The Oklahoma City Thunder have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a potential elimination game set to take place tonight. Minnesota is coming off an impressive performance in Game 4 in which it outplayed this Thunder team in plenty of areas, but it still was not enough to get the win. The series will now return to Oklahoma City, where the Thunder are 7-1 in front of the home crowd across this playoff run.
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 28. 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 5 matchup between the Thunder and Timberwolves.
Jalen Williams More Than 1.5 Made Three-Pointers
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines the Oklahoma City Thunder attack, the growth of Jalen Williams this season may be the even larger story regarding the franchise. Williams struggled a bit in the postseason last year, leading to some questions about whether he could operate as the true co-star the way things are designed. The Santa Clara product answered this by having a career year in which he earned All-NBA honors and he has carried this into the postseason.
Across the regular season, the 24-year-old averaged 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Williams attempted a career-high 4.9 perimeter shots per game this season, although he saw his three-point percentage slip from 42.7% last year to 36.5% this season. Across the postseason, he is averaging 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He is launching 5.4 three-point attempts per game in the playoffs and coming off a playoff career-high six made three-pointers in Game 4.
Overall, Williams is 11-for-22 from beyond the three-point arc in this series and he has knocked down more than 1.5 three-pointers in three straight games while taking at least five attempts in each matchup. He has tallied two or more made three-pointers in 10 of the 15 postseason games overall. Minnesota has made it clear that its top priority is preventing Gilgeous-Alexander from attacking the rim, and this has opened up shot opportunities on the perimeter. Williams has welcomed these chances, so count on him to do the same tonight with the home crowd behind him by connecting on more than 1.5 long-range shots for the fourth straight game.
Julius Randle Less Than 27.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
The Julius Randle roller coaster is in full swing in Minnesota. After an awesome start to the postseason, Randle’s past playoff demons have returned, and his struggles have been put on full display against this high-level Oklahoma City Thunder defense. The three-time All-Star clocked just 28:09 of game time in the last matchup, his fewest across this entire playoff run, and he was limited to five points, seven rebounds and three assists in the loss. Randle had some massive struggles in Game 2 as well, being limited to six points, five rebounds and five assists, which also resulted in a loss.
While Randle is not blameless in these disappointing statistical outputs, the Thunder defense is the larger story. Oklahoma City has put its full focus on limiting Randle and Anthony Edwards, which it has had success with. Across the playoffs overall, Randle has averaged 21.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. In this series, he has been limited to 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The Thunder finished with the best defensive rating in the entire NBA this season and they do not have a player in the rotation who is not at least a respectable defender. Randle has looked increasingly bothered by the defensive pressure and he has been held to less than 30 minutes of action in back-to-back games.
Expect these struggles to continue and for Randle to fail to make a significant impact with the rowdy home crowd backing the Thunder. There will be plenty of energy in the building as Oklahoma City looks to carve its path to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011-12. Randle is coming off what is likely the worst game of his entire season, and the Thunder defense will not be letting up. Count on his struggles continuing and him being held to less than 27.5 combined points, rebounds and assists for the second straight game and third matchup of the series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander More Than 7.5 Assists
You cannot discuss the Oklahoma City Thunder without acknowledging Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s importance to the team. The MVP is coming off a 40-point performance, marking a playoff career-high, and he was just one rebound shy of a triple-double. He is only the seventh player in NBA history to tally 40+ points and 10+ assists in a Conference Finals matchup.
However, this is not much of an outlier for how he has performed on the season overall. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged an NBA-best 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game across the regular season. Through the opening 15 games of the playoffs, he is averaging 29.5 points, 6.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Gilgeous-Alexander is a score-first player, but he is capable of picking apart a defense when multiple bodies are thrown his direction. This has been put on full display in this series, with Gilgeous-Alexander tallying at least six assists in all four games of this series and recording more than 7.5 assists in three of the four games.
The depth of the Thunder has proven problematic for Minnesota, but the top of its defensive priority list continues to be limiting Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring. Oklahoma City has plenty of options within its rotation of players who can punish the Timberwolves offensively. Expect the role players to step up with the home crowd behind them and for Gilgeous-Alexander to be completely comfortable deferring when the situation calls for it. Look for him to build off his 10-assist performance in the previous game and tally more than 7.5 assists for the fourth time in this series.
