The Bum's NBA Championship Best Bets !

[StarDust Bum]

Shell-Shocked LA Lakers Host OKC Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers are still kicking themselves after their Game 2 defeat as their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder moves out west for Friday night.

First on the docket is an update of Thursday night’s odds. Miami is a 1½-point road favorite at Indiana despite losing 78-75 last game at home and big man Chris Bosh (abdominal) out indefinitely.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had 28 and 24 points respectively last game, but no else had more than five, and both superstars came up short late in the fourth quarter (not a shocker for LeBron). Indiana is averaging just 82 PPG this series with wing players Danny Granger (9.0 PPG) and Paul George (8.0 PPG) both struggling.

Tonight’s total is down to 180½ after being around 186 the first two and going ‘under’ each time.

The late game on Thursday is the Los Angeles Clippers (+10½) at San Antonio. Double-digit playoff spreads are normally rare, but the Spurs won the opener 108-92 as 11-point chalk and are historically hot with a 15-game winning streak (13-1-1 ATS).

Clippers point guard Chris Paul shot just 3-of-13 last game for six points while battling a groin injury. Power forward Blake Griffin’s knee looks to be improving, but it will take a total team effort to beat this Spurs juggernaut.

This total is 194½ and the ‘over’ is 4-0 in meetings between the teams this year after easily passing the 191½ number in Game 1.

Friday’s opener is at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and has Philadelphia (-2) in a desperate situation of its own hosting Boston. The 76ers showed little effort in Wednesday’s Game 3, a 107-91 blowout defeat as 2-point home favorites. They can’t afford to drop this game and head back to Boston in a closeout situation.

The Celtics’ Kevin Garnett (20.3 PPG this postseason) has found the fountain of youth and Paul Pierce (knee) looked better last game with 24 points. Philly is a very young team overall, so it will be interesting to see how it responds.

The total for this contest is 173½ after going well ‘over’ the low 171½-points last game. The ‘under’ was 3-0 in Boston’s first three road playoff games and 3-0 in Philly’s first three at home.

The Lakers are down 0-2, but are 2-point home favorites for their 10:30 p.m. (ET) battle against the Thunder. The total is 192 points. Los Angeles got embarrassed in Game 1 (119-90), but should have earned a split on Wednesday before losing 77-75 as 8-point ‘dogs.

Oklahoma City scored the final nine points in a game the Lakers and Kobe Bryant would have won in previous years. Everyone’s favorite villain, Metta World Peace, delighted the Thunder crowd by shooting just 2-of-10 from the field.

The Lakers need to somehow block out last game and they should be energized by the celebrity home crowd with Jack Nicholson and company. They went 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS at home in the 7-game first-round series with Denver.

The Thunder are 6-0 SU in the playoffs, but just 3-3 ATS as this young team has learned to win ugly in the playoffs. They did cover both first round road games at Dallas. Center Kendrick Perkins has done a good job overall defensively on Andrew Bynum despite his hip injury.

The last time these teams met in Los Angeles was April 22. World Peace threw a vicious elbow to James Harden’s head and the Lakers escaped with a 114-106 win in double overtime.

A win on Friday would be the best revenge, plus a dagger to the Lakers’ series chances.

[StarDust Bum]

Halladay tries to extend Phils' win streak

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (19-19)

at CHICAGO CUBS (15-22)


First pitch: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -175, Chicago +165

The Phillies will look to extend their winning streak to five games as they finish a two-game set with the Cubs.

Chicago starting pitcher Chris Volstad has seen plenty of the Phillies in his career as a member of the Marlins for the previous four seasons. He is 2-5 lifetime against Philadelphia, with a 5.89 ERA and .299 opponent batting average. In Volstad’s one start this season facing the Phillies, he yielded four earned runs on eight hits and three walks in six innings, getting a no-decision in his team’s loss. Overall in 2012 he has an 0-5 record and 6.92 ERA. He is also facing one of baseball’s best in Roy Halladay, who is 3-3 with a 3.20 ERA, but that does not tell the full story of his dominance. Except for one eight-run disaster against the Braves, Halladay has thrown seven quality starts and still maintains a near 4:1 K:BB ratio with 46 K’s and 12 BB in 56.1 IP. He lost to the Cubs earlier this season giving up three runs in seven innings, but still deserves the action here against the dreadful Volstad. Halladay should have great success facing a Chicago lineup that has been miserable offensively at home this season with a .237 BA, .357 SLG and 3.3 runs per game. Take PHILADELPHIA, which has not allowed more than three runs in each of its past six games, to win again on Thursday.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also sides with the Phillies:

Play On - All favorites with a money line of -175 to -250 (PHILADELPHIA) - poor power team - averaging 0.9 or less HR's/game on the season, after a win by 4 runs or more. (128-36 since 1997.) (78%, +56.4 units. Rating = 3*).

After a slow start to the season, Philadelphia has now won four consecutive games and finally has a chance to move above .500. Although weak at points this season, their offense has strongly improved recently, leading the surge. They have 10+ hits in each of their past three games and are batting .294 with 36 extra-base hits over their past 10 games. Halladay is just 1-5 in his career versus the Cubs (0-3, 5.29 ERA at Wrigley), although his overall numbers are not bad with a 3.75 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. In his past three starts against Chicago, he has a 3.00 ERA and 15 K’s in 18 IP. Look for him to dominate in this game against their weak offense, easily outdueling the shaky Volstad.

