In what has been the most competitive NBA playoff series of the year, the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets are gearing up for Game 5. The series is tied at two games apiece and is heading back to Denver. So far, the teams have been alternating wins with the Spurs taking the first game. A win for either team here would put them in the driver’s seat, but a win by the Spurs would really give them the momentum. With the next game in San Antonio, the Spurs would have a huge advantage by being able to possibly clinch the series at home. The Nuggets are favored in this one by 5.5 points and the over/under for the game is 212.
Spurs Look For Road Win
The Spurs came into the playoffs with a bit of momentum and nabbed the seven seed. Even though the Spurs are the seven seed, it is not like they are the clearcut underdog in the series. They split the regular-season series with the Nuggets across four games, and the Spurs were 32-9 at home this year. The Spurs also have a ton of playoff experience as well.
Gregg Popovich coached his 278th career playoff game in Game 1 while Nuggets coach Michael Malone was in his first playoff contest. The two stars for the Spurs are more seasoned than the Nuggets’ top two players as DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge both have led their teams to big playoff wins. In crunch time, you can count on these two guys to get the job done.
Can Young Guys Get It Done?
The Nuggets are the youngest team in the playoffs this year, but they still managed to grab the second seed. This is the Nuggets’ first playoff appearance since 2013, and they are searching for their first playoff series win since 2009. This means that the entire team, besides Paul Millsap, has absolutely no experience in the playoffs. The Nuggets’ two main players, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, both haven’t proven that they have the ability to hang with the big boys.
Denver was 3-9 against the Warriors, Rockets, and the Jazz this season. That shows that Denver might not be able to show up and win when they face the tough competition. This is also Mike Malone’s first appearance in the playoffs, which put in question his ability to adjust on the fly in big moments. This is a very young team with a lot of upside, and the future looks very bright.
Spurs Might Soar Past
It’s really hard to pick against the Spurs with all the experience that they hold. The Spurs have the experience across their roster and their coaching staff, which should allow them to cover the spread in this one. I am not sure that they will win the game, but DeRozan and Aldridge know that this is a big game and they’ll come ready to perform.
Take the Spurs and expect them to cover on the road as the Nuggets are favored by 5.5 points. I would also suggest taking the over as there has been only one game with less than 219 combined points so far in the series.
