NBA
Dunkel

Indiana at New York
The Knicks look to stay alive in the series and build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 home games versus the Pacers. New York is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Knicks favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New York (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 16

Game 739-740: Indiana at New York (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 115.885; New York 125.530
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 9 1/2; 174
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 4 1/2; 179
Dunkel Pick: New York (-4 1/2); Under

Game 741-742: San Antonio at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 122.329; Golden State 128.928
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 6 1/2; 200
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 1 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+1 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 16

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INDIANA (56 - 35) at NEW YORK (59 - 33) - 5/16/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW YORK is 51-40 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 8-7 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-7 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (65 - 26) at GOLDEN STATE (53 - 40) - 5/16/2013, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-41 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-42 ATS (+10.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 95-71 ATS (+16.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 78-57 ATS (+15.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) in road games against Pacific division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 62-41 ATS (+16.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 53-40 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 9-7 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 16

Take away the 30-2 run at end of Game 2 and Pacers might already have swept this series; Anthony is 25-67 (37.3%) in three Indy win in series, 13-26 in one Knick win. JR Smith is 26-85 in five losses vs Pacers, 15-36 in three New York Ws- in six games since his suspension in Boston series, Smith is shooting 27% from floor. Ten of last 14 Knick games stayed under the total; 12 of last 18 Indy games went over. Prigioni has to play more for Knicks to thrive; this series isn't over- they need pair of home wins and only one road upset, but they need to solve tough Pacer defense, and 19-foot fadeaways ain't the answer.

Warriors are 12-2 against spread in last 14 games overall; under is 6-5 in Golden State's playoff games. Spurs are 7-2 in playoffs, with six wins by double digits; home side is 7-2 in series games this year. Three of last four series games stayed under. Leads haven't been safe in Warrior-Spur series; SA came back from huge deficit to win Game 1, blew 80-72 lead with 4:40 left in Game 4, now its win or go home for gritty Golden State group. Under is 11-10 league-wide in this round of playoffs. Spurs have four NBA titles; they can handle hostile environments, are 3-1 on road in playoffs, with only loss here in overtime. Golden State will need Curry and Thompson to force Game 7; they were 6-22 in Game 5.




NBA

Thursday, May 16

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. NEW YORK
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games at home

10:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. GOLDEN STATE
San Antonio is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 13 games on the road
Golden State is 8-14-2 ATS in its last 24 games when playing San Antonio
Golden State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


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NBA

Thursday, May 16

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Thursday's NBA playoff action: What bettors need to know
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Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (-4.5 179)

Indiana leads series 3-1.

The New York Knicks have not been able to get anything done against the Indiana Pacers’ defense. The Pacers will be looking to ride that defense to a series victory when they attempt to close out the host Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday. New York has only had one stretch of strong offense and used it to secure its only win in Game 2. The Knicks have been held to an average of 76.5 points in the last two games.

Indiana has chased New York off the 3-point line and has controlled the glass to gain second-chance points and keep the Knicks from getting out on the break. New York stars Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith were a combined 15-for-45 from the field Tuesday and have struggled throughout the series. Knicks coach Mike Woodson is still looking at things optimistically. “It takes four games to get out of this series,” he said. “We go home, we handle our business at home and we get back (to Indiana) on Friday and see if we can force Game 7. That’s what I’m thinking. That’s the only way I’m thinking.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE PACERS: Paul George has not been shooting well in the series but has been able to make an impact in several other places. The All-Star forward has played tight defense on Anthony and has been a force on the glass along with the rest of the Indiana frontcourt. George Hill shouldered more of the scoring load in Game 4, including 14 of the Pacers’ 19 points in the third quarter that kept the team in control. “(Hill) was spectacular, maybe the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “He was just making all the winning plays. He not only executed our offense, he bailed us out a few times when things broke down late in the shot clock.” Hill finished with a Game 4-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Anthony has shot under 40 percent from the field in six of the last seven games but Smith has been even worse, connecting at 28.6 percent in six games since serving a one-game suspension during Game 4 of the first round. “I take the blame for this whole series,” Smith told reporters after Game 4. “It started off with Game 4 in Boston or Game 5. I haven’t been playing myself. I haven’t been playing my part. I’ve been letting my teammates down. I’ve been letting my coaches down.” New York attempted to counter Indiana’s size advantage by starting Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin together in the frontcourt. That may have played a part in poor shooting nights from Roy Hibbert and David West in the Pacers frontcourt, but the Knicks were still outrebounded 54-36.

TRENDS:

* Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Under is 8-2-1 in Knicks last 11 overall.
* Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks F Amar’e Stoudemire (knee) played 11 minutes in Game 4 off the bench and had as many fouls as points (four).

2. Indiana is 7-0 in the postseason when Hill scores more than 12 points.

3. New York G Jason Kidd has not scored in any of the last eight games despite playing at least 15 minutes in each.



San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (+1.5, 195.5)

San Antonio leads series 3-2.

The experience and execution of the San Antonio Spurs has allowed them to grab control of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs will have a chance to close out the series when they visit the Warriors for Game 6 Thursday. Golden State star Stephen Curry was held to nine points in Game 5 and has shot under 50 percent in each of the last four games while struggling through an ankle sprain.

San Antonio guard Tony Parker has been battling a calf injury but showed no signs that he was slowed while collecting 25 points and 10 assists in Game 5. The All-Star slashed through the Warriors perimeter defense and made Curry work hard at both ends of the floor. “Our energy was good,” Parker said after the game. “We got the 50-50 ball. That was huge for us tonight. … Tonight we played for 48 minutes.” The Spurs even outrebounded the Warriors for the first time in the series 38-36 as Tim Duncan got the better of Andrew Bogut down low.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE SPURS: San Antonio used a 15-0 run in the first quarter of Game 5 to seize control and did not trail the rest of the way. After shooting poorly in the fourth quarter and overtime during the Game 4 loss, the Spurs hit 51.9 percent from the field back at home for Game 5. Two of the biggest contributors were Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who each came up with big shots to help slow Golden State runs. Coach Gregg Popovich was quick to credit the effort on defense and on the glass. “The series for us is all about the defense,” he told reporters. “…We got a lot of mismatches. They love those mismatches, so we have to play intelligently. I thought we did that tonight. But we followed up the defense with a board. There is no stop until the board is secured.” Duncan secured 11 boards and is averaging 11.2 in the series.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Golden State got this far with a lot of energy and some incredible shooting performances from Curry and Klay Thompson. The Warriors did not have either one of those things in San Antonio Tuesday. Curry and Thompson combined for 13 points on 6-of-22 shooting, and Thompson, whose 8-of-9 performance from beyond the arc helped Golden State even the series in Game 2, did not even attempt a 3-pointer. “I was terrible, plain and simple,” Curry told reporters. “They outplayed us as a team. Individually, I didn’t have anything on either end. (I was) a step slow, my shot wasn’t falling and I was trying to make plays but defensively I lost a little focus.” Coach Mark Jackson pulled Curry and Thompson with over four minutes left to give Curry all the time he could to rest up his ankle for Game 6. The Warriors pulled off an overtime home win in Game 4 and have gone 4-1 in their own arena this postseason, with the lone setback coming to the Spurs in Game 3, 102-92.

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Spurs last 16 road games.
* Spurs are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Duncan (143) needs one more double-double to snap a tie with Wilt Chamberlain and move into sole possession of second place on the all-time playoff list. Magic Johnson leads with 157.

2. Barnes is the first player in history to record 25 or more points in back-to-back playoff games after never reaching that mark in the regular season.

3. Golden State F David Lee played 12 minutes Tuesday - his longest stretch since suffering a torn hip flexor in Game 1 of the first round.

Thursday Playoff Tips

May 15, 2013


The two road teams taking the court on Thursday night need just one victory to advance to the conference finals. The Pacers' defense stifled the Knicks in two home blowouts, while the Spurs are slowly getting their act together against the upstart Warriors. We'll start in the Big Apple with New York trying to shake things up and save its season.

Pacers at Knicks - 8:05 PM EST - TNT

It seemed like Miami and New York were on a collision course to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat will be there for a third straight postseason, but the Knicks are pulling up lame at the moment, sitting one loss away from elimination. New York should be thrilled to be heading back to Madison Square Garden, as the Atlantic Division need to find its scoring touch after two subpar performances in the Hoosier State.

Following a 71-point output in Saturday's Game 3 setback, Mike Woodson's team fell short again in Monday's Game 4 defeat at Indiana, 93-82 as five-point underdogs. The game finished 'under' the total of 179 ½ in spite of a 52-point barrage in the fourth quarter. Both the Pacers and Knicks each converted 31 shots from the floor, but New York managed to attempt 11 more shots, while hitting just 35%. The volume shooters known as Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith combined to shoot 16-of-45 from the field, as the Knicks never led once in the loss.

