Da Bum's 2014 NBA Playoff Best Bets- News,Stats-Trends !

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NBA

Wednesday, May 14


Underdog shines on hardwood yet again

The underdog had another great night for bettors, going 2-0 against the spread in Tuesday's NBA Playoff action.

The Washington Wizards thumped the Indiana Pacers 102-79, covering as a 5.5-point road dog, and the Oklahoma City Thunder won 105-104, but it was the Los Angeles Clippers who covered as 5.5-point road dogs.

Underdogs are now 9-1 ATS since Friday May 9 and are 12-6 ATS in the conference semifinal round of the postseason.

The Brooklyn Nets are 7-point road dogs at the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers are 7.5-point road dogs at the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday's matchups.

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Game 5 - Nets at Heat

May 13, 2014


Brooklyn (49-44) at Miami (61-29)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 5 - Miami leads series 3-1
Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Miami -7, Total: 189

The Heat look to close out their Eastern Conference Semifinals series on Wednesday night when they host the Nets in Game 5.

Brooklyn seemingly had all of the momentum heading into Game 4 after a big home win in Game 3. However, Miami was ready to play and made 53% FG in 102-96 victory to take a 3-1 series lead. LeBron James scored 31 more points than any other player on Monday, finishing with an astounding 49 points in 43 minutes. The Heat now head back home where they are 36-9 SU (but only 21-23-1 ATS) this season, and are a dominant 5-2 (SU and ATS) versus the Nets over the past three seasons. Six of those seven games in South Beach have gone Under the total.

Miami is now 7-1 SU (6-2 ATS) this postseason, and is also 7-1 ATS this season after three straight games forcing its opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers. The team is also 20-8 ATS in that same scenario over the past three seasons as well. Brooklyn is a horrible road team at 18-29 SU (21-25-1 ATS), but is 3-1 ATS after a game forcing an opponent to commit eight or less turnovers. They are also 2-0 ATS this postseason when facing elimination in a playoff series and 9-2 ATS since 1996 in the fifth game of a playoff series. There are no significant injuries for either team.

The Nets fought until the very end of Game 4, but they ultimately had no answer for LeBron James. After the Nets went 15-of-25 from three-point range in Game 3, they were ice-cold shooting in Game 4 at just 5-of-22 threes, and if just a couple more fell throughout the game, they might have pulled out a victory. SF Paul Pierce (13.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs) had 16 points (6-of-11 FG) and seven rebounds in 32 minutes, but he was unable to connect from long range during the game (0-for-4 threes). After playing excellent defense on LeBron James in Game 3, he really struggled to stay in front of him in Game 4. PG Deron Williams (14.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, 1.1 SPG in playoffs) played a solid all around game on Monday, finishing with 13 points (5-of-14 FG), seven assists and six rebounds in 32 minutes. Williams was a lot more aggressive offensively in this game, but he has still been struggling with his shot this series (34% FG) and just does not look like the same player he was for the majority of the first-round series versus Toronto.

SG Joe Johnson (20.0 PPG in playoffs) followed up a 19-point performance in Game 3 with 18 points on horrible shooting (5-of-15 FG, 2-of-7 threes). However, Johnson was not hitting his shots, and the Nets will need him to heat up quickly for Game 5. SG Shaun Livingston (9.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG in playoffs) had 13 points and four assists in 34 minutes on Monday, but also posted a minus-17 rating. The Nets will need him to play well in Game 5 if they are going to extend their season for another game.

The Heat did not play a great game on Monday, but luckily for them, they still have superstar SF LeBron James (30.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.9 SPG in playoffs). James was in a zone on Monday night, tying his playoff career high with 49 points (16-of-24 FG, 3-of-6 threes, 14-of-19 FT). James also had six rebounds, three steals, two assists, one turnover and a +13 rating. He was using his size and making some nice shots from mid-range all evening. He will look to get some similar looks on Wednesday, as he tries to close out the Nets. Although James played an outstanding game, he will still need more help from SG Dwyane Wade (16.6 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) for the rest of the playoffs. Wade had 15 points (7-of-13 FG) in Game 4, but he was pretty much non-existent after a good first half.

