Suns-Lakers Game 3 odds: Phoenix comes in as 7-point underdogs
May 27, 2021, 10:41 AM
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) and Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) battle with Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) for the ball during the first half of Game 2 of their NBA basketball first-round playoff series Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Ever since the initial first-round odds came out favoring the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers over the No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns, it’s been clear who Las Vegas is putting its money on to win the series.
And while a Game 1 Suns victory made the odds a bit tighter, Phoenix was still the home dog in Game 2 thanks to a hobbled Chris Paul.
Paul’s limited range of mobility paired with the Lakers’ return home to Staples Center on Thursday has since shot the odds back up in Los Angeles’ favor, with LeBron James and Co. considered seven-point favorites among a majority of betting sites. No one has the Lakers favored less than 6.5 points.
The Suns enter Game 3 with a massive question mark in Paul despite the point guard being listed as probable on Wednesday’s injury report. After suffering what the team is calling a right shoulder contusion in Game 1, Paul was clearly not his normal self on Tuesday.
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The point guard played just 23 minutes with a majority of his time in the second half spent on the bench. He finished with six points, five assists and three rebounds in the limited showing.
He gave way to Cam Payne, who turned in one his best performances as a Sun with 19 points and seven assists over 33 minutes (season high), though his play was not enough to edge the Suns past the Lakers.
If Paul is limited in what he can do Thursday, the Suns could turn to the duo of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton to carry the load yet again in their first career playoff series.
Ayton has a pair of strong double-double performances, including a Game 1 that saw the big man drop 21 points and grab 16 rebounds.
As for Booker, the guard has already etched his name in the history books after back-to-back 30-point efforts. He’s one of only four players to score at least 30 points in their first two career playoff games, joining Paul (2008), Julius Erving (1977) and Lew Alcindor (1970), according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Phoenix looks to regain the first-round series lead over Los Angeles on Thursday night at 7 p.m. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for all the action.
