Two games last night, both featuring teams in the top-3 of the betting. With the Cavaliers winning, we'd assume their odds will tighten a little, as for OKC, they should be drifting after their OT loss in Denver. Lets see!
At time of publishing the futures odds for winning the 2024/25 NBA Championships look like this:
OKC: best odds 2.8 (out from 2.25 yesterday)
Boston: best odds 4.5 (tweaking in from 4.75)
Cleveland: best odds 7.5 (in from 10)
Denver: best odds 11 (in from 21)
New York: best odds 13 (nibbled in from 14)
Minnesota: best odds 11 (unchanged)
Indiana: best odds 23 (out from 19)
Golden State: best odds 34 (unchanged)
CAVALIERS 126, PACERS 104
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Cavs, odds 1.469
Line: Cavs (-5.5), odds 1.935
Total Points: Under (231.5) odds 1.93
Pre-game Prediction
Cavs, 51.9%
Pacers, 48.1%
Pacers lead the Eastern Conference Semifinal series 2-1
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Donovan Mitchell had 43 points and nine rebounds, and the finally full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana 126-104 on Friday night to cut the Pacers’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The road team has won all three games in the series, and the Pacers will have another chance to break that trend Sunday in Game 4.
Cleveland was desperate to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole and used everything in its arsenal to hold on this time — making 14 3-pointers, holding a 56-37 rebounding edge, even relying on zone defense to slow down the high-scoring Pacers.
And with NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, All-Star guard Darius Garland and key backup De’Andre Hunter all suited up after missing Game 2, Mitchell got the support he needed.
Max Strus made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Three other Cleveland players also scored in double figures on a night the Cavs led by as much 26, never trailed and managed to protect their late lead when the Pacers cut the deficit to 11 early in the fourth.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 points. Pascal Siakam had 18 and Tyrese Haliburton finished with four points and five assists in his first career home loss in a postseason game he’s appeared.
NBA's Top 5 Plays of the Night - May 9 - NBA Playoffs
NUGGETS 113, THUNDER 104, OT
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Nuggets, odds 3.04
Line: Nuggets (+5.5), odds 1.907
Total Points: Under (232) odds 1.909
Pre-game Prediction
Thunder, 62.6%
Nuggets, 37.4%
Nuggets lead the Western Conference Semifinal series 2-1
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 27 points and Michael Porter Jr. bounced back with 21 clutch points, leading Denver past top-seeded Oklahoma in overtime for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Nikola Jokic added 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon had 22 points for the Nuggets, who led by no more than two points in regulation but went on an 11-2 run in the extra period.
Jokic went 8 for 25 from the field and missed all 10 of his 3-pointers but started the overtime flourish with a finger-roll layup and the Nuggets never trailed again.
The other NBA MVP front-runner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also had a tough night, missing 15 of 22 shots, going 1 for 6 from deep and finishing with 18 points. Jalen Williams led OKC with 32 points and Chet Holmgren chipped in 18.
Game 4 is Sunday at Ball Arena.
It was tied at 102 after regulation, and both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic missed potential winners in the closing seconds of regulation. SGA missed a 12-foot jumper with 3 seconds left, and Joker missed a 19-footer at the buzzer.
