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

[StarDust Bum]

545Toronto -546 Milwaukee
TORONTO is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games in the current season.


NBA
Dunkel

Friday, May 17

Toronto @ Milwaukee

Game 545-546
May 17, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
127.823
Milwaukee
130.031
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 2
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 7
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+7); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 17

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TORONTO (66 - 29) at MILWAUKEE (69 - 23) - 5/17/2019, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in road games on Friday nights this season.
TORONTO is 42-55 ATS (-18.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 56-33 ATS (+19.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all playoff games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-28 ATS (+15.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 69-112 ATS (-54.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 10-8 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-8 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA

Friday, May 17

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Trend Report
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Toronto is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Toronto's last 14 games
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Toronto is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
Milwaukee is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 10 games when playing at home against Toronto

[StarDust Bum]

G2 - Raptors at Bucks
Tony Mejia

Eastern Conference Finals – Game 2 -- Bucks lead 1-0

No. 2 Toronto at No. 1 Milwaukee (-6.5/216), TNT, 8:35 p.m. ET

May 14 – Bucks (-6.5) 108 vs. Raptors 100 (Over 218)

Jan. 31 – Bucks (+2.5) 105 at Raptors 92 (Under 232)
Jan. 5 – Raptors (+5.5) 123 at Bucks 116 (Over 227)
Dec. 9 – Bucks (+5) 104 at Raptors 99 (Under 229.5)
Oct. 29 – Bucks (+2) 124 vs. Raptors 109 (Over 222.5)

The Raptors have a lot to be encouraged about considering how well they played in Wednesday’s series opener, leading most of the way before a fourth-quarter collapse ruined the night. The Bucks scored the game’s final 10 points to not only win but cover despite trailing for 37 of 48 minutes. As a result, Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals become entirely about resolve.

Both for Toronto and for bettors.

Everyone expecting the Raptors to fold like tents because it’s what they’ve done in the past and what happened in Game 1 is overlooking the fact this is a relatively new group. Kyle Lowry is the biggest name left from the teams associated with all the past failures against LeBron James. If you believed in Toronto prior to seeing it cough up it appeared to have wrapped up for roughly 47 minutes, you probably shouldn’t bail.

What remains to be seen is whether the Raptors are equally as resilient. With a trip home on tap regardless of Friday night’s result, a team that has thrived in front of their fans all season will be favored in each of the next two contests in Canada. That makes Game 2 more of a building block than a must-win. It would be the equivalent of a free-roll had they held on to win the series opener, but Kawhi Leonard couldn’t find a fourth-quarter rhythm and Pascal Siakam continued a rough stretch since being injured early in the series against the 76ers as Milwaukee used a 32-17 edge over the final 12 minutes to rally.

The Bucks are now 9-1 this postseason. The Raptors looked very capable of taking them down as they look to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Both teams could have played much better but also had x-factors emerge with great games as Lowry finished with 30 points on 10-for-15 shooting and Milwaukee center Brook Lopez put together his best game of these playoffs, leading the way with 29 points on a team-high 21 field goal attempts. Lopez shot 28 percent from the field and averaged just 5.4 points in the series against the Celtics and scored 12.8 points over the course of the Round 1 sweep over the Pistons.

Lopez’s effort came out of nowhere but was clearly part of Mike Budenholzer’s gameplan since he fired up 11 3-pointers despite coming into the conference finals on a 6-for-28 run from beyond the arc over his last six games. He made four and took full advantage of the space Toronto’s defense afforded him, aggressively hunting shots whenever open.

Giannis Antetokounmpo got to the free-throw line 12 times and finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds as the Raptors largely sold out to ensure that he saw multiple bodies whenever he drove towards the rim. Toronto got back defensively and kept Lowry from being punished on switches as Marc Gasol put in strong work and the perimeter guys dropped off Eric Bledsoe to help, daring him to shoot. The Bucks point guard struggled to adjust and finished with just nine points, shooting 3-for-12 from the field while missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

Bledsoe’s inability to get going in the first half put the Bucks in a hole, while Lowry doing the heavy lifting after Leonard slowed down after a big performance through the first three quarters helped make up for Siakam’s struggles. The likely Most Improved Player award winner for this past season has tried to compensate for not having his usual explosiveness following a calf contusion in Game 3 of the conference finals.

Marc Gasol finished just 2-for-11 from the field in Game 1 and has averaged just 6.7 points over the last three games, shooting 29.6 percent. Both the 76ers and Bucks have taken their chances playing off him and daring him to shoot the 3-pointer. He’s on a 3-for-14 run from beyond the arc. Danny Green and Fred VanVleet have also been in prolonged slumps, making it difficult to get behind a Game 2 revival.

NBA expert Kevin Rogers points out that it’s also difficult to fade the Bucks due to how ruthless they’ve been in putting teams away, handling business for those who have laid the points with the East’s top seed in this postseason.

“It’s tough to go against Milwaukee simply due to its 9-0 ATS record in its nine playoff victories. The Bucks pulled one out in Game 1 they had no business covering, but did so with a late 10-0 run to improve to 4-1 this season against the Raptors,” said Rogers. “Toronto has struggled on the road since the second round by losing three of the past four away from Scotiabank Arena, putting together a subpar 2-5 ATS record the last seven games overall.

“After a game in which Toronto and Milwaukee each had one 30-plus-point quarter, the expectation is these two Eastern powers will surpass the total of 216, which is nearly three points lower than the Game 1 closing total.”

