Hating the Atlanta Do-Do Birds
Doug Upstone
The title makes me a borderline diva (see Brett Favre) and it has to do with my frustration betting on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 against Cleveland. I know that was a jug-headed move and goes along with my NBA Playoff performance to date. Playing the Atlanta freakin' Hawks, I wish I had the excuse of eating ice cream too fast for brain freeze.
Let me explain, I was 92-67-2 in the NBA during the regular season, my best season ever. Normally, if I get to 55 percent in pro hoops, I'll take it. Made adjustments this year and for whatever reason had a few more games go my way.
The NBA playoffs are either special or how should I say this, not so special. The last couple of years the methodology I've used during the regular season has not worked as well in the playoffs and thought that would be the case this season, since the best predictor of the future is the past. First Mistake.
My enthusiasm for the playoffs just hasn't been there and baseball has my attention more and I started 3-8 picking postseason basketball, which has me below Shaq's free throw percentage.
I was determined to turn things around and at least get back to .500 record wise, before the end of the second round. Of the opening games of conference semis, couldn't taking my eyes off those double digit points Atlanta was receiving. Second Mistake.
Oh sure, I watched enough of the all-time worst seven-game series in NBA history between Atlanta and Miami to have known better, but I figured the Hawks were ginormous underdogs and should use this for fuel, playing the ever popular disrespect card.
Atlanta COULD play good basketball and had success against the Cavaliers covering three of four this season. Besides, the Cavs hadn't played in over a week and were about .500 with last 20 double digit spreads as chalk. What the heck, one relatively small wager on a team that had shown they can play with Cleveland and I start to get some money and confidence back right? Third Mistake.
At the half, feeling pretty spry, with Hawks down 49-44. I knew if Atlanta could play the same for the next 12 minutes, I'm gold. Fourth Mistake.
Who led the NBA in defense? What team has the best player in the NBA? What superstar player more than any other since Michael Jordan, understands that getting teammates involved makes the WHOLE team more effective?
I, like you knew the answer to those three questions before the game started and frivolously discarded the information to the nether regions of brain, only to let the stupid part of my dome take over.
In the second half, James got the entire gang involved and they cranked up the defense. Atlanta score 28 points in the second 24 minutes, 28. That is 1.666 into infinity points per minute. Coach Mike Woodson's team played as is they had handcuffs on, shooting bricks and committing a total of 17 turnovers.
Why didn't I pay attention to the facts, Mike Bibby is soft, Joe Johnson can get lost faster in a game then a three year old at park. Of course my guy, Josh Smith, can from zero to 60 and back to zero on three straight trips down the floor.
If you want one play that signified the entire second half, it was Wally Szczerbiak taking a charge, yea Wally Wonder, who usually has a cape to swirl away to let offensive player go by like a bull-fighter, got caught up in the moment and took one for the team. My thoughts went to the movie “Major League”, when Roger Dorn started taking ground balls off the body to improve fielding.
I had a fifth grade teacher who used to say “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, same on me.”
I can read plain as day Atlanta is 14-4 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent of 10 points or more this season and don't need reading glasses to comprehend they are 16-5 ATS in return engagement with opposing teams after scoring 85 or less points. Bodoglife.com is telling me everything I need to know by raising spread to Cleveland favored by 13 points with total of 178.
My pal, the Cincinnati Kid at Playbook.com even told me, “Doug, it's just one game, I really don't think Atlanta will get swept. They can play much better and Cleveland might let down, providing Hawks opportunity.”
While I don't disagree with the Kid, my eyes are glued to the Cavs having 8-0 ATS record after four straight wins by 10 points or more.
I'd rather play a five-team baseball parlay tonight than bet the Hawks again.