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**TheGame** · 05-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

Preview: Cavaliers (57-25) at Hawks (48-34)

Date: May 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers attempted the most 3-pointers in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and have simply upped that number to lead all teams in average attempts in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers turned in an astounding long-range effort their last time out and try to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their conference semifinal series Friday night on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.

Cleveland averaged 29.6 attempts from beyond the arc during the season and are hoisting up a league-best 35.7 during the playoffs. The strategy is working - the Cavaliers are the only unbeaten team left in the postseason and shooting an NBA-best 45.3 percent from long range.

Game 2 of this series featured an amazing display of marksmanship as Cleveland set a record with 25 3-pointers in Wednesday's 123-98 rout. J.R. Smith made seven and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each sank four.

'Tonight was a special night for all of us who played,' James said. 'This league has seen so many great teams, so many great players and great shooters and for us to set an all-time record is truly special.'

The Cavaliers surpassed the previous postseason high of 21 set by the Warriors in 2015 and the regular-season mark of 23, accomplished by two teams. Cleveland attempted 45 3-pointers - one shy of the playoff record set by Golden State last season.

'I don't think we searched out 3s until we heard on the Jumbotron that we tied the record,' said James, who scored 27 points. 'And then we felt like we came this far so we might as well try and break it.'

The Hawks are second in the postseason with 31.6 3-point attempts per game. They have made 22 in this series compared to 40 for the Cavaliers.

'When they put those shots down, I don't know if anyone can beat them, to be honest,' Atlanta's Kyle Korver said. 'We were hoping that they'd start missing at some point.'

Atlanta has lost 10 straight playoff games to Cleveland, and this series is looking alarmingly familiar to the Cavaliers' sweep in last year's conference finals.

Smith has made 11 of 20 attempts from long range, Irving has drained 7 of 10 and James is 6 for 10.

The Cavs led by as many as 18 while shooting 44.6 percent and making 15 of 31 3-pointers in a 104-93 victory in the series opener. Two days later, they shot 47.1 percent overall and led by as many as 41.

'That was overwhelming,' Hawks guard Kent Bazemore said. 'I thought they shot (really well) in Game 1, but that was amazing.'

The defeat was so thorough that seldom-used backup center Mike Muscala, who scored 10 points in 14 minutes, appeared at the postgame news conference with NBA teams required to send at least one player. The Hawks know they are in trouble if Muscala continues to see action in this series.

"We need to get better in a lot of areas, probably starting with our transition defense and all the way through, and execute better offensively to take some pressure off our defense," coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Paul Millsap has totaled a team-high 33 points and 24 rebounds in the series for Atlanta, with Dennis Schroder scoring 32. Jeff Teague has been ineffective, making 5 of 19 shots for 22 points and 10 assists.

The Hawks have a 68-56 advantage in points in the paint in this series. That has been a meaningless statistic given the Cavaliers have scored 54 more points via 3-pointers.

**TheGame** · 05-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

Preview: Spurs (67-15) at Thunder (55-27)

Date: May 06, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived a frenzied and controversial finish in Game 2 to seize home-court advantage from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs can regain it by earning a rare playoff win in Oklahoma City when the well-rested teams square off again Friday night.

The Thunder nearly blew a four-point lead in the final 15 seconds before holding on for a 98-97 victory Monday, and the NBA ruled the next day that there were five incorrect non-calls in that closing stretch. Oklahoma City's Dion Waiters was part of perhaps the most high-profile one, pushing Manu Ginobili away with his elbow on an inbounds play with 13.5 seconds to go.

The league also stated that Ginobili should have been charged with a delay-of-game violation for stepping on the sideline as he was defending Waiters. Potential fouls from the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills affected Oklahoma City's inbounds pass, which was stolen away from Kevin Durant by Danny Green.

LaMarcus Aldridge would have received two foul shots if referees had correctly called a foul on Serge Ibaka for grabbing his jersey when Aldridge was trying to rebound Mills' missed 3-pointer.

