Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer in the history of the sport, created The Memorial Tournament to be able to bring together some of the best golfers in the world in his own backyard. This year the Memorial Tournament field is going to be as tight as it has ever been, and it is up to us to make our Memorial picks to try to be The Memorial odds.

2013 The Memorial Predictions & Info
2013 The Memorial Dates: Thursday, May 30th – Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
2013 The Memorial Location: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, OH
Defending The Memorial Winner: Tiger Woods
2013 The Memorial TV Coverage – Network: Golf Channel, CBS

As is the case so often in golf betting action, it is seemingly Tiger Woods (Defending The Memorial Champion, The Memorial Odds: 2.20 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) against the field. Woods has won this tournament a record five times, including last year when he won by two strokes over a field that really never seemed to be capable of competing against him. In spite of the fact that he hasn’t won a major tournament this year, Tiger has played well everywhere that he has gone. He is the world’s No. 1 ranked player again, and he is ranked No. 1 in virtually every vital statistic involving winning and money. Woods already has four wins on the campaign, including in his most recent start at the PGA Championship, one of the biggest wins that he has had in quite some time.

We really love what Adam Scott (The Memorial Tournament PGA Odds: 20 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook) is bringing to the table as well. Scott of course, won the Masters this year, becoming the first Australian to ever claim the Green Jacket. Scott got off to a great start at the TPC at Sawgrass, but he ultimately had a frustrating weekend, shooting 75 and 71. This has been a recurring theme for Scott this year. At the Masters, he had two great rounds over the weekend, but so many times, he has struggled, particularly on Saturdays, and he has averaged just a 71.6 in his five tournaments this year on the second to last day of events. Still, we think that the Aussie has enough to win the Memorial.

List Of Past The Memorial Tournament Winners (Since 2000)
2012 – Tiger Woods
2011 – Steve Stricker
2010 – Justin Rose
2009 – Tiger Woods
2008 – Kenny Perry
2007 – KJ Choi
2006 – Carl Pettersson
2005 – Bart Bryant
2004 – Ernie Els
2003 – Kenny Perry
2002 – Jim Furyk
2001 – Tiger Woods
2000 – Tiger Woods

Kevin Streelman (Odds to Win The Memorial: 95 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook) hasn’t won a tournament recently, but he really looks poised to be able to do so in the very near future. This is the man that shocked in the win at the Tampa Bay Championship. However, Streelman really has been impressive seemingly wherever he has gone. He didn’t make the cut at the Crowne Plaza Invitational last week, but aside from that, he has been remarkable. Streelman has finished sixth or better in four tournaments this year, three of which have come since the end of tax season. The Wells Fargo Championship was a very comparable event, and he finished sixth in that tourney. Most impressive though, might have been the second place finish at the TPC at Sawgrass, right behind Woods. If Woods is a 2 to 1 favorite, Streelman probably shouldn’t be nearly 100 to 1.

We’re trusting that at some point, Brandt Snedeker (Odds to Win The Memorial Tournament: 30 to 1 @ SportBet Sportsbook) is going to get back to the form that he was in at the start of the year. Snedeker finished third or better in four of his first five events of the season, but he has finished 59th or worse in three of his last four. However, Snedeker did finish sixth at the Masters a month and a half ago, and he finished eighth at The Players Championship. Snedeker is always one of these golfers that could put together a tremendous tournament, and though he only has five wins on the PGA Tour in his career, this could be his lucky tournament at the Memorial this week.

Betting Odds to Win The Memorial @ Sportbet Sportsbook (as of 5/27/13):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at Sportbet.com When Using This Link)
Tiger Woods 2.20 to 1
Rory McIlroy 16.50 to 1
Adam Scott 20 to 1
Matt Kuchar 20 to 1
Justin Rose 25 to 1
Brandt Snedeker 30 to 1
Lee Westwood 30 to 1
Charl Schwartzel 40 to 1
Luke Donald 40 to 1
Keegan Bradley 50 to 1
Dustin Johnson 55 to 1
Rickie Fowler 60 to 1
Webb Simpson 60 to 1
Jason Day 65 to 1
Jim Furyk 70 to 1
Bo Van Pelt 75 to 1
Henrik Stenson 80 to 1
Hunter Mahan 80 to 1
Zach Johnson 80 to 1
Bubba Watson 85 to 1
Billy Horschel 90 to 1
Nick Watney 90 to 1
Kevin Streelman 95 to 1
Steven Fox 100 to 1
Ernie Els 105 to 1
Bill Haas 125 to 1
Matt Every 130 to 1
Nicolas Colsaerts 130 to 1
Jimmy Walker 135 to 1
John Huh 135 to 1
Marc Leishman 140 to 1
Robert Karlsson 140 to 1
Sang Moon Bae 140 to 1
Branden Grace 150 to 1
Ryan Moore 150 to 1
George Coetzee 155 to 1
Jordan Spieth 155 to 1
Graham Delaet 160 to 1
D.A. Points 165 to 1
Brendon De Jonge 170 to 1
Charley Hoffman 175 to 1
Chris Kirk 180 to 1
Scott Stallings 185 to 1
Robert Garrigus 190 to 1
KJ Choi 195 to 1
Jeff Overton 210 to 1
Scott Piercy 215 to 1
Martin Laird 225 to 1
John Senden 230 to 1
Carl Pettersson 245 to 1
Gary Woodland 245 to 1
Charles Howell III 250 to 1
Gonzalo Fernandez Castano 255 to 1
Josh Teater 255 to 1
Brian Davis 265 to 1
David Lingmerth 270 to 1
Aaron Baddeley 275 to 1
Brandt Jobe 275 to 1
Stewart Cink 275 to 1
Tommy Gainey 275 to 1
Chris Stroud 280 to 1
Shane Lowry 280 to 1
Ben Kohles 285 to 1
Camilo Villegas 285 to 1
Fred Couples 285 to 1
Geoff Ogilvy 285 to 1
Lucas Glover 285 to 1
Luke Guthrie 285 to 1
Bud Cauley 295 to 1
Casey Wittenberg 295 to 1
Greg Chalmers 295 to 1
Jason Kokrak 295 to 1
Jonathan Byrd 295 to 1
Ricky Barnes 295 to 1
Cameron Tringale 305 to 1
Mark Wilson 310 to 1
Russell Henley 310 to 1
Michael Thompson 320 to 1
Kevin Stadler 330 to 1
Kyle Stanley 335 to 1
Ted Potter Jr. 350 to 1
Kevin Chappell 360 to 1
Bryce Molder 365 to 1
Ryo Ishikawa 395 to 1
Scott Brown 395 to 1
Seung Yul Noh 395 to 1
Derek Ernst 405 to 1
Vijay Singh 405 to 1
Charlie Beljn 415 to 1
Pat Perez 480 to 1
Justin Leonard 490 to 1
Ken Duke 490 to 1
Kenny Perry 490 to 1
Ben Curtis 500 to 1
Brendan Steele 500 to 1
Brian Harman 500 to 1
Brian Stuard 500 to 1
Charlie Wi 500 to 1
David Hearn 500 to 1
George McNeill 500 to 1
JJ Henry 500 to 1
James Driscoll 500 to 1
James Hahn 500 to 1
Justin Hicks 500 to 1
Matt Jones 500 to 1
Roberto Castro 500 to 1
Trevor Immelman 500 to 1
William McGirt 500 to 1
Erik Compton 510 to 1
Johnson Wagner 510 to 1
Justin Bolli 510 to 1
Tom Gillis 510 to 1
Davis Love III 585 to 1
Nicholas Thompson 590 to 1
Robert Allenby 595 to 1
Richard H. Lee 650 to 1
Mike Weir 705 to 1
Fabian Gomez 1,000 to 1
Guan Tianlang 1,000 to 1
Peter Williamson 1,000 to 1

The 2013 NBA playoffs are set to continue, and today at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be keeping a close eye on the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies. These two should be going at it in a great set of battles, and we are going to have our NBA playoffs predictions and scores update on a nightly basis for this and all of the great series throughout the playoffs. Check back to this page often, as we will be updating our final scores and our series analysis so you can make the most informed NBA picks every step of the way in this series.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule

Spurs Win Series 4-0

Game 1: Memphis Grizzlies 83 – San Antonio Spurs 105
Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies 89 – San Antonio Spurs 93 (OT)
Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 104 – Memphis Grizzlies 93 (OT)
Game 4: San Antonio Spurs 93 – Memphis Grizzlies 87

Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at
GT Bets Sportsbook
Memphis Grizzlies +1450
San Antonio Spurs -2750
Click Here to Bet Your Grizzlies vs. Spurs Picks!

Grizzlies vs. Spurs Series Update
Game 1: One of these teams clearly had a heck of a lot of experience. One of these teams looked shellshocked. The Grizzlies were hoping for better in their first ever game in the Western Conference Finals, but they fell behind by 17 points in the first quarter and never had a shot of getting back in the game. F Zach Randolph only scored two points for the night, while he and C Marc Gasol both ended up with just seven rebounds. San Antonio had 14 three-point shots, and in spite of the fact that the tempo was played at the pace that Memphis would have wanted, San Antonio still dropped gobs of points on the board. Five players scored in double figures for the Spurs, led by G Tony Parker’s 20. Spurs 105 – Grizzlies 83 (Spurs Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: Once again, the Grizzlies played the game that they wanted to play in Game 2 of this series, but they just weren’t able to do enough to get the win in OT. San Antonio only managed 24 points in the first and fourth quarters combined, and it coughed up a 12-point lead in the fourth before ultimately finishing the job in OT. The Grizzlies pulled down 60 rebounds in the game, but they only shot 34.0 percent from the floor. All five starters for San Antonio scored in double figures. G Tony Parker had 15 points and a whopping 18 assists, the most that any player has had in a single postseason game. He also only had two turnovers. Spurs 93 – Grizzlies 89 (Spurs Lead Series 2-0)

Game 3: Turnovers. Get used to hearing that word. San Antonio turned the ball over a ton in the first quarter, and in an interview between stanzas, Head Coach Gregg Popovich literally only used the word “turnovers” twice, and they were the only two words out of his mouth in the entire interview. Alas, those turnovers went away over the course of the next 20 minutes of game time or so, and as a result, the Spurs took a 17-point deficit in a game that could have gotten away from them and turned it into a lead. The Grizz fought back in the final few minutes of the game to force overtime, but for the second straight game, the defense for San Antonio clamped down and the nerves were too much for Memphis to overcome. This young team just doesn’t have the goods to beat the big boys. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan combined for 50 points, while Manu Ginobili came off of the bench to score 19 for the Spurs. Mike Conley had 20 to lead all scorers for the Grizzlies, but after the first quarter, he cooled off dramatically, and he ended the day with five turnovers and just 8-of-21 shooting from the field. This series is all over but the crying. Spurs 104 – Grizzlies 93 (OT) (Spurs Lead Series 3-0)

Game 4: The Spurs had to think that they were going to be in a bit of a fight from the Grizzlies in Game 4 of this series, but alas, Memphis looked like a team that had it right out of the blocks. San Antonio won the first quarter by 10 points, it scored at least 20 points in all four quarters, and it held down the Grizzlies to just 14 points in that opening quarter. It all wasn’t enough for Memphis. It was a magical season for sure, but the only man that really overachieved was Quincy Pondexter, who scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Zach Randolph was rather MIA, and he and Marc Gasol only shot 9-of-25 between them. Tony Parker starred for the Spurs, knocking down 15-of-21 shots from the field and all six of his free throws to tally a game-hugh 37 points. Everything else fell into place for the Western Conference champs to move onto the Finals for the fifth time in the Tim Duncan era. Spurs 93 – Grizzlies 86 (Spurs Win Series 4-0)

2013 Grizzlies vs. Spurs Series Preview

If you like your defensive basketball, you’re coming to the right place. The San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies are going to be going to battle, and they should be playing some awfully low scoring series. The two know that this is going to be a brutal set of up to seven games, and NBA betting fans should know just how great of a series this has the potential to be. Even the oddsmakers, who have San Antonio as a -145 favorite on the NBA series odds, know how great this series will be.

