NBA Knowledge
Detroit-Cleveland
Pistons won three of last five games with Cleveland, but couldn't hold its 58-53 halftime lead in Game 1, losing by 5. Detroit was 15-29 from arc and still lost. Five of last six series games went over total. Detroit won three of last five games overall. Cavaliers lost three of last five games; they covered four of last five at home. Six of last eight Cleveland games went over total. Cleveland had only four turnovers in Game 1.
Charlotte-Miami
Hornets lost four of last five visits to Miami (over 5-0); they're 4-7 in their last 11 games overall vs Miami. Charlotte won four of its last six games (over 6-0); they're 4-4 SU in last eight road games. Miami won five of its last seven games; five of their last eight stayed under. Heat won, covered its last five home games. Heat had only six turnovers and made 9-18 on arc in its Game 1 win.
Portland-LA Clippers
Portland lost seven of last nine games with Clippers, going 4-2 vs spread (1-5 SU) in last six played here. Trailblazers won seven of their last ten games overall; five of their last seven stayed under the total. Clippers won their last six home games, covering five of them. Four of five LA starters were +20 or better in Game 1 which was only 50-42 at the half. Clippers shot 53.8% on floor, held Portland to 39.8%.
Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 9-4, Over: 3-10
Armadillosports.com
Wednesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview
By Covers.com
The opening round of the NBA Playoffs gets back to business Wednesday night with a trio of solid matchups. The Hornets, Pistons, and Trail Blazers will all be trying to avenge Game 1 defeats.
Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat (-4.5, 199)
The third-seeded Miami Heat versus the sixth-seeded Charlotte Hornets was supposed to be one of the tighter matchups of the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Heat breezed to a 32-point victory in Game 1 and will try to open up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set with another easy win when they host the Hornets in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Miami’s clear advantage entering the series was experience, and Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng and Joe Johnson all have plenty of experience in the postseason, even if none of it came together. Deng looked comfortable with a season-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting in Game 1 to lead a 57.6 percent shooting effort from the Heat. “Whether you lose by 30 or one, it’s one-nothing,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “We lost one game. And up front, we just got manhandled. If Deng and (center Hassan) Whiteside are going to combine for those kinds of numbers, it’s going to be hard for us to win.” Charlotte was outrebounded 49-37 and outscored in the paint 56-36 but does not plan to move center Al Jefferson into the starting lineup.
LINE HISTORY: The line for this contest opened with the Heat pegged as five-point favorites and the public didn't trust that line, betting it down to -4.5. The total opened at 202.5 and took a drastic downward turn - settling in at 199.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (48-35, 42-40-1 ATS, 41-40-2 O/U): Kemba Walker was one of three players to score in double figures with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting in the first game but lamented the team’s execution. "We made a lot of mistakes," Walker told reporters. "Coach gave us an awesome game plan and we just completely went against it. We didn’t do what he told us to do. That’s not really us. We’re usually the team that plays mistake-free. (Sunday), that wasn’t the case. They played extremely well as well, but we definitely made a lot of mistakes." Starting guards Walker, Courtney Lee and Nicolas Batum each managed only one assist in the loss.
ABOUT THE HEAT (49-34, 44-38-1 ATS, 35-47-1 O/U): Whiteside was playing in his first postseason game and had no trouble getting the better of Charlotte’s frontcourt with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes. “We just knew it was time to play Miami Heat basketball,” Whiteside told reporters. “We’re in the playoffs. It’s all or nothing. Just leave it all out there. We came out and played our hearts out as a team. We’re just going to try to keep it rolling.” Whiteside finished third in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting revealed on Monday.
TRENDS:
* Hornets are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Heat are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 6-0 in Hornets last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 9-0 in the last 9 meetings in Miami.
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-10, 201)
The Detroit Pistons let an upset opportunity get away in the series opener and look to avoid a 0-2 hole when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in Wednesday's Game 2. Eighth-seeded Detroit held a seven-point lead with 11 minutes remaining in Game 1 before top-seeded Cleveland rallied and stymied the Pistons.
Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson personifies the club's swagger and he doesn't see the missed opportunity as a devastating blow. "We know this is Goliath. We welcome it. We like the challenge," Jackson told reporters after the 106-101 loss. "I think we played well, I don't think we played necessarily our best game. We'll figure it out. It's a 1-0 series. We for sure got another one on Wednesday - come back and be ready to come out swinging." The Cleveland trio of point guard Kyrie Irving (playoff career-best 31 points), power forward Kevin Love (28 points, 13 rebounds) and small forward LeBron James (22 points, 11 assists) were all in stellar form in the opener. "We have a number of guys on this team, veterans that prepared us for this moment," Love told reporters. "So kind of leading up to it, three or four weeks left in the season, we were approaching every game like we had to get into the flow of a playoff game and approach every game as a tough one for us."
LINE HISTORY: The Cavs opened at -10.5 and the line was quicly dropped to -10 after Detroit's gutsy performance in Game 1. The total opened at 201 and hasn't moved off that number.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (44-39, 43-38-2 ATS, 43-40 O/U): Backup rookie forward Stanley Johnson was a solid contributor in the opener with nine points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes and coach Stan Van Gundy expressed his regret that he didn't play Johnson over Tobias Harris (nine points in 40 minutes) down the stretch. The first-round draft pick from Arizona averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in the regular season but has impressed his teammates with his tenacious approach. "Stanley Johnson is a complete dog. He doesn't fear no man," Jackson told reporters. "We all bleed, so there ain't no reason to worry anybody, and that's how he feels. He's going to come at you and attack you. It's a mindset that we all need to have, and it's one that we embrace with him on this team."
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (58-25, 37-43-3 ATS, 42-41 O/U): Irving (five) and Love (four) combined for nine of Cleveland's 12 3-pointers in the opener and James was ecstatic to see both players come through after injuries ended their postseasons early last season. "For these two guys, they were just excited to get back to this moment," James told reporters. "These guys have been working hard - Kyrie on his knee, Kevin on his shoulder - just to get back to this moment. It was great to be out on the floor with them and for them to put together the performance that they did." Outside of the trio, there wasn't much offense from the rest of the Cavaliers, as the other six who played combined for just 25 points.
TRENDS:
* Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
* Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 7-0 in Pistons last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. NBA Central.
* Pistons are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Cleveland.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (-8.5, 209)
The Los Angeles Clippers had no trouble with the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 and will try to take a 2-0 lead when they host Game 2 on Wednesday. The Clippers coasted to a 115-95 victory in the series opener behind 28 points and 11 assists from Chris Paul and a solid defensive effort against the Trail Blazers’ talented backcourt.
Paul had plenty of help from the rest of his teammates, including a strong game from Blake Griffin that made it look as if the former All-Star was all the way back from his quad and hand injuries. “I'm just going to go play and play as hard as I can and fill any void that we see as a team,” Griffin told reporters. “I'm not really worried about the whole, ‘Can he get back?’ or, ‘Will he be able to play at a high level?’ It's just about filling those gaps for our team and finding ways to help.” The Trail Blazers could use a solid performance from their frontcourt after starters Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless and Mason Plumlee combined to go 7-of-25 from the field. The vaunted backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum wasn’t much better offensively and struggled trying to stop Chris Paul and J.J. Redick on the other end of the floor.
LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 8.5-point favorites and the total opened at 209 - neither number has moved at this point.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-39, 44-39 ATS, 44-39 O/U): Lillard managed 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting and eight assists in Game 1 but was no match for Paul in his first playoff game as the unquestioned leader of the team. "We knew that they would make runs, but you've got to answer back," Lillard told reporters. "You've got to get stops. You've got to score the ball." Lillard helped drag the team to the playoffs despite losing four veteran starters from a playoff team last season and needs more help from McCollum, who struggled to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 1.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (54-29, 41-39-3 ATS, 34-49 O/U): Integrating Griffin back into the rotation after an absence of over three months was a focus for the team in the final two weeks of the regular season, and he looked comfortable in Game 1. "He was great,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters of Griffin. “Assertive. I loved his energy. Yeah, I mean, like I said before the game, I've been surprised with him. His energy, his endurance. (Sunday), I thought was the first day that he had great timing as well, so that was good for us.” Griffin delivered 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes after playing only five games down the stretch in the regular season.
TRENDS:
* Trail Blazers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Clippers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Over is 12-3 in Trail Blazers last 15 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 22-5 in Clippers last 27 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Los Angeles.
Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Hornets at Heat (-4½, 199)
Miami put together the best offensive performance not only in the opening weekend of the NBA playoffs, but also in franchise history in Game 1 against Charlotte. The Heat ripped the Hornets, 123-91 to easily cash as 4½-point favorites and grab an early 1-0 series advantage. The only question is if Miami can keep up that hot shooting going into Game 2.