After watching the ‘under’ cash, oddsmakers sent out an opener of 215 for Game 2 and saw it bet up a point. VegasInsider.com totals experts Chris David understands the adjustment but doesn’t agree with the move.

“Including Wednesday’s outcome, the Raptors have now watched the ‘under’ go 10-3 in this year’s playoffs, which includes a 5-1 mark on the road. You can’t dismiss those results but lowering the total three points from 218 to 215 is too much of a drop in my opinion,” David said. “The opener had a nice pace and total bettors playing the ‘over’ in both the first quarter (53 ½) and the first-half (107) connected as Toronto built a 59-51 lead at the break. As we’ve seen many times, the game slowed down considerably in the second-half, more so on Toronto’s end as it was held to 41 points in the final two quarters and it was scoreless in the final 3:30 minutes of the game. The production from the Raptors crushed the ‘over’ for the game and it also helped the ‘under’ (112) connect in the second-half.”

Including Game 1, Milwaukee has now seen the ‘under’ go 4-2 at home in the playoffs and the total results for the Bucks are 5-5 overall. David agrees with Rogers and expects points from both clubs on Friday.

“The 108 points scored by the Bucks in Game 1 was the second-lowest effort of the postseason for the club. As good as Toronto’s defense has been in the playoffs, the results on Wednesday had everything to do with Milwaukee missing shots as it went 11-of-44 (25%) from 3-point land,” David said. “Outside of Malcolm Brogdon (50%), none of the Bucks connected at a high rate from distance, including Lopez (36%), who finished with a team-high 29 points. Outside of Lowry (7-of-9), nobody on Toronto connected from the outside. Will that change?

“The Raptors haven’t been great offensively outside of Canada in this year’s playoffs but two of their better efforts came in their second road matchups (Game 4) at both Orlando and Philadelphia in the first two rounds. Along with playing the Game 2 ‘over’ (215), I would also lean towards Milwaukee’s Team Total Over (111 ½).”

Milwaukee ended up scoring its lowest total in a win this postseason and must now adjust to facing a team that finished fourth in defensive rating during the regular season. The Bucks were first and continue to lead in that category if you take into account solely postseason numbers. The Raptors rank second in defensive rating in these playoffs despite minimal production from their bench. VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell were the only Toronto reserves to see the floor, but shot just 5-for-15 from the field (2-for-8 from 3-point range) in getting outscored 22-12 by Bucks’ backups. Brogdon outscored the Raptors’ bench by himself with his 15 points. The 'under' is on an 11-3 run over Toronto's last 14 games and is 4-2 over the last six involving Milwaukee.

After largely dominating Detroit and Boston, the Bucks felt that battling through Wednesday's adversity made them better. They improved to 4-1 SU and ATS when falling behind by double-digits this postseason. Meanwhile, Toronto fell for the first time when building a halftime lead. The fourth quarter of Friday night’s game is going to be pivotal since it needs to see guys step up prior to taking the series back to Canada. Outside of Lowry, the Raptors shot 0-for-15 from the field in the fourth quarter, so a number of guys will have something to prove if Toronto reaches the final quarter with the outcome still in the balance.

Leonard went quiet in the fourth but still became the 14th player in NBA history to amass over 400 points over his team’s first 13 playoff games. He consciously let teammates get going early and wasn’t as aggressive as he was in Game 7 of the Philly series but still managed 31 points despite shooting just 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Look for a higher volume of shots to help produce an ‘over’ on his individual scoring prop as I’d expect him to score a minimum of 35 points in Friday’s Game 2.

Toronto will host the third installment of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night.

[StarDust Bum]

Not every NBA player will put body on line to take a charge
May 17, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Toronto guard Kyle Lowry squarely planted his feet and braced for contact with Milwaukee Bucks athletic big man Giannis Antetokounmpo barreling down on him.

Lowry, one of the best in basketball at taking a charge, absorbed the punishment and drew a foul against the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo. These days, not everybody is willing to do what Lowry does in the fast-paced, open-floor NBA game.

''I think it's kind of a lost art,'' DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors said of taking a charge.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich won't argue that sentiment.

''It seems so, doesn't it? You can count on one hand how many charges are taken over the course of five or 10 games, in some situations,'' Popovich said with a chuckle. ''You see it a lot more in college than you do in the NBA. Maybe they're protecting their contracts, don't want to get hurt, I don't know. There aren't very many, that's for sure.''

Successfully taking a charge is difficult and even those who are willing to try won't always do so. Yet it's a play that can change the momentum of a game during the pressure-packed postseason.

The 6-1 Lowry goes into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night with a league-best 11 charges during these playoffs, a stat the NBA keeps under ''hustle plays.'' The Raptors have drawn 16 charges and the Warriors were at 16 going into Thursday night's Game 2 win in the Western Conference finals against Portland.

There are several keys to it: Anticipate. Get in position. Solidly square your feet and prepare to be run over, knowing the foul call won't always go your way.

''You're going to have to stand in there. The one thing I'm super proud of our defense is we stand in there and we take hits, and we take charges,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''I don't have the numbers but we've got to be up there really close to leading the playoffs or leading the league.''

Golden State defensive leader Draymond Green thrives in the middle of the action, but he knows firsthand about calls not going his way.

