NBA Playoff Preview
Season Series Recaps

#7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #2 Detroit Pistons
Regular season series:
Detroit won 3-1 SU
Philadelphia 3-1 ATS
OVER 3-1

First-round playoffs:
Detroit leads 3-1 SU and ATS
OVER 2-1

(Home team listed first in CAPS)

11/6/2004 – DETROIT 99, Philadelphia 91
(ATS winner: Philly +8.5 | OVER 177)
* Interim head coach Gar Heard led the Pistons for the second time in place of Larry Brown, who had hip surgery
* Six Pistons scored in double figures while Allen Iverson scored a game-high 31 points for the 76ers
* Pistons blocked 13 shots, including 5 by Ben Wallace, who also totaled 11 points and 16 rebounds

1/15/2005 – DETROIT 99, Philadelphia 95
(ATS winner: Philly +7.5 | OVER 184)
* Pistons extended their then-season-long winning streak to 5 games
* Philly led 93-88 with 2:12 left
* Iverson scored a game-high 28 points and had 13 assists in 44 minutes despite playing with a sore ankle and shoulder one day after playing all 48 minutes

2/16/2005 – PHILADELPHIA 75, Detroit 93
(ATS winner: Detroit -4 | UNDER 189.5)
* Pistons won fourth straight game, jumping to 25-8 lead and held a 48-35 edge at halftime
* Iverson struggled with six turnovers and scored 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting after totaling 98 points in his previous two games

3/23/2005 – PHILADELPHIA 107, Detroit 74
(ATS winner: Philly -2.5 | OVER 187)
* Detroit’s second road loss in two nights after winning 5 in a row
* Heard again coached the Pistons due to more Brown health issues
* 76ers made their first eight shots and rookie Andre Iguodala played 42 minutes, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while Iverson had 39 points and 10 assists

4/23/2005 – DETROIT 106, Philadelphia 85
(ATS winner: Detroit -9 | OVER 182.5)
* Sixers held 16-point first-quarter lead
* Antonio McDyess scored 13 of his 15 points in the second quarter during Detroit's comeback
* Rasheed Wallace scored 24 of his game-high 29 points for the Pistons in the second half
* Philly was led by Iverson (30 points) and Chris Webber (27) but no other Sixer scored more than 10

4/26/2005 – DETROIT 99, Philadelphia 84
(ATS winner: Detroit -9 | UNDER 183.5)
* Iverson gets taste of Bad Boys, Bad Fans: Iverson missed 17 of his 24 shots to finish with 19 points and was struck in the head by a coin thrown by a fan toward the end of the game.
* Lethal backcourt: Detroit got solid production from Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, who combined for 43 points and went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. The Pistons hit 21 of 23 free throws as a team and held Philly to 36.8 percent shooting.

4/29/2005 – PHILADELPHIA 115, Detroit 104
(ATS winner: Philly +3.5 | OVER 206.5)
* "A.I. was phenomenal,'' said Pistons coach Larry Brown after Iverson had his best game of the series with 37 points on 15-for-26 shooting and 15 assists.
* Pistons got just two points from their bench and lost despite a career-high 29 points and 16 rebounds from Ben Wallace.

5/1/2005 – PHILADELPHIA 92, Detroit 97 OT
(ATS winner: PUSH | UNDER 190)
* Billups became the fourth different leading scorer for the Pistons in as many games, scoring 10 straight points in the final 3:05 of regulation and finishing with a team-high 25
* Iverson had another strong game with 36 points on 14-for-24 shooting and 8 assists but Willie Green split two free throws with 3.1 seconds left that would have won the game for Philly in regulation


#5 Houston Rockets vs. #4 Dallas Mavericks
Regular season series:
Tied 2-2 SU
Houston 2-1-1 ATS
OVER/UNDER 2-2

First-round playoffs:
Series tied 2-2 SU and ATS
OVER/UNDER 2-2

12/2/2004 – DALLAS 113, Houston 106 OT
(ATS winner: PUSH -7 | OVER 184)
* Dirk Nowitzki vs. Tracy McGrady: Nowitzki scored the most points ever by a Dallas player with 53 and added 16 rebounds and four blocks while McGrady totaled 48 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the overtime thriller.
* Nowitzki opened the extra session by scoring the first 10 points
* Dallas beat Houston for the 12 th time in 15 meetings

12/11/2004 – HOUSTON 78, Dallas 102
(ATS winner: Dallas -1.5 | UNDER 182.5)
* Michael Finley scored a game-high 26 points for the Mavs and hit 4 straight 3-pointers during a 23-8 run in the third quarter.
* Mavs hit 11 of 25 three-point attempts overall
*McGrady scored just 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting following his 48-point effort in the previous meeting

1/12/2005 – DALLAS 114, Houston 124
(ATS winner: Houston +8 | OVER 205.5)
* McGrady shook off a toe injury during the game to total 30 points and 11 assists, including 13 and 8, respectively, during a 37-24 third quarter for the Rockets.
* Mavs had won their previous six games by at least 14 points
* Nowitzki had an 18-minute scoreless drought during the second and third quarter but finished with a team-high 28 points while Finley missed 9 of his first 10 shots and added 14 points

3/6/2005 – HOUSTON 90, Dallas 69
(ATS winner: Houston -4 | UNDER 196)
* Mavs played without leading scorer and rebounder Nowitzki along with Finley due to injuries for just the second time this season and had a season-low point total
* McGrady scored 27 of his game-high 30 points after getting six stitches on his chin following a collision in the first quarter
* Mavs went on 12-0 run in third quarter for 47-46 lead but Rockets responded with 8-0 run and never trailed again

4/23/2005 – DALLAS 86 , Houston 98
(ATS winner: Houston +6 | UNDER 190)
* McGrady scored a game-high 34 points with six assists and five rebounds
* Nowitzki struggled with his shooting despite scoring a team-high 21 points, making just 5 of 19, including 1 of 10 in the second half
* Rockets are 17-1 all-time in playoff series when winning Game 1

4/25/2005 – DALLAS 111 , Houston 113
(ATS winner: Houston +7 | OVER 191)
* McGrady scored a game-high 28 points, including the game-winner and a monstrous dunk in the face of Shawn Bradley
* Nowitzki struggled again with his shooting despite scoring a team-high 26 points, hitting 8 of 21 shots

4/28/2005 – HOUSTON 102, Dallas 106
(ATS winner: Dallas +1.5 | OVER 195.5)
* Mavs took charge with a remarkable 20-0 run in the fourth quarter
* Nowitzki rebounded with his best shooting game of the series, making 9-of-16 shots from the floor and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line to finish with 28 points
* Dallas improved to 18-0 SU when Nowitzki and Finley both score 20 or more points

4/28/2005 – HOUSTON 93, Dallas 97
(ATS winner: Dallas +3.5 | OVER 198.5)
* Terry comes up huge for Mavs: Jason Terry had a season-high 32 points, including six 3-pointers, to help Dallas overcome another poor shooting night for Nowitzki (4-for-14, 18 points)
* McGrady scored a game-high 36 points for the Rockets but had just two in the fourth quarter while Yao was the only other Houston player to score in double figures with 20 though he again battled foul trouble and finished with at least five fouls for the third time


#6 Indiana Pacers vs. #3 Boston Celtics
Regular season series:
Indiana won 2-1 SU and ATS
OVER 2-1

First-round playoffs:
Series tied 2-2 SU and ATS
UNDER 3-1

11/5/2004 – BOSTON 94, Indiana 100
(ATS winner: Indiana +3 | OVER 181.5)
* Pacers played without Reggie Miller, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster and Anthony Johnson but got an unexpected lift from Jermaine O’Neal, who came off the bench to score 19 points and made a last-minute decision to play with a sore left foot
* Pacers got a game-high 28 points from Ron Artest before he was suspended for the season due to the Detroit-Indiana brawl
* Artest also hounded Boston leading scorer Paul Pierce, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting

11/23/2004 – INDIANA 106, Boston 96
(ATS winner: Indiana +8 | OVER 174.5)
* Pacers played their second game without Artest, O’Neal and Stephen Jackson, who were all suspended following the fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills
* Jamaal Tinsley led Indiana with 29 points while James Jones added a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds
* Pacers made 31 of 33 free throws and out-rebounded the Celtics, 45-33

1/26/2005 – BOSTON 100, Indiana 86
(ATS winner: Boston +1 | UNDER 193)
* Celtics gained sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with the victory despite being 2 games under .500 at 20-22
* Celtics broke a 7-game series losing streak to the Pacers
* Pierce scored a team-high 23 points despite shooting below 50% from the field for the third time in the season series
* Jackson returned from his 30-game suspension to score 17 points in 38 minutes for the Pacers

4/23/2005 – BOSTON 102, Indiana 82
(ATS winner: Boston -3.5 | UNDER 188.5)
* Raef LaFrentz broke Boston's playoff record by hitting a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc and finished with a team-high 21 points
* Indiana's top guns silenced: Leading scorer O'Neal and sharpshooter Miller scored just 7 points apiece while Jackson stepped up to lead the Pacers with 25 points

4/25/2005 – BOSTON 79 , Indiana 82
(ATS winner: Indiana +3.5 | UNDER 185.5)
* Miller bounced back with a team-high 28 points and hit the game-winning shot from 17 feet out with 37 seconds remaining
* Pierce led Boston with a game-high 33 points but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left

4/28/2005 – INDIANA 99, Boston 76
(ATS winner: Indiana -2.5 | UNDER 181.5)
* Miller getting better with age: Miller continues to improve as the series goes on, scoring a game-high 33 points in Game 3, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
* O'Neal settling into groove: O'Neal had his strongest game of the series, totaling 21 points and 11 rebounds.
* Celtics unlucky on offense: Boston's point production decreased for the third straight game, shooting just 39.7 percent from the floor

4/30/2005 – INDIANA 79 , Boston 110
(ATS winner: Boston +5 | OVER 180)
* Not Miller time: Miller made just 3-of-12 shots and finished with 12 points as the Pacers shot just 27 percent from the field as a team
* Paul pierces Indiana: Pierce had one of the best all-around games of his career for the Celtics, totaling 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 blocks to make up for the loss of Antoine Walker due to a 1-game suspension for bumping an official

#6 Sacramento Kings vs. #3 Seattle SuperSonics
Regular season series:
Seattle won 3-1 SU and ATS
OVER 3-1

First-round playoffs:
Seattle leads 3-1 SU and ATS
OVER/UNDER 2-2

11/10/2004 – SEATTLE 108, Sacramento 78
(ATS winner: Seattle +1 | UNDER 204)
* Sonics won their fourth straight game behind 20 points from Ray Allen and 18 from Rashard Lewis
* Kings lost their fourth in a row on the road en route to a 1-4 start
* Sacramento leading scorer Chris Webber had just 11 points on 2-for-13 shooting

2/1/2005 – SACRAMENTO 101, Seattle 106
(ATS winner: Seattle +7 | OVER 201.5)
* Seattle top scorer Ray Allen missed the game due to illness but Ronald Murray stepped up with 23 points to lead six Sonics who scored in double figures
* Sonics snapped a 4-game losing streak at Arco Arena and also were without Coach of the Year candidate Nate McMillan, who missed the game following the death of his mother
* Kings played without star forwards Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber due to injuries

2/10/2005 – SEATTLE 115, Sacramento 107
(ATS winner: Seattle -3.5 | OVER 213.5)
* Allen scored a game-high 34 points for the Sonics while Antonio Daniels added 18 points and played the entire fourth quarter in place of starting point guard Luke Ridnour
* Sonics hit 17 of 18 free throws en route to 38 points in the fourth quarter
* Stojakovic and Webber returned for the Kings but starting center Brad Miller missed the game due to a 1-game suspension for throwing a tantrum at the end of the previous game

4/5/2005 – SACRAMENTO 122, Seattle 101
(ATS winner: Sacramento -5 | OVER 206)
* Kings avoided the season series sweep by shooting a season high 58.8 percent from the field and scoring at least 118 points for the third time in five games
* Sacramento also had a season-high 36 assists
* Seattle gave up a season high in points and failed to clinch the Northwest Division title

4/23/2005 – SEATTLE 97 , Sacramento 92
(ATS winner: Seattle -4 | UNDER 204.5)
* James huge inside against former team: Seattle center Jerome James had 17 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five blocks. James started his career with the Kings in 1999 but was cut.
* Fallen King: Sacramento point guard Mike Bibby had one of the worst games of his career, scoring only 3 points on miserable 1-for-16 shooting.

4/26/2005 – SEATTLE 105 , Sacramento 93
(ATS winner: Seattle -2.5 | UNDER 203)
* James becoming Superfreak: The Seattle center followed up his statement game with another strong effort, totaling 19 points and 9 rebounds, while Allen scored a game-high 26 points.
* Bounce-back game not nearly enough: Bibby (1-for-16 shooting in Game 1) and Bobby Jackson (0-for-7) combined for 33 points on 14-for-32 shooting to lead the Kings, who didn't have another player score in double figures.

4/29/2005 – SACRAMENTO 116, Seattle 104
(ATS winner: Sacramento -6 | OVER 206.5)
* Bibby big, two others have career highs: Bibby had a team-high 31 points and 7 assists for the Kings while Kenny Thomas and Cuttino Mobley each had career playoff highs with 22 and 21 points, respectively.
* Allen had a game-high 33 points while James continued to be a force with 22 points and 9 rebounds before fouling out for the Sonics, who had just one other player score in double figures.

5/1/2005 – SACRAMENTO 102, Seattle 115
(ATS winner: Seattle +5 | OVER 210)
* Bibby bad, Allen awesome: Bibby reverted back to Game 1 form, making just 4-of-17 shots for 13 points and missed all three of his free throws and six field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Allen had the best game of any Sonic in team playoff history with 45 points, including six 3-pointers.
* Big run, bad shooting doom Kings: Sacramento surrendered an 18-3 run in the fourth quarter to the Sonics and made only 10-of-36 shots in the second half after holding a 68-56 halftime lead.

#8 New Jersey Nets vs. #1 Miami Heat
Regular season series:
Miami won 3-0 SU and ATS
OVER 2-1

First-round playoffs:
Miami wins 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS
OVER 4-0

11/3/2004 – NEW JERSEY 77, Miami 100
(ATS winner: Miami -7 | OVER 170.5)
* Shaquille O’Neal played his first game for the Heat and didn’t need much time to be effective, scoring 16 points in 21 minutes against future teammate Alonzo Mourning, who was later traded to Toronto, waived and then joined Miami
* Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 19 points while Jason Kidd started the season on the injured list following off-season knee surgery

3/3/2005 – NEW JERSEY 90, Miami 106
(ATS winner: Miami -5 | OVER 193)
* Mourning returned to New Jersey in a Heat uniform and played two minutes without scoring
* Dwyane Wade scored 16 of his 27 points and had six of his eight assists for the Heat in the third quarter
* O’Neal returned from a knee injury for Miami to total 20 points and 13 rebounds
* New Jersey swingman Vince Carter made just 1-of-11 shots in the second half and missed his last seven attempts but still managed to score a team-high 27 points

3/12/2005 – MIAMI 90, New Jersey 65
(ATS winner: Miami -9.5 | UNDER 189.5)
* Heat won their eighth in a row overall and 12 th straight home game, allowing their lowest point total of the season
* Nets surprisingly led 39-37 at halftime but scored a dismal 26 points after the intermission to lose for the fourth time in five games (they made just 3-of-18 shots in the third quarter en route to 30 percent shooting for the game)
* Wade was hampered by foul trouble but had 9 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to run his streak of scoring in double figures to 39 games

4/24/2005 – MIAMI 116 , New Jersey 98
(ATS winner: Miami -8.5 | OVER 186)
* Heat got playoff career-highs from Wade (32 points) and Damon Jones (30, including seven 3-pointers), as the duo made 22 of 30 shots from the field combined
* Miami also set franchise record for scoring and field-goal percentage (.592)
* O'Neal returned from a two-game absence for the Heat due to a thigh bruise and totaled 17 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes
* Nets were led by Carter's 28 points and have won just one playoff series after dropping the first game (2002 vs. Indiana)

4/26/2005 – MIAMI 104, New Jersey 87
(ATS winner: Miami -8.5 | OVER 189)
* Great Mourning: The Heat got surprising production from backup center Mourning, who burned his former team for 21 points and 9 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
* Superman solid, not spectacular: O'Neal had another decent game with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes but has averaged a mortal 16.4 points and 10 boards in five games against the Nets this season.
* Nets have now led just 7.6 percent of the series so far and got a game-high 27 points from center Nenad Krstic
* Jones on fire: Damon Jones has hit 11 of 15 3-pointers for the Heat through the first two games.

4/28/2005 – NEW JERSEY 105 , Miami 108 2 OT
(ATS winner: New Jersey +3.5 | OVER 191)
* Carter covers for Nets: Carter hit an amazing baseline jumper at the buzzer to send the game to OT and then dropped a deep 3-pointer with under 5 seconds left in the second OT to cover the spread with New Jersey down six points.
* Triple trouble: Kidd had a triple-double with 16 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds and Carter just missed with 36 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds in the losing effort. However, the Nets hit just 3-of-23 3-point attempts compared to 10-of-22 for the Heat.
* Jefferson logs big minutes: Jefferson was a force early on for the Nets and played 45 minutes, finishing with 23 points and 8 rebounds. He had played 53 minutes combined in the first two games after missing four months with a wrist injury.
* Shaq big when it counts: O'Neal had a series-high 25 points in 47 minutes despite playing the extra sessions with five fouls.

5/1/2005 – NEW JERSEY 97 , Miami 110
(ATS winner: Miami -4.5 | OVER 190.5)
* O'Neal silent in first half, Wade deadly: O'Neal was held scoreless in the first half for the Heat and finished with 12 points while Wade continued to prove himself as an elite player by scoring 21 of his playoff career-high 34 points by the intermission.
* Carter, Jefferson down and out: Jefferson notched his first start of the series and combined with Carter for 29 points on 8-for-26 shooting after the duo totaled 59 points in Game 3.

#5 Washington Wizards vs. #4 Chicago Bulls
Regular season series:
Washington won 2-1 SU
Chicago 2-1 ATS
UNDER 3-0

First-round playoffs:
Chicago leads 2-1 SU and ATS
OVER 3-0

12/4/2004 – WASHINGTON 95, Chicago 88
(ATS winner: Chicago +10.5 | UNDER 197.5)
* Washington got off to their best start in 30 years with the victory at 10-5
* Gilbert Arenas was suffering through back and calf cramps but led the Wizards with a game-high 34 points
* Wizards totaled 17 steals, including a career-high seven from league leader Larry Hughes
* Bulls committed a season-high 29 turnovers and fell to 2-12

2/25/2005 – CHICAGO 97, Washington 90
(ATS winner: Chicago -5.5 | UNDER 199.5)
* Bulls tied a season high by going 4 games over .500 with the victory and clinched their third straight winning month
* Arenas again had a game-high point total with 36 for the Wizards while Kirk Hinrich paced the Bulls with 26 points and rookie Ben Gordon added 20

4/13/2005 – WASHINGTON 93, Chicago 82
(ATS winner: Washington -3.5 | UNDER 198)
* Wizards clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1997 with the victory and a loss by New Jersey
* Washington led by as many as 22 points in the first quarter and never trailed
* Starting center Brendan Haywood returned to action for the Wizards after missing 10 games due to a broken thumb and totaled seven points, 11 rebounds and four blocks
* Bulls played without center Eddy Curry due to an irregular heartbeat and forward Andres Nocioni due to a suspension while leading rebounder Tyson Chandler was ejected in the first quarter for stepping on and pushing Haywood