The Cubs enter Thursday having lost four of their past six, including two games in a row. And while Volstad is 0-5 this season, the team has also lost both of his no-decisions, having lost all seven of his starts in 2012. Beyond pitching better, he could use some more run support to help turn his season around, with the Cubs tallying just 2.6 runs on average in his starts. Chicago’s bullpen also needs to perform better, posting a 4.77 ERA and 1.56 WHIP on the season with more blown saves (7) than saves (6). Those relievers will be put to work given that Volstad has not pitched more than six innings this season. Play against.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, May 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Miami - 7:00 PM ET Indiana +1 500

Indiana - Over 181.5 500

L.A. Clippers - 9:30 PM ET San Antonio -11 500

San Antonio - Over 194 500

[StarDust Bum]

Clippers try to even series with Spurs on Thursday

NBA PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

No. 5 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

at No. 1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS


Western Conference Semifinals
Game 2 - San Antonio leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:35 p.m. ET
Line: San Antonio -11, Total: 194

The Spurs showed no signs of rust on Tuesday night after an eight-day layoff, and now they will try to win their 16th straight game when they host the Clippers for Game 2 on Thursday.

San Antonio is 13-1-1 ATS during this amazing run, scoring more than 100 points in 14 of these 15 victories. The Spurs had little trouble extending this win streak on Tuesday, taking out the Clippers 108-92 with red-hot shooting. However, L.A. has been resilient after an SU loss this season, posting a 21-8 SU mark (18-11 ATS) when coming off a defeat. Can the Spurs cover another hefty spread in Game 2? For the answer, connect to NBA Playoffs Best Bets for all the Expert picks for every playoff game during the 2012 postseason. Since May 8, ******* Dave is 11-8-1 ATS (58%) including 5-3 on Best Bets, helping people to expand their bankrolls so that they can party a little harder at partybingo.com.

Weary Los Angeles will be playing for the seventh time in 13 days, with just one day of rest again. But the team has been strong in this scenario this season with a 26-15 record (22-17-2 ATS). But it’s never easy to win at AT&T Center, as San Antonio is now 31-5 (26-8-2 ATS) at home this season, outscoring these visitors by 12.6 PPG (106.0 to 93.4 PPG).

The Clippers’ two stars, PF Blake Griffin and PG Chris Paul, combined to score just 21 points in Game 1, 18 fewer than they averaged in the first-round series versus Memphis. Griffin was limited to 28 minutes because of his sprained knee and posted a game-worst minus-24 rating, while Paul made just 3-of-13 shots and failed to get to the free-throw line. SF Caron Butler scored 15 points, but managed just two rebounds and a minus-22 rating. PF Reggie Evans had 8.7 RPG in just 22.3 MPG in the first round, but played just eight minutes on Tuesday because of foul trouble, and grabbed just three boards. Starting SG Randy Foye (3 points, 0 assists in 21 minutes) and reserve G Mo Williams (3 points, 1 assist in 21 minutes) were both non-factors as well. But not all was bad on Tuesday. The Spurs had a difficult time slowing down backup PG Eric Bledsoe, who finished the game with 23 points (10-of-16 FG), five rebounds, four assists and three steals. That gives Bledsoe 15.0 PPG in his past three games after scoring just 3.8 PPG in his first five playoff games. SG Nick Young pitched in 13 points off the bench, making all three of his three-point tries. Young is now 13-of-22 (59.1%) from behind the arc in the playoffs, including 11-for-14 in road playoff games.

The Spurs won Game 1 easily despite PG Tony Parker shooting a woeful 1-of-9 from the floor. Parker did run the point effectively though with 11 assists and a +26 rating. San Antonio’s other two stars certainly did their part on the offensive end. PF Tim Duncan scored a game-high 26 points with 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while SG Manu Ginobili poured in 22 points (6-of-13 FG), marking his highest-scoring output of the 2012 playoffs. The rest of the Spurs bench scored just 15 points, but the other three lesser-known starters all had big nights. Forwards Boris Diaw and Kawhi Leonard took advantage of an injured Griffin down low and combined for 23 points, 18 rebounds (eight offensive), six assists and six steals. Starting SG Daniel Green nearly doubled his playoff scoring average (8.5 PPG) with 15 points (6-of-11 FG), six rebounds and two blocks in 29 strong minutes.

[StarDust Bum]

Heat seek redemption in Thursday's Game 3


NBA PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

No. 2 MIAMI HEAT

at No. 3 INDIANA PACERS


Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 3 - Series tied 1-1
Tip-off: Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Miami -1½, Total: 181½

After upsetting the Heat in Game 2, the Pacers try to take the series lead when the teams play at Indiana for Thursday’s Game 3.

Miami looked lost without PF Chris Bosh, who is likely out for the entire series because of an abdominal strain. With Tuesday’s 78-75 defeat, the Heat fell to 4-6 SU without Bosh on the floor this season. Indiana won the rebounding battle 50-40 and held the three Heat big men (Udonis Haslem, Ronny Turiaf and Joel Anthony) to a combined seven points and 12 rebounds in 60 minutes of action. The Heat have been resilient this season though, going 14-7 (11-9-1 ATS) following an SU loss. Which team will grab the series lead on Thursday night? For the answer, connect to NBA Playoffs Best Bets for all the Expert picks for every playoff game during the 2012 postseason. Since May 8, ******* Dave is 11-8-1 ATS (58%) including 5-3 on Best Bets, helping people to expand their bankrolls so that they can party a little harder at partybingo.com.

Miami was done in by poor shooting from all over the court on Tuesday, making just 34.6% FG, 1-of-16 threes and 20-of-29 FT (69%). The Pacers beat Miami 105-90 the last time these teams met in Indiana, but the Heat had won each of the previous four trips to the Midwest by an average of 11.0 PPG. The Pacers have been extremely tough at home this year, going 25-11 (17-19 ATS) and allowing just 92.4 PPG (42.6% FG) to visitors of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Heat have scored a mere 90.0 PPG on 40.5% FG in their past five playoff games, and are a mediocre 19-16 (15-20 ATS) on the road this season. The Pacers defense has been impeccable in the 2012 playoffs, allowing a paltry 82.6 PPG on 40.9% FG.

