NBA Playoffs picks, odds for Celtics at Nets, Raptors at 76ers and Jazz at Mavericks

the boston celtics are going for a sweep of the Brooklyn NetsthePhiladelphia 76ers are trying to finish off the Toronto Raptors and the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks face a crucial Game 5 in Monday’s NBA Playoffs action. There isn’t much dissension within our staff picks for these games. Will there be any surprises?

Every day during the NBA Playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their picks, straight up. We put our picks and all series coverage, plus the latest odds, all in one place for fans to easily digest and follow. Our in-depth NBA coverage is linked below the picks. Game recaps and previews by Zach Harper. For live NBA odds from BetMGM, click here.

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets — 7 p.m. ET — TNT

Game 3: Celtics 109, Nets 103 | Celtics lead 3-0

What was the key here? Steve Nash vs. Ime Udoka. The Celtics coach has his guys flying all over the floor. They’re moving on offense. They’re crashing the boards when they need to. The Celtics are pushing the ball when they need to, and the defense has been so overwhelming that it might be worth asking if they gave the Nets a safe word. On the other side, Nash doesn’t really seem to have any adjustments to get his stars into a rhythm. The spacing of the Nets is terrible. Their flow is nonexistent. It looks like the Nets are looking up flights to Tulum.

What can the Celtics do to win Game 4? Everything they’ve done so far. They’ve worn down the Nets game after game, quarter after quarter. There isn’t any reason to change what they’re doing until Brooklyn proves it’s a threat to beat it. So far, the Nets aren’t.

What can the Nets do to win Game 4? Get Kevin Durant his powers back. Get Kyrie Irving his powers back. Implement an entirely new offensive system. Maybe see if Ben Simmons would like to get a workout in. Literally try anything other than what they’ve done the last game and a half. The Nets just don’t seem like they have what they’re supposed to have, even against the best defense in the league.

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Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers — 8 p.m. ET — NBA TV

Game 4: Raptors 110, 76ers 102 | 76ers lead 3-1

What was the key here? Having more of a healthy rotation for the Raptors… for a while. Unfortunately, Fred VanVleet left after 15 minutes of action with a hip strain. He did not return, but the Raptors managed to weather that storm by having a lot more of their switchable, 6-foot-8 prototypes to throw all over the court. Scotty Barnes, the Rookie of the Yearcame off the bench and had a really solid game. Gary Trent Jr. no longer looks like the walking dead as he was battling an illness earlier. Thaddeus Young looks like he’s moving better. A healthy Raptors team is no joke. Unfortunately, we didn’t see much of that in the previous two games.

What can the Sixers do to win Game 5? Feed off the home crowd and stop playing with your food. There’s absolutely some concern with Joel Embiid’s thumb being problematic for him for the next game, the rest of the series and the rest of the playoffs. But no team in the NBA has ever lost a series after being up 3-0. They were up 3-0 for a reason. Let the Sixers fans create a chaotic environment, get out in transition and score when you force the Raptors into mistakes, especially when it’s a live ball turnover or a long miss.

What can the Raptors do to win Game 5? We’ll have to see what the deal is with VanVleet’s hip injury, but the Raptors have to find a way to keep Embiid and Harden inefficient. Tyrese Maxey is a monster at home, and he really feeds off that Philly crowd. If he and TobiasHarris can carry some of the offensive load, then Toronto is in trouble. Remember, they have to score against Matisse Thybulle again too. But the Raptors are more than good enough to win another game. They just can’t have any extended lulls in their execution.

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Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks — 9:30 p.m. ET — TNT

Game 4: Jazz 100, Mavericks 99 | Sets tied 2-2

Who was the guy? jordan clarkson. It felt like he prevented the Utah Jazz from collapsing completely in the second half with his big-time shot making. Clarkson is a certified bucket-getter, and he was making open and covered shots in rhythm against a good Dallas Mavericks defense. He had 25 points off the bench and wasn’t looking to pass the ball at all. Nine of his 25 points from him came in the fourth quarter, and the Jazz needed all of them.

What can the Jazz do to win Game 5? Keep the Mavericks bench quiet. In the previous two games, we saw the Mavs bench really come alive, especially with Davis Bertans and Maxi Cleber knocking down 3-pointers and Spencer Dinwiddie getting some clutch buckets in the paint. Maybe some of that was luck in Game 4 because Kleber and Dinwiddie missed a few really good looks, but the Jazz survived those bench rotations. They helped keep the Dallas bench 13 points amongst four players on 4-of-19 from the field overall and 3-of-15 from deep.

What can the Mavs do to win Game 5? The Mavs need to get back the offensive flow they showed in Games 2 and 3. Working Luka Doncic back into the mix isn’t just some seamless process. He killed the flow of their offense in the fourth quarter, which was previously a well-oiled half-court machine with ball movement, cutting and open shots. Instead, it was a lot of Luka hero ball, which can be effective, but it was constipated for much of the fourth quarter. The Mavs beat the Jazz by making them uncomfortable scrambling in rotations in Games 2 and 3. The Jazz had a set defense all fourth quarter.

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(Photo of Jayson Tatum and Patty Mills: Al Bello / Getty Images)