Aldridge was 10 of 10 from the line Monday and finished with 41 points in San Antonio's first loss in six games this postseason.

"Now it's our job to react," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "Everybody on this team understands that to win a championship, you have to win on the road. So that's our job now."

That could prove to be a challenging one as Oklahoma City has won eight of nine at home, the lone loss coming in Game 2 of its opening-round series against Dallas.

The Thunder have won in 11 of 13 at home against San Antonio, including playoffs, and are 5-1 there against the Spurs in two postseason series since relocating from Seattle.

"We have to come into the game like we're down 0-2," Waiters said. "We know that's how they're going to approach the game. We know they're going to come in and do what they do. We have to match their intensity.

"We know it's important to take care of home-court advantage. We have to come in with the mindset of coming in to win and compete, play hard as possible and play smart."

Oklahoma City averaged 111.5 points and 50.3 percent shooting in two home victories over San Antonio this season, but the Spurs' top players sat out a 111-92 defeat March 26.

Kawhi Leonard was dealing with a bruised right quad while Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Ginobili and Parker were given the night off.

Those five will try to get San Antonio off to a better start than in Monday's defeat, when Oklahoma City scored 17 of the first 21 points. San Antonio missed 12 of its first 13 shots and finished at 42.6 percent after connecting at 60.7 in a 124-92 rout in Game 1 on Saturday.

"We have got to be sharp. We have got to be better, have a better start," said Aldridge, who scored 38 points in the series opener. "We have to focus offensively and defensively, just be locked in and all the way around better."

Aldridge, making his first postseason visit to Oklahoma City, was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in his only game there this season, a 112-106 defeat Oct. 28.

Leonard has totaled 58 points and shot 62.2 percent in his last two road games against the Thunder. His 32 points Oct. 28 tied his career high at the time.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, who scored a team-best 29 on Monday, averaged 31 and 53.7 percent shooting in the two home games against San Antonio this season.

**TheGame** · 05-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Cleveland at Atlanta**

-- The East semifinals move to Philips Arena in Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday night. Cleveland ventures south with a 2-0 series advantage. The Cavaliers have won nine in a row over the Hawks while going 8-1 ATS. They are 5-0 both SU and ATS in the five head-to-head meetings this season.

-- The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Cleveland (63-25 straight up, 41-44-3 against the spread) as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 200 points. Those number hadn’t budged as of Friday afternoon. The Cavs are -145 on the money line, leaving the Hawks at +125 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $125). Tyron Lue’s squad is a 1.5-point ‘chalk’ for first-half wagers.

-- Cleveland absolutely destroyed Atlanta in Wednesday’s Game 2 by a 123-98 count as a seven-point home favorite. The 221 combined points soared ‘over’ the 196-point total. The Cavs cashed tickets for both first quarter (-2.5, -115) and first-half wagers (-4.5) for a second straight time. With the game tied at 16-16, Lue’s club went on a 19-4 run to go ahead 35-20 heading into the second quarter. That’s when this game turned real ugly, as Cleveland exploded with a flurry of 3-pointers en route to a 74-38 advantage at halftime.

-- Cleveland drained 25 treys in Game 2 to set an all-time NBA record. Ten different players connected from deep led by J.R. Smith’s seven 3-balls. The Cavs shot at a 55.6 percent clip from long range. LeBron James scored 27 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals. Smith scored 23 points, while Kyrie Irving contributed 19 points and six assists compared to merely one turnover.

-- Atlanta (52-38 SU, 45-44-1 ATS) was led by Paul Millsap’s 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Teague had 14 points and six assists. Kris Humphries (12), Mike Muscala (10), Al Horford (10) and Thabo Sefolosha (10) were also in double figures. Atlanta head coach wisely rested all of his starters for the entire fourth quarter.

-- I’ve been perplexed with Budenholzer’s decision in these playoffs to give Muscala the minutes Humphries was getting late in the regular season. Humphries played an average of 14 minutes in the 21 games he played after being acquired by Atlanta, averaging 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He has only been given minutes twice in eight postseason games. Granted, they came at garbage time, but Humphries has continued to play well. In Game 2, he produced 12 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in just 15 minutes of playing time. In his only appearance in the Boston series, Humphries finished with eight points, four rebounds and one assists in merely eight minutes of faction.

-- When a team is getting blasted like Atlanta was Wednesday during a seven-game series in the playoffs, you have to show some toughness and pride. Down by 36 at intermission, the game was over. But the mental warfare was still being waged. While the Cavs were gunning for the 3-point record and their bench was basically holding a dance party the entire night, the Hawks didn’t display any physicality whatsoever. You never want to hurt another player but, again, this is the playoffs. It’s completely inexcusable that no Atlanta player didn’t give any hard fouls in the lane in the second half.

-- When meeting with the media afterwards, several Atlanta players, including their two veteran leaders in Millsap and Horford, expressed unhappiness with the way the Cavs went about bombing triples in the final stanza in an effort to break the NBA record. Instead of complaining afterwards, a Hawks’ player should’ve just given a statement foul by knocking a Cavs’ 3-point shooter on his ass. Am I implying a quasi cheap shot? You damn right I am. This is the playoffs. A team has to have a backbone unless it’s resigned to going on vacation sooner rather than later.

Chris David had this take on the side for Game 3: “After watching Atlanta lose the first two games of this series, it’s certainly hard to make a case for them in Game 3. Catching points at home hasn’t happened often for the Hawks this season, only three times. They dropped double digit decisions to the Spurs and Warriors while knocking off the Thunder. I wouldn’t put the Cavaliers in the same class as San Antonio and Golden State but they are steps ahead of Oklahoma City, which makes this number seem fair.”

-- Cleveland owns a 26-17 SU record and a 18-22-3 ATS mark in its road assignments this year.

-- Atlanta has compiled a 30-14 SU record and a 24-20 ATS ledger at home this season. As David noted, the Hawks were home underdogs three times this year, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.

-- The ‘under’ is 50-40 overall for the Hawks, 25-19 in their home outings.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (44-44) for the Cavs this season. The ‘under’ is 23-20 in their road assignments.

-- VI’s David likes the total to stay ‘under’ in Game 3. He explained, I believe the oddsmakers jumped the gun on the total for Game 3 and sent an opener of 200 after we saw Game 2 close at 196. I believe the number will drop back down by tip off and I’m leaning to the ‘under’ based on what we’ve seen from Atlanta at home in the playoffs. Since head coach Mike Budenholzer took over, the Hawks have seen the ‘under’ go 12-2 at home in the postseason and that includes a 3-0 record this season. Only two teams have scored 100 points on Atlanta during this span and even though Cleveland won both of the postseason meetings last year at Philips Arena, it scored 97 and 94 points.”

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**San Antonio at Oklahoma City**

-- Oklahoma City (60-29 SU, 41-47-1 ATS) bounced back from a blowout loss in Game 1 to capture a 98-97 win as a 7.5-point underdog Monday at AT&T Center. The Thunder hooked up money-line supporters with a stellar +320 payout (paid $320 on $100 wagers). Kevin Durant buried a floater with 33 seconds remaining to put his team up 96-91, but San Antonio answered when LaMarcus Aldridge knocked down a 3-ball off an amazing pass from Tony Parker. With OKC leading by four after Russell Westbrook hit a pair of free throws, Aldridge gave Serge Ibaka a pump fake before taking a 3-pointer. Ibaka inexplicably fouled Aldridge in the act of shooting to provide three shots. Aldridge was true on all three from the charity stripe to slice the deficit to one. On the ensuing inbounds play from halfcourt after a timeout, Dion Waiters struggled to find an open man and just before passing the ball nailed Manu Ginobili with an elbow to clear space for a pass. Nevertheless, the entry to Durant was stolen by Danny Green, who eventually passed to Patty Mills, who missed a 3-pointer from the corner. With two seconds left, the teams battled for the rebound under the basket without a call being made. Alas, though it tried to hand San Antonio the game with a slew of knucklehead plays at crunch time, OKC emerged victorious to knot the series at 1-1.

-- Westbrook produced 29 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in the Game 2 triumph. Durant finished with 28 points, seven boards and four assists, while Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams scored 12 points apiece. Adams brought down a game-high 17 rebounds, while Kanter had eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

-- In the losing effort, Aldridge was sensational again with a game-best 41 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of rejections. Kawhi Leonard and Ginobili were the only other Spurs in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Tim Duncan missed a bunch of high-percentage shots and had only two points on 1-of-8 shooting. Parker struggled too, finishing with seven points and six assists.

-- For Friday’s Game 3, the Westgate opened OKC as a 1.5-point favorite early on Tuesday morning. The total was 199 points on the send-out. By lunch, however, the Spurs had moved into the 1.5-point ‘chalk’ role. Then on Wednesday, the Spurs were favored by two and that remained the number as of early Thursday night. The total moved from 199 to 200 on Thursday. The Spurs are -130 on the money line, leaving the Thunder at +110 to win outright (risk $100 to win $110). San Antonio is a one-half point favorite for first-half bets.

-- San Antonio (72-16 SU, 48-40 ATS) smashed OKC in the series opener by winning a 124-92 decision as a 6.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Spurs led by 33 at halftime and by 39 going into the final stanza. Aldridge was the catalyst with 38 points, while Leonard had 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. Leonard made 10-of-13 shots, while Aldridge hit 18-of-23 attempts from the field. Danny Green chipped in 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown.

-- In the Game 1 defeat, Ibaka paced the Thunder with a team-best 19 points, but he’s been getting destroyed at the other end by Aldridge for eight consecutive quarters. Westbrook (5-of-19, 14 points) and Durant (6-of-15, 16 points) had mediocre performances in the series opener.

-- OKC won both SU and ATS in a pair of regular-season meetings with San Antonio at home. On March 26, the Thunder cruised to a 111-92 win as a 12.5-point home favorite. Durant posted a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Westbrook tallied 29 points, eight assists and six rebounds. We should obviously note that Duncan, Aldridge, Leonard and Parker did not play (rest).

-- On Oct. 28, OKC won a 112-106 decision over the Spurs as a four-point home ‘chalk.’ Westbrook led the way with 33 points and 10 assists, while Leonard countered with 32 points in defeat. San Antonio played all of its players in this encounter.

-- Gregg Popovich’s team owns a 29-14 SU record and a 22-21 ATS mark at home this year.

-- Billy Donovan’s team is 34-10 SU and 21-22-1 ATS at home this season.

-- VI’s David is bullish on the Spurs as short road faves in Game 3. David said, “I was very surprised when I saw the Thunder open as a 1 ½-point favorite for Game 3 but that line flipped in a hurry and it’s the right move in my opinion. It’s hard to ignore the fact that the Spurs went 12-0 off a loss in the regular season in meaningful games when the club put out a full squad. Another solid stat that could have you leaning to San Antonio is the record of the Thunder as underdogs. OKC did cash tickets in Game 2 of this series but it’s just 2-12 as an underdog this season. Also, it should be noted that road favorites have done very well in this year’s postseason, going 10-4 straight up and 8-6 against the spread.”

-- The ‘under’ is 46-43 overall for the Thunder, 27-17 in its home games.

-- The ‘over’ had hit in four consecutive games for the Thunder until Game 2 went ‘under’ the tally.

-- The ‘under’ is 49-37-2 overall for San Antonio, 25-17-1 in its road assignments.

-- The ‘under’ is on an 8-2 run in San Antonio’s last 10 games played at OKC.

-- ESPN will have the telecast at 9:35 p.m. Eastern.

