Cnotes National Basketball League Apri's Picks/Trends/News Thru the Playoffs !!

[CNOTES]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
May 3, 2016


Eastern Conference Semifinals – Game 1
(3) Heat at (2) Raptors – 8:05 PM EST – TNT

2015-16 Meetings
Nov. 8, 2015 – Toronto 76 at Miami 96 (Heat -2.5, Under 191.5)
Dec. 18, 2015 – Toronto 108 at Miami 94 (Raptors +4.5, Over 187)
Jan. 22, 2016 – Miami 81 at Toronto 101 (Raptors -10.5, Under 190)
Mar. 12, 2016 – Miami 104 at Toronto 112 – OT (Raptors -6.5, Over 203)


Both Miami and Toronto needed seven games each in the opening round to escape and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Heat (52-37 SU, 47-41-1 ATS) erased a 3-2 series deficit to eliminate the feisty Hornets by winning Game 6 at Charlotte, 97-90, followed by a 106-73 blowout in Game 7 as six-point favorites. The Raptors (60-29 SU, 47-42 ATS) made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001 as Toronto outlasted Indiana, 89-84 in Sunday’s Game 7, but the Pacers cashed as six-point underdogs.


Miami shot lights out in the first two games against Charlotte (123 and 115 points), but the Heat were cooled off when they headed to Charlotte by scoring 80 points in Game 3 and 85 points in Game 4. The final five games of their series finished ‘under’ the total, as the Heat limited the Hornets to 96 points or fewer in each of those contests. The Raptors failed to cover in five of the seven games against the Pacers, including an 0-4 ATS mark in the last four contests. For the exception of Toronto’s monster rally in Game 5 to eclipse the ‘over,’ the other six games in the series went ‘under’ the total.


The Raptors captured three of four meetings from the Heat this season, while winning five of the last seven matchups since the start of the 2014-15 campaign. The lone victory by the Heat over the Raptors this season came in the first matchup in early November, 96-76 as 2 ½-point home favorites. Toronto led Miami by two points at halftime, but the Heat outscored the Raptors, 30-16 in the third quarter to pull away. The Raptors shot 39% by the floor, as the backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined to shoot 9-of-30 from the field.


The two teams met one month later again in South Florida, but the Raptors picked up revenge by outscoring the Heat by 19 points in the second half of a 108-94 triumph as 4 ½-point underdogs. Lowry and DeRozan put up 51 points between them, while the Raptors scorched the Heat by knocking down 51% of its attempts from the floor. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 21 points, while Miami received an unexpected 20 points off the bench from Gerald Green, which included five three-pointers.


The Raptors grabbed both matchups at the Air Canada Center, as Toronto crushed Miami, 101-81 to easily cash as 10 ½-point favorites. Former Raptor All-Star Chris Bosh scored a team-high 26 points for the Heat, but Miami couldn’t overcome Toronto drilling 13 three-pointers. The Raptors picked up a front-door cover in the final meeting in March by covering as 6 ½-point favorites in a 112-104 victory over the Heat. DeRozan lit up the Heat by tallying a game-high 38 points, while Wade missed the game due to injury.


Toronto owned the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 32-9 in the regular season, closing with a 7-3 ATS record in the final 10 games. However, Dwane Casey’s club is 1-3 ATS at the Air Canada Center in the postseason, as the Raptors own a 1-5 ATS record in its past six home playoff games since 2015. The Heat struggled as a road underdog since the All-Star break by compiling a 2-8 ATS record in the last 10 opportunities, but did cover in Game 6 in the last round at Charlotte.


VegasInsider.com editorial director and NBA expert Chris David breaks down the Game 1 total, “The ‘under’ went 30-13 in the first round of the NBA playoffs and both the Raptors (6-1) and Heat (5-2) helped contribute to that mark with plenty of tickets going to the low side. The total for Game 1 opened at 191 ½ and that’s the second lowest number that we’ve seen during this year’s postseason. Both teams will be playing their third game in five nights and neither club has much fire power off the bench, which makes me believe that we could see an ugly game on Tuesday.”


Western Conference Semifinals – Game 2
(5) Blazers at (1) Warriors – 10:30 PM EST – TNT


Golden State continued to roll even with Stephen Curry sidelined, as the top-seeded Warriors cruised past the Blazers in Sunday’s second round opener, 118-106 to cash as 9 ½-point favorites. Steve Kerr’s team jumped out to a 37-17 advantage after one quarter, highlighted by a 37-point performance from shooting guard Klay Thompson. All five Golden State starters put up double-figures, while Draymond Green posted a triple-double with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.


Even though Damian Lillard scored a team-high 30 points for Portland, the All-Star guard shot 8-of-26 from the floor, while the Blazers hit 40% of their attempts from the floor. Lillard’s backcourt mate C.J. McCollum failed to hit a three-pointer in four tries, while shooting 5-of-17 from the field for 12 points.


Portland has dropped 10 consecutive road playoff games in the role of an underdog since 2014, while compiling an 0-9-1 ATS mark in this span. The Blazers have won once away from the Moda Center in this stretch, coming in Game 5 at Staples Center in the last round against the beat-up Clippers as a short favorite.


Golden State has performed well in the playoffs against the number so far by going 5-1 ATS with the only loss coming in Game 3 of the opening round at Houston. The Warriors have finished ‘under’ the total in four of six postseason contests, while allowing at least 100 points twice, as Golden State has cashed the ‘under’ each time they limit an opponent to below 100 points.


David believes the Warriors won’t have it as easy tonight, “It’s hard to make a case for Portland on the road but I’d be hesitant to back Golden State in Game 2, especially since it’s now a double-digit favorite. I don’t expect the Warriors to drop this game, knowing they’ve gone 30-2 at Oracle Arena this season when laying 10-plus points. However, the club is 16-16 ATS and that makes this game a toss-up to me plus Golden State had Curry playing in 31 of those games. In the first round, Houston put up a better effort in Game 2 versus the Warriors but still wound up losing. I expect Portland to rebound in this spot and grabbing the points is worth a look.”


All five matchups between the Blazers and Warriors flew ‘over’ the total, as Golden State has scored at least 118 points against Portland four times this season. The Blazers have dropped seven of the past eight visits to Oracle Arena since 2013, while six of those games have been decided by double-digits.

 

[CNOTES]

Game 2 - Hawks at Cavaliers
May 3, 2016


Even with Kevin Love out with a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving missing Games 2 and 3 of last year’s Eastern Conference finals, Cleveland made easy work of Atlanta in a four-game sweep. For the first 2.5 quarters of Monday’s East semifinals lid-lifter, everything looked the same between the Cavaliers and the Hawks.


