- The series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets is tied 2-2.
- Kyrie Irving went down with a sprained ankle in the middle of Game 4.
- James Harden has been upgraded from “Out” to “Doubtful” for Game 5.
LAS VEGAS - The Milwaukee Bucks held on in Game 4 to take their series against the Brooklyn Nets to 2-2.
The biggest news was not how the game ended, but what happened during it - Brooklyn star Kyrie Irving went down with an ankle injury later diagnosed as a sprained ankle.
Irving will not be part of the Nets lineup for Game 5, and it seems as though James Harden will not either.
Nets have upgraded James Harden to doubtful for Game 5.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2021
These absences reduce the Nets’ big three to one man - Kevin Durant.
Durant has played in five games this season without Irving and Harden on the floor with him, and he’s been quite good in those games, per ESPN.
He’s averaged 34 points per game without his two running mates, and he’s done so on a mega-efficient 63% from the field.
Kevin Durant Featured Prop
- K. Durant: 30+ Points , 7+ Assists, 11+ Rebounds +280
He’ll need to perform up to his remarkable capacity in order to keep the Nets in this series on his own.
The Bucks going up 3-2 in Tuesday’s game could be devastating - it would represent not only a potential six-game series loss, but also would be the loss of the Nets’ home court advantage.
More than that, it would put the pressure on Irving and Harden to return, a situation that should be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately for the Nets, the online sportsbooks seem to think that the Bucks are going to take this one.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets Game 5 Moneyline
- Milwaukee Bucks -190
- Brooklyn Nets +165
This is a pivotal game in the series, and to see the Bucks being nearly 2:1 favorites in it is certainly a surprise.
Even without Irving and Harden, the Nets were able to put up a fight in Game 4, but the sportsbooks don’t give them much of a shot long-term.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets Series Moneyline
- Milwaukee Bucks -180
- Brooklyn Nets +160
The Bucks are -180 to win the series at the moment, and while Harden being upgraded to “Doubtful” for Game 5 could be a marker of an impending return, it doesn’t seem to be enough to swing the odds towards the Nets.
One thing is certain for sports betting fans - the series odds will change drastically based on how Game 5 plays out.
This could be a pivotal game in the series between the Bucks and the Nets, but it could also end up being one of the most important games played in the playoffs this year.
Game 5 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets kicks off at 8:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on TNT.