NBA Picks Tuesday Night – Hornets at Lakers Free Picks, Odds and Preview on TNT

Free NBA Playoffs Picks and Odds: Game 5 New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers Favorite, Moneyline, Total and Predictions 4/26/11: The New Orleans Hornets have the Lakers right where they want them and a strong outing tonight could see them push the Lakers to the brinks. Chris Paul has single handily put this Hornets club on his back and has led a lethal assault against Los Angeles. He is scoring 25.5 points per contest in this series, coupled with a 57.1 field goal percentage and a 50% three point average. He is by far the most productive player on the court for both clubs in this series and his will and determination are enough to get any fan jacked. A possible holdout before the season commenced, Paul has reinstated his faith in team management and has made it clear that he wants to win now. Team management vowed to assemble a viable club around Paul and, thus far, it looks as though that commitment is paying dividends. Jarret Jack, a castoff from Toronto, might be the most underrated player in the league. His contributions are not transparent on the box score on a nightly basis, but his presence is felt all over the court. He is a great passer and he sets up his teammates with prime scoring opportunities, a stat that has never truly been realized. He also is a dedicated and passionate athlete in the defensive zone, he can play both the zone and cover exceptionally well. Carl Landry, another player that was traded for to fulfill Pauls wishes, has performed up to his billing and beyond. He is a momentum performer and his speed and agility has given the Los Angeles Lakers fits in this series. He is scoring 17 points per contest and has a ridiculous 96% free throw average. The Hornets might not be the most talented and lethal of clubs as whole, but their determination and effort this postseason has the potential to take them along way.

The Los Angeles Lakers do not look like the Lakers of postseasons past. A club that usually excels just before the postseason and throughout has taken a step backwards in their play and they are now in the midst of a topsy turvy series with the Hornets. In their losses to the Hornets this series they were out manned on the boards and did not challenge in the paint. Skill alone, the Lakers win this series in four every time but their arguable lack of effort and will is becoming apparent. The ailing Kobe Bryant will most likely return tonight for the Lakers, but he himself needs to get to his upper echelon of levels. He, himself, would admit that his performance so far is not where he wants it to be. He is scoring 23 points per contest with a 35% field goal average, stats that would give the average player something to cheer about, but Kobe Bryant is anything but average. Game 5 will be a telling sign to how committed and determined these Lakers players are. I expect that Phil Jackson will get his club motivated and ready to play this game, but it will be imperative for this momentum and drive to last all four quarters.

The complimentary selection tonight is the Los Angeles Lakers(check latest NBA Odds at SBG Global Sportsbook). The Lakers are an extremely talented club and they are exactly the team that fans have come to expect. They may take nights off and come off cold out of the blocks, but their skill and athleticism are unmatched. Kobe Bryant playing with an ankle injury that would hinder most other players should give this Lakers team some drive and determination to perform well in this contest. The Hornets are a club that feed on momentum, but I expect those points in the game to be few and far between tonight. I expect Phil Jackson to rally his troops to play a more systematic defensive game, a trait of his championship teams from years past. LA Lakers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing New Orleans and are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against the Hornets. We will consider the Lakers providing a statement win tonight and pushing the Hornets to the brink of elimination. Cheers!

Free Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -10
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