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Instituting a play-in game led to Thursday night being the most exciting night of basketball over the past few weeks. With teams fighting for seeding and others just aiming for a shot at the playoffs, there's no reason for a majority of teams to lay off the accelerator. Heading into Friday's slate of 10 games, the potential is unbounded.
With the Warriors half-a-game behind the Grizzlies, and Memphis losing to Detroit last night, the 8th seed in the Western Conference is being served up on a platter for Stephen Curry and Golden State. In the Eastern Conference, the playoff race is focused around the play-in game rather than the 8th seed. With the Pacers falling apart at the seams and the Wizards streaking at just the right time, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are a few wins away from being rewarded for their season-long efforts.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com continues to be ahead of the curve with their canceling of contests amid postponements, so don't worry about wasting money on a player or game that might not play. As always, you can find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions, especially since lines and players are subject to change throughout the day.
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NOP @ PHI
Joel Embiid (PHI) LESS 28.5 Points - Zion Williamson (NOP) MORE 28.5 Points
Aside from the upsetting fact that we won't get to see Zion Williamson bully frontcourts in the playoffs this season, there's a good chance he'll take out his frustrations on this 76ers defense, like he has before. Philadelphia is comfortably sitting atop the Eastern Conference, but Williamson scored 37-points in their last matchup and that was when New Orleans was still playing for something.
A lack of postseason hopes will cause rotational problems and the Pelicans won't run Williamson into the ground for a meaningless game, but averaging 38 minutes-a-game over the last week is fairly telling. Williamson will get his chances, whereas Joel Embiid is doing the most with very little. Against this defense that succeeds in limiting imposing bigs, there's very little reason for Embiid to score near 30-points Friday.
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BOS @ CHI
Jayson Tatum (BOS) MORE 27.5 Points - Zach LaVine (CHI) LESS 25.5
Zach LaVine has a probable tag despite scoring 13-points in the Bulls last game, so expect this bet to either fall through and LaVine is replaced, or he stays and you can just roll with the under. It's not that LaVine isn't capable of scoring 26-points on any given night, but it's unlikely given where Chicago is right now. With the season winding down, the Bulls can act as a spoiler the mess with the Celtics seeding, but ultimately there isn't much to this game. Boston wants to keep winning for an easier path throughout the playoffs and that will rely on Jayson Tatum's output.
As long as Tatum has been playing full minutes, his scoring has usually followed. Luckily for Tatum, he has options at his disposal and both Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker have been great replacements whenever Tatum hasn't been hitting his shots. Recently Tatum has been the one carrying the load on offense so against a terrible defense, the margin for error here is fairly wide since Chicago doesn't pose much of a threat on either side of the ball.
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DEN @ UTA
Nikola Jokic (DEN) MORE 28.5 Points - Jordan Clarkson (UTA) LESS 22.5
Nikola Jokic is on a three-game, 30-point streak, including a 32-point game against one of the leagues toughest defenses. Facing another notable defense shouldn't be a problem based on how well he plays against Rudy Gobert, so Jokic' streak should be safe as long as the Nuggets stay consistent. They have struggled to do that for most of the season, but barring injuries Denver's offense has proved to be one of the most lethal because of Jokic' ability to produce. There is some reason to be caution because the Nuggets play the Nets Saturday and Jokic could ease his way through this double-header.
The Jazz have been safely in the drivers seat for most of the season and Jordan Clarkson has picked up every bit of slack that Utah has allowed him to get. His offense is undeniable and the Jazz are always looking for someone to demand the usage each night. Whether it's Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, the currently injured Donovan Mitchell, or Clarkson, they rarely don't get their opportunities. Even though Denver's defense plays tough and persistent, there have been multiple occasions where the best defense still can't contain Clarkson's abilities.
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NYK @ PHX
Devin Booker (PHX) MORE 29.5 Points - Julius Randle (NYK) MORE 25.5 Points
April and May have been great to the Knicks and Julius Randle, but even with his impressive scoring output, the consistency isn't really there. More times than not he has been forced into scoring even though he would rather be involving teammates and let them do the heavy lifting. Randle has been the best Knick for the entire season and even though there always a chance for him to have one of those mediocre games, New York's roster hasn't proved viable enough to depend on each night. Derrick Rose and Randle will command this offense until they are physically incapable of doing so.
With how well the Suns have been playing, Devin Booker has been involved in every bit of success. Not to downplay how great Chris Paul has been this season, but Booker's 30-point streak extended to four games despite losing their last game to the Hawks by nearly 30-points. Teams are allowed to have bad nights, but Booker is playing so well that it doesn't really matter what defense he plays and who on his team is currently thriving. Booker has made a living off getting to his spots in the toughest conditions and he has owned the Knicks every game they have played this season. Taking the under is assuming he has a bad night.
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