Joel Embiid is putting the rest of the NBA on notice after this past weekend. He dropped 42 points on the Atlanta Hawks in a big win on Saturday night, and then one night later, he set a career high with 59 points in a seven-point win over Utah, a game in which the rest of the 76ers would only total 46 points. He also put up 11 boards, eight assists and seven blocks, playing just 36 minutes. Five of those seven blocks came in the fourth quarter. Since 1973-74, when blocks became an official statistic, no player had put up 50 points, 10 boards, five assists and blocks in a game. With that huge fourth quarter, he became the first player to score 20 points and block five shots in the same quarter since 1996-97. He was the first player to outscore both teams by himself in a fourth quarter since Tracy McGrady did it in 2006. Only Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Bradley Beal had put up at least 100 points in a back-to-back since the NBA-ABA merger, and no center had done it since Wilt Chamberlain pulled it off in 1967. What wonders will happen in Week 5? Check out our NBA betting matchups.
NBA News: Top Betting Games for Week 5
→ Monday, November 14
Phoenix Suns (+2) at Miami Heat (O/U 216)
(7:30 pm ET)
The Miami Heat (6-7) look to make it three wins in a row and get back to .500 when the Phoenix Suns (8-4) come to town. Phoenix has won four of the last five in this rivalry, and the teams each won once in 2021-22. The Suns already lead the Pacific Division by 1 ½ games, but they have dropped two of three on their road trip, including an ugly 17-point loss in Orlando. The Suns didn’t play Chris Paul and Cam Johnson in this game, but they were still seven-point favorites. Cameron Payne started at point guard and put up 22 points and four assists. Devin Booker had shooting struggles and only had 17 points, but he also had eight boards and six assists. Deandre Ayton chipped in 14 points and five rebounds. The Magic won the battle of the boards, 50-38, as the Suns did not show a lot of effort. Even so, Phoenix still leads the NBA in fewest points permitted per game.
The Heat have climbed to just two games behind Atlanta in the Southeast Division after a pair of wins over the struggling Charlotte Hornets. On Saturday, the Heat rolled over Charlotte, 132-115, knocking down 16 three-balls. Tyler Herro was out and is not expected to play Monday, but Max Strus came off the bench to drop 31 on the Hornets, sinking eight shots from downtown. Bam Adebayo added 24 points and 15 boards, and Jimmy Butler contributed 20 points, seven boards and eight assists. However, a pair of wins over Charlotte is not enough to earn favorite status against a team like Phoenix. Suns to cover.
Atlanta Hawks (+4) at Milwaukee Bucks (225.5)
(8:00 pm ET)
The Atlanta Hawks (8-5) meet the Milwaukee Bucks (10-2) for the third time in 2022-23 after having split the first two. The Hawks will not have Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) or Onyeka Okongwu (personal reasons). Milwaukee will not have Khris Milldeton (wrist) or Pat Connaughton (calf), while Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Jrue Holiday (ankle) are both questionable. The Hawks beat Philadelphia last Thursday by nine at home but then went to Philadelphia and lost. Trae Young did have 27 points and 11 assists, and Dejounte Murray chipped in 23 points, eight boards and seven assists, but the 76ers basically did whatever they wanted on offense, hitting 99 points by the end of the third quarter.
Milwaukee finished a three-game road trip on Friday, getting demolished by 18 in San Antonio. The team was missing six players including Giannis and shot just 32.7% from the floor, and 27.9% from three-point land. Jevon Carter led the Bucks with 21 points and dealt out six assists, and Brook Lopez scored 19 points and blocked a pair of shots. However, the poor shooting just opened the door for the Spurs to get the rout. If Giannis doesn’t play Monday, the Bucks are likely to lose again, and even with him at less than 100%, covering could be tough. Hawks to cover.
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