The New York Knicks were able to hold onto home court advantage with an incredible comeback in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The visitors led by as many as 22 points but ended up falling in overtime. They will need to put that disappointment behind them fast otherwise they will be returning home with a 2-0 deficit.
You can find our NBA Playoff previews here. But first, check out my favorite player props for the nights action below.
Landry Shamet (NY) over 1.5 made threes (+110)
Landry Shamet is becoming a key 3-and-D player in the Knicks rotation. He provides them with more size in the backcourt that both Miles McBride and Jose Alvarado so should continue seeing consistent minutes, especially against a physical Cavaliers backcourt. That should ensure he has enough time to influence the game from beyond the arc. He was able to do that in Game 1, knocking down all 3 of his attempts from deep. He now has 9 made 3-pointers over his last 3 games. Considering he is coming into this series after making 58.3% of his 3-point attempts against the 76ers, he is certainly in fine form. This postseason the Cavaliers have allowed teams to make 36.9% from beyond the arc. That is good for only 12th among the 16 playoff teams. Do not expect them to have success slowing Shamet down, especially with Brunson continuing to be the focus of their defensive efforts.
Sam Merrill (CLE) under 1.5 rebounds (-120)
Sam Merrill has one job when he takes to the court and that is to space the floor. Value can be found in fading him in other categories, such as rebounding. He has managed just 17 total rebounds in 14 postseason games this season. It is no surprise that he has hit the over on this line in just 1 of his last 10 games, overall. The Knicks are not an easy opponent for him to improve those numbers against. Among all postseason teams this season they have the best rebounding percentage and as a result give up the fewest rebounds per game to opponents. The Knicks also lead in true shooting percentage, limiting defensive rebounding opportunities. When they do come around, there is a lot of size on the floor in the form of Evan Mobley, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarrett Allen to compete for these misses. As a result, so not expect Merrill to get in among the trees and be a factor on the glass.
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources and never miss a story
