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**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Wednesday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds

Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 188.5)

Series tied 1-1

The Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are not content with playing 48-minute basketball games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The teams will try to decide things in the allotted amount of time when the series, which is knotted at two wins apiece, shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Dwyane Wade has been the best player in the series and was at it again with 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting in a 94-87 overtime win on Monday – the third overtime game in the series. “I worked my tail off to get my body to the point where I can play at an elite level and not worry about my age or anything,” Wade told reporters after logging 39 minutes in Game 4. “I know when I'm healthy I can play this game as good as anybody." Wade’s success and the strong play of Heat point guard Goran Dragic in the series has been in direct contrast to Toronto’s All-Star backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. DeRozan slumped to nine points on 4-of-17 shooting in Game 4 and is shooting 35 percent in the series while Lowry went 2-of-11 in the loss before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 4.5-point favorites and by Tuesday afternoon the spread had been reduced to -4. The total opened at 187 and was bet all the way up to 188.5 by Tuesday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE HEAT (54-39, 50-42-1 ATS, 37-55-1 O/U): Miami went 1-of-15 from 3-point range in Game 4 and trailed by nine points midway through the fourth quarter before Wade brought the team back and forced overtime on a driving layup with 12.6 seconds left. The Heat were playing without center Hassan Whiteside (knee) and had only three players reach double figures in scoring in an inconsistent offensive performance outside of Wade. "I'm shocked, at this point, that we haven't been able to score 100 points, and that's not at all to discredit Toronto,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It's actually the opposite. We have not been able to consistently get to our game."

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (62-31, 48-45 ATS, 44-48-1 O/U): Lowry appeared to break out of a postseason-long slump with a 33-point effort in Game 3 but struggled to find his shot again in Game 4. DeRozan injured his thumb in Game 2 and was clearly off with his shot in the last two contests, though he was reluctant to place all of the blame for his struggles on the injury. “It’s the feeling of being uncomfortable and not doing the things that you normally do with gripping the ball and everything,” DeRozan told reporters. “It’s nothing I’ll ever make an excuse about, but like I said, I know for sure I’m not going to shoot like I did (Monday in our) next game. I know that for a fact.”

TRENDS:

* Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Under is 8-1 in Heat last 9 overall.
* Under is 10-2 in Raptors last 12 overall.
* Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors (-12.5, 216.5)

Warriors lead series 3-1

It took Stephen Curry about three quarters to shake off the rust before breaking the hearts of Portland Trail Blazers fans in Game 4. Curry, who played a total of two halves in the first eight games of the postseason, scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime of Game 4 to give the Golden State Warriors a chance to close out the visiting Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Curry was not even assured of playing in Game 4 until making it through his pregame workout with no issues from an MCL sprain suffered in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Instead, the MVP logged 37 minutes off the bench and came alive in the fourth quarter before putting on a show in overtime and yelling, “I’m back” toward the crowd after draining one 3-pointer. "It took me awhile to get back in the flow," Curry told reporters. "When you miss three weeks, it’s really weird to walk back on the court. Like, the crowd out there going crazy and that competitive atmosphere again. So, just trying to get my bearings straight, make some plays and try and get a rhythm. And it took 48 minutes and things finally clicked.” Curry’s heroics overshadowed another strong performance from Portland point guard Damian Lillard, who finished with 36 points and 10 assists in the loss and was not ready to concede the series to the Warriors.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Following Steph Curry's historic performance in Game 4 the Warriors opened as 11.5-point favorites for Game 5 and the public jumped all over that number and the books were forced to move the line up to -12.5 by Tuesday morning. The total opened at 215.5 and was bumped up a full point to 216.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-43, 48-44 ATS, 49-43 O/U): Lillard felt Portland had chances to win each of the last three games in the series and will go back to his hometown of Oakland, Calif., for Game 5 refusing to let the defending champions off easy. "We want to go out there and make sure they respect us, make sure they understand it's not going to be what everybody thinks it's going to be," Lillard told reporters. "It's not going to be no rolling over, it's not going to be no out here being scared, it's not going to be any of that." The Trail Blazers got strong efforts from C.J. McCollum (24 points) and Al-Farouq Aminu (18 points, 13 rebounds) in Game 4 to support Lillard but had some coverage breakdowns on Curry that need to be cleaned up before Wednesday.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (80-11, 52-37-2 ATS, 49-41-1 O/U): Curry was supposed to play 25 minutes or so on Monday but was pressed into extra duty when Shaun Livingston was ejected just before the half for arguing with officials. Curry ended up with 40 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists – the most important assist coming when he found Harrison Barnes on the wing for a tying 3-pointer in the final minutes of regulation after crashing the lane and dragging a host of defenders with him. “The guy’s played basically one basketball game in three weeks,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Curry. “I expected what I saw early, I expected a lot of rust. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted the explosion. I figured that he’d find his stroke and make a few shots, but I mean, that was crazy.”

