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I hit a nice NHL Playoffs win last night with the Avalanch winning in overtime in a game that wasn’t as close as the score suggested. Meanwhile, my NBA Playoffs picks are still profitable at 19-13 (59.4%).
NBA Playoffs: Mavericks (+5.5) @ Warriors $
The Dallas Mavericks laid down the most embarrassing game seven beat-down in the history of the NBA playoffs. Luka Doncic was a man among boys in that game with 27 points in the first half (the same number as the entire Suns team). Doncic did not even need to play the 4th quarter as he just sat and watched the carnage. He may have even retired Chris Paul into irrelevance. It was truly stunning.
I have to admit to being wrong about the Mavericks as I did not think they had what it would take to win that series. A course correction does seem to be in order. The final stats for the series is what is really bringing me over the other side. Luka Doncic in that series had more points than Devin Booker, he had more rebounds than DeAndre Ayton, he had more assists than Chris Paul, and he had more steals than Mikal Bridges. We may not have seen a more dominant series by a single player since LeBron James or even Michael Jordan was in his prime.
Nearly every expert I read is in love with the Warriors and has them winning this series. I’m not soo sure. I also think the Warriors are an exceptional team so it is hard to find a weak spot in their game. Perhaps their lack of a quality big man is a potential flaw, but that may be it. But this series will come down to how the Warriors chose to defend Luka Doncic. They do have Draymond Green who is considered one of the top defenders to ever play the game.
I don’t think it is going to matter. Luka Doncic right now is simply unguardable. If you double team him, he will find the open guy and the Mavericks have a handful of guys who can nail those open threes. Dallas also plays good defence and is well-coached. This series has another upset written all over it.
If Luka Doncic can win an NBA title at age 23, it may be the most impressive performance in the history of the NBA playoffs. I’m not betting against him.
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I also coach live poker players, helping them win more often. Of course, you can follow more of my NBA writings right here at Last Word on Sports or find me on Twitter to stay up to date on all my latest blogs and helpful tips to grow your bankroll. NBA Playoffs Odds are provided by CloudBet as of writing time.
