid, who is getting no sympathy despite his plight. Charles Barkley eloquently captured the general consensus of his impact on the 76ers since dominating Game 3, commenting that “he walks around like he’s on his death bed. He drains the energy out of the team.” He should be in better condition for this first elimination game that Philadelphia has come up against this season. Last year’s team went 1-1 when facing the end of their season, avoiding a sweep in the conference semifinals against the Celtics with a 103-92 home win before being eliminated in Boston last May 9.

You might remember how that game ended, with Embiid missing a pair of shots right around the basket late before being stripped by Terry Rozier, who knocked the ball of his leg. Boston held on 114-112.

The top scorer in both of those elimination games was Dario Saric, which may say something about Embiid and Simmons, who had chances to extend that series and fell to the Kyrie Irving-less Celtics 4-1. Embiid said last season that the next step in the “process” after finally reaching the playoffs last season was to make the conference finals. The 76ers are in danger of failing to attain their season goal.

Saric was dealt away in the Butler deal, which might end up being a rental if he bolts for L.A. It will be interesting to see how this version of the 76ers handles the desperation of a close-out game, especially with guys who have plenty of experience putting teams away on the other side. Kyle Lowry, Siakam and Serge Ibaka have done their share of winning over the past few seasons, while first-year Raptors Leonard, Green and Marc Gasol have been in this situation a bunch over their careers.

NBA expert Kevin Rogers spotted a trend that may have you riding a low-scoring affair.

“The Raptors have played in five road Game 6’s since the 2014 playoffs and there is one common thread through those contests,” Rogers said. “Toronto has scored 92 points or fewer in four of those games, while all five have finished ‘under’ the total. However, the Raptors have advanced in each of the last two seasons when leading a series, 3-2 on the road by beating Milwaukee in the 2017 first round and eliminating Washington in the 2018 opening round.”

If Embiid is in better spirits and the 76ers don’t fumble away the ball early, they’ve got a shot at a return trip to Toronto, which the 7-footer promised rapper Drake would happen as he left the floor for the final time on Tuesday night. No one is feeling much empathy for Embiid since he was so demonstrative during his dominant Game 3 effort and continues to keep up the bravado despite not backing his words up on the floor. He and Simmons had combined for more turnovers (12) than buckets (8) through the first three quarters of Game 5, part of a collective meltdown from a team now looking to prove it has indeed made strides despite the moment currently looking too big for their young stars.

Philadelphia won Game 3 as a 1.5-point home underdog, posting their first victory in that role after going 0-2 straight up during the regular-season (1-1 ATS) in games against the visiting Warriors and Bucks. Including the results from this series, Toronto has seen the ‘under’ go 8-2 in the postseason while Philadelphia is 7-3 to the low side.


Western Conference Semifinals – Game 6 -- Nuggets lead 3-2

No. 2 Denver at No. 3 Portland (-4/215.5), ESPN, 10:35 p.m. ET

May 7 – Nuggets (-5) 124 vs. Blazers 98 (Over 213)
May 5 – Nuggets (+3) 116 at Blazers 112 (Over 211)
May 3 – Blazers (-5) 140 vs. Nuggets 137 (Over 215)
May 1 – Blazers (+4) 97 at Nuggets 90 (Under 219.5)
April 29 – Nuggets (-4) 121 vs. Blazers 113 (Over 215.5)

April 7 – Blazers (-8.5) 115 vs. Nuggets 108 (Under 219.5)
April 5 – Nuggets (-6) 119 vs. Blazers 110 (Over 216)
Jan. 13 – Nuggets (-4.5) 116 vs. Blazers 113 (Over 217)
Nov. 30 – Nuggets (+1.5) 113 at Blazers 112 (Over 214)

It’s hard to believe the Trail Blazers could see their season end at home given all they’ve accomplished there just this postseason, having owned the Thunder and pulled off a four-overtime win in this very series. Their last result at Moda Center helped fumble back homecourt advantage to Denver, which is now poised to make its first conference finals appearance since 2009. It would be just the Nuggets’ third trip since they arrived from the ABA in the late 1970’s and their first since 1985.

Damian Lillard has to find the range from beyond the arc to prevent the visitors from celebrating on his home floor. Lillard has shot under 40 percent over the past four games after a Game 1 effort that saw him score 39 points. He finished 4-for-12 from 3-point range in that opener, which has actually been his most effective shooting game from beyond in the arc in this series.