LeBron James logged much of his time at the power forward position, and admitted that playing underneath was a lot more physically demanding than being on the perimeter. But despite the physical demands, he and Dwyane Wade combined for 33 of their team’s 37 points in the second half of Game 2. James finished the game with 28 points (10-of-22 FG), nine rebounds (four offensive), five assists and a whopping six steals. Wade chipped in 24 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks, but made just 8-of-22 FG and is shooting 35.6% FG for this series. PG Mario Chalmers was much worse at 2-for-10 from the floor, and is 2-for-13 FG (0-for-5 threes) with more fouls (10) than points (nine) in this series. After averaging 11.8 PPG (42% threes), 4.4 APG and 4.0 RPG in the first round of the playoffs, he’s due for a breakout game. Two other key Heat players are also struggling this series. SF Shane Battier has just five points and eight rebounds in 57 minutes, while starting PF Udonis Haslem has only six points (2-of-9 FG) and nine rebounds.

The Pacers’ two bigs, C Roy Hibbert and PF David West combined for 24 points, 21 rebounds (six offensive) and five blocks in the Game 2 victory. SG Paul George also attacked the glass with 11 rebounds to go along with 10 points, three steals and a game-high +20 rating. SG George Hill, who averaged just 9.6 PPG during the regular season, has scored in double figures in all seven playoff games, tallying 15 points and four boards on Tuesday. But leading scorer SF Danny Granger is capable of much more than he has shown this series. With 11 points on 5-of-14 FG in Game 2, he has just 9.0 PPG on 25% FG this series, a far cry from his 21.4 PPG on 41% FG in the first round versus Orlando. PG Darren Collison provided a spark off the bench in Game 1 with 10 points and six assists, but scored just six points with zero assists in 17 minutes in Game 2

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, May 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 8:00 PM ET Philadelphia -2 500

Philadelphia - Over 173.5 500

Oklahoma City - 10:30 PM ET Oklahoma City +2.5 500

L.A. Lakers - Under 189.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Boston at Philadelphia
The Sixers look to bounce back from their 107-91 loss in Game 3 and build on their 11-5 ATS record in their last 16 games after allowing 100 points or more in the previous game. Philadelphia is the pick (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Sixers favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2). Here are all of today's picks

FRIDAY, MAY 18

Game 521-522: Boston at Philadelphia (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 122.331; Philadelphia 126.216
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 4; 170
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 2; 174
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2); Under

Game 523-524: Oklahoma City at LA Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 124.004; LA Lakers 122.437
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 1 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 2 1/2; 192
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+2 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 18

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BOSTON (45 - 30) at PHILADELPHIA (40 - 35) - 5/18/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 19-34 ATS (-18.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 21-39 ATS (-21.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 88-73 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-35 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 64-90 ATS (-35.0 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 9-5 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-5 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (53 - 19) at LA LAKERS (45 - 30) - 5/18/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 140-116 ATS (+12.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 74-53 ATS (+15.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 31-43 ATS (-16.3 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 18-28 ATS (-12.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA LAKERS are 34-49 ATS (-19.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 29-42 ATS (-17.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-8 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 10-8 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY 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
Short Sheet

Friday, May 18

EC Semifinals, Game Four (BOS Leads, 2-1)
Boston at Philadelphia, 8:05 ET ESPN
Boston: 33-18 Under off a double digit win
Philadelphia: 13-3 Under in Game 4's

WC Semifinals, Game Three (Oklahoma City Leads, 2-0)
Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, 10:35 ET ESPN
Oklahoma City: 71-43 ATS off ATS loss
LA Lakers: 6-19 ATS off road loss where they scored 80 or less pts




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 18

Celtics (2-1) @ 76ers-- Celtics are +47 in series with Garnett on floor, -31 with him on bench; he was 9-17 last game, with all 13 rebounds on defensive end. Any time Rondo makes more than half (9-16) his shots, Boston is in good shape. Home side won four of six series games this season. Celtics scored 81 points in Game 2, had 60 at half in Game 3. Turner was just 1-10 last game for Philly, which put C's on foul line as many times (28) in Game 3 as they did in first two games of series.

Thunder (2-0) @ Lakers-- LA played much better last game, led by 7 with 2:08 left, but kicked game away, and now go home in deep trouble in series. Younger, faster Thunder is +10 in turnovers in series, but OC did turn ball over 13 times last game, after having only four in Game 1. Lakers won two of three at home in first round, but last two games here were decided by total of 7 points. Remember that Thunder hasn't lost in playoffs yet- they won by 16-6 at Dallas to sweep first round series.




NBA

Friday, May 18

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing Boston

10:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. LA LAKERS
Oklahoma City is 8-17 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games at home
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City


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NBA

Friday, May 18

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What bettors need to know: Friday's NBA playoff action
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Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers (-2, 173.5)

THE STORY: After delivering one of their top performances of the postseason, the Boston Celtics seek to take a 3-1 lead in their second-round series with Philadelphia when they visit the 76ers in Friday’s Game 4. Boston led by as many as 27 points in posting a 107-91 win on Wednesday while answering critics who had pegged the Celtics as ripe to be upset by the younger 76ers. Philadelphia needs a strong bounce-back effort to even the series.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Forward Kevin Garnett has turned back the clock with a string of solid playoff performances and has four consecutive double-doubles. He is averaging 23.7 points and 12 rebounds against the 76ers after recording 27 points (on 12 of 17 shooting) and 13 rebounds in Game 3. Point guard Rajon Rondo has dished out 27 assists with just two turnovers over the last two games. Rondo had 23 points and 14 assists in Game 3. Forward Paul Pierce’s gimpy left knee didn’t prevent him from posting 24 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3 after averaging just 10.5 points over the first two games. Boston committed just seven turnovers in the impressive victory.

