An ESPN double-header takes place tonight as the NBA conference semifinals continue. The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to bounce back from a humiliating defeat in Game 2 of the series. With them now being on the home floor, they will be confident they can put together a better showing in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics. That will be followed by the Denver Nuggets visiting the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets will be hoping to build a 3-0 lead tonight, a deficit from which no NBA team has ever come back. We have already hit a +1100 first basket scorer prop this week, and will hope to build on it with 2 more selections tonight.
Be sure to take a look at all of our NBA predictions for those games, but for now let’s get into my NBA first-basket scorer selections.
Nikola Jokic was dominant in Game 2 between these sides. One way the Suns could counter that is to make him work more on the defensive end. Deandre Ayton would be the man to do that. On the season, no Suns player has opened the scoring more for his team than the center. I expect the hosts to run a pick and roll between him and Devin Booker early. Unlike Chris Paul, Booker is a serious 3-point threat — which could force Jokic to step out on the screen, making Ayton a bigger rolling threat. On the season the Suns gained the ball first in 61.4% of games. While Ayton and Jokic have so far split the tips so far this series, Ayton is the more athletic of the pair and should be considered favorite tonight. Therefore that pick-and-roll should be the first play of the game.
The 76ers have been able to gain the opening possession in both games against the Celtics so far in this series. With Joel Embiid towering over Al Horford, expect to see the same result tonight. They have taken full advantage of it, going on to knock down their first shot on each occasion. I expect Embiid to do that here. Look for the newly crowned MVP to come out aggressive in front of his home crowd. He will have a major bulk advantage over Horford and should have success getting deep post position. Embiid only attempted 9 shots in Game 2, so look for the home team to try and establish and get him going early tonight. He has scored the first points for the 76ers in 33 of his 70 starts this year and tonight should be no different.
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