No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers pumps his fist in celebration during a break in the action Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Oklahoma product registered 27 points and 12 rebounds in his pro debut at the NBA summer league.
Monday, April 21, 2014 | 2 a.m.
Which future bet would you make on the NBA championship?
- Which future bet would you make on the NBA championship?
- Spurs 5-to-2 — 31.2%
- Heat 9-to-5 — 29.2%
- Clippers 10-to-1 — 22.9%
- Thunder 4-to-1 — 8.3%
- Rockets 20-to-1 — 6.2%
- Pacers 5-to-1 — 2.1%
This poll is closed, see Full Results »
Note: This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
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The first two days of the NBA Playoffs had enough thrills to fill a theme park.
Underdogs won five of the first eight games outright, and went 6-2 against the spread to boot. The Play of the Day, which features South Point odds and starting bankrolls of $10,000, will weigh in heavily on what looks like one of the most exciting postseasons in years over the next couple months.
Los Angeles Clippers minus-8 vs. Golden State Warriors: $770 to win $700
Before Saturday’s Game 1, I would have described this as one of the least competitive series of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. I would have picked the Clippers to come out of the Western Conference and advised a bet on them to win the NBA Finals at 10-to-1.
Backing off on that bullishness because of one upset loss — Golden State took the first game, 109-105, as 7.5-point underdogs — would be short-sighted and irrational. I haven’t seen near enough to convince me the Warriors will take three more games over the Clippers in the next two weeks.
Too much went right for them Saturday. The Clippers were poor to an uncharacteristic extent at grabbing rebounds and making free throws. Blake Griffin played a total of 19 minutes before fouling out.
The players said they were too jittery with the excitement of the start of the playoffs. Whether that or something else was the primary problem, I expect Doc Rivers to correct it before tonight’s tip-off.
The coaching edge is in the Clippers’ corner, as Rivers should be able to outwit Golden State head Mark Jackson especially in quick turnarounds like today’s 48-hour swing.
This is still the Clippers’ series, and they’re poised to show it in Game 2.
Standings: Bern (19-15, $10,130), Keefer (16-18, $8,883), Brewer (14-19-3, $6,615)
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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