Lillard is shooting 33-for-84 since the opener, which includes a 7-for-30 (23.3 percent) showing from 3-point range. Despite this, he didn’t rule out a 50-point game when asked about the possibility the other night, responding “with our season on the line and knowing we’ve got to have two games in a row, you never know.”

Teammate CJ McCollum has been terrific for most of the series but shot just 5-for-16, while the steady Al-Farouq Aminu missed seven of eight. Enes Kanter has been dealing with a shoulder issue suffered against the Thunder but has played through it and had been a major factor in at least making Denver All-Star center Nikola Jokic work, but he’s worn down over the last few contests, averaging just six points over the last two games. It will be interesting to see if Terry Stotts goes small at home if Kanter can’t get it going, especially since Game 5 saw them get so thoroughly dominated in the paint, where they were outscored 66-44 and outrebounded 62-44.

Jokic is making that “Big Honey” nickname stick with his fabulous work in the series, averaging 26.4 points, 14.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the series. With Jamal Murray looking healthier after suffering an ankle injury and the two guys with the most playoff experience on the team, Paul Millsap and Will Barton, really stepping up, Denver has really imposed their will against the Blazers and never trailed in Game 5, winning every quarter until the fourth when the outcome had already been decided.

The Nuggets opened the series as a slight favorite (-145) over the Trail Blazers (+125) according to Westgate, but now would be the time to go all-in on the Blazers if you believe they’ve got a comeback in them since their series price is up at 3-to-1.

Lillard played in all four regular-season meetings against Denver, averaging 21.3 points but shooting just 37 percent from the field and 28.6 from 3-point range. He’s got to find a way to get going early and go on one of those scoring flurries that swung the Thunder series in Portland’s direction. Lillard shot 40 percent from 3-point range at home as opposed to 34 percent on the road during the regular season and despite scoring roughly the same amount of points per game, so if he’s going to snap out of his slump, tonight figures to be the night.

Portland has dropped 10 of 13 against Denver dating back to last season. The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the series and is 8-3 in the last 11 playoff games involving Denver. The high side is on a 5-1 run in Blazers’ games.

The total for Game 6 opened at 215 and that number has held steady as of Thursday morning. Totals expert Chris David weighs in on tonight’s matchup.

“Of the four conference semifinal matchups, this has been the best ‘over’ series among them as the high side has gone 4-1 in the first five games. The books have tinkered with the totals a little bit and Thursday’s number is up a couple points from both Game 4 (211) and 5 (213),” said David. “During the regular season, Denver watched the ‘under’ go 25-16 (61%) away from home but that trend has been tossed out the window in the playoffs. The ‘over’ has connected in all five road games for the Nuggets and we’ve seen an average combined score of 234.8 points per game. That number was certainly helped with the 140-137 overtime matchup in Game 3 of this series, but even if you take out that result, you’re looking at 224.3 PPG average.

“Knowing the Nuggets haven’t won a playoff series on the road since 1994, it could have you hesitating to back the visitor here. And, if you’re leaning Portland than you’re expecting an offensive surge especially after being held to 98 in Game 5. My lean would be to the latter and I believe the Trail Blazers Team Total (109 ½) is a solid look.”

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, MAY 9
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at PHI 08:00 PM
TOR -2.0
U 212.5

DEN at POR 10:30 PM
DEN +3.5
O 215.5

[StarDust Bum]

76ers rout Raptors to force Game 7
May 9, 2019
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jimmy Butler lived up to his Jimmy Buckets nickname.

With ''Jimmy! Butler!'' chants ringing from the rafters, he helped Philadelphia force a seventh game against Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals, hitting big baskets in bunches and scoring 25 points in the 76ers' 112-101 victory over the Raptors on Thursday night.

''I play to win,'' Butler said. ''Right now, this is what I have to do in order to give us a great chance at winning.''

Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. The Milwaukee Bucks await the winner.

Kawhi Leonard, who scored 30-plus points in the first four games in the series, was finally tied up early by the Sixers and hit 29 points well after the game was out of hand.

Leonard and the Raptors had no answers for Butler and All-Star guard Ben Simmons. Simmons broke through and scored 21 points - more than his combined total of Games 4 and 5 - and helped show the Sixers still had some fight after a brutal Game 5 loss.

''It was amazing focus. Everybody was locked in,'' Simmons said. ''We knew what was at stake.''

Joel Embiid had played through a bad left knee and a stomach bug for most of the playoffs and the entire team had reason to be ill after the Raptors crushed the Sixers by 36 in Game 5.

''I knew I had to come in with high spirits,'' Embiid said. ''If I've got to play 45 minutes and push myself out there, that's what I'll do.''

Embiid had a burst of energy late in the third when he blocked a driving Leonard, and Simmons capitalized with a basket for an 18-point cushion. Embiid, who gingerly walked into the postgame press conference with his left knee packaged in ice, had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes.

Embiid didn't do much early in Game 6, but Butler and Simmons built some needed separation.

Butler about did it all, and showed in the first half why the free agent will command a max contract - $188 million over five years - in the offseason.

Butler, disgruntled in Minnesota before he was traded to Philadelphia in November, scored 19 points in the half and all of them seemed worthy of the highlight reel. He took a bit of a trick shot when he rebounded his own missed jumper and was fouled by Kyle Lowry on an off-balance attempt. The basket was good and so was the free throw. Butler stole the ball from Leonard and capped the half with a fast-break dunk for a 58-43 lead.

''Game is simple. I shoot the ball when I'm open,'' Butler said. ''Sometimes I shoot it when I'm not open.''

He forced his way open in the first half, making 9 of 15 shots in the first and he gave the Sixers the confidence they needed to know another game wasn't going to turn into a rout.

''He was all over that game,'' coach Brett Brown said. ''The mood in the locker room, you could sense the serious side. They got the moment and I think he got it as much as anybody and led us.''

Simmons was called out by Butler about the need to attack the basket and play more off screens to become the triple-double threat he was in the regular season and not the non-factor he was against the Raptors. Simmons did it all early (eight points, five assists in the first quarter) and the Sixers got the outside shots to fall - an early domination that happened even as Embiid was held scoreless until he hit a 3 early in the second quarter.

Simmons had no turnovers and six assists in 34 minutes.

''What he did today was lot of the reasons he was an NBA All-Star at age 22,'' Brown said.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Missed 14 of 17 3s in the first half. ... Scored four fast-break points in the first half.

76ers: Hall of Famer Julius Erving had a lengthy courtside pregame chat with Simmons. ... The Sixers borrowed a page from the Eagles' Super Bowl run and had Chris Long and Lane Johnson ring the ceremonial Liberty Bell. Long and Johnson wore their dog masks used when they embraced the underdog theme in the 2018 postseason.

EMBIID EFFECT

There was one cause for concern late in the fourth when Embiid was whistled for a flagrant 1 foul when hit Marc Gasol in the face and now faces a one-game suspension if he earns another in the playoffs. Embiid, playing in garbage time because he has no reliable backup, has three flagrant fouls in the postseason.

''It's annoying. It's stupid,'' Embiid said. ''I saw the video of it. It doesn't look that bad. I guess I've got one more and I'm gone for one game so I've got to look out for it.''

Embiid missed the entirety of Toronto's 12-0 run that cut a 19-point lead to seven and had fans booing as the All-Star big man took a breather. Embiid couldn't afford to rest, backup Boban Marjanovic checked in at minus-15 in just 4 1/2 minutes of playing time in the half.

LONG TIME COMING

The Sixers and Raptors are playing each other in Game 7 for the first time since Philadelphia won the 2001 East semifinal. Lowry, who scored 13 points, knows he'll have to contribute more to get the Raptors to their first conference final since 2016.

''I think I could have pushed a little bit more, tried to get in the paint a little more,'' Lowry said.

UP NEXT

Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. The Raptors are 2-1 at home in the series.

''It's not unlike where we've been a couple of times already this series,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

[StarDust Bum]

Trail Blazers beat Nuggets 119-108, force series to Game 7
May 10, 2019
By The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard had 32 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers staved off elimination to force a decisive Game 7 in their series with Denver with a 119-108 victory on Thursday night.

The Nuggets head home with a chance to make it to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2009. Denver has been to the conference finals three times in franchise history.

The winner of Sunday's game will face the winner of the series between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. The defending NBA champion Warriors have a 3-2 advantage in the series after a 104-99 victory on Wednesday night. Game 6 is set for Friday in Houston.

CJ McCollum added 30 points for the Blazers, who haven't advanced to the conference finals since the 2000 playoffs. Rodney Hood came off the bench with a career playoff-high 25 points and fans at the Moda Center drowned out his postgame on-court interview by chanting ''Rodney! Rodney!''

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamal Murray added 24 points and 10 rebounds.

76ERS 112, RAPTORS 101

HILADELPHIA (AP) - Jimmy Butler lived up to his Jimmy Buckets nickname to help Philadelphia force a seventh game against Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. The Milwaukee Bucks await the winner.

Butler hit baskets in bunches and finished with 25 points. Joel Embiid, who had played through a bad left knee and a stomach bug for most of the playoffs, had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, while Ben Simmons added 21 points.

Kawhi Leonard, who scored 30-plus points in the first four games in the series, was tied up early by the Sixers and scored 29 points well after the game was out of hand.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 10, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
3:35 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena


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NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/09/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
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..............13-16-1 44.82% -23.50


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


BEST BETS:

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

05/09/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50............-11.50
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 - 11.....................-40.50...................9 - 5.................+17.50.............-23.00


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Iona College is getting $6M in renovations to its basketball arena.

— Hard to believe, but Washington is 1-7 this season when Max Scherzer starts.

— Mariners started the season 13-2, are now 20-20.

— Arizona Cardinals signed QB Kyler Murray to a 4-year, $35M deal.

— Have they announced which NFL team is going to be on Hard Knocks this summer?

— RIP Jim Fowler, 89, Marlon Perkins’ sidekick on Wild Kingdom, the old TV show about animals all over the world.


**********

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

13) Albert Pujols got his 2,000th career RBI when he homered Thursday in Detroit. 1,029 of his 2,000 RBI have come via home runs.

A 33-year old law student caught Pujols’ historic home run, but refused four offers to sell the keepsake baseball back to Pujols— both the Tigers/Angels made multiple offers to the guy.

“I don’t want money. I don’t care.” Alrighty then.

12) Pretty fitting that Billy Joel spent his 70th birthday doing a concert in Madison Square Garden; that must’ve been a great night.

Long time ago, back in the 90’s sometime, Billy Joel booked a couple of concerts here in Albany- they sold out in about a half hour. They added a couple more dates- they sold out, too. Don’t remember the exact number, but pretty sure he wound up with 8-10 concerts here that month, all sellouts. I went to one of them, just a terrific show.

11) Every baseball telecast should announce which umpires are in the replay center in New York City. Gary Cohen does it sometimes on Met games; never heard anyone else do it.

10) South Carolina appears ready to offer $120M in tax breaks to the Carolina Panthers to move their practice fields and team headquarters out of North Carolina, and into the Palmetto State.

Rock Hill, SC is only 15 miles from Charlotte, which is what makes all this feasible.

Must be nice to be rich; people line up to give you even more money.

9) Westgate SuperBook took 46 bets on Tony Romo to win the Byron Nelson at 10,000/1; he shot a 5-over par 76 in the first round Thursday, even with an eagle on one hole.

8) 76ers 112, Raptors 101— Game 7 is in Toronto Sunday.

Trailblazers 119, Nuggets 108— Game 7 is in Denver Sunday.

7) Baseball injuries:
— Giants put C Buster Posey on 7-day concussion list.
— Mets put P Steven Matz on the IL.

6) Watching Rangers-Astros game, being played in a dome, but there are open spaces in the walls in left-center field and it was pouring rain in Houston, so when they showed pitches from the centerfield camera, you could see a steady downpour of rain that wasn’t coming down on the field, but some of the fans were getting drenched.

5) Wednesday night, Orioles lost a tough 2-1 game in 12 innings to Boston; saw something in the boxscore that I don’t think I’ve seen before.

Baltimore hitters struck out 22 times, with zero walks. Thats really terrible.

Jackie Bradley Jr made an amazing catch to rob Mancini of a homer that would’ve ended the game. Tremendous catch.

4) Doug Eddings has umpired home plate in seven games this season; the underdog won all seven games.

3) Minnesota Twins’ new replay coordinator Nate Dammann spent the last 12 years as one of their bullpen catchers, an interesting change/upgrade in career.

2) Astros 4, Rangers 2— Hunter Pence has 17 RBI in his last nine games for Texas.

1) NFL recently cut $20M from the NFL Network budget less than two years from a potential work stoppage, which may be a bad omen for the 2021 season taking place.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

519Golden State -520 Houston
GOLDEN STATE is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) after failing to cover 4 of their last 5 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.


