@KeepTheJuice21 NBA Playoff Picks - 4/22

How the Bucks respond to the loss of Khris Middleton will be the deciding factor in this series. With the injury and loss in Game 2, the Bucks opened the door for Bulls who weren’t given a chance by many. In place of Middleton, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton and Wesley Matthews will all see an uptick in minutes. But in reality most of the shots and creation that Middleton does in game will fall to Jrue Holiday going forward. I wish Lonzo Ball could play in this series because then we might have two really evenly matched great teams, but I just don’t trust the Bulls to get stops down the stretch. The loss of Middleton will have an impact but it really just makes this spread look more appealing, now bleeding into single possession.

Similar situation to the Bucks here, the Suns will be without their star guard after losing Booker in Game 2 and losing in an upset at home. But there wasn’t a moment watching that game that the Suns didn’t seem like they would come back and win. Credit where it’s due, New Orleans played their best game. But the Suns lacked focus, and didn’t play with the same efficiency as in Game 1. The loss plus the injury should be exactly what the team needs to shake them awake and into playing at their highest capacity. The Suns have a deep talented roster to replace Booker and it will take a lot to replace him, but they have done it successfully in the regular season. If it was a higher quality team, I would be more worried but the Pelicans are too beatable.