Green failed to get the favorable whistle in the final minute of an overtime road loss against Houston in the last round. Green seemed to have position when James Harden drove the lane but no call was made. Replay showed what appeared to be a textbook charge , and the NBA Last-Two Minute Report ruled the next day a charge should have been issued.

The play came outside the restricted area, which is defined within the NBA rules as an arc of a 4-foot radius measured from the center of the basket and an area in which a defensive player cannot step in to take a charge.

''At the end of the day if that's something you like to do you've got to be all right with some of them not going your way because they are really subjective,'' said Golden State guard Stephen Curry. ''Whether you were slightly moving side to side or your feet were planted or the charge circle debate, you've just got to take the good with the bad. The ones who do it well get the benefit of the doubt more times than not for sure.''

There are players in the league who stand out for consistently doing it well and getting the call - Lowry, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, Boston's Marcus Smart and Cousins.

''It's a big play. All of us can't be up there and be rim protectors and dunk the ball,'' Rockets star Chris Paul said. ''It can definitely ignite the crowd. Charges are huge and there's not a lot of guys in the league who do that.''

Not many teams have elite shot blockers anymore either, so taking a charge has become that much more important.

''It's funny, I took a lot of charges as a player, and I had guys who just would not take charges,'' Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. ''There are also guys who don't know how to take charges. Then every once in a while when we get a guy who never takes one and he takes one, we realize he didn't take one, he got charged. There's a big difference. I don't think it's a lost art, though, I think there's a lot of guys (doing it) ... what's lost is that a lot of the bigs don't do it anymore. There used to be this thing that if you don't block a shot you're not a rim protector but rim protection is protecting guys from getting to the rim and I think the charges are another part of that.''

Cousins enjoys using his 6-11, 270-pound frame to draw charge calls - despite the pain he knows is part of it.

''It's fun,'' he said. ''Not only does it help your guys, but it also puts the opponent in a tough position. It's a turnover and a foul for them. ... I don't feel a lot of guys want to sacrifice their body. It's not fun taking them, obviously. It hurts.''

Nuggets forward Torrey Craig simply chooses not to take a charge.

''You want to know my honest answer? I've never taken a charge before in my life. I'd rather block a shot,'' he said. ''I tried a couple of times overseas, to take charges, and ended up bumping knees with some guys.''

In the modern NBA, often there are fewer opportunities in games to take charges.

Teams don't drive as much in the half court - layups often come in transition, open space. Charges also are typically taken by the player who helps, not the primary defender.

''You've got to be smart to be a charge-taker because you have to be there early,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''You have to anticipate the play that's coming. DeMarcus is really smart, he's a great center fielder for our defense, so he plays behind the play and anticipates and a lot of times will step in outside that charge circle and take a charge. Ironically there have been several this year where he's taken a charge and the officials have immediately come over to me and said, `Ah, I might have missed that one.'''

Golden State's Klay Thompson, known for drawing a tough defensive assignment, believes the ability to take a charge is under appreciated.

''I think it's a stat that should be accounted for, charges taken, because that's just as good as a steal, it's just as good as a block,'' Thompson said. ''We have a lot of guys who are good at it - Andrew (Bogut) is good at it, Draymond - these guys lay their bodies on the line and it's kind of like a momentum shifter when you take a charge like that.''

But not every player is willing to do it.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MAY 17
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at MIL 08:30 PM

TOR +6.5

O 217.0

[Udog]

Raptors at Bucks NBA betting picks and predictions: Bucks boosted by bench
Monique Vág

Malcolm Brogdon and the Bucks are 6.5-point favorites against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

The Raptors and Bucks both struggled to hit their shots in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup in a 108-100 Milwaukee victory.

The Bucks rode their bench to pull of a fourth quarter victory and will hope to put the Raptors on the ropes with a win in Game 2. We break down the odds and give our predictions and best bets for this grudge match.

TORONTO RAPTORS AT MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Milwaukee -6.5, 215.5)

Series Price: Bucks -455/Raptors +341

QUICK HITTER

The opening shot of the game was made in Game 1 of the series thanks to a jump shot by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Prior to that, in the most recent five games versus the Raptors, the first shot was either heavily contested or a miss from Toronto.

Both defenses have been solid in the opening part of games all season.

PREDICTION: Will the first attempted field goal be made? - No.

FIRST HALF BET

Toronto used the first quarter in Game 1 to build up an 11-point lead. Although Milwaukee struggled early on, the Bucks have the second-best offense in the first half averaging 60.5 points a game and surrendering only 54.8.

Milwaukee showed in Game 1 how dangerous their offense can be when it gets going, ending the game with 32 points in the final quarter. Look for that success to carry over.

PREDICTION: First half - Over 104.5

TEAM/PLAYER PROP

The Bucks average 119 points per game on their home court and were held to just 39.8 percent shooting from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc on Wednesday. Despite their poor shooting stats, they still managed to put up 108 points.

If Milwaukee average anywhere near the 48.7 percent shooting from the floor that they’ve averaged at home this season, they should comfortably surpass their team total tonight. Especially if the Bucks play at the same fast pace they did last game.

PREDICTION: Milwaukee Bucks team total Over 111.5 points

FULL GAME TOTAL

Game 1 was a very poor shooting performance from both sides with both teams shooting below 40 percent from the floor. The shot attempts were very high though, as both teams played with a much faster pace than they usually average with both teams taking more than 90 field goal attempts.

If the shot attempts are anywhere near what they were in the opening game, this total is too low.

PREDICTION: Over 215.5

FULL GAME SIDE

Toronto almost took the opening game on the road and blew a big lead in the fourth quarter. It was promising to see Kyle Lowry put up the best shooting performance of his career in the postseason going 10 of 15 from the floor and connecting on seven 3-pointers for 30 points in Game 1.

Despite that, the Raptors bench once again gave them no help, and that really could make all the difference in the series with the Bucks now getting back Malcolm Brogdon and getting big minutes from George Hill. Look for Milwaukee to cover again.

PREDICTION: Milwaukee Bucks -6.5

[StarDust Bum]

Bucks rout Raptors by 22 for 2-0 lead
May 17, 2019
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MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo started the game with an emphatic dunk. The next possession, a sprawling block to deny Marc Gasol. The next possession, another dunk.

The tone was set.

And it never changed.

The Eastern Conference doesn't belong to Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks - yet. But they're two wins away, after Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 17 rebounds, Ersan Ilyasova came off the bench to add 17 points and the Bucks never trailed on the way to a 125-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in the East finals.

''He plays so hard, he lays it all on the line, every time,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''It was a great start for us. I think everybody fed off of Giannis and how he started the game.''

How he finished, too.

Antetokounmpo scored 11 points in the fourth for the Bucks, who wound up with six players in double figures - three of them reserves. Nikola Mirotic scored 15, Malcolm Brogdon had 14, George Hill 13 and Khris Middleton 12.

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points for Toronto, which gave up the game's first nine points, never led and trailed by double digits for the final 39 minutes. Kyle Lowry scored 15 and Norman Powell had 14 for the Raptors.

''We didn't do much well tonight, obviously,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

Game 3 is Sunday in Toronto.

Milwaukee, which led the NBA with a 60-22 record during the regular season, became the 16th team to start a playoff run with at least 10 victories in its first 11 games. Only three teams - the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2001 Lakers and the 2017 Golden State Warriors - started a postseason 11-0.

The Bucks led by as many as 28, before Toronto did just enough chipping away to keep some semblance of hope.

Eventually, Antetokounmpo decided enough was enough.

With 5:51 left to play Antetokounmpo backed Leonard down on the block, spun back toward the center of the lane, scored while getting hit and starting a three-point play.

He yelled to the crowd and punched the air.

The knockout blow was landed, and the Bucks are two wins from their first NBA Finals berth in 45 years.

Milwaukee had a big rebounding edge for the second straight game - 60-46 in Game 1, 53-40 in Game 2 - and finished with only seven turnovers.

''When the game started, we did a great job setting the tone,'' Antetokounmpo said.

Toronto was down 21 when Lowry got his third foul with 1:27 left until the break. The Raptors left Lowry in; he wound up getting his fourth foul while battling Mirotic for a rebound 24 seconds later and let the referees have an earful as he headed to the bench. Another roll of the dice didn't pay off, either: Raptors forward Pascal Siakam got his fourth shortly after halftime, then got his fifth with 9:26 left in the third.

They weren't happy.

They shouldn't have been, but this wasn't about calls.

It was just a rout.

Milwaukee's lead was 35-21 after the first, 64-39 at the half. It was the first time Toronto had been outscored by 10 or more points in each of a game's first two quarters since May 25, 2016, against Cleveland and the 25-point halftime hole was, by far, the Raptors' worst of the season. They trailed Houston 55-37 on March 5.

Antetokounmpo started the second half with a three-point play, pushing the lead to 28.

That's when Toronto found a bit of a groove.

The Raptors outscored Milwaukee 31-16 over the next nine minutes, getting within 83-70 on a 3-pointer by Fred VanVleet. But a quick flurry by the Bucks restored order - Brogdon rebounded his own miss and scored, then set up George Hill for a score in transition, and Hill scored again off a Raptors turnover a few seconds later.

Just like that, the lead was back up to 19, and it was 95-78 going into the fourth.

TIP-INS

Raptors: The 14-point deficit after one quarter was Toronto's second-largest of the season, with a 38-19 opening quarter at San Antonio -in Leonard's return there- on Jan. 3 the only one that saw them down more after 12 minutes. ... Lowry became the second player in these playoffs with four fouls by halftime. Detroit's Bruce Brown did it April 22, also against the Bucks. ... The Raptors are 0-63 all-time when trailing by 20 or more at the half.

Bucks: It was Milwaukee's 70th win of the season, tying the 1973-74 Bucks for the second-most in franchise history. The 1970-71 Bucks won 78. ... Robin Lopez, Brook's brother, was in the sellout crowd. ... Ilyasova's 15 first-half points matched a season high, and were part of a 31-11 bench scoring edge by the Bucks in the half. ... Milwaukee has won its last six playoff games, tying the franchise record for longest such streak. ... The Bucks are now 50-13 vs. the East this season.

HISTORY LESSON

The Bucks have never lost a series when leading 2-0; they've been in this spot 13 previous times. Toronto has never overcome a 2-0 series deficit in seven previous attempts.

