NBA Playoffs 2019: Updated Championship Odds, Bracket Picture and Predictions

The Houston Rockets weren't having it Saturday night in Game 3 against the Utah Jazz.

After winning the first two games at home, the Rockets knew they would get Utah's best effort in Game 3 at Salt Lake City. The game went according to script from the Jazz's point of view, as Utah built a 62-56 lead with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.

However, the Jazz did not have enough to sustain that lead in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets pulled out a 104-101 victory for a 3-0 lead, even though James Harden suffered through a brutal shooting night.

He missed the first 15 shots he took in the game and finished shooting 3-of-20 from the field. Harden managed to score 22 points, with 14 down the stretch in the final five minutes.

Harden knew he had to keep firing when the game was on the line even though his shot was not falling. "Keep shooting, keep being aggressive," Harden said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. "0-of-15, 14-of-15, 15-of-15, my job is to go out there and produce and be aggressive and in attack mode. Nothing changes."

Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 3-0 series advantage with a 119-103 road victory over the Detroit Pistons as seven Bucks players scored in double figures, with Khris Middleton's 20 points leading the way.

The Philadelphia 76ers gained a 3-1 advantage over the Brooklyn Nets with a 112-108 victory as Joel Embiid scored 31 points with 16 rebounds and seven assists. The Denver Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic's 29 points and squared their series with the San Antonio Spurs after picking up a 117-103 triumph at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Four more games are scheduled for Sunday, and we offer predictions on those games in addition to looking at the current NBA bracket and championship odds.

Updated NBA Postseason Bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks 3, No. 8 Detroit Pistons 0

No. 2 Toronto Raptors 2, No. 7 Orlando Magic 1

No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers 3, No. 6 Brooklyn Nets 1

No. 4 Boston Celtics 3, No. 5 Indiana Pacers 0                

Western Conference

No. 1 Golden State Warriors 2, No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers 1

No. 2 Denver Nuggets 2, No. 7 San Antonio Spurs 2

No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers 2, No. 6 Oklahoma City Thunder 1

No. 4 Houston Rockets 3, No. 5 Utah Jazz 0

(First-round NBA playoff schedule.)

NBA Championship Odds (per OddsChecker)

Golden State Warriors, -185 (bet $185 to win $100)
Milwaukee Bucks, +550
Houston Rockets, +600
Toronto Raptors, +1200
Boston Celtics, +2300
Philadelphia 76ers, +2600
Denver Nuggets, +3800
Portland Trail Blazers, +6500
Oklahoma City Thunder, +7500
San Antonio Spurs, +7500
Utah Jazz, +12000
Brooklyn Nets, +25000
Orlando Magic, +25000
Indiana Pacers, +25000
Los Angeles Clippers, +25000
Detroit Pistons, +25000

Sunday Predictions

Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers, 1 p.m. ET

What do the Indiana Pacers have left to play for in this series? After dropping a 104-96 game at home Friday night, the Pacers have fallen into the dreaded 3-0 hole, and it's just a matter of time before the Celtics advance to the second round.

Boston has overcome its regular-season inconsistency to play with mental toughness and maturity, something that the Pacers are lacking. Indiana had an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 before losing.

The Celtics proved they could overcome Kyrie Irving's 7-of-19 shooting effort, thanks to Jaylen Brown's 23 points (8-of-9 shooting night) to gain the road victory.

It should not be much different in Game 4. It's easy to see the Pacers coming out hard in the first half, but Irving, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward will get the best of Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner.

Prediction: Boston 102, Indiana 92

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Clippers are fighting the most difficult of battles against the two-time defending NBA champion Warriors.

They have fallen behind by 31 points in the third quarter in Games 2 and 3 and come away with distinctly different results. They managed to climb that mountain in Game 2 and register a massive comeback and 135-131 victory in Oakland. However, the Warriors were not about to let that happen two games in a row, as Golden State eased to a 132-105 win in Game 3.

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant seemingly have the firepower to put together another winning effort, but the Warriors have to play without DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a likely season-ending torn quadriceps injury. His absence should give Clippers big man Ivica Zubac room to operate.

Los Angeles head coach Doc Rivers needs to find a way to keep this game closer so the Clippers don't have to climb a 31-point deficit again, and he should be successful at that endeavor. However, the Warriors still find a way to win this game and take a 3-1 lead back to Oakland for Wednesday's Game 5.

Prediction: Golden State 121, Los Angeles 115

Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. ET

The Magic fell behind by 10 points early in Game 3 and were forced to chase the Raptors throughout and could not get the job done on their home court as they dropped a 98-93 decision Friday night.

They have a chance to square the series Sunday, but they are going to have to overcome Pascal Siakam if they are going to do it. Siakam? He scored 30 points and had 11 rebounds on a night when Kawhi Leonard was held to 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Siakam averaged 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in the regular season and is a defensive phenom.

Orlando managed to rally twice, but Toronto had the key answers down the stretch.

The Magic can't let their Game 4 opportunity slip away if they want to remain competitive in this series, and they need a big game from Nikola Vucevic if that is going to happen. He scored 22 points with 14 rebounds Friday, and he needs to repeat or improve upon that effort in Game 4.

Look for Orlando to fight, scratch and claw in this game and square the series at 2-2.

Prediction: Orlando 100, Toronto 97

Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET

The Thunder rebounded in Game 3 after their meltdown in the second half of Game 2 in Portland. The combination of Russell Westbrook (33 points) and Paul George (22 points) was too much for the Trail Blazers down the homestretch, as Oklahoma City got back in the series with a 120-108 victory.

Portland tied the score at 89-89 early in the fourth quarter, but Westbrook scored 14 points the rest of the way to drive the Thunder to the triumph.

It seems like Oklahoma City should be able to square the series at home, but Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum should not be overlooked. 

It will be difficult to stop the Thunder at home, but Portland was right there in the early part of the fourth quarter in Game 3. This time, Portland does not go away.

Prediction: Portland 115, Oklahoma City 107