**TheGame** · 05-06-2016, 07:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

NBA Odds and Picks: Friday and Saturday Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

What had been rumored for a few days came true on Thursday: the Indiana Pacers declined to renew the contract of head coach Frank Vogel. On the surface, that seems a stupid move by the team, but I guess you have to trust boss Larry Bird. In six seasons as Pacers coach, Vogel had a 250-181 regular-season record and 31-30 playoff record, including losing in Game 7 to Toronto this season. Remember, Indiana was without superstar Paul George for basically all of the 2014-15 season. I'm not sure there's a better candidate on the market right now unless some big-name college coach is waiting in the wings. Maybe Bird calls former Warriors coach and Pacers player Mark Jackson. I'm quite sure that Bird isn't returning to coaching the Pacers himself. Bird told reporters that hiring Kevin McHale, his former teammate with the Celtics, was out of the question. Right now the Kings, Rockets and Knicks jobs are open, and I'd bet Vogel gets an interview with each of those teams.

Friday's Game 3: No. 1 Cavaliers at No. 4 Hawks (+3, 200)

TNT's Charles Barkley said the Hawks need to "take out a player" after Cleveland's 123-98 win on Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead in this series. Barkley's thinking is that the Atlanta players need to send a message to the Cavs in the wake of that embarrassment or this will be a sweep. Were this Barkley's era, I have no doubt that would happen. But that type of stuff gets you suspended these days, so I don't expect anything in Game 3. The Hawks should be ashamed of Wednesday's loss, which was over before it started. The Cavaliers hit an NBA record 25 3-pointers (regular season or playoff record) on 45 attempts. Cleveland hit 18 3s in the first half alone. There are six NBA teams that have never made 18 3-pointers in any game. The Hawks had just 11 first-half field goals.

J.R. Smith led the way with seven 3-pointers. Every Cavs starter but Tristan Thompson attempted at least four of them and made better than 50 percent. LeBron James led the Cavs with 27 points and had to play just 28 minutes in the blowout. No Cleveland player got more minutes than that. It was 35-20 after one quarter and Atlanta folded like a cheap tent. The Cavs have made more 3-pointers combined in the first two games than 2-pointers! Welcome to the modern-day NBA. About the only positive for Atlanta was that its starters also got plenty of rest since the team was down 74-38 at halftime. This team ranked second in defensive efficiency over the regular season but is allowing 113.5 points per game in this series.

Key trends: The Cavs are 8-3 against the spread in their past 11 Friday games. The Hawks are 2-8 ATS in their past 10 after allowing at least 100 points in their previous game. They are 1-6 ATS in their past seven after a loss. The "over/under" is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.

Early lean: The Cavs have won their past three games in Atlanta, two in last year's Eastern Conference finals. That won't change. Give the points, go over.

Saturday's Game 3: No. 1 Warriors at No. 5 Trail Blazers (+3, 211)

I'm a bit surprised there's a line up on this game, but clearly oddsmakers don't think Steph Curry is going to return from his knee injury on Saturday. And neither do I. It sounds like he will be listed as "doubtful." With a 2-0 lead, I wouldn't rush him back yet. Shoot, I might not play him at all this series. Curry has said he got a platelet-rich-plasma treatment in the knee, which is supposed to speed up healing.

To Portland's credit, it played well for three quarters of Game 2 in Oakland and led for about 43 minutes. The Blazers were ahead by 11 points entering the fourth quarter, but then the Warriors flipped a switch and outscored Portland 34-12 to win 110-99 (and barely cover). The Warriors shot 61.1 percent from the field in the quarter and pulled down 15 rebounds. Klay Thompson had another big game with 27 points (10 in fourth quarter) as did Draymond Green with 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots, the first player to reach all of those numbers in a playoff game since Tim Duncan in 2003. Green might go down as the best second-round pick in NBA history. Backup center Festus Ezeli hadn't played a minute in this series but was huge in the fourth quarter with eight points and six rebounds.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 25 points and C.J. McCollum had 22, but both were quiet in the fourth. Portland managed six points in the final 5:21. The Blazers were 5-for-19 from the field in the quarter, missed all six of their 3-point attempts and turned it over five times.

Key trends: The Warriors were 1-1 ATS on the road in Round 1 and 0-2 O/U. The Blazers were 2-1 ATS at home in the last round and 1-2 O/U. Portland was 1-1 ATS at home during the season vs. the Warriors and 2-0 O/U.

