Germantas Kneita
The underdogs have been prevailing in the Eastern Conference finals so far, with the Indiana Pacers taking a 2-game lead home after their visit to New York. The Knicks will know tonight that a loss in Game 3 would leave them in a nearly impossible position and would likely spell the end of their season. As a result, look for them to come out firing early and to leave everything on the floor. You can follow the action live on TNT.
Check out our NBA Playoff previews here. But for now lets dive into my first basket best bet below.
Knicks vs Pacers first basket best bet: Jalen Brunson (+500)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
The New York Knicks will be desperate not to lose tonight so do not be surprised to see them turn early and often to the only player who has gotten it going for them so far; Jalen Brunson. Through the first 2 games he is averaging an incredible 39.5 points per game on efficient 53.8% shooting from the field. The Pacers have been matching up Andrew Nembhard against him, not bring able to spare a taller or longer defender due to the size of the Knicks wings. It’s a matchup that Brunson should continue to dominate. Nembhard does not have the length to effectively impact his shots while also struggling to stop him from getting to his spots in the post. We should see another big performance form Brunson here.
Karl-Anthony Towns has now been able to win the opening tip against Myles Turner in 3 of the 4 occasions they have gone up against each other. That is enough of a sample size for him to be favored to do so once more. From there in I am expecting Brunson to take charge and set the tone early. Despite the big performances of Brunson the Pacers have still been able to win both games. Do not expect them to change their defensive schemes against him here. As long as no other Knick gets hot, they will not mind. That should make Brunson the most likely Knick to open the scoring here.
