We could not ask for a much more exciting start to the NBA playoffs than what has occurred thus far. Things have gone to another level at the start of the second round, with all four road underdogs producing an outright victory in the series opener. This continued with a game-winner by Tyrese Haliburton in the lone Game 2 matchup thus far, with road teams currently 5-0 in the second round.
There will be two games taking place on tonight’s slate. To kick things off, the Boston Celtics will be looking to bounce back after the opening game loss in which they missed an NBA-record 45 three-pointers. Then, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder will square off after Aaron Gordon silenced the Oklahoma City faithful in the final seconds with a game-winner. In the opening game for both of these matchups, the favorite held control for the majority of the game before the underdogs stole it late in the game.
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 for action on May 7. You simply choose whether each set 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 Game 2s.
OG Anunoby More Than 16.5 Points
There were some doubts about OG Anunoby ever being able to live up to the expectations brought on by the five-year, $212.5 million contract he signed with the Knicks this offseason. But he is making some people eat their words through the early part of the playoffs and is playing the best basketball of his career. Through the first seven postseason games, Anunoby is producing 19.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
This success dates back to the regular season, with Anunoby averaging 21.7 points per game across his past 15 games. He has been called upon at a greater rate in the postseason and is leading the NBA in minutes so far in the playoffs. While Jalen Brunson remains the epicenter of the Knicks’ attack, he was held to 9-for-23 from the field in Game 1, with a heavier focus on forcing the ball out of his hands increasing as the game progressed. Anunoby has been a beneficiary of this and is attempting 15.0 FGA and 6.9 3PA so far in the playoffs after averaging 13.9 FGA and 6.2 3PA in the regular season.
Anunoby has the size and skill to go toe-to-toe with the Celtics’ stars and will continue to be called on to do so. Expect an increased focus from the Celtics in forcing the ball out of Brunson’s hands and forcing others to beat them. Anunoby will look to scale up his offensive role again tonight as a result of this. He has recorded more than 16.5 points in five of his seven games and expect this to continue tonight. Count on Anunoby to continue rising to the occasion and be necessary for the Knicks’ production by tallying more than 16.5 points tonight.
Al Horford More Than 6.5 Points
Missed three-point attempts were the story of the Celtics’ Game 1 loss, and Al Horford is not excluded from this list. Horford shot 1-of-5 from the perimeter but still finished with seven points and seven rebounds. However, the larger story regarding Horford was the 38-year-old seeing 34 minutes of action with Kristaps Porzingis leaving the game due to illness. Porzingis is listed as probable for tonight’s matchup, but he has failed to truly look like himself since these illness issues started. So far in the playoffs, Porzingis is averaging just 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting just 32.8% from the field and 11.9% from beyond the three-point arc.
Expect Porzingis to continue to work to find his footing and not see his typical on-court opportunity. Whether these struggles are directly related to the illness or the 7-foot-2 big man is just not playing his best, the bottom line is he has not filled his role quite well enough. Count on Boston to lean on Al Horford as “old reliable” within its offense at a more regular rate. He is averaging exactly 7.0 points per game so far this postseason and enters tonight having recorded more than 6.5 points in back-to-back games. Horford played 27.7 minutes per game in the regular season but is clocking 32.7 minutes per game in the postseason.
In addition, Horford has shot the ball much better at home. Across his career, he has shot 40.0% from beyond the three-point arc compared to 35.4% on the road. This season, he shot 38.9% from the perimeter compared to 33.3% on the road. The Celtics will be looking to bounce back after the Game 1 loss and will have the home crowd behind them. Horford can still create opportunities on the offensive boards and put-back opportunities there, but expect most of his damage to be from beyond the perimeter. When lining up the offensive options, New York will be willing to live and die with Horford’s shot opportunities much more than the rest of the roster. Look for him to punish the opponent in these opportunities and record more than 6.5 points, just as he has in 150 of the 192 playoff games he has logged.
Jayson Tatum More Than 9.5 Rebounds
Another player set to benefit from Kristaps Porzingis’ uncertainty will be Jayson Tatum. The Celtics’ star finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in the series opener while shooting 7-for-23 from the field and 4-for-15 from beyond the three-point arc. This comes after a regular season in which Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
Tatum’s growth as a rebounder has been a notable storyline in the past few seasons of his career. This has allowed Boston to have plenty of lineup versatility with Tatum being capable of playing a small-ball center for stretches. With Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles in protecting the rim as the primary big man in mind, this feels like something that will increasingly be a factor as the series progresses. This is especially the case with Porzingis’ uncertainty.