Early lean: No team has beat Golden State twice this season. And Portland won't. This will be a sweep. Give the points, go over

**Satch** · 05-06-2016, 09:37 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

Preview: Cleveland At Atlanta

When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, May 6, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Matchup Edge

CLE	Edge in:	ATL
	Points Per Game
	Field Goal %
	Free Throw %
	Defense
	Rebounding
	Turn Overs
	Bench

The Cleveland Cavaliers are fresh off the greatest 3-point shooting performance in NBA history and look to once again dismantle the host Atlanta Hawks in Friday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Cleveland knocked down a record 25 3-pointers - the most in the regular season or postseason - while rolling to a 123-98 win that represents its 10th consecutive playoff victory over the Hawks.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith made seven 3-pointers en route to 23 points while point guard Kyrie Irving and small forward LeBron James each made four as the Cavaliers turned the arena into their personal shooting gallery. "(It) was a special night for all of us who played," James told reporters afterward. "This league has seen so many great teams, so many great players and great shooters and for us to set an all-time record is truly special." Atlanta was demoralized while facing a 74-38 halftime deficit and shooting guard Kyle Korver was in disbelief over what he was viewing. "When they put those shots down, I don't know if anyone can beat them, to be honest," Korver told reporters. "We were hoping that they'd start missing at some point."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Cleveland made 40 3-pointers over the first two games of the series with a supremely confident Smith leading the way by going 11-of-20 from behind the arc. "Honestly, I feel like that every time I play, to be honest with you," Smith told reporters of his high confidence level. "Whenever I shoot the ball, I have confidence that it's going to go in." The Cavaliers made 18 3-pointers in the first half - eight in the opening quarter, 10 in the second - and 10 different players made at least one.

ABOUT THE HAWKS: Atlanta faces a do-or-die situation in Game 3 and would like to avoid being swept in a playoff series by the Cavaliers for the second straight season. Coach Mike Budenholzer put on the brave face even though his team is reeling and appears to ready to cave. "It's one game," Budenholzer told reporters after the Game 2 trouncing. "They won their two games on their home court. Now we're going home."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hawks backup PG Dennis Schroder had just five points in Game 2 after scoring a playoff career-high 27 in the opener.

2. James had 27 points in Game 2 to move into fifth place on the all-time playoff scoring list with 5,163 points, surpassing San Antonio C Tim Duncan (5,146).

3. Atlanta C Al Horford is averaging 10 points on 7-of-20 shooting in the series and has scored 10 or fewer points in five of eight games this postseason.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 112, Hawks 103

**Satch** · 05-06-2016, 09:38 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

Preview: San Antonio At Oklahoma City

When: 9:30 PM ET, Friday, May 6, 2016
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Matchup Edge

SA	Edge in:	OKC
	Points Per Game
	Field Goal %
	Free Throw %
	Defense
	Rebounding
	Turn Overs
	Bench

San Antonio power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been unstoppable in the Western Conference semifinals but all that production has only provided the Spurs with a split. Aldridge and San Antonio look to move ahead in the series with the host Oklahoma City Thunder when the teams resume play in Friday's Game 3.

Aldridge is 33-of-44 shooting in the two games while putting up 38 and 41 points as the Thunder were powerless to slow him down. "One man can't beat you, so we're fine with that," Oklahoma City backup guard Dion Waiters told reporters. "If they want to continue to get out of their offense and throw the ball down there to him, we're fine with that. One guy can't beat us, no matter how much he scores." The Thunder lost the first game of the series by 32 points before putting forth a much better effort in Monday's controversial 98-97 victory - a contest in which the NBA said there were five officiating calls missed in the final 13.5 seconds. "It's over now," Aldridge told reporters the following day. "You can't keep harping on it."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE SPURS: Aldridge has scored nearly 36 percent of San Antonio's points in the series but he wasn't feeling all that great about his Game 2 performance due to the result. "It feels horrible, feels like it was wasted," Aldridge told reporters. "I've never been about trying to get points and not win - I always try to do things to win. If you win, it's totally a different feeling, but losing like that hurts." Small forward Kawhi Leonard is averaging 19.5 points in the series but had a disappointing showing on Monday with 14 points on 7-of-18 shooting.

