Category: Sports News

For the third consecutive year, the Sixers have failed to hit that vaunted 50-win total in the regular season. They have not held home-court advantage in a playoff series since Doc Rivers was here. Joel Embiid is dealing with yet another crushing injury, one in a long line of them that have defined his career. Paul George, raking in a cool $51 million this season, served a 25-game suspension this season that did not help matters at all. Everyone in this fan base wants the head coach and the general manager fired.

I don’t argue with any of that. If anything, I’m more pessimistic and angry about the state of things when it comes to this franchise than most. The roots of this organization’s incompetence are deep seeded. There is no quick fix.

The Sixers will host the Magic in a Play-In game in South Philadelphia this evening. What would a victory over Orlando mean for them? It would put into motion a first-round matchup with the loathsome Celtics, a team that has thoroughly owned the Sixers for the last four decades. It would be a series that I can’t fathom the Sixers winning, particularly with Embiid’s current absence.

Despite all of that, I went on SeatGeek yesterday and bought a ticket for tonight’s game.

Why?

The obvious answer would be saying, “Because you’re a frigging clown.” Sure, that’s true in a vacuum, but there is something more to it.

I want to soak up the crowd at the arena. I pray to the basketball gods that it is rocking and this fan base has some juice. I can be rational and take a 10,000-foot view of things and see that beating the Magic does absolutely nothing to truly move the championship needle for the Sixers, but it could make for an entertaining, memorable time at the Sports Complex regardless. I want to see VJ Edgecombe get his first taste of what a playoff atmosphere will be like. I want to see Tyrese Maxey carry this team to a level I perhaps previously thought impossible. I mean, I just want to have some fun with the Sixers, however fleeting that fun may ultimately be, before they inevitably piss me off again.

I’ve spent (wasted?) so much time and energy on the Sixers in my life through both bad times and worse times. What’s one more night of Lucy ripping the football away as I go to kick it?

Jalen Brunson

It goes without saying, but this team, especially in the postseason, needs Jalen Brunson to be at his best. New York has had games, especially in the first round of the last couple of playoffs, where they have won, even when Brunson has had off nights. But they’ll need him to be great if they want to eliminate the Hawks. Whether it’s his scoring, playmaking, or late-game heroics, Brunson will be relied on heavily as he has been throughout his entire Knicks tenure. With a lot of pundits and Hawks fans doubting the point guard, Brunson will have the opportunity to make a lot of people eat their own words yet again. Expect a big series from the captain, who averaged 29.3 PPG and 7.7 APG against the Hawks during the regular season.

Karl-Anthony Towns

If Brunson dictates the Knicks’ floor, Karl-Anthony Towns very well may dictate their ceiling. While Brunson is unequivocally the best player on the team, and unquestionably the leader, and face of the franchise, Towns is just as, if not more, important. There is a very clear difference in just how good the Knicks can be when Towns is on his game and when he isn’t. In the games where the big man is mentally engaged defensively, aggressive offensively, and locked in on the boards, this team is capable of beating anyone. With how small the Hawks are, Towns can, and should, dominate the series. Atlanta will be throwing defensive stand out Dyson Daniels at Brunson, so Towns may be in for a very big series, especially since the Hawks were the team Towns averaged the most points per game against this season.

Mitchell Robinson

There’s a rather strong case for Mitchell Robinson being the most impactful bench player in the league. He’s one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, and it is something the Knicks have learned to build their offense around. And his ability to be both a rim protector, and one of the few centers who can actually hold his own on the perimeter makes him a unique player. With the aforementioned lack of centers on the Hawks, Robinson could team up with Towns to be the biggest difference makers. Fun fact: in two games against the Hawks this regular season, Robinson averaged 10.5 RPG and had an impressive offensive rating of 177, as well as a solid defensive rating of 97.