When Dennis Schroder committed a turnover that turned into a Cleveland fast break and a LeBron James’ dunk, Tyronn Lue’s squad took a 72-54 lead with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter and Game 1 appeared to be a done deal. Ah, but folks, that’s why they play these games.


On a night at Quicken Loans Arena when franchise stalwart Al Horford played one of his worst games in recent memory and Kyle Korver was smothered and covered to the extent that he only was able to get one shot off despite playing 37 minutes, Schroder sparked a 26-7 run and Atlanta took its first lead of the game on an alley-oop pass from Schroder to Horford for an emphatic dunk in traffic with 8:00 remaining.


Kyrie Irving answered with a 3-pointer, but Schroder came right back and penetrated to the rim for an easy layup to knot the score at 82-82. Again, however, Irving responded with a bucket in the lane, but a Paul Millsap basket pulled Atlanta even once more. Irving put the Cavs back in front with a 15-footer, only for Schroder to answer with a layup of his own.


With the game tied, the Hawks had three straight empty possessions resulting in a pair of 3-point misses and a turnover by Kent Bazemore. Nevertheless, after a Tristan Thompson free throw gave Cleveland a one-point advantage, Horford put the Hawks back ahead by one with a short jump hook at the 4:28 mark.


From there, however, the Cavs went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes. The spread cover was still in doubt when Millsap made a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 97-90 with 1:28 remaining. But Cleveland scored seven straight to capture a 104-93 win to hook up its betting backers as a 7.5-point home favorite.


The 197 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 200-point total.


Cleveland (62-25 straight up, 40-44-3 against the spread) led 30-19 at the end of the first quarter to easily cover first-quarter wagers as a three-point favorite. Lue’s squad enjoyed a 51-41 advantage at intermission to cover first-half bets (-4.5).


Trailing by 10, Atlanta was made a 1.5-point underdog for second-half bets (+11.5 adjusted). Therefore, when Lamar Patterson hit an otherwise meaningless trey with 18 seconds remaining, he gave gamblers taking the Hawks in the second half a winner.


James produced 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals, while Irving finished with 21 points and eight assists. Love had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but he was just 4-of-17 from the field. Also, he appeared to injure his shoulder and turn his ankle in the fourth quarter. In fact, as of Tuesday afternoon, Love was listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 2.


J.R. Smith had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists without a turnover. He drained a huge 3-pointer when the Hawks were up by one midway through the final stanza. Smith was also terrific with his defense on Korver.


Schroder had a career-playoff-high 27 points to go with six assists. However, he committed five turnovers, but the Hawks wouldn’t have been within spitting distance without his scoring efforts. Like Schroder, Bazemore played poorly at crunch time, but he played outstanding for the most part, tallying 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Mike Scott continued to provide solid minutes off the bench, making all three of his shots while contributing seven points, four boards and two assists without a turnover in only 16 minutes of playing time.


Millsap had 17 points, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots, three assists and two steals, but he was only 6-of-19 from the field. Horford had 10 points, six boards, three blocks and two steals, but he went 4-of-13 from the floor. Teague played only 22 minutes, finishing with eight points on 2-of-9 shooting, but he did dish out four assists without committing a turnover.


Atlanta (52-37 SU, 45-43-1 ATS) can’t count on the type of performance it received from Schroder in Game 1 throughout this best-of-seven set, but it has to feel great about having a chance to win on the road with minimal production from Horford, Teague and Korver, who were All-Stars last season.


For Game 2, the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Cleveland as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 199 late Monday night. By lunch on Tuesday, though, the number was down to seven while the tally remained at 199 points. The Hawks were +280 on the money line (risk $100 to win $180), while the Cavs were favored by four for first-half wagers.


Cleveland owns a 36-8 SU record and a 22-22 ATS mark at home this year. Meanwhile, Atlanta is 22-23 SU and 21-23-1 ATS on the road.


The Cavs have won eight in a row over the Hawks, going 7-1 ATS in the process. They have won all four meetings this season both SU and ATS.


The ‘under’ has cashed in four in a row for the Hawks and 10 of their last 12. They have seen the ‘under’ go 50-39 overall, 25-20 in their road assignments.


The ‘under’ is 44-43 overall for the Cavs, but the ‘over’ is 23-21 in their home outings.


5Dimes has the updated series price as Cleveland -1100, leaving Atlanta at +700 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $700).


Tip-off for Wednesday’s Game 2 is slated for 8:05 p.m. Eastern on TNT.


**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**


-- Loyal readers know I’m a long-suffering Hawks fan, so you can imagine how I was pacing around my living room during the fourth quarter of Game 1. My reactions to each play had my dog scared to death (she bolted upstairs to my bedroom after Horford’s dunk to put us in the lead). I only mention this to note that I’m not second-guessing here; I first-guessed, though I can’t reference my twitter feed because I had no time or patience to get on my computer or phone to voice this thought. Though it would have been an against-the-grain move that would’ve drawn criticism galore had it not worked, but I knew Schroder was gassed and (as we used to call it on the playground) “shot out” (didn’t have any more made shots left in him) when he asked out of the game midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied. Budenholzer brought him back in for Teague 62 seconds later at the 5:22 mark, but Schroder missed both of his shots and committed a pair of costly turnovers the rest of the way.


-- Horford and Millsap combined to make only 2-of-16 shots in the first half of Game 1. Love was 1-of-10 in the first 24 minutes.


-- From 5Dimes again, the odds to win the East (as of Tuesday afternoon): Cavs -360, Raptors +600, Heat +1200 and Hawks +1800.


-- Doc Rivers stated Monday that the Clippers will not entertain trade offers for Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan this offseason. Take that for what it’s worth. I’m not saying they will, but things can certainly change on that front.

-- Things I’ve been diggin’ about these playoffs:


1 - Kobe’s Bryant’s absence.


2 - Charles Barkley!


3 - Every second of Inside the NBA, especially the late-night version.


4 - Klay Thompson’s nastiness at both ends.


5 - That insane pass by Tony Parker to LaMarcus Aldridge for the key 3-pointer at crunch time of Game 2.


6 - Atlanta finally beating Boston in the playoffs with that Game 6 pimpslap.


7 - Austin Rivers’ toughness, effort and performance in Game 6 at Portland. After taking an elbow that required 11 stitches and nearly closed his left eye shut with swelling, he produced 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists without a turnover.


8 - Great effort by the Spurs’ fan holding Steven Adams in the corner at the end of Game 2.


9 - Paul George’s overall play and that backdoor cover to hook me up in Game 7.