NBA
Dunkel

Friday, May 10


Golden State @ Houston

Game 519-520
May 10, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
126.303
Houston
126.620
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
Even
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 7 1/2
213
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(+7 1/2); Over


NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 10

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

GOLDEN STATE (64 - 29) at HOUSTON (59 - 33) - 5/10/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 39-53 ATS (-19.3 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) against Southwest division opponents this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 49-66 ATS (-23.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-48 ATS (-21.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-42 ATS (-14.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
HOUSTON is 27-17 ATS (+8.3 Units) in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
HOUSTON is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 13-9 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-11 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
15 of 23 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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


NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 10

Home side won all five Houston-Golden State games; Durant is out for Game 6 and Warriors’ approach figures to change. Will they revert to taking ton of 3’s? Golden State took 11 3’s in 4th quarter of Game 5. 7.5 points is most Warriors have gotten under Kerr, with Curry in lineup. Golden State lost three of last four visits to Houston (1-3 vs spread). Under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Harden took only three shots in 4th quarter Wednesday. Rockets’ bench was -37 in 47:42 in Game 5; Warriors’ bench took only seven shots but were +3. Curry is 9-34 from arc in last three games; does his injured left hand prevent him from driving that way? Over is 6-3-1 in Golden State’s last ten games, 3-7-1 in Houston’s last 11.


NBA

Friday, May 10

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

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Golden State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games
Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
Golden State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 14 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 14 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 - Warriors at Rockets
Chris David

Western Conference Semifinals – Game 6 (Warriors lead 3-2)

Golden State at Houston (ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET)

The NBA Playoffs will have at least two Game 7’s on tap this Sunday and if Houston can avoid elimination tonight to Golden State, then bettors will be looking at three decisive matchups over the weekend.

The Warriors took a 3-2 lead in this series after capturing a 104-99 win in Game 5 on Wednesday but that victory turned out to be bitter sweet for the two-time defending champions.

The club lost All-Star Kevin Durant to a calf injury late in the third quarter and it was announced yesterday that he’ll miss tonight’s game and a possible Game 7 on Sunday as well. Durant has been out of this world in the playoffs, averaging 34.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point land and 90 percent from the free-throw stripe. In a nutshell, he’s been unstoppable.

NBA expert Tony Mejia considers the diagnosis of a calf strain instead of something far more significant a fabulous break for Kevin Durant and anyone holding a Warriors’ ticket on any futures. Although the Eastern Conference champ would be a major obstacle to overcome without Durant’s length, Golden State’s familiarity with its West foes should aid its cause in buying the two-time Finals MVP time to recover.

“The Warriors won’t win a championship without Durant but can get out of the Western Conference without him if they can get out of this series,” Mejia said. “Golden State won three of four games without him during the regular season, losing only in Orlando (96-103) on Feb. 28 after blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead. The Dubs scored just 15 points against the Magic over the final 12 minutes as they fell victim to Orlando’s length, but they defeated the Rockets (106-104) and Thunder (110-88) without Durant in March and obviously thrived and survived a crucial fourth quarter without him on Wednesday.”

“DeMarcus Cousins scored 27 points and hit 11 of 16 shots in imposing his will in that win over Houston, so the Warriors won’t be able to follow the same blueprint without Durant, but Klay Thompson scored 30 in that win and must factor heavily in stealing a Game 6 in Houston or surviving an elimination game back at Oracle on Sunday. Thompson is going to face a heavy workload as one of the primary defenders on Harden in addition to a larger load on the offensive end, so it’s vital that he stay out of foul trouble and engaged.”

“Even though Stephen Curry has shot just 26 percent from 3-point range (15-for-57) in this series, a more defined role as the catalyst makes him worth backing in any individual player props involving his scoring total,” Mejia said. “His high for this postseason is 38 points, attained back in Game 1 of the first round against the Clippers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he posts only his second 40-point game since February if he can get it going early.”

As Mejia mentioned, the 3-1 record without Durant in the regular season was produced on the road and the unlikely win over Houston was impressive. Cousins not only went for 27 but he added eight rebounds and seven assists too while the ‘Splash Brothers’ (Curry & Thompson) combined for 54 in the win. Since Cousins was lost in the first round of this year’s playoffs, it makes you wonder who could possibly step up for the Warriors on Friday without the big man and KD.

Under the assumption that KD was ‘doubtful’ for Game 6, the oddsmakers opened Houston as a 7 ½-point home favorite and that line has held steady after his status was downgraded to ‘out.’

Are bettors still doubting the Rockets? If the game was on the road, you can certainly see why but the recent trends from the Toyota Center all lean to Houston. Mike D’Antoni and company have gone 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in this year’s playoffs at home and since the head coach arrived in 2016, the team is 17-6 SU and 12-11 ATS in the postseason as hosts.

While those numbers are solid, NBA expert Kevin Rogers dug into them further and you could be pumping the brakes on Houston tonight.

He explained, “The Rockets own an 0-3 record both SU and ATS in the last three playoff games when facing elimination since 2016. Two of those losses came at Toyota Center, including a 114-75 drubbing at the hands of the Spurs as nine-point favorites in Game 6 of the 2017 second round.”

Of the six losses that Houston has had under D’Antonio at home in the playoffs, three of them came to Golden State and that includes the 101-92 loss in Game 7 of last year’s Western Conference Finals.

Rogers noted, “The Warriors have wrapped up each of their last three postseason series away from Oracle Arena, all victories by nine points or more. Granted, Golden State is without Durant, but under Steve Kerr, the Warriors have not lost three road playoff games in a series dating back to 2015.”

As an underdog, Golden State has gone 3-5 SU and 4-4 ATS this season, which includes the Game 3 setback (126-121) to Houston (-3.5) in this series. Since Kerr took over the coaching duties in 2014, the Warriors have been listed as underdogs eight times in the playoffs. The club has gone 4-4 both SU and ATS while the totals have also gone 4-4. Friday’s line is the largest amount of points that Golden State has ever received in the postseason with Kerr on the sidelines.

The total on Game 6 opened at 210 but has been pushed up to 214. The ‘over’ has gone 3-2 in the first five games of this series and that includes both games going high in Houston. The Rockets have been averaging 115.8 PPG at home in the playoffs. In the four games without KD this season, the Warriors averaged 104 PPG while only allowing 99.5 PPG. Not surprisingly, the ‘under’ went 4-0 in those contests.

From a futures perspective, Golden State was the odds-on 5/7 favorite (Bet $100 to win $71) to pull off the “Three-peat” and capture this year’s NBA Finals prior to the Game 5 victory. As of this morning, the Warriors are now a 5/4 (Bet $100 to win $125) betting choice to win the title.

The series price still has Golden State (-185) listed as a favorite but the return on Houston (+160) was adjusted.

If necessary Game 7 will take place on Sunday from Oracle Arena and if that happens, it will be the first time since 2014 that the NBA Playoffs will have three Game 7’s on the same day.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MAY 10
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at HOU 09:00 PM

HOU -7.5

U 214.5

[StarDust Bum]

Curry, short-handed Warriors knock out Rockets in Game 6
May 10, 2019
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HOUSTON (AP) Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half and the Golden State Warriors overcame Kevin Durant's absence to finish off Houston in six games, beating the Rockets 118-113 on Friday night to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Klay Thompson added 27 points to help the two-time defending champion Golden State reach the conference finals for the fifth straight year and eliminate Houston for the fourth time in five seasons. The Warriors did it with Durant sidelined by a calf injury sustained in the second half of their Game 5 victory.

James Harden led Houston with 35 points, and Chris Paul added 27.

Harden's layup got the Rockets within three with less than a minute to go, but Thompson made a 3-pointer with 36.1 seconds remaining to extend Golden State's lead to 110-104.

Gerald Green then missed a 3 for Houston and the Rockets were forced to foul Curry. He made both shots before Harden's 3 got Houston within five at 112-107 with 24 seconds left.

Playing with a dislocated finger on his left hand, Curry made two more free throws before P.J. Tucker hit a 3 for Houston. But two more free throws by Curry made it 116-110 with 12.3 seconds left and Harden dribbled it off his foot for the last of his six turnovers.

The Rockets failed to score for a big chunk of the fourth quarter and had to watch the Warriors celebrate a series victory on their home court for the second straight season after they won the conference finals in Houston last year. Harden was 11 of 25 from the field, going 6 of 15 from 3-point range, and went 7 of 12 on free throws.

Curry struggled early, failing to score in the first half for the first time in 102 career playoff games, and had just 10 points through three. But he got going in the fourth, scoring 23 points.

There were questions entering the game about how the Warriors would weather the loss of Durant - and his more than 34 points a game. But they didn't seem to miss a beat, getting 21 from Thompson in the first half before Curry closed it in the fourth.

The Rockets had a five-point lead to start the fourth and it was tied at 95 with about 7 1/2 minutes to go after three points by Golden State's Shaun Livingston.

