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**TheGame** · 04-27-2016, 07:37 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Hornets (48-34) at Heat (48-34)

Date: April 27, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Dwyane Wade was in college the last time the Charlotte Hornets won a road playoff game. Kemba Walker was in grade school.

Home court has played a prominent role in this series between the Hornets and Miami Heat, who look to once again utilize that advantage in Wednesday night's Game 5 and regroup from back-to-back losses to a younger and deeper Charlotte team.

Just as its considerable postseason experience was evident in two double-digit home victories to open this series, Miami has shown its age in the last two matchups. With Wade and fellow 30-somethings Luol Deng and Joe Johnson logging heavy minutes, the Heat weren't able to keep up down the stretch in Saturday's 96-80 loss at Charlotte and Monday's 89-85 defeat in Game 4.

The Hornets' more spry backcourt rotation of Walker, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee was the difference Monday, with Walker and Lin combining for 55 points and Lee limiting Wade to 12 on 4-of-11 shooting as the star guard's primary defender.

Walker had 19 of his playoff career-high 34 points in the second half and did all of the scoring an 11-5 run that put Charlotte up 87-80 with 3:10 left.

'He's a handful in the pick-and-rolls and there is only so much you can do with that little guy,' Wade said. 'He's crafty. ... And every time we tried to make a comeback, he hit a big shot.'

Improved interior defense has also allowed Charlotte to even the series. The Heat attacked inside at will in the first two games, shooting a combined 67.1 percent in the paint. They've been held to 41.4 percent while being outscored 96-58 in the lane in the last two.

The Hornets have made Hassan Whiteside, in particular, less of a factor. After the 7-footer went 17 of 19 from the field in totaling 38 points in Miami's two wins, he's scored 21 while getting off only 11 shots in the two losses.

Wade shot a combined 35.5 percent in Games 3 and 4 after amassing 28 points in the Heat's 115-103 win in Game 2.

"We have to find a way to carry this defense on the road," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

That's been tough for Charlotte to do in Miami, where it's lost 19 of 21, including playoffs. The Heat have shot 54.7 percent from the floor and averaged 112 points in the four meetings at AmericanAirlines Arena this season.

Miami has history working in its favor as well. The Heat are 13-2 in their last 15 postseason home games, with the losses coming to San Antonio in the 2014 Finals. Charlotte has dropped nine straight playoff games on the road since the franchise's first incarnation defeated Orlando in Game 4 of the 2002 opening round.

The Hornets will likely need to shoot better to end that drought. Fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made during the regular season, Charlotte is 16 of 67 (23.9 percent) from beyond the arc for the series and was 1 of 16 in Game 2.

Charlotte has been able to compensate for those struggles by excelling at the foul line. It's shot 82.8 percent and attempted 122 free throws to Miami's 94.

"We've probably fouled more in these four games than we have in the last four weeks," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But you have to give them credit. They're aggressive."

That ability to draw fouls has also added more pressure to a Miami bench that's mostly been a liability during this series. Even with Nicolas Batum out the last two games with a sprained left ankle, the Hornets' reserves have outscored the Heat's by 15.7 points over the past three.

Batum, who had 24 points in Charlotte's 123-91 loss in Game 1, is expected to be a game-time decision Wednesday.

**TheGame** · 04-27-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Trail Blazers (44-38) at Clippers (53-29)

Date: April 27, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

(AP) - For the third straight year in the playoffs - all under Doc Rivers - the Los Angeles Clippers have been plagued by bad luck.

Now, they've lost their two All-Stars.

Blake Griffin is out for the rest of the postseason after aggravating his left quadriceps tendon and Chris Paul has undergone right hand surgery, leaving the Clippers without their top two players for the remainder of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

'It's bum's luck three years in a row,' Rivers said. 'You just got to keep going. You wake up in the morning and you feel like we're going to find a way.'

The franchise that began in Buffalo, moved to San Diego and then Los Angeles has never advanced past the second round, and the stunned Clippers head back home for Wednesday night's game tied 2-all with Portland.

The team said Griffin had an MRI that revealed no further structural damage to the quad that he originally injured Dec. 25. He missed 41 games and an additional four as punishment for punching the team's assistant equipment manager, returning April 3.

'You feel bad for Chris, you feel bad for Blake,' said guard J.J. Redick, who is dealing with his own nagging left heel injury.

Paul had surgery to repair a hand fracture sustained in the third quarter of Monday night's 98-84 loss in Game 4. Griffin averaged 15 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Paul averaged 23.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4 rebounds in the series.

'We still have home court. No one has won a road game yet in this series,' Rivers said. 'Now we have to find a way of winning tomorrow and that's as far as we can think right now. My job with the guys is to make sure that they're ready and focused. It's easy when you have the injuries we have to think all kinds of other stuff.'

Rivers has not yet decided who will start in place of Griffin and Paul.

'We've had 10 different lineups on the board,' he said. 'Most likely it will be a pretty big lineup.'

In 2014, voice recordings of then-owner Donald Sterling surfaced during the playoffs in which he made racist comments. Last year, the Clippers were within a game of reaching the conference finals for the first time, only to blow a 3-1 lead and lose the last three by a combined 46 points to Houston.

'We have a very competitive basketball team and they have proven that all year,' Rivers said. 'We have won games before without key guys and we can win games in the future without key guys.'

Paul controls the Clippers' offense like few others in the NBA. However, they installed a motion offense for when Paul wasn't on the floor this season, freeing up Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers while letting anyone else get the ball moving.

'We were very effective at it,' Doc Rivers said. 'Thank God we did that because now playing without him we'll be in motion for 48 minutes.'

Al-Farouq Aminu scored a career-high 30 points as Portland pulled away after Paul left Monday.

'It changes a lot,' Blazers guard Damian Lillard said. 'Their best player goes down. The guy who makes their offense go. It's unfortunate. You don't wish that on anybody, but they still have a really good team.'

CJ McCollum added 19 points while Mason Plumlee had 14 rebounds and 10 assists for Portland, which is trying to become the first team to overcome a 2-0 deficit since Memphis came back against the Clippers in the first round in 2013.

"I think we came out and it was obvious that we weren't going to go away," Lillard told the Blazers' official website. " ... We came out and did the things that we did last game at an even higher level. Multiple guys stepped up. We had just a great group effort. I think everybody was locked in to what we needed to do as a team and we turned it up tonight from last game."

**TheGame** · 04-27-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Rockets (41-41) at Warriors (73-9)

Date: April 27, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Now that Steve Kerr has been named the NBA's coach of the year, he faces his greatest challenge of his coaching career.

He'll have to guide the Golden State Warriors without Stephen Curry for the time being as they look to close out their first-round series against the Houston Rockets in Game 5 at home Wednesday night.

Kerr earned the honor Tuesday thanks to Golden State's NBA-record 73 wins. It must be bittersweet in the aftermath of the news the day before that Curry is expected to miss at least two weeks with a Grade 1 sprain of the MCL in his right knee.

That means the Warriors will be without the NBA's leading scorer for the duration of this series and potentially a good chunk of the second round should they advance.

'From our perspective, it's relatively good news,' general manager Bob Myers said. 'Clearly we don't want to be here getting MRIs at this point of the season, especially someone of Steph's stature. ... But mechanically the knee is intact, so that's good.'

Myers said the two-week estimate is an educated guess based on how players typically respond to similar injuries, but cautioned the absence could be three weeks or possibly slightly shorter.

Curry returned Sunday after missing Games 2 and 3 with a sprained right ankle before he suffered the knee injury on the final play of the first half of a 121-94 victory. He didn't return after halftime as the Warriors rallied around the loss of their fallen star by outscoring Houston 41-20 in the third quarter to emphatically break a tie.

'When you have a team that is as together as ours is and cares about each other like ours does, you tend to pick up the fight a little bit,' Kerr said. 'Our guys sensed that we needed to come together.'

Shaun Livingston figures to replace Curry in the lineup again after he scored 16 in each of his first two starts in this series.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points and Andre Iguodala added 22 on Sunday for the Warriors, who became the first team to win on the road in this series and can finish it against a Rockets team that has lost five playoff games at Oracle Arena the last two seasons as part of a nine-game skid there.