Deuce McBride

If Robinson isn’t the most impactful bench player in the league, Deuce McBride has a strong argument to swoop in and take that honor. The backup guard has become one of the most pivotal pieces to the Knicks, thanks in large part to his now deadly outside shot, point-of-attack defense, and willingness to make the connective plays. Regardless of what his counting stats say, McBride is often among the team leaders in plus-minus, spearheading big runs, and closing the game. His shot has looked somewhat inconsistent since returning from his two-month absence, but if he can get close to where he was pre-injury, the Knicks’ bench gets a massive boost.

Josh Hart

I had a tough one deciding between Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Before writing this, my gut feeling was to go with Bridges. Then once I sat down, I started to lean towards Hart. But prior to making my final decision, I decided to look at the two players’ splits this season, and something interesting came up. Bridges, despite everyone asking him to be more aggressive, has actually averaged less points per game and has a lower usage rate in their wins than he does in their losses. Now, that doesn’t tell the whole story, and it does not make me want to get off of the “I wish Bridges shot more” bus. But maybe his aggression, or lack thereof, doesn’t have as much of a correlation to how the Knicks play as we all thought.

With Hart, though, it’s pretty clear that it does. The guard averages three more points per game, one more rebound per game, and half an assist more per game in their wins. He also has a higher usage rate and is shooting much better from both the field and three in those games. If the Knicks want to not only win, but make light work of a Hawks team they should definitely beat, Hart, being a willing shooter, and an active player on offense, will go a long way.

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The Golden State Warriors have the same interest in the NBA Play-In Tournament as my wife does in my plans to rewatch the “John Wick” movies. 

They’re both on a minutes restriction.

Golden State is taking it easy when it faces the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night, with head coach Steve Kerr stating his stars will be limited. 

That keeps oddsmakers on their toes, especially when it comes to player prop markets. And where there’s uncertainty, there's value.

Here are my best NBA picks and prop predictions for Warriors vs. Clippers on April 15.

Best Warriors vs Clippers props

Player	Pick
Draymond Green	Over 5.5 rebounds	-110
Kristaps Porzingis	Under 18.5 points	-105
Darius Garland	Over 2.5 3-pointers	-145

Prop #1: Draymond Green Over 5.5 rebounds

-110 at bet365

Could tonight be Draymond Green’s curtain call? If so, expect Steve Kerr to let Draymond go out on his shield.

The Golden State Warriors’ veteran forward has voiced mixed emotions about the team’s standing and its Play-In positioning but told reporters he’s always going to compete. That’s been true for the “16-Gamer”, who raises his play when the stakes are high. 

Green has career average of 8.6 rebounds in the postseason – versus 6.8 in the regular season – and enters tonight well rested after sitting out the finale (against the L.A. Clippers).

Draymond will be called upon to guard Kawhi Leonard but also get run at center, given the injuries to the Clippers frontcourt. Los Angeles is down to one healthy(ish) center in Brook Lopez and has struggled when going small. 

Draymond’s projections range from 5.01 to 7.1 rebounds but considering the matchups and minutes restrictions for the Dubs' centers Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, Green will have plenty of chances to clean the glass.

Prop #2: Kristaps Porzingis Under 18.5 points

-105 at bet365

Kristaps Porzingis has only played 15 games in a Warriors jersey since being acquired at the trade deadline. With so many pieces in and out of the Golden State rotation, he admitted it’s been tough to find his spot in the offense. 

He finished the regular season averaging just over 16 points as a Warrior, but his usage nosedived when Stephen Curry returned. Porzingis led the team with a 28.8% usage rate in March (18.2 ppg) with that metric sliding to 22.6% in April (12.0 ppg).

It also helped that the Warriors took on some horrible defenses during Porzingis’ uptick in scoring. The 7-footer lit up the likes of Chicago, Washington (twice), Dallas, and Brooklyn – all of which sit bottom 10 in defensive rating since the All-Star break.

Porzingis has yet to play 30 or more minutes for the Dubs and likely won’t breach that bar in the Play-In, given Kerr said he would be on a minutes restriction tonight. Couple that with postseason intensity from the L.A. defense and Porzingis’ point total is a stretch.

