RADIO
A two-game Friday leads us into the weekend starting with the Hawks hosting the 76ers and ending with the Suns playing in Denver. Atlanta needs Trae Young to be more efficient and even though he was limited in Game 2, the matchup with Ben Simmons still sided with Young's ability to get open off the dribble. Simmons will need to work just as hard, if not harder, in Game 3 to shut down Young's outside game, but if Joel Embiid keeps doing what he's doing, it might not matter.
For the Nuggets being down 0-2, their only chance of winning is hoping Nikola Jokic can get some help. Role players play better at home, but relying on a silly little saying doesn't win you games. The Suns have found a way to force the Nuggets into playing differently, and that means production is going to be all over the place. This series has relied on rotational players for the first two games and it's looking like that will be the storyline for Game 3 as well.
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PHI @ ATL
Joel Embiid (PHI) MORE 32.5 Points - Trae Young (ATL) MORE 27.5 Points
There was nothing Clint Capela could do to keep Joel Embiid from getting to his spots in the post, and even when the Hawks attempted a double-team, Embiid still found a way to either draw a foul or make the right play. Atlanta can try to change up their defensive scheme, but they don't have much choice outside of what Capela brings to the table. Embiid might not go off for 40 points again, but he's in line for another 20-25 shots at least.
Philadelphia's adjustments on Trae Young worked in the box score, but that was only the second time he's only hit one three in a game these playoffs. The first time was in Game 1 versus the Knicks on May 23rd. Last game was also the fewest amount of field goals he's made throughout the post-season, so the matchup with Ben Simmons clearly passed the first test. However, Game 3 will be a different story assuming Young can convert one or two more three-pointers.
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PHX @ DEN
Nikola Jokic (DEN) LESS 28.5 Points - Devin Booker (PHX) LESS 27.5 Points
The first two games of this series fell on the shoulders of the Suns role players, their efficiency, and Chris Paul's ability to involve them. Devin Booker created spacing the best he could, but the Nuggets have kept a player in his pocket for both games. This isn't looking like a series Booker will have a major impact in because of how the defense is playing him, but any slack in that department and Booker goes from 12 or 14 shots a game to 22 or 25 attempts minimum. Even with Booker having to fight through contact for every point, how many times do you have to watch him actually do it to believe that's just what he's good at.
Nikola Jokic has not hit 10 assists once this playoffs, and that's more of a testament to how bad his teammates have been rather than how he has tried to conduct this offense. Phoenix' defense has found a way to limit Jokic' production by making him the only threat in the Nuggets offense. When he's on the court, the Suns focus on making him give the ball up outside his range or forcing him to working from the inside-out. Similar to Devin Booker's case, where if the night is right, they can go off for 50 points, it's much harder to do so when the defense is targeting your weak spots.
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