AWARD FINALISTS

This series has plenty of representation on the list of finalists for the NBA's top individual awards, revealed Friday. Antetokounmpo is a finalist for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year; Budenholzer is a finalist for Coach of the Year and Siakam is a Most Improved Player finalist. Antetokounmpo is assured of being the Bucks' highest finisher in the MVP race since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award in 1974.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Sunday in Toronto.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 18, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 19, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 20, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 21, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 23, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:30 PM Toronto Raptors Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 24, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter



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

NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/17/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/14/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/12/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
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..............19-24-1 44.18% -37.50


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


BEST BETS:

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

05/17/2019............,0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................0 - 1..................-5.50.............-11.00
05/15/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/14/2019.............1 - 0...................+5.00....................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/12/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50.............-1.00
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...................7 - 15.....................-47.50..................12 - 9.................+10.50...........-37.00


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Six slowest-working pitchers in major leagues:

6) Matt Andriese, Arizona, 29.5 seconds between pitches

5) Sam Dyson, Giants 29.7

4) Blake Treinen, A’s, 30.1

3) David Price Red Sox, 30.2

2) Josh Hader Brewers, 30.9

1) Kenley Jansen Dodgers, 31.3

Tweet of the Day
“So Le’Veon Bell walked away from $14.5 million last year with a coach that wanted him and now will play for $14.5 million this year with a coach that doesn’t want him. Got it.”
Andrew Brandt

Saturday’s quiz
When was last time NBA had a franchise in Canada, other than the Raptors?

Friday’s quiz
Mike Dunleavy was the Portland Trailblazers’ coach the last time they were in a Western Conference final.

Thursday’s quiz
Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in their only Super Bowl appearance, in Super Bowl III.

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

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

13) You watch Angel Hernandez call balls/strikes, and the electronic strike zone that will come to baseball someday doesn’t seem like a such a bad idea.

I’m against the electronic strike zone, but Hernandez is a terrible umpire, and has been for a long time. Friday night, Colorado’s Jon Gray walked the opposing pitcher on 10 pitches; three of the four pitches Hernandez called balls were strikes on the electronic strike zone on TV.

I had no dog in the fight, no fantasy players involved, was just watching the game. No one pays to watch the umpire; call strikes, especially on the opposing pitcher. It isn’t that difficult.

12) Not sure if I’ve told this story here before, so here goes. It is a little random, but it was a funny moment. Was listening this week to some people talk about their kids going to high school now, and it reminded me of this:

I’m in 10th grade, long time ago (1974-75) and it is Biology class, which was a struggle for me. I sat in the back of the class, where I had a great view of a classmate named Joann who was very pretty but didn’t know I existed (go figure).

Anyway, our teacher was a little……different. If a kid was talking in class, the teacher would take an eraser (yes, we had chalkboards back then) and drill the kid with it. I mean, he would fire the eraser at the kid, drill him, and no one ever complained. These days, he would get sued.

One day, the kid sitting three seats in front of me was yukking it up about something, a big kid named Nick, and the teacher takes aim with his eraser, but he misses and drills the young lady sitting next to Nick. Stunned silence, then muffled laughter; the girl started crying.

Was very difficult to sit there the rest of the period and not laugh; never saw another eraser thrown though. Could you imagine if they let that nitwit carry a gun in class?

11) Last three seasons, Golden State Warriors are:
— When Curry plays and Durant doesn’t: 32-4
— When Durant plays and Curry doesn’t: 28-18
— When neither one plays: 1-6
— When they both play: 163-46

10) 50 years ago Friday, Colts, Browns, Steelers agreed to move from the NFL to the AFC, so that when the NFL/AFL merger happened, there would be an equal number of teams in both conferences.

According to Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, Raiders’ owner Al Davis came up with the idea, but no one would agree to switch until $3M was put on the table; then the teams became willing. Funny how that happens.

9) Indiana Pacers’ G Tyreke Evans was dismissed/disqualified from the NBA for two years, for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program. Under the program, he is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.

Evans averaged 10.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.4 apg in 20.3 mpg this year- he’s scored 15.7 ppg in his 11-year NBA career, and was due to become a free agent this offseason.

8) I’ve said this here before, but if you like the NBA, then the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in early July is an excellent thing to see.

They play in two gyms at UNLV, there are usually eight games a day, and it costs around $30 for the whole day, which is worth it, just to be out of the 110-degree desert heat.

I’ve gone a few times, and it is good stuff. You see all the rookies, some 2nd-year guys; most of the coaches/GM’s are there. I was walking in the hallway one day, and Jerry West was there, talking to some people. If you like the NBA, it is an excellent thing to do.

I would discourage you from wagering on the games, however; teams need to take a look at certain guys, so they don’t always use their best possible lineups every game.

7) If you’re heading to Las Vegas this summer, right now Treasure Island, the Wynn, Venetian, Palazzo, SLS, Tropicana, Circus Circus, and Stratosphere are the casinos on the Strip that offer free parking. Lot of casinos charge to park now because of the T-Mobile Arena not having its own parking lot.

6) Las Vegas casinos pretty much now all have betting lines up for every NFL game this season, except for Week 17. Lot can change between now and the season, but if you think you’re better than the oddsmakers, you can take your shot at the windows now.

Golden Nugget is posting spreads for its college games of the year on May 30.

5) From Ralph Michaels:

Since 2015, Week 2 NFL road teams that also played on the road in Week 1 are 1-14 vs spread; there are four such teams this season. Only cover in that sample was Kansas City winning 42-37 at Pittsburgh LY, after they led 21-0 in first quarter.