ABOUT THE 76ERS: Forward Thaddeus Young had his best outing of the postseason with 22 points but several Philadelphia players struggled in the Game 3 loss. Starters Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Elton Brand were a combined 4-for-24 shooting and totaled just 11 points. All-Star Andre Iguodala had just 10 points and two assists in his worst game of the series. Philadelphia badly needs a breakout game from explosive backup Lou Williams, who is shooting just 32.4 percent from the field. Williams had 13 points in Game 3 for his best scoring output of the series.

TRENDS:
- 76ers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine home games.
- Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
- Celtics are 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Philadelphia had won four consecutive home playoff games before Boston’s decisive Game 3 victory.

2. Celtics forward Mickael Pietrus provided a boost with 13 points in Game 3 for his first double-digit outing of the postseason.

3. Sixers guard Jrue Holiday has made seven of 10 3-point attempts while averaging 16.5 points over the last two contests.



Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (-2.5, 192)

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers looked like they had the Oklahoma City Thunder all figured out in Game 2 of their Western Conference second-round series. One monumental collapse later, the Lakers find themselves in a dreaded 0-2 hole as they prepare to host Game 3 on Friday night. Los Angeles squandered a seven-point advantage in the last two minutes as Kobe Bryant struggled down the stretch and Steve Blake missed a 3-point attempt that would have put the Lakers ahead with three seconds left.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City missed 20 of its first 27 shots in the second half of Wednesday's game, but put together two sensational minutes to storm back for a 77-75 win. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook forced a pair of Bryant turnovers while Harden blocked a Bryant jumper before racing down court and finishing off the play with a layup. Durant then finished off the stunning comeback with a tricky seven-foot jumper with 18 seconds left. "All I told the guys was, 'We're down seven. You don't have to play perfect basketball, but we better come pretty close,'" head coach Scott Brooks said afterward.

ABOUT THE LAKERS: Everyone at the Chesapeake Energy Center knew Bryant was the Lakers' go-to-guy on the final possession - but Metta World Peace opted to pass the ball to an open Blake, who misfired from 23 feet to complete the Los Angeles collapse. Lakers head coach Mike Brown said Bryant was open on the play, but World Peace didn't see him. "Blake was wide open. We didn't have any timeouts left and he got a clean look, a really good look," he said. "He can knock that down." Bryant, who finished with 20 points, credited the Thunder with taking risks on the defensive end down the stretch.

TRENDS:
- Lakers are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 home games.
- Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
- Over is 13-6 in the Lakers' last 19 games as a home favorite.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Lakers finished with just five fast-break points in Game 2.

2. The teams won't get any rest, with Game 4 set for Saturday night at the Staples Center.

3. Oklahoma City's comeback bore resemblance to Game 1 of its first-round series against Dallas, when it trailed by seven with 2 1/2 minutes left before rallying to win.

[StarDust Bum]

Clippers & Spurs Shift Series To Los Angeles

The San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers move their series to a very busy Staples Center on Saturday. San Antonio opens as a 5-point road favorite with the total settling in at 192½ after opening 194.

The Clippers desperately need a change of scenery as they were no match in San Antonio for the red-hot Spurs. The starting five for the Spurs have absolutely dominated the Clippers' first unit so convincingly, I felt compelled to share the numbers (see table at end).

One player can’t single handedly win or lose an NBA playoff series. With that being said, Chris Paul, through the first two games, has killed any chances the Clippers had or have of winning a single game in the Western Conference semifinals. Paul has 16 points and 13 turnovers while shooting 7-of-22 from the field, a far cry from his regular season average of 20 points per game. To make matters worse, he still hasn’t attempted a free throw in the series...not one.

Minus Blake Griffin’s 10 free throw attempts, the entire Clippers starting five have only attempted six free throws in two games! This is playoff basketball and the Clippers haven’t quite figured out the importance of scoring from the free throw stripe where no one is guarding you.

Meanwhile, the Spurs, known more for their finesse than their physicality, have converted 28-of-38 from the charity stripe.

San Antonio's numbers continue to amaze and line the pockets of those backing the Alamo City squad. 2-0 straight up and against the spread in this series, 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread vs. the Jazz in the opening round, and 16 straight victories while covering 14 during their current win streak.

The Spurs have been profitable on the road as well with San Antonio sporting an 18-12-3 against the spread mark during the regular season. San Antonio is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven trips to LA to face the Clippers, and has covered 13 of the last 16 meetings vs. the Clippers. Did I say the Spurs were a bad matchup for the Clippers?

Good News: In the Clippers' only victory vs. the Spurs this season, Chris Paul went bananas scoring 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting while dishing out 11 assists. Mo Williams, who has been a non-factor so far in this series (averaging 6 points per game), scored 33 points while making seven 3-pointers in nine attempts.

Bad News: Tony Parker did not play in that game for the Spurs.

After much reflection, banter and statistical analysis, I can’t find one reason to back the Clippers in Game 3. Lay the five points and take the Spurs.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Saturday

May 19, 2012

This year’s shortened NBA season created a next to impossible schedule as teams had to play 66 games in less than four months. The product was often unwatchable, yet it did create value for gamblers who were able to adjust to the tendencies, which will get to below. Playing back-to-back games was a common theme and most didn’t expect it to happen in the postseason, but that’s the case tonight for the Lakers and Thunder and tomorrow too when the Clippers and Spurs meet in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series.
After watching the Lakers hold off the Thunder 99-96 in Game 3 last night, the two teams will hop back on the court at Staples Center tonight at 10:35 p.m ET. TNT will provide national coverage.

Most sports books sent out an opener of Pick ‘em but Oklahoma City is now sitting as a one-point road favorite at most shops. The Thunder could’ve been looking to complete the sweep tonight, but Los Angeles rallied for the win. OKC led 92-87 with less than three minutes left in the fourth but the Lakers closed with a 12-4 run, which cut the Thunder’s lead to 2-1 in the series. Kobe Bryant didn’t have a great performance in Game 2 but he rebounded on Friday with 36 points, 18 coming from the free throw line, which was the theme of the night for L.A.

The Lakers were 41-of-42 (97.6%) from the charity stripe, which was the second-best percentage in NBA playoff history for teams with more than 30 attempts. Oklahoma City also shot well from the line (26-of-28) but it had 14 fewer attempts.

You don’t want to take anything away from Los Angeles in Game 3 and you could argue that the Lakers should be up 2-1 in this series, especially after watching them blow a seven-point lead late in Game 2.

Still, it doesn’t take an expert to realize that OKC is the more talented of the two teams and the only thing slowing this club down is poor shooting and execution on offense.

In Game 1, the Thunder shot 53 percent and won by 29 points. In the second installment, they shot 42 percent and still managed to win. And last night, OKC barely shot 40 percent and they just missed by three points. Should the Lakers’ defense get some credit? Maybe a little and we’ll note that the Lakers coach Mike Brown does stress defense first but OKC is too good of a team to slow down.

During the season, OKC was ranked third in points (103.1) and field goal percentage (47.1), plus they led the league in free throw percentage (81%). When handicapping a game, you lean to the better probabilities and right now, most bettors would expect OKC to repeat what it did in the opener.

We mentioned above about the back-to-back situation tonight and most would assume that favors the younger and more athletic Thunder and it does, at least on paper. Oklahoma City went 14-6 (70%) on zero days rest during the regular season. The ATS numbers aren’t spectacular (9-11) but tonight’s points-spread is meaningless, unless of a course a hook or point is added by tip-off.

We delved into the numbers a little more and of the 20 games, OKC played 10 with no rest on the road and they went 8-2 in those affairs. In those 10 contests, only three were against playoff teams and that record was 2-1 with the lone loss coming at San Antonio (96-107) on Feb. 4.

Along with connecting at an 80% winning clip in these situations, we also noticed that OKC doesn’t slow down offensively either. The Thunder averaged 103.7 points per game and was never held under 95 points. Coincidentally, the team total for OKC on Game 4 is hovering around 95 points.

On the other side of the court are the Lakers, who were just 10-9 SU and 8-11 ATS on zero days of rest this season. Before you run to the counter and bang the Thunder, we’ll give you something to think about. In those 19 games, 15 of them were played on the road. In the four home games, the Lakers went 4-0 and you should know that they played the Clippers twice on the road with no rest and they went 1-1 against their next door neighbors. So overall, Los Angeles is 5-1 when playing with no rest at Staples Center. And the Lakers averaged 103.8 PPG in those six tilts, with the lowest output being 96. The team total for the Purple and Gold is 94 points tonight.

Thanks to the 70 free throws attempted and 67 made in Game 3 by both teams on Friday, the combined 195 points helped ‘over’ bettors cash tickets on a closing total of 189. The oddsmakers didn’t adjust for Game 4, opening at 189 and the number has held steady. The pace has been tough to judge in this series because of the free throw stoppages but outside of taking 69 attempts in Game 2, OKC has pushed the tempo to 83 shots in both Game 1 and 3.

Gamblers who believe the Lakers can win three out of four against the Thunder should take a look at the adjusted series price. Los Angeles is plus-620 (Bet $100 to win $620) while Oklahoma City remains a healthy 1/8 favorite (Bet $800 to win $100).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, May 19

WC Semifinals, Game Three (Spurs Lead, 2-0)
San Antonio at LA Clippers, 3:35 ET ABC
San Antonio: 16-2 ATS after scoring 105+ BB games
LA Clippers: 20-8 Under at home vs. San Antonio

WC Semifinals, Game Four (Oklahoma City Leads, 2-1)
Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, 10:35 ET TNT
Oklahoma City: 4-0 ATS playing 2nd road game in 2 days
LA Lakers: 1-6 ATS on Saturday


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NBA

Saturday, May 19

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What bettors need to know: Saturday's NBA playoff action
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Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (-1, 188.5)

Oklahoma City leads series 2-1

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers will not be swept out of the Western Conference's second round - but they will undoubtedly need to be better in Saturday's Game 3 if they want to extend the Oklahoma City Thunder beyond five games. The Lakers had all they could handle from the young Thunder, needing a 41-for-42 performance from the free-throw line to trim the deficit in the best-of-seven to 2-1. Kobe Bryant led the way with 36 points, but may be at a disadvantage as the teams deal with a quick turnaround.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City performed admirably on defense but couldn't prevent the Lakers' parade to the free-throw line, a development that ultimately proved to be the Thunder's undoing. They were able to keep Lakers center Andrew Bynum at bay - he shot just 2 for 13 from the floor - but had no answer for Bryant, who scored 14 points in the final quarter while knocking down all 18 of his free-throw attempts. Kevin Durant led the way with 31 points and had a good look at the game tying shot, but misfired from 30 feet as the Thunder fell to 6-1 in the postseason.

ABOUT THE LAKERS: Los Angeles displayed an aggression it simply didn't show at the Chesapeake Energy Center, taking the ball to the hoop at every opportunity. The Lakers rode that approach to victory, making their first 28 free-throw attempts and knocking down six more in crunch time to fend off the Thunder. How the Lakers - and Bryant in particular - bounce back for Game 4 less than 24 hours after an emotionally draining home victory will go a long way in determining whether the series returns to Oklahoma City tied 2-2, or with the Thunder a win away from a return trip to the conference finals.

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six road games.
* Lakers are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following a S.U. win.
* Under is 5-2 in Thunder last seven games as underdogs.
* Over is 6-1 in Lakers last seven games playing on zero rest.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Thunder went 14-6 in the regular-season on the second day of a back-to-back, while the Lakers posted a 10-9 mark.

2. Games 3 and 4 mark the first time the Lakers will play postseason games on consecutive days since May 22-23, 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs.

