We have two spectacular games lined up on the schedule this evening and our NBA Picks have the winners of both for you!
The Nets defended their home court in game one, but will go at it with James Harden in street clothes this evening. Meanwhile in Phoenix, the Suns host the Nuggets in what seems to be a tight and intriguing series, with both sides coming in with momentum.
Will the Bucks be able to take advantage of the shorthanded Nets? Who will draw first blood between Phoenix and Denver? We have all of the answers for you below, in tonight’s edition of our NBA picks.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Brooklyn Nets (Game 2) – 7:30pm EDT
Two nights after their game one classic, the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets prepare to lock horns again tonight. Despite James Harden lasting all of 43 seconds, suffering a right hamstring complaint while attacking the rim, the Nets managed to outlast the Bucks, winning 115-107.
Harden’s absence allowed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to take full control of the Brooklyn offense, scoring 29 and 25 points respectively. The duo thrived offensively but only managed to shoot just 4/15 from behind the arc between them. This was nullified by Joe Harris and Blake Griffin shooting the lights out, combining to make nine threes, on 18 attempts, and score 37 points.
Kevin Durant joins Vince Carter as the only players in franchise history to achieve this feat 👀 pic.twitter.com/TiE9rH5ZaM
— Nets Nation (@NetsNationCP) June 6, 2021
Griffin had the best game of his Brooklyn career, shooting 53.8% from the field to finish with 18 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals. He brought an energy level matched by no other, diving for loose balls and hustling for rebounds, leaving Milwaukee searching for answers on both ends of the floor.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did his everything to give the Bucks what they needed, shooting 16/24 (66.7%) for his 34 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. One thing to watch for the series moving forward is that he shot 0/3 from the line, a common issue that he has seen throughout his career and something that Brooklyn may exploit.
Brook Lopez was next best for Milwaukee on the offensive end, scoring 19 points on 8/11 (72.7%) shooting. The issue is, when you have the likes of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday on the roster, Lopez scoring the second most points with only 19 isn’t going to cut it against the incredible Brooklyn offense. Middleton is the big worry, shooting a miserable 6/23 (26.1%) for just 13 points. After his disappearing acts in previous years’ playoffs, he will need to step up now before it is too late.
Fortunately for Middleton, and the Bucks, game two presents itself as the perfect opportunity to bounce back and steal a game in Brooklyn. Harden has already been ruled out of this clash and the Nets went just 12-11 in games that he missed since joining the squad. We are expecting Middleton to bounce back and perform much better than he did on Saturday night and give the Bucks a chance to win this one tonight.
NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (+100)
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Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns (Game 1) – 10pm EDT
After winning their respective opening round series in six games, the 2-seed Phoenix Suns and 3-seed Denver Nuggets advance to the Conference Semifinals and will face off with a shot in the Conference Finals on the line. Both teams come in with a bunch of momentum, winning three and two games in a row respectively heading into this.
After facing a 2-1 deficit to the Lakers, Phoenix turned things around and won three straight to win 4-2 and advance to the next round. While many state that Anthony Davis’ injury and absence was the thing that allowed the Suns to steal the series, Phoenix won that series, not the Lakers’ losing it. Devin Booker, in his first playoff appearance, announced himself as a superstar and offensive force, especially in the last two games.
In games five and six, Phoenix won the first quarters by a combined 70-40, with Booker scoring 40 of those points by himself. His 47 point performance in game six was something to behold, playing with a chip on his shoulder and willing his team over the line when LA kept attempting to fight back.
Devin Booker tonight:
🔥47 points
🔥11 rebounds
🔥3 assists
🔥15/22 FG
🔥8/10 3PT
🔥9/9 FTSuns eliminate the Lakers out of the first round and advance to face the Denver Nuggets. SUPERSTAR. pic.twitter.com/X8BwaTR0V7
— Elite Media Group (@TheEliteMedia_) June 4, 2021
Booker didn’t just do it by himself though, with Deandre Ayton, who was also in the postseason for the first time, dominating the interior. The big man finished with averages of 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds, while shooting an incredible 79.6% from the field. He is so tall, strong and athletic that he gives most big men issues on both ends of the floor, including Nikola Jokic, who recently said that Ayton was the big man that he struggled with the most this season.
Phoenix will be hoping that Ayton can take it to the next level in this series, as Jokic is coming off a six game series where he averaged 33 points and 10.5 rebounds, and only scoring less than 34 points on just one occasion. The soon-to-be league MVP was absolutely dominant for the Nuggets in their 4-2 win over Portland and the story moving forward will be whether he can get consistent help, something that hasn’t quite been there since Jamal Murray went down.
In that opening round series, Michael Porter Jr was the next best offensive performer, scoring 25+ on three occasions but averaging just 18.8 points per night across the six games. Monte Morris was third in line with an average of 15.3 points, but only scored over 12 twice. The positive is that Will Barton (questionable) could return from his hamstring injury at any moment, including game one this evening.
His offensive game will give Jokic a needed extra scoring punch and some more reliability across the board, but his status remains unclear and that means that we have no confidence in backing the Nuggets tonight, in Phoenix. Behind Booker, Ayton and Chris Paul, the Suns were the fourth best home team during the regular season and are well equipped to take game one.
NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-210)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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