Posts Tagged ‘nba playoffs’
NBA Finals Betting Preview
Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Lakers
Staples Center, Thursday 9:00PM Eastern
Betus.com betting line – Lakers -6, 206 O/U
The 2009 NBA Playoffs have not disappointed sports fans in any kind of way. This year’s post-season play has been highlighted by grueling series, game winning shots, upsets, and more. Basketball fans have witnesses some of the most exciting playoff games in years and we are now left with only two teams battling for an NBA Championship. The Orlando Magic were among the top teams in the Eastern Conference all season. However, after Jameer Nelson was lost from a shoulder injury the Magic quickly became an underdog in the shadow of Cleveland and Boston. However, the Magic are perhaps playing their best basketball of the season without one of the major scoring threats and are now poised to battle the sizeable favorites Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles cruised through the regular season nearly unchallenged in the Western Conference. The Lakers needed 7 games to overcome a hungry Rockets team in the Conference Semi-Finals and took down Denver in 6 games to win the West. Los Angeles now enters the 2009 NBA Finals favored to take home their first title since 2002.
Orlando entered the playoffs similar to the way they will enter the 2009 Finals as many people are not giving them much of a chance. However, the Magic have overcome Boston and Cleveland during their post-season route and are primed to pull of another upset. The Magic as a team has really improved their shooting during the playoffs and it has resulted into a lot of success. Orlando has shot 47% as a team from the floor during their impressive run fueled by the emergence of Mickael Pietrus who has been tremendous from the perimeter. Pietrus and Rashard Lewis have kept defenses on their toes by knocking down the outside shots while Dwight Howard remains dominate on the inside. Howard has averaged a playoff best 15.4 rebounds per game while being able to post 21.7 points per game as well. Howard will play a big role in the series in the fact that Orlando must be able to control the glass. Orlando will need to construct some type of advantage in the paint to slow down the high scoring Lakers offense. Orlando has looked very strong over the last few weeks and they will hope to continue firing on all cylinders which could lead them towards bringing home their first NBA Title in franchise history.
The Los Angeles Lakers enter the Finals fresh off handling a hot Denver Nuggets team in 6 games. Denver was a team that had really progressed throughout the season, but the Lakers were simply too much to handle. Los Angeles has a variety of players that can contribute to high scoring performances. However, the ring leader in that high scoring offense is superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant who already owns 3 NBA Titles will be in search for his 4th Championship this Thursday in the first game inside the Staples Center. Bryant has posted just slightly under 30 points per during the 2009 playoffs and his performances over the new few games could decide the fate for the Lakers. Accompanying Bryant in the difficult task will be Pau Gasol, the Lakers big man. Gasol has averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds thus far during the post-season. However, Gasol defense may be just as critical as his offense over the next few games as he will try to thwart Dwight Howard in the paint. Outside of these two stars, the Lakers have a variety of weapons from Derek Fisher to a solid bench that will have their moments over the series. Los Angeles is a big favorite in the series, but many fail to remember that the Lakers are 0-2 against Orlando this year which included a loss already inside the Staples Center. However, the Lakers will look to take advantage of being at home this Thursday and good start to the series.
