The Indiana Pacers won an overtime thriller in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to a game-tying buzzer beater from Tyrese Haliburton and a 30-point effort from Aaron Nesmith.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for nearly 80 points in the loss and will look to help the New York Knicks even up the series in Game 2.
I’ll dish out my favorite Pacers vs. Knicks props on Brunson, Towns, and Nesmith in my NBA picks for Friday, May 23.
Best Pacers vs Knicks props
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Brunson o6.5 FTs (-150) -
Nesmith o2.5 3s (+140) - Towns o11.5 rebs (-115)
Pacers vs Knicks player props for May 23
Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 free throws made (-150 at bet365)
Jalen Brunson came out hot in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with 43 points — his highest-scoring performance of the 2025 postseason and first 40-point outing since Game 6 of the first round against the Pistons.
While I’m not necessarily expecting the New York Knicks star to repeat his Game 1 performance, I am expecting Brunson to get to the free throw line with regularity.
Brunson went 12-for-14 from the charity stripe in the opening contest while the Knicks shot 28-for-40 as a team. The Indiana Pacers took 24 personal fouls in the game — a worrying trend that has continued throughout these playoffs.
Indiana is giving up 29 free throws per game this postseason, the most among all teams, while committing 22.6 personal fouls per contest, which ranks second-worst among all 16 clubs.
Brunson has done a good job of attacking the paint and drawing fouls, as he’s averaged a team-high 6.8 free throw makes and 8.3 free throw attempts per game this postseason.
He’s also made 7+ free throws in three of his last four contests and should easily hit that number in Game 2 against a foul-happy Pacers team.
Aaron Nesmith Over 2.5 3-pointers made (+140 at bet365)
Much of the talk after Game 1 has centered on Tyrese Haliburton and rightfully so, as he hit the game-tying buzzer beater to send the contest to overtime and scored a team-high 31 points as he willed the Pacers to a 14-point comeback win.
However, we can’t gloss over the work done by Aaron Nesmith, who scored 30 points of his own and shot a ridiculous 8-for-9 from 3-point range.
Nesmith is averaging just 16 ppg this postseason but has been a menace from beyond the arc. His 3.2 threes made per game rank first on Indiana, and he’s one of just 11 players averaging over 3.0 threes in these playoffs.
Perhaps the most impressive factor has been Nesmith’s efficiency. Among all starters, Nesmith (53.8%) ranks fifth in 3-point shooting percentage this postseason.
The Knicks have also been pretty bad at defending the 3-point line with opponents making 13.3 treys per game — the fifth-most against any team in these playoffs.
Nesmith has dropped 3+ threes in six of his last 10 games, and at +140, I’m a fan of taking a shot here.
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds (-115 at bet365)
Karl-Anthony Towns had himself a night in Game 1 with 35 points and 12 rebounds to record his eighth double-double in his last nine outings. The Knicks center dominated on the glass against the Pacers, and I’m expecting more of the same in Game 2.
The Pacers are the worst offensive rebounding team in the postseason with just 7.2 offensive boards per game. That’s a concerning trend for Indiana’s offense but a positive sign for Towns, who averages 9.3 defensive rebounds per contest and 11.4 overall per game.
Indiana tends to spread the wealth not only in terms of scoring but also with regards to rebounding, as they’ve got a trio of players averaging about six rebounds per game in Pascal Siakam, Nesmith, and Myles Turner. But because the Pacers don’t have any players that really excel on the glass, Towns should pretty much have free rein around the rim in this series.
Towns has snagged 12+ rebounds in six of his last eight contests and should dominate in that area again tonight.
Pacers vs Knicks betting resources
- Pacers vs. Knicks prediction
- Pacers vs. Knicks same-game parlay
- Jalen Brunson predictions
- Tyrese Haliburton predictions
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