Cnotes 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

NBA Finals Game 3 betting preview and odds: Warriors at Cavaliers

Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (+4.5, 216.5)

Warriors lead series 2-0.

The Cleveland Cavaliers badly need a victory if they plan on turning the NBA Finals into a true series. The Golden State Warriors won the first two games of the best-of-seven series and look to place Cleveland in a major hole when they visit the Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Cleveland forward LeBron James averaged 40 points in the first two games - including his epic 51-point outing in the opener - and it still wasn't enough to get his squad a victory. "I don't like the way I feel, the mood I'm in right now," James told reporters at his Tuesday media availability. "When you're down like this, a deficit like this against a team like this, there's no good feeling. I personally don't feel good today about the deficit we have. I feel great about (Wednesday), the opportunity we have." Warriors guard Stephen Curry made an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2 and is averaging 31 points in the series but he said his team has a lot of work still to do. "We understand how hard it is to win in this building," Curry told reporters. "No matter what's gone on in the series, when you change venues, you've got to reassert your dominance and try to find that right momentum to start. We have a great opportunity (Wednesday) to do that."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 5-point road favorites for Game 3 and as of Tuesday afternoon the pointspread is down slightly to 4.5. The total hit betting boards at 217.5 and is down to 216.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SF A. Iguodala (Questionable, Leg), SF C. Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).

Cavaliers - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (72-29 SU, 44-56-1 ATS, 46-54-1 O/U): Swingman Andre Iguodala (left knee) was termed questionable for Game 3 and it will be decided Wednesday whether or not he plays for the first since May 20. "He's doing better," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said at his Tuesday press conference. "He told me he's feeling better, so I would upgrade him to questionable. But I think he's getting closer, and I'm hopeful that he can play." Meanwhile, forward Kevin Durant is getting it done on the offensive end with back-to-back 26-point outings and he has topped 20 points in all 19 postseason games.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (62-40 SU, 41-60-1 ATS, 48-52-2 O/U): Playoff disappointment Rodney Hood will receive some minutes in Game 3 as Cleveland searches for anybody who can provide scoring punch to complement James and power forward Kevin Love. Hood was acquired from Utah Jazz in February and hasn't fit in and is averaging just 4.4 points in the postseason but coach Tyronn Lue said "we're going to give Rodney a chance" and Hood proclaims he is ready. "I don't know when it's going to come or what stage of the game, but just being ready," Hood, who has played just four minutes in the series, told reporters. "I've been preparing, I've been working hard, so if I get the opportunity, just go out there and play. Just have fun."

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 7-18 ATS in their last 25 games following a straight up win.
* Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Under is 6-1 in Warriors' last 7 road games.
* Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.

CONSENSUS:

56 percent of pointspread bets are on the underdog Cleveland Cavaliers while 55 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, June 6

Golden State @ Cleveland

Game 505-506
June 6, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
128.016
Cleveland
127.393
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 1
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 5
218
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+5); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, June 6

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GOLDEN STATE (72 - 29) at CLEVELAND (62 - 40) - 6/6/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 43-55 ATS (-17.5 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-49 ATS (-12.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-36 ATS (-15.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 66-44 ATS (+17.6 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 68-42 ATS (+21.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 41-59 ATS (-23.9 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-40 ATS (-19.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-41 ATS (-20.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 14-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, June 6

Game 3
Warriors won their last four games, by 29-9-10-21 points; they shot 57% from floor Sunday- Curry was 9-17 on arc, Durant/Thompson shot combined 18-27 from floor as Golden State jogged in Game 2. When Livingston/McGee shoot a combined 11-11, they ain’t losing. Cavs won their last eight home games, covered last four. Golden State won nine of last ten series games (7-3 vs spread), two of last three in Ohio. Over is 6-2 in last eight series games. Under is 9-3 in Warriors’ last 12 games, 5-2 in their last seven.

NBA Finals
GState 124-114 OT, -13, O217.5
GState 122-103, -11.5, O216.5

NBA

Wednesday, June 6

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Trend Report
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Cleveland
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 8 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 15 games at home
Cleveland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing at home against Golden State

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

Game 3 - Warriors at Cavaliers
June 5, 2018

NBA Finals Game 3 - Warriors lead 2-0
Golden State at Cleveland (ABC, 9:05 p.m. ET)

The 2018 NBA Finals move to Cleveland for Wednesday’s Game 3 at Quicken Loans Arena. Golden State takes a 2-0 series lead on the road after getting fortunate in Game 1 and making a statement in Game 2.

Late Sunday night after Steve Kerr’s team put the finishing touches on a 19-point home triumph, the Westgate SuperBook opened the Warriors as 5.5-point favorites for Wednesday’s Game 3 at Cleveland. The total was 217.5 points on the send-out, while the Cavaliers were +200 on the money line (risk $100 to win $200).

As of Tuesday morning, most spots had Golden State (72-29 straight up, 44-56-1 against the spread) installed as a 4.5-point road ‘chalk’ with a total of 217. The Cavs were +170 to win outright. For first-half wagers, many books were going with pick ‘em and a total of 110.5 points. As for the first quarter, the Cavs were one-half point ‘chalk’ (or -130 on the money line) with an ‘over/under’ of 56 points.

Sportsbook.ag is offering a couple of adjusted lines. For bettors extremely bullish on Golden State dealing out woodshed treatment in Game 3, a +240 payout can be had for laying 12.5 points on the Warriors. On the flip side, gamblers can lay 3.5 points with the Cavs for a +210 payout (paid $210 on $100 bets).

Golden State’s team total at most shops is 111 points (-110 either way), while Cleveland’s is 106.5 points (-110 either way). In the first half, the Warriors have an ‘over/under’ of 56 points (-115 either way) and the Cavs are at 55.5 points (-115 both ways).

The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag has the Warriors as -2500 ‘chalk,’ leaving the Cavs with 12/1 odds on the comeback (risk $100 to win $12,000). For gamblers bullish on Golden State to deal out broom treatment in four games, a +120 return can be had at the offshore book. The odds for the Warriors to win in five games are +130, six games +750 and seven games +1500 (or 15/1, risk $100 to win $1,500).

Cleveland (62-40 SU, 41-60-1 ATS) nearly took Game 1 at Oracle Arena this past Thursday night. LeBron James exploded for 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, draining 19-of-32 field-goal attempts, 3-of-7 treys and 10-of-11 free-throw attempts. His 51 points were a career-best in the postseason. Kevin Love added 21 points and 13 boards.

With the Cavs ahead by two after James converted a three-point play, Kevin Durant drove to the hole with 36.4 seconds remaining. He crashed into James, who took what was called a charge initially. The refs checked the replay to ensure that James wasn’t in the restricted area. He wasn’t. However, the refs can also reverse the call if they feel that replay shows the defender wasn’t in a legal guarding position when taking the charge. The officials opted to reverse the call in controversial fashion.

Nevertheless, after Durant tied the game by making a pair of FTs, James countered with a bucket and Cleveland was up by two. However, Steph Curry responded with a three-point play the hard way to put the Warriors up 107-106 with 23 ticks left. Cleveland’s George Hill was then fouled at the other end cutting to the basket with 4.7 seconds remaining.

Hill went to the FT line for two shots and made the first to knot the score. He missed the next FT but J.R. Smith grabbed the rebound. Then like a moron with absolutely zero idea of the clock-and-score situation, Smith dribbled the ball out toward halfcourt as if he thought his team was up by a point. The result was him eventually realizing his unfathomable mental gaffe and then passing to Hill on the wing, who had no time to get off a shot with any chance of going in.

In the extra session, Cleveland missed its first five shots and the Warriors went on a 9-0 run. They would win 124-114 but the Cavs covered the number as 12.5-point underdogs. The total was set to slip ‘under’ the 217.5-point total in regulation when there were 214 combined points, but the 24 extra points in OT allowed ‘over’ backers to cash tickets.

Curry scored a team-best 29 points in Game 1, hitting 11-of-23 FGAs and 5-of-11 launches from 3-point range. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out nine helpers compared to merely two turnovers. Durant had 26 points, nine boards, three blocks, one steal and six assists with only one turnover. Klay Thompson had 24 points thanks to 5-of-10 shooting from long distance, while Draymond Green finished with 13 points, 11 boards, five steals, two blocked shots and nine assists compared to just two turnovers. Shaun Livingston had back-to-back buckets early in OT, making all four of his FGAs and both of his FTs. He had two boards, one steal and three assists without a turnover in only 18-plus minutes of action.

In Sunday’s Game 2, Golden State used big runs in the second and fourth quarters to pull away for a 122-103 victory as an 11.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The 225 combined points elevated ‘over’ the 216.5-point total. After trailing by 13 at intermission, Cleveland trimmed the deficit to 82-77 with 2:50 left in the third but the Warriors finished the stanza on an 8-3 run to lead by 10 going into the final stanza. The Cavs got no closer than seven the rest of the way, and that was in the first minute and change of the final stanza. Golden State went ahead of the number to stay with just under six minutes remaining.

Curry was the catalyst with 33 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, draining 9-of-17 attempts from downtown. Durant had 26 points, nine boards, seven assists and a pair of blocks, while Thompson finished with 20 points. Green had five points, eight boards and seven assists without a turnover. JaVale McGee went 6-of-6 from the field in a 12-point effort, and Livingston once again was perfect by making 5-of-5 FGAs in a 10-point, five-rebound performance.

James had 29 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and two steals, while Love tallied 22 points and 10 boards. Hill added 15 points and Tristan Thompson finished with 11 points and five boards.

The Cavs have got to get some offense out of Smith and Kyle Korver, one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history. Smith was 2-of-9 from the field and 1-of-4 from long distance in a 5-point Game 2 effort. Korver missed all three FGAs and his only launch from behind the line. In Game 1, Korver made just 1-of-3 treys and missed his only FTA.

In 20 postseason games this year, Korver is averaging 9.0 points per game while burying 45-of-102 launches from 3-point territory (44.1%) and 17-of-19 FTAs (89.5%). It’s mandatory for the Cavs to get him some clean looks back at home.

Tyronn Lue’s club is 37-13 SU but just 17-32-1 ATS at home this season. Cleveland is 2-2 both SU and ATS in four games as a home underdog. One of those instances came on Jan. 15 when the Warriors came to town and emerged with a 118-108 victory as 5.5-point road favorites. The 226 combined points dropped ‘under’ the 233.5-point tally.

Durant led the way with 32 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals, while Curry finished with 23 points and eight assists on 4-of-8 shooting from downtown. Thompson had 17 points and Green produced 11 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and a pair of blocked shots. In the losing effort, James contributed 32 points, eight boards, six assists, four blocks and three steals. The Warriors trailed by seven at halftime but won the third quarter 36-27 and finished the final stanza on a 25-17 run.