Donte DiVincenzo More Than 2.5 Made Three-Pointers
After finding his full stride in the NBA with the New York Knicks last season, Donte DiVincenzo was traded to Minnesota as part of the package for Karl-Anthony Towns. It has been an up-and-down season in Minnesota for the scrappy guard, with his minutes more limited at this new location. However, the postseason scars that he has already developed have proven valuable in this series, with the Villanova product showing once again he is at his best when the lights are the brightest. So far in this playoffs overall, he is averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 31.0% on his 6.0 three-point attempts per game.
However, he has been much more productive in this series against the Thunder. He is coming off a 21-point performance in Game 4 in which he shot 5-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc. DiVincenzo has connected on at least two three-pointers in all four games in this series, shooting 12-for-28 (42.9%) overall from beyond the arc. As a team, the Timberwolves are launching 42.8 three-point attempts per game. DiVincenzo has been among the biggest beneficiaries of this spike in volume and will be willing to let it fly whenever he has the opportunity.
With the series on the line, expect DiVincenzo to leave it all on the floor tonight and continue benefiting from all the attention paid to Anthony Edwards. Minnesota has leaned on his ability to serve as an additional creator, and he is getting some wide-open looks with Edwards serving as such a priority for the Thunder defense. DiVincenzo is averaging 7.0 three-point attempts per game in this series and he has a strong enough track record as a shooter to continue backing him. Look for him to continue to make the most of his opportunity and desperately look to give Minnesota a chance by connecting on more than 2.5 made three-pointers tonight.
Naz Reid More Than 5.5 Rebounds
While he continues to hold his place as one of the biggest fan-favorites among the Minnesota faithful, this has not been a series that will be remembered very fondly by Naz Reid. The former Sixth Man of the Year shot a combined 0-for-12 in the opening two games of the series and will be returning to Oklahoma City tonight, where he had those struggles. Across the opening four games of the series, he is averaging 8.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 37.9% from the field and 17.6% from beyond the three-point line.
This comes after a regular season in which Reid averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the three-point arc. He has been bothered by the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder defense, with the 11 points he tallied in Game 4 marking his highest scoring output of the series. However, this has not stopped the 6-foot-9 forward from making an impact on the boards.
Reid has tallied more than 5.5 rebounds in all four games in this series, including eight rebounds in three of the four games. The struggles of Julius Randle have opened the door for additional minutes for the bench sparkplug, and he has taken his frustrations out on the glass. Oklahoma City has opted to reduce the double big man lineups and has started the second half without Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor in back-to-back games. Expect Reid to continue asserting himself and make an impact rebounding the basketball again tonight. The LSU product plays with a high level of physicality and will have the size advantage in most of the matchups he has faced. He tallied more than 5.5 rebounds in 39 regular-season games and four straight in this series. Look for him to add to this total and pull in more than 5.5 rebounds again tonight in this must-win matchup.
Rudy Gobert More Than 7.5 Points
Scoring may not be at the top of the list when thinking of Rudy Gobert’s skillset as a basketball player. But the four-time Defensive Player of the Year is coming off a 13-point performance in the previous game and he has tallied as many as 27 points in a game during this playoff run. His 7-foot-1 frame and activity around the rim provide a clear path to generating offensive rebounding chances and clear putback opportunities. Gobert has tallied more than 7.5 points in six of the past 10 postseason games and in 55 of the 72 regular-season games he participated in.
These putback opportunities have been further magnified by the struggles of Julius Randle and the willingness of the Oklahoma City Thunder to play more small-ball lineups. Randle is coming off his five-point performance in which he shot just 1-for-7 from the field in his playoff-low 28:09 of game action. The Timberwolves will need to continue counting on some sort of big man production on the floor, and Gobert will have the inside track to filling this. Oklahoma City’s high-quality defense is important to note, but Gobert sees his scoring opportunities almost exclusively through putbacks and lob opportunities, so this is not as big of a concern.
Without much optimism that Randle will bounce back and receive expanded minutes, look for Gobert to continue delivering as the primary big man for this Timberwolves team. The Frenchman can play with more physicality than Chet Holmgren, which is noteworthy as the Thunder have been more conservative in giving Hartenstein minutes. Gobert tallied seven offensive rebounds in the previous game and turned this into 13 points scored. Look for him to produce at a similar rate and tally more than 7.5 points for the seventh time in the past 11 games.
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!
