NBA Playoffs picks, odds, schedule for Thursday: Game 6 for Knicks-Pistons, Nuggets-Clippers

What are the two best words in sports? Here’s a submission for the short list:  “Naz Reid.” “Game 6.” Admittedly, not all Game 6s hit the same. Some series limp to 4-2 conclusions that weren’t all that competitive. Luckily, Thursday’s Game 6 pairing is the top-shelf stuff on both sides, and it should make for an awesome night of playoff hoop.

First, the Detroit Pistons face elimination and host the New York Knicks. That series has been contentious, dramatic and super close — Game 5 was decided by three points, Game 4 by one and Game 3 by two. The second matchup sends Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets into Inglewood for a close-out try against Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. Three of those five games have been one-possession thrillers, including an overtime finish and a buzzer-beating improvised dunk.

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New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons Game 6

Knicks lead series 3-2

Series odds: Knicks -500, Pistons +375

Tom Thibodeau’s team had a chance to close out the series in front of their adoring, bing-bonging fans. It wasn’t to be. New York was unable to get stops in the fourth quarter — Jalen Duren put Karl-Anthony Towns in a pick-and-roll blender, and Cade Cunningham worked Jalen Brunson in the closing possessions.

It would’ve been the franchise’s first series-clinching playoff win on the Garden floor since 1999, when the eighth-seeded Knicks of destiny beat Reggie Miller’s Pacers. OG Anunoby’s improbable late heave had shades of Larry Johnson, too.

Pushed to the brink and looking unafraid, Detroit basically comes home to this classic scene in the 313. Ausar Thompson was an aggressive difference-maker in Game 5, going 8-for-10 from the field, and Duren went Waka Flocka with seven offensive boards.

These two teams have played each other to near-identical offensive ratings. Both are 44 percent from the field with matching effective shooting marks. Detroit is winning on the boards and New York has the turnover advantage, but this is a well-balanced and worthwhile series at large.

Which moniker would win in a fight? Pistons help power automotive engines. Knickerbockers were 17th-century Dutch pants rolled below the knee. That one’s all you, Detroit.

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Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers

Nuggets lead series 3-2

Series odds: Nuggets -200, Clippers +165

What can we expect from Game 6 here? Three of the previous five matchups were loopy, feverish close finishes, and the other two were indiscriminate blowouts by the home team.

Jamal Murray’s annual playoff leap came Tuesday in Denver: 43 points, eight made 3s and seven assists to one turnover. Aaron Gordon is pushing a 50/40/90 line for the series. Nikola Jokić had a deflating seven giveaways in the Nuggets’ Game 2 loss, but he’s tallied just six total in his last three games. Even on an off shooting night (4-for-13), he affected Game 4 with 12 dimes, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

This Nuggets core has no reservations about ruining another Clippers season. Jokić, Murray and friends curdled Kawhi Leonard’s first Clippers playoff run, that infamous 3-1 collapse in the 2020 “bubble.” Around the same time, James Harden was developing his own reputation for crunch-time underperformance. Here’s a chance for redemption. Leonard was good enough to practically claim Game 2 by himself in the hostile altitude. At their best, Harden and the supporting cast have the defensive mettle and catch-and-shoot proficiency to force Game 7.

“The Wall” will be walloping Thursday night.

Which moniker would win in a fight? These Nuggets are made of gold, not chicken. These Clippers are for sailing, not hedges. We’ll give it to the big ships, which enabled metal trading in the first place.

Expert picks

On this day (May 1) in NBA Playoffs History — Michael Jordan dropped 55 points (24-for-45, four steals, one turnover!) and his Bulls beat the Cavs, 106-101. “Jordan hovers above the rest,” Ira Berkow wrote.

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(Photo of OG Anunoby and Cade Cunningham: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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