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This Lakers vs. Suns free pick is courtesy of Pregame.com.
The Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers in an elimination Game 6 tonight. The Lakers won Game 5 on a buzzer beater, placing them 1 win away from a trip to the NBA Finals. The Suns are 1.5 favorites, with a total of 215.5 points expected tonight. TNT will televise the game tonight starting at 8:30 EDT.
When Phoenix suits up tonight at home, they will be facing elimination for the 1st time this post-season. Phoenix lost a heartbreaking Game 5, losing 103-101 on a Ron Artest buzzer beater. Phoenix really showed some grit and heart, as they were down double figures for the majority of the game. PG Steve Nash was the only Suns player to score 20 PTS or more, as he had a team high 29. Nash also had 11 assists in Game 5 with only 2 turnovers. C Robin Lopez came back to earth, as failed to score in just 11 minutes of play. C Channing Frye stepped up in place of Lopez, as he had 14 PTS and 10 rebounds. The Suns attempted 6 more free throws than the Lakers did in Game 5. Phoenix is 64-33 SU and 58-37-1 ATS overall this season. The Suns are 38-10 SU and 30-16-2 ATS in home games this year. In an odd but useful trend, the Suns are only 2-8 ATS this year in games played on Saturday. Phoenix is 5-2 ATS as home favorite of 3 PTS or fewer this season.
The Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games against a team with a winning road record. The Over is 4-0 in their last 4 Conference Finals games.
Los Angeles is 1 win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals. The Lakers had to dig deep, as the Suns refused to give up in Game 5. Los Angeles played a far better defensive game, as they were able to slow down the pace of play to their desire. The Lakers held the Suns to only 101 PTS and only 46% shooting for the game. The Lakers were led by G Kobe Bryant as he had a game high 30 PTS. However, Bryant was rather inefficient, as he attempted 27 shots to get those 30 PTS. Los Angeles only shot 41% for the game, yet still came out victorious. F Pau Gasol had another solid game, as he had 21 PTS and 9 rebounds for Los Angeles. The unsung hero for the Lakers in Game 5 was Derek Fisher. Time and time again Fisher steps up in games with the highest stakes. Fisher had 22 PTS, including 2 three pointers in Game 5. The Lakers are 68-29 SU and 41-52-3 ATS overall this season. Los Angeles is 26-22 SU and 21-26-1 ATS in road games this year. The Lakers are 3-8 ATS as a road underdog of 3 PTS or fewer this season. Los Angeles is 7-9 ATS this season as the listed underdog overall.
The Lakers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. The Over is 8-0-1 in their last 9 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%.
Pregame.com projects the final score to be 112-104 in favor of the Phoenix Suns. The Suns -1.5 is the Side of the Day!
Johnny Detroit, Gambling911.com
