Basketball Betting: James, Cavaliers get an early exit from NBA postseason

For the second straight year, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have failed to capitalize on an outstanding regular season. Last season, the Cavs had the home court advantage throughout the postseason after posting a league-best 66-16 record. However, Cleveland came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic. This season, the Cavs once again were the NBA's top regular season squad after finishing with a 61-21 mark. With a 2-1 series lead in the conference semi-finals against the Boston Celtics, Cleveland appeared to be on its way to a rematch against Orlando. Boston won Game 4 to even the series heading back to Cleveland for Game 5. As a 7-point favorite, the Cavs were crushed in a 120-88 setback. Boston finished off the series with a 94-85 victory at home in Game 6. Eastern Conference The fourth-seeded Celtics continued its postseason surge with a 92-88 win at second-seed Orlando in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic were a 7-point choice in the contest. In a must win game, Orlando was once again a 7-point home favorite for Tuesday's Game, yet they failed to garner the much needed win. To win the NBA title, the Magic are the top choice in the East at +220 while the Celtics are at +300. While Boston is seeking to add to its record of 17 NBA championships, Orlando is looking for its first ever NBA crown. The Magic have been to the finals on two previous occasions (1995 and 2009). Western Conference While the Eastern Conference Finals is basically a toss up, the matchup in the West could develop into a mismatch. The top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers rolled to an easy 128-107 home victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals over the third-seeded Phoenix Suns. LA was a 6-point favorite in the contest. For Wednesday's Game 2, the Lakers were a 6.5-point favorite at the Staples Center with an over/under of 215.?  This proved to be correct, as the Lakers easily dominated Phoenix. To win the series, Los Angeles is a -600 choice heading into Game 2. In the NBA futures pool, the Lakers are the overall favorite at -105 while the Suns are at +1075. Since 1980, LA is 15-2 in the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix is just 2-6 in conference finals in its franchise history.