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Warriors are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 9-1 in Trail Blazers last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 9-1 in Warriors last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Miami at Toronto**

-- Miami (54-39 straight up, 50-42-1 against the spread) and Toronto haven’t settled anything through four games. The series is knotted at 2-2 after the Heat rallied late in regulation to force overtime and eventually capture a 94-87 win in Monday’s Game 4. Miami’s OT cover as a 4.5-point home favorite produced yet another wrong-side winner in this best-of-seven set. Despite the extra session, the ‘under’ still cashed with the 181 combined points staying below the 194 points.

-- I had Toronto and the ‘under’ in Game 4. I also had the ‘under’ in Games 1 and 2. The series opener was poised to hit 177 combined points before Kyle Lowry’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer forced overtime. Due to the extra session, Miami’s 102-96 victory saw the 198 combined points inch ‘over’ the 192-point total. Lowry had missed his first six 3-point attempts and was 2-of-12 from the field before hitting the buzzer beater on the lowest-percentage shot he took the entire game. That was the first bad beat of the series and even those on the Heat as an underdog (+4) and on the money line (+160) had to suffer through OT before cashing a winner. From a gambling standpoint, the Game 1 results for the side and total set an eerie tone that continues to hang over this series.

-- In Game 2, Toronto won a 96-92 decision as a five-point home favorite in yet another overtime game. This time around, the ‘under’ cashed despite the extra session with the 188 combined points falling just shy of the 189-point tally. The Raptors’ All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Lowry missed one free throw apiece in the last 11 seconds to prevent ‘over’ backers from cashing another miracle winner. Lowry’s miss from the charity stripe with five seconds remaining also prevented Toronto supporters from getting a fortunate push. I had Miami and the ‘under’ in Game 2 to go 2-0, but there were anxious moments galore all the way to the horn. The Heat allowed a 77-70 lead midway through the fourth quarter to get away.

-- Toronto won Saturday’s Game 3 by a 95-91 count. Lowry, an All-Star who has been playing horrible throughout this postseason, finally regained his form in the second half by scoring 29 of his 33 points to propel his team to a 2-1 series advantage. The Raptors won outright as 5.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a sweet +200 return (risk $100 to win $200). The 186 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 187.5-point total.

-- Let’s get back to Monday’s Game 4 and just stick to what happened with the total for now. Toronto starting center Jonas Valanciunas sprained his ankle in Game 3 and was ruled out for the rest of the series. Valanciunas had scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in only 22 minutes of playing time before sustaining the injury. However, Miami starting center Hassan Whiteside also injured his knee in Game 3 and was out for Game 4. Nevertheless, we saw the total for Game 4 curiously moved 6.5 points to 194. On one hand, you could see that Whiteside’s absence would take the Heat’s rim protector away. After all, Whiteside averaged an NBA-best 3.7 blocked shots per game during the regular season and was swatting away 2.8 attempts per game in these playoffs. But Whiteside, who has been averaging 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during the postseason, left Game 3 after playing only eight minutes and the ‘under’ still cashed. And now Toronto would be without Valanciunas, who had recorded four consecutive double-doubles and was averaging 18.3 points per game in the series. This meant Toronto’s offense was taking a hit, especially considering the unfathomable struggles of Lowry and DeRozan in recent weeks.

-- Therefore, I confidently backed the ‘under’ again. In fact, I got a taste of some of the adjusted lines by going ‘under’ 189.5 (+155), ‘under’ 188.5 (+160) and ‘under’ 187.5 (+175) with real small plays. After witnessing Games 1 and 2, I was already thinking about the potential of overtime at intermission. Therefore, I took ‘over’ 98 for the second half, which was ‘over’ 177 points adjusted since the Heat had a 44-35 lead at halftime. Although yet another overtime period produced some serious anxiety, it prompted the second-half ‘over’ play to hit and all the ‘unders’ were winners as well.

-- The wrong-side winner for Game 4 was the Heat, who trailed by nine when Terrence Ross drained a 3-pointer from the right wing in transition with 6:39 remaining. With 4:11 left, Dwyane Wade’s bucket trimmed the deficit to 79-74. After a defensive stop, Wade scored again on a driving layup and made the subsequent free throw after being fouled. With the Raptors clinging to an 81-79 advantage with 1:58 remaining, Lowry hooked Justise Winslow on a drive to the basket for his sixth foul. Wade would pull Miami even on another driving layup with 12 ticks left, and Cory Joseph missed a potential game winner at the buzzer to end regulation. With 22 seconds remaining in OT, Miami had the ball and a two-point lead. Goran Dragic drove to the basket and made a layup and was fouled. His free throw put the Heat ahead of the number with a five-point lead. On Toronto’s next possession, Wade ripped a steal from Ross and dunked to provide the final score. With a chance to still cover, Ross turned the ball over again and Miami ran out the clock.

