NBA Thurs 5/7
- Thread starter Junior44
- Start date
Detroit -3' (3x)
-Detroit earned a 111-101 home win in Game 1 with a final score that was probably a little flattering for Cleveland. The Pistons led by 18 before the Cavaliers made a little run in the third quarter. After scoring 22 points with 19 rebounds in the Game 7 finale against Toronto, Cavs center Jarrett Allen was held to two points and three rebounds in Tuesday's Game 1. Cleveland obviously needs a little more production from Allen, but outside of him, I'm struggling to find areas where the Cavs can make a jump from Game 1 to Game 2. They made 14 three-pointers and shot 36.8-percent from beyond the arc. Max Strus scored 19 points off the bench. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined to score 45 points which is a little bit below their standards, but they are playing the second-best defensive team in the league. So where are the areas where Cleveland can realistically improve? The obvious answer is turnovers, but that has been an area of concern for weeks. The Cavs turned the ball over 19 times in Game 1, including seven by Harden. Since March 1, Cleveland has gone 3-12 against the spread on the road. Until they give me a reason to jump ship, I'm going to keep riding that train. Play Detroit in Game 2..........
-Detroit earned a 111-101 home win in Game 1 with a final score that was probably a little flattering for Cleveland. The Pistons led by 18 before the Cavaliers made a little run in the third quarter. After scoring 22 points with 19 rebounds in the Game 7 finale against Toronto, Cavs center Jarrett Allen was held to two points and three rebounds in Tuesday's Game 1. Cleveland obviously needs a little more production from Allen, but outside of him, I'm struggling to find areas where the Cavs can make a jump from Game 1 to Game 2. They made 14 three-pointers and shot 36.8-percent from beyond the arc. Max Strus scored 19 points off the bench. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined to score 45 points which is a little bit below their standards, but they are playing the second-best defensive team in the league. So where are the areas where Cleveland can realistically improve? The obvious answer is turnovers, but that has been an area of concern for weeks. The Cavs turned the ball over 19 times in Game 1, including seven by Harden. Since March 1, Cleveland has gone 3-12 against the spread on the road. Until they give me a reason to jump ship, I'm going to keep riding that train. Play Detroit in Game 2..........
Oklahoma City -15 (3x)
-Oklahoma City showed very little signs of rust after a one-week layoff, earning a 108-90 home win in Game 1. The Thunder have now won-and-covered each of the last six games with Los Angeles. The rich appear to be getting richer because Jalen Williams is now listed as questionable to return from a hamstring injury ahead of Game 2. Williams has only played two games over the last month, but his return would be welcomed to take some pressure off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was held below 20 points for the first time all season in Tuesday's Game 1 win. Oklahoma City is 5-0 straight-up, 4-1 against the spread in Game 2 over the last two years, winning those contests by an average of 21.2 points per game. I expect that to be the case again tonight! Play OKC minus the big #.
-Oklahoma City showed very little signs of rust after a one-week layoff, earning a 108-90 home win in Game 1. The Thunder have now won-and-covered each of the last six games with Los Angeles. The rich appear to be getting richer because Jalen Williams is now listed as questionable to return from a hamstring injury ahead of Game 2. Williams has only played two games over the last month, but his return would be welcomed to take some pressure off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was held below 20 points for the first time all season in Tuesday's Game 1 win. Oklahoma City is 5-0 straight-up, 4-1 against the spread in Game 2 over the last two years, winning those contests by an average of 21.2 points per game. I expect that to be the case again tonight! Play OKC minus the big #.
