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On Sunday afternoon on ABC, two very different underdogs will be on national television attempting to over come what could only be described as shameful performances. Cleveland after carving up Washington by 30 in Game two, was made to disappear by the Wizards, who more than returned the favor on home court winning by 36, 108-72. San Antonio will be an underdog in name only, holding a commanding 3-0 lead over Phoenix. The Spurs could wrap it up and earn rest with road dog win against the setting Suns. Cleveland at Washington (Cavs lead 2-1) 1:00E ABC The only redeeming value, as Cleveland learned from Washington, from a 30-point loss, it only count as one defeat, it just feels like more. The Wizards were able to execute the game plan they believed would work from the start of the series. Don’t let LeBron James go off and make other Cleveland players make shots. Coach Eddie Jordan altered defensive scheme, double-teaming James and sealed off the lane. Cavs teammates were of little use, making 2 of 16 beyond the arc. Cleveland is just 5-14 ATS off an embarrassing road loss, scoring less than 80 points the last three seasons. Washington gave a more focused and productive effort, forgetting about the silliness of trying to throw LeBron off his game, by just playing basketball. “We realized we were more making excuses than just going out there and playing the game,” forward Antawn Jamison said. “We did a lot of blaming the referees and things like that. But once you look at the tape, it was a lot of things we weren’t doing correctly that put us in that position.” The Wizards have a chance to square up the series at two with a win; however are only 12-23 ATS in home games after playing a home game over the last two seasons. Cleveland is a four point underdog at the Verizon Center, with total of 190 and can expect to see more of Gilbert Arenas, who logged just 10 minutes on Thursday because of bruised knee. Watch for how Cavs respond after being just 3-14 ATS after scoring 35 points or less in the first half last game.
To paraphrase what Phoenix GM Steve Kerr said about trading for Shaquille O’Neal just before the All-Star break, “I’ll either be a genius or a moron”. Well Steve, it looks like the latter might be the correct answer. The Suns’ Steve Nash said he was “very surprised, stunned” to be down 3-0. “It’s a difficult spot to be in,” Nash said. “It’s not one we foresaw.”
What Friday night proved, is the Suns don’t have is the mental institution to truly over come adversity at the most critical playoff juncture. A couple of years ago, some would argue overcoming 3-1 deficits to less talented Los Angeles teams proved this team’s toughness. The Suns, as it turns out, is just not good enough to defeat the Spurs. NBA basketball this time of year is about a team’s stars playing their best, guys off the bench providing a lift when needed and coaches coming up with superior adjustments game to game. Phoenix big three has been out-performed by San Antonio’s trio and Greg Popovich continues to show why he is one of the top coaches in the league.
The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com and other wagering outlets have dropped the Spurs from seven point dogs in game three, to just four points in game four. The Suns are only 2-6 ATS as home favorites of less then five points and even worse 1-7 against the spread if it’s a playoff contest.
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