10A - The fact that I’ll be at Game 3 on Friday night at Philips Arena. It will be the first time I’ve seen LeBron play in-person.


10B - Manu Ginobili's postgame presser on Monday night. He was absolutely right about not blaming the no-call for losing the game. The Spurs got the steal and had a great chance to score and win the game regardless.


-- Things that are chafing me to no end about the playoffs to date:


1 - Chris Webber!!!!!! (to be clear, this assessment is 24/7/365 and has nothing to do with his rant about the no-call at the end of OKC-San Antonio Game 2)


2 - Marv Albert’s stellar (as usual) work being drowned out by Weber’s utter incompetence and propensity for being an insufferable pain in the ass with nearly everything that comes out of his mouth.


3 - James Harden’s effort (or lack thereof) on defense and his deplorable body language when his team is getting spanked.


4 - Injuries to key players like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Steph Curry, in addition to Chris Bosh, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, who went down in the regular season.


5 - How one of my favorite players ever (Al Horford) is costing himself lots of cash with the way he’s struggled with his shot.


6 - That foul by Serge Ibaka on Aldridge shooting a 3-ball when OKC was up four with 13 seconds left in Game 2 (what on earth was he doing?!).


7 - Kyle Lowry’s immense struggles. Let’s see how he plays against the Heat when he’s not being defended by George Hill.


8 - Not saying the Pacers would’ve won, but that call has to be made underneath on the obvious push when Indiana was poised to get an offensive rebound down by three with 12-13 seconds remaining.


9 - The thought of being forced to hear C-Webb’s voice/analysis of EVERY game for the rest of the OKC-SA series. Really, TNT? What a nightmare.


10 - Budenholzer giving minutes to Mike Muscala ahead of Kris Humphries.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA: 5 missed calls in OKC-SA Game 2
May 3, 2016


NEW YORK (AP) The NBA said Tuesday there were five incorrect non-calls on the wild final sequence in San Antonio, including a foul on Oklahoma City's Dion Waiters that referees earlier had already acknowledged they missed.


The league agreed with the refs that Waiters should've been whistled for knocking Manu Ginobili back with his elbow to create space to throw an inbounds pass, but also ruled in its Last 2 Minute report that Ginobili first committed a delay-of-game violation by stepping on the sideline as he was defending.


The inbounds play began a frenzied final 13.5 seconds in the Thunder's 98-97 victory over San Antonio on Monday in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. The Spurs ended up stealing Waiters' pass to Kevin Durant to start a fast break but couldn't score, leaving the Western Conference semifinal tied at 1-1.


Referee Ken Mauer, the crew chief, said after the game that upon seeing a review of the play, there should have been an offensive foul on Waiters.


On Tuesday, the referees union wrote on Twitter that it had never seen the play before and would incorporate it into its training moving forward.


''Waiters foul on Ginobili was the worst missed call in playoff history,'' Hall of Famer Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter after the game.


But the problems didn't stop there.


The league determined that the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills grabbed and held Thunder players, affecting their movement and ability to get open to catch the inbound pass.


Once the Spurs came up with it, Mills ended up getting a jumper from the corner that missed. The Spurs couldn't get off a clean attempt on the offensive rebound, and the league determined that was because the Thunder's Serge Ibaka grabbed LaMarcus Aldridge's jersey and affected his attempt.


Had that been called, Aldridge - who scored 41 points and made all 10 free throws - would have attempted two shots from the line to win the game.


Game 3 is Friday in Oklahoma City.

 

[CNOTES]

Varejao says tripping not intentional
May 3, 2016


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Golden State backup big man Anderson Varejao insists he didn't deliberately trip Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.


Yet after watching the replay, he understands it sure looked like he did it on purpose.


Portland coach Terry Stotts called it a ''dirty play'' on Monday. Then Tuesday, the NBA ruled it a Flagrant 1 foul on Varejao.


The 33-year-old Varejao, a 12th-year NBA veteran from Brazil, says ''I would never try to hurt anybody, I would never do that.''


He and Henderson were ejected late in the third quarter of Sunday's game after receiving their second technical fouls. Both were hit with a technical at the 3:29 mark of the third when Varejao tripped Henderson after they collided. Henderson jumped up, pointing a finger at his opponent's face. They kept jawing a few minutes later and were tossed with 15.1 seconds left in the period.

 

[CNOTES]

Cavaliers not crying foul over LeBron
May 3, 2016


INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue celebrated his 39th birthday on Tuesday and proudly showed off a few gray hairs - silvery-speckled souvenirs of job-related stress.


''I dyed mine gray,'' Lue joked. ''My Barack Obama look.''


Well, Lue may soon be grayer than the president if King James doesn't get to the free-throw line more often.


LeBron James attempted just one foul shot - completing a 3-point play with 2:09 left - in Cleveland's Game 1 win over the Atlanta Hawks, who overcame an 18-point deficit before fading in the final four minutes and losing by 11.


Over the course of his 13-year career, James has played in 183 playoff games, and this was just the first time he attempted only one free throw. Twice he took zero.


Lue wasn't about to risk a fine from the NBA for complaining about the officials heading into Game 2 on Wednesday, but he thought James deserved more whistles than were heard.


''When he attacks the basket, he's so strong and athletic and he goes with so much force that a lot of times, guys are bouncing off of him, but still, those are fouls,'' said Lue, who improved to 5-0 in his first postseason in charge. ''We just got to continue to play through it and got to continue to keep attacking and, hopefully, we'll get those calls.''


On one late sequence, James got whacked in the face as he drove to the basket by Atlanta's Paul Millsap and crashed to the floor. Sprawled next to a few photographers on the baseline, James held his head as play continued without him. The Hawks then enjoyed a 5-on-4 advantage for several seconds before James lumbered up the floor still smarting from Millsap's blow.


James gets his share of favorable calls, no doubt. But to this point in these playoffs, the four-time MVP has only tried 16 free throws in five games.


That's hardly preferential treatment for a superstar.


Atlanta did all it could to slow him down, and James still posted 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals in 40 minutes as the Cavs improved to 9-0 against the Hawks in the postseason. The Hawks may need a new strategy to prevent the Cavs from taking a 2-0 lead.


While they did a serviceable job on James, the Hawks were unable to stop Kyrie Irving (21 points) down the stretch, they scored one field goal in the final 4:29 and they couldn't handle Tristan Thompson, who snared 14 rebounds, including a vital one on the offensive end that led to James' game-sealing 3-point play.


Thompson's uncanny ability to come up with rebounds has been an issue since last year's Eastern Conference finals when he averaged 11 rebounds during Cleveland's four-game sweep, outplaying Millsap and Al Horford, a pair of All-Stars.