The Heat will really need Wade to be aggressive and play like his former self, rather than be content taking a back seat to both James and PF Chris Bosh (14.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG in playoffs). Bosh had a pedestrian 12 points (5-of-9 FG, 2-of-6 threes), five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in Game 4. He was playing excellent defensively, but he has fallen a little too much in love with his three-point shooting in this series, which is not a good thing considering he's 4-of-16 from downtown this series. The Heat will need Bosh to operate in the mid-range game like he usually does. SG Ray Allen (8.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG in playoffs) continues to make a mark in this series. He had 11 points and seven rebounds in the game, and was clutch when the Heat gave him the ball to close it out from the free-throw line towards the end of regulation. Miami will need Allen to continue hitting his open shots and rebounding like he has (5.7 RPG in past three games) if they are going to advance to the next round on Wednesday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nets at Heat
Tue, May 6 Final 86 to 107
Recaps

GAME 2
Nets at Heat
Thu, May 8 Final 82 to 94
Recaps

GAME 3
Heat at Nets
Sat, May 10 Final 90 to 104
Recaps

GAME 4
Heat at Nets
Mon, May 12 Final 102 to 96
Recaps

GAME 5
Nets at Heat
Wed, May 14 - 7:00PM EDT

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Preview: Trail Blazers (54-28) at Spurs (62-20)

Date: May 14, 2014 9:30 PM EDT


SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker has long been Nicolas Batum's friend and mentor, both on the French national team and in their NBA careers.

So it was understandable after Batum's dominance in Game 4 of the playoff series between the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers that San Antonio's veteran point guard cracked a smile when asked if he had a part in his pal's success.

'I'm happy for him. He's doing great,' Parker said. 'He's doing everything he can to help his team out there. You have to give him credit.'

Batum had 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the Trail Blazers' 103-92 victory Monday night. Portland avoided elimination and narrowed the series to 3-1, sending it back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Wednesday.

No NBA team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, well aware that he had to do something, switched things up heading into Game 4 and gave Batum the task of stopping his countryman.

The combination seemed to work: Parker scored 14 points in Game 4 after averaging 26 points and more than eight assists in the first three games of the series.

'I just did my job,' Batum said. 'My job was to slow him down. He's had a great series so far. He's a great champion. So I just tried to do my job and slow him down.'

Parker, who had just one assist and three turnovers, was the top scorer for the Spurs, who as a whole scored far fewer than the 116 points they averaged in the first three.

'You have to give a lot of credit to Portland,' Parker said. 'They played great, they came out of the gates. Batum was great, he gave them a big boost. He got on the boards and was everywhere.'

Parker scored 29 points in San Antonio's 118-103 Game 3 victory on Saturday night. The Spurs had routed the Blazers 116-92 in the series opener after their grueling seven-game first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, then built a 20-point lead and handily won Game 2 114-97.

The Spurs are looking to advance to the Western Conference finals for the third straight season. The winner of their series with the Blazers will face the winner of the other semifinal between the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

San Antonio, which has won four NBA titles, has reached the playoffs 17 straight seasons.

Portland made it to the second round for the first time in 14 years by defeating the Houston Rockets in six games, clinching the series with Damian Lillard's amazing 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 99-98 victory at home in the deciding game.

Monday night's victory over the Spurs was their first in a second round since beating Utah in the 2000 conference semifinals.

'We had nothing to lose,' Batum said. 'We had no pressure. If we lose, we're on vacation. So we just went out there and played our game the way we're used to playing.'

No matter how hopeful the win made the Blazers, the fact remains that they are one loss from elimination. Batum tried to spur his teammate along by asking 'Why not us?'

The Blazers were the last team to take a series to seven games after dropping the first three. Portland rebounded in the first round against Dallas in 2003 but ultimately lost the first-round series' deciding game.

'We are confident,' Blazers guard Wesley Matthews said. 'Someone has to make history at some time. Might as well be us.'

[StarDust Bum]

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Trail Blazers at Spurs
Tue, May 6 Final 92 to 116
Recaps

GAME 2
Trail Blazers at Spurs
Thu, May 8 Final 97 to 114
Recaps

GAME 3
Spurs at Trail Blazers
Sat, May 10 Final 118 to 103
Recaps

GAME 4
Spurs at Trail Blazers
Mon, May 12 Final 92 to 103
Recaps

GAME 5
Trail Blazers at Spurs
Wed, May 14 - 9:30PM EDT

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Wednesday's Playoff Tips

May 14, 2014


Two conference semifinals series can end tonight with victories by each of the two teams that played in last summer’s NBA Finals. The Heat extended their series lead to 3-1 after holding off the Nets on Monday, while the Spurs couldn’t quite finish off the Blazers in four games. Favorites have slightly improved in this round following a disastrous opening round against the spread (15-34-1 ATS), but own a 7-11 ATS mark in the conference semifinals after the Wizards and Thunder cashed on Tuesday.

Nets at Heat (-7, 189) – 7:05 PM EST – TNT

After getting swept in the regular season by Brooklyn, the Heat is one win away from eliminating the Nets in the second round. It didn’t come easy in Monday’s 102-96 triumph as two-point favorites for the defending champion Heat, who leaned on LeBron James, tying his playoff career-high of 49 points. Miami built a seven-point halftime lead at 56-49, but the Nets rallied back to grab a three-point advantage in the fourth quarter. However, the Heat’s defense stepped up in the end to capture their first win at Barclays Center in four tries this season.

The Nets were limited to one field goal in the final 4:20 of regulation, a garbage-time layup by Mirza Teletovic with seven seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 99-96. Fifty seconds earlier, Chris Bosh drilled a wide-open three-pointer in the corner to break a 94-94 tie and give the Heat the lead for good, while Miami picked up its 10th consecutive win in the playoffs coming off a loss dating back to 2012. Another key for the Heat was limiting Brooklyn’s success from the three-point line, as the Nets hit only five treys in Game 4 after knocking down 15 shots from downtown in the Game 3 victory.

The ‘over’ cashed in each of the last two games at the Barclays Center, but Brooklyn’s offense sank when it played the first two contests in South Florida, averaging 84 points per game. Deron Williams has scored in double-figures just twice through the first four games of this series, while being held scoreless in the 12-point loss in Game 2 last Thursday.

VegasInsider.com’s Chris David believes that the Heat will shut the door on the Nets tonight, “The only thing that surprises me in this series is that it’s not over already. If it wasn’t for 15 made 3-pointers by the Nets in Game 3, it would be. If you expect the Nets to extend this series, then you’re expecting them to shoot better, something they haven’t been able to do in a pair of trips to Miami.”

Following the pair of ‘overs’ in Brooklyn, David says the Nets will likely revert to the offense seen in the first two games, “Jason Kidd must know that his team can’t run with Miami and they need to slow the game down. In four trips to Miami this season, the Nets have scored 96, 88, 86 and 82 points. I do believe the game will be a grinder and these totals have been real close to the number. The pace has been super slow in every game and barring a ton of whistles, I don’t see both teams getting into the nineties.”

Erik Spoelstra’s club owns an impressive 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS record the last 10 games off a road win since mid-February, while Miami has compiled a 6-2 ATS mark in the postseason. Since Thanksgiving, the Nets have put together a horrible 2-9 SU and 4-7 ATS record coming off a home loss, but Brooklyn is 2-0 SU/ATS in the playoffs when looking to avoid elimination.

Blazers at Spurs (-8, 208 ½) – 9:35 PM EST – TNT

For the first time in the last five opportunities, San Antonio did not finish off a sweep when owning a 3-0 series lead, as the Spurs were tripped up by the Blazers in Game 4 at the Moda Center, 103-92. Portland snapped a seven-game ATS skid as it cashed as 4 ½-point home underdogs, while riding a 35-20 third quarter run to keep its season alive. Granted, the Blazers still have a large hole to crawl out of heading back to the Lone Star State tonight, but Portland did show some signs of life in its possible home finale.

The Blazers pulled down 53 rebounds on Monday night, while limiting the hot-shooting Spurs to just 44% from the floor and 3-of-18 from three-point range. Portland hit just 44% of its shots, but received a boost off the bench from Will Barton, who scored 17 points, while Damian Lillard finally got the best of Tony Parker in the point guard battle as Lillard put up a game-high 25 points. The Blazers will close the season not losing consecutive home contests, going 8-0 at home off a defeat at the Moda Center.

David looks at this contest as one that will be a run-and-gun affair, “While I believe the Nets and Heat will be a low-scoring game on Wednesday, I feel the opposite with the Spurs and Trail Blazers. Both clubs have been strong ‘over’ looks in the postseason and even though they only combined for 195 points in Game 4, the pace was fast and the outcome was decided by a ton of missed shots and more importantly, a lack of free throw attempts. The total comes down a few points, which helps us if the game does get out of hand. Even so, Portland is facing elimination and will do anything possible to extend the series, which could create extra points at the end of the game.”

To support David’s analysis, the Spurs have hit the ‘over’ in five of the past six opportunities after being held to less than 100 points, including three times in the playoffs. Since early February, San Antonio has won seven of its last eight off a road loss, but compiled a 4-4 ATS record. The Blazers have drilled the ‘over’ in six of its past seven away contests, while allowing at least 105 points in all five road postseason games.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results

May 14, 2014


Betting Results

Second Round
Wager Favorites-Underdogs Home-Away
Straight Up 10-8 10-8
Against the Spread 7-11 7-11
Total
Over-Under 10-8


Eastern Conference Semifinals

(E1) Indiana vs. (E5) Washington
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Washington (+4, +155) at Indiana 102-96 Underdog Over (184)
2 Washington at Indiana (-4.5) 86-82 Underdog Under (187)
3 Indiana (+5, +180) at Washington 85-63 Underdog Under (183.5)
4 Indiana (+3.5, +145) at Washington 95-92 Underdog Over (179.5)
5 Washington (+5.5, +190) at Indiana 102-79 Underdog Under (181.5)
6 Indiana at Washington - - -
7 Washington at Indiana - - -


(E2) Miami vs. (E6) Brooklyn
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Brooklyn at Miami (-8) 107-86 Favorite Over (192)
2 Brooklyn at Miami (-6.5) 94-82 Favorite Under (192)
3 Miami at Brooklyn (+1, +100) 104-90 Underdog Over (188)
4 Miami (-2) at Brooklyn 102-96 Favorite Over (186.5)
5 Brooklyn at Miami - - -
6 Miami at Brooklyn - - -
7 Brooklyn at Miami - - -


Western Conference Semifinals

(W2) Oklahoma City vs. (W3) L.A. Clippers
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Los Angeles (+5.5, +200) at Oklahoma City 122-105 Underdog Over (213.5)
2 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (-5) 112-101 Favorite Under (215)
3 Oklahoma City (+4.5, +165) at Los Angeles 118-112 Underdog Over (215)
4 Oklahoma City at Los Angeles (-5) 101-99 Underdog Under (214)
5 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (-5.5) 105-104 Underdog Under (214)
6 Oklahoma City at Los Angeles - - -
7 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City - - -


(W1) San Antonio vs. (W5) Portland
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Portland at San Antonio (-6.5) 116-92 Favorite Over (207)
2 Portland at San Antonio (-6.5) 114-97 Favorite Over (208.5)
3 San Antonio (PK, -110) at Portland 118-103 Favorite Over (208)
4 San Antonio at Portland (+4.5, +170) 103-92 Underdog Under (211)
5 Portland at San Antonio - - -
6 San Antonio at Portland - - -
7 Portland at San Antonio - - -

[StarDust Bum]

Record in the playoffs as of TUESDAY Night :

23 - 12 ..............................*****

23 - 23 ..............................DOUBLE PLAY

30 - 25- 2...............................TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 14

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, 7:00 ET
Brooklyn: 4-12 ATS after a loss by 6 points or less
Miami: 9-1 ATS when playing 5 or less games in 14 days

Portland at San Antonio, 9:35 ET
Portland: 9-21 ATS in road games after a win by 10 points or more
San Antonio: 24-12 ATS off a upset loss as a favorite

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday, May 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Brooklyn - 7:00 PM ET Brooklyn +7 500 *****

Miami - Under 189 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Portland - 9:30 PM ET San Antonio -8.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

San Antonio - Over 208.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Tips

May 15, 2014


The Heat and Spurs both advanced to the conference finals with victories last night, as two more teams have opportunities to move forward tonight. Miami and San Antonio both took care of business on its home court, but Indiana and Oklahoma City need a road win to advance tonight. On the against the spread front, the underdogs keep cashing with the Nets taking home the money as seven-point underdogs in the two-point defeat to the Heat, while the Blazers were blown out by the Spurs. Currently, underdogs own a 12-8 ATS record in the conference semifinals, improving to 43-26-1 ATS in the playoffs.