-- Wade scored 30 points to give him 34 career postseason games with 30 points or more. He also passed the great Magic Johnson for 13th on the all-time scoring list in NBA Playoff history. The Marquette product made 13-of-24 shots from the field. Dragic (5-16 FGs) and Joe Johnson (5-13) scored 15 points apiece despite struggling with their shot from the field. To his credit, though, Johnson made all five of his free throws and they were all at crunch time. Johnson had three steals, two blocked shots and three assists without committing a turnover, while Dragic had six rebounds and four assists. After taking a DNP in Game 3, Winslow logged 31 minutes and scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor. He had four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

-- DeRozan and Lowry were awful again in Game 4. DeRozan did jam his thumb in Game 3 and was playing in pain. He went 4-of-17 from the field to finish with only nine points. DeRozan had zero assists and committed three turnovers. As for Lowry, at least he found a way to help his team by playing a solid floor game. The Villanova product had nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, but he wasn’t available in OT and committed four turnovers. He was 2-of-11 from the field and scored only 10 points. Ross and Joseph scored 14 points apiece from off the bench, while Bismack Biyombo produced 13 points, 13 boards and a pair of blocked shots.

-- Lowry averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game during the regular season. He shot at a 42.7 percent clip from the field and made 38.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. In the playoffs, however, Lowry is averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He is hitting only 33.1 percent from the field and 19.7 percent from downtown. DeRozan averaged 23.5 PPG during the regular season while hitting 44.6 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from long distance. In the playoffs, he has averaged 17.7 PPG while making only 33.0 percent from the field and is an atrocious 3-of-19 from behind the line (15.8%).

-- Toronto (62-31 SU, 48-45 ATS) is 36-11 SU and 24-23 ATS at home this year.

-- Miami is 22-24 SU and 23-23 ATS on the road this season.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed at a 10-2 clip in Toronto’s last 12 games. The ‘under’ is 48-44-1 overall for the Raptors, but the ‘over’ is 25-22 in their home games.

-- The ‘under’ is on an 8-1 run in Miami’s last nine games. The Heat has seen the ‘under’ go 55-37-1 overall, 27-18-1 in its road assignments.

-- The Westgate SuperBook opened Toronto as a 4.5-point home favorite for Wednesday’s Game 5. The total was 187.5 on the send-out early Tuesday morning, but the tally was moved up to 188.5 within two hours. The Raptors are favored by 2.5 points for first-half wagers, while Miami is +165 on the money line (risk $100 to win $165).

Chris David leans to the Heat on the side. David said, “This is a real tough game to handicap and I can make arguments for both teams. Even though Miami barely covered in Game 4 as a favorite, the underdog covered the first three games in this series. It’s hard not to grab the points with the Heat, especially knowing that Toronto is 1-10-1 versus the number in its last 12 playoff games at the Air Canada Centre. However, the Raptors haven’t lost two straight games in this year’s playoffs and they’ve only dropped back-to-back games once since the All-Star break.”

-- David had this take on the total: “The total for Game 4 was steamed up from 188 to 194 as bettors were expecting a run ‘n gun game with the two centers out for each club. The logic made sense but neither team has been in great form offensively and that was evident on Monday as the pair combined for 7-of-35 (20%) from 3-point land. While the ‘under’ has been a great lean for both the Heat (8-3) and Raptors (9-2) in this year’s playoffs, I’m leaning to the high side in Game 5. Toronto has played better offensively off a loss (96.3 PPG) in the postseason and its defense at home hasn’t exactly been stellar (94 PPG) over this span.”

-- Whiteside has been ruled ‘out’ for Game 4.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

**Portland at Golden State**

-- I remember where I was when Michael Jordan hit six 3-pointers and scored 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals vs. Portland. I vividly recall Larry Bird’s fourth-quarter explosion to lift Boston past Atlanta in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals. And after Monday, I’ll always remember the night when Steph Curry came back from a knee injury and went wild in overtime of Game 4 at Portland in the West semifinals. It was on the same level as MJ, Larry Legend and other epic postseason performances in NBA history. It was downright nasty. You can apply all the adjectives – incredible, sensational or spectacular. Or you can just use the word his head coach Steve Kerr applied: “unreal.” Curry’s team trailed nearly the entire game and was staring at a 2-2 series tie. He was rusty after missing four consecutive games and more than two weeks due to a sprained knee.

