Game 3 brings a change of venue in the NBA Playoffs, and the matchups are all pretty evenly matched for Friday’s games. The home teams are favored in all three games by similar margins, but the stakes are a little different from one game to the next.
The Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks try to maintain home-court advantage after winning Game 2 on the road. The Milwaukee Bucks need to get Giannis Antetokounmpo back after missing the first two games. The LA Clippers showed that getting their star back isn’t an automatic win after Kawhi Leonard returned from injury, but the Clippers lost Game 2 at home to the Mavericks.
At the nightcap, the Phoenix Suns are in despair mode after losing two games in Minnesota. Can the Suns’ talented trio make things happen, or will Anthony Edwards continue to prove he’s one of the best players in the league?
We’ve got odds, previews and staff picks for all of Friday’s NBA playoff action.
All odds from BetMGM. Find the best deals on StubHub for tickets.
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
How to watch: 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Series tied 1-1
Series odds: Pacers -140, Bucks +115
Damian Lillard had another big game in Tuesday’s Game 2, but Pascal Siakam dominated him and the Pacers shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range (16-for-36) in a blowout road victory. With the series now balanced and heading to Indianapolis, the Pacers became the favorites to win the series after winning a playoff game for the first time in six years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a chance to return for Game 3, but official word on that is still lacking.
Without Giannis, it’s been fun watching Lillard and Siakam dominate. Siakam scored 37 points in Game 2, following up his 36-point effort in Game 1. He also averaged 12 rebounds in the two games. Lillard had 35 points, all in the first half, in Game 1 and dropped 34 on Tuesday. He is shooting 50 percent (12 of 24) from 3-point range. It looks like these two will get their number no matter what.
Indiana’s supporting cast was better in Game 2 with Myles Turner posting 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Second-year guard Andrew Nembhard had a near-career night with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. For Milwaukee, Brook Lopez scored 22 points, but had just one rebound and Khris Middleton scored only 15 points.
If Turner and Nembhard outperform Lopez and Middleton while Giannis is out, Indiana is in good shape. Can they start again at home?
Expert Picks for Bucks at Pacers
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No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Series tied 1-1
Series odds: Mavs -145, Clippers +120
Kawhi Leonard returned for Game 2 on Tuesday, but his addition didn’t really boost the Clippers. The Mavericks escaped Los Angeles with a three-point victory in a close game throughout despite Leonard returning to the starting lineup and playing 35 minutes.
It was Leonard’s first game action since March 31 and there appeared to be some rust. He scored 15 points and missed all five 3-point attempts, although he had four steals. James Harden also struggled shooting, making just 2 of 10 from 3-point range, after having a big game in Game 1.
Getting Kawhi back should still be a boost for the Clippers in the long run. This team hasn’t had a good playoff run to see how good this core can be. Leonard may not be at his best yet, but we’re about to see what a fully operational battle station in Los Angeles could look like. Additionally, the Clippers only lost by three with Leonard and Harden not having shooting nights, which could be considered a positive.
The Mavs are strong favorites for Game 3 at home and are favored in the series overall. The way Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving are playing, the Clippers don’t have much room for shooting nights for two of their stars. Dončić is averaging 32.5 points per game in this series, which, comically, is lower than his season scoring average (33.9).
Expert Picks for Clippers at Mavs
How to watch: 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Timberwolves lead series 2-0
Series odds: Timberwolves -375, Suns +300
The Suns’ latest experiment is on the verge of collapse after two mostly uncompetitive losses in Minneapolis to start this series. The Suns have moved past the first round the last three seasons, but even with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, they could slip back.
Before we start writing the eulogy for what went wrong for this trio, Phoenix has the opportunity to prove that this is still a show. The Suns are favorites at home, but have a lot to improve to win both games and put the pressure back on Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards came out in the first game (33 points, nine rebounds, six assists), but was just 3 of 12 from the field in the second game. Minnesota still won game two by 12 points and led by double digits for most of the game. fourth trimester. Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points, the second-highest mark of his career, and six T’wolves scored in double figures.
If Minnesota can win comfortably with Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combining for just 27 points and making just three baskets each, as they did in Game 2, Phoenix is in big trouble. Phoenix may need one of their main scorers to go nuclear to get the win, but it’s something all three are capable of.
Expert Picks for Timberwolves at Suns
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(Photo by Pascal Siakam: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