3. The Thunder were no slouches themselves from the foul line in Game 3, converting 26 of 28 attempts in defeat

[StarDust Bum]

Heat And Pacers In Miami With Series Tied

The Miami Heat squared away their series with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and now host Game 5 of this terrific Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.

A Monday night update is up first as Boston (-5½) is hosting Philadelphia with that series tied 2-2. The total is 173½. Don Best Sports analyst Pat Williams feels this is a game the Celtics must win after blowing a big lead in Philly on Friday. The hungry 76ers will be coming in and playing like it’s a Game 7 tonight.

The late game on Monday is Oklahoma City (-7½) back home and trying to close out the Lakers in five games. The total is 192 and L.A. must be scratching its head as it has played the Thunder even or better the last three games only to lose two of them.

Note this is the only playoff series left in the West. The Spurs swept the Clippers on Sunday, 102-99 as 7½-point favorites in a game that went ‘over’ the 192½-point total.

Getting back to the Heat, they perhaps saved their season with a 101-93 road win on Sunday as 2-point favorites. That was an 8-point halftime deficit, but LeBron James (40 total points) and Dwyane Wade (30 points) helped fuel a 30-16 margin in the third.

Don Best’s Williams said two days before the game that James would need to come up huge, and he certainly did. He added 18 rebounds and nine assists to the 40 points, one of the best playoff performances in history.

The spread has been released for Tuesday and the Don Best odds screen is showing Miami as a 7-point home favorite after opening at 6½. The total is 180. The Heat are totally reliant on their two remaining stars with Chris Bosh (abdominal) still out indefinitely. James and Wade took 50 of the 80 total shots last game.

Complimentary guys like Udonis Haslem (14 points) and Mario Chalmers (+17 plus/minus) also played big roles in Game 4. Indiana’s big-man tandem of David West and Roy Hibbert both got into foul trouble and scored just eight and 10 points respectively.

Guard George Hill also had just eight points last game after averaging 15 PPG in the first three. There is no superstar on the Pacers, the direct opposite situation from Miami, but they can’t afford three of their key players to struggle in one game.

The Heat were +18 in points in the paint last game despite being smaller. Williams likes them to continue that formula and regain homecourt advantage in this back-and-forth series.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Monday

May 21, 2012


We’re assuming that most bettors did well this past weekend as the favorites not only showed up on the hardwood but at the betting counter as well.
The ‘chalk’ posted a 6-0 straight up record between Friday and Sunday and they went 4-1-1 against the spread. The lone non-cover came when the Spurs failed to cash the 7 ½-point number last night in their 102-99 close out victory over the Clippers.

Plus, some early bettors might’ve earned a win with the Lakers (-2.5) on Friday instead of a push during their 99-96 win in Game 3 over the Thunder.

Another bad sign for the sports books last weekend was the total results. The ‘over’ went 5-1 in the six games albeit some of the tickets were very lucky, in particular the Game 4 battle Philadelphia and Boston on Friday.

Will the trends continue on Monday?

Let’s break ‘em down.

Philadelphia at Boston (TNT, 7:05 p.m. ET) - Winners

After everybody watched the Celtics dismantle the 76ers 107-91 in Game 3 last Wednesday, most pundits believed the series was over and it certainly looked that way last Friday in Game 4. Boston opened up a 15-point (46-31) lead at the half over Philadelphia and was up by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.

Then, the wheels fell off the wagon and the 76ers finally started to connect on their shots. Philadelphia outscored Boston by 24 points (61-37) in the second half behind a bench that posted 44 points in the game. Backup point guard Lou Williams was the catalyst in the final 24 minutes, posting 15 points and eight assists in the victory.

Boston has received great production from Kevin Garnett in this series, but the aging big man had his worst effort – finishing with nine points – last Friday. Paul Pierce added 24 points and Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 15 assists in the losing effort.

While the collapse for the Celtics was surprising the loss certainly wasn’t shocking and the outcomes have paralleled their opening series against Atlanta. In Game 4, Boston ripped the Hawks by 22 at home then came up short in Game 5 (86-87) in the next battle.

Philadelphia’s win has knotted the series at 2-2 and now this matchup becomes a best-of-three battle with Boston owning homecourt advantage. The Celtics opened as 5 ½-point favorites for Game 5 and the number has held steady throughout the weekend. The adjusted series price has Boston listed as a minus-240 (Bet $240 to win $100) favorite, while Philadelphia can be backed at 2/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $200).

In this year’s postseason, Boston hasn’t lost two in a row and it should be noted that neither has Philadelphia. Before you run to the counter and bang Doc Rivers and company tonight, keep in mind that the Celtics haven’t been a great investment in this year’s playoffs. The Celtics are 4-1 at home, but the ATS record is 1-4.

The 76ers are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS on the road in the playoffs, which includes their Game 2 victory (82-81) over Boston in this series.

Total players are looking at a number hovering between 173 and 174. The ‘over’ has gone 3-1 in the first four games but the number could easily stand at 2-2 if it wasn’t for the 76ers’ second-half eruption last Friday.

The two-day break should help the older Boston squad but their record in these situations (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS) says otherwise.

Game 6 will take place from Philadelphia on Wednesday and if necessary, Game 7 will be played on Saturday from Boston.

L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City (TNT, 9:35 p.m. ET) - Winners

The late-night battle between the Thunder and Lakers could be argued either way. Los Angeles faces a 3-1 deficit to Oklahoma City and you can make a case that the Lakers should be up 3-1 but then again, this series could easily be over too. Outside of the 29-point blowout by OKC in Game 1 (119-90), the other three games have been decided by a combined eight points.

Oddsmakers made Oklahoma City a 7 ½-point favorite for Game 5. The Thunder has gone 6-0 in this year’s playoffs but their ATS numbers stand at 3-3.

