[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1][h=2]Larry Ness' 10* Goin' Over Total-NBA (5 in a row?)[/h]My 10* Goin' Over Total is on SA/Ind Over at 7:05 ET.
San Antonio beat Indiana 106-100 back on November 26 but the Pacers were without George Hill, David West, C.J. Watson, Roy Hibbert and Paul George. However, when the Spurs visit the Pacers tonight, they’ll face a much different team than they did 2 1/2 months ago, as all players but George have since returned from their injuries. Hill (14.4 PPG) and West (13.1) currently lead Indiana in scoring but the Pacers have terrific balance, with SIX players averaging in double digits. The Spurs were not able to get head coach Gregg Popovich his 1,000th career win on Sunday but considering the Spurs have beaten the Pacers in 13 of the last 14 meetings, they appear to have a better chance against Indiana to get No. 1,000, tonight.
Then again, Manu Ginobili appeared to take a knee to his thigh in the final seconds of Sunday’s game and Popovich hasn’t hesitated to rest Duncan and Parker in back-to-back situations, so it will be interesting to see which players take the floor against Indiana. The Spurs had won NINE of their previous 11 games prior to Sunday’s game in Toronto and after taking an 82-79 lead with 1:49 left in the contest, watched as the Raptors scored the game’s final EIGHT points. The Spurs didn’t actually watch but instead went 0 for 3 from the floor, made two TOs, committed three fouls plus added a kicked ball violation.
I will never try to predict what “Pop” will do regarding who plays or not, so let me switch over to Indiana and make a case for the over. The Pacers enter on a three-game winning streak, averaging a 106.7 PPG, as the three game finals have averaged 210.0 points. This over/under opened at 192 1/2 and the first move came on the under. I mentioned earlier that George Hill has returned and a closer look reveals he's played the last eight games, after playing only five games (total), earlier this season. A even closer look reveals that in the 13 games in which Hill has been on the court, the Pacers have 101.5 PPG, while in the 39 games he’s missed, Indiana has averaged just 93.8 PPG. He MAKES a difference!
There has been little or no adjustment to Indiana’s over/under lines, particularly lately, as in the three-game winning streak, two closing totals have been in the mid-190s and another in the mid-180s. Again, this opened 192 1/2 and around 12 noon ET, was slightly lower. Higher or lower that that and regardless of just who “Pop” sends out on the court tonight, this one is Goin’ Over!
[/SIZE][/FONT]
San Antonio beat Indiana 106-100 back on November 26 but the Pacers were without George Hill, David West, C.J. Watson, Roy Hibbert and Paul George. However, when the Spurs visit the Pacers tonight, they’ll face a much different team than they did 2 1/2 months ago, as all players but George have since returned from their injuries. Hill (14.4 PPG) and West (13.1) currently lead Indiana in scoring but the Pacers have terrific balance, with SIX players averaging in double digits. The Spurs were not able to get head coach Gregg Popovich his 1,000th career win on Sunday but considering the Spurs have beaten the Pacers in 13 of the last 14 meetings, they appear to have a better chance against Indiana to get No. 1,000, tonight.
Then again, Manu Ginobili appeared to take a knee to his thigh in the final seconds of Sunday’s game and Popovich hasn’t hesitated to rest Duncan and Parker in back-to-back situations, so it will be interesting to see which players take the floor against Indiana. The Spurs had won NINE of their previous 11 games prior to Sunday’s game in Toronto and after taking an 82-79 lead with 1:49 left in the contest, watched as the Raptors scored the game’s final EIGHT points. The Spurs didn’t actually watch but instead went 0 for 3 from the floor, made two TOs, committed three fouls plus added a kicked ball violation.
I will never try to predict what “Pop” will do regarding who plays or not, so let me switch over to Indiana and make a case for the over. The Pacers enter on a three-game winning streak, averaging a 106.7 PPG, as the three game finals have averaged 210.0 points. This over/under opened at 192 1/2 and the first move came on the under. I mentioned earlier that George Hill has returned and a closer look reveals he's played the last eight games, after playing only five games (total), earlier this season. A even closer look reveals that in the 13 games in which Hill has been on the court, the Pacers have 101.5 PPG, while in the 39 games he’s missed, Indiana has averaged just 93.8 PPG. He MAKES a difference!
There has been little or no adjustment to Indiana’s over/under lines, particularly lately, as in the three-game winning streak, two closing totals have been in the mid-190s and another in the mid-180s. Again, this opened 192 1/2 and around 12 noon ET, was slightly lower. Higher or lower that that and regardless of just who “Pop” sends out on the court tonight, this one is Goin’ Over!
[/SIZE][/FONT]