-- Coming off the bench for the first time since 2012, Curry didn’t enter the game until his team was down 16-2. He missed his first nine attempts from 3-point land and was 6-of-18 from the field going into the fourth quarter. When Shaun Livingston was ejected for back-to-back technical fouls in the second quarter, it was clear that Curry would be forced to play major minutes in the second half. Livingston’s ejection ended up being a good thing, as Curry finally started to find his form late in the fourth quarter. He buried a crucial trey to trim Portland’s lead to one with 2:01 remaining. Though Curry missed a good look for a potential game winner at the end of regulation, he exploded in overtime. He scored 17 points – the most ever by a player in NBA history during the regular season or the playoffs – to spark the Warriors to a 132-125 win as six-point home favorites.

-- Gamblers (like me) backing the Trail Blazers as six-point underdogs were left to rip up tickets that should’ve cashed. The ‘over’ had already hit at the end of regulation (111-111) with the 222 combined points jumping ‘over’ the 214-point total. Bettors on Portland to win outright (+220ish) were also prompted to check into the Heartbreak Hotel. Terry Stotts’s team led by 10 at halftime, hooking up money-line supporters in the first half with a +160 payout.

-- Curry finished Game 4 with 40 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, making 10 of his last 14 shots from the field. Draymond Green contributed 21 points, nine boards, seven blocked shots, five assists and four steals. Klay Thompson scored 23 points, while Mo Speights had 11 points in just nine minutes off the bench.

-- Damian Lillard had 36 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the losing effort. C.J. McCollum added 24 points, while Al-Farouq Aminu produced 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mason Plumlee also had a double-double with 12 points and 15 boards.

-- I don’t believe in bulletin-board material at this time of year. However, for those that do and think it will give Portland a boost in Game 5, there was this quote from Green after Game 4: “Do I think they’re done? Of course I think they’re done.”

-- The Westgate opened Golden State (80-11 SU, 52-37-2 ATS) as an 11.5-point favorite with a total of 215 points. As of early Tuesday night, the line had moved up to 12.5 and the total was adjusted to 216.5. The Trail Blazers were available on the money line for a monster +800 return (risk $100 to win $800). The Warriors were 7.5-point ‘chalk’ for first-half bets.

-- Golden State owns a 44-2 SU record and a 27-19 ATS mark at home in Oracle Arena this year.

-- Portland (49-43 SU, 48-44 ATS) is 17-29 SU and 24-22 ATS on the road this season.

-- The ‘over’ is 49-43 overall for the Trail Blazers, 25-21 in their road assignments.

-- The ‘over’ is 49-41-1 overall for the Warriors, 24-21-1 in their home games.

-- VI’s David offered this analysis for Game 5: “Saying the Warriors will win in Game 5 isn’t exactly a profound prediction and it’s more than likely going to happen. Covering double digits is another story and while Golden State has gone 30-2 in the regular season when laying 10-plus points at home, it’s only 16-16 versus the number. Normally, I’d lean to the ‘dog and the points in this spot but I’m hesitant to back a Portland team that is now 1-4 both SU and ATS in this year’s playoffs. And that win came against a short-handed Clippers team when they couldn’t miss a shot in the final quarter. I’d rather not back a team that needs to shoot a high percentage and it’s hard to ignore the fact the Blazers are 0-6 (2-4 ATS) as double-digit ‘dogs this season, losing by an average of 14.5 PPG.”

-- TNT will have the broadcast at 10:35 p.m. Eastern.

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Preview: Heat (48-34) at Raptors (56-26)

Date: May 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In his desire to show his respect for Canada and the Toronto Raptors, Dwyane Wade made sure to cut his warmup time before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

As it turned out, he didn't really need all that much.

The Miami Heat star will look to continue his high-scoring performances Wednesday night in front of what could prove an especially unwelcoming crowd in Toronto.

Wade was part of some controversy in Game 3 in Miami on Saturday when he decided to take a couple more shots instead of joining his teammates in line for the Canadian national anthem. He quickly tried to make amends after the 95-91 loss.

"No disrespect at all from me," Wade said. "I apologize for Canada thinking I would disrespect them as a county. So today, I just adjusted how I normally get ready for a game."

Wade was the first in line for the singing of "O Canada" before Monday's Game 4 and scored 30 points in a 94-87 overtime victory that tied the series. He had nine points in the final 6 1/2 minutes of regulation to lead the Heat's comeback and a finishing dunk in the third game against Toronto that's required additional time.

Wade totaled 68 points while making 26 of 49 shots in the two games in Miami. He had 17 on 7-of-17 shooting in his latest one in Toronto, a 96-92 overtime loss Thursday.

"I'm as confident as I've been all season now," Wade said. "Every other day we're playing and it's taxing, but I love that every time I come out on the court I feel just as good as I did the last game. It allows me to go out there and play the game I love the way I can. I'm enjoying this."

The Heat are returning north without center Hassan Whiteside, who will try to continue healing from a sprained ligament in his right knee. He had a combined 29 rebounds in the first two games in the series, including 17 in a 102-96 overtime victory in the opener May 3.

The Raptors won't have their center, Jonas Valanciunas, for the rest of the series because of a sprained right ankle. Like Whiteside, he was injured in Game 3.

