Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers
The Suns will rue a slow start in Game 5 as they were outscored 36-26 in the first quarter and they lost the turnover count 14-9. So they'll look to improve those areas of their gameplan in Game 6 this Thursday. Devin Booker found a bit more space shooting wise as he finished with 31 points. However, Chris Paul continues to struggle with his shooting percentage, going 8 of 25 and he missed all 6 three attempts.
With their season at stake, the Clippers played like it in a huge Game 5 victory on the road in Phoenix. After a horrible shooting performance in Game 4, Paul George came to play for his team on Tuesday as he finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Without Zubac, Marcus Morris was an able replacement as he posted 22 points and Reggie Jackson was important as always with 23 points. Even Cousins got a run off the bench and scored 15 points in just 11 minutes of action. So the Clippers won't be changing a thing in this must-win Game 6.
The key question on Thursday is whether the Clippers can force a Game 7? They were excellent in Game 5 but the Suns should be confident after beating them in Game 4 at this venue. So the odds are reflecting what should be a very close affair and we'll steer clear of the head to head markets. Instead, Paul George is a rebounding beast at the moment as he's averaging 14 in his last 3 games and should be safe bet to clear 11+ boards.
Stadium Record
The Clippers are 5-1 in their last 6 home games. The Suns are 1-1 at this venue in this series.
Head to Head Record
Phoenix leads the series 3-2 and can seal an NBA finals appearance with victory on Thursday.
Best Bet
Paul George 11+ Rebounds = $1.80
Same Game Multi
P. George 11+ Rebounds / C. Paul 7+ Assists / R. Jackson 20+ Points / D. Booker 20+ Points = $3.80
Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks
Suddenly, the Hawks fortunes have changed for the better in this series and that's despite an ankle injury to Trae Young. Without Young on the court in Game 4, the Hawks crushed the Bucks 110-88 behind some strong play by Lou Williams and Bogdanovic. Williams got the start at PG and finished with 21 points / 8 assists. Bogdanovic has had his struggles with injury in this series but he showed good signs on Wednesday with 20 points and he hit 6 threes. So the Game 4 performance without Trae will give the team a lot of confidence, especially if Young continues to struggle with injury.
A shocking knee injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo mid-way through Game 4 resulted in a heavy loss for the Bucks. At this stage, the knee injury looks quite serious so it would be a miracle if Giannis plays in Game 5. So they will need Middleton and Holiday to run the show. Middleton continued his inconsistent playoff run on Wednesday, shooting 6 of 24 and he missed all of his 7 three-point attempts. Holiday has also struggled with his shot in the last 2 games.
The injuries to Giannis and Young are huge factors in this series and after the Game 4 result, it looks like the Hawks should be able to handle the Bucks if Giannis can't play on Friday. So at this stage, we'll take the Hawks to cover.
Stadium Record
The Bucks are 1-1 at home in this series. Atlanta holds a 1-8 record in Milwaukee in their last 9 games.
Head to Head Record
This series is locked at 2-2.
Best Bet
