It took overtime to get it, but now San Antonio leads 3-2 in the series, one victory away from advancing to face the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals. Houston has no plans to go quietly, and should be favored at home in Game 6.
The spread could certainly be greatly affected by the availability of Spurs star Kawhi Leonard, who tweaked his ankle last time out. Keep a close eye on his status as this game draws close.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, May 11, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Rockets were 5.5-point underdogs in Game 5 and were able to cover the spread, losing 110-107. The “under” would have been the correct call if the game ended in regulation, but it went to overtime and the “over” sneaked away with the win on the scoring total, which was set at 216. That’s a bad beat for those who thought they had a win with the “under.”
The Spurs improved to 68-25 straight up but fell to 47-44-2 against the spread. San Antonio has gone 24-20-2 against the spread on the road this season. The Spurs are 6-2-1 against the spread as the underdog this season and should be getting points again in this one.
The Rockets are now 61-31 straight up and 48-43-1 against the spread. Houston has only covered in 20 of 46 games at home this year and will aim to improve on that. The Rockets are 34-37 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Last Time Out
Even without the services of Leonard late in the game, the Spurs made the plays needed to win. Guard Danny Green hit several big shots in overtime, scoring seven of his 16 points in the extra time, to help San Antonio rally for the win. Rockets star James Harden looked like he had a clean look at a game-tying three-point attempt with time running out, but Manu Ginobili blocked him from behind to preserve the win.
The Spurs had four starters in double figures and committed only eight turnovers in the game, which helped them come away with the win despite shooting worse than the Rockets. Harden did what he could to give Houston a chance at the upset, scoring 33 points while hauling in 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists.
Ryan Anderson added 19 points off the bench and had a big go-ahead bucket for Houston, but Green answered with a three-point play and San Antonio held on.
Injury Report
Leonard sprained his ankle in the third quarter and tried to play after that, but eventually was sidelined by the injury. He was impressive until being forced out, scoring 22 points and adding 15 rebounds in 38 minutes.
Leonard is averaging 28.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the postseason in addition to playing his trademark good defense. The Spurs were able to weather his absence in overtime, but it would be a different matter in Game 6 if he is unable to play or limited.
San Antonio is already missing starting point guard Tony Parker due to injury, although Patty Mills has played well in his place. The Rockets would be favored at home if both teams were full strength, and any complications for Leonard could further that spread.
Free NBA ATS Pick
This series features two of the four best teams in the NBA and it deserves to go to a Game 7. It should happen, as Houston will be expected to win because of the home court advantage, and the Spurs are dealing with a crucial injury.
The Rockets had a chance to wrest control of the series away from San Antonio, but couldn’t finish off Game 5 on the road. However, they should be able to force a winner-take-all showdown by capturing Game 6 at home. Take the Rockets to cover and the “over” on the scoring total in this one.
NBA Odds: Rockets 115, Spurs 104
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