Tatum pulled in 16 rebounds in Game 1 and recorded more than 9.5 rebounds in 26 regular-season games, including once against the Knicks. He is averaging 12.2 rebounds per game in the postseason overall. Expect Tatum to continue using his strength to impose himself on the boards and have a path to leading the game as a rebounder. Look for him to tally more than 9.5 rebounds for the second straight game and keep the door open for him seeing increased minutes at the center spot with Porzingis’ uncertainty in mind.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander More Than 46.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a frustrating Game 1 loss, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kicked things off with a solid performance. He finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and has tallied more than 46.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in back-to-back games. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring this season and is at the epicenter of Oklahoma City’s production. Both sides acknowledged this with Denver throwing additional bodies at Gilgeous-Alexander to force the ball out of his hands at a more regular rate as the game progressed.
Denver has had some defensive concerns all season, ranking 26th in opponent points allowed and 22nd in defensive rating. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a 30.8% usage rate in Game 1 after producing a 33.7% rate against the Grizzlies. The Thunder will continue to look to funnel offense through Gilgeous-Alexander as much as the game allows, but the intentions of Denver to avoid this make me prefer the combinations of stats. The likely MVP averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds across the regular season.
Expect the Thunder to play with some clear desperation in this Game 2 matchup and for Gilgeous-Alexander to be at the heart of the production. There are still some doubts regarding the supporting cast on this Thunder team, while Gilgeous-Alexander has been mostly as advertised in this postseason setting. Oklahoma City will need him to play like the true superstar he is capable of being, and I like his chances of recording more than 46.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in the third straight game.
Jalen Williams Less Than 22.5 Points
Speaking of the uncertain supporting cast, there will need to be a difficult conversation surrounding Jalen Williams if his level of play continues this way in the playoffs. Across the regular season, the Santa Clara product averaged 21.6 points, 5.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds. He tallied 20+ points in each of the matchups against the Grizzlies, but Williams was held to 16 points in Game 1 of this series. His efficiency has taken a dip, including shooting just 26.7% from beyond the three-point arc so far in the postseason.
Denver will be willing to sell out to force anyone outside of Gilgeous-Alexander to beat it, Jalen Williams included. He was held to 12 points in two of the four regular-season matchups with the Nuggets. Williams was also held to less than 22.5 points in 40 of the 69 games in the regular season.
Williams shot just 5-for-20 from the field in the previous game, including 2-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc. He still needs to earn his stripes from a postseason perspective, and there are some legitimate concerns with his approach and production. He fell short of this number in 14 of the past 28 games, even including not having the playoff setting where every point is more difficult to come by. This number feels a bit too high based on his sporadic levels of efficiency and the moment looking a bit too large for stretches. Expect these struggles to continue today and for Williams to be held to less than 22.5 points in the Game 2 matchup.
Russell Westbrook More Than 19.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
The Russell Westbrook experience is one of the more unique roller-coaster rides of any player. But the former MVP has been a clear net positive across this playoff run with the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook is playing 26.2 minutes per game, averaging 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in these playoffs. He has recorded more than 19.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in five of the seven postseason games thus far.
Denver’s depth was already a point of concern for this Nuggets team, and this has only increased since the playoffs started. Michael Porter Jr. is clearly battling through a notable shoulder injury, while Aaron Gordon is also banged up. There are only six players on Denver’s roster playing over 14 minutes per game, with Westbrook headlining the bench opportunities. He has made the most of these chances with his energy, making a direct impact that translates to the box score. While there are still some moments where it feels like there is a bit too much Russell Westbrook or a streak of disappointing decisions, what he has brought to the table has greatly outweighed this.
The biggest concern surrounding this Thunder team has been their inexperience in a postseason setting. It is not time to begin celebrating this belief after one win, but Westbrook will never seem like he doesn’t belong or that the moment is too large for him. Count on Westbrook to continue making his impact felt in this matchup and do whatever he is asked to tonight. Look for him to record more than 19.5 combined points, rebounds and assists for the sixth time in these first eight playoff games and for his energy to be necessary with injuries continuing to take a toll.
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!