4/24/2005 – CHICAGO 103, Washington 94
(ATS winner: Chicago -4 | OVER 192)
* Rookies playing like postseason vets: The Bulls got mammoth performances from rookies Ben Gordon (30 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter) and Andres Nocioni (25 points and 18 rebounds in 48 minutes) in their first-ever playoff games. Gordon helped lead UConn to the NCAA title last year and Nocioni was a gold medalist for Argentina in the Olympics.
* Hughes big, Arenas small: Larry Hughes scored 24 of his game-high 31 points in the first half to lead the Wizards while leading scorer Arenas was held 16 points below his season average, finishing with 9 points on 3-for-16 shooting

4/27/2005 – CHICAGO 113 , Washington 103
(ATS winner: Chicago -2.5 | OVER 198)
* Captain Kirk saves the day: Kirk Hinrich scored 21 of his team-high 34 points in the fourth quarter for the Bulls and was a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc.
* Gilbert's game not enough: Washington's Gilbert Arenas also had a huge fourth quarter, when he scored 16 of his game-high 39 points.

4/30/2005 – WASHINGTON 117, Chicago 99
(ATS winner: Washington -6.5 | OVER 202.5)
* Wizards picked up first playoff victory in 17 years
* Washington big men dominate: Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood combined for 28 points on 10-for-11 shooting and 18 rebounds .
* Chicago guards fizzle: Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon combined for just 21 points on 7-for-20 shooting after the duo averaged 47.5 points through the first two games.

#7 Denver Nuggets vs. #2 San Antonio Spurs
Regular season series:
Tied 2-2 SU
Denver 3-1 ATS
UNDER 3-1

First-round playoffs:
San Antonio leads 2-1 SU and ATS
UNDER 2-1

11/26/2004 – DENVER 75, San Antonio 89
(ATS winner: San Antonio -4.5 | UNDER 184.5)
* Denver power forward Kenyon Martin missed the game with the flu and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan took advantage with 19 of his 23 points in the first half on 9-of-10 shooting
* Nuggets had their 4-game winning streak snapped and were led by Carmelo Anthony’s 24 points

1/8/2005 – SAN ANTONIO 99, Denver 90
(ATS winner: Denver +13 | OVER 187.5)
* San Antonio stopper Bruce Bowen hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and outscored Anthony 17-8 for the game
* Anthony had scored at least 20 points in each of Denver’s previous three games
* Nuggets lost for the ninth time in 10 games and fell to 1-3 under interim head coach Michael Cooper

3/12/2005 – SAN ANTONIO 87, Denver 90
(ATS winner: Denver +7 | UNDER 184)
* Nuggets picked up their eighth straight win under new head coach George Karl and were led by Anthony’s 21 points
* Denver also won for the first time in nine tries at San Antonio
* Spurs played without Duncan and Manu Ginobili due to injuries

4/1/2005 – DENVER 102, San Antonio 84
(ATS winner: Denver -5 | UNDER 194.5)
* Denver continued its hot streak under Karl, winning for the 16 th time in 18 games
* Marcus Camby took advantage of Duncan’s absence for the Nuggets by going for 15 points, 10 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists while super sub Earl Boykins added 23 points off the bench
* San Antonio shot a season-low 32 percent from the field and had won its previous three games without Duncan

4/24/2005 – SAN ANTONIO 87, Denver 93
(ATS winner: Denver +8 | UNDER 190.5)
* Spurs missed 17 straight shots after making their first three
* Duncan struggles: Duncan scored 18 points but shot terribly, making 7 of 22 shots, including 0-for-7 in the fourth quarter
* Nuggets 33-1 last 34 games when not playing top-seeded Phoenix, improving to 3-0 against the Spurs

4/27/2005 – SAN ANTONIO 104, Denver 76
(ATS winner: San Antonio -8 | UNDER 190)
* Nuggets missed 13 of 14 shots in the second quarter during a 27-5 run by San Antonio
* Duncan got back on track with 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting

4/30/2005 – DENVER 78, San Antonio 86
(ATS winner: San Antonio -1 | UNDER 193.5)
* Ginobili giant off the bench: Manu Ginobili helped lead the San Antonio reserves to a 53-14 bench edge by scoring a game-high 32 points with 9 rebounds in 32 minutes while Robert Horry added 13, including two huge 3-pointers during a 8-0 run in the fourth quarter
* Duncan struggles again: Duncan was in foul trouble throughtout the game and went 0-for-8 shooting in the third quarter, finishing 5-for-19 en route to 11 points

#8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #1 Phoenix Suns
Regular season series:
Tied 2-2 SU
Memphis 3-1 ATS
UNDER 3-1

First-round playoffs:
Phoenix wins 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS
OVER 4-0

12/23/2004 – PHOENIX 109, Memphis 102
(ATS winner: Memphis +11.5 | OVER 203)
* Suns won their season-high 10 th game in a row and got off to the best start in the NBA at 23-3 since Chicago jumped out to a 41-3 record in 1995-96
* Phoenix point guard Steve Nash dished out 14 assists and had at least 10 assists in all of the games during the 10-game winning streak
* Suns used a blazing 17-0 run to go up 87-77 after they trailed 77-70 with 2:25 left in the third quarter
* Mike Miller made his first nine shots for the Grizzlies and scored 19 of his team-high 22 points in the first half

1/19/2005 – PHOENIX 79, Memphis 88
(ATS winner: Memphis +2 | UNDER 197.5)
* Suns had their lowest point total and field goal shooting (33 percent) for the second game in a row and played without Nash, who was battling thigh and back injuries
* Grizzlies won despite shooting just 37 percent from the field and leading scorer Pau Gasol had just five points, the first time in 105 games he was held under 10

2/1/2005 – MEMPHIS 108, Phoenix 97
(ATS winner: Memphis +8 | UNDER 214)
* Seven Grizzlies scored in double figures and they made 12 of 22 from beyond the 3-point arc
* Memphis played without Gasol and James Posey, who were both on the injured list, and improved to 16-3 since Christmas Day
* Nash was ejected with 3:05 remaining and the Suns trailing 100-92 after arguing he should have gotten a foul call

3/20/2005 – MEMPHIS 91, Phoenix 97
(ATS winner: Phoenix -3.5 | UNDER 207)
* Joe Johnson led the Suns with 28 points and had 30 in the previous meeting while Nash totaled 13 points and 13 assists
* Phoenix won despite scoring less than 100 points for the first time in 17 games
* Suns tied their season high with 32 points via the fast break by the third quarter but did not have any in the fourth
* Gasol played just 12 minutes and scored four points in his return after missing 23 games with a foot injury

4/24/2005 – PHOENIX 114, Memphis 103
(ATS winner: Phoenix -10 | OVER 206)
* Suns made a franchise playoff record 15 3-pointers on 32 attempts
* Reserve Steven Hunter scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Phoenix off the bench to help overcome leading scorer Stoudemire's sub-par performance (9 points, 17 below his season average)
* Miller did most of his damage in the second half for Memphis, scoring 16 of his team-high 19 points

4/27/2005 – PHOENIX 108, Memphis 103
(ATS winner: Memphis +8.5 | OVER 207)
* Stoudemire came up big with 34 points and 10 rebounds following his 9-point performance for the Suns in Game 1
* Gasol had playoff career highs with 28 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies

4/29/2005 – Memphis 90 , Phoenix 110
(ATS winner: Phoenix -2.5 | OVER 206.5)
* Suns picked up their first-ever 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series behind 30 points and 9 rebounds from Stoudemire
* Grizzlies fell to 0-7 SU all-time in the playoffs and are on the brink of being swept for the second straight year
* No Memphis player scored more than 14 points while Phoenix had four players score at least 14, including reserve Jim Jackson, who contributed 17 off the bench

5/1/2005 – Memphis 115 , Phoenix 123
(ATS winner: Phoenix -5 | OVER 206.5)
* Suns got their first-ever four-game sweep in a best-of-seven playoff series, shooting a series-best 60 percent from the field
* Lack of defense costs Memphis: The Grizzlies hit 51 percent of their shots from the field, including 54 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, which should be good enough to win any game. However, they also allowed three Suns to score at least 23 points en route to the highest point total by any team in the playoffs so far.

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