The Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers have been the two most impressive teams in the first few days of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Both teams have cruised to comfortable home wins in their first two games, and they will now look to get an even tighter grip on their respective first-round series in Game 3.
Meanwhile, the top two seeds in the West – the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies – will be out to regain control of their respective series after losing one of the first two games at home.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews the upcoming Game 3s in six of the first-round series.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronato Raptors
The Raptors were a popular first-round upset pick prior to the start of the playoffs, but it that now looking highly unlikely with the 76ers winning the first two games in dominant fashion.
And that’s despite James Harden struggling. Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey have stepped up and have been the main supporting cast for MVP finalist Joel Embiid in this series.
Harris is averaging 23 points and 8 rebounds on 64 per cent shooting over the first two games, while Maxey is averaging 30.5 points on a sizzling 70 per cent shooting from the field and 56 per cent on 3-pointers.
Philadelphia will be without top defender Matisse Thybulle for the next two games in Toronto due to his unvaccinated status, which will leave the Sixers shorthanded.
Speaking of shorthanded, the Raptors’ star rookie Scottie Barnes (15.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG this season) is still a doubt to play in Game 3 with a sprained ankle, while Gary Trent Jr is questionable due to illness.
Betting Tip: 76ers Asian Handicap @ -2.50 @ 2.06
Memphis Grizzlies @ Minnesota Timberwolves
After their shock Game 1 defeat, the West’s No. 2 seed, the Grizzlies, salvaged a split at home with a dominant 124-96 victory in Game 2.
Coach Taylor Jenkins decided to limit centre Steven Adams to just 3 minutes after early foul trouble, and it paid off in a big way. Backup centre Xavier Tillman did a terrific job defensively on Karl-Anthony Towns, and he also had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
Ja Morant was one rebound shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds in just 30 minutes. Meanwhile, six other Grizzlies finished in double digits as they showcased their impressive depth.
Just like in their play-in tournament game against the Clippers, Towns again dealt with foul trouble and was limited to just 15 points in 28 minutes. D’Angelo Russell also struggled and finished with 11 points on 11 shots.
Betting Tip: Grizzlies Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.95
Dallas Mavericks @ Utah Jazz
With superstar Luka Doncic still missing due to a calf injury, Jalen Brunson erupted for a career-high 41 points to help the Mavs tie up their series against the Jazz at 1-1. Maxi Kleber also provided plenty of NBA 2022 highlights with 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc as Jason Kidd played him at centre for most of the game.
Kidd rode his top players hard as four of five starters played 40 or more minutes. And with Luka’s status for Game 3 still uncertain, Kidd will have no choice but to stick with the Kleber-at-centre lineup and hope they can keep shooting as well in Utah.
Betting Tip: Mavericks Asian Handicap +7.00 @ 1.84
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets
The Warriors have looked by far the best out of any team in the early going this postseason. They blew out the Nuggets in both games in San Francisco – scoring well over 120 points both times – on the strength of their new ‘Death Lineup’.
New Splash Brother Jordan Poole has been excellent, scoring 59 points in his first two playoff games; Klay Thompson is shooting well; and after a rough first game back from injury, All-Star MVP Stephen Curry exploded with 34 points in just 23 minutes in Game 2.
But perhaps more important, Draymond Green is back to playing elite defence. He is doing a spectacular job guarding reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who has been visibly frustrated by the Warriors’ swarming defence.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets have been getting nothing from starting forwards Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green. Unless those veterans step up, the Warriors are likely to continue their dominance in Denver.
Betting Tip: Warriors Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 2.04
Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks
After getting blown out in Game 1, Trae Young and the Hawks made things much more competitive against the No 1-seeded Heat. Although, Atlanta still lost 115-105 and are now in a 0-2 hole.
Young, who was held to just 8 points and one basket in Game 1, had 25 points in Game 2, while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 29 points off the bench. But Jimmy Butler exploded for 45 points of his own to lead the Heat to victory.
Game 3 in front of their home fans is likely the Hawks’ best chance of winning a game in this series. However, the Heat have shown in the first two games how difficult they are to deal with on both ends of the court, and they be targeting a sweep.
Betting Tip: Hawks Asian Handicap +2.50 @ 1.86
Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans
The No. 8-seeded Pelicans defied the NBA 2022 odds as they grabbed a shock 125-114 win over the NBA-best Suns to tie their series up at 1-1. Phoenix lost All-Star guard Devin Booker in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury, and his status for Game 3 is still unknown.
But even with Booker’s absence, the Pelicans deserve a lot of credit for their tremendous performance. Brandon Ingram in particular was brilliant with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.
It remains to be seen whether they can shoot 17-of-30 on 3-pointers again in Game 3, but if Booker is missing, the Pelicans will like their chances of snatching a win on their home floor.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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