In the series opener, Miami’s Luol Deng torched Charlotte by knocking down 11-of-13 shots from the floor for 31 points, leading four Heat starters in double-figures. The Heat shot a blistering 57.6% from the field, while dropping 41 points in the first quarter to improve to 5-0 in the last five playoff games against Charlotte. Since 2011, Miami owns an 11-2 record in Game 1 playoff contests at the American Airlines Arena, while compiling a 9-3 SU and 6-6 ATS mark in Game 2’s at home in this span.
The Charlotte franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since getting rebooted in 2004 by losing all nine postseason contests in this span. Steve Clifford’s team was limited to 43% shooting from the field, as Nicolas Batum led the Hornets with 24 points in the Game 1 loss. The Hornets extended their ‘over’ streak to six after eclipsing the Game 1 total of 199, while moving to 9-3 to the ‘over’ in the past 12 road contests.
VegasInsider.com editorial director and NBA expert Chris David provides his thoughts on Wednesday’s action, “While the Heat looked impressive in Game 1, especially offensively, my lean would be to the Hornets in Game 2 based on what we’ve seen from them off losses in the second-half of the season. Charlotte has gone 7-1 since the All-Star break after a loss while averaging 106.3 PPG and the lone setback only came by six points.”
Will Charlotte continue its ‘over’ run in Game 2? David feels that it will be another shootout in South Florida, “I’m a little surprised the opening total of 203 got steamed down to 199 so quickly and I don’t understand the logic behind that move. From what we’ve seen this season, Miami hasn’t shown many offensive letdowns after lighting up the scoreboard. They’ve busted 120-plus three times in the regular season and they averaged 109 PPG in the next game. Plus, the last nine meetings between this pair at American Airlines Arena have all gone ‘over’ the number.”
Pistons at Cavaliers (-10, 201)
Detroit gave Cleveland all it could handle in Sunday’s Game 1, even leading by two points heading into the fourth quarter as 11-point underdogs. However, the Cavaliers rallied to outscore the Pistons in the final 12 minutes, 30-23 to capture the opener, 106-101. Detroit managed the cover as double-digit ‘dogs, but the Pistons need to do more work to slow down Cleveland’s Big Three.
Point guard Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 31 points in his first playoff game since breaking his kneecap in the opener of last summer’s NBA Finals. Kevin Love pumped in 28 points and 13 rebounds, while LeBron James scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists to improve Cleveland’s playoff home record against Eastern Conference foes to 7-1 SU since the start of last season’s postseason. However, the Cavaliers have covered only three times at Quicken Loans Arena against the East in this span, while dropping to 0-4 ATS in its past four playoff games overall.
The Pistons shot the ball well in spite of letting things slip away in Game 1, connecting on 50% of their shots from the floor and knocking down 15 three-pointers. The backcourt duo of Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined to score 38 points on 14-of-26 shooting, while Marcus Morris contributed 20 points in the defeat for Detroit. The Pistons are seeking their first playoff win since 2008, as each of their last five postseason defeats have come at the hands of the Cavaliers.
David believes things will turn around from a totals perspective in Game 2, “Even though Game 1 went ‘over’ in this series, I would come back with the ‘under’ in Game 2. I thought the game was going to be ugly and technically it was as Detroit only took 73 shots, but they happened to connect on 51 percent of them and that included 15 bombs from 3-point land. I expect both those numbers to drop on Wednesday and I think Detroit will do a better job on the glass, which should limit Cleveland’s attempts. The total is hovering in the same neighborhood and I don’t see the winner getting over the century mark on Wednesday.”
The Pistons are currently riding a 4-1 ATS run in the road underdog role, while owning a 1-2 ATS record as a double-digit underdog this season. The Cavaliers have cashed just eight times in 21 opportunities as a favorite of at least 10 points this season, while James has posted a 9-3 SU and 5-7 ATS record in his last 12 Game 2’s of the playoffs after winning the series opener.
Blazers at Clippers (-8½, 209)
The Warriors and Spurs have cruised to 2-0 advantages in their Western Conference quarterfinal series, while the Thunder were tripped up by the Mavericks in Monday’s Game 2. The Clippers seem like the forgotten team of this upper-half in the West, but Los Angeles seeks a 2-0 series edge after pulling away from the Blazers in the series opener, 115-95 as 8 ½-point favorites.