Houston was left lamenting a missed opportunity to take advantage of Curry's absence and even the series.

'Terrible way, terrible way, terrible way to lose ... just a terrible quarter and that's what gave the game away,' star guard James Harden said.

Harden is averaging 24.5 points on 37.7 percent shooting in the series with 30 assists over the last three games.

Dwight Howard has double-doubles in all four games with averages of 14.5 points and 12.3 boards. He's shooting 65.7 percent and the Rockets have yet to find a way to get him more than 10 shots in this series.

"We just gotta get him the ball," Houston coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We gotta throw it down there. We feel like we have an advantage in the post."

These teams ranked first and second in the regular season in 3-point attempts, with Golden State averaging 31.6 and Houston 30.9. The Warriors are shooting 39.8 percent on 3s on 113 attempts in this series while the Rockets are connecting at a 29.1 percent clip on 110.

Houston isn't looking to get into another shooting contest as it tries to force a Game 6 at home Friday.

"You see the 3s going, you see the 3s going and then in your mind it's 'Oh we need to get some 3s to stay in the game,' and then the ball doesn't get back to the post where it needs to," Bickerstaff said. "We need to make sure it's more of a focus for us and that we understand that in those moments to settle us down and to make them have to defend we need to get the ball to the guys in the post."

**TheGame** · 04-27-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

NBA Odds: Wednesday, April 27 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I'm not sure I've ever seen a day like Monday in the NBA playoffs where the championship odds shifted around so much. When we learned that Warriors star and lock repeat NBA MVP Steph Curry would miss at least two weeks with a knee sprain, the Warriors were passed at sportsbooks by the San Antonio Spurs as title favorites. But then the Warriors caught a massive break on Monday night: Clippers star Chris Paul broke his hand against Portland and is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs. I would have projected the Warriors to lose to a healthy Clippers squad if Curry were to miss at least the first four games. Now? No chance. In fact, I'm not even sure the Clippers can get by the Blazers now. Golden State is again the title favorite at +135. But San Antonio is just behind at +170.

Game 5: No. 6 Hornets at No. 3 Heat (-6, 193)

I haven't been able to figure out this series at all. I gave Charlotte little chance to get this past five games after losing swingman Nic Batum to a Game 2 injury and being blown off the floor the first two games in Miami. But the Hornets evened the series with two low-scoring home wins. It was 89-85 on Monday as Kemba Walker dominated with a career playoff-high 34 points. He also had 11 of his team's final 13. In one run down the stretch, he was 4-for-4 from the field (one 3-pointer) and 2-for-2 from the line. Jeremy Lin tied a playoff career high with 21 points; he has been the main beneficiary of Batum sitting out. It's not likely that Batum returns from his sprained ankle here but he will travel.

Miami basically kept turning the ball over in the two games in Charlotte and got into foul trouble. Offensively, the Heat averaged 82.5 points and shot only 35.9 percent from the field combined in the two games. Dwyane Wade had just 12 points in Game 4 (but 10 assists and seven rebounds) and Goran Dragic 12 as he dealt with foul issues. The Heat were minus-10 when Dragic was on the court. Hassan Whiteside was a game-time call with a thigh injury but played. He was held to eight points and seven rebounds and also some foul trouble. The Heat have never had a 2-0 lead in the playoffs and lost the series.

Series line: Heat -195, Hornets +170

Key trends: The Hornets are 2-5 against the spread in their past seven road games. They are 3-8 ATS in their past 11 following a win. The Heat are 13-3 ATS in their past 16 at home. The "over/under" is 5-0 in Charlotte's past five on the road.

Early lean: Heat and over.

