Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers
Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 10:00 pm Eastern, TV: TWS, NBA LP
Rose Garden – Portland, Oregon
Opening Line: Los Angeles -4 1/2
Current Line: Los Angeles -5 1/2
Opening Total: 200
Current Total: 201
Opening Money Line: Lakers -235 / Blazers +195
Current Money Line: Lakers -245 / Blazers +205
The 41-37 Los Angeles Lakers jumped back into the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with their 104-96 win at home over the New Orleans Hornets Tuesday night, coupled with Utah’s 90-80 loss at home to Oklahoma City. Still, the Lakers are only a half game up on the Jazz for the last spot. Los Angeles has 4 games left and Utah has 3. The Lakers travel to Portland Wednesday night to take on the 33-44 Trail Blazers. it is the last road game of the season for Los Angeles. The Lakers are 2-8 in the back end of back-to-backs this season.
The Trail Blazers are 11th in the West but eliminated from playoff contention. The Blazers have lost 8 straight games coming into tonight. Portland lost to Dallas Sunday 96-91 at home in the last game for the Blazers.
LA has won 4 of their last 5 games. In last night’s win over the Hornets, the Lakers trailed in the fourth quarter, but Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 30 points in the quarter. The Lakers came back to grab a much needed win.
The Lakers have beaten the Trail Blazers 4 of the last 5 times and twice in a row. However, LA has lost 3 straight in the Rose Garden and 12 of the last 14. The Lakers lost at Portland on Halloween 116-106, but won at the Staples Center 104-87 on December 28 and 111-107 February 22.
The Lakers are coached by Mike D’Antoni. LA is outscoring teams 102-101 this season. The Lakers are #6 in scoring but #24 in points allowed. Los Angeles is shooting 45.8% from the field and 35.6% from 3 point range. The Lakers are #10 in field goal percentage. LA is last in the league in free throw shooting at 68.8% from the line. The Lakers average 44.7 rebounds per game, and give up 42.8 per game. Los Angeles is #3 in rebounding. Laker opponents are shooting 45.5% from the field and 35.8% from 3 point range. The Lakers average 22.2 assists, 7.1 steals, 5.2 blocks, and 14.7 turnovers per game. LA is 31-45-2 ATS and the total is 40-37-1 this season.
Guard Kobe Bryant is averaging 27 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is third in the league in scoring. Center Dwight Howard averages 16.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game. Forward Pau Gasol averages 13.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Small forward Metta World Peace returned to the line-up last night than 2 weeks after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus. He was originally expected to be out until at least early May. World Peace is averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Point guard Steve Nash is expected to miss his fifth game in a row with a hamstring injury. Nash averages 12.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Antawn Jamison, Earl Clark, Jodie Meeks, and Steve Blake make up the rest of the rotation. Devin Ebanks is questionable with a lung injury. Center Jordan Hill is out for the season with a hip injury.
Portland is coached by Terry Stotts. The Blazers are being outscored 100-98 this season. Portland is shooting 44.9% from the field and 35.1% from 3 point range. The Trail Blazers are 8th in free throw shooting at 77.6% from the line. Portland averages 41.2 rebounds a game and gives up 42.3 per game. Blazer opponents are shooting 47.2% from the field and 33.9% from 3 point range. Portland is #4 in 3 point defense. The Blazers average 21.8 assists, 6.6 steals, 4.5 blocks, and 14.2 turnovers a game. Portland is 33-40-4 ATS this season and the total is 42-33-2.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge averages 21.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. Point guard Damian Lillard is the likely rookie of the year. He averages 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Guard Wesley Matthews averages 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is doubtful with an ankle injury. Forward Nicolas Batum averages 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He is doubtful a shoulder injury. Center J.J. Hickson averages 12.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. He is doubtful with a lower body injury. Eric Maynor, Meyers Leonard, Luke Babbitt, Victor Claver, Will Barton, and Ronnie Price also get significant minutes. However, none of them score more than 6.8 points per game. Portland has the lowest scoring bench in the league. Guards Aleksander Pavlovic and Elliot Williams are both out for the season.
Los Angeles is 20-42-2 ATS after scoring 100 points or more, 18-41-1 after a straight up win, 2-5 against teams with losing records, 2-5-1 against Western Conference teams, 2-6 against teams with winning home records, 2-7-1 overall, 1-4 against Northwest teams, and on 0 days rest, 1-5 after failing to cover, in road games and 1-5-1 after the starters play more than 160 minutes in the previous game. The over is 5-1 in this series recently and 8-2 in Portland.
Portland is 0-5 ATS in home games, 1-8 against western Conference teams, 1-7 overall, 1-6 after a straight up loss, and against teams with winning records, 1-5 after failing to cover, 1-4 after the opponent scored more than 100 points in the last game, and 1-4-1 in Wednesday games. The home team is 5-2 ATS in this series recently, and the underdog is 25-11. The Blazers are 19-7 ATS in the last 26 against the Lakers and 18-4 in Portland.
If Batum, Hickson, and Matthews are all three out, I am not sure where the scoring comes from outside of Aldridge and Lillard. The desperate Lakers should roll but the Rose Garden has been a house of horrors for LA. I see Portland hanging around until the fourth, before the Lakers put them away.
Our best NBA picks will help you crush the books. We are releasing key plays every day.
