The NBA conference semi-finals are set for some series-defining Game 4s. All four series are delicately poised at 2-1, with the Suns, Heat, Bucks, and Warriors all eager to take commanding 3-1 leads.
The Celtics and Grizzlies face the tough task of trying to tie their series back up on the road, while the Mavs and Sixers will have home court as they look to even up their series against the top-seeded Suns and Heat.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews all four Game 4s of the conference semi-finals.
Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks
After getting handily beaten in the first two games in Phoenix, the Mavericks hit back with a 103-94 win back home in Dallas.
Luka Doncic was again awesome as he had 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. But it was Jalen Brunson who came up big with 28 points after just 22 points combined in the first two games.
Brunson is key to the Mavs’ success as he can help take some of the massive offensive pressure off of Doncic, who is averaging an insane 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in this series.
Meanwhile, the Dallas D stepped up to hold the Suns to sub-50 per cent shooting for the first time in these NBA playoffs.
The Suns’ superstar backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker will look to bounce back after they were held to just 30 points and committed 12 turnovers in Game 3.
But on the bright side for the Suns, Jae Crowder continues to play very well in this series. The veteran forward is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds while shooting a sizzling 61 per cent on 3-pointers through three games.
Betting Tip: Phoenix Suns Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 1.96
Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid’s return shifted the NBA 2022 odds back in the 76ers’ favour in Game 3, and he showed just how valuable he is to the team. The NBA MVP finalist made his first appearance in the series after suffering a facial fracture in concussion, and he had 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Sixers ran off 99-79 winners.
Embiid was not at his absolute best offensively, but he still provided a threat and got to the free-throw line 10 times. Meanwhile, his presence on defence played a big part in slowing down Bam Adebayo. The Heat centre had just 9 points after averaging 23.5 points in the first two games.
James Harden and Tobias Harris both struggled shooting – they went 8 of 24 combined – but Tyrese Maxey and Danny Green were both on fire as they had 21 points each and shot a combined 12 of 15 on 3-pointers.
As for the Heat, Jimmy Butler, who finished with 33 points, got no help offensively. Tyler Herro was the only other Heat player to finish in double figures, and he shot just 5 of 15 to get his 14 points.
Max Strus went just 3 of 11 on 3-pointers, while Kyle Lowry was a non-factor in his first game back from a hamstring injury and finished scoreless in 25 minutes.
With Embiid back to solidify Philadelphia’s interior defence, the Heat need their guards to get going again from the outside to keep up with Philadelphia offensively.
Betting Tip: Philadelphia 76ers Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 1.96
Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks gutted out a big 103-101 win at home to claim a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monster game with 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists as the Bucks withstood a late Celtics comeback.
Jaylen Brown, who was instrumental in Boston’s Game 2 win, led the Celtics again with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Al Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds. However, superstar Jayson Tatum had a horrific game as he had just 10 points on 4-of-19 shooting. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who returned after missing Game 2, also struggled with just 9 points on 1-of-8 shooting.
The Celtics have done a fine job defensively against the Bucks through the first three games of the series, but they find themselves down 2-1 in large part due to Tatum’s offensive struggles. The All-Star forward is averaging just 20 points on 35 per cent shooting in the series, which is a far cry from the NBA 2022 highlights he produced in their first-round sweep of the Nets.
The Celtics simply need Tatum to get back to form in Game 4 or they risk going down 3-1 to the defending champions.
Betting Tip: Boston Celtics Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 1.88
Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
After two very close games in Memphis, the Warriors went wild at home as they stormed to a 142-112 win in Game 3. The Splash triplets of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole paced Golden State with a combined 78 points.
Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins and rookie Jonathan Kuminga – who surprisingly got the start in place of the injured Gary Payton II – added 17 and 18 points, respectively.
Memphis were missing the suspended Dillon Brooks, and they simply had no answers for the Warriors on either end. Ja Morant had another big game with 34 points on 13-of-21 shooting, but he picked up a knee injury which hopefully won’t affect him in Game 4.
Brooks’ return will help Memphis, but they need to make other adjustments – possibly playing more small-ball lineups – in order to counter the Warriors’ offensive firepower.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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