The Grizzlies are almost like the bastard children of these playoffs. They don’t play flashy basketball, and they don’t have any care in the world about it. The team is allowing 92.4 points per game in the playoffs, and that number came down to 89.6 points per game in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were one of the best teams in the league offensively this season. Granted, we know that Memphis has gotten some help, as men like G Chris Paul, F Blake Griffin, and most importantly, G Russell Westbrook have gotten hurt along the way. However, this is a team that has most certainly earned its way to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Remember that Memphis traded F Rudy Gay during the regular season as well. Just that alone is a wow factor that will not be forgotten. F Zach Randolph and C Marc Gasol took over in the second round against Oklahoma City. They are now averaging 38.0 points and 17.2 rebounds per game between them in the playoffs. G Mike Conley Jr. was good for nearly a triple-double every single night in the second round, and he is now averaging 17.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

The Spurs had no troubles whatsoever getting past the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, but they had a significantly harder time getting through the Golden State Warriors in the second round. We don’t know whether it was a matter of coming out flat or a matter of getting used to the pace of this series, but in the second round, Golden State held the control of the tempo in those first two games. When the series shifted back to Oakland though, Head Coach Gregg Popovich almost seemed like he “figured it out,” and when that happened, the series was over with. G Tony Parker and F Tim Duncan are combining to score 41.1 points per game in the playoffs, and that’s after basically never having to play in the last six minutes of any game in the first round against LA. San Antonio is calling upo nine difference players to play at least 11 minutes per game in these playoffs, and Popovich is going to continue to utilize his entire bench to get the job done.

This has been a heck of a series all season long. Two of the four games went to overtime and the most recent meeting in the beginning of April was decided by a single bucket. The home team went 4-0 SU in the four games this year, but the hosts also only went 2-2 ATS in those outings. We do think that the Grizzlies are going to be able to steal a game in this series in San Antonio, but we don’t think that the Spurs are ultimately going to be denied. We think that this series will play out just like the second round series against Golden State when the Warriors won a game in San Antonio and then ultimately ran away with the series.

Spurs vs. Grizzlies Series Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 6

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Full List Of Preakness Stakes Odds Listed Below!

Click Here for 2013 Preakness Stakes Racing Form and Preakness Stakes Past Performances

After a thrilling Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes is right around the corner this weekend, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are making our Preakness Stakes picks and predictions for the second leg of the Triple Crown! Join us, as we try to hit our Preakness Stakes superfecta picks and predictions!

138th Preakness Stakes Information
2013 Preakness Date: Saturday, May 18th, 2013
2013 Preakness Stakes Post Time: 6:20 ET
Current Preakness Favorite: Orb (Even Money)
2013 Preakness Daily Racing Form: Free 2013 Preakness Stakes Past Performances
TV Coverage – Network: NBC – Time: 4:30 ET – 6:30 ET

2013 Preakness Stakes Post Draws & Preakness Stakes Morning Line Odds

There is no doubt that the Preakness Stakes odds are shaping up for Orb (Odds To Win Preakness: 1 to 2 at BetOnline Sportsbook) to win. Not only was he the Kentucky Derby winner, but he also ended up getting on the rail at the Preakness Stakes, clearly the best position for a horse to be in. Now, Orb can run the race that he wants to run from the front of the pack, and he has nothing but speed around him as well. The question mark that we have with Orb is whether he is going to be able to post a fast enough Beyer Speed Rating to be able to win the Preakness. We had that same question at the Derby, and he was able to win, but a 104 at Churchill Downs isn’t all that great. The par rating for the Preakness Stakes is 109, and Orb has never come anywhere near to that in his entire career. He’s going to need to come up with his fastest race ever if he is going to take the second leg of the Triple Crown. We aren’t doubting it, but we do know that there could be some problems that lie ahead for Orb.

Just to Orb’s inside is another horse that is going to come out of the blocks flying, Goldencents (2013 Preakness Odds: 7.50 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook). Jockey Kevin Krigger did a horrid job on this horse at the Kentucky Derby, but the fact of the matter is that the horse just couldn’t get into a position at the front of the crowded field, and he ultimately paid the price for it. As soon as there was wet dirt kicked into the face of Goldencents, he had it. The horse ended up incredibly far off of the pace, but Rick Pitino’s horse is going to be back for another go at Orb in the second leg of the Triple Crown. This is a case of a horse that has a great price on his head after a horrid run in the biggest race of his career. We saw Lookin At Lucky win the Preakness Stakes after a lousy Kentucky Derby, and we very well could see Goldencents end up doing the exact same thing. This is the biggest race in the career of Jockey Kevin Krigger, as he badly needs to prove that he can win one of these major races. If he doesn’t, he runs the risk of becoming nothing more than a regional jockey once again, most likely at Santa Anita.

Past Preakness Winners (Since 2000)
*Denotes Winner of the Kentucky Derby
2012 Preakness Stakes Winner: I’ll Have Another*
2011 Preakness Stakes Winner: Shackleford
2010 Preakness Stakes Winner: Lookin At Lucky
2009 Preakness Stakes Winner: Rachel Alexandra
2008 Preakness Stakes Winner: Big Brown*
2007 Preakness Stakes Winner: Curlin
2006 Preakness Stakes Winner: Bernardini
2005 Preakness Stakes Winner: Afleet Alex
2004 Preakness Stakes Winner: Smarty Jones*
2003 Preakness Stakes Winner: Funny Cide*
2002 Preakness Stakes Winner: War Emblem*
2001 Preakness Stakes Winner: Point Given
2000 Preakness Stakes Winner: Red Bullet

The only horse that didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby that is considered to really have a shot here at the Preakness Stakes is Departing (Current Preakness Odds: 6 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook). Departing was the Illinois Derby winner, and he won that race in relatively impressive fashion, but he did it against a bunch of horses that never really had much of a shot of competing in the Triple Crown races. We don’t know a lot more about this horse than that, but we do know that he is a closer in a race in which there is a rabbit (Titletown Five) and a bunch of horses that are favorites that might try to keep up with him. It could bode well for the No. 4 horse, who has four wins in his five starts in his career. We just don’t know if the value is really there on Departing to warrant making him a part of your exotics, though anything that Orb isn’t in would ultimately pay some darn good money.

Way on the outside though, is Itsmyluckyday (Odds To Win The Preakness: 12 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook). Itsmyluckyday is a horse that we wanted to back in the Kentucky Derby, but he just didn’t run all that well. He was never in a position to run his race, and now, we think that he is going to have a better opportunity to do so even though he is starting from the far outside in a nine-horse field. We still look back at that Florida Derby run and see Itsmyluckyday as a horse that has closing abilities, and it darn near was able to outkick the mighty Orb, who is the odds on favorite in this race. The fact that this colt’s odds are worse at the Preakness is borderline insane, and we know that in the end, Itsmyluckyday does have a chance in this nine-horse field to take the cake.

