Nets vs. Bucks: The best player prop bets for Game 3

No James Harden? No problem. The Brooklyn Nets neutralized the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2, cruising to a breezy 125-86 win despite playing without their All-Star guard.

Kevin Durant led the way in The Beard’s absence, scoring a game-high 32 points on 12-18 shooting. Brooklyn also received 36 points from its reserves as head coach Steve Nash went to his bench early after the Nets raced out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter.

The Bucks are hoping a little home cooking will cure what ails them when they return to the Fiserv Forum on Thursday night for Game 3. Milwaukee went 26-10 at home during the regular season and won both of its home games against the Miami Heat in the first round.

We’ve examined the matchup closely and have selected the three best players props to wager on.

Bobby Portis Over/Under 14.5 points, rebounds, and assists

James Harden wasn’t the only player missing in action during Game 2. Bucks forward Bobby Portis also failed to make any kind of meaningful impact, contributing just two points and two rebounds in 17 minutes. It was the second straight dud for the Arkansas product, who scored just six points in Game 1.

"Bobby Buckets" is certainly capable of busting out of his slump, as evidenced by his seven 20-point performances during the regular season, but the Nets have shown an ability to keep him out of the paint and off the glass. Expect another quiet night from Portis on Thursday.

Pick: Under 14.5 points, rebounds, and assists

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Blake Griffin to record a double-double

Blake Griffin shut up his critics in Game 1 with a truly vintage performance. The former All-Star finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes and set the tone with his aggression and tenacity. Fans wondered if it was a sign of things to come. The answer, as we discovered two days later, was a resounding no, as Griffin was held to seven points and eight boards In Game 2. The scrappiness was still there, but the offensive production was not.

The Nets would love to coax another double-double out of Griffin in Game 3, but the odds are firmly against it. The 32-year-old only recorded two double-doubles during the regular season, and one of those was way back on Jan. 8 with the Detroit Pistons. Since joining the Nets, Griffin has averaged just 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists and has shown few glimpses of being the kind of stat-stuffing superstar he was during his glory days in L.A.

Brooklyn will certainly rely on Griffin again on Thursday night, but it will be because of his grit rather than his offensive punch.

Pick: No (-530)

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Kyrie Irving Over/Under 28.5 points

It’s hard to know what to expect from a guy who believes the Earth is flat, but one thing we know for certain is that the Game 3 point projection for Kyrie Irving is far too generous. The seven-time All-Star averaged 26.9 points per game during the regular season and has surpassed 28.5 points just twice in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Both of those occasions were against the Boston Celtics, who were missing one of their best perimeter defenders in Jaylen Brown.

Irving has still been productive against the Bucks, but he’s had to work far harder for his buckets while squaring off with Jrue Holiday. He shot just 11-26 in Game 1, and struggled to get open looks thanks to Holiday’s ability to fight through screens and stay with his man.

Irving will produce his fair share of highlights again on Thursday, but Holiday will prevent him from burning the Bucks.

Pick: Under 28.5 points (-125)