NBA Picks 3/27 – Philadelphia 76ers @ Denver Nuggets.
by Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com
In what could be considered an NBA Finals preview, the Philadelphia 76ers (49-25) visit the Denver Nuggets (50-24) tonight on NBA TV. Denver is a 5-point favorite and the total is 230.5. This game MAY also feature the top two MVP candidates in Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, Embiid could miss tonight’s game due to right calf tightness.
This will be the second and final meeting between these teams, Philadelphia used a second-half rally to beat Denver, 126-119, at home back on January 28th, Embiid got the better of Jokic in the head-to-head matchup as he finished with a monster line of 47 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks! Jokic had 24 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in the loss. Denver is the top seed in the Western Conference and will likely enter the playoffs as the top seed, they are also coming off an impressive 129-106 win at home against the 53-win Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Philadelphia is currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
AN NBA FINALS PREVIEW?
After injuries and internal strife (Ben Simmons) derailed the last couple of seasons for Denver and Philadelphia, they’ve emerged as championship level teams in 2023. The Denver Nuggets appeared to be a team on the rise after making a surprising run all the way to the Western Conference “bubble” Finals in 2020.
The last two seasons have ended in disappointment as injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have led to a second round playoff sweep in 2021 and a five game first round exit last season. Murray missed the entire 2021-2022 season after tearing his ACL in April 2021, and a recurring back injury limited Porter Jr. to just 9 games last season.
Bolstered by the returns of a healthy Murray (20.2 ppg, 6.2 asts, 4.0 rebs, 1.0 stls) and Porter Jr. (17.3 ppg, 5.4 rebs), along with another MVP-caliber season from the reigning back to back MVP Nikola Jokic (24.9 ppg, 11.8 rebs, 9.9 asts, 1.3 stls), Denver has sat alone atop of the Western Conference for pretty much the entire season. With all of the injuries, chemistry issues and/or inexperience surrounding the majority of teams in the West, this could be the year for Denver to make the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
The Philadelphia 76ers believed ‘The Process’ had worked after finishing as the top seed in 2020-2021, but a second round upset loss to the 5th seeded Atlanta Hawks in seven games led to internal strife between disgruntled star Ben Simmons and everyone in the 76ers organization. Simmons refused to report to training camp the next season, then cited mental illness as why he could not play for the 76ers, he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden as part of a blockbuster trade on February 10, 2022.
The 76ers finshed 4th in the East last season with Harden but fell to the Miami Heat in 6 games in the second round of the playoffs. The 76ers are on pace to eclipse last season’s 51-win total and Joel Embiid (33.3 ppg, 10.2 rebs, 4.2 asts, 1.7 blks, 1.1 stls) has a good chance to be named the NBA’s MVP, he’d be the first 76er to win the award since Allen Iverson in 2001.
THE PICK
Whether Embiid plays or not, I think Denver looks to make another statement tonight..Lay the 5 and take Denver!
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