RADIO
Enjoy these three-game slates while you can, some of these series looks like they'll be ending pretty quick. Wednesday night is full of series that all had exciting Game 1's and it's not looking like any of tonight's games are going to disappoint. The 76ers were carried through Game 1 by Tobias Harris' 37-point outing and the Wizards couldn't keep up, while the Knicks and Hawks first game came down to a last-second shot from Trae Young.
In the Memphis / Utah series, not many people saw the Grizzlies winning, but Donovan Mitchell missing time is clearly a contributing factor. Until Mitchell returns, the Jazz need more than what they currently have and it doesn't look like Utah will be able to keep up. The Grizzlies are peaking at just the right time and even if Dillon Brooks is the streakiest shooter in the league, this streak has been troublesome for more than a few teams over the past month.
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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WAS @ PHI
Joel Embiid (PHI) MORE 32.5 Points - Bradley Beal (WAS) MORE 30.5 Points
Between Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal, only one three-pointer was made and both combined for 63-points. Tobias Harris will carry his weight, but this is still a Joel Embiid / Ben Simmons run offense and it's not going to change. Truthfully, that works out better for Harris anyway. Embiid on the over feels safe since there isn't much figuring out to do against this Wizards defense. It's Robin Lopez on an island. Their offense is similar. Either you stop Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, or you don't.
Since the 76ers have chosen to make Westbrook a shooter, Beal might struggle to find open looks if Philadelphia packs the paint. He's going to have to hit more than one outside shot if Washington has any hope of winning Game 2 and there's no reason to see why he wouldn't. He got the looks, he just needed to make them. There's upside for both players here, and even with the potential that this game could be over early, Game 1 was dominated by Tobias Harris so Embiid and Beal are going to have leave an imprint on this next game if he can't score over 35-points again.
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ATL @ NYK
Trae Young (ATL) MORE 25.5 Points - Julius Randle (NYK) LESS 24.5 Points
Trae Young stole the show with his game-winning floater, but Julius Randle hits more than six shots and the game becomes out of reach despite Young's 32-points. Luckily for Randle, two of those shots were from deep, but when your best player, who averaged 24 PPG during the regular season, only scores 15-points on 23 shots, that's not a confidence booster. To make it worse, Young also took 23 shots and with only one made three he still found a way to score over 30-points.
The Hawks have something working with letting Young go generate offense and disrupt the Knicks defense the best he can, so even if New York somehow tries to isolate him, once he actually receives the ball, those plans go out the window unless you double-team him. Which the Knicks did at times, and he still found ways to either get open or find the open teammate. Randle might shoot better, but it's hard seeing him score over 25-points, whereas 25-points seems like a decent floor for Young, especially if he is able to convert more from the outside.
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MEM @ UTA
Donovan Mitchell (UTA) MORE 24.5 Points - Ja Morant (MEM) MORE 21.5 Points
Donovan Mitchell might want to play, but it seems that until the Utah Jazz announce anything official, he'll be out. The player is likely to change, so if MonkeyKnifeFight swaps Jordan Clarkson in here as a replacement, hit the over if it's anywhere below 20-points. Despite a bad first game, Clarkson was still at the top of the Jazz' food chain in terms of shooting, he just missed all eight of his attempts from three-point territory. Wild to think of that stat knowing it was only a three-point game. You can probably bet Clarkson knows that as well and is ready to change the narrative.
For Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, it's been fairly easy with Dillon Brooks actually hitting shots. Morant isn't a strong shooter, so when Brooks can convert, it allows for way more spacing than when teams can just let both guards shoot all game and never worry about them actually making shots. Brooks' ability to not settle for bad shots is opening up chances for Morant to shine in the small, gritty way he likes to play. Morant is a top-tier point guard for his age, but that doesn't mean he'll shy away from contact or want to miss out on a chance to dunk on some seven-footer, which seem to be part of his Game 1 agenda.
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