The NBA players had a boycott on Wednesday. This decision began with the Milwaukee Bucks opting out of their playoff game against the Orlando Magic following the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake. After two days of teams not playing and games being postponed, the players have opted to return and finish the NBA playoffs – a decision that didn’t always appear to be the likely outcome.
Now, multiple teams will head into Saturday’s action with plenty to play for, including a potential closeout game for the Bucks, a crucial Game 5 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, and the intriguing nightcap. Saturday’s NBA return will finish with the Portland Trail Blazers attempting to dig out of a 3-1 hole against the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Los Angeles Lakers.
After stealing Game 1 of the series, the Blazers dropped three straight, and are now without star guard Damian Lillard, who has left the NBA bubble in Orlando following a knee injury. As ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported, Lillard has returned to Portland for further examination on his sprained right knee.
Navigating out of this hole was tough enough with Lillard on the floor, but is it even a real possibility for the Blazers?
Betting Line, Prediction & Pick
Betting line: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-13.5 at -110)
Projected total: 223
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
At first glance, a betting line of nearly 14 points against a strong Blazers team seems high, but this entire series has shifted drastically since Game 1. After the Lakers picked up a 111-88 victory in Game 2, they pulled away for an eight-point win in Game 3 before winning by 20 in the latest matchup.
Without Lillard to help fuel the offense, the Blazers have several talented players to run the show, including fellow guard CJ McCollum. Still, with the way LeBron James and Anthony Davis have played recently, it’s tough to bet against the Lakers right now.
James and Davis only had to play 28 and 18 minutes, respectively, in the 20-point Game 4 victory, but both were efficient in every sense of the word. LeBron poured in 30 points with 10 assists and six rebounds on 10-12 shooting while Davis tallied 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a net rating of +37.
Barring a dominant performance from McCollum, who’s also dealing with an injured back, along with Carmelo Anthony and Jusuf Nurkic, it’ll be hard to hop on board with the Blazers’ comeback chances. Winning the series is a drastic long shot while even winning one more game appears highly unlikely.
This is a big spread in favor of the Lakers, but it sits where it does for a reason, and I’m backing LeBron and company to run away with this game and cap the series, setting up a trip to the second round. There’s also good reason to like the over in this game, as I think we could see a ton of points on both sides, and clearing the 223 is highly likely.
Pick: Lakers -13.5 (-110) and over 223
