It’s a new day, which means another night of 2020-21 NBA postseason action. Tonight, there are four games scheduled to be played — three of which are elimination games.
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to eliminate the Washington Wizards in Game 5 of their series at 7:00 p.m. EST. The Atlanta Hawks lead their series against the Knicks 3-1 and their fifth game is scheduled for 7:30. Game 5 of the Memphis Grizzlies-Utah Jazz series will begin at 9:30, with the top-seeded Jazz leading 3-1. Finally, the Dallas Mavericks will visit the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:00 to see who’ll take the 3-2 advantage in their series.
NBA Odds: Washington Wizards (No. 8) vs Philadelphia 76ers (No. 1) Game 5
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, June 2
- Series: PHI leads 3-1
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Wizards (+210) vs 76ers (-250)
- Point Spread: Wizards +6.0 (-106), 76ers -6.0 (-114)
- Total: 229.5 — Over (-110), Under (-110)
The Wizards were able to stave off elimination in Game 4 with a 122-114 win. While the odds aren’t on their side tonight, Washington will need another big performance from its duo in Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. Beal finished Game 4 with a game-high 27 points, while Westbrook finished with a 19-point, 21-rebound and 14-assist performance for the triple-double. They’ll need another performance like that Wednesday to keep the Wizards’ NBA Championship hopes alive.
Meanwhile, the 76ers need to bounce back from their first loss of this year’s NBA Playoffs. One reason why they lost Game 4 was that they didn’t shoot the ball well, ending the contest with .417/.316/.647 shooting splits. The 76ers were also out-rebounded 57-48. A big part of that difference is because Joel Embiid left early on in the game and didn’t return. Considering how he’s doubtful for Game 5, the 76ers will need to find a way to win without their best player.
Atlanta Hawks (No. 5) vs New York Knicks (No. 1) Game 5
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, June 2
- Series: ATL leads 3-1
- Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Hawks (-103) vs Knicks (-117)
- Point Spread: Hawks +1.5 (-110), Knicks -1.5 (-110)
- Total: 208.0 — Over (-112), Under (-108)
Despite entering Game 5 with the 3-1 series advantage, the Hawks are the -103 underdogs in this NBA playoff matchup. They’re coming off a 113-96 win that saw Trae Young (27), John Collins (22) and Danilo Gallinari all hit the 20-plus-point mark. The Hawks’ depth has been a reason why they’ve been able to take the series lead and they’ll need more of the same in Game 5, especially on the road at Madison Square Garden.
On the other hand, the Knicks have to do what it takes to win. One way to do that would be to have their depth stepping it up. Reggie Bullock, Nerlens Noel and Immanuel Quickley combined for a total of one point in Game 4. It doesn’t matter who the first, second or third options on the team are: there shouldn’t be a scenario where three players combine for a single point. If that trend continues, the Knicks won’t be in the playoffs for that much longer.
NBA Odds: Memphis Grizzlies (No. 8) vs Utah Jazz (No. 1) Game 5
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, June 2
- Series: UTAH leads 3-1
- Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Grizzlies (+395) vs Jazz (-500)
- Point Spread: Grizzlies +9.5 (-109), Jazz -9.5 (-111)
- Total: 225.5 — Over (-110), Under (-110)
After opening the series with a victory, the Grizzlies haven’t managed to find another. Well, they’ll have to tonight or else they’ll be eliminated. Something that they can improve on to help them have a better shot at winning is improving their shooting from beyond the arc. The Jazz shot .500 from 3-point range in Game 4, whereas the Grizzlies finished at .286. In a game where Memphis only lost by 7 points, a handful of 3-pointers made could’ve made the difference.
If the Jazz want to advance, they just need to keep doing what they’ve been doing. Donovan Mitchell had a 30-point night in Game 4, while NBA Sixth Man of the Year favorite Jordan Clarkson had 22 points coming off of the bench. One thing that Utah does have to watch ahead of Game 5, though, is the turnovers. The Jazz have turned the ball over 50 times this series, while the Grizzlies have done it 38 times. Obviously, it hasn’t come back to bite Utah yet, but it’s a bad habit that needs to be controlled as soon as possible.
NBA Odds: Dallas Mavericks (No. 5) vs Los Angeles Clippers (No. 4) Game 5
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, June 2
- Series: Series is tied 2-2
- Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Mavericks (+250) vs Clippers (-300)
- Point Spread: Mavericks +7.0 (-110), Clippers -7.0 (-110)
- Total: 217.0 — Over (-113), Under (-107)
Few series have been as close as this one. After taking the 2-0 lead, Dallas has lost back-to-back games and will try to prevent losing a third on Wednesday. Considering how they only scored 81 points in Game 4, the Mavericks needs to come out strong in Game 5. None of the team showed up in the last game, including Luka Doncic, who finished with 19 points and 14.3% 3-point shooting. All in all, it was a disappointing performance that could be forgotten with a victory tonight.
The Clippers finally showed why they’re championship contenders after their Game 4 victory. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had 29 and 20 points respectively as they led the way. Nicolas Batum was another standout, ending the night with a game-high 4 steals. The Clippers also out-rebounded the Mavericks 53-41, which they’ll need to do again to send their opponents packing.
