NBA Playoffs Western Conference Quarterfinals Game #4
#1 San Antonio Spurs at #8 Utah Jazz
Best of Seven Series, Format 2-2-1-1-1
Spurs Lead Series 3-0
EnergySolutions Arena – Salt Lake City, Utah
Monday, May 7, 2012, 8:05 pm Eastern, TV: TNT
Opening Line: San Antonio -8
Current Line: San Antonio -7 1/2
Opening Total: 198 1/2
Current Total: 199
Opening Money Line: Spurs -400 / Jazz +330
Current Money Line: Spurs -385 / Jazz +305
After 3 double digit wins, the San Antonio Spurs are on the verge of sweeping the Utah Jazz and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. The Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, tied with the Bulls for the best record in basketball. However, Chicago is down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls are on the verge of losing to a #8 seed in the first round after injuries to key players Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The Spurs had a similar situation last season as they lost in six games to the upstart Memphis Grizzlies, after injuries to Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan. San Antonio is healthy this year and appears to not want to let Utah off the hook.
The Spurs won game #1 106-91 and game #2 114-83, both in San Antonio. Many thought the Jazz, coached by Tyrone Corbin, would be more competitive at home in front of their raucous crowd. They were more competitive in game #3 Saturday night. With around 8 minutes to go in the game, Tony Parker had only 11 points on 5-12 shooting. However, he took over the game from that point, going 6-6 from the field and ended up with 27 points. The Spurs won 102-90. Even when the Jazz cut the lead to 5 points in the fourth, it never really felt like they were in the game. They trailed by 13 when they made the mini-run.
Parker also had 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the win. Duncan had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and 3 blocks. Stephen Jackson added 13 points off the bench. Tiago Splitter scored 10 points and added 8 rebounds. Manu Ginobli had an off scoring night for the second game in a row with only 6 points. However, Ginobli contributed in other ways with 5 rebounds, and 10 assists. As a team, the Spurs shot 48.8% from the field including 7-20 from 3 point range. San Antonio made 17 of 22 free throws. The Spurs had 41 rebounds, 21 assists, and 11 turnovers. San Antonio had 22 fast break points, and 50 points in the paint.
Utah center Al Jefferson had 21 points and 11 rebounds in the game #3 loss. Point guard Devin Harris also had 21 points and added 5 assists. Derrick Favors scored 15 points off the bench and also had 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Guard Alec Burks scored 11 points also off the bench. Forward Paul Millsap had 9 points 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Utah shot 40.4% from the field including 4-13 from 3 point range. The Jazz made 14 of 26 free throws. Utah had 49 rebounds, 18 assists, and 9 turnovers. The Jazz had 9 fast break points and 28 points in the paint.
Utah guards Earl Watson and C.J. Miles are both out for the season (however many games that is). San Antonio has no injuries listed.
San Antonio is 45-20-4 ATS and the total is 39-29-1 this season. Utah is 34-34-1 ATS and the total is 32-35-2 this season. The favorite is 21-6-1 ATS in this series recently, and the home team 3-1-1. The Spurs are 5-1-1 ATS in the last 7 against the Jazz, and 4-1 in Salt Lake City. The last four meetings between the teams have gone under.
The Spurs are 5-0-1 ATS as a favorite of 5-10.5 points, including 3-0-1 on the road, 7-0 on 2 days rest, 8-1-3 as a road favorite, 12-2-2 after a straight up win of 10 points or more, 5-1-1 against Northwest Division teams, 14-3-1 on the road against teams with winning home records, 25-7-2 against Western conference teams, 24-7-3 after a cover, 37-11-4 overall, 21-7-2 against teams with winning records, 17-6-3 after scoring 100 points or more, 18-7-3 in road games, 33-14-4 as a favorite, 33-15-4 after a straight up win, 2-5-1 in conference quarterfinal games, and as a playoff favorite, and 0-4-1 as a playoff favorite of 5-10.5 points.
The Jazz are 6-0 ATS at home against teams with winning road records, 3-9 as a playoff underdog of 5-10.5 points, 1-4 against Southwest division teams, and as an underdog, and 1-5 as a home underdog of 5-10.5 points.
The Jazz struggled from the free throw line and from 3 point range in the game 3 loss at home. Defensively, they played pretty well. The problem is, Utah played their best game of the series by far Saturday night, and still lost by 12 points. San Antonio simply has too much for the young Jazz. I guess it is possible the Spurs could be caught napping today as they have game #5 at home in San Antonio. However, I think the Spurs deliver the knockout punch tonight and end the series.
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