Been waiting for both of tonight's games since Game 5 of each were completed as I have pre-game plays for both. So let's get started.
The Houston/Utah series has run according to script as the home team has won every game. The scores have been as follows:
Game 1: Houston (84-75)
Game 2: Houston (98-90)
Game 3: Utah (81-67)
Game 4: Utah (98-85)
Game 5: Houston (96-92)
In watching all 5 of these games, from my perspective, the Jazz have been able to play nearly equal to the Rockets while on the road often times leading these games while at home, they dominate the Rockets who are a decent but not great road team having gone 24-19 in the regular season while the Jazz were 31-10 at home. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have been much more effective in this series when at home then on the road, while Carlos Boozer has been exceptional during the series regardless on location as he has shot over, around and through the Rocket defense. It is difficult to win a close out game on the road unless one team is far superior to the other and in this match-up, these two teams are very close and home court decides the winner. This series has every indication of going to a seventh and final game in Houston. Hence,
4* Utah -4.5 (-110) CRIS
The Dallas/Golden State series has stayed the course since the Warriors upset of the Mavericks in Game 1. The scores have been as follows:
Game 1: Golden State (97-85)
Game 2: Dallas (112-99)
Game 3: Golden State (109-91)
Game 4: Golden State (103-99)
Game 5: Dallas (118-112)
In watching all 5 of these games, from my perspective, the Warriors have both out played and out coached the Mavericks, particularly at home. There are many opinions on how the Warriors will react to having lost Game 5, so I will provide my local knowledge of the state of the Warriors. First, a discussion about Game 5. Going into the game with a 3-1 series lead, I personally felt the Warriors were in a difficult position pre-game as some of the players were already looking to Game 6 even if they lost Game 5. The early results backed up my thoughts as the Mavericks cruised to a 21 point second quarter lead, but then what game surprised me as the Warriors cut that lead to 7 points at the half, 3 points by the end of the third quarter and held a 112-103 lead with 3:19 to play only to be outscored 15-0 to end the game. The mere fact that the Warriors accomplished the comeback in a setting where the Mavericks were playing all out to stay alive was extremely impressive to me. While it is true they lost, I can tell you from here, they have not lost one ounce of confidence and still believe they will beat Dallas at home in the friendly and insane environment of Oracle Arena in Oakland. One of the things I have noticed, particularly in Game 4 and 5, when the Warriors make a run to close the gap or take the lead on the Mavericks, the Dallas players appear scared and confused in their offense. They don't seem to know who to go to or what to call. Meanwhile, the confident Warriors just keep coming believing they will win. Tonight in a close out game in Oakland, the Mavericks will find a confident and hungry Warriors team waiting for them and a bit irritated after losing Game 5, which they almost stole. The Warriors are not sulking over the loss. They can't wait to get in front of their rabid home fans and eliminate Dallas from the playoffs and they have the tools and attitude to accomplish just that. Hence,
4* Golden State +2.5 (-110) CRIS
Playoffs Year To Date: 14-8 (+18.20)
Good Luck All.
The Houston/Utah series has run according to script as the home team has won every game. The scores have been as follows:
Game 1: Houston (84-75)
Game 2: Houston (98-90)
Game 3: Utah (81-67)
Game 4: Utah (98-85)
Game 5: Houston (96-92)
In watching all 5 of these games, from my perspective, the Jazz have been able to play nearly equal to the Rockets while on the road often times leading these games while at home, they dominate the Rockets who are a decent but not great road team having gone 24-19 in the regular season while the Jazz were 31-10 at home. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have been much more effective in this series when at home then on the road, while Carlos Boozer has been exceptional during the series regardless on location as he has shot over, around and through the Rocket defense. It is difficult to win a close out game on the road unless one team is far superior to the other and in this match-up, these two teams are very close and home court decides the winner. This series has every indication of going to a seventh and final game in Houston. Hence,
4* Utah -4.5 (-110) CRIS
The Dallas/Golden State series has stayed the course since the Warriors upset of the Mavericks in Game 1. The scores have been as follows:
Game 1: Golden State (97-85)
Game 2: Dallas (112-99)
Game 3: Golden State (109-91)
Game 4: Golden State (103-99)
Game 5: Dallas (118-112)
In watching all 5 of these games, from my perspective, the Warriors have both out played and out coached the Mavericks, particularly at home. There are many opinions on how the Warriors will react to having lost Game 5, so I will provide my local knowledge of the state of the Warriors. First, a discussion about Game 5. Going into the game with a 3-1 series lead, I personally felt the Warriors were in a difficult position pre-game as some of the players were already looking to Game 6 even if they lost Game 5. The early results backed up my thoughts as the Mavericks cruised to a 21 point second quarter lead, but then what game surprised me as the Warriors cut that lead to 7 points at the half, 3 points by the end of the third quarter and held a 112-103 lead with 3:19 to play only to be outscored 15-0 to end the game. The mere fact that the Warriors accomplished the comeback in a setting where the Mavericks were playing all out to stay alive was extremely impressive to me. While it is true they lost, I can tell you from here, they have not lost one ounce of confidence and still believe they will beat Dallas at home in the friendly and insane environment of Oracle Arena in Oakland. One of the things I have noticed, particularly in Game 4 and 5, when the Warriors make a run to close the gap or take the lead on the Mavericks, the Dallas players appear scared and confused in their offense. They don't seem to know who to go to or what to call. Meanwhile, the confident Warriors just keep coming believing they will win. Tonight in a close out game in Oakland, the Mavericks will find a confident and hungry Warriors team waiting for them and a bit irritated after losing Game 5, which they almost stole. The Warriors are not sulking over the loss. They can't wait to get in front of their rabid home fans and eliminate Dallas from the playoffs and they have the tools and attitude to accomplish just that. Hence,
4* Golden State +2.5 (-110) CRIS
Playoffs Year To Date: 14-8 (+18.20)
Good Luck All.
