The Los Angeles Clippers will look to make it two in a row after an amazing comeback in game four over the weekend, and try to take a one-game advantage in the series on Tuesday, in game five of the Western Conference semifinals.
What is going on with the Wizards? After looking so strong to start the series they have now lost three games in a row and will be facing elimination on Tuesday night.
It’s All Even Again – Kings and Ducks in Best of 3 To See Who Moves On
Game 5 between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks goes down on Monday night. Surprisingly the road team has won every game in the series thus far – home ice has been a bit of a curse.
Habs and bruins Seek 3-2 Series Lead – Game 5 Saturday Night
The series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston bruins has been razor-close thus far – but if either team was able to hold serve on their home ice, we would be looking at a possible elimination game.
The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers shifts back to the Consol Energy Center for Game 5 on Friday. The Penguins have won three in a row in the series, putting the Rangers on the brink of elimination.
The Houston Rockets haven’t made it easy on the Portland Trail Blazers, but you wouldn’t know it by the series total through four games. At this point, Portland has a 3-1 series lead, but two of those wins have come in overtime.
The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets continue their opening round playoff series on Wednesday night when the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 5. The Raptors picked up a big win in Brooklyn on Sunday to even the series at two games apiece, downing the Nets at the Barclays Center, 87-79.!–more–>[ad-4468020]
First-round Game 5
Series tied (2-2)
Brooklyn Nets (2-2) at Toronto Raptors (2-2)
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Air Canada Centre
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
O/U Odds: 191
Spread: Toronto -3
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The Raptors’ backcourt keyed that Game 4 victory. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan paced all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while point guard Kyle Lowry scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting despite visibly limping around for much of the game on a balky knee.
The major takeaway for the team, though, was that they finally seemed to figure out a way to slow Joe Johnson. Johnson has been a thorn in the team’s side throughout the series, though he was held to just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in Game 4. Slowing Johnson came at the expense of a highly effective outing from Paul Pierce, as he scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
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Even still, the Raptors will take more of the same from what we saw in Game 4, and it starts with the play of All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, who has put up 28 points per game since struggling in his playoff debut. DeRozan struggled with his shot again in Game 4, though he was able to fight through it to come away with a productive outing.
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As for the Nets, they’ll be hoping for a better outing from point guard Deron Williams, as his production has been key to achieving victory. In the team’s two wins, Williams has scored 22 and 25 points, while he’s managed just 15 and 10 points in the team’s two playoff losses. With fellow guard Alan Anderson banged up, Williams will need to be on his game on Wednesday.
Something really seemed to click for the Raptors in Game 4, and we could have seen the start of something special from the team, as they could be set to make a significant run through the rest of the postseason. Game 5 on their home court is going to be a major statement game for the Raptors, and they will surely look to put their best foot forward.
Additionally, a low-scoring Game 4 has many overlooking the total in this one. Expect to see the teams have some more success scoring the basketball this time around.
The Raptors are 23-11-1 in their last 35 games following an ATS win, while the Nets are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.
The over is 7-1 in the Raptors’ last eight home games, and 6-2 in the Nets’ last eight conference quarterfinal games.
The play: Toronto -3, Over 191
The Wizards were missing one of their leaders with Nene out due to suspensions but it appears it might have sharpened their focus as they took a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to Chicago.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers play game five of the NBA playoffs at the Staples Center on Tuesday with the series tied 2-2.
The Hawks had Indiana on the ropes but couldn’t seal the deal in G4 letting a halftime lead disappear in the second half.
Shark Return Home Looking to Finish Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have a little fight left in them after all. Following three straight demoralizing losses in their opening round series with the San Jose Sharks, the Kings finally showed up Thursday night, played a full 60 minutes and walked away with a convincing 6-3 victory.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets will see their opening round playoff series shift back to Pittsburgh with the series tied at two games apiece. No lead has been safe in this series, with both offenses rolling, and both goaltenders looking ordinary.
Blackhawks and Blues in Crucial Game 5 Friday Night
The Chicago Blackhawks did their part winning both games on home ice and evening their first round series against the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have lost all momentum gained in the first two games of the series and will be happy to see the inside of the Scottrade Center where they won the first two games of the series and have claimed victory all five times they have hosted Chicago this year.
A most unpredictable Stanley Cup Final resumes in Chicago Saturday night on the heels of the highest scoring and likely most exciting Finals game in years. The Chicago Blackhawks bucked the odds and came up with their best effort in Game 4 which proves again the adage that there simply is no momentum in the Stanley Cup Final.
LeBron James is LeBron James, and Tim Duncan is perhaps the most consistent big man in the last three decades in the NBA. So both the Heat and Spurs pretty much knew that their stars would bring the goods in these Finals.
NBA Finals
Miami Heat (2-2) at San Antonio Spurs (2-2)
Sunday, June 16
AT&T Center, San Antonio
8 p.m. EST
Spread – Heat -1.5
O/U – 188
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But the way series has shaken down, the spotlight has also shone brightly on other players.
Danny Green’s out-of-nowhere 7-for-9 shooting from 3-point territory in Game 3 gave San Antonio a huge boost a 2-1 series lead, then in Game 4 the Dwyane Wade of old emerged for the Heat – 32 points and six steals more than got the job done, and the Spurs had no answers as Miami evened things up with a 16-point win that wasn’t even that close.
Seems like everyone on both teams has had a breakthrough game that has impacted the series – everyone, that is, except Manu Ginobili.
Tne Spurs proved in Games 1 and 3 that they don’t need Ginobili firing on all cylinders to win, but SA coach Gregg Popovich hopes that he can get something – anything – for his top sub.
Ginobili did have 13 points and one turnover in the opener, but even then shot only 4 for 11 from the floor. He followed that up with a 2-for-5 (5 points) in the Game 2 loss, and in the two games in San Antonio is a combined 4 for 12 for 12 points. Ginobili has been sloppy with the ball as he often has to deal with the defense of James.
Fact is, Ginobili is 35 and he’s starting to realize that he can’t do the things that he once did on the court.
“That’s what it has been all year,” Ginobili said after Game 4. “I haven’t scored 30 points a game. I averaged 10. I wish I could score more, but it is not happening. I gotta try to do other stuff. I gotta move the ball.
If my shot is not falling, I gotta be sharp feeding the bigs and finding the shooters.
… I don’t have to force the issue.
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That’s not what I do.
That’s not what I am asked to do.”
Miami is hardly cooperating. When Ginobili is on the court and the Heat ramp up their defense, it’s not a pretty sight. In Game 2 Ginobili’s three turnovers came at times when Miami went into its frenetic half-court lockdown defense, helping fuel the Heat’s crazy 33-5 eight-minute run that breathed life into the series.
With Tony Parker’s hammie on thin ice, the Spurs are hoping against hope that Ginobili can turn back the clock for a few games.
We expected close games, and we’ve gotten three blowouts out of four as the losing teams’ adjustments have paid off. With the Finals reduced to a best-of-three, the series will now turn on whether James goes nuts in two of the three, or SA controls him (and Wade) somewhat and executes its offense at near-peak efficiency.
Liking SA to keep this game close and low-scoring, and get it done in the fourth period.
Play is on the under after two overs have bumped the number up a bit, to 188.
Mike Woodson has tried just about everything. Changes in the starting lineup. Going small. Going big. Going more physical. Doubling Roy Hibbert, of all people.
Eastern Conference
Indiana Pacers (3-1) at New York Knicks (1-3)
Thursday, May 16
Madison Square Garden, New York
8 p.m. EST
Spread – Knicks -4.5 at Bovada
O/U – 179
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Nothing has worked, and you wonder if even Woodson realizes at this point that the chances of winning three straight over the Pacers and getting to the Eastern Conference finals are about the same as buying a real $100 Rolex from a street vendor outside Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have the look and feel of a team that is out of options. Every player who took some pressure of Carmelo Anthony by making shots against soft defenses in the regular season is turtling.
J.R. Smith can’t even make a layup at this point, let alone fire in threes with hands in his face. Amare Stoudemire clearly doesn’t yet have his legs under him after returning from injury.
The Knicks would love to get some offense out of PG Ray Felton, but he’s been missing in action for two games and over the entire series the Knicks have been outscored by 32 points during the time he has been on the court. Felton was even a minus-2 in New York’s only victory, in Game 2.
That leaves Carmelo Anthony, who may or may not be 100 percent (with him you never know) to stem the tide Thursday night in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
Anthony loves to score and needs the ball to be effective, and unless a few of his teammates step up tonight, he’ll need a 35- or 40-point game to get things done. Can you blame him for being a ball hog the way the rest of the team has turtled? [ad-6571516]
All of which leaves the Pacers in better than pretty good shape as they head for New York with their pockets full of house money.
They shot barely 40 percent from the field in Game 4, missing 24 three-pointers and playing an all-around crummy game at home, and still came out on top.
Now they have three chances to put this away, including one more at home if needed and against a Knicks team that looks like a gunslinger who has used up all the bullets in his chamber but keeps pulling the trigger.
This one could be decided in the first 8 minutes.
The Knicks are a front-running team that draws energy from itself. A good start opens things up for an offense which has underperformed in 12 of the 16 quarters played so far, and a slow start might result in some panic at the thought of seeing it all crumble at home.
NY appears to have played its best basketball in the Boston series and now is out of answers.
Indiana to cover the 4.5, with aggressive bettors biting at the money line for a better payoff.