Harden and Curry exchanged baskets soon after that before both teams failed to score for the next 2 1/2 minutes. Houston missed five shots in that stretch and the Warriors missed four before Kevon Looney made a layup to put Golden State on top 99-97 with just under four minutes left.

A 3-pointer by Curry gave the Warriors a five-point lead before Harden ended a scoring drought by the Rockets of almost four minutes with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 102-100 with about 2 1/2 remaining.

Harden was called for a charge after that before Curry scored all of Golden State's points in a 5-2 run that made it 107-102 with 90 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Durant didn't make the trip to Houston, remaining in the Bay Area to receive treatment for his injury. The Warriors said he'll be re-evaluated next week. ... The Warriors started Andrew Bogut for Durant and he had three rebounds and zero points. ... C Damian Jones, who is out with a torn pectoral muscle, has been cleared for contact drills and could be available later in the playoffs if the Warriors advance. ...

Rockets: Tucker had 15 points and has scored at least 10 points in eight of Houston's last 11 games. ... Clint Capela had with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Warriors move on to face the Denver-Portland winner.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 12, 2019

Time (ET) Away Home Site

3:30 PM Portland Trail Blazers Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center

7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/10/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/09/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
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..............13-18-1 41.93% -34.50


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


BEST BETS:

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

05/10/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-11.00
05/09/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50............-11.50
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 - 12.....................-46.00...................9 - 6.................+12.00.............-34.00


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

— Warriors 118, Rockets 113— Curry had 0 points in first half, 33 in the second.

— Since 1999-00, James Harden has been fouled shooting a 3-pointer 429 times; next highest during that time is Jamal Crawford, with 249.

— Jose Altuve (hamstring) left the Astros’ game in first inning Friday.

— Tampa Bay P Tyler Glasnow (forearm) left Friday’s game in 6th inning.

— Mets 11, Marlins 2— Mets scored eight runs in 1st inning, their most runs in any first inning since June 16, 1989 at Philadelphia.

— Travis d’Arnaud batted once for the Dodgers after they acquired him from the Mets Sunday; now d’Arnaud has been traded to Tampa Bay for cash, probably not a lot of cash.

Quote of the Day
“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
Abraham Lincoln

Saturday’s quiz
Who was Golden State’s coach the last time they didn’t make the playoffs?

Friday’s quiz
Kawhi Leonard played his college basketball at San Diego State.

Thursday’s quiz
George Karl was the Milwaukee Bucks’ coach the last time they played in Eastern Conference finals, in 2001.

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Random Lists of 3……

13) Three favorite dinners:
— Pizza, just a plain cheese thin pizza. Excellent.
— Spaghetti and meatballs
— Scrambled eggs with sausage

12) Three underrated things:
— NHL playoffs
— Taking the train from Albany to NYC (as opposed to driving)
— Pinball Museum in Las Vegas; 250 vintage pinball machines under one roof

11) Favorite TV shows:
— CSI
— Law and Order
— Odd Couple

10) Favorite Bob Seger songs:
— Turn the Page
— Travelin’ Man
— Against the Wind

9) I watch a ton of baseball every day, thanks to the Extra Innings package on DirecTV. These are my favorite announce crews to listen to, if there are no games on that I have rooting interest in:

— Milwaukee Brewers: Brian Anderson/Matt Lepay with analyst Bill Schroeder
— Texas Rangers: Dave Raymond with CJ Nitkowski or Tom Grieve.
— Colorado Rockies: Drew Goodman, moreso when Jeff Huson is the analyst, but Ryan Spilborghs is getting better.

8) Three movies I’ve never seen:
— Star Wars
— Rocky V, or any of the Rocky movies after that
— Godfather II or Godfather III

7) Three favorite sporting events I’ve been to:
— 2000 NFC title game, Rams-Bucs in St Louis
— 2008 World Series game, Rays-Phillies
— AHL playoff game in Glens Falls that went triple OT, sometime in mid-80’s. Game ended around 12:50am; the concession stand ran out of food.