Golden State is 33-16 SU and 22-27 ATS in its road assignments this year. The Warriors have covered the point-spread in each of their last 20 road playoff wins, which tells you that the odds haven't mattered and a lean on Cleveland on money-line might be the smarter play instead of taking the points.

You could make a strong case that James is playing the best basketball of his career in these playoffs. In 20 games so far, LBJ is averaging 34.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game. James has knocked down 54.4 percent of his FGAs, 35.5 percent of his 3-balls and 73.8 percent of his FTs. He played Game 2 with an eye injury after being poked in the series opener. The redness was apparent throughout Game 2, but he was still plenty effective.

Golden State is optimistic that veteran guard/forward Andre Iguodala, who is the team’s best defender and would be tasked with tailing James on most possessions, might be able to return for Game 3. He was listed as ‘questionable’ as of Tuesday. Iguodala, who garnered 2015 NBA Finals MVP honors, has missed six straight game since sustaining a knee contusion on a collision with Houston’s James Harden in Game 3 of the West finals on May 20.

VegasInsider.com NBA handicapper Kevin Rogers points out that home teams have fared well this postseason when trailing in series. Rogers said, “The Warriors look to jump out to a 3-0 series advantage over the Cavaliers for the second straight season. However, home teams trailing in a playoff series have done well this postseason by compiling a 5-2 SU/ATS record. The Cavaliers are a part of that group by routing the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Warriors are 1-1 in the postseason when leading a series 2-0 by beating the Spurs in Game 3 of the opening round, but they were blown out by the Pelicans in Game 3 of the conference semifinals.”

Chris David of VegasInsider.com weighed in on the total for Game 3.

“I’m surprised the number has dropped and I would expect the public to press the ‘over’ again come Wednesday night. The ‘over’ has gone 2-0 in this series and even though extra time was needed for most bettors in the opener, the high side was the right lean. Going back to last year’s finals matchups, the ‘over’ has cashed in six straight postseason meetings between the pair. The Warriors have certainly helped that cause, averaging 123.5 points per game over this span and while four of those games came at Oracle Arena they did score 116 and 118 in the finals at Quicken Loans Arena last summer,” David explained.

He added, “The team total for Golden State is set at 111 for Game 3 and it’s hard to imagine them being held below this number, especially against Cleveland’s defense. However, we have seen better defensive efforts from the Cavaliers at home in this year’s playoffs. Since losing Game 1 in the first round to the Pacers at home, Cleveland has ripped off eight straight wins and the defense has only allowed 97 PPG.”

As David mentioned, the ‘over’ has hit in the first two games of the Finals after the ‘under’ cashed in both regular-season encounters. Going back to Game 2 of last season’s Finals, the ‘over’ is on a 6-2 run in this rivalry. In those eight games, the lowest combined scores have been 225 and 191.

The ‘under’ is 54-46-1 overall for the Warriors, 28-21 in their road assignments. They’ve seen the ‘under’ go 6-1 in their past seven road outings.

The ‘under’ is 52-48-2 overall for Cleveland, 26-22-2 in its home games.

Tip-off on Wednesday is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- In previous playoff pieces, David talked about a popular playoff betting trend that focuses on the first-half and it's in play again on Wednesday. David said, "According to numbers from different sources and industry folks, teams down 0-2 in a playoff series while playing Game 3 at home have gone 31-4 ATS (88%) in first-half wagers over the last four postseasons. In this year's playoffs, the angle has gone 5-2 with Cavaliers, Wizards, Timberwolves, Bucks and Pelicans earning Game 3 winning tickets in the 'first-half' at home after being down 2-0. The two losses came by the Spurs in the first round and the 76ers in the second round. Cleveland's win within this system came in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals as they led Boston 61-41 after two quarters."

-- Golden State is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against Cleveland.

-- Sportsbook.ag has released the odds to win the 2019 NBA Finals. The Warriors are the +115 ‘chalk,’ followed by the Rockets (+450), 76ers (+450), Celtics (+800), Cavs (25/1), Lakers (25/1), Spurs (30/1), Heat (40/1), Raptors (60/1). Next, we have four clubs (Minnesota, Milwaukee, OKC and Utah) with 75/1 odds. The Hawks, Magic and Grizzlies are the biggest longshots with 100,000/1 odds.

-- Sportsbook’s updated odds to win Finals MVP honors in the current Cavs-Warriors IV showdown now has Curry as the enormous -400 ‘chalk.’ Next, Durant’s odds are at +250, followed by James (9/1), Thompson (50/1) and Draymond Green (75/1). The next-shortest (longest actually) are Love (50,000/1), Livingston (100,000/1), Hill (150,000/1) and Smith (250,000/1).

-- Former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams has joined Brett Brown’s staff in Philadelphia as the 76ers’ top assistant coach. Williams has been in the San Antonio front office the last two years. He was an assistant for Billy Donovan in OKC during Billy D’s first season, but Williams understandably left the team after his wife was tragically killed in a car accident.

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

Cavaliers facing critical Game 3 at home
June 6, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) For LeBron James, losing is no longer an option.

With Cleveland down 2-0 to Golden State in the NBA Finals, James knows better than anyone that he and the Cavaliers are facing a must-win situation in Game 3 on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. James acknowledged the Cavs are facing a ''tall task'' as it is against the Warriors, who are seeking their second straight title and third in four years.

Stephen Curry made nine 3-pointers in Golden State's Game 2 win, and the Warriors, who live by a ''Strength In Numbers'' slogan, could get back forward Andre Iguodala for Game 3. Iguodala has missed the past six games with a knee injury but practiced Tuesday.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue plans to switch up his rotation and play forward Rodney Hood, whose role has been reduced since the start of the postseason.

**********************

Cavs turning to seldom-used Hood
June 6, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) Rodney Hood's most significant moment in these playoffs came while sitting on the bench.

Well, he's getting up and getting in the NBA Finals.

Looking for an offensive weapon to negate Golden State's size and ability to switch assignments on defense, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he'll play Hood in Game 3 on Wednesday night in hopes of cutting into the Warriors' series lead.

Hood, who began this postseason in Cleveland's starting lineup, has been mostly a non-factor during the Cavs' spring run which included him refusing to check into the final minutes of a blowout win over Toronto in the second round.

That's not an option now.

''We're going to give Rodney a chance,'' Lue said following practice at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday. ''He'll get a shot and see how he does. He's been working, staying ready. So we'll see.''

Lue did not specify if Hood will start, when he'll come in, how much he'll play or whose minutes will be affected.

Hood promised to be ready for anything.

''I don't know when it's going to come or what stage of the game,'' Hood said. ''I've been preparing. I've been working hard, so if I get the opportunity, just go out there and play. Just have fun.''

Trailing 2-0, the Cavs are searching for some kind of spark and could find it if the 6-foot-8 Hood can tap into some of the offensive skills that made him attractive to Cleveland at the trading deadline.

He was acquired on Feb. 8 from Utah, and there were more than a few basketball experts who viewed the lean lefty as the best new piece on a day when the Cavs also dealt for guards George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and big man Larry Nance Jr.

Lue didn't get nearly enough in Games 1 and 2 in Oakland from J.R. Smith (5 of 19) or Kyle Korver (4 points). Korver has been completely neutralized by the Warriors, who are not giving him any room to shoot.

''It's hard because they switch out on everything,'' Lue said. ''So all the actions you run for Kyle, they just switch out to deny and take him away. When they are helping on LeBron's penetration, the one guy they're staying at home on is Kyle. They're not leaving his body.''

Unlike the 37-year-old Korver, Hood is quick enough to beat the Warriors off the dribble, create open space to shoot and maybe get to the rim. Defensively, he's got length and mobility.

He's shown flashes. The Cavs now need him to shine steadily.

''He's very talented,'' said forward Kevin Love. ''He's a guy that can step in and fill up a scoreboard. Left-handed. A little bit unorthodox in the way that he plays. Just having that height on him and that wingspan, and the ability to not only make shots, but on the defensive end to switch out. Also play a guy like K.D. (Kevin Durant) at his size and just make it tough on both ends of the floor for their team. That gives all of us a lot of confidence that he can come in and make an impact.''

Hood's short stay in Cleveland has been nondescript.

He averaged 16.8 points for the Jazz, but the 25-year-old never truly found his rhythm while coming off the bench for the Cavs over the regular season's final 21 games. Still, he was in Lue's starting lineup for the series opener against Indiana before Cleveland got beat soundly.

Hood saw spot duty the remainder of that series, and was essentially ineffective in three games against the Raptors before Lue tried to send him into the closing minutes of the clinching win on May 7 as the Cavs completed a sweep of the Eastern Conference's top-seeded team.

When Hood declined, it upset a few teammates. Hood insisted he wasn't protesting his reduced role and explained that there had been a mix-up. He apologized to the Cavs, many of whom laughed off the incident as minimal in a season overflowing with juicier drama.

While waiting for another chance, Hood has received positive support from Cleveland's coaches and former teammates, including Joe Johnson who could relate to his plight after sitting in Houston.

Hood is confident he's ready.

''Just going out there and try to help the team, on offense be aggressive and on defense just be physical,'' he said.

Hood struggled during a playoff series with Utah against Golden State a year ago, making just 1 of 15 3-pointers and shooting 12 of 38 overall.

Those stats don't matter now.

The only number that counts is his and will soon be called.

****************************

Cavs home looking to turn around Finals
June 5, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James laughed as he came around the backstage partition after arriving fashionably late for his crowded, post-practice news conference.

As he stepped onto the podium, back among friendly faces and in the building where he has done some of his finest work, James seemed at ease, almost content. No signs of stress anywhere.

Moments later, his demeanor shifted.

A few reminders about his team's urgent predicament against Golden State, questions about President Donald Trump and another review of Cleveland's heartbreaking loss in Oakland swung his emotions.

''I know it feels like we're down 2-0, and I don't like the way I feel,'' James said. ''I don't like the mood that I'm in right now. There's no, like, `OK, you're down 2-0 and you feel better than when you're down 2-0 before.' When you're down like this, in a deficit like this - versus a team like this - there's no good feeling. So I don't feel good about it.''

The Cavaliers may be in a dark place.

For the third time in the past four Finals, James and his teammates enter Game 3 against the Warriors in a win-or-make-summer-vacation-plans situation. After they wasted a 51-point effort by James - with a reversed official's call, missed free throw by George Hill and bone-headed move from J.R. Smith - and let Game 1 slip away in overtime , and following Stephen Curry's 3-point barrage in Game 2 , the Cavs are faced with the reality that their season, strange as it has been to this point, is in serious jeopardy.

