The Los Angeles Lakers have come up with several different ways to keep teams in playoff series' the past several years. This season, the trend that is developing is the Lakers losing game one at home, it is a trend that continued Monday night versus Dallas.
The Lakers blew a sixteen point third quarter lead at home in one of their sloppiest performances in years, and the result is a 1-0 deficit in the Western Conference semi-finals against the Mavericks. L.A. will try to rebound in game two later tonight.
Before that game takes place, the Chicago Bulls will attempt to recover from a blowout loss at home to Atlanta. The Bulls are the number one seed in the East, but as San Antonio showed in the first round out West, the seedings do not mean much at this time of year.
The Lakers and Bulls are both considered heavy betting favorites for tonight's games. Los Angeles is favored by seven points over Dallas, while the Bulls are favored by 8.5 at home against the Hawks. The totals for the games are 187 and 179, respectively. If either of the favorites should lose, it would make it difficult for them to come back and win the series, going on the road for the next two.
The Lakers have been in this position before. In the opening round of the playoffs, L.A. spotted New Orleans the first game. The Lakers then went on to win four of the next five and capture the series. The difference in this series is that they are facing a team that was right behind them for the second seed in the Western Conference.
For Chicago, the defense will have to find a way to slow down Joe Johnson. The Hawks guard exploded in game one, and the opportunity to take a commanding lead in the series will be enough for Johnson and his Hawks teammates to be focused again in game two.
May 4, 2011
Posted By Vincent Tapoglia III
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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