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

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s 6-pack

Six slowest-working pitchers in major leagues:

6) Matt Andriese, Arizona, 29.5 seconds between pitches

5) Sam Dyson, Giants 29.7

4) Blake Treinen, A?s, 30.1

3) David Price Red Sox, 30.2

2) Josh Hader Brewers, 30.9

1) Kenley Jansen Dodgers, 31.3

Tweet of the Day
?So Le?Veon Bell walked away from $14.5 million last year with a coach that wanted him and now will play for $14.5 million this year with a coach that doesn?t want him. Got it.?
Andrew Brandt

Saturday?s quiz
When was last time NBA had a franchise in Canada, other than the Raptors?

Friday?s quiz
Mike Dunleavy was the Portland Trailblazers? coach the last time they were in a Western Conference final.

Thursday?s quiz
Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in their only Super Bowl appearance, in Super Bowl III.

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

Saturday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??.

13) You watch Angel Hernandez call balls/strikes, and the electronic strike zone that will come to baseball someday doesn?t seem like a such a bad idea.

I?m against the electronic strike zone, but Hernandez is a terrible umpire, and has been for a long time. Friday night, Colorado?s Jon Gray walked the opposing pitcher on 10 pitches; three of the four pitches Hernandez called balls were strikes on the electronic strike zone on TV.

I had no dog in the fight, no fantasy players involved, was just watching the game. No one pays to watch the umpire; call strikes, especially on the opposing pitcher. It isn?t that difficult.

12) Not sure if I?ve told this story here before, so here goes. It is a little random, but it was a funny moment. Was listening this week to some people talk about their kids going to high school now, and it reminded me of this:

I?m in 10th grade, long time ago (1974-75) and it is Biology class, which was a struggle for me. I sat in the back of the class, where I had a great view of a classmate named Joann who was very pretty but didn?t know I existed (go figure).

Anyway, our teacher was a little??different. If a kid was talking in class, the teacher would take an eraser (yes, we had chalkboards back then) and drill the kid with it. I mean, he would fire the eraser at the kid, drill him, and no one ever complained. These days, he would get sued.

One day, the kid sitting three seats in front of me was yukking it up about something, a big kid named Nick, and the teacher takes aim with his eraser, but he misses and drills the young lady sitting next to Nick. Stunned silence, then muffled laughter; the girl started crying.

Was very difficult to sit there the rest of the period and not laugh; never saw another eraser thrown though. Could you imagine if they let that nitwit carry a gun in class?

11) Last three seasons, Golden State Warriors are:
? When Curry plays and Durant doesn?t: 32-4
? When Durant plays and Curry doesn?t: 28-18
? When neither one plays: 1-6
? When they both play: 163-46

10) 50 years ago Friday, Colts, Browns, Steelers agreed to move from the NFL to the AFC, so that when the NFL/AFL merger happened, there would be an equal number of teams in both conferences.

According to Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, Raiders? owner Al Davis came up with the idea, but no one would agree to switch until $3M was put on the table; then the teams became willing. Funny how that happens.

9) Indiana Pacers? G Tyreke Evans was dismissed/disqualified from the NBA for two years, for violating the terms of the NBA?s anti-drug program. Under the program, he is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.

Evans averaged 10.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.4 apg in 20.3 mpg this year- he?s scored 15.7 ppg in his 11-year NBA career, and was due to become a free agent this offseason.

8) I?ve said this here before, but if you like the NBA, then the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in early July is an excellent thing to see.

They play in two gyms at UNLV, there are usually eight games a day, and it costs around $30 for the whole day, which is worth it, just to be out of the 110-degree desert heat.

I?ve gone a few times, and it is good stuff. You see all the rookies, some 2nd-year guys; most of the coaches/GM?s are there. I was walking in the hallway one day, and Jerry West was there, talking to some people. If you like the NBA, it is an excellent thing to do.

I would discourage you from wagering on the games, however; teams need to take a look at certain guys, so they don?t always use their best possible lineups every game.

7) If you?re heading to Las Vegas this summer, right now Treasure Island, the Wynn, Venetian, Palazzo, SLS, Tropicana, Circus Circus, and Stratosphere are the casinos on the Strip that offer free parking. Lot of casinos charge to park now because of the T-Mobile Arena not having its own parking lot.

6) Las Vegas casinos pretty much now all have betting lines up for every NFL game this season, except for Week 17. Lot can change between now and the season, but if you think you?re better than the oddsmakers, you can take your shot at the windows now.

Golden Nugget is posting spreads for its college games of the year on May 30.

5) From Ralph Michaels:

Since 2015, Week 2 NFL road teams that also played on the road in Week 1 are 1-14 vs spread; there are four such teams this season. Only cover in that sample was Kansas City winning 42-37 at Pittsburgh LY, after they led 21-0 in first quarter.

4) Baseball stuff:
? Giants activated C Buster Posey from the 7-day concussion DL.
? Colorado brought up 2B prospect Brandon Rodgers.
? Toronto P Aaron Sanchez (blister) left Friday? game early.
? Justin Turner (bruised shin) left Friday?s game early

3) QB Tommy Stevens transferred from Penn State to Mississippi State, where he?ll play for Joe Moorhead, who used to be OC at Penn State.

2) Most teams pitched for, MLB history:
Edwin Jackson: 14, Octavio Dotel: 13, Mike Morgan, Ron Villone: 12 each.

1) Jim Nantz turned 60 years old Friday, which makes me feel old.

 

[Cnotes53]

G3 - Warriors at Trail Blazers
May 17, 2019
By Chris David

Western Conference Finals ? Game 3 (Warriors lead 2-0)
Golden State at Portland (ESPN, 9:05 p.m. ET)

The Warriors proved to everybody again on Thursday why they?re the defending champions as they defeated the Trail Blazers 114-11 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Golden State rallied from a 15-point deficit (65-50) at halftime and they also overcame an eight-point gap with less than five minutes left in the game to defeat Portland.

Credit should be given to the visitors as the Trail Blazers came to play after losing 116-94 in the series opener on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers shot 18-of-39 (46%) from 3-point land and 17-of-18 from the free throw line but the club couldn?t connect down the stretch. Portland?s two-headed monster of Damian Lillard (23) and CJ McCollum (22) only combined for 45 points in the loss and both had opportunities for game-winners late. Unfortunately for the Blazers, McCollum missed his jumper and Lillard had his final attempt blocked by Golden State?s Andre Iguodala.

While the talented backcourt of Portland struggled in Game 2, head coach Terry Stotts got a big lift from his bench. The reserves scored 41 points and Seth Curry led the charge with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and that included four triples. Curry also had four steals and he finished plus-13 in 39 minutes, after having a minus-10 effort in Game 1 when he only had three points.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Seth?s older brother, continued his hot playoff run with 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the win. Klay Thompson added 24 points, 13 of them coming in the third quarter as Golden State outscored Portland 39-24 to even the score headed into the final 12 minutes.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that they stole the game from Portland and his counterpart Stotts agreed that it was a ?lost opportunity? on the road. Despite bogging down and settling for bad shots to aid Golden State?s Game 2 comeback with a brutal third quarter on the offensive end, the Blazers proved they won?t shrink down the stretch.

VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia believes Portland?s ability to trade baskets with the champs on the road in the closing minutes will help boost their confidence on Saturday night in a game that surprised him by not being a pick?em.

?The Trail Blazers have had much more success at home over the years against the Warriors than they?ve enjoyed at Oracle, which should make it easier for them to rebound from squandering a 17-point lead and failing to steal away homecourt advantage. With Seth Curry and Rodney Hood taking turns aggressively seeking out their shots to try and punish Golden State for all the extra attention it has bestowed upon Damian Lillard, it?s starting to look like the Blazers are making a concerted effort to play with pace and aggressively let the 3-pointers fly,? Mejia said.

?After coming through on surpassing its team total for Game 2 despite being held under 100 points in Game 1, getting back home should help Portland continue to produce confident offense in a must-win. Although the number is up there at 112, if the Blazers plan on making this a competitive series by taking advantage of Kevin Durant?s absence for at least a few more games, they?ll need to produce points.?

The Trail Blazers did cover as seven-point underdogs in Game 2 and that decision was never in doubt. As Mejia mentioned, they go from hunter to hunted with Portland opening as a short two-point favorite for Game 3 on Saturday from the Moda Center.

The nine-point swing (GSW -7 to +2) certainly could have you scratching your head but Golden State faced the same scenario in Game 3 of the conference semifinals. After laying between five and six points to the Rockets in Game 1 and 2 at home, the Warriors were listed as 3 ?-point underdogs in the first game at the Toyota Center. The Rockets won and covered that must-win spot, earning a 126-121 decision.

Can Portland follow suit and avoid the 3-0 hole?

Kevin Rogers of VegasInsider.com dived deeper into the head-to-head matchups between the pair. He said, ?In the last 10 matchups between the Blazers and Warriors at the Moda Center dating back to May 2016, Portland was favored only one time. The Blazers topped the Warriors, 125-108 as 1 ?-point favorites on March 9, 2018 as Stephen Curry didn?t suit up for Golden State. Kevin Durant led all scorers that night with 40 points, while the combo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum posted a total of 58 points.?

He added, ?The last time the Blazers trailed the Warriors, 2-0 in a playoff series returning to Portland was the 2017 first round as Portland blew a 13-point halftime lead in a 119-113 setback as 4 ?-point underdogs. Durant did not suit up in that game either, as Golden State went on to sweep Portland and capture its second title in three seasons.?

In this year?s playoffs, Portland has taken care of its business at home with a 5-1 record, while laying points in all six games and compiling a 3-3 ATS mark.

Golden State has gone 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS on the road in this year?s playoffs, the two losses coming in its last round to Houston. They?ve been underdogs twice in this span, losing Game 3 to Houston before avenging that setback with a series-winning 118-113 victory in Game 6 over the Rockets. The Warriors were + 7 ? in that win over Houston and that was just the ninth time this season that Kerr and company were receiving points. Overall, Golden State has gone 4-5 SU and 5-4 ATS as an underdog but it has won four of its last five in this role.

Durant?s absence hasn?t been a factor yet for the Warriors and you wonder when or if it will be. Many pundits believe KD is the best player in the NBA right now but the Warriors continue to silence the critics with victories. When Curry is in and Durant is out of the lineup, Golden State has gone 29-1 since he left OKC for California. The All-Star missed the first two games of this series and has been ruled ?out? for Game 3 and 4 in Portland. Including the 3-0 record from this year?s playoffs, the Warriors are now 6-1 this season without KD in the lineup.

Golden State opened as a -450 series favorite over Portland and that number has jumped to -1300 after the two wins in Oakland. Bettors believing in the Trail Blazers can grab odds as high as 8/1 to win four of the next five games against the Warriors.

Game 4 will take place on Monday from the Moda Center.

Betcha Didn?t Know

-- The ?over? is on an 11-2 run in the last 13 meetings between the pair from Portland.

-- The Trail Blazers have scored 123-plus points in three of their last four encounters against the Warriors.

-- Portland has watched the ?over? go 4-2 at home in the playoffs and it?s averaging 117.8 points per game. Golden State?s offense is averaging 120.1 PPG in six away games this postseason, helping the ?over? go 5-1.

-- The Blazers have a team total of 112 for Game 3 while the number on Golden State is 109 ?.

-- Road teams went 6-2 in Game 3 of the first round of this year?s playoffs. In the second round, home squads rallied for a 3-1 record. The ?over? has gone 8-4 in the dozen Game 3?s played this season.

-- The Blazers are 1-10 all-time against Golden State in the playoffs. The Warriors are 7-4 versus the number in those games while the ?over? is 8-3.

-- The Warriors are 31-4 in the postseason when Curry scores 30 or more points.

-- Golden State has gone 10-5 on Saturday this season, which includes a 1-1 mark in the playoffs.

-- Portland was 7-5 in Saturday games during the regular season and this will be the first game for the club on the sixth day of the week in this year?s postseason.

-- Golden State has watched the ?under? go 5-2 in seven games without Durant in the lineup.

-- A popular NBA playoff system that?s been reported through various sports betting mediums is in play again on Saturday. Put simply, wager on any home team in the first-half in Game 3 when trailing 2-0 in a series. This angle was once a gold mine, connecting in the 80% range but like any great system, all things eventually temper off. The oddsmakers have adjusted, probably too much, knowing that bettors are into the angle and that?s why Portland is laying more in the 1st half (-3) on Saturday than on the game line (-2). The concept makes sense as you expect the home team to fire out of the chute and leave it all on the line for the first 24 minutes. It doesn?t always work out and it?s gone 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in this postseason. The Pacers got squeezed for the non-cover in the first round due to the inflated number.

 

[Cnotes53]

Blazers head home for Game 3, down 2-0
May 17, 2019
By The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard says Golden State did its job and protected home court. Now it's time for the Trail Blazers to do the same.

The Western Conference finals between the upstart Blazers and the defending champion Warriors shifts to Portland on Saturday with Golden State holding a 2-0 advantage.

The Blazers were up 15 points at the half and led by eight with 4+ minutes left before the Warriors rallied - boosted by Kevon Looney's dunk with less than a minute left, and a game-sealing steal from Andre Iguodala - for a 114-111 victory in Game 2 on Thursday night.

Golden State capped the game with a 14-3 run to avoid falling into a tie in the best-of-seven series.

''Lost the game, but you know, their job was to take care of their home floor, and we've got an opportunity to do the same thing,'' Lillard said.

Lillard, who grew up just a few miles from Oracle Arena, finished with 23 point and 10 assists, but was thwarted by Golden State's defense, including Iguodala's at the end. CJ McCollum had 22 points in Portland's eighth straight playoff loss to the Warriors since 2016.

''We've got to bring that same energy at home, understand that this is the first time in 19 years we've been in the conference final,'' McCollum said. ''I know they (the fans) will be excited and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity playing at home and building on what we've done.

''Being down 0-2, it's not what you would like to see but it's our reality, so now we got to go get some at home.''

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 37 points. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said experience pushed Golden State at the end after Portland's dominant play for most of the game.

''We've done this a few times, and yeah, we stole it for sure,'' Kerr said.

Golden State, vying for a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals, won the opening game against the Blazers 116-94, with Curry scoring 36 points to lead the way.

The series so far, and particularly Game 2, has been an entertaining battle between Curry and his younger brother Seth, who plays for the Blazers. It is the first time that brothers have played each other in a conference final.

The younger Curry had 16 points and four steals off the bench on Thursday, including a steal on his brother. Seth Curry even engaged in a little trash talk when his brother was at the free throw line as the game wound down.

''This was like the coolest experience I think I've ever had playing against him. We talked about the stage and he was amazing tonight,'' Steph Curry said. ''You know, every minute he was out there defensively, he was a pest. Made three big shots the fourth quarter that were very timely.''

He added with a smile that it must have been nerve-wracking for his parents, ''but it worked out perfectly tonight: He played well and we won.''

Game 3 will be the first conference final game in Portland since 2000. The Blazers lost that series to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

''I know they are going to be excited,'' Stephen Curry said in noting the atmosphere at the Moda Center. ''We've got to do whatever we can to hopefully take them out of it early. Knowing Portland is going to feed off that energy, it's going to be tough to win up there, so we got to bring it.''

Back at home, the Blazers won't need to deal with the return of Kevin Durant. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is still out with a right calf injury and isn't set to be re-examined until next week, meaning it's likely he'll miss the rest of this series.

Durant, who won't travel with the team to Portland, averaged 34.2 points in the playoffs before he was injured in the third quarter of Golden State's Game 5 victory over Houston.

The third-seeded Blazers bested Oklahoma City 4-1 in the opening round, then needed all seven games to get past the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals. The Warriors downed both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets in six games to get to the conference finals.

The winner in the West will go on to face the winner of the East series between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, May 18

Golden State @ Portland

Game 547-548
May 18, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
119.120
Portland
129.191
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 10
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 2 1/2
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-2 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 18

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GOLDEN STATE (67 - 29) at PORTLAND (61 - 35) - 5/18/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-54 ATS (-18.4 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-67 ATS (-22.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-28 ATS (-12.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-43 ATS (-13.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PORTLAND is 52-44 ATS (+3.6 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 50-36 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 51-33 ATS (+14.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 9-8 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 13-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 18

Golden State?s subs shot 11-18 from floor in 114-111 Game 2 win, a game Portland led by 15 at the half. Lillard/McCollum combined to go 26-70 from floor in first two games- no bueno. Warriors lost three of last four visits to Portland; over is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Over is 7-3 in last ten Portland games, 6-3-1 in Warriors? last ten. Portland?s bench (14-29 from floor, 41 points) was more productive Thursday, but not good enough. Steph Curry had 37 in Game 2; Green had 7 assists, 10 rebounds. Trailblazers won three of last four home games; they?re 3-3 vs spread in last six games as an underdog.




NBA

Saturday, May 18

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

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 5 of Golden State's last 7 games
Golden State is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Golden State's last 25 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing on the road against Portland

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games
Portland is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Portland's last 22 games at home
Portland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Portland's last 25 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Portland's last 13 games when playing at home against Golden State

 

[Cnotes53]

SATURDAY, MAY 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at POR 09:00 PM

POR -2.5

U 221.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Green, Warriors beat Blazers for 3-0 lead
May 18, 2019
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Draymond Green had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-99 on Saturday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Green had his seventh career postseason triple-double and Stephen Curry scored 36 points for Golden State, which moved a win away from a fifth straight trip to the NBA finals with Game 4 set for Monday.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it was one of the best games he's seen Green play.

''I don't even know what to say about Draymond,'' Kerr said. ''He was a wrecking ball, destroying everything in his path.''

CJ McCollum had 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 points in the second quarter. Damian Lillard added 19 points, but Portland was hurt at the line, making just 20 of 33 attempts.

Golden State's Andre Iguodala left in the third quarter with a sore lower leg. Kerr said he will have an MRI on Sunday. Iguodala played 17 minutes and had nine points.

After trailing 66-53 at the half, the Warriors mounted a third-quarter comeback to lead 82-79 going into the fourth. Jonas Jerebko's jumper pushed the lead to 90-82 with 7:26 left.

Curry's 3-pointer made it 98-87 with just under five minutes to go, and Portland struggled to catch up - similar to their fourth-quarter fade in Game 2.

Game 3 was the first conference finals game in Portland since 2000. The Blazers lost that series to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit to win in the playoffs. Only three series have gone to a seventh game after one team opened with a 3-0 lead.

''We're going to give it our best effort on Monday. That's all that matters,'' Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. ''We're going to give it our best effort and whatever happen, happens.''

On Thursday, the Blazers were up 15 at halftime and led by eight with 4 1/2 minutes left before the Warriors rallied - boosted by Kevon Looney's dunk with less than a minute left, and a game-sealing steal from Iguodala - for a 114-111 Game 2 victory.

Both teams switched up their lineups for Game 3, with Portland's Meyers Leonard making his first start of the playoffs at center. Enes Kanter, despite sustaining a separated shoulder in the first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, started in all the previous games. Leonard provided a spark and finished with a career playoff-high 16 points.

Kerr started Damian Jones, who hadn't started since December and had made just two previous appearances in the playoffs. Jones, who played in just 24 games in the regular season because of a torn pectoral muscle, collected three fouls in the game's opening three minutes and headed to the bench.

The Warriors remained without Kevin Durant, and it's unlikely he'll return during the conference finals. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is still out with a right calf injury and isn't set to be re-examined until next week.

Durant, who didn't travel with the team to Portland, averaged 34.2 points in the playoffs before he was injured in the third quarter of Golden State's Game 5 victory over Houston.

Portland was boosted by the home crowd at the start, going up by 10 points in the first quarter. Seth Curry's jumper made it 60-42 with 2:28 left until halftime.

The Warriors roared back, closing within 76-75 on Alfonzo McKinnie's basket and pulling ahead on Looney's layup to cap a 10-0 run.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Jones was making his first career postseason start. ... The Warriors have used six different starting lineups in the 2019 playoffs. Jerebko was handed a flagrant I for a foul on Zach Collins in the second quarter.

Trail Blazers: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was among the fans at the game. Also there was Sabrina Ionescu, who was on the Oregon team that went to the Final Four this season, and former Blazer Scottie Pippen (1999-2003).

UP NEXT

Game 4 is set for Monday night in Portland.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 19, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 20, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 21, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


05/18/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/17/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/14/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/12/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/10/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/09/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/08/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/07/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/06/2019 1-2-1 33.33% -6.00
05/05/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/04/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.00
05/02/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals..............20-25-1 44.44% -38.00


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


BEST BETS:

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


05/18/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/17/2019............,0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................0 - 1..................-5.50.............-11.00
05/15/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/14/2019.............1 - 0...................+5.00....................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/12/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50.............-1.00
05/10/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-11.00
05/09/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50............-11.50
05/08/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-1.00
05/07/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-11.50
05/06/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 0..................+5.00.............-6.00
05/05/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-1.00
05/04/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/03/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-11.50
05/02/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


Totals...................7 - 16.....................-53.00..................13 - 9.................+15.50...........-37.50


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

? Are the Jets trying to hire Peyton Manning as their new GM?

? Memphis now has the #1 recruiting class in college hoop this spring.

? Braves 4, Brewers 3? Freddie Freeman with a walk-off homer.

? Twins 18, Mariners 4? Seattle started season 13-3; they?re 9-23 since then.

? Angels 6, Royals 3? Mike Trout hit his 250th career home run.

? In case you were wondering, 80 years ago this week, a Princeton-Columbia baseball game was televised, the first sporting event ever televised.


**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Warriors 110, Trailblazers 99? Looks like the two conference finals could be very short series. I?ve said this before, but basketball doesn?t need best-of-7 series. Would be way better with best-of-3 series, with a best-of-5 final; imagine the drama?

Kevin Durant?s first game against the Warriors next year has to be on national TV, right? Opening night? Christmas?

12) Earlier this year, a guy at Caesers Palace in Las Vegas bet $20,000 that Eldrick Woods would NOT win all four majors this year, so when Woods missed the cut at the PGA Friday, the guy won his bet, which paid him off a handsome $20.

He risked $20,000 to win $20. Oy.

11) Astros? pitching coach Brent Strom was the 2nd guy to have Tommy John surgery back in the 60?s, which means he came close to being the first guy to have Brent Strom surgery.

10) Former NFL QB David Carr works on NFL Network now; this week, Carr left Joe Montana out of his list of the top 10 QB?s in the Super Bowl era.

If you know me, you know I?ve been a Ram fan since the mid-60?s and I?m no Notre Dame fan, so Montana isn?t my favorite player, but good grief, you lose credibility when you leave him off a top 10 list of QB?s in the last 53 years.

9) Orioles averaged 30,805 fans per home game in 2014; they?re averaging 15,720 this year. Its not that they?re losing, its that they have no chance of winning- there?s a difference.

From 2012-16, Baltimore won the most games in the AL; now? Not so much.

8) College basketball transfer portal:
? South Dakota State G David Jenkins bolts to UNLV.
? Javonte Smart is coming back to LSU next year; must pay well to play ball there.

7) Baseball stuff:
? Minnesota put DH Nelson Cruz (wrist) on the IL.
? Washington put P Anibal Sanchez (hamstring) on IL.
? White Sox put P Manny Banuelos (shoulder) on IL.

6) Rick Porcello is the last major league pitcher to throw a shutout where he didn?t strike anyone out- that happened in 2014.

5) From CNN.com: ?Local, state and federal law enforcement conducted a massive heroin bust in Connecticut on Friday, resulting in 51 arrests and the seizure of guns, $15,000 in cash and thousands of bags of heroin packaged for sale.?

I have a question; what happens to all that heroin? What happens to the money? Seriously, inquiring minds would like to know.

4) White Sox 4, Blue Jays 1 (5)? Ryan Feierabend made his first MLB appearance in five years; it was his first start in the majors since 2008. This game was shortened by rain.

3) If the Bruins win the Stanley Cup this spring, then Boston would have the reigning champs in the NHL, MLB and the NFL. Last time that happened? Detroit, in 1935.

2) Joke of the Day: Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon?

Great food, no atmosphere.

1) May 19 is a sad day in my house; my dad passed away four years ago tonight. He was a terrific guy; loved golf, the Mets, Knicks and his weekly football pools. He was a great example of what a person should be, and I miss him every day.

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

G3 - Bucks at Raptors
Kevin Rogers

The most dominating team from a pointspread standpoint in the playoffs is the top-seeded Bucks, who owns a 10-1 ATS record. Milwaukee travels to Toronto for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals seeking a 3-0 series advantage at Scotiabank Arena this evening.

After the Bucks rallied for a narrow cover in the series opener, Milwaukee jumped out to a commanding 25-point halftime lead in Thursday?s Game 2 at Fiserv Forum. In spite of a 39-point third quarter for Toronto, the Raptors never really threatened in a 125-103 setback as 6 ?-point underdogs to fall into a 2-0 series hole.

Milwaukee?s offense topped the 30+ point mark in a quarter only once in Game 1, but scored 30 or more in three separate quarters in Game 2, including a 35-point output in the opening 12 minutes. MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 30 points and 17 rebounds, while three Bucks came off the bench to produce double-figure scoring, paced by 17 points from Eryan Ilyasova. For the second straight game, the Bucks weren?t great from three-point range by shooting 13-of-41, but knocked down 26 free throws and won third Game 2 of a series this postseason by more than 20 points.

Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 31 points for Toronto, although he connected on just one three-pointer in four attempts. Kyle Lowry was terrific in the series opener with 30 points, but the Raptors? guard continued his inconsistent playoff ways by scoring 15 points in Game 2, including a 2-of-9 effort from downtown. The only other Raptor to score in double-figures was Norman Powell with 14 off the bench as Pascal Siakam scored fewer than 10 points for only the second time in the playoffs.

The Raptors actually shot better in Game 2 than Game 1 from the floor (42% compared to 37%), but Toronto managed only 39 points in the opening half. Somehow, Toronto equaled their first half output in the third quarter, as the Raptors drilled five three-pointers during that 39-point spurt after halftime. The Raptors were able to trim a 28-point deficit in the third down to 13, but that?s as close as they got to fall into their first 2-0 hole on the road in the playoffs since the 2017 second round against Cleveland.

Toronto started the postseason with a solid 4-2 ATS record, but the Atlantic division champions have gone backwards in that department recently by covering in just two of the past eight games. The Raptors return north of the border trying to improve on a 4-3 ATS mark at Scotiabank Arena in the playoffs, while not allowing over 100 points at home in the past six postseason contests.

After watching the two teams combine for 228 points in Game 2, the oddsmakers opened the Game 3 total at 220 ? and that?s the highest number posted in the first three games of this series. Chris David weighs in on the adjustment and provides his lean for Sunday?s total.

He said, ?I?m not buying the move up by the oddsmakers and I believe we?re in for a grinder on Sunday even though Milwaukee has the potential to explode offensively on any given night. It?s crazy to realize that the Bucks are averaging 116.5 PPG in this series and the 3-point shooting has been off by their standards. Plus, that?s against a very solid Raptors defense that was allowing 96.9 PPG in the playoffs. What goes unnoticed about Milwaukee is its defense, which is only surrendering 101.4 PPG in the 14 postseason games. The worst efforts from that unit came in Game 1 of the second round, allowing 112 to Boston and the opener in this series when Toronto scored 100 points. Both those results came off layoffs and the Bucks looked flat and rusty. In every other playoff matchup on one or two days of rest, the defense has been very solid.?

?I?m assuming Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has to know by now that he can?t win a shootout, so I would expect him to slow down the game at home and muck it up. That approach has worked with Toronto so far, with the club allowing 90.4 PPG in five playoff wins at home. The Bucks came away with two road wins in this year?s regular season meetings between the pair from Canada but they only averaged 104.5 PPG. That was enough to get past Toronto, who struggled with an average of 95.5 PPG and not surprisingly the ?under? connected in both of those games. I?m expecting a similar outcome here and along with the game ?under? on Sunday, I believe a look at the Bucks Team Total Under (108 ?) is in play too,? David added.

Toronto has watched the ?under? go 5-2 at home in the playoffs while Milwaukee is 3-1 to the ?over? as a visitor in the postseason.

NBA expert Tony Mejia provides his thoughts headed into Game 3, ?The Raptors have to flush Game 2 and concentrate on executing at home, where they?ve shown all season that they can beat anybody. While a lot went wrong in Milwaukee, Toronto was able to keep the Bucks from imposing their will in the third quarter, which is where the East?s top seed had gained the most separation through the first two rounds of this postseason.?

?It lost the third in Game 1 by a single point and made a run coming out of the locker room on Friday night, ultimately winning the quarter 39-31. Nurse can also take solace in Powell and Fred VanVleet and demonstrating a pulse since his team?s bench had been virtually non-existent for weeks now. At home, facing a must-win situation, this could be a spot where the Raps finally see it all come together exactly one week following the best moment in franchise history to keep Leonard?s Game 7 heroics against the 76ers from becoming a token consolation prize. Riding Toronto in the first and third quarters seems like the play here,? Mejia notes.

The Bucks are listed as a 2 ?-point underdog heading into Game 3, as Milwaukee won in both instances as a ?dog at Boston in the second round. Mike Budenholzer?s team own a solid 9-2 ATS mark when receiving points this season, while winning in both regular season matchups at Toronto, each as a ?dog.

 

[Cnotes53]

549Milwaukee -550 Toronto
MILWAUKEE is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) in playoff games in the current season.


NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, May 19


Milwaukee @ Toronto

Game 549-550
May 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
121.609
Toronto
130.786
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 9
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 3
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-3); Over


NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 19

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

MILWAUKEE (70 - 23) at TORONTO (66 - 30) - 5/19/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 70-112 ATS (-53.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 57-33 ATS (+20.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 44-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) against Atlantic division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all playoff games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 32-23 ATS (+6.7 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-26 ATS (+17.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 34-42 ATS (-12.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
TORONTO is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 42-56 ATS (-19.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 23-36 ATS (-16.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 35-43 ATS (-12.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 11-8 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-9 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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


NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, May 19

Milwaukee was up 25 at the half Friday, grabbed 2-0 series lead; Bucks have had a lead of 20+ points in seven of their 11 playoff games this spring- they were +5 in 13:00 Antetokounmpo sat out Friday. Toronto has to win the minutes he is on bench, or this will be very short series. Bucks won six of last seven games with Toronto; they won/covered last three visits to Canada. Six of last nine series games went over. Milwaukee won its last six games overall, scoring 117.8 ppg; over is 6-4 in their last ten games. Underdogs covered seven of last nine series games.


NBA

Sunday, May 19

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

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 18 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games on the road
Milwaukee is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Milwaukee is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Toronto's last 15 games
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games at home
Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Toronto is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, MAY 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIL at TOR 07:00 PM

MIL +2.0

U 220.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Raptors beat Bucks 118-112 in 2 OT
May 19, 2019
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TORONTO (AP) Pascal Siakam felt guilty about a pair of missed free throws and the extra minutes they added to his teammates' night.

Fortunately for Siakam and the rest of the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard didn't seem to feel any fatigue.

Leonard scored 36 points, including eight in the second overtime, and Toronto beat Milwaukee 118-112 on Sunday night to cut the Bucks' lead in the Eastern Conference finals to 2-1.

Leonard made 11 of 25 shots and went 12 for 13 at the free throw line in more than 52 minutes of action, a playoff career high.

''At the end of the game, Kawhi said he played an hour of basketball,'' Siakam said. ''I told him `My bad.'''

Leonard had nine rebounds and five assists despite appearing to be bothered by some leg discomfort.

''I'm feeling all right,'' Leonard said. ''This is playoff basketball. Everybody's hurting so I've just got to keep fighting.''

Leonard's previous career high in playoff minutes was 46, set with San Antonio against Miami in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 18, 2013. The Spurs lost that game in overtime, then lost Game 7 two days later.

Siakam had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Norman Powell scored 19 points before fouling out, and Marc Gasol had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Raptors will try to draw even when they host Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 12 points and 23 rebounds before fouling out with 4:24 to go in the second overtime. Antetokounmpo shot 5 for 16.

''They were just playing better than us,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Whenever we got close, they'd hit some shots and take the lead back to seven or eight. At the end of the day, it wasn't our best game. We can get a lot better.''

Toronto won despite guards Kyle Lowry and Powell both fouling out in the fourth quarter. Siakam also missed a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds left in regulation that could have iced the game for the Raptors.

''It's tough,'' Siakam said. ''Those are shots that you practice and think about every day.''

Siakam redeemed himself by blocking a potential tying shot by Brook Lopez with 43 seconds to go in the second overtime, leading to a layup for Leonard that put Toronto up 114-110 with just over 30 seconds to play.

George Hill scored 24 points and Malcolm Brogdon had 20 for the Bucks, who lost for the first time in five road games this postseason. Milwaukee is 10-2 overall in the playoffs.

''We were right on the cusp of winning a game when we didn't play that well,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The Raptors led 103-99 with 1:26 to go in the first overtime but Hill tied it at 103 by making a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left. Toronto used its final timeout to draw up a play for Leonard, who let the clock run down to 3 seconds before driving for a jumper that missed, sending it to a second extra period.

Hill's tiebreaking basket to begin the second overtime put Milwaukee up 105-103, its first lead since the opening basket of the game.

Gasol answered with a 3 and Leonard finished a fast break with a left-handed dunk, putting Toronto up 108-105 with 3:13 left.

Khris Middleton shot 3 for 16, but one of his baskets tied the score with 2.2 seconds to go in regulation. He finished with nine points.

After suggesting Saturday that he might change his lineup, Raptors coach Nick Nurse stuck with his normal starters, but gave Powell 30 minutes, the most he's played in any game this postseason.

''We just played a lot tougher, man,'' Nurse said. ''We were up guarding and we were physical and we were ready to play tonight.''

Toronto fell behind 9-0 early in a blowout loss in Game 2, but turned that around in Game 3. After Antetokounmpo made a layup for the opening basket of the game, Siakam replied with a hook shot, Gasol followed with a 3 and the Raptors didn't trail again in regulation.

Powell scored 10 points on five shots in the first, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Toronto led 30-21. Gasol, who had eight points in Games 1 and 2 combined, also made two from long range and scored eight in the first.

''After a tough Game 2 personally, you want to come out and get rid of the bad taste,'' Gasol said.

Gasol played with five fouls for part of the fourth quarter and the entire overtime.

''He's a big reason why they were able to win,'' Budenholzer said.

Leonard scored 11 points in the second and Lowry added eight, but Pat Connaughton made two of Milwaukee's five 3-pointers as the Bucks closed the gap. The Raptors led 58-51 at halftime.

Toronto took a narrow 77-75 lead into the fourth.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Milwaukee made six turnovers in the first quarter, leading to 10 points for the Raptors. They finished with 20, leading to 21 points for Toronto. ... The Bucks shot 7 for 21 in the opening quarter. Five of their made baskets were 3-pointers.

Raptors: Toronto's Danny Green missed his first eight shots before hitting a tiebreaking 3 to open the scoring in the first overtime. ... The Raptors recorded an assist on 17 of their first 18 baskets. ... Gasol had four assists in the first quarter. He finished with seven. ... Comedian Mike Myers attended the game.

NO SHOT

Antetokounmpo and Lopez each made five field goals, but no other Bucks starter had more than three. Milwaukee's starters shot 19 for 69, with Middleton and Bledsoe each going 3 for 16.

''Just one of those games,'' Hill said. ''We're not worried about it.''

AYE AYE EYE

VanVleet needed stitches to close a cut below his left eye after he caught an elbow late in the game.

END OF THE LINE

Leonard entered having made 20 consecutive free throws. He made his first of the game but missed the second. Lowry holds the Raptors' playoff record for consecutive free throws, making 25 straight in 2014.

UP NEXT

Game 4 is Tuesday night in Toronto.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 20, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 21, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 23, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Toronto Raptors Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 24, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 25, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:35 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 26, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/19/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/18/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/17/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/14/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/12/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/10/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/09/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/08/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/07/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
05/06/2019 1-2-1 33.33% -6.00
05/05/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/04/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.00
05/02/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50

Totals..............20-27-1 42.55% -49.00


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


BEST BETS:

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


05/19/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-11.00
05/18/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/17/2019............,0 - 1....................-5.50.....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50.....................0 - 1..................-5.50.............-11.00
05/15/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/14/2019.............1 - 0...................+5.00....................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/12/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50.............-1.00
05/10/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50....................0 - 1...................-5.50.............-11.00
05/09/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50............-11.50
05/08/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-1.00
05/07/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1...................-0.50.............-11.50
05/06/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 0..................+5.00.............-6.00
05/05/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50.....................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-1.00
05/04/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/03/2019.............0 - 2....................-11.00...................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-11.50
05/02/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00....................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................1 - 0.................+5.00..............-0.50


Totals...................7 - 17.....................-58.50..................13 - 10.................+10.00...........-48.50


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

APRILS NBA BEST BETS


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

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds to win the US Open golf tournament next month:

5-1? Brooks Koepka

8-1? Dustin Johnson

12-1? Eldrick Woods

14-1? Rory McIlroy

16-1? Justin Rose

20-1? Day, Fowler, Rahm, Smith, Thomas


**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: In a perfect world, where I made all the decisions??

13) Kids could go right from high school to the NBA; going to school for only one year is a farce, so if a kid goes to college, then he is there for at least two years. College baseball has that rule, but I think it is three years for them.

12) Both leagues would have the DH; this will happen in a couple years. Add a player or two to rosters, to appease the players? union.


11) NFL would have an 18-game regular season, only two preseason games; Super Bowl would be Sunday night of Presidents? Day weekend.

10) College football teams wouldn?t play I-AA opponents; SEC teams do this a lot. Last year, Alabama played The Citadel, Ole Miss played Southern Illinois, South Carolina played Tenn-Chattanooga. Seriously? Go play a MAC team or a Sun Belt team, at least.

9) Online poker would be made legal so the poker companies would advertise on TV and ESPN would start replaying the World Series of Poker again, like they used to. The stuff ESPN puts on in daytime on weekdays is mostly terrible. Mike Greenberg, Stephen A Smith both make around $6M a year, a tremendous waste of money.

Listening to talking heads in contrived arguments is a waste of electricity. Much rather watch people play cards, or replays of games, actual competition.

8) As far as college basketball transfers go, if you poach a transfer from a team, then you have to go play a game in that team?s gym. Most of the teams that poach transfers are way better than the teams they poach from anyway, but they often don?t have the onions to play road games.

By way of explanation, over the last seven seasons, Duke has played only three non-conference road games, all mandated by the ACC-Big 14 challenge. When Duke poached Seth Curry from Liberty, they should have had to go there and play a true road game.

7) I would take the radios out of NFL players? helmets; coaches have six days to prepare their teams to play. Gameday should be the players? day; let the QB?s call their own plays, which would make the game lot more exciting. QB?s calling the plays would make the game more fun.

6) I?d eliminate the American/National Leagues and go to geographic realignment, which would reduce travel costs and invigorate regional rivalries. Going to 32 teams (which will happen soon) will make scheduling a lot easier.

5) NBA playoff series would be best-of-3, with finals best-of-5. Less games, more drama; it is more interesting when the best team has a chance to lose. Would the NCAA tournament be at all interesting if a 16-seed played Duke/Kentucky best-of-3?

4) I?d get rid of the Electoral College in our presidential election; whoever gets the most votes wins, just like in all the other elections.

3) Would definitely move the NBA Draft Lottery back to a half hour before the actual draft; imagine the drama then? Lot of executives would have to think on their feet.

2) You want to make baseball?s All-Star Game more interesting? Make it USA vs the World, and it?ll become a serious game fairly quickly. Maybe too serious.

1) Would like to make people happier; nowadays, there is so much anger in the world. There is a lot less tolerance of others than there used to be. You be you, and let others do what they do. Cheer the bleep up!!!!

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

G4 - Warriors at Blazers
Kevin Rogers

There isn?t much that can stop the Warriors on their way to a fifth straight Western Conference title. Not even playing without Kevin Durant for four consecutive games, including three in the conference finals. And rallying from a 17-point deficit in Game 2 and an 18-point deficit in Game 3 is old hat for Golden State, who is looking to knock out Portland for the third time in the last four postseasons.

The Blazers built a 62-45 advantage in the second quarter of Game 2 at Oracle Arena, but Portland was limited to 46 points after halftime in a 114-111 setback. Portland returned to the Moda Center for Game 3 on Saturday night seeking its sixth victory in seven home playoff games and an opportunity to sneak back into this series.

For the second straight game, the Blazers came out on fire as they led the champs, 60-42 late in the first half. Once again, the Warriors made the necessary ?halftime adjustments? and outscored Portland in the second half, 57-33 to grab a 110-99 victory and improve to 5-2 away from Oakland in the playoffs.

No KD, no problem for the Warriors as Golden State rode the three-headed monster of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to its 11th playoff victory in 12 tries against Portland since 2016. Curry continued to torch the Blazers by scoring at least 36 points for the third consecutive game in this series, while hitting 6-of-16 attempts from three-point range. Green posted his third triple-double of the postseason with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Thompson scored 19 points, representing the only three Warriors to reach double-figures.

The key to Portland?s success in this series (or any other series) is the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combining for at least 50 points. The Blazers went 7-1 in the first two rounds against the Thunder and Nuggets when Lillard and McCollum topped the 50-point mark. Through the first three games against Golden State, the Portland pair scored 36, 45, and 42 points, which has not been a recipe for success.

In Game 3, Lillard continued his recent playoff struggles by hitting 5-of-18 shots and scoring 19 points, while McCollum put up 23 points, including a 2-of-10 effort from three-point range. The starting frontcourt of Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu combined for only eight points, while Portland missed 24 three-point attempts and misfired on 13 free throws.

Since 2015, the Warriors own a 5-3 SU/ATS when leading a playoff series, 3-0 with all eight contests coming away from Oracle Arena. Golden State last swept the Western Conference finals in 2017 when the Warriors wiped out the Spurs by 14 points in Game 4. All five of these victories by the Warriors in this span came by double-digits, including a 25-point rout of the Blazers in the 2017 first round.

NBA expert Tony Mejia checks in with his thoughts on Game 4, ?The knowledge that Lillard is playing through separated ribs isn?t going to affect the Warriors? game plan. Golden State is still going to send extra bodies his way to keep him from getting comfortable and make others beat him. At this point, given the second-half droughts that have impacted this series, Steve Kerr is quite comfortable with his strategy. Terry Stotts has already tweaked things by starting Meyers Leonard instead of Enes Kanter to run offense through him along the perimeter and has altered his rotation some."

?Lillard and others have missed good looks, so being on the verge of a sweep for the third straight year has been a collective collapse. For that reason, the Blazers remain dangerous, because it?s going to be very important to this group that they don?t go out at home or have to think about getting the broom treatment for another summer. If Green can?t manage to raise the Warriors? intensity level the way he was able to in Game 3, taking points for pride?s sake shouldn?t be dismissed. We all saw the Blazers? spirit get broken in Game 3, but the Warriors will have to beat them back for another 48 minutes on Monday night. That?s likely to be easier said than done. Teams facing a sweep against Golden State have gone 2-4 over the past few seasons,? Mejia said.

After closing as a 2 ?-point underdog in Game 3, the Warriors are flipped to a four-point favorite in Monday?s potential close-out game. Durant will be sidelined once again for Golden State to no one?s surprise and likely will not suit up at the earliest until the opener of the NBA Finals.

 

[Cnotes53]

501Golden State -502 Portland
PORTLAND is 12-1 ATS (10.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.


NBA
Dunkel

Monday, May 20

Golden State @ Portland

Game 501-502
May 20, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
128.775
Portland
120.850
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 8
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 3 1/2
217
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-3 1/2); Under


NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, May 20

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GOLDEN STATE (68 - 29) at PORTLAND (61 - 36) - 5/20/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-54 ATS (-17.4 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 36-49 ATS (-17.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-36 ATS (-16.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-67 ATS (-21.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-49 ATS (-19.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-28 ATS (-11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-43 ATS (-12.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PORTLAND is 97-79 ATS (+10.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 50-37 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 93-66 ATS (+20.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 9-9 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 14-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 20

How badly do the Warriors want some time off? Win here gets them some free time. Portland led last two games by 15-13 points at halftime, lost both; now comes word that Lillard is playing thru separated ribs that happened in Game 2. Lillard/McCollum combined to go 38-108 from floor in first three games? can?t beat Golden State that way. Curry has 73 points the last two games; Green had a triple-double in Game 3. Warriors? bench was combined +31 in Game 3, and two of their subs are starting now, with Durant/Cousins out. Portland is 3-3 vs spread in last six games as an underdog; they were favored Saturday, but not here.


NBA

Monday, May 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Golden State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Portland
Golden State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing on the road against Portland

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games at home
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games when playing at home against Golden State
Portland is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Portland's last 14 games when playing at home against Golden State

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MAY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at POR 09:00 PM

GS -3.0

U 219.0