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This past college basketball season, Kentucky freshman big man Anthony Davis was utterly dominant in winning almost every national award and leading the Wildcats to the national championship. Well, Davis now knows his who his NBA employer will be after the New Orleans Hornets won the NBA draft lottery on Wednesday night.
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Davis was the Associated Press National Player of the Year last season as well as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. The 6-foot-11 Davis was the first player from Kentucky to win the national award and the second freshman overall, joining Texas' Kevin Durant in 2007. Davis was the first winner AP award from the Southeastern Conference since LSU's Shaquille O’Neal in 1991. In the national title game victory over Kansas, Davis had just six points on 1-for-10 shooting but had 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals.
Overall, Davis averaged a team-high 14.4 points (on 62.3 percent shooting), 10.0 rebounds and a national-leading 4.7 blocked shots per game with his 7-foot-4 wingspan. His block total was a school record and third-best ever for a freshman nationally. He was also the Southeastern Conference's Player, Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year.
Davis is considered NBA-ready right now as a defender and is being called by some the best big man prospect since Tim Duncan went first overall to the San Antonio Spurs in 1997. Duncan has been so good the Spurs haven’t been back to the lottery since and they are going for their fifth NBA title this season. He will become the second Kentucky player to go No. 1 overall after point guard John Wall went at the top to Washington in 2010.
The Hornets were recently sold to Saints owner Tom Benson – they were owned by the NBA prior to that (let the conspiracy theories begin!). This is a great result for a team that had to trade away star Chris Paul before last season. New Orleans finished 21-45 this past season, tied for the third-worst mark in the league. The Hornets had a 13.7 percent chance of winning the lottery. Of course Kentucky won the national title in New Orleans.
The big loser is Charlotte, which finished 7-59, dropping its final 23 games, for the worst winning percentage in NBA history. A team with the most lottery balls hasn’t won the lottery since Orlando in 2004, when the Magic took Dwight Howard.
Many expect that Davis’ freshman teammate, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, will be the second overall pick. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds last season and has a huge ceiling.
2012 NBA draft order (June 28)
1. New Orleans
2. Charlotte
3. Washington
4. Cleveland
5. Sacramento
6. Brooklyn (goes to Portland)
7. Golden State
8. Toronto
9. Detroit
10. New Orleans
11. Portland
12. Milwaukee
13. Phoenix
14. Houston
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Davis was the Associated Press National Player of the Year last season as well as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. The 6-foot-11 Davis was the first player from Kentucky to win the national award and the second freshman overall, joining Texas' Kevin Durant in 2007. Davis was the first winner AP award from the Southeastern Conference since LSU's Shaquille O’Neal in 1991. In the national title game victory over Kansas, Davis had just six points on 1-for-10 shooting but had 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals.
Overall, Davis averaged a team-high 14.4 points (on 62.3 percent shooting), 10.0 rebounds and a national-leading 4.7 blocked shots per game with his 7-foot-4 wingspan. His block total was a school record and third-best ever for a freshman nationally. He was also the Southeastern Conference's Player, Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year.
Davis is considered NBA-ready right now as a defender and is being called by some the best big man prospect since Tim Duncan went first overall to the San Antonio Spurs in 1997. Duncan has been so good the Spurs haven’t been back to the lottery since and they are going for their fifth NBA title this season. He will become the second Kentucky player to go No. 1 overall after point guard John Wall went at the top to Washington in 2010.
The Hornets were recently sold to Saints owner Tom Benson – they were owned by the NBA prior to that (let the conspiracy theories begin!). This is a great result for a team that had to trade away star Chris Paul before last season. New Orleans finished 21-45 this past season, tied for the third-worst mark in the league. The Hornets had a 13.7 percent chance of winning the lottery. Of course Kentucky won the national title in New Orleans.
The big loser is Charlotte, which finished 7-59, dropping its final 23 games, for the worst winning percentage in NBA history. A team with the most lottery balls hasn’t won the lottery since Orlando in 2004, when the Magic took Dwight Howard.
Many expect that Davis’ freshman teammate, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, will be the second overall pick. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds last season and has a huge ceiling.
2012 NBA draft order (June 28)
1. New Orleans
2. Charlotte
3. Washington
4. Cleveland
5. Sacramento
6. Brooklyn (goes to Portland)
7. Golden State
8. Toronto
9. Detroit
10. New Orleans
11. Portland
12. Milwaukee
13. Phoenix
14. Houston
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The Miami Heat look fairly unstoppable right now with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade playing arguably their best basketball of the year and Miami is an 8-point favorite on Bovada's NBA basketball odds to take a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. There will be live play-by-play betting at the book for the game.
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LeBron and Wade combined for 54 points on 21-for-35 shooting with James adding a team-leading 13 rebounds and Wade a team-high seven assists in Monday’s 93-79 victory – it was the first team the Heat had covered against Boston this season. The game was tied at halftime, but the Celtics were clearly gassed after a Game 7 vs. the Sixers on Saturday night and were outscored 47-33 in the second half. It was Miami’s fourth straight victory in these playoffs and in that run James and Wade have combined to average 63 points on 59 percent shooting.
Miami won by 14 despite having just 10 fast-break points and shooting only 20 percent on 3-pointers, missing 20 of them in total. But the Heat also had some 19 layups and dunks and continually got to the basket.
Boston got a strong game from Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) and a decent game from Rajon Rondo (16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists), but Paul Pierce was 5-for-18 from the field for 12 points and Ray Allen was 1-for-7 from the field and a shocking 3-for-7 from the free throw line in scoring just six points. Pierce and especially Allen are both playing through injuries. Boston shot just 39.5 percent from the field and was outrebounded 48-33.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers mentioned possibly sitting the ailing Allen for a game but Allen talked him out of that. Allen said Tuesday he hasn't taken a cortisone shot in recent weeks, but said the injured ankle had regressed, noting, "The last three or four days have been pretty painful."
The Heat again will be without power forward Chris Bosh as he tries to work his way back from an abdominal muscle injury suffered in Game 1 of the Pacers series. Shane Battier played power forward much of the first game of this series and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first career playoff double-double. Battier vastly outplayed counterpart Brandon Bass (eight points, two rebounds in 34 minutes).
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LeBron and Wade combined for 54 points on 21-for-35 shooting with James adding a team-leading 13 rebounds and Wade a team-high seven assists in Monday’s 93-79 victory – it was the first team the Heat had covered against Boston this season. The game was tied at halftime, but the Celtics were clearly gassed after a Game 7 vs. the Sixers on Saturday night and were outscored 47-33 in the second half. It was Miami’s fourth straight victory in these playoffs and in that run James and Wade have combined to average 63 points on 59 percent shooting.
Miami won by 14 despite having just 10 fast-break points and shooting only 20 percent on 3-pointers, missing 20 of them in total. But the Heat also had some 19 layups and dunks and continually got to the basket.
Boston got a strong game from Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) and a decent game from Rajon Rondo (16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists), but Paul Pierce was 5-for-18 from the field for 12 points and Ray Allen was 1-for-7 from the field and a shocking 3-for-7 from the free throw line in scoring just six points. Pierce and especially Allen are both playing through injuries. Boston shot just 39.5 percent from the field and was outrebounded 48-33.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers mentioned possibly sitting the ailing Allen for a game but Allen talked him out of that. Allen said Tuesday he hasn't taken a cortisone shot in recent weeks, but said the injured ankle had regressed, noting, "The last three or four days have been pretty painful."
The Heat again will be without power forward Chris Bosh as he tries to work his way back from an abdominal muscle injury suffered in Game 1 of the Pacers series. Shane Battier played power forward much of the first game of this series and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first career playoff double-double. Battier vastly outplayed counterpart Brandon Bass (eight points, two rebounds in 34 minutes).
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We've been talking about the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile the San Antonio Spurs have been on a historic run. NBA odds made the Spurs -4.5 favorites, and they easily covered in a 120-111 win.
The Spurs set an NBA record with their 20th consecutive victory bridging the regular season and the playoffs. They came in sharing the longest such streak with the 2000-01 Lakers, who won 19 straight before losing to Philadelphia in the first game of the finals.