Pacers at Wizards (-4 ½, 180 ½) – 8:00 PM EST – ESPN

In one of the weirder series to figure out in these playoffs, Indiana tries to close out Washington at the Verizon Center tonight after getting routed by the Wizards in Game 5. Washington stayed alive with a 102-79 destruction of Indiana on Tuesday to cash outright as 5 ½-point underdogs, marking the fourth time in five games of this series that the road ‘dog has won. The roller-coaster Pacers looked completely flat from the tip, scoring just 38 first half points, while getting outrebounded by the Wizards, 62-23, the third-largest rebounding disparity in playoff history.

After Roy Hibbert dominated the middle for the Pacers in Game 2, Washington big man Marcin Gortat scored a playoff career-high 31 points on an efficient 13-of-15 shooting, while pulling down 16 rebounds. On the flip side, Hibbert reverted back to his playoff self by putting up just four points on 2-of-7 shooting, the fifth time in the last 10 games in which the Indiana center has scored four points or less. Another key for the Wizards in Game 5 was the emergence of John Wall, who has struggled scoring at times in the playoffs. The former top pick scored a playoff career-best 27 points, matching his point total from the losses in Game 3 and Game 4 at home.
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Playing at home for the Wizards has looked like a disappearing act for Randy Wittman’s team, who compiled point totals of 63 in Game 3 and 92 in Game 4. The game in which they scored 92 points actually went ‘over’ the total of 187, as Washington threw away a 19-point lead in a 95-92 defeat, while owning a 1-3 SU/ATS record at the Verizon Center in the playoffs.

VegasInsider.com’s Chris David provides an easy way to figure out this matchup, “This series has been very simple to handicap, just grab the points with the road team. It’s 5-0 ATS after five games and you really have no reason to go against that trend on Thursday. Washington was a mediocre team in the regular season (22-19) and that carry-over has produced a 1-3 record in the postseason. As bad as Indiana looked in Game 5, it hasn’t dropped back-to-back games in the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Washington extend the series but based on these trends, I’m leaning to the road underdog in this spot.”

The Pacers have covered all three games in the postseason as an underdog, while hitting the ‘under’ in four of five playoff contests away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Thunder at Clippers (-5, 212) – 10:30 PM EST – ESPN

Oklahoma City and Los Angeles are reenacting the end of “Rocky II” throughout this series with each team going back and forth and falling to the mat. However, the Thunder looks like the team that will get up last, heading to Staples Center tonight trying to move on to the Western Conference Finals with a win over the Clippers.

The Clippers rallied from a 22-point deficit to stun the Thunder in Game 4, but the Thunder turned the tables on Los Angeles in Game 5 by erasing a seven-point deficit in the final 45 seconds to pull off a shocking 105-104 victory to take a 3-2 series lead. Russell Westbrook continued a strong playoff effort with 38 points, including three free throws after getting fouled late by Chris Paul. The Thunder overcame a poor shooting night from MVP Kevin Durant (6-of-22), while OKC didn’t cover as 5 ½-point favorites, marking the third straight cover by the underdog in this series.

David says there is no definite side to back after the final minute meltdowns in Games 4 and 5, “After watching both teams have monumental collapses in the last two games, I’m a little gun shy to back either squad in Game 6. However, I do believe the adjusted series price is too inflated. Most shops have the Clippers listed as a 3/1 choice to rally from a 3-2 deficit and advance. Rather than give 4 ½ points in Game 6, I’ll take those odds and hope for the straight up win. If L.A. does force a Game 7, you can let it ride with the visitor or get out and play Oklahoma City on the money-line, which should be -220 or -240, give or take a few cents. Either way, you’ll have options available if the Clips force Game 7 and if you’re very creative, you can wait on the hedge and place some Live Betting wagers come Saturday as the game begins.”

The Clippers have covered just two of six playoff games at Staples Center, while going 5-1 to the ‘over’ at home. Doc Rivers’ team is just 2-5 ATS in the last seven games off a road loss, which includes a 118-112 defeat to the Thunder in Game 3 of this series.