ABOUT THE THUNDER: After being dominated in the opening game of the series, Oklahoma City started strong and carried the pace for most of Game 2. "Not only the pace, but we were playing smarter and better," power forward Serge Ibaka told reporters. "We were attacking in the fast break when we had to and when we didn't have an opportunity we slowed it down and ran a play." Point guard Russell Westbrook had 29 points and 10 assists in Game 2 after having just 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting in the opener, and small forward Kevin Durant also had a much-improved showing with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting after being held to 16 on 6-of-15 shooting in Game 1.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Spurs shot just 42.6 percent from the field in Game 2 after shooting a blistering 60.7 percent in the opener.

2. San Antonio PG Tony Parker is averaging nine assists in the series but just 4.5 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

3. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams collected a playoff career-best 17 rebounds in Game 2 and is averaging 10.5 points and 13.5 rebounds.

PREDICTION: Spurs 102, Thunder 99

**Satch** · 05-06-2016, 09:39 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

ATS Trends

Cleveland

Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Southeast.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Cavaliers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.
Cavaliers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 Friday games.
Cavaliers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

Atlanta

Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Hawks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss.
Hawks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Hawks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Eastern Conference.
Hawks are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Hawks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
Hawks are 5-16-1 ATS in their last 22 Conference Semifinals games.
Hawks are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Hawks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Hawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Hawks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Hawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
Hawks are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Central.

OU Trends

Cleveland

Over is 5-1 in Cavaliers last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a ATS win.
Over is 6-2 in Cavaliers last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Over is 9-3 in Cavaliers last 12 vs. NBA Southeast.
Over is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 16-7 in Cavaliers last 23 Friday games.

Atlanta

Under is 7-1 in Hawks last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 7-1 in Hawks last 8 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 6-1 in Hawks last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Hawks last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 5-1 in Hawks last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Under is 5-1 in Hawks last 6 home games.
Under is 5-1 in Hawks last 6 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 8-2 in Hawks last 10 overall.
Under is 8-2 in Hawks last 10 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 5-2 in Hawks last 7 vs. NBA Central.
Over is 5-2 in Hawks last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 24-11 in Hawks last 35 Friday games.

Head to Head

Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.

**Satch** · 05-06-2016, 09:40 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/6

ATS Trends

San Antonio

Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Spurs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 Conference Semifinals games.
Spurs are 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games following a straight up loss.
Spurs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Spurs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
Spurs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Spurs are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Spurs are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Spurs are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. NBA Northwest.
Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Friday games.

Oklahoma City

Thunder are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Thunder are 29-9-2 ATS in their last 40 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
Thunder are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Thunder are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Conference Semifinals games.
Thunder are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Thunder are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.

OU Trends

San Antonio

Over is 6-1 in Spurs last 7 Friday games.
Under is 13-3 in Spurs last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 8-2 in Spurs last 10 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Under is 4-1 in Spurs last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 7-2 in Spurs last 9 overall.
Under is 11-4 in Spurs last 15 road games.
Under is 11-4 in Spurs last 15 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 19-7 in Spurs last 26 vs. Western Conference.
Under is 25-11-1 in Spurs last 37 games following a ATS loss.

Oklahoma City

Under is 5-1 in Thunder last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 overall.
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 vs. NBA Southwest.
Under is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
Under is 9-3 in Thunder last 12 Friday games.
Over is 5-2 in Thunder last 7 games following a straight up win.
Under is 9-4 in Thunder last 13 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Head to Head

Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Oklahoma City.
Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Favorite is 19-8-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings.
Spurs are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Spurs are 2-11 ATS in the last 13 meetings in Oklahoma City.

Announcement

NBA Betting Info. 5/6

NBA Betting Info. 5/6

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