Tony Parker had 34 points and eight assists, Manu Ginobili added 20 points and Kawhi Leonard added 18 as the take a 2-0 lead in the Western Finals.
''Tony's been great all year,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''He's been really focused the entire season.''
The Thunder got the usual all-star performaces from their big three, Russell Westbrook had 27 points and 8 assists, Kevin Durant had 31 points and James Harden had 30, but they couldn't keep up with the Spurs offense.
The Spurs shot 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point land, leading by as much as 22 points in the second half.
''First, we've got to worry about Game 3,'' Westbrook said after the loss. ''Regardless of what's going on with this last game or the next game, we've got to worry about Game 3 and come in with the same mindset and try to get a win.''
The Spurs set an NBA record with their 20th consecutive victory bridging the regular season and the playoffs. They came in sharing the longest such streak with the 2000-01 Lakers, who won 19 straight before losing to Philadelphia in the first game of the finals.
Tony Parker had 34 points and eight assists, Manu Ginobili added 20 points and Kawhi Leonard added 18 as the take a 2-0 lead in the Western Finals.
''Tony's been great all year,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''He's been really focused the entire season.''
The Thunder got the usual all-star performaces from their big three, Russell Westbrook had 27 points and 8 assists, Kevin Durant had 31 points and James Harden had 30, but they couldn't keep up with the Spurs offense.
The Spurs shot 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point land, leading by as much as 22 points in the second half.
''First, we've got to worry about Game 3,'' Westbrook said after the loss. ''Regardless of what's going on with this last game or the next game, we've got to worry about Game 3 and come in with the same mindset and try to get a win.''
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Is there any reason to doubt the San Antonio Spurs at this point? The Western Conference’s top seed takes an incredible 20-game winning streak into Thursday night’s Game 3 of the West Finals against Oklahoma City, but the host Thunder are actually 3.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds with live play-by-play betting at the book available.
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Behind 16-for-21 shooting and 34 points from Tony Parker in Tuesday’s Game 2 120-111 victory, the Spurs held serve at home and improved to 10-0 in these playoffs. By extending their win streak to 20 into the postseason, that set an NBA record. The record to start a playoffs with consecutive wins is 11, which the Spurs can tie tonight. The record for consecutive wins in one postseason is 12, while the overall record for consecutive playoff wins (set over two seasons) is 13. No team has ever gone unbeaten throughout a postseason. The overall NBA record for consecutive wins is 33, which is unattainable this season.
So while the Spurs were up 22 points as late as the third quarter and covered in Game 2, there was reason for optimism Oklahoma City. First of all, the Thunder were able to cut that deficit down to six points in the fourth quarter. Secondly, the Thunder’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 88 points and shot well from the field, especially Harden. The problem was that the rest of the team was 7-for-34 from the field for 23 points. And the Thunder need more from Durant late in games as he is 1 for 5 shooting during both fourth quarters in this series.
Oklahoma City is 15-4 this season after a loss (including Game 2) and did win once at home during the regular season vs. the Spurs, although it was when San Antonio didn’t have Manu Ginobili (he didn’t play in any of the regular-season meetings with OKC). This is only the second time during their winning streak that San Antonio will be an underdog and the first time was a meaningless game at the end of the regular season at Phoenix when Parker, Ginobili, Tim Duncan and even coach Gregg Popovich didn’t make the trip.
The Thunder were 26-7 at home during the regular season and undefeated at home in the playoffs. The Spurs have won 24 of their last 25 road games and have covered in five of their past six trips to OKC.
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Behind 16-for-21 shooting and 34 points from Tony Parker in Tuesday’s Game 2 120-111 victory, the Spurs held serve at home and improved to 10-0 in these playoffs. By extending their win streak to 20 into the postseason, that set an NBA record. The record to start a playoffs with consecutive wins is 11, which the Spurs can tie tonight. The record for consecutive wins in one postseason is 12, while the overall record for consecutive playoff wins (set over two seasons) is 13. No team has ever gone unbeaten throughout a postseason. The overall NBA record for consecutive wins is 33, which is unattainable this season.
So while the Spurs were up 22 points as late as the third quarter and covered in Game 2, there was reason for optimism Oklahoma City. First of all, the Thunder were able to cut that deficit down to six points in the fourth quarter. Secondly, the Thunder’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 88 points and shot well from the field, especially Harden. The problem was that the rest of the team was 7-for-34 from the field for 23 points. And the Thunder need more from Durant late in games as he is 1 for 5 shooting during both fourth quarters in this series.
Oklahoma City is 15-4 this season after a loss (including Game 2) and did win once at home during the regular season vs. the Spurs, although it was when San Antonio didn’t have Manu Ginobili (he didn’t play in any of the regular-season meetings with OKC). This is only the second time during their winning streak that San Antonio will be an underdog and the first time was a meaningless game at the end of the regular season at Phoenix when Parker, Ginobili, Tim Duncan and even coach Gregg Popovich didn’t make the trip.
The Thunder were 26-7 at home during the regular season and undefeated at home in the playoffs. The Spurs have won 24 of their last 25 road games and have covered in five of their past six trips to OKC.
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Heading into Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, some were projecting the San Antonio Spurs as perhaps one of the best playoff teams of all time and capable of becoming the first NBA team to go unbeaten in a postseason. But that series looks very different following Oklahoma City’s 102-82 blowout Thursday to close the gap to 2-1. And the Thunder are again 3.5-point home favorites for Game 4 on Bovada’s NBA odds, with live play-by-play betting available at the book.
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Clearly the big difference in Game 3 was the defense of Oklahoma City, particularly that of guard Thabo Sefolosha. In Game 2, the Spurs scored 120 points, their most in a playoff game in six years, and shot 55.9 percent from the field. Point guard Tony Parker was an obscene 16-for-21 from the field for 34 points.
But in Thursday’s game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks put the 6-foot-7 Sefolosha on the 6-foot-2 Parker for the first time in this series. Sefolosha not only had six steals and held Parker to 6-for-12 shooting for a quiet 16 points, but the defensive specialist also added a career-playoff high 19 points of his own (and six rebounds). Sefolosha averaged 4.8 points per game during the season and his high in these playoffs was seven points.
Parker wasn’t the only one quiet. Tim Duncan was just 5-for-15 from the field for 11 points and Manu Ginobili, who had 46 total points in the first two games, had just one field goal and eight points. The Spurs shot only 39.5 percent from the field in Game 3 in seeing their 20-game winning streak snapped, and they scored their fewest points since a late January game in Minnesota. San Antonio had been averaging nearly 110 points per game in the winning streak and had been held in double digits just twice.
Oklahoma City also got an unlikely 14 points from Serge Ibaka to make up for Russell Westbrook’s quiet 10 points. The Thunder had only eight turnovers, forced a whopping 21 for the Spurs (their most in a playoff game since 2007), had 14 steals overall and blocked nine San Antonio shots.
Have the Spurs been solved? They have failed to cover in three of their past four games and had to stage a big fourth-quarter rally to win Game 1 before dominating Game 2. The Thunder, meanwhile, are unbeaten at home in these playoffs. San Antonio hasn’t lost back-to-back games since April 9 and 11, after which its 20-game run began. The Spurs have covered in eight of their past nine games following a loss. But the Thunder have covered five of their past six as a favorite.
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Clearly the big difference in Game 3 was the defense of Oklahoma City, particularly that of guard Thabo Sefolosha. In Game 2, the Spurs scored 120 points, their most in a playoff game in six years, and shot 55.9 percent from the field. Point guard Tony Parker was an obscene 16-for-21 from the field for 34 points.
But in Thursday’s game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks put the 6-foot-7 Sefolosha on the 6-foot-2 Parker for the first time in this series. Sefolosha not only had six steals and held Parker to 6-for-12 shooting for a quiet 16 points, but the defensive specialist also added a career-playoff high 19 points of his own (and six rebounds). Sefolosha averaged 4.8 points per game during the season and his high in these playoffs was seven points.
