The New Orleans Hornets had the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, figured out and frustrated in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-finals. The Hornets lead the best of seven series 1-0. Can Tim Duncan rebound in tonight’s game to split the series at one apiece? Oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com don’t think so as they have the Hornets as 2 ½-point favs over the Spurs with the over/under set at 182 ½. Get your NBA Playoff Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com
The Spurs, Tim Duncan, was plain off his game Saturday night. He was 1 of 9 from the field, made 3 of 6 from the free throw line and he made no attempt at a 3-pointer. Duncan averaged nearly 25pts and 14 rebounds in five playoff games against the Phoenix Suns. So what gives? The Hornets, Chris Chandler, was all over Duncan and they routinely used a double team tactic that definitely worked. The top Spur on the night was Tony Parker with 23pts, 5 assists and one steal. Their plan for tonight’s game will be to allow Duncan to get more looks and shots at the basket. As for defense they’ll need to work on stopping David West and not be overly preoccupied with Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul. The Spurs have lost back to back to the Hornets by an average of 21pts and they haven’t lost back to back on the road since a three game skid from March 12th to 15th. They are averaging 95 PPG in their last five games and on the road they’ve averaged 93 PPG during their last five. They are 2-3 SU on the road.
The Hornets got a huge game from David West and Peja Stojakovic. West finished with 30pts, making 13 of 23 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. Stojakovic had 22pts while Chris Paul had 13 assists for 17pts. They outshot, out rebounded and were just plain better than the Spurs, but they aren’t going to let down their guard. Scott expects Duncan to be much more of a factor from here on, and he does not think it is realistic to expect his team to run away from the defending champions as the Hornets did in Game 1. "Tim is too proud to come out and play that way again," Scott said. "In our minds right now, this is going to be a long series. They're just too good of a team to play the way they played (Saturday) night for four more games or five more games, so we didn't get their best shot." The Hornets have averaged 102 PPG in their last five games where they’ve averaged 49% from the field and 50% from beyond the arch. They are 5-0 SU at home.
Recent Trends to Consider
- Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Spurs are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games as a road underdog of 0.5-4.5.
- Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.
- Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Hornets are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5.
- Hornets are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite.
- Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
GAME: San Antonio Spurs (60-28) at New Orleans Hornets (61-27)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 05 – 9:30 PM EST
LINE: SBGglobal.com TOTAL: 182.5
PICK: New Orleans -2 ½
The Bottom Line: The Hornets are too young and talented for the Spurs to win in New Orleans. They will go down 0-2 and they’ll get them back at home. Get your NBA Playoff Prediction in now at SBGglobal.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.