However, coach Tyronn Lue, who plans to give disappointing forward Rodney Hood playing time on Wednesday night, feels his team can change the complexion of this series.

''We're very confident we can do that,'' Lue said. ''The guys are engaged and locked in. Winning tomorrow is a step forward, but then going out with Game 4 also. We're locked into doing that, and we know we can.

''We believe.''

It's easy to understand Lue's confidence. After what the Cavaliers have experienced this season, a 2-0 deficit in the Finals against a star-studded Warriors squad on the cusp of being stamped as a modern-day dynasty seems manageable.

Cleveland has endured injuries, trades, tragedy and drama for months. The Cavs, who climbed from a 2-0 hole to beat Boston in the conference finals, have major roster holes and unfixable flaws. There's no denying their toughness.

''We've been very persistent and very resilient throughout this whole season, no matter what has been going on,'' James said. ''We have an opportunity to come home and protect home, as Golden State has done. It's a very tall task. A very tough challenge going against these guys, going against this team.''

Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead are 29-4 in the Finals, but the Warriors know better than to be overconfident. They've learned the hard way.

Golden State held a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Finals before the Cavs rallied to win three straight and dethrone the Dubs. And last year, the Warriors trailed by six with 3:09 left before storming back to win 118-113 in Game 3.

Cleveland has won eight straight playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena, which may be louder than ever with hometown fans still frothing from some calls that went against the Cavaliers in the Bay Area last week.

Just the sight of Warriors forward Draymond Green should be enough to push the decibel readings inside the building to unsafe levels.

''I don't really think about being up 2-0 because the series could turn so fast,'' Warriors star Kevin Durant said. ''It's a great position to be in. I don't want to take that for granted; don't get me wrong. But the job is not done, and you can't relax or be comfortable when you're still trying to win this thing. We know coming on the road is going to be tougher.''

The Warriors may have Andre Iguodala back for the first time in the series.

One of the team's best defenders, Iguodala has missed six straight games with a left knee injury suffered in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Coach Steve Kerr said the 34-year-old has improved.

''He's getting closer, and I'm hopeful that he can play,'' Kerr said. ''If not tomorrow, then in Game 4.''

While Kerr looked forward, James was forced to take another glance back at Game 1.

On Sunday, uncut TV footage showed James uncomfortably sitting on Cleveland's bench next to Smith, who inexplicably dribbled out the final seconds of regulation. James was shown asking Lue if the team had any timeouts and then reacting as if he had been punched in the stomach when he learned the Cavs could have stopped the clock.

''Damn cameras,'' James joked when asked about the video. ''I finally got Game 1 out of my head. You're taking me back, huh?''

James, who is averaging 40 points, 10.5 assists and 8.5 rebounds in two games, abstains from social media during the postseason. He was unaware the video went viral or that he's being criticized for not inspiring his teammates.

''Me being criticized? I don't believe that,'' he said sarcastically. ''I don't care at all. I mean, we're in the NBA Finals. How much more picking up of teammates do you want me to do?''

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

Livingston, McGee giving Warriors big lift
June 5, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) Shaun Livingston and JaVale McGee have been giving the Golden State Warriors a huge lift in these NBA Finals by making every shot they take look easy.

Then again, they all have been easy.

Livingston is a perfect 9 for 9 from the field in this championship series. McGee is 8 for 9, and his lone miss came when he tried a dunk and stuffed the ball into the rim instead. The average distance of their made field goals is a staggeringly close 3 1/2 feet, which is basically gimme range in golf and darn close to gimme range in basketball as well - especially at this level.

For as spectacular as LeBron James has been in the first two games, his Cleveland Cavaliers are down 2-0 largely because the Warriors' supporting cast members like Livingston and McGee - journeymen of sorts - are soundly outplaying their Cavs' counterparts.

Stephen Curry is playing like an NBA Finals MVP, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have been brilliant, and Draymond Green is quietly averaging a near triple-double. But the Warriors' motto is ''strength in numbers,'' and Livingston and McGee are personifying that.

''It's just being aggressive, being in the right spot too,'' Livingston said. ''It's nothing really magical about what I do or how I've been playing. I've been fortunate enough to, you know, shoot at a high clip. But a lot of those are dunks. Also, just being in the right spot on the court.''

Livingston has taken three jumpers, all of them mid-rangers of about 13 feet, in this series. Everything else has been at the rim. McGee made one shot from about 6 feet; his other eight attempts from the floor have basically been dunks.

McGee was moved into the starting lineup for Game 2. He said Tuesday that he doesn't know if he'll stay there for Game 3 in Cleveland on Wednesday night.

''These are some of the greatest teams in the world, ever,'' McGee said. ''It's a beautiful thing to be a part of it and to be a contributor in it.''

It's a difficult enough spot for the Cavaliers to deal with Curry, particularly when he is coming off an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2. It's daunting to deal with Durant, one of the few guys in the league who can post up against James, turn and face the four-time MVP and shoot over him with relative ease. It's maddening to chase Thompson around and have him get shots off using his super-quick release, even when he's fairly well covered.

Golden State opponents expect that.

Livingston and McGee shooting 17 for 18, that just doesn't seem fair.

''I think when you're locked in and you're trying to take away K.D., you're trying to take away Steph and Klay, Livingston, McGee, they're going to get some shots,'' Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''We've just got to do a better job of taking away the easy dunks and layups around the basket. When you're focusing on those three guys, other guys are going to get shots. But we've got to do a good job of just taking away the easy ones.''

McGee got the Warriors off and running in Game 2 with two easy dunks to open the game. Golden State never trailed.

Livingston said that wound up being a huge energy boost for Golden State, and he knows that the Cavaliers will aim to take the easy ones at the rim away in Game 3. As such, the Warriors might already have a counter in mind for whatever anticipated adjustment Cleveland makes.

''Coaches, I think they have a good game plan moving forward, seeing maybe what kind of adjustments Cleveland can make,'' Livingston said. ''We just have to be ready. Steph, Kevin, Klay, our scorers, they take the majority of the load, right? So they get a lot of the attention and the pressure. I think we have to be ready, all us other guys, to relieve some of that pressure.''

************************************

Finals Outlook - Game 3
June 6, 2018

NBA Finals Game 3 Preview

He most certainly can’t do it all, but LeBron James is getting close to it. Even with an obscene output that has the King averaging an outrageous 40-10-8 line that seems out of this world, the Cavaliers aren’t anywhere close to competing with Golden State. That first game was right there, but a series of blown opportunities slipped right through the sweaty fingers of the Cavaliers.

J.R. Smith has received a rightful amount of criticism (amongst other things) for his gaffe at the end of regulation in Game 1, but we really have to look at this from multiple viewpoints. LeBron could’ve missed a shot that Kevin Durant was blitzing to block anyways. The Cavaliers are not a phenomenal team coming out of timeouts, so 4.5 seconds (or whatever it was) may not have been enough time to get a good shot off. There’s no telling if the chance that the Cavs hypothetically afforded themselves would’ve hypothetically mattered.

The point isn’t that J.R. Smith does J.R. Smith things, it’s that the Cavaliers simply haven’t had great luck this entire series. In Game 2 things didn’t get any better as the Warriors casually smacked them upside the head in a 122-103 blowout that felt much worse. Cleveland went 3-for-19 in terms of open shots and making even half of those would’ve given them the fight that they showed during Game 1. The truth is that there’s no such thing as an easy bucket against Golden State.

Cleveland doesn’t have a second weapon and that becomes painfully obvious the longer this series goes on. Smith himself is averaging just 7.5 points in this series through two games, which would send off alarm bells if he didn’t average 11.3 points per game in the three NBA Finals meetings with the Warriors prior to this one. Even worse? He’s only scored 20+ points twice.

Kevin Love is the obvious go-to guy in this regard, but his 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds this series so far are pretty much his ceiling. His best playoff series came last year against Boston where he averaged 22.6 and 12.4 in a 4-1 SU stomping during the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s not that his virtual 20-10 isn’t useful, it’s just that it’s not really going to get much better. Love has scored 30+ points just once in his entire playoff career (which isn’t that long to be fair).

Kyle Korver’s projections are worse. Larry Nance’s aren’t very good. Don’t get me started on Jordan Clarkson or Jeff Green. The point is that there just aren’t enough guys on Cleveland that can score enough points to keep up with a Golden State team that doesn’t seem capable of running out of gas.

To gain a glimpse in to where the 2018 NBA Finals is headed mathematically, you only really need to look at what the oddsmakers think in the NBA Series Props section. They’ve have two listings at the top of the charts for total games played – one is for 4.5 games where the OVER is favored at -160 and one for 5.0 games where the UNDER is favored at -220. This seems like a whacky way to build a “push” in to your bet, but the truth is that the guys who use computers and (hopefully) brains to put these odds together have essentially surmised that this series is headed towards a sweep.

You can flat out bet on Golden State to win Game 4 at +125 against Game 5 at +130 (or Game 6 at +800 and Game 7 at +1400) in the NBA Series props section. That was probably a cleaner way to show you just how probable a sweep was now that I think about it.

It’s not just that Golden State is a far better team, it’s that they know that they can just flick a switch and start bombarding a Cleveland team that is too shell shocked form its own mortality to fight back. The -4.5 points that the Warriors are getting feel like a gift from the oddsmakers. That -172 moneyline seems like the Lock of the Freaking Year.

What isn’t quite clear is why the books consider Cleveland to basically be +8.0 at home versus on the road. Forget the opponent. Even with a 35 point shellacking of the Raptors and a 30 point win over the Celtics in these playoffs, Cleveland is just +8.6 against their Eastern Conference playoff rivals when hosting. That positive point differential is paired with a relatively remarkable 8-1 SU record that is leveled out with a 4-5 ATS run.

For whatever it’s worth, Cleveland’s more promising home court advantage is leveraged against a -7.7 point differential when travelling in the post season that matches an awful 4-7 SU and 5-6 ATS record.

So I guess I can understand why the oddsmakers think Boston is worth +8.0 more points at home compared to when they visit Oracle. They have a near-15-point differential between home and away games this year. But it’s also clear that Indiana, Boston and Toronto are on an entire tier down from the Golden State Warriors.

As everyone else is, I’m excited to see if Cleveland can find an answer. But with Igoudala coming back to bolster an already incredibly fluid lineup, things will get harder for Cleveland. As if they weren’t hard enough.

Game 3 NBA Free Pick – Golden State -4.5 over Cleveland (UND 216.5)

CNOTES · Jun 6, 2018

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at CLE 09:00 PM

CLE +4.0

U 216.5

CNOTES · Jun 7, 2018

Warriors take 3-0 Finals lead over Cavs
June 6, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) Kevin Durant pushed the Golden State Warriors to dynasty's doorstep.