4) Baseball stuff:
— Giants activated C Buster Posey from the 7-day concussion DL.
— Colorado brought up 2B prospect Brandon Rodgers.
— Toronto P Aaron Sanchez (blister) left Friday’ game early.
— Justin Turner (bruised shin) left Friday’s game early

3) QB Tommy Stevens transferred from Penn State to Mississippi State, where he’ll play for Joe Moorhead, who used to be OC at Penn State.

2) Most teams pitched for, MLB history:
Edwin Jackson: 14, Octavio Dotel: 13, Mike Morgan, Ron Villone: 12 each.

1) Jim Nantz turned 60 years old Friday, which makes me feel old.

[StarDust Bum]

G3 - Warriors at Trail Blazers
May 17, 2019
By Chris David

Western Conference Finals – Game 3 (Warriors lead 2-0)
Golden State at Portland (ESPN, 9:05 p.m. ET)

The Warriors proved to everybody again on Thursday why they’re the defending champions as they defeated the Trail Blazers 114-11 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Golden State rallied from a 15-point deficit (65-50) at halftime and they also overcame an eight-point gap with less than five minutes left in the game to defeat Portland.

Credit should be given to the visitors as the Trail Blazers came to play after losing 116-94 in the series opener on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers shot 18-of-39 (46%) from 3-point land and 17-of-18 from the free throw line but the club couldn’t connect down the stretch. Portland’s two-headed monster of Damian Lillard (23) and CJ McCollum (22) only combined for 45 points in the loss and both had opportunities for game-winners late. Unfortunately for the Blazers, McCollum missed his jumper and Lillard had his final attempt blocked by Golden State’s Andre Iguodala.

While the talented backcourt of Portland struggled in Game 2, head coach Terry Stotts got a big lift from his bench. The reserves scored 41 points and Seth Curry led the charge with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and that included four triples. Curry also had four steals and he finished plus-13 in 39 minutes, after having a minus-10 effort in Game 1 when he only had three points.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Seth’s older brother, continued his hot playoff run with 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the win. Klay Thompson added 24 points, 13 of them coming in the third quarter as Golden State outscored Portland 39-24 to even the score headed into the final 12 minutes.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that they stole the game from Portland and his counterpart Stotts agreed that it was a ‘lost opportunity’ on the road. Despite bogging down and settling for bad shots to aid Golden State’s Game 2 comeback with a brutal third quarter on the offensive end, the Blazers proved they won’t shrink down the stretch.

VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia believes Portland’s ability to trade baskets with the champs on the road in the closing minutes will help boost their confidence on Saturday night in a game that surprised him by not being a pick’em.

“The Trail Blazers have had much more success at home over the years against the Warriors than they’ve enjoyed at Oracle, which should make it easier for them to rebound from squandering a 17-point lead and failing to steal away homecourt advantage. With Seth Curry and Rodney Hood taking turns aggressively seeking out their shots to try and punish Golden State for all the extra attention it has bestowed upon Damian Lillard, it’s starting to look like the Blazers are making a concerted effort to play with pace and aggressively let the 3-pointers fly,” Mejia said.

“After coming through on surpassing its team total for Game 2 despite being held under 100 points in Game 1, getting back home should help Portland continue to produce confident offense in a must-win. Although the number is up there at 112, if the Blazers plan on making this a competitive series by taking advantage of Kevin Durant’s absence for at least a few more games, they’ll need to produce points.”

The Trail Blazers did cover as seven-point underdogs in Game 2 and that decision was never in doubt. As Mejia mentioned, they go from hunter to hunted with Portland opening as a short two-point favorite for Game 3 on Saturday from the Moda Center.

The nine-point swing (GSW -7 to +2) certainly could have you scratching your head but Golden State faced the same scenario in Game 3 of the conference semifinals. After laying between five and six points to the Rockets in Game 1 and 2 at home, the Warriors were listed as 3 ½-point underdogs in the first game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets won and covered that must-win spot, earning a 126-121 decision.

Can Portland follow suit and avoid the 3-0 hole?

Kevin Rogers of VegasInsider.com dived deeper into the head-to-head matchups between the pair. He said, “In the last 10 matchups between the Blazers and Warriors at the Moda Center dating back to May 2016, Portland was favored only one time. The Blazers topped the Warriors, 125-108 as 1 ½-point favorites on March 9, 2018 as Stephen Curry didn’t suit up for Golden State. Kevin Durant led all scorers that night with 40 points, while the combo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum posted a total of 58 points.”

He added, “The last time the Blazers trailed the Warriors, 2-0 in a playoff series returning to Portland was the 2017 first round as Portland blew a 13-point halftime lead in a 119-113 setback as 4 ½-point underdogs. Durant did not suit up in that game either, as Golden State went on to sweep Portland and capture its second title in three seasons.”

In this year’s playoffs, Portland has taken care of its business at home with a 5-1 record, while laying points in all six games and compiling a 3-3 ATS mark.

Golden State has gone 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS on the road in this year’s playoffs, the two losses coming in its last round to Houston. They’ve been underdogs twice in this span, losing Game 3 to Houston before avenging that setback with a series-winning 118-113 victory in Game 6 over the Rockets. The Warriors were + 7 ½ in that win over Houston and that was just the ninth time this season that Kerr and company were receiving points. Overall, Golden State has gone 4-5 SU and 5-4 ATS as an underdog but it has won four of its last five in this role.

