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4 Units on San Antonio Spurs +5½ -110
The Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with the health issues of Rick Fox, Devean George and Phil Jackson. A health concern involving Shaquille O'Neal could be the one that finally ends their championship run. Los Angeles will need a healthier and more effective O'Neal in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, who can erase two years of playoff frustration by ending the Lakers' dominance of the NBA. The three-time defending champions moved within one loss of elimination after losing 96-94 in San Antonio on Tuesday night. The Lakers trailed by double digits for most of the game before making a run in the fourth quarter. O'Neal finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but that is below his postseason averages of 26.6 and 15.3. Jackson had him on the bench for the first half of the final period after O'Neal committed five turnovers through the first three quarters. ``Shaquille was not active tonight -- he didn't move well defensively, he didn't get back on defense,'' Jackson said. ``It hurt us a little bit.'' Kobe Bryant, who scored 36 points and led the Lakers' comeback, said there may have been a good reason for O'Neal's lack of activity. ``He's been having problems with his left knee,'' Bryant said. ``It was probably bothering him some tonight.'' Any injury that slows O'Neal could be too much for the Lakers to deal with. They've already lost starting forward Fox for the postseason with a foot injury, and George, his replacement, was forced to miss Game 2 of this series with a sprained ankle.
3 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates +1½ -110 (Oswalt - R, Benson - R)
By winning, the Pirates have a chance to split the four-game set. The team has lost its first six series at home this season. Lofton's homer was his third of the season, and his second hit of the game as he extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He is hitting .411 (23-for-56) during the streak. The Astros had won three straight, and 10 of 12, before dropping Wednesday's contest, and are hoping that Roy Oswalt can help the team resume its winning ways. The right-hander is winless in his last four starts, losing three of them, including a 5-3 defeat at Philadelphia on May 9. He allowed three runs -- the fourth straight game he allowed three runs or less -- and six hits over six innings. Part of the problem is the Astros don't score when Oswalt pitches, having just a total of 11 runs in his last four starts.
5 Units on Milwaukee Brewers +1½ +115 (Wood - R, Sheets - R)
Milwaukee has dropped four straight games, including the first three of this series, and are coming off a 6-1 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. Now the Brewers are hoping Sheets can continue his winning ways against the Cubs to end their skid. Sheets limited Chicago to three runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings in the Brewers' 5-3 win at Wrigley Field on May 5. With the victory, he improved to 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs. He's pitched well this year -- all four of his wins have come after a Milwaukee loss -- and continually impresses first-year skipper Ned Yost. ``Ben is everything I thought he would be when I came into this job,'' Yost said. ``He's a very tough competitor. He's getting better and better each year. I look for great things out of him.'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who wasn't around for the other losses to Sheets, said he believes his team will break through against him eventually. ``Nothing stays the same. We'll figure him out,'' Baker said. The Cubs improved to 4-0 since Sammy Sosa went on the disabled list, and will be looking for their their first four-game sweep of the season. Baker will turn to Kerry Wood to counter Sheets, hoping the right-hander is rested enough after he tossed a career-high 141 pitches in his last start -- a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday. Wood allowed one run and four hits over seven innings, but didn't figure in the decision for the second straight start. The right-hander's previous career high for pitches was 133 against the Reds in 1998.
4 Units on San Antonio Spurs +5½ -110
The Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with the health issues of Rick Fox, Devean George and Phil Jackson. A health concern involving Shaquille O'Neal could be the one that finally ends their championship run. Los Angeles will need a healthier and more effective O'Neal in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, who can erase two years of playoff frustration by ending the Lakers' dominance of the NBA. The three-time defending champions moved within one loss of elimination after losing 96-94 in San Antonio on Tuesday night. The Lakers trailed by double digits for most of the game before making a run in the fourth quarter. O'Neal finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but that is below his postseason averages of 26.6 and 15.3. Jackson had him on the bench for the first half of the final period after O'Neal committed five turnovers through the first three quarters. ``Shaquille was not active tonight -- he didn't move well defensively, he didn't get back on defense,'' Jackson said. ``It hurt us a little bit.'' Kobe Bryant, who scored 36 points and led the Lakers' comeback, said there may have been a good reason for O'Neal's lack of activity. ``He's been having problems with his left knee,'' Bryant said. ``It was probably bothering him some tonight.'' Any injury that slows O'Neal could be too much for the Lakers to deal with. They've already lost starting forward Fox for the postseason with a foot injury, and George, his replacement, was forced to miss Game 2 of this series with a sprained ankle.
3 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates +1½ -110 (Oswalt - R, Benson - R)
By winning, the Pirates have a chance to split the four-game set. The team has lost its first six series at home this season. Lofton's homer was his third of the season, and his second hit of the game as he extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He is hitting .411 (23-for-56) during the streak. The Astros had won three straight, and 10 of 12, before dropping Wednesday's contest, and are hoping that Roy Oswalt can help the team resume its winning ways. The right-hander is winless in his last four starts, losing three of them, including a 5-3 defeat at Philadelphia on May 9. He allowed three runs -- the fourth straight game he allowed three runs or less -- and six hits over six innings. Part of the problem is the Astros don't score when Oswalt pitches, having just a total of 11 runs in his last four starts.
5 Units on Milwaukee Brewers +1½ +115 (Wood - R, Sheets - R)
Milwaukee has dropped four straight games, including the first three of this series, and are coming off a 6-1 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. Now the Brewers are hoping Sheets can continue his winning ways against the Cubs to end their skid. Sheets limited Chicago to three runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings in the Brewers' 5-3 win at Wrigley Field on May 5. With the victory, he improved to 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs. He's pitched well this year -- all four of his wins have come after a Milwaukee loss -- and continually impresses first-year skipper Ned Yost. ``Ben is everything I thought he would be when I came into this job,'' Yost said. ``He's a very tough competitor. He's getting better and better each year. I look for great things out of him.'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who wasn't around for the other losses to Sheets, said he believes his team will break through against him eventually. ``Nothing stays the same. We'll figure him out,'' Baker said. The Cubs improved to 4-0 since Sammy Sosa went on the disabled list, and will be looking for their their first four-game sweep of the season. Baker will turn to Kerry Wood to counter Sheets, hoping the right-hander is rested enough after he tossed a career-high 141 pitches in his last start -- a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday. Wood allowed one run and four hits over seven innings, but didn't figure in the decision for the second straight start. The right-hander's previous career high for pitches was 133 against the Reds in 1998.