The Pacers pretty much held a double-digit advantage in the second half, led by George Hill's game-high 26 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting. Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert each pulled down double-digit rebounds, as George continued to shine in the postseason with 18 points. Indiana improved to 5-0 SU/ATS in the playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, as all five victories have come by at least 11 points.

The series shifts back to MSG as the Knicks own a 1-2 SU/ATS record the last three home games after a 12-game winning streak from early March through Game 2 of the first round. Indiana has covered five of its last six following consecutive losses at Atlanta in the opening round, as the Pacers have limited their opponents to 95 points or less in seven of 10 postseason contests.

Spurs at Warriors - 10:35 PM EST - TNT

Through the first two games of this series, Golden State sat in the driver's seat after grabbing a split in Texas. However, the Spurs managed to win one of two games at tough Oracle Arena to flip the home-court advantage back in San Antonio's favor. Following Monday's decisive home victory, the Spurs are back on track to return to the conference finals for the second straight season.

Stephen Curry helped lead Golden State's rally to capture Game 4 in overtime, but the sharpshooting guard was limited to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting in a 109-91 setback in Game 5. The Spurs easily cashed as seven-point favorites, while nailing the 'over' for the first time since back in the Game 1 double-overtime thriller. The only three Warriors that finished in double-figures was the unlikely trio of Harrison Barnes, Jarrett Jack, and Carl Landry, who combined for 61 points.

The Spurs found their groove offensively by shooting 51% from the floor, including a smooth 7-of-8 from Kawhi Leonard for 17 points. Tony Parker proved to be the best guard on the floor by scoring a team-high 25 points, while San Antonio drilled 10 three-pointers in the win. San Antonio now needs to find some consistency, as neither team has won consecutive games in this series.

After covering each of its first eight playoff games, Mark Jackson's club owns a 1-2 SU/ATS record the last three contests. The Warriors have compiled a 4-1 ATS mark at Oracle Arena in the playoffs, with the lone defeat coming to the Spurs in Game 3. San Antonio has put together a 3-8 SU and 4-7 ATS mark the previous 11 away contests, but the Spurs have limited the Lakers and Warriors to 92 points or less in regulation in four road playoff games.

Preview: Pacers (49-32) at Knicks (54-28)

Date: May 16, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - Pablo Prigioni could return to the starting lineup. Jason Kidd will remain in the rotation.

Whichever players are on the court for the New York Knicks when they try to save their season Thursday night, coach Mike Woodson just wants them to shoot with confidence.

``All you can do is continue to shoot and you shoot the next one, you've got to feel good about that it's going to go in,' Woodson said Wednesday at practice while players took some jumpers that, indeed, did go in. ``Right now we're kind of looking over our shoulders.'

And right at a daunting situation.

The Indiana Pacers can eliminate the Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday. Only eight NBA teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series, and it's doubtful any of them looked as hopeless offensively as these Knicks.

Averaging 88.3 points on 41.2 percent shooting in the series, the Knicks believe things can be different back on their home floor, though the Pacers looked perfectly comfortable at Madison Square Garden while winning Game 1.

``Every game is huge, it doesn't matter whether it's 0-0, 3-1. It doesn't matter,' Indiana coach Frank Vogel said following the Pacers' 93-82 victory in Game 4.

``Every game is huge and we had one closeout game at Atlanta earlier this season in the first round and we were able to come out and give a great effort and we've got to follow the blueprint we shared tonight: great defensive effort, great rebounding effort and selfless passing offensively.'

The Knicks managed only 76.5 points per game in two losses in Indianapolis and were outrebounded by huge margins in both games. A change to a bigger lineup was futile Tuesday, so Woodson said he might return to his normal first five Thursday.

New York went 16-2 after moving Prigioni into the starting lineup late in the regular season. Yet not only did he not start for the first time in the series Tuesday, but the Argentine point guard played only 3 1/2 minutes off the bench. Woodson said he is ``contemplating' another change.

``I don't know what I'm going to do yet. That lineup has been great for us for two, three months and I went away from it last night to go big and a lot of that was based on guys not being in practice and not too sure about Iman (Shumpert) in terms of his knee,' Woodson said.

``I mean there were a lot of things playing into why I did what I did but that lineup has been good and there's a strong chance we could go right back to that lineup.'

More Prigioni would likely mean less of Kidd or J.R. Smith, the two Knicks in the deepest slumps. Kidd is 0 for 7 and scoreless in the series, part of a 0-for-16 skid that began with Game 3 against Boston in the first round. The 40-year-old point guard, surely headed for the Hall of Fame, is 3 of 24 in the postseason and hasn't scored since hitting a 3-pointer against the Celtics in Game 2 on April 23. Yet he will get another chance Thursday.

``I'll never kick J-Kidd to the curb, man,' Woodson said. ``I mean, Kidd has been a positive for our club, our franchise, and these players that play around him. And we all still believe in Kidd. My thing is, I think he still does some of the intangibles - they might not show up in terms of scoring the ball - to help you win.'

Smith is 18 of 64 (28 percent) in the series and after Game 4 said he was to blame for the Knicks' problems. Woodson disagreed - ``I'm the head coach of the team, blame it on me,' he said - and Smith was alternately hard on himself and confident Wednesday.

``You're going to have those spurts during the regular season, but during the playoffs is when the good players become great,' Smith said. ``Right now, me myself, I'm playing just as average as can be, but my confidence is still up there and my teammates still have the confidence in me, and a lot of guys talked to me today and told me to keep my head up and keep playing. That not only goes for me, it goes for the whole team.'

Shumpert said his 0-for-6 performance in Game 4 wasn't caused by any problems with his left knee after he was forced to sit out practice between games because of soreness.

The problems are almost all caused by the Pacers, perhaps the NBA's best defensive team in the regular season and completely locked in again now. All-Star Paul George is containing Carmelo Anthony, Roy Hibbert is protecting the paint and the Knicks just don't know where else to look.

The Pacers haven't been to the conference finals since 2004. Game 6 would be Saturday in Indiana, where the Pacers are 4-0 against the Knicks this season, but say they want to wrap it up in New York.

``I feel like we have to go into New York like we're on our elimination game, like we're about to get eliminated, like we're down 1-3,' guard George Hill said after scoring 26 points Tuesday. ``So I think if we do that and play with the same type of energy and effort and passion that we played with tonight, we can come away with a win, but it's not going to be easy.'

The Knicks' first appearance in the second round since 2000 has been ugly, unable to make shots or grab nearly enough of the ones that miss. But Woodson believes the confident shot-making team that won 54 games can still show up in this series.

``If we can win tomorrow - and I think we'll put ourselves in position to win - then the series has got to go back and then we've got to see what they're made of back there in Game 6,' he said. ``But tomorrow's a must game.'

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pacers at Knicks
Sun, May 5 Final 102 to 95
Recaps

GAME 2
Pacers at Knicks
Tue, May 7 Final 79 to 105
Recaps

GAME 3
Knicks at Pacers
Sat, May 11 Final 71 to 82
Recaps

GAME 4
Knicks at Pacers
Tue, May 14 Final 82 to 93
Recaps

GAME 5
Pacers at Knicks
Thu, May 16 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Knicks at Pacers
Sat, May 18 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Pacers at Knicks
Mon, May 20 - 8:00PM EDT

Preview: Spurs (58-24) at Warriors (47-35)

Date: May 16, 2013 10:30 PM EDT


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Forgive the San Antonio Spurs if they aren't that excited about holding a 3-2 series lead over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.

After all, they've been ahead twice before.

If the Spurs want to close out the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night at rowdy Oracle Arena, they'll have to do what neither team has in this series: win consecutive games. Golden State also is 4-0 after a loss in the playoffs.

``Nobody talks about getting this over with like you've got a rash,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ``Like you can take a pill or put some cream on it, it's going to be gone. This is a war. They're a class team. They bust their (butts) at both ends of the floor. It's not about getting rid of anything. It's about going and playing and that's about it.'

San Antonio has increasingly shown its veteran savvy the last three games, and Golden State has looked like it's finally wearing down from all its injuries.

Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and the rest of the Spurs overwhelmed the Warriors in Tuesday night's 109-91 win in San Antonio. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson - described by Coach Mark Jackson as the ``greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history' - combined to score just 13 points on 6-of-22 shooting.

Curry has refused to use the left ankle he sprained late in Game 3 as an excuse, but anybody who has watched can clearly see he has been slowed by the injury. Thompson, who failed to even attempt a 3-pointer for the first time all season Tuesday, has been shut down by San Antonio since scoring 34 points in Game 2.

Neither Curry nor Thompson was made available to speak to reporters during the team's light shootaround Wednesday in Oakland. The rest of the Warriors insist they're not worried about the ``Splash Brothers' or the team's ability to respond.

``We're never going to quit. We're never going to die. We've got a lot of fight left. This isn't the end,' Warriors forward Carl Landry said. ``Actually, we're excited about having the opportunity to play in a Game 6. Everybody in that locker room is excited and ready.'

The odds are not in Golden State's favor.

