NBA: Portland at Phoenix 10:30E TNT

NBA: Portland at Phoenix 10:30E TNT

2010-04-26

After Games 2 & 3 of the first round West playoff series between Portland and Phoenix, it would have been simple to just write off the Blazers. Those games were decidedly won by the Suns. However, Portland came back strong on Saturday with an emotional boost from the return of Brandon Roy to even the series. The pivotal Game 5 is set for Monday, and Sportsbook.com oddsmakers list Phoenix as a 6-point home favorite.

Right before the series, the big news in the basketball desert was Portland was not going to have their best player, Roy, who was having minor surgery on a torn meniscus. Phoenix went out and celebrated their good fortune by going thru the motions in the series opener, falling by five as eight-point favorites.

The Suns took this series seriously the next two contests, pummeling Portland by 29 and 19 points respectively and got their swagger back, making this look like a five-game series was about to unfold.

However, word was Roy’s procedure was so minor he was able to shoot free throws and do straight line running within days and low and behold he was in uniform for Game 4.

With the theme of “Rocky” playing at the Rose Garden, a delirious crowd welcomes backed their superstar and Phoenix fell for it.

It was clear Roy lacked any lateral quickness, but the Suns coaches and players had a welcoming committee whenever he touched the ball, bring an extra man to guard him, for reasons unknown, freeing up other Blazers players.

“As soon as he checked into the game, I got my first open shot with nobody guarding me, so I was thinking thank God he’s back,” Aldridge said with his team 15-4 ATS after two or more Under’s.

Amare Stoudemire brought up what is becoming an annoying theme to Suns fans and backers. “We didn’t bring it, we just didn’t bring it,” Stoudemire said. “We realized how important the game was. We didn’t bring the effort, we didn’t bring the energy, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t attack. We had a chance to go up 3-1, which would have been great. Now we’ve got to go back to a must-win situation.”

Phoenix is 25-14 ATS after playing a road game and is a six-point favorite with total of 202. If the Suns expect to win this first round Western series they have to force the tempo and are 22-6 OVER at home after two away encounters.

Portland at least knows they are going back home for a Game #6, as they are 0-8 ATS off an upset win as a home underdog.

The StatFox Game Estimator, far more “accu”rate than that of Accuscore, calls for a 106-97 Phoenix win, good enough to beat the 6-point line at Sportsbook.

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