Valanciunas averaged 18.3 points on 64.9 percent shooting and 12.7 rebounds in the first three games. Without him, the Raptors saw their shooting percentage drop from a postseason-high 47.1 in Game 3 to a series-worst 39.3 on Monday.

Toronto stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were a combined 6 of 28 from the floor and totaled 19 points with Lowry going 0 for 6 from 3-point range.

The Heat tried to keep both players from reaching the paint and taking advantage of Whiteside's absence.

"Lowry and DeRozan, they're going to take their shots. We're trying to make it tough for them," point guard Goran Dragic told the Heat's official website. "(In Game 3), we felt like we didn't shrink the floor well and tonight we did an amazing job."

DeRozan has shot 33 percent and 3 of 19 from beyond the arc this postseason, but he averaged 22.8 points in his previous four games before Monday's dismal effort even while dealing with an ailing thumb. Lowry has connected at 33.1 percent and 19.7 from 3 but looked like he had broken his slump in Game 3.

He had 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting and was 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. He went 2 of 11 from the floor in Game 4, however, and scored 10 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

"It's not like we're just going to bench Kyle and DeMar, and go away from them. They're our guys. We believe in them," coach Dwane Casey said. "They're our two All-Stars and sooner or later they're going to come through or be a part of what we're trying to do."

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Preview: Trail Blazers (44-38) at Warriors (73-9)

Date: May 11, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Another missed opportunity has left the Portland Trail Blazers with no margin for error in their quest to overtake the Golden State Warriors.

They'll now need to be virtually perfect with Stephen Curry back and having rediscovered his shooting touch.

Curry's heroic return has the Warriors a win away from a second consecutive trip to the Western Conference finals when they return home for Wednesday night's Game 5.

Playing for the first time since spraining his right knee in Game 4 of Golden State's opening-round series with Houston, Curry shook off a rusty start to take over the final stages of Monday's Game 4. Hours before officially earning his second straight league MVP in a first-ever unanimous vote, the sharpshooter scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime to rally the Warriors to a 132-125 victory for a 3-1 series lead.

Curry missed his first nine 3-point attempts and was 6 of 18 from the field through three quarters, but he went 10 of 14 thereafter to finish with 40 points in 38 minutes.

"I figured he'd find his stroke and make a few shots, but that was crazy," coach Steve Kerr said. "Once he got going, he didn't look tired."

Curry's performance helped turn around a series that appeared to be shifting in the Trail Blazers' favor following Saturday's 120-108 Game 3 win and a sizzling start to Monday's matchup. Portland led 16-2 when Curry entered with 5:58 left in the first quarter and owned a 71-59 advantage early in the third before the Warriors began to mount their comeback.

The Blazers also couldn't close out Game 2 in Oakland, where they were outscored 34-12 in the fourth quarter in a 110-99 defeat.

"We played really well in Game 3 and got the win, Game 2 we played really well and we let that one slip away and then (Monday) we played really well again," guard Damian Lillard said. "They're a championship team. We competed with them. We're right there, we were one or two stops from winning the game. We let another one get away."

Lillard couldn't duplicate a brilliant 40-point effort in Game 3. Though he finished with 36 points, the star guard was 9 of 30 from the floor after Saturday's 8-of-13 display from 3-point range.

The near-misses have put Portland in a precarious spot. The Blazers will need to win twice at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors are 44-2 this season including the playoffs and have won six straight over Portland. Golden State also has yet to lose back-to-back games during its record-setting campaign.

"If I don't think they're done, I don't know who else is going to think it," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "We're going home with a 3-1 lead. I trust our team to come out ready to go and close this series out. We did what we needed to do; we came on the road and got one win."

Curry, who will receive his MVP award before the game, presents another obstacle to a Portland team that's also had difficulty containing Klay Thompson and Green. Thompson is averaging 30.5 points for the series and hit three 3s during a momentum-shifting 19-5 run during the third quarter of Game 4. Green compiled 21 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks on Monday and is averaging 24.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in the series.

Only nine teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series, though Houston did so against the Los Angeles Clippers in last year's West semifinals. Portland did win four straight over the Clippers in the opening round after losing the first two.

"The important thing for right now is that we've played better in every game, which is improvement, obviously," coach Terry Stotts said. "Just like in the Clippers series, we played better as the series went along. Same thing here."

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

NBA Odds: Wednesday, May 11 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Apparently, Knicks boss Phil Jackson is in no hurry to hire his next full-time coach as he's off vacationing while all these other teams are interviewing (Rockets, Grizzlies, Pacers) or hiring guys (Kings hired former Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger). Sportsbooks have a special prop on the next Knicks coach, and it's not exactly a banner list. Kurt Rambis, who ended the season as the assistant coach and is tight with Jackson, is the -200 favorite. Most believe that if Jackson insists on keeping the triangle offense, Rambis will get the gig. Former Pacers coach Frank Vogel is +200, followed by ex-Cavs coach David Blatt (+500) and former Knicks player and Warriors coach Mark Jackson (+600). No one else wants Rambis, so maybe that's why Phil Jackson is taking his sweet time. I do think it will be him.