Teams that have won Game 5 of a best-of-seven series that was tied have gone on to win the series 88 out of 99 times. However, those teams are 50-49 in Game 6.

The Spurs have won 11 of 12 best-of-seven series when leading 3-2. The last time the Warriors came back from a 3-2 deficit was against the Chicago Bulls in the 1975 Western Conference finals, when the franchise went on to win its only NBA title.

Despite all the doubt, Golden State has overcome every obstacle it has faced this season - from forward Brandon Rush's season-ending left knee injury in the home opener to center Andrew Bogut's sore left ankle throughout the year to All-Star forward David Lee's hip injury in the first round against Denver.

``We are our habits and we have a tight-knit group that is able to make adjustments, own it when they don't play well and bounce back,' Jackson said. ``I have no doubt that will take place again.'

The Spurs are getting production from others besides Parker and Duncan, and that might be the biggest turnaround in a series that has been full of them.

The length of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green has bothered Curry and Thompson. Duncan and Tiago Splitter have put Bogut in foul trouble in two straight games, and San Antonio's team defense has displayed the ``maniacal' effort that Popovich has preached in leading the franchise to four NBA titles.

``That's how it's supposed to be,' said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who is starting to find success as a facilitator with his shot not falling. ``We are not a team that's going to have somebody scoring 40 every game that we can rely on. We need everybody to contribute because we are not the most talented team in the league, so we need a contribution from everybody.'

Standing in the way of a second straight Western Conference finals appearance for San Antonio is a gritty Golden State team that has nothing to lose.

Jackson is relying on a phrase he has repeated since the playoffs started: few people expected the Warriors to be a serious contender in the preseason, so there's no pressure on his players, who echoed those sentiments.

For a franchise that has made the playoffs just twice since 1994, the Warriors are relishing the opportunity to push the conference semifinals to a decisive Game 7, which would be in San Antonio on Sunday.

``It's almost like an NCAA tournament game,' Landry said. ``We just have to go out there and never take any possessions off. After the game, we shouldn't have anything left. We shouldn't even be able to walk to our cars. Everything should be left out on the floor.'

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Warriors at Spurs
Mon, May 6 Final 127 to 129
Recaps

GAME 2
Warriors at Spurs
Wed, May 8 Final 100 to 91
Recaps

GAME 3
Spurs at Warriors
Fri, May 10 Final 102 to 92
Recaps

GAME 4
Spurs at Warriors
Sun, May 12 Final 87 to 97
Recaps

GAME 5
Warriors at Spurs
Tue, May 14 Final 91 to 109
Recaps

GAME 6
Spurs at Warriors
Thu, May 16 - 10:30PM EDT

GAME 7
Warriors at Spurs
Sun, May 19 - 3:30PM EDT

Playoff Results - 2nd Round

May 15, 2013


Series Results

Miami (-2500) over Chicago (4-1)

Memphis (-115) over Oklahoma City (4-1)

Overall Game Results:

-- Home teams are 11-7
-- Favorites are 11-7 straight up
-- Favorites are 9-9 against the spread
-- The Under is 9-8-1

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result


Sunday May 5, 2013

Memphis Oklahoma City (-3.5) 93-91 Underdog Under (186.5)

Indiana (+5, +200) New York 102-95 Underdog Over (182)


Monday May 6, 2013

Chicago (+13, +900) Miami 93-86 Underdog Under (188)

Golden State San Antonio (-9) 129-127 (2OT) Underdog Over (203)


Tuesday May 7, 2013

Memphis (+3, +125) Oklahoma City 99-93 Underdog Over (189)

Indiana New York (-6) 105-79 Favorite Push (184)


Wednesday May 8, 2013

Chicago Miami (-13) 115-78 Favorite Over (186)

Golden State (+7.5, +270) San Antonio 100-91 Underdog Under (205)


Friday May 10, 2013

Miami (-8.5) Chicago 104-94 Favorite Over (186)

San Antonio (+2.5, +125) Golden State 102-92 Underdog Under (203)


Saturday May 11, 2013

New York Indiana (-5) 82-71 Favorite Under (183)

Oklahoma City Memphis (-5) 87-81 Favorite Under (186.5)


Sunday May 12, 2013

San Antonio Golden State (+2, +110) 97-87 (OT) Underdog Under (198.5)


Monday May 13, 2013

Miami (-8) Chicago 88-65 Favorite Under (185)

Oklahoma City Memphis (-4.5) 103-97 (OT) Favorite Over (185)


Tuesday May 14, 2013

New York Indiana (-5) 93-82 Favorite Under (180)

Golden State San Antonio (-6.5) 109-91 Favorite Over (195)



Wednesday May 15, 2013

Chicago Miami (-14) 94-91 Underdog Over (181.5)

Memphis (+4.5, +175) Oklahoma City 88-84 Underdog Under (185.5)


Thursday May 16, 2013
San Antonio Golden State - - -
Indiana New York - - -

Saturday May 18, 2013
* New York Indiana - - -

Sunday May 19, 2013
* Golden State San Antonio - - -

Monday May 20, 2013
* Indiana New York - - -

*If Neccessary

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 16

Conference Semifinals, Game Five (Indiana Leads, 3-1)
Indiana at New York, 8:05 ET TNT
Indiana: 1-9 ATS away off BB Unders
New York: 10-1 ATS at home after playing as an underdog

Conference Semifinals, Game Six (San Antonio Leads, 3-2)
San Antonio at Golden State, 10:35 ET ESPN
San Antonio: 23-11 ATS after scoring 105+ points
Golden State: 17-8 Over off a road loss

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/15/13 1-_3-_0 25.00% -_1150 Detail
05/14/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/13/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/12/13 2-_0-_0 100.00% +_1000 Detail
05/11/13 0-_4-_0 0.00% -_2200 Detail
05/10/13 0-_4-_0 0.00% -_2200 Detail
05/08/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/07/13 1-_3-_0 25.00% -_1150 Detail
05/06/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/05/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/04/13 0-_2-_0 0.00% -_1100 Detail
05/03/13 5-_3-_0 62.50% +_850 Detail
05/02/13 2-_2-_0 50.00% -_100 Detail
05/01/13 4-_2-_0 66.67% +_900 Detail

Totals 25-_33-_0 43.10% -_5650


Thursday, May 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 8:00 PM ET New York -5 500 POD # 4


New York - Under 181 500 POD # 2




San Antonio - 10:30 PM ET Golden State +2 500 POD # 1


Golden State - Over 194.5 500 POD # 3

Knicks at Pacers, Game 6

May 18, 2013



With its back against the wall going back home to Madison Square Garden for Thursday’s Game 5, New York (60-33 straight up, 51-40-2 against the spread) caught a break a few hours before it took the court against Indiana.

George Hill, who had led the Pacers to a 3-1 series advantage by scoring a game-high 26 points in an 82-71 Game 4 win, was declared ‘out’ due to a concussion suffered on Tuesday.

Suddenly the storyline of J.R. Smith’s horrendous shooting slump and late-night partying with Rihanna was put on the backburner. With Hill out of the lineup, the Knicks had a much better chance at staving off elimination.

And that’s exactly what they did, capturing an 85-75 win as five-point home favorites. New York took the cash, while the 160 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 181.5-point total.

Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 28 points to force a Game 6 back in Indianapolis with his team trailing 3-2 in the series. Chris Copeland finally got some playing time and responded by draining 3-of-4 attempts from 3-point land en route to scoring 13 points in 19 minutes of action.

Smith didn’t exactly explode from out of his shooting woes, making only 4-of-11 from the field, but he played decent with 13 points, six rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists. Raymond Felton was also in double figures with 12 points and dished out four assists without committing a turnover.

In the losing effort, Paul George finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. David West scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and made three steals.

D.J. Augustine saw increased minutes (38) with Hill ‘out.’ The Texas product knocked down three treys but failed to record an assist. As a team, Indiana had an atrocious 12/19 assists-to-turnovers ratio.

For Game 6 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana (56-36 SU, 49-43 ATS) has been installed as a five-point home ‘chalk.’ As of early this morning, there were a few books at 4.5. The total was 178 and the Knicks were +175 on the money line (risk $100 to win $175).

The Pacers are a perfect 5-0 both SU and ATS in its five home playoff games, winning by at least 11 points in each contest. But Hill played in those five home wins and he remained ‘questionable’ as of early this morning.

Mike Woodson’s club is 2-3 both SU and ATS in five postseason road assignments.

The ‘under’ is 6-2-1 in nine head-to-head meetings between these squads this year, 3-0-1 in the last four encounters. The lowest previous total was 179.5 in Game 4 at Indiana.

The ‘under’ is 49-41-3 overall for the Knicks, 24-20-2 in their road games. The ‘under’ is 47-43-2 overall for the Pacers, 23-22-1 overall in their home outings.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--J.R. Smith hasn’t been the same player since his suspension during the Boston series. Since then, Smith has made only 27-of-102 shots for an abysmal 26.5 percent in the last

--Amar’e Stoudemire hasn’t been much of a factor in his three games since returning from injury. He logged just 6:34 of playing time in Game 5, finishing with two points and two rebounds. In nearly 27 minutes of PT in three games, Stoudemire has 13 points and nine boards.

