Cnotes 2018 - 2019 NBA Thru The Playoffs-Picks/Trends/News !

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Westgate SuperBook posted NFL win totals for 2019:

? Arizona Cardinals, 5

? Atlanta Falcons, 8.5

? Baltimore Ravens, 8.5, over -$120

? Buffalo Bills, 6.5, over -$160

? Carolina Panthers, 8, under -$120

? Chicago Bears, 9, under -$120


**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but??

13) 76ers 94, Raptors 89- Kawhi Leonard was 13-24 from floor; rest of Toronto?s team was 20-67 (29.9%). Series is tied, 1-1.

12) Ben Simmons is a weird player; I think he?s one of the five best passers I?ve ever seen, but it almost seems like he defiantly refuses to become a shooting threat.

In this game, Simmons played 44:00, was 3-6 from floor. No foul shots, no 3?s. He had seven rebounds, five assists. Someone who has the ball as much as Simmons does takes six shots in 44:00? Very unusual.

11) Nuggets 121, Trailblazers 113? Jokic had 37 points, nine rebounds, six assists as Denver takes the first game of this series. Nuggets are 41-5 at home this season.

10) Today?s unusual stat from Dan Hayes: Max Kepler?s 10-pitch walk in the 1st inning vs Justin Verlander Monday night was the 76th time Verlander has thrown 10 pitches in a plate appearance among the 11,497 batters (0.6%) he has faced in his great career.

9) Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes parlayed his dalliance with UCLA into a 5-year, $26M contract extension with the Vols.

8) Texas Tech basketball coach Chris Beard signed a six-year contract that will pay him $4.575M annually, through the 2024-25 season. His annual salary is now 4th-highest in the country, behind John Calipari, Mike Krzyzewski and Barnes.

7) Baseball injuries:
? Giants put P Derek Holland (finger) on the IL.
? Braves put P Chad Sobotka (abdomen) on the IL.
? A?s put 1B/OF Mark Canha (wrist) on the IL.
? Brewers put P Aaron Wilkerson (foot) on the IL.

6) New England Patriots ranked 25th in NFL LY with a 53.8% touchback rate on kickoffs, so it is possible that the punter they traded up to draft in the 5th round will also be used as a kickoff guy, seeing how PK Stephen Gostkowski is 35 now. Field position is important.

5) James Harden led the NBA in foul shots attempted in five of the last seven years, and finished 2nd/3rd the other two seasons.

4) Blues 4, Stars 3? St Louis wins a road game, is up 2-1 in this series.

3) Giants 3, Dodgers 2? Evan Longoria?s bases loaded double in the 7th inning was the game-winning hit.

2) Reds 5, Mets 4? Jesse Winker?s 9th-inning homer decided this one. It was the first hit that Mets? closer Edwin Diaz allowed to a lefty batter this season.

1) I?d be curious to know how much NFL teams value if a prospect played for a winning program in college. I?m not 100% sold that playing on a winning team is that big a deal; sometimes your deficiencies can be hidden if you?re surrounded by superior athletes.

But I?d be more interested in how NFL teams feel than how I think about it.

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

571Boston -572 Milwaukee
BOSTON is 13-1 ATS (11.9 Units) off an upset win as a road underdog over the last 2 seasons.

573Houston -574 Golden State
GOLDEN STATE is 4-19 ATS (-16.9 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights in the last 3 seasons.




NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, April 30


Boston @ Milwaukee

Game 571-572
April 30, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
126.405
Milwaukee
122.621
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 4
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 7 1/2
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+7 1/2); Over

Houston @ Golden State

Game 573-574
April 30, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
128.246
Golden State
124.677
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 5 1/2
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+5 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, April 30

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (54 - 33) at MILWAUKEE (64 - 23) - 4/30/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 51-33 ATS (+14.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 44-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 103-79 ATS (+16.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 79-58 ATS (+15.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
BOSTON is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-3 ATS (+16.7 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-39 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 73-54 ATS (+13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 428-495 ATS (-116.5 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 211-259 ATS (-73.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 13-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-8 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (57 - 31) at GOLDEN STATE (62 - 27) - 4/30/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 139-104 ATS (+24.6 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 71-48 ATS (+18.2 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 89-62 ATS (+20.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 128-96 ATS (+22.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
HOUSTON is 27-17 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-50 ATS (-17.0 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-47 ATS (-17.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 17-27 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-63 ATS (-21.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-45 ATS (-19.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-39 ATS (-11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-8 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-9 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
14 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, April 30

Bucks shot 36% inside arc in 112-90 Game 1 home loss; Celtics shot 60.7% inside arc. Home team won ten of last 11 Boston-Milwaukee games; Celtics are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Wisconsin. Seven of last 11 series games went over the total. Boston covered its last six road games; four of their last five games overall stayed under total. Milwaukee won four of its last five games; they?re 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. Eight of last 11 Milwaukee games went over. Antetokounmpo was just 7-21 from floor in Game 1; they obviously need more than that from him.

Houston was 14-47 on arc in 104-100 Game 1 loss in Oakland; Durant scored 35 for Golden State. Rockets are 5-4 in their last nine games with the Warriors; they covered three of last five visits to Oakland. Nine of last ten series games stayed under the total. Golden State won 11 of its last 14 games overall; they?re 3-3 vs spread in last six home games. Four of last six Warrior games went over. Houston won eight of last 11 games overall, are 3-3 vs spread in last six road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under.