Current 2013 Preakness Stakes Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 5/15/13):
(Get a HUGE 50% Sportsbook Bonus at 5Dimes.eu When Using This Link)
Orb 1 to 1.20
Goldencents 7 to 1
Mylute 9 to 1
Departing 4 to 1
Govenor Charlie 7.50 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 9 to 1
Oxbow 15 to 1
Will Take Charge 12 to 1
Titletown Five 28 to 1

Preakness Stakes Prop Bets
All Odds Available From 5Dimes.eu
Orb Finishes In Top 3 -510
Orb Doesn’t Finish In Top 3 +340

Orb Finishes 2nd in Preakness Stakes +350
Orb Doesn’t Finish 2nd in Preakness Stakes -530

Orb Finishes 3rd in Preakness Stakes +550
Orb Doesn’t Finish 3rd in Preakness Stakes -1050

Orb Wins Triple Crown +220
Orb Doesn’t Win Triple Crown -300

Orb Wins Preakness and Not Triple Crown +260
Any Other Result -380

Victory Margin: Dead Heat +6000
Any Other Victory Margin -20000

Victory Margin: Nose +1300
Any Other Victory Margin -2575

Victory Margin: Head +1000
Any Other Victory Margin -1750

Victory Margin: Neck +800
Any Other Victory Margin -1475

Victory Margin: 1/2 to 3/4 lengths +450
Any Other Victory Margin -675

Victory Margin: 1 to 2 3/4 lengths +220
Any Other Victory Margin -280

Victory Margin: 3 to 5 3/4 lengths +350
Any Other Victory Margin -485

Victory Margin: 6 to 7 3/4 lengths +1050
Any Other Victory Margin -1875

Victory Margin: 8 to 10 3/4 lengths +1300
Any Other Victory Margin -2575

Victory Margin: 11 to 14 3/4 lengths +1700
Any Other Victory Margin -4250

Victory Margin: 15 lengths or more +2800
Any Other Victory Margin -7000

Current 2013 Preakness Stakes Lines @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 5/15/13):
(Get a HUGE 100% Signup Bonus at BetOnline.com When Using This Link)
Orb 1 to 1
Departing 6 to 1
Mylute 6 to 1
Goldencents 15 to 2
Govenor Charlie 10 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 12 to 1
Will Take Charge 12 to 1
Oxbow 16 to 1
Titletown Five 28 to 1

Kentucky Derby Matchups @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 5/15/13):
(Get a FREE 20% Bonus at Bovada.lv By Using This Link)
Check Back On Preakness Stakes Race Day For Race Matchup Prop Bets

Consider this page your one stop shop for all things related to the Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA playoffs series! These two teams are going to be squaring off in what should be a fantastic second round playoff series, and regardless of whether you are looking for a series preview, our Warriors vs. Spurs predictions, the NBA playoffs series prices for the Warriors and Spurs, or just an up to date listing of all of the final scores with recaps of all of the games, you’ve come to the right place. Be sure to bookmaker this page if you’re a fan of either of these teams, or if you’re just a generic NBA fan, but this is your official handicapping home of the Warriors vs. Spurs series.

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Playoff Schedule

Spurs Win Series 4-2

Game 1: Golden State Warriors 127 – San Antonio Spurs 129 (2 OTs)
Game 2: Golden State Warriors 100 – San Antonio Spurs 91
Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 102 – Golden State Warriors 92
Game 4: San Antonio Spurs 87 – Golden State Warriors 97 (OT)
Game 5: Golden State Warriors 91 – San Antonio Spurs 109
Game 6: San Antonio Spurs 94 – Golden State Warriors 82

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs Series Odds at BetRevolution Sportsbook
Golden State Warriors +575
San Antonio Spurs -850
Click Here to Bet Your Warriors vs. Spurs Picks!

Warriors vs. Spurs Series Update
Game 1: There were 205 total shots from the field. There were 56 shots from beyond the arc. There were 100 total rebounds. There were 49 total assists. There were 50 total fouls. And when the dust settled, it was G Manu Ginobili who won it for San Antonio with a bomb of a three to steal Game 1. The Warriors were up 16 points with four minutes to play before Spurs went on an 18-2 run to force overtime. G Stephen Curry did everything he knew to try to win this game, as he played all but four seconds of the game and scored 44 points with 11 assists. G Tony Parker led the way with 28 for the Spurs, and he had a lot of help as well. Five players scored at least 16 points in what turned out to be a prototypical well coached, level headed game by Head Coach Gregg Popovich. This might not have been a cover for San Antonio, but a win is a win, and it might be the victory that ultimately proves to get this team on fire for the rest of the postseason. Spurs 129 – Warriors 127 (2 OTs) (Spurs Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: We’ve been asking the question for the last three weeks as to what would happen to the Warriors in the event that G Stephen Curry had a bad game. Curry didn’t play terribly, scoring 22 points, but he also only shot 7-of-20 from the field. The man of the hour? G Klay Thompson, who hit 8-of-9 from long range and led all scorers with 34 points. It wasn’t a thrilling day for the Golden State offense, particularly in the second half when a 62-43 halftime lead started to evaporate. The fact that the Spurs were challenged for the second straight night in spite of the fact that they got 23 from F Tim Duncan, 20 from G Tony Parker, and a double-double from F Kawhi Leonard is scary to say the least. This is a series that is inevitably going to be a long one. Warriors 100 – Spurs 91 (Series Tied 1-1)

Game 3: In a way, order has been restored for the Spurs. They were able to go on the road right away, seize control of the first game in this series played at Oracle Arena, and ultimately hold on tight to win by 10. G Tony Parker and F Tim Duncan combined to score 55 points for the Spurs, but the story was the San Antonio defense. This unit did a nice job holding down both G Klay Thompson and G Stephen Curry in this one, as those two went just 12-of-37 combined from the floor, scoring a total of 33 points. The Spurs now know that this is a series that they really should win, though it is far from over at this point. Spurs 102 – Warriors 92 (Spurs Lead Series 2-1)

