Both the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks had chances to get a shutout in the first round on Tuesday, but despite being favorites to win that game, they were unable to do so. Now, both will get a second chance Thursday.
The Pacers have a few point advantage over the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Knicks are behind against the somehow healthy Philadelphia 76ers. Will two more teams go fishing or will there be one or two Game 7s set up this weekend?
Here's Thursday's NBA Playoff schedule with odds, staff picks, and previews.
All odds are from BetMGM. Find great ticket deals on StubHub.
3rd place Milwaukee Bucks vs. 6th place Indiana Pacers
How to watch: TNT 6:30pm ET
Indiana leads the series 3-2.
Series odds: Pacers -900, Bucks +575
Milwaukee didn't have Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard in Game 5, but it didn't matter. Bobby Portis (29 points, 10 rebounds) and Patrick Beverley (13 points, 12 assists) kept the Bucks alive by emulating two fallen stars.
Is that reproducible, especially on the road? Hmm. The odds don't seem to say so, as the Pacers are the strong favorites to win at home. But Milwaukee's win gave Antetokounmpo and Lillard two more days, and manager Doc Rivers hinted at a possible return (or employed a bit of gamesmanship).
“I think they're very, very, very close,” Rivers said of the Bucks' two injured stars after Game 5.
Obviously, things will change if both or one of those players return. For now, it's likely that neither will return yet.
However, the pressure will be on Indiana in Game 6. This is the Pacers' last home game of the series, and Giannis and Dame will have two more days to return if they return to play in Milwaukee. The Pacers still control this series and are heavily favored to advance (-900 odds to advance at just 3-2), but this feels like a game Indiana needs.
One of the keys for Indiana in Game 6 will be getting Pascal Siakam back on track. He scored 36 and 37 points in the first two games of the series, but hasn't reached the 20-point mark in the next three games. His shooting volume has decreased, hitting just 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range in this series. Myles Turner was big in the final two games in Indianapolis, dropping 29 points in each, but was held to a series-low 13 points in Game 5. For Indiana to advance, one of them will need to be the star.
Bucks vs. Pacers Expert Pick
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2nd place New York Knicks vs. 7th place Philadelphia 76ers
How to watch: 9pm ET on TNT
New York leads the series 3-2.
Series odds: Knicks -375, 76ers +300
The 76ers need to win this series to truly go down in Philadelphia sports legend, but Tyrese Maxey's seven points in 17 seconds at the end of regulation in Game 5 is the most in NBA playoff history. It's a moment. Legend has it that when his team was facing elimination, he made a four-point play and then hit a 34-foot 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to tie the game.
Philadelphia has struggled late in this series, but that wasn't the case Tuesday. Has the momentum changed? Will the Philadelphia crowd be able to drown out the traveling Knicks fans?
The Knicks may have thought this series had the potential to be one of the most memorable in the franchise's modern history, and that they could defeat regional opponents during the contest. Now they may be worried about losing badly in the playoffs.
Philadelphia was able to win Game 5 despite Joel Embiid scoring just 19 points and committing nine turnovers (though he did have a triple-double with 16 rebounds and 10 assists). Maxey scored 46 points, ahead of another gem in Jalen Brunson (40 points).
The Knicks still have the advantage to win the series, as they have two chances to win one and another home game in Game 7 if needed, but Philadelphia is favored in Thursday's game. The 76ers have been playing a little tough in the last few games of this series, but perhaps with Tuesday's miraculous comeback the team will feel they have nothing to lose.
Our group is leaning toward bouncing back and getting a shutout with the Knicks.
Knicks vs. 76ers expert picks
pick ranking table
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(Tyrese Maxey Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)