The Cleveland Cavaliers are under immense pressure on Saturday. By trading 26-year-old guard Darius Garland for 36-year-old guard James Harden in February, the only team with a payroll above the second apron pushed even more of their chips in. They need a win at home to avoid falling down 3-0 in their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons.
The Los Angeles Lakers are also trying to avoid falling down 3-0. Without Luka Dončić against the best team in basketball, though, the pressure isn’t quite the same. Los Angeles played pretty well in Game 2 on Thursday, but the Oklahoma City Thunder still won by 18 points.
Here’s the schedule and a prediction for each matchup:
NBA games today: May 9 playoff schedule
Odds via FanDuel, all times ET
- Game 3: Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5), 3 p.m. — NBC/Peacock
- Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (+8.5), 8 p.m. — ABC
Pistons at Cavaliers Game 3 prediction
Detroit had the league’s second-best defense in the regular season, and it stifled the Cavaliers in the first two games of this series. The big question heading into Game 3 is simple: Can Cleveland find itself on offense?
I say yes. The Cavs have a ton of firepower, and if they can just avoid another slow start and limit their turnovers, they can make this series interesting. The third quarter of Thursday’s game should be the blueprint. Pick: Cavaliers (-4.5)
Thunder at Lakers Game 3 prediction
We’ve seen the Lakers get the ball out of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s hands. We’ve seen LeBron James and Austin Reaves generate good looks against a tough-as-nails defense. We’ve seen Rui Hachimura knock down 3 after 3. So far, none of it has mattered.
Even with Jalen Williams sidelined, there’s a massive gap between the defending champs and the Luka-less Lakers. Maybe OKC has an awful shooting night and this ends up being tight down the stretch, but I don’t think that’s the likeliest scenario here. Coming into the series, I predicted a sweep, and nothing that has happened in the first two games makes me feel differently about this series. Pick: Thunder (-8.5)