Game 4: With five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Warriors were down eight points, and they had to feel as though they were as good as finished. G Stephen Curry was playing on a bum ankle, shots weren’t falling, and the Spurs looked like they were coasting to another double-digit victory. Alas, some more Golden State magic was in the cards, and the team outscored San Antonio by 18 the rest of the way to ultimately win by 10 in OT. Curry ended up with 22 points on the night, and for the first time in a long time, he was picked up by teammates who weren’t named Klay Thompson. G Jarrett Jack, who long wondered if he was going to have to start this game in place of the banged up Curry, scored 24 points, while rookie F Harrison Barnes came up with the biggest performance in his career with a game-high 26. G Manu Ginobili did what he could do for the Spurs, but his 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc wasn’t enough. Take our the Argentine, and San Antonio shot just 25-of-75 from the field and 2-of-17 from long range. That’s why this turned out to be an ugly offensive game. Warriors 97 – Spurs 87 (OT) (Series Tied 2-2)

Game 5: The Warriors are showing the fact that they are mortal, and they are now up against the wall known as elimination. G Seth Curry and G Klay Thompson both had atrocious games, as they shot a combined 6-of-22 from the field and scored just 13 points. It happens to be that the rest of the team played tremendous basketball for the full 48 minutes, but it just wasn’t enough without the stars shining. This was the game where the Spurs flexed their muscles and proved that they are the superior team in this series. The NBA Finals are just five wins away for San Antonio, and after another 25-point game out of G Tony Parker, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until the Spurs get within four wins of that goal as well. Spurs 109 – Warriors 91 (Spurs Lead Series 3-2)

Game 6: Game 6 was a relatively boring game for the Spurs and the Warriors, and that’s just the way that San Antonio wanted it. The Spurs actually only took 73 shots from the field, by far the lowest in any game in this series, but that was more than enough to get the job done. G Stephen Curry did everything that he could, scoring 22 points on the night, but his bum ankles really held him back. Golden State never had the chance to explode from the perimeter as it has in the past in these playoffs, and that ultimately led to its demise. The Spurs held the Warriors to just four three-point shots for the game, and they had all five of their starters score in double figures to lead to the series clinching win. Spurs 94 – Warriors 82 (Spurs Win Series 4-2)

2013 Warriors vs. Spurs Series Preview

Many think that the San Antonio Spurs are set to romp right through to the NBA Finals at this point, as they clearly looked like the best team in the Western Conference when they stormed past the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in the opening round of the series. However, they might have their work cut out for them when they take on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals. Golden State was able to pull off one awesome upset against the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs, and it might be able to pull this one off once again.

Golden State is really only going to go as far as G Stephen Curry takes it. This young man really is becoming a superstar before our eyes. He shot 43.4 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 24.3 points and 9.3 assists per game in the opening series, but he had a heck of a lot of help. G Jarrett Jack, F Harrison Barnes, and G Klay Thompson all averaged at least 14.7 points per game, and F Carl Landry was good for 12.8 points per game. It was unfortunate to lose to F David Lee for the rest of the playoffs to an injury though, and that might ultimately be the demise of the team. That being said, Golden State was able to essentially win all four games without him against a very good Denver outfit, and it was able to win games both at home and on the road, and both in wild skirmish games and in some relatively big defensive spots as well.

San Antonio didn’t just win its first four games, but it won all of those games by at least a dozen points. The average margin of victory against the was 16.3 points per game, and there wasn’t a team that was more impressive. Granted, we know that the Lakers had a team that wasn’t good enough to be in the playoffs, but they did their job nonetheless and took care of business like good teams should. Head Coach Gregg Popovich has a full deck of players to work with, as the only players that are still listed on the injury report heading into this series are C Boris Diaw and C Tiago Splitter, who both figure to be able to play at some point. In typical Spurs fashion, 10 players averaged at least 4.5 points per game, and all of them averaged at least 11 minutes per game. G Tony Parker led all scorers at 22.2 points per game, and he was also the lead assist man as well at 6.5 dimes per night. F Tim Duncan averaged 17.5 points per game, and he looked a lot like the man that has already led this team to numerous titles in his Hall of Fame career.

The home team won all four games this year, and the Warriors covered three of the four games. There is a real chance for Golden State to stick around in this series, but we think that the coaching abilities of Popovich are going to shine in this one, and this will ultimately be a relatively short series. The Warriors will win one on the back of Curry, but he won’t be able to single-handedly win this series the way that he did against the Nuggets.

Spurs vs. Warriors Series Prediction: San Antonio Spurs in 5

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The 2013 NBA playoffs are set to continue, and today at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be keeping a close eye on the series between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. These two should be going at it in a great set of battles, and we are going to have our NBA playoffs predictions and scores update on a nightly basis for this and all of the great series throughout the playoffs. Check back to this page often, as we will be updating our final scores and our series analysis so you can make the most informed NBA picks every step of the way in this series.

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks NBA Playoff Schedule

Pacers Win Series 4-2

Game 1: Indiana Pacers 102 – New York Knicks 95
Game 2: Indiana Pacers 79 – New York Knicks 105
Game 3: New York Knicks 71 – Indiana Pacers 82
Game 4: New York Knicks 82 – Indiana Pacers 93
Game 5: Indiana Pacers 75 – New York Knicks 85
Game 6: New York Knicks 99 – Indiana Pacers 106

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Series Odds at
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Indiana Pacers -400
New York Knicks +300
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Pacers vs. Knicks Series Update
Game 1: Home court advantage has already flipped hands. The Pacers outscored New York 59-38 in the second and third quarters combined, and the Knicks simply had no answer whatsoever. G DJ Augustin came off the bench and knocked down four threes, scoring 16 points. The five starters for Indiana also scored at least 11 points apiece. Not surprisingly, when the Knicks lose, F Carmelo Anthony and G JR Smith just didn’t shoot the ball well. These two went just 14-of-43 between them. That won’t cut it against this Indiana team, which is a heck of a lot better than the recently banished Celtics. Pacers 102 – Knicks 95 (Pacers Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: Believe it or not, Game 2 was a relatively close game until the Knicks went on a 30-2 run to put things away in the fourth quarter. New York ended up outscoring the Pacers by 20 in the final stanza, and things could have been a heck of a lot worse had that run come earlier in the game. F Carmelo Anthony played an efficient game, as he shot 13-of-26 from the field and scored 32 points. G JR Smith still struggled, but Indiana just couldn’t get things going. The team uncharacteristically only pulled down 35 boards (largely thanks to New York shooting 49.4% from the field), and it turned it over 21 times. The telling stat of the game? Indiana had 66 shots. The Knicks had 89 shots. You’re not going to win games when you don’t shoot the basketball as many times as your opponents. Knicks 105 – Pacers 79 (Series Tied 1-1)