--The updated series price is Pacers -330, Knicks +270.

--San Antonio has been installed as a four-point home favorite for Sunday’s Game 1 vs. Memphis. The total is 183.5 and the Grizzlies are +160 on the money line.

--The series price at most spots is San Antonio -140, Memphis +110.

--Sportsbook.ag’s updated futures: Heat -350, Grizzlies 7/1, Spurs 7/1, Pacers 15/1 and Knicks 50/1.

NBA
Dunkel

New York at Indiana
The Pacers look to close out the series and build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 home games. Indiana is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Pacers favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-5). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

Game 747-748: New York at Indiana (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 117.683; Indiana 124.731
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 7; 174
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 5; 179 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-5); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 18

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NEW YORK (60 - 33) at INDIANA (56 - 36) - 5/18/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW YORK is 52-40 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 8-8 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-8 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, May 18

Conference Semifinals, Game Six (Indiana Leads, 3-2)
New York at Indiana, 8:05 ET ESPN
New York: 22-12 ATS off a win by 10+ points
Indiana: 1-9 ATS off 3+ games allowing 90 points or less




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 18

Knicks beat Boston in 1st round, which was playing without PG Rondo, now Indiana PG Hill has concussion, may not play here. Pacers' starting guards hit dismal 4-16 in Game 5 loss without Hill. Anthony is 25-67 (37.3%) in three Indy win in series, 25-54 in two Knick wins. JR Smith is 26-85 in five losses vs Pacers, 19-47 in four New York Ws- in seven games since a suspension in Boston series, Smith is shooting 28.2% from floor. 11 of last 15 Knick games stayed under the total; 12 of last 19 Indy games went over (0 of last 3). Immense pressure on Indiana to end series on home court and avoid going back to Manhattan for a decisive Game 7.




NBA

Saturday, May 18

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing at home against New York


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NBA

Saturday, May 18

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NBA Western Conference finals preview: Spurs vs. Grizzlies
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The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies duke it out in the Western Conference championship with a ticket to the NBA Finals on the line.

Here’s a look at how these teams stack up and their odds to win the series heading into Game 1 this Sunday.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies

Season series: Tied 2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS, 1-3 O/U
Series prices: San Antonio -120, Memphis +100

Why bet the Spurs: San Antonio has the ability and experience to switch gears, going from an up-tempo style versus the Warriors to a slowed-down grinder with the Grizzlies. The Spurs aren’t intimidated on the road, with their only loss away from the Alamo coming in OT.

Tim Duncan is the most skilled big man Memphis has met this postseason and he stepped up versus the Grizzlies this season, averaging 19.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and three blocks in three games. San Antonio has better shooters and more depth – ranked No. 5 in bench production to Memphis’ No. 27-ranked reserves.

The Grizzlies have caught some lucky breaks this postseason. The Clippers’ stars were falling apart in the first round and they took advantage of a Thunder squad missing its All-Star point guard. San Antonio is relatively healthy despite the age of its superstars.

Why bet the Grizzlies: Memphis is on pace to become one of the best bets in recent NBA playoff history. Since dropping Game 1 against the Clippers, the Grizzlies have covered in 10 straight games. Memphis holds the mental edge over the Spurs, having eliminated them from the first round of the 2011 playoffs in six games, going 5-0-1 ATS in that series.

Memphis is a tough team to slow offensively, with a different scorer stepping up each night. Four players are averaging double figures in the playoffs, including PG Mike Conley Jr. who is averaging 17.6 points per game. The Grizzlies average the fewest amount of turnovers this postseason.

Defensively, the Grizzlies are a physical squad that wears down opponents over the course of a series. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph plug up the middle and won’t give Tony Parker free range in the paint while Tayshaun Prince and Tony Allen get a hand up on the Spurs’ shooters.


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NBA

Saturday, May 18

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Knicks at Pacers: What bettors need to know
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New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers (-5, 177.5)

Pacers lead best-of-seven series 3-2.

For all the love that Paul George has gotten during the postseason, it is becoming apparent that George Hill might actually be the most important player for the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers hope to have their point guard back when they host the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday. Hill sat out Game 5 with a concussion and the Indiana offense noticeably suffered without its director.

Hill spent Game 5 in a darkened training room after taking an elbow from Knicks center Tyson Chandler in the previous game. He will need to pass the NBA’s concussion protocol in order to return to the lineup, and that could take some time. Meanwhile New York will try to keep the magic it found at home going in Indiana, where the Pacers have yet to lose in the postseason. The Knicks have been in a shooting slump during the entire series but came through on the defensive end by limiting Indiana to 36.2 percent shooting and holding their own on the boards.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Carmelo Anthony failed to record a field goal in the fourth quarter during Game 3 or 4 at Indiana but came through late in Game 5 with four straight points that helped put the game away. The star forward went 10-for-28 from the field in Game 5 and is shooting 41.3 percent in the series. “We wasn’t ready to go home yet,” Anthony said. “We wanted to protect our homecourt. We let one slip away here on our homecourt (in Game 1) that put us in the position we’re in right now. But we’re just taking it one day at a time. We have faith, we believe, and we feel confident about this one.” Anthony got some much-needed scoring help from the bench, where both Chris Copeland and J.R. Smith scored 13 points. Smith struggled again to 4-for-11 from the field but Copeland hit a trio of 3-pointers in 19 minutes - his most playing time of the series.

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana is 7-0 in the postseason when Hill scores 14 or more points and 0-4 when he scores fewer. The 27-year-old guard reportedly suffered the concussion in the first half of Game 4 but still went on to score 14 points in the third quarter of that game en route to a game-high 26. But symptoms began to crop up the next day, and the Pacers and the NBA won’t take any chances. “He’s gotta pass the NBA protocol concussion test,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. D.J. Augustin started in Hill’s place in Game 5 and scored 12 points but did not have an assist in 39 minutes. George absorbed more of the ball handling responsibilities, in addition to being counted on for scoring production and taking the main defensive assignment on Anthony. “We gotta approach Game 6 as a desperation game,” George said. The All-Star forward scored a team-high 23 points in Game 5 but went 10-for-36 in Games 3 and 4 in Indiana.

TRENDS:

* Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win.
* Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Over is 11-2 in Pacers’ last 13 games following a loss.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pop star Rihanna suggested on Instagram that Smith has struggled because he’s hung over from partying. “I don’t follow that,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson told reporters. “It has no bearing on this game tonight.”

2. Indiana went 19-for-33 from the free throw line in Game 5.

3. New York G Jason Kidd was limited to five minutes in Game 5 and went 0-for-1 from the field. He is 0-for-17 in the last nine games.

Saturday, May 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New York - 8:00 PM ET Indiana -5 500 POD # 1

Indiana - Under 179.5 500 POD # 2

Game 1 - Grizzlies at Spurs

May 17, 2013


MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES at SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Game 1 Line & Total: San Antonio -4.5 & 183.5

Series Price: San Antonio -140, Memphis +120

Series Format: San Antonio, 2-2-1-1-1

Game 1 - Sunday, May 19
Game 2 - Tuesday, May 21
Game 3 - Saturday, May 25
Game 4 - Monday, May 27
Game 5* - Wednesday, May 29
Game 6* - Friday, May 31
Game 7* - Sunday, June 2

The Western Conference Finals tip off Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET when the red-hot Grizzlies face the favored Spurs from the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Current Form

Memphis carries a four-game SU win streak with 10 straight ATS victories when it heads to AT&T Center for Game 1. Since losing the first two games of the postseason to the Clippers, the Grizzlies are 8-1 SU with the lone loss coming by two points in Game 1 at Oklahoma City.

San Antonio's offense was wildly inconsistent in the six-game series win over Golden State, but after collapsing in a Game 4 loss, the club finished the series with two straight double-digit victories over the Warriors.

Head-to-Head Betting Notes

2012-13 Head to Head Meetings

Date Results Total

4/11/13 Memphis (-6.5) 92 vs. San Antonio 90 UNDER 189.5

1/16/13 San Antonio (-5.5) 103 vs. Memphis 82 UNDER 187

1/11/13 Memphis (-2) 101 vs. San Antonio 98 (OT) OVER 188

12/1/12 San Antonio (-6) 99 vs. Memphis 95 (OT) UNDER 196.5

These teams split the four games they played in the regular season, with each winning twice at home and each going 1-1 ATS in both venues. Three of the four games were decided by four points or less and two of the contests went to overtime as well. Although the Spurs have beaten the Grizzlies six straight times at home as part of a 17-2 SU home record in this series since 2006, Memphis is actually 10-8-1 ATS during this period at AT&T Center, including 6-3-1 ATS in the past 10 trips to San Antonio. The UNDER went 3-1 in the regular season and has gone 6-2 in the previous eight encounters.

