Home-court advantage sides with the visitors in this double-header worth of second-round playoff fixture.
The best bets begin with the Bucks taking on the Celtics, followed by the Grizzlies looking to get one back on the Warriors.
milwaukee @ boston
may 4th 9:00am
Milwaukee will attempt to put itself in a commanding position against Boston when it fronts up at TD Garden on Wednesday morning.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks cohort skipped along to a 101-89 win in game one of the Eastern Conference semi-final series thanks to a triple-double from the Greek Freak himself.
We all know how well balanced this Milwaukee team is, but it was the defence that came to the fore on Monday.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were well down on their usual high numbers, and it meant the Celtics faltered on the offensive end.
The Celtics are expected to bounce back strongly as the -4.5 favourite in this contest, but the Bucks looked sensational on Monday.
Boston will want to really up the ante with its shooting after sending out an ineffective barrage of three-point shots in game one, which saw it only go 37% from the field overall.
The problem for Boston and the likes of Tatum and Brown is the inability to get off easy shots in and around the paint with such a solid oppositional defence.
Milwaukee has shown it can win and get creative without Khris Middleton, and there is every reason it can do so again in game two.
Suggested Bet: Milwaukee Bucks +4.5 at $1.91
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Milwaukee Bucks +4.5
Leg 2: G. Antetokounmpo over 27.5 points
Leg 3: G. Antetokounmpo over 10.5 rebounds
Leg 3: Total points under 215.5
Combined odds = $6.25
golden state @ memphis
may 4th 11:30am
We all knew this series was going to bring some of the best NBA action we have seen this year and the fireworks are set to continue when Golden State enters Fedex Forum for game two against Memphis.
The Warriors etched out a defiant 117-116 victory to take game one in a game that wasn’t decided until the final possession.
Klay Thompson, who had struggled to fire throughout, came up clutch late in the contest to sink the game-winning shot as his return from serious injuries over the last two seasons takes shape.
Memphis now must regroup after losing home-court advantage in its second straight series.
Despite a career-high 33 points from Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies couldn’t close the deal in front of their home fans.
Jackson would go for 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, while Ja’ Morant led the way with 34 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.
Morant, as usual, was trusted with taking the big shot, but his driving layup went wide as the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors the win.
The scary thing for Memphis is, not only does it have to deal with Thompson and Stephen Curry, but Jordan Poole has become a serious threat for opposition this year.
In this first playoff series, Poole is knocking down 22.7 points per game and could very well be a third sibling to the Splash Brothers.
Suggested Bet: Golden State Warriors -1.5 at $1.90
Suggested Same Game Multi:
Leg 1: Golden State Warriors -1.5
Leg 2: S.Curry ove 24.5 points
Leg 3: Total points scored over 227.5
Combined odds = $4.33
