After the Oklahoma City Thunder kicked off the NBA Conference Finals round with a convincing victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the action will travel to the Eastern Conference tonight. The opening game between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers will take place in New York, with an old NBA rivalry being rekindled.
These two teams met in last year’s postseason, with Indiana winning in seven games before being swept by the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals. They will be looking to return to this stage for the second straight year, while New York is looking to get to this stage of the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
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 21. 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 Game 1 matchup between the Pacers and Knicks.
Jalen Brunson More Than 36.5 Points & Rebounds
You cannot get far when talking about the Knicks without bringing up Jalen Brunson. New York’s captain is averaging 28.8 points and 7.7 assists per game this postseason, after producing 26.0 points and 7.3 assists in the regular season. Brunson has tallied more than 36.5 combined points and assists in six of the 12 playoff games thus far.
While Indiana is not as poor defensively as their reputation sometimes indicates, Brunson will have this matchup circled in contrast to the rugged defense he faced in the previous two rounds. The Knicks star averaged 29.1 points and 6.1 assists in last year’s postseason matchup with the Pacers. He had success in each matchup thrown his way, scoring 67 points with Andrew Nembhard as his primary matchup, 68 points against Aaron Nesmith, and 26 points with T.J. McConnell guarding him.
Indiana is a better overall defensive team than they were last year, but Brunson is attempting 22.3 field goals, 7.8 free throws, and logging a 31.9% usage rate across this playoff run. Expect a clear effort to put Tyrese Haliburton in coverage with Brunson, and for the Knicks star to have success as both a scorer and playmaker. He has already tallied 29 or more points in this postseason run, and is plenty capable of picking Indiana apart as a passer if they send double-teams his way. After playing major minutes just about every other night over the past two weeks, expect Brunson to look rejuvenated with a few days of rest and tally more than 36.5 combined points and assists in the series opener.
T.J. McConnell More Than 6.5 Points
One of the biggest X-factors in this series will be the level of impact of T.J. McConnell. He is one of the best energy guys in the NBA and can swing a game in just a short amount of minutes. McConnell will pick up Brunson all 94 feet for stretches and use him as a change-of-pace defensive option for stretches. He also provides a punch offensively and is a master at maneuvering through the paint to get to his short pull-up spots.
So far in this postseason run, McConnell is averaging 8.6 points per game after averaging 9.1 points in the regular season. The scrappy guard has tallied more than 6.5 points in six of the 10 playoff games, including five games with 10+ points. He also averaged 11.8 points per game in last year’s playoff run, scoring 10+ points in five of the seven games against the Knicks and being held to less than 6.5 just once.
Look for him to rekindle some of this success from last year. While New York’s biggest contributors are clear and will see major minutes every night, Indiana has a variety of guys who can step up on any given night. McConnell is firmly in this mix and will make his impact felt in this series. Look for him to tally more than 6.5 points, just as he did in 57 regular-season games, and see a similar success he found in last year’s playoff matchup with New York.
Josh Hart More Than 9.5 Rebounds
Sometimes players get categorized into regular-season or playoff players. Josh Hart has a place in both categories and has been a perfect fit for this era of Knicks basketball and playing under Tom Thibodeau. After leading the NBA in minutes across the regular season, Hart still has plenty left in the tank for this playoff run. The Villanova product is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in the postseason. This comes on the heels of a regular season in which he tallied 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
Hart has trails only Karl-Anthony Towns for leading the Knicks in rebounding in both the regular season and playoffs. He tallied more than 9.5 rebounds in 39 of the 77 regular-season games and five postseason games thus far. These postseason numbers are also a bit diluted by a matchup with a Detroit Pistons team that put a major emphasis on keeping size on the floor and winning the rebounding battle. The Pacers are not constructed the same way and ranked 11th in the league in rebounds per game, as well as 22nd in opponents’ rebounds allowed.
Expect Hart’s work rate and effort level to shine in this matchup. Indiana also plays a scrappy brand of basketball, but does not have as many high-level rebounders who will be committed to dominating the boards. Pascal Siakam was the team’s leading rebounder in the regular season at 6.9 per game. Hart also tallied exactly 10 rebounds in all three regular-season matchups with Indiana. Look for him to get off on the right foot with a strong start to the series and pull in more than 9.5 rebounds tonight.
Tyrese Haliburton Less Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
Tyrese Haliburton has been among the biggest winners of this playoff run, actively working to change the “most overrated” label he picked up this season. He has played with a chip on his shoulder and spearheaded this Pacers team that has cruised into the Conference Finals for the second straight season. Haliburton is averaging 17.5 points, an NBA-best 9.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game so far this postseason. This comes after a regular season in which he tallied 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
However, his three-point efficiency and volume have been volatile. Across the playoffs overall, Haliburton is shooting just 33.8% on 6.5 perimeter shots per game. His 6-for-10 three-point performance in the Pacers’ clincher over the Cavaliers will jump to mind, but he has been held to less than 2.5 made three-pointers in seven of the 10 postseason games. This is a notable drop-off after a regular season in which Haliburton attempted 7.7 perimeter shots per game and connected at a 38.8% rate.
New York will be the best defense the Pacers have faced in these playoffs by a comfortable margin. Haliburton has not shot the ball with confidence for most of this playoff run, including being held to just three combined three-point attempts in Games 2 and 3 in the previous round. The Pacers are at their most dangerous when Haliburton is attacking as a scorer, and expect the Knicks to be fully focused on ensuring this is not the case. Getting two three-point makes as a cushion is a comfortable margin here, and expect the shot opportunities to be difficult to come by. Haliburton will have his nights, but in the series opener in New York, I am backing the Pacers’ star to be held to less than 2.5 made three-pointers.
OG Anunoby Less Than 16.5 Points
OG Anunoby was robbed of making an impact for most of this series last year due to a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury in Game 2 and was not able to return until Game 7, when he pulled after less than five minutes due to his not being able to properly move around the floor. New York desperately missed his production, with Anunoby having exploded for 28 points in Game 2 before he went down. The outlook is a bit different this season on a Knicks team that made a pair of offseason splashes to bring in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Anunoby’s production has been all over the place in the playoffs. He has six games with 20+ points scored in the postseason, but also five games with 10 or fewer. Overall, he is averaging 15.8 points in the playoffs, shooting 39.6% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the three-point arc. This comes after a regular season in which the 27-year-old averaged 18.0 points per game, shooting 47.6% from the floor and 37.2% on three-point attempts.
Indiana has done a nice job improving their defense compared to last year and has several options that will be thrown Anunoby’s direction. His wide-ranging scoring outputs are a concern, and his struggles shooting the ball can’t be overlooked. Mikal Bridges has stepped up as a more consistent offensive option, although he has had his dips as well, and expect this to carry into this series. Anunoby was held to less than 16.5 points in 35 regular-season games, including one of the two matchups with the Pacers. Expect Brunson to lead the charge tonight, and for Anunoby to be a bit more of an afterthought in the offense in this Game 1 of the series. Look for him to be held to less than 16.5 points with this being a comfortable buffer based on the shot volume he is seeing.
Myles Turner More Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
After ducking trade rumors for several years, Myles Turner is off to an excellent start to the postseason and has cemented himself as a crucial part of this Pacers team. So far in the playoffs, he is averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and an NBA-best 2.5 blocks per game. Turner is shooting 45.0% from beyond the three-point arc while launching 4.0 perimeter shots per game. He also had great success last year against this Knicks team, which has only gotten more vulnerable from beyond the three-point arc following their roster changes.
Across the regular season, Turner averaged 15.6 points per game and shot 39.6% from beyond the three-point arc on 5.5 long-range shots per game. He averaged 2.2 made three-pointers per night and connected with more than 2.5 perimeter shots in 23 regular-season games. This includes one of the two regular-season matchups with the Knicks, in which he shot 5-for-8 from the perimeter. Turner has made at least one three-pointer in nine of the 10 postseason games thus far and tallied more than 2.5 perimeter makes in three games. The two-time block champion also connected with more than 2.5 perimeter makes twice in last year’s playoff battle.
New York continues to struggle guarding the perimeter, ranking 26th in the regular season in opponents’ three-point attempts allowed. Karl-Anthony Towns greatly struggles to defend pick-and-pop coverages, and New York has been vulnerable to big men who can stretch the floor. Turner is among the best in this category of players, and Indiana will be looking to create opportunities for him tonight. Expect Turner to build off his strong start to the postseason and be a key part of Indiana’s game plan tonight. Look for him to connect with more than 2.5 perimeter shots with Indiana set to attack this weakness in New York’s defense.
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!
