The Phoenix Suns were hoping to walk out of San Antonio with at least one win, instead they find themselves down 0-2 in the Western Conference Semi-finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Now the Suns are at home where they need two wins to make it a series. Oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com have the Suns as 6 ½-point favs over the Spurs with the over/under set at 194 ½;. Get your NBA Playoff Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com
The Suns are hoping that home court is a big advantage for them as they are 9-1 SU during their last ten regular season home games, one of which was a 94-87 win over the Spurs back in March. Throughout the regular season these two teams met four times, with the Suns going 3-1 SU. The Suns haven’t been able to stop Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. They had big leads in both games only to watch them fade away to the Spurs stellar defense and outstanding offense. Phoenix went from a 65pt first half to scoring just 11 in the third quarter. They shot 46% from the field and made just 4 of 13 3-pointers. Even their free throw shooting was bad, making 18 of 29. Amare Stoudamire led the Suns with 33pts while Shaq chipped in with 19pts and 14 rebounds. They allowed the Spurs 23 fast break points, something the Suns usually excel at, while they only had 4pts. They have to figure out a way to stop Ginobili and Parker from driving to the basket. Grant Hill will probably sit out tonight’s game because of a sore right groin. He gave it a try in the first two games but sometimes was more of a hindrance than help. Hill's absence will leave the team without one of its better defenders and ball handlers.
The Spurs are looking unstoppable with their stellar offense and great defense. Tony Parker was unstoppable driving the lane, he finished the night with 32pts 7 assists and 3 steals. Manu Ginobili had 29pts while Tim Duncan had 18pts and he pulled down 17 rebounds. They are playing like last year’s champs. Even though their up 2-0 they can’t let their guards down. The Suns are going to bring everything they have tonight, expect a lot of perimeter shots and dishes under the basket to Shaq. The Spurs are 5-5 SU in their last regular season road games.
Recent Trends to Consider
- Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.
- Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
- Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5.
- Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Suns are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
- Suns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
GAME: San Antonio Spurs (58-26) at Phoenix Suns (55-29)
DATE/TIME: Friday, April 25 – 10:30 PM EST
LINE: SBGglobal.com TOTAL: 194 ½
PICK: Phoenix -6 ½
The Bottom Line: Winning in San Antonio is hard to do, especially since they are 36-7 SU. The Suns play better at home with their fans on their side. Get your NBA Playoff Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com