Home & Away

The Grizzlies have been a great road team all season at 27-20 SU and 29-17-1 ATS (63%), while the Spurs are an excellent 39-7 SU (85%) at home, but a mediocre 22-22-2 ATS in front of their passionate fans.

Inside the Numbers - Memphis

The Grizzlies' four-game win streak has occurred despite a subpar offense scoring just 94.3 PPG on 40% FG and 28% threes during this surge. However, they have done an excellent job handling the basketball with 18.5 APG and only 10.0 TOPG during this stretch. For the entire postseason, Memphis has 19.5 APG and 10.4 TOPG. Defensively this team has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, allowing just 92.4 PPG on 43.5% FG and 31.8% threes, while producing 7.2 SPG and 4.1 BPG. The Grizzlies held Oklahoma City's potent offense to mere 89.6 PPG on 39.9% FG in the five-game series win.

Center Marc Gasol (18.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG in playoffs) has been the team's most consistent performer in the postseason, but his numbers against the Spurs this season weren’t that special with 14.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG.

Point guard Mike Conley (17.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.8 RPG in playoffs) has shot horribly this postseason (38.5% FG, 28.6% threes), including 31% FG in the past three contests. But he's done a great job running the offense with 84 assists and just 21 turnovers (4.0 Ast/TO ratio), and had an outstanding regular-season performance against San Antonio with 18.0 PPG (46% FG), 5.5 APG and 2.0 SPG in the four meetings.

But the key to this Grizzlies team will be which power forawrd Zach Randolph (18.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG in playoffs) will show up. After scoring just 13.7 PPG in the first three games of the West semifinals, he helped finished off the Thunder with 25.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG in the final two games. Although he averaged a double-double of 14.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG against the Spurs in the regular season, Randolph shot an anemic 36% from the floor.

Shooting guard SG Tony Allen (11.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG in playoffs) has ripped off four straight double-figure scoring games, averaging 11.8 PPG on 45% FG, while racking up 3.0 SPG on the defensive end. He scored 9.0 PPG (53% FG) with 5.3 RPG in three games versus San Antonio this season.

Small forward Tayshaun Prince (7.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG in playoffs) has been in a shooting funk in his past four games, making just 9-of-34 shots (26.5%) during this slump. But in his lone meeting with San Antonio this season, Prince had a solid stat line of 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Inside the Numbers - San Antonio

The Spurs offense was extremely erratic in the past five games versus Golden State, shooting 39% FG in Game 2, 51% FG in Game 3, 36% FG in Game 4, 52% FG in Game 5, and 45% in Thursday's clincher. However, the defense has really stepped up in the past four games, holding a potent Warriors offense to 90.5 PPG on 40.5% FG and 33.3% threes.

PG Tony Parker (22.4 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.1 RPG in series) has had a great postseason, but is coming off a dreadful shooting night on Thursday, making just 3-of-16 shots. But in his past four home games, Parker has 25.3 PPG on 46% FG with 7.0 APG, and he completely dominated the Grizzlies in the regular season with 25.5 PPG (51% FG) and 6.5 APG.

PF Tim Duncan (18.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG in series) also played extremely well versus Memphis with 19.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG and 4.0 APG in three games against them. He scored a team-high 19 points in Thursday's series clincher.

SF Kawhi Leonard (13.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG in playoffs) was the team's best player in that Game 6 win though, pumping in 16 points (6-of-13 FG), 10 rebounds (4 offensive) and two steals. Leonard tallied a pedestrian 9.5 PPG (58% FG) and 3.0 RPG in two games facing the Grizzlies this season.

SG Manu Ginobili (12.1 PPG, 5.7 APG, 4.2 RPG in playoffs) is a 45% career shooter, but he has made just 37.7% of his shots in the postseason. He was also off the mark versus Memphis this season with 12.0 PPG on 34.6% FG, but did contribute 5.5 APG and 5.5 RPG in those two meetings. In similar fashion, Ginobili has 8.0 APG and 5.5 RPG during his team's current two-game win streak, but has made just 26.7% of his shots (4-of-15).

SG Danny Green (10.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG in playoffs) was even colder facing the Grizzlies this season with a paltry 5.0 PPG on 28% FG, but he does have 13.5 PPG on 9-of-15 shooting (5-of-9 threes) in his past two contests.

NBA
Dunkel

Memphis at San Antonio
The Spurs look to open the series and build on their 6-2 ATS record in their last 8 games against Memphis. San Antonio is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, MAY 19

Game 501-502: Memphis at San Antonio (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 125.643; San Antonio 132.057
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 6 1/2; 180
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 4 1/2; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-4 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 19

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MEMPHIS (64 - 29) at SAN ANTONIO (66 - 26) - 5/19/2013, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 96-71 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 79-57 ATS (+16.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 50-32 ATS (+14.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 63-41 ATS (+17.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 54-40 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 139-105 ATS (+23.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 57-33 ATS (+20.7 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 57-36 ATS (+17.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games this season.
MEMPHIS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all playoff games this season.
MEMPHIS is 28-10 ATS (+17.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
MEMPHIS is 33-16 ATS (+15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEMPHIS is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
MEMPHIS is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MEMPHIS is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 11-7 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-8 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 19

Conference Finals, Game One (Series Tied, 0-0)
Memphis at San Antonio, 3:35 ET ABC
Memphis: 16-5 ATS after playing as an underdog
San Antonio: 26-12 Under after winning 2 of their last 3 games




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, May 19

Memphis was underdog in first two series, but beat Oklahoma City and Clippers, with Thunder not having Westbrook, then LA getting banged up in that series- Grizzlies won eight of their last nine games since being down 2-0 in Clipper series. Home side won all four series meetings in regular season, but intensity level is way higher here-- first two meetings this year did go OT- three of four meetings stayed under the total. Over is 7-4 in Memphis playoff games, 4-2 on road; four of Spurs' last five games stayed under. Spurs are 3-2 vs spread as playoff home favorite; Memphis covered its last ten games, half of which were on road.




NBA

Sunday, May 19

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Memphis is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games when playing Memphis
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis


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NBA

Sunday, May 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grizzlies at Spurs: What bettors need to know
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Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-4.5, 182.5)

The San Antonio Spurs haven’t been part of the NBA Finals since 2007 when they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Memphis Grizzlies have never played for the title and are in the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history. The two squads begin their quest for a spot in the finals in Sunday’s opening contest in San Antonio. Memphis posted a memorable 4-2 first-round series win over the Spurs in the 2011 postseason.

The fifth-seeded Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers in six games and the Oklahoma City Thunder in five to reach the conference finals. Memphis let a lead get away to fall to Oklahoma City in the opener before rolling off four straight wins. Second-seeded San Antonio swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games in the conference semifinals. The Spurs lost to the Thunder in last season’s Western Conference finals. San Antonio and Memphis split four regular-season meetings this season with the home team winning each time.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Power forward Zach Randolph had four double-doubles in the five-game series with the Thunder and is averaging 19.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in the postseason. Randolph played especially well over the final two games with Oklahoma City, averaging 25.5 points and 13 rebounds. Center Marc Gasol is averaging 18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the postseason and had four 20-point outings against the Thunder. Point guard Mike Conley rounds out a solid trio with playoff averages of 17.6 points and 7.6 assists. Conley has stepped up as an end-of-game shot-taker since Memphis dealt Rudy Gay to Toronto. “It has helped me out a lot, just the responsibility in itself has been big for me,” Conley said. “I’ve just tried to use this opportunity to get better and make my teammates better.”

ABOUT THE SPURS: Point guard Tony Parker still hasn’t forgotten last season’s disappointing appearance in the Western Conference finals and claims to be drawing motivation from it. “We were disappointed last year being up 2-0, having home court and not being able to go to the finals,” Parker said. “It gives us a lot of fuel for this year.” Parker has scored 20 or more points in seven of 10 postseason games this season and is averaging 22.4 points. He was a woeful 3-for-16 in the finale against Golden State but scored 10 of his 13 points over the final 3:35. Parker averaged 25.5 points against the Grizzlies in the regular season. Power forward Tim Duncan is averaging 18.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in the postseason with five double-doubles.

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.
* Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last four Conference Finals games.
* Under is 4-1 in Spurs’ last five overall.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Spurs are 33-7 – including 4-1 in the postseason – when hosting the Grizzlies.

2. Duncan’s 143 postseason double-doubles ties with Wilt Chamberlain for second all-time and he has scored in double digits in 194 of his 200 playoff contests.

3. Grizzlies G Tony Allen has 25 steals in the postseason, including 12 over the last four games.

Sunday, May 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Memphis - 3:30 PM ET Memphis +5 500 POD # 1


San Antonio - Under 182.5 500 POD # 2

Heat-Pacers Series Preview: Who are the beasts of the East?

