Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 5 Preview
Where: AT&T Center – San Antonio, Texas
When: Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Houston Rockets (+5.5) at San Antonio Spurs (-5.5); total: 215.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
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Betting on the Houston Rockets (+5.5)
The Houston Rockets bounced back from back-to-back defeats to deliver a resounding 125-104 beating to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 to even the series up at two games apiece. Led by James Harden’s 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 12 assists, the Rockets offense was firing on all cylinders. They shot 52 percent as a team, and went 19-of-43 from beyond the arc.
Trevor Ariza was awesome with 16 points (7-9 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Meanwhile, Eric Gordon and Lou Williams combined for 35 points off the Rockets bench.
However, the Rockets lost a key reserve after veteran big man Nene suffered a season-ending groin injury. Nene has been a key contributor to the Rockets in these playoffs, averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes per game off the bench.
Houston is now set to make a significant change to their lineup, with Eric Gordon coming in, Ariza to play the 4 and Ryan Anderson moving to the bench. The Rockets showed just how potent those small lineups can be when their shots are falling, so they should remain a force to be reckoned with on that end of the floor even without Nene.
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (-5.5)
The San Antonio Spurs offense played well in Game 4—they shot 49 percent from the field—but with the way the Rockets were shooting the ball, especially from beyond the arc, they needed to be better. Unfortunately, they just weren’t able to keep up.
Kawhi Leonard was limited to just 16 points—his lowest total in the playoffs—in 30 minutes, while Danny Green (3 points, 1-4 FG) returned to being a non-factor on offense. On the bright side, Jonathon Simmons had one of his best games of the season with 17 points, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, off the Spurs bench.
The Spurs were not able to fully capitalize on Clint Capela’s foul trouble and Nene’s absence in Game 4, but they will still hold the advantage inside going forward. LaMarcus Aldridge wasn’t quite as good as in Game 3, where he had 26 points, but he still had an efficient 16 points on 13 shots, including 10 points in the third quarter. If/when the Rockets cool off from beyond the arc, look for the Spurs to be a lot more competitive.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs make their size and home-court advantages count as they win and cover (-5.5) in Game 5.
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