Game 5: No. 5 Trail Blazers at No. 4 Clippers (-2, 199)

I think you can stick a fork in the Clippers and any championship hopes with a core of Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan now. Time to get rid of one of those guys and recalibrate. Paul has never gotten a team past the conference semifinals and that seems impossible now that he's likely done with that fractured right hand. Just crushing news as Paul had such a great regular season carrying the team in Griffin's injury absence. Yes, the Clippers split two road games without Paul in the playoffs against the Rockets last year when he was sidelined by a hamstring injury. But Griffin also might miss Game 5 as he aggravated a quad injury in Game 4. After the game, Coach Doc Rivers said it's "50-50" whether Griffin will be able to play, and Griffin could barely move so it's not looking good. The Clippers could still beat the Blazers without one of those guys but highly doubtful without both. Also remember that J.J. Redick is laboring through a heel injury.

Portland took Game 4 98-84 despite just 12 points from Damian Lillard. All series, the Clippers have been trapping Lillard and C.J. McCollum and daring Al-Farouq Aminu to hit shots. He finally did in Game 4 with a career-playoff high 30 points, nailing 6-for-10 from long range. Mason Plumlee isn't scoring much but is holding his own otherwise against Jordan as Plumlee had 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in Game 4. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good and Portland has some great fortune right now to win Game 5 and close it out at home in Game 6.

Series line: TBA

Key trends: The Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their past six following a loss. The under is 6-0 in Portland's past six. It is 20-6 in L.A.'s past 26 at home.

Early lean: Blazers and under.

Game 5: No. 8 Rockets at No. 1 Warriors (-9.5, 211.5)

Considering how it looked and what could have been, the Warriors were quite fortunate to learn that Curry might only miss two weeks. And now they know the Blazers-Clippers series will go at least six games and not start the conference semifinals until early next week instead of Sunday. The longer Blazers-Clippers goes, the better for Golden State obviously to trim Curry's missed potential games. I saw some early series projections that the Clippers-Warriors matchup might have been a pick'em if not for those L.A. injuries. I don't see Portland beating Golden State in a series even if Curry misses 3-4 games. Shaun Livingston starts with Curry out, but the offense will run mostly through Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Houston simply lacks any heart. The Rockets should have taken Game 4 by the throat after Curry left, but they literally didn't care at all after that happened and were blown out in the third quarter as Golden State took control on the way to a 121-94 win. This presumably will be the final game in a Houston uniform for Dwight Howard. Good riddance, dude. Why anyone would pay $20-plus million a year to that sourpuss is beyond me. Probably also the final game for interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Rockets aren't sure if point guard Patrick Beverley will play in Game 5 due to a hamstring injury. He was a total non-factor in 16 Game 4 minutes.

Series line: None

Key trends: The Rockets are 5-2 ATS in their past seven after a loss. Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its past seven following a double-digit win. The over is 8-1 in Houston's past nine following a double-digit loss. The over is 5-1 in Golden State's past six at home.

Early lean: Warriors win, but I'll take the points. Maybe James Harden can single-handedly keep this close. Go over.

**TheGame** · 04-27-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

NBA

Wednesday's games

Charlotte-Miami (2-2)
Home side won all four series games; Walker/Lin combined for 55 points in Game 4 win- no other Hornet had more than 11. Hornets lost five of last nine games with Miami (over 6-2 in last eight). Hornets lost four of last five visits here; Heat scored 115-123 in Games 1-2 here, then 80-85 in Charlotte. Hornets won five of their last eight games (over 7-2); they lost four of their last six road games. Miami won its last five home tilts, all by 8+ points- their last three home games all went over.

Portland-LA Clippers (2-2)
Clippers are without Paul/Griffin for duration of this series; Portland is 0-4 in last four games played here, with three losses by 15+, but missing Paul is huge for LA- Game 4 was Monday, so Rivers had only had a day to retool offense, with less dynamic PG Prigioni getting more minutes. Home side won all four series games; last five games in series stayed under total. Trailblazers won nine of their last 13 games overall; eight of their last ten games stayed under the total.

Houston-Golden State (G 3-1)
Curry is out for series, but Warriors outscored Houston 41-20 in decisive third quarter Sunday, without Curry. Golden State won 12 of last 14 games (9-5 vs the spread) against Houston, covering three of last four played here (non-cover was by half-point). Last game, Iguodala scored 22 points in 24:00 to pick up slack created by Curry's injury. Not big fan of Houston's chemistry; they went in tank last game, they have interim coach- they're 1-3 vs spread in last four road games. .