Atlanta's dilemma - and this is true for any Cleveland opponent - is that when a second player commits to guarding James, it makes it easier for Thompson to rebound.


''If you help, then he's active on the boards,'' Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''I know it's more important that we make them miss first. That's our priority and then we have to have all five guys in there getting after it. Credit to him. He's a good player. He plays off their penetration and shots well. If we continue to make the first shot difficult and then all five guys participate, that gives us our best chance.''


The Hawks won't have any chance if Kyle Korver doesn't get going.


Atlanta's sharpshooter attempted just one shot - and missed a 3-pointer - in nearly 37 minutes as he was unable to shake free from Cavs guards J.R. Smith, who hounded him all over the court. But while Cleveland's strategy on Korver worked, Hawks guard Dennis Schroder made the Cavs pay by dropping five 3-pointers and scoring 27 points.


Lue made a late adjustment, going over screens instead of under them, to make it tougher on Schroder.


Cleveland's only concern coming out of Game 1 was the health of Kevin Love, who banged his right shoulder when he got Hawks guard Kent Bazemore off his feet with a pump fake and drew a hard foul while trying a 3-pointer.


Love, who scored 17 points on just 4 of 17 shooting in Game 1, was not spotted at the team's facility when the media was allowed in following practice, but Lue said the forward was ''fine.''


''No problems,'' Lue said.


And maybe one less gray hair.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA ATS


NBA > (507) MIAMI@ (508) TORONTO | 2016-05-03 20:05:00 - 2016-05-03 20:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 20 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+15.55 units)


NBA > (511) PORTLAND@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-05-03 22:35:00 - 2016-05-03 22:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games after a win by 10 points or more
The record is 61 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (+37.1 units)


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NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (507) MIAMI@ (508) TORONTO | 2016-05-03 20:05:00 - 2016-05-03 20:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 20 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+15.55 units)


NBA > (511) PORTLAND@ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-05-03 22:35:00 - 2016-05-03 22:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games after a win by 10 points or more
The record is 61 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (+37.1 units)


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NBA TOTALS


NBA > (507) MIAMI@ (508) TORONTO | 2016-05-03 20:05:00 - 2016-05-03 20:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 11 Overs and 29 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.9 units)


NBA > (507) MIAMI@ (508) TORONTO | 2016-05-03 20:05:00 - 2016-05-03 20:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 16 Overs and 37 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.4 units)


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TOP POWER LINES


Users of our matchup reports are familiar with our Power Line ratings, calculated using both teams' ratings and home field advantage. The Top Power Lines tool offers a way to view and compare current Power Lines in one simple report, as well as the Power Line Edge, where the Power Line differs significantly from the current line.


NBA > (507) MIAMI @ (508) TORONTO | 2016-05-03 20:05:00 - 2016-05-03 20:05:00
Line: MIAMI BTB PowerLine: MIAMI1
Edge On: MIAMI (5.5)

NBA > (511) PORTLAND @ (512) GOLDEN STATE | 2016-05-03 22:35:00 - 2016-05-03 22:35:00
Line: GOLDEN STATE-9.5 BTB PowerLine: GOLDEN STATE-15
Edge On: GOLDEN STATE (5.5)

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack


-- MLB may move may 30-31 Pirates-Marlins series out of Puerto Rico due to the concerns over the Zika virus.


-- PG Spike Albrecht transfers from Michigan to Purdue, second year in row one of the Wolverines transferred to a Big 14 rival.


-- Texas led 1-0 in 9th inning at Toronto, but Justin Smoak homered in 9th inning, then won game with walk-off homer in 10th-- that doesn't happen very much.


-- Blue Jays were fifth bullpen in last 100 years to start a season 0-9; they got their first win last night.


-- Brooks Robinson holds MLB record, with 10 RBIs in games that ended 1-0. Ted Williams had nine.


-- NFL players are being warned about consuming meat produced in China, Mexico that potentially contains clenbuterol, which is banned under NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy.


**********

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


13) Three officials missed five calls in the last 0:13 of Thunder-Spurs game Monday in San Antonio- those refs need to be suspended. I mean, you can watch a winter of 5th grade CYO games and not see officiating that bad- NBA fans like to brag how he pro game is better than the college game, but the college game is better officiated.


12) Tampa Bay Bucs traded up to draft Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo; one NFL exec called it, "the dumbest draft pick ever", but with touchbacks now being brought out to the 25-yard line, Aguayo's skill at pooching kickoffs could help Bucs trap opponents deep in their own territory. We'll see.


11) States with most players drafted last weekend: Texas 32, Florida 30, California 25, Georgia 16.


10) Dodgers are playing in St Pete against the Rays this week; LA has three players who were on the 2008 AL champ Rays-- Kazmir, Crawford, Howell. Tampa Bay has only one player left from that team, Evan Longoria.


9) Washington Nationals have scored in first inning in 15 of their 26 games, best %age of any big league team.


8) Last December 12, Astros traded Vincent Velasquez and four other players to the Phillies for reliever Ken Giles and a minor leaguer. Velasquez is 4-1, 1.44 for the Phils so far, while Giles is struggling (0-2, 8.18). Early returns favor the Phils by a lot.


7) I don't think felons should be allowed to vote; its a price you pay for getting caught committing a felony, which is a serious crime.


6) Prior to Tuesday's games, these players have come to the plate with the most men on base this season: Polanco (Pitt) 94, Rizzo (Cubs) 88, Heyward (Cubs) 86.


5) Players who knocked in the highest %age of baserunners this season:
Nick Markakis, 33.9%, Ben Paulsen/Bryce Harper 30%, Ryan Braun 27.8%.


4) Players who have had trouble knocking in baserunners this year:
Howie Kendrick 0-34, Logan Morrison, 0-26, Erick Aybar 1-61. Kendrick had four hits Tuesday, getting off the schneid with two RBI.


3) Former UNLV hoop coach Dave Rice is getting paid $300K a year over the next three years by his old team, which is why he signed on as an assistant coach at Nevada for only $75K. Coaches of Rice's stature generally make more than that.


2) Golfer Brian Stuard won his first PGA tournamnt in New Orleans Monday; for the week, he was 44-44 on putts of 10 feet or less. I couldn't make 44 of 44 putting into the clown's mouth at miniature golf, so good for him.


