Game of the Day: Tuesday's NBA Playoff action by covers
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers (-5.5, 191)
Series is tied at 2-2
Chicago and Cleveland have traded dramatic game-winning shots in the past two games and the Cavaliers have the homecourt advantage when they meet the Bulls in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Chicago’s Derrick Rose banked in the decisive shot in Game 3 and Cleveland’s LeBron James answered with the game-winner in Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece.
James sprained his left ankle in Sunday’s game but won’t miss any time while point guard Kyrie Irving continues to be hampered by injuries – first a sore right foot and then being diagnosed on Monday with tendinitis in his left knee. Irving plans to play despite being an inferior shadow of himself while the Bulls will likely be without power forward Pau Gasol (hamstring) for the second consecutive contest. Chicago missed a big opportunity to take a 3-1 lead when it struggled in the fourth quarter and Cleveland rallied for the victory. “We just got to be a lot smarter with the lead,” Bulls forward Taj Gibson told reporters. “Going into the fourth we had a good margin. We just blew it.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Cavs as 5-point faves but have since moved that number to -5.5.
INJURY REPORT: Chicago - T. Gibson (questionable), P. Gasol (doubtful). Cleveland - K. Irving (probable), L. James (probable), K. Love (out for playoffs), A. Varejo (out for playoffs).
ABOUT THE BULLS: Chicago led by 11 points late in the third quarter of Game 4 before falling apart on the offensive end and letting the game get away. “Just too many duds for offensive possessions,” forward Mike Dunleavy told reporters. “We’ve had issues with that all year. Especially here in the playoffs, our ball movement has been slowing us down, and we kind of get stagnant.” One guy thriving is Rose, who has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games and is averaging 25 points in the series.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Irving is 5-for-23 shooting over the last two games, and his 30-point performance in Game 1 seems like it happened ages ago. “I’d rather give 30 percent, 40 percent rather than give none at all,” Irving told reporters. “I just literally can’t do it. I can’t sit on the bench and be hurt and be OK with that. And still, I still know I can be effective.” James expressed surprise that he was able to finish Game 4 – a contest that concluded with him overruling coach David Blatt’s plan to have him in-bound the ball on the play and instead receiving the ball and knocking down the decisive shot.
TRENDS:
*Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
*Under is 5-2 in Bulls last 7 overall.
*Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 overall.
*Bulls are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets (+2.5, 219)
Clippers lead series 3-1
The Los Angeles Clippers look to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history when they visit the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the semifinal series. Los Angeles has pounded Houston by an average of 29 points over the last two games to take a 3-1 lead while thoroughly demoralizing the Rockets.Houston has no answer on the defensive end as the Clippers are averaging 119.5 points in the series after posting a 128-95 victory on Sunday. “This is the ultimate adversity right now,” Rockets guard James Harden told reporters. “We’ve got Game 5 back at the house and it’s really win or go home. Our backs are against the wall and we’ve got to show up.” The Clippers are the first team to win back-to-back games in a playoff series by at least 25 points since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001 and are rolling on all cylinders. “I think we realize as a team what we’re capable of when we play the right way,” power forward Blake Griffin told reporters. “It’s just a matter of coming out and playing the right way.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened -1 but have hopped the fence to +2.5 as of this writing.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: The hamstring injury to Chris Paul was thought to be a deterrent to Los Angeles winning the series, and it split two games without him before dominating the two he has played. Paul has only had to play an average of 24.5 minutes due to the two routs and now coach Doc Rivers is less than concerned with his point guard’s health and more interested in his team continuing its strong play. “I think right now, honestly, they just have great focus,” Rivers told reporters. “They’re not thinking about a lot of stuff, but doing their jobs and trying to win the game.”
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Standout guard James Harden scored a quiet 21 points in Game 4 and has failed to be a difference-maker despite a 24.5 average in the four games. The runner-up in MVP balloting has been bottled up for long stretches by the Clippers and is growing more and more frustrated as the scores get out of hand. “We’re not really moving,” Harden told reporters. “We’re not really moving on the offensive end. We’re pretty much stagnant, so it makes it easier for them to kind of load up and play their normal defense.”
TRENDS:
*Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
*Over is 10-2 in Rockets last 12 home games.
*Over is 5-0 in Clippers last 5 overall.
*Clippers are 16-4-1 ATS in their last 21 road games.
