Notifications
Clear all

NBA News and Notes Saturday 5/8

5 Posts
1 Users
0 Reactions
686 Views
(@blade)
Posts: 318493
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Game of the day: Lakers at Jazz
By SEAN MURPHY

Series story

Save for an early fourth-quarter lapse in Game 1, the Lakers have controlled this series from the opening tip. They hold a 2-0 series lead as the scene shifts to Utah Saturday.

The Jazz have had no answer for the Lakers defensively, allowing them to shoot 81-for-156 (51.9 percent) through the first two games of the series. They’ve also been badly out-rebounded by a 101-78 margin.

There is reason for Jazz fans to be optimistic as their team is 35-9 SU and 29-13-2 ATS at Energy Solutions Arena this season. They went a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS at home against the Nuggets in Round 1.

The two teams split a pair of meetings in Utah during the regular season.

Deja-vu?

We watched the Lakers grab an identical 2-0 series lead against the Jazz in the opening round of last year’s playoffs.

They would drop a narrow 88-86 decision in Utah in Game 3 before winning the next two games to close out the series in five. The Jazz actually covered the spread in three of those five games.

In 2008, the Lakers also led the Jazz 2-0 before losing Game 3 in Utah. They eventually won that series in six games.

Lakers peaking

You can make the case that the Lakers last four performances have been their best four of these playoffs.

Ever since Game 5 of their opening-round series with the Thunder, they’ve looked like a completely different team, going 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS.

Keep in mind, this is a team that went 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS in its first four postseason games. Head coach Phil Jackson wasn’t overly pleased with his team’s effort in Game 2, however.

“It's going to get much more intense, we will not survive a game in Utah like we played tonight. I can't emphasize how important the next game is,” Jackson told reporters.

The going might also be a little tougher with the expected return of Utah’s defensive specialist, Andrei Kirilenko, to the lineup.

Over easy

We’ve seen a different brand of basketball than most have come to expect from these teams in the playoffs.

The over has cashed in five of the Lakers’ last six games. Meanwhile, the Jazz have seen five straight and seven of their eight playoff contests go over the number.

Prior to this series, seven consecutive meetings between the Lakers and Jazz had played under the posted total, including all four regular season meetings in 09-10.

The Jazz sound like they’re going to make a concerted effort to be more aggressive offensively in Game 3.

"If we have a lane, we're going to drive," Jazz forward Carlos Boozer told the Salt Lake Tribune. "If we have a jump shot, we're going to shoot it with confidence. But, we're not going to back down.”

“Once Booz or Paul gets it under the basket, I mean, they can score on anybody,” Kyle Korver added. “It's when they get 5, 6 feet off the block and then they've got to face them up and then drive at them, that's tough. But at home, we've always done a better job of that and hopefully that'll be the case on Saturday."

Line moves

The Jazz opened as 3.5-point favorites but the line has since been bet up to an even -4.

Most consensus reports indicate the action is virtually split, but you have to expect the majority of the public money will come in on the Lakers closer to tipoff, as they qualify as an attractive mid-range underdog.

Since opening at 203.5, the total has been bet a point-and-a-half to 202 at several offshore books.

Note that the total closed south of the 200-point mark in each of the first two games of this series. As mentioned, both of those games eclipsed the number.

 
Posted : May 7, 2010 10:05 pm
(@blade)
Posts: 318493
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Orlando (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) at Atlanta (4-5 SU and ATS)

The Hawks will try to get back in their best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinal series when they host Game 3 inside Philips Arena.

Orlando dominated Game 1 with a 114-71 victory as a nine-point home favorite, then the Magic pulled away in the fourth quarter on Thursday and scored a 112-98 win as a 9½-point chalk. Orlando, which trailed by eight points at halftime, outscored Atlanta 28-15 in the fourth quarter to get the win, and had four players in double-digit scoring, with Dwight Howard (29 points, 17 rebounds) leading the charge. Vince Carter added 24 points, while Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis chipped in with 20 points each and combined for 12 assists.

Orlando shot 55.9 percent from the floor Thursday and limited the Hawks to 41.3 percent shooting as the Magic won their sixth straight postseason game (5-1 ATS) and 12th straight overall (11-1 ATS).

