Caleb Wilfinger
We are now 4 games into the Eastern Conference Finals and the Knicks are on the brink of elimination after dropping Game 4 in Indiana. The Pacers will be looking to clinch a spot in the 2025 NBA Finals with victory in New York, while the Knicks are hoping to send things back to Indiana for Game 6 and keep their season alive. There’s tons at stake in this Game 5 matchup, which gets started at 8:00 pm ET on TNT. You can find out our NBA picks for tonight’s game with our experts on an 8-1 run, but for now, let’s dive into my Knicks vs Pacers first basket best bet for Game 5.
Knicks vs Pacers first basket best bet: Jalen Brunson (+450)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Knicks opened the scoring in Game 3 and Game 4, and it was Jalen Brunson who poured in the first bucket in that Game 3 matchup. Brunson also took possession of the ball in Game 4 before OG Anunoby drew first blood. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the New York floor general looked to get on the board early to set the tone in this must-win game. It’s well-documented that the Knicks have moved Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup, and the lanky center stepped up to win the opening tip in each of the last 2 games. Assuming Robinson wins the tip, Brunson will likely get the ball in the backcourt and look to attack Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, who hasn’t been able to stay in front of Brunson in this series.
In Game 3, Brunson scored first for the Knicks and he should be well-positioned to do so once again. After all, Brunson is more than capable of creating a good look for himself off the dribble and I could certainly see a scenario where he immediately looks to either back down Nembhard in the post or pull up and attempt midrange. Add in the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable for this game with a possible knee injury, and it makes sense that Brunson would want to get going early and often in front of the Madison Square Garden faithful. This is a fairly short price for a first basket prop, but I can only look at the favorite in this spot.
After a winner in Game 4, check out our Pacers vs Knicks Same Game Parlay picks for tonight
