Germantas Kneita
The first Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs takes place on Saturday as the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Denver Nuggets. It has been a thrilling series and we should be in for an explosive conclusion. We have seen stars like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic step up in various games during the series. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see who takes over tonight.
You can find our Clippers vs Nuggets Game 7 prediction here. But for now, check out my favorite player props for Saturday’s massive game.
Kawhi Leonard over 12.5 assists & rebounds (+100)
With the series on the line, the Clippers will be putting the ball in the hands of Kawhi Leonard. He has been trying to involve himself in all aspects of the game over the last couple of outings, managing 20 combined assists and rebounds in Game 5 and 15 in Game 6. It is hard to see him drop off tonight. His rebounding has been incredibly consistent, with Leonard managing at least 9 rebounds in 4 straight games. Something similar tonight sets him up perfectly to hit this over.
Leonard has been a consistent playmaker too, managing at least 5 assists in 4 of the 6 games so far. Considering he had an 11-assist performance in Game 5, he is more than capable of exploding in this category too. The Nuggets will be wise to try and get him to give up the ball considering they have won both games in which he had 15 or fewer field goal attempts. With the Clippers 4th in true shooting percentage this season, his teammates are still well positioned to punish them, and help Leonard rack up the assists here.
Christian Braun over 1.5 steals & blocks (+115)
The Nuggets have leaned heavily on Christian Braun this series with the guard averaging close to 40 minutes of action per night. With his high energy style of play, it has translated into good defensive numbers for the Nuggets man. He has managed to record at least 2 combined blocks and steals in 4 of the 6 games of the series. The Clippers finished the regular season 23rd in opponent steals per game, so those opportunities should still be there for Braun tonight.
While blocks are harder to come by for Braun he did manage to record a couple in Game 4 of the series. It should not be discredited as a way for him to boost his defensive numbers here. With the series being on the line and tension being high, expect more hustle plays from both sides, with more mistakes too. Backing a player as active as Braun to collect blocks and steals seems like a good way to capitalize on this.
