For the second straight playoff season, Robert Horry finds himself in the middle of a dirty play controversy.  Horry took a shot at David West's hurting back.  There's much debate as to whether or not Horry's hit was a fair, clean play or a cheap shot.  I would question the sanity of any human who believes Horry wasn't well aware that he was about to hurt someone.  Why else lean into a screen while someone is in mid-air?   He did the same thing last year to Steve Nash where there were suspensions handed out for Game 7, Phoenix/Spurs series.  That's why the Spurs won that Game 7 last season against Phoenix because there stars were out and Horry was the cause of it.  The oddsmakers at sportsbetting.com currently have the New Orleans Hornets -4 favorites to San Antonio heading into this NBA Playoff betting matchup.

 The Spurs crowd was cheering that Horry cheap shot West and was injured.  Will they try to cheap shot Horry in Game 7 Monday night?   What Horry did was expected of him.  Everyone knows about West's injury on his back before the game.  It was intentional to gain an edge for game 7 in New Orleans.  The Hornets expect David West to play in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against San Antonio on Monday night, but how effective the All-Star forward will be remains unclear.  

You have to watch out in Game 7 tonight as the Spurs like to flop around the whole game and cry about the officials calls.  In previous years they have gotten all the calls when they are flopping in a big game like this.  It was a walk in the park the first round of the playoffs for Hornets, but can they close out an elite team?  Will David West of the Hornets have the last laugh on the Spurs Monday night?  I think the Hornets can pull it out.  From what I've seen all year and especially the post-season they have matured into an elite Western conference team.  All they need to do is play at their best capacity and they can do it.  They have the talent to win.  Now all they need is the belief.  

NBA Angle plays for this NBA Playoff Picks Matchup When ANY NBA Team Played as Home team as a Favorite - with 3 day off - Total is between 180 to 185 NEW ORLEANS 81-20 SU in this spot. When NEW ORLEANS team played as a Home team - After a conference game - Total is between 180 to 185 13-5 ATS in this spot.

Someone finally figured out how to win an NBA playoff game on the road.  LA Lakers take the series 4-2 with a win at Utah Friday night, 108-105.  Bryant scored 34 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles held off a furious rally by the Utah.  The Lakers move on to face the Spurs or Hornets, with plenty of rest.   I think Kobe is nothing but a little baby, without Paul Gasol, Kobe is the old Kobe like when he got beaten by the Suns in the first round last year.  Every time he shoots a ball or goes to the basket he always complains there is a foul, and he gets the calls even though he hasn't been touched. There is a lot of talk of why does Utah struggle on the road compared to at home.  The reason the Jazz is a great home team and bad road team almost every year is they are built to be physical and tough and at home the refs tend to let you beat people up a lot more than they do on the road.  On the road they call those fouls.  The Jazz are a good team.  They just need to play with the same intensity on the road.  They have everything they need in the future to go all the way. Utah should be proud of the effort this team put forth this year. 

This series was a battle between two great Western conference teams.  The Jazz did not quit in Game 6, they were down by 17 late in the 3rd quarter and most of the game down double digits. They came out strong in 4th quarter out scoring LA Lakers, 35-22 but came up 3 points short of making it to a 7th game.  It was great to see the two teams after the game hugging and shaking hands.  That showed the kind of respect each team had for one another.  Hard Fought....Hard Play.....Physical as Heck....and nothing but respect for each other shown after the series ends.

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The Utah Jazz will look to use the NBA’s best home court edge to even their best of seven series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Lakers won 111-104 on Wednesday and could clinch if they can win at Utah.  The Jazz had a good chance to win Game Five at Los Angeles but let their chance slip away and now must win on Friday to force a Game Seven. "If we lose, we go home," Utah forward Matt Harpring said. "We certainly don't want to lose on our home court the last game of the year. No way."
SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Lakers on the Road.

NBA Playoff Betting Preview
Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz (Lakers lead 3-2)
Friday, 10:35 pm Eastern – ESPN

SBG Global Opening Line: Jazz  - 4 , Total  211.5

The Lakers are hurting a little bit entering Friday’s game.  Kobe Bryant is nursing a sore back while other starters are banged up.  Bryant and three other starters sat out Thursday’s practice.  The Lakers would like to win on Friday and give Kobe some extra rest. "The message is being under control. It's about execution at this point. It's about winning the game," Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson said. "There's a lot of intensity. We probably have to play 10 points better than we did last night (Wednesday) to win it." 

Kobe led the Lakers on Wednesday with 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds. "Incredible, as always," Lamar Odom said. "Kobe made plays for us when he needed to."  The Jazz had a number of excellent chances to win Wednesday’s game but couldn’t control rebounds and that cost them the game. "You watch the tape of the game, you wish you could jump in the screen and play it all over again," said Utah’s Carlos Boozer, "I thought we had the opportunity to take the lead a few times, and looking back on it, it's definitely frustrating. You put the pressure on the home team if you get the lead."

SBG Global Current Line: Jazz  - 2, Total  213

About the only positive for the Jazz was that the game gave them confidence that they could win a Game 7 in Los Angeles.  To force that game the Jazz must win on Friday night.  "We've got two left with them," Boozer said. "We've got to win tomorrow night to have the second one." The Jazz are 1-1 when hosting a Game 6 and trailing 3-2 in the series over the past decade.  The loss was in the 1998 NBA Finals when Michael Jordan hit one of his most memorable shots in his career to eliminate the Jazz. "I think it's exciting myself. I always have loved to be in those situations. If you like to play, what better position could you be in?" Utah head coach Jerry Sloan said. "They have to come and beat us, and we hope we don't beat ourselves." 

The Jazz are getting excellent play in the series from point guard Deron Williams.  He is averaging almost 23 points and 11 assists in this series. He had 27 points and 10 assists on Wednesday and was the best player for the Jazz. 

Here are the NBA betting stats for Friday’s game.  The Lakers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a road underdog. The Lakers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Lakers are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Lakers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 Conference Semifinals games. The Lakers are 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 games as an underdog. The Lakers are 35-17-2 ATS in their last 54 road games. The Lakers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 Friday games. The Lakers are 3-7-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Utah. 

The Jazz are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 Friday games. The Jazz are 7-2-2 ATS in their last 11 playoff games as a favorite. The Jazz are 38-13-2 ATS in their last 53 games as a home favorite. The Jazz are 39-15-2 ATS in their last 56 home games. The Jazz are 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 games playing on 1 day of rest. The home team is 10-3-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings between the two teams. 

The Under is 4-0 in the Lakers last 4 games as a road underdog. The Over is 10-4 in the Lakers last 14 Friday games. 

The Under is 4-1 in Utah’s last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 23-8 in Utah’s last 31 vs. the Pacific. The Over is 13-6 in the last 19 meetings between the two teams.

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I wonder if there is any team that can win in Boston.  Wednesday night the C's won another NBA Playoff home game, 96-89.  Boston's Rajon Rondo had a great game, 20 points (9-15 FG), 13 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and just one turnover, outstanding.  In the second quarter the C's were down by 14 and Rondo hit back-to-back threes to shift the momentum when they were down.  The C's now lead the NBA Playoffs betting series 3-2 coming into Friday night's Game 6 in Cleveland.  The oddsmakers at sportsbetting.com currently have the Boston +2.5 underdogs to Cleveland heading into this NBA Playoff betting matchup.

In Game 5, LeBron James looked unstoppable in the first half.  He had 23 points and ended up with 35 points for the game.  The Celtics came out on fire in the third quarter, where they held a 29-17 advantage.  James couldn't do anything in the second half as Boston's James Posey played face-to-face with LeBron instead of backing off.  Boston’s defense throughout the second half of the game, however, refused to allow LeBron to get to where he wanted to go.  By the middle of the fourth quarter, he grew visibly frustrated.

There is no question that Rondo had a huge Game 5, but Kevin Garnett’s was even bigger.  “The Big Ticket” may very well have had his most complete game of the series.  His 26 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks filled the stat sheet. 

Well it's Game 6 Friday night and it's a close out game for Boston but they have yet to win on the road this playoff season.  I really think the Celtics have to end this series Friday, they can't win a championship going 7 games in every series.  Boston does not look like the team we've seen in the regular season. They're winning at home, but their road performances are sloppy and lacking in poise and execution.  Their bench hasn't been that strong (but that's coach Docs Rivers fault).  If it goes to a Game 7 in the Garden, the refs aren't a factor which means LeBron's flops will mean nothing and he won't get to the line no matter how hard he tries.  This means the Celtics would rout them, so Cleveland fans you better pray the Celtics end it on Friday, so you don't get massacred in Boston on Sunday.

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