Pick – Over 206
Tags: 2009 NBA Finals, Los Angeles lakers, NBA Championship, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -7.5, 190 O/U Orlando leads series 3-1 The Orlando Magic have surprised the world after capturing two straight victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and now have a chance to win the series this Thursday night in Cleveland. The Magic pulled off two straight victories at home to put some distance over the Cavaliers who were favorites to win the series. The two teams participated in a classic battle in Game 4 which needed extra minutes outside of regulation to decide the contest. Lebron James had another stellar effort scoring 44 points in the match-up. However, James missed a last second shot in overtime which handed them their 3rd loss of the series and really dampened their chances at the NBA Finals. King James and the Cavaliers return home this Thursday night in a must win scenario. Cleveland’s back is now against the wall and there is no room for mistake when they host the Magic this Thursday. Calculating how well the Cavaliers have played at home this season and the fact they must come out playing their best, the sports books have Cleveland listed as a 7.5 point favorite this Thursday night in Game 5. However, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic will try to play the spoiler role again and earn a trip to the NBA Finals. Orlando’s winning efforts came from yet another strong shooting effort on Tuesday night. Orlando shot 50% from the field as a team for the 2nd time for the series. Dwight Howard had another solid effort against the glass pulling down 14 rebounds while leading the team with 27 points. However, Howard did pick up his 6th technical foul of the post-season during Tuesday night’s affair. Howard now can not afford to give up another technical as a 7th would result in a one game suspension and it would be safe to say that would be devastating for Orlando. Rafer Alston had a huge performance that likely was the difference maker in Game 4. Alston drained six 3 pointers on the night and tallied up 26 points in the breakout performance. The Magic drained 17 3 pointers on the night shooting a lucrative 45% from behind the arc. If not for the constant ability to knock down the 3 ball, the game likely would have had a different outcome. However, Orlando found a way to make it happen and now are a mere one game away to take down the Eastern Conference Championship. The Cavaliers would have loved for Lebron James’ last second shot to have similar results as his last second effort in Game 2, but that was not to be the case. James still had an extraordinary performance with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night. However, Cleveland as a team just could not stop the Magic from raining 3 pointers for much of the second half. Delonte West and Mo Williams were both effective in the game as they combined for 35 points. It was a step in the right direction for West who had been rather quiet over the last few match-ups. Williams has played well throughout the playoffs and he continues to be the biggest threat on Cleveland’s side of the court outside of James. However, the difference was Orlando’s ability to knock down the long shots. Cleveland shot a poor 27% from behind the arc and only one person outside of Lebron James was able to knock down a 3 pointer. The Cavaliers who were a perfect 8-0 in the postseason just a short time ago are now staring elimination in the face. The Cavaliers will look for some confidence when they head back home Thursday night where they have been dominate all season and attempt to keep their Championship hopes alive. Pick – Over 190
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
Thursday, 8:30PM Eastern
Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, nba basketball, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Lakers -6.5, 209.5 O/U Series tied 2-2 The Denver Nuggets put together an impressive performance Monday night in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith fueled a dominating effort by the Nuggets as both stars tallied 24 points each to get the series all square. However, the Nuggets now will take the road and travel to the Staples Center where the Lakers always play their best. Denver would like nothing more than their effort in Game 4 to carry over and give them a chance to steal a game on the road. Los Angeles suffered from poor bench effort in their most recent loss to the Nuggets. Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom who are usually impact players only combined to score 10 points. Outside of Pau Gasol who added some help, it was mostly all Kobe Bryant offensively for the Lakers. Los Angeles just could not get any momentum going as they were held to a low 41% shooting from the floor. The Lakers will look for that to change as they will likely come out with a lot of confidence as normal when they are at home. However, Denver will be attempting to take control of the series by pulling off what would be a mild upset. The Lakers will have to come out with their back against the wall in Game 5. Los Angeles can not afford to let Denver steal a win and head back to Denver for Game 6 with a chance to lose the series. The Lakers will likely be a tough challenge as usual Wednesday night inside the Staples Center. However, if they are to get back control of the series they will have to overcome some poor efforts from Monday night. The Lakers bench which is has always been solid throughout the season had one of their worse nights of the postseason. The Denver Nuggets bench outscored the Lakers bench 42-24 in the double digit victory. Los Angeles may have been completely blown out the building if not for Bryant still managing to put together a 34 point performance despite not quite being 100%. The Lakers big men will also need to have bigger impact down low. Lamar Odom had an off night while Pau Gasol had a solid 21 point performance. However, the two combined to pull down only 5 offensive rebounds the entire night and it is more than safe to say that Denver dominated the glass on both ends of the floor. The Lakers can not afford to let the Nuggets dominate the boards again Wednesday night if they hope to pull out the victory. Denver had a very strong performance Monday night despite their biggest superstar Carmelo Anthony having an off night. In defense for Anthony, he was not only battling a battered ankle but also had a stomach virus that had him really sick before the game even began. However, some familiar faces picked up the slack to hand the Lakers a rather embarrassing loss. J.R Smith knocked down four 3 pointers that helped lead to his 24 point night. Chauncey Billups also had a 24 point performance to lead the Nuggets. Billups was able to get to the charity stripe on multiple occasions which led to a perfect 9 for 9 effort from the line. The Nuggets only shot 44% as a team from the floor which may be surprising considering they posted 120 points on the evening. However, the true battle was won down in the paint where the Nuggets out-rebounded the Lakers a whopping 58-40. The 58 rebounds was a playoff high by the Nuggets and if they can dominate the glass again Wednesday night it will go along way in effort to bringing the series back to Denver with the chance to win the Western Conference in Game 6. Pick – Denver +6.5
Denver Nuggets at LA Lakers
Staples Center, Wednesday 9:00PM Eastern
Tags: Denver Nuggets, L.A Lakers, nba, nba playoffs, Post season, Western Conference
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -9, O/U 188 Orlando leads series 1-0 The Eastern Conference has truly had some outstanding match-ups throughout the post-season and it is quite evident that we may have one more left to play out. The Orlando Magic pulled off what many would consider an upset when they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland 107-106 in dramatic fashion. The Cavaliers jumped out to an early lead in the game leading by 15 at the half and it appeared as they would cruise to another home victory. However, the Magic answered back throughout the 2nd half and Rashard Lewis nailed a 3 pointer to cap the comeback in the closing seconds to capture the surprising win. Cleveland now looks to rebound tonight when they host Orlando for the 2nd game of the series. If somehow the Magic could find a way to win again, then it would be just completely devastating to Cleveland considering how they have dominated all year at home. However, Orlando would take complete control if that scenario were to happen as they get the next two games at home as well. Orlando came out the gates with a sluggish start Wednesday night, but regrouped at the break which led to a solid 2nd half effort. The Magic will try to put together another similar effort and take down the Cavaliers twice at home; a feat no other team has done this year. Dwight Howard had a solid performance as always in Wednesday night’s showdown. Howard led the Magic with 30 points while shooting a strong 70% from the floor. Howard also grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. However, Rashard Lewis was perhaps the biggest aid in second half. Lewis was just 2 of 5 from the floor with 5 points in the first half, but ended up getting some momentum after the break. Lewis scored 17 second half points that included 3 for 3 behind the arc in the final quarters which handed Cleveland their first loss of the post-season. Hedo Turkoglu got in on the action dropping 15 and led the team with 14 assists on the night. Turkoglu and Lewis will be huge factors throughout the series and their ability to play strong will likely determine if the Magic can take down the series. Cleveland completely appeared to be stunned after Wednesday night’s home loss in the opening game of the Conference Finals. The Cavaliers looked to be in control for most of the night, but could not hold off Orlando in the end. The loss certainly did not result from a lack of effort from the league’s reigning MVP. Lebron James played strong throughout the night and appeared to score at will. James put together a masterful 49 point performance that included 8 assists and 6 rebounds. However, Cleveland true downfall possibly came from the play of their defense which has been superb throughout the season. The Cavaliers have led the NBA all season in defense holding opponents to just 91 points on the year. However, the Cavaliers fell victim to a strong shooting performance from Orlando and allowed the Magic to shoot for 55% and 107 points both of which equal the worse Cleveland defensive performance of the postseason. The Cavaliers will look to get back the rhythm and stick to their style of play this Friday night when they will be 9 point favorites to try and get the series back all square. Pick – Cleveland -9
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
Friday, 8:30PM Eastern
Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2, nba, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Lakers -6.5, O/U 215 Western Conference Finals The heavily favored team out west in the Los Angeles Lakers battled 7 games with the Houston Rockets before finally coming out victorious. The Lakers played fairly inconsistent throughout the series, but they will again be favorites to win the Western Conference when they meet the Denver Nuggets for Game1 inside the Staples Center this Tuesday night. Denver has also been one of the hottest teams in the conference especially through the latter part of the regular season. The Nuggets overpowered the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games to make their way to the Conference Finals. Denver has vastly improved as the season has progressed and Chauncey Billups has been a big factor to the newfound success. However, Denver has not faired extremely well against the Lakers this season losing 3 out of 4 meetings. Then again this is not the same Denver team from those earlier meetings as they will attempt to earn their first NBA Finals appearance. Los Angeles will definitely have a load of confidence when they host the Denver Nuggets this Tuesday night. Usually when you have had your way with a team in the past it stays fresh in your mind. However, the Lakers need to be ready for a more sound Denver team to take the floor. Kobe Bryant played strong against Denver in every meeting this season as 29 points was the least amount of points scored against the Nuggets. The Lakers and the Nuggets both possess high scoring offenses that attack the basket quickly. Bryant struggled at times against a feisty Houston defense. However, Denver is not known to be a great defensive unit and that could be the Lakers biggest advantage because they always play very well against those types of teams. Los Angeles has actually won 9 out of the last 10 meetings with the Nuggets and they will try to thwart any confidence building efforts Denver might throw there way Tuesday night. Denver has really played well over the last two months dating back to the end of the regular season. The Nuggets have come together well as a team with the early season trade with Chauncey Billups. Billups has averaged slightly over 22 points per game during the post season and is shooting the ball very well. Billups could be the missing link to the puzzle as Denver strives towards the first Finals appearance. Carmelo Anthony has also been playing well which is rather traditional. Anthony has looked fabulous throughout both series averaging 27 points in the playoffs. Denver has really looked strong on the offensive side of the ball, but it will be the defensive side of the ball that gains the focus. If the Nuggets are to have any success against the Lakers, they will have to play strong defense. The Nuggets will have to play similar to their only win against the Lakers this year when they held Los Angeles to nearly a season low 79 points. Denver may not have to keep the Lakers scoring down that low, but they will definitely need some solid defensive efforts if they are to have a chance to win the series. Pick – Lakers – 6.5
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday, 9:00PM Eastern
Tags: Denver Nuggets, L.A Lakers, nba, nba playoffs, Western Conference Finals
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Orlando -7, O/U 190 Boston leads series 3-2 The Boston Celtics were able to capitalize off the home court advantage and take down the Orlando Magic in a close 92-88 victory. The Celtics victory allowed them to take control in the series 3-2. Orlando now gets the opportunity to host the Celtics on their home floor this Thursday night in attempt to get the series back square and to force a Game 7. Boston has battled back to win the last two games after being down 1-2 to Orlando after Game 3. The Celtics have pulled off two straight very close defeats and will have the chance to win the series this Thursday night. The Magic are expected to put together their best effort at home which is why they will enter the contest as 7 point favorites. Orlando has struggled shooting the ball over the last two nights averaging 41% from the floor. Orlando must get a strong effort from all their shooters this Thursday and not allow Boston the opportunity to keep the game close. Orlando has failed to win the battle on the boards over the last two games which have also led to two straight losses. Dwight Howard has a strong reputation for dominating the glass and rightfully so consider he has averaged 16 rebounds throughout the playoffs. However, that still does not change the fact that Orlando as a team has not been winning the battle among the glass. The team that has won the rebounding aspect of the game has also been the winner in the last 4 games. The Magic also need someone to step up on the offensive side of the floor and have a big night. Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard have both had their bright moments. Howard has been the most consistent scoring threat, but Orlando has failed to have any player with a really huge performance. Orlando needs somebody to catch the hot hand this Thursday night and take some pressure off the rest of the starters. JJ Redick has gotten more playing time with his ability to shoot the 3 ball, but after only 3 points in Game 5 his back is against the wall. Hedo Turkoglu has not shot the ball as well as he did during the season and Orlando could definitely benefit from one of these players having a big night. Boston has been apart of some great battles during the playoffs. If you are a Celtics fan, you have probably been holding your breath all throughout the post-season. Boston battled 7 games with Chicago is possibly the most exciting opening series in history. The Celtics then turned around and were beaten the first 2 out of 3 games against Orlando. Boston has definitely not been over powering throughout the playoffs, but the defending champions have done everything needed at the right times. The Celtics likely will come out the gates firing Thursday night as they can sense the opportunity is there to take the series. The Celtics defense will be the most important aspect in Game 6 to follow. They must keep Orlando off the offensive boards and not allow any uncontested shots. If the Celtics defense can wear down Orlando, you would definitely like the Celtics chances in a close ending game as they have just been very clutch down the stretch. Paul Pierce has come on strong in the closing weeks at the right time for Boston. There have been quite a few scenarios where Pierce has put the team on his back in key moments during the ball games and his shooting has definitely been back on the upswing after some lackluster performances in the 2nd half of the regular season. Pierce and his 22 point playoff average will try and get the Celtics to come together and finish off Orlando on Thursday night. Pick – Boston +7
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
Thursday, 7:00PM Eastern
Tags: Boston Celtics, nba basketball, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoff Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Lakers -3.5, O/U 194 Lakers lead series 2-1 The Houston Rockets upset the Los Angeles Lakers inside the Staples Center to open up the series in a strong defensive performance 100-92. However, the hot hand of Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers have responded strongly with two straight wins to grab the lead in the series. Bryant exploded in the victories dropping 73 combined points over those two games. The two teams have had some heated moments throughout the hard fought series. Derek Fisher was thrown out of Game 2 and suspended for Game 3 after throwing an intentional elbow to Rockets forward Louis Scola. Also, Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest have had their moments throughout the series as we move towards another expected physical Game 4 in Houston. For the Rockets, this has to be a must win scenario before they travel back to the Staples Centers where chances of winning diminish despite capturing a victory there in Game 1. Houston will have to find a way to score more points if they plan on making the series a true fight. The Rockets have failed to reach the century mark in both of their losses against the dynamic offense of the Lakers. Yao Ming has been hampered by a left foot (ankle) injury that has reportedly slowed the 7’6 center down. Ming had 28 points in the opening victory, but has only had 31 points combined over the two losses. Ming needs to be able to become more effective on the inside both offensively and defensively. Ron Artest has not exactly played poorly as he has scored 25 points in each loss. However, Artest put up a lot of unnecessary 3 point attempts that certainly did not help any comeback efforts despite the Rockets closing the deficit to only 6 points in the 4th quarter of Game 3. Houston needs Artest intensity to stay up, but surely would not mind tad bit smarter shot selection. Shane Battier is the Rockets player everyone has their eye on mainly because he is the guy guarding Kobe Bryant. Battier known to be a great defensive player through his years at Duke will need to find a way to try and slow down Bryant. Battier does not have to shut down Bryant which is unlikely to happen, but rather just find a way to not let Bryant to post any huge numbers for the Rockets to have a legitimate chance of evening up the series. Los Angeles did not really look like the normal Lakers team we are accustomed to seeing in Game 1. Outside of Kobe, only Pau Gasol had more than 10 points as the Lakers only shot 43% from the field. However, the Lakers bounced back strong as championship teams do knocking down 50% as a team in Game 2. The Lakers provided more of the same potent offense in Game 3 as they had 5 players with at least 12 points. The Lakers strong offense may just have too much firepower for the Rockets. Los Angeles was beaten pretty badly on the glass in Friday night’s battle as the Rockets out-rebounded the Lakers 56-43. Both teams did not shoot the ball extremely well, but the Lakers did knock down 55% from 3 point range which included 11 balls being drained from behind the arc. The 3 pointers and the Lakers +16 turnover ratio were the true deciding factors in capturing the victory in Houston. Bryant and company will try to deliver similar results in Game 4 and bring home the possibility of closing out the series at home in Game 5 this Sunday. Pick – Lakers -3.5
LA Lakers at Houston Rockets
Sunday, 3:30PM Eastern
Tags: Houston Rockets, L.A Lakers, nba playoffs, Western Conference
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
Friday, 7:00PM Eastern
Betus.com betting line – Orlando -4.5, O/U 189
Series Tied 1-1
The Boston Celtics were apart of perhaps the greatest opening round series of all time when they overcame the Chicago Bulls in 7 games that had plenty of overtime sessions as well. The Celtics could be on the verge of another back and forth battle in the Conference Semi-Finals match-up with Orlando. The Magic came out looking strong beating the Celtics at TD Northbank Garden in Game 1 95-90. However, things were much different in Game 2 as Boston completely dominated all aspects of the game blowing the Magic out 112-94. However, the series will take another turn as these teams will battle the next two meetings in Orlando. The Magic have played very well all season at home and they will need to take advantage of the home court over the next two games. Orlando really needs to win both games to avoid having to rely on more wins in Boston. However, the Celtics won the only previous meeting earlier this season in Orlando and they will be looking for similar results this Friday night.
On Wednesday night Boston star player Paul Pierce was held to only 3 points, but that did not stop the rest of the Celtics from stepping up and playing great basketball. There was one player in particular by the name of Rajon Rondo who really stepped up his game. Rondo recorded a triple-double on the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 18 assists. The Boston point guard played much larger than his 6-1 frame which included a big time dunk in the 3rd quarter between Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. However, it was not just Rondo who had a big night. Eddie House was the guy who caught the hot hand. House drained all of his 4 attempted 3 pointers leading Boston with 31 points on the night. The huge scoring performance was House’s season best as he became the different maker on Wednesday night. Boston will look for the back court to play big once again this Friday night and hopefully get more help from Paul Pierce who has really played well over the past few weeks despite being off in Game 2.
Orlando had big performances from all their playmakers in Game 1, but they were all mediocre at best in Game 2. Usually the signs are not good when your leading scorer only has 17 points, and that was the case on Wednesday night. However, Orlando will get some restored confidence when they take the floor on their home court this Friday. Perhaps more important than the lack of shots falling for the Magic was how poorly the defense played allowing Boston to score 112 points. Orlando has only allowed 91 points on average this season as they are one of the top defensive units in the league. However, they allowed Boston too many uncontested shots and open looks to the basket in Game 2 and the entire team just looked out of sink. Orlando would be expected to come out firing in Game 3 to make up for their lackluster performance. JJ Redick could be a guy to keep an eye on. Redick posted four 3 pointers in the loss and has started getting a bit more playing time due to his ability to knock down more shots. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis must be able to get the inside game going and play well. Also, the Magic will be more than happy if they could get Hedo Turkoglu back to posting big numbers after only averaging 12 points throughout the post-season.
Pick – Orlando -4.5
Tags: Boston Celtics, Conference Semi-Finals, nba, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoff Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Orlando -4.5, O/U 189 Series Tied 1-1 The Boston Celtics were apart of perhaps the greatest opening round series of all time when they overcame the Chicago Bulls in 7 games that had plenty of overtime sessions as well. The Celtics could be on the verge of another back and forth battle in the Conference Semi-Finals match-up with Orlando. The Magic came out looking strong beating the Celtics at TD Northbank Garden in Game 1 95-90. However, things were much different in Game 2 as Boston completely dominated all aspects of the game blowing the Magic out 112-94. However, the series will take another turn as these teams will battle the next two meetings in Orlando. The Magic have played very well all season at home and they will need to take advantage of the home court over the next two games. Orlando really needs to win both games to avoid having to rely on more wins in Boston. However, the Celtics won the only previous meeting earlier this season in Orlando and they will be looking for similar results this Friday night. On Wednesday night Boston star player Paul Pierce was held to only 3 points, but that did not stop the rest of the Celtics from stepping up and playing great basketball. There was one player in particular by the name of Rajon Rondo who really stepped up his game. Rondo recorded a triple-double on the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 18 assists. The Boston point guard played much larger than his 6-1 frame which included a big time dunk in the 3rd quarter between Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. However, it was not just Rondo who had a big night. Eddie House was the guy who caught the hot hand. House drained all of his 4 attempted 3 pointers leading Boston with 31 points on the night. The huge scoring performance was House’s season best as he became the different maker on Wednesday night. Boston will look for the back court to play big once again this Friday night and hopefully get more help from Paul Pierce who has really played well over the past few weeks despite being off in Game 2. Orlando had big performances from all their playmakers in Game 1, but they were all mediocre at best in Game 2. Usually the signs are not good when your leading scorer only has 17 points, and that was the case on Wednesday night. However, Orlando will get some restored confidence when they take the floor on their home court this Friday. Perhaps more important than the lack of shots falling for the Magic was how poorly the defense played allowing Boston to score 112 points. Orlando has only allowed 91 points on average this season as they are one of the top defensive units in the league. However, they allowed Boston too many uncontested shots and open looks to the basket in Game 2 and the entire team just looked out of sink. Orlando would be expected to come out firing in Game 3 to make up for their lackluster performance. JJ Redick could be a guy to keep an eye on. Redick posted four 3 pointers in the loss and has started getting a bit more playing time due to his ability to knock down more shots. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis must be able to get the inside game going and play well. Also, the Magic will be more than happy if they could get Hedo Turkoglu back to posting big numbers after only averaging 12 points throughout the post-season. Pick – Orlando -4.5
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
Friday, 7:00PM Eastern
Tags: Boston Celtics, Conference Semi-Finals, nba, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -11.5, O/U 179.5 Game 1 Conference Semi-finals The Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons in 4 games putting just another notch on their impeccable resume this season. Cleveland remained extremely dominant at home winning the two games over the Pistons by a combined 30 points. The Cavaliers will put their home court advantage to the test once again this Tuesday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals. Atlanta is fresh off a hard fought 7 games series with the Miami Heat. The opening round series was back and forth the entire way. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 27 points in Game 7 to lift them to a strong 91-78 victory over the Heat and into a meeting with the heavy favored Cleveland Cavaliers. Atlanta has lost 3 out of 4 games to the Cavaliers already this season, but they did win one game in Atlanta and only lost by one point the 2nd meeting at home. The Hawks lost a 6 point battle in the most recent trip to Cleveland on back in late March and will be fairly sizeable underdogs when they take the floor on Tuesday night. Cleveland has looked very strong thus far through playoff action. The Cavaliers are also expected to play extremely tough at home like they have all season hence the 11.5 point favorites. Lebron James led all scoring efforts in the previous 4 games against the Pistons. James averaged 32 points per game to lead the Cleveland scoring attack. James also averaged 26 points per game in the previous 4 meetings with Atlanta and it is safe to say that the Hawks need to limit his scoring opportunities. Despite an off night in Game 3 against Detroit, point guard Mo Williams has been stellar through the 2nd half of the season including the playoffs as well. Williams scored just below 20 points per game outside of Game 3 where he only managed to score 2 points in 42 minutes of play. Williams play has been a big key to Cleveland success to take some of the energy and focus off of James. Cleveland of course is big favorites to win the series, but believe they will need center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to be a bit more effective than he was in the opening series mainly on the boards. However like we have said all season, for any team to beat the Cavaliers in a series means they will have to find a way to win in Cleveland. Atlanta momentum from their 7 game series can work one of two ways. One way is that they come out strong catching Cleveland off-guard since they have been resting up over the last few days. Or Atlanta may come out on tired legs, and Cleveland could come out dominate with the fresh legs. Take a pick on what you think will happen, but keep in mind that the unexpected seems to always happen in the post-season before you write off the Hawks. Atlanta is the same teams that come on very strong last season taking the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics to 7 games. Joe Johnson averaged 21.4 points this season and knocked home 17 points on average through the opening series with Miami. Add to the fact that Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, and Marvin Williams all have the ability to make a difference in the series. Smith had one fairly poor performance in Game 6, but was solid throughout the series in general. Atlanta is a lot like Cleveland in their style of play. Both teams generally tend to score lower totals, and rely on defense to control the pace of game. The only difference is in this series is that they will be playing a much tougher team than Miami. Pick – Over 179.5
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers
Tuesday, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Conference Semi-Finals, nba playoffs
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Boston leads series 3-2 Betus.com betting line – Chicago -3, 196 O/U The Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics have put together possibly one of the best opening round playoff series in history. Tuesday night’s game was just another example of how exciting the last 5 games have been. The Celtics and the Bulls went into overtime for the 3rd time in 5 games and it was the 4th game that the margin of victory has been 3 points or less. The basketball slugfest has become the first series in postseason history to have 3 overtimes. Late in the 4th quarter in Tuesday night’s game the Bulls were faced with an inbounds play with less than 10 seconds remaining. Chicago Coach Vinny Del Negro drew up a perfect play which allowed Brad Miller to roll towards the basket wide open and seemed to have an easy two point lay-up. However, Miller was fouled rather hard by Boston guard Rajon Rondo. After review of the play, the foul could have easily been called intentional as Rondo’s hand came across Miller’s face leaving him with a mouth full of blood. Miller went on to miss both free throws even though the 2nd miss was on purpose and Boston got the rebound which gave them a 3-2 lead in the series. The Bulls now have their back against the wall, but judging how well they have played it would be surprising if this series does not see a Game 7. Rajon Rondo led the Boston Celtics with 28 points on Tuesday night continuing his stellar postseason play. Rondo has averaged 24.2 points in the 5 games played and has been vital to the Celtics success. However, Paul Pierce was the real hero from Tuesday night’s classic battle. Pierce has really come on strong the last few outings with strong shooting performances. Late in the 4th quarter, Pierce knocked down a crucial basket right above the free throw line which tied the game and sent the contest into overtime. Pierce knocked down many clutch shots as the game winded down, but the biggest was another similar 17 footer with 3.2 seconds to go which ended up being the game winning basket. Ray Allen who has been the primary clutch shooter for the Boston Celtics through the series, fouled out in the game. Allen finished with only 10 points on the night. Boston will look for Allen to back to rhythm and hope Pierce and Rondo can stay hot this Thursday night. Chicago has put up a valiant effort to take down the defending World Champions, but they are quickly running out of time. The Bulls still have a glimmer of hope, but to pull off back to back wins over Boston will be far from a small task. Chicago shooting guard Ben Gordon has been super throughout the series, but a hamstring injury seems to be taking effect. Gordon still managed to drain 26 points in the overtime loss on Tuesday night, but his shot was a bit altered all night as he tried to make up for the ailing hamstring. If Gordon starts to struggle, the Bulls chances to win the series goes from bad to worse. John Salmons has not but spectacular, but effectively consistent averaging 16 points through the series. Rookie Derrick Rose has been hot and cold. Rose needs to be the man to step up for Ben Gordon if the hamstring continues to affect his play. For a rookie, that may be placing a lot of pressure on the young guard. However, Rose can get a hot hand quickly making him very dangerous. Expect to see another great effort from Chicago at home in Game 6. Pick – Over 196
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
7:00PM Eastern Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Tags: basketball, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, nba playoffs
