Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from the postseason, the team has decided to shut down LeBron James for the rest of the year, so that he can continue rehabbing his ankle and look to start recovery for next season. The Memphis Grizzlies are also missing a star to injury – top scorer Ja Morant – whose knee woes have kept him on the shelf since March 18. The team announced that his knee is recovering and that he should return for the postseason. Miami locked up the top seed in the East with a win last night, but there is still plenty of seeding movement to come. Take a look at our top two NBA betting picks from the last day of the regular season.
NBA News: Top Betting Games for Sunday
Sunday, April 10
Indiana Pacers at Brooklyn Nets (3:30 pm ET, ESPN)
The Pacers have dropped eight in a row and are definitely looking ahead to next season as Rick Carlisle looks to make the second year of his second coaching stint with the Pacers better than his initial campaign. They lost at home to Philadelphia, 131-122, on Tuesday, and then they finish the regular season with a date with the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday before jetting up I-95 to take on the Nets in Brooklyn. In that loss on Tuesday, the Pacers watched Joel Embiid stack up 45 points and 13 boards as he continues to make his case for the MVP, so expect him to put on similar numbers on Sunday. For the Pacers, Buddy Hield put up 25 points, and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but these are teams on two different levels right now.
Visiting the Nets won’t make things any easier, as both the 76ers and the Nets need as many wins as possible to cement their playoff positioning. Brooklyn has a two-game winning streak going, after victories over Houston and New York, and they host Cleveland on Friday before welcoming the Pacers. They beat the Knicks on Wednesday, 110-98, coming back from a 21-point deficit thanks to 32 points, 11 assists and 10 boards from Kevin Durant. Kyrie Irving chipped in 24 points, eight boards and seven assists. Both KD and Irving had to play the entire second half, as the Nets outscored the Knicks, 60-31, after the intermission, but they have time to rest before they meet the Pacers.
Final Score Prediction: Brooklyn 125, Indiana 110
Boston Celtics at Memphis Grizzlies (7:00 pm ET, TNT)
Boston saw a three-game winning streak come to an end in Milwaukee on Thursday, falling 127-121. They had beaten the Pacers, Wizards and Bulls and now have one game remaining, needing a win over Memphis to secure their Atlantic Division title. What could be a preview of the NBA Finals is a game that matters little to Memphis, their second seed in the West secure, but means much more to the Celtics in terms of seeding. In their loss to the Bucks, Boston was up three until Milwaukee posted a 9-0 run to finish the game. Despite a triple-double from Jaylen Brown (22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds), the Celtics could not hold the lead. Jayson Tatum and Al Horford were resting on the second night of a back-to-back, and Robert Williams III remains out with a meniscus tear in his left knee, and small ball did not pay off, as the Celtics were outscored 54-35 in the paint and 14-5 on second-chance points.
The Grizzlies have dropped two in a row, losing in Utah on Tuesday and in Denver on Thursday, falling to the Nuggets, 122-109. They face New Orleans at home on Saturday before the Celtics come to town on Sunday. In the loss to the Nuggets, Denver needed the game more, as the win brought them a playoff berth, avoiding the play-in tournament. Desmond Bane put up 14 for the Grizzlies, but with a second seed secure, the focus for Memphis appears to be rest.
Final Score Prediction: Boston 114, Memphis 110
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