Sunday Clash Between Los Angeles Lakers And Oklahoma City Thunder
On Sunday April 10, the Los Angeles Lakers will battle against the Oklahoma City Thunder as both finish out their seasons in preparation for the NBA Playoffs. Kendrick Perkins has already been talking trash in regards to Lakers big man, Pau Gasol and their coach Phil Jackson, who is the new addition for the Thunder.
In basketball betting Odds the Lakers are the favorite to win the NBA Championship this season at 9-2 whereas basketball picks have the Thunder at 15-1.
Perkins did not show Gasol much respect as he called him “soft” as well as he also called Jackson “arrogant.” When the two take the floor on Sunday it will be an interesting matchup. With the improved play of Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom off the bench, the Lakers have been a dominant team on the boards.
Even though Kobe Bryant has suffered his usual assortment of minor injuries, he has staved off major injuries this season. Bryant has continued to be the team leader and scoring leader of the Lakers in spite of his battle with the injury bug. Bryant is always known for turning it up a notch in the NBA Playoffs as he is averaging a little more than 25 points per game.
In the NBA Kevin Durant is still one of the best players who is flying under the radar in Oklahoma City. In the first round of the NBA Playoffs last year the Thunder gave the Lakers all they could handle as well as with the Lakers this year their acquisition of Perkins could lead them to a later NBA Playoffs battle.
This Sunday’s game will lay the groundwork for the 2011 NBA Playoffs as the Thunder are stronger this year and more seasoned.
Friday Clash Between Miami Heat And San Antonio Spurs
This weekend in a game between two of the top teams in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs will take on the Miami Heat. Even though many people wish the team to beat in the league during the playoffs will be the Miami Heat, the Spurs have the best record in the NBA.
As of late, the Spurs have not been quite as dominant. Three of the losses have come within the last 10 games of their 10 losses on the season. By winning 9 of their last 10 games, the Heat have really been on fire lately.
In order to carry their team the Spurs rely on a lot older players. Many of their role players are on the decline of their careers and also Duncan is aging. If these players start to get tired after the all-star break and if the Spurs start to fall apart will be interesting to see.
Even though the Heat will need to start off the 2nd half of the season with a solid win, they have a great chance at winning the Eastern Conference. The Heat can’t afford to go on one of those streaks with the Celtics within their reach as when they lose they tend to go on streaks of losses.
In this game the Heat will need to limit the role that Tony Parker plays. The Spurs are very difficult to beat, when Parker plays at a high level. The Spurs will need a big game from Manu Ginobli to have a chance in this one; if Tony Parker fails to produce in this game.
For this matchup, basketball betting Odds will be released Thursday night.
Phoenix Suns take on Sacramento Kings on Friday
The Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns, Pacific division rivals, both struggling out of the gate, square off Friday in Phoenix. This got be an exciting match up for basketball betting lines fans.
For both teams in early October, the teams last met in the NBA preseason opener, when Tyreke Evans scored 26 points to lead the Kings to a 109-95 victory over the Suns.
Phoenix is 3-4 SU and Sacramento is 3-3-0 SU this season.
At online sportsbooks closer to game time, NBA Betting Odds for this divisional matchup will be available.
The game marked the NBA debut of DeMarcus Cousins, who netted 16 points and hauled down 16 rebounds for Sacramento and the fifth overall pick in the draft after playing just one season at Kentucky.
For the Kings, they outscored Phoenix 29-15 in the fourth quarter. Both Marcus Landry and Omri Casspi had 11 points; Jason Thompson had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Robin Lopez had 15 points and Jason Richardson scored 17 for Phoenix, which led by as many as 12 points in the first half. Hakim Warrick added 11 points and Jared Dudley scored 13.
The Suns were second and went to the NBA Western Finals, while the Kings are probably not as upset with their start as the Suns, as Sacramento finished with a 25-57 record last season, last in the division.