May 20, 2013 5:48 pm ET


Much like with the Western Conference Finals, we've seen this series before and it happened recently. During last year's playoffs, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat met in the second round. It was an incredibly competitive series that the Heat ended up winning in six games. We found out a couple of things about each team in that series that have ended up carrying them on to greater success.

With the Pacers, we found out this team is legitimately good and possibly a great team. The attack they throw at opponents with George Hill running the point and the combination of Roy Hibbert and David West controlling the paint is pretty incredible. When they can get 3-point shooting to complement that offensive identity, their defense is often too overwhelming for their opponents. However, the offensive inconsistency is something they still struggle with, especially on the road.

Last year, they had Danny Granger as their main wing scorer, but with his injuries that have kept him out the majority of this season, the Pacers turned to Paul George to be their consistent wing scorer. All he managed to do was put in an All-Star season and be named the league's Most Improved Player. The fact that the Pacers made it through the first two rounds of the current playoffs without him shooting the ball all that well is an encouraging sign for the team in this series.

With the Heat, we solidified that not only is Chris Bosh an integral part of this attack on offense, he's also one of their better team defenders and can come up big for them against great interior size. The absence of Bosh throughout most of that series caused LeBron James to consistently play a bigger position and it made the role players step up to be more involved. There was no more waiting to see if James or Dwyane Wade would create something. Erik Spoelstra got the team to play as a unit and really showed his coaching chops when going up against a much bigger team.

Once Bosh returned to the lineup, the Heat had an incredible chemistry working between all five players on the court at all times. They outlasted the Boston Celtics' one final push with their core and then took out the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to win the 2012 title. They've used that confidence to catapult themselves this season to 66 wins and an 8-1 record through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

During this year's Eastern Conference Finals, both teams will be trying to prove very different things. The Heat will try to prove a condensed season wasn't the only reason they won the championship, while the Pacers will try to establish themselves as legitimate title contenders.

1. What happened: The Pacers won the season series 2-1 in a very interesting manner. The Heat shot the ball really well and got to the free throw line quite a bit in the three games. They made 48.1 percent of their field goals and 42.6 percent of their 3-pointers against the best defense in the NBA. The Pacers gave up the fewest points per 100 possessions, the lowest field goal percentage by an opponent, and the lowest 3-point percentage by an opponent. And yet the Heat managed to do those things really well against Indiana. They even averaged 24.3 free throw attempts against the Pacers. They attacked really well.

What they didn't do well, and the reason they ended up losing the season series, is they got destroyed on the boards and got sucked into playing a very slow brand of basketball. The three games averaged roughly 87 possessions per game. The Heat don't typically play fast basketball (averaged just under 93 possessions), but a slower, grind-it-out tempo favors the Pacers in a matchup like this. The Heat have more top talent than the Pacers, and when you have more talent, you want to maximize that talent advantage by increasing possessions. They didn't do that against the Pacers. Instead, they got killed on the boards by giving up a 33.3 percent offensive rebounding rate. With the Pacers controlling the boards and grabbing 57.8 percent of available rebounds, the Heat never got to get out in transition and only averaged 4.3 fast break points against Indiana.

The Heat don't like to play a fast game but they do like to get out and be opportunistic in transition to get quick, easy points. The Pacers didn't allow that and controlled the season series.

2. X-factor: Controlling the boards. So how do the Heat avoid getting stomped on the boards again? We know they're typically going to have a smaller lineup on the floor against the Pacers, so rebounding could be difficult for them. If they're running a lineup of James, Wade, Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Bosh (Tom Haberstroh's ideal lineup for the Heat against the Pacers) then it would seem like they'd be at a great disadvantage inside. The key could be how the Heat's defensive rotations and perimeter pressure tackle the task of keeping the Pacers away from the rim.

We've seen the Heat go smaller than their opponents in the 2011 and 2012 playoffs and survive. Against the Chicago Bulls in 2011, they were dominated on the offensive boards in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, only to adjust the rest of the series and end it in five games. Against the Pacers in 2012, they grabbed nearly an equal percentage of rebounds (49.3 percent to 50.7 percent), even though they went small. They are able to accomplish this by hounding the perimeter on defense, slowing dribble penetration against them, fronting the post with proper help to deter passing, and using a team effort to grab the boards. Having Chris Andersen as a big part of their playoff rotation gives them another energetic big man to throw into the mix against Hibbert, just to be an annoyance. We know the Pacers are bigger and stronger than the Heat and they play a more physical brand of basketball. But that was true a year ago, too, and the result was still Heat in six.

3. The Big narrative: Do the Heat actually have threats in the East? It's easy to want to overlook the Pacers and say they aren't stylish or fun enough on the court to truly knock off the Heat. They have a couple of high-flying wing players, but they don't really do a ton of Lob City-esque play in the halfcourt or in transition. But their ability to stop 3-point shooting and control the boards give them a lot of ingredients for being legitimate threats to the Heat in this series. The Heat can draw a lot of free throw attempts, but we've seen Indiana post the second-highest free throw rate in the playoffs. Miami can shoot the ball from downtown but ask the Knicks how easy it was to even come up with the 35.3 percent they shot in the second round.

The Pacers made it to the Conference Finals for a reason: They're really good. Hibbert has become the leader this team needs. West's brute strength and deft touch on offense have allowed him to be a great go-to option down the stretch. George is one of the top wing defenders in the NBA and should at least be able to funnel James into help. From there, Indiana needs to trust its defensive rotations and run the Heat off the 3-point line. If Hill can threaten to match what Wade is able to do on offense, the Pacers need to just worry about stealing a game in Miami to turn it over to their great homecourt advantage, where their offense rarely sputters.

4. Prediction: All signs point to the Heat winning the Eastern Conference and heading to the Finals to defend their title. Even with all of that talk about why the Pacers should be considered real threats to the Heat in the Finals, we still have the best player in the world with one of the most underrated coaches, one of the top players in the league (Wade is still really great when healthy), the best safety valve on offense in the league (Bosh), and a plethora of shooters to spread the floor and give Miami room to attack. If Andersen and Norris Cole can have a similar impact off the bench like they did against the Bulls' defense, there isn't a ton of reason to think the Heat won't be defending their title in the next round.

The Pacers are really good and have shown a ton of growth over the past year. They're headed in the right direction and as Hibbert continues to establish himself down low, George establishes himself on the perimeter, and if Granger can come back and be a good threat as a scorer, maybe next year the Pacers will have enough firepower to give them the edge in this series. But the Heat have homecourt advantage and the best player in the world. It's hard to go against that.

The pick: Heat in six.

NBA
Dunkel

Memphis at San Antonio
The Spurs look to follow up their 105-83 win in Game 1 and build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. San Antonio is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-5). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Game 505-506: Memphis at San Antonio (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 124.400; San Antonio 133.525
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 9; 178
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 5; 182 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-5); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 21

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MEMPHIS (64 - 30) at SAN ANTONIO (67 - 26) - 5/21/2013, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 97-71 ATS (+18.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 80-57 ATS (+17.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 123-85 ATS (+29.5 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 43-30 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 140-105 ATS (+24.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 57-34 ATS (+19.6 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games this season.
MEMPHIS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all playoff games this season.
MEMPHIS is 64-41 ATS (+18.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 33-17 ATS (+14.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEMPHIS is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MEMPHIS is 44-22 ATS (+19.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 11-8 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 11-8 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 21

Zach Randolph averages over 17 ppg in his 12-year career, but Game 1, Spurs held him to two points (1-8 FG) in 28 minutes (-28), so Grizzlies have lot of room to improve there. Memphis covered ten of their last 11 games, winning eight of last ten; they're 5-1 vs spread in last six games on road. Home team won last five series games, with Grizzlies losing last three here by 4-21-22 points. Over is 8-4 in Grizzlies' playoff games, 5-2 on road. Spurs are 4-2 vs spread as playoff home favorite. No Grizzly starter took a 3-pointer in Game 1 (Pondexter 5-9, others 0-3).




NBA

Tuesday, May 21

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Memphis is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing San Antonio
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


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NBA

Tuesday, May 21

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Grizzlies at Spurs: What bettors need to know
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Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-5, 181.5)

Spurs lead best-of-seven series 1-0.

The Memphis Grizzlies dug themselves a hole in each of their first two playoff series. And the San Antonio Spurs haven’t forgotten what happened in last season’s Western Conference finals. Memphis attempts to even the series in Tuesday’s Game 2 against the host Spurs after being blown out 105-83 in the opener. San Antonio set a franchise postseason record with 14 3-pointers and Grizzlies star Zach Randolph was a nonfactor with two points.