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 21-14, Over: 11-24

**Satch** · 04-27-2016, 10:08 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Charlotte At Miami
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
The Heat have been two different teams in the playoffs depending on the venue and will hope for a return to form on offense when the series shifts back to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday. The sixth-seeded Charlotte Hornets took Games 3 and 4 at home to even the series and hope the defensive improvements the team made can carry over to Game 5.
The Heat set a franchise postseason scoring record with 123 points in Game 1 and put up 72 in the first half of a 115-103 Game 2 win before failing to crack 90 points in either of the two road games. “The biggest thing I’d change is nothing,” Miami center Hassan Whiteside, who was careful not to directly criticize the referees, told reporters. “We just missed some shots. They’ve got to come to South Beach, and we’ve been playing well all year at home.” The Hornets attacked the Heat defense through the paint with guards Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin in the 89-85 Game 4 win, and the two combined for 55 points. Walker scored 11 straight Charlotte points in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter to help his team pull away.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE HORNETS:
Walker slumped to 17 points on 4-of-19 shooting in Game 3 but found his groove again in Game 4, especially late. “Time and time again in these situations, my team, coaching staff, everybody tells me it’s time to win.” Walker told reporters. “Coach put me in position to make plays. I just want to be as aggressive as possible. I was able to get my shot off, and I just wanted to be confident.” Lin added the highlight of the game when he banked in a 3-pointer and shrugged on the way down the court.
ABOUT THE HEAT:
Miami was whistled for 26 personal fouls in Game 4, with starting guards Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic combining for nine. “We’ve had some key guys in foul trouble,” Heat guard Joe Johnson, who did not commit a foul, told reporters. “For the most part, we were just trying to hold the fort until we can get those guys back out there. But it’s tough. We just kept fouling and kept putting them on the line. We have to make the game easier. The game has been so tough for us, especially in Charlotte. We have to make an adjustment.” Wade averaged 22 points on 19-of-38 in the first two games at home before slumping to 14.5 on 11-of-31 in Charlotte.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets G Nicolas Batum (foot) missed the last two games and is questionable for Game 5.
2. Whiteside (eight points, seven rebounds) failed to record a double-double on Monday for the first time in the series.
3. Charlotte F Marvin Williams scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Game 3 but totaled two points on 1-of-22 in the other three games.
PREDICTION: Heat 106, Hornets 102

**Satch** · 04-27-2016, 10:09 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Portland At L.A. Clippers
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Clippers looked like things were finally breaking their way on the injury front, and then Chris Paul reached in for a steal. The fourth-seeded Clippers will be without their All-Star point guard and All-Star forward Blake Griffin when they host the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
The MCL sprain suffered by Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry on Sunday seemed to make the path to the Western Conference finals much easier for Los Angeles, but the path out of the first round got much tougher the next night. Paul reached in for a steal in the lane in the third quarter on Monday and suffered a broken third metacarpal on his right hand which required surgery on Tuesday that will keep him out for the rest of the playoff. Griffin, who missed over three months in the regular season with his own broken hand and a quad injury, re-aggravated the quad in Monday’s Game 4 loss and will also sit out the rest of the way. The Trail Blazers took advantage of Paul’s absence in Game 4 and outscored the Clippers 32-20 in the fourth quarter, marking the second straight game they pulled away late.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS:
Damian Lillard struggled from the floor in three of the four games in the series, including a 4-of-15 effort in Game 4, but Portland is picking up its star with big efforts from players like Al-Farouq Aminu and Mason Plumlee. Aminu scored a career-high 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, three blocks and three assists in Monday’s triumph after going 11-of-37 in the first three games. “It was just a matter of time,” Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. “Obviously (Aminu) struggled shooting the ball the first three games, but that didn’t take away from what he was giving us defensively. It was good to see him break out. Everybody has been encouraging him and he’s put in the time and, like I said, it was just a matter of time before he had a game like that.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS:
Los Angeles is focusing on the near future and trying to figure out a way to win two more games in this series. “We don’t have to be the best team,” coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “We just have to be the best team (Wednesday). And then we have to figure out how to do it one more time.” Paul averaged 26.3 points in the first three games of the series and had 16 before going down in Game 4 while Griffin, who aggravated the quad sometime in the second half on Monday and tried to play through the injury until the middle of the fourth quarter, averaged 15 points and 8.8 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Plumlee averaged 17.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists in Games 3 and 4.
2. Clippers G J.J. Redick is battling a heel injury and is 5-of-23 from the field in the last two games.
3. Portland G Gerald Henderson scored 16 points in Game 1 but totaled 10 on 4-of-22 shooting over the next three contests.
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 103, Clippers 95

