NBA Playoff Schedule 2020: Odds, TV, Live-Stream Coverage for Friday's Semis
The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in the worst situation possible going into Game 3 of their second-round series with the Miami Heat.
The top seed in the Eastern Conference suffered back-to-back defeats to Jimmy Butler and Co. and need a victory to avoid win-or-go-home contests as early as Game 4.
After Milwaukee and Miami play the third game of their series, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will play the final Game 1 of the second round.
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The Lakers have been off since Saturday, while the Rockets played two extra games and enter Friday off a single day of rest.
The Western Conference's top seed appears to have a distinct advantage in that matchup, especially if LeBron James and Anthony Davis continue to play at a high level.
NBA Playoffs Friday Schedule
Game 3: Milwaukee (-5) vs. Miami (6:30 p.m. ET, TNT) (Over/Under: 223.5)
Game 1: Houston vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) (O/U: 226)
Odds via Caesars Palace
Games can be live streamed on TNTdrama.com, ESPN.com and ESPN app
Picks
Milwaukee vs. Miami Over 223.5
The over/under line for Game 3 is set right in the middle of the totals produced in Games 1 and 2.
Game 1 was the lower-scoring affair of the two with 219 points. The Bucks and Heat combined for 230 points in Game 2.
The increased scoring totals of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton played a role in Milwaukee keeping pace with Miami.
The Bucks' top two players produced 52 points and shot 16-for-33 from the field. They also received help from Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe, who had 16 points each from the starting lineup.
Bledsoe, who missed Game 1, could be the X-factor to finding extra scoring in Game 3 since he had a pair of assists and seven rebounds to go along with his 16 points.
If the guard can pick out teammates from his position on the perimeter, or start fast breaks, the Bucks could score at a high pace.
Miami has the firepower to match whatever Milwaukee throws at it in any stretch of Game 3.
The Heat had seven players reach double digits in Game 2 and had five players knock down three or more three-pointers.
Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk each had a trio of three-point shots, and Duncan Robinson rebounded from a four-point Game 1 to knock down three downtown attempts of his own.
Despite having an abundance of threats from deep, the Heat are actually shooting one percentage point worse than the Bucks from three-point range in the series.
If both squads continue to improve from beyond the arc, we could be treated to another high-scoring affair and one where the over hits fairly easily.
Houston vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-6.5)
It is hard not to look at Thursday's final score from Game 1 of the Denver-Los Angeles Clippers series and think that a similar result is in store for the Lakers and Rockets.
Just like the Clippers, the Lakers have a massive advantage in rest. The Rockets' tired legs may affect their shooting accuracy after fighting until the final buzzer of Game 7 against Oklahoma City.
The other clear advantage the Lakers enter Game 1 with is the power of Davis in the paint against P.J. Tucker and others.
Davis averaged 29.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game and made 51 of his 89 field-goal attempts in the first-round triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Back in February, Davis wracked up 32 points and 13 rebounds against the Rockets. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds over 29 minutes and 38 seconds on August 6.
If Davis continues his path of destruction under the rim, Houston could be in for a tough series, even if James Harden plays the best basketball of his career.
In the February clash at Staples Center, Harden managed 14 points and made a single three-pointer. Russell Westbrook led the Rockets with 41 points in that contest.
To get out of the second round, Houston needs Westbrook and Harden to carry the bulk of the scoring and limit James and Davis on certain possession.
That seems like too much of an ask, especially with Westbrook still working back to full game shape. Game 7 was the first time the guard hit the 20-point plateau this postseason.
If the Lakers feed Davis early and often and James produces at his regular rate, the Lakers should be in a good position to join the Clippers as higher seeds in the West with 1-0 second-round leads.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference
