After going 7-1 over the weekend, our NBA picks are keen to nail a perfect 2/2 day to start the week for our followers! While today’s two games are the 1 v 8 series in each respective conference, there is plenty of action and drama that needs to be covered.
Philadelphia has the opportunity to sweep the Wizards and advance to the next round. In the other game, a win by the Jazz would see them head back home with a 3-1 advantage and have the possibility of closing things out on their home floor.
Will there be an upset? Read on below as our NBA picks has the best game analysis for every game of the playoffs, including the winner of each clash!
Philadelphia 76ers @ Washington Wizards (Game 4) – 7pm EDT
The Philadelphia 76ers have the opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a win over the Washington Wizards tonight. After a tight game win, with Philly winning by just seven points at home, the Sixers have dominated proceedings, winning games two and three by a combined 54 points.
In those two big wins, Joel Embiid has averaged 29 points on 73.3% shooting while Tobias Harris put up 19.5 points on 63% shooting and 11 points per game. In Saturday’s 132-103 win, Danny Green and Seth Curry combined for 30 points on 8/15 shooting from deep, as the Sixers shot 17/33 (51.5%) from three overall.
Compare that to the Wizards who managed just 8/35 (22.9%), with Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook and Davis Bertans combining for just 5/19. There were injury concerns surrounding Westbrook coming into the game but he ended up being Washington’s best performer, shooting 50% from the field for his 26 point, 12 rebound, 10 assists triple double.
The Sixers starting 5 is going OFF 😳
Wizards have 71 total PTS pic.twitter.com/BJ3KGItCmv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2021
The issue for the Wizards has been Beal, their leading man during the regular season. The hamstring injury that kept him down during the last week of the regular season seems to still be bothering him, and his shooting percentage has taken a hit because of it. On Saturday, Beal scored 25 points but needed 26 shots to get there, hitting just 10 of them.
Philadelphia is definitely the better team in this matchup, having had at least five players score in double figures in all three games so far. On Saturday, all five starters scored more than 10 points, whereas the Wizards had just three players total, highlighting the difference in depth and ability between the sides. Unfortunately for the Wizards, their two man show won’t be able to carry them any further and will be swept on their home floor this evening.
NBA Pick – Philadelphia 76ers (-350)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
Utah Jazz @ Memphis Grizzlies (Game 4) – 9:30pm EDT
After giving up home court advantage in game one of the series, the Utah Jazz have taken it right back, winning game three and going up 2-1. The Jazz dominated most of the game on Saturday night, using a 34-22 first quarter to give themselves a lead that they held for most of the game.
A 2.5 minute 8-0 run by the Grizzlies to start the fourth quarter put a scare through the Jazz camp, with Memphis even taking the lead with under five minutes remaining. However, Utah clicked into gear and ended the game on a 14-2 run, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 10 of those points.
Mitchell ended up with a game high 29 points while Mike Conley was right behind him with 27, thanks to shooting 7/10 from deep for the game. The dynamic guard duo has been unstoppable for most of the year, when healthy, and Memphis is struggling to keep up. Not only did the pair score but they combined for 13 assists and just four turnovers on the night.
The Jazz hold off the Grizzlies and take a 2-1 series lead 🎵
Spida: 29 Pts
Conley: 27 PtsFinished on a 14-2 run to ice Game 3 pic.twitter.com/hcJMwtNKNo
— ESPN (@espn) May 30, 2021
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Ja Morant wasn’t able to replicate his 47 point night from game two, but he did have a team high 28 points, scoring 13 of those in the final 14:25 of the game. He also added seven assists but shot just 10/23 from the field and had four turnovers. He had some assistance from Dillon Brooks (27 points), Jonas Valanciunas (10 points, 13 boards and five assists) and Grayson Allen (17 points on 5/8 from deep), but ultimately they couldn’t keep up.
Utah seems to have full control of this series and, taking out a five minute lapse in the fourth quarter, they have played much better basketball for the last two games. Memphis continues to show incredible fight against the league-leading Jazz but they don’t have enough firepower and polish to make any serious in-roads against a fully healthy Utah side.
NBA Pick – Utah Jazz (-225)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs.
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
Want more picks? We have just launched our Premium Picks service, and for a limited time only, it is free! *T&Cs Apply.
