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Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Hornets NBA Pick
The road that leads to another Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship winds its way through the Big Easy as they take on the Hornets in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals in New Orleans tonight.
Date/Time: Friday, April 22, 9:35 PM ET
Venue: New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, LA.
Broadcast: ESPN
Money Line: Los Angeles -245, New Orleans +205
Spread: Los Angeles -5 ½
Over/Under: 183
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After dropping Game 1 at the Staples Center, the Lakers ripped off a big win in Game 2 to even the series at one game apiece on Thursday night in LA. With a relentless defensive effort, and a 17-point 11 rebound double double from Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles helped themselves to a nine-point victory on night that saw Kobe Bryant held to just 11 points on three of 10 shooting.
Bryant wasn’t the only Laker to have a bad outing, as Pau Gasol had just eight points of his own, on two of 10 shooting, while Lamar Odom contributed 16 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, after the Hornets stung the Lakers in Game 1 on a superb effort from Four-time All Star Chris Paul, Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson said enough is enough, assigning Bryant in place of an aging Derek Fisher to shadow his counterpart, forcing the remaining Hornets to have to contribute if they wanted to take a two game lead.
Trevor Ariza had a game-high 22 points for New Orleans but it wasn’t enough.
Jackson’s plan was a success, as Paul (33 points, 14 assists in Game 1) was held to just 20 points and nine assists, while the entire Hornets squad has stunned, shooting just 39.1 percent from the field as the Lakers shot 44.7 percent. New Orleans remained competitive until the final minutes of Game 2 despite missing 12 free throws, turning the ball over 16 times and having starting center Emeka Okafor in early foul trouble.
It appears the Lakers may have figured out the Hornets weakness. If they can keep Paul in check, as they did in Game 2, it could prove to be the winning formula.
The odds makers have the Los Angeles Lakers as a -5.5 point favorite with an over/under of 183.
Check out the latest NBA Basketball Playoff Odds here.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Lakers - Despite a poor performance from Bryant and Gasol in their second bout, the Lakers found a way to win, proving they can beat New Orleans in more ways than one. Remember, these are the same Lakers that ripped the 2009-10 NBA title from Boston’s grasp after falling behind 3-2 in the finals—and overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half of Game 7 to do it. I expect the Hornets to play tough at home in this one keeping it close, but in the end I think the Lakers will win through and cover this one.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Hornets 2011 Playoff Schedule
Game 4: Sun. April 24: Los Angeles @ New Orleans – 6:30 pm EST on TNT
Game 5: Tue. April 26: New Orleans @ Los Angeles – TBD
*Game 6: Thu. April 28: Los Angeles @ New Orleans – TBD
*Game 7: Sat. April 30: New Orleans @ Los Angeles – TBD
* If necessary
Los Angeles Lakers Betting Trends:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games
LA Lakers are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games
LA Lakers are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games
LA Lakers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games
New Orleans Hornets Betting Trends:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans’s last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
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