**Satch** · 04-27-2016, 10:10 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Preview: Houston At Golden State
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
The news wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but the Golden State Warriors will still be without MVP Stephen Curry when they attempt to close out the Houston Rockets at home in Game 5 on Wednesday. Curry left Sunday’s Game 4 after slipping on the floor at the end of the half and was diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee.
Curry will sit for two weeks before being reevaluated, putting his availability for the next round in jeopardy should the Warriors, as expected, close out the eighth-seeded Rockets. The star guard was defending on the final play of the first half on Sunday when he slipped on a wet spot and had his right knee bend awkwardly on his way to the ground. “We said two weeks, but that’s no guarantee that it will be in two weeks, might be after two weeks, might be before,” Golden State general manager Bob Myers told reporters after an MRI exam on Monday. “But I think it will be somewhere in that range, hopefully.” Houston had a chance to even the series with Curry limping around the locker room on Sunday at home and instead were outscored 65-38 in the second half of a 121-94 loss.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, ROOT Southwest (Houston), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS:
The difference in effort between the teams was noticeable in the second half on Sunday, and Houston interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff was not afraid to call out his players after the game. “When the moment calls for us to raise our intensity levels, we dropped our guard,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “You could see the difference in the way that (the Warriors) played in that third quarter and how they scrapped and how they got every loose ball. You could see the intent in their guys’ eyes.” The Rockets allowed 41 points in the third quarter and now need a miraculous comeback for the second straight postseason – they overcame a 3-1 deficit to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round last spring before falling to Golden State in the conference finals.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS:
Golden State is already 1-1 in the series while playing without Curry, who sat out Games 2 and 3 with a sprained right ankle. The Warriors tend to lean on Curry’s epic scoring binges when the offense stalls, but All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson both stepped up in the second half on Sunday and are ready to carry more of the load. “It was the way we were moving the ball and trusting each other on both sides of the ball,” Thompson told reporters of the 41-point third quarter. “That’s what we’ve got to do to beat this team. We knew, as soon as Steph went down, we were going to have to do it by ourselves.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors are 3-2 without Curry this season and averaged 10.2 fewer points in those five games.
2. Houston PG Patrick Beverley (hamstring) also sat out the second half on Sunday and is questionable for Game 5.
3. Golden State set an NBA playoff record with 21 made 3-pointers in Game 4.
PREDICTION: Warriors 116, Rockets 100