1) One of the growing debates in baseball is whether teams should shift and how much. I'm thinking it is generally helpful but it is being overdone because the numbers gurus have to justify their existence. With bases empty and a non-home run hitter up, you're giving up an easy base hit by shifting. Trey Calhoun did that against the Brewers in a game Monday, bunting for an easy hit because Milwaukee shifted. Shifting against home run hitters has very little downside.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA


Wednesday, May 4


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Wednesday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds: Hawks at Cavaliers
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The Atlanta Hawks battled hard in Game 1 but came up a little bit short in a 104-93 victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers.


The lone game on the NBA schedule for Wednesday features the Atlanta Hawks attempting to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. We break down all the action so you can cap the game like a pro.


Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-7, 198)


Cavaliers lead 1-0


The Cleveland Cavaliers keep knocking off Atlanta in the postseason and look to do it for the 10th consecutive time when they host the Hawks in Wednesday's Game 2. Cleveland continued its playoff mastery of Atlanta with a 104-93 series-opening victory on Monday as it held the Hawks to 37.9 percent shooting from the field.


The Cavaliers let an 18-point third-quarter lead get away in Game 1 but outclassed Atlanta down the stretch to deal the Hawks another loss. "They're a great team," Atlanta shooting guard Kyle Korver told reporters. "They beat a lot of people. It's not just us. Are we getting closer to getting over the hump? I don't know. ... We definitely got to get that win first." Cleveland drained 15 3-point baskets and received a stellar all-around effort from forward LeBron James, who had 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals. "We played an OK game," James told reporters. "I don't think we played to our standards. The first game is always kind of a feel-out."


TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT


LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened at 7.5-point favorites at home for Game 2. By Tuesday morning the public, somewhat surprisingly, bet the Hawks enough to force the books to drop the line to -7. The total opened at 199 and came down a half point to 198.5. Check out the complete line history here.


ABOUT THE HAWKS (52-37, 45-43-1 ATS, 39-50 O/U): Backup point guard Dennis Schroder was superb with a playoff career-best 27 points in Game 1, and he made five of Atlanta's 11 3-pointers. His play helped the Hawks make the second-half charge on a night in which starting guards Jeff Teague (eight points on 2-of-9 shooting) and Kyle Korver (three points, 0-of-1 shooting) were highly unproductive. "I think we can play better," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "Obviously, Dennis had a great game for us but overall, the whole group, we can play better. Defensively, we had some possessions where we gave ourselves a chance and we just couldn’t come up with a couple of rebounds late when it was tied (at 86)."


ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (62-25, 40-44-3 ATS, 43-44 O/U): Power forward Kevin Love had 17 points and 11 rebounds while struggling through a 4-of-17 shooting performance in the opener. He also appeared to tweak his right shoulder late in the contest - it was his left shoulder that he dislocated in last season's playoffs - but insisted the injury was minor. "I’m fine. I was telling (general manager David Griffin) after the game I can't catch a break with that shoulder, but I'm fine," Love told reporters. "It was just one of those plays. You've always got to watch it when you pump-fake at that 3-point line on a jump shot. You can take a hit, but I feel good."


TRENDS:


* Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Southeast.
* Under is 7-0 in Hawks last 7 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Over is 7-2 in Cavaliers last 9 Wednesday games.
* Hawks are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet


Wednesday, May 4


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

ATLANTA (52 - 37) at CLEVELAND (62 - 25) - 5/4/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 17-36 ATS (-22.6 Units) in road games in all playoff games since 1996.
ATLANTA is 7-22 ATS (-17.2 Units) in the second round of the playoffs since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games against Southeast division opponents this season.
ATLANTA is 100-83 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 57-38 ATS (+15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 34-43 ATS (-13.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 9-6 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 9-6 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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








NBA
Short Sheet


Wednesday, May 4

Atlanta at Cleveland, 8:05 ET
Atlanta: 7-22 ATS in the second round of the playoffs
Cleveland: 16-7 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days








NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up


Wednesday, May 4


Atlanta-Cleveland (C 1-0)
Cavaliers won their last eight games (7-1 vs spread) vs Hawks, covered four of last five played here. Four of last six series games went over the total. Cleveland made 15-31 on arc in Game 1 win; all five starters were +15 or better. Atlanta lost five of last six road games; its starters shot 32% in Game 1. Schroder had 27 points in 29:00 off bench. Cleveland is 4-2 vs spread in last six home games.


Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 4-2, over: 3-3








NBA


Wednesday, May 4


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


8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. CLEVELAND
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel


Wednesday, May 4




Atlanta @ Cleveland


Game 513-514
May 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
122.572
Cleveland
124.768
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 7 1/2
198
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+7 1/2); Under

 

[CNOTES]

NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 31 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.05 units)

NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 40 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+23.4 units)


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




NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA ?>in the first halfin All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-13.7 units)

 

[CNOTES]

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS...............NONE POSTED................HAD A BRAIN FART AND JUST TOTALLY FORGOT TO POST......
BUT DIDN'T FORGET TO PLAY @ BOOKMAKER.......2 - 2




05/03/2016 @ 05:10 PM NBA [507] MIA HEAT +4 1.87
Score: MIA HEAT(102) - TOR RAPTORS(96)
WIN


05/03/2016 @ 05:10 PM NBA [508] TOTAL u191 1.91 (MIA HEAT vrs TOR RAPTORS)
Score: MIA HEAT(102) - TOR RAPTORS(96)
LOSE


05/03/2016 @ 07:50 PM NBA [511] TOTAL o212.5 1.91 (POR TRAIL BLAZERS vrs GS WARRIORS)
Score: POR TRAIL BLAZERS(99) - GS WARRIORS(110)
PEND


05/03/2016 @ 07:50 PM NBA [512] GS WARRIORS -9 1.91
Score: POR TRAIL BLAZERS(99) - GS WARRIORS(110)
PEND

 

[CNOTES]

5/3 - Yesterday's Results: None
Overall : 46 - 52


WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ATL at CLE 08:00 PM

ATL +7.5


U 196.5

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack


-- A's were 256-175 in the regular season when they had Yoenis Cespedes. They are 103-143 since they traded him.


-- Cubs are 13-2 against their NL Central rivals this season.


-- Mo Tom and Tom's Ready are running in Kentucky Derby; they're both owned by the owner of the New Orleans Saints/Pelicans, Tom Benson.


-- Rory McIlroy has played one round of golf since the Masters. 18 holes.


-- Arizona Coyotes are going to hire a 27-year old as their new GM; at least he did not go to an Ivy League school-- he went to U of Western Ontario.


-- JT Realmuto led off for Marlins last two nights; not often a catcher leads off.


**********


Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Early season trends for NFC teams......


Cardinals-- Arizona won its last six home openers, covering four of last five; they are 8-0 vs spread in last eight road openers. Under is 7-3 in last ten road openers.


