NBA Previews

[jtsneaks]

The Detroit Pistons garnered partial payback for last year's NBA Finals loss against San Antonio when they spanked the Spurs at home on Christmas Day, 85-70.
The defending champion Spurs get their chance for revenge Thursday in the opening game of a star-studded TNT doubleheader. Lebron James and Cleveland travel to Staples Center to face Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the second game.

The Pistons dominated the glass in the initial showdown this season, winning the battle of the boards, 57-30. Ben Wallace yanked down 21 caroms, while Antonio McDyess chipped in with 13 rebounds. San Antonio played without Manu Ginobli in that lopsided loss. The multi-talented Spurs standout will be in Thursday's lineup.

Detroit cashed on Christmas as six-point favorites, while the combined 155 points easily slipped below the closing total of 184.

The Pistons have 'covered' four of their last five versus the Spurs, including the last three series encounters. San Antonio nipped Detroit in the last meeting at the SBC Center as nine-point favorites, 80-77.

The Pistons have failed to cash seven of their last 11 games. The Spurs have also been money-burners recently, falling short in 11 of their last 15 spread decisions and in 10 of 15 as home favorites.

Five of the last six series battles have been on the low side. San Antonio and Detroit have both slipped 'under' in seven of 10 trips to the post.

Trends and angles for the other two games on Thursday's menu appear below.

WARRIORS at SUNS

Golden State played host to Miami on Wednesday while Phoenix took a much-needed night off following a triple-overtime loss at Denver, 139-137. The Warriors lost in their first visit to America West Arena this season as seven-point dogs, 101-86. The combined 187 points slipped well below the closing total of 212. Golden State also failed to hold serve at home in the rematch, bowing as 4 1/2-point favorites, 118-110. The Warriors had won four of the five previous series tussles, cashing each time. Nine of the last 14 clashes have been on the high side. Golden State has topped the total in nine of its last 11 on the highway.

CAVALIERS at LAKERS

Cleveland begins a stretch where it plays eight of nine games on the road. The Cavaliers have been respectable on the highway this season, posting a 6-7 mark after winning just 13 times on the road during their last campaign. However, Cleveland is just 1-4 as road dogs. The Lakers had won and cashed four straight versus the Cavaliers until floundering in the final meeting on the road last season as 6 1/2-point dogs, 103-89. Los Angeles has cashed three straight versus Cleveland at Staples Center. The Lakers, who played Wednesday at Portland, are 2-4-1 against the spread when toiling on consecutive nights.

JT

[jtsneaks]

found another one for tonight at the fox...

Marquee match-up in the NBA - When you think of Detroit and San Antonio, what thoughts conjure up in your mind? Is it Chauncey Billups breaking his man down and dishing the ball off to a wing jump shooter? What about Manu Ginobili making a sick behind the back dribble move that opens up a lane to the basket wider then Grand Canyon. No, the first thing that always comes to mind when the teams with the two best records in professional basketball play each other is a prop you see at every football game and Peyton Manning commercials, DE-Fense. This is the cornerstone of each franchise, in which they were intentionally built and is the most dependable ally each brings to the arena on a nightly basis.

Various small-inded sports talk minions need a reason to heard and to make outrageous claims about teams like Detroit. The Pistons own the best record in the league at 27-5 and have an 18-14 record against the spread. Complaints have been registered they are not as tough defensively as they have been in the past. The Pistons defense is currently 6th overall at 91.6 PPG, which is up from last year’s 88.6. Is this really a cause for wide spread concern? Particularly when you consider that under Larry Brown, the Detroit offense was somewhat stymied. Last season the Pistons averaged 92.6 PPG for the season, while this year under more offensive minded Flip Saunders, the offense is hitting on all cylinders at 99.2 PPG. In reality, the Pistons record is more reflective of how dominate they have actually been with a scoring differential of 7.6 a game compared to last year’s 4.0 per game.

Coincidently, San Antonio is not playing as well as last year. The biggest obstacle facing this team for Coach Greg Popovich is boredom. The Spurs have been crowned champions three times in the last seven years. They obviously have a formula that works, the players prescind themselves from selfish play for the benefit of the team. The issue becomes staying focused before the All-Star game, on a game by game basis. For the Spurs the first forty to fifty games are about positioning, then making a run to properly prepare for the playoffs. San Antonio may still be 2nd in defense at 89.2 points allowed, however it has been the inconsistent offense that has led to Spurs being 14-18 ATS. Part of this dilemma has been the potentially unreal expectations placed on them by oddsmakers. Tim Duncan’s team is a league best 17-1 at the SBC Center, outscoring teams by 11.3 points a game and they are only 9-8 ATS.

This could be a statement game to be referred to if they meet in the Finals later in 2006. The Pistons ripped the Spurs by 15 points on Christmas day, destroying them on the glass 66-38. Ginobili was out for that game with a bad foot, he will play tonight. Books have San Antonio as a 4-point favorite with an expected total of 179. If Detroit can motor into town and take another win, mentally this gives them an advantage to call upon should they meet again. If Tony Parker can lead his team to victory, San Antonio has kicked up their spurs and quelled another potential threat to the crown, at least temporarily. With San Antonio’s dissonant play this season, they are just 5-14 ATS after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games this season. Detroit is 13-3 on the road, with a 9-7 ATS record and will be a road underdog for just the second time in the 2005-06 season.

In home/road situations, totals players likely already know the Pistons are 6-9 Under as a visitor and the Spurs are 5-12-1 Under at home. San Antonio is 11-2 Under in home games after playing 3 consecutive games as favorite, with the MoTown fun bunch 17-4 UNDER as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last three years.

Get yourself in a low crouch next to the TV with these defensive teams, with the action starting at 8:05 EST on TNT.




JT