The Boston Celtics managed to avoid getting swept by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and now the series heads back to Beantown for Thursday.
A big reason why the C's were able to rally from a halftime deficit to win by 17 points in Game 4 was the steady play of Derrick White and a disappearing act from Heat center Bam Adebayo.
As Boston looks to avoid elimination, I'm expecting more of the same tonight with my best free Celtics vs. Heat Game 5 player prop picks for May 25. Be sure to also check out Jason Logan's Game 5 picks and predictions before tip-off!
Celtics vs Heat Game 5 player prop picks
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Celtics vs Heat Game 5 props
Brogdown
Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon has been playing through a partially torn tendon in his right arm which helps explain his lack of production lately.
The guard had been averaging 28.2 minutes per game through Game 2 of this series but logged just 18 and 17 minutes in the last two contests. Brogdon's shot was also clearly affected in those outings, going 0-for-6 from the field and being shutout in Game 3, before being limited to just two points on 1 of 5 shooting during Game 4.
Oddsmakers have taken notice of this recent injury news, dropping the O/U on his points total down to 9.5 or 8.5 depending on the book. That still might not be low enough given how much that injury seems to be hurting his play.
PICK: Malcolm Brogdon Under 9.5 points (-115)
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Don't doubt Derrick
With Brogdon banged up, there should be more opportunities for his teammate Derrick White. White logged a total of just 31 minutes in Games 6 and 7 against Philly in the conference semifinals but has upped that to 26.5 mpg over the last two contests.
The Celtics guard has been deadly from deep, knocking down three shots from long range in every game this series. He's shooting a sizzling 39-for-86 (45.3%) from beyond the arc this postseason and he's brimming with confidence after taking seven attempts from 3-point range on Tuesday.
The Miami Heat did a solid job of defending the arc at the start of this series. However, they struggled in that area during the regular season, ranking 28th in the NBA by allowing opponents to knock down 13.1 shots per game from deep.
With the Over 2.5 on White's 3-pointers made paying out at plus money, I'm playing the Over.
PICK: Derrick White Over 2.5 made threes (+130)
No Bam from Adebayo
Miami's Bam Adebayo has been way too passive in this series, especially on the glass.
Although the big man was dominant in Game 2 when he scored 22 points, snagged 17 boards, and dropped nine dimes, he has disappeared in far too many contests. He had just three rebounds (albeit in 26 minutes) in Miami's blowout victory in Game 3 and followed up on that performance with five rebounds in 35 minutes in Game 4.
The O/U on Adebayo's rebounds total today is set at 8.5 and juiced towards the Over at +140. Given that he is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game in 33 playoff contests since last year and has gone below that number in three of his last four games overall, I'm playing the Under here.
PICK: Bam Adebayo Under 8.5 rebounds (+110)
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