NBA Predictions – Suns Should Continue to Roll and Thunder Look Tough Facing Lakers at Home

The Phoenix Suns changed tactics on the Portland Trailblazers in Game 2 of their best of seven series and ended up not only covering an 8 ½ point spread but changing the dynamics of the series when routing the Blazers 119 to 90. The Suns were much more aggressive in Game 2 of the best of seven series. That aggressiveness should lead to another victory on Thursday night.

In the other game of Thursday night’s two team parlay, the Oklahoma City Thunder will attempt to garner their first playoff victory in team history when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had no business losing Game 2 of the series and should be much more pumped to fight the Lakers on Thursday night.

Game-night: 4/22/2010

NBA Playoff Parlay

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Tip-off: 9:30 pm EST

NBA Odds: Oklahoma City -2 ½

Analysis: Game 1 of the series, where the Lakers were outscored in every single quarter after the 1st, could have been written off as an anomaly meaning that the Lakers just weren’t playing as well as they usually do, but Game 2 can’t. L.A. not only looks lethargic and uninterested in this series but flat-out worse than Oklahoma City. Yes, they’ve won both games, but they were lucky in Game 2. Oklahoma City didn’t make the correct adjustments in order to keep Kobe Bryant from taking over in the 4th quarter. Bryant won’t get those easy shots in the 4th quarter of Thursday night’s game the way he did in Game 2 and, more importantly, it’s obvious that the injury to the index finger is hurting him. The Lakers are surprised they even won Game 2 while the Thunder need only take Jeff Green off of Kobe in the 4th quarter and put Thabo Sefolasha, who defends Kobe better than Green for some reason, on Bryant in order to win and cover the spread. If Pau Gasol once again gets beat up on the inside and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook stays out of foul trouble in Game 3, then Kevin Durant and Co. shouldn’t just cover the spread, they should destroy it.

Pick: Oklahoma City -2 ½

Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers

Tip-off: 10:00 pm EST

NBA Odds: Phoenix +1 ½

Analysis: After scoring only 100 points in Game 1 of the series, the Suns decided to run in Game 2 and look what happened? They absolutely dominated the Blazers 119 to 90. Phoenix shot 52.3% from the field and 40% from behind the 3-point line. In horse racing terms, the Suns ran the Blazers “off of their feet”. The problem that Portland has in trying to slow the game down against Phoenix is that the Suns can play all 12 of their guys while the Blazers pretty much have to play guards Andre Miller and Jeryd Bayless for the entire game. Miller can’t keep up with any of the Suns’ guards and Bayless just isn’t seasoned enough to run the Blazers right now. Jason Richardson and Grant Hill, the other Suns stars, had 29 and 20 points respectively. Expect the same thing to happen on Thursday night if the Blazers continue to try and shut down Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash. If the Blazers adjust to defend Richardson and Hill, then Amare and Nash could be the ones with 29 and 20. That’s how many weapons Phoenix has.

Portland played an excellent defensive Game 1 but the Suns have obviously adjusted. I just don’t believe that the Blazers have it in them to make yet another adjustment. Phoenix should roll again.

NBA Free Picks: Phoenix Suns +1 ½