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Game 6 - Pacers at Wizards

May 15, 2014


Indiana (63-31) at Washington (50-42)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game 6 - Indiana leads series 3-2
Tip-off: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Washington -4.5, Total: 181

The Wizards will try to keep the momentum going when they attempt to tie up their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at home versus the Pacers on Thursday night.

Washington had averaged only 79.0 PPG on 41% FG (27% threes) over three straight defeats in this series, but shot a blistering 50% FG in Tuesday's surprising 102-79 blowout of host Indiana in Game 5. The Wizards got 90 points from their starting five and held a ridiculous 62-23 rebounding advantage (18-4 on offensive glass) thanks in large part to the Pacers making only 39% FG and 59% free throws (13-of-22). Now they go back on the road where they are a strong 25-21 SU (21-25 ATS) this season, and are also 19-9 ATS in the past two seasons on the road revenging a loss versus an opponent.

Although Washington has been a subpar home team this season at 23-22 SU and 17-26-2 ATS, the club has thrived in the underdog role at 30-17-1 ATS (64%). Over the past three seasons, Indiana is 11-4 SU (6-9 ATS) overall in this series, including 5-2 SU (4-3 ATS) in the nation's capital. Although the Pacers are a dismal 5-16 ATS (24%) when facing a winning team in the second half of this season, they are also 21-11 ATS (66%) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points in the past three seasons. The Wizards have no significant injuries, while Indiana remains without backup C Andrew Bynum (knee).

Indiana's offense struggled during the regular season (96.7 PPG on 44.9% FG and 35.7% threes), and has been even worse in this series with 88.2 PPG on 42.2% FG. The defense continues to carry the club to the brink of the conference finals by holding opponents to a meager 90.7 PPG on 40.5% FG during the playoffs. SF Paul George (21.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG in series) exploded in Game 4 with 39 points on 12-of-20 FG (7-of-10 threes), but he followed that up with a poor 5-for-15 shooting night on Tuesday, scoring only 15 points with a minus-24 rating. C Roy Hibbert (12.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG in series) was outstanding in his team's three straight victories in this series with 19.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG and +47 rating, but has tallied a pathetic 2.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.5 BPG and a minus-44 rating in the pair of losses. On Tuesday, the 7-foot-2 All-Star scored four points (2-of-7 FG) with two rebounds and a minus-27 rating.

PF David West (13.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG in series) continues to give his team consistent production, netting 17 points with six boards and three assists in Game 5. But after posting a stellar +63 rating in the first four games in this series, he tallied a horrendous minus-35 rating on Tuesday. PG George Hill (11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 SPG in series) has also had a strong series, but provided his worst effort of the second round in Game 5 when he scored only three points on 1-of-8 FG. Hill also tallied two turnovers and two assists and a terrible minus-30 rating in his 31 minutes. Backcourt mate SG Lance Stephenson (10.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.2 APG in series) failed to score in double-figures for the third straight game on Tuesday, and chipped in only three assists and zero rebounds with a minus-23 rating in an uninspiring 28 minutes. Although Stephenson made half of his shots (4-for-8 FG), he is still 18-of-54 FG (33%) in this series. Indiana's bench produced some strong minutes on Tuesday with all eight reserves scoring, while combining for 31 points (11-of-25 FG) and a +24 rating. This was quite an improvement from the bench's collective two points (1-of-9 FG) and minus-49 rating in Game 4.

Although the Wizards shot well from the floor in Game 5, they made only 5-of-18 threes (28%) and had nearly as many turnovers (19) as assists (21). For the series, the team is scoring only 88.2 PPG on 43.2% FG and 33.7% threes, while averaging a paltry 19.2 APG and 15.6 TOPG. But Washington's team defense has been excellent in the playoffs, where it has limited opponents to a mere 89.1 PPG on 42.2% FG. The offense was in high gear on Tuesday, especially in the second half when Washington scored 57 points. The star of Game 5 was clearly C Marcin Gortat (14.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG in series) who made a near perfect 13-of-15 FG to finish with 31 points, 16 boards and a +34 rating. This was quite a step up from his horrendous showing in Game 4 when he scored two points (1-of-3 FG) with three rebounds and a minus-11 rating.

But Gortat wasn't the only player to shine on Tuesday, as the backcourt of PG John Wall (14.6 PPG, 7.0 APG in series) and SG Bradley Beal (19.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.2 SPG in series) was outstanding. Two days after scoring only 12 points (4-of-11 FG) with a minus-21 rating, Wall poured in 27 points (11-of-20 FG) with a +30 rating in the Game 5 victory. But the superstar point guard has made only 38% FG and 24% threes (4-for-17) during this series. Beal finished his Tuesday with a well-rounded 18 points (7-of-17 FG), eight rebounds, four assists and a +23 rating. Beal has been the team's most consistent scorer versus Indiana with at least 16 points in all five games. Although SF Trevor Ariza (13.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.2 SPG in series) scored just 10 points on Tuesday, he also grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists. He's happy to return home where he has burned the Pacers for 14.0 PPG (53% FG, 4-of-10 threes), 12.0 RPG and 3.0 SPG in the two meetings this series.

The only Wizards starter that did not play well in Game 5 was PF Nene Hilario (10.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG in series) who scored four points (2-of-6 FG), with four rebounds and four assists in his 24 minutes. After starting this series on a high note with 14.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in the first two games, Nene has averaged only 7.3 PPG (29% FG) and 3.3 RPG in the past three contests. But unlike the Pacers bench that played terribly in Game 4 and strong in Game 5, the Wizards were been just the opposite. After netting 32 points (13-of-26 FG) in Game 4, the Washington reserves accounted for only 12 points on 4-of-15 FG in Tuesday's victory.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 - Thunder at Clippers

May 14, 2014


Oklahoma City (66-28) at L.A. Clippers (63-31)

Western Conference Semifinals
Game 6 – Oklahoma City leads series 3-2
Tip-off: Thursday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Los Angeles -4.5, Total: 212

After another crazy finish in Game 5, Oklahoma City hopes to earn a ticket to the Conference Finals in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

It seems that no lead is safe when these two teams are facing each other, and that proved true once again on Tuesday night as the Thunder came back from a seven-point deficit with just 49 seconds to play and finished the game with a 105-104 win as 5.5-point favorites. Both teams shot 43% from the field in the game, but the difference in the end was turnovers. The Clippers gave the ball away 17 times, including twice in the final minute, while Oklahoma City had just 12 turnovers. While the teams shot nearly identical from inside the arc in the game (L.A. 26-of-61, OKC 26-of-60), they combined to go 19-for-44 (43%) from three-point range with L.A. going 12-for-27 (44%) and OKC going 7-for-17 (41%). PG Russell Westbrook (38 points) was the leading scorer in the game while Blake Griffin put up one of his better performances for the Clippers this postseason with a team-high 24 points and 17 rebounds in the loss.

The Thunder have been one of the best road teams in the league this season at 28-18 SU (23-22-1 ATS) in away games overall. Los Angeles has gone 4-2 SU at home this postseason, bringing its record at Staples Center to 38-9 SU (23-24 ATS). The series between these clubs has been tremendous for a few years now and Oklahoma City holds an SU record of 5-4 this year (4-5 ATS) while going 9-7 (SU and ATS) over the past three seasons. But there are positive betting trends for both teams here, with the Thunder at 12-2 ATS versus very good teams (6+ PPG margin) and 40-32 ATS versus great three-point shooting teams (6+ made threes per game). But the Clippers are certainly capable of payback with a 37-23 ATS mark when revenging a loss versus an opponent in the past two seasons and 20-10 ATS after an SU loss this season. SF Hedo Turkoglu (back) is the only player expected to miss this game for either team as he recovers from a back injury suffered in the first round against the Warriors.

The Thunder have always been an offensive threat with such prolific scorers on the team and have put up a solid 107.8 PPG (48% FG) over their past five games. SF Kevin Durant (30.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 SPG in playoffs) failed to crack 30 points for the first time in four games on Tuesday as he went for 27 points on 6-of-22 shooting while adding 10 rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal. Although his shooting was poor, he hit three of his final five shots and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. PG Russell Westbrook (27.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.7 SPG in playoffs) has continued his tremendous play with his highest point total (38) of the postseason in Game 5 while also dishing out six assists, grabbing five rebounds and stealing three balls. Westbrook has recorded three steals in three of the five games in this second-round series, and is shooting an impressive 53% FG in the five games.

