Joe Johnson is old by NBA standards but his clutch genes are still intact, as he’s shown in a memorable Game 1 performance that helped the Utah Jazz take the series opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. Will Joe continue to smoke hot tonight? Or will the Clips tie the series up? That game along with a crucial Game 4 meeting between the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks make up our pair of best games to bet on today.
After getting beat at the buzzer, 97-95, by old man Joe Johnson AKA “Iso Joe” in Game 1, the Clippers will try to even the series up and avoid a 0-2 hole later tonight. The Clips hope to exploit Rudy Gobert’s absence anew. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan had a field day in Game 1, combining for 36 points and 22 rebounds. Utah will lean on Gordon Hayward, who scored 19 points in Game 1, and Derrick Favors. Favors stepped up that game after Gobert’s exit, scoring15 points across 32 minutes. Johnson, meanwhile, has been a big spark of late for the Jazz, averaging 16.6 points in his last five games dating back to the regular season.
The Oilers eye a 3-1 series advantage over San Jose when the two teams play tonight at the Shark Tank. Cam Talbot has been huge for the Oilers in this series, having posted back-to-back shutouts in Edmonton’s wins in Games 2 and 3. The Sharks, meanwhile, hope to find their scoring back, as Joe Thornton expects to play his second game back from absence due to a knee injury. The Oilers are 3-0 in their last three games in San Jose. The Sharks, on the other hand, are 3-2 in their last five at home.
