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5 Units on Los Angeles Lakers +2½ -110
Eliminated by Los Angeles in each of the previous two postseasons, the Spurs will have another chance to knock off the reigning champs when they open their Western Conference semifinal series against the Lakers at the SBC Center. The Lakers have needed just nine games to send the Spurs home over the past two playoffs, including a five-game ousting last May. Armed with the NBA's most lethal 1-2 punch in Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers do present a formidable challenge for the top-seeded Spurs. However, San Antonio will counter with power forward extraordinaire Tim Duncan, who won his second straight MVP award on Sunday. ``It's going to be up to us as a team to try and slow him down,'' veteran Lakers forward Robert Horry said. ``It's going to be up to me to try and run him and keep him out of the inside. It's going to be up to Mark (Madsen) to try and beat him down and bang him up a little bit.'' Duncan, who led San Antonio in scoring, rebounding and assists during their first-round triumph over Phoenix, helped the Spurs complete a four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the 1999 Western Conference finals en route to their lone NBA title.
2 Units on New Jersey Nets U 181½ -110
After a disappointing regular season, Rodney Rogers looks to show New Jersey just how valuable he can be when the Nets host the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Rogers, signed away from Boston by the Nets before this season, averaged just 7.0 points per game -- well below his career average of 11.5. The veteran power forward struggled to find his role in the Nets' offense, and his shooting was inconsistent when he did play. Rogers' value could increase dramatically against the Celtics. New Jersey coach Byron Scott is planning to enlist Rogers' help in scouting Boston, which was beaten by the Nets 4-2 in last year's Eastern Conference finals.The Nets will take all the help they can get against the Celtics, who come into the series with considerable momentum after upsetting third-seeded Indiana in six games. New Jersey's main focus figures to be Pierce, who dominated the Pacers with 25.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the first round. ``We are playing our best right now,'' Boston's Walter McCarty said. ``We are playing excellent halfcourt defense.'' New Jersey may have an emotional edge in the series after beating Boston easily in the last three regular season meetings between the teams. The Nets averaged a 21-point margin of victory in those games, with the closest win coming by 13. ``It means nothing right now,'' Scott said of his team's recent success against Boston. ``It's zero-zero'' One key matchup will be at power forward, where the Nets send their best defender, Kenyon Martin, up against Walker. Martin held Walker to an average of just 15.2 points on 28 percent shooting during the four regular season meetings.
4 Units on Chicago Cubs -210 (Sheets - R, Clement - R)
Sheets will look to rebound from his worst performance of the young season by continuing his mastery of the Cubs as the Milwaukee Brewers open a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Sheets gave up a season-high eight runs -- six earned -- and 10 hits in a 9-5 loss to the Montreal Expos on Wednesday. The 24-year-old right-hander retired eight of the first nine he faced, but gave up five runs and six hits in the fourth inning. ``It baffles me,'' said Sheets, who lost for the first time in four starts. ``Everything got out of hand real quick. It seemed like I threw four pitches, and they had two runs and two on base. ``It's like the 'stuff' wasn't there in that inning or after that, like it was in the first three innings ... It kind of baffled me. I don't know what's wrong.'' If history is any indication, Sheets should bounce back nicely on Monday as he's 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs. At hitter-friendly Wrigley Field, he is 2-0 with a 4.76 ERA. ``It's a different atmosphere out there, always a little something extra against the Cubs,'' Sheets said. The Brewers come in off a 5-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday, their seventh loss in their last eight. Richie Sexson went 2-for-3, including a first-inning solo homer for Milwaukee. The Cubs have some momentum after recording their third win in their last four, Sunday's 5-4, 10-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies. Alex Gonzalez hit his fifth game-winning homer of the season for Chicago, which is 3-0 in extra-inning games.
1 Unit on Kansas City Royals +145 (Lowe - R, May - L)
Kansas City beat Baltimore 4-0 on Sunday, completing their season high-tying nine-game road trip at 3-6. The Red Sox swept three games from the Royals prior to the Baltimore series. ``We've got a good track record up to this point, and this was a tough road trip for us,'' said Kansas City starter Chris George, who pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday. Before departing for their trip, the Royals won their first 10 games at home, becoming the first team to do so since the 1987 New York Yankees. The Royals, who went 37-44 at Kauffman Stadium en route to a franchise-worst 100 losses last season, are two wins shy of the best home start in major league history, established by the 1911 Detroit Tigers. ``This trip was kind of long, and we didn't play like we were playing before,'' Royals manager Tony Pena said. ``Going home, everybody gets to relax a little bit. Hopefully, we can get back on track.'' On Sunday, the Royals won despite getting just six hits, including a homer by Mike DiFelice. ``Pitching and defense wins ballgames. Today our guys did a great job of it,'' said Pena. The Red Sox come in off Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Twins -- just their second setback in seven games. Boston led 4-0 before Minnesota scored four runs in the sixth and five in the seventh. ``We had some chances there to take (Twins starter) Kenny (Rogers) right out of the game, but it didn't happen,'' Boston manager Grady Little said.