**Satch** · 04-27-2016, 10:11 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 4/27

Wednesday’s NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
Eastern Conference – Game 5 – Series tied 2-2
Charlotte at Miami (-6/193), 8:05 p.m. ET – TNT
The Heat dominated the first two games in this series, setting a franchise-record by scoring 123 points in Game 1, then following it up with a 115-103 rout to go up 2-0. Center Hassan Whiteside made 17 of 19 shots as Miami shot over 57 percent in both victories. Then the series shifted to Charlotte, where everything changed.
Despite missing its best two-way player, Nicolas Batum, to a foot sprain that may cost him the rest of the series, the Hornets gained their footing with a 96-80 Game 3 win where they locked in defensively and got a combined 33 points from sixth man Jeremy Lin and rookie Frank Kaminsky, who took Batum’s place in the lineup, offering a different look and shocking Miami with his assertiveness and versatility.
Game 4 was there for both teams. They each had terrific runs in what ended up being a one-possession game for the final 1:57, but rookie Josh Richardson missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer and Charlotte wound up with a pair of key last-minute offensive rebounds to help kill clock, holding off the Heat and evening the series. All-Star Kemba Walker scored a series-high 34 points, while Lin continued his exceptional play at home, adding 21. Miami defenders struggled to stay in front of the Hornets point guards, which makes for a major point of contention in this swing game.
In part, Whiteside dealing with a bruised thigh has had an impact, since he didn’t look like himself playing back in his home state, taking just 11 shots and averaging just 10.5 points after dominating in South Florida at a 19-points-per-game clip. Dwyane Wade shot the ball poorly in Charlotte, winding up 11-for-31 despite continuing to rebounds well. Wade has been a playmaker for Miami, averaging 6.5 assists and making sure everyone gets involved. One key x-factor in the series has been the Hornets strategy of leaving rookie Justise Winslow open for 3-point looks, taking their chances that he won’t be able to take advantage. Winslow went for 1-for-9 from beyond the arc at Time Warner Cable Arena after taking just two 3-pointers in Miami over the first two games. He’ll either have to start making his shots from here on out, or simply stop taking them. More than any other, that tweak from Steve Clifford has helped slow Miami, who averaged 82.5 points on the road after averaging 119 in going up 2-0.
Despite two straight ‘under’ winners in this series, VI NBA Expert Chris David expects a turnaround in South Florida. He explained, “I understand why the total continues to drop in this series but it’s hard for me to ignore the ‘over’ trends in the playoffs for Miami. The Heat scored at will in the first two games, which produced easy ‘over’ tickets. Including those winners, the ‘over’ has gone 10-2 in the last 12 playoff games at American Airlines Arena. Plus, the last 10 encounters in South Florida between the Heat and Hornets have all gone ‘over’ the number. I’m buying the high side on Wednesday.”
Including their regular-season meetings, the Heat and Hornets have split their eight contests. Each team has won on the other’s home floor only once.
Western Conference – Game 5 – Series tied 2-2
Portland (-3/196.5) at L.A. Clippers, 10:05 p.m. ET – NBATV
Everything we’ve seen in this series can now be flushed away and deemed irrelevant. The Clippers dominated both games at Staples Center to seemingly grab a stranglehold on the series that was expected to be the most competitive of the Western Conference’s first-round offerings, winning by a combined margin of 41 points. The Blazers won Game 3 96-88 behind Damian Lillard’s 32 points, pulling away in the final 2:36 after L.A. led 85-84. C.J. McCollum added 27 points, celebrating the night where he received his NBA Most Improved Player award in style. It was a nice night for a young team in front of their home fans, but most expected the Clippers would prevail in Game 4 to take control of the series and expedite the inevitable. Oddsmakers made L.A. a 3.5-road favorite. What happened next is so painful that long-suffering Clips fans are advised to avert their eyes for the rest of this preview.
By now, everyone knows what happened. Chris Paul broke his hand in the third quarter. Blake Griffin aggravated a quad injury in the fourth. Fearing the likelihood that Paul would be lost to the team the rest of the way, the Clips wilted without their leader, unable to overcome a hostile road atmosphere and a young team greedily pouncing on the opportunity in front of them. Paul had surgery on Tuesday and will miss 4-to-6 weeks, while Griffin has been ruled out the rest of the way. Now, it’s on the rest of the team to pick up the pieces. Everyone has already written them off regardless of whether they go out in this round or next. Oddsmakers have made the Trail Blazers a road favorite at Staples Center despite losing the first two games by 20 or more. This will be the first time in nine meetings this season where Portland is favored over the Clips.