Falcons-- Atlanta won/covered its last eight home openers; they're 14-3 vs spread in last 17 home openers. They're 3-9 vs spread in last 12 road openers (under 10-2)


Panthers-- Last 13 Super Bowl losers are 2-11 vs spread in their opener the following season. Carolina is 10-5 as an underdog in road openers (under 3-1 last four).


Bears-- Chicago is opening on road for first time since '09; under is 10-2 in their last 12 road openers. Bears covered eight of last eleven home openers.


Cowboys-- Dallas covered one of last eight home openers; since '93, they're 7-13 vs spread as a favorite in home openers, 18-8 in last 26 road openers.


Lions-- Detroit is 4-8 as underdog in road openers; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 road openers. Lions are 8-1-1 as a favorite in home openers (over 5-1 last 6).


Packers-- Green Bay lost three of last four home openers, covered one of its last five. Packeras are 6-2 vs spread as favorite in home openers (over 4-1 last five).


Rams-- Rams are 3-13 vs spread in last 16 openers, 1-13 SU in last 14 road openers, with only win 19-17 in Tampa. Under is 7-3 in their last ten road openers.


Vikings-- Minnesota is 4-11 in last 15 road openers, 3-5 in last eight season openers. Vikings covered once in last eight home openers; they've got a new dome this year.


Saints-- NO is 13-5 in last 18 home openers, 5-2-1 vs spread as favorite. under is 9-3 in their last 12 home openers. Saints covered once in last eight road openers.


Giants-- Big Blue started last five years 0-1; they've lost five of last six road openers. Over is 14-2 in their last 16 road openers. Giants lost last four home openers.


Eagles-- Philly is 2-8 vs spread in last 10 home openers; they're 0-7 as favorite of less than 8 points in HO's. Iggles won six of their last seven road openers.


49ers-- Niners won last five season openers, are 10-1-1 vs spread in last dozen home openers. Under is 9-5-1 in last 15 home openers, 4-2-1 in last seven road openers.


Seahawks-- Seattle won/covered 12 of last 13 home openers; under is 12-2-1 in their last 15 HO's. Seahawks covered once in their last 11 road openers (1-8 last 9 SU).


Bucs-- Tampa Bay covered four of last five as an underdog in road openers; under is 16-7 in their last 23 AO's. Buccaneers lost four of their last five home openers.


Redskins-- Washington lost three of last four home openers; four of their last five went over total. Redskins lost seven of last eight road openers (over 5-2 last seven).

 

[CNOTES]

NBA


Thursday, May 5


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds: Heat at Raptors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Raptors' Kyle Lowry was only 3-for-13 shooting in Game 1. If he doesn't get his game together quickly it could be a quick series win for the Heat.


Once again there is only one game on the NBA Playoff schedule and it's Game 2 between the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors. We break down all the action so you can cap the game like a pro.


Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 188)


Heat lead series 1-0


The Toronto Raptors have been waiting for their All-Star backcourt to step up in the postseason, and aside from one moment in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, they are still waiting. The Raptors will try to get more out of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and even the series when they host the Miami Heat in Game 2 on Thursday.


DeRozan shot 31.9 percent from the floor in a seven-game victory over the Indiana Pacers in the first round and went 9-of-22 from the floor on Tuesday while Lowry has been even worse, shooting 31.6 percent against the Pacers and slumping to 3-of-13 in Game 1 against the Heat. "I'm trying to get my touch back. I don't know where it's at," Lowry told reporters. "It's kind of mind-boggling right now, and it's frustrating, but I'm not going to shy away from the criticism or anything. I’m going to continue to be aggressive and take shots.” The Miami backcourt carried the team through the final two games of its first-round series against the Charlotte Hornets and stepped up again against Toronto with a combined 50 points from Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade. Wade, who picked up his 100th career playoff victory with the 102-96 overtime triumph, scored seven of his 24 points in the extra period and stole the ball from DeRozan with four seconds left to seal the win.


TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN


LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 4.5-point favorites for Game 2 after dropping the opener Tuesday night. The total opened at 188.5 and came down a point to 187.5 by Wednesday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE HEAT (53-37, 48-41-1 ATS, 37-52-1 O/U): Miami squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before regrouping for overtime and credited injured forward Chris Bosh for keeping the team focused at the start of the extra period. "(Bosh) was huge in that timeout," Dragic told reporters. "When (Lowry) hit that shot, most other teams would think it's over. We didn't. We kind of (flipped) the switch and tried to make something positive from that. (Bosh) said, 'OK, it's our first game. We're playing in a hostile environment. We still have five minutes to go, and we're in a good position.’” Bosh is reportedly in a dispute with the Heat over his medical condition, with the team exercising caution and keeping him off the floor against his wishes.


ABOUT THE RAPTORS (60-30, 47-43 ATS, 44-45-1 O/U): Lowry went from the high of sending the game into overtime with a halfcourt buzzer-beater to missing his only shot in overtime as Toronto fell. “I have but not at this time, so that's what's frustrating,” Lowry told reporters when asked if he has been in shooting slumps like this before. “In the playoffs, all eyes are on you. It sucks to be playing this bad with all eyes on me. I know I'm better than this, so I have to pick this (stuff) up.” Lowry has not shot better than 38.1 percent in any of his eight games this postseason and stayed in the gym after finishing up with his media responsibilities on Tuesday to shoot jumpers.


TRENDS:


* Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Raptors are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Heat are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Toronto.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 5

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

MIAMI (53 - 37) at TORONTO (60 - 30) - 5/5/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 39-29 ATS (+7.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in all playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 173-216 ATS (-64.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 46-60 ATS (-20.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-6 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-5 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 5

Miami at Toronto, 8:05 ET
Miami: 20-11 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
Toronto: 4-14 ATS in all playoff games




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 5

Miami-Toronto (M 1-0)
Toronto tied game dramatically at end of regulation, then lost in OT as Dragic had 26 points for Heat, which was -9 in 12:00 he was off floor. Miami lost four of last six games with Toronto, losing three of last four games in Canada, losing by 8ot-20-10 points. Home side won seven of last ten series games. Heat lost three of last five road games; five of their last six games stayed under total, as have seven of last nine Raptor tilts. Toronto won three of last four home games. Toronto was -16 in 12:00 without Valanciunas on floor, +10 when he was playingr.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 5-2, over: 4-3




NBA

Thursday, May 5

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

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Miami is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 5


Miami @ Toronto

Game 515-516
May 5, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.266
Toronto
125.751
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 6 1/2
183
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
188 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-4 1/2); Under

 

[CNOTES]

Raptors-Heat Game 2 Essentials
May 5, 2016




Eastern Conference - Game 2 - Heat lead 1-0

Miami at Toronto (-4.5/188), 8:05 p.m. ET - ESPN


The Heat didn’t go up 2-0 thanks to their 102-96 overtime win on Tuesday night in Toronto. It just felt that way.