Forecasts sit between 16.5 and 17.7 points for “The Unicorn”, who has scored 19 or more points in just five of his 15 games for the Warriors – all coming before Curry returned. 

His point markets for Wednesday ranges from 19.5 (Under -126) to 17.5 (Over -125), so shop around for the best of the number but going Under anything 18.5 or higher looks good.

Prop #3: Darius Garland Over 2.5 3-pointers

-145 at bet365

Clippers guard Darius Garland is expected to go toe-to-toe with Curry in the Play-In, which means also countering his output from beyond the arc. 

Garland is Los Angeles’ most active outside threat, firing up almost eight shots from distance for 3.3 makes per game since coming to the team at the trade deadline.

His output from outside dwindled down the stretch as Garland saw his minutes shrink after an ankle injury and a lingering toe ailment. That also slimmed his 3-point prop totals, dropping those numbers from highs of 3.5 O/U.

While he averaged just 1.6 makes from distance in April, he finished March knocking down almost four triples per outing and hitting at least three in 11 of his first 13 games for the Clips.

Golden State has the fifth worst 3-point defense since the break (37.6%) and most player projections lean toward three hits from long range for Garland, sitting between 2.5 and 3.0 3-pointers.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Los Angeles Lakers got good news late Tuesday night.

Following Portland’s thrilling victory over the Suns in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA announced the rest of the schedule for the NBA playoffs — and Laker Nation should be celebrating.

In a shocking revelation — or not so shocking, if you believe media pundits and conspiracy theorists — the first-round series between the Lakers and Rockets is one of the most drawn out of the opening round.

Game 1 is set for Saturday, April 18, which was known. But the real juicy part came in the remainder of the schedule.

Game 2 is set for Tuesday, April 21 in Los Angeles, before the series moves to Houston for Games 3 and 4 on April 24 and 26, respectively. That gives the Lakers two full days off between Games 1 and 2 and 2 and 3, almost unheard of in an NBA playoff situation.

However, that wasn’t the most shocking revelation.

Should the series get to a Game 5 back in Los Angeles, that will be played on Wednesday, April 29, 11 days after Game 1.

Games 6 and 7 are set for May 1 and May 3, respectively.

This is huge news for the Lakers as they enter the postseason one of the most snake-bitten teams in the NBA.

Luka Dončić (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) both suffered regular season-ending injuries during the Lakers’ April 2 road loss to the Thunder.  

When asked on Tuesday about their availability for Game 1, head coach JJ Redick was blunt in his response.

“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”

Dončić was having an MVP-caliber season before suffering the injury with five games remaining in the regular season. He led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6). 

While not as heralded as Dončić and LeBron James, the Lakers looked like a true title contender when Reaves returned from injury. With him in the lineup, Los Angeles went 15–2 in March and surged.

Reaves was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Tuesday and was seen shooting on the court during the portion of practice that was open to media members.

While wearing slides, Reaves participated in a free throw shooting contest at the end of practice, missing a trio of free throws to the delight of his teammates. He made a corner 3-pointer before walking off the court.

It’s expected that both injuries take around 4–6 weeks to heal.

Dončić is attempting to speed up that process by traveling to Spain to receive special treatment (he’s scheduled to return to stateside on Friday), while Reaves’ situation is more about pain management.

With the way the first round schedule has been set, Dončić and Reaves could potentially return for Game 5, which would be four weeks since they both suffered the initial injury.

Any bit of a hope is reason for celebration if you’re Los Angeles.

First Round Schedule (if necessary)

Game 1: Saturday, April 18 (Los Angeles) — 5:30 p.m. (ABC)

Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 (Los Angeles) — 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Game 3: Friday, April 24 (Houston) — 5 p.m. (Prime)

Game 4: Sunday, April 26 (Houston) — 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

Game 5: Wednesday, April 29 (Los Angeles) — TBD (TBD)

Game 6: Friday, May 1 (Houston) — TBD (TBD)

Game 7: Wednesday, May 3 (Los Angeles) — TBD (TBD)

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