Germantas Kneita
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There will be 2 teams fighting for their playoff lives tonight which should ensure an entertaining night of NBA basketball. The Toronto Raptors will be visiting the Philadelphia 76ers hoping to pick up their first road win of the series. Meanwhile the Brooklyn Nets will host the Boston Celtics, looking to avoid a series sweep and potentially an end to what would be an extremely underwhelming season.
You can find our full game previews here. But now let’s check out my favorite player prop selections for tonight.
Kevin Durant over 6.5 assists (+102)
When it comes to Kevin Durant of the Nets in this series against the Celtics, a trend has started to develop. Game on game his field goal attempts have decreased while his assists have gone up. It resulted in an 8-assist performance in Game 3, which could be eclipsed tonight. The Celtics had the best defensive rating in the league during the regular season and that has starting to become evident in the playoffs too as they have forced the ball out of the forwards hands. Durant does have shooters around him, with Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving and Goran Dragic all more than capable of heating up from the outside. With a willing cutter like Bruce Brown Jr. playing big minutes too, there should be no shortage of options for him if the Celtics send plenty of help his way.
Read our full game preview for Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets.
Pascal Siakam under 0.5 made threes (+190)
Pascal Siakam has had a tough time attacking from the perimeter so far this series. While he has been able to hit 1 shot from deep in 2 of the 4 games so far, he has been very inefficient in doing so. The Raptor was not able to knock down another 3-pointer in either game and on the series is making just 18.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Siakam was also incredibly effective at getting to the line in Game 4, attempting 15 free throws. That was more than in his first 3 games combined. I expect attacking the paint to be a priority for him tonight too. With Scottie Barnes due to return from injury, the Raptors one more starter capable of spreading the floor. That takes away the need for Siakam to just that. The forward should spend more time as the teams center here, so look for him to do his work on the inside tonight.
Don’t miss our full game preview for Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers.
Dorian Finney-Smith over 11.5 points (-108)
Dorian Finney-Smith is not someone that is capable of creating his own shot consistently, which can hinder his offensive production. But that does make him a prime candidate to benefit from the return of Luka Doncic to the Mavericks line-up. During the regular season Finney-Smith did not take a dribble on 77% of his field goal attempts. Unsurprisingly most of the passes he receives do come from the Slovenian playmaker. Through the year the forward averaged more points per game at home than on the road, doing so on better 3-point and field goal percentages. He has also recorded 2 14-point games against the Jazz so far this series. With the teams leading assist man back on the home floor with him, I would not be surprised to see him exceed that here tonight.
Take a look at our full game preview for Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks.
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