NBA

Tuesday, April 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Celtics
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 12 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 13 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Boston's last 18 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 12 games
Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 13 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Boston
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 18 games when playing at home against Boston

Houston Rockets
Houston is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games
Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 10 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Houston is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 7-14-1 ATS in its last 22 games at home
Golden State is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Golden State's last 15 games at home
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 10 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Golden State is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Game 2 ? Celtics at Bucks ? 8:05 PM EST ? TNT

Boston leads series, 1-0

There is only one team that has yet to lose in the playoffs and it?s the Celtics, who improved to 5-0 in the postseason after routing Milwaukee on Sunday, 112-90. It was pretty much all Boston from the opening tip-off as the Celtics led by nine after one quarter, while outscoring the top-seeded Bucks, 36-21 in the third quarter to win their third consecutive road game in the playoffs.

Boston easily cashed as eight-point underdogs after dropping all three matchups at Milwaukee in last year?s first round series. Kyrie Irving didn?t play in that seven-game series victory by the Celtics, but the All-Star guard posted a 26-point, 11-assist effort to help Boston snap a five-game losing streak at Milwaukee. Al Horford added 20 points for Boston, while Jaylen Brown scored 19 points as the Celtics shot 54% from the floor and attempted only eight free throws.

MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo was shut down by the Celtics? defense as the Bucks? star scored 22 points, but it came on 7-of-21 shooting from the floor. The ?Greek Freak? converted only four two-point field goals, while missing five free throws as Milwaukee suffered its first loss in the playoffs after cruising past Detroit in four games of the opening round. The Bucks will not go far in the postseason if they continue to get poor offensive performances from the likes of Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez, who combined to score nine points of 2-of-10 shooting.

Boston continued its stellar work on the defensive end in the playoffs by limiting the opposition to less than 100 points in four of five wins, while cashing the UNDER four times. The Celtics have trailed in the second half of all five playoff contests, as Milwaukee rallied to take a 56-54 lead early in the third quarter. However, Boston scored the next 12 points to grab a 10-point advantage and never look back to improve to 5-0 in the last five playoff series openers.

Chris David picked Boston to win this series in six games and he wasn?t surprised by the Celtics taking Game 1 but he doesn?t expect the Bucks to go down 0-2 on Tuesday.

He explained his handicap for Game 2, ?Milwaukee posted the best record in the regular season and it accomplished that feat by staying away from losing skids. The Bucks only dropped back-to-back games once this season and they?re a league-best 21-1 (95%) after a loss. What?s more impressive is they went 18-4 (81%) against the spread in those games, which makes you believe the Zig-Zag angle will be pressed by the betting public in Game 2.?

David added, ?Sunday?s 90-point effort in the opener was just the sixth time this season that Milwaukee was held under 100 points. Not surprisingly, they went 1-5 in those games. In the first five games after the low production, the Bucks averaged 115.8 PPG but that average was helped with a 140-point effort. Defensively, I was more impressed with Mike Budenholzer?s troops as they only surrendered 104.6 PPG in the same five games. Instead of buying the Milwaukee offense to rebound in Game 2, I?d back its defense and play the Boston Team Total Under (106 ?).?

According to Dan Feldman of NBC Sports Pro Basketball Talk, the previous four road teams to win a playoff series opener by 15 or more points have gone on to lose the series. The most recent instance for this trend came last season when the Pacers destroyed the Cavaliers, 98-80 in Game 1 of the first round in Cleveland, but Indiana lost the series in seven games.


Game 2 ? Rockets at Warriors ? 10:35 PM EST ? TNT

Golden State leads series, 1-0

For the third time in four seasons, Golden State and Houston are meeting in the playoffs. And for the third time, the Warriors captured the series opener from the Rockets as the two-time defending champions held off Houston, 104-100 on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Arena. Although Houston cashed as six-point underdogs, the Rockets had plenty of gripes with the officiating, especially on how the game was called against league MVP James Harden.

Harden led the Rockets with 35 points, as 13 of those points came at the foul line. However, he shot 9-of-28 from the field, including 4-of-16 from long distance as Harden had an opportunity to tie the game late. Harden missed the three-pointer as questions arose whether or not he was fouled by Draymond Green.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant continued his hot scoring run for the Warriors by posting a 35-point effort following his 50-point output in the series-clinching win over the Clippers last Friday. Stephen Curry didn?t put up great numbers (18 points on 5-of-12 shooting), but he drilled a critical three-pointer with under 30 seconds remaining to give Golden State a 103-98 advantage.

The Rockets picked up their fourth cover in five meetings with the Warriors this season, while improving to 3-0 ATS at Oracle Arena. The UNDER cashed for the ninth time in the past 10 matchups dating back to Game 3 of last season?s Western Conference Finals, as the two teams easily finished UNDER the total of 224 in Game 1. Houston reached the 100-point mark for only the second time in the last seven playoff hookups with Golden State in Oakland since 2016.

The oddsmakers have adjusted the total from 224 to 220 ? for Game 2, as the Warriors have hit the OVER in two playoff games against the Clippers coming off an UNDER.

NBA expert Tony Mejia checks in with his thoughts on tonight?s critical Game 2 by the Bay, ?The Warriors and Rockets both shot terribly by their standards, which combined with a failure to call illegal closeouts in the first half, really gave the OVER no chance to clear the posted total. Chris Paul didn?t get suspended for Game 2 despite his outburst against an official, but I don?t think we?re through with the refs playing too large a role in this series. They?re being put in a no-win situation by players looking to draw whistles by kicking their feet out and defenders not allowing shooters space to land."