Orlando has won and covered in eight of the last nine meetings with Atlanta dating to January 2009, going 5-1 SU and ATS this year. Additionally, the Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five trips to Atlanta, and the favorite has cashed in five straight in this rivalry. Also, the SU winner has covered the spread in 19 straight Hawks-Magic battles, and the straight-up winner is on a huge 24-0-1 ATS surge in Atlanta’s last 25 playoff games.

The Magic are 27-16 (24-18-1 ATS) on the highway this season and have won 10 of their last 11 away from home (8-3-1 ATS), including 2-0 SU and ATS in the first round in Charlotte. Atlanta has been superb at home this season at 37-8 (28-17 ATS), averaging 103.7 points a game while allowing just 95.1. The Hawks went 3-1 SU and ATS at Philips Arena in the opening round against Milwaukee, including a huge 95-74 win in Game 7 on Sunday, cashing as an 8½-point favorite.

Orlando is on a plethora of positive ATS runs, including 21-7-1 overall, 4-0 on the road, 49-23-1 on Saturday, 38-18-1 against Southeast Division teams, 21-5-1 as a favorite, 13-3 as a road favorite, 6-0-1 after getting one day off and 4-0 in conference semifinal action. Atlanta, swept out of the conference semifinals a season ago by the Cavs (0-3-1 ATS), has cashed in four of five home games, but it is on pointspread skids of 2-5 overall, 2-6 after a non-cover, 2-8 against Southeast Division teams, 1-6 after a straight-up loss and 0-5-1 in conference semifinal action.

The Magic have topped the total in seven of 11 after a spread-cover, but they are on “under” streaks of 52-23-1 after one day off, 5-2-1 as a playoff favorite, 6-1 against winning teams and 5-1 in conference semifinal action. Atlanta carries “over” trends of 20-8 after a non-cover, 8-2 as an underdog and 5-1 on Saturday, but it is on “under” streaks of 4-1 overall, 4-1 at home, 7-3 after a straight-up loss, 8-3 as a playoff underdog and 6-1 against teams with a winning record.

In this series, the under has been the play in six of seven overall and six of eight in Georgia, though Game 2 soared over the posted total.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO and UNDER

WESTERN CONFERENCE

L.A. Lakers (6-2, 3-5 ATS) at Utah (4-4 SU, 6-2 ATS)

The defending NBA champion Lakers will try to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the fifth-seeded Jazz when the two meet for Game 3 of their best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal series inside EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

After hanging on for a five-point victory in Game 1 on Sunday, Los Angeles took a 2-0 series lead with Tuesday’s 111-103 victory in Game 2, cashing as a 5½-point home chalk behind 30 points and eight assists from Kobe Bryant and 22 points and 15 rebounds from Pau Gasol. The Lakers, who have won four in a row (3-1 ATS), outrebounded Utah 58-40 in Game and outshot the Jazz 50.6 percent to 39.6 percent.

The Jazz and Lakers met in the first round of the postseason last year with Los Angeles prevailing in five games (2-3 ATS) en route to the NBA title. Additionally, the Lakers won a six-game second-round playoff series from Utah two years ago. This year, L.A. took three of the four regular-season meetings (SU and ATS), and split two games in Utah, winning 96-81 in February as a 5½-point underdog.

Overall, Los Angeles is on a 20-6 roll against the Jazz overall (16-9-1 ATS).

The Lakers are 24-20 (18-25-1 ATS) on the road this season, but they’ve dropped six of their last eight (SU and ATS) overall on the highway, including going 1-2 SU and ATS in Oklahoma City in the opening round. Conversely, the Jazz dominate in front of the home fans, going 35-9 (29-13-2 ATS) this season and they come into this one having won 13 of 14 in Salt Lake City (11-3 ATS). Utah went 3-0 SU and ATS in three first-round home games against Denver.

Los Angeles has cashed in nine of its last 11 Saturday games and five of seven as a playoff underdog, but it is on negative ATS streaks of 2-6 on the road, 2-8 after a straight-up win, 1-4 as a road ‘dog and 1-11 after a spread-cover. The Jazz are on a plethora of positive ATS runs, including 36-17-3 overall, 37-15-2 as a favorite, 18-6-2 as a home favorite, 21-7 after a straight-up loss, 7-1-1 on Saturday and 4-1-1 as a playoff favorite.

