Things are getting interesting with some first-round series in the NBA playoffs. Orlando holds serve at home and could put pressure on Cleveland with another win on Saturday. The Miami Heat once again had home court advantage in their series against the No. 1 seed with a shocking win in Boston.
The Magic open a four-game series against the Cavaliers on Saturday. The series changed, with the Magic leading by 43 points in Game 3. The same goes for the Heat vs. Celtics series.
Elsewhere, the Western Conference's top two seeds appear to be on cruise control. Denver will look to sweep the Los Angeles Lakers, while the New Orleans Pelicans will aim for a Game 3 appearance against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here, let's take a look at the situation leading up to Saturday's game, along with the odds and staff nominations.
All odds are from BetMGM. Find great ticket deals on StubHub.
4th place Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5th place Orlando Magic
How to watch: 1:00 PM ET TNT
Cleveland leads the series 2-1.
Series odds: Cavaliers -375, Magic +300
Paolo Banchero joins the playoff chat. After a few solid but lackluster games in Cleveland, he won Game 3 in Orlando with 31 points and 14 rebounds.
The Magic did to the Cavs what the Cavs did to them in Cleveland. How does that change the perception of this series? Well, for one thing, it's a series. The Magic showed they don't give up easily. Whether they can win in Cleveland may be another story, but the momentum of the series has shifted. It was Orlando's first playoff win in four years, but the Magic have only won one playoff game in a series since 2011, so a Game 4 win would be another small milestone for the franchise.
There wasn't much to gain from Cleveland in Game 3, which often happens when you lose by 38 points. Donovan Mitchell scored just 13 points, making 1 of 6 3-pointers. Evan Mobley somehow only had two rebounds, a season low. Darius Garland was 2-for-10 from the field. So it's a situation where Cleveland can just forget about it and move on.
Just like in Game 3, Orlando is considered the slight favorite in Game 4. Cleveland is still heavily favored in the series, but the odds have nearly been cut in half, from -700 to -375.
Cavs expert picks at Magic
1st place Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8th place New Orleans Pelicans
How to watch: 3:30 PM TNT (Eastern Standard Time)
Oklahoma City leads the series 2-0.
Series odds: Thunder -2500, Pelicans +1100
As long as their young core makes the playoffs, the Thunder are in good hands. After winning a close first game, the Thunder used their strength to dominate the second game on Wednesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way in Game 2, with Chet Holmgren scoring 26 points. All five starters scored in double figures for the Thunder, who scored an astonishing 32 points.
While Game 1 was encouraging for New Orleans, Game 2 was a wake-up call. Do the Pelicans have an answer for Gilgeous-Alexander? Will they be able to catch up with the Thunder in seven straight games without Zion Williamson? The answer to both is probably no at this point, but home court could change things.
that It seems unlikely that Williamson will return. He suffered a hamstring injury in this series. He played in a career-high 70 games this season, but this injury occurring at this time will not change the narrative around Williamson of his inability to stay healthy. It's becoming more likely that he will have to wait another year to see Zion make the playoffs.
The Thunder entered Game 3 as a few favorites, but they are the overwhelming favorites to win the series. A win Saturday will allow Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren to spend more time practicing their singing.
Thunder expert picks on Pelicans
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1st place Boston Celtics vs. 8th place Miami Heat
How to watch: 6pm ET on TNT
Series 1-1 draw
Series odds: Celtics -2000, Heat +1000
There were many memorable moments in Miami's run to the NBA Finals last year, but the Heat's shocking win in Boston on Wednesday was reminiscent of the Heat's playoff loss last year.
Last year, the Heat won Game 1 in Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo left that game with an injury. The Bucks, who were without their star players in Game 2, tied an NBA record with 25 3-point shots and easily won. It was the only game the Bucks won in the series.
The Heat were on the other end of the spectrum Wednesday. Miami lost Game 1 in Boston and was playing without their star player (Jimmy Butler). The Heat had a good performance in Game 2, making 23 of 43 3-point shots (53.5 percent). He made 62.2 percent of his field goal attempts from 3-point range, the third-highest mark in NBA playoff history.
Miami's victory was impressive and reignited hopes of upsetting the top seed for the second consecutive year in the first round, but Milwaukee was an example of how such performances are unsustainable.
Meanwhile, Boston is currently 13-14 at home over the past four postseasons, a record that shouldn't be sustainable but is. It might be a good thing for the Celtics that Saturday's game will be played in Miami.
Celtics vs. Heat expert picks
2nd place Denver Nuggets vs. 7th place Los Angeles Lakers
How to watch: Broadcast at 8:30pm ET on ABC
Denver leads the series 3-0.
Series odds: Nuggets -10000, Lakers +3500
The Lakers may feel like they're in some kind of hell. Not only have the Nuggets now beaten the Lakers in 11 straight games, but the Lakers have held a double-digit lead in all three games of this series.
The Lakers led by 12 points in Game 1, but lost by 11 points. They expanded their lead to 20 points in the second half of Game 2, but Jamal Murray's buzzer-beater cut it back. LA put up 12 points in Game 3 at home, but fell behind by double digits for much of the second half and lost again. That's nightmare fuel for anyone involved with the Lakers.
Things are going so well on Denver's side that Nikola Jokic and Murray didn't even have to carry the load Thursday. Aaron Gordon (29 points, 15 rebounds) and Michael Porter Jr. (20 points, 10 rebounds) did plenty of damage. The series of runs Denver gave up in the second half of Game 3 to erase the deficit and quickly pull away was a reminder of just how good this Denver team is. The Nuggets have arguably the best duo in the league, but they also have a lot of good players.
Who knows what would have happened in these playoffs if the Lakers hadn't played Denver in the first round, but this Lakers team can't beat this Nuggets team. A win in Game 4 would only prolong the inevitable, but it would at least end the losing streak, and perhaps the mental hex that comes with it.
Lakers Nuggets picks by experts
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(Tyler Herro Photo: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
