| 2009 NBA Playoffs: LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets Game 6 |
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| Written by Scott Burgess | |||||||
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Thursday, 14 May 2009
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 The LA Lakers absolutely dominated the Houston Rockets in Game 5 winning by a franchise high 40 points as the Rockets try to stave off elimination tonight, May 14. The action heads to Houston as the Lakers lead the Western Conference Semi-finals 3-2, and a Lakers win will set up a Denver vs LA final. NBA oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com have the Lakers as -8.5 road favs over the Rockets with the over/under listed at 197 points. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets Prediction in now at SBGglobal.comThe Lakers put on one of their greatest performances in Game 5. Shots stopped falling for the Rockets, their passes that worked in Game 4 were turnovers in Game 5, and every loose ball or whistle seemed to go the Lakers way. Kobe Bryant finished with 26pts, while Andrew Bynum showed up and added 14pts and Pau Gasol had a 16pt 13 rebound night. Their only underproducer was Derek Fisher with 2pts. The Lakers came out flat and uninspired in Game 4, allowing the Rockets to build a 29pt lead playing without Yao Ming. Kobe Bryant called the Lakers' mindset for the game a "dumb mistake," and Los Angeles left nothing to chance in Game 5, marching to a 25-point halftime lead. The Lakers also found a way to handle speedy point guard Aaron Brooks in Game 5, holding him to 14pts on 4-for-11 shooting. Brooks scored 34 points in Game 4, slicing through the Los Angeles defense for layups or hitting open 3s. Brooks went 0-for-3 from 3-point range in Game 5, part of Houston's dismal 5-for-29 night. The Rockets were humiliated and outhustled in Game 5 and they’ll be hoping that home court will give them the much needed boost that they need. A big part of their defense and offense is missing after Yao Ming’s been sidelined with an ankle injury. Without Yao, the Rockets are forced to use an undersized lineup, with 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes starting at center. Lakers coach Phil Jackson started 7-footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to take advantage. Hayes managed just 6pts after making 3 of 6 from the field. So what does Houston have to do to beat the Lakers tonight? The first step is getting off to a good start. The team winning after the first quarter has won all 11 of their postseason games. "That's a strange stat everybody keeps throwing out there," said Houston coach Rick Adelman. "I guess we better pay attention to it. That's very important. We need to get into the game early." Adelman said his team played poor offense from the beginning of Game 5, even though they led 18-12 in the first six minutes. The Lakers finished the opening quarter with a 23-6 burst and the Rockets never challenged again. The Rockets have promised a better performance at the Toyota Center, where they've won 10 of their last 11 games. Recent Trends to Consider:
2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets When: Thurs, May 14, 2009 9:30 PM ET Line: SBGglobal.com Pick: Rockets +8.5 Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets The Bottom Line: The Lakers should cover the spread, but a straight out win might be a bit premature. Go Rockets! Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets Pick in now at SBGglobal.com and receive a 60% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.                        |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 May 2009 ) | |||||||