Game 5: No. 3 Heat at No. 2 Raptors (-4.5, 189)

This series lost a bit of luster when each team lost its big man to injury. And it's not expected that Miami's Hassan Whiteside or Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas will return in the series. I guess that evens things out. For sure Valanciunas won't return this series, so that makes me wonder if he'd be ready for the start of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland if the Raptors get there. He had been Toronto's best player the first three games vs. Miami, averaging 18.3 points on 64.9 percent shooting and 12.7 rebounds. Toronto started Bismack Biyombo in Monday's Game 4 in Miami and the Heat won the third overtime game of this series, 94-87. The Raptors really blew that one as they had a nine-point lead but then were gassed in OT and scored just four points. Miami led for only 13 seconds in the fourth quarter but never trailed in overtime. Once again, Toronto's All-Star backcourt struggled mightily. DeMar DeRozan was 4-for-17 for nine points and Kyle Lowry 2-for-11 for 10. At this point, those guys misfiring isn't a surprise any longer but clearly a trend. Both are battling injuries. Biyombo filled in nicely with 13 points and 13 rebounds and was plus-11.

Dwyane Wade largely carried the Heat with a game-high 30 points in Game 4, two nights after scoring 38 in a 95-91 Game 3 loss. It marked the first time Wade finished with consecutive 30-point games in the playoffs since he recorded three 30-point games in a row during the 2010 postseason. Wade had the tying layup with 12 seconds in regulation on Monday. He shot 13-for-24 and the rest of his teammates shot 23-for-56. Miami won this game despite shooting 1-for-15 from 3-point range. Amare Stoudemire started for Whiteside and had six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes. Guys like Josh McRoberts and Udonis Haslem also got more minutes (or any). The Heat didn't use any of their reserve centers in overtime, however. Plus, rookie Justise Winslow played 31 minutes after not seeing the floor in Game 3. This has not been a pretty series at all. Just one team has reached triple digits: the Heat in their Game 1 win.

Key trends: The Heat are 4-1 against the spread in its past five after a win. The Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their past four at home. The "over/under" has gone under in eight of Miami's past nine. The under is 10-2 in Toronto's past 12.

Early lean: Heat and under.

Game 5: No. 5 Trail Blazers at No. 1 Warriors (-12, 216.5)

How ridiculous is Steph Curry? On the day the news broke that he was going to be named NBA MVP for a second straight season, Curry went from doubtful to return from his knee injury for Monday's Game 4 in Portland to questionable to playing off the bench. He was a bit rusty early -- missed his first nine 3-pointers -- but went nuts in overtime with 17 points in the Warriors' 132-125 OT win for a 3-1 lead. Those 17 points were an NBA record for an OT, playoffs or regular season. The previous mark was 16 by Gilbert Arenas in a 2006 regular-season game. Curry had 27 of his 40 total points after the third quarter and became only the second player in the past 30 years to pour in 40 off the bench in a playoff game. The other was Nick Van Exel in 2003. Curry didn't just single-handedly outscore Portland in OT, he also outscored the Heat and Raptors combined in their OT. Entering the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry would be on a 25-minute limit. But that went out the window when Shaun Livingston was ejected for arguing a call late in the first half. Draymond Green had another strong game with 21 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks, five assists and four steals. Klay Thompson had 23 points. The Warriors are 11-0, counting the playoffs, in games after a loss this season.

I think the Blazers just threw their best punch and that this series ends on Wednesday. Damian Lillard did all he could in Game 4 with 36 points and 10 assists for Portland but missed a potential winner in regulation. C.J. McCollum had 24 points, while Mason Plumlee added 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Blazers, who led Game 4 16-2 at one point, actually could be the ones leading this series 3-1. "Do I think they're done?" Green said post-game Monday, repeating back a question about the Blazers. "Of course they're done."

Key trends: The Blazers are 0-8 ATS in their past eight after scoring at least 100 points in their previous game. The Warriors are 7-0 ATS in their past seven at home. The over is 9-1 in each team's past 10 vs. clubs with a winning record. The over is 9-1 in the past 10 meetings.

Early lean: The Warriors will want this over to rest up for the Spurs-Thunder winner. Give the points -- as long as Curry is fine to play again -- and go over.

