The NBA Conference Semifinals continue to feature heavily lopsided matchups as teams that once dominated in the first round are crashing back to Earth. Most notably, the Philadelphia 76ers got swept by the New York Knicks after defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games. Out West, the Los Angeles Lakers are down 3-0 to the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder following a first-round upset over the Houston Rockets.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves tied their series against the San Antonio Spurs, 2-2, after last night's 114-109 victory that saw Victor Wembanyama's ejection from the game in the second quarter due to a Flagrant Foul 2 in which he elbowed Naz Reid.
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First Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -10.5
Rundown: The Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) look to secure a four-game sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers (0-3) at Crypto.com Arena.
It is no surprise that Oklahoma City has been the top team in the Western Conference and they are showing why throughout this series. Shai Gilgeous Alexander delivered in typical fashion during Game 3, logging 23 points and nine assists. However, the star of the show was Ajay Mitchell who had a postseason career-best 24 points and 10 assists. Chet Holmgren contributed as well with 18 points and nine boards.
Rui Hachimura led the way for L.A. with 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from downtown, complemented by LeBron James's 19 points and eight assists. Luke Kennard and Austin Reaves made their marks on the night with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Nonetheless, the effects of the absence of Luka Dončić are still felt as the Lakers were outscored, 74-59, in the second half.
With the Thunders' firepower showing no signs of fading, bettors can expect them to not break a sweat.
Second Pick: Detroit Pistons +3.5
Rundown: The Detroit Pistons (2-1) aim to increase their series lead to 3-1 in Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2) at Rocket Arena.
Like Oklahoma City, Detroit is another young squad with a plethora of talent at their arsenal. Cade Cunningham dominated all-around in Game 3 with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 boards. Backing him was Tobias Harris, who tallied 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Defensively, Duncan Robinson and Jalen Duren combined for three steals.
Donovan Mitchell controlled the tempo for the Cavaliers with 35 points and 10 boards, followed by a respective 19 and 18 points from James Harden and Jarrett Allen. Guard Max Strus was among the main contributor's behind Cleveland's victory as he made a crucial layup that cut the squad's deficit to 106-104. Harden stepped up, too, knocking down the game-sealing 3-pointer with just 25.9 seconds remaining in the final frame.
Given the Pistons' resiliency and stellar 28-13 away record, expect them to prevail in a tight matchup.