LeBron James may be at the door.

Durant scored 43 points, draining a long 3-pointer in the final minute to cap his magnificent performance, and the Warriors beat James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-102 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night to move within a victory of a sweep, their second straight title and third championship in four years.

No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs.

It might be time to order some champagne from Napa Valley.

With the Cavs down 103-100, Durant stood defiantly and almost motionless after dropping his 33-footer - almost from the same spot from where he hit one in Game 3 last year - and effectively ended the fourth straight finals matchup between two teams who have gotten to know each other well since 2015.

After Durant scored, Stephen Curry and Draymond surrounded Durant and screamed at their teammate, who calmly walked toward the bench.

''I tried to just stay in the zone,'' Durant said, acknowledging he was nervous the Cavs could still come back.

Durant said the similarity with last year's shot - a moment that helped define his first championship - didn't occur to him.

''No, not at all,'' he said of the comparison. ''I just took the shot.''

There was nothing the Cavs could do.

''It was like deja vu watching him hit that shot again,'' Cavs forward Kevin Love said.

Golden State will now have four chances to wrap up its title starting with Game 4 on Friday night. The Warriors are trying to join a select list of teams to win three championships in four years.

James scored 33 points and Kevin Love added 20 for the Cavs, who have fallen into a hole in which no team has ever emerged. Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Warriors in the 2016 finals, but that was when Durant was in Oklahoma City and James had a different supporting cast.

''We had our chances,'' James said. ''You can't make mistakes. They're not going to beat themselves.''

The Warriors won despite a 3-of-16 shooting performance from Curry, who did come up big down the stretch as the Cavs were trying to salvage their season.

Now Cleveland could be down to one final game with James, who recorded his 10th triple-double in the finals. The three-time champion can opt out of his $35.6 million contract and test free agency this summer, and it may be time for the 33-year-old to find a team capable of beating the Warriors.

These Cavs can't figure it out.

Durant, who tilted this rivalry toward the West Coast when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent before last season, was brilliant from the start. He helped offset a rough night for Curry, who made a finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2, but was just 1 of 10 from behind the arc and didn't score his second field goal until there were under three minutes left.

Curry's scoop shot put the Warriors up 98-97 and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala, who didn't play in Games 1 or 2 because of a knee injury, came up with a steal under the basket. Curry finally buried a 3 and after James matched him with a long shot, Iguodala drove the lane for a thundering dunk.

Moments later, Durant delivered his dagger to silence Cleveland's crowd.

''The shot clock was running down, I was pretty far out, I just wanted to get a look,'' Durant said. ''I didn't want to run there and shoot a bad shot, fall on the ground and they got numbers going the other way so I decided to pull up.''

James made a layup to pull the Cavs within four, it was too little too late as the Warriors closed it out and beat Cleveland for the fourth straight time in finals games.

With JaVale McGee getting three point-blank shots at the rim, the Warriors opened the third quarter with a 9-3 spurt and it wasn't long before they took their first lead on Curry's two free throws.

Durant scored 24 in the first half, when the Warriors attempted 13 free throws to zero for the Cavs, a disparity that induced further wrath on the officials from Cleveland fans still stinging from the now infamous reversed call in Game 1.

The Cavs needed a strong start, and they got it helped by a playground move from James.

Dribbling near the foul lane, he used a head fake on McGee before stepping past the Warriors center. James then threw the ball off the backboard to himself and crushed a two-handed dunk - he pulled off a similar stunt in last year's finals - that sent Cleveland's bench and fans into a frenzy.

As Lue had hoped, Cleveland was more physical and won several 50-50 balls while outrebounding and outworking the Warriors, who spent much of the first half barking about the officiating.

The problem, though, was that the Cavs couldn't stop Durant. He wouldn't allow Cleveland to pull too far ahead and the superstar made up for an ineffective Curry.

James arrived at 6 p.m. dressed more casually - camouflage pants, purple hoodie, ''Billionaire Boys Club'' baseball cap - than on the road where he and the Cavs have been wearing suits during the postseason.

Everything is more relaxed and familiar at home for James and his teammates, who were counting on a return to their own noisy building, where they play better and shoot better, to get them back into the series.

The Warriors had other plans.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Draymond Green passed Wilt Chamberlain (922) for the most rebounds in Warriors playoff history. ... Klay Thompson played in his NBA-high 390th game over the last four seasons. Green is second with 387, while James is third at 381. ... Green and Tristan Thompson, who have tangled all series, were both slapped with technical following an exchange in the first quarter. ...

Cavaliers: Kyle Korver continued to struggle. He missed all four shots and is now 8 of 29 dating to Game 1 of last year's Finals. ... James (238) broke a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and moved into fourth place for the most playoff games. Only Derek Fisher (259), Tim Duncan (251) and Robert Horry (244) have made most postseason appearances. ... There was an awkward moment at the start of Lue's pregame news conference when he was asked by a foreign reporter who he expected to be the key player in Game 3. ''LeBron James, I guess,'' he said with a laugh.

HOOD HELPS

Lue gave Rodney Hood a chance and the seldom-used forward came through with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting with six rebounds. Hood only played four minutes in the first two games.

UP NEXT

Game 4 is Friday night.

CNOTES · Jun 7, 2018

Cavaliers let chances slip away
June 7, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) They had their chances.

All of these events were downright ideal for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Stephen Curry's shooting game was awful for most of the night, Klay Thompson's wasn't much better, the Cavs led by as many as 13 in the first half and some non-producers from the first two games of these NBA Finals were starting to finally give LeBron James the contributions he's craved.

And it still wasn't enough.

Another chance was wasted, and the season is now just about over.

Game 3 went down as a loss, and now the Cavaliers find themselves in the hole from which no NBA team has ever escaped. Golden State rallied to top Cleveland 110-102 on Wednesday night to take a 3-0 lead in the finals, with a chance to clinch their second straight championship Friday when this series resumes.

James was fantastic, again: 33 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The Cavaliers rolled the dice and put Rodney Hood into the series, and got 15 points from him. Kevin Love had 20 points and 13 rebounds and J.R. Smith finished with 13 points, finally making some shots.

They just couldn't stop Kevin Durant.

With Curry and Thompson non-factors much of the game, combining for 21 points on 7 for 27 combined shooting, Durant finished with a playoff career-best 43 points.

Game 1 of this series will be remembered by how Cleveland let it get away; the botched rebound by Smith to be forever played as one of those quintessential wish-you-had-it-back moments. Game 3 of this series will probably be remembered by how the Cavaliers, even with Curry missing 13 of his first 14 shots, dominated stretches of the first half and went into the locker room only up by six.

They were asking for trouble.

They're now in trouble.

''I thought we played a good first half,'' Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''They're going to make runs. That's what this team does. To be up six at the half after being up 13 ... they're going to make runs. We understand that.''

So this series is just about finished, or at least, that's what the history books say. The 3-0 deficit has, until now, been insurmountable in NBA playoff annals. Not even the most optimistic Cleveland fan could expect that to change in the coming days.

The next two days will be angst-laden for Cleveland, though hardly anyone should be fretting the outcome of this series. The mystery is gone, and Golden State - which hasn't lost four consecutive games in the same season since 2013, back when Mark Jackson was coaching the Warriors instead of calling their games on ABC and ESPN - needs only to avoid an apocalyptic collapse to win their third title in four years.

No, the angst will be about James. Again.

Another ''Summer of LeBron'' could start as early as Friday night, and every basketball fan is very aware of that.

James can be a free agent, and there's a real sense around the NBA that this summer - just like in 2010, when he left for Miami - could be packing up and leaving his native northeast Ohio once again. He has taken Cleveland to the NBA Finals now five times, and this now looks certain to be his fourth loss in those. He was 2-2 in four trips to the NBA Finals with Miami.

A bounce here, a couple stops there, the Cavs could be leading.

Instead, Cleveland is only left to wonder if James is a game from leaving.

CNOTES · Jun 7, 2018

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY JUNE 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

*********************

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

06/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/31/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

TOTALS............3-1-0 100.00% +9.50

*****************

NBA BEST BETS:...............ATS....................UNITS.. .....................O/U..................UNITS.........TOTAL

06/06/2018....................0 - 1.....................-5.50......................1- 0....................+5.00..........-0.50
05/31/2018....................1 - 0....................+5.00......................1 - 0...................+5.00..........+10.00

TOTALS...........................1- 1.....................-0.50......................2 - 0...................+10.00.........+9.50

CNOTES · Jun 7, 2018

Thursday’s 6-pack

These were some prop bets on Wednesday’s NBA game:

— Largest lead for either team: 17 points— under

— 3-pointers made by both teams: 23.5— under

— Points scored by Kevin Durant: 29.5— over

— Points scored by Klay Thompson: 19— under

— Points scored by Golden State: 110.5— under

— Points scored by Cleveland: 106— under

Quote of the Day
“As far as our league is concerned, it will have nothing to do with politics, absolutely nothing, and nothing to do with social issues, either. We’re there to play football. We want really good football, and I think that’s what fans want as well.”
XFL founder Vince McMahon

Thursday’s quiz
What was the name of the team Roy Hobbs played for in The Natural?

Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie Draft Day, Kevin Costner played the GM of the Cleveland Browns.

Tuesday’s quiz
Montreal Expos once drafted Tom Brady as a catcher, in the 18th round of the ’95 draft. He was a left-handed hitter.

**********************

Thursday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Can’t be lot of fun for these major league managers of losing teams when they face the media day after day when they’re losing most of their games. Watching Mickey Callaway of the Mets, who is a rookie manager— you try to stay as positive as possible in your press conferences, but losing sucks- Mets have scored two runs in their last 42 innings.

12) NBA teams that fall behind 2-0 in playoff series have won only 20 of those 301 series.

Lebron James’ teams have fallen behind 2-0 in seven series, but won three of them.

11) List of pitchers who struck out the side on nine pitches more than once in their career: Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Max Scherzer.

Scherzer is obviously still active; the other four are all in the Hall of Fame.

10) During OTA’s this week, new Chicago Bears’ coach Matt Nagy showed his team the JR Smith brain cramp from Game 1 of the NBA Finals as a teaching moment for the importance of proper clock management.

9) Sounds like Michigan basketball coach John Beilein netted himself roughly a $500K annual raise from the Wolverines after his flirtation with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

8) On the first day of legal sports betting in Delaware, $322,135 was wagered. The governor of Delaware made the first bet, putting $10 on the Phillies (+$190) to win, and they did win.

7) US Open golf tournament is next week on Long Island; Eldrick Woods will be staying on his 155-foot, $20 million yacht that is docked at the Montauk Yacht Club. Shinnecock CC where the Open will be held is in the town of Southampton, about an hour from the yacht club.

6) With the US Open next week, there are only nine players out of the world’s top 50 in the Memphis Open this week,

5) In 46 career games vs Texas, A’s OF Khris Davis has 47 RBI.

4) JD Martinez hit his 20th home run Tuesday; last year, the first Boston player to reach 20 home runs did so on August 29.

3) Cardinals pitching prospect Alex Reyes will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to re-attach a tendon in his lat.

Angels’ SS Andrelton Simmons goes on the DL with an ankle injury.

Diamondbacks acquired OF Jon Jay from the Royals in exchange for pitchers Gabe Speier, Elvis Luciano.

2) John Calipari’s in-laws have been married for 65 years. Wow, good for them.

1) Reds lost 9-6 Tuesday, despite getting 17 hits; it was the first time they got 17 hits in a 9-inning game and lost since September, 1984 against San Diego.

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

Friday’s 6-pack

— Utah Valley coach Mark Pope signed a 2-year deal to stay with the Wolverines.

— In their last eight home games, Mets are 1-32 with men in scoring position.

— Patriots’ WR Julian Edelman is getting a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

— Patriots play Detroit in Week 3, by the way. Lions are now coached by Matt Patricia, who has been the New England defensive coordinator the last few years.

— Charles Barkley got to ride in the Goodyear Blimp Thursday.

— In their last 10 games, Dodger starting pitchers threw 35 innings, relievers 54.

Quote of the Day
“TO is making a mistake. This is the greatest individual honor a football player can achieve. Many of the greatest players of all time have had to wait their turn. They have then accepted with humility and class. It’s not about how you got there, it’s that you made it.”
Tedy Bruschi, talking about Terrell Owens skipping his Hall of Fame enshrinement

Friday’s quiz
Where did Terrell Owens play college football?

Thursday’s quiz
Roy Hobbs played for the New York Knights in The Natural.

Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie Draft Day, Kevin Costner played the GM of the Cleveland Browns.

**************************

Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) When Kevin Durant moved from the Thunder to Golden State as a free agent, he ruined the NBA playoffs. At least for a while.

Competitive balance is what makes sports interesting to watch; it is why the NFL is so damn popular, any team can win from year to year. The NBA is sorely lacking that right now- the same two teams met in the finals the last four years. No bueno.

12) Durant bolted a very strong Oklahoma City team that led Golden State 3-1 in Western finals two years ago; since then, the Warriors are 31-6 in NBA playoff games. 31 wins, 6 losses.

How the hell is a team supposed to beat Golden State four out of seven now when they’re 31-6 against the whole league when it counts the most? Houston came close this year, but it seems like the only way Golden State won’t keep winning titles is if they get a ton of injuries.

11) In their Game 3 win over Cleveland, the Warriors took 26 3-pointers, 44 shots in the paint, and only 11 2-point shots outside the paint.

Analytics people are pretty adamant about not taking 2-point shots outside the paint, but no matter where you shoot from, you still have to have guys who make those shots.

10) You can bet on just about anything, including teams in each quarter. In their last 20 games, Golden State Warriors are 15-5 vs spread in 3rd quarter.

9) 76ers and Bryan Colangelo “parted ways”, a nice way of saying they told hm to take a hike over Colangelo’s wife having burner Twitter accounts that criticized people, disclosed medical information that she obviously got from her husband.

It is unclear whether Colangelo knew that his wife was doing this. Doesn’t matter now.

8) Some things are so weird you couldn’t possibly make them up. Terrell Owens informed the Pro Football Hall of Fame he won’t attend his own induction ceremony in August, apparently because he is annoyed that he wasn’t voted in until his third year of eligibility. Oy.

7) Las Vegas Bowl ended its association with the Mountain West, starting in 2020, when the new Las Vegas domed stadium opens. From 2020 on, a Pac-12 team will play another power-5 team in the Las Vegas Bowl.

6) There was a cool article in the New York Times Thursday on Sammy Gelfand, the Warriors’ 31-year old analytics guy who has worked his way up from an internship with a sports agents’ firm to a member of the Golden State front office.

The guy is my hero, and I mean that. Hope he is enjoying the experience.

5) JT Realmuto doubled twice, hit a triple Wednesday, and was also hit by two pitches, which makes him the first player in the live-ball era, for any team, to have three extra-base hits and two hit-by-pitches in the same game.

4) Shohei Ohtani left Wednesday night’s game with Kansas City with a blister problem; Angels are playing well this year, but Ohtani has started only nine games, thrown around 50 innings.

3) Former Indiana/UAB coach Mike Davis is the new coach at Detroit Mercy; he had been at Texas Southern the last seven years. Now at least he can play some home games before conference play starts- at Texas Southern, all his non-league games were on the road.

2) They told an interesting story on the Rockies game Wednesday about Colorado pitching coach Steve Foster; in 1993, Foster was doing well pitching for the Reds- he was 26, and was a guest on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show in LA, where he threw some balls at milk bottles, like you would at the county fair. No big deal.

Foster pitched against the Dodgers that night, did well, but when he woke up the next day, his arm hurt badly and he never pitched again. He denies the Tonight Show caused any injury, and now he is a major league pitching coach. Go figure.

1— RIP Red Schoendienst, 95, a Hall of Famer who played/managed the Cardinals. He was 95 years old. People in St Louis referred to him as “Mr Cardinal” which is something when you realize that Stan Musial and Bob Gibson were also Cardinals.

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

NBA Finals Game 4 betting preview and odds: Warriors at Cavaliers

Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (+4.5, 215.5)

Warriors lead series 3-0.

The Golden State Warriors aim to finish off a four-game sweep of Cleveland when they visit the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals on Friday. Golden State is striving to win its third title in four seasons as well as become the first team to sweep the best-of-7 finals since the San Antonio Spurs dispatched the Cavaliers in four games in 2007.

The Cavaliers are the 14th team to fall behind 0-3 in the NBA Finals - the other 13 lost the series - and insist they aren't going to roll over. "We're going to keep fighting," Cleveland center Tristan Thompson told reporters. "It's the first team to four wins, right? We're on our home floor. For ourselves and for our fans, we've got to go out there and give everything we've got." The Warriors rode Kevin Durant's 43-point outing to Wednesday's 110-102 win in Game 3 and don't plan to let up on the pedal after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers two years ago. "You never know, crazy things that can happen, turn of events in a series that could take place," Golden State forward Draymond Green told reporters. "So you have the opportunity to close out, you want to do that. So you come in, take full advantage of the opportunity in front of us."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 5.5-point road favorites for Game 4 and as of Thursday night the pointspread is down slightly to 4.5. The total hit betting boards at 216 and is down to 215.5.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "This is the same situation as last year when Golden State had a commanding 3-0 series lead in Cleveland. The Warriors were blown out in Game 4 last year when the Cavaliers won easily 137-116 as a 4.5-point home underdog. However, Golden State probably wanted to clinch the championship at home last year in Game 5, and they might now care more about getting a NBA Finals sweep this year. Also, Cleveland got a huge game from Kyrie Irving last year when he scored 40 points in Game 4, and he is of course no longer on the roster." - Steve Merril.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SF A. Iguodala (Probable, Leg), SF C. Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).

Cavaliers - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (73-29 SU, 45-56-1 ATS, 46-55-1 O/U): Durant reiterated Thursday that he will return to Golden State next season - the apparent plan is to opt-out of his current two-year, $51 million deal and sign a richer one. He said there is a different feeling with the team in its second NBA Finals with him on the roster. "It's just a different vibe because we've been through a season with each other already as champions, going through a whole season," Durant said at a press conference on Thursday. "So we know exactly what we need to do in order for us to win. We wanted to do that, focus on that as much as possible. The emotions, and all that stuff, doesn't really matter."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (62-41 SU, 41-61-1 ATS, 48-53-2 O/U): LeBron James could be playing his final game for Cleveland before entering free agency and he said Thursday that he was against veteran Dwyane Wade being traded when the club shuffled its roster at the trading deadline. James ran down the Golden State roster and mentioned all the stars and their exploits before sliding in a mention that his squad also has some talented players. "We've had an opportunity to win two of these games in this three-game series so far, and we haven't come up with it," James said in a press conference. "Obviously, from a talent perspective, if you're looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they're stacked better than us."

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Over is 6-1 in Warriors' last 7 NBA Championship games.
* Under is 11-5 in Cavaliers last 16 home games.
* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS:

52 percent of pointspread bets are on the favored Golden State Warriors while 60 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, June 8

Golden State @ Cleveland

Game 507-508
June 8, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
127.753
Cleveland
127.655
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
Even
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 5 1/2
216
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+5 1/2); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, June 8

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GOLDEN STATE (73 - 29) at CLEVELAND (62 - 41) - 6/8/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 44-55 ATS (-16.5 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-36 ATS (-14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-25 ATS (-12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 69-42 ATS (+22.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 41-60 ATS (-25.0 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 17-33 ATS (-19.3 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-41 ATS (-20.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 12-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 15-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, June 8

Game 4
Warriors won their last five games, by 29-9-10-21-8 points; they shot 52% from floor in Game 3 after shooting 57% in Game 2- Durant scored 43 Wednesday as Curry was 1-10 on arc. When Warriors’ subs shoot a combined 11-16, they ain’t losing. Cavs won eight of their last nine home games, covered four of last five. Golden State won 10 of last 11 series games (8-3 vs spread), three of last four in Ohio. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games. Under is 10-3 in Warriors’ last 13 games, 6-2 in their last eight.

NBA Finals
GState 124-114 OT, -13, O217.5
GState 122-103, -11.5, O216.5
GState 110-102, -3.5, U216

NBA

Friday, June 8

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Trend Report
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 13 games
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Golden State's last 8 games on the road
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 9 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cleveland's last 16 games at home
Cleveland is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing Golden State

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

A perfect ending awaits the Warriors
June 7, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) By Golden State standards, this season was downright bumpy.

The Warriors won only 58 regular-season games, by far their fewest in this four-year run of excellence. They went 7-10 in their final 17 games of the regular season. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala all got hurt. They needed to win a Game 7 on the road to reach the NBA Finals, and they could have easily lost two of the first three games of this series.

Yet here they are.

Golden State is on the cusp of another NBA championship, holding a 3-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers going into Game 4 of the finals. The Warriors could be champions again as early as Friday night, and this crown - after experiencing plenty of turbulence this season - would most definitely be one to savor.

''Going into this season, I don't think anybody could have guessed or predicted the ups and downs and the roller coaster we've been on,'' Curry said Thursday as the Warriors prepped for the possible clincher. ''So, definitely a different year, just overall, personally with injuries, as a team with dealing with injuries, dealing with the kind of expectations that have been placed on us from the outside and the noise around us as a team.''

They went 67-15 on the way to the NBA title in 2015, matched that record on the way to another title last season and went 73-9 - the best record in league history - in 2016 only to fall short in the finals against Cleveland. That series, one where the Warriors led 3-1, changed when they couldn't finish the job while being presented with serious adversity.

This year, there's been a toughness to go along with the finesse.

They overcame deficits of 17 and 15 points against Houston in the final two games of the Western Conference finals, the second of those on the Rockets' home floor. They overcame an 11-point deficit in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Cleveland, and rallied from 13 points down to beat the Cavaliers in Game 3 on Wednesday.

They needed 27 starting lineups in the regular season, and five so far in the playoffs. But they're one win away from getting their fingerprints all over another Larry O'Brien Trophy.

''You can never count out a champion, no matter what's going on in the course of their season,'' Cleveland star LeBron James said, lauding the Warriors. ''It's impossible to do that, because they're built from a different cloth, and I know that firsthand. When you win a championship and you're around guys for a long period of time, and you know what you're capable of doing, all you need is to get healthy.

''If you can get healthy and guys are playing at the right level at the same time, then you can feel like you can beat anybody.''

They got healthy.

And they're about to beat everybody.

They did it the hard way, without question. Houston finished seven games ahead of the Warriors in the regular season, earning the right to be the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. If the Rockets had Chris Paul for Game 6 or Game 7 of that series, if Paul's hamstring hadn't betrayed him at the worst possible time, then the Warriors could very well be on vacation right now.

''Every season is very different,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''Every journey is a new one each season. Yet the cumulative effect on multiple journeys adds up, and we have felt that this year. I think it's been our most inconsistent season. It's been our most difficult season. But our guys sense the finish line, and they turned it on right from the beginning of the playoffs defensively.''

The finish line is now within sight.

If the Warriors finish this off - no team in NBA history has blown a 3-0 series lead - then all the hiccups of the regular season will be forgotten. There will be a parade in the Bay Area before long, championship rings to hand out and another banner to unfurl on opening night next season, and more free agents likely will take a look at signing with Golden State in an effort to add to their own jewelry collections.

But if things get rocky next season, the Warriors will also have the experiences from this year to draw upon. In short, not looking their best at times this season might ultimately make them better.

''It's been a crazy ride,'' Curry said. ''So now we've just got to finish the job.''

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

LeBron praises "stacked" Warriors
June 7, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James was relaxed, reflective and even resigned to his fate.

The end of the series, season and maybe his second stint in Cleveland, are near.

The Golden State Warriors have made his eighth straight NBA Finals - and their seasonal rivalry with the Cavaliers - very one-sided.

Still weary and wrestling with emotions after losing Game 3 on Wednesday night, when Kevin Durant scored 43 points and shot the Warriors within one win of their third title in four years, James pointed out Thursday what has become terrifyingly obvious.

The Warriors are at another level. And may be for a while.

''Obviously, from a talent perspective, if you're looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they're stacked better than us. Let's just speak truth,'' James said before rattling off Golden State's embarrassment of riches.

''Kevin Durant,'' he said. ''You've got two guys with MVPs on their team. And then you've got a guy in Klay (Thompson) who could easily be on a team and carry a team, scored 40 in a quarter before. And then you have Draymond (Green), who is arguably one of the best defenders and minds we have in our game. So you have that crew.

''Then you add on a Finals MVP coming off the bench (Andre Iguodala), a No. 1 pick in (Shawn) Livingston and an All-Star in David West and whatever the case may be. So they have a lot of talent.''

Too much, it seems, for these Cavs.

James wasn't making excuses for Cleveland's postseason pickle because if not for a reversed official's call or J.R. Smith's brain-lock in the closing seconds of regulation in Game 1 or Durant's brilliance in Game 3, the Cavs could be leading the series.

The three-time champion, though, was being open and honest about the Cavs' chances to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.

To this point, 131 have tried, and 131 have failed.

''We've been in a position where we could win two out of these three games,'' said James, who had 33 points and his 10th Finals triple-double in Game 3. ''So what do we have to do? Do we have to make more shots? Is it we have to have our minds into it a little bit more? Is it if there is a ball on the ground we can't reach for it but you've got to dive for it?''

Those were today's relevant questions. Tomorrow, they'll be different ones if the Warriors, who have dealt with adversity all season, sweep the Cavs.

James is headed toward free agency and then where: Los Angeles? Philadelphia? Houston?

Or will he decide it's too painful to part again with Cleveland, his basketball home for 11 seasons and just up the highway from his actual home in Akron?

The 33-year-old plans to consider everything once the season ends, but he offered some clues about what he'll consider before making his next move, a decision that will dwarf any other NBA news in July. James also laid out a potential blueprint for the Cavs to follow if they want to keep him.

Bottom line: James needs better, smarter teammates.

No player in the league understands the current climate better than James, who formed a super-team in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and won two NBA titles before returning to Cleveland and joining forces with All-Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Cavs' reign lasted only one year, destroyed by Durant's shocking departure from Oklahoma City for the 73-win Warriors, a team he couldn't beat but was glad to join.

James said his decision to bolt from the Cavs the first time was simple.

''I knew that my talent level here in Cleveland couldn't succeed getting past a Boston, getting past the San Antonios of the league or whatever the case may be,'' he said.

But beyond the talent disparity, James said the key to winning a championship is ''you've got to be very cerebral too.''

James then explained what it takes to be the last team standing, and in the process seemed to take a swipe at unnamed current and former teammates.

''So now everyone is trying to figure that out,'' he said. ''How do you put together a group of talent but also a group of minds to be able to compete with Golden State, to be able to compete for a championship? That's what GMs and presidents and certain players, it's not every player. Every player does not want to - sad to say - but every player doesn't want to compete for a championship and be in a position where every possession is pressure.''

Months of weight will lifted off him once the Warriors, who haven't lost four straight games since 2013, are crowned again.

This series has been a painful reminder to James that the great teams have more than one king.

''When you make mistakes they make you pay,'' he said, ''because they're already more talented than you are but they also have the minds behind it, too, and they also have the championship DNA.''

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

Curry says another title will do if no MVP
June 8, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Before the NBA Finals began, Stephen Curry could only chuckle at how long it took for someone to inquire about how badly he wants to add a finals MVP to his decorated resume.

Maybe a minute passed.

Curry has earned two NBA MVPs, set the single-season 3-point record, captured a pair of championships and is on the cusp of a third. He doesn't need the finals MVP, another title will do just fine.

It might come down to Curry and teammate Kevin Durant for series MVP with the Warriors up 3-0 on LeBron James and the Cavaliers going into Game 4 on Friday night with a chance to clinch at Cleveland.

''It took to the second question of my first media availability, so I'm pretty sure that narrative's going to take life, as it has since 2015,'' Curry said. ''But it doesn't make or break my career or whatever you want to say looking back. If we win this championship and I don't win finals MVP, I'm going to be smiling just as wide and just as big.''

Sure, if he could edge out KD, then Curry would join the big names of James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone and Tim Duncan as players with a pair of NBA MVPs and a finals MVP.

Not that Curry is thinking about any of that: He would gladly settle for a second straight victory parade.

''It's part of my motivation to try to get back to this stage because I want more championships,'' he said. ''But I've never really highlighted the individual type (honors) - even before my regular-season MVPs, I've never even really attacked it as if that was the goal, per se.''

Still, the undersized point guard out of Davidson has defied the critics. Curry knows how much he has meant for the franchise during this special four-year stretch.

And this might have been the toughest one yet for Curry, even counting all those losing seasons early in his career, plagued by multiple injuries and so much missed time. He was even out for the entire first round of the playoffs.

Curry's typically steady shot has been inconsistent, too.

As he always does regardless of whether they're going in, Curry has kept firing 3-pointers.

He reached a mindboggling 0 for 9 Wednesday before finally making one from deep against the Cavs - just three days after knocking down a finals-record nine from beyond the arc.

That frustrating Game 3 performance epitomized Curry's topsy-turvy season.

''I'm going to play aggressively, confidently, with that right energy and motivation to help my team win,'' Curry said. ''And usually when I'm in that mindset, good things happen, whether that means it's a finals MVP or not, who cares, but I'm going to be playing like it, for sure.''

As Curry walked off the court with only 11 points on 3-for-16 shooting in the 110-102 win that put Golden State one victory from a repeat title, Andre Iguodala draped his right arm around No. 30's neck and whispered something in his left ear.

''He was telling me what he's going to order at our team dinner tonight, and I agree with his choices,'' Curry cracked.

He certainly isn't taking himself too seriously on the big stage, appreciating how hard it is to get here with hopes of doing so for the long haul.

Even on a night his shot wasn't falling and he got outshined by Durant, Curry connected when it mattered and the game was on the line. That's just what he does as the Warriors' dependable star.

The defining moment of Curry's postseason might have come in Game 2 of the finals, when he scored 33 points and returned to being leading man for Golden State with the home crowd at Oracle Arena cheering his every move.

''Thank goodness I never had to play against him,'' said B.J. Armstrong, who spent 11 seasons in the NBA, mostly with Chicago. ''He's a very special player. Every time I see him, I played in Charlotte for like a year and a half, so I remember him when he was very little, to see him now I chuckle every time I see him. I just remember when he was little and his dad would be dragging him around. He's phenomenal. I'm in awe of his ability to shoot the ball and what he's been able to do, his leadership, the example he's setting for all the young kids and what he's been able to do in the game. It's just incredible. I have such respect for him, especially because I know his parents, and he's a point guard, so I just marvel at what he's been able to do.''

Curry showed his unselfishness when he traveled to the Hamptons two summers ago to recruit Durant, willing to cede the spotlight as Golden State's singular star.

After back-to-back MVP awards that made Curry the face of the Warriors and one of the league's most dynamic and thrilling players, he has taken a backseat to let KD get comfortable.

Golden State has been complete again since Curry returned for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Pelicans following nearly six weeks out with a sprained left knee.

Just having Curry back on the court provides a huge emotional lift, even if he's not at his most dominant. There's that noticeable joy coach Steve Kerr so loves with his star-studded bunch.

''I think Steph really sets the tone more than anybody in that regard,'' Kerr said, ''for what our culture is about.''

