Do or Die Friday (and Saturday)
We’re back to a basketball smorgasbord tonight with two must-watch matchups on ESPN, followed by a Saturday lunchtime tipoff from Madison Square Garden on ABC. First up: Cleveland faces a must-win game to avoid falling into a 3–0 hole, followed by a marquee Western Conference battle in Denver as both teams look to take a 2–1 series lead.
Today's TV Games
- Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers – ESPN
- Oklahoma City Thunder @Denver Nuggets – ESPN
Tonight's Pick 10 (7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT)
Cleveland @ Indiana
Cleveland threw everything it had at Indiana in Game 2 — Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus had standout performances — but still lost in the final seconds and now face a daunting 0–2 series deficit. The Cavaliers are likely still without Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter, and this game will require strategic adjustments if they hope to slow down Indiana’s young, confident core.
Indiana, meanwhile, must resist overconfidence. “Sure wins” don’t exist in the playoffs.
- Donovan Mitchell – Over/Under 29.5 points
- Sam Merrill – Over/Under 2.5 rebounds
- Max Strus – Over/Under 2.5 3-pointers made
- Pascal Siakam – Over/Under 1.5 turnovers
- Myles Turner – Over/Under 15.5 points
- Andrew Nembhard – Over/Under 5.5 assists
Oklahoma City @ Denver
OKC roared back in Game 2 with a blistering 87-point first half — a playoff record. Nikola Jokić fouled out before the 4th quarter, and Denver finally looked worn down from their recent schedule.
Back in the altitude of Ball Arena, the Nuggets hope their home-court advantage slows down the Thunder. But they’ll need bounce-back performances from Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Michael Porter Jr. if they want to keep pace with an OKC squad that is finally looking like the #1 seed they were all season.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Over/Under 33.5 points
- Chet Holmgren – Over/Under 2.5 blocks
- Nikola Jokić – Over/Under 13.5 rebounds
- Jamal Murray – Over/Under 5.5 assists
Pick 5 Margin (10pm ET/7pm PT)
Oklahoma City @ Denver
(See full game breakdown above)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Assists
- Jalen Williams – Points
- Nikola Jokić – Points
Boston @ New York (12:30pm Saturday Game)
Boston finds itself in the same position as Cleveland — down 0–2 — though with far more scrutiny. Picked by many to return to the NBA Finals, the defending champs had swept the regular season series with New York but now have blown two 20-point second-half leads in this series.
The “Brunson Bullies” have shown incredible grit, but both teams must treat this as a must-win. Any momentum shift here could fuel a Celtics comeback—and the Knicks know it.
- Jayson Tatum – Rebounds
- Jalen Brunson – Points
