We will begin in the West with unquestionably the most intriguing first round playoffs match up. The San Antonio Spurs (3rd in West) will begin their title defense against the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns, Saturday April 19th at 3 pm EST on ABC. A rivalry that originated in last year’s second round playoffs, has added two new elements to the mix. Bodog has the San Antonio Spurs favorite by -4 points against the Phoenix Suns in NBA Playoff Betting with the Over/Under set at 194 total pts.    

After the Los Angeles Lakers shook the Conference upside down (by acquiring Pau Gasol from Memphis) immediately everyone in the West felt they needed to counter, and quickly. The Suns were the first to do so. After so many years of trade talks, they (finally) sent Shawn Marion packing, to sunny Miami, FL in exchange for the aging Shaquille O’ Neal (and other unimportant incentives).

This blockbuster deal looked a bit dim at first. The Suns all of the sudden looked slow, and Shaq looked completely lost when running the offense. As the season neared its conclusion they began to gel better with their new acquisition (The Big Cactus?).  

The Spurs also made their move before the trading deadline acquiring F/C Kurt Thomas as a defensive aid. The Spurs lost the final two meetings with the new-look Suns, including a 96-79 thrashing at the hands of Phoenix. Expect the defending champs to have that game vivid in their memories, as this series kicks off this afternoon from San Antonio, TX. The Spurs were the best defensive team in the league this season allowing an average of 90 points per game. The key/wildcard in this series will be the play of Manu Ginobili.

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