The Atlanta Hawks head home for Game 3 having gotten what they wanted in Philadelphia — a split of the first two games to seize home court advantage in the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals. After Atlanta surprised the 76ers in Game 1 with a four-point win, Joel Embiid put the favorites on his back and carried them to a solid Game 2 victory. In the other semifinal, Brooklyn built a 2-0 series lead at home with a pair of emphatic wins over the Milwaukee Bucks. Wednesday night finds the East idle, but Thursday night features the Nets and the Bucks live from Cream City.
Let’s take a look at this matchup and its implications for your online NBA betting.
NBA News: Eastern Conference Games (June 9-10)
Thursday, June 10
Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks
(7:30 pm ET, ESPN) | Nets lead, 2-0
The last few seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks have put up terrific records in the regular season. Giannis Antetokounmpo won the last two NBA MVP awards, but then the Bucks took early exists from the postseason. The physical grind of the playoffs seemed to make the Bucks wilt, and te need to play vigorous defense basically drained the team. We’re seeing this again this time around: after an emphatic first-round sweep of the Miami Heat that seemed to answer a lot of questions, the Bucks have been taken to the woodshed by Brooklyn, most recently in a 125-86 dismantling in Game 2.
Remember that James Harden isn’t even playing for the Nets right now, as his right hamstring has acted up yet again. He wasn’t needed in Game 2, as Kevin Durant went off for 32 points in three periods of a game that the Nets led by as many as 49 points as the team won by as large of a margin as any other in the team’s postseason history. Kyrie Irving put up 22 points for the Nets, and Bruce Brown, starting in Harden’s stead, had 13 points and six boards.
Brooklyn was able to break down Milwaukee’s defense off the dribble time and time again, leading to uncontested shots. That created a 52% shooting night for the Nets, including 50% (21 of 42) from behind the arc).
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points and 11 boards, but he was humiliated in a duel with Durant, and he found himself on the pine during the fourth quarter with the game long out of reach. Khris Middleton found his shooting touch in the second half, finishing with 17 points, and Jrue Holiday added 13. Now the series shifts back to Milwaukee, where the Bucks picked up a pair of wins against Brooklyn with Harden out with that same hamstring ailment. In Brooklyn, Milwaukee went a combined 14 of 57 from behind the arc, so their fans hope that the team’s shooting picks up with a return to their home floor.
Final Prediction:
Bucks 127, Nets 122
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