Game 3: If you didn’t believe in how good the Pacers were defensively before, you certainly do now. It feels like the whole shot chart has been littered with bad shot selection for New York, but the Knicks are only taking what the Pacers are giving them looks at. New York shot just 35.2 percent from the field, and though Indiana didn’t do any better at 35.0 percent, it had 13 more rebounds, thus nine more shots from the floor. C Roy Hibbert scored 24 and pulled down 12 boards to lead the way for Indiana. The Knicks only had one double digit point scorer, and that was F Carmelo Anthony with 21. Pacers 82 – Knicks 71 (Pacers Lead Series 2-1)

Game 4: It’s more of the same story for the Knicks and the Pacers in this one. Indiana has figured out how to dominate on the defensive side of the court, and New York hasn’t figured out how to counter that. G JR Smith only scored 19 points, and it took 22 shots for him to do that. F Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points, but that took 23 shots to accomplish. G Iman Shumpert, F Kenyon Martin, and G Jason Kidd combined to shoot 0-for-11 from the field. Meanwhile, the Pacers weren’t fantastic offensively, but they won because they dominated on the boards, they only turned the ball over 12 times, and they took advantage of their opportunities. Getting 26 points from G George Hill didn’t hurt either. Indiana is on the verge of a date with the Heat. Pacers 93 – Knicks 82 (Pacers Lead Series 3-1)

Game 5: At least for one more night, the Knicks have survived. With G George Hill out with a concussion, G DJ Augustin was forced into the starting lineup for the Pacers, and though he knocked down three triples in the game, he wasn’t the most effective player in the world. Instead, F Paul George led the way with 23 points, but he didn’t get a heck of a lot of help from anyone else on his team. F Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points on 12-of-28 shooting, and though that was far too many shots for that many points, the team picked up the slack on the defensive side of the court by forcing 19 turnovers. The Pacers were just a mess offensively, and they are going to have to play better ball than this if they want to win this series still. Knicks 85 – Pacers 75 (Pacers Lead Series 3-2)

Game 6: The Knicks had one of their best quarters of basketball in the third quarter when they really needed it, scoring 34 points and drawing level in a game that they had to win. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t end up capitalizing on it. G Raymond Felton didn’t hit a single shot from the field, and G JR Smith hit just 4-of-15 to kill New York’s chances. G George Hill was back in the lineup, and even though he only shot 2-of-10 from the field, the game looked a lot more normal for the Pacers. G Lance Stephenson led the way with 25 points, while F Paul George had 23, and C Roy Hibbert scored 21 with 12 boards and five blocks. Indiana hit 34 foul shots in the game and turned the ball over just nine times. New York didn’t have a single fast break point in what turned out to be its last game of the season. Pacers 106 – Knicks 99 (Pacers Win Series 4-2)

2013 Pacers vs. Knicks Series Preview

The Knicks and the Pacers both struggled just a bit in their opening round series against the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks respectively. Both took big series leads. New York was up 3-0 and ended up needing six games to finish off the Celtics, while the Pacers were up 2-0 on the Hawks before ultimately needing six games to get the job done.

New York played some fantastic defensive ball in this opening round series against Boston, particularly early on. The team held the Celtics down to just a total of 54 points in a span of four quarters of basketball from the third period of Game 2 through the second quarter of Game 3. However, when the defense started to slip, the offense started to get a bit more erratic. F Carmelo Anthony and G JR Smith tried to literally do everything, and the end result is that both ended up shooting just 38 percent from the field for the series. Both put up good scoring numbers, especially Anthony and his 29.2 points per game. However, it all isn’t going to mean anything if the rest of the supporting cast can’t help out. G Raymond Felton had a good first series, averaging 17.2 points per game, but aside from him, there wasn’t another supporting player that averaged more than the 9.0 points per game of G Iman Shumpert and the 6.0 points per game of G Pablo Prigioni. Look for F Amare Stoudemire to come back in this series at some point, perhaps as early as Game 3 in Indianapolis.

The Pacers didn’t play all that well on the road all season long, and that stayed the case in the postseason as well. The team was beaten badly in the first two games at Phillips Arena before finally figuring out how to finish the deal in Game 6 on the road. F Paul George had himself a great opening series, averaging 18.7 points, 9.5 boards, and 5.0 assists per game, and he started off with a triple-double in the opening game of the set. Four players averaged at least 14.7 points per game, but more importantly, three averaged at least 8.0 rebounds per game as well. Indiana continued to move the basketball all over the court, and if it keeps that up here in the second round, it will have a shot of winning this series.

The home team won the last five games in this series dating back to last year, and it is 4-1 ATS in that stretch as well. The Pacers have come up with some huge efforts at Bankers Life Fieldhouse over the years, and we think they will ultimately find a way to win this series in six games. There will be too much of “I before Team” basketball in the Big Apple, and Melo and Smith will ultimately be the death of this team once the Pacers figure things out.

Knicks vs. Pacers Series Prediction: Indiana Pacers in 6

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The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies will be playing in what should be a tight series in the Western Conference Semifinals. Join us here at Bankroll Sports, as we look at the Grizzlies vs. Thunder series schedule, as well as many our series predictions for what should be one of the top series to pay attention to in the second round of the playoffs.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Playoff Schedule

Grizzlies Win Series 4-1

Game 1: Memphis Grizzlies 91 – Oklahoma City Thunder 93
Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies 99 – Oklahoma City Thunder 93
Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder 81 – Memphis Grizzlies 87
Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder 97 – Memphis Grizzlies 103 (OT)
Game 5: Memphis Grizzlies 88 – Oklahoma City Thunder 84

