NBA Playoffs Picks 5/1 – Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets
by Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com
The Phoenix Suns (45-37) take on the Denver Nuggets (53-29) in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals tonight on TNT. Denver took a 1-0 series lead after blasting Phoenix 125-107 on Saturday night. Denver’s Jamal Murray scored a game-high 34 points, along with 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 6 three-pointers. The teams split four regular season meetings with home team winning each game. These teams also met in the Western Conference semis two years ago with Phoenix sweeping Denver en route to the NBA Finals. Denver is a 4.5-point favorite and the total is 227.
THE SKINNY ON BOTH TEAMS
After a disappointing 30-27 start to the season, the Phoenix Suns acquired 13-time All-Star and former league MVP Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade on February 9. Durant ended up playing just 8 regular season games with Phoenix after he slipped on the floor and sprained his ankle during pre-game warmups of a March 8 game against Oklahoma City.
The ankle injury sidelined Durant for three weeks, Phoenix did win all 8 games that Durant played in. Despite the injuries and trade, Durant is still performing at an elite level as he averaged 26.0 pts and 6.4 rebs in his 8 games with Phoenix during the regular season, and upped it to 28.5 ppg and 8.7 rebs in Phoenix’s 6 playoff games.
Three-time All-Star Devin Booker has been the postseason star for the Phoenix Suns as he’s averaged 35.5 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks through 6 games. Booker has had two 40-point games in the postseason, scoring 45 in Phoenix’s game 3 win at the Clippers and 47 in the series-clinching game 5 win. Booker averaged a career-high 27.8 points per game during an injury-riddled regular season that limited him to just 53 games. 12-time All-Star Chris Paul is still going strong at age 37 averaging just over 13 points and 8 assists in the regular season and playoffs. Center Deandre Ayton is averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds in the postseason.
The Denver Nuggets finished with the best record in the Western Conference at 53-29 and are 5-1 in the postseason so far. After missing the last 2 postseasons due to a torn ACL in April 2021, Denver guard Jamal Murray has made a triumphant return in 2023. Murray has been Denver’s leading scorer in the postseason averaging 28.3 points per game, along with 6.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals through 6 games.
The reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic is contributing 25.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1 steal through 6 postseason games, he had 24 points and 19 rebounds against Phoenix in Game 1. Athletic forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon are both chipping in about 15ppg in the postseason, the fifth starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11.8ppg) and underrated sixth man Bruce Brown (10.3ppg) are also averaging double-digits.
THE PICK
Game 1 showed me that Phoenix’s lack of depth and inability to defend will be a huge problem for them in this series, I think Game 2 will play out exactly like Game 1 did..lay the 4.5 with Denver!
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