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

Finals Game 4 Essentials
June 8, 2018

NBA Finals - Game 3 - Warriors lead 3-0
Golden State (-5, 215.5) at Cleveland, ABC, 9:05 ET

No one had blown a 3-1 Finals lead before the LeBron James-led Cavaliers stunned Golden State two years ago to deliver Cleveland’s first NBA title.

In order to win a second championship before James tests free agency next month, the Cavs will have to win four straight, becoming the first team to erase an 0-3 deficit. It’s so unlikely that the Westgate LV Superbook lists the Warriors as a -20000 favorite for a series price while offering up the Cavs at +4000.

Betting $100 bucks will get you 50 cents, which you can’t really do much with these days.

If there’s anyone who you might want to let a C-note ride on for a return of four grand, it would probably be LeBron, but you should probably know that only three teams in league history have managed to even a series and reach a Game 7. Only nine have even forced a sixth game.

The last time a team came back to win even two playoff games after falling behind 3-0 came back in ’07, when the Ben Wallace-led Bulls attempted to come back against his old Pistons teammates. Detroit then went on to lose to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals, resulting in Cleveland’s first-ever NBA Finals appearance.

That LeBron-led team ultimately got swept by San Antonio, which remains the only time in his illustrious career that he’s tasted the broom treatment in a playoff series. As VegasInsider’s Chris David points out, the Spurs clinched the championship with an 83-82 win in Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena but current Cavs assistant coach Damon Jones hit a meaningless 3-pointer to help the club cover as a 2 ½-point home underdog.

James’ teams have a tendency to show backbone. Even last season, after falling down 3-0 to the Warriors, Cleveland avoided a sweep with a 137-116 rout behind a James’ triple-double and 40 points from Kyrie Irving.

Of course, if the Cavs had a guard like Irving capable of exploding for even half that, they likely wouldn’t be in the mess that they find themselves in. Cleveland scored 49 points in the first quarter and 86 for the half in last year’s Game 4, both Finals records.

Considering how effective the Warriors have been in third quarters, owning a 141-point edge throughout this postseason, the Cavs would be best served by another fast start in order to have a chance to avoid elimination at home. Cleveland is collectively -12 in the third quarter in these playoffs and has been outscored 59-44 in the second half of its last two losses.

If you’re of the opinion that the Cavs will show up, it may be worth it to take a half-point in the first quarter or 1.5 points (odds courtesy of Sportsbook.ag) for the opening 24 minutes. The Cavs cashed both sets of wagers, first-quarter, first-half, in both Games 1 and 3.

The ‘over’ in the first quarter has gone 3-0, with Cleveland doing its part to help those tickets by averaging 29 points per game in the first 12 minutes of each contest. The number for Game 4’s opening quarter is set at 55.

James sprained his ankle in the second quarter of Game 3 and appeared to run out of gas down the stretch, failing to take advantage of Golden State winding up in the penalty for the game’s final 4:24 because he opted not to put his head down and go to the basket. That could certainly be a sign that his competitive spirit has taken a hit, but he was adamant that wasn’t the case in addressing the issue during Thursday’s media availability session.

“I still feel good, even with turning my ankle last night or getting a finger jammed into my eye and taking the bumps and bruises and grinds throughout this playoff series,” said James, who is averaging 37.7 points, 9 rebounds and 10.7 assists despite the deficit. “I feel like I’m excited to put on the uniform.”

There is still a chance that James will be named the NBA Finals MVP, although that’s far less likely if Golden State wraps up a sweep on Friday night. He was 20/1 according to odds set by Sportsbook.ag entering this game, which might be worth a look since Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are currently vying for the honors after each playing large roles in building this lead.

In the latest Finals MVP odds, Durant is favored at 1-to-4 following his 43-point outburst on Wednesday night, which was necessary in part because Curry suffered through one of his worst shooting games ever, finishing 3-for-16 with just one 3-point make.

It was a huge one, which coupled with a crucial late layup, keeps him in the conversation since he’s averaging 24.3 points, 6.0 boards and 7.7 assists in the series. Durant has poured in 31.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists, shooting 25-for-37 (67.6 percent) over the last two wins following an inefficient Game 1. Finals MVP voting is based on only a handful of ballots polling a number of media members from both the print and broadcast side, so there may be some sentiment to reward James’ for his incredible run as a one-man band. Durant, asked about the possibility of LeBron winning that hardware despite losing the series, said “I don’t look at him at a guy that would be OK with that. He’s a winner.”

Durant won Finals MVP last season and has led Golden State to a 31-6 postseason record since arriving as a free agent in 2016. Bettors should make a note that since Durant arrived, the Warriors swept their first three playoff series in the Western Conference last year but were forced to a Game 5 in the NBA Finals and failed to break out the brooms in this year’s first round when the Spurs pulled off a 103-90 win at home in Game 4 of the first round.

“Dating back to the opening round of the 2015 playoffs, the Warriors have won 21 road games in the postseason,” said VegasInsider NBA expert Kevin Rogers. “Amazingly, Golden State has covered the number in all 21 instances, including in Game 3’s victory at Cleveland as 3 ½-point favorites. Sure that trend could end at any time, but laying the points with the Warriors or backing the Cavaliers on the money-line may be the way to go since Golden State hasn’t pulled off the SU win/ATS loss on the road in the playoffs in over three years.”

Golden State clinched last season’s crown in Oakland, but did win the ’15 title in Cleveland, overcoming a 32-point, 18-rebound, nine-assist night in a Game 6. Andre Iguodala was named the Finals MVP that year despite being the second-leading scorer behind Curry for the series, getting rewarded for his brilliant defense on James.

Although hobbled by a knee injury that’s clearly affecting his mobility, Iguodala made his 2017 Finals debut on Wednesday and was on the floor to help the Warriors persevere down the stretch. He ended up a plus-14 for the contest, second behind only Durant.

His ability to slow down James down the stretch was a factor in the win, especially since he slowed him down in transition, making him think twice about going straight to the basket to try and finish at the rim or draw fouls. His return was essential to offsetting a 7-for-27 shooting display from the Splash Brothers, who finished 3-for-15 on 3-point field goals.

Between their poor shooting game and the continued struggles of JR Smith, George Hill, Jeff Green and Kyle Korver, who finished 5-for-17 from beyond the arc and are now 15-for-49 for the series, Game 3 let down those who rode the high side as the series shifted to the Q. Even though Game 3 had a nice pace, the Cavaliers couldn’t extend the game late and that helped the ‘under’ (216) connect on Wednesday. Oddsmakers opened Game 4’s number at 216 and most books have dropped the number to 215 ½ as of Thursday.

VI’s Chris David offered up his total thoughts on Game 4.

“We’ve only seen one clear-cut total result in this series, which took place in Game 2. Most ‘under’ bettors got squeezed in Game 1 but those same low-side players caught a nice break in Game 3 as the game came to a halt in the fourth quarter. Fast forward to Game 4 and my initial lean would be to the ‘over’ again because Cleveland has no answer for Golden State’s offense. Plus, the Warriors defense hasn’t had a good series by their standards but they did keep Cleveland off the free throw line in Game 3. I highly doubt that the Cavaliers get no free throws in the first-half again on Friday and those freebies should only help them stay within distance of Golden State.”

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert protested the lack of first-half free-throws on Twitter by posting the box score on his feed before deleting the entry, but his team had no one to blame to for not racking up more trips to the charity stripe considering they had the Warriors in the penalty for over 10 second-half minutes and winding up just 7-for-8.

“From a handicapping perspective, I’m going to factor in history for this total and focus on sweeps,” said David. “Since the 2014 playoffs, we’ve seen 15 teams win series by a 4-0 margin and that includes two this postseason by the Cavaliers and Pelicans. Looking back at the victories in Game 4, the offensive production by the winning team were off the charts.

“In those games, the team that swept has averaged 115.3 points per game and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 11-4 in those contests. Since Golden State began its championship run in the 2015 playoffs, it has averaged 121.8 PPG in series that it has swept. If you believe the Warriors break out the broom on Friday, which I do, then I would expect a statement game from their offense and press their team total high.”

Coming off a night where they shot so poorly, both Curry and Thompson figure to be engaged, especially with the Akron-born point guard still having a chance at a first Finals MVP. There’s still intrigue on that end, not to mention seeing whether James is capable of avoiding being swept out of the playoffs for the second time in his career. In what could wind up being his final career game wearing a Cavs uniform in Cleveland, his effort here should be extraordinary or will otherwise forever be questioned.

For all the noise about this series being non-competitive, Cleveland has led two of the three games deep into the fourth quarter. They led Game 1 inside the final 10 seconds and Game 3 at the 3:00 mark. As of late Thursday night, 70 percent of the action was on the Warriors to close it out while also backing the over. If a Game 5 is necessary, it will be played Monday evening in Oakland.

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

Game 4 Props - Best Bets
June 8, 2018

The 2018 NBA Finals continue Friday with Game 4 between the Warriors and Cavaliers from Quicken Loans Arena. If you’re hesitant to back the side or total for the fourth and possibly final installment in this series, then we suggest you take a closer look at the available player props.

Our trio of experts have produced winning nights in each of the first three games, which includes a 6-3 (+460) mark in Game 3 on Wednesday.

Through three games of the finals, the overall numbers from the group sits at 17-10 (+1,180).

Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
Game 3 Results

Chris David: 6-3 (+1,160)
Kevin Rogers: 5-4 (-50)
Tony Mejia: 5-4 (+70)

Based on a five-unit bankroll, their top props are listed for Game 4 below.

Chris David

3 Units – Over Rodney Hood Total Points 8 (-120)

Hood finally received some significant minutes (25) in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and he delivered with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Some folks will criticize Cavs coach Tyronn Lue for not going to him earlier but those so-called pundits only look at his offense and not his defense. When he’s played over 20 minutes in this year’s playoffs, he’s averaging close to double digits (9.6 PPG). However he’s also produced a minus-61 for his team in five games, which has led to a 1-4 record. When he was with Utah, he dropped 26 on Golden State earlier in the regular season. He’s got plenty of confidence and most of his points come at the rim, something the Warriors don’t mind surrendering. As long as he gets the time, this ‘over’ is more than doable.

2 Units – Over Stephen Curry Total Rebounds, Assists 12.5 (-115)

Rather than play the ‘bounce-back’ narrative with Curry and expect him to light up the Cavaliers with 30-something points on Friday, I’m going to back two other categories instead. He’s an underrated rebounder and also one of the best passers on this team. He’s averaging 6.0 RPG and 7.7 APG in this series and as I told Tony Mejia in his Game 4 Preview, recent playoff history has shown us that these possible sweep games are high-scoring affairs. With that being said, I expect points from the Warriors and Curry should be able to fill up these numbers.

