After a three day break, the NBA Playoffs resumed again on Saturday. There are three games on the schedule for Sunday, including a huge Game 6 showdown between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
Denver won the series opener over the Utah Jazz, but then lost three straight games. With their season on the line in Game 5, the Nuggets took a 117-107 victory.
Utah still holds a 3-2 series lead, and they could move on to the next round with a win Sunday. These Northwest Division rivals are incredibly familiar with one another, which has made for an entertaining series.
The Utah Jazz are 2.5-point favorites over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6.
Murray Coming Up Huge For Denver
The Denver Nuggets have not been a great offensive team during the 2019-20 season, but one player has stepped up his scoring in these playoffs. Point guard Jamal Murray has been on a tear of late, and the Jazz have struggled to slow him down.
Murray scored 50 points in the Game 4 loss, and then came back with 42 points in the Game 5 win earlier this week. 33 of those points were scored in the second half, and the Nuggets can’t afford to take their star off the floor.
All-Star center Nikola Jokic has also played well in this series, and he is averaging more than 26 points per game. The Nuggets will need both Murray and Jokic to have another strong performance if they want to keep their season alive.
The Nuggets have also struggled on the defensive end of the floor in this series, which is not typical for this team. Denver gave up just 109 points per game during the regular season, but the Jazz have scored at least 124 points in four of the five games.
Jazz Need Offense to Return
Utah will be looking to find their offense again after scoring 107 points in the Game 5 loss. Three-point shooting has been a challenge for the Jazz, and they will need to shoot it well to win this game.
Donovan Mitchell is the one player that has consistently played well for Utah, and he is scoring more than 37 points per game in this series. Mitchell and Murray have been locked in a one-on-one scoring duel in the last two games, and the Jazz need their star to win the matchup in Game 6.
Center Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double with 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, but he needs to be a better rim protector in this game. Murray has been scoring a ton of points in the paint, and the Jazz have to find a way to slow him down.
Nuggets Keep Season Alive
Most NBA experts predicted that this series would go all seven games before the series began, and it could still play out that way. Utah looked to be in complete control of the series after Game 4, but Denver now has some life again.
Jamal Murray has been on a tear of late for the Nuggets, and the Jazz don’t have anyone to stop him. The Nuggets will be playing a desperate basketball brand, which could pose some problems for the Jazz.
Look for this contest to be close as both teams are very evenly matched. Game 6 will likely be decided in the final few minutes, but the Denver Nuggets will come away with the win.
Bet the Denver Nuggets +2.5 over the Utah Jazz in this Game 6 on Sunday night.