"There?s no way this doesn?t continue on Tuesday night, so expect a parade to the free-throw line. If everyone?s not thrown off rhythm by all the stoppages in play and we get an increase in made 3-pointers, we should see these teams approach 220 points, which is a good reason the number jumped from its opening position of 218.5,? Mejia notes.

 

[Cnotes53]

TUESDAY, APRIL 30
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -7.5
U 219.0

HOU at GS 10:30 PM
HOU +5.5
O 220.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Bucks roll Celtics to even series at 1-1
April 30, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace

MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo attacked the rim, Khris Middleton connected from long range and Eric Bledsoe turned in an effective performance.

The Milwaukee Bucks looked more like themselves in Game 2.

Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 10 rebounds and Middleton made seven of Milwaukee's franchise playoff-high 20 3-pointers, helping the Bucks even their second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics with a 123-102 victory Tuesday night.

Antetokounmpo, one of the top candidates for NBA MVP, went 7 for 16 from the floor and 13 of 18 at the foul line. It was an important turnaround for Milwaukee after he had 22 points on 7-for-21 shooting in Game 1 on Sunday.

Middleton finished with 28 points. Bledsoe, who was held to six points in the series opener, finished with 21 points and five assists.

The Bucks led by as many as 31 points after a closely played opening half. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series is Friday night in Boston.

''I think that's more what we're accustomed to seeing,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''I liked our spirit, our activity, our competitiveness all up and down the roster. Giannis and Khris and Bled really set a tone.

''We need to capture that, take it to Boston with us and play that way up there.''

Marcus Morris paced Boston with 17 points. Jaylen Brown had 16, and Al Horford finished with 15.

Kyrie Irving, who had 26 points and 11 assists in the Celtics' 112-90 victory in Game 1, had nine points on 4-of-18 shooting.

''We weren't very good on either end,'' coach Brad Stevens said.

Milwaukee broke it open by outscoring Boston 39-18 in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo scored 15 points in the period, including a 3-pointer over Horford to give the Bucks an 81-71 lead with 5:33 left.

Antetokounmpo tipped in his own miss and made another 3 to help Milwaukee pull away. The Bucks went on a 24-2 run to carry a 98-73 lead into the fourth.

''I think in Game 1 I didn't do a good job finding my teammates,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''So of course I wanted to be aggressive, but then you've got to make the right plays. At the start of the game tonight, the right play was the pass.''

Irving credited the Bucks' defensive plan.

''They did a great job of switching tonight and forcing me left,'' Irving said. ''I started the game off well getting downhill and setting an example for my teammates of how we want to play. I just didn't put my stamp on that.''

Brook Lopez and George Hill each finished with 10 points for Milwaukee, which went 20 for 47 from beyond the arc. Pat Connaughton grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Bucks to a 54-45 advantage on the glass.

Milwaukee switched on screens more often than usual and held Boston to 39.5% shooting (34 of 86).

''That's an easy thing for them to adjust to and I thought they did a very good job of it,'' Stevens said. ''Basically, Giannis and smaller were doing that and they kept Lopez as a protector. They have a lot of defensive versatility. Everybody knew Game 1 was not going to repeat itself.

''They did a good job of owning the space on both ends of the court.''

MIDDLETON'S NIGHT

Middleton went 7 for 10 from deep. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

''I think one of our main things is playing with pace,'' he said. ''They're a great defensive team once they get set. So the main thing for us is to try to get a stop and get out and run. And I was able to find open 3s and pull-up 3s with that.''

TIP-INS

Celtics: Morris started at forward for the second straight game in the series, with Horford at center. Backup center Aron Baynes was available after twisting his left ankle in Game 1 and played 10 minutes while picking up four fouls. Stevens said Baynes' role would not change. ''He will rotate off Giannis and their other bigs,'' Stevens said before the game. ... Boston has won five of six playoff series against Milwaukee, including the 1974 NBA Finals. The Celtics won that series in seven games, taking three of the four games played in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee: F Nikola Mirotic was in the starting lineup in place of Sterling Brown, who struggled in Game 1 and also experienced back spasms. Mirotic picked up two quick fouls guarding Jaylen Brown and was replaced by Connaughton with 8:43 left in the opening quarter. Mirotic finished with nine points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. ''He added a physicality; his defense is what stood out to me,'' Budenholzer said. ''He's such an incredible shooter. To get him in the game more, to get that 3-point threat out there just makes sense.''

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Friday night in Boston.

 

[Cnotes53]

Durant leads the way again, Warriors lead Rockets 2-0
April 30, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kevin Durant scored 29 points and established an early defensive tone against James Harden, leading the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 115-109 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.

Harden got hit in both eyes early but was able to return and finished with 29 points and seven rebounds on a night boos regularly greeted both him and Chris Paul at deafening Oracle Arena, where the Rockets complained after a 104-100 Game 1 defeat that the officials missed foul calls when the Warriors closed out on Houston's 3-point shooters.

Paul celebrated and cheered when Harden drew a foul on Durant in the closing seconds of the third on a very such play. Harden converted three free throws to pull Houston within 82-75 going into the final 12 minutes.

Harden scored seven straight Houston points during one stretch midway through the fourth, including a 3 at 7:25 that go the Rockets within 92-89. Stephen Curry connected for a key 3 at the 6:31 mark on the way to 20 points.

Klay Thompson scored 21 points and hit consecutive 3-pointers late in the third. Draymond Green had 15 points, 12 rebounds - three on the offensive end over two possessions in the opening quarter - and seven assists.

Game 3 is Saturday in Houston.

Durant took an early charge from Harden and blocked one of his shots as Houston committed five quick turnovers that led to 10 points. Andre Iguodala, who also handled much of the load defending Harden, added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Curry dislocated his left middle finger in the first quarter but X-rays were negative and he returned with it taped.

Curry missed his first four 3-point tries before hitting late in the first and played in foul trouble once more. He picked up his fourth with 6:43 in the third on a reach in, something he's been working to stop doing.

Harden injured his eyes with 6:39 left in the first, grabbing at his face after he and Green fought for a loose rebound and Green's left hand got Harden in the face.

When Harden went to the locker room with 6:27 left and a towel over his left eye for a cut, Green patted him on the back and said something to acknowledge the tough play. Harden returned at the 7:09 mark of the second.

Both teams were more composed when it came to mouthing off at the referees.

Harden already had a history with official Scott Foster, who worked Tuesday's game. Harden was fined $25,000 for calling Foster ''rude and arrogant'' following a 121-111 loss at the Lakers on Feb. 21 in which Harden fouled out - and Foster hadn't worked the Rockets since until Tuesday.

The schedule was made before officiating became such an emphasis in the series opener.

''He's one of the best in the game and I'd be surprised if he wouldn't be somewhere,'' Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said beforehand. ''The crew is some of the best in the league.''

In Game 1, Paul was automatically ejected with 4.4 seconds left following a second technical and fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making contact with official Josh Tiven.

D'Antoni emphasized the scrutiny of officials ''shouldn't continue.''

Durant's run of five straight performances scoring at least 30 points was snapped.

With 201 points over his previous five games, he became the fourth player in NBA history to score 200 or more in such a span - joining LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan.

GREEN'S TECHNICALS

Green and Nene got tangled up and drew double technicals after Harden's third free throw at the end of the third.

With his fourth technical of the postseason, Green is three away from an automatic one-game suspension.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston committed nine first-quarter turnovers leading to 14 Warriors points while shooting 7 for 19. ... Reserve G Austin Rivers returned after he missed Game 1 with an illness. ... Houston is 5-14 vs. the Warriors dating to the 2015 Western Conference finals won by the Warriors on the way to their first title in 40 years. ... After going 14 of 47 from deep in the series opener, missing their initial eight threes and 27 straight to end Game 7 vs. Golden State last year, Houston shot 17 for 40 on 3s in Game 2.

Warriors: The Warriors committed just 12 turnovers after it became a big focus after getting 20 in Game 1. ... Golden State improved to 6-1 all-time in the postseason when using the starting lineup of Curry, Durant, Green, Iguodala and Thompson. ... With 324 career postseason 3s, Thompson matched Manu Ginobili for fourth on the NBA's all-time postseason list for 3s.

COUSINS UPDATE

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins did some shooting Tuesday morning. He isn't likely to return this postseason after tearing his left quadriceps muscle in the first round against the Clippers.

''He's progressing with his rehab but nothing significant enough to report,'' Kerr said. ''But he's doing a little bit better.''

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 1, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center


****************************


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/30/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/29/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
04/28/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
04/27/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/26/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
04/25/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
04/24/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/23/2019 2-6-0 25.00% -23.00
04/22/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/21/2019 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
04/20/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/19/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/18/2019 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
04/17/2019 6-0-0 100.00% +30.00
04/16/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/15/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
04/14/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/13/2019 7-1-0 87.50% +29.50

Totals..............46-47-0 49.46% -33.00


******************************


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/30/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1...............-0.50.................-1.00
04/29/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................1 - 1...............-0.50.................-1.00
04/28/2019.............2 - 0 ....................+10.00.................1 - 1................-0.50................+9.50
04/27/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................0 - 2................-11.00..............-11.50
04/26/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0................+5.00..............-0.50
04/25/2019.............1 - 0.....................+5.00...................0 - 1................-5.50................-0.50
04/24/2019.............0 - 2.....................-11.00...................1 - 1................-0.50...............-11.50
04/23/2019.............2 - 2.....................-1.00....................4 - 8.................-22.00.............-23.00
04/22/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.50
04/21/2019.............2 - 2 .....................-1.00...................1 - 3.................-11.50..............-12.50
04/20/2019.............1 - 3.....................-11.50..................3 - 0................+15.00.............+3.50
04/19/2019.............1 - 2.....................-6.00....................2 - 1................+4.50...............-1.50
04/18/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................1 - 2................-6.00................-6.50
04/17/2019.............3 - 0....................+15.00..................3 - 0................+15.00.............+30.00
04/16/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................1 - 1.................-0.50...............-1.00
04/15/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
04/14/2019.............2 - 2.....................-1.00....................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-2.00
04/13/2019.............3 - 0.....................+15.00.................3 - 0.................+15.00............+30.00

Totals....................23 - 21..................-0.50.................25 - 27................-19.50..............-20.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday?s 6-pack

The Athletic?s NBA Mock Draft

1) Zion Williamson, Duke

2) Ja Morant, Murray State

3) RJ Barrett, Duke

4) Darius Garland, Vanderbilt

5) Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech

6) De?Andre Hunter, Virginia

Quote of the Day
?They have to win the division. This is a put-up-or-shut-up season for them, especially for Clay Helton. I?m looking to see drastic improvements. People have to be held accountable and players have to be held accountable. They have to create an environment there where players really understand the tradition of winning that came before them.?
USC alum Reggie Bush, talking about the Trojans? football team

Wednesday?s quiz
Which NBA general manager holds the Toronto Blue Jays? franchise record for youngest player to hit a home run?

Tuesday?s quiz
Spurs, Pacers, Nets, Nuggets came to the NBA when the ABA folded in 1976.

Monday?s quiz
In the football movie Invincible, which is a true story. a 30-year old bartender tried out for and made the Philadelphia Eagles as a special teams player in 1976.

***********************

Wednesday?s List of 13: Mid-week musings??.

13) Last year, the Arizona Cardinals spent a lot of $$$ on quarterbacks:
? They paid Sam Bradford $16M; he played three games.
? They paid Josh Rosen $11.5M; he lives in Miami now.
? They paid Mike Glennon $5M; he lives in Oakland now.

Now the Cardinals? QB?s are Kyler Murray, Brett Hundley and two guys I?ve never heard of, free agents from Murray State and Princeton. Kyler Murray better be the real deal.

12) No idea how NFL teams will handle their rookie QB?s this year, but last season, all five first-round quarterbacks were playing by midseason, so there?s that.

11) Interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about UCLA?s search for a new basketball coach; Bruins offered to double Jay Wright?s salary, but the Villanova coach turned them down. When a coach declines having his salary doubled, thats a major red flag.

Similar to Loyola coach Porter Moser turning down St John?s, when they offered to more than double his salary. Turning down a Big East job to stay at Loyola was an eye-opener.

10) So far this baseball season, relief pitchers have a worse ERA than starting pitchers; that hasn?t happened over a full season in fifty years. Starting pitchers need to last longer in games; there is too much strain being put on bullpens.

9) There are 127 I-A college football teams; for some reason, in 2020 there will be three new bowl games, bringing the total (for now) to 43.

Fenway Park, Myrtle Beach and the new dome in Los Angeles get the new bowl games; why do baseball stadiums in Boston/New York have bowl games? These games are in December; warm weather cities seem like a better bowl destination.

Do kids want to freeze their butts off in a bowl game? I think not.

With 43 bowls, teams with losing records will go to bowls, which also isn?t ideal.

8) 233 players have declared for early entry to the NBA Draft; players have until late May to pull their names from the draft. NBA Draft is two rounds- 60 players get picked, so do the math, then add in the seniors who will also be involved.

If you?re not a first round pick, go back to school. Become a better player. Unless you want to play in the G-League or in Europe.

7)

6) Harden led the NBA in foul shots attempted in six of last seven years; he led the NBA in free throws made the last five years in a row. He is obviously used to getting calls.

5) Baseball stuff:
? Dodgers put OF AJ Pollock (elbow) on IL.
? Nationals put 3B Anthony Rendon (elbow) on DL.
? Padres put SS Fernando Tatis (hamstring) on DL
? Mariners sent OF Mallex Smith to AAA because he can?t hit.

4) Ranger College basketball coach Billy Gillispie was named JUCO Coach of the Year this week, after leading Ranger to a 31-4 record this year- they played in the NJCAA championship game.

The former head coach at Kentucky, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and UTEP, Gillispie returned to coaching this season after a kidney transplant. Good for him.

3) Tim Mead was named this week as the new vice-president of National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Mead represented the Los Angels Angels for the last 40 years, under three owners, nine managers and six interim managers, last 22 years as the team?s vice president of communications.

Not often you see a guy get a new job, followed by a flood of 100% positive tweets giving the thumbs up to the hire. Everyone really likes this guy, so good for the Hall of Fame.

2) Milwaukee Bucks are now 19-4 vs spread this season in the game following a loss.

1) Wake Forest signed football coach Dave Clawson to an 8-year contract extension; Wake is the smallest school that has big-time college football. Tough job.

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

577Portland -578 Denver
DENVER is 18-4 ATS (13.6 Units) in home games after a game where they covered the spread in the current season.


NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PORTLAND (57 - 31) at DENVER (59 - 31) - 5/1/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) in home games this season.
PORTLAND is 48-40 ATS (+4.0 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 8-4 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 8-5 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 1

Nuggets were +6 (18-12) in turnovers. won Game 1 131-123; Nokie had 37 points for Denver, Lillard scored 39 for Blazers, but had six turnovers. Denver won seven of its last eight games with Portland; last five series games went over the total. Trailblazers are 1-4-1 vs spread in their last six visits to Colorado. Portland won seven of its last nine games overall; they covered only once in last five road games. Nuggets are 3-3 vs spread in last six home games, 4-6 vs spread in last 10 games overall. Five of last seven Denver games went over.




NBA

Wednesday, May 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games on the road
Portland is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Denver
Portland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Denver
Portland is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Portland's last 9 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Denver's last 17 games at home
Denver is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Portland
Denver is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Denver's last 9 games when playing at home against Portland


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 1


Portland @ Denver

Game 577-578
May 1, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
123.155
Denver
121.645
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 1 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 4
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+4); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

POR at DEN 09:00 PM

DEN -4.0

U 219.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Blazers cruise past Nuggets, 97-90
May 1, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace

DENVER (AP) CJ McCollum scored 20 points, picking up the slack with backcourt mate Damian Lillard struggling, and the Portland Trail Blazers turned back the Denver Nuggets 97-90 on Wednesday night to even their playoff series at 1-1.

The Trail Blazers led by 15 at halftime, 17 in the third quarter and 14 to start the fourth but the Nuggets pulled to 95-90 in the final minute thanks to an astonishing 14 offensive rebounds and a 19-9 run before Rodney Hood's two free throws with 17 seconds left iced it.

''The good news is they had all of those offensive rebounds but they didn't convert a lot,'' Portland coach Terry Stotts said. ''They were 8 for 24 on second-chance points. We were fortunate we came away not hurt as badly as we could have been on the offensive boards.

''(Nikola) Jokic and (Paul) Millsap were just playing volleyball with it. They're both excellent offensive rebounders. They're a top-three offensive rebounding team anyway and we've got to make sure they don't have those opportunities in Game 3.''

Lillard added 14 points but was just 5 of 17 from the floor and 1 of 7 from 3-point range, 24 hours after scoring 39 in the series opener. Still, the Blazers seized the home-court advantage with the series shifting to Portland for Game 3 on Friday night.

Jokic had 16 points and 14 boards but got off to a slow start and wasn't nearly the take-control force he was in Game 1, when he scored 37 points.

With Jokic taking - and missing - just one shot in the first quarter and scoring six points in the first half, the Nuggets trailed 50-35 at halftime after the franchise's worst quarter ever at home in the playoffs, one in which they made just 5 of 23 shots and missed all 10 of their 3-pointers.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he admonished his team at halftime, '''if you're not making shots, maybe attack the basket, maybe get to the foul line, maybe get to the rim.' And we were getting such open looks. I understand our players shooting the shot. But when you're not having a night when you're making a shot consistently, you've got to attack the basket, you've got to push pressure on the rim. You've got to think attack instead of settle. And I thought in that first half we didn't have that mind-set.''

To top it off, they lost sparkplug forward Torrey Craig, whose nose was bloodied after he was knocked down and slammed into teammate Monte Morris' foot early in the second quarter.

Moments after Craig hobbled off, leaving a trail of blood, Maurice Harkless rolled his right ankle and also left the game. Harkless didn't return but Craig came back in the second half.

The Nuggets were booed off the court at the break after missing their final eight shots. Denver's backcourt was just 5 of 18 in the first half, including 2 of 11 from Jamal Murray, who would miss much of the fourth quarter while trying to loosen up his tight right thigh he hurt in the last series.

Craig, whose insertion into the starting lineup turned around the Nuggets' first-round series against San Antonio, returned with a face mask with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. He immediately grabbed a rebound and his 3-pointer with a minute left in the quarter was Denver's first since 1:11 of the first quarter.

''I think Torrey Craig is the unsung hero of the game,'' Malone said. ''He's got some (guts). He's got some toughness.''

SCUFFLE

Jokic pushed Enes Kanter, who slammed into Craig with 43.5 seconds left on a made free throw. Murray took exception to Kanter staring down the fallen Craig and a scuffle ensued at midcourt. Teammates raced to break them up and the two were assessed a double technical.

BOW TIES

Stotts and his assistants rocked bow ties Wednesday night in honor of Jon Yim, the team's video coordinator and player development coach who was seriously injured in an auto accident last week that left him hospitalized with a broken leg and collapsed lung.

Yim's bow tie habit led to ''Bow Tie Wednesday,'' a tradition that Stotts and his staff are continuing to pay respects to Yim and members of his family who were injured in the accident.

''It was for Jon Yim,'' Stotts said. ''On Wednesdays he would wear bow ties to the game. I think bow ties are undefeated this year.''

TIP-INS:

Portland: Starting forwards Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu combined for 10 points in the first quarter after being held to a combined four points in Game 1. ... Lillard, whose 37-foot 3-pointer eliminated the Thunder last week, is just 5 of 19 from long range in this series.

Denver: The Nuggets missed 23 of 29 3-pointers. ... Will Barton sank two foul shots with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter after an odd sequence in which the Jokic missed a jumper and the Nuggets missed five put-backs.

UP NEXT:

Game 3 is Friday night in Portland.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 2, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
10:35 PM Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:35 PM Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:05 PM Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter


**********************************


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals...............1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


******************************


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS


05/01/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


Totals.....................0 - 1.....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


**************************

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


Totals....................23 - 21..................-0.50.................25 - 27................-19.50..............-20.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday?s 6-pack

Odds to win the Wells Fargo PGA event this week:

6-1: Rory McIlroy

10-1: Jason Day

12-1: Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler

18-1: Hideki Matsuyama, Tony Finau

20-1: Webb Simpson

22-1: Sergio Garcia

Quote of the Day
?I?ve never learned anything while I was talking.?
Larry King

Thursday?s quiz
In the basketball movie Hoosiers, what was the name of the high school where Gene Hackman coached?

Wednesday?s quiz
Celtics? general manager Danny Ainge holds the Toronto Blue Jays? franchise record for youngest player to hit a home run.

Tuesday?s quiz
Spurs, Pacers, Nets, Nuggets came to the NBA when the ABA folded in 1976.

**********************

Thursday?s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but??

13) Cleveland Browns haven?t made the NFL playoffs since 2002; they?re -$120 to make the playoffs this season, with a rookie head coach and a 2nd-year QB. That would take a pretty big leap of faith on my part, to wager on the Browns to make the 2019 playoffs.

12) Rookie QB Dwayne Haskins will wear number 7 with the Redskins, the first person to do that since Joe Theismann retired 34 years ago.

11) Royals swept a doubleheader from Tampa Bay Wednesday, 3-2/8-2; Whit Merrrifield led off bottom of the 1st inning in both games with a double. He is the first player in major leagues to do this since Scott Podsednik, in 2005 for the White Sox.

10) Part of why the Miami Marlins are terrible:
? Chris Paddack was traded for Fernando Rodney
? Domingo Germ?n was traded for Martin Prado
? Luis Castillo was traded for Dan Straily

They traded three really good young pitchers for older, marginal players. Then they traded Yelich, Ozuna, Stanton and didn?t get much of a return for them. Astoundingly inept.

9) Morning line favorite Omaha Beach has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby with a trapped epiglottis, which apparently is a breathing problem. Game Winner (4-1) now appears to the favorite for Saturday?s race.

8) Chicago Bears hired Brad Childress as senior offensive assistant, which helps explain why he quit as head coach of the AAF team in Atlanta, which turned out to be a good move by him, since the league folded before their first season ended.

7) Baseball injuries:
? Mets put P Jeurys Familia (shoulder) on the IL.
? Indians will put P Corey Kluber (forearm) on IL.

6) Game 2 of Rockets-Warriors was Tuesday, Game 3 isn?t till Saturday; chance for coaches to make whatever adjustments need to be made. Chance for James Harden?s eye to heal, and for Steph Curry?s left hand to feel a little better- he dislocated a finger in Tuesday?s game.

5) ESPN the Magazine is shutting down this fall; they tried very hard to be different, and they were different, but in a bad way. Too many articles on stuff not many people care about.

4) College basketball transfer portal:
? Former Vandy/Notre Dame F Matt Ryan is transferring to Chattanooga. He is a career 36.5% shooter on the arc who shot only 32.8% for Vandy LY.
? Georgia poaches grad transfer Donnell Gresham from Northeastern.

3) San Diego Padres finished April with a 17-13 record, first time since 2010 that they finished the first month of the season with a winning record.

2) Indians? ace Corey Kluber got hit by a line drive last night, broke his right forearm and is out for a long time, a huge blow to Cleveland?s chances this season.

1) This from Ryan Spaeder:

In 2005, Braves? C Brian McCann hit a sac fly against Paul Quantrill; Dave Roberts (now the Dodgers? manager) caught the fly ball for San Diego.

Tuesday night, 5,001 days later, McCann flew out against Cal Quantrill, Paul?s son. also against the Padres.

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

581Toronto -582 Philadelphia
TORONTO is 33-17 ATS (14.3 Units) vs. division opponents in the last 3 seasons.


NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (63 - 26) at PHILADELPHIA (56 - 33) - 5/2/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 209-264 ATS (-81.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 145-117 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 53-36 ATS (+13.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a division game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 80-57 ATS (+17.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-26 ATS (+18.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 33-17 ATS (+14.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 9-5 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 2

Leonard was 13-24 from floor; rest of Toronto?s team was 20-67 (29.9%) in 94-89 Game 2 loss; home side won six of last eight series games. 76ers? bench outscored Raptors? subs 26-5 in Game 2. Philly lost four of six games with Toronto this season; Raptors are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits here. Toronto is 5-2 in playoffs this month; they?re 12-3 in last 15 games overall, winning three of last four on road. Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. 76ers won seven of their last ten games; over is 13-8 in their last 21 games.


NBA

Thursday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games
Toronto is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Philadelphia
Toronto is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Toronto is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Toronto is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Philadelphia is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto
Philadelphia is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 2


Toronto @ Philadelphia

Game 581-582
May 2, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
128.788
Philadelphia
124.780
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 4
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 1
217
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-1); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday's Playoff Tips
May 2, 2019
By Kevin Rogers

Both Eastern Conference semifinal series are knotted up at 1-1 with the venues shifting to Boston and Philadelphia. After the Celtics routed the Bucks in Game 1 at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee turned the tables on the Celtics with a 21-point blowout in Game 2 to improve to 22-1 SU and 19-4 ATS off a loss this season.

Meanwhile, the 76ers bounced back nicely from a series opening defeat at Toronto to pull even with the Raptors in Monday?s 94-89 victory as 7 ?-point underdogs at Scotiabank Arena. Philadelphia jumped out to a 51-38 halftime edge, while leading by as many as 18 points in the first half. However, Toronto rallied back to cut the deficit to two late in the third quarter. Philadelphia built back the lead to 13 points halfway through the fourth quarter, but Toronto crawled back with a chance to tie it late as Danny Green?s open three-point look bounced out.

Although the 76ers scored fewer points in their Game 2 win (94) than their Game 1 loss (95), Philadelphia ended a 14-game losing streak at Toronto dating back to 2012. Jimmy Butler led the Sixers with 30 points following a 10-point effort in the series opener, while Philadelphia won in spite of only two made field goals and 12 points from Joel Embiid. Philadelphia made less than 40% of its shots from the floor, but the Sixers stepped up at the foul line by knocking down 24-of-26 free throws.

The Raptors received huge contributions from three players and nothing from the rest of their roster. Kawhi Leonard put together a game-high 35 points, Pascal Siakam scored 21 points (on 9-of-25 shooting), and Kyle Lowry posted a 20-point effort for Toronto, who received 13 points from the other six players who took the court. The Raptors were outrebounded for the second straight game, this time by a 52-36 count after Philadelphia collected seven more boards than Toronto in the opener.

The total for Game 3 opened at 217 ? and was quickly pushed up to 219 ? even though the ?under? has gone 2-0 in this series. Chris David of VegasInsider.com offered up his thoughts on the ?over/under? for Thursday?s third installment.

?I thought the oddsmakers sent out a solid number and I was a little surprised that the early action jumped on the ?over? in Game 3. Toronto?s defense has been lights out in the playoffs and that?s led to a 6-1 ?under? mark. In their two road games at Orlando in the first round, the Raptors held the Magic to 93 and 85 points. Will the unit come to play again while stepping up in class at Philadelphia? Your answer to that question will likely factor into both your side and total leans,? said David.

?Philadelphia was one of the best home teams (31-10) in the regular season and it went 2-1 versus Brooklyn while scoring 145 and 122 points. I note those results because the key to the 76ers is their offense and they?ve had a huge difference in scoring at home (118.6 PPG) than on the road (111.8 PPG). Philadelphia has used its homecourt to its advantage this season, especially out of the gate in the first quarter. The 76ers lead the league with 31.2 PPG at home in the first 12 minutes and I?d ride that trend on Thursday, plus I would look at the Philadelphia Team Total Over (108) as well.?

VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia checks in with his thoughts on Game 3, ?Only the Warriors and Bucks had a better regular-season road record than the Raptors, who imposed their will against Orlando as a visitor twice in the first round. After stealing Game 2 despite Embiid looking like a shell of himself, Philadelphia is in excellent shape but needs Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick to join Butler in helping to spread the floor and push the pace. Toronto has shown its capable of slowing the 76ers down and can defend Embiid straight up since Marc Gasol plays him so well, so tempo should play a huge role in Game 3 and I think we?ll see the home team try to speed things up. Philadelphia played the fastest-paced series of the first round against Brooklyn but failed to crack 100 points against Toronto despite leaving Scotiabank Arena with a split.?

Since 2017, the Raptors are 1-4 in Game 3?s of a playoff series, including double-digit losses at Washington (?18 first round) and Milwaukee (?17 first round). However, Toronto ended up winning both those series in six games and clinched with the fourth victory coming on the road. In the previous three postseasons, the Raptors lost 14 of 19 games away from Scotiabank Arena before winning the first two games in the opening round against Orlando.

The 76ers and Raptors split a pair of meetings in Philadelphia this season. The Sixers routed the Raptors on December 22 at Wells Fargo Center, 126-101 as seven-point favorites, led by Embiid?s 27 points and 26 points from Ben Simmons. Leonard sat out for Toronto that night as the 76ers outscored the Raptors in the second half, 61-42.

Toronto won the second matchup in Philadelphia in February, 119-107 as 2 ?-point underdogs. Leonard converted only three field goals, but knocked down 16 free throws to lead Toronto with 24 points. The Raptors attempted 89 shots compared to 70 by Philadelphia, while the Sixers hit 38-of-41 free throw attempts. Since January 2015, the Raptors have won seven of 10 visits to Philadelphia, while the OVER has cashed seven times, although the February meeting went UNDER the total of 230 ?.

 

[Cnotes53]

Preview: Raptors (58-24) at 76ers (51-31)
Date: May 02, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers will return home and look to take a 2-1 lead when they host the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night.

The third-seeded Sixers evened the series at one game apiece with a gritty 94-89 win Monday in Toronto.

Philadelphia could be short-handed once again, though forward Mike Scott, who has been out with a heel contusion and plantar fasciitis, did practice on Wednesday. All-Star center Joel Embiid also continues to be hampered by a sore left knee, though he remains probable.

"I think we just did our job," said 76ers guard Jimmy Butler after scoring 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and handing out five assists in Game 2 to halt a 14-game losing streak in Toronto. "Everybody wants to paint a picture that we haven't won here in however many years. I'm just glad that we came out on top. Going home, we just need to do the same thing we did tonight."

If the starters are limited, the Sixers' bench will be crucial. In Game 2, James Ennis scored a playoff career-high 13 points while Greg Monroe backed up Embiid with 10 points and five rebounds.

Boban Marjanovic only played one minute and Monroe's output had to be surprising.

"They came in and made shots," Butler said of the reserves. "But more than anything, they were guarding."

The Sixers' defense was shaky in Game 1 and terrific in Game 2 as they held the Raptors to 36.7 percent shooting, including 27 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Toronto made only 10 of 37 treys.

"The whole game was a good momentum swing for us as a team," forward Tobias Harris said. "We came in with a game plan, an adjustment that was made and we executed it. We did it very well. That was big for us, big for our confidence and we've got to go back home and be able to protect our court."

Kawhi Leonard led the second-seeded Raptors with 35 points and Pascal Siakam added 21 but shot just 9 of 25 from the field. The Toronto bench was mostly ineffective in Game 2, a trend that must change if it's going to take a lead in this series.

Reserve forward Norman Powell has scored just three points in two playoff games against the Sixers. Serge Ibaka is shooting 4 of 14 and has committed nine fouls. Point guard Fred VanVleet failed to score in Game 2.

But Raptors head coach Nick Nurse isn't focused solely on statistics.

"(VanVleet's) done his job (on defense) all these playoffs," Nurse told reporters. "He was really good on (Orlando's Terrence) Ross, he's been good on (JJ) Redick as well. He's been excellent on defense, and again, I think Norm's been really good on defense as well."

Conversely, the Raptors believe they simply missed too many shots. The Sixers' defense might have been improved, but the Raptors missed 27 treys.

Guard Danny Green misfired on a potential 3-pointer that would have tied Game 2 in the waning seconds.

"You have to take them," Raptors center Marc Gasol said. "Those are good looks. You take them over and over again. You can't get stuck on a missed shot or two missed shots. If it's a good shot and you feel in rhythm, take it. If not, move it. Don't just overthink it and kill the flow of the game."

--Field Level Media


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
76ers at Raptors
Sat, Apr 27 Final 95 to 108
Recaps

GAME 2
76ers at Raptors
Mon, Apr 29 Final 94 to 89
Recaps

GAME 3
Raptors at 76ers
Thu, May 2 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 4
Raptors at 76ers
Sun, May 5 - 3:30PM EDT

GAME 5
76ers at Raptors
Tue, May 7 - 8:00PM EDT

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, MAY 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at PHI 08:00 PM
PHI +1.5
U 217.0