There are three Game 5s in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night, and two teams can book their spots in the conference semifinals.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The first game of the night is one that is guaranteed at least a Game 6 as the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Boston Celtics with the series knotted at 2-2. The home team has won all four thus far; Boston has never lost a best-of-seven series when leading 2-0, going 35-0. That would be in major jeopardy with a loss Tuesday.
The Celtics, however, are 2.5-point favorites. Boston covered as a 4-point favorite in Game 1 with a 113-107 overtime victory and at -1 in Game 2, 120-106.
The Bucks’ only cover in the series was at -4.5 in Game 3, a 116-92 victory. Milwaukee was -5.5 on Sunday and escaped with a 104-102 win on a tip-in of a missed shot with five seconds to go by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston’s Marcus Morris missed a potential tying 14-footer at the buzzer. Frankly, Morris shouldn’t have been taking that shot; Jaylen Brown (34 points) or Jayson Tatum (21 points) should have.
Also in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers are 10-point home favorites as they try to eliminate the Miami Heat. Miami did end Philadelphia’s 17-game overall winning streak in the last meeting in the City of Brotherly Love, 113-103 in Game 2. However, the 76ers didn’t have All-Star center Joel Embiid then. He returned from an eye injury/concussion in Game 3.
This could be the final game in the career of future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, who is the face of the Heat franchise. Wade hasn’t yet decided whether to play in 2018-19. If he does, Wade says it would only be with Miami.
Tuesday’s action wraps up from Oakland with the Golden State Warriors as 11-point favorites to end the season for the San Antonio Spurs; the New Orleans Pelicans already are through to the Western Conference semifinals and awaiting the winner of this series. The Warriors seemed to lack the killer instinct in Sunday’s loss in San Antonio.
This could be the final game for another future Hall of Famer in the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili. He also remains undecided on playing next season. Manu will be 41 in July so it’s more likely he retires than Wade does. He was a big reason the Spurs avoided elimination on Sunday with 16 points off the bench after zero in Game 3.
San Antonio remains without head coach Gregg Popovich, who has missed the past two following the death of his wife. Assistant Ettore Messina will continue to run the team. He’s a former two-time Euroleague Coach of the Year who is also interviewing for the Charlotte Hornets’ top opening.
The Spurs haven’t won a road game since way back on February 25 with just one ATS cover in that span.