5 Units on Los Angeles Lakers +2½ -110
Eliminated by Los Angeles in each of the previous two postseasons, the Spurs will have another chance to knock off the reigning champs when they open their Western Conference semifinal series against the Lakers at the SBC Center. The Lakers have needed just nine games to send the Spurs home over the past two playoffs, including a five-game ousting last May. Armed with the NBA's most lethal 1-2 punch in Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers do present a formidable challenge for the top-seeded Spurs. However, San Antonio will counter with power forward extraordinaire Tim Duncan, who won his second straight MVP award on Sunday. ``It's going to be up to us as a team to try and slow him down,'' veteran Lakers forward Robert Horry said. ``It's going to be up to me to try and run him and keep him out of the inside. It's going to be up to Mark (Madsen) to try and beat him down and bang him up a little bit.'' Duncan, who led San Antonio in scoring, rebounding and assists during their first-round triumph over Phoenix, helped the Spurs complete a four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the 1999 Western Conference finals en route to their lone NBA title.
2 Units on New Jersey Nets U 181½ -110
After a disappointing regular season, Rodney Rogers looks to show New Jersey just how valuable he can be when the Nets host the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Rogers, signed away from Boston by the Nets before this season, averaged just 7.0 points per game -- well below his career average of 11.5. The veteran power forward struggled to find his role in the Nets' offense, and his shooting was inconsistent when he did play. Rogers' value could increase dramatically against the Celtics. New Jersey coach Byron Scott is planning to enlist Rogers' help in scouting Boston, which was beaten by the Nets 4-2 in last year's Eastern Conference finals.The Nets will take all the help they can get against the Celtics, who come into the series with considerable momentum after upsetting third-seeded Indiana in six games. New Jersey's main focus figures to be Pierce, who dominated the Pacers with 25.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the first round. ``We are playing our best right now,'' Boston's Walter McCarty said. ``We are playing excellent halfcourt defense.'' New Jersey may have an emotional edge in the series after beating Boston easily in the last three regular season meetings between the teams. The Nets averaged a 21-point margin of victory in those games, with the closest win coming by 13. ``It means nothing right now,'' Scott said of his team's recent success against Boston. ``It's zero-zero'' One key matchup will be at power forward, where the Nets send their best defender, Kenyon Martin, up against Walker. Martin held Walker to an average of just 15.2 points on 28 percent shooting during the four regular season meetings.
4 Units on Chicago Cubs -210 (Sheets - R, Clement - R)
Sheets will look to rebound from his worst performance of the young season by continuing his mastery of the Cubs as the Milwaukee Brewers open a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Sheets gave up a season-high eight runs -- six earned -- and 10 hits in a 9-5 loss to the Montreal Expos on Wednesday. The 24-year-old right-hander retired eight of the first nine he faced, but gave up five runs and six hits in the fourth inning. ``It baffles me,'' said Sheets, who lost for the first time in four starts. ``Everything got out of hand real quick. It seemed like I threw four pitches, and they had two runs and two on base. ``It's like the 'stuff' wasn't there in that inning or after that, like it was in the first three innings ... It kind of baffled me. I don't know what's wrong.'' If history is any indication, Sheets should bounce back nicely on Monday as he's 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against the Cubs. At hitter-friendly Wrigley Field, he is 2-0 with a 4.76 ERA. ``It's a different atmosphere out there, always a little something extra against the Cubs,'' Sheets said. The Brewers come in off a 5-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday, their seventh loss in their last eight. Richie Sexson went 2-for-3, including a first-inning solo homer for Milwaukee. The Cubs have some momentum after recording their third win in their last four, Sunday's 5-4, 10-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies. Alex Gonzalez hit his fifth game-winning homer of the season for Chicago, which is 3-0 in extra-inning games.
1 Unit on Kansas City Royals +145 (Lowe - R, May - L)
Kansas City beat Baltimore 4-0 on Sunday, completing their season high-tying nine-game road trip at 3-6. The Red Sox swept three games from the Royals prior to the Baltimore series. ``We've got a good track record up to this point, and this was a tough road trip for us,'' said Kansas City starter Chris George, who pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday. Before departing for their trip, the Royals won their first 10 games at home, becoming the first team to do so since the 1987 New York Yankees. The Royals, who went 37-44 at Kauffman Stadium en route to a franchise-worst 100 losses last season, are two wins shy of the best home start in major league history, established by the 1911 Detroit Tigers. ``This trip was kind of long, and we didn't play like we were playing before,'' Royals manager Tony Pena said. ``Going home, everybody gets to relax a little bit. Hopefully, we can get back on track.'' On Sunday, the Royals won despite getting just six hits, including a homer by Mike DiFelice. ``Pitching and defense wins ballgames. Today our guys did a great job of it,'' said Pena. The Red Sox come in off Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Twins -- just their second setback in seven games. Boston led 4-0 before Minnesota scored four runs in the sixth and five in the seventh. ``We had some chances there to take (Twins starter) Kenny (Rogers) right out of the game, but it didn't happen,'' Boston manager Grady Little said.