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

'Raptors Host Heat in Game 5 of Eastern Semifinals'

Miami at Toronto May 11, 8:00 EST

Toronto Raptors suffering a 94-87 overtime loss in Miami head home tied two games apiece in this Eastern Conference best of seven semifinals. Sportsbooks have Toronto Raptors 4.5 point home favorite for game-five. DeMar DeRozan bothered by a thumb injury, Kyle Lowry's shooting woes, Valanciunas out for the remainder of the series it's a tough sell going with Toronto.

Toronto is not only 3-8 against the betting line last eleven north of the border hosting Heat, the Raptors are a money burning 5-16-1 against the betting line in postseason including 1-11-1 ATS handing the opposition points. Additionally, Purple Dinos' have been poor bets following a postseason loss posting a 2-8-1 record overall at the betting window, 1-6-1 mark as chalk.

**TheGame** · 05-11-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

NBA

Wednesday's games

Miami-Toronto (2-2)
Four series games decided by total of 21 points; three went to OT, road team won twice. Miami lost six of last nine games with Toronto, four of last five in Canada. Home side won nine of last 13 series games overall. Eight of last nine Miami games stayed under total, as have 10 of last 12 Raptor games. Lowry had 33 in Game 3 but is 12-46 in the other three games. Raptors are -44 with Valanciunas on bench. and he is not coming back in this series. Miami won Game 4 despite going 1-15 on the arc.

Portland-Golden State (GS 3-1)
Golden State nine of last 11 vs Portland, and covered 11 of last 14; with Curry putting on show (40 points) in Game 4, Blazers seem dead, with 0-5 SU/ATS record in last five visits to Oakland. Three of four in series went over total. Golden State won ten of its last 13 games, covered nine of last 11. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Lillard was just 4-12 on his 2-pointers in Game 4; Blazers had double digit lead Curry came off bench and played Superman. Warriors covered their last six home tilts.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 10-7, over: 8-9

**Satch** · 05-11-2016, 10:02 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Preview: Miami At Toronto

When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Matchup Edge

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

The Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are not content with playing 48-minute basketball games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The teams will try to decide things in the allotted amount of time when the series, which is knotted at two wins apiece, shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Dwyane Wade has been the best player in the series and was at it again with 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting in a 94-87 overtime win on Monday – the third overtime game in the series. “I worked my tail off to get my body to the point where I can play at an elite level and not worry about my age or anything,” Wade told reporters after logging 39 minutes in Game 4. “I know when I'm healthy I can play this game as good as anybody." Wade’s success and the strong play of Heat point guard Goran Dragic in the series has been in direct contrast to Toronto’s All-Star backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. DeRozan slumped to nine points on 4-of-17 shooting in Game 4 and is shooting 35 percent in the series while Lowry went 2-of-11 in the loss before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami went 1-of-15 from 3-point range in Game 4 and trailed by nine points midway through the fourth quarter before Wade brought the team back and forced overtime on a driving layup with 12.6 seconds left. The Heat were playing without center Hassan Whiteside (knee) and had only three players reach double figures in scoring in an inconsistent offensive performance outside of Wade. "I'm shocked, at this point, that we haven't been able to score 100 points, and that's not at all to discredit Toronto,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It's actually the opposite. We have not been able to consistently get to our game."

ABOUT THE RAPTORS: Lowry appeared to break out of a postseason-long slump with a 33-point effort in Game 3 but struggled to find his shot again in Game 4. DeRozan injured his thumb in Game 2 and was clearly off with his shot in the last two contests, though he was reluctant to place all of the blame for his struggles on the injury. “It’s the feeling of being uncomfortable and not doing the things that you normally do with gripping the ball and everything,” DeRozan told reporters. “It’s nothing I’ll ever make an excuse about, but like I said, I know for sure I’m not going to shoot like I did (Monday in our) next game. I know that for a fact.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wade needs 32 points to tie Hakeem Olajuwon (3,755) for 12th on the all-time postseason scoring list.

2. Toronto C Bismack Biyombo started Game 4 in place of Jonas Valanciunas (ankle) and contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds.

3. Whiteside will not make the trip for Game 5 as he continues to receive treatment for his sprained MCL.

PREDICTION: Raptors 101, Heat 100

**Satch** · 05-11-2016, 10:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

ATS Trends

Miami

Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Heat are 27-11-1 ATS in their last 39 Conference Semifinals games.
Heat are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games.

Toronto

Raptors are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 Wednesday games.
Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Southeast.
Raptors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Raptors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games.
Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

OU Trends

Miami

Under is 8-1 in Heat last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 8-1 in Heat last 9 overall.
Under is 8-1 in Heat last 9 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 7-1 in Heat last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 7-1 in Heat last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 road games.
Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 5-1 in Heat last 6 vs. NBA Atlantic.
Under is 4-1 in Heat last 5 games following a ATS win.
Under is 9-3 in Heat last 12 games following a straight up win.
Under is 17-8 in Heat last 25 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Toronto
Under is 6-1 in Raptors last 7 games playing on 1 days rest. Under is 10-2 in Raptors last 12 overall. Under is 5-1 in Raptors last 6 vs. NBA Southeast. Under is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 games following a ATS loss. Under is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 Conference Semifinals games. Under is 20-7 in Raptors last 27 vs. Eastern Conference. Over is 5-2 in Raptors last 7 Wednesday games.

