NBA Thursday features two Game 5 matchups in the East and West. With the Knicks leading the series 3-1, this is a potential closeout game for New York against the defending NBA champions in Boston. The Timberwolves are leading the series 3-1, making this a must-win game for the Curry-less Warriors to keep their playoff hopes alive.<\/p>\n
The Knicks are rolling right now, thanks to tough defence and some clutch offence when it counts. They\u2019ve done a great job locking down Boston\u2019s three-point game\u2014holding them to just 15-of-60 from deep in Game 1 \u2014 and creating key turnovers like Bridges\u2019 steal that helped swing momentum.<\/p>\n
With Jayson Tatum out, New York\u2019s depth really stands out. Jalen Brunson continues to lead the way, dropping 39 points and dishing 12 assists last game, while guys like OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns are stepping up big. Anunoby dropped 29 in Game 1 and has been a real problem on both ends, especially guarding Jaylen Brown. Towns has been a bit up and down, but his floor spacing could be a real headache for Boston\u2019s shorthanded frontcourt.<\/p>\n
The Knicks are 5-0 against the spread on the road, so even in Boston, there\u2019s good reason to believe they\u2019ll keep it close\u2014or maybe even steal another win. Keep an eye on Brunson\u2019s three-point prop (2.5 made threes); he\u2019s hit that in three of the four games so far and is shooting over 41% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an ankle\/Achilles issue, the Celtics are facing a major uphill battle. That\u2019s a huge hit to their offence and their shot at going all the way. Now it\u2019s up to Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday to carry the load, while guys like Derrick White and Al Horford will need to knock down open threes to keep Boston\u2019s offence afloat.<\/p>\n
The good news? The Celtics are 21-6 without Tatum over the past three seasons. The bad news? They\u2019ve been rough against the spread in May (1-5 ATS) and their shot selection late in Game 1\u201437 threes in the second half and OT \u2014 was questionable at best. Brown becomes the go-to guy, but he hasn\u2019t fared well against the Knicks recently, going under his PRA prop of 37.5 in six of the last eight matchups.<\/p>\n
Derrick White remains a bright spot, especially with his timely shooting, while Holiday\u2019s defence and playmaking are going to be even more important with Tatum out. Pritchard can also hit the 3-ball if he gets hot, and he’ll get more chances without Tatum on the court. Boston still has the talent, but without their star, they\u2019ll need a near-perfect performance to even the series.<\/p>\n
Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Boston are 7-2 in its last 9 games at home. New York are 2-0 in this series at the TD Garden.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last 10, the Celtics lead 6-4.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s hard to see the Knicks losing by over 5 pts with no Tatum out there. Of course, the Celtics will be desperate but I think the Knicks have built the right team to beat them. They’re 4-1 ATS in their last 5 against Boston and 6-0 ATS on the road.<\/p>\n New York Knicks +4.5 = $1.87<\/a><\/p>\n Same Game Multi<\/strong><\/p>\n The series has trended toward the Under, with three of four games staying below 208 points due to strong defence and Boston\u2019s shooting struggles. Game 2\u2019s 91-90 scoreline highlights the defensive intensity and it should be tough for the Celts to score without Tatum. Pritchard has shown he can score off the bench and I think 12 or more pts should be a safe bet.<\/p>\n Knicks +4.5 \/ Under 207.5 pts \/ Pritchard 12+ pts = $6.25<\/a><\/p>\n With Steph Curry sidelined by a hamstring strain and set to be re-evaluated in a week, the Warriors are in a tough spot. They\u2019ll need a near-flawless game plan to hang with Minnesota\u2014think tight defence, smart offence, and big contributions from guys like Jimmy Butler, Donte DiVincenzo, and Buddy Hield.<\/p>\n They showed in Game 1 that they can compete by slowing things down and locking in on defence, holding Anthony Edwards under 20 points. Butler has taken over as Golden State\u2019s main scoring threat, while DiVincenzo\u2019s shooting and perimeter defence are key. Draymond Green has to play smart\u2014his ability to anchor the defence and run the offence is crucial, but foul trouble (like we saw in Game 3) could throw everything off.<\/p>\n The Warriors have lost ground against the spread lately (just 3-6 ATS), and without Curry, pulling off another win won\u2019t be easy. Still, if they can control the tempo and get solid performances from their supporting cast, they\u2019ve got a fighting chance.<\/p>\n The Timberwolves have been owning this series with their size and defence, especially with Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels making life miserable for Golden State \u2014 who are clearly feeling the absence of Steph Curry. Anthony Edwards has been on fire, averaging 30+ a game and hitting big shots like that 30-foot buzzer-beater in Game 2. Julius Randle\u2019s been just as tough to handle, stuffing the stat sheet and exposing the Warriors\u2019 thin frontcourt.<\/p>\n Minnesota\u2019s won five of their last six and with home-court advantage, they\u2019re in a great spot to finish things off. Their third-quarter bursts \u2014 like in Game 2 \u2014 have been game-changers, and if they can keep dominating the paint and shutting down Golden State\u2019s transition offence, this one could get away from the Warriors quickly.<\/p>\n Naz Reid\u2019s Game 1 performance off the bench (19 points) also showed just how deep and dangerous this Wolves squad is.<\/p>\n Stadium Record<\/strong><\/p>\n Minnesota are 8-1 in its last 9 games at home. Golden State have a 3-1 record in their last 4.<\/p>\n Head to Head Record<\/strong><\/p>\n The Timberwolves lead the head to head 6-4 in the last 10.<\/p>\n Best Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n 3 of 4 games have stayed under 206 pts and I think it will be another low scoring battle. There’s no Curry for the Warriors and Butler has struggled to score without him. Under is also 10-5 in the Timberwolves last 15 and 7-1 when they play on the road.<\/p>\nWarriors at Timberwolves (Game 5, MIN leads series 3-1)<\/h3>\n