Top sixth man Jamal Crawford is likely to stay in his role off the bench, but should play more minutes in helping Austin Rivers run the offense for the Clippers with Paul out. Veteran Pablo Prigioni will probably get a little more run, but he’s played just seven minutes over the first four games and hasn’t even taken a shot. Paul averaged 26.3 points and 8.3 assists over the first three games of the series and was having a solid Game 4 before swiping down trying to steal the ball on a Gerald Henderson drive. His production and leadership appear irreplaceable. The Clippers went 3-5 in the eight regular-season games Paul missed, so while playing without Griffin is something they certainly grew accustomed to, operating without their point guard is not something they’ve done well. Wesley Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Jeff Green and Paul Pierce will help centers DeAndre Jordan and Cole Aldrich up front, while Rivers, Crawford and J.J. Redick will get the bulk of the backcourt responsibilities. It doesn’t help that Redick has been playing through a bruised heel.
Beyond their incredibly good fortune at the expense of a seemingly cursed opponent, the Trail Blazers have pulled their own weight thanks to a frontcourt that has really flourished and even picked up their highly-esteemed backcourt. Center Mason Plumlee has more than held his own with Jordan and has been utilized as a playmaker by Coach of the Year runner-up Terry Stotts, dishing out 26 assists over the last three games. After four points, five boards and no dimes in Game 1, Plumlee has become an invaluable x-factor, averaging 8.3 points, 15 rebounds and 8.7 assists over the last three contests. Al-Farouq Aminu comes off a ridiculous 30-point, 10-rebound game in which he tied a career-high with six 3-pointers made. He’d never scored 30 in the pros in a regular-season game, much less the playoffs. Mo Harkless and Ed Davis have been dependable off the bench up front, while shooter Allen Crabbe has been a weapon. Can their lack of experience in big games be overcome on the road as easily as it was at the Moda Center? That’s a huge x-factor for the Blazers.
VI’s David weighs in on the injury to Paul and the chances that the Clippers now have without the All-Star in the lineup, commenting that “replacing him won’t be an easy task, which was evident during the regular season. With Griffin out too that certainly spells even more trouble for Los Angeles but I wouldn’t run to the counter and back Portland, who has dropped nine straight playoff games on the road and is just 5-25 as a visitor in the postseason. Interestingly, the ‘over’ prevailed in seven of eight games the Clippers played without Paul.”
Western Conference – Game 5 – Warriors lead 3-1
Houston at Golden State (-9/211.5), 10:35 p.m. ET – TNT
Stephen Curry’s absence would normally be the biggest story in these playoffs, but the Clippers mishaps have overshadowed what will hopefully be a two-week hiatus for the league’s top player. Even though the Warriors still have to get out of the first round with one more victory over the Rockets, there’s no real drama in wondering whether they can considering he didn’t play at all in a second half they won 65-38 in Houston in Game 4.
Counting their two home wins to open this series, the Warriors are 41-2 at Oracle Arena this season, while the Rockets come in 18-25 in opposing venues. This will be their fourth game in Oakland, losing 123-110 in the regular season and by scores of 104-78 and 115-106 in this series.
James Harden scored 35 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out nine assists and actually played defense in a 97-96 Game 3 win, so he has to be at his best for the Rockets to even have a chance to beat the Warriors whether Curry is involved or not. He’s shot 18-for-51 (36 pct) in the three losses and figures to see more of Andre Iguodala with Curry out of the mix here. Dwight Howard has actually been solid in the series, averaging 14.5 points and 12.3 rebounds, but he’ll likely need more touches to significantly impact this one and teands to struggle to get position against Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli.
Besides Iguodala likely getting more minutes, Shaun Livingston will help the Warriors offer a different, longer look on defense to help offset the detriment of not having Curry around to strengthen the offense. Livingston is a terrific playmaker who you can post up and control pace through, so in the short-term, the Warriors shouldn’t be troubled much. Shooter Ian Clark will also play an increased role.
While the Paul injury is expected to take a serious toll on the Clippers, David agrees with most pundits that the Warriors will get past the Rockets even without Curry.
“Even though the Curry is the league’s MVP, he’s only been on the floor for 39 minutes in this series, which would be over already if it wasn’t for a Harden jumper in Game 3. This matchup is still very much lopsided even without Curry and taking the Rockets on Wednesday isn’t a sound investment. Including the results in this series, Houston has gone 2-8 in its last 10 playoff games on the road and more importantly its 3-7 versus the number with six of the eight losses coming by nine or more points.”

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NBA Betting Info. 4/27

NBA Betting Info. 4/27

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