Parker wasn’t the only one quiet. Tim Duncan was just 5-for-15 from the field for 11 points and Manu Ginobili, who had 46 total points in the first two games, had just one field goal and eight points. The Spurs shot only 39.5 percent from the field in Game 3 in seeing their 20-game winning streak snapped, and they scored their fewest points since a late January game in Minnesota. San Antonio had been averaging nearly 110 points per game in the winning streak and had been held in double digits just twice.
Oklahoma City also got an unlikely 14 points from Serge Ibaka to make up for Russell Westbrook’s quiet 10 points. The Thunder had only eight turnovers, forced a whopping 21 for the Spurs (their most in a playoff game since 2007), had 14 steals overall and blocked nine San Antonio shots.
Have the Spurs been solved? They have failed to cover in three of their past four games and had to stage a big fourth-quarter rally to win Game 1 before dominating Game 2. The Thunder, meanwhile, are unbeaten at home in these playoffs. San Antonio hasn’t lost back-to-back games since April 9 and 11, after which its 20-game run began. The Spurs have covered in eight of their past nine games following a loss. But the Thunder have covered five of their past six as a favorite.
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It’s very improbable for a team to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs, but history has shown it’s downright impossible to rally from a 3-0 hole. Thus the Celtics face essentially a do-or-die Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night in Boston against the Miami Heat, and Boston is a 2-point favorite on Bovada’s NBA playoff odds. There will be live play-by-play betting available at the book.
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Miami’s Game 2 115-111 overtime victory had to be the best game of these playoffs by far. The Celtics played terrific for most of it, leading by 15 near the end of the first half, watching Miami comeback and take the lead, and then the C’s going up by five with three minutes left. Rajon Rondo was the dominant player on the court with a career-high 44 points (all 12 of Boston’s in overtime), 10 assists and eight rebounds in career-high 53 minutes played.
Rondo the first player in NBA history to reach each of those thresholds in a playoff game and first Celtics player with at least 40 points and 10 assists in a postseason game. The knock on Rondo is that he’s not a good jump shooter, but he was 10-of-12 (83.3 percent) from 15 feet and beyond in Game 2. Entering the game, Rondo's previous career high for field goals made from such distances was six.
Really, all of Boston’s starters played well, with Paul Pierce (21 points) and Ray Allen (13 points) bouncing back from disappointing efforts in the opener. Overall, Boston’s starting five outscored Miami’s 104-90. But the Celtics bench had just seven points and five rebounds in 49 total minutes while Miami’s had 25 points and 17 boards.
The foul discrepancy also was ridiculous. The Celtics were called for 33 fouls compared to Miami’s 18. The Celtics were 26-for-29 from the line but were outscored by five there because Miami shot 47 free throws, including 24 for LeBron James. Boston had three players foul out – including the crushing loss of Pierce in the final minute of regulation – while Miami had just one player with four fouls.
Boston did win both regular-season meetings with Miami in Beantown, and has covered in five of six meetings this year, but one of those was when both teams were playing with reserves near the end of the regular season. Miami is just 1-8 ATS in its past nine trips to Boston. The Heat’s injured Chris Bosh will travel with the team but won’t play in Games 3 or 4.
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Miami’s Game 2 115-111 overtime victory had to be the best game of these playoffs by far. The Celtics played terrific for most of it, leading by 15 near the end of the first half, watching Miami comeback and take the lead, and then the C’s going up by five with three minutes left. Rajon Rondo was the dominant player on the court with a career-high 44 points (all 12 of Boston’s in overtime), 10 assists and eight rebounds in career-high 53 minutes played.
Rondo the first player in NBA history to reach each of those thresholds in a playoff game and first Celtics player with at least 40 points and 10 assists in a postseason game. The knock on Rondo is that he’s not a good jump shooter, but he was 10-of-12 (83.3 percent) from 15 feet and beyond in Game 2. Entering the game, Rondo's previous career high for field goals made from such distances was six.
Really, all of Boston’s starters played well, with Paul Pierce (21 points) and Ray Allen (13 points) bouncing back from disappointing efforts in the opener. Overall, Boston’s starting five outscored Miami’s 104-90. But the Celtics bench had just seven points and five rebounds in 49 total minutes while Miami’s had 25 points and 17 boards.
The foul discrepancy also was ridiculous. The Celtics were called for 33 fouls compared to Miami’s 18. The Celtics were 26-for-29 from the line but were outscored by five there because Miami shot 47 free throws, including 24 for LeBron James. Boston had three players foul out – including the crushing loss of Pierce in the final minute of regulation – while Miami had just one player with four fouls.
Boston did win both regular-season meetings with Miami in Beantown, and has covered in five of six meetings this year, but one of those was when both teams were playing with reserves near the end of the regular season. Miami is just 1-8 ATS in its past nine trips to Boston. The Heat’s injured Chris Bosh will travel with the team but won’t play in Games 3 or 4.
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Last week at this time some were calling the San Antonio Spurs perhaps one of the great teams off all-time. Now? The Spurs essentially face a must-win in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night or face the possibility of being eliminated in Game 6 back in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. San Antonio is a 5-point favorite on Bovada’s NBA odds with live play-by-play betting available.
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After having won 20 straight games, the Spurs have been pretty much outclassed in losing the past two to the Thunder in OKC. In Saturday’s 109-103 victory, the Thunder got a shocking combined 41 points from big men Serge Ibaka (career-high 26) and Kendrick Perkins on 18-for-20 from the field. That helped make up for the fact that Russell Westbrook had only seven points on 2-for-10 shooting and James Harden had only eight points. Kevin Durant led the way with 36 – 16 straight in the fourth quarter at one point -- as the Thunder shot a crazy 56.4 percent from the field.
The Spurs were led by 21 from Tim Duncan, but Tony Parker had just 12 on 5-for-15 shooting and Manu Ginobili 13 points. In Games 3 and 4, Parker and Ginobili combined to shoot 16 of 39 with 16 turnovers. It’s San Antonio’s first two-game losing streak since April 9-11. And after those back-to-back losses, that 20-game run started. San Antonio hasn’t lost three straight all season.
Oklahoma City is attempting to become only the 15th team in NBA history to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven series. San Antonio has covered in eight of its past 10 games after a loss. But OKC is 3-0-1 ATS in its past four after a win.
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After having won 20 straight games, the Spurs have been pretty much outclassed in losing the past two to the Thunder in OKC. In Saturday’s 109-103 victory, the Thunder got a shocking combined 41 points from big men Serge Ibaka (career-high 26) and Kendrick Perkins on 18-for-20 from the field. That helped make up for the fact that Russell Westbrook had only seven points on 2-for-10 shooting and James Harden had only eight points. Kevin Durant led the way with 36 – 16 straight in the fourth quarter at one point -- as the Thunder shot a crazy 56.4 percent from the field.
The Spurs were led by 21 from Tim Duncan, but Tony Parker had just 12 on 5-for-15 shooting and Manu Ginobili 13 points. In Games 3 and 4, Parker and Ginobili combined to shoot 16 of 39 with 16 turnovers. It’s San Antonio’s first two-game losing streak since April 9-11. And after those back-to-back losses, that 20-game run started. San Antonio hasn’t lost three straight all season.
Oklahoma City is attempting to become only the 15th team in NBA history to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven series. San Antonio has covered in eight of its past 10 games after a loss. But OKC is 3-0-1 ATS in its past four after a win.
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In just the franchise’s fourth season since moving to Oklahoma City and only three years removed from a 23-59 record, the Thunder can advance to their first NBA Finals on Wednesday night with a home win over suddenly mortal San Antonio in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. OKC is a 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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Just a week ago, the Spurs looked like an unstoppable force after taking a 2-0 series lead and a 20-game winning streak into Game 3. But now San Antonio finds itself on its first three-game losing streak after Monday’s 108-103 loss, only its second home defeat in nearly three months and first of these playoffs.
Kevin Durant led the way Monday with 27 points, Russell Westbrook had 23 and James Harden 20 off the bench, including the clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter that essentially wrapped up the game. The Thunder reached triple digits for the third game in a row – all covers -- and shot 50 percent from the field.
San Antonio point guard, Tony Parker, meanwhile, continues to struggle. After Parker’s 34-point, 16-for-21 shooting Game 2 outburst, Thunder coach Scott Brooks switched 6-foot-7 Thabo Sefolosha defensively on Parker. And it has worked wonders. Parker is 16-for-41 from the field since then and had more turnovers (five) than assists (four) in Game 5. San Antonio had 21 turnovers, leading to 28 OKC points.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with Parker struggling, moved Manu Ginobili into the starting lineup in Game 5 for the first time since late March. Manu came through with 34 points, his most since last season. But he missed the potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds and the Spurs bench was vastly weakened without Ginobili, getting outscored 40-22 by the OKC reserves. Former Spurs starter Danny Green was moved to the bench and had no points in four minutes. He is shooting 26.7 percent from the field in this series.
Things are looking good for the Thunder as they are the only unbeaten team left at home in these playoffs at 7-0. And teams that win Game 5 of a series that was tied 2-2 have gone on to win the series nearly 84 percent of the time.
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Just a week ago, the Spurs looked like an unstoppable force after taking a 2-0 series lead and a 20-game winning streak into Game 3. But now San Antonio finds itself on its first three-game losing streak after Monday’s 108-103 loss, only its second home defeat in nearly three months and first of these playoffs.
Kevin Durant led the way Monday with 27 points, Russell Westbrook had 23 and James Harden 20 off the bench, including the clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter that essentially wrapped up the game. The Thunder reached triple digits for the third game in a row – all covers -- and shot 50 percent from the field.
San Antonio point guard, Tony Parker, meanwhile, continues to struggle. After Parker’s 34-point, 16-for-21 shooting Game 2 outburst, Thunder coach Scott Brooks switched 6-foot-7 Thabo Sefolosha defensively on Parker. And it has worked wonders. Parker is 16-for-41 from the field since then and had more turnovers (five) than assists (four) in Game 5. San Antonio had 21 turnovers, leading to 28 OKC points.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with Parker struggling, moved Manu Ginobili into the starting lineup in Game 5 for the first time since late March. Manu came through with 34 points, his most since last season. But he missed the potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds and the Spurs bench was vastly weakened without Ginobili, getting outscored 40-22 by the OKC reserves. Former Spurs starter Danny Green was moved to the bench and had no points in four minutes. He is shooting 26.7 percent from the field in this series.
Things are looking good for the Thunder as they are the only unbeaten team left at home in these playoffs at 7-0. And teams that win Game 5 of a series that was tied 2-2 have gone on to win the series nearly 84 percent of the time.
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On Monday night in these NBA playoffs, Oklahoma City won at San Antonio, the team with the co-NBA-best 28-5 record at home this season, to take a 3-2 series lead after losing the first two games of the West Finals. Tonight in the East Finals, the Boston Celtics can take a 3-2 series lead with a win at Miami, which had a co-NBA-best 28-5 home record this season, despite once trailing 2-0 in that series. However, the Heat are 8-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA odds and there will be live play-by-play betting at the book.
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The big storyline line heading into Game 5, other than Miami possibly losing its third straight game, is the likely return of Heat All-Star big man Chris Bosh. He hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Indiana Pacers series after suffering an abdominal strain. However, Bosh has been moving well in workouts the past few days and will be activated tonight for the first time. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t say it’s definite Bosh would play, but all signs point to that. Miami is 5-4 in the nine games Bosh missed.
Bosh will help greatly on both ends of the floor. Offensively, his range and post-up ability will make it harder for the Celtics to aggressively double-team the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who is struggling right now. And on defense, Bosh should be a big upgrade in covering Celtics center Kevin Garnett, who is averaging 20 points and 11.2 rebounds in this series. Plus Bosh’s return obviously makes the Heat bench one player stronger – Bosh probably can’t play 40 minutes right away.
What Bosh can’t do is guard Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, and he’s giving Miami fits right now. Rondo is averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 assists and 7.6 steals in this series. Perhaps Bosh can make a last-second shot, however. Both Udonis Haslem and Wade missed last-second shots at the end of regulation and overtime, respectively, in Game 4’s 93-91 loss. The Heat are now 0-for-7 in game-tying or go-ahead field-goal attempts in the final 24 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime this postseason.
The Heat have lost three in a row just once this year, coming back in early January in three games out West. But Miami has covered just once in eight meetings with the Celtics in the 2011-12 season.
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The big storyline line heading into Game 5, other than Miami possibly losing its third straight game, is the likely return of Heat All-Star big man Chris Bosh. He hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Indiana Pacers series after suffering an abdominal strain. However, Bosh has been moving well in workouts the past few days and will be activated tonight for the first time. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t say it’s definite Bosh would play, but all signs point to that. Miami is 5-4 in the nine games Bosh missed.
Bosh will help greatly on both ends of the floor. Offensively, his range and post-up ability will make it harder for the Celtics to aggressively double-team the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who is struggling right now. And on defense, Bosh should be a big upgrade in covering Celtics center Kevin Garnett, who is averaging 20 points and 11.2 rebounds in this series. Plus Bosh’s return obviously makes the Heat bench one player stronger – Bosh probably can’t play 40 minutes right away.
What Bosh can’t do is guard Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, and he’s giving Miami fits right now. Rondo is averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 assists and 7.6 steals in this series. Perhaps Bosh can make a last-second shot, however. Both Udonis Haslem and Wade missed last-second shots at the end of regulation and overtime, respectively, in Game 4’s 93-91 loss. The Heat are now 0-for-7 in game-tying or go-ahead field-goal attempts in the final 24 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime this postseason.
The Heat have lost three in a row just once this year, coming back in early January in three games out West. But Miami has covered just once in eight meetings with the Celtics in the 2011-12 season.
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The Miami Heat have been the Bovada 2012 NBA championship favorites almost every day since the futures odds were released following last year’s Finals in which Miami was upset by Dallas. But the Heat’s season could come to a shocking conclusion in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night with the Celtics holding a 3-2 series lead. However, Miami is a 1.5-point favorite and there will be live play-by-play betting on Bovada’s NBA odds.
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The Celtics were left for dead after losing the first two games of this series, but they have stormed back to hand Miami just its second three-game losing streak of the season thanks to Tuesday’s 94-90 road win. It was Boston’s eighth cover in nine meetings with Miami in 2011-12. Chris Bosh returned from injury, off the bench, and finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes.
Bosh only played three minutes in the second half. And it was in that half that Boston’s Kevin Garnett dominated with 18 of his game-high 26 points. KG also finished with 11 rebounds and the Heat haven’t had an answer for him; look for Bosh’s minutes to improve in Game 6. Rajon Rondo had an off game for Boston with just seven points on 3-for-15 shooting Tuesday but had several clutch assists among his 13.
LeBron James and Dwayne Wade as usual did their part for Miami with a combined 57 points, but it took them 47 shots to get there. No other Heat player had more than nine points. The problem for the Heat is that they can’t afford to give LeBron or Wade any rest. In the combined 11 minutes one of them was off the floor in Game 5, Miami was minus-16. When they both played, the Heat were plus-12.
James hasn’t had much luck when down 3-2 heading into a Game 6 in his career. LeBron has trailed four times in that scenario – 2011 vs. Mavericks (James’ only time with Heat), 2010 vs. Celtics, 2009 vs. Magic and 2008 vs. Celtics – and has lost the series all four times. LeBron only forced a Game 7 against Boston in 2008 while with the Cavaliers. Overall in his postseason career when LeBron’s team is tied or leads the series, James is averaging 28.5 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 3.2 times. When his team trails the series, James is scoring 27.4 points per game, shooting 42.8 percent and turning the ball over 5.3 times a game.
If the Heat can get just their second win in Boston in the past two years (1-11 ATS in the past 12 there), Game 7 of the East Finals is Saturday night back in Miami.
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The Celtics were left for dead after losing the first two games of this series, but they have stormed back to hand Miami just its second three-game losing streak of the season thanks to Tuesday’s 94-90 road win. It was Boston’s eighth cover in nine meetings with Miami in 2011-12. Chris Bosh returned from injury, off the bench, and finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes.
Bosh only played three minutes in the second half. And it was in that half that Boston’s Kevin Garnett dominated with 18 of his game-high 26 points. KG also finished with 11 rebounds and the Heat haven’t had an answer for him; look for Bosh’s minutes to improve in Game 6. Rajon Rondo had an off game for Boston with just seven points on 3-for-15 shooting Tuesday but had several clutch assists among his 13.
LeBron James and Dwayne Wade as usual did their part for Miami with a combined 57 points, but it took them 47 shots to get there. No other Heat player had more than nine points. The problem for the Heat is that they can’t afford to give LeBron or Wade any rest. In the combined 11 minutes one of them was off the floor in Game 5, Miami was minus-16. When they both played, the Heat were plus-12.
James hasn’t had much luck when down 3-2 heading into a Game 6 in his career. LeBron has trailed four times in that scenario – 2011 vs. Mavericks (James’ only time with Heat), 2010 vs. Celtics, 2009 vs. Magic and 2008 vs. Celtics – and has lost the series all four times. LeBron only forced a Game 7 against Boston in 2008 while with the Cavaliers. Overall in his postseason career when LeBron’s team is tied or leads the series, James is averaging 28.5 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 3.2 times. When his team trails the series, James is scoring 27.4 points per game, shooting 42.8 percent and turning the ball over 5.3 times a game.
If the Heat can get just their second win in Boston in the past two years (1-11 ATS in the past 12 there), Game 7 of the East Finals is Saturday night back in Miami.
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No franchise has played more Game 7s than the Boston Celtics (28). The Miami Heat, meanwhile, have yet to play a winner-take-all playoff game since LeBron James and Chris Bosh moved to South Beach. A trip to the NBA Finals vs. the Oklahoma City iThunder s on the line in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night and Miami is a 7.5-point home favorite on Bovada’s NBA odds. There will be live play-by-play betting available at the book.
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The Heat went to Boston in Game 6 and crushed the Celtics 98-79 behind one of the best playoff games in history by LeBron James. The NBA’s MVP finished with a stunning 45 points (on 19-for-26 shooting), 15 rebounds and five assists in the blowout. LeBron had 30 in the first half and missed just two shots before intermission and the game was all but over. James became the second player in playoff history to reach at least 40-15-5 -- Wilt Chamberlain had 50 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a 1964 game against the St. Louis Hawks.
Boston is now 0-3 in this postseason in its first chance to close out a series. But the Celtics did then close out Atlanta in Game 6 in Round 1 and Philly in Game 7 in Round 2. The difference? Those were in Boston. The C’s are 11-14 in close-out games in the past five years.
Rajon Rondo played solidly for Boston in Game 6 with 21 points and 10 assists, but the Celtics’ Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen was invisible with 31 combined points on 13-for-39 from the field. The 31 combined points is the lowest in a playoff game that all three played in since they became teammates in the 2007-08 season. Boston was 1-for-14 from 3-point range, including 0-for-6 by Pierce. LeBron by himself had more points, more rebounds and more assists than that trio. The only other Heat player in double figures in Game 6 was Dwayne Wade with 17, but he again struggled from the field (6-for-17).
LeBron has never led his team to a series win when trailing 3-2 (0-4 entering Game 7). But James has the highest scoring average (31.4) in elimination games in NBA history. And being at home should give Miami a huge advantage. There have been 109 Game 7s in NBA history, and the home team is 87-22 (79.8 percent). The L.A. Clippers did win a road Game 7 at Memphis in the first round of this year's West playoffs and five of the last six road winners in Game 7 have come from the Western Conference. Eight of the last 11 Game 7 outcomes overall have been decided by double digits.
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The Heat went to Boston in Game 6 and crushed the Celtics 98-79 behind one of the best playoff games in history by LeBron James. The NBA’s MVP finished with a stunning 45 points (on 19-for-26 shooting), 15 rebounds and five assists in the blowout. LeBron had 30 in the first half and missed just two shots before intermission and the game was all but over. James became the second player in playoff history to reach at least 40-15-5 -- Wilt Chamberlain had 50 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a 1964 game against the St. Louis Hawks.
Boston is now 0-3 in this postseason in its first chance to close out a series. But the Celtics did then close out Atlanta in Game 6 in Round 1 and Philly in Game 7 in Round 2. The difference? Those were in Boston. The C’s are 11-14 in close-out games in the past five years.
Rajon Rondo played solidly for Boston in Game 6 with 21 points and 10 assists, but the Celtics’ Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen was invisible with 31 combined points on 13-for-39 from the field. The 31 combined points is the lowest in a playoff game that all three played in since they became teammates in the 2007-08 season. Boston was 1-for-14 from 3-point range, including 0-for-6 by Pierce. LeBron by himself had more points, more rebounds and more assists than that trio. The only other Heat player in double figures in Game 6 was Dwayne Wade with 17, but he again struggled from the field (6-for-17).
LeBron has never led his team to a series win when trailing 3-2 (0-4 entering Game 7). But James has the highest scoring average (31.4) in elimination games in NBA history. And being at home should give Miami a huge advantage. There have been 109 Game 7s in NBA history, and the home team is 87-22 (79.8 percent). The L.A. Clippers did win a road Game 7 at Memphis in the first round of this year's West playoffs and five of the last six road winners in Game 7 have come from the Western Conference. Eight of the last 11 Game 7 outcomes overall have been decided by double digits.
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It’s a dream matchup in the 2012 NBA Finals starting Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as the Western Conference champion Thunder and three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant host the East champion Miami Heat and three-time NBA MVP LeBron James in Game 1. The Thunder are 5-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds for the opener and -170 on the NBA team props to win the franchise’s first title in its first Finals trip since moving from Seattle five years ago.
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Both the Thunder and Heat were the second seeds in their respective conferences. OKC will have home-court advantage thanks to a 47-19 regular-season record that was one game better than Miami’s. Had the Heat not rested stars LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the season’s final two games, they likely would have won those two (losses at Boston, which also rested its stars, and Washington) and would have the home-court edge here.
The Thunder went through a much more difficult path in the West in ousting Dallas, the L.A. Lakers and San Antonio. That trio accounts for 10 of the past 13 NBA titles. OKC is unbeaten on its own floor in these playoffs. Of course the Heat reached last year’s Finals, LeBron’s second trip there (first with Cleveland), and were upset in six games by Dallas.
OKC and Miami split two regular-season meetings, with each winning on its home court. On March 25 in OKC, the Thunder won 103-87, Miami’s worst loss of the year until the regular-season finale when all its stars were out. Durant led OKC with 28 points, nine rebounds and a season-high eight assists. Wade led all Heat scorers with 22 points while Bosh chipped in with 18 points and LeBron added only 17. The rest of the team contributed just 30 points on 13-for-32 shooting. Oklahoma City had a season-high 13 steals and forced Miami into 21 turnovers that led to 28 Thunder points.
Ten days later in Miami, the Heat won 98-93 behind 34 points and 10 assists from LeBron. Durant scored 30 points for the Thunder but had a career-high nine turnovers. He had two shots late in the game that would have either given Oklahoma City the lead or pulled the Thunder into a tie but missed both. Russell Westbrook scored 28 points for Oklahoma City, but he was only 9-for-26 from the field.
The favored result at Bovada is Oklahoma City in six games at 11/4, with Thunder in seven close behind at 3/1. The Heat’s favored series result is in seven games at 13/2. The favorite for total games in series is seven at +155.
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Both the Thunder and Heat were the second seeds in their respective conferences. OKC will have home-court advantage thanks to a 47-19 regular-season record that was one game better than Miami’s. Had the Heat not rested stars LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the season’s final two games, they likely would have won those two (losses at Boston, which also rested its stars, and Washington) and would have the home-court edge here.
The Thunder went through a much more difficult path in the West in ousting Dallas, the L.A. Lakers and San Antonio. That trio accounts for 10 of the past 13 NBA titles. OKC is unbeaten on its own floor in these playoffs. Of course the Heat reached last year’s Finals, LeBron’s second trip there (first with Cleveland), and were upset in six games by Dallas.
OKC and Miami split two regular-season meetings, with each winning on its home court. On March 25 in OKC, the Thunder won 103-87, Miami’s worst loss of the year until the regular-season finale when all its stars were out. Durant led OKC with 28 points, nine rebounds and a season-high eight assists. Wade led all Heat scorers with 22 points while Bosh chipped in with 18 points and LeBron added only 17. The rest of the team contributed just 30 points on 13-for-32 shooting. Oklahoma City had a season-high 13 steals and forced Miami into 21 turnovers that led to 28 Thunder points.
Ten days later in Miami, the Heat won 98-93 behind 34 points and 10 assists from LeBron. Durant scored 30 points for the Thunder but had a career-high nine turnovers. He had two shots late in the game that would have either given Oklahoma City the lead or pulled the Thunder into a tie but missed both. Russell Westbrook scored 28 points for Oklahoma City, but he was only 9-for-26 from the field.
The favored result at Bovada is Oklahoma City in six games at 11/4, with Thunder in seven close behind at 3/1. The Heat’s favored series result is in seven games at 13/2. The favorite for total games in series is seven at +155.
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Miami Heat superstar LeBron James has won three NBA regular-season MVP awards and two All-Star Game MVP honors. Can LeBron now capture his first championship ring and also a first NBA Finals MVP? He is at 3/2 on Bovada’s NBA player props to win the Bill Russell Finals Award, the second-favorite behind Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (1/1).
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The way James is playing right now, it’s probably wise not to bet against him. He was otherworldy in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Boston, averaging 33.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting and 11.0 rebounds. He is only the third player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 10 rebounds while shooting at least 50 percent from the field in a playoff series. James’ 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist Game 6 vs. the Celtics was arguably one of the top-five playoff games of all-time.
LeBron’s over/under total for this series are 29.5 points (over -125 favorite), 9.5 rebounds (over -130 favorite) and 5.5 assists (over -125 favorite). Will LeBron get a triple-double? He hasn’t had one yet in the postseason but has come close a few times. No is the -300 favorite with yes at +200. James and the Heat faced the Thunder twice this season and LeBron 25.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists as the teams split.
While LeBron doesn’t yet have an NBA Finals trophy, teammate Dwyane Wade does from the Heat’s 2006 win over Dallas. The Mavs won the first two games but Wade scored 42, 36 and 43 points in the next three games, respectively, before Miami won the series in six. Wade to win Finals MVP is 7/1. His totals for this series are 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Wade is averaging 22.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in these playoffs, although his shooting has been a bit off at times. Wade averaged 20.5 points 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists vs. the Thunder in the regular season.
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The way James is playing right now, it’s probably wise not to bet against him. He was otherworldy in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Boston, averaging 33.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting and 11.0 rebounds. He is only the third player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 10 rebounds while shooting at least 50 percent from the field in a playoff series. James’ 45-point, 15-rebound, five-assist Game 6 vs. the Celtics was arguably one of the top-five playoff games of all-time.
LeBron’s over/under total for this series are 29.5 points (over -125 favorite), 9.5 rebounds (over -130 favorite) and 5.5 assists (over -125 favorite). Will LeBron get a triple-double? He hasn’t had one yet in the postseason but has come close a few times. No is the -300 favorite with yes at +200. James and the Heat faced the Thunder twice this season and LeBron 25.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists as the teams split.
While LeBron doesn’t yet have an NBA Finals trophy, teammate Dwyane Wade does from the Heat’s 2006 win over Dallas. The Mavs won the first two games but Wade scored 42, 36 and 43 points in the next three games, respectively, before Miami won the series in six. Wade to win Finals MVP is 7/1. His totals for this series are 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Wade is averaging 22.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in these playoffs, although his shooting has been a bit off at times. Wade averaged 20.5 points 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists vs. the Thunder in the regular season.
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Kevin Durant already, at age 23, is the NBA’s three-time scoring champion. But what matters most to the Oklahoma City superstar is to win his first NBA championship ring. And if the Thunder do beat the Heat in this year’s Finals, which start Tuesday in OKC, then Durant is quite likely to win the Finals MVP award. He is the even-money favorite to do so on Bovada’s NBA basketball player prop odds.
Durant averaged 28.0 points during the regular season to edge Kobe Bryant for the scoring title, and in these playoffs Durant is averaging 27.8 points but shooting slightly better from the field at 50.5 percent. It’s likely that Durant will often be guarded by the three-time NBA MVP LeBron James.
In two games vs. the Heat in the regular season, Durant averaged 29.0 points (shooting 53.7 percent from the field), 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Durant’s over/under for points per game in this series is 28.5, with the over a slight -125 favorite. His rebounds total is set at 7.5 (over a -130 favorite) and his assists at 4.5 (over a -135 favorite).
Teammate Russell Westbrook is at 6/1 to win the Finals MVP award. The point guard is averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds in the playoffs. He’s still very sketchy at times from the field, hitting just 43.6 percent. In those two games vs. the Heat during the season, Westbrook averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 assists. Westbrook’s over/under points total for this series is 23.5, with the over a -125 favorite.
Could James Harden add the NBA Finals MVP award to his 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award? Harden, who is 15/1 to win Finals MVP, is averaging 17.6 points per game in the playoffs and averaged 15.5 in the two Heat games during the season. Harden’s over/under average points total for this series is at 16.5, with the over a -120 favorite.
Durant averaged 28.0 points during the regular season to edge Kobe Bryant for the scoring title, and in these playoffs Durant is averaging 27.8 points but shooting slightly better from the field at 50.5 percent. It’s likely that Durant will often be guarded by the three-time NBA MVP LeBron James.
In two games vs. the Heat in the regular season, Durant averaged 29.0 points (shooting 53.7 percent from the field), 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Durant’s over/under for points per game in this series is 28.5, with the over a slight -125 favorite. His rebounds total is set at 7.5 (over a -130 favorite) and his assists at 4.5 (over a -135 favorite).
Teammate Russell Westbrook is at 6/1 to win the Finals MVP award. The point guard is averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds in the playoffs. He’s still very sketchy at times from the field, hitting just 43.6 percent. In those two games vs. the Heat during the season, Westbrook averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 assists. Westbrook’s over/under points total for this series is 23.5, with the over a -125 favorite.
Could James Harden add the NBA Finals MVP award to his 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award? Harden, who is 15/1 to win Finals MVP, is averaging 17.6 points per game in the playoffs and averaged 15.5 in the two Heat games during the season. Harden’s over/under average points total for this series is at 16.5, with the over a -120 favorite.
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For the first half of Tuesday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat looked like the team to beat in this series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But everything changed in the second half and now a Thunder win Thursday night at home assures the team no worse than a return trip home in Game 6 of the Finals if it gets that far. OKC is again a 5-point favorite on Bovada’s NBA odds for Game 2 and there will be live play-by-play betting available.
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Down by as many as 13 points in the second quarter and seven points at halftime, the Thunder rallied for a 105-94 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1. OKC improved to 9-0 at home in the postseason, which ties the 1978 team (Seattle) for the longest home win streak to start a postseason in franchise history. The 105 points were the most the Heat have allowed in regulation during the playoffs.
Kevin Durant simply outplayed LeBron James in Game 1. Durant finished with a game-high 36 (60 percent from the field) points and had 17 in the fourth quarter. That’s the most fourth-quarter points in an NBA Finals game over the last 15 postseasons. LeBron was just OK in that quarter with seven points on 2-for-6 from the field. He finished with 30 on 11-for-24 from the field and is now 2-9 in his career in NBA Finals games.
Durant covered James for most of the three quarters but defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha helped defend James during the Thunder's comeback, relieving Durant of the burden so he could focus on his scoring. James really never guarded Durant one-on-one, surprisingly, instead starting out on Thunder center Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder shot nearly 52 percent from the field.
With the NBA Finals in the 2-3-2 format, it’s almost a must win for Miami in Game 2. The Heat must get more from Dwyane Wade, who continues his recent struggles by going 7-for-19 from the field for 19 points. Chris Bosh came off the bench for the fourth straight game but had just 10 points and five rebounds in 34 minutes and was minus-16. Look for him to resume starting in Game 2. The Heat bench, outside of Bosh, was essentially non-existent.
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Down by as many as 13 points in the second quarter and seven points at halftime, the Thunder rallied for a 105-94 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1. OKC improved to 9-0 at home in the postseason, which ties the 1978 team (Seattle) for the longest home win streak to start a postseason in franchise history. The 105 points were the most the Heat have allowed in regulation during the playoffs.
