Friday NBA Matchups
There are three Game 6’s on Friday night, with three desperate teams looking to avoid elimination. The upstart Oklahoma City Thunder are one of them. Here’s the latest from BroburySports.com:
L.A. Lakers (+1 ½) at Oklahoma City Thunder
Game time is 9:30 pm ET. Los Angeles is up 3-2.
This is a much better series than anyone expected. The Lakers took the first two games at home, but shockingly lost the next two in Oklahoma City. Game 4 was a 110-89 Thunder blowout that many felt was a mail-in effort from L.A.
The Lakers did bounce back big in Game 5 at home, 111-87 as six-point favorites. Kobe Bryant only had 13 points (4-of-9 shooting), but they got 46 combined points from the big man tandem of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Those two need to play big tonight.
Note the home team is 4-1 ATS in this series.
Atlanta Hawks (-2) at Milwaukee Bucks
Game time is 7 pm ET. Milwaukee leads 3-2.
This is easily the most surprising of all the first-round series. Atlanta went 2-0 SU and ATS in the first two home games, winning each by 10 points. Milwaukee was able to hold serve, winning both games in Brew Country.
The real shocker came on Wednesday in Atlanta. It was a close contest that Milwaukee won 91-87 as nine-point ‘dogs. Hawks reserve guard Jamal Crawford shot just 4-of-18 from the field. Bench production has been poor overall for Atlanta and could be their downfall.
Can the Bucks close it out tonight?
Denver Nuggets (+5) at Utah Jazz
Game time is 10 pm ET. Utah is leading the series 3-2.
Utah is the No. 5 seed and Denver the No. 4, but it hasn’t played out like that so far. Utah took Game 2 in Denver and then won both home games. All that was done without injured center Mehmet Okur and forward Andrei Kirilenko.
Kirilenko was thought to have a chance to play tonight, but has been ruled out.
Denver was able to stave off elimination at home on Wednesday, 116-102 as seven-point ‘chalk.’ However, they must play with a lot more passion than they showed in Utah earlier.
Bet on the NBA Friday tripleheader at BroburySports.com.
Posted: 4/30/10 3:00PM ET