Three massive clashes tonight and our NBA picks have the best in-depth preview, analysis and predictions out there.
Will the return to Miami allow the Heat to pick up their first win of the series? Can LeBron James and Anthony Davis consolidate on their game two win in Phoenix? Who will come out on top in the inconsistent 3v6 series between the Nuggets and Blazers?
We have all of the answers you need before placing your bets on tonight’s games, so read on below and don’t miss out on the action.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat (Game 3) – 7:30pm EDT
The 3 v 6 series in the East moves to South Beach with the Milwaukee Bucks currently holding a commanding 2-0 series lead. After a tight overtime victory in game one, Milwaukee blew the Heat out of the water in game two, shooting the lights out in their 132-98 win.
The Bucks made 10 threes in the first quarter alone, getting out to an early 46-20 lead after the first 12 minutes of action. Bryn Forbes made four of those 10, and shot 6/9 from deep for the game to finish with 22 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo enjoyed a nine point, three assist first quarter and ended up with game highs of 31 points and 13 rebounds, along with six assists and three steals.
The entire rotation for the Bucks had a field day, with Jrue Holiday dishing out 15 assists, a new playoff career high. The three man combination of Forbes, Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis, all off the bench, combined for more points than the entire Miami starting lineup put together.
On the other side of the ball, it is tough to know where to start in this one. You could simply write it off as a night where Miami couldn’t hit anything whereas the Bucks seemingly couldn’t miss. There is a bit more to it though. Jimmy Butler has now scored just 27 points on 8/32 shooting across both games. Bam Adebayo has managed just 25 points on 9/26 shooting and is still yet to register a block.
THE BUCKS ARE ON FIRE.
Bucks lead Heat, 46-20 after the 1Q pic.twitter.com/vQqNhPM4Om
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 25, 2021
The most alarming however is Tyler Herro. After thriving in an off the bench role alongside Goran Dragic during the back half of the season, Herro has mustered just 10 and four points in the first two games, well down on his average of 15 points per game during the regular season.
After making 15 more threes than Milwaukee in game one, and still losing, the Heat could only connect on eight in game two, 14 less than the Bucks. While three point shooting isn’t everything, especially for these two sides, it is clear to see that Miami needs to lift their game defensively if they have any chance of evening this series up in their two games at home.
The positive for Miami is that they return home, where they were 21-15 during the regular season, while Milwaukee was just 20-16 on the road and went just 3-3 in their last six regular season road games. We expect a much better fight from Miami, as this is a must win game for them now, but will they be able to do it? Milwaukee looks fresh, rejuvenated and on top of their game right now, overcoming anything Miami throws their way. However, we can’t picture Butler and Erik Spoelstra letting this Heat team go down 0-3 and we can imagine some big changes to help them get their first win of the series.
NBA Pick – Miami Heat (+108)
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Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers (Game 3) – 10pm EDT
With the series tied up at one game a piece, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have to be feeling good about returning home with a win on the board already. The Phoenix Suns looked dominant in their game one win but with Chris Paul labouring due to his shoulder injury, the Lakers controlled the entirety of game two to even the series.
That shoulder injury limited Paul to just six points and five assists in only 23 minutes of action, including just 2:38 in the decisive fourth quarter. While his injury restricted him, his minutes also took a dip due to the excellent play from his back-up, Cameron Payne. The six-year veteran thrived with more opportunity, finishing with 19 points, seven assists and two blocks in his 33 minutes.
The Suns’ Big Two in Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, now that Paul is a big unknown, continued to excel despite this being their first taste of playoff basketball. Booker ended with a team high 31 points while Ayton had a 21 point double double, his second straight so far. The issue is that unlike game one, they were well and truly outplayed by James, Davis and the Lakers’ supporting cast.
Anthony Davis bounce back game.
34 PTS
10 REB
7 AST
3 BLK
18-21 FTHe is the first Laker with 30+ points and 20+ free throws since Kobe Bryant in 2008. pic.twitter.com/BN6blUGbRd
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 26, 2021
Dennis Schroder had his best offensive game in some time, putting up 24 points on 50% shooting, while Andre Drummond silenced some of the critics with a first half double-double, finishing with 15 points, 12 boards, two steals and a block. James continued to play tentatively, with questions over the health of his ankle lingering, but still had 23 points, nine assists and two steals while shooting 56.2% from the field and finishing with just one turnover.
The story of the night was the return to form for Anthony Davis. With media, fans and even himself making comments about his poor play in game one, Davis came out aggressive on both ends to ensure he got in a better groove. A game high 34 points, along with 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks don’t even tell half of it, with Davis getting to the line a monstrous 21 times, making 18 of them.
The Lakers seemed to take back control and momentum with their wire to wire victory in game two, and should only see that advance further with a return to Staples Center. Chris Paul is as tough as they come and will continue to give his all for the Suns, but him being on the floor in limited fashion may actually be detrimental to their ability to win. LA seems to have settled on a defensive structure to restrict Booker and it worked in game two, so there is no reason that it won’t work again in game three.
NBA Pick – Los Angeles Lakers (-300)
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Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers (Game 3) – 10:30pm EDT
The Denver Nuggets that we know and love finally turned up to the playoffs, putting in a classic performance to even up the series. After an embarrassing display on their home floor in game one, Denver turned things around and ran away with the 128-109 win.
After managing just 109 points in game one, the Nuggets’ offense clicked into gear with six different players scoring 12+ points. Nikola Jokic had his usual 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists but it was the role players that stepped up. The point guard combo of Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris combined for 24 points, 13 assists and five steals while the stretch four rotation of Aaron Gordon and Paul Millsap combined for 28 points and 13 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets handle the Blazers to even the series at 1-1 🔥⁰⁰Joker finished with 38 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST pic.twitter.com/AaEzjXxf6p
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2021
With Portland finishing the regular season 29th in defensive rating and 23rd in points allowed, it was only a matter of time before Denver unleashed offensively, but what is more surprising is that the Blazers weren’t able to keep up. After dropping 123 in game one, Portland couldn’t get a good score on the board, thanks in part to a massive 21 turnovers, resulting in them taking 13 less field goal attempts than the Nuggets.
This was all despite a 42 point night from Damian Lillard, with just three players scoring over seven points for the game. Lillard went crazy from deep in the first half, shooting 8/10 from behind the arc for 32 points at the main break. The issue is he only managed 10 after half time and the Blazers bench gave no lift, when it had done so well two nights earlier.
We know that Jokic and Lillard are going to get their shots, while Michael Porter Jr and CJ McCollum will play great as second fiddle, respectively, but this series will be decided in the margins. Which bench and supporting cast is going to step up when it matters most, and with the Blazers returning home, we expect theirs will thrive tonight.
NBA Pick – Portland Trail Blazers (-162)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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