The only first-round series in the NBA playoffs that went to a seventh game ended on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic matched the scoring of both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but Kristaps Porzingis was a non-entity, and none of the other secondary scorers for the Mavericks could make a bucket once the Clippers started their third-quarter run. Now the Clippers take on the Utah Jazz in the second round, and on the other side of the bracket, Denver will take on Phoenix, as the Suns have to figure out how to handle Nikola Jokic.
Let’s take a look at each of these series as you consider your online NBA betting options for the week.
NBA News: Western Conference Games (June 7-8)
Monday, June 7
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
Game 1 (10:00 pm ET, TNT)
One key matchup involves Facundo Campazzo and Chris Paul. Campazzo is technically an NBA rookie, but he is 30, and he has played in the EuroLeague, the Argentine League and the Spanish League. He has piled up several international championships. Chris Paul has a shoulder injury akin to a stinger that has come and gone during these playoffs so far. Paul and Campazzo have met in international competitions, and the dynamic has gotten chippy at times.
Another involves Austin Rivers and Devin Booker. Booker is one of the next generation of NBA superstars; in his first postseason series, he put up 29.7 points per game, and he only needed 22 shots to drop 47 on the Lakers in a road closeout game. Austin Rivers got waived by Oklahoma City and was at home on the couch when the Nuggets came calling. Why? Because they lost star guard Jamal Murray for the season with a blown ACL. Rivers brings tons of confidence, and he shot 48.4 percent from behind the arc against Portland in the first round, scoring 21 in Game 3, making 5 of 10 three-point shots. His defense is pesky, and he could try to agitate Booker — but Booker should be able to take advantage of Rivers’ lack of length.
One more pits Michael Porter Jr against Mikal Bridges. Porter is four inches taller, but Bridges has the length to compensate. Denver has the smaller backcourt, but they have the larger frontcourt. There is room for Bridges to control the rebounding battle with Porter. If Porter gets open for threes, the Suns could suffer.
Game 1 Prediction:
Suns 114, Nuggets 111
Tuesday, June 8
L.A. Clippers at Utah Jazz
Game 2 (10:00 pm ET, TNT)
These two teams last met on February 19, with the Clippers prevailing, 116-112. Utah won the first two matchups, but that February 19 game was the first time in a month that the Clippers had had their starting unit together. Terance Mann overtook Luke Kennard in the rotation, and Mann made some key contributions in the Clippers’ first-round win over Dallas, scoring almost 17 points per game over the last six contests and putting up 13 points in Game 7. Kennard scored 11 in Game 7, as the Clippers spread the floor and knocked down shots.
That approach could prove useful against Utah, because the Jazz also run a lot of guards out there and depend on accurate outside shooting. The Clippers were tops in the NBA this season in three-point shooting, at 41.1%, and Utah came in fourth at 38.9%. Utah has made 40.6% of their three-pointers in the playoffs, while the Clippers have made 37.3%. The Clippers’ percentage increased in Game 7 as they knocked down 20 shots from downtown.
A major question concerns the availability of Jazz guard Mike Conley. He put up 17.4 points and 8.6 assists per game in their five-game series win over Memphis, but he did strain a hamstring in the finale. Donovan Mitchell came back from an ankle sprain that kept him out of Game 1, averaging 28.5 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 turnovers per game in the last four games, shooting 40% from behind the arc. Utah also has Jordan Clarkson, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. How can the Clippers fare against a team that has a legitimate big man in Rudy Gobert and even better outside shooting than Dallas?
Game 1 Prediction:
Jazz 114, Clippers 106
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