NBA Betting News and Notes Thursday, May 2

Thursday's NBA Playoff Action: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls (-1.5, 183.5)

Chicago leads series 3-2.

The Brooklyn Nets attempt to even up the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series while the Chicago Bulls seek to conclude it when the two teams square off in Chicago on Thursday. Brooklyn bounced back from a triple-overtime loss in Game 4 to notch an impressive 110-91 on Monday to cut its deficit to 3-2. But the Nets are 0-4 in Chicago this season – counting two regular-season defeats – and the Bulls hope to avoid traveling to Brooklyn for Game 7.

Chicago badly missed injured point guard Kirk Hinrich (calf) on Monday and could be without him again on Thursday. Hinrich has frustrated Nets point guard Deron Williams during the series and Williams had 23 points and 10 assists with Hinrich out for Game 5. The Bulls were dismayed with their performance and have promised to be a different club in Game 6. “Were the kind of team – we get hit, we hit back again,” forward Carlos Boozer said. “We’re one of those teams that always bounces back.” Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo noted how different the five games have been in a conference call on Wednesday and expects another battle in Game 6. “I really believe that both teams legitimately feel that they’re better than the other team,” Carlesimo said. “Both think they’re capable of winning.”

ABOUT THE NETS: Center Brook Lopez has put together back-to-back double-doubles, marking the first time he has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games since late December. Lopez has grabbed exactly half of his 40 rebounds on the offensive glass. He is averaging 23.6 points and eight rebounds and has scored 20 or more points in all five games. Williams also has back-to-back doubles-doubles by averaging 27.5 points and 10 assists in the two games. He is contributing 20.6 points and 8.2 assists overall. Shooting guard Joe Johnson is hindered by a foot injury and has just one 20-point game in the series while averaging 16.2 points.

ABOUT THE BULLS: The play of forward Luol Deng has been highly underwhelming through five games. He is averaging 13.8 points and shooting 38.1 percent, including a dreadful 1-for-18 from 3-point range. Deng had a double-double in Game 3 when he reached his series high of 21 points. Guard Nate Robinson has averaged 27 points over the past two games but typically doesn’t put together three strong games. Robinson only had back-to-back 20-point games twice in the regular season and never reached that figure in three consecutive contests. He is averaging 17.8 points in the series and has shot better than 60 percent from the field three times.

TRENDS:

* Nets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a ATS win.
* Bulls are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Over is 18-6 in Nets last 24 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Bulls last 5 home games.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Brooklyn’s two wins in the series are by an average of 18 points.

2. Bulls G Jimmy Butler has averaged 17 points over the last two games while going 11-of-17 from the field.

3. Nets F Andray Blatche has averaged 13 points over the last two games but is dealing with a right calf ailment.

Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (+1.5, 211)

Golden State leads series 3-2.

The Golden State Warriors did not carry much of the enthusiasm that paced them at home into Denver on Tuesday. Perhaps when the series comes back to Golden State the Warriors will be up for the challenge. Denver established a physicality in Game 5 that did not make Golden State happy, and the Warriors will need to adjust and respond when they take another crack at closing out the best-of-seven Western Conference series on Thursday.

Stephen Curry torched the Nuggets in all three of Golden State’s wins in the series, and Denver made a point of knocking him around a bit at the beginning of Game 5. Already working with a bloodshot right eye from a poke he had taken in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Curry was driven through hard screens in the first four minutes of the game as the Nuggets established the tone. Denver also made a lineup change in Game 5, abandoning the small unit it had used in the previous two games and inserting JaVale McGee at center to pair with Kenneth Faried along the front line.

ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Much of the talk after Game 5 centered around the physical play of Denver, especially in regards to Curry. Lost in that chatter was the fact the Nuggets had put together a strong overall performance complete with some efficient first-half offense and contributions from someone other than Ty Lawson. Andre Iguodala stepped up in a big way with 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and Wilson Chandler, freed from the post with McGee and Kosta Koufos playing more minutes, went out to the perimeter and knocked down five 3-pointers, including a crushing dagger when the Warriors were beginning to get back into the game in the fourth quarter. “I think they brought the physicality to the series,” Iguodala said, “and we stopped being the receivers and we’re starting to hit back a little bit.”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry knocked down 18 3-pointers in the first four games of the series but did not hit one in Game 5 until just over five minutes remained in the game. The Nuggets clearly made the sharpshooter a target, and Faried set one screen at the foul line early in the game that appeared to be a direct blow to Curry’s tender left ankle. “Some dirty plays,” coach Mark Jackson said. “It’s playoff basketball. That’s all right. We own it. But make no mistake about it, we went up 3-1 playing hard, physical, clean basketball - not trying to hurt anybody.” Jackson specifically referenced Faried going after Curry’s ankle, and Curry pointed out more instances where he felt he was targeted. “There were a couple, man,” he said. “Going through the paint minding my own business and they come out of nowhere trying to throw elbows.” While Curry had a rough go of it in Game 5, Golden State also missed the inside production from Carl Landry and Andrew Bogut that had given it a big lift in Game 4. Rookie Harrison Barnes did some of the heavy lifting offensively with 23 points and nine rebounds.

TRENDS:

* Over is 18-5 in the last 23 meetings in Golden State.
* Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings in Golden State.
* Nuggets are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Curry averaged 30 points and nine assists in Games 3 and 4 in Golden State.

2. Iguodala is shooting 53.4 percent in the series, including 9-of-21 from 3-point range.

3. Denver outscored the Warriors 50-24 in the paint in Game 5.

2013 NBA Playoffs

Brooklyn PG Williams is 15-29 in two series wins, 17-48 in three losses. Nets shot 55.8/50% from floor in two series wins, by 17-19 points, both at home; they lost two series games here by 3-8, blowing Game 4 when they led by 14 with 3:00 left and lost in triple OT, only one of the three Chicago series wins that went over total. Brooklyn shot 35.4/34.6% in first two series losses, then 49.5% in triple OT loss. Nets took 21 more FTs than Chicago last two games, after taking nine less in the first three series games. Brooklyn is 3-5 in its last eight road games overall.

Denver's two wins stayed under total; Warriors' three wins went over, as they've made difficult shots, shooting 64.6/52.5/55.7% from the floor in wins, 41.3/43.2% in losses, while taking 51 less FTs than Nuggets for entire series. Curry was just 7-19 last game, prompting coach Jackson to call out Denver for being "dirty", putting onus on refs here. Golden State is 8-3 in last eleven home games overall. Denver is 40-4 at home, so lot of pressure on Warriors to finish series here in Oakland. Nuggets are 2-5 in last seven road games, winning at Milwaukee/Utah.

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