The Phoenix Suns look to rebound from a blowout Game 1 loss in which everything went right for the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip is at 9 PM ET on TNT.
The Lakers are 7.5-point NBA Playoff betting favorites with a total of 216.5.
The Los Angeles Lakers had outstanding performances from up and down the lineup.
Lamar Odom came off of the bench in the first and sparked a Lakers comeback after a sluggish start with seven quick points and three rebounds. The Lakers would never trail again and Odom finished with 19 points and 19 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant picked up 21 of his 40 points in the third quarter to bury the Suns.
The Lakers bench outscored the Suns bench. The Lakers outscored the Suns from downtown. Basically, the Lakers dominated.
Even though their recipe for Game 1 worked, the Lakers will likely change things up a little in Game 2. Don’t be surprised to see them slow the pace down. They may have got away with it in Game 1, but they played at Phoenix’s pace and the longer this series goes at that pace, the harder it will be on the Lakers’ many wonky knees.
The Phoenix Suns remain optimistic. Even if they don’t improve their defense, it’s not likely that the Lakers will shoot 58 percent again like they did in Game 1. Even if they don’t execute on offense better they are not likely to shoot 22.7 percent from three point range like they did in Game 1.
The Suns will need to have someone box out Odom as well as Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and they don’t exactly have big men to spare. But even though whoever gets the job will be at a size disadvantage, the mere fact that they are getting in Odom’s way should help Phoenix’s rebounding.
Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash both played well in Game 1, although Stoudemire could have grabbed a few more rebounds. But it was the supporting players that need to step up.
Channing Frye and Jared Dudley were a combined 2 for 12 from three-point range. They need to find their range for the Suns to have a shot at winning or at least covering.
LA is currently riding a streak of four straight covers ATS after ending a Phoenix streak at four. The Lakers are 20-25-2 ATS at home and the Suns are 27-20-0 ATS on the road, but the Lakers ATS record at home has improved a lot of late, so be careful about using it as an indicator of some trend.
I'm a basketball fan from Vancouver, Canada. Losing the Grizzlies was bitter-sweet. They sucked balls, so I never really started supporting them, but now I only get to catch games on TV.