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Series Odds at
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Memphis Grizzlies -765
Oklahoma City Thunder +515
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Grizzlies vs. Thunder Series Updates
Game 1: The Grizzlies had every chance in the world to get the first game of this series, but it was F Kevin Durant that managed to take over and win the game in the fourth quarter. Memphis blew a 10-point lead in the second half, and that isn’t going to cut it in this series. Durant scored 35 points with 15 boards and six assists, and though the rest of the team only had seven assists in total, getting 25 points from G Kevin Martin really helped. Both F Zach Randolph and C Marc Gasol had double-doubles for the Grizz, but it wasn’t enough in the end. G Quincy Pondexter missed the first of three free throws that would have sent the game to overtime, and he was forced to miss the third foul shot to try to tie the game, but Memphis wasn’t able to get another shot off. Thunder 93 – Grizzlies 91 (Thunder Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: For the second straight game, the Thunder and the Grizzlies came right down to the wire, and the end result was a very close game that could have gone either way. This time around though, it was G Mike Conley Jr. who came through in a huge way, scoring 26 points with 10 boards and nine assists to lead the way for the Grizz. Memphis continues to have its way on the glass, winning that battle 43-35 on the day, including going +8 on the offensive boards. Oklahoma City turned the ball over 21 times in the game as well, and that really erased the fact that F Kevin Durant scored 36 points with 11 rebounds and nine dimes. Grizzlies 99 – Thunder 93 (Series Tied 1-1)

Game 3: Though the Thunder ultimately lost by six points and didn’t cover the NBA odds in this one, they really were unlucky to not win this game. Oklahoma City didn’t score a single point in the final two and a half minutes of the game, and F Kevin Durant went the final three and a half minutes with a score. Durant once again got his points with 25, and he led the team in rebounds (11) and assists (5). However, the rest of the team had a total of just five assists, and as we have said all postseason long since G Russell Westbrook got hurt, that isn’t going to cut it. There weren’t any truly flashy stats for the Grizz in this one, as their leader was C Marc Gasol with 20 points and nine rebounds. However, in the end, the shots were falling for Memphis, and they weren’t for Oklahoma City. It was a great defensive game that could have easily gone either way. Grizzlies 87 – Thunder 81 (Grizzlies Lead Series 2-1)

Game 4: This is most certainly the one that the Thunder let get away. They were up 17 points in the second quarter of Game 4 on the road, and those are the types of games that you just can’t let slip in a best-of-seven series when you have already let home court advantage get out of your hands. The Thunder just couldn’t buy a shot in the second half and in overtime, and they scored jsut a total of 41 points in the final 29 minutes of the game. F Kevin Durant had 27 points, seven assists, and seven boards, and the difference in this one is that the team actually helped him out a bit. Four others scored in double figures, and G Reggie Jackson even had eight assists to go with his 15 points. Still, it was the power of the “big three” for the Grizzlies that got the job done. C Marc Gasol and F Zach Randolph both scored 23 points and had double-doubles, while G Mike Conley Jr. scored 24 to lead the way for Memphis. Now, the Grizzlies are a win away from the Western Conference Finals. Grizzlies 103 – Thunder 97 (OT) (Grizzlies Lead Series 3-1)

Game 5: For the first time in the playoffs, F Kevin Durant had a bad game, and the end result was his team’s elimination from the playoffs. Sure, Durant scored 21 points, but he only shot 5-of-21 from the field, and he didn’t make a three-point basket all game long. Oklahoma City shot just 36.9 percent from the field, and it ended up committing 25 fouls over the course of the game as well. Meanwhile, it was more of the same for the Grizz. F Zach Randolph had 28 points and 14 boards, while G Mike Conley Jr., in spite of his bad shooting night, still had 13 points, 11 assists, and seven boards. Memphis is off to its first conference finals in team history, and for the second time in these playoffs, it has a four-game winning streak. Grizzlies 88 – Thunder 84 (Grizzlies Win Series 4-1)

2013 Grizzlies vs. Thunder Series Preview

Had you told an NBA expert handicapper two weeks ago that the Thunder would be underdogs in the Western Conference Semifinals, they would have told you that you were insane. After all, Oklahoma City was up 3-0 against the Houston Rockets and looked poised to move onto this round with ease. However, what we found out over the course of these last few games is that the team isn’t ready to win a title without G Russell Westbrook in the fold.

Westbrook is now out for the rest of the playoffs after going through some knee surgery just before Game 3 against the Rockets. Perhaps Houston was a better team than we all gave it credit for, but the truth of the matter is that F Kevin Durant isn’t a point guard. He is trying to do the job, as he led the team in assists in the first round, averaging 7.0 per game. Of course, he was also second on the team in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game and easily the leading scorer at 32.5 points per game as well. The question is going to be whether G Reggie Jackson can make up for what Westbrook is no longer bringing to the table. We do give credit to Jackson for averaging 14.0 points per game in the opening round and shooting 46.2 percent from the field, but he hasn’t been a key ball distributor, and that’s what the team really needs at the moment.

Memphis is actually the slight favorite for the time being, and many think that it might not just win this series, but win it with ease. The club actually won the final four games of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the favored Los Angeles Clippers, though we do have to recognize the fact that three of those four games were at home at the FedEx Forum. The Grizz play suffocating defense, and they held the Clips down to just 91.0 points per game in the last five games of the series. It was the offense that shined that was a bit shocking. Memphis only scored triple digits in one of its 13 games prior to Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. In the last three games though, the team scored 104, 103, and 118 points. F Zach Randolph, G Mike Conley, and C Marc Gasol all averaged at least 17.3 points per game for the team this year, and if that’s the way that these three are going to play for the whole postseason, the Grizzlies might be legitimate contenders to win the whole enchilada.

Recent history is on the side of the Grizzlies. They have won three of the last four meetings, though they only went 2-2 ATS in those games. The one failure came in March when they won 90-89 in overtime as a 1 ½-point favorite. Remember that all of those games came with both Durant and Westbrook in the fold. We might be overreacting to what we saw in that series against Houston, but the argument could have been made that the Thunder should have been beaten 4-1 in that first round series. We think that will be approximately the final score of this series as well. We want the Grizzlies on our side, even as the short favorites against a team that won 60 games in the regular season.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder Series Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies in 5

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The NBA playoff odds are posted all over the internet, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to be taking an updated look at the Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat series. We’ll go game by game and updated all of the NBA odds and final scores for each of the series, so be sure to join us throughout this series, as we will be keeping this and all of the posts up to date for the NBA playoffs.

Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat NBA Playoff Schedule

Heat Win Series 4-1

Game 1: Chicago Bulls 93 – Miami Heat 86
Game 2: Chicago Bulls 78 – Miami Heat 115
Game 3: Miami Heat 104 – Chicago Bulls 94
Game 4: Miami Heat 88 – Chicago Bulls 65
Game 5: Chicago Bulls 91 – Miami Heat 94

Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Series Odds at
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Chicago Bulls +35000
Miami Heat -100000
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Bulls vs. Heat Series Updates
Game 1: Even the most staunch Chicago fan couldn’t have seen this one coming! In spite of the fact that the Bulls didn’t have either F Luol Deng or G Kirk Hinrich, they still were able to lock down defensively and hold the sluggish Heat to just 86 points, including only 37 in a very suspect first half that has to concern the champs. F LeBron James, G Dwyane Wade, and F Chris Bosh, who are used to combining for at least 60 points on a nightly basis, had just 47 between them on Monday, and that really was the difference in the game. Chicago used G Marco Belinelli and F Jimmy Butler for a total of 95 minute between them, and that was the difference in the game. Butler scored 21 and had 14 boards. G Nate Robinson scored 27 and had nine assists. Bulls 93 – Heat 86 (Bulls Lead Series 1-0)

Game 2: There was no G Kirk Hinrich and no F Luol Deng for the straight game in this series, yet this time around, the Bulls absolutely got their butts kicked, particularly in a stretch of 20:15 when the game went from 42-38 to 104-58. The de facto 62-20 run was one of the most impressive things that we have seen in our time of watching basketball, and we have seen some pretty darn impressive things. The Heat never really had to break a sweat in this one, as it was over from the get go. Six players logged double-digits of points for Miami, and those six outscored the entire Chicago team by 19 points. Forget about the others who tallied another 18. This could have been a 50-point game if the Heat had wanted it to be. Heat 115 – Bulls 78 (Series Tied 1-1)

Game 3: Once again, all of the players for the Bulls that we have been mentioning as players that have been sitting sat in Game 3, and the end result once again didn’t go Chicago’s way. It was another game littered with technical fouls, and C Nazr Mohammed was ejected after he shoved F LeBron James. Needless to say, that wasn’t what Head Coach Tom Thibodeau needed, knowing that he was already going to play four players at least 42 minutes in this game. The Bulls simply ran out of gas in the final stanza of this one, as they were level going into the fourth quarter and were unlucky to at least not cover the spread. C Chris Bosh scored 20 and brought down 19 rebounds to lead the way in a game in which Chicago really had just about everything going the way that it wanted. Miami helped salt the game away by shooting 26-of-30 from the charity stripe. Heat 104 – Bulls 94 (Heat Lead Series 2-1)

Game 4: The white flag isn’t quite in the air yet, but we’re hearing a fat lady starting to sing, and we think that she’s located in South Beach. G Dwyane Wade tweaked his knee again in Game 4, but that was about the only bit of bad news for Miami in this one. F LeBron James did his thing, scoring 27 points with eight assists and seven boards, while F Chris Bosh was the only other double-digit scorer on the team with 14 points. The impressive stats all came on the other side of the court. The Bulls were held to just 19 field goals for the game, and they had only 42 points through three quarters before scoring 23 in the fourth. G Nate Robinson shot just 0-of-12 from the field, and even if you take that out, the rest of the team only shot 30.6%. There’s nothing left that Chicago can do to stop its pending extinction this season. Heat 88 – Bulls 65 (Heat Lead Series 3-1)

Game 5: We’ll say this about Chicago: It never gave up. The Heat threatened early to blow Chicago out of the water for the fourth straight game. Head Coach Tom Thibodeau and company erased a 17-point deficit though, and the Bulls ultimately build a double-digit lead of their own late in the third quarter. There just wasn’t enough gas left in the tank though, as Miami outscored Chicago 28-14 over the course of the last 14 minutes of the game to win by three. Four players scored at least 15 points for the Bulls in defeat. F LeBron James scored 23 points in spite of his 5-of-14 shooting performance. G Dwyane Wade, playing on a bad knee, scored 18 and had six assists and five boards. Now, the Heat will have at least three days off, and potentially as much as a week off to rest to get ready for the Eastern Conference Finals. Heat 94 – Bulls 91 (Heat Win Series 4-1)

2013 Bulls vs. Heat Series Preview

Just as the New England Patriots were basically convinced that they had a bye through the first two rounds of the playoffs in the AFC this year, the Heat probably can be convinced that they have a bye in the first two rounds of the playoffs this year in the Eastern Conference as well. They made it through their first round without any hassles against the Milwaukee Bucks, taking all four games with ease. Now, they get the Bulls, who had to play a full seven games, including a triple-overtime game in Game 4, and who are incredibly banged up coming into this series.

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether G Derrick Rose is really going to try to suit up or not for this series. In the end, we have to think that Rose is done for the year, even if Chicago gets out of this series. The rest of the team is going to have to pick up the slack around him, and many of the bodies that would be in those roles are hurting as well. C Joakim Noah doesn’t show up on the injury report any longer even though he is playing through plantar fasciitis. Meanwhile, F Luol Deng was hospitalized prior to Game 6 against the Brooklyn Nets and might miss at least the start of this series. G Kirk Hinrich missed three of the seven games against the Nets with a hamstring problem. That being said, G Nate Robinson was able to really step up and have some big, big moments against Brooklyn, and he was actually the second leading scorer at 17.0 points per game in that first series. F Carlos Boozer was a rock in the middle for Head Coach Tom Thibodeau on both sides of the court, and he ended up averaging 17.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the series, shooting 54.5 percent from the field.

And then there are the Heat, who were so not worried about Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks that they let G Dwyane Wade sit out for the game. Wade only averaged 13.7 points per game, and it almost seemed like he and his teammates were toying with Milwaukee. F LeBron James only averaged 37 minutes per game, and we know that he has the ability to play 45 minutes per game if he needs to as we go on in the second season. F Chris Bosh only averaged 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and he too, is capable of much, much more. This is going to be a tougher series for sure for all of the Heat players, and virtually everyone is going to have to step it up. That being said, there is no doubt who the superior of these two teams are.

The Heat are going to have a score to settle with the Bulls. Chicago was the team that ended their 27-game winning streak back in the end of March. The Bulls also won a game earlier this year at American Airlines Arena, perhaps proving that they can indeed win in this series. That being said, it’s only a matter of time until the Heat turn on the jets, and we think they’re going to do just that when push comes to shove at the United Center in Games 3 and 4 of this series. Not only do we think that Miami is sweeping this series, but we think it is sweeping it without having to break a sweat. Four wins by at least a dozen points are in store as we see it.

Bulls vs. Heat Series Prediction: Miami Heat in 4

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