RADIO
If we can all go back to sleep and wake up in a different reality, that would be great. Despite injuries taking over the end of a basketball season like every other year, the news of Chris Paul's entrance into the the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol, combined with Kawhi Leonard's knee injury announcement is too much icing on what was becoming a really enticing cake. Add in a handful of teams looking for new coaches and this Wednesday became the most important day of the past few months when it comes to NBA news.
That't not even considering the narratives behind both games tonight. The Hawks evened the series at two-games-a-piece, while the Clippers have seemingly shut down the momentum Utah created in the first two games of their series. Without Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles is two bad Paul George games away from a second round exit, and Philadelphia needs to find a way to officially put a lid on Trae Young's production before he does any more damage.
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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ATL @ PHI
Joel Embiid (PHI) LESS 29.5 Points - Trae Young (ATL) LESS 27.5 Points
With any knowledge of how this series has played out thus far, it's easy to see why the under is the play here for both. First off, Joel Embiid always has potential and this Hawks defense isn't doing a lot in terms of keeping him from getting to his spots. They implemented an occasional double-team, but Embiid is still scoring. However, his overall speed is clearly hindered and the injury tag currently carries a serious chunk of weight when it comes to betting on him. He'll conduct this offense, but it's simply difficult for him to put forth the effort needed every possession to put up 30+ points. There's no doubt he will score, but the chances he gets the same opportunities this game, taking everything into consideration, is unlikely.
For Trae Young, there's a giant ice pack on his shoulder in-between shifts and even though he proved he could hit shots with a numb shoulder, it's tough to see him having great efficiency. Near the end of the game, he knows his role and how important it is for him to create that spacing the rest of the Hawks players need, but it's still asking a lot from him to put up 30+ points on this defensive scheme. Both Embiid and Young are going to score, but the defenses they are facing have found ways to force them to give up the ball and that should be the reason neither is able to hit the 30-point mark.
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UTA @ LAC
Donovan Mitchell (UTA) MORE 33.5 Points - Paul George (LAC) MORE 28.5 Points
Without Kawhi Leonard, you don't take the under on Paul George no matter how many angry, mean tweets you've read or sent about him. George has talent, and anyone with talent in the NBA will score given the chances. The Jazz defense has done a great job of staying in front of the Clippers stars, but when they are hitting, that type of defense doesn't matter. There's no reason George will or won't hit shots, but assuming his usage skyrockets to unreal proportions, there's a ton potential.
The absence of Leonard opens the door for the Clippers rotational players to produce, but it also creates a massive gap in their interior defense. Leonard doesn't anchor the paint, but his help defense has a major impact on how players like Donovan Mitchell will attack. Without a real presence in the paint or on the wing, Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and even Bojan Bogdanovic are going to have totally different stat lines in Game 5. As long as both George and Mitchell don't have abysmal nights shooting, this game's upside is incredibly high still.
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