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The first round of the NBA Playoffs is underway and as expected, even the opening round features a few knock-down, drag out fights highlighted by the match-up featuring the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics. There do appear to be a couple one-sided affairs a couple games into the round, but those series have been highlight reels themselves thanks to the likes of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and James Harden.
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To help you out, here are some statistics and suggested picks to three questions from this week’s game.
Question #1 Most Points Scored by a Player
Kevin Durant vs. Boston Celtics Season Avg. 29.9ppg
Jayson Tatum vs. Brooklyn Nets Season Avg. 26.9ppg
Joel Embiid vs. Toronto Raptors Season Avg. 30.6ppg
DeMar DeRozan vs. Milwaukee Bucks Season Avg. 27.9ppg
This is an interesting quartet. Not only is each capable of exploding offensively, but each must score plenty tonight if their team is to win. There has been no greater playoff assassin on the offensive end than Kevin Durant when he has been healthy the last handful of years. He has twice been the MVP of the NBA Finals. The Nets need that prolific scorer tonight if they are to avoid losing the first two games of this series.
DeMar DeRozan is facing a Bucks’ team that plays defense for 48 minutes. Joel Embiid led the league in scoring but if the Sixers take another big lead he may not play much in the 4th quarter. The other All-Star on this list is Jayson Tatum. He is the most likely of the four to match Durant in the scoring column. However, tonight is a must win for Brooklyn. The offense will work through Durant and so he will control the ball on practically every possession. That many added touches ultimately means more buckets.
Suggested Answer: Kevin Durant to score the most points of this group.
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Question #5 Bucks Assists vs. the Bulls
0-19, 20-22, 23-25, 26-28, 29+
The Milwaukee Bucks know the importance of sharing the basketball. Their leader, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is as unselfish a star as there is in the league. That said, in Game 1 of this series Milwaukee totaled just 19 assists. This after averaging nearly 24 a game during the regular season. It is the perfect example of just how contested every possession is in the postseason.
Milwaukee knows the importance of winning on their home court during the playoffs. More importantly, Chicago is a proud franchise but a tired one. They will battle but as they wear down their defense will slow down. As a result, expect better looks on offense for the Bucks. Assuming they make more shots, expect a slight uptick in assists for the Bucks in Game 2 as Milwaukee continues to figure out the Chicago Bulls. Like most teams, they are at their best when they are moving the basketball.
Suggested Answer: The Bucks to record 20-22 assists.
Question #8
The Winner of the 76ers/Raptors’ Game and the Margin of Victory
1-2, 3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11+
The 76ers dominated the first two games of the series in Philadelphia winning Game #1 by 20 and Game #2 by 15 points. Crossing the border into Canada means no Matysse Thybulle for Philadelphia. That will not hurt their offense as much as it will their defense. No Thybulle means more room on offense for Pascal Siakam. He needs to take advantage of the extra space and get on track offensively if the Toronto Raptors are to avoid being swept by the Philadelphia 76ers.
That said, the lift for Siakam is a little heavier as the Raptors are still banged up and probably shorthanded tonight with Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young listed as questionable.
In the end, the two best players on the court are James Harden and Joel Embiid and they both play for Philadelphia. For this reason, expect a Philadelphia win on the road by 5-6 points as the 76ers put a stranglehold on this series.
Suggested Answer: The 76ers to win by a margin of 5-6 points.
Enjoy the NBA Playoffs. Enjoy Predictor.
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