NBA Betting News and Notes Saturday, April 22nd, 2017

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Bucks were 23-46 on arc in last two games; they led Game 3 57-30 at the half. DeRozan was 0-8 from floor in Game 3, after going 16-39 in first two series tilts. Raptors scored 106 points in their one series win, 83-77 in losses, shooting 36%/33.8% from floor. Toronto is 3-2 in last five visits here; favorites covered all five of those games. Under is 6-1-1 in Bucks’ last eight games, 7-5 in Toronto’s last 12. Milwaukee is 0-6 in playoff series the last 15 years- their last first round series win was in 2001; they had lost seven of previous eight games with Toronto before this series.

Atlanta lost first two series games by 7-8 points, despite taking 77 foul shots in those games (Wizards took 50). Hawks were -7 in turnovers both games- they’ve lost five games in a row vs Washington- teams split last four meetings played here. Under is 4-1 in last five series games. Wizards lost four of their last six road tilts; four of their last six games overall stayed under total. Atlanta won last four home games, covered last three; under is 5-2 in their last seven home tilts. Three of their last four games overall stayed under total.

Memphis had three players score 21+ points in Game 3 win; they shot 50.6% from floor, after shooting under 40% in Games 1-2. Home side won last seven series games; San Antonio lost last three visits here, by 15-8-11 points. Under is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Spurs had 28-20 edge in FT’s tried in Game 3, way down from 32-15 in Game 2. Over is 4-1 in Spurs’ last five games; they lost last three road games, by 1-4-11 points. Memphis bench was +9 in Game 3, after being -98 in first two series games. Memphis has still lost 11 of its last 15 games.

Warriors swept Portland this season, winning six games by 23-45-8–2-12-29 points; they won last three visits here, by 7-23-2 points. Golden State won Game 2 by 29 and Durant didn’t even play. Golden State won 17 of its last 18 games overall, are 11-4-2 vs spread in last 17 games- over is 6-4 in their last ten. Portland won nine of its last 14 games, eight of last nine at home; three of their last four games went over. Golden State won NBA title in 2015, lost Finals LY, added Durant last summer. Since 2001, Portland is 2-7 in first round series, with wins coming in last three years (2-1).

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Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks (-2, 194.5)

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (52-33 SU, 45-39-1 ATS, 45-40 O/U): Toronto was ice cold from the outset while shooting 33.8 percent from the field in the embarrassing effort, but All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry insisted the club can recover. "I still think we can win the series," Lowry said after Game 3. "It's a terrible feeling, the way we got our (rear) beat. Our confidence is not changed. We'll be fine." Casey promised there would be changes for Game 4 after his club - which played 20 postseason games last season - looked like novices against the Bucks.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (44-41 AU, 39-46 ATS, 42-41-2 O/U): Shooting guard Khris Middleton scored 20 points in consecutive games as he provides complementary scoring help for All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The "Greek Freak" was 7-of-10 shooting while contributing 19 points and eight rebounds and is averaging 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. Antetokounmpo's play energizes a Milwaukee club that somehow got better after losing standout power forward Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury and saw its confidence grow with a 14-point road victory in Game 1.

LINE HISTORY: The Bucks opened as 1.5-point home chalk and bettors have moved the line to Milwaukee -2. The total hit the betting board at 194.5 and has been bet up a full point to 195.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Raptors - No injuries to report.

Bucks - PF Jabari Parker (Out for season, knee)

TRENDS:

* Bucks are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Under is 13-3 in Raptors last 16 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Bucks last 9 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Milwaukee.
* Raptors are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks (-3, 209.5)

ABOUT THE WIZARDS: (51-33 SU, 44-39-1 ATS, 52-32 O/U): John Wall finally got some help from backcourt mate Bradley Beal in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, when he scored 16 of his 31 points. The 23-year-old struggled to 2-of-11 from 3-point range in Game 1 and had trouble finding his outside shot early in Game 2 before exploding late. “Something I always tell myself, I don’t know what a miss is," Beal told reporters. "Like, it’s over. A miss is a lady. You just forget about it and you just move on to the next shot. That’s my way of helping me forget about my last shot, so I just stick with that and just keep it moving."