Los Angeles connected on nearly 54% of its attempts from the floor on Sunday night, led by point guard Chris Paul’s 28 points. Six Clippers scored in double-figures, as Paul’s backcourt mate J.J. Redick shot an efficient 8-of-12 from the field for 17 points, while Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan combined to score 37 points and pull down 24 rebounds. The Clippers put together a solid performance in their first playoff game since last season’s second round meltdown against the Rockets, as Doc Rivers’ team snapped a six-game playoff ‘over’ streak at Staples Center with an ‘under’ in Game 1.
The lack of depth showed for Portland on Sunday as the dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to score 30 points, which won’t cut it against Los Angeles. Granted, Lillard did his part by putting up 21 points, but McCollum came out struggling after a solid playoff debut against Memphis last season by scoring nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. The most impressive performance came from reserve guard Gerald Henderson, who contributed 16 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting.
David doesn’t see much changing in the result from Game 1 to Game 2 at Staples Center, “The 20-point win by the Clippers in Game 1 wasn’t surprising but seeing the Los Angeles starting backcourt outscore Portland’s two-headed monster, 45-30 opened up some eyes. If the Trail Blazers don’t win that battle, they have no chance at winning a game yet alone staying close to the spread either. Los Angeles has blown playoff games in the past but it’s hard to advise a lean to Portland, who went 3-10 as a visitor in the final six weeks of the season and all three wins were against non-playoff clubs. For our purposes, the Blazers only covered two of the 10 losses and that should could give you extra confidence in laying the points with the Clippers in Game 2.”
Wednesday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (48-35) at MIAMI HEAT (49-34)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Miami -5.0, Total: 201.5
Dwyane Wade and the Heat will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead when the team hosts the Hornets in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Many people expected the Hornets to show up in Game 1, but that was far from the case. Miami dominated right from the opening tip, winning 123-91 as a 4.5-point home favorite. The Heat could not miss on Sunday, as they shot an impressive 57.6% from the floor. They also turned the ball over just six times in the victory.
Miami has now continued to dominate this Charlotte team at American Airlines Arena. The Heat are 8-1 SU and 5-4 ATS when facing the Hornets at home over the past three seasons and all nine of those contests have gone OVER the total.
One trend to keep an eye on for Hornets bettors is that the team is 18-8 ATS when revenging a road loss this season. The Heat, however, are 14-4 ATS in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 200 on the year.
PG Kemba Walker (Knee) is a bit banged up coming into this game, but he will be on the court in Game 2. As for guys that won’t be available, SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Shoulder) is out for the season for Charlotte and PF Chris Bosh (Blood Clot) and SG Tyler Johnson (Shoulder) are both out for the year for Miami.
The Hornets got destroyed in Game 1 in Miami and this team is going to need to move the ball a lot better on Wednesday. PG Kemba Walker (20.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG in regular season) and SF Nicolas Batum (14.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.8 APG in regular season) combined to dish out just two assists in the opening game of this series.
These are two guys that combined to average 11.3 APG during the regular season and they’ll need to do a better job of finding their teammates the rest of the way. Walker is also going to need to be more aggressive as a scorer in Game 2. He was just not as involved in the offense as he usually is. He took only 13 shots, which is down from the 16.4 shots per game he averaged during the regular season.
The Hornets are going to have a lot of trouble winning if he doesn’t step it up on Wednesday. Charlotte is also going to need a lot more out of PF Marvin Williams (11.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG in regular season) and C Al Jefferson (12.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG in regular season) moving forward.
Williams was horrible in Game 1, finishing the contest with just two points. He was relied on to stretch the floor all season and needs to knock down some shots on Wednesday. Jefferson, meanwhile, had a lot of trouble with Hassan Whiteside in Game 1. The Hornets need him to hold his own on Wednesday or it’ll be very tough to steal a road game.
The Heat put on an impressive Game 1 display and the guy that changed the game was PF Luol Deng (12.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG in regular season). Deng was unconscious on Sunday, finishing the game with 31 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes of action. His shooting numbers were off the charts as well, as Deng went 11-for-13 from the field and 4-for-6 from the outside. He was excellent on the defensive end, switching onto whomever he needed to and he has just really changed this team’s season with his play at the power forward spot.
C Hassan Whiteside (14.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.7 BPG in regular season) was also a game changer for the Heat in Game 1. He was far too big and athletic for any of the Hornets’ inside players and he ended up finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 26 minutes of action.
Whiteside knows how to finish around the rim and he also is an anchor defensively for Miami. If he can avoid foul trouble then his fingerprints will be all over the results of this series when it’s all over. In the backcourt, SG Dwyane Wade (19.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG in regular season) will need to continue to take the ball to the basket.
