LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets - Wednesday September 23
The Lakers and Nuggets collide for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at 11am on Wednesday (all times AEST), with LA currently leading the series 2-0.
The Lakers cruised to victory in Game 1, blowing out Denver 126-114 in a score line that doesn’t truly reflect their dominance in the game.
Game 2 looked to be heading in that direction too, with the Lakers completely owning the first half and leading by as much as 16 early in the third quarter. But the Nuggets showed the great resilience they have all playoffs to fight back into the contest.
Jamal Murray’s free throws early in the fourth tied things up, while both teams traded buckets for the rest of the way. The Nuggets looked shot again as Anthony Davis’ three-pointer with 3:03 left in the game extended LA’s lead to eight points.
But again the Nuggets responded, with Nikola Jokic scoring nine-straight points to put his team inf front. It all came down to the final possession of the game, with Rajon Rondo finding Davis on the wing to nail the buzzer-beating go-ahead to hand Denver a heartbreaking 105-103 loss.
How both teams respond to the dramatic ending of Game 2 will be fascinating – will it break Denver’s spirit, or will they fight back and defy the odds as they have all post-season? Do the Lakers power on now and after nearly letting control of the series slip?
Davis has been the MVP of this series thus far, averaging 36 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting the three ball at a 42 per cent clip.
Jokic was huge for the Nuggets in Game 2 and found his offensive spots much better than in Game 1. For Denver to be any chance of getting back into this series, they’ll need their Serbian star to be at his absolute best.
The Lakers’ size and length has given the Nuggets big problems, as has been their trademark all season. Scarily for Denver, LeBron James is still yet to really get going in this series.
Tip: Denver + 6.5 @ $1.92.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat - Thursday September 24
The Celtics and Heat meet for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday at 10.30am, with the Heat leading the series 2-1.
Games 1 and 2 were both very similar stories in this matchup – Boston had control of the game in the first halves and carried big leads, only for Miami to turn things around in second halves and look the better team in clutch situations.
It’s taken a true team effort from Miami to have the lead in this series, with the three-point shooting of Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and Jae Crowder proving valuably for Erik Spoelstra’s team. Six Heat players are averaging double digit points per game, led by Bam Adebayo (22 points, 10.7 rebounds 4.7 assists, two steals, 1.7 blocks).
The positive thing for the Heat is that Jimmy Butler has been relatively quiet offensively, but they are still finding ways to score.
The dial did turn in Game 3, with Boston winning 117-106 in a game that they had total control of outside of a late run from Miami. We’ve seen Jayson Tatum emerge as a genuine superstar during the playoffs and he shone bright in Game 3, tallying 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart all posted over 20 points too as the Celtics’ offence really got going. Brad Stevens’ team will take great confidence out of the win as they look to even up the series.
Tip: Boston to win @ $1.64.
