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2009-05-22
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NBA Finals Game 5: Lakers vs. Celtics Pick | Preview
The Boston Celtics have a lot of weapons, but in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, nobody expected the two most important pieces of Doc Rivers’ arsenal to be an overgrown baby and another guy the size of one. Glen “Big Baby” Davis and the 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson scored 30-points off the bench for the Celtics and became a firestorm catalyst for Boston, which has now tied the series at two games apiece.The Celtics, who were crushed in Game 3, now know that Game 5 will be the most important of the series. They have to win, because winning back-to-back games in Los Angeles is virtually unthinkable, if not impossible.Kobe Bryant nailed tough shot after tough shot on Thursday night, earning 33-points in a wasted effort for the Lakers. As a whole, the Lakers have not played extremely well and Pau Gasol’s vulnerability to turnovers has left L.A. in a fox hole as they prepare for Sunday’s matchup.It seems as though the Celtics have focused all of their energies on stripping Gasol who had 4 turnovers in the game. Despite rebounding the ball, Rondo and Allen seemed prepared to knock the ball out of his hands giving the Celtics tons of second chances in their own end. The Celtics also sat in the angles for Gasol’s expected tip-rebounds that he tries to get to Lakers in the backcourt.It’s an odd formula to try and bolster your NBA Finals betting odds , but for the Celtics it seems to be working. One part of that formula that needs to start clicking, however, is their horrific three-point shooting.Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) vs. Boston Celtics (50-32)Sunday, June 13th --- TD Garden --- 8:00pm ESTNBA Betting Line: Boston -3 (187.5)Nobody on Boston’s top-line hit a shot from beyond the arc, with Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson converting three of the team’s 12 attempts. Ray Allen, who was only able to score two points the game before, went 4-for-11 from the field and 0-for-4 from range while finishing with 12-points.The most interesting trend in NBA Finals betting is that the oddsmakers have virtually nailed the TOTAL in four games straight. Only one game has pushed the OVER and two have now hit the UNDER with Game 1 earning a push.Part of what influences those betting trends so heavily is that the Lakers have simply not been able to find reliable scoring throughout their six-man rotation. They most certainly do not have the scoring bench that they want to have, and with Andrew Bynum suffering yet another setback, they lack the beef in the front court to handle Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis.I predicted before that the Lakers would win this series, but now my thoughts are starting to lean towards a vigorous Boston team. The Celtics are getting a massive push from MVP underdog Kevin Garnett, and while Paul Pierce hasn’t been a tremendous impact player, he’s still averaging 17.0 points per game in the NBA Finals.Playing Boston at home is a tough task for any team, and nobody knows that more than the Lakers who now face the unenviable task of dealing with a heated Celtics crowd in Boston, while also trying to stymie the energy of the bench players like Little Nate, Big Baby and Rasheed.Boston can’t rely on its bench to win them games like they did in Game 4. We learned that with the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. The Boston Three Party will eventually take over this series, and while Kobe Bryant has enough fire power to keep L.A. competitive, I’m not so sure this team can survive the Boston maelstrom without Andrew Bynum anchoring their front court.Furious NBA Finals Free Pick – Boston -3 (UNDER)
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