Durant’s absence hasn’t been a factor yet for the Warriors and you wonder when or if it will be. Many pundits believe KD is the best player in the NBA right now but the Warriors continue to silence the critics with victories. When Curry is in and Durant is out of the lineup, Golden State has gone 29-1 since he left OKC for California. The All-Star missed the first two games of this series and has been ruled ‘out’ for Game 3 and 4 in Portland. Including the 3-0 record from this year’s playoffs, the Warriors are now 6-1 this season without KD in the lineup.

Golden State opened as a -450 series favorite over Portland and that number has jumped to -1300 after the two wins in Oakland. Bettors believing in the Trail Blazers can grab odds as high as 8/1 to win four of the next five games against the Warriors.

Game 4 will take place on Monday from the Moda Center.

Betcha Didn’t Know

-- The ‘over’ is on an 11-2 run in the last 13 meetings between the pair from Portland.

-- The Trail Blazers have scored 123-plus points in three of their last four encounters against the Warriors.

-- Portland has watched the ‘over’ go 4-2 at home in the playoffs and it’s averaging 117.8 points per game. Golden State’s offense is averaging 120.1 PPG in six away games this postseason, helping the ‘over’ go 5-1.

-- The Blazers have a team total of 112 for Game 3 while the number on Golden State is 109 ½.

-- Road teams went 6-2 in Game 3 of the first round of this year’s playoffs. In the second round, home squads rallied for a 3-1 record. The ‘over’ has gone 8-4 in the dozen Game 3’s played this season.

-- The Blazers are 1-10 all-time against Golden State in the playoffs. The Warriors are 7-4 versus the number in those games while the ‘over’ is 8-3.

-- The Warriors are 31-4 in the postseason when Curry scores 30 or more points.

-- Golden State has gone 10-5 on Saturday this season, which includes a 1-1 mark in the playoffs.

-- Portland was 7-5 in Saturday games during the regular season and this will be the first game for the club on the sixth day of the week in this year’s postseason.

-- Golden State has watched the ‘under’ go 5-2 in seven games without Durant in the lineup.

-- A popular NBA playoff system that’s been reported through various sports betting mediums is in play again on Saturday. Put simply, wager on any home team in the first-half in Game 3 when trailing 2-0 in a series. This angle was once a gold mine, connecting in the 80% range but like any great system, all things eventually temper off. The oddsmakers have adjusted, probably too much, knowing that bettors are into the angle and that’s why Portland is laying more in the 1st half (-3) on Saturday than on the game line (-2). The concept makes sense as you expect the home team to fire out of the chute and leave it all on the line for the first 24 minutes. It doesn’t always work out and it’s gone 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in this postseason. The Pacers got squeezed for the non-cover in the first round due to the inflated number.

[StarDust Bum]

Blazers head home for Game 3, down 2-0
May 17, 2019
By The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard says Golden State did its job and protected home court. Now it's time for the Trail Blazers to do the same.

The Western Conference finals between the upstart Blazers and the defending champion Warriors shifts to Portland on Saturday with Golden State holding a 2-0 advantage.

The Blazers were up 15 points at the half and led by eight with 4+ minutes left before the Warriors rallied - boosted by Kevon Looney's dunk with less than a minute left, and a game-sealing steal from Andre Iguodala - for a 114-111 victory in Game 2 on Thursday night.

Golden State capped the game with a 14-3 run to avoid falling into a tie in the best-of-seven series.

''Lost the game, but you know, their job was to take care of their home floor, and we've got an opportunity to do the same thing,'' Lillard said.

Lillard, who grew up just a few miles from Oracle Arena, finished with 23 point and 10 assists, but was thwarted by Golden State's defense, including Iguodala's at the end. CJ McCollum had 22 points in Portland's eighth straight playoff loss to the Warriors since 2016.

''We've got to bring that same energy at home, understand that this is the first time in 19 years we've been in the conference final,'' McCollum said. ''I know they (the fans) will be excited and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity playing at home and building on what we've done.

''Being down 0-2, it's not what you would like to see but it's our reality, so now we got to go get some at home.''

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 37 points. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said experience pushed Golden State at the end after Portland's dominant play for most of the game.

''We've done this a few times, and yeah, we stole it for sure,'' Kerr said.

Golden State, vying for a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals, won the opening game against the Blazers 116-94, with Curry scoring 36 points to lead the way.

The series so far, and particularly Game 2, has been an entertaining battle between Curry and his younger brother Seth, who plays for the Blazers. It is the first time that brothers have played each other in a conference final.

The younger Curry had 16 points and four steals off the bench on Thursday, including a steal on his brother. Seth Curry even engaged in a little trash talk when his brother was at the free throw line as the game wound down.

''This was like the coolest experience I think I've ever had playing against him. We talked about the stage and he was amazing tonight,'' Steph Curry said. ''You know, every minute he was out there defensively, he was a pest. Made three big shots the fourth quarter that were very timely.''

He added with a smile that it must have been nerve-wracking for his parents, ''but it worked out perfectly tonight: He played well and we won.''

Game 3 will be the first conference final game in Portland since 2000. The Blazers lost that series to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

''I know they are going to be excited,'' Stephen Curry said in noting the atmosphere at the Moda Center. ''We've got to do whatever we can to hopefully take them out of it early. Knowing Portland is going to feed off that energy, it's going to be tough to win up there, so we got to bring it.''

Back at home, the Blazers won't need to deal with the return of Kevin Durant. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is still out with a right calf injury and isn't set to be re-examined until next week, meaning it's likely he'll miss the rest of this series.

