Longer, wild series beneficial to books

Nothing about the Phoenix Suns should lead anyone to believe they just suffered a crushing blow, that they are devastated and incapable of fighting back. Not with Steve Nash leading the charge.

Nash can bend his nose back into place and keep playing, and that's what the Suns will do after taking a buzzer-beating punch from the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Kobe Bryant, who obviously believes he can make any shot at the highest degree of difficulty, launched an air ball while double-teamed from 22 feet with three seconds left. Ron Artest hustled to snatch it, throw it in off the glass and save himself from being cast as the goat.

Bryant finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers' dramatic-as-it-gets 103-101 victory. He might as well be credited for a triple-double for his perfect "pass" to Artest.

If the playoffs were putting us to sleep a week ago -- and another classic Lakers-Boston Celtics clash in the NBA Finals appeared inevitable -- all eyes are wide open now.

"The NBA playoffs have been solid," M Resort sports book director Mike Colbert said. "It hasn't been the biggest thing in the world, but it has been a consistently good handle."

Sweeps and blowouts are generally downers for the sports books. Fewer games mean fewer bets to take, and lackluster series drain the enthusiasm from the betting public.

All that is changing. The Western Conference finals are getting wild, and the same is true in the East. Neither series is a foregone conclusion.

"We're getting some extra games out of it," Colbert said. "It's creating more revenue for the books."

The Celtics, once up 3-0 and primed to muffle Stan Van Gundy's insufferable screaming, look stumbling drunk going into today's Game 6. The Orlando Magic stunningly swiped the momentum with Dwight Howard returning to dominance.

The situation was turning into desperation in Boston. Glen "Big Baby" Davis (concussion) and Rasheed Wallace (back) are game-time decisions, and there was a chance Kendrick Perkins would be suspended, leaving the Celtics with a huge hole in the middle.

But the NBA stepped in to fix the mess. Predictably, the league office reviewed the matter and rescinded Perkins' technical foul from Game 5, clearing his path to play tonight and increasing the likelihood that Boston will avoid an anxiety attack and epic collapse to reach the Finals.

The prediction here is Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and the aging Celtics, 3-point home favorites, will find a way to get this done. Colbert tends to agree.

"It looks to me like Boston is starting to show signs of fatigue," Colbert said. "I did like the Magic before the series. But I think the Celtics will have enough to finish them off in Game 6."

If not, Colbert said the Celtics could be doomed facing a Game 7 in Orlando. "I wouldn't count the Magic out," he said.

Don't count out the Suns, either. Nash was nonstop brilliance Thursday, slicing to basket and dropping step-back jumpers over Pau Gasol. He wound up with 29 points and 11 assists -- and a lot of confidence in the series going the distance.

The Lakers, up 3-2, go to Phoenix on Saturday. Colbert opened the line pick-em with a total of 215½.

The Suns were 7½-point underdogs Thursday, and Colbert reported "pretty even action." The score went under the 216½ total, thanks to Bryant's air ball and Artest's heroics. Expect the action to tilt slightly in Phoenix's favor in Game 6.

Before Game 5 tipped, Colbert predicted the course of the series: "I expect the Lakers to win in seven. I don't expect to see either team win on the other's home court."

The Lakers are minus-850 on the updated series price and minus-150 to win the NBA championship. The Celtics are plus-270 to take the title.

If the Lakers and Celtics meet in the Finals, Colbert said the Lakers will be "probably just over 2-1" favorites. That's the matchup I still expect to see and the one the books need. It definitely won't put anyone to sleep.

■ BOTTOM LINES -- It's almost time to start sharpening your football handicapping skills. Golden Nugget sports book director Tony Miller said he will post 200 college games on June 10.

"We're making the numbers right now," Miller said.

There's little time to take a summer vacation anymore.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.