Without Kidd-Gilchrist, the Hornets do not have anybody that can really guard him. He had 16 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor and should be able to score more moving forward.
PG Goran Dragic (14.1 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.0 SPG in regular season) will, however, need to be better in Game 2. He had just nine points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field in Game 1 and he can’t expect his team to win when he plays like that. Kemba Walker is going to be better in the remainder of this series and that means that Dragic must raise his game as well.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (44-39) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (54-29)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Los Angeles -8.5, Total: 209.0
The Clippers will be hoping to head into Portland with a 2-0 series lead by defeating the Blazers in Game 2 on Wednesday.
A lot of people felt that the Blazers had a chance of stealing this series from the Clippers, but they’ll need to find a way to win on the road. Portland did not, however, look ready to do that in Game 1.
The Blazers did not come to play on either end of the floor, shooting just 39.8% from the field and allowing the Clippers to shoot 53.8%. Portland was also outrebounded 57-50 on the game and will need to show more effort overall on Wednesday. The Blazers should be able to respond, though.
They were 7-0 ATS after a blowout loss by 20 points or more this season and they’re facing a Clippers team that is just 7-17 ATS after scoring 100 points or more in three straight games on the year. Los Angeles is, however, an impressive 8-1 ATS in home games after having won six or seven of its past eight games this season.
The only player listed on the injury report in this game is C Meyers Leonard (Shoulder), who is out for the season for the Blazers.
The Blazers did not look good in Game 1 and are going to need a more complete effort on Wednesday.
PG Damian Lillard (25.1 PPG, 6.8 APG, 4.0 RPG in regular season) was the only guy that really showed up for Portland. Lillard had 21 points, eight assists and a steal in 38 minutes of action on Sunday. He’ll still likely need to score even more on Wednesday if his team is going to win. Lillard will also need to do a better job of playing pick-and-roll defense. The Clippers picked the Blazers apart with that play and Portland can’t afford to let that happen again. The only way to prevent it is for Lillard to play better defense on Chris Paul.
SG C.J. McCollum (20.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG in regular season) is a guy that must step it up for Portland. McCollum was a fantastic scorer this season, but he had just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting in Game 1. He just could not buy a bucket and the Blazers need him to knock down some jumpers on Wednesday.
It’s also important that SF Al-Farouq Aminu (10.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG in regular season) plays well for the Blazers. Aminu is playing as a small-ball power forward in this series and his matchup with Blake Griffin is huge. Although Aminu had 10 points in Game 1, he was awful from the field. He shot just 3-for-12 from the floor and needs to be more efficient on Wednesday.
The Clippers cruised to a Game 1 victory and that’s because PG Chris Paul (19.5 PPG, 10.0 APG, 4.2 RPG, 2.1 SPG in regular season) played a fantastic game for Los Angeles. Paul finished the contest with 28 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes of action.
He could not be stopped off the bounce and he’ll need to continue to be aggressive moving forward. Paul also ran the offensive to perfection, though. He found PF Blake Griffin (21.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 4.9 APG in regular season) and C DeAndre Jordan (12.7 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG in regular season) whenever they were able to get any space at all. He’ll certainly look inside often moving forward.
For Griffin, it was encouraging for the Clippers to see him playing well. He had struggled when he returned from a broken hand, but he did not look rusty on Sunday. Griffin is far stronger than Aminu, so it’d be wise for him to get in the post more often in this series. Jordan, meanwhile, finished everything around the basket and he swatted everything near it on the other end. He was on his game defensively and the Clippers need him to continue to be throughout the postseason.
Steve's Screenshot
By Steve Merril
Pistons at Cavaliers (-10.5, 202)
Detroit went 3-1 SU against Cleveland this season, and the Pistons took the Cavaliers to the brink in Game 1 of this series before losing 106-101. Cleveland’s offense is much better under new coach Tyron Lue, but their defense was significantly better under former head coach David Blatt. That profile makes Cleveland a poor favorite, especially in the double-digit price range.
Trail Blazers at Clippers (-7.5, 209.5)
Portland was no match for Los Angeles in Game 1 as the Trail Blazers got out-scored in every quarter. They ended up losing by 20 points (115-95). Money came in on Portland in that game, and it’s coming in on the Trail Blazers once again for Game 2. Portland does qualify in a decent playoff bounce-back situation after their blowout loss, but the Trail Blazers were a much better team at home than on the road this season.