Brooklyn at Philadelphia

Time: 7 PM CT (TNT)

Philly Leads 3-1

Game 5 Spread: PHI -9

Game 5 Total:  229.5

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Brooklyn Nets have impressively built a young core that has challenged the Philadelphia 76ers in this series. But, ultimately, talent wins over the long-run. Joel Embiid has limped his way to a fantastic series, and Ben Simmons has found some long-elusive consistency. The Sixers lead the Best of Seven 3-1 and can close out this series on its home court where it is 9-point favorites according to NBA oddsmakers at 5dimes. The over/under is set at 229.5 points.

Embiid, despite sitting out Game 3 with ever-present soreness in his knees, bounced back to have another stellar game in Game 4. The center finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and six blocks as he finished with a +18 point differential for his 32 minutes of play. Jarrett Allen, for all his billings as a staunch defender, simply had no answer—save a counter-attack of his own. Allen had 21 points and eight rebounds on 7 of 11 shooting, as one of three Nets to score 20-plus in the game. Brooklyn, however, was able to find little offense from outside its top-three scorers and the strong play of Spencer Dinwiddie off the bench. The Nets shot just 36 of 90 (40 percent) and were outrebounded by 15 boards (!). For all Brooklyn has done right, it simply requires a nearly perfect performance from the Nets to beat a much more talented Philly team. But Brooklyn will be back stronger with its cap flexibility and returning lottery picks. The fact the Nets have even been able to assemble such a strong team without either of those assets in a rebuild is impressive enough in and of itself.

But impressive rebuilds do not win playoff series, and Simmons, Embiid, and Jimmy Butler represent a “Big Three” as talented as any in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers won 50-plus games for the second-consecutive season and are only getting better as its young core matures. Tobias Harris even emerged from his slump to score 24 points on 10 of 20 shooting, as the Sixers shot 50 percent from the field and dominated most aspects of the game despite its 19 turnovers.

The Sixers can focus on cleaning up a few of those rough edges before advancing to the next round, but Brooklyn will undoubtedly scrap its way in a tough Game 5. While the Sixers likely emerge as series victors tonight, the Nets have a tremendous chance at covering the spread which seems egregiously large after a 4-point loss last game for Brooklyn.

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OU TRENDS