As we enter the final week of the 2020-21 NBA regular season, each result of today’s NBA schedule will impact the standings for the upcoming play-in tournament and playoff seeding!
Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks – 7:30PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks will host the Washington Wizards for the opening game of our Wednesday night NBA schedule, with both sides looking for a win to improve on their postseason seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Wednesday night will be the second consecutive game between these two teams after the Hawks defeated the Wizards 125-124 in Atlanta on Monday.
Trae Young scored a game high 36 points to go along with nine assists on Monday, while John Collins (28) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (25) combined for 53 points of their own. Clint Capela also added 10 points and 22 rebounds in the victory.
Russell Westbrook’s journey to becoming the NBA’s ALL-TIME TRIPLE-DOUBLES leader! pic.twitter.com/pTC9eE4nbq
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2021
In Bradley Beal’s absence (hamstring), Russell Westbrook continued his dominant stretch of statistical performances in May, recording 28 points, 21 assists and 13 rebounds in the loss. Monday’s triple-double was Westrbook’s 36th of the season and saw him overtake Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles of all-time.
With Bradley Beal still on the sidelines, Washington would need their full roster to chip in and help out Russell Westbrook if the Wizards are going to upset the Hawks. Especially given that Atlanta’s backcourt duo of Young and Bogdanovic combined for 61 points on Monday.
Seeing as the Wizards are without their All-Star leading scorer, we like the full strength Hawks to win this matchup at home and improve on their solid 22-11 record at State Farm Arena.
NBA Pick – Atlanta Hawks (-270)
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Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 8PM ET
The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers will face off on Wednesday night for the final match of their regular season series.
As a result of losing back to back games to the sixth seeded Miami Heat, Boston have essentially locked themselves into the seventh seed in the east, placing them in the 2021 Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
The Celtics lost Sunday’s game 124-130 and Tuesday’s game 121-129. Kemba Walker (36) and Jayson Tatum (33) combined for 69 points in their most recent loss, as Boston prepare to make a playoff run without Jaylen Brown. Brown’s debut All-Star season has been cut short by a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist that will require surgery.
Cleveland will also enter Wednesday’s encounter after a loss in their most recent game, with Sunday’s 102-111 loss to the Pacers extending the Cavs losing streak to 11 consecutive games.
In that stretch of losses, the Cavaliers have scored 110+ points on just two occasions and fewer than 100 points on four occasions.
Having won just three of their past 10 games and now competing without Jaylen Brown, it looks as if the Celtics are not going to be taking much form into the upcoming Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
However, seeing as the Cavs have no incentive to win this game and are coming in with an 11 game losing streak behind them, we like Boston to return to the winners list on Wednesday night.
NBA Pick – Boston Celtics (-510)
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San Antonio Spurs @ Brooklyn Nets – 8PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs will begin their last road trip of the 2020-21 NBA regular season on Wednesday night when they take on the Nets in Brooklyn.
After a five game road trip, the Nets are returning to Brooklyn with a 45-24 record as they prepare for their final three games of the regular season at home.
In their last outing, Brooklyn defeated the Bulls in Chicago 115-107 despite a 41 points performance from Zach LaVine. Kevin Durant’s 21 points led the team in scoring, however in what was a dominant team performance, KD was one of eight Nets to score 10+ points in the win.
Kevin Durant’s last 5 games:
33 PTS – 11 REB – 7 AST
20 PTS – 9 REB – 3 AST
32 PTS – 9 REB – 6 AST
42 PTS – 10 REB – 2 AST
42 PTS – 3 REB – 10 AST pic.twitter.com/0unf0XxpK5— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) May 9, 2021
As for the Spurs they will also enter Wednesday’s game fresh off a victory, having defeated the Bucks in San Antonio on Monday. Five Spurs players scored 19+ points in the victory, as San Antonio defeated a full strength Milwaukee outfit by 21 points, 146-125.
Although they are coming off one of their best wins of the season, it is going to be tough for San Antonio to get a win against the Nets to start their cross country road trip. Especially when considering that Brooklyn have an impressive 25-8 record at Barclays Center and will undeniably have the two best players on the floor in this matchup, Kevin Durant and James Harden.
NBA Pick – Brooklyn Nets (-138)
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New Orleans Pelicans @ Dallas Mavericks – 9PM ET
The Dallas Mavericks will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night and although the Pelicans are essentially ruled out of an appearance in the postseason play-in tournament, the Mavericks need wins to assure that they remain in the top six seeds in the west.
As a result of Dallas losing their most recent game to Memphis, the Mavericks have slipped to the sixth seed in the Western Conference and are now one game ahead of the seventh seeded Lakers.
Luka Doncic managed just 12 points on 25% field goal shooting to go along with five rebounds and five assists in the 104-133 loss.
As for New Orleans, they also lost their most recent game to Memphis, going down 110-115 and leaving them 2.5 games behind the Spurs for the 10th and finals play-in tournament spot in the west.
Without both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in the lineup, seven Pelicans players managed to score 10+ points, however none of them scored more than 18 (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) in the five point loss.
Although Wednesday will be Dallas’ second night of a back to back, New Orleans will be seriously outmatched in this encounter with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on the sidelines. As well as that, the Mavericks have won 10 of their last 13 games and will be determined to secure a win and stretch the gap between themselves and the play-in tournament.
NBA Pick – Dallas Mavericks (-450)
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Portland Trail Blazers @ Utah Jazz – 9PM ET
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference will face off on Wednesday night when the Portland Trail Blazers head to Utah to take on the conference leading Jazz.
With three games to go in the 2020-21 NBA regular season, Utah are the only 50 win team in the league, boasting a 50-19 record as a result of Saturday’s 124-116 victory over the Rockets.
The Jazz did however lose their most recent encounter going down to the Warriors 116-119 in Golden State. Bojan Bogdanovic continued his elite offensive run in Donovan Mitchell’s absence, scoring 27 points with four three pointers. However, Jordan Clarkson’s 41 points and eight rebounds off the bench was Utah’s most impressive stat line in the loss.
34 points for @Dame_Lillard.
28 points for @CJMcCollum.
28 points for @npowell2404.
4 straight wins for @trailblazers. pic.twitter.com/LbNpQC7T44— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2021
As for the Blazers, they are currently one game ahead of the seventh seed as a result of their most recent 140-129 victory over the Rockets on Monday, competing with the Lakers and Mavericks for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.
Although they allowed a lowly Houston team to pile on 129 points, Damian Lillard (34 points, nine rebounds) CJ McCollum (28 points, seven assists), Norman Powell (28 points) and Jusuf Nurkic (22 points) combined for 112 Blazer points in the 11 point victory.
Portland will play the west’s No. 1 seeded Jazz, No. 2 seeded Suns and No. 4 seeded Nuggets to close out the regular season, looking to remain in fifth place and avoid the play-in tournament.
Seeing as Utah have only lost four of their 35 games at home this season, it is tough to pick against them in this matchup. However with Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley still on the sidelines, defending the likes of Lillard, McCollum and Powell becomes a tougher task for the Jazz in this encounter. Combined with the fact that Portland needs a win to stay out of the play-in tournament, we like the Blazers to upset the Jazz on the road.
NBA Pick – Portland Trail Blazers (+156)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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