NBA

The San Antonio Spurs never have won back-to-back NBA titles during their mini-dynasty of four titles, and they won’t this year, either, unless they win the next two games - starting with tonight’s Game 6 against the New Orleans Hornets. The host Spurs are 7-point favorites with an over/under of 184 on WagerWeb.com. The home team has won every game in this series (the home team has lost only one game total in all four conference semifinals), and San Antonio won Games 3-4 and home by a combined 31 points. This represents somewhat unfamiliar terrain for the Spurs, who have faced 10 elimination games since Tim Duncan arrived in 1997. They are 4-6 in those games. ...

The big question surrounding Wednesday night’s Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal between the Jazz and Lakers is that of Kobe Bryant’s injured back. Kobe finished Game 4 with 33 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, but was hampered by back spasms and struggled from the field, shooting 13- for-33, including 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. Bryant has been undergoing round-the-clock treatment on his back since the injury. The NBA’s MVP didn't practice or even shoot on Tuesday but assured everyone he would be playing tonight. Kobe hoped to get in some work at Wednesday’s shoot-around if his back permitted, but he was already pointing to tonight, regardless. "I think that the key is to try ...

If form holds, the Boston Celtics are near locks to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Wednesday night’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals - and Boston is a 9-point betting favorite (over/under: 176) on WagerWeb.com. The Celtics are back in Boston, where they're unbeaten so far in the playoffs after a regular season in which they posted an NBA-best 35-6 home record. Let’s not mention that 0-5 playoff road record. Asked if there was a danger that his players were using their home-court advantage as a crutch, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "The danger is that you're playing on the road right now against really good teams. "We earned that right to have home-court advantage," ...

After consecutive blowout losses in San Antonio, the New Orleans Hornets return to the comforts of home for Game 5 on Tuesday night with their Western Conference semifinal tied at 2. "We're not in panic mode," Hornets guard Chris Paul said. "We're not down 3-0. It's 2-2. When we won the first two games, it was all knocking the Spurs. Now we lost two, and it's like: 'What do they do? They're playing against the champs.' “ New Orleans is a 3.5-point favorite with an over/under of 186.5 on WagerWeb.com for Game 5. You have to like New Orleans as a bettor tonight, as entering Tuesday the home team has won 15 of 16 NBA conference ...

Kobe Bryant says his lower back  is ”sore, tight and stiff” but vows to be ready for Game 5 at Staples Center against Utah. "I'll play [Wednesday]. I can't imagine it'll be any worse than it was last night. It was pretty bad," he said. Bryant will undergo round-the-clock treatment the next two days involving electrical stimulation, ice, heat, massage and stretching exercises. Bryant suffered a spasm in his lower back while taking a shot early in Game 4. The Jazz beat the Lakers in overtime, 123-115, to even their best-of-seven game series at two games apiece. Bryant played 46 minutes Sunday and scored 33 points despite obvious back pain, but his movement was restricted and ...

Despite being down 3-1 and playing in Detroit, the Orlando Magic’s season will not end on Tuesday night - if you believe Jameer Nelson. The Magic’s point guard guaranteed his team would win Game 5 after a close Game 4 loss; oddsmakers disagree as Detroit is a 6.5-point betting favorite (over/under: 185.5) for tonight’s game on WagerWeb.com. Nelson actually backed away from his comment a bit Monday, explaining that there was really no other way he could approach a do-or-die Game 5. “I’ve heard from people that I guaranteed a win, but what am I supposed to do - guarantee a loss? We’ve got to win the game,’’ Nelson said. “We have the confidence that we ...

How can a team that was an NBA-best 31-10 on the road during the regular season look so bad away from home in the playoffs? That’s the question the Boston Celtics are undoubtedly asking themselves heading into Monday night’s Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal with the Cavaliers, with Cleveland a 2-point betting favorite (over/under: 182) on WagerWeb.com. In Saturday’s Game 3, the Celtics fell down 32-13, so the game was basically over after one quarter. That dropped Boston to 0-4 in this year’s playoffs away from Beantown. "We can't spot a team 15-20 points and try to dig ourselves out of it," Boston’s Kevin Garnett said. "We talked about that in the locker room, ...

The San Antonio Spurs showed the heart of a champion (cliché, I know) in beating the New Orleans Hornets in Game 3, but the reigning NBA champs need to do it again in Sunday night’s Game 4 to really make this Western Conference semifinal a series.  San Antonio is a 6-point betting favorite at home for Game 4 with an over/under of 187.5 on WagerWeb.com.  The Spurs seemed resigned to letting Chris Paul (and, to a lesser extent, David West) get his and clamp down on the other Hornets on Thursday. Taking the 15-for-25 shooting performance from Paul and the 10-19 showing from West out of the equation, the rest of the Hornets combined to connect on only 41 percent ...

The Utah Jazz are well aware that teams down 2-0 in best-of-7 series in NBA history have rallied to win only 13 of those series. Utah was down 2-0 last year to San Antonio and eventually was ousted in five games.  "We've been here before," forward Carlos Boozer said. "We've been down 0-2 before. What we have to do is come out and focus on Game 3."  The Lakers have shut down Utah's attempts to get the pick-and-roll rolling and forced the Jazz into taking outside shots, which have not been falling. Utah has also rushed some attempts that led to either turnovers or missed shots that bounced right to the Lakers.  The offensive blunders have created easy baskets for ...

Tonight’s Game 3 is pretty much do or die for the defending NBA champion Spurs when they host New Orleans down 2-0; San Antonio is a 6.5-point betting favorite with an over/under of 182 on WagerWeb.com. Maybe if San Antonio can just withstand the third quarter tonight: In both setbacks, the Spurs have held a lead at the half, only to have the Hornets blow them away in the third quarter. The Spurs have been outscored 65-35 in Games 1 and 2 combined. "They say you're supposed to win all your home games. The series doesn't start until the home team loses," Hornets star guard Chris Paul said Wednesday. "We understand their backs are against the wall ...