BOSTON (42 - 43) at NEW YORK (57 - 29) - 5/1/2013, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games this season.
NEW YORK is 49-36 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) in home games this season.
NEW YORK is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 11-9 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 12-8 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA (46 - 40) at INDIANA (51 - 34) - 5/1/2013, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-6 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 9-6 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON (46 - 40) at OKLAHOMA CITY (63 - 23) - 5/1/2013, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON vs. NEW YORK
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing New York
New York is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games
ATLANTA vs. INDIANA
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Atlanta
Indiana is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home
HOUSTON vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Oklahoma City is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games
Wednesday's NBA Action: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (-8, 180)
New York leads series 3-1
The New York Knicks were an overtime away from completing a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series, but they can close out the visiting Boston Celtics on Wednesday in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. New York trailed at the half in the first two games and came storming back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to push Sunday's game past regulation. ''We have to be confident going back home,'' Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said after Game 4. ''We were confident here today.''
The Knicks have plenty of reasons to feel supremely confident of ending the series. Anthony had a dreadful shooting performance and second-leading scorer J.R. Smith, the Sixth Man of the Year, missed Game 4 following a suspension for elbowing Jason Terry in the face in Game 3. Terry exacted his own revenge by scoring nine of his 18 points in overtime, but the Celtics face long odds since no team in NBA history has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit. '''Now we have to go into a hostile environment and they're going to be trying to get it over with," Terry said after Sunday's game. "They don't want to come back here, but we do.''
ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston signed Terry in the offseason as a replacement for Ray Allen, but the former Dallas standout had not given the Celtics much bang for their buck until Sunday's overtime. Terry hit the biggest shot of the series for Boston, burying a 3-pointer to put his team ahead for good. He finished 7-of-10 in his best shooting performance in a month, providing a needed offensive spark off the bench and adding another option to go with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green. ''He's got to be our X-factor,'' Pierce said. ''Guys are going to load up to me, load up to Kevin, and he's got to be our X-factor and we depend on him for that.''
ABOUT THE KNICKS: The absence of Smith took away one of New York's top offensive weapons, and Anthony tried to compensate by hoisting up a season-high 35 shots and making only 10. He still impacted the game tremendously by picking up a slew of fouls on Boston's front court and getting to the free-throw line 20 times. ''We didn't shoot the ball well,'' Anthony said, ''and we still put ourselves in a position to win the basketball game. There's an upside to that.'' Guard Raymond Felton continued his outstanding series by erupting for 27 points, his highest output since early December, and is averaging 17.8 points through the first four games.
TRENDS
* Under is 6-1 in last seven meetings.
* Celtics are 4-9 ATS in last 13 road games.
* Knicks are 16-5 ATS in last 21 against the Eastern Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Knicks' last five following two days rest.
* Under is 4-0 in Knicks' last four home games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Knicks have limited Boston to an average of 77.3 points in regulation in the series.
2. The Celtics have struggled in the second half, scoring more than 30 points once in the four games.
3. Anthony, the league's leading scorer during the regular season, is averaging 33 points.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers (-6.5, 188)
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2.
The Indiana Pacers have looked like two completely different teams based on the venue in their first-round series with the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers will try to bust out the form that got them a 2-0 lead when the series returns to Indiana for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Hawks were dominated physically in the first two contests but found their rhythm at home in back-to-back wins and will try to keep that aggression up on the road.
The Pacers averaged 110 points in a pair of easy wins at home in the first two games but slumped to an average of 80 points while losing two on the road. They put up a better effort in Game 4, keeping things within 10 points for most of the fourth quarter, but could not keep up with Josh Smith. Atlanta switched to a bigger lineup in Game 3 and kept it for Game 4, inserting center Johan Petro in the starting lineup and using Ivan Johnson off the bench to team with Smith and Al Horford.
ABOUT THE HAWKS: Atlanta looked like a good candidate to be swept out of the first round in after the opening two games but has brought a toughness in the last two that the Pacers have struggled to match. It was Horford taking over with 26 points and 16 rebounds in Game 3 and Smith doing the damage with 29 and 11 in Game 4. Those two staying strong on the offensive end is a key to dealing with Indiana’s front line. The only time the Hawks looked vulnerable in Game 4 was when Horford picked up a fourth foul and had to go to the bench for an extended period in the third quarter, allowing the Pacers to go on a 15-1 run and get back in the game. But instead of folding Atlanta picked itself back up and never surrendered the lead. “Energy and effort,” Smith said. “If we play with those two words and play together - I take that back, three words - we’re a pretty good basketball team.”
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana has the memory of how well it played at home in Games 1 and 2 to keep its spirits high. Paul George, who was the best player on the floor in the first two games before struggling against Atlanta’s new lineup in Game 3, found his game again in the second half of Game 4 and had 18 points and 10 rebounds after the break to finish with 21 and 12. Guard play was the biggest problem in each of the games in Atlanta, as the starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and George Hill combined to go 10-of-39 in the two contests. Hill had been 14-for-22 in the first two games, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc while Stephenson had scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Game 1 before taking a hard foul and being limited to 18 minutes in Game 2.
TRENDS
* Over is 10-1 in Hawks' last 11 games following ATS win.
* Over is 9-1 in Hawks' last 10 road games.
* Pacers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. Eastern Conference
* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Atlanta.
* Hawks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games playing on one days rest.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kyle Korver’s 19 points off the bench on Monday matched the total from all four of Indiana’s reserves.
2. Indiana went 30-11 at home during the regular season and won the first two games by an average of 16 points.
3. George averaged 19.3 points at home on 44.6 percent shooting while slipping to 15.6 on 39.1 percent on the road in the regular season.
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5, 208)
Oklahoma City leads series 3-1.
The Houston Rockets avoided a sweep and head into a raucous atmosphere in Oklahoma City as the Thunder again try to close out the Western Conference series in Wednesday’s Game 5. Houston notched a 105-103 home victory on Monday and could really make things interesting with another victory. The Oklahoma City fans are eager to serenade Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley, who was involved in a play that caused Thunder standout Russell Westbrook to suffer a season-ending knee injury in Game 2.
Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant had 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting in the Game 4 loss. He averaged 39.5 points in the two games Westbrook missed and attempted to keep Monday’s defeat in perspective. “No need to panic,” Durant said. “That’s only going to put more pressure on us. That’s only going to make us feel worse.” Houston’s James Harden had just 15 points in Game 4 and committed a franchise playoff-record 10 turnovers. Forward Chandler Parsons was the go-to guy with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. “We know we can play with these guys and we know we can beat these guys,” Parsons said. “We’re resilient and we’re never going to give up no matter how much we’re down in a game and no matter how much we’re down in a series.”
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Beverley will be greeted with jeers due to the Game 2 play in which Westbrook was injured. Police are investigating a social-media death threat made by an Oklahoma City ball boy and the pressure will be intense in Game 5. Coach Kevin McHale feels Beverley can handle the challenging atmosphere. “He’s a tough kid,” McHale said after Game 4. “He’s a tough, hard-nose guy who’s not going to back down. He’s not afraid to take shots, he’s not afraid to make shots and not afraid to make plays.” Beverley has started the last three games and is averaging 12.3 points in the series. He had 16 points in the Game 4 victory and took a key charge on Durant in the final minute.
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Second-year pro Reggie Jackson is averaging 16 points in two starts in place of Westbrook. He was 7-of-18 shooting in Game 4 and missed a late game-tying attempt. Forward Serge Ibaka missed the putback at the buzzer and had his worst game of the series with eight points and five rebounds. The scoring hole left by Westbrook’s absence hasn’t been patched up but veteran Derek Fisher did his part with 12 points on four 3-pointers in Game 4. Guard Kevin Martin is averaging 13.5 points in the series but shooting just 34.8 percent and has missed two-thirds or more of his shots in three of the four games.
TRENDS
* Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.
* Under is 4-1 in Rockets' last five games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Thunder's last four home games.
* Thunder are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Houston shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range in Game 4 after connecting on just 27.8 over the first three games.
2. Durant has scored 20 or more points in 30 consecutive playoff games.
3. Rockets PG Jeremy Lin (chest) is a game-time decision after sitting out Game 4.
Wednesday Playoff Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The three home teams taking the court on Wednesday night own a combined 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS record in games playing in their backyard in the NBA playoffs. The Knicks and Thunder can each advance to the second round with a victory, while the Pacers try to get on track after dropping a pair of games at Atlanta. We'll begin in the Big Apple with New York looking to finish off Boston after the Celtics survived another day with a Game 4 triumph.
Celtics at Knicks (-8, 180)
New York dominated Boston through the first three games, but couldn't pull off the sweep in Sunday's overtime defeat at TD Garden. The Celtics squandered a 20-point cushion, as the Knicks forced overtime with a 49-30 second half run. However, Jason Terry stepped up in the extra session by knocking down several key jumpers, including a three-pointer on a fast break to give Boston the lead for good to avoid the sweep.
Carmelo Anthony dominated the Celtics through the first three victories for New York, as the NBA scoring champion scored 36 points on 35 shots from the floor in the 97-90 loss. The Celtics managed a cover as 1½-point home 'dogs, while the game finished 'over' the total of 181½, the first game that didn't go 'under' in the entire series. The two Celtics that stepped up to dodge an early exit were Paul Pierce and Jeff Green, who combined to score 55 points, while Boston's defense held New York to just 34% shooting from the floor.
The Knicks will receive some scoring punch from J.R. Smith in Game 5, who returns after serving his one-game suspension for elbowing Terry in Game 3. New York is riding a 12-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden, dating back to early March (10-2 ATS). The only way for the Celtics to survive and move the series back to Boston is consistency in both halves. Doc Rivers' club has gone through 25, 23, 31, and 30 point halves in this series, including second half 'unders' in both games played at Madison Square Garden.
