NBA Playoffs: Frank picks Sixers v Nets, Spurs v Nuggets, and Thunder v Trail Blazers
Nets (+8.5) @ Sixers (229.5)
Pick: Sixers 1st quarter -3
We get arguably the best starting five in the East coming back home in a close-out game after the physicality of this series ramped itself up a notch in Brooklyn in Games 3 and 4. Given the way Game 4 ended, the Nets might roll over and lose by 20 tonight. Brooklyn will have sat on a lackluster performance in the closing minutes of Saturday’s game for 48 hours and it goes without saying how big the difference is in a best of seven series between 2-2 and 3-1. More than anything else, Philly just seems to be playing very confidently on the offensive end of the floor after a putrid excuse for a playoff game in the series opener here. Expect Wells Fargo Center to be bumping all night long. We’ll get a great starting five that will feed off the crowd’s energy and so laying the three in the first 12 minutes is not a concern for us tonight.
Spurs (+5.5) @ Nuggets (211)
Pick: Spurs +5.5
The Spurs did not play well in Game 4 at home. They’re still going to win this series. In order for Denver to win, the Nuggets needed to be up 3-1 coming back home for a close-out game. In a longer, stretched out series, the advantage always lies with the experienced bunch and you won’t find a bigger mismatch of the first round series as far as playoff experience goes than this one. Including Game 3 of this series, the Spurs are now 19-15-1 ATS off a loss. Only five teams in the West were better against the number off a loss this season. Gregg Popovich teams bounce back in case you were wondering. Throw Game 4 out the window as it was not a good indication of what this series has and will continue to look like otherwise. San Antonio wins this game outright and gets back home with a chance to close it out in six.
Thunder (+3.5) @ Trail Blazers (218.5)
Pick: Under 218.5
In two of Oklahoma City’s three losses in this series, Russell Westbrook has been pitiful. He went 5/20 in Game 2 and 5/21 in Game 4. To no surprise, Portland won both of those games by double digits. The Trail Blazers got a split of the two more competitive games in this series and now come back home with a chance to wrap it up in five. Portland’s gotten to this point due to its defense not just on Westbrook, but everyone wearing a Thunder uniform. Oklahoma City has been held under 100 points in three of its four games in this series. The one game the Thunder did go over the century mark, they did so in a big way scoring 120 in Game 3. The Thunder are not going into Portland and dropping 120 points. Billy Donovan knows that too, which is why they have to win the kind of lower-scoring game tonight that Portland’s been thriving in. I’d lean to Portland is betting a side in this one, but the stronger play is on the under expecting this game to be a race to 105.