Cnotes53 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[Cnotes53]

Rockets, Warriors head west
May 18, 2018

Game 3 - No. 1 Houston Rockets vs. No. 2 Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors aren?t invincible, as the Houston Rockets had no trouble knotting up the Western Conference Finals at one game apiece with a dominant showing last time out. Despite the speed bump, the Warriors will head home with the chance to take a big lead in this best-of-seven series if they can protect home court.

One of these teams will re-take the series lead next time out in Game 3. Golden State is the favorite and hopes to feed off the energy of the home crowd. It?s rare for the Warriors to start a series on the road, but the Rockets finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA.

Houston proved it won?t go down easily in this series and it can really stoke the flames by pulling off an upset next time out in NBA basketball betting lines.

Game 3 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.

We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Odds Analysis

The Warriors are listed as 7.5-point favorites for Game 3. The first two games had very small spreads in Houston but it?s larger now that favored Golden State is at home. More than 57 percent of the action is on the Warriors to cover the spread, which would mean a relatively easy victory.

The scoring total is listed at 226.5 points, which is a bit higher than in Game 2, when the ?over? was the correct choice. These were the two highest-scoring teams in the NBA during the regular season and it is no surprise that. The ?under? is the more popular choice as more than 62 percent of the action is headed that way.

Golden State is a -360 favorite on the moneyline, while the Rockets are listed as +289 underdogs. The Rockets are getting nearly 85 percent of the action as the payoff is lucrative and they have the firepower to pull the upset.

Last Time Out

There wasn?t much doubt in Game 2 as the Rockets jumped out to a comfortable halftime lead and remained on the gas, gradually pulling away and turning the game into a laugher by the fourth quarter. Houston won the game 127-105 to knot the series at 1. James Harden led the way with 27 points but the key to the Rockets? success was balance in this one as the complementary pieces fared much better than in the Game 1 loss.

Eric Gordon poured in 27 points off the bench on 8-of-15 shooting, as his three-point barrage was a big key. P.J. Tucker added 22 points after a quiet Game 1 and Trevor Ariza added 19 points and six assists.

Kevin Durant showed up for the Warriors with 38 points, but the other members of the team?s dominant quartet all struggled. Steph Curry shot just 7-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-8 from three-point range, finishing with 16 points. Klay Thompson shot even worse and had only eight points while Draymond Green finished with six points, six rebounds and six assists. It?s rare for three of the Warriors? Big Four to all struggle and they should bounce back with a vengeance next time out.

Injury Report

Rockets standout point guard Chris Paul suffered a leg injury in Game 2, as he was limping on it in the second half and had it wrapped while sitting on the bench of the fourth quarter of the blowout. Houston says it is nothing serious, and that is a sigh of relief for the team if true. While Harden is the team?s best player, Paul is an important cog and the team needs him healthy to have a shot at winning this series.

Keep an eye on his status in the days leading up to this game. If the injury is a problem, Paul will benefit for several days of rest. He should be fine but any lingering effect could change the spread and moneyline odds.

Free NBA ATS Picks

The Warriors may be the better team, but not by this much. Golden State is the right pick to win Game 3, as Thompson, Green and Curry should have better performances. However, the Rockets are one of the best teams Golden State has seen during its recent dominant run, and this game could come down to the wire.

The Warriors will take a 2-1 series lead, but it won?t be easy. Take Houston to cover in NBA basketball gambling.

Best Bet: Warriors 116, Rockets 111

 

[Cnotes53]

Rockets head into Game 3 confident
May 18, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) The Rockets have reason to feel good, tied with Golden State after winning Game 2 in a rout in the Western Conference finals.

But a big challenge awaits Sunday at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have won an NBA-record tying 15 straight playoff games.

Houston coach Mike D'Antoni knows all about Golden State's success in Oakland, but thinks it has less to do with being at home than the fact that the Warriors are a great team.

''The challenge is you're playing Golden State. That's why they've won 15 in a row. Not because of the building, but because they're good,'' he said. ''All these players are used to playing in hostile environments ... it helps a little bit (but) sometimes you feed off the energy also from the other crowd. So you try to take them out as soon as you can and take out the crowd.''

The Rockets aren't daunted by Golden State's winning streak there and are looking forward to the challenge.

''It's definitely a great place to play,'' Trevor Ariza said. ''Their fans are great. They bring a lot of energy to the game. At this point there's nothing like playing in that type of environment and trying to silence them.''

Ariza was one of the keys to Houston's 127-105 win in Game 2 that helped erase the memory of Houston's tough home loss in the series opener. Ariza had 19 points as one of five Rockets who scored more than 16 points to rebound after an ineffective performance in Game 1 because of foul trouble.

While the Rockets know what happened in Game 2 won't matter if they don't take care of business on Sunday night, they do believe it gives them a bit of momentum.

''Yeah, just because we know we're more than capable of it,'' James Harden said. ''We've just got to go out there and do it every possession.''

Houston's 127 points were the most the team has scored this postseason. But they're quick to point out that their success on offense was the product of solid defense. That, they say, is the reason it won't be difficult to recreate what they did in Game 2 on Sunday night.

''It wasn't anything special that we did,'' Harden said. ''We just created more opportunities with our defense.''

Sunday will be just Houston's second game at Golden State this season and first since the Rockets got a 122-121 win on Oct. 17 in the opener for both teams on the night the Warriors received their championship rings.

''A lot has been going on since then,'' Harden said. ''But as long as we take those same principles and that mindset that we have, no matter where we play, we'll be pretty good.''

Kevin Durant has scored 75 points combined in the first two games to lead the Warriors, but Stephen Curry hasn't really gotten going yet as he rounds into form after missing almost two months with a knee injury. The Rockets know the 2015 and 2016 Most Valuable Player is capable of having a huge game at any time and they must account for him at all times, just as they do with Durant and Klay Thompson.

''I just think everybody on their team can shoot,'' Ariza said. ''When they're in a scoring position, you just have to give some sort of resistance. Try to make them think about doing other things.''

The Warriors have much more experience at this level of the postseason with this being their franchise-record fourth straight trip to the conference finals. But Houston has plenty of veteran leadership led by nine-time All-Star Chris Paul, who said it's easy to look forward regardless of how the last game went.

''It feels like Game 2 was a week ago now,'' he said. ''That's how it is in the playoffs ... we've done a great job all year staying even-keeled. We tried not to get too high or too low.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Stephen Curry, Warriors unconcerned
May 18, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry has absolutely no concerns about his 3-point touch, so he's counting on the first one he takes going in.

''I have confidence in myself and my teammates have confidence in me to do what I need to do,'' the two-time MVP said Friday. ''Never worry about it because I know how hard I work at it. It's not a false sense of confidence. I know how hard I work at what I do.''

His teammates and coach also say enough with the panic about Curry already. Kevin Durant doesn't even want to hear about any shooting struggles: he considers Curry the best shooter on the planet, and so be it if he shows he's human, too, once in a while. This is after all the same sweet shooter who broke his own NBA record for 3s in a single season by hitting 402 in 2015-16.

''When Steph misses a shot everybody gets up in arms about it. That's how great he is. So many people expect him to make every single shot. Sometimes it doesn't happen,'' Durant said. ''I knew the next couple days was going to be about Steph struggling to shoot the ball but that's the last thing I worry about with Steph. I've just got so much confidence in him on the offensive side of the basketball.''

Still, Curry has just one 3-pointer in each of the first two games of the Warriors' Western Conference finals series with the Rockets as the best-of-seven showdown shifts to Oracle Arena for Game 3 on Sunday night notched at 1 game apiece.

He is shooting 15 for 34 overall from the floor, missing 11 of his 13 3-point tries.

''I've gone 0 for 11 before shooting 3s, 1 for 8. Whatever the case is, you're always shooting that next shot with the optimism and the confidence that it's going in,'' Curry said. ''So you can work on stuff in between practices and games and get your rhythm, just seeing the ball go in, work on your mechanics, but never lose confidence in myself ever. And that'll never change.''

During his extensive shooting work Friday, Curry yelled out ''Ahhh!'' in frustration a few times. He hollered ''Oh my goodness!'' and ''Crazier things have happened!''

Durant just shook his head and noted, ''If you worry about missed 3s with Steph Curry ...'' then carried on about the Houston defense and how impressed he is that Curry has improvised and taken opportunities to drive to the rim when the Rockets switch out on him in an effort to protect the 3-point line.

Curry referred to his personal shooting coach, Bruce Fraser, as ''sensei,'' or teacher. They talk in depth about what kind of workout Curry needs on any given day to feel right with his shot .

Curry understands the scrutiny. Golden State took a 127-105 beating from Chris Paul, James Harden and the Rockets on Wednesday night in Houston.

''It's something to talk about and we obviously lost so you can try to pinpoint stuff or reasons,'' Curry said. ''And obviously I didn't have to talk to any of y'all to wake up and know I didn't play well in Game 2. That doesn't change my outlook on the series or what I need to do. If I don't shoot the ball well in Game 3 it won't change a thing about the way I approach the next one. You come to the game with the right intentions, the right approach and more times than not it will work out in your favor.''

Curry feels great physically. He missed nearly six weeks with a sprained left knee he injured March 23 before he came back for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans. Coach Steve Kerr believes it's far tougher to return from an injury during the pressure-packed playoffs, with no time to ease in with games that don't matter or have near the same magnitude.

''I think Steph's healthy, he's moving fine,'' Kerr said. ''But this is more rhythm than anything. You come back from six weeks in the regular season, chances are you're going to have a game where nobody's focused and the other team's playing their fourth in five nights and the defense isn't that tough and you make a bunch of 3s and you just feel good.''

The playoffs, Kerr said, are like facing the best pitcher in the World Series night after night.

Curry is up for the challenge.

''Just waking up every day with optimism and confidence in myself and where I'm at. That's all I can really kind of speak on,'' Curry said. ''There isn't time to kind of coast or ease your way into it, especially with the intensity and pressure and all that stuff, so you've got to be ready.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday's Best Bets
May 19, 2018

NBA Western Conference Finals Best Bet

Houston vs. Golden State ? Game 3

After way too many days off for these two teams to travel out to Oakland for Games 3 and 4, the Western Conference Finals resume on Sunday and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is expecting the defending champs to roll on their home floor.

As impressive as Houston's blowout win in Game 2 was, many bettors out there are simply chalking it up to a very good team playing well and doing what they had to do, but in the same breath mentioning how this series is basically over and the Rockets better be prepared to be back at home for Game 5 down 3-1 in this series.

So will that be the case, or will Houston be able to build off that great Game 3 performance and shock about 99% of NBA fans out there?

Golden State (-7); Total set at 226.5

While the main argument of those who have been on Golden State from the start is to not over-react to one blowout loss on the road, I just don't see it that way. Yes, I know Golden State went through this last round against the Pelicans when they were blown out in Game 3, but the Rockets are exponentially better than New Orleans and won't be overmatched in Golden State as nearly the entire betting population would have you believe.

I mean it was a long time ago now, but Houston did make a statement on opening day of this season when they came into Oakland and left with an opening night victory. The Rockets are a veteran bunch that won't coward in hostile territory like the Pelicans did against these Warriors, and I expect a lot of the great things Houston did in Game 2 to bleed over into Game 3.

Now, without question there are strong arguments in favor of the defending champs, because after all they are the defending champs. The Warriors have won 15 straight home playoff games dating back to last year's title run, and this year their average margin of victory at home (6-0 SU and 3-3 ATS) has been 13.3 points per game. But I don't know anyone in their right mind who can legitimately compare what the Spurs and Pelicans brought to the table to what Houston will bring in terms of sheer talent, and if you just look at their three ATS home losses against those teams, their average margin of victory is just 7.3 points. Right where this number for Game 3 with Houston sits and likely a number all those Golden State backers believe to be a little low.

Knocking off the defending champions was never going to be an easy task, and even though everyone was proclaiming this series as 'over' after Houston dropped Game 1 at home, it really was just another minor hurdle the Rockets have to get over to get to their ultimate goal.

Heading to Game 3 in Oakland tied at a game apiece against a team that's been to three straight NBA Finals and has won the title twice in that span is not a horrible result, especially when you are a team like the Rockets who can not only match the Warriors firepower, but often times have no problems surpassing it when everything is clicking.

Everything was clicking in Game 2, and while that's unlikely to be the case in Game 3, this Houston team somewhat near their best is still fully capable of beating Golden State in any arena.

And while I know some of you will reach this point and think to yourselves, ?wow, this writer has completely over-reacted to Game 2,? know this for full disclosure. I have had series futures wagers in my pocket on Houston to win this series prior to the series (a play I was waiting all year to make), as well as taking a bit more on the same wager after Game 1. Take that for what you will in terms of this Game 3 play, but this Rockets team has not hid the fact that they built themselves to dethrone the Warriors, and what I saw in Game 2 is proof that this Finals run for Golden State about a week away from ending.

Houston will not waste this opportunity to build upon what they did in Game 2, so let the ?masses? keep spouting all of Golden State's virtues and writing off Houston as just another challenger that came close but was still nowhere near close enough. Being against the majority is nothing new for me, and the seeds of doubt that have begun to surface regarding Curry's health and play will be THE excuse Warriors backers cling to when Golden State does eventually go down. Those seeds will continue to grow after a Game 3 SU loss by the Warriors.

The Rockets took a minor page out of Boston's playbook when dealing with LeBron, as they seem willing to give Durant all the stats he wants as long as they shutdown everyone else, and if there are indeed injury concerns for Curry, that task only gets easier for Houston the rest of the way. Houston is the better team (this year) with more overall depth, and I fully expect them not to squander this opportunity in Game 3. The Rockets will steal back home court advantage with a SU win with similar play to what we saw from them in Game 2, and put all the pressure on the Warriors not wanting to be the ones to head back to Houston down 3-1 in the series.

Give me the points and a piece of the ML here.

Best Bets:

Houston +7

Houston ML +275

 

[Cnotes53]

Warriors eager to respond from loss
May 19, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) One good beating per series is plenty for Draymond Green and Golden State.

The Warriors got it in Game 2 at Houston, and now the defending champions plan to do what they seem to do best: bounce back with brilliance.

As the Western Conference finals showdown shifts to Oracle Arena for Sunday's Game 3, tied at one game apiece, the Warriors have spent the past few days discussing their Game 2 troubles and what they're striving to do in order not to be dominated again.

It's time to play.

''I think we're at our best when we feel threatened,'' Green said Saturday. ''Game 1 we felt threatened, we came out with a sense of urgency. Game 2 we maybe didn't feel as threatened and the sense of urgency wasn't there. I think you're allowed one of those a series. We've had our one, now it's time to lock in for the remainder of the series.''

And for the Warriors that starts on the defensive end against Chris Paul, James Harden and Co., because when they get stops it allows Golden State to get going in transition and find open looks from 3-point range that weren't there during a 127-105 Game 2 defeat Wednesday night at Houston. That was largely because the Rockets had ample time to set their defense following made baskets.

Houston is making sure not to get too high from its impressive result. The Rockets lost Game 1, 119-106.

''Feels like Game 2 was a week ago now. That's how it is in the playoffs,'' Paul said. ''I heard somebody say when you lose a game in the playoffs, you feel like you're never going to win again, and when you win, you feel like you're never going to lose again. We've done a great job all year staying even-keeled.''

The task gets tougher for the Rockets at one of the league's most imposing venues.

Golden State has won an NBA record-tying 15 straight postseason home games, matching the Chicago Bulls' mark from April 27, 1990-May 21, 1991.

''The Warriors at Oracle are a different story for sure,'' Stephen Curry said.

Coach Steve Kerr spoke last week to former Warriors coach Mark Jackson about Golden State's resiliency over years now.

Just as they did in losing once in each of the first two rounds, the Warriors hardly looked strong in Game 2. Kerr insists that rebounding from a bad loss is hardly about coaching, patting his chest to note that his players take it upon themselves based on their passion to respond from defeat.

''It's a series. We're not going to knock them out in one game,'' Kevin Durant said. ''Bad games happen throughout playoff series, throughout a season, throughout a career. So just move on, keep getting better and see what happens next game.''

And the Warriors aren't worried about Curry rediscovering his shooting rhythm after making only two 3-pointers - one in each game - so far this series.

It might just take one to fall for the two-time MVP to start feeling it again. Or not even one.

''I only need one, that's all I need,'' Curry said. ''Actually I might not need any because hopefully that first one that I shoot in Game 3 goes in, so I don't really need any.''

Golden State, which realized it wouldn't go a record 16-1 like last postseason's remarkable run to a second title in three years, responded from defeats in the first round to San Antonio and then against the Pelicans in the Western Conference semifinals.

''It's not just this year it's the last four years,'' Kerr said. ''It shows you the resilience of our team. I was talking to Mark Jackson last week and I said, `When I knew how tough this team was, I think it was 2013 when Mark was coaching and they lost at the buzzer to Denver on the road in Game 1, Andre Miller hit a shot. The Warriors came back and won Game 2. They lost a heartbreaker in the next round to San Antonio at San Antonio, they had an 18-point lead with about five minutes left. A devastating loss, came back and won Game 2 on the road. I remember as a broadcaster watching those two games that showed what kind of guts these guys have. Mark agreed. We've both been blessed to coach the group. It's not something that you coach, it's just something that's in them. Steph, Draymond, Andre (Iguodala) and Klay (Thompson), those are guys who have been here for a while, so then you add KD to that, a guy who's seen everything in the playoffs. We've got a pretty resilient group.''

Mike D'Antoni knows what his Rockets are up against now that the series shifts to the Warriors' imposing home court.

''We always talk about having a short memory, especially in bad times, but you have to have a short memory also in good times. Play with the same desperation. Play with the same force that we played offensively and defensively, knowing that they'll have more of a force on their side,'' D'Antoni said. ''But we have to control what we can control, and make sure we're aggressive.''

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, MAY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at GS 08:00 PM

HOU +7.5

U 225.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Curry, Warriors rout Rockets, 126-85
May 20, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry got his groove back to score 35 points with five 3-pointers, shooting over James Harden and driving past the Houston star as the Golden State Warriors made a second-half statement to beat the Rockets 126-85 on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Draymond Green grabbed 17 rebounds to go with 10 points and six assists. The Warriors won an NBA-record 16th consecutive home postseason game, surpassing the Chicago Bulls' mark of 15 in a row from April 27, 1990-May 21, 1991.

The defending champions got defensive - and maybe a little mad - after a 127-105 Game 2 defeat Wednesday night at Houston, determined to make stops to ignite the transition game and open up 3-point shooters.

And they eventually got Curry going with 18 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the third quarter.

Harden had 20 points and nine assists, while Chris Paul added 13 points and 10 rebounds as they combined to shoot just 12 for 32.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

Curry and Durant each scored five quick points as Golden State opened the third quarter with a 10-0 burst to go ahead 64-43.

Under pressure from Paul, Curry swished a 3 from way back with 5:06 left in the third. He struggled with his long-range shot again early but drove through the paint at every chance.

Curry hit a baseline 3-pointer at the 9:02 mark of the first but missed his next five 3s before going 4 for 5 in the second half. He is now 7 of 25 from long range - he made one in each of the first two games.

The Warriors' five starters all scored in double figures, the first time they've done so this postseason.

Trevor Ariza and Green received a double-technical with 6:49 to play when Ariza shoved Green as they traded words.

Both potent offenses were slow getting rolling as the teams played strong defense.

Harden and Paul began 3 for 14 with Paul missing six shots before getting his first basket on goaltending against Andre Iguodala 2:39 before halftime.

Golden State began getting the looks it liked after halftime. The Warriors faced more stingy, in-the-face pressure from Houston, making it hard to get any early flow shooting. Durant hit his first 3 6:27 before halftime then missed from the deep the next time down.

A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for victims of the Houston school shooting.

TIP-INS

Rockets: The Rockets surrendered 10 fast-break points in the first period while getting none of their own. ... They were outrebounded 49-41 and shot 32 for 80 from the floor.

Warriors: Kevon Looney had two key blocks off the bench in the first. ... Durant notched his 20th straight postseason game with 20 or more points. ... Golden State is 36-5 at home in the playoffs since the 2015 postseason. ... Thompson (1,786) moved past Rick Barry (1,776) for second place on the Warriors' career postseason scoring list. ... Curry (712) moved past Barry (699) into sole possession for most postseason baskets in franchise history. ... The ''Run TMC'' trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were honored with a standing ovation during a first-quarter timeout. On Monday, Richmond will introduce Hardaway as he goes into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame of which Richmond and Mullin are already members.

PAUL'S HEALTH

Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni made the point once again about Paul being healthy: ''There's nothing wrong at all.''

''We're not going to win without him,'' D'Antoni said. ''So if he's got to limp and drag his leg to the finish line, so be it. And he's ready to do that.''

ORACLE AURA

That deafening, bright yellow sellout crowd was imposing once again.

''Somebody asked me, `Is Oracle tough to play?' Yeah, because the Warriors play here,'' D'Antoni said. ''There's a certain energy that their fans will give them and moments they hit two or three 3s you can get a buzz going that helps the home team. You just have to try to keep that crowd out as much as you can.''

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:30 PM Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

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

MAY'S NBA BEST BET RECORD: ( BASED ON 5 UNITS )

05/20/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/19/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/13/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0,50
05/03/2018 0-4-0 0.00% -22.00
05/02/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50

Totals...............7-13-0.........35.00%.....-47.50


BEST BETS................ATS....................UNITS.. ................O/U..............UNITS..............TOTAL

05/20/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00.............-0.50
05/19/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0- 1...............-5.50..............-11.00
05/15/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1..............-5.50..............-11.00
05/14/2018...............1 - 0..................+5.00...................0 - 1..............-5.50..............-0.50
05/13/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00..............-0.50
05/03/2018...............0 - 2..................-11.00..................0 - 2..............-11.00............-22.00
05/02/2018...............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0.............+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2018...............1 - 1..................- 0.50...................0 - 2.............-11.00.............-11.50

Totals........................3 - 8..................-29.00.................4 - 7...............-18.50...............-47.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds to win the NFC this coming season:

4-1: Philadelphia Eagles

5-1: Los Angeles Rams

6-1: Minnesota Vikings

7-1: Green Bay Packers

9-1: Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints

10-1: San Francisco 49ers

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend??.

13) In 2003, 44 starting pitchers threw 200+ innings in the major leagues. Last year, 15 pitchers threw 200+ innings. Pitchers are getting like race horses; way less durable.

12) Tampa Bay Rays are doing something different this year; with Archer-Snell-Faria their only three regular starting pitchers, they?re patching together the other games using their bullpen, even starting the same pitcher (Sergio Romo) in games Saturday/Sunday over the weekend.

So far, the Rays are 6-9 in the bullpen games.

11) Golden Knights? Jonathan Marchessault is the first NHL player ever to score a goal in the first minute of a playoff game, and also in the last minute of the same game.

10) A golfer named Michael Arnaud on the web.com tour shot a 27 for nine holes this weekend; his first seven holes went: birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie- he shot 60 on the day.

9) Braves 10, Marlins 9? Atlanta scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

8) Cubs split a twinbill in Cincinnati Saturday; they went 3-27 with runners in scoring position in the two games. No bueno.

7) HBO?s Hard Knocks should do training camp with Hamilton TigerCats of the CFL; Johnny Manziel is one the QB?s and 75-year old Jerry Glanville is the defensive coordinator, which means he?ll be leaving tickets for Elvis Presley at TiCat games all over Canada.

6) PJ Tucker is a key player for the Houston Rockets now, but from 2007-12, he played pro ball in six different countries, improving his game, preparing himself for his big chance, and when it came, boy was he ready.

5) A 93-year old guy in Ohio got his first hole-in-one last week, after playing golf for 65 years.

4) Golden Knights 3, Jets 2? Las Vegas is mad about hockey; everywhere you go, there are tons of people here watching Knights? games. An expansion team playing for a title is a great story.

3) Mariners 3, Tigers 2 (11)? Francisco Liriano had a no-hitter going in 8th inning, but then Mitch Haniger tied the game with a homer off a reliever in the 8th inning.

2) A?s 9, Blue Jays 2? Oakland wraps up a stretch of 13 games against Houston-NY-Boston and Toronto, with last 10 of those games on the road and they went 7-6, 7-3 on the road trip.

1) One thing about Las Vegas sportsbooks; every time I wear a golf shirt from a college, and I mean every time, at least a couple people will comment on whichever team?s shirt I?m wearing, which leads to interesting conversations.

Saturday night it was an LSU shirt, Sunday a USC shirt. Doesn?t matter which team.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 betting preview: Celtics at Cavaliers

Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers (-6.5, 206.5)

Celtics lead series 2-1

For all the excitement they've provided as the overachievers in the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have struggled to find success on the road, a trend they will try to reverse when they take on the host Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday. The Cavaliers followed up a pair of double-digit losses in Boston to begin the series before rolling to a 116-86 win in Game 3 back home.

Cleveland raced to a 20-4 lead and never looked back against a Celtics team that shot 39.2 percent from the floor and made six 3-pointers, their lowest total this postseason.

"The toughest team sets the rules," Boston point guard Terry Rozier told reporters. "They came out aggressive from the jump and never looked back. We've got to play aggressive from the tip. Tonight, we were all over the place, playing too fast and doing things we didn't want to do."

LeBron James scored 27 points on 8-of-12 shooting - including 3-of-3 from 3-point distance - and handed out 12 assists in a dominant all-around effort that got his team back in the series.

"Even when things broke down, we just covered for one another," James told the media. "We made them make extra passes. We made them make extra dribbles. We were flying around, and I just happened to be one of the guys on the floor that wanted to fly around as well."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

SERIES PRICE: Cavaliers +105, Celtics -125 (Betway.com)

LINE HISTORY: Cleveland opened as 6.5-point home chalk for Game 4 and briefly went up to -7 at some books before returning to the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 205.5 and has yet to move.

INJURY REPORT:

Celtics - PG Shane Larkin (Out Indefinitely, Shoulder), PG Kyrie Irving (Out For Season, Knee), PF Daniel Theis (Out For Season, Knee), SF Gordon Hayward (Out For Season, Ankle).

Cavaliers - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston is 1-5 on the road in the playoffs but it knows that a victory would've been elusive no matter where they played Game 3. "If we would have played like that in Boston, we would have gotten beat," coach Brad Stevens told reporters after his team also tied a playoff low with 16 assists while getting outrebounded 45-34. Jaylen Brown is averaging 11.3 points on 42.3 percent shooting in the past three road games - compared to 23.3 on 59.6 percent in the past three at home - after being limited to 10 points with one assist and three turnovers in Game 3.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Starting guards George Hill and J.R. Smith combined to make six 3-pointers and score 24 points Saturday after they put up a pair of clunkers in Boston, while reserve sharpshooter Kyle Korver made all five of his shot attempts - four from long range - en route to 14 points in 20 minutes. Another complementary player stepped up on the defensive end as center Tristan Thompson stifled Celtics big man Al Horford, who was limited to seven points in Game 3 - his first single-digit showing since March 20. "You've got to give a lot of credit to Tristan because Horford is really the one that makes them go," teammate Kevin Love told the media. "[Horford] can play a little bit of the point forward. He can do a lot of the intangibles that even for their team might not show up on the box score as well. But he did a great job on him tonight, and he's done a great job on him the last two games."

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 4-0 in Celtics last 4 road games.
* Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Early consensus numbers show 52 percent of spread bets are coming in on the chalk Cavaliers while 58 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, May 21


Boston @ Cleveland

Game 705-706
May 21, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
120.750
Cleveland
123.229
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2 1/2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 7
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+7); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, May 21

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

BOSTON (65 - 32) at CLEVELAND (59 - 37) - 5/21/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 59-34 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-5 ATS (+17.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
BOSTON is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 38-19 ATS (+17.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 37-57 ATS (-25.7 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 22-48 ATS (-30.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-32 ATS (-20.2 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games after scoring 115 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 9-8 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 12-6 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 21

Boston (2-1) @ Cleveland
Home side won all three series games as Cavaliers were up 20 at halftime and cruised in Game 3, making 17-34 shots behind arc. Thompson-Hill-Smith were combined 10-24 from floor, after going 5-18 in Game 2. Cavaliers won their last six home games; under is 5-2 in their home playoff games this spring. Boston lost four of its five road playoff games this spring, with only win in Game 3 at Philly. Under is 8-4 in last dozen series games- all three games in this series stayed under total.

Conference finals
Cavaliers-Celtics
Bos 108-83, +1, U204.5
Bos 107-94, +1, U205.5
Clev 116-86, -6.5, U207

Warriors-Rockets
GState 119-106, -1.5, U225.5
Hst 127-105, -1.5, O225
GState 126-85, -7, U228




NBA

Monday, May 21

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

Boston Celtics
Boston is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Boston is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Boston is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Boston is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
Cleveland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 13 games at home
Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Cleveland is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Boston
Cleveland is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday's Playoff Essentials
May 21, 2018

Eastern Conference Finals - Game 4 - Celtics lead 2-1
Boston at Cleveland (-6.5, 207), ESPN, 8:35 ET

The NBA Finals are back to being perceived as the Golden State Warriors Invitational after Sunday night?s 41-point point demolition of the Rockets.

The defending champs won all four quarters, taking the third by 10 and the fourth by 20, forcing Houston to falter immediately after halftime and ultimately, to quit over the final 12 minutes.

Because Houston is the only team with the firepower to be favored against Golden State the rest of the way, likely in Game 5 if they find a way to make Tuesday?s contest competitive, it?s understandable that some are already eyeing the draft and free agency. After being quieted by the Rockets? dominant Game 2 win, those who like to cry about Kevin Durant damaging the NBA?s competitive balance by signing in Oakland are already belting out depressing songs in between their tears.

The Eastern Conference champion doesn?t have a chance to beat Golden State four times out of seven. Houston is still dangerous since it potentially still has a pair of home games remaining but seems likely to run out of bullets. For those reasons, that makes Monday night?s Game 4 in Cleveland potentially the most compelling playoff game we?ll be able to witness from here until June.

If the Celtics pull off the upset at Quicken Loans Arena, Monday night's Game 4 might be the final time we ever see LeBron James in a Cavs uniform. If there's a Game 6 or 7, those will obviously carry more drama. The same can be said about a Game 5 if Cleveland holds serve and evens things up. The fact that we can only all guess how this one is going to know makes this incredibly interesting, especially after what went down on Saturday night.

The Celtics didn?t show up. Head coach Brad Stevens, who can never be more valuable than elite players despite how foolish some have been by openly wondering whether a coach can be more important than the talent on the floor in today?s NBA, had no magical elixir to dispense or ingenious strategy to turn to.

LeBron James got help. Five other Cavs scored in double-figures. Not only that, but most were engaged on defense. Stevens? very capable hands were tied, which sets up a Game 4 where he?ll need his team to show up in the same manner that it managed to at home, stifling the supporting cast while lifting one another up.

It remains to be seen whether that?s even possible in Cleveland.

Prior to Game 3, Jaylen Brown responded to a question about his team?s struggles on the road this postseason with a wait-and-see approach. As in, you wait and see what we?re going to do to the Cavs in front of their fans. Brown then came out and got into foul trouble, picking up two before five minutes were off the clock. He ended up with five, never got in a rhythm and finished 3-for-8, snapping a run of three straight games where he?d scored at least 23 points.

Rookie Jayson Tatum led Boston with 18 points on Saturday night and made six of his 10 shot attempts. He hasn?t scored 20 yet in this series after setting a Celtics playoff record with 20 or more points in seven straight contests against the Bucks and 76ers.

Point guard Terry Rozier, who has filled in admirably for Kyrie Irving, becoming a cult hero in the process, isn?t the same killer on the road that he is at TD Garden. If a team is making a run and you need a pull-up 3-pointer, Rozier fearlessly steps up. That?s his game. At home, he averaged 22 points per game in the first two round and came up huge with 18 points in Game 2 against the Cavs after scoring just eight in the series opener. After shooting 28-for-55 at home from beyond the arc in the first two series, he shot just 2-for-11 in the wins against Cleveland and shot 0-for-3 in Game 3.

Tatum, Brown and Rozier have been Boston?s top three scorers all postseason, each averaging over 17 points per game. If they can?t get it going against the Cavs, nothing Stevens can do from a strategy standpoint will stop James from rallying to win a third series after his team dropped the first two games.

Although he?s 2-4 in this situation, he?s done it in the conference finals against the Pistons in ?07 and the ?16 Finals vs. Golden State. He?s rallied the troops past better and more experienced teams than the current Celtics.

Al Horford and Marcus Morris, the team?s most experienced veterans, each performed horribly in Game 3, finishing with the worst two plus/minus figures in Saturday?s 30-point loss. The Celtics were outscored by 28 points when Morris was on the floor. The self-proclaimed LeBron stopper didn?t mince words in stating that his defense was horrible and nowhere near where it needs to be the other night. Horford, who set the tone with a brilliant Game 1, attempted just four shots in Game 3, matching a season-low.

Marcus Smart, whose energy, defense and passing created one game-changing opportunity after another in Boston, shot 2-for-9, missing all four of his 3-point attempts.

No, Stevens can?t accomplish anything if all his resources perform below expectations on the road. Cleveland should be concerned with the fact that his team can?t possibly play as poorly as they managed to in Game 3. Collectively, they let one another down. The young Celtics are 1-5 on the road this postseason, suffering every loss by double-digits and barely claiming the wing they did damage.

If they play Game 3 with nothing to lose, they?ve got a fighting chance since the Cavs are under pressure to even the series. Boston is 37-0 all-time after taking a 2-0 advantage but is playing with house money since few expected them to win this series when it began.

The Celtics were underdogs in the series even after winning Game 1 and were barely a 2-to-1 choice upon claiming the second contest. Following Cleveland?s impressive rout, Westgate Vegas lists Boston at -120 to reach the NBA Finals and has the Cavs as even money to get it done. If you listened and got in before Game 3, you?re sitting pretty so long as they?re able to hold serve here.

Tyronn Lue?s team is a 2.5-point favorite for the first quarter and a is laying four in the first half. The total, 100, offers up my recommended free play for you in this column since I think we?ll see both teams settle in and play a higher-scoring first 24 minutes than expected.

James got the help he needed from everyone in Game 3, but the player who stepped up first and was the most vital contributor was point guard George Hill. Not only did he outperform Rozier, but he also made it a point to be more aggressive, finishing 4-for-11 after scoring just eight points and taking eight shots combined in the first two games.

Kyle Korver went 5-for-5, making all four of his attempts from 3-point range, while Jordan Clarkson started to get loose in garbage time and could be a key contributor if he can successfully build upon the momentum he gained in building confidence by finishing 3-for-7 on 3s.

Cleveland is 6-0 at home this postseason after suffering an upset in Game 1 of the playoffs against Indiana. The Cavs have notched blowout wins where everyone showed up and nail-biters were James saved them, so they?re not worried about style points here.

Consider that and the fact Boston can?t play any worse as you consider whether to lay 6.5 points, which is the same number oddsmakers put out there after the first two embarrassing Cavs losses. A lot of people were tripped up by all those points, trusting what they saw in Boston would continue in Northeast Ohio.

They failed to consider that the Celtics are one team at home and another when faced to generate their own momentum on the road. They can?t play worse, but will they perform significantly better? Stevens is a championship coach, but is the group he?s throwing out there a team worthy of the NBA Finals?

We?ve been treated exclusively to blowouts thus far in the conference finals. Boston has the potential to end that if it can gain its bearings early. It?s on James and a supporting cast that again looks capable to prevent that from happening. Another compelling matchup awaits. As stated above, we?re not likely to get many more of these, so appreciate it.

Totals-wise, the number is also similar to where it resided for Game 3. Garbage time was cruel to over bettors since just two points were scored over the final two-plus minutes, so we?ll see if the posted total can be surpassed for the first time. If it closes over 207, it will be the highest figure of the series.

Game 5 will be played Wednesday night in Boston.

 

[Cnotes53]

Road tripped: Celtics' Game 3 loss another playoff pothole
May 20, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) The Celtics were loose, smiling and laughing. They weren't straining to hear each other speak and there were no obnoxious Cleveland fans heckling them.

All was quiet as Boston worked out Sunday.

Practice isn't an issue on the road in the postseason. Playing games is the problem.

Less than 24 hours after a 30-point bludgeoning at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics did some film study and critical evaluation.

They were hard on themselves.

''I thought it was embarrassing,'' Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said of Boston's 116-86 loss - and his own performance. ''I thought we came out, the way I played, the way I performed, how not aggressive I was in the first half, I look at that as fuel to come out in Game 4 and be excited about it and be ready to play and ready to fight.''

Brown scored just 10 points - 13 below his average after two games in the series - and was in almost immediate foul trouble as the Cavs dominated while pulling within 2-1 in the series.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens may change his lineup for Monday's Game 4, perhaps returning to center Aron Baynes and bringing Marcus Morris off the bench. Stevens has to do something to free up Al Horford, who has been held in check by Cleveland's Tristan Thompson the past two games.

By starting Baynes, Stevens could force Cavs coach Tyronn Lue to make a counter move and either put Kevin Love - or even James - on Horford.

Stevens wouldn't tip his hand. Beyond any lineup tweaks, more concerning for him may be his team's Jekyll-and-Hyde postseason play.

The Celtics have been sensational at home, going 9-0. But the road has been treacherous as Boston is 1-5 in trips to Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Cleveland, with the only win in overtime against the 76ers.

The Celtics have a case of homesickness. They aren't playing with the same intensity or confidence as they do when they're under those dangling NBA championship banners and retired jersey numbers atop TD Garden.

Boston had one of the league's best road records during the regular season, going 28-13 - only Houston and Golden State were better. But with several young players, including 20-year-old Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are learning that playing in front of hostile playoff crowds can be daunting.

''It's very different,'' said Horford, who took only four shots in Game 3. ''I think that at home, you have your home crowd behind you. You have a comfort level about you. And on the road, literally it's just you against everybody else. It takes a while for you to get used to and understand how well you have to play on the road. You have to be able to do all the little things in order to have a chance.

''Last night we had a lot of breakdowns, so we didn't even give ourselves a chance to win.''

The good thing for Boston is that it doesn't have to win a road game to make the Finals.

Cleveland does, but James has been down this path before. He's twice rallied teams from 2-0 deficits.

The Cavs seized control from the opening tip in Game 3, bursting to a 20-4 lead and then clamping down defensively on the Celtics, who didn't get the open looks they enjoyed in Games 1 and 2.

James, in particular, played like a man not about to let the Celtics block his path to an eighth straight Finals.

While he was typically amazing on offense, handing out 12 assists including three that required multiple replays to appreciate their artistic beauty, James was a defensive force as well.

''I thought last night was one of LeBron's best games I've seen in a long time as far as helping, closing out to Jaylen Brown's chest and making him put it on the floor,'' Lue said. ''Closing out to Morris. Closing out to (Marcus) Smart. He did a really good job of just setting the tone of multiple effort and that was good for us.''

And for a change, James had plenty of offensive help as Cleveland had six players in double figures. Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson had major contributions, giving the Cavs a taste of what could lie ahead.

The non-LeBrons, as they've been dubbed, came up big.

''We're starting to figure out that LeBron doesn't have to take 20-some shots to beat a great team by 30,'' Nance said. ''The rest of us are very good basketball players in our own right and it's nice to show that.''

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MAY 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BOS at CLE 08:30 PM

BOS +6.5

U 205.5

 

[Cnotes53]

LeBron scores 44, Cavs top Celtics by 9
May 21, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James knows the path to the NBA Finals better than anyone in today's game.

And unless the Boston Celtics do something soon, he'll get there again.

James bullied his way to 44 points, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop a postseason list and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers even the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2 on Monday night with a 111-102 victory over the Celtics, who are looking forward to getting home before their adoring fans.

Pushed by a raucous crowd that wasn't so confident a few days ago, the Cavs held off Boston's comeback in the fourth quarter and squared a tight series that is now a best-of-three.

Cleveland is trying to become the 20th team - out of 300 - to overcome a 2-0 deficit and James, who has already orchestrated two such rallies and is seeking his eighth straight finals, is a step closer to a third.

But to do it again the Cavs will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 9-0 this postseason.

''It's a hostile environment,'' James said. ''We understand that, we know that there's no love in there. If you ain't got on green, if you don't play for that team, if you don't bleed green, they got no love for you. So we've got to come out with a bunker mentality and understand it's just us. It's going to be a great atmosphere.''

Game 5 is Wednesday night at TD Center, and Celtics coach Brad Stevens is trying to stay positive with a team that has given up a 2-0 lead and fell to 1-6 on the road in these playoffs.

''It's the best two out of three to go to the NBA Finals. Doesn't get better than that,'' he said. ''Ultimately, anybody that didn't think this was going to be tough, I mean, everything is tough. In this deal, it's a blast to have to grit your teeth, get up off the mat and go after it again.''

Kyle Korver added 14 points and Cleveland's sharp-shooting 37-year-old added several hustle plays, outrunning three Celtics in one sequence and diving for a loose ball.

"I've loved Kyle ever since we made the trade for him,'' James said.

Tristan Thompson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs, who won despite 19 turnovers and two assists in the second half. Kevin Love had just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting and was in foul trouble, but he made a big 3-pointer and follow shot in the fourth quarter.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Boston had all five scorers in double figures, but the Celtics fell behind by 19 in the first half and didn't have enough to catch Cleveland.

And, of course, they didn't have James, who moved past Abdul-Jabbar (2,356) for the most field goals in playoff history. James also recorded his 25th career postseason game with at least 40 points - his sixth in this postseason.

The Celtics hung around in the second half and pulled within 100-93 on Marcus Smart's basket with 4:29 left. But Thompson got free for a dunk, and after a miss by Boston, James recovered after making his seventh turnover by making a steal and layup.

Moments later, James drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to finally put away the young Celtics, who will now feel the immense pressure of trying to hold off the three-time champion.

''He's the best in the game at evaluating the court and figuring out what he wants and where he wants it,'' Stevens said. ''The thing about it is that you just have to battle. You just have to make it as hard as possible, because he's going to find a matchup that he ultimately wants.''

Stevens considered changing his starting lineup, but decided to stick with the same first five - Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier - as the first three games.

Boston's starters held their own, but none of them was able to match James when it mattered most.

''You hope he misses, that's about it,'' Rozier said. ''He's a big body and you've just got to keep him in front, and hope he misses.''

TIP-INS

Celtics: Stevens was evasive about his starting lineup during his pregame news conference, not wanting to give the Cavs any advance notice. ''We will start five people. I promise,'' he said, drawing laughs from media members. ... Injured stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving are not traveling with the team so they can continue their respective rehabs. Both have been sitting on the bench with their teammates in Boston.

Cavaliers: Won their seventh straight playoff game at home. ... Love threw one of his patented ''touchdown'' passes in the first quarter to James, who outmaneuvered Smart and Brown like a wide receiver to make the catch and score. ... Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in last month's NFL draft, attended the game. ... Improved to 9-3 vs. Boston in the playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena.

OLD MAN KORVER

Frozen water was Korver's postgame beverage.

''I'm going to be hurting tomorrow,'' he said. ''My back's a little sore, but this is fun basketball. It's the playoffs.''

Thompson said Korver's dive was inspiring.

''That's our mantra: Whatever It Takes,'' he said. ''That got us going, and he was huge. Kyle left it all on the line. Me and him are both in the cold tub right now, so we've just got to do whatever it takes to get ready for the next game.''

SLOW START

For the second game in a row, the Celtics struggled in the first quarter.

Boston got some open looks, but shot just 27 percent (7 of 26) in the first 12 minutes with both Tatum and Brown missing dunks. Also, Morris picked up three quick fouls.

UP NEXT

Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Houston Rockets Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 24, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Toyota Center


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


MAY'S NBA BEST BET RECORD: ( BASED ON 5 UNITS )

05/21/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/20/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/19/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/16/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/15/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/13/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0,50
05/03/2018 0-4-0 0.00% -22.00
05/02/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50

Totals.............7-15-0........31.81%.....-58.50


BEST BETS................ATS....................UNITS.. ................O/U..............UNITS..............TOTAL

05/21/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1..............-5.50..............-11.00
05/20/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00.............-0.50
05/19/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00.............-0.50
05/16/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0- 1...............-5.50..............-11.00
05/15/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1..............-5.50..............-11.00
05/14/2018...............1 - 0..................+5.00...................0 - 1..............-5.50..............-0.50
05/13/2018...............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0..............+5.00..............-0.50
05/03/2018...............0 - 2..................-11.00..................0 - 2..............-11.00............-22.00
05/02/2018...............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0.............+5.00.............+10.00
05/01/2018...............1 - 1..................- 0.50...................0 - 2.............-11.00.............-11.50

Totals........................3 - 9..................-34.50.................4 - 8...............-24.00..............-58.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the CFL?s Grey Cup this coming season:

2-1: Calgary Stampeders

5-1: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

6-1: Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Toronto

7-1: Edmonton Eskimos

12-1: BC Lions, Ottawa RedBlacks

18-1: Montreal Alouettes

**********

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

13) Major League Baseball has something they need to clean up, for their own good, if they want to promote their product. I?m thinking it would be a pretty simple fix.

There was one 10pm Eastern time game Monday night; Rockies-Dodgers, but the game wasn?t shown in the Westgate SuperBook because Dodger games are blacked out in Las Vegas. Why?

12) LA and Las Vegas are 265 miles apart, a 4-hour drive; why in God?s name would Dodger games be blacked out here?

There were over 100 people in the SuperBook when the NBA game ended Monday; lot of them would?ve stuck around and watched the ballgame, and thats good for the sport, but they all either went home or played blackjack or whatever.

They?re playing ballgames in Japan and England next year, to ?grow the game?. How about showing the Dodgers in Las Vegas? That would grow the game, too.

11) Was playing video poker Monday and was talking to a guy who is a Chicago cop; good guy. He told me the Westgate comps him his room because he plays video poker for ten hours at a time. Ten hours!!!! I wouldn?t be able to see the screen after half that long.

10) SuperBook had ESPN?s volume on Monday night; the 90 minutes before the Celtics-Cavs game was a seemingly eternal pre-game show. I mean, a 2-hour game doesn?t need a 90-minute pregame show, where very little, if anything new is ever said.

Best of the on-air personalities is Jalen Rose, who actually says stuff you can learn from, or will at least make you think. He claimed Monday night that Kyrie Irving won?t be happy if Boston wins the NBA title with him sitting out, since it would increase the chances that he would have to move elsewhere when his contract comes up.

Interesting theory; not sure if it is true, but it something to consider going forward.

9) 19-year old Juan Soto hit his first major league homer for the Nationals Monday night; he started this season in A ball, got only 35 plate appearances in AA before getting the call to the major leagues.

If Soto does real well in Washington, it?ll put pressure on Toronto?s brass to promote their #1 prospect, 19-year old Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who is batting .421 in the AA Eastern League. Thats .421 in 39 games, roughly 25% of a season.

8) Orioles 3, White Sox 2? Chicago had guys on 1st and 3rd, two out and Jose Abreu up in the 9th inning; he was quickly walked intentionally, which isn?t a surprise. Abreu is the White Sox? best hitter, and Buck Showalter doesn?t let the other team?s best hitter beat him, if he can help it.

When he was managing Arizona, Showalter once walked Barry Bonds intentionally in the ninth inning, with the bases loaded and the Diamondbacks nursing a 2-run lead. He walked a guy with bases loaded!!! Next guy lined out to right to end the game, by the way.

7) Nationals 10, Padres 2? Padres? 22-year old prospect Franmil Reyes hit his first big league homer Monday night in Washington; he is 3 for 20 in his first seven MLB games. He had 14 HR?s in 130 AB?s in AAA ball this season, before he was called up.

Reyes is listed at 6-5, 275; he looks bigger than that; his future may be as a DH. He didn?t look so good playing right field Monday.

6) Washington 3, Tampa Bay 0? Golden Knight fans were delighted when Washington won and forced a Game 7, while the Las Vegas team rests its tired legs.

5) Cavaliers 111, Celtics 102? This was by far the best game of this round of the playoffs, and it wasn?t that good. Home teams are 6-1 SU/ATS in the conference finals so far.

4) Phillies 3, Braves 0? Atlanta got shut out only once in its first 42 games; they?ve been blanked twice in their last four games.

3) 53% of NBA players have played in the G-League, which surprised me.

2) New Jersey Giants? coach Pat Shurmur threw out the first pitch at a Mets? game this weekend, after they were turned down by #1 draft pick Saquon Barkley, who was born in the Bronx and has different baseball allegiances.

1) Something I?m curious about but will probably never know: when good players leave the Patriots and go play somewhere else, are they happier away from Foxboro?

I?m not inferring they are or aren?t, other than I?ve read some stuff lately that suggests that maybe some guys are. Brady/Gronkowski aren?t at OTA?s this week; thats not a good sign.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA Western Conference Final Game 4 betting preview and odds: Rockets at Warriors

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors (-8.5, 224)

Warriors lead series 2-1

All the questions that were raised by the Golden State Warriors' lackluster performance in Game 2, particularly surrounding star guard Stephen Curry, were answered in emphatic fashion in a dominating performance in Game 3. Similar questions are now surrounding the top-seeded Houston Rockets, who will try to bounce back from an embarrassing performance and even the Western Conference finals at two wins apiece when they visit the Warriors for Game 4 on Tuesday.

Curry averaged 17 points and was a combined 2-of-13 from 3-point range as the Warriors split the first two games in Houston but found his shot during a third-quarter outburst on Sunday and finished with a game-high 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting as second-seeded Golden State breezed to a 126-85 victory. "A lot of it was just talking to myself, almost like you've got to be your biggest fan sometimes," Curry told reporters. "No matter what questions I was being asked over the first two games or what the expectations was, I had the highest expectations for myself. And you've just got to find whatever you want to get going. I mean, obviously, it felt good, and you want to use that energy to show your teammates that you're here, you're with them, get the crowd into it." The Rockets, who scored 127 points on 51.1 percent shooting while winning Game 2, suffered the worst playoff loss in franchise history in Game 3. "It's just one thing led to another," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "Played soft, actually. I mean, you can't do that with these guys. These guys are good."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Golden State opened a 8.5-point home favorites for Game 4 and at some shops the number has been bet down to an even -8. The total opened 223 and has been bet up to 224 at most books.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SG Patrick McCaw (Early June, Back), SF Chris Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).

Rockets - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Houston shot 39.5 percent from the floor, including 11-of-34 from beyond the arc, and committed 20 turnovers leading to 28 points on Sunday. "We weren't as aggressive as we needed to be," Rockets star James Harden, who agreed with his coach's assessment of the team, told reporters. "We started off the game pretty solid, and then we let them gain some confidence to end the first quarter. But just defensively, they didn't feel us, and it showed tonight." Harden scored a team-high 20 points in the loss but attempted just 16 field goals after averaging 24 attempts in the first two games and attempted a series-low five free throws, converting four.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry went 3-of-11 from the floor in the first half on Sunday but was 7-of-7 in the third quarter, sparking a run that put the game out of reach. "You know, I've seen those explosions happen here and everywhere," Warriors forward Draymond Green told reporters of Curry's third-quarter outburst. "It's not just here. Nonetheless, definitely get a lot of support from the fans. His 3 is similar to some people's dunk. You go to certain arenas and a guy gets a dunk and it's just absurd. That's how his 3-ball is." Green finished with 10 points, 17 rebounds and six assists while serving as the key to the team's much-improved defensive effort.

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Conference Finals games.
* Under is 6-1 in Rockets last 7 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
* Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 overall.

CONSENSUS: 51 percent of spread bets are on Golden State while 67 percent of totals bets are on the Over.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 22


Houston @ Golden State

Game 505-506
May 22, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
124.054
Golden State
129.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 5 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9
223 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+9); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 22

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

HOUSTON (74 - 21) at GOLDEN STATE (68 - 27) - 5/22/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 63-41 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 65-39 ATS (+22.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-52 ATS (-17.2 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-46 ATS (-12.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) on Tuesday nights this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 13-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 22

Houston @ Golden State (2-1)
So far in this round of playoffs, closest of the seven games was nine points- not fun to watch. Rockets took 34 3-pointers, 47 2-point shots in Game 2, after taking 42 treys, 48 2?s in Game 2 win. Ariza/Tucker are combined 7-22 in their two losses, 15-18 in the one win. Golden State won its last five home games, but covered only two of them. Under is 5-1 in their last six games. Road team won six of last ten games between these two. Golden State is 26-4 in playoff games since they signed Durant. Under is 9-4 in last 13 series games.

Conference finals
Cavaliers-Celtics
Bos 108-83, +1, U204.5
Bos 107-94, +1, U205.5
Clev 116-86, -6.5, U207
Clev 111-102, -7, O205

Warriors-Rockets
GState 119-106, -1.5, U225.5
Hst 127-105, -1.5, O225
GState 126-85, -7, U228




NBA

Tuesday, May 22

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

Houston Rockets
Houston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
Houston is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Houston is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games on the road
Houston is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 13 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Houston is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Houston

 

[Cnotes53]

G4 - Rockets at Warriors
May 22, 2018

Golden State (68-27 straight up, 41-53-1 against the spread) took a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals against Houston on Sunday night. Steph Curry emerged from a 2.5-game slump and exploded in the third quarter of Game 3, draining all seven of his shots and scoring 18 of his game-high 35 points.

Curry had been held to 34 combined points in Games 1 and 2 at Houston. The ninth-year guard and two-time NBA MVP out of Davidson College made 13-of-23 field-goal attempts, 5-of-12 attempts from 3-point range and 4-of-4 free-throw attempts.

Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists without a turnover for the winners. All five Golden State starters were in double figures in the 126-85 victory as a 7.5-point home ?chalk.? The 211 combined points dropped ?under? the 226.5-point total.

Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala scored 13, 10 and 10 points, respectively. Green had 17 rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot and six assists compared to just one turnover. Thompson finished with three assists and a pair of blocks.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr summed up Game 3 like this: ?Tonight was all about defense and taking care of the ball. That?s it. When we defend at that level and take care of the ball, we?re usually in pretty good shape.?

Golden State had a 20/8 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Warriors forced 19 turnovers and held Houston to 32-of-81 shooting from the field (39.5%), and they enjoyed a 49-41 rebounding edge.

In the losing effort, James Harden scored a team-best 20 points and had nine assists and five rebounds. He committed four turnovers and was a complete non-factor at the defensive end, however. Chris Paul contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal, but he buried only 5-of-16 FGAs and 2-of-8 launches from 3-point land. Clint Capela finished with 13 points, eight boards and one block.

The 41-point victory was the largest for Golden State in its franchise?s postseason history. Likewise, the lopsided defeat was the worst loss in Houston?s postseason history.

The trio of Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker and Eric Gordon combined for 68 points in Houston?s Game 2 triumph. However, this group was limited to 23 points in Sunday?s Game 3 laugher. Gordon had 11 points, while Ariza and Tucker settled for six apiece.

The Westgate SuperBook opened the Warriors as 8.5-point home favorites for Tuesday?s Game 4 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The total was sent out at 224 points but was down to 223.5 by Monday night. As of early this morning, however, most spots had Golden State favored by 8.5 points with the total up to 224.5. The Rockets were +350 on the money line (risk $100 to win $350).

For first-half wagers, the Warriors were favored by 4.5 or five with a total of 114 points. Houston was available on the money line for a generous +210 payout. Meanwhile, for first-quarter bets, Golden State was a three-point ?chalk? with a total of 57.5. The Rockets were available to be leading at the end of the opening quarter for a +175 return (risk $100 to win $175).

Sportsbook.ag has the updated series price, listing the Warriors as enormous -850 ?chalk.? The Rockets can be had to rally and advance to the NBA Finals for +600 odds (risk $100 to win $600).

The offshore shop also has five different series futures. Gamblers can take the Warriors to wrap up the series in five games for a +125 return. The other options are the Warriors to win in six (+120), the Warriors to win in seven (+850), the Rockets to win in six (30/1) or the Rockets to win in seven (+700).

In addition, Sportsbook.ag has odds on who will score the first point in tonight?s game. Harden is the +400 ?chalk,? while Durant and Curry share the second-shortest odds (+500 apiece). Next, there?s Thompson (+600), Paul (+650), Capela (10/1), Green (10/1), Houston?s P.J. Tucker (12/1), Iguodala (15/1) and Trevor Ariza (15/1).

Iguodala is listed as ?doubtful? for tonight?s Game 4 due to a knee injury. The MVP of the 2015 Finals banged knees with Harden in the fourth quarter of Game 3. According to multiple reports, Iguodala will underdog an X-Ray early today and if it comes back clean, his status could be upgraded.

Kerr?s club is 36-12 SU and 20-27-1 ATS at home. Golden State has won an NBA-record 16 consecutive home playoff games, surpassing the 15 in a row won the Chicago Bulls in 1990 and ?91. The Warriors are 8-6 ATS as single-digit home favorites this year, but they are 4-0 ATS in four such spots during these playoffs.

Houston (74-21 SU, 48-46-1 ATS) has a 34-12 SU record and a 27-19 ATS mark in its road assignments this season. The Rockets are 3-2 both SU and ATS in five road assignments in this postseason to date. They?re 1-5 both SU and ATS in six games as road underdogs this year, with the lone win and cover coming on Oct. 17 in a 122-121 triumph at Golden State as 9.5-point ?dogs in the season opener.

If Houston is going to pull even tonight, Paul must play at a higher level in his first career appearance in a conference-finals series. He has only 13 assists compared to six turnovers through three games. Paul has made merely 19-of-47 FGAs (40.4%).

Chris David of VegasInsider.com pointed out a solid trend that connected in Game 2 on the Rockets and it?s in play again for Game 4.

?Including the victory in Game 2 of this series, we?ve now seen Houston go 9-0 after a loss in the second-half of the season and that includes a perfect 3-0 mark in the playoffs. During the regular season, the Rockets won by an average of 12.8 PPG after a loss and that number has been pushed up to 20.7 PPG in the playoffs,? said David.

?Knowing Golden State has won 16 straight playoff games at home since dropping Game 7 to the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals could have you backing off Houston on Tuesday. However, the profits on the Warriors during this span (8-7-1 ATS) haven?t been earth-shattering.?

After watching the Rockets score a season-low 85 points in Game 3, many might expect a rebound from the offense in Game 4. David added his thoughts on that and believes bettors might want to pump the brakes on that obvious thought.

?It?s rare to see the Rockets held under 100 points, yet alone below 90 but it did happen eight times in the regular season. Delving into those numbers further, the team did eclipse triple digits in the very next game but the average (106.3 PPG) wasn?t that high and it included a 120-point effort in one of the matchups. The Rockets only went 4-4 in those games and if you look at their previous 11 trips to the Bay Area, the team is only averaging 100.5 PPG and the number was helped by two monster offensive nights (122, 132) which turned into victories,? explained David.

Houston?s Team Total for Game 4 is listed at 107.

The ?under? is 55-39-1 overall for the Rockets, 29-16-1 in their road assignments. The ?under? has cashed at a 6-2 clip in their past eight road outings.

The ?under? is 50-44-1 overall for the Warriors, 24-23-1 in their home games. Golden State?s totals in seven postseason home games to date have been a wash (3-3-1).

Tip-off for tonight?s Game 4 is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

**B.E.?s Bonus Nuggets**

-- The ?under? is 6-3 in the past nine head-to-head meetings of this rivalry. The ?under? is 2-1 in this series, 3-3 in the season series to date. The lone ?over? of these WCFs came in Game 2 back in Houston.

-- Durant has scored at least 20 points in 20 straight playoff games.

-- The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals as a pick ?em with a total of 206 points. The series is knotted at 2-2 with both teams holding serve at home with outright wins and spread covers. Cleveland captured a 111-102 win as a seven-point home favorite in last night?s Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena. After the ?under? cashed in the first three games of the series, the 213 combined points went ?over? the 205-point total. The Cavaliers raced out to a 34-18 lead at the end of the first quarter, and the Celtics never got closer than seven the rest of the way. LeBron James scored 44 points on 17-of-28 shooting from the field. He grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and made two steals. Kyle Korver produced an inspired performance, contributing 14 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots. The 3-point specialist acquired for a first-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks last year made a slew of hustle plays. Tristan Thompson and George Hill added 13 points apiece, with Thompson grabbing 12 boards and blocking two shots. Hill had four rebounds and three assists without a turnover, hitting 6-of-9 FGAs.

-- Boston owns a 9-0 record both SU and ATS in nine games at home inside of TD Garden in these playoffs.

-- Sportsbook.ag has the updated odds to win the NBA Finals. Golden State is now an enormous -600 ?chalk.? The Rockets have +650 odds, followed by the Cavs (10/1) and the Celtics (25/1).

-- Sportsbook is offering adjusted lines for tonight?s Game 4 in Oakland. For bettors extra bullish on the Warriors, there?s the option of taking them as 14.5-point favorites to earn a +210 payout (risk $100 to win $210). On the flip side, gamblers feeling the Rockets can back them at +3.5 points for a +200 return.

-- The Cavs are attempting to become only the 20th team out of 300 in NBA history to recover from a 2-0 deficit in advance in the postseason. James is trying to get back to the Finals for the eighth consecutive season.

-- After back-to-back losses, Boston head coach Brad Stevens remains positive as the East finals prepare to shift back to Beantown. ?It?s the best two out of three to go to the NBA Finals. Doesn?t get better than that.?