Dallas v. LA - Game 3 info

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Professional sports handicapper Jeff Grant examines Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center

At the time of this writing, the board is Los Angeles Lakers +2.5 (1.92, -109) and Dallas Mavericks -2.5 (2.04, +104)

Los Angeles is down 0-2 going into Game 3 on Friday night against Dallas and certainly knows that only three teams in NBA history have won a seven-game series after losing the first two at home. "Desperate, that's a strong word," said Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. "I think when you play desperate you don't play your best basketball." Bryant is averaging a team-high 24.3 points in the playoffs, but knows his team is up against it considering its 4-6 in the last 10 contests at tonight's venue. One of the keys to the Game 2 loss was free throw shooting, as the squad managed to convert on just 11-of-20 from the charity stripe. Los Angeles is 25-19 ATS on the road this season.

The Lakers will be playing tonight's crucial game without the services of forward Ron Artest, who was suspended for a game due to his foul on Mavericks guard Jose Juan Barea. Sixth Man of the Year award winner Lamar Odom could move into the starting lineup or head coach Phil Jackson could choose to put Matt Barnes in that spot. None of this may matter when it comes to winning the series, as Los Angeles is 2-16 all-time when losing Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-seven series. Overall, this is only the third time the Lakers have ever hosted and lost the first two games of a playoff series.
Dallas followed up its upset victory in Game 1 of the series with an even better performance on Wednesday night to take full control of its second round series against Los Angeles. Forward Dirk Nowitzki continues to lead the charge offensively, scoring a game-high 24 points in the 93-81 victory at the Staples Center, as the Mavericks outscored the Lakers 42-32 in the second half. "The series if far from over," said Nowitzki. "I've been up 2-0 before and ended up losing the series. "We've seen a lot of things happen in this league so we've got to stay focused." Dallas is a perfect 8-0 ATS in playoff games this year.

The Mavericks are 3-1 all-time in best-of-seven series when leading 2-0. Dallas fans will certainly remember the one loss in that situation, dropping the 2006 NBA Finals in six games to the Miami Heat. One of the key match-ups in this series is the bench play for both teams, as Dallas' second unit has outscored Los Angeles 70-37 in the first two games. The team is 5-1 this postseason when its bench outscores the opposing team's reserves and compiled a 48-15 record in such games during the regular season.

Continued: Basketball Picks

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