PF Serge Ibaka (12.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG in playoffs) has not been too effective over the past two contests, averaging just 8.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.0 BPG while taking just 13 total shots. He has had trouble with fouls as well, finishing with four in game five and five in the previous two games. PG Reggie Jackson (10.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG in playoffs) was solid on Tuesday night off the bench with eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.

The Clippers were the top offensive team during the regular season and have now netted 109.7 PPG (47% FG) so far in the playoffs, while averaging 111.4 PPG (48% FG) this entire season when playing at home. PG Chris Paul (19.3 PPG, 10.3 APG, 3.0 SPG in playoffs) had his sixth straight double-double on Tuesday when he scored 17 points to go with 14 assists and four steals but fouled Westbrook while he was shooting a three at the end of the game and had two turnovers in the final minute of the game. Paul has had at least three steals in each of the past four games, but has been surprisingly poor from the charity stripe in this round, making just 13-of-19 (68%) after shooting 86% from the foul line in the regular season. PF Blake Griffin (23.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs) has averaged 24.2 PPG in this series and grabbed double-digit rebounds for the first time this postseason when he pulled down 17 in Game 5. He has a steal in each of the past four games and is averaging 1.2 BPG over these five contests against the Thunder.

C DeAndre Jordan (9.7 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.8 BPG in playoffs) was virtually a non-factor in Tuesday’s game, putting up a goose egg for points and blocks while grabbing just four rebounds as he fouled out after just 20 minutes on the court. He has averaged just 1.0 BPG in this series after swatting away 4.0 BPG in the opening round. SG Jamal Crawford (16.5 PPG in playoffs) has put up 19.0 PPG over his past three games but has shot just 20-for-56 FG (36%) in that time. SG J.J. Redick (13.1 PPG in playoffs) had 16 points in Tuesday’s loss after averaging just 5.5 PPG in the previous two contests.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results

May 15, 2014


Betting Results

Second Round
Wager Favorites-Underdogs Home-Away
Straight Up 12-8 12-8
Against the Spread 8-12 8-12
Total
Over-Under 11-9


Eastern Conference Semifinals

(E1) Indiana vs. (E5) Washington
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Washington (+4, +155) at Indiana 102-96 Underdog Over (184)
2 Washington at Indiana (-4.5) 86-82 Underdog Under (187)
3 Indiana (+5, +180) at Washington 85-63 Underdog Under (183.5)
4 Indiana (+3.5, +145) at Washington 95-92 Underdog Over (179.5)
5 Washington (+5.5, +190) at Indiana 102-79 Underdog Under (181.5)
6 Indiana at Washington - - -
7 Washington at Indiana - - -


(E2) Miami vs. (E6) Brooklyn (Heat win 4-1)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Brooklyn at Miami (-8) 107-86 Favorite Over (192)
2 Brooklyn at Miami (-6.5) 94-82 Favorite Under (192)
3 Miami at Brooklyn (+1, +100) 104-90 Underdog Over (188)
4 Miami (-2) at Brooklyn 102-96 Favorite Over (186.5)
5 Brooklyn at Miami (-7) 96-94 Underdog Over (189)



Western Conference Semifinals

(W2) Oklahoma City vs. (W3) L.A. Clippers
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Los Angeles (+5.5, +200) at Oklahoma City 122-105 Underdog Over (213.5)
2 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (-5) 112-101 Favorite Under (215)
3 Oklahoma City (+4.5, +165) at Los Angeles 118-112 Underdog Over (215)
4 Oklahoma City at Los Angeles (-5) 101-99 Underdog Under (214)
5 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (-5.5) 105-104 Underdog Under (214)
6 Oklahoma City at Los Angeles - - -
7 Los Angeles at Oklahoma City - - -


(W1) San Antonio vs. (W5) Portland (Spurs win 4-1)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Portland at San Antonio (-6.5) 116-92 Favorite Over (207)
2 Portland at San Antonio (-6.5) 114-97 Favorite Over (208.5)
3 San Antonio (PK, -110) at Portland 118-103 Favorite Over (208)
4 San Antonio at Portland (+4.5, +170) 103-92 Underdog Under (211)
5 Portland at San Antonio (-8.5) 104-82 Favorite Under (209)

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, May 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Indiana - 8:00 PM ET Indiana +4.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Washington - Over 181 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Oklahoma City - 10:30 PM ET Oklahoma City +4.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

L.A. Clippers - Over 212.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY