After stunning the Memphis Grizzlies with a huge comeback in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday night the Los Angeles Clippers will be gunning for a 2-0 lead in the set on Wednesday night as those teams return to the hardwood. Bet on the NBA at Bovada.
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The Clippers were down 58-39 at halftime in Game 1 on Sunday and by as many as 27 points later in the contest before roaring back for a 99-98 victory. Los Angeles outscored Memphis 35-13 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Chris Paul convinced his coach to keep him in the game in the fourth quarter despite the big deficit on the scoreboard, and he put up 14 points and 11 assists in the victory. Blake Griffin had 17 points on the night for the Clippers, with Nick Young (19 points) and Reggie Williams (13 rebounds) making big contributions off the bench.
Rudy Gay scored 19 points in the loss for the Grizzlies, but missed a key shot in the final second to hand the win to the Clippers. Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo each added 17 points on the night, and Marc Gasol was held to just 14 points.
Memphis had been a small home favorite on the NBA betting lines at Bovada for Sunday's game, and they were looking good for an easy cover until the Clippers' big comeback. Los Angeles is now 6-4 both SU and ATS in its last 10 games against Memphis.
Sunday's game was the first OVER result between the teams in their past four matchups.
On the NBA futures at Bovada the Clippers sit at 25/1 odds to win the championship, with the Grizzlies at 28/1. Los Angeles is also at 11/1 to win the West, with Memphis at 12/1.
The Atlanta Hawks missed a golden opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Boston on Tuesday night as the Celtics were without both Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen. But the Hawks choked Game 2 away and now head to Boston for Friday night’s Game 3 as big 8-point underdogs on Bovada’s NBA odds.
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Rondo was suspended for Game 2 after bumping a referee near the end of Boston’s Game 1 loss but will return. Allen has missed the past 11 games with an ankle injury but went through a full practice on Thursday and just might play – he is expected to be a game-time call as he was in the first two games.
Atlanta looked like it would take advantage of Boston’s missing stars, taking an 11-point second-half lead and still up by five heading into the fourth quarter on Tuesday night. But the Hawks had six turnovers and just four field goals in the final quarter and the Celtics’ Paul Pierce by himself outscored Atlanta 18-15 over the last 15:08 of the game as Boston won 87-80 as 4-point underdogs. Pierce had 36 points – after just 12 in Game 1 – and 14 rebounds to lead Boston.
The Hawks’ best player in this series has been forward Josh Smith and he had 16 points and 12 rebounds in Game 2, but he left with a little more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Smith was diagnosed with a strained tendon in his left knee and is being called doubtful for Friday. He said he felt a little better Thursday but that it was still sore. A decision on his status will be made on Friday morning. If Smith sits, rookie forward Ivan Johnson likely will get more minutes (and could start). So might Marvin Williams, Vladimir Radmanovich and even Tracy McGrady, who played only six minutes in Game 2.
Atlanta already is severely shorthanded in the frontcourt without injured center Al Horford (out since early in season) and backup Zaza Pachulia, who has now been all but ruled out of this series after missing the first two games. That means former benchwarmer Jason Collins will have to start again at center for the Hawks.
The Celtics and Hawks played once in Boston during the regular season, with the home team winning 88-86 in overtime (Allen sat that one out). Rondo dominated with a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 20 assists. Atlanta’s Smith had 20 points and 11 boards. The underdog Hawks covered – barely -- in that game and the dog has covered in five of the past six games between these teams.
The Dallas Mavericks have been keeping it close, but that's little consolation to them as they find themselves down 2-0 in their first-round playoff series to the Oklahoma City Thunder heading into Thursday's pivotal matchup in Texas. Bet on the NBA playoffs with Bovada.
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The Thunder came back to defeat the Mavericks 99-98 in Game 1 of the series last Saturday on a game-winning shot by Kevin Durant, and they then beat Dallas once again in Game 2 on Monday night in Oklahoma City by a score of 102-99.
Durant had a solid game for the Thunder on Monday with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Russell Westbrook who paced Oklahoma City's offense with 29 points on the night. James Harden added 15 points and seven boards off the bench in the contest.
Dirk Nowitzki was the lone bright spot on offense for Dallas in Monday's loss, tossing in a game-high 31 points. Shawn Marion added 15 points on the night, with Delonte West and Jason Terry each contributing 13 points as their team fell into an 0-2 series hole.
While the Thunder are 2-0 so far in their Western Conference quarterfinal series, they failed to cover the posted spread on the NBA betting lines at Bovada with the slim victories; that has the Mavericks at 2-0 ATS in the best-of-seven set. Overall, Dallas has now covered the spread in seven of their last 10 games against Oklahoma City.
Monday's game was the second straight OVER result for totals bettors in the series; the Mavericks and Thunder had previously played to three straight UNDER results.
Heading into Wednesday's action the Thunder were listed second on the NBA futures at Bovada at 7/2 to win the NBA championship this season, with the Mavericks at 60/1. As well, the Thunder were at 13/10 to win the West, with the Mavericks back at 33/1.
Tipoff for Thursday's matchup between the Thunder and Mavericks is set for 9:30pm ET, with Game 4 getting underway at 7:30pm ET in Dallas on Saturday night.
The Denver Nuggets will be looking to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole in their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Friday night as they play host to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their best-of-seven set. Bet on the NBA playoffs with Bovada.
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The Nuggets were soundly beaten 103-88 at the Staples Center in Game 1 of this series by Los Angeles last Sunday, but they made things a bit tougher for Kobe Bryant and company in Game 2 on Tuesday night when they lost just 104-100.
Bryant took care of business against the Nuggets on Tuesday with a team-high 38 points, while Andrew Bynum added 27 points to go along with nine rebounds. Pau Gasol picked up 13 points and 10 boards for the Lakers in the Game 2 victory.
Ty Lawson led the way on offense for the Nuggets on Tuesday with 25 points and seven assists, while Kenneth Faried was good for 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari chipped in with 13 points and eight boards. Corey Brewer had 13 points off the bench.
The Lakers easily covered the 4.5-point spread on the NBA betting lines at home in their Game 1 win, but they Nuggets pulled out an ATS win for their supporters at Bovada in Game 2 as a 5.5-point road underdog. Overall the Lakers have covered the spread in just five of their last 10 games against the Nuggets, going 6-4 SU in those 10 contests.
Tuesday's combined score was an OVER result for totals bettors at Bovada, which broke up a streak of seven straight UNDER results in matchups between the Lakers and Nuggets.
Tipoff for Friday night in Denver is set for 10:30pm ET, with Game 4 of the series also in Denver on Sunday night. If the Nuggets are able to force a Game 5 that would take place next Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
After falling in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Los Angeles on Saturday the Memphis Grizzlies will be looking to rebound on Monday night as they hit the hardwood again at the Staples Center down 2-1 in the set. Get NBA odds for the tilt at Bovada.
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Chris Paul and the Clippers managed to pull out an 87-86 home win in Game 3 on Saturday, with Paul tossing in 24 points in the contest to go along with his 11 assists.
Blake Griffin tossed in 17 points that day for Los Angeles, with Randy Foye the only other member of the Clippers in double digits with 16 points. Caron Butler made a surprise early return from injury for the Clippers in Game 3 but was held to just four points.
Rudy Gay matched Paul with 24 points for the Grizzlies in Saturday's loss, with Marc Gasol held to 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Randolph chipping with with 17 points.
The Clippers failed to cover the 3-point spread on the NBA betting lines at Bovada in Saturday's contest; they're now 6-4 straight up in their last 10 games against the Grizzlies but only 4-5-1 against the spread over those 10 contests.
Saturday's game was the first UNDER result for totals bettors at Bovada in this first-round series; the OVER/UNDER is 3-7 in the last 10 meetings between the Grizzlies and Clippers.
On the odds to win the NBA championship heading into Sunday's playoff action the Clippers were listed at 25/1 to claim the title this season, with the Grizzlies farther back at 35/1 on those NBA futures.
Game 4's tipoff is set for 10:30pm ET on Monday night, with the teams then set to head back to Memphis for Game 5 on Wednesday night. A Game 6 would be Friday, with a deciding Game 7 on the schedule if needed for Sunday.
The Utah Jazz have lost three straight games to the San Antonio Spurs in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. If they lose again in Game 4 of the set at home on Monday night they'll get an early start on their offseason. Bet on the NBA this postseason with Bovada.
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The Jazz were beaten 102-90 at home by the Spurs in Game 3 of the series on Saturday night, putting them on the brink of elimination.
Tony Parker paced the Spurs' attack in Game 3 with 27 points and six assists, with Tim Duncan tossing in 17 points and grabbing six rebounds in the contest, and Danny Green adding 14 points. Manu Ginobili had 10 assists off the bench.
Al Jefferson picked up 21 points and 11 boards in that loss for the Jazz, with Devin Harris also contributing 21 points on the night, and Paul Millsap held to nine points in the game.
The Jazz were listed as 5.5-point home underdogs for Game 3 but still failed to cover the posted spread on the NBA betting lines at Bovada. That makes the Spurs 9-1 straight up and a lucrative 7-2-1 against the spread in the past 10 meetings between the two clubs.
Game 3 also marked the fourth straight UNDER result in Jazz/Spurs matchups for totals bettors at Bovada; the OVER/UNDER is 4-6 in the past 10 games between the teams.
Heading into Sunday's NBA playoff action the Spurs were second behind only the Miami Heat at 13/4 odds to win the championship this season. The Jazz were dead last on those latest NBA futures at 500/1 to claim the title.
If the Jazz manage to get a victory on Monday night (tipoff 8:00pm ET) the series would then shift back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Wednesday night. Game 6 is on the schedule if needed for Friday, and a Game 7 matchup would be played on Sunday.
Holding down a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers can advance to the next round with a victory in Game 5 of the set at home on Tuesday night. Get your NBA betting lines for the postseason at Bovada.
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Kobe Bryant and company bounced back from a Game 3 loss last Friday with a 92-88 road victory in Game 4 on Sunday night as a small road underdog on the NBA odds.
Bryant tossed in 22 points for the Lakers in Sunday's win, while Andrew Bynum was good for 19 points, and Pau Gasol chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds. Jordan Hill and Ramon Sessions each had 12 points in the contest.
Danilo Gallinari led the way for Denver with 20 points in Sunday's loss, with Andre Miller adding 15 points off the bench, and Ty Lawson the only other Nugget in double figures with 11 points on the night.
The Lakers are now 7-3 in their past 10 games against the Nuggets, and they've covered the posted spread at Bovada in four of the past six meetings between the teams. Nine of the past 10 matchups between the Lakers and Nuggets were UNDER results.
Heading into Monday night's NBA betting action the Lakers were sitting at 15/2 on the futures to win the championship at Bovada, putting them behind the Heat, Spurs, and Thunder. The Nuggets continue to be longshots on that list at 250/1 to win the title.
If Los Angeles doesn't manage to win on Tuesday they'll be forced to return to Denver for Game 6 of the series on Thursday night, with a Game 7 on the schedule for Saturday.
The veteran Boston Celtics would love nothing more than to finish off the Atlanta Hawks tonight in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series as the C’s would cherish the rest they could get before a likely date with the Philadelphia 76ers in the next round. But Atlanta is a 1-point home favorite on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting on this game.
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If you go by Game 4, then this series likely will end tonight. Boston jumped the Hawks early and rolled to a 101-79 victory – it wasn’t even that close. Boston led by 37 points less than halfway through the third quarter. It was particularly deflating for Atlanta because Al Horford made a surprise return from an injury that has cost him most of the regular season and first three games of this series – he had ruled himself out of this series. Horford had 12 points in his first game in nearly four months. Josh Smith returned after missing Friday's game and had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Celtics shot 64 percent from the floor in the first half in Game 4. Rajon Rondo had 20 points and 16 assists with just one turnover (the Hawks had 18 assists and 17 turnovers as a team). And Paul Pierce put up his 24 points in just 16 minutes. The C’s are a bit banged up as Pierce (knee), Ray Allen (ankle) and Avery Bradley (shoulder) are all playing through injuries. But all three are expected to play tonight. Boston should be somewhat fresh as only Rondo and Brandon Bass played 30 minutes in the Game 4 win.
Teams trailing 3-1 are 82-120 in Game 5 and ultimately eight teams came back to win the series in seven games after being down 3-1 (8-194 series record).
Because the eighth-seeded 76ers are up 3-1 on the No. 1 Chicago Bulls, the Celtics would have home-court advantage in a series with Philly.
The New York Knicks can take some solace that Sunday’s Game 4 home victory over Miami at least ended their NBA-record 13-game playoff losing streak, because it sure appears that New York’s season will end tonight when they visit the Heat for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Heat are 11-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds and there will be live-play-by-play betting available.
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Thanks to 41 points from Carmelo Anthony and 20 points and 10 rebounds from Amare Stoudemire – the best game of the series for both players – the Knicks won 89-87 on Sunday when Miami’s Dwyane Wade missed a potential winning 3-pointer right before the buzzer. It was the Knicks’ first playoff win since April 29, 2001, and assured the team wouldn’t be swept in a third straight playoff series.
But the win was costly as New York lost starting point guard Baron Davis to a gruesome injury that could end the career of the veteran. Davis was only starting because Jeremy Lin hasn’t played since late March because of knee surgery. And Lin has been officially ruled out for the rest of this series after there was early hope he might be able to play tonight. So that means third-stringer Mike Bibby will start at the point tonight. But Knicks coach Mike Woodson said he would use Anthony or J.R. Smith at point guard when the Heat uses its big lineup featuring LeBron James, Wade (one of those two at point guard), Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Chris Bosh.
While Miami scored only 87 points in both games in New York and shot less than 42 percent, the Heat shot around 50 percent and hit triple digits in points in winning Games 1 and 2 easily in south Florida.
Riding a two-game winning streak in their Western Conference first-round series, the Los Angeles Clippers can punch their ticket to Round 2 on Wednesday night with a win in Memphis over the Grizzlies. Get your NBA odds for the game at Bovada.
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The Clippers grabbed a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series on Monday night, winning 101-97 over the Grizzlies in overtime at the Staples Center and covering the small posted spread on the NBA betting lines at Bovada.
Chris Paul was good for 27 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists for the Clippers in Monday's victory, while Blake Griffin chipped in with 30 points, five boards, and seven assists. Caron Butler added 14 points for Los Angeles that night.
Mike Conley tossed in a team-high 25 points to go along with eight assists for the Grizzlies in their Game 4 loss, with Rudy Gay chipping in with 23 points in the contest for Memphis.
Los Angeles is now 7-3 straight up over their past 10 games against Memphis, and 5-4-1 against the spread. Monday night's OVER result has the OVER/UNDER sitting at 4-6 over the past 10 contests between the teams.
Heading into Tuesday night's NBA playoff action the Clippers were listed at 22/1 on the NBA futures at Bovada to win the championship this season, and at 12/1 to win the West. The Grizzlies were back at 60/1 on the title odds and at 25/1 to claim the West.
If the Clippers can't pick up a win in Game 5 on Wednesday night the series will head back to the Staples Center for Game 6 on Friday night. Game 7 would be played on Sunday.
After getting upset by the underdog Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoffs series on Tuesday night the Los Angeles Lakers will try to regroup and finish them off on the road when the series resumes with Game 6 on Thursday night. Get your NBA odds for the game at Bovada.
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Denver pulled out a 102-99 road win at the Staples Center in Game 5 of the best-of-seven set on Tuesday, despite a 43-point performance from Lakers star Kobe Bryant that night. That result reduced Los Angeles' lead in the series to 3-2 heading into Game 6.
Andre Miller tossed in a team-high 24 points off the bench for the Nuggets in Tuesday's win, while JaVale McGee was good for 21 points and 14 rebounds on the night. Arron Afflalo had 19 points for Denver, and Danilo Gallinari was good for 14 points.
Bryant added six boards and five assists to his 43 points in the losing cause for the Lakers in Game 5, with Andrew Bynum scoring 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Pau Gasol was held to just nine points in the defeat while grabbing 10 boards.
The Lakers have now lost two of the past three games in this series to the Nuggets, and they're just 1-3 against the spread for their supporters on the NBA odds in their past four meetings. The OVER/UNDER is 2-8 in the past 10 games between the two teams.
Heading into Wednesday night's slate of playoff matchups the Lakers were pegged at 9/1 on the NBA futures at Bovada to win the title this season, with the Nuggets a longshot at 150/1 to claim the championship for themselves this spring.
Game 6 is set to tip off at 10:30pm ET in Denver on Thursday, and if the Nuggets manage to win for the second game in a row they'll play Game 7 in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The Boston Celtics blew a chance to eliminate the Hawks in Atlanta on Tuesday night when Rajon Rondo couldn’t get a shot off after a steal in the final seconds. So now the C’s return home for tonight’s Game 6 and they must do the job or not only face a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Atlanta but the real possibility of no rest heading into the next round if the C's even do win the series. Boston is a 7-point favorite at Bovada’s NBA odds and there is live play-by-play betting available.
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Atlanta was finally able to use its starting lineup it had at the beginning of the season in Game 5 because center Al Horford was healthy enough to play heavy minutes. He returned in Game 4 after originally being ruled out for this series but managed only 20 minutes. In Game 5, Horford had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the Hawks’ 87-86 win. Also entering the starting lineup for the first time this series was Marvin Williams at small forward. He had his best game as well with 15 points and four rebounds.
The Hawks have been good on the road of late, winning six of their past seven. And the road team has won six of the past eight games in this series.
Boston is very banged up. Star Paul Pierce aggravated a knee injury in Game 5. He still played 36 minutes but had just 16 points but didn’t have much explosiveness, as evidenced by not a single free-throw attempt. And he struggled to guard Williams. Pierce certainly will start tonight but isn’t 100 percent. Guard Avery Bradley also is struggling through an injury and had just 2 points in Game 5.
The odds still favor Boston winning this series. Since the NBA playoffs went to a 16-team format during the 1984 season, teams up 3-1 in series went on to win 94 percent of the time with only eight teams rallying. Even teams up 3-2 have won 85.7 percent (209-35) of those series. But in series tied 3-3, the home team has won 80.4 percent (86-21) of the time. And a Game 7 in this one would be in Atlanta.
There’s just one NBA playoff game on the schedule Friday night and it’s Game 6 of the highly entertaining Western Conference quarterfinals between the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers and the No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies. And the visiting Grizzlies are 1.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds and there will be live play-by-play betting available.
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The Clippers have advanced past the first round just once (2006) since the team moved from Buffalo but would do so with a victory tonight. A Memphis win forces Game 7 back in Tennessee on Sunday. The Grizzlies actually have outscored the Clippers overall and Memphis’ three losses in the series are by a combined four points. But the Grizzlies are 0-4 against the Clippers in L.A. this season.
The big news for Game 6 is the injury status of L.A.’s two best players, point guard Chris Paul and power forward Blake Griffin. Paul suffered a strained right hip flexor in Game 5 and Griffin suffered a scary knee injury – to the same left knee that caused him to miss what would have been his rookie season. An MRI exam revealed no structural damage to Griffin's sprained left knee, while Paul says he will play in Game 6. Technically both are game-time decisions but look for both to go in arguably the biggest game of their careers.
The only reason L.A. is the No. 5 seed and not the No. 4 is because Paul missed the regular-season finale and the Clippers lost to New York. It was worried originally that Paul injured his groin in Game 5 as he was hobbling and grabbing his midsection. The Clippers were 3-3 in the games Paul missed during the season, including that Knicks loss. He was definitely off in Game 5 with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals – but just five points and one assist in the first half. Griffin, meanwhile, hasn’t missed a game in the past two seasons.
If you believe Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, the Indiana Pacers will be a much bigger challenge to the Heat than the New York Knicks were in the last round of the NBA playoffs. But Miami is a big -800 series favorite over Indiana and an 8-point favorite on Bovada’s NBA odds for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday afternoon in south Florida.
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The third-seeded Pacers definitely are deeper than the Knicks as well as healthy. And Indiana is rolling right now having dispatched the Orlando Magic easily in five games (after losing Game 1) and having won 14 of its past 17 games. Pacers coach Frank Vogel already has started the chirping, saying the Heat are the “biggest flopping team in the NBA.” Miami did draw the fourth-most charges in the league during the regular season.
Miami dispatched the injury-ravaged Knicks in five games in the first round. And the Heat won three of the four regular-season meetings with Indiana, averaging 101.5 points per game while limiting the Pacers to 92.3. Miami won two of the games by 35 and 15 and another in overtime. However, the most recent game was March 23 in Indiana with the Pacers winning by 15. To be fair, the Heat had played a huge game in Oklahoma City the day before. Overall, the Heat held a narrow edge in rebounding (50.5 to 49.8) and a huge advantage in shooting percentage (48.0 to 40.4) vs. the Pacers.
It’s clear the Heat’s magic number is 100 points. They reached triple-digits in all three home games vs. the Knicks, winning them all handily, and are now 28-4 this season when they score at least 100. Miami will look to get out and run, while the Pacers are more of a half-court team. The favored result in the series at 7/4 is the Heat winning this series in five games.
Only eight times in NBA history has a team rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series, but the Denver Nuggets have the momentum going for them as they try to make it No. 9 on Saturday night in Game 7 at the Los Angeles Lakers. However, L.A. opened as a 5.5-point betting favorite on Bovada’s NBA odds and there is live play-by-play betting available at the book.
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With Kobe Bryant fighting a stomach bug, the Lakers themselves looked rather sickly on Thursday in losing 113-96 at Denver in a game that wasn’t that close. Kobe, who has never lost a playoff series after winning Game 1, still managed 31 points and shot 57 percent from the field. But he got little help. Andrew Bynum made just four of 11 shots for 11 points and Pau Gasol was 1-for-10 for three points with three rebounds. Coach Mike Brown and Kobe both called out Bynum and Gasol after the game. L.A. should get a boost Saturday, however, with the return of Metta World Peace from a seven-game suspension.
Denver was led by 32 points from point guard Ty Lawson on 13 of 18 shooting (and no turnovers) to force the Nuggets’ first all-or-nothing showdown since losing to Utah in Game 7 of the 1994 Western Conference semifinals. Denver was on fire in Game 6 as the Nuggets made 16 of 28 shots (57.1 percent) from 20-plus feet. Prior to Game 6, the Nuggets never made more than seven field goals or shot better than 33.3 percent from that range.
The last team to cough up a 3-1 series was the Lakers as Phoenix rallied in the first round in 2006. The Oklahoma City Thunder await the winner of this series, with Game 1 in OKC on Monday night.
One of the reasons LeBron James hoisted his third MVP was on display Sunday: The Miami Heat were lethargic all evening, then James hit the switch in the fourth to help the Heat cover the -8.5 NBA odds with a 95-86 win.
The Heat didn't have Chris Bosh in the second half versus the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, the starting forward left with an abdominal injury. But James and Dwyane Wade were able to pick up the slack. James muscled his way to 32 points and a beastly 15 rebounds along with team-leading five assists, while Wade dropped 29, includng 13-14 from the charity stripe.
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"It's a battle and we know, regardless of being at home, being away, who we're playing, what round, it's tough to win in the playoffs and you have to fight for every single possession," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And that's what it was."
Danny Granger struggled for the Pacers, he finished 1-10 from the field and had just seven points.
"Definitely not our best game," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We didn't shoot it very well. ... It came down to execution in the fourth quarter and you've got to give credit to Miami's defense."
The Pacers' front court showed a lot of positives despite the Game 1 loss, Roy Hibbert and David West combined for 34 points and 23 rebounds a sign that they could be a factor for the remainder of the series if Bosh is out for an extended period of time.
Abdominal strains can be an issue for an NBA player. Shaquille O'Neal had abdominal issues during his run with the L.A. Lakers and it was a lingering problem throughout.
Another L.A. team avoided eliminiation and moved on to the second round Sunday. NBA odds put the Clippers as 7.5-point underdogs versus the Memphis Grizzlies, and they easily covered in a 82-72 win.
The Clippers survived despite a brutal performance from young forward Blake Griffin, the second-year forward had just eight points on 3-12 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two blocks. Point guard Chris Paul was the Clippers' leading scorer, he finished with 19 points on 7-17 shooting and four assists.
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Luckily for the Clip despite their struggles Sunday the Grizzlies were worse from the field. They shot 32 percent from the field, forward Zach Randolph had nine points on 3-12 shooting. Marc Gasol was the best scorer for the Grizz, posting 19 points on 6-11 shooting.
Another key to the game was the Clippers' bench, they outscored the Grizz 41-11.
"Our bench was our MVP," Clippers guard Randy Foye said. "They realized what they had to do. We had a lot of guys hurt, so we just continued to grind."
The Clippers got out of the first round for the first time since 2006, but they get no rest for the next round. They face the San Antonio Spurs, who are coming off a lot of rest after sweeping the Utah Jazz in the first round.
"I want the guys to enjoy this, and then we'll regroup tomorrow and focus in on that," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "But obviously another big challenge for us."
The Miami Heat had so far avoided the injury bug that had bitten several other teams in this year’s playoffs, but that all changed in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against Indiana as Chris Bosh left Sunday’s win with a strained abdominal muscle that could well cost him the rest of this series. The Heat are still 7.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA odds for Game 2.
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The Heat announced on Monday that an MRI confirmed that Bosh suffered an abdominal muscle strain. Bosh is listed as out indefinitely, but if it had been a tear that would have been season-ending. The All-Star power forward was hurt with a little more than one minute remaining before halftime of Game 1 with the Pacers leading 48-39 on Sunday. Bosh drove down the middle of the lane and extended to dunk over Pacers 7-footer Roy Hibbert. He was fouled on the play and as Bosh fell to the floor he doubled over in pain. He did shoot his free throw and briefly continued before leaving for good.
Bosh finished Game 1 with 13 points and five rebounds on 6-for-11 shooting in 16 minutes. Miami won 95-86 with Game 2 on Tuesday night in south Florida. Bosh, 28, averaged 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Heat this season. He appeared in 57 of Miami's 66 regular season games, with the Heat gong 4-5 in the nine he missed.
It’s likely that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra uses LeBron James some at power forward some with Bosh out. Miami already was at a size advantage against the Pacers and that will be even more pronounced now. Bosh was expected to be a key player in the series as the primary defender against Indiana’s All-Star center Hibbert. Ronny Turiaf started the second half in Bosh's place and scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in 10 minutes.
After squeaking past the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of their Eastern Conference second-round set on Saturday night the Boston Celtics will try to extend their series lead on Monday night as they teams meet once again on the hardwood at TD Garden. Bet on the NBA at Bovada.
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Boston outscored Philadelphia 25-20 in the fourth quarter on Saturday night to grab a 92-91 win in Game 1 – but they still weren't able to cover the spread as home favorites on the NBA betting lines at Bovada.
Kevin Garnett paced the Celtics' attack with 29 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's win, while Rajon Rondo was good for 13 points, 12 boards, and 17 assists. Paul Pierce tossed in 14 points for Boston, and Ray Allen added 12 points off the bench on the night.
Andre Iguodala scored a team-high 19 points for the Sixers in their Game 1 loss, while Evan Turner picked up 16 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Hawes poured in 15 points in Saturday's losing cause for Philadelphia.
Saturday's win over the Sixers improved the Celtics to 6-4 SU in the last 10 meetings between the Atlantic Division clubs, but they're also only 3-7 ATS over those 10 contests. The OVER/UNDER has gone 4-5-1 in the past 10 matchups between the teams.
Heading into Sunday's playoff action the Celtics were listed at 8/1 at Bovada on their NBA championship futures, with the Sixers the longshot at 50/1 on that list of title odds.
Monday's Game 2 will get underway at 7:00pm ET in Boston, with Games 3 and 4 set for Philadelphia on Wednesday and Friday night.
The last time the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder saw each other, L.A.’s Metta World Peace delivered a thundering elbow to the head of OKC’s James Harden, resulting in a minor concussion for Harden and a seven-game suspension for Peace. Well, Peace says he has no plans to shake Harden’s hand as Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals tips off tonight in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 7.5-point favorites and there’s live betting available on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds.
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Oklahoma City should be plenty fresh as it has been nine days since the Thunder finished a first-round sweep of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, it will have been less than 48 hours since the Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets in a Game 7. OKC and the Lakers met in the playoffs two years ago, with L.A. winning in six games.
The big injury to note is to OKC center Kendrick Perkins. He returned to practice on Sunday, and his teammates expect him to play tonight. . Perkins was held out of practice all last week while getting treatment for a strained muscle in his right hip.
The Thunder convincingly beat the Lakers twice in the regular season and the lone loss came in overtime in late April when Russell Westbrook shot 3-for-22 and Harden was concussed by World Peace in the second quarter and didn't return. Kobe Bryant struggled in all three games, shooting a combined 23-for-75. L.A. was only 16-20 on the road in the regular season and 1-2 in these playoffs.
The over/under for games in this series is 5.5, with the over a solid -140 favorite. But five games is also the favorite for total games at +175. Also favored is OKC winning the series in five games at 11/5, although the Thunder in seven games is a close second at 23/10.
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The Clippers were down 58-39 at halftime in Game 1 on Sunday and by as many as 27 points later in the contest before roaring back for a 99-98 victory. Los Angeles outscored Memphis 35-13 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Chris Paul convinced his coach to keep him in the game in the fourth quarter despite the big deficit on the scoreboard, and he put up 14 points and 11 assists in the victory. Blake Griffin had 17 points on the night for the Clippers, with Nick Young (19 points) and Reggie Williams (13 rebounds) making big contributions off the bench.
Rudy Gay scored 19 points in the loss for the Grizzlies, but missed a key shot in the final second to hand the win to the Clippers. Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo each added 17 points on the night, and Marc Gasol was held to just 14 points.
Memphis had been a small home favorite on the NBA betting lines at Bovada for Sunday's game, and they were looking good for an easy cover until the Clippers' big comeback. Los Angeles is now 6-4 both SU and ATS in its last 10 games against Memphis.
Sunday's game was the first OVER result between the teams in their past four matchups.
On the NBA futures at Bovada the Clippers sit at 25/1 odds to win the championship, with the Grizzlies at 28/1. Los Angeles is also at 11/1 to win the West, with Memphis at 12/1.