After the New York Knicks’ Game 1 OT stunner, maybe it’s time to throw out all of their lopsided regular-season matchups against the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks clawed their way back from a 20-point hole on Monday, while the Celtics missed 45 of their 60 3-pointers, and there’s real pressure on Boston to hit back tonight at TD Garden before the series heads to New York.
I’m digging into the NBA player props for this May 7 battle, and my latest NBA picks include two elite wing rebounders.
Best Knicks vs Celtics props
Tatum o9.5 rebounds (-120)
Hart o20.5 points + rebounds (-115)- Pritchard o9.5 points (-110)
Knicks vs Celtics player props for May 7
Jayson Tatum Over 9.5 rebounds (-120 at bet365)
Jayson Tatum’s scoring cooled off in the second half of Game 1, on the way to an ugly 7-for-23 shooting line, but that didn’t impact the Boston Celtics superstar's work on the glass.
Despite the New York Knicks knocking down 46% of their 3-pointers, Tatum finished with 16 rebounds, and I like the Over on another big haul for him on the boards.
Tatum logged 44 minutes in Monday’s overtime loss, and he’s in line for big minutes again. Though Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be available for the Celtics, there are question marks around the illness that limited him to 13 minutes in the series opener, and Tatum should be around the rim plenty when he’s got the Karl-Anthony Towns assignment.
You only have to look at the last round for the consistency of Tatum’s rebounding tally. He averaged 11.3 rebounds per game in the first round against the Orlando Magic, and with Boston needing a response tonight, Tatum has a long history of answering the call.
Josh Hart Over 20.5 points + rebounds (-115 at bet365)
The Knicks don’t pull off their Game 1 heist without Josh Hart. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby hit huge shots, Mikal Bridges made the game-sealing defensive stop, but Hart had his fingerprints all over the comeback — especially with his five offensive rebounds.
I’m going back to the well with this points + rebounds combo prop pick. Hart has cashed the Over on this 20.5 number in four straight contests, and he’ll have room to roam again tonight with all the attention that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns draw.
Hart’s work on the boards provides a nice floor here. He’s grabbed 7+ rebounds in 10 straight games, and 9+ in seven of those outings.
His shooting comes and goes, but Hart stumbles into buckets with his hustle plays, and he’s averaged 14 points per game across his past four contests.
As one of Tom Thibodeau’s iron men, Hart got to 45 minutes on Monday even after getting saddled with early foul trouble, and he should stuff the stat sheet with that type of workload.
Payton Pritchard Over 9.5 points (-110 at bet365)
The Celtics entered this series without much reliable depth to count on — and that was before a calamitous Game 1, where Porzingis headed to the locker room early and Sam Hauser limped off.
Now that the rotation is being stretched even further, it should be the cue for another steady Payton Pritchard performance. He poured in 13 points in Game 1, making two of his five 3-pointers, and Pritchard could be in line for a larger role tonight.
This year’s Sixth Man of the Year is shooting 50% from beyond the arc so far in these playoffs, and he averaged 14.3 ppg during the regular season. There’s a pick-your-poison element to this potent Boston offense, and it often leads to wide-open looks for Pritchard.
With the potential for a heavy volume of 3-pointers again for Boston tonight, Pritchard is capable of heating up, and he only needs one good quarter to take a chunk out of this O/U total.
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