Two potential NBA playoff elimination games will be taking place on tonight’s slate. The Indiana Pacers have officially punched their ticket to the Conference Finals, with two teams hoping to now join them.
Starting in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics will host the New York Knicks trailing 3-1 in the series. The outlook for the franchise changed in a major way following the Achilles tear suffered by Jayson Tatum in the previous game. This injury will not only end Tatum’s season, but likely keep him out for the majority of next year and force the team to make some difficult decisions this offseason. But for the time being, the focus will be on extending this season, and it is worth noting Boston is 8-2 without Tatum in 2024-25.
Then, in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Golden State Warriors, with the series holding a similar outlook. Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring strain in the series opener and remains out, with Game 6 targeted as a potential return. Curry has returned to some light on-court action but will need the Warriors to keep the series alive without him tonight after they have dropped the past three matchups.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action this evening. One of the unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays on Wednesday, May 14. You simply choose whether each statistic will be more or less than the set number. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks for the pair of Wednesday night matchups.
Mikal Bridges More Than 14.5 Points
The New York Knicks sent a haul of draft picks to make a splash and add Mikal Bridges this offseason, looking to legitimize themselves as championship contenders. This specific matchup with the Celtics was one of he driving reasons for making the trade, and Bridges has shown why this series. The Villanova product is coming off a 23-point performance in Game 4 and has attempted double-digit field goals in every game this series, as well as nine of the 10 playoff games overall. Bridges launched 21 shots in the previous game, which ties his fourth-highest in any game this season.
With the Game 5 elimination stakes in mind, look for the Knicks to lean on Bridges once again. Tatum’s absence changes Boston’s defensive approach in a way that plays to Bridges’ favor. At 6-foot-6 with a high release point and a natural fadeaway in his jump shot technique, Bridges’ jumper is nearly unguardable, and he is shooting the ball with extreme confidence. He shot 11-for-21 from the field in the previous game, including 10-for-15 inside the three-point arc.
Bridges has tallied more than 14.5 points in five of the 10 playoff games. The 23 points he dropped in Game 4 mark his second-most across this postseason run. Expect the Knicks to continue leaning on this success in this potential closeout game. The Villanova product averaged 17.6 points per game in the regular season and is scoring 15.4 points per game in the playoffs.
Derrick White More Than 3.5 Made Three-Pointers
Jayson Tatum’s injury has shifted the hierarchy of this Celtics team in a major way. Derrick White has been Boston’s connective tissue, and he is comfortable filling whatever role he is called upon to fill. White has already seen his offensive role grow with the Celtics and is averaging 19.8 points and connecting on 4.3 three-pointers per game in this series.
White has attempted 11 or more three-pointers in three of the first four games, and shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in the lone game he fell short of this. This comes following a regular season in which the two-time All-Defensive team member attempted a career-high 9.1 perimeter shots per game and connected at a 38.4% rate. White dropped 23 points in Game 4 and shot 6-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc. Many of these three-point looks were wide open, with the Celtics’ game plan of driving and kicking proving effective against the Knicks’ defense. While Tatum’s absence changes the equation to an extent, don’t expect Boston to abandon their identity as the premier high-volume three-point shooting team in basketball.
White has also seen his offensive role scaled up out of necessity. Looking around the rest of this Celtics team, Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t look close to 100%, Al Horford is showing his age, Jrue Holiday has underwhelmed and Jaylen Brown is coming off of a poor Game 4. There is a real chance that the offensive responsibility of White will further grow. Count on the Colorado product launching double-digit three-point attempts again tonight.
Jalen Brunson More Than 34.5 Points & Assists
Even when Jayson Tatum was still on the floor, Jalen Brunson has been the clear-cut best player in this series. After averaging 26.0 points and 7.3 assists per game in the regular season, Brunson has increased his outputs to 30.1 points and 8.0 assists across this playoff run. His usage rate has jumped from 29.5% in the regular season to 32.9% in the playoffs. Brunson also led the NBA in usage rate in last season’s playoffs at 36.4%.
In Game 4, Brunson dropped 39 points and 12 assists. He has tallied more than 34.5 combined points and assists in six of the Knicks’ 10 playoff games overall. The Villanova product is a tough shot maker who does an excellent job of leveraging his scoring to create looks for others. Even with strong perimeter defenders like Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, Brunson has looked unbothered in this series, and he has had no issues getting to his spots effectively.
Most of my write-ups have targeted his assist line in this series, with Brunson clearing this in nine of his 10 postseason games, but for tonight’s matchup, I prefer the combined total. There is a real chance Boston comes out deflated following the injury news and overall situation. Count on Brunson and the Knicks smelling blood in the water and doing everything possible to put the game out of reach early. The two-time All-Star guard should continue to be at the epicenter of everything the Knicks do offensively and tally more than 34.5 combined points and assists as New York looks to punch its ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jimmy Butler Less Than 26.5 Points
The Golden State Warriors took a big swing trading for Jimmy Butler to leap into the contending conversation this season. While the results were indisputable in the second half of the year, Curry’s injury has left Butler to lead this Warriors team with arguably less help than he had down in Miami. While going against “Playoff Jimmy” is a dangerous game, Butler has not consistently shown to have this level of offensive ability this season.
Across the 30 regular-season games with Golden State, Butler averaged 17.9 points per game. He is scoring 19.4 points per game in the postseason and has been held to less than 26.5 points in seven of his 10 playoff games. He only cleared this number in three of the 30 regular season contests. Since Curry went down with his injury, Butler has produced scoring outputs of 17, 33, and 14, respectively.
Minnesota is a high-level defensive team that has had success imposing itself against the Warriors’ offense all series. Golden State is starved for offensive production, but Butler himself has not looked up to the challenge. The pelvic contusion he suffered against the Rockets, which caused him to miss a game, should remain on our minds, and Minnesota’s focus will continue to be on limiting the six-time All-Star. Count on Butler playing a key part in this game, but the 26.5 margin is too steep for my liking.
Julius Randle More Than 35.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
One of the biggest winners of these playoffs has been Julius Randle. The three-time All-Star is averaging 23.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds, while producing a 54.0% effective field goal percentage. This comes after some notable postseason struggles, as Randle had previously seen a playoff drop in which he has shot just 34.4% from the field and 28.3% from beyond the three-point arc. But Golden State has struggled against size all season and especially in the playoffs. Randle has capitalized on this and served as the hub of Minnesota’s offense for stretches.
Heading into this closeout game, expect Randle to maintain his high level of play. He has recorded more than 35.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in each of the past three games. Randle has met the challenge of Draymond Green’s physicality, even occasionally producing some old-school hoops.
Look for Minnesota to continue relying on this internal attack and for Randle to be at the heart of things. The triple-double he notched in Game 3, which was the second in Timberwolves history, is noteworthy as Minnesota has trusted him to be a decision-maker within the offense. He is also coming off a playoff career-high 31-point performance in Game 4.
Jonathan Kuminga More Than 17.5 Points
The Golden State Warriors are starved for offense, and Jonathan Kuminga is hungry to provide it. It has been a frustrating four-year tenure for Kuminga in Golden State, with his role changing regularly. This was especially the case following the addition of Jimmy Butler. Kuminga played just 20.8 minutes per game in the regular season following Butler’s addition, after 26.1 minutes per game prior. He was even a DNP-CD in four of the opening round matchups.
But feelings must be put to the side due to the state of the team and the series, which has opened the door for Kuming to produce. Since Curry went down, Kuminga has tallied scoring outputs of 18, 30, and 23. The 22-year-old is playing with a chip on his shoulder and has the size and athleticism to match up with this Timberwolves team.
Even if the series is out of reach, Kuminga has plenty to play for on a personal level ahead of his upcoming free agency. With some sort of obvious rift between him and Steve Kerr, look for Kuminga to continue doing everything possible to cement his standing among his NBA peers. He has attempted 25 field goals across the past two games and will continue to play in attack mode. Look for him to record more than 17.5 points for the fourth straight game and continue capitalizing on his scaled-up offensive role.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
