It was a close game last night in Atlanta with big swings in both directions. Ultimately Trae Young got the winning bucket and the Hawks’ season survives another night. My NBA Playoffs picks are now 6-4 this season.
NBA Playoffs: Mavericks (+6.5) @ Jazz $
The Utah Jazz are a mess and this is a terrible matchup for them. The Mavericks have completely neutralized Rudy Gobert and at worst exposed the big man as a guy that cannot defend the perimeter. What do the Mavericks do the best? They shoot from the perimeter. If the Jazz have any hope of winning this series, they simply need to bench Gobert. The team and coaching staff are too stubborn to make such a drastic move so I expect more of the same. Don’t forget the fact the Jazz are perennial playoff chokers and make the same mistakes every year.
Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for this matchup, but I don’t think it will matter either way. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson are proving their worth as quality guards even without the captain on the court. Their bench is coming up big with clutch 3-pointers as well. The key stat in this matchup is the 3-point shots from the Mavericks. In the last two games, they had 40+ attempts and are hitting over 40%. This 40/40 number is a recipe for giving up 126 points in the NBA playoffs and another first-round exit for the Jazz.
I don’t understand why this line is +6.5. If Luka does actually play, it is just a bonus.
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