Jorge Gonzalez’s NBA Playoff Notes 04/16/2011 TNT Point Spread Odds Las Vegas

The Chicago Bulls came into the series a big favorite. The Bulls closed as 12.5 favorites but had to fight their way out of 12-point deficit in the third quarter in their 104-99 victory over the Pacers. The Bulls offense struggled shooting just 43% from the floor but nailed 26 of 32 free throws. The Pacers were competitive but only attempted 17 free throws. MVP candidate Derrick Rose and his game-high 39 points led the Bulls. The Bulls dominated the glass out rebounding the Pacers 49-34. The Bulls closed out the game with a 16-3 run over the last 3:34 of the game.

The Miami Heat blew a 13-point lead in the 4th quarter allowing the 76ers to score 12 straight points. The Heat hit 31 if 39 free throws while the 76ers were just 12-15. The Heat won the rebound battle 52-39. Chris Bosh led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James hit just 4-14 shots but finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. The Heat is 4-0 versus the 76ers this season and has won 16 of 19 games overall. The 76ers bench came up big with 36 points. Andre Iguodala scored just 4 points on 2-7 shooting.

The Atlanta Hawks pulled the biggest upset of the day by knocking off the Orlando Magic 103-93. Dwight Howard was superman scoring 46 points and snatching 19 rebounds. Jameer Nelson did his part scoring 27 points but the remaining players scored a combined 20 points. The Hawks had a well-balanced attack that saw five players score at least 13 points. The Hawks shot an impressive 51% from the field and 72% from the free throw line. The Magic continue to struggle form the charity stripe hitting 19 of 31 free throws. The Hawks pressured the Magic into 18 turnovers and turned it over just nine times. The Magic struggled from beyond the arc hitting six of 22 attempts.

The Dallas Mavericks received a big night from Jason Kidd, a career best six 3-pointers and 24 points, in route to an 89-81 victory. Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter after a very slow start. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way for the Trail Blazers with 27 points. The Trailblazers have lost 14 of their 16 road playoff games. The Mavericks hit 25-29 free throws while the Trailblazers hit just 9-13 free throws. Dallas hit 51% of their three point attempts while Portland was just 13%. The Trailblazers had 22 assists to just 14 for the Mavericks.