Germantas Kneita
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We have two NBA games on tonight’s slate as the Philadelphia 76ers try and close out the Wizards, having already amassed a three-game series lead. In the other matchup on the night, the young Grizzlies will try to make sure that they head back to Utah with the series tied, rather than being on the brink of elimination.
As always, you can find the full game previews for tonight’s action here. But for now, let’s take a look at the two best player prop selections of the evening.
Ben Simmons over 30.5 points + rebounds + assists (-120)
Ben Simmons has been having a fantastic series so far and has been able to showcase all of the different ways in which he can dominate the game. In game one of the series he managed to record a 15 rebound and 15 assist effort whilst in game two he managed to score 22 points on 73 percent shooting from the field. In both games he managed to clear the combined 31 point mark in points, rebounds and assists mark comfortably. Whilst he only combined for 28 in game three, the 76ers seem keen to put the Wizards away and sweep their first series since 1991. A win here would allow them extra rest going into the Eastern Conference semi-finals so expect them to come out full throttle tonight.
Matchup-wise, the Wizards’ guards lack the size to contain Simmons which allows him to thrive on the boards. Additionally, it helps him to see over the defense and pick out teammates. The size advantage also comes handy at the rim, where Simmons tends to do most of his scoring. Rui Hachimura has been switching out on him at points during the series but lacks the foot speed to consistently keep him out of the paint. And with Joel Embiid having a fantastic series himself and spacing the floor, there usually is not too much resistance at the rim either. Look for Simmons to have another strong, all-round game tonight.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards.
Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points (-108)
Donovan Mitchell had an impressive Game 2 after coming back from injury and was able to keep that going into Game 3 of the series. In that matchup, he was able to score 29 points despite some inefficiencies from the field. Mitchell only shot 39 percent on the night, including 20 percent from deep, but the encouraging sign was that he had the green light to keep launching away. Another clear positive is that his minutes increased from game to game, going from 26 to 30. Mitchell averaged just over 33 minutes per game in the regular season and it would not be out of the questions for him to see another jump in playing time here.
Despite the presence of a good wing defender on the Grizzlies’ ranks in Dillon Brooks, Mitchell has had success scoring against them this season. He managed to score 35 points in each of the regular-season games he faced off against the Grizzlies. In fact, his 25 points in 26 minutes in game two was his lowest points output against them this season. If he plays closer to 32 minutes tonight, we should see another high scoring effort from Mitchell as he is averaging more than a point per minute in all combined games against Memphis. Rudy Gobert can set terrific screens for him to get him open and the likes of Jonas Valanciunas do not have the foot speed to show on screens and stop him from getting into the paint. Back Mitchell to clear his points total once more.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies.
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