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4 Units on Dallas Mavericks U 209½ -110
While much was made of the Dallas Mavericks' mental breakdown in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Michael Finley knows his team is still where it wants to be as the series moves to the American Airlines Center. ``We're fine mentally,'' Finley said after Wednesday's 119-106 loss in San Antonio evened the series at 1-1. ``Our mindset to get two games would have been great, but to get one is OK. It's up to us to go home and play the way we're capable of playing. We haven't played a great game yet.'' Finley and the Mavericks will try to do just that as they host Tim Duncan and the Spurs in Game 3. Dallas showed great poise in a foul-filled game Monday, hitting 49 straight free throws en route to a come-from-behind 113-110 victory in Game 1. But the Mavericks' temperament appeared to change dramatically on Wednesday as coach Don Nelson and assistant Del Harris earned first-quarter ejections. Dallas racked up four early technicals and Game 1 star Dirk Nowitzki was unable to shake off his first-half foul trouble, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds after putting up 38 and 15, respectively, in the opener. To their credit, the Mavericks made a fourth-quarter push, but never fully recovered from the early meltdown. ``We definitely lost our composure,'' Dallas guard Nick Van Exel admitted. ``But we knew coming in how it would be. Our focus was to keep fighting through it and play through it as best we could, but tonight it just got the best of us.'' Van Exel, the Mavericks' hero off the bench in the first two rounds of the playoffs, managed 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting in Wednesday's loss. He voiced his frustrations with the officiating afterward.
5 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates +1½ -150 (Simontacchi - R, Torres-R)
Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon believes the Pirates' problems at home can easily be reversed with one good series or homestand. ``We've played only (24) games at home,'' he said. ``If we run off five, six, seven in a row, all that's forgotten. I'm not happy with our home record, but at the same time I don't want (24) games to identify the rest of the season. St. Louis is coming off a 5-2 loss at Houston on Thursday. Albert Pujols belted his team-leading 14th home run in the defaet, and has homered in five of his last six games. Pittsburgh's woes at home continued with a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The Pirates split their rain-shortened two-game set with Chicago, and have yet to win any of their eight series this season at PNC Park, where they are just 7-17.
4 Units on Montreal Expos +1½ -155 (Millwood - R, Day - R)
Millwood, who was acquired from Atlanta in an offseason trade for catcher Johnny Estrada, has been stellar in his first season with Philadelphia. He has gone at least six innings in eight of his 10 starts, including a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on April 27. He turned in another terrific effort on Sunday, limiting the Houston Astros to six hits in a complete-game 3-1 win. Phillies manager Larry Bowa said he was not surprised by Millwood's performance. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Millwood's game was that he did not have his best stuff. ``My breaking ball wasn't great,'' Millwood said. ``Nothing was very good but all of my pitches were pretty good. When you go out there with four pretty good pitches, you should do well.'' The Phillies head to Montreal after dropping two of three to the New York Mets, including a 6-3 loss on Thursday. They'll now look to make up some ground on the second-place Expos, who lead the Phillies by four games in the NL East.
4 Units on Cincinnati Reds -1½ +150 (Penny - R, Austin - R)
The Marlins suffered a three-game sweep to Montreal, including Thursday's 8-2 setback. Florida, which is 3-7 under new manager Jack McKeon, has won just four of 18 since a 15-15 start. The Marlins have managed five or more runs in just five of their last 18 games, winning four of those contests. Reds reserve infielder Felipe Lopez, who had an RBI single and three strikeouts in Thursday's loss. will be the starting shortstop for at least the next couple of weeks. The Reds placed shortstop Barry Larkin on the 15-day disabled list before the game with a strained calf.The Reds won the first two games of their series with the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves before dropping Thursday's finale 9-4.
4 Units on Dallas Mavericks U 209½ -110
While much was made of the Dallas Mavericks' mental breakdown in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Michael Finley knows his team is still where it wants to be as the series moves to the American Airlines Center. ``We're fine mentally,'' Finley said after Wednesday's 119-106 loss in San Antonio evened the series at 1-1. ``Our mindset to get two games would have been great, but to get one is OK. It's up to us to go home and play the way we're capable of playing. We haven't played a great game yet.'' Finley and the Mavericks will try to do just that as they host Tim Duncan and the Spurs in Game 3. Dallas showed great poise in a foul-filled game Monday, hitting 49 straight free throws en route to a come-from-behind 113-110 victory in Game 1. But the Mavericks' temperament appeared to change dramatically on Wednesday as coach Don Nelson and assistant Del Harris earned first-quarter ejections. Dallas racked up four early technicals and Game 1 star Dirk Nowitzki was unable to shake off his first-half foul trouble, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds after putting up 38 and 15, respectively, in the opener. To their credit, the Mavericks made a fourth-quarter push, but never fully recovered from the early meltdown. ``We definitely lost our composure,'' Dallas guard Nick Van Exel admitted. ``But we knew coming in how it would be. Our focus was to keep fighting through it and play through it as best we could, but tonight it just got the best of us.'' Van Exel, the Mavericks' hero off the bench in the first two rounds of the playoffs, managed 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting in Wednesday's loss. He voiced his frustrations with the officiating afterward.
5 Units on Pittsburgh Pirates +1½ -150 (Simontacchi - R, Torres-R)
Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon believes the Pirates' problems at home can easily be reversed with one good series or homestand. ``We've played only (24) games at home,'' he said. ``If we run off five, six, seven in a row, all that's forgotten. I'm not happy with our home record, but at the same time I don't want (24) games to identify the rest of the season. St. Louis is coming off a 5-2 loss at Houston on Thursday. Albert Pujols belted his team-leading 14th home run in the defaet, and has homered in five of his last six games. Pittsburgh's woes at home continued with a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The Pirates split their rain-shortened two-game set with Chicago, and have yet to win any of their eight series this season at PNC Park, where they are just 7-17.
4 Units on Montreal Expos +1½ -155 (Millwood - R, Day - R)
Millwood, who was acquired from Atlanta in an offseason trade for catcher Johnny Estrada, has been stellar in his first season with Philadelphia. He has gone at least six innings in eight of his 10 starts, including a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on April 27. He turned in another terrific effort on Sunday, limiting the Houston Astros to six hits in a complete-game 3-1 win. Phillies manager Larry Bowa said he was not surprised by Millwood's performance. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Millwood's game was that he did not have his best stuff. ``My breaking ball wasn't great,'' Millwood said. ``Nothing was very good but all of my pitches were pretty good. When you go out there with four pretty good pitches, you should do well.'' The Phillies head to Montreal after dropping two of three to the New York Mets, including a 6-3 loss on Thursday. They'll now look to make up some ground on the second-place Expos, who lead the Phillies by four games in the NL East.
4 Units on Cincinnati Reds -1½ +150 (Penny - R, Austin - R)
The Marlins suffered a three-game sweep to Montreal, including Thursday's 8-2 setback. Florida, which is 3-7 under new manager Jack McKeon, has won just four of 18 since a 15-15 start. The Marlins have managed five or more runs in just five of their last 18 games, winning four of those contests. Reds reserve infielder Felipe Lopez, who had an RBI single and three strikeouts in Thursday's loss. will be the starting shortstop for at least the next couple of weeks. The Reds placed shortstop Barry Larkin on the 15-day disabled list before the game with a strained calf.The Reds won the first two games of their series with the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves before dropping Thursday's finale 9-4.