The Spurs had a 2-0 lead in the West finals a year ago before Oklahoma City won the next four games. That bad taste still resonates with the San Antonio veterans. “I can promise you this: Nobody’s happy in our locker room because we were up 2-0 last year and we lost,” Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. “It’s just one game. It means nothing. We still have a long way to go.” Memphis was down 0-2 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and lost the opener against the Thunder so this isn’t new territory for the franchise. “We were soft,” Randolph said of the Game 1 showing. “We didn’t play our game. We didn’t play grit and grind basketball.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Randolph played so poorly that he apologized to his teammates. He was 1-of-8 shooting with his lone basket coming on a putback with 9:26 left in the game. “I have to come out and give them something,” Randolph told reporters on Monday. “I’ve been hard on myself. I couldn’t sleep (Sunday) night.” San Antonio placed a heavy emphasis on stopping Randolph and routinely collapsed multiple defenders on him and also fronted him so he couldn’t receive the ball in areas in which he could operate. Randolph had four double-doubles in the five games against Oklahoma City and Memphis has no shot at beating the Spurs if the two-time All-Star can’t get his game going.

ABOUT THE SPURS: A huge factor in the Game 1 win was the outstanding long-range shooting. The Spurs were 14-for-29 from 3-point range with forwards Matt Bonner and Kawhi Leonard making four apiece and Danny Green hitting three. “It’s highly improbable we’re going to shoot at the clip we did last game,” Bonner told reporters on Monday. “They’ve got the best defense in the league. They’re going to come out and make adjustments and play better on defense for sure.” Point guard Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists in the opener and has eight 20-point outings this postseason.

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.
* Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Over is 7-1 in Grizzlies’ last eight Tuesday games.
* Over is 4-0 in Spurs’ last four Conference Finals games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. San Antonio has held opponents under 90 points in five of its 11 postseason games.

2. Grizzlies reserve Quincy Pondexter scored 17 points in Game 1 and made all five of Memphis’ 3-pointers.

3. Spurs PF Tim Duncan had just six points in Game 1, marking the seventh time in 201 career postseason games that he failed to score in double digits.

Tuesday, May 21

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Memphis - 9:00 PM ET San Antonio -5 500 POD # 1


San Antonio - Over 181.5 500 POD # 2

Heat-Pacers Outlook

May 21, 2013


No. 1 Miami Heat vs. No. 3 Indiana Pacers

Series Price: Miami -700, Indiana +500

Series Format: Miami, 2-2-1-1-1

Game 1 - Wednesday, May 22 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 2 - Friday, May 24 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 3 - Sunday, May 26 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 4 - Tuesday, May 28 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 5* - Thursday, May 30 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 6* - Saturday, June 1 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)

Game 7* - Monday, June 3 (8:30 PM EST, TNT)


HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISONS

TEAM SU ATS HOME AWAY

OVER/UNDER PPG DPPG

Miami Heat 74-17 52-39 41-5 33-12 45-43-3 102.5 94.0

Indiana Pacers 57-36 50-43 36-11 21-25 44-47-2 94.4 90.5

2012-13 Head to Head Meetings

Date Results Total

03/10/13 Indiana 91 @ Miami 105 (-6.5) OVER 188

02/01/13 Miami 89 @ Indiana 102 (+2) OVER 184.5

01/18/13 Miami 77 @ Indiana 87 (+2) UNDER 187

Skinny: The Heat cruised through the first two series against an underachieving Bucks' squad and undermanned Bulls' roster to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight season. Miami beat Milwaukee by double-digits in each of the four games of a first round sweep, while posting a 3-1 ATS record. Following an opening game upset by Chicago in the conference semifinals, the Heat rebounded with four straight victories.

The Pacers went back and forth in the opening round against the Hawks, splitting the first four contests with the home team winning each time. Indiana routed Atlanta in both Games 5 and 6 to return to the second round for the second consecutive postseason, but this time the Pacers took care of business. Frank Vogel's club knocked out the Knicks in six games, including three home triumphs by an average of 9.6 points per game.

Four members of the Heat averaged double-digits through the first two rounds, led by LeBron James with 24 ppg. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen are averaging between 12 and 13 ppg, while Norris Cole has impressed off the bench by knocking down 68% of his three-point attempts. In last season's second round meeting, the Heat won the final three contests against Indiana after falling behind, 2-1. Bosh missed the last five games with an abdominal injury, while Wade put up one of his best performances in the series clincher by scoring 41 points.

Indiana has played a majority of this season without last year's leading scorer Danny Granger, as Paul George stepped into the star role. George is averaging 19 ppg and eight rebounds a game in the postseason, while George Hill, David West, and Roy Hibbert are each putting up double-figures on the scoring sheet. The Pacers and the Grizzlies are the two teams left that haven't lost at home in the postseason, as Indiana has won all six contests at Bankers Life Fieldhouse by at least nine points.

Head-to-Head Matchups: The home club captured all three meetings this season, including two victories by the Pacers in Indianapolis. The two teams didn't hook up until early January when the Pacers cruised past the Heat as two-point underdogs, 87-77. The game was tied at halftime, but Indiana used a 25-15 third quarter spurt, while opening up a lead as high as 17 points in the second half. Past 66 points combined from James, Wade, and Bosh, the rest of the Heat squad put up just 11 points.

The Heat's final loss prior to their 27-game winning streak came at Indiana on February 1, a 102-89 defeat as two-point road favorites. The Pacers shot a blistering 55% from the field, led by West's 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting. Lance Stephenson scored 15 points against the Heat, nine months after making zero impact in the playoff defeat to Miami, which included a choking gesture towards James in a Game 3 blowout of the Heat last May.

Miami picked up a modicum of revenge in the midst of its long hot streak by blowing out Indiana in South Florida, 105-91 on March 10 as 6 ½-point favorites. Mario Chalmers paced the Heat with a terrific showing from downtown, hitting 5-of-6 attempts from three-point range, while scoring a game-high 26 points. Miami's offense finally figured out Indiana's stingy defense by hitting 55% of its shots, while Bosh missed just four of 15 field goal attempts en route to a 24-point effort.

Betting Notes: VegasInsider.com's Chris David breaks down the key numbers in this series, "When Indiana wins, its covers. The Pacers have gone 8-4 both straight up and against the spread in the playoffs and that includes a perfect 6-0 mark at home. Plus five of those six wins came by double digits. Meanwhile, the Heat has covered seven of their eight victories and they won all seven of those games by double digits. Miami has been favored in all nine of its playoffs games and the team should be giving up points in every battle during this series and most likely the NBA Finals as well."

David believes the best look in the series is when the Pacers play at the friendly confines, "You have to look at Indiana as underdogs, in particular as a home 'dog. That situation happened four times this season, twice against Miami and ironically the other two instances came against the two other teams still fighting, Memphis and San Antonio. The Pacers went 3-1 in those games, the lone loss to the Spurs."

From the totals perspective, David analyzes the fluctuation of the numbers between these teams, "Game 1's 'over/under' is hovering between 182 and 183 points. In last year's postseason, the number was as low as 179 and as high 186. The 'under' cashed in the first three games before the 'over' closed out the series on a 3-0 run. During this year's regular season meetings, the numbers were between 184 ½ and 188 points. The 'over' went 2-1 in those affairs and the lone 'under' occurred when Miami scored 77 points."

Series Outlook: The Pacers have won three series the last postseasons, which included two overwhelming victories over the Magic and Hawks. Indiana pulled the slight upset over New York, but won just once on the road in the last series. The Heat owns an impressive 9-1 series record since James, Wade, and Bosh have played together, while knocking out this Pacers' squad last season. Miami will advance to the NBA Finals in five games.

Preview: Pacers (49-32) at Heat (66-16)

Date: May 22, 2013 8:30 PM EDT


MIAMI (AP) - Dwyane Wade's rookie season ended with a playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The next year, the Miami Heat were headed to the Eastern Conference finals and certain that an NBA championship was in their sights.

That's when Wade learned a valuable lesson: Never take playoff chances for granted.

Wade hurt his rib cage on a simple crossover dribble during that 2005 East title series, and the Heat season ended with a Game 7 home loss to Detroit. He's been to the East finals three times since, prevailing in them all, and on Wednesday will look to take a first step toward a fourth conference championship when the Heat play host to the Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff rematch from a year ago.

``I know I'm blessed to be going to the Eastern Conference finals for my fifth time,' Wade said. ``But I would like a lot more in my career. It's a good thing. We've been very successful in my tenure here. But I want more.'

For Wade and Udonis Haslem, this marks five East finals appearances in nine years. For LeBron James, it's a fifth trip to this round in the past seven years, now three straight with Miami after a pair of trips to the East finals with Cleveland. For Ray Allen, it's a fourth East title-round trip in six years, the first three of those coming with Boston.

Experience, it all favors Miami.

For the Pacers, this is pretty much uncharted waters. Only one current Pacers player has ever appeared in a conference-final game, and that was backup big man Ian Mahinmi, who played exactly 71 seconds in one game of the 2011 West title series without so much as taking a shot. Nonetheless, the Pacers seem far from bothered by the fact that this stage is a new place for them.

``There's four teams left playing basketball in the NBA and this is something we've been looking forward to all year,' Pacers forward David West said. ``We lost to this team in the second round last year, so we've already gotten a step farther this season.'