ABOUT THE HAWKS (43-41 SU, 39-45-0 ATS, 33-49-2 O/U): Atlanta is consoling itself with the fact that it kept each of the first two games close and believes the breaks will go its way at home. "We had a chance in both games," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "We gave ourselves a chance on the road in the playoffs. Nobody likes the result. Nobody feels any better but the fact that you are there and you have an opportunity, you have to keep building on it. ... Now we have to go home and do the same." Budenholzer made the decision in Game 2 to leave starting center Dwight Howard on the bench for the entire fourth quarter, choosing instead to use a big man with a better chance of stretching the floor in Mike Muscala.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Hawks as 2.5-point home favorites for Game 3 and set the total at 209.5, as of Friday afternoon neither has moved off the opening number.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards - C Ian Mahinmi (Out indefinitely, calf)

Hawks - No injuries to report

TRENDS:

* Wizards are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Under is 4-1 in Wizards last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 4-1 in Hawks last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Wizards are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (+4, 189.5)

ABOUT THE SPURS (63-22 SU, 43-40-2 ATS, 45-38-2 O/U): San Antonio was only down four points at the half before a pair of turnovers and a bad defensive possession prompted Popovich to pull his starters, leading to a third quarter in which the Spurs were outscored 31-17. "Pop got upset with the guys starting the quarter, sat them, and the whole momentum changed," reserve guard Manu Ginobili told reporters. "In playoff games, especially on the road, a two-minute mental "something" can become a 10-point deficit. That's what happened. We were in good shape at the half. Not playing well, not shooting great, down four on the road, and it was a good situation. It was OK for us. We had that moment there in which the whole game changed." None of San Antonio's starters ended up playing more than 30 minutes in the loss.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (43-42 SU, 42-43-0 ATS, 40-42-3 O/U): Fizdale made one lineup change for Game 3, inserting veteran forward Zach Randolph into the starting lineup to add a stronger interior presence. Randolph responded by scoring 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds as each of Memphis' big three - Randolph, point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol - scored at least 21 points. "It felt good out there to start and get a rhythm and get in a rhythm out there faster," Randolph told reporters. "It felt good out there."

LINE HISTORY: The Grizzlies opened as 4-point home dogs against their divisional rival Spurs and that number has held firm. The total hit the betting board at 190 and has been faded a full-point to 189.

INJURY REPORT:

Spurs - No injuries to report.

Grizzlies - SG Tony Allen (Out indefinitely, calf), SF Chandler Parsons (Out for season, knee)

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
* Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Spurs last 4 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 4-1 in Grizzlies last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Spurs are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Memphis.

Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (+6, 217)

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (69-15 SU, 41-40-3 ATS, 33-51-0 O/U): Kevin Durant said he would have been able to go in Game 2 but the team decided to take the cautious approach and could elect to do the same on Saturday, though Durant wants to be in the lineup. "I can tell you, I've seen these injuries before," Kerr told reporters prior to Game 2 "You don't want the next step. You pull a calf, that's a pretty serious deal. He's bummed out -- he wants to play, for sure -- but he knows that we've got to do the wise thing, we've got to do the smart thing long term. It just doesn't make sense. He understands that." Durant would get a full seven days off if Golden State elects to hold him out of Game 3.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (41-43 SU, 41-43 ATS, 45-38-1 O/U): Portland's star backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 75 points in Game 1 but was held to 23 on 9-of-34 shooting in Game 2. "It's a series and points don't carry over, so you can't get too emotional or too low about the kind of game we had tonight," Lillard told reporters after Wednesday's setback. The Trail Blazers could also use some defensive presence on the interior after allowing Golden State's center duo of Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee to go 12-of-15 from the field.


LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened Blazers as 6-point home underdogs against the Warriors, but some early action on the home team brought that number down to 5.5. The total hit the betting board as 217 and has yet to move off the opening number.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SF Matt Barnes (Questionable, ankle), SF Kevon Looney (Questionable, hip), SF Kevin Durant (Questionable, calf), PG Shaun Livingston (Questionable, finger)

Trail Blazers - C Jusuf Nurkic (Questionable, leg), C Festus Ezeli (Out for season, knee), PF Ed Davis (Out for season, shoulder)

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games overall.
* Trail Blazers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.
* Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 8-2 in Trail Blazers last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Saturday's Early Tips
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Toronto at Milwaukee

Milwaukee took a 2-1 advantage in this 3/6 showdown by smashing Toronto 104-77 as a two-point home favorite in Game 3. The Bucks raced out to a 32-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter and coasted from there. The 181 combined points provided a thunder ‘under’ (197). The Raptors scored merely 46 points in the first three quarters. Toronto head coach Dwane Casey told the Associated Press, “They ambushed us. There was no aspect of our game that we executed whatsoever.” Veteran small forward DeMarre Carroll told the AP: “They came out and threw the first punch. We were back on our heels and we never got back into the game. We didn’t come out with the sense of urgency we needed.”

Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the catalysts. Middleton produced 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and seven assists without a turnover, while Antetokeunmpo contributed 19 points, eight boards, four assists, two steals and a pair of blocked shots. Greg Monroe added 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in only 23 minutes of playing time from off of the bench. Michael Beasley (13 pts.) Thon Maker (11) and Matthew Dellavedova (10) were also in double figures. Rookie guard Malcolm Brogdon finished with four points, seven rebounds and nine assists compared to just two turnovers.

In the Game 3 defeat, DeMar DeRozan and Lowry were once again postseason disappointments. Lowry scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and had more turnovers (three) than assists (two). DeRozan missed all of his shots from the field in an eight-point effort thanks to 8-of-8 shooting at the charity stripe. DeRozan had three turnovers without an assist, pulled down only two rebounds and had a team-worst -23 plus-minus rating. Delon Wright shared team-high scoring honors with Lowry, while Norman Powell scored 12 points in 14-plus minutes of action in a reserve role. Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and seven rebounds.

As of early Friday night, most betting shops had Milwaukee (44-41 straight up, 39-46 against the spread) listed as a two-point favorite with a total of 195.5. The Raptors were +110 on the money line at most spots (risk $100 to win $110).

Jason Kidd’s team is 24-18 SU and 20-22 ATS at home this year.

Toronto (52-33 SU, 45-39-1 ATS) is 23-19 SU and 24-18 ATS on the road this season.

DeRozan, the eighth-year shooting guard who has spent his entire career in Toronto, has led his team to four consecutive postseason appearances, including a spot in the Eastern Conference finals last year. In 74 regular-season games, he averaged 27.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. However, through the first three games of this series, DeRozan is averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.0 steals per game. He has more turnovers (six) than assists (four). After shooting at a 46.7 percent clip from the field during the regular season, DeRozan has buried only 16-of-47 FGs (34.0%) vs. Milwaukee. During last year’s postseason, DeRozan made only 39.4 percent of his FGs and 4-of-26 (15.4%) from 3-point land.

Lowry has had similar struggles. The Villanova product, who is a five-year veteran, is averaging only 13.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game in this series to date. He has made only 12-of-33 FGs (36.4%) and 4-of-16 from downtown (25.0%). In 60 regular-season games, Lowry averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. Lowry made just 39.7 percent of his FGs and 30.4 percent of his 3’s in last year’s playoffs. He was even worse two years ago, hitting just 31.6 percent of his FGs and 21.7 percent of his 3-balls.

Antetokounmpo has dominated this series to date, averaging 23.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game. He is shooting at a 55.8 percent clip from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. He has struggled at the free-throw line, however, hitting only 10-of-20 attempts.

The ‘over’ is 42-41-2 overall for the Bucks, 23-18-1 in their home contests. However, they have seen the ‘under’ go 6-1-1 in their last eight outings.

The ‘under’ is 5-2 in the seven head-to-head meetings between these clubs this year.

The ‘over’ is 45-40 overall for the Raptors, but the ‘under’ is 24-18 in their road assignments.

The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag is Milwaukee -140, Toronto +120 (risk $100 to win $120).

Atlanta at Washington

The series shifts to Atlanta for Saturday's Game 3 at Philips Arena. The Hawks are in must-win mode trailing the series 2-0.

Washington (51-33 SU, 44-39 ATS) took care of business at home in Games 1 and 2 of this best-of-seven series. The Wizards took the cash in both outings as well, winning 114-107 as 5.5-point favorites in the lid-lifter. Next, they rallied late to win a 109-101 decision as six-point home ‘chalk’ in Wednesday’s Game 2 at Verizon Center. The 210 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 212-point total.

Washington led by eight at intermission in Game 2, but Atlanta outscored it 35-23 in the third quarter. Down by one point with 6:03 remaining, John Wall and Bradley Beal scored 20 of the Wizards’ last 21 points and sparked a 16-4 run that put the game on ice. Washington went 14-of-21 from the field (66.7%) in the final stanza, while Atlanta made only 6-of-16 FGs.

Wall had 32 points and 14 assists in the Game 1 win. Then in Game 2, he dropped 32 on the Hawks again while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing five rebounds. Beal scored 31 points and had three assists and three steals in Game 2. Marcin Gortat added 14 points, 10 boards and five blocked shots, while Brandon Jennings made 4-of-5 shots in a 10-point effort. Jennings also had two assists without a turnover in 16-plus minutes of action.

In the Game 3 loss, Paul Millsap paced the Hawks with 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Dennis Schroder added 23 points, four boards, one steal and six assists compared to only one turnover. After a miserable Game 1, Tim Hardaway Jr. bounced back to contribute 19 points. Rookie forward Taurean Prince had another solid outing, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor. Dwight Howard saw only 19:53 of playing time, scoring six points and grabbing seven rebounds. Howard coughed up three turnovers, which has been the story of the series for Atlanta. The Hawks had 21 turnovers in Game 1 and 18 in Game 2. With that said, Schroder has done an excellent job of taking care of the ball with just three turnovers.

Washington has won five in a row over Atlanta since losing a 114-99 decision at Philips Arena way back on Oct. 27. The Wizards are 4-1 ATS in those five contests.

As of early Friday night, most books had Atlanta (43-41 SU, 39-45 ATS) installed as a three-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 210. The Wizards were +135 on the money line (risk $100 to win $135).

Atlanta owns a 23-18 SU record and a 17-24 ATS mark at home this season.

Washington compiled a 19-22 SU record and a 19-21-1 ATS ledger on the road during the regular season.

The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag is Washington -850, Atlanta +600 (risk $100 to win $600).

The ‘under’ is 49-33-2 overall for the Hawks, 23-18 in their home games.

The ‘over’ is 52-32 overall for the Wizards, 26-15 in their road assignments.

The ‘under’ is 4-2 in the six meetings between these clubs this year, going 4-1 in the last five encounters.

Saturday's Late Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Western Conference First Round

No. 2 San Antonio at No. 7 Memphis

2016-17 Regular Season (Tied 2-2)
Feb. 6 Spurs at Grizzlies (-1) 89-74 (Under 200.5)
Mar. 18 Spurs at Grizzlies (+4) 104-96 (Over 196)
Mar. 23 Grizzlies at Spurs (-8 ) 97-90 (Under 197.5)
Apr. 4 Grizzlies at Spurs (-9) 95-89 (OT) (Over 195.5)

2016-17 Postseason (Spurs 2-1)
Apr. 15 Grizzlies at Spurs (-9.5) 111-82 (Over 190)
Apr. 17 Grizzlies at Spurs (-10.5) 96-82 (Under 189)
Apr. 20 Spurs at Grizzlies (+3.5) 105-94 (Over 188)

The Spurs pulled away from the Grizzlies in each of the first two games at the AT&T Center to grab a 2-0 series lead. Following the Game 2 loss, Memphis head coach David Fizdale ripped the officiating and was looking to create a spark heading back for a pivotal Game 3.

The Grizzlies responded on Thursday by knocking off the Spurs, 105-94 to easily cash as 3½-point underdogs and cut the series deficit to 2-1. Memphis outscored San Antonio, 31-17 in the third quarter, while point guard Mike Conley, Jr. led the Grizzlies with 24 points and eight assists. The Grizzlies shot 50% from the floor and busted the 100-point mark for the first time in the last 15 playoff games dating back to the 2015 quarterfinals.

The Spurs’ backcourt couldn’t throw a shot into the ocean in Game 3 as Tony Parker and Danny Green combined to score six points on 3-of-13 shooting from the floor. Raise your hand if you expected backup guard Jonathon Simmons to outscore Parker and Green but the former Midland JC product posted 10 points off the bench. Kawhi Leonard put up 32 and 37 points in the first two victories for the Spurs, but the MVP candidate scored only 18 points in Game 3, his lowest playoff point total since being limited to 14 points in a Game 2 defeat to Oklahoma City in last season’s conference semifinals.

Memphis has won all three meetings with San Antonio this season at FedEx Forum, as the Spurs have been limited to 96 points or less in all three visits to the Grindhouse. The Grizzlies haven’t won consecutive home playoff games since the opening round against the Blazers in 2015.

The Spurs dropped to 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games in the road favorite role, dating back to the 2013 second round against the Warriors. Gregg Popovich’s squad had won their previous 10 postseason games against Memphis since 2013, which included a pair of sweeps over the last four seasons. San Antonio has done a solid job of bouncing back off a road playoff loss since 2014 by winning five of its past seven in this role.

Even though the Grizzlies won Game 3, the Spurs are still overwhelming favorites to advance to the second round. At Sportsbook.ag, San Antonio is listed at -4500 to capture two more victories in this round, while Memphis sits at a hefty +1500 to rally back and move to the semifinals.

Series Exact Result - Sportsbook.ag
5 Games Spurs Win -110
6 Games Spurs Win +200
7 Games Spurs Win +400
7 Games Grizzlies Win +1500
6 Games Grizzlies Win +2500

Western Conference First Round

No. 1 Golden State at No. 8 Portland

2016-17 Regular Season (Warriors 4-0)
Nov. 1 Warriors (-5) at Blazers 127-104 (Over 225.5)
Dec. 17 Blazers at Warriors (-14) 135-90 (Under 234)
Jan. 4 Blazers at Warriors (-16) 125-117 (Over 222)
Jan. 29 Warriors (-6) at Blazers 113-111 (Under 224.5)

2016-17 Postseason (Warriors 2-0)
Apr. 16 Blazers at Warriors (-15) 121-109 (Over 219.5)
Apr. 19 Blazers at Warriors (-11.5) 110-81 (Under 218)

Golden State continued its mastery of Portland this season by winning its sixth meeting against the Blazers in Game 2 on Wednesday, 110-81. The Warriors easily cashed as 11½-point favorites in spite of Kevin Durant sidelined for precautionary reasons due to a calf injury. Durant’s status is up in the air for Game 3 at the Moda Center, but there is no rush to bring back the former scoring champion after five Warriors posted double-figures in Game 2.

The defending Western Conference champions didn’t light it up from the floor on Wednesday as Stephen Curry was Golden State’s leading scorer with 19. However, the Warriors outrebounded the Blazers, 54-47, while Golden State’s defense stifled the dynamic duo of Damien Lillard and C.J. McCollum as the starting Portland backcourt managed a total of 23 points on 9-of-34 shooting. Portland fell short in Game 1 as 15-point underdogs in spite of Lillard and McCollum combining for 75 points.

In Golden State’s two visits to Portland this season, the Warriors grabbed victories each time in different fashions. On November 1, the Warriors routed the Blazers, 127-104 as five-point favorites, highlighted by 41-point third quarter output. Golden State edged Portland in their next meeting at the Moda Center in late January, 113-111 as Curry sat out with an injury. The Blazers cashed as six-point underdogs thanks to a 37-29 advantage in the fourth quarter, but Durant led Golden State with 33 points and 10 rebounds.

Steve Kerr’s club put together a 2-4 SU/ATS record as a road favorite in the playoffs last season, which included a front-door overtime victory at Portland in Game 4 of the second round. In 2016, the Blazers won four of five home playoff games, including three victories in the opening round against the Clippers. Since 2014, Portland has covered in four of five home playoff games in the underdog role, while posting an 8-4 mark in its past 12 home postseason contests.

Dating back to the All-Star break, Terry Stotts’ team is 11-3 SU and 10-4 ATS at the Moda Center, while being listed as an underdog only once, coming in a one-point triumph over the Spurs in the final week of the season. The Warriors are riding a five-game winning streak away from Oracle Arena, including victories at Oklahoma City, Houston, and San Antonio in this stretch.

Four of five playoff matchups last season between these teams sailed OVER the total, including both meetings in Portland. Golden State was a coin-flip proposition on road totals in the playoffs last season, going 5-5 in 10 games away from Oracle Arena.

Saturday's Best Bet
By Sportsbook.ag

San Antonio at Memphis

The Memphis Grizzlies did what I expected in Game 3 as they rallied around their coach's rant, came out like their season was on the line (effectively it was), put together four solid quarters of offensive basketball and dominated the Spurs from the second quarter on. The series is now 2-1 and Memphis and their fans believe that if they can play like they did in Game 3 the rest of the way, the chances of them upsetting San Antonio in this round will be a lot better than many give them credit for.

San Antonio wasn't surprised to see Memphis play as well as they did, but while some may now believe that this is more of a series then the first two games showed, the Spurs still have to like their position very much. They still know they can dominate this team when they are on their own floor and for Memphis to win this series they are going to have to win at least once in San Antonio.

But the Spurs are still and older team and ending this series sooner then later to get that extra rest heading into the next round is a nice bonus.

As high as Memphis fans are about their team's performance in Game 3, chances are we see that elation come to a quick demise by the end of Game 4. San Antonio just couldn't match the energy level Memphis brought for the four quarters and when things got out of hand in the 3rd quarter (Memphis outscored the Spurs 31-17), it became time for San Antonio to rest up and prepare for Game 4. You won't see the likes of Davis Bertans, David Lee, and Jonathon Simmons playing 12-15 minutes-plus again as they were sent out in garbage time to rest the starters.

Tony Parker played less than 19 minutes and Aldridge and Leonard ended there nights at about 30 minutes apiece. HC Greg Popovich has long been a mastermind in this league in regards to resting players to get the maximum out of them when he needs to, and Game 4 is one of those spots where he likely will get exactly that.

Memphis may be feeling confident after their Game 3 win, but the 50% they shot from the floor, and 41% they shot from 3-point land were more of an aberration then they'd like you to believe. At home this year, where they were decidedly a better offensive team, the Grizzlies only averaged 42.9% from the floor and 35.4% from beyond the arc.

Those Game 3 numbers were definitely a product of the huge motivation and energy they had to get themselves back in the series and almost certainly there will be a regression in those numbers and the motivation/energy levels they bring to Game 4. Memphis is just 1-5 ATS after covering the spread in their last outing, and with the Spurs hoping to close this series out back at home in Game 5 to get that extra rest, it's likely going to be San Antonio that has the edge in motivation, energy, and shooting percentages once again.

Best Bet: San Antonio -3.5