Cavs Beat The Bulls In NBA Conference Semi-Final
The first team to make it through to a Conference Final in the NBA season is the Cleveland Cavaliers. They overcame the Bulls in a thrilling set of matches and they get to enjoy some additional rest while all of the other teams slog it out to join them. There were two pulsating matches on Thursday night and there will be two big games on Friday night, providing basketball fans with the ideal start to the weekend.
The Cavaliers have won their series against the Chicago Bulls, progressing by a 4-2 score line after they defeated the Bulls 73-94 in Chicago.
It may have been his 168th playoff game in his NBA career and he may have been one rebound away from a triple-double but LeBron James will readily admit he had a lot of support on the night the Cavs broke the Bulls. He grabbed 15 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds but he did miss 16 out of 23 shots and turned over 4 times. You could say that the role of Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson, playing just their 10th post-season games in the NBA, was just as vital in this big win.
The Houston Rockets sensationally defeated the Clippers in Los Angeles by a score of 107-119 and this ties the series at 3-3. There is going to be an almighty clash in Game 7 of this match-up and the Clippers may rue letting this game slip out of their hands.
The Clippers were leading by 19 in the second half, looking as though they were going to progress comfortably but this was when the Rockets woke up to the fact that their season was on the line. Corey Brewer grabbed 15 of his 19 points in the last quarter, and his team outscored the Clippers 51-20 over the last minutes of the third and into the fourth quarter. A close to 20,000 crowd was shocked into silence when the Rockets kept their season alive. James Harden offered up 23 points on the night even though he was on the bench for a lot of the fourth quarter. Josh Smith provided 19 points, 14 of them in the final quarter.
There is a chance that both of the series being played out on Friday could be concluded if the result goes in a certain manner but we should learn from the Rockets and Clippers game on Thursday night that you should never take anything for granted.
Atlanta Hawks @ Washington Wizards
The Hawks lead 3-2 going into this game so an away win would clinch the series with the Wizards knowing that they need a home win to stay alive. The Wizards were in this position last year, and they fell, so they know that it is a difficult spot to be in. The Washington side had been leading 1-0 and 2-1 in their series against Indiana but an eventual 80-93 loss at home allowed the Pacers to continue and the Wizards stayed at home for the rest of the campaign.
John Wall is determined to not let this happen again and he has been playing in style despite his left wrist being in a pretty bad way. In the 82-81 loss on Wednesday, Wall served up 15 points and 7 assists although his 6 turnovers may be indicative of a man who sat out the three previous games with injury. Wall will need to up his game if the Wizards want to remain in contention for glory this season.
The Hawks are currently 67-26, with a 27-19 record on the road and a 6-4 record in their 10 most recent games .The Wizards hold a 52-39 record so far this campaign and this includes a 32-13 record at home and a 6-4 record in their 10 most recent games. With respect to average points scored, the Hawks have an advantage of 102.3 to 98.9 and for average points conceded, the Hawks lead 97.0 to 97.8.
Taking the Atlanta Hawks with a +2.5 handicap, at odds of 1.90, is likely to be a decent NBA bet for Friday night. Bet Now!
Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzlies
The Warriors hold a 3-2 leading going into this game so they know that an away win would clinch the series and the Grizzlies know that they need a home win to maintain their season. The Warriors know that they are close to booking their first Western Conference Final spot in 40 years but they will not get it easy from the Grizzlies, who look as though they will have Tony Allen back in the side.
Allen was absent on Wednesday night with a hamstring injury and the Warriors enjoyed the freedom they received through Allen’s absence. Stephen Curry offered up 18 points while Klay Thompson delivered 21 points.
The Warriors hold a 74-17 record for the season and this includes a 31-14 record on the road and an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. The Grizzlies are 61-31 for the season which includes a 35-11 record at home and a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. For average points scored, the Warriors are way out in front, 109.1 to 97.9 and for average points against, the Grizzlies lead 95.0 to 99.3.
Taking the Golden State Warriors at -5, at odds of 1.90, is likely to be a decent bet for Friday in the NBA. Bet Now!
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