Indiana took Miami to six games last season, leading the series 2-1 at one point, and left an impact on the Heat with words, actions and play. The series was always physical, at times bloody, and it took some superb efforts by Wade and James for Miami - which was without Chris Bosh for 5 1/2 of those six games - to put the Pacers away.

It's not in the nature of either of these teams to back down from physicality, and tough play will almost certainly be a theme in this series. But if there's one thing the Pacers and Heat agree upon, it's that this series will be decided by execution, not intimidation.

``I think this will be about substance,' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. ``This series has plenty to offer without hard fouls and trash-talking. It's going to be about basketball.'

The Heat are overwhelming favorites, at least according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers, who apparently aren't putting much stock in that it was the Pacers who prevailed in two of the three meetings between the teams this season.

In turn, the Heat aren't putting much stock in expectations. Even though it's starting to seem like an annual event, getting to the conference final round, Heat players insist that it's still as big a deal now as it ever was.

``It's an opportunity for me to continue my dream and that's to compete for a championship,' said James, the league's reigning MVP for the second straight year and fourth time overall. ``I'm happy that I'm in the position I'm in, with great teammates and a great organization. I've just got to do my part.'

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant on that team - Shaquille O'Neal's initial season in Miami - that fully expected to be Finals-bound in 2005.

Then Wade got hurt, and everything changed.

``I let myself get too far ahead,' Wade said. ``I was thinking, `Championship, we're on our way.' I was riding the wave. It was awesome. Then it smacked me - Pow! - and it just takes one moment to change. Stupid. All I did was crossover. Did a stupid crossover pullup, I don't know what happened and it changed everything for us. That's when you learn, you don't know what's going to happen.'

Wade isn't 100 percent this time around either, though has said in recent days that his bruised right knee is good enough for him to play. He doesn't even plan on missing any more practice time this season.

The Pacers have some mild injury concerns as well, with West dealing with an injury to his lower right leg and 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert needing a tape job on his right thumb after a hit in practice earlier this week. They're both expected to play Wednesday.

``I think it will be a good series,' Pacers forward Paul George said. ``Obviously, we remember what happened last year and it will be on our mind when we face this team. We're not just happy to get to this stage, we want to get past this one, too.'

George has deservedly earned high marks this season for his offensive growth. The Pacers' hopes in this series might hinge upon his defense.

He went from guarding Carmelo Anthony in the second round to knowing that he'll be facing off plenty in this series against James - who Vogel called ``the best player, the best offensive player in the world.'

``He has to do the same kind of thing he did on Carmelo,' Vogel said of George. ``He has to come out and compete the best he can and do it without fouling.'

James told teammates on Tuesday that he's raring to go, especially so since the Heat haven't played in about a week. He was working after practice on his floating jumpers, something he employed against the massiveness of Hibbert last season and a trick he won't be afraid to pull out and use again in this series.

``It's been go time,' James said. ``Since the playoffs started, it's been go time. And I love the way we've been playing so far.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pacers at Heat
Wed, May 22 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 2
Pacers at Heat
Fri, May 24 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 3
Heat at Pacers
Sun, May 26 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 4
Heat at Pacers
Tue, May 28 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 5
Pacers at Heat
Thu, May 30 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 6
Heat at Pacers
Sat, Jun 1 - 8:30PM EDT

GAME 7
Pacers at Heat
Mon, Jun 3 - 8:30PM EDT

NBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Miami
The Heat look to open up the series and take advantage of an Indiana team that is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 road games. Miami is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by 10 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Miami (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

Game 503-504: Indiana at Miami (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 119.214; Miami 129.705
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 10 1/2; 179
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 7 1/2; 182 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-7 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 22

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INDIANA (57 - 36) at MIAMI (74 - 17) - 5/22/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MIAMI is 52-39 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
MIAMI is 46-38 ATS (+4.2 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-8 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 10-6 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 22

Conference Finals, Game One (Series Tied, 0-0)
Indiana at Miami, 8:05 ET TNT
Indiana: 8-19 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points
Miami: 31-14 ATS off a home game




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 22

Miami is 9-1 in playoffs, with only loss in Game 1 to Bulls, would look for Heat to be anxious to get off to good start vs defensively-stout Pacer squad that beat New York in six games. Heat is 2-3 as home favorite in playoffs; over is 2-2-1 in their home games. Indiana beat Miami twice in three meetings this season, with home team winning all three. Heat won last meeting 105-91 (-6.5), only one played here- wouldn't put whole lot of stock in that, but its my job to tell you. Pacers are 2-4 on road during playoffs, with all four losses by 10+ points (2-4 as road underdogs).




NBA

Wednesday, May 22

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

8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
Indiana is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Miami's last 24 games at home
Miami is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home


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NBA

Wednesday, May 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacers at Heat: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-7.5, 182.5)

The last time the Miami Heat had a long layoff between series, they came out rusty and dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Indiana Pacers, who visit the Heat for Game 1 of the conference finals Wednesday, are hoping that same rust allows them to get a quick leg up on the defending champs. The Pacers battled Miami for six games in the semifinals last spring before falling short and are determined for a different outcome this time.

Indiana held a 2-1 lead in the series last spring before LeBron James asserted himself with 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in Game 4 as the Heat cruised through the final three games. James is already in attack mode for the series this season, taking offense at a rather benign comment by Pacers coach Frank Vogel and turning it into a two-day news story. “We’re not just another team,” James said. “I don’t understand what he’s saying. But we’re not just another team. That’s not true. He said we’re just another team in their way. We’re a great team.” Of course, Vogel never said the Heat were “just another team,” and simply referred to them as the team that happened to be next on the schedule.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana’s great advantage over Miami is on the interior, where Roy Hibbert, David West and Paul George form a frontline bigger than anything the Heat have seen. The Pacers led the NBA in rebounding average during the regular season while Miami finished last. George did a fine job of locking up Carmelo Anthony and forcing him to take bad or contested shot in the semifinals, and will be tasked with doing the same thing to James in the finals. George’s maturation is a big reason the Pacers feel they are better prepared to face the Heat this spring. The All-Star forward averaged 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in the 2012 postseason but has lifted those numbers to 19.1 and 8.3, respectively, this postseason while assuming more of the ball handling responsibilities and guarding the oppositions best player. “It’ll be fun,” George told the Indianapolis Star about the chance to guard James. “I always embrace challenges.”

ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami did not have Chris Bosh for much of the series against the Pacers last spring due to an abdominal injury. Bosh is now a key to what the Heat like to do offensively and will operate as the center in an offense that spreads the floor. Miami is counting on Bosh’s ability to hit jumpers from 15 feet and further out to pull Hibbert away from the basket and open up driving lanes for James and Dwyane Wade. The Heat lost to the Pacers twice during the regular season, and James was held to a season-low 13 points in the lone win against Indiana, a 105-91 triumph that marked win No.18 during their 27-game streak. Miami has won 45 of its last 48 games overall. “It only gets more difficult and more challenging,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after closing out the semifinal win over the Chicago Bulls. “That’s what competitors want.”

TRENDS:

* Pacers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* Heat are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Indiana has only one player with experience in the conference finals in backup C Ian Mahimni. James will be making his fifth trip to the conference finals in the last seven years while Wade and Udonis Haslem have helped lead the Heat to five of the last nine including 2013.

2. Wade (knee) has been practicing and does not expect to miss any time.

3. West (right calf) has been limited in practice but is expected to go in Game 1


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NBA

Wednesday, May 22

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NBA Eastern Conference finals preview: Heat vs. Pacers
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The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers duke it out in the Eastern Conference championship with a ticket to the NBA Finals on the line.

Here’s a look at how these teams stack up and their odds to win the series heading into Game 1 Wednesday:

No. 1 Miami Heat vs. No. 3 Indiana Pacers

Season series: Pacers 2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS, 2-1 over/under
Series prices: Heat -700, Pacers +500

Why bet the Heat: Miami has victories in 45 of its last 48 games and an 8-1 record this postseason, with seven of those wins by double figures. Dwyane Wade will have had a week off to rest his ailing knee before Game 1 Wednesday, and Chris Bosh is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Bosh had nearly three times as many blocks as Chicago big man Joakim Noah (11 to 4) in the last round and held his own in the rebounding department against the much bigger Noah. Bosh appears poised to handle the Pacers’ intimidating frontcourt of Roy Hibbert and David West and no Heat player was betting in the clutch than CB4 this season. Bosh shot 77 percent from the field (24 for 31) in the final five minutes of games with a margin of five points or fewer this season.

Why bet the Pacers: The Pacers have a distinct size advantage over the Heat. Indiana has four players that are six-foot-nine or taller, while Miami has only two. The Pacers took two of three by double digits from the Heat during the regular season, outrebounding Miami by 11 boards per game over the three-game stretch. Indiana has been very impressive when it comes to defending the 3-point line. Opposing teams shot just 32.7 percent against the Pacers from beyond the arc this season – tops in the Association. The Pacers were one of two teams (Knicks were the other) to win their season series against Miami this year.