6) Favorite three non-sports movies:
— Rounders
— The Bodyguard
— Begin Again

5) Three favorite Billy Joel songs:
— Piano Man
— Vienna
— She’s Got a Way

4) Three favorite basketball movies:
— Blue Chips
— One on One
— Fast Break

3) Favorite Kevin Costner movies:
— For Love of the Game
— The Bodyguard
— Bull Durham

2) Three best Oakland A’s managers:
— Dick Williams
— Bob Melvin
— Tony LaRussa

1) Three best head coaches for the Rams:
— Dick Vermeil
— Sean McVay
— Chuck Knox

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Odds to win the college football title next fall:

2-1— Clemson Tigers

5-2— Alabama Crimson Tide

7-1— Georgia Bulldogs

12-1— Ohio State Buckeyes

14-1— Michigan, Oklahoma

20-1— LSU, Auburn

Quote of the Day
“First walk-off homer ever. I never thought I’d ever do it, so it felt pretty good. I didn’t even know what to do around the bases. I didn’t even know what to do with my hands.”
A’s 3B Matt Chapman, after his walk-off homer Friday night

Sunday’s quiz
Which actress who was on the Charlie’s Angels TV show also played Hodges’ mother on CSI?

Saturday’s quiz
Mark Jackson was Golden State’s coach the last time they didn’t make the playoffs, in 2012.

Friday’s quiz
Kawhi Leonard played his college basketball at San Diego State.

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

Sunday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) Tip of the cap to Dick Vitale, whose V Foundation gala raised $4.3M this week to fight pediatric cancer. Vitale works very hard on this fundraising effort; good for him.

12) Cubs 2, Brewers 1 (15)— Milwaukee is first team since the 1984 Indians to have their first two extra-innings games of a season go at least 15 innings.

It was the Cubs’ third walk-off win in their last five games.

11) Lakers signed Frank Vogel as their new head coach; he went 250-181 in six years as coach of the Pacers, then had two rough years in Orlando, going 54-110.

Apparently Tyronn Lue passed on the job because he didn’t want Jason Kidd as an assistant.

When Vogel was a kid, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, because he could spin a basketball on a toothbrush, while he was brushing his teeth. Wonder if he can still do that.

10) Pro golfer Taylor Duncan hit his wife in the head with a shot this week; hope he wins a lot of money this week, to make up for it.

9) I traded Luis Castillo in my fantasy league (for Corey Seager) which looks like a terrible trade, but how about the Miami Marlins trading Castillo TWICE?

First the Marlins traded him to San Diego, but that deal got voided because one of the pitchers they got back from the Padres was hurt. Then they traded Castillo to Cincinnati, as part of a package for Dan Straily; I’m kicking myself for screwing up a fantasy league trade, and these geniuses bungle a deal when they run a franchise that is worth a billion dollars? Brilliant!!!

8) Lakers/Knicks are having a pretty good duel to see which team can be more dysfunctional, and right now, LA might be winning. Hard to tell who is making the decisions for the Lakers, but whoever it is, they’re also doing a terrible job.

When Luke Walton was gobbled up by Sacramento about ten minutes after the Lakers let him go, you got the idea that LA is a complete mess.

7) Baseball injuries:
— Tampa Bay put P Tyler Glasnow (forearm) on the IL; he is out 4-6 weeks.
— Phillies put P Vince Velasquez (forearm) on the 10-Day IL.

6) SouthPoint casino in Las Vegas put up an interesting college football prop bet Saturday:
Odds to win national title this coming season:
8-5: Alabama-Oklahoma-Ohio State
3-2: Clemson-Georgia-Michigan
12-5: Everyone else

5) College basketball transfer portal:
— California transfer Justice Sueing commits to Ohio State. Sit one year, play two. Averaged 14.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg. Someone wrote “Needs to work on his motor,” which really means “He doesn’t try hard all the time.” Pretty bright red flag right there.
— Pacific G Ajare Sanni is transferring to UC Santa Barbara.
— Memphis poached Little Rock grad transfer G Rayjon Tucker (41% of 3’s).
— Mbacke Diong removed his name from the portal, will stay at UNLV.

4) San Francisco Giants claimed OF Aaron Altherr on waivers from the Phillies.

A’s traded P Edwin Jackson to Toronto for cash; Blue Jays will be Jackson’s 14th team.

3) Golden State Warriors won three of the last four NBA titles, and the year they didn’t win was the year they went 73-9 in the regular season. Go figure.

2) A’s 3, Indians 2— Oakland’s third walk-off win in last four days.

1) The guy in Detroit who caught Albert Pujols’ home run Thursday (Pujols’ 2,000th RBI) had a change of heart and will give the ball to Pujols. Originally the guy had declined, saying he would just keep the ball. Apparently he turned down a few good offers of memorabilia combinations on Thursday, from both the Angels and Tigers.

One small problem…….now Pujols says he doesn’t want the ball; I’m wondering if he thinks a switch has been made, and wouldn’t be 100% this was the actual baseball he hit.