The Lakers have topped the total in five of six overall, but they are on “under” streaks of 4-0 after three or more days off, 4-1 after a spread-cover, 12-4 as a road underdog and 10-4 as a pup of less than five points. On the opposite side, Utah has stayed below the posted number in 11 of 15 at home against teams with winning road records and seven of nine against winning teams, but it is on “over” runs of 5-0 overall, 6-0 after a straight-up loss and 5-0 in conference semifinal action.

In this rivalry, the under is 7-2 in the last nine games, including 4-0 in the last four played in Utah, but the over cashed in Games 1 and 2 in Los Angeles.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

 
Posted : May 8, 2010 7:22 am
(@blade)
Posts: 318493
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

NBA Playoff RoundUp For 5/8
By Dan Bebe

Magic @ Hawks - Orlando by 2.5 with a total of 194. Right off the bat, this number dropped to 2, and the total jumped to 195, so we have a nice starting point of what a few of those early big-bettors are thinking. Of course, both could be moves to set up middles, so we have to wait before making any strong claims. As far as the side is concerned, the Hawks look positively overmatched. The Magic are doing to Atlanta what they did to Charlotte, and I might even argue this series has been uglier, if only because the Hawks are so much more talented than the Bobcats, but yet they can't score, either, and look absolutely dreadful on the defensive end. Let's face it, when a team (in this case, Atlanta) lets an aging Vince Carter drive from the 3-point line to the basket for an uncontested dunk with under 5 minutes to go in the game, something is just wrong, both mentally and schematically. Al Horford wasn't even bothering to try to contain the Magic guard in pick-and-roll situations, instead glued to Dwight Howard's side, which created wide open lanes to the basket. Sure, Howard didn't get his points on rolls to the basket, but the other 4 Magic players were generally unguarded. But what did the Hawks do right in the first half to be up by 8? They made shots - flat out. Atlanta was able to keep the Magic from attacking early, and the Orlando offense stagnated as a result of bad defense. The second half was the exact opposite. The Hawks couldn't throw a pebble in the ocean, and the Magic got a few easy buckets, the hoop "got bigger", and suddenly the walls came down on Atlanta. Can they win a game at home? I'd love to say I believe in the Hawks, but this team's mental fortitude is lacking. They stepped up when the Bucks took a 3-2 series lead, but now they seem to be headed back into their shell. I realize the early line move and stark contrast of public/sharp money on this game is going to yell at us to lean Hawks, but I'm just not sure I'm on board. The Magic are on a mission, and one of the things you can count on in road games is a Big Man, and Dwight Howard is definitely a large human. No lean on the side, as of yet. On the total, the Magic have shot 52 and 56% in the first two games, and the Hawks just 35 and 41%. We also saw a ton of free throws in game two. That makes this third game tough to predict: can the Hawks figure something out to stop the Magic, or will Orlando put up 110 again? I have to think that even if Orlando only scores, say, 98-100, the Hawks should be able to get up around that number, as well. Slight lean to the Over.

Lakers @ Jazz - Utah by 3.5 with a total of 203.5. Did somebody poke the bear? Seems like it. Seems like only yesterday the Lakers were tied 2-2 with the Thunder. Since then, four straight wins to close out the first series and take a solid 2-0 lead here in round two. Here's the concern with this series. The Lakers own the Jazz. It's just that simple. The Lakers are 18-6 against Utah over the last 3 series straight up, and though some of those games have featured heftier spreads, it has still translated to a 14-9-1 ATS mark, as well. The Lakers beat the Jazz twice in LA, splitting against the spread, and off the 8-point win on a 5.5-point spread, this one is getting shifted 9 points. That's a sizable move by the oddsmakers, expecting an especially strong showing from Utah here in game three. This is sort of the game where the underdog needs to get a win or the series, for all intents and purposes, comes to an end, so it's no surprise the line has been bumped a bit, but at the same time, can Utah actually solve LA? Let's just look at a smaller cross-section, starting with last year's Playoffs, and going through this year's. The Lakers beat the Jazz in 5 games in the opening round, losing game 3 (one check-mark for Utah); this regular season, the Lakers took 3 of 4 from Utah, and in these Playoffs, so far, the Lakers are 2-0. Here's the kicker. Over all those games, of which the Jazz have won 2, Utah has shot over 50% just once. The only other game Utah won featured a 37% performance from LA, and that was game three last year. So, there is some precedent for the Lakers taking a mental hiatus in game three against the Jazz, but if Utah can't find a way to make buckets, the Lakers are going to just keep hammering them with taller guys and a suddenly healthier Kobe. I have a tiny, tiny lean to Utah in semi-desperation mode, but given the Lakers success, this is a spot to be careful. The first two games have featured 2 games going over the total, and clearly if Utah is going to win a game, they need to try to keep the Lakers under 50% from the field. How they accomplish that is anybody's guess. Tiny lean to the Under, since the Lakers seem to be handling the "wide open" game just fine, but Jerry Sloan has his work cut out either way.

 
Posted : May 8, 2010 7:23 am
(@blade)
Posts: 318493
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Inside the Paint - Saturday
By Chris David

If you like to bet on favorites, then you should be running to the bank if you’ve been following this year’s NBA playoffs. The point-spread has basically become obsolete and it’s fair to say that the books have been taking it on the chin. In the first round, the favorites posted a 35-10 straight up mark and they covered 30 of those games, which means there were only four games (one push) were the ‘chalk’ won but didn’t cover. Take away Portland’s Game 2 win at Phoenix and Milwaukee’s Game 5 road rally past Atlanta and there hasn’t been many surprises at all. Unfortunately for the books, the trend has continued in the conference semifinals, which has watched the favorites go 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS mark.

Will the domination continue? Perhaps the better question, are you surprised? The NBA is a top-heavy league and the cream does rise to the top, unlike pro hockey and pro football, where upsets happen often. The last time you saw a lower-tier seed reach the NBA Finals was in 2006, when Dallas did so as a No. 4 seed and that’s even a bit of a stretch. They eventually lost to Bennett Salvatore, I mean Miami, who was the second seed.

In case you’re wondering, you would have to go back to 1999, when the Knicks lost the Spurs in the NBA Finals as the eighth seed. Keep in mind that this season was the lockout-shortened year which only had 50 regular season games, so the disparity between the top seed and No. 8 wasn’t much. Another impressive fact from this postseason is that none of the series went to seven games, and it’s safe to say that this year’s conference semifinals might not feature a decisive matchup either, especially the two series being played on Saturday.

Orlando at Atlanta

Orlando took Atlanta’s best punch in Game 2 and Stan Van Gundy’s team still managed to build a 2-0 lead in the conference semifinals with a 112-98 home win on Wednesday. VegasInsider.com handicapper Brian Edwards has a great pulse on the Hawks, his favorite squad, and he’s surprised as anybody by the Hawks’ fourth quarter collapse.

“For the first 40 minutes of Game 2, it was anybody’s game. The Hawks were getting great production off the bench from Jamal Crawford, while Al Horford was nearly matching Dwight Howard’s numbers. I liked how head coach Mike Woodson kept Horford in the game when he brought in another center, either Jason Collins or Zaza Pachulia. This allowed Horford to get more aggressive offensively. Unfortunately for the Hawks, and especially their backers catching 9 ½ in Game 2, the last 6-8 minutes of the game were a different story. Joe Johnson started taking bad shots (again), while Josh Smith started spending too much time arguing with officials (again).”

Atlanta held a 57-49 halftime lead over Orlando in Game 2 but it was outscored by nine points (35-26) in the third and then 13 (28-15) over the final 12 minutes. The effort was much better than Game 1, when the Hawks were blitzed by 39 points (60-21) in the middle quarters of the 114-71 whitewashing. It’s well known that the Magic like to bomb away from the outside, but that part of the game has been missing in the first two games. Orlando has shot 18-of-46 (39%) in the victories, which isn’t shabby compared to the eight bombs made by the Hawks, but what happens if the 3-pointers really start dropping?

If that happens, the Magic could easily be on their way to another four-game sweep. Since Atlanta (20-26 SU, 23-22 ATS) is the only playoff team remaining with a losing road record, you could toss out the Hawks’ performance in the pair of contests played in Florida. Edwards believes we’ll see a different Atlanta squad at Philips Arena on Saturday evening. He added, “Looking to Game 3, Woodson has to come away with a bunch of positives. If the Hawks play unselfishly, they are going to be just fine. Johnson has got to share the ball more. His shot has been off for five consecutive games now, so he’s got to start sharing the rock more.”

