The first round of the NBA Playoffs seemed to take forever, but this second round seems like it is flying by. Perhaps that is just the nature of things because we are getting two games each night, and the series are alternating. The games haven’t been quite as great as we saw in the first round, but I’m still pleased with the results compared to what we get in the regular season. Tonight we place a wager on Game 3 between the Pistons and Cavaliers.
The Detroit Pistons looked like they were dead in the water during the first round of the Playoffs. They were down 3-1 to the Magic before they took control in Game 5. In Game 6, they were looking for some sort of pulse, and they found it in the second half. After being down, they held the Magic to just 19 points combined in the third and fourth quarters of that game. Orlando should’ve won that game, but they couldn’t buy a bucket and fell apart. Game 7 was virtually never a sweat for the Pistons.
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Detroit has won both of the first two games of this series by 10 points. In both games, they had a lead, then surrendered it and took it back late in the game. This was the fifth straight win for the Pistons and puts them in the driver’s seat for this series. Cade Cunningham has been great for the team and is averaging 24 points per game and 8.5 assists through the first two contests.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking lost. They had to battle just to get past the Toronto Raptors in the first round, and honestly, they didn’t look all that convincing in any of those games. They won the series in seven games, but they are now 0-5 on the road in the postseason. The only good news for them is that they are 4-0 at home. This is a game that they absolutely have to get a win in if they want any hope of keeping this series alive. If they can somehow get back to Detroit at 2-2, they just need to win one on the road in order to advance.
The problem is that the team looks lost in the closing stages of the game. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell look like they are trying to play isolation basketball, but neither seems certain late in the games. Mitchell is a beast and scored 31 points in Game 2, but the Cavs need to be able to close out the game. It was tied early in the fourth, but they couldn’t get over the hump, even bringing it to within a point with just minutes remaining. Perhaps being at home will give them the confidence to close out the games.
I think that is precisely what will happen. We know it is common for teams to play better at home, but the Cavs seem to be taking that to the next level. They know what they have to do, and I expect Mitchell and Cunningham to balance each other out. That leaves the team to rely on role players. James Harden is probably the third-best player, and Jarett Allen and Evan Mobley are likely in the top six.
The Pistons are playing with a lot of confidence, but the Cavaliers have to think they could be the ones up 2-0 if they had made a shot or two. Maybe some small adjustments and the comfort of being at home should give them the win. Give me the Cavs to cover the -4.5.
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