Hawks at Pacers (-7, 188)
The forgotten series in the Eastern Conference is the lone one that is tied at two games apiece. The home team is a perfect 4-0 SU/ATS so far after the Hawks grabbed a pair of double-digit victories at Philips Arena to put the series back at square one. The Atlanta defense rose to the challenge after allowing an average of 110 points per game in the first two losses by limiting Indiana to a combined 160 points in the last two wins.
For the exception of a clunker in the third quarter (3-of-21 from the floor), the Hawks held control for the majority of Monday's 102-91 triumph to even the series at 2-2. The game was on the verge of going 'under' the total of 187½, but a late 10-point outburst on four consecutive possessions shattered any hopes of the second 'under' in the series. Josh Smith paced the Hawks with a game-high 29 points, while Kyle Korver drilled five three-pointers off the bench to give Atlanta its 12th consecutive home victory over Indiana.
Now the Pacers have to search for the offense that led them to a pair of blowouts in the first two games of this series. The only constant for Indiana is Paul George, who hasn't scored less than 16 points in any of the four games so far. However, George Hill averaged 20 points per game in the first two wins, but the point guard scored a combined 15 points in the two losses. Frank Vogel's squad owns an 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS record at home off a defeat, while the Hawks are 4-7 ATS the last 11 games as a road.
Rockets at Thunder (-8½, 208)
Houston couldn't close out a victory in Games 2 and 3 of this series, but finally broke through the win column in Game 4. Serge Ibaka's missed layup at the buzzer cemented Houston's first victory in its first round series with Oklahoma City, 105-103 as 1 ½-point home underdogs. The two teams combined for just 33 points in the final quarter, barely hitting the 'over' of 206½, while the 'over' cashed for the first time in the series.
Kevin Durant shot an efficient 12-of-16 from the floor, as the NBA's second-leading scorer put up a game-high 38 points in his second game without fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook. Former Thunder teammate James Harden converted just four of 12 shots from the field, while turning the ball over 10 times in spite of the win. Chandler Parsons picked up the slack by scoring a playoff career-high 27 points, lifting the Rockets to their first postseason triumph since 2009.
The Thunder has won 12 of the last 13 games off a road loss dating back to Christmas, while posting a 10-3 ATS record. Scott Brooks' team owns a 7-1 ledger to the 'under' at home the last eight home contests, while holding six opponents to 95 points or less. The Rockets are 2-5 ATS the past seven opportunities as a road underdog, while their last road win against an above .500 team coming at Golden State on March 8.
2013 NBA Playoffs
Knicks won six of last seven games with Celtics, losing Game 4 in OT in game sixth man Smith was suspended for; Celtics led by 20 points, blew lead, but won game in which they held NY to 34.4% from floor. Ballhog Anthony was 10-28 inside arc, 0-7 outside it, with seven turnovers, two assists and 16-20 from line (rest of team was 5-8). Without Smith, NY bench combined to go 3-12 from floor in 69:00. Smith is back here, will come off bench firing. Celtics lost six of last seven overall on road, with only win at woeful Orlando. Three of four in series stayed under.
Home side won all eight Atlanta-Indiana games this season; Hawks lost first two games of this series by 17-15 points, then won last two by 21-11 at home. Six of eight series games this season went over total; seven of last nine Atlanta games also went over. Indiana shot 27/38% from the floor last two games; George is just 24-61 (39.3%) in series; he is 17-23 on foul line last three games, after going 17-18 in Game 1. Much like the Clippers last night, pressure on Indiana to win, keep home court edge. Hawks lost five of last six on road, with only win at Philly.
Rockets staved off elimination by winning Game 4 without Lin, making 12-27 from arc, nine less 3's tried than any other series game. Houston's FG% has gone from 36.3/39.6/43.4/48.7 in series, very unusual for it to go up every game. Thunder turned ball over 20 times (-2) last game, as they struggle to find second option to Durant with Westbrook gone for season. Durant has 41-38 points last two games, but Sefolosha is 3-12 since Westbrook has been out. Thunder bench was +41 last game, but Houston's starters won game. Last three series games were decided by a total of eight points, after Thunder won opener by 29.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers
Pacers struggling in Atlanta making just 32.7% of their shots while committing 36 turnovers let the Atlanta Hawks clawed back into the series to even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at two wins apiece. Indiana will respond with the series shifting back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Remember this is a venue that saw Pacers hit 46.1% from the field in the first two games averaging 110 points/game with a 16-point/game winning margin. Pacers at their best at home off a double-digit loss going 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS won't let the series get away. Well to note, Pacers are also on a 7-2 SU/ATS stretch off back-2-back defeats, 9-1 (7-3 ATS) at home off a loss as an underdog and 4-0 (3-1 ATS) this season hosting Hawks.