Kevin Durant simply outplayed LeBron James in Game 1. Durant finished with a game-high 36 (60 percent from the field) points and had 17 in the fourth quarter. That’s the most fourth-quarter points in an NBA Finals game over the last 15 postseasons. LeBron was just OK in that quarter with seven points on 2-for-6 from the field. He finished with 30 on 11-for-24 from the field and is now 2-9 in his career in NBA Finals games.
Durant covered James for most of the three quarters but defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha helped defend James during the Thunder's comeback, relieving Durant of the burden so he could focus on his scoring. James really never guarded Durant one-on-one, surprisingly, instead starting out on Thunder center Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder shot nearly 52 percent from the field.
With the NBA Finals in the 2-3-2 format, it’s almost a must win for Miami in Game 2. The Heat must get more from Dwyane Wade, who continues his recent struggles by going 7-for-19 from the field for 19 points. Chris Bosh came off the bench for the fourth straight game but had just 10 points and five rebounds in 34 minutes and was minus-16. Look for him to resume starting in Game 2. The Heat bench, outside of Bosh, was essentially non-existent.
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Only two teams in NBA history have swept the middle three games in the Finals since the league went to that format (it’s 2-2-1-1-1 in the first three rounds) to ease travel. If the Miami Heat can become the third, and they did it back in 2006, they will be the NBA champions for the second time in franchise history. Miami is a 4-point favorite on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds for Game 3 against Oklahoma as the series moves to South Beach. There will be live play-by-play betting available at the book.
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The Heat stole home-court advantage thanks to Thursday’s 100-96 victory. LeBron James was the star, scoring a Finals career-high 32 points. He finally came up huge in the clutch by scoring six of Miami’s final eight points, including two free throws – he was 12-for-12 from the line in Game 2 – with about seven seconds left that gave the Heat a four-point lead and iced the game. On the previous Thunder possession, James slightly disrupted Kevin Durant on a short baseline jumper. It might have been a foul, but Durant missed a chance to tie the game.
Dwyane Wade bounced back from a subpar Game 1 with 24 points on 10-for-20 shooting, and Chris Bosh returned to the lineup for the first time since returning from injury and also had a much better Game 2 with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Heat were plus-14 and shot 54.3 percent from the field with LeBron, Wade and Bosh on the court together in Game 2. In Miami's Game 1 loss, the Big Three were outscored by 11 points in the 26 minutes they played together.
Coach Erik Spoelstra trotted out a starting smallish starting lineup of Mario Chalmers, Wade, Shane Battier, James and Bosh in Game 2. It’s the first time all season that the Heat have used that starting five, but it seemed to throw the Thunder off. Battier had his second straight big game with 17 points and is 9-for-13 from 3-point range in this series.
The Thunder, meanwhile, lost their first home game of these playoffs and fell behind by 17 points in the first half, their third straight game falling behind by double digits in the first half. In going 9-0 at home entering Game 2, the Thunder had been holding opponents to an average of 92.2 ppg. OKC got 32 points from Durant, but he struggled until scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter as he led a furious rally.
Russell Westbrook also struggled big-time in the first half of Game 2. He finished with 27 points but it took 26 shots to do that and he missed 16 of them. James Harden added 21 points but took only 11 shots. The rest of the Thunder players were 5-for-20 from the field for 16 points. OKC had just 11 fast-break points compared to 24 in Game 1, and the Thunder were outscored 48-32 in the paint on Thursday after leading that category 56-40 in the opener. OKC had scored in triple digits six games in a row.
The Heat tied for the NBA’s best home record in the regular season and beat the Thunder there 98-93 in April. Miami has lost two home games in these playoffs, but Bosh missed a loss to Indiana and had just returned from injury and played sparingly in a Game 5 loss to Boston. The Thunder have covered five of their past six on the road.
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The Heat stole home-court advantage thanks to Thursday’s 100-96 victory. LeBron James was the star, scoring a Finals career-high 32 points. He finally came up huge in the clutch by scoring six of Miami’s final eight points, including two free throws – he was 12-for-12 from the line in Game 2 – with about seven seconds left that gave the Heat a four-point lead and iced the game. On the previous Thunder possession, James slightly disrupted Kevin Durant on a short baseline jumper. It might have been a foul, but Durant missed a chance to tie the game.
Dwyane Wade bounced back from a subpar Game 1 with 24 points on 10-for-20 shooting, and Chris Bosh returned to the lineup for the first time since returning from injury and also had a much better Game 2 with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Heat were plus-14 and shot 54.3 percent from the field with LeBron, Wade and Bosh on the court together in Game 2. In Miami's Game 1 loss, the Big Three were outscored by 11 points in the 26 minutes they played together.
Coach Erik Spoelstra trotted out a starting smallish starting lineup of Mario Chalmers, Wade, Shane Battier, James and Bosh in Game 2. It’s the first time all season that the Heat have used that starting five, but it seemed to throw the Thunder off. Battier had his second straight big game with 17 points and is 9-for-13 from 3-point range in this series.
The Thunder, meanwhile, lost their first home game of these playoffs and fell behind by 17 points in the first half, their third straight game falling behind by double digits in the first half. In going 9-0 at home entering Game 2, the Thunder had been holding opponents to an average of 92.2 ppg. OKC got 32 points from Durant, but he struggled until scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter as he led a furious rally.
Russell Westbrook also struggled big-time in the first half of Game 2. He finished with 27 points but it took 26 shots to do that and he missed 16 of them. James Harden added 21 points but took only 11 shots. The rest of the Thunder players were 5-for-20 from the field for 16 points. OKC had just 11 fast-break points compared to 24 in Game 1, and the Thunder were outscored 48-32 in the paint on Thursday after leading that category 56-40 in the opener. OKC had scored in triple digits six games in a row.
The Heat tied for the NBA’s best home record in the regular season and beat the Thunder there 98-93 in April. Miami has lost two home games in these playoffs, but Bosh missed a loss to Indiana and had just returned from injury and played sparingly in a Game 5 loss to Boston. The Thunder have covered five of their past six on the road.
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The winner of Game 3 of the NBA Finals when the series was tied at one game apiece wins the championship nearly 85 percent of the time, so that bodes extremely well for the Miami Heat heading into Tuesday night’s Game 4 against Oklahoma City in south Florida. The Heat are 3.5-point favorites on Bovada’s NBA basketball odds.
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This series changed in Game 2 when Miami went to a small starting lineup – Chris Bosh has moved to center and there is now only one player taller than 6-foot-8 (Bosh) in Miami’s rotation. Udonis Haslem is the only “big” who now plays off the bench. Despite being significantly outsized, the Heat again won the rebounding battle in Sunday’s 91-85 Game 3 win – thanks largely to LeBron James’ 14 boards -- as well as scoring more points in the paint than the Thunder.
OKC got a relatively quiet 25 points from Kevin Durant in Game 3, while Russell Westbrook again struggled from the field by shooting 8-for-18. The Thunder were 4-for-18 from 3-point range (including a late wide-open miss by Westbrook that would have tied it) and 15-for-24 from the free-throw line. James Harden has been a major disappointment in two of the three games in this series, with the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year having just nine points on 2-for-10 shooting in Game 3.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks appeared to make a big error on Sunday. In the third quarter, Westbrook and Durant spent the final 5:01 of the quarter on the bench together -- Durant had four fouls but Westbrook wasn’t in foul trouble. The Thunder led 60-54 when Westbrook joined Durant on the bench. When they returned at the start of the fourth quarter, the Heat led 69-67. LeBron was the primary defender on Durant in Game 3 after Shane Battier filled the role the first two games. James held Durant to 1-of-5 shooting in the fourth quarter after Durant had totaled 33 points in the previous two games in the fourth quarter.
OKC has covered just once in its past seven games as an underdog of less than 4.5 points, but the Heat have covered just once in their past nine Tuesday games.
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This series changed in Game 2 when Miami went to a small starting lineup – Chris Bosh has moved to center and there is now only one player taller than 6-foot-8 (Bosh) in Miami’s rotation. Udonis Haslem is the only “big” who now plays off the bench. Despite being significantly outsized, the Heat again won the rebounding battle in Sunday’s 91-85 Game 3 win – thanks largely to LeBron James’ 14 boards -- as well as scoring more points in the paint than the Thunder.
OKC got a relatively quiet 25 points from Kevin Durant in Game 3, while Russell Westbrook again struggled from the field by shooting 8-for-18. The Thunder were 4-for-18 from 3-point range (including a late wide-open miss by Westbrook that would have tied it) and 15-for-24 from the free-throw line. James Harden has been a major disappointment in two of the three games in this series, with the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year having just nine points on 2-for-10 shooting in Game 3.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks appeared to make a big error on Sunday. In the third quarter, Westbrook and Durant spent the final 5:01 of the quarter on the bench together -- Durant had four fouls but Westbrook wasn’t in foul trouble. The Thunder led 60-54 when Westbrook joined Durant on the bench. When they returned at the start of the fourth quarter, the Heat led 69-67. LeBron was the primary defender on Durant in Game 3 after Shane Battier filled the role the first two games. James held Durant to 1-of-5 shooting in the fourth quarter after Durant had totaled 33 points in the previous two games in the fourth quarter.
OKC has covered just once in its past seven games as an underdog of less than 4.5 points, but the Heat have covered just once in their past nine Tuesday games.
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When LeBron James and Chris Bosh were brought to South Beach, LeBron famously said this at a pep rally in Miami after the signings about how many championships he expected to win there: “Not one. Not two. Not three, not four, not five, not six ... not seven. And when I say that, I really believe it.”
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Well, No. 1 for LeBron could come as early as Thursday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City and the Heat are 3-point favorites on Bovada's NBA odds to finish the job at home and there will be live play-by-play betting available at the book. Only two teams in Finals history have swept the middle three games of the Finals, which Miami is poised to do. Meanwhile, no team in Finals history has rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the title. OKC would get the final two games at home if it can pull the upset Thursday.
Russell Westbrook exploded for 43 in Game 4 to lead the Thunder and Kevin Durant had 28. But the rest of the starting five had just 13 points in the 104-98 loss. Really, the problem has been NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden. He was supposed to be the final piece of OKC’s Big 3 but has vanished in this series. Harden had just eight points on 2-for-10 shooting (second game in a row) in Game 4, his third game this series with single-digit points.
At this point, the Thunder are better when Harden sits. In 11 minutes with Harden on the bench in Game 4, the Thunder shot 57 percent and did not commit a turnover. In 37 minutes with Harden on the floor, the Thunder shot 46 percent and committed 11 turnovers. OKC is a combined minus-9 when Harden is on the court in the past two games whereas Harden had a positive plus-minus in each of the previous seven games. It might be time to do something drastic like start him.
Meanwhile, the Heat are getting the usual great games from LeBron and Dwyane Wade, but Mario Chalmers was the unsung hero in Game 4 with 25 points – or just two fewer than every Thunder player not named Westbrook or Durant. James had to sit out the end of Game 4 with severe leg cramps but obviously will play Thursday.
On the positive side for the Thunder, they have had their chances at the end to win each of the past three games but haven’t been able to hit the key shot or get the important loose ball. The favorite has covered in five of the past six meetings between these teams.
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Well, No. 1 for LeBron could come as early as Thursday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City and the Heat are 3-point favorites on Bovada's NBA odds to finish the job at home and there will be live play-by-play betting available at the book. Only two teams in Finals history have swept the middle three games of the Finals, which Miami is poised to do. Meanwhile, no team in Finals history has rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the title. OKC would get the final two games at home if it can pull the upset Thursday.
Russell Westbrook exploded for 43 in Game 4 to lead the Thunder and Kevin Durant had 28. But the rest of the starting five had just 13 points in the 104-98 loss. Really, the problem has been NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden. He was supposed to be the final piece of OKC’s Big 3 but has vanished in this series. Harden had just eight points on 2-for-10 shooting (second game in a row) in Game 4, his third game this series with single-digit points.
At this point, the Thunder are better when Harden sits. In 11 minutes with Harden on the bench in Game 4, the Thunder shot 57 percent and did not commit a turnover. In 37 minutes with Harden on the floor, the Thunder shot 46 percent and committed 11 turnovers. OKC is a combined minus-9 when Harden is on the court in the past two games whereas Harden had a positive plus-minus in each of the previous seven games. It might be time to do something drastic like start him.
Meanwhile, the Heat are getting the usual great games from LeBron and Dwyane Wade, but Mario Chalmers was the unsung hero in Game 4 with 25 points – or just two fewer than every Thunder player not named Westbrook or Durant. James had to sit out the end of Game 4 with severe leg cramps but obviously will play Thursday.
On the positive side for the Thunder, they have had their chances at the end to win each of the past three games but haven’t been able to hit the key shot or get the important loose ball. The favorite has covered in five of the past six meetings between these teams.
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With a chance to win the first championship in his NBA career LeBron James wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. The Miami Heat came out firing versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, riding that momentum to a 121-106 victory. NBA odds made the Heat three-point favorites in the game, and Miami easily blew that line out of the water.
The Thunder and Heat both subbed out their starters with plenty time remaining, as their was little chance of a comeback. Meanwhile Heat fans were chanting Kanye West's "Power", perhaps an homage to the power that James now wields in Miami. The regular season MVP finished with 26 points, 11 reboudns, and 13 assists, his amazing series garnered him Finals MVP honors.
"It's about damn time," James said on the winners podium. "This mean everything. I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland, I knew we had a bright future here and for me it is dream come true."
James didn't do it alone, every game in this series had another member of the Heat step up. Tonight it was 3-point specialist Mike Miller, the oft-injured forward came out of nowhere to score 23 points, including 7 of 8 from downtown. Dwyane Wade chipped in 20 while Chris Bosh had 24 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Durant was the only Thunder player who had a solid outing, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook, coming off a 43-point performance in Game 5, had 19 points and shot an abysmal 4-20 from the field.
The Heat were favored in the best-of-seven series and easily showed why oddsmakers had faith in them.
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The Thunder and Heat both subbed out their starters with plenty time remaining, as their was little chance of a comeback. Meanwhile Heat fans were chanting Kanye West's "Power", perhaps an homage to the power that James now wields in Miami. The regular season MVP finished with 26 points, 11 reboudns, and 13 assists, his amazing series garnered him Finals MVP honors.
"It's about damn time," James said on the winners podium. "This mean everything. I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland, I knew we had a bright future here and for me it is dream come true."
James didn't do it alone, every game in this series had another member of the Heat step up. Tonight it was 3-point specialist Mike Miller, the oft-injured forward came out of nowhere to score 23 points, including 7 of 8 from downtown. Dwyane Wade chipped in 20 while Chris Bosh had 24 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Durant was the only Thunder player who had a solid outing, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook, coming off a 43-point performance in Game 5, had 19 points and shot an abysmal 4-20 from the field.
The Heat were favored in the best-of-seven series and easily showed why oddsmakers had faith in them.
Enjoy sports betting in the Bovada Sportsbook.
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James scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat looked like the younger more talented team Monday night.
'One down. And they still have an opportunity in Game 2 to accomplish what they want to,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, pointing out how Boston can still grab home-court advantage by winning Game 2. ''At times it was a strange game. Some good runs, both teams. We felt we could have played better and I'm sure they felt the same thing.''
Garnett had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists came from Rajon Rondo while they just had and 12 points from Paul Pierce. Ray Allen shot just 1 for 7 from the floor for Boston, which was outscored by 10 in the first quarter and 11 in the third.
Known as a deep team during their championship run, the Celtics didn't get much help from their bench. The bench got just 19 points and the team shot just 39.5 percent from the field. It'll be difficult to take Game 2, which is also in Miami, with those totals.
''They're home, they're comfortable and when you're comfortable you do things like that,'' Garnett said, suggesting Miami was showboating at times down the stretch. ''We have to show them to take them out of their comfort zone. We've got to fight a lot harder.''
Game 2 goes down on Wednesday, May 30, no NBA odds are up for the game yet.
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