StatFox.com - Sports Handicapping Community

The Leader In Sports Handicapping

Warriors look to knock Blazers out Wednesday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 5/11/2016  at  10:51:00 AM
  Print This Article    

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (49-43)

at GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (80-11)

NBA Playoffs
Western Conference – Round 2
Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Golden State -13.0, Total: 216.5

The Warriors will be looking to end the series with a win at home over the Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Golden State did not look like an elite team in the first half of Game 4, but the Warriors rallied and ended up beating the Blazers 132-125 in overtime as six-point road favorites. They played well on both ends of the floor in the victory, shooting 46.3% from the floor and holding Portland to just 40.6%. Golden State will, however, need to be better on the glass moving forward in this series. The team was outrebounded 71-58 in Game 4 and that can’t be the case again in Game 5. One trend worth pointing out is that the Blazers are 19-8 ATS after a combined score of 225 points or more over the past two seasons. They are also 8-1 ATS after playing four straight games as an underdog on the year. The Warriors will be the furthest thing from intimidated, though. Golden State is 25-12 ATS after playing as a road favorite this season and 10-1 ATS when attempting to close out a playoff series since 1996. C Meyers Leonard (Shoulder) is out for the year for the Blazers, but he is the only player that is listed on the injury report for either team in this game.

PG Damian Lillard (26.3 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG in playoffs) had 36 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in Game 4, but he still did not play well enough to help his team earn the victory. The scoring numbers may tell a different story, but Lillard was actually very inefficient in the game. He went just 9-for-30 from the field and 5-for-18 from three in the loss and that is not going to cut it for Portland moving forward. If this team is going to beat the Warriors then it will need to play a nearly flawless game, so Lillard must take better shots this time around. One thing that should bode well for Portland is that SG C.J. McCollum (19.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG in playoffs) shot well from behind the arc. McCollum went 4-for-9 from three and scored 24 points in the game. That’s big for the Blazers, as he is shooting just 32.1% from three in the postseason and needed a confidence boost. One guy that also happens to be stepping up for Portland is C Mason Plumlee (7.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.0 BPG in playoffs). Plumlee had 12 points and 15 rebounds in Game 4 and the Blazers will need him to make his presence felt on Wednesday. He is good on the glass and that’s an area where the Blazers will need him to continue to dominate.

The Warriors got PG Steph Curry (23.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs) back in Game 4 and they really need him in that one. Curry turned in one of the greatest performances in NBA history on Monday, finishing with 40 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on 16-for-32 shooting from the floor. He was not even supposed to play until a few hours before the game, but he ended up tearing it up on his injured knee and he also set the NBA record for points scored in overtime. He’ll need to continue to play like the MVP moving forward, but he also needs to make sure he finds a way to stay healthy. One thing that’s taking some pressure off of him is the play of PF Draymond Green (18.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 7.1 APG, 2.4 BPG, 1.6 SPG in playoffs) and SG Klay Thompson (26.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs). Green has been a threat to put up a triple-double every time he steps on the floor and has really been the heart of this team throughout the entire year. Thompson, meanwhile, is shooting 45.6% from three in the postseason. He has stepped it up as a scorer with Curry out and will need to continue to knock down shots moving forward.


FoxSheets.com
The FoxSheets - the most advanced sports handicapping information available on the internet.
Sign up for professional sports betting information including fantastic trends, and Free FoxSheets.
E-mail: