The LA Lakers look to rebound from their Game 4 road loss to the Denver Nuggets as Game 5 goes tonight, May 27, in Hollywood. The Western Conference Final is all knotted at two games apiece, while the Lakers have home court advantage. NBA oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Lakers as -6 point home favs over the Nuggets with the over/under set at 209 points. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com
The Nuggets won Game 4 in dominating fashion winning 120-101 as the trio of Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson dominated the boards 42-25 over the front court of Lakers Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. Carmelo Anthony had a poor shooting night making 3 of 16 from the field and 0 for 3 from the arc for a low 15pts. If he had a better shooting night the score would’ve been a lot higher. Their top scorers were Chauncey Billups with 24pts, while J.R. Smith was great off the bench adding an additional 24pts after making 4 of 9 from the arc. The Birdman has proven his worth at rebounding; he had four offensive rebounds at crucial moments in the game and 10 on defense. The Nuggets defense has managed to keep Pau Gasol quite by double teaming him and not allowing Gasol to set up. "One of our main focuses was trying to get the rebound so that way we can do our running game," Andersen said. "Our best offense is our defense and rebounding is a big part of that." Carmelo Anthony twisted his ankle last game but is expected to start tonight.
The Lakers couldn’t get anything going as they trailed from the start of the game to the final whistle. Kobe Bryant had a 34pt night, while Pau Gasol added 21pts 10 rebounds. Gasol was very verbal after the loss saying he wants the ball in his hands. "I just want to go with what's effective and what works out there and what's been working for us and what's a strength of ours," he said after Tuesday's practice. "I think we should explore that a little more." 0The mild-mannered Gasol complained about only taking four shots in the second half, he’s shooting 62 percent in the series, but he had only four free throws in the fourth quarter Monday. "I don't think there's many people who would say there's something right about it," he said afterward. "I wish we would take more advantage of our inside game, because it's pretty effective. It's unfortunate we don't recognize it enough." Fatigue has plagued the Lakers, they were pushed to the limit by Houston and had to jump right into the series against Denver. Denver had a week’s rest after eliminating Dallas in five; now that they have some games under their belts they are finding their stride. "They've been playing every other day since May and we've had our breaks and the advantage to heal our bodies is better than the Lakers," Andersen said. "Now we're starting to get back in our rhythm that we were at when the playoffs started." Home court is no longer a guaranteed win for the Lakers as you never know which Laker team will show up.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.
- Nuggets are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as an underdog.
- Nuggets are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.
- Nuggets are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog.
- Nuggets are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
- Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Lakers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.
- Lakers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.
2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets
When: Wed, May 27, 2009 8:30 PM ET
Line: Sportsbook.com
Pick: Nuggets +6
Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets
The Bottom Line: The Nuggets are a great shooting team with the talent in the paint. Go Nuggets! Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.