Durant, who won't travel with the team to Portland, averaged 34.2 points in the playoffs before he was injured in the third quarter of Golden State's Game 5 victory over Houston.

The third-seeded Blazers bested Oklahoma City 4-1 in the opening round, then needed all seven games to get past the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals. The Warriors downed both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets in six games to get to the conference finals.

The winner in the West will go on to face the winner of the East series between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, May 18

Golden State @ Portland

Game 547-548
May 18, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
119.120
Portland
129.191
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 10
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 2 1/2
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-2 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 18

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

GOLDEN STATE (67 - 29) at PORTLAND (61 - 35) - 5/18/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-54 ATS (-18.4 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-67 ATS (-22.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-28 ATS (-12.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-43 ATS (-13.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PORTLAND is 52-44 ATS (+3.6 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 50-36 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 51-33 ATS (+14.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 9-8 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 13-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 18

Golden State’s subs shot 11-18 from floor in 114-111 Game 2 win, a game Portland led by 15 at the half. Lillard/McCollum combined to go 26-70 from floor in first two games- no bueno. Warriors lost three of last four visits to Portland; over is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Over is 7-3 in last ten Portland games, 6-3-1 in Warriors’ last ten. Portland’s bench (14-29 from floor, 41 points) was more productive Thursday, but not good enough. Steph Curry had 37 in Game 2; Green had 7 assists, 10 rebounds. Trailblazers won three of last four home games; they’re 3-3 vs spread in last six games as an underdog.




NBA

Saturday, May 18

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

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games
Golden State is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Golden State's last 25 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing on the road against Portland

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games
Portland is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Portland's last 22 games at home
Portland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Portland's last 25 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Portland's last 13 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, MAY 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at POR 09:00 PM

POR -2.5

U 221.5

[StarDust Bum]

Green, Warriors beat Blazers for 3-0 lead
May 18, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Draymond Green had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-99 on Saturday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Green had his seventh career postseason triple-double and Stephen Curry scored 36 points for Golden State, which moved a win away from a fifth straight trip to the NBA finals with Game 4 set for Monday.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it was one of the best games he's seen Green play.

''I don't even know what to say about Draymond,'' Kerr said. ''He was a wrecking ball, destroying everything in his path.''

CJ McCollum had 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 points in the second quarter. Damian Lillard added 19 points, but Portland was hurt at the line, making just 20 of 33 attempts.

Golden State's Andre Iguodala left in the third quarter with a sore lower leg. Kerr said he will have an MRI on Sunday. Iguodala played 17 minutes and had nine points.

After trailing 66-53 at the half, the Warriors mounted a third-quarter comeback to lead 82-79 going into the fourth. Jonas Jerebko's jumper pushed the lead to 90-82 with 7:26 left.

Curry's 3-pointer made it 98-87 with just under five minutes to go, and Portland struggled to catch up - similar to their fourth-quarter fade in Game 2.

Game 3 was the first conference finals game in Portland since 2000. The Blazers lost that series to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win in the playoffs. Only three series have gone to a seventh game after one team opened with a 3-0 lead.

''We're going to give it our best effort on Monday. That's all that matters,'' Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. ''We're going to give it our best effort and whatever happen, happens.''

On Thursday, the Blazers were up 15 at halftime and led by eight with 4 1/2 minutes left before the Warriors rallied - boosted by Kevon Looney's dunk with less than a minute left, and a game-sealing steal from Iguodala - for a 114-111 Game 2 victory.

Both teams switched up their lineups for Game 3, with Portland's Meyers Leonard making his first start of the playoffs at center. Enes Kanter, despite sustaining a separated shoulder in the first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, started in all the previous games. Leonard provided a spark and finished with a career playoff-high 16 points.

Kerr started Damian Jones, who hadn't started since December and had made just two previous appearances in the playoffs. Jones, who played in just 24 games in the regular season because of a torn pectoral muscle, collected three fouls in the game's opening three minutes and headed to the bench.

The Warriors remained without Kevin Durant, and it's unlikely he'll return during the conference finals. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is still out with a right calf injury and isn't set to be re-examined until next week.

Durant, who didn't travel with the team to Portland, averaged 34.2 points in the playoffs before he was injured in the third quarter of Golden State's Game 5 victory over Houston.

Portland was boosted by the home crowd at the start, going up by 10 points in the first quarter. Seth Curry's jumper made it 60-42 with 2:28 left until halftime.

The Warriors roared back, closing within 76-75 on Alfonzo McKinnie's basket and pulling ahead on Looney's layup to cap a 10-0 run.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Jones was making his first career postseason start. ... The Warriors have used six different starting lineups in the 2019 playoffs. Jerebko was handed a flagrant I for a foul on Zach Collins in the second quarter.

Trail Blazers: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was among the fans at the game. Also there was Sabrina Ionescu, who was on the Oregon team that went to the Final Four this season, and former Blazer Scottie Pippen (1999-2003).

UP NEXT

Game 4 is set for Monday night in Portland.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 19, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 20, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 21, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


05/18/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/17/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/14/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/12/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
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..............20-25-1 44.44% -38.00


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


BEST BETS:

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


05/18/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/17/2019............,0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................0 - 1..................-5.50.............-11.00
05/15/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/14/2019.............1 - 0...................+5.00....................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/12/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50.............-1.00
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...................7 - 16.....................-53.00..................13 - 9.................+15.50...........-37.50


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APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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