Check your 2021 NBA playoff bracket. Did you have the Clippers and the Suns in the West Finals, and the Hawks and the Bucks in the East finals? Well, we certainly didn’t. Brooklyn’s Big Three became a Big One and a Half, as Kyrie Irving’s ankle injury ended his run, and James Harden’s right hamstring flared up again, leaving Kevin Durant as the team’s lone star, and despite 48 points in Game 7 against Milwaukee (including a shot to force overtime that was literally one inch from being the game-winning three-ball), KD couldn’t carry the team all by himself.
Let’s look at Tuesday and Wednesday’s games as you consider your NBA betting choices.
NBA News: Conference Finals (June 22-23)
Tuesday, June 22
L.A. Clippers at Phoenix Suns
Game 2 (9:00 pm ET, ESPN) | Suns lead, 1-0
Devin Booker had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the first triple-double of his career, as he stepped up tremendously in the absence of Chris Paul to lead the Suns by the Clippers in their series opener. Paul missed the opener after testing positive for COVID-19, but he hopes to return for Game 2, as he has remained asymptomatic. Kawhi Leonard was out with a right knee sprain and remains doubtful for Game 2. The real separation in the game came at the start of the fourth quarter, which began in a 93-93 tie but saw Phoenix go on a 12-2 run to start the period, building a 105-95 lead with 8:08 left. That deficit was trimmed from 10 points at the two-minute mark to two points with 22 seconds left, though, when Terance Mann drilled a three-pointer. Booker had a dunk on the next possession, as the Clippers blew their defensive coverage.
Reggie Jackson had another big game for the Clippers, adding 24 points. However, the Clippers could not stop Booker, who had 12 points in the last 3:09 of the third period to respond to a 16-2 Clippers run. Deandre Ayton had 20 points and nine boards. Cameron Payne started in place of Paul and chipped in 11 points and nine assists.
Final Prediction:
Suns 118, Clippers 113
Wednesday, June 23
Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1 (8:30 pm ET, TNT)
If it seems like the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been atop the NBA’s power structure in a while, you’re right. The franchise has one title, back in 1958 when the team played in St. Louis and Bob Pettit was the superstar. They won five straight division titles between 1957 and 1961, and then the team had a brief resurgence in the 1980s behind Dominique Wilkins, but those Hawks kept running into the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. This is the first time Atlanta has been to the conference finals since 2015. The Milwaukee Bucks have been terrific in the regular season for several years now, but their postseasons have been disappointing. They made the East finals most recently in 2019, when they went up on Toronto 2-0, only to see the series get away, thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s wizardry. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship.
Milwaukee won the season series against Atlanta, 2-1, although the most exciting game was the Hawks’ 111-104 win on April 25. Lou Williams nailed four three-pointers in the last seven minutes and had all 15 of his points in the fourth period. Trae Young was out with an ankle sprain, but Bogdan Bogdanovic had a huge night, pouring in 32 points. Young only played against the Bucks on April 15, and he had Jrue Holiday all over him defensively. He went 3 of 17 from the floor, scoring 15 points. If the Bucks have a defensive answer for Young again, they have a great shot at moving forward. Milwaukee led the NBA in defense this season. Both teams had to go seven games to win, so expect some clanked shots in the early going.
Final Prediction:
Milwaukee 108, Atlanta 103
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