Kevin Rogers

2 Units - Stephen Curry Total Made 3-Pointers Under 4.5 (Even)

Curry is coming off a horrific shooting effort in Game 3 by hitting 3-of-16 shots from the floor and 1-of-10 attempts from downtown. The only three-pointer Curry hit came in the fourth quarter as the two-time MVP has hit four treys or more on the road in the playoffs twice in seven games. Curry's three-point numbers are down from the regular season where he shot 42% from beyond the arc, compared to nearly 39% in the playoffs.

2 Units - Klay Thompson Total Made Free Throws Over 1.5 (-150)

Thompson is a career-high 85% free throw shooter, but hasn't gotten to the line very often in the Finals. The shooting guard is 4-of-5 through the first three games of this series, while not attempting a free throw in Game 3. The question isn't if he can hit two free throws, since he is nearly automatic at the line. The question is if he drive to the basket and get to the line. I'll take that bet that he can.

1 Units - Jeff Green Total Points Over 7.5 (Even)

Green has been non-existent offensively for Cleveland in the NBA Finals following a strong finish to the Eastern Conference Finals. The veteran guard has scored 16 points in three games, but has attempted 20 shots, including 11 from downtown, so he is getting looks.

Tony Mejia

2 Units - Under Draymond Green 28 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115)

The quarterback of the Warriors' defense has definitely had a positive impact on the series, getting in Tristan Thompson's head and serving as rim protector and playmaker, but his rebounding and scoring numbers are down. Considering he could again find himself in foul trouble and is prone to lulls now that the series is basically in hand, fading his energy level here becomes my top play.

1.5 Units - Under Kevin Durant 30.5 points (-115)

Following a career-high 43 points to help swing Game 3 to Golden State, Durant is now shooting 25-for-37 over the past two games. Expect running a second body in his direction to replace trapping Curry as the focal point defensively for Cleveland. His assists may go up but I don't see him wrapping up a likely Finals MVP with another huge outburst.

1.5 Units - Under LeBron James 57 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115)

He's pointed out that nagging injuries or a daunting series deficit won't keep him from putting his best foot forward in what may be his final game ever with the Cavs, but I don't see him producing as much as he has through the first three contests. He's already looked fatigued and may not be as locked in given the circumstances, though his desire to go down swinging does make this a dicey proposition since we're poking the bear here.

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

Game 4 - Top Wager
June 8, 2018

Game 4 - Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers Game 4 Picks

The NBA Finals are all but over, as the Golden State Warriors hold a 3-0 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into Game 4 on Friday night in Cleveland on ABC. The Warriors got a big game from Kevin Durant in Game 3, and now the only question remaining is whether the Warriors will close out the series on Friday or whether the Cavaliers can extend it for one more game. Let’s look at Game 4 and NBA picks.

Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Date and Time: Friday, June 8, 2018, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Location: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
NBA Odds: Warriors -4.5, O/U 215
Warriors vs. Cavaliers TV Coverage: ABC

The Warriors got very little from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on Wednesday night, but they still won Game 3, as Kevin Durant scored a career playoff-high 43 points and the Warriors won 110-102. Golden State is one win away from their third title in four years. Cleveland has no chance to win this series, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from down 0-3 in a series, as those teams are 0-131 all-time.

The Cavaliers can’t feel very good about their chances of even winning one game, as they played really well on Wednesday and still lost. LeBron James had another good game for the Cavaliers, as he scored 33 points and he got some help, as Kevin Love added 20 points, Rodney Hood had 15 and J.R. Smith had 13 points. Cleveland couldn’t even win when Curry and Thompson did next to nothing. Curry was 3-of-16 and had just 11 points and Thompson scored just 10 points.

Golden State did have defensive stalwart Andre Iguodala in the lineup for the first time in this series and he scored eight points and was a factor all over the court. "It was good just having him, settling the game down," guard Shaun Livingston said to the media. "His defense was strong, whoever he was up against -- LeBron or someone else -- and his toughness makes everyone out there better."

Game Notes

If you think that Golden State is going to win Game 4 you may just want to wait until the half and take the Warriors in the second half. Golden State has been excellent in the third quarter in the playoffs and it continued in Game 3, as they outscored Cleveland 31-23. Golden State trailed by six points at the half but they outscored Cleveland 58-44 in the second half to win by eight, covering the 3.5-point closing number.

Key Stats

The Warriors are 6-17 ATS in their last 23 games playing with one day of rest. The Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. The Under is 4-0 in the Warriors last 4 games playing with one day of rest. The Under is 20-8 in the Warriors last 28 road games. The Under is 11-5 in the Cavaliers last 16 home games.

Warriors vs. Cavaliers Free Picks

I said before Game 3 that most bettors were backing the Cavaliers and that I was hesitant to go along with the public. The over just missed out on cashing in Game 3, as the teams couldn’t even combine to score 50 points in the fourth quarter. Bettors are coming right back and backing Cleveland again in Game 4. People believe that the Cavaliers will show some heart and avoid the sweep and win Game 4. As I said last time, I almost never like to go with the public and conventional wisdom. Another problem is that the Warriors got next to nothing from Curry and Thompson and they still won Game 3. Both players should be much better on Friday and the Cavaliers have no answer for Durant. Another factor is the return of Iguodala, as he makes Golden State even better. I will lay the small number and take Golden State to close things out on Friday night.

Warriors vs. Cavaliers ATS Pick: Warriors
Warriors vs. Cavaliers Score Prediction: Warriors 115, Cavaliers 105

CNOTES · Jun 8, 2018

NBA offseason might start earlier
June 8, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) If the Golden State Warriors win the NBA championship on Friday night, it'll mark the earliest start to the offseason in more than three decades.

The last time the NBA Finals ended on or before June 8 was back in 1986, when the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in six games. Since then, the earliest any title series has ended was June 12.

That means the Warriors get two chances to bring on an early summer: If they lose Game 4, they'll play host to Game 5 on June 11.

The NBA season started earlier than the previous norms this year, part of the league's initiative to add days to the schedule in order to limit back-to-backs and help get players more rest during the 82-game regular season grind. These finals started May 31, just the second time since 1986 that Game 1 wasn't played in June.

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LeBron James' talent masks potential NBA Finals issue
June 8, 2018

LeBron James gets to the NBA Finals every year, masking the East's mediocrity.

Lately, he's been the underdog and the finals' outcome has been predictable.

That doesn't seem like the best thing for a championship series, though James representing the East is a better finals option for the NBA than a Kyrie Irving-less Celtics squad or the uninspiring Raptors.

James provides the star power to drive TV ratings. So the NBA hasn't needed the best teams in the finals; it has had the best player.

''The real answer is it's better to have both,'' said Scott Rosner, the academic director of the sports management program at Columbia University. ''The NBA, if you step back from it, has been very much on an upward trend, you can argue more than any of the other big four sports leagues. There's a lot of different reasons for that, but clearly it's a star-driven league.''

For eight years running James has provided the glimmer of hope that the JV against the varsity really can be competitive. He can almost single-handedly create compelling basketball. Still, he's on the verge of losing in the NBA Finals without winning more than a game for the fourth time. Nonetheless, fans are still watching in huge numbers.

It's been a nice run, but the NBA probably needs to think about getting the best teams in the finals when James isn't.

He could leave Cleveland as a free agent this summer, maybe even head West. And once he's done slipping on his Eastern Conference champion hat every spring, the problem that's been concealed by his immense talent comes into full view.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy won't be awarded before Friday night in Cleveland, or maybe sometime next week back in California. But the NBA championship was essentially decided on Memorial Day in Houston, when the Warriors rallied to take Game 7 from a Rockets team that was the only one with a realistic chance to beat them, and would likely be beating Cleveland now.

''To me, Houston wasn't just one half away from advancing to the finals. They were one half away from winning a championship,'' ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said.

That's why Van Gundy advocates a playoff format where the top 16 teams were seeded by their records. That would allow any two teams to meet in the final round, rather than the current system that mandates East against West.

''Listen, I'm for the best teams meeting in the finals,'' Van Gundy said. ''I'd be fine if they played the conferences for travel purposes through the year to minimize how many times you'd have to go cross-country. But I've always been for the top 16 records should be in the playoffs, and I would be absolutely fine if you then seeded 1 through 16, regardless of what conference you played in during the regular season.''

Commissioner Adam Silver continues to say concerns about too much travel make that change impossible for now. James has said he prefers the traditional East-West format, and it's hard to blame him since it's helped provide him such a smooth path to the finals. Even in a season like this, when he doesn't have the strongest of teams around him - and one of the worst in the league defensively - he can carry them through seven-game series in the East.

Silver said he looked it up and found that James has had 59 different teammates during his run, so it's not as if his teams need continuity and cohesiveness. All it's taken to play for the title the last eight years is James.

''My point before, if you have LeBron James playing with 59 different players over eight years, it means that presumably the team LeBron is on is going to be a dominant team,'' Silver said. ''Whether they get to the finals every year is a separate issue.''

They almost certainly wouldn't have won more than one round this season, where as the sixth-winningest team in the league they would have been slotted to meet the third-seeded Warriors in round two in a 1-16 format.

That could create must-see matchups in every round of the nearly two-month march to the championship, but it comes with risk to the league.

Having James home in mid-May would be disastrous from a business standpoint. His mesmerizing performances against the Celtics, when he played all 48 minutes in a Game 7 victory in Boston, catapulted ESPN to the most-watched Eastern Conference finals since 2012. And questions about his future dominate the sports headlines as long as the Cavs are playing.

If the East loses its most imposing player and most important personality, the league and its marketing partners would be left to sell an NBA Finals matchup lacking its marquee product.

''It is certainly a situation where all things being equal you'd rather have your best teams with your best players in it, your superstar players in it,'' Rosner said. ''That said, given your druthers would really prefer to have a competitive series.''

There are only a handful of teams considered legitimate championship contenders. The number could grow even smaller this summer after James makes his future plans.

''Can our system be improved upon?'' Silver said. ''I think it can. I think it's something we're constantly looking at.''

Better hurry. James won't be around forever.

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Trump not inviting NBA champions to White House
June 8, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) Whichever team wins the NBA championship, President Donald Trump says he won't be inviting them to the White House.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors have both said their teams have no interest in a visit.

Trump told reporters on Friday: ''I didn't invite LeBron James, and I didn't invite Steph Curry. We're not going to invite either team.''

Trump canceled a visit by the Philadelphia Eagles to commemorate their Super Bowl win after most of the players decided they'd skip it.

But Trump said he'd be happy to host the Washington Capitals, who just won the Stanley Cup.

He said: ''If they want to be here, it's the greatest place on Earth. I'm here. If they don't want to be here, I don't want them.''