Can Los Angeles show some pride after collapsing in Game 4 last Saturday? The Lakers were on their way to another win, comfortably ahead by 13 points over OKC in the fourth quarter. Similar to the Celtics, Los Angeles couldn’t buy a shot and the more athletic and talented Thunder took advantage. Trailing 91-78, Oklahoma City closed with a 25-9 run, with the damage coming from the two-headed monster of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, who combined for 68 points in the win. Kobe Bryant added 38 points for the Lakers in the loss.

Los Angeles wasn’t a good bet on the road during the regular season or in the playoffs. Overall, the Lakers are 16-22 SU and 13-25 ATS, which includes a 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS postseason record. When the Lakers lose, they usually get run and our friends at The Gold Sheet believe another blowout wouldn’t be surprising tonight.

They explained, “We have seen the Lakers fold up their tents in close-out games in the past, with Kobe Bryant's petulance hard to suppress when all seems lost. Too many times we have seen the Lakers quit in these situations, including last year vs. Dallas, 2008 vs. Boston, 2006 vs. Phoenix, 2004 vs. Detroit, and 2003 vs. San Antonio. The constant in the mix is Kobe, whose efforts in these situations continue to recur.”

In the five occurrences mentioned by The Gold Sheet, the Lakers lost those games by 36, 39, 31, 13 and 28 points.

Only eight teams in NBA history have rallied to win a series when facing a 3-1 deficit. If you believe that Kobe and the Lakers can become the ninth, then you can get 22/1 odds on the adjusted series price.

After watching Game 4 cash ‘over’ tickets, the total for Game 5 opened at 192, which was four points higher (188) than the previous encounter. The ‘over’ has gone 3-1 through the first four games and OKC has watched three of its four home playoff games go ‘over’ the number.

If Los Angeles wins tonight, Game 6 takes place on Wednesday from Staples Center.

[StarDust Bum]

Public backing San Antonio

May 21, 2012

Spurs a Thorn in the Books Side!

When a team wins 17 straight games like the San Antonio Spurs have, it creates a lot of attention with bettors which makes most of the games one sided for the sports books. Unlike pro baseball or pro hockey, where most of the action is on the money-line, basketball deals with a point-spread.

And when you have a line involved, the wins and losses usually evens things out a bit more as the win streak becomes littered with inflated spreads that become almost impossible to cover. Unfortunately for the sports books, that hasn’t happened with the Spurs, no matter how they have adjusted their rating.

The Spurs are a covering machine with a well-rested 10-man rotation that rarely looks tired or makes takes bad shots. During their 17-game winning streak they have gone 15-2 against-the-spread.

For the casual bettor, San Antonio has been an automatic play in their two and three-team parlays with little decisions needed to be made. You simply take the Spurs and hope your other teams come through.

“We’ve been hurt by the Spurs during the playoffs, not just from the smaller money on parlays, but also from high end house players that have also been riding them,” said MGM Resorts race and sports director Jay Rood.

“We’re actually fortunate that some of the other popular teams haven’t been as easy to figure out because we’re still holding close to what we historically do in May for the NBA.”

Had it not been for the Spurs, the books would be doing extremely well in the playoffs. Bettors came into the playoffs high on teams like the Heat, got burned by them a few games and then jumped ship altogether by the time they arrived in Indianapolis for Game 3 and bet the Pacers.

“They (public) we’re betting against the Heat and taking the Spurs Sunday,” said Rood. “The parlay risk to those two sides was enormous.”

San Antonio completed its second playoff sweep on Sunday by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, 102-99. However, they failed to cover as 7 ½-point road favorites.

Needless to say, Sunday was a very good day for the house.

Although the Clippers were Rood’s least favorite team to win the NBA Championship because of large future exposure, the next worst decision for him is the Spurs who he currently has listed at EVEN money.

Prior to the season, a couple offshore outfits had San Antonio listed as high as a 25/1 price to win this year’s championship. When you consider the franchise won the last season (1999) that was shortened due to a lockout, perhaps the Spurs will keep this streak going.

In case you forget, San Antonio went 15-2 during that postseason run, which included back-to-back sweeps in the Western Conference semifinals and finals. The Spurs stopped the Knicks in five games of the NBA Finals.

Below are the latest futures from the LVH Super Book:

ODDS TO WIN 2011-2012 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
SPURS 5/4
THUNDER 13/5
HEAT 2/1
CELTICS 18/1
PACERS 20/1
76ERS 40/1
LAKERS 100/1

ODDS TO WIN 2011-2012 NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE
HEAT 5/8
CELTICS 7/2
PACERS 9/2
76ERS 10/1

ODDS TO WIN 2011-2012 NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE
SPURS 1/2
THUNDER 7/5
LAKERS 50/1

[StarDust Bum]

NBA PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

No. 8 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

at No. 4 BOSTON CELTICS


Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 5 – Series tied 2-2
Tip-off: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Boston -5½, Total: 174

The 76ers pulled off a stunning comeback over the Celtics on Friday to even the series at two games apiece, but now the East semifinals shift to Boston for Monday’s Game 5.

Philadelphia erased an 18-point deficit in the second half and beat the Celtics handily, 92-83. The 76ers bench outscored Boston’s bench 44 to 12, as the reserve trio of PG Lou Williams (15 points, 8 assists, +28 rating), SF Thaddeus Young (12 points, 9 rebounds) and PF Lavoy Allen (8 points, 10 rebounds) all had huge performances. Philly controlled the glass with a 52-38 rebounding advantage and outscored Boston in the paint 34-26. The Celtics have been a strong home team this season (28-10, 19-19 ATS), and are also 7-2 SU in the past nine home meetings with Philly. But the Sixers (18-20, 20-18 ATS on road this year) won Game 2 at TD Garden and are 5-2 ATS in the past seven visits there. Which team will take the series lead? For the answer, connect to NBA Playoffs Best Bets for all the Expert picks for every playoff game during the 2012 postseason. The ******* staff is 14-6 ATS over the past two nights, while ******* Scott is 7-3-1 in Best Bets since May 9.