Playing on home teams in Game 3 that have faced 0-2 holes in this year’s playoffs has been a profitable investment so far. In the first round, the Bucks, Bulls and Thunder also answered the bell at home, but the Heat (Boston) and Bobcats (Magic) both suffered tough setbacks.

Atlanta has been listed as a two-point home underdog in Game 3, which hasn’t occurred all season. The Hawks have posted an impressive 37-8 SU and 28-17 ATS record at home this season, which includes a 3-1 ATS mark in the first round of the playoffs over the Bucks. While those numbers are eye opening, Orlando’s road record (27-16 SU, 22-17 ATS) has been outstanding. Plus, the Magic have won four of five at Atlanta and the lone loss (84-86) came on a buzzer-beater dunk by Josh Smith in mid-March.

The total is up to 195 for Game 3 from 192 and the two teams combined for 200 points in Thursday’s affair. Make a note that both the Hawks (30-of-31) and Magic (27-of-39) were benefited with numerous trips to the free throw line.

Tip-off is set for 5:05 p.m. EDT, with ESPN providing coverage.

The pair will meet again on Monday for Game 4, which could be the final meeting.

L.A. Lakers at Utah

Sometimes when you a look at a game, the line will tell you the entire story and that’s the case with Game 3 between the Jazz and Lakers. Despite facing a 0-2 deficit to the defending champions L.A. Lakers, Utah is still laying four points at home in Saturday’s primetime battle.

When you look at how well Jerry Sloan’s team has played at home (35-9 SU, 30-13 ATS) this season and in the playoffs, the number makes sense. Utah has only been an underdog once all year and its outscored opponents by 10 PPG (108-98) in the 44 games played at Energy Solutions Arena. Plus, Sloan and company posted three double-digit wins and covers over Denver in the three encounters from Salt Lake City.

Comparing the banged-up Nuggets to the deep and big Lakers isn’t a fair comparison, but Utah showed some toughness in its two games at the Staples Center. The problem wasn’t finishing, rather starting. The Jazz posted 45 and 46 in the first half of the two games at L.A. but responded with 54 and 57 in the final 24 minutes of each game, which helped them cover second-half wagers as well. Utah actually led both games in the fourth quarter but they couldn’t make a clutch shot or stop Kobe Bryant, who posted 31 and 30 in the Lakers’ victories.

Will Utah close the gap tonight and hold serve at home? Most would expect the Jazz to come to play in front of the locals and it’s hard to ignore that Phil Jackson’s team hasn’t been very consistent on the road this season. Just looking at the first round, Los Angeles went 1-2 SU and 0-2-1 ATS against Oklahoma City and the lone 95-94 win in Game 6 came on a Pau Gasol tip in with less than one tick left on the clock.

Including the first two games in this series, Los Angeles has now won five of six against Utah (4-2 ATS) this season. And if you back to last year’s first round playoff opener between the pair, that’s nine of 11 in the Lakers’ favor. The two victories by the Jazz did occur in Salt Lake, including Game 3 (88-86) of last year’s best-of-seven series.

Total players noticed a little spike in the ‘over/under’ for Game 3, which is hovering between 202 and 203 points, up from 198 and 199 in the first two installments that did go ‘over’ the number. Prior to those winning tickets, the previous seven encounters between the pair did go ‘under’ the number and that includes four in a row in Utah.

Since Game 2 was played on Tuesday, the rust factor could come into player tonight. However, both the Lakers (6-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) and Jazz (7-1 SU, 5-3 ATS) have been solid wagers on three days of rest or more this season. And, Los Angeles (5-2) and Utah (5-3) have both been quality ‘under’ looks during these situations as well.

ABC will provide national coverage of this contest at 8:05 p.m. EDT.

Game 4 will be played on Monday at 10:35 p.m. EDT.

vegasinsider.com

 
Posted : May 8, 2010 7:28 am
(@blade)
Posts: 318493
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Tips and Trends

Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks

Magic (-2, O/U 195.5): Orlando has yet to lose in the postseason, and if recent form is any indication they might not lose at all. Orlando has been dominant in nearly every game they've played during the playoffs. The Magic haven't lost in over a month, April 2nd to San Antonio to be exact. The Magic have won all 12 of their games since then, and appear to be on a mission for a return trip to the NBA Finals. Orlando has been so consistent this season, as it's been 4 months since the Magic lost consecutive games. Orlando will look to get the ball into C Dwight Howard as much as possible for the duration of this series. Howard only missed 1 shot in Game 2, as he had a game high 29 PTS and 17 rebounds. 3 other Magic players scored at least 20 PTS including G Vince Carter and his 24 PTS. Orlando shot nearly 56% from the field in Game 2, after shooting 52% in Game 1. Orlando is 65-23 SU and 51-35-2 ATS overall this season. The Magic are 27-16 SU and 23-17-3 ATS in road contests this season. Orlando is 5-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3 PTS or less this season.

Magic are 13-3 ATS last 16 games as a road favorite.
Under is 8-3 last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % greater than .600.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 97

Hawks: Atlanta really needs to put forward maximum effort for 48 minutes tonight, something they've yet to do against Orlando. After a humiliating loss in Game 1, the Hawks actually had a chance to win Game 2 in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately the Hawks crumbled under the pressure, as they missed 16 of their 21 shots in the final quarter. C Al Horford had a huge game in Game 2, as he had a team high 24 PTS with 10 rebounds. G Jamal Crawford contributed 23 PTS off the bench for the Hawks. Despite the offensive success for Atlanta, they still lost by double digits by allowing 112 PTS to the Magic. The Hawks need to focus on their defensive effort moving forward, as they can't allow the Magic to score 113 PPG for the series and expect to stay competitive. The Hawks are 57-34 SU and 52-39 ATS overall this season. Atlanta is 37-8 SU and 28-17 ATS in home games this season. The Hawks are 8-3 ATS after losing a game by double figures this year.

Hawks are 1-9-1 ATS last 11 playoff games as an underdog.
Over is 10-1 last 11 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 101 (Side of the Day)

Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz

Lakers: Los Angeles will attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead against Utah tonight, as they can all but end this series tonight. The Lakers have played inspired basketball after being pushed by the Thunder. Los Angeles has won both games in this series, as they've proven that their overall length causes the Jazz fits. However, the Lakers need to play with an added sense of passion and urgency on the road, especially in Utah. The Jazz have hung tough in both games thus far because they've outscored the Lakers by 7 PTS in the 2nd half of both games combined. The Lakers failed to score more than 96 PTS in both games played in Utah this season. F Pau Gasol and C Andrew Bynum are averaging more than 32 PTS and 21 RPG combined during the playoffs. This duo really helps G Kobe Bryant offensively, as Bryant has other capable scorers he can depend on. Bryant is averaging 25.3 PPG so far in the post-season. The Lakers are 24-20 SU and 19-24-1 ATS on the road this season. Los Angeles is only 5-8 ATS as the listed underdog this season.

Lakers are 1-6 ATS last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Under is 12-4 last 16 games as a road underdog.

Key Injuries - G Sasha Vujacic (ankle) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 102

Jazz (-4.5, O/U 202.5): Utah has played the Lakers tough in both games this series, yet have come away with nothing. The Jazz certainly hope they can feed off the emotion their home crowd is certain to provide tonight. Utah doesn't necessarily match up well with the Lakers, but they have a good enough system in place to have success against Los Angeles. Remarkably, this is the 3rd consecutive year that the Jazz have been in this exact situation they are facing tonight. The Jazz are at home in Game 3 down 2-0 to the Lakers for the 3rd year in a row. Utah has a highly efficient offense, but the Lakers size has caused them offensive problems. The Jazz are playing away from the basket more than usual, and as a result are only shooting 42% for the series so far. PG Deron Williams continues to be dynamic in the playoffs, as he's leading the team with 24.2 PPG and more than 10 APG. Utah is 35-9 SU and 29-13-1 ATS in home games this season. Utah is 5-2 ATS as a home favorite between 3.5 and 6 PTS this season.

Jazz are 21-7 ATS last 28 games following a SU loss.
Over is 6-0 last 6 games following a SU loss.

Key Injuries - F Andrei Kirilenko (calf) is probable.
C Mehmet Okur (ankle) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 108 (OVER - Total of the Day)

 
Posted : May 8, 2010 11:29 am
Share: