Larry Nance Jr. was trying to make a point that he didn’t think the Pelicans were underdogs against the top-seeded Thunder, but Jontay Porter took a ricocheted shot.
Nance Jr. spoke to reporters after the Pelicans defeated the Kings 108-105 in the NBA Play-In Tournament to earn the No. 8 seed in the NBA Playoffs.
The Pelicans faced the Thunder, who finished with a record of 57 wins and 25 losses, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a tiebreaker against the Nuggets.
“With all due respect, I’m betting on the Pels,” Nance Jr. said after the game.
“i haven’t bet, there is no Jontay Porter.i haven’t bet. I’m not betting anything. I do not own any betting apps.
Media personnel present at the venue laughed out loud.
According to the latest odds from FanDuel, the Pelicans are +440 to win the series against the Thunder, while the Thunder are -650.
This means that the gambling odds indicate that New Orleans has about an 18% chance of winning the series.
Porter was a Raptors player who was banned for life from the NBA this week after an investigation revealed he conspired with a known gambler to bet against his own props.
It was also discovered that Porter had placed bets on NBA games through his agent, making 13 bets totaling approximately $54,000 and earning a profit of nearly $22,000.
NBA Commissioner Adam said, “Nothing is more important to our fans, our teams, and everyone involved in our sport than protecting the integrity of NBA competition. That’s why Jontay Porter’s Rules of the Game…” Any blatant violation of this will result in the harshest punishment.” Mr. Silver said in his statement.
“While legal sports betting brings transparency to help identify suspicious or anomalous activity, this issue also concerns the current implementation practices, including the types of bets offered to our games and players. It also raises important questions about the adequacy of the regulatory framework in place.We continue to work closely with all stakeholders across the industry to protect the league and the game.”