After an ugly feeling-out period of physical play and poor shooting in a first half that ended with the Raptors up 43-41, Miami (53-37 SU, 48-41-1 ATS) took control of its Eastern Conference semifinal opener with defense and clutch shooting from guards Goran Dragic and Dwayne Wade, taking an 87-81 inside 30 seconds before Kyle Lowry clanked another 3-pointer and the process of trying to run out the clock began. Luol Deng’s misadventures in inbounding would ultimately complicate matters, leading to Lowry’s halfcourt buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime.


It was equal parts miraculous, fluky and unjust. The Raptors (60-30 SU, 47-43 ATS) had no business tying up a game they had surrendered in the fourth quarter at home. Lowry shot 0-for-6 from beyond the arc if you take his answered prayer out of the equation, finishing 3-for-13 and failing to get to the free-throw line in scoring just 7 points. Under bettors ended up seeing their wise investment go up in smoke since the extra five minutes were enough to help surpass the posted total of 192. Miami failed to foul when it had a chance to on the final possession, playing with fire by not having Hassan Whiteside intentionally miss a second free-throw that would’ve put Toronto in a scramble situation.


Despite their ineptitude in closing out matters in regulation, the Heat shook off the blow by scoring the first eight points of OT, holding the Raptors scoreless for the first 3:46 of the extra session. They held on, barely, when Wade stripped DeMar DeRozan to prevent another potential game-tying look, wrapping up a night where the home team’s All-Star backcourt was outscored 50-29 by their counterparts.


Hours after the 53rd and final minute expired, Lowry was still out on the Air Canada Centre floor shooting, hoping to break through and finally snap out of a brutal slump that extends back to April 7, where he closed out the regular season by shooting 15-for-43 (34.9). He shot 31-for-98 (31.6) in the Pacers series, never once hitting even 40 percent of his attempts, and tied a playoff-low with his 23 percent clip in Game 1, matching how poorly he performed in the series opener against Indiana.


That last part should be disconcerting to Toronto. Lowry never could really pick up his level of play as an inferior Indiana team took the series to a seventh game. Even in a clinching game where the Raps were at their best, it was backup Cory Joseph who was most effective running the team next to DeRozan. Lowry remains shook, and if he fails to hit his first attempt in Game 2, will carry the burden of his recent failures into every shot. Confidence seems to have drained out of him.


Making matters worse, Miami’s Goran Dragic looks quite comfortable being out there matched up with a former teammate whose job he once took in Houston. Physically, the wiry Heat point guard has advantages against the smaller, stockier Lowry and seems to know his game well. After playing exceptionally in scoring 25 points in Game 7 against Charlotte, Dragic came into this series brimming with confidence and combined with Wade to 20-for-41 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Wade made huge shots down the stretch and had a huge impact defensively, blocking a pair of shots late and reading passing lanes expertly, a product of watching tape like a savvy veteran and adjusting accordingly.


The Heat won their first game in Toronto since November of 2013. It was their first win over the Raptors since a 20-point victory on Nov. 8. DeRozan had led his team to wins in the last three regular-season meetings, a 108-94 win in Miami in December, a 101-81 win in Toronto on Jan. 22 and a 112-104 home OT win in March. He averaged 29.3 points over his team’s four regular-season games, shooting nearly 49 percent from the field. DeRozan scored just 22 points on 9-for-22 shooting in Game 1 as Miami did a nice job of rotating defenders on him and keeping him from truly getting rolling. He scored 30 points on 32 shots in the deciding game against Indiana and three wins over the Heat in the regular season, DeRozan averaged 33.7 points in Toronto’s three victories over the Heat, so even though everyone is looking for Lowry to rebound, the Raps’ potential resurgence starts with him.


The other key point of contention comes in the paint, where Jonas Valanciunas and Hassan Whiteside really went at one another and set the tone for a physical series early. Toronto’s center scored a team-best 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, staying out of foul trouble and playing 41 minutes. Whiteside survived a nasty-looking potential knee injury, went to the locker room and returned to end up playing 39 minutes, scoring just nine points but grabbing 17 boards and serving as a deterrent around the paint. Keeping their starting centers on the floor is a huge key for both teams. Miami won the rebounding battle 62-47 and had an 11-4 edge on the offensive glass. The Heat, who often struggle from the perimeter, shot 8-for-11 from 3-point range, while Toronto shot 5-for-21.


Chris Bosh, sidelined since Feb. 9 due to complications with blood clots, was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Wednesday after rumblings that he badly wanted to return. With him officially done, Miami must lean on Amar'e Stoudemire, Udonis Haslem and Josh McRoberts to plug the middle when Whiteside is on the bench. Toronto comes into Game 2 reporting no injuries.


The Raptors owned the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 32-9 in the regular season, but are just 3-2 at the Air Canada Center in the postseason, covering the spread only once. They’re 1-6 ATS in their last seven home playoff games. Seven of the Raptors last nine games have gone under the posted total. The ‘under’ had prevailed in five consecutive Heat games prior to Game 1’s OT result.

 

[CNOTES]

Heat best bet to shock the world


English Premier League side Leicester City put together the most unlikely championship run in the history of professional sports, cashing as 5,000-to-1 favorites if you bet them to start the season. The two most recent major champions, Villanova basketball and the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos, each prevailed as underdogs.


After surviving a very good Charlotte Hornets team, staring elimination in the face on the road and then dominating Game 7 at home, the new-look Miami Heat are worth putting a few bucks on as a 50-to-1 shot to continue this magical run in sports. Winning an NBA title isn’t out of the question.


Skip a buffet. Don’t go see that movie. Pull something up on demand instead and use the savings to back the Heat’s quest for a third title in five years. Oh, it’s a long shot, but definitely one worth taking a crack at.


The Cavs opened the week as overwhelming 4-13 favorites to win the Eastern Conference according to the Westgate LV SuperBook and are still led by LeBron James, but considering the venom that would be directed his way in South Florida, the Eastern Conference finals could be intriguing as the James’ worlds collide. The Heat come in at 7-to-1 to get out of the East.


Bosh hopes to return, reunite with LeBron


Standing in the way of that potential matchup are the Hawks and Raptors, teams that have had good seasons, but lack the finishing kick to trust in going all the way. Atlanta probably won’t get swept again like it did in last season’s conference finals, but winning four of seven with the Cavs owning homecourt seems like a stretch. Despite battling back from 17 points down to take a fourth-quarter lead in the series opener, the Hawks fell apart when it mattered most, failing to attack the paint and committing sloppy turnovers. The East finals will feature LeBron for the sixth straight season, but it’s determining the team that lines up against him and the Cavaliers that packs the most intrigue in the semifinal portion of these NBA playoffs.


Toronto didn’t have the look of a No. 2 seed throughout its first-round survival against Indiana. DeMar DeRozan had a few monster games and rose to the occasion against Paul George in Game 7, but largely struggled with his shot and now has to deal with Luol Deng and Justise Winslow, agile, physical defenders. Kyle Lowry struggled himself, but should have an easier time against Goran Dragic and rookie Josh Richardson than he did against George Hill. Still, Toronto will have a fight on its hands in this East 2-3 series, and it remains to be seen whether clearing the first-round hurdle will be enough to take the next step in reaching the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.


If the Raptors barely survived the Pacers, eliminating Miami is going to be quite the chore.


Since adding Joe Johnson, the Heat have been one of the league’s most efficient offensive teams. The Wade looks rejuvenated. Hassan Whiteside, the NBA’s leading shot blocker this past season, is a game-changing presence when he’s able to avoid foul trouble. Both Deng and Dragic have really stepped their games up this postseason. Rooks Winslow and Richardson should still think twice before they shoot, but have been invaluable defensively and consistently bring energy.


And then there’s the Chris Bosh curveball, a potential x-factor bubbling beneath the surface that may impact the East race significantly. The All-Star forward hasn’t played since Feb. 9, right before the break, due to blood clotting issues, but has been flying with the team on their road trips and is pushing to get back out there. While Miami has smartly protected him from himself thus far, if Bosh is successful getting an independent doctor to clear him, he’s going to utilize the players’ union in order to try and force his organization’s hand.


Bosh has been working out in an effort to keep himself in playing shape, so despite the fact that it’s far-fetched that he’d be able to pick up where he left off – he was averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds before going down – he’d surely be able to give the Heat minutes off the bench that are currently going to Josh McRoberts and Udonis Haslem. No team remaining in the race would be bringing such a talented big man off their bench.


It appears he’s serious about playing and taking the risk, and Bosh has the support of his family. He posted a Snapchat video of himself last week raining 3-pointers in an empty American Airlines Arena, boasting “I still got.” Wife Adrienne has been spotted with T-shirts calling for the Heat to “#BringBoshBack.”


With May barely underway, there’s certainly a shot that Bosh gets his way and participates late in the series against his former team, not to mention running into ex-mate LeBron in the next round, a challenge he badly wants to face. Even if he’s forced to play a spectator’s role on the team bench, tweeting out that teammates are his heroes, Bosh will still have a positive impact. He’s kept busy counseling Whiteside, supporting Wade and joking with the rookies. Even if he can’t get back, the Heat have a lot of pieces playing well at the same time. Consider that Johnson has never even taken the floor with Bosh, whose versatility should help make any transition back into the lineup easier. No one should expect him to come in and immediately start taking over games, but he can definitely be a key contributor in a smaller role, perhaps putting Miami over the top.


As is the case with the Heat, don’t write Bosh off. He’s one determined veteran, and has that in common with a number of guys on the roster who know their window to win a ring is closing. As far as 50-to-1 shots go, this one already has a Cinderella feel tied in.

 

[CNOTES]

Bosh officially declared out for season
May 4, 2016


MIAMI (AP) Chris Bosh's season is now officially over, regardless of how far the Miami Heat advance in this postseason.


The Heat and Bosh made the announcement Wednesday afternoon after the team practiced in Toronto, ending rampant speculation in recent days that Bosh would try to return to the court during the playoffs.


Bosh has not played since the All-Star break after a blood clot was discovered in his left leg. It's the second consecutive year that Bosh's season ended at the break because of problems with clotting, and the joint statement came one day after the National Basketball Players Association urged Bosh and the team to resolve any issues they have about his immediate future.


''The Miami Heat and Chris Bosh announce that Chris will not be playing in the remainder of the 2016 NBA Playoffs,'' read the statement. ''The Heat, Chris, the doctors and medical team have been working together throughout this process and will continue to do so to return Chris to playing basketball as soon as possible.''


Bosh is expected to remain with the team throughout the remainder of the playoffs - helping his teammates however he can. And while the statement finally provides resolution on his short-term status, it remains unknown if he has dealt with any other clots or if he remains on blood thinners.


''It's not a distraction at all,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said in Toronto on Wednesday, before the statement came out. ''It's not our focus. This has been going on since February. All we know is that he's taking care of himself, health-wise, and that's all we care about. Anything else is out of our control and there's no reason for us to worry about it.''


Bosh was averaging a team-best 19.1 points at the break, when the clot was found after he arrived in Toronto - his first NBA city - for the All-Star weekend. He went through the All-Star media day rigors on Friday of that weekend knowing he couldn't play in the game, and initially the reason cited was a calf strain.


Days later, it became known that it was much worse. And when the team began its post-All-Star schedule in Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra said players addressed what they would miss about Bosh not being available to play.


''We talked about what we are going to miss the most about CB and it wasn't end of possession, throw it to him and he can get you a shot or defensive rotations,'' Spoelstra said Wednesday. ''It was his leadership and his voice. Now he's around the team, he still provides that, and it's a powerful thing. CB is a great leader in this league.''


Even after Wednesday's statement, there are plenty of unanswered questions when it comes to Bosh's health.


Has the highest-paid Heat player, someone with three years and about $77 million left on his deal, had more clots than he's revealed? Have others formed since the one was found in February? Does he have any now? Did he attempt to play through them this season? Is he still on blood thinners? Have any doctors told him that he should not continue playing basketball?


If the Heat know any of those answers, they're not saying. And in this case, their silence may speak volumes.


It's not a privacy violation for a team to reveal that a player sprained an ankle or twisted a knee. But per the collective bargaining agreement, when it comes to ''potentially life- or career-threatening'' matters, a team cannot say anything without consent of the player or his family.


On the Heat injury report, the reason for Bosh's absence is blank. If he had a common injury, it would be listed.


''Sometimes the blood can get too thin and if you take a charge and hit your head, then you get a serious complication,'' Dr. T.O. Souryal, the former Dallas Mavericks team physician, told Sirius NBA Radio earlier Wednesday. ''So we don't let people on blood thinners play in football for example or any other collision sport for that exact reason. ... And if you don't have enough blood thinning, then you're worried about the blood clot. It's a really delicate matter.''