Despite the two off-days, neither team has been great with a long layoff, as both clubs are 5-6 this season with 2+ days of rest. Philly is a mediocre 20-20 (SU and ATS) coming off an SU win, but Boston is just 17-13 (14-16 ATS) after an SU loss. Both teams have played incredible defense in the 2012 playoffs, as the Celtics are giving up 84.9 PPG on 40% FG, and the 76ers aren’t far behind at 86.9 PPG on 43% FG.

As expected, both teams shot poorly from the floor in Game 4 with the Celtics making just 42.3% FG (7-of-23 threes) and the Sixers shooting even worse at 37.8% FG, but hitting 5-of-11 threes. SF Andre Iguodala and SG Evan Turner each led the team with 16 points, but Turner made just 5-of-22 shots. However, he did pull down nine rebounds and was the only starter not to post a negative rating. Iguodala had seven rebounds (three offensive) with four assists, and is now averaging 14.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 4.8 APG in the series. PG Jrue Holiday scored in double figures for the third straight game, but followed up his nine-assist performance in Game 3 with just one assist in Game 4. Holiday did have seven rebounds though, which were more than starters C Spencer Hawes and PF Elton Brand who combined for just five rebounds in 30 minutes of play.

Boston PF Kevin Garnett was arguably the MVP of the series in Games 1-3 with 23.7 PPG (63.3% FG) and 12.0 RPG, but he had a dreadful Game 4 with just nine points (3-of-12 FG) and seven turnovers to negate his 11 boards. PG Rajon Rondo dished out another 15 assists on Friday, giving him 14.8 APG for the series. And since scoring a mere 10.5 PPG on 10-for-27 shooting in the first two games, he’s got 19.0 PPG on 16-of-30 FG in the past two games. SF Paul Pierce has also been much better in his past two games (24.0 PPG on 14-of-30 FG) than in Games 1-2 (10.5 PPG on 5-of-20 FG). Unlike his two teammates, SG Ray Allen shot well at home in the first two games (14.5 PPG on 11-of-24 FG), but hasn’t been able to free himself in the past two contests on the road (4.0 PPG on 3-of-7 FG). SG Avery Bradley has been an inspiration to his team, playing through a separated shoulder that has popped out of place four times this season. Although he’s scoring just 6.0 PPG on 36% FG, Bradley has a +35 rating for the series.

[StarDust Bum]

Lakers try to stave off elimination Monday on road

NBA PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

No. 3 LOS ANGELES LAKERS

at No. 2 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER


Western Conference Semifinals
Game 5 - Oklahoma City leads series 3-1
Tip-off: Monday, 9:35 p.m. ET
Line: Oklahoma City -8, Total: 192

After blowing a golden opportunity to tie up the series on Saturday, the Lakers are now trying to simply prolong their season when they visit Oklahoma City in Monday’s Game 5.

The Thunder rallied back from 13 points down in the final eight minutes to stun L.A. on its home floor. Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 37 points, while Kevin Durant added 31, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 13.7 seconds remaining. The Lakers’ road woes have been well-documented this season, as they are just 16-22 (13-24-1 ATS) in away games. Meanwhile, the Thunder are a sparkling 30-7 SU, but a subpar 18-19 ATS in home games this season. Can the Thunder close out the series with a big win? For the answer, connect to NBA Playoffs Best Bets for all the Expert picks for every playoff game during the 2012 postseason. The ******* staff is 14-6 ATS over the past two nights, while ******* Scott is 7-3-1 in Best Bets since May 9.

The Lakers continued their poor shooting this series by making just 43.0% FG (5-of-18 threes) on Saturday, giving them series marks of 41.0% FG and 30.0% threes. Oklahoma City connected on 49.4% FG (6-of-16 threes) in Game 4 to improve to 46.2% FG (34.3% threes) for the series. Los Angeles hasn’t been good on the road or with just one day’s rest, but it is 21-9 (14-14-2 ATS) coming off an SU loss. However, Oklahoma City is 36-17 (24-28-1 ATS) following an SU win.

Despite his 25.3 PPG in the series, Lakers SG Kobe Bryant is still not shooting very well at 38.5% FG (1-of-12 threes). But he does have 5.3 RPG, 4.3 APG and is 39-for-44 from the foul line (89%). C Andrew Bynum bounced back from a rough 2-of-13 shooting night in Game 3, and made 9-of-15 FG in Game 4, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds. But he wasn’t aggressive enough on offense, attempting only two free throws, a huge drop-off from the night before when he was 11-for-12 from the free-thrown line. PF Pau Gasol was criticized by Bryant and others that he wasn’t assertive enough in Game 4, as he did not attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter. Gasol finished with a pedestrian 10 points and five rebounds in 37 minutes of action. SF Metta World Peace had his most productive game with 14 points and six rebounds on Friday, but has made just 13-of-40 shots (32.5%) for the series. PG Ramon Sessions has had two straight solid outings (11.0 PPG, 4.5 APG), but he was terrible in the first two games at Oklahoma City, scoring a total of four points on 2-of-10 shooting. Backup PG Steve Blake scored 12 points in Game 3, but he hasn’t done much in his team’s three losses, combining for 10 points on 3-of-12 FG.

Durant and Westbrook continue to put on a show with 27.3 PPG and 25.0 PPG, respectively, in the series so far. Durant is shooting 54.2% FG and also has 8.3 RPG. Westbrook has made 49% of his shots and also has 6.0 RPG and 4.8 APG. SF James Harden connected on just 6-of-24 shots over his past two games, but has still managed to score 16.5 PPG thanks to 18-of-20 free throws. SF Serge Ibaka and C Kendrick Perkins continue their prowess down low. Ibaka has 9.0 PPG, 4.3 BPG and a +21 rating in the series while Perkins grabbed nine rebounds in Game 4 and has seven blocks in his past two games