Head to Head

Heat are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Toronto.

**Satch** · 05-11-2016, 10:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

Preview: Portland At Golden State

When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Matchup Edge

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

It took Stephen Curry about three quarters to shake off the rust before breaking the hearts of Portland Trail Blazers fans in Game 4. Curry, who played a total of two halves in the first eight games of the postseason, scored an NBA-record 17 points in overtime of Game 4 to give the Golden State Warriors a chance to close out the visiting Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Curry, who became the first player in NBA history to be unanimously voted MVP when the award was announced on Tuesday, was not even assured of playing in Game 4 until making it through his pregame workout with no issues from an MCL sprain suffered in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Instead, the now two-time MVP logged 37 minutes off the bench and came alive in the fourth quarter before putting on a show in overtime and yelling, “I’m back” toward the crowd after draining one 3-pointer. "It took me awhile to get back in the flow," Curry told reporters. "When you miss three weeks, it’s really weird to walk back on the court. Like, the crowd out there going crazy and that competitive atmosphere again. So, just trying to get my bearings straight, make some plays and try and get a rhythm. And it took 48 minutes and things finally clicked.” Curry’s heroics overshadowed another strong performance from Portland point guard Damian Lillard, who finished with 36 points and 10 assists in the loss and was not ready to concede the series to the Warriors.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Lillard felt Portland had chances to win each of the last three games in the series and will go back to his hometown of Oakland, Calif., for Game 5 refusing to let the defending champions off easy. "We want to go out there and make sure they respect us, make sure they understand it's not going to be what everybody thinks it's going to be," Lillard told reporters. "It's not going to be no rolling over, it's not going to be no one here being scared, it's not going to be any of that." The Trail Blazers got strong efforts from C.J. McCollum (24 points) and Al-Farouq Aminu (18 points, 13 rebounds) in Game 4 to support Lillard but had some coverage breakdowns on Curry that need to be cleaned up before Wednesday.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry was supposed to play 25 minutes or so on Monday but was pressed into extra duty when Shaun Livingston was ejected just before the half for arguing with officials. Curry ended up with 40 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists – the most important assist coming when he found Harrison Barnes on the wing for a tying 3-pointer in the final minutes of regulation after crashing the lane and dragging a host of defenders with him. “The guy’s played basically one basketball game in three weeks,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Curry. “I expected what I saw early, I expected a lot of rust. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted the explosion. I figured that he’d find his stroke and make a few shots, but I mean, that was crazy.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Warriors F Draymond Green recorded a career-high seven blocks to go along with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals on Monday.

2. Portland C Mason Plumlee recorded his fourth double-double of the postseason with 12 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

3. Golden State back the second team to record at least 80 wins – regular and postseason - in back-to-back seasons with the Game 4 victory (1995-96 and 1996-97 Chicago Bulls).

PREDICTION: Warriors 115, Trail Blazers 104

**Satch** · 05-11-2016, 10:05 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 5/11

ATS Trends

Portland

Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
Trail Blazers are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up loss.
Trail Blazers are 8-22-1 ATS in their last 31 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Trail Blazers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Trail Blazers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Trail Blazers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Pacific.
Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games.
Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Trail Blazers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Trail Blazers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.

Golden State

Warriors are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.
Warriors are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Warriors are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Conference Semifinals games.
Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Warriors are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
Warriors are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Warriors are 24-9-1 ATS in their last 34 Wednesday games.
Warriors are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Northwest.
Warriors are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
Warriors are 36-17-1 ATS in their last 54 vs. Western Conference.
Warriors are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.

OU Trends

Portland

Over is 9-1 in Trail Blazers last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 7-1 in Trail Blazers last 8 games following a straight up loss.
Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 overall.
Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
Over is 4-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 7-2 in Trail Blazers last 9 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-2 in Trail Blazers last 7 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
Over is 10-4 in Trail Blazers last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 10-4 in Trail Blazers last 14 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

Golden State

Over is 9-1 in Warriors last 10 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 4-1-1 in Warriors last 6 Wednesday games.
Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Over is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
Over is 20-7-1 in Warriors last 28 vs. NBA Northwest.
Over is 5-2 in Warriors last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 10-4 in Warriors last 14 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Over is 9-4 in Warriors last 13 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.

Head to Head

Over is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings.
Home team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Golden State.
Trail Blazers are 17-35 ATS in the last 52 meetings.
Trail Blazers are 6-20 ATS in the last 26 meetings in Golden State.

Announcement

NBA Betting Info. 5/11

NBA Betting Info. 5/11

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