Larry's Picks (1 Live)
Following Jalen Brunson’s scoring eruption in Game 1, the Cavs defended him differently and he ended Game 2 with 14 assists. Now Brunson is coming off another 30-point game. In this close-out scenario, look for Brunson to facilitate for his teammates as the Knicks advance.
New York has won 10 straight by an average of 22.5 points. Cleveland has not recovered from blowing a 22-point, fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 at MSG. The Knicks’ bench will be looking to shine in Game 4 as the team could face another lengthy layoff. Between an influx of New York fans and the disappointment among Cavs’ faithful, the atmosphere won’t be too hostile for the Knicks.
Ajay Mitchell is out, and it's uncertain if Jalen Williams will return Sunday from the hamstring injury he aggravated in Game 2. I'm betting Williams sits again, which would push Cason Wallace into the starting lineup. Jared McCain's role is secure. He's a pure scorer, not just a 3-point shooter, who aggressively looks for his shot. He was plus-28 in 27 minutes during Friday's road win. For the series, the Thunder have outscored the Spurs by 46 points with McCain on the floor. Look for McCain to play 25-plus minutes as his role continues to grow.
The Spurs are getting battered whenever Victor Wembanyama leaves the floor. They might have to play him 44 minutes in Sunday's must-win Game 4. Wemby took a series-low 15 shots and grabbed just four rebounds in the Game 3 loss. With the Spurs' season at stake, look for Wemby to be more aggressive and clear this points prop for the third time this series.
Julian Champagnie was atrocious in Game 2, going 1 of 7 from deep and finishing with eight points. However, he is still shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc this postseason. With Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox dealing with injuries. I like Champagnie to get plenty of scoring opportunities. He was a much better shooter at home during the regular season (46.2 percent overall compared to 41.8 percent on the road).
Right now Mike Brown trusts Mikal Bridges more than anyone besides Jalen Brunson. Bridges played 42 minutes in the Game 1 win, and he has cleared this combined prop total in six straight games. His defense is essential to slowing down Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, so I don't see Brown giving Bridges fewer than 35 minutes. Bridges has shot 50 percent or better in eight straight games after a brutal start to the postseason. Josh Hart could lose some minutes, OG Anunoby is playing just his second game back from injury, and Karl-Anthony Towns is always a candidate for foul trouble. Back Bridges to stay hot.
Veteran guard Dennis Schroder shot 1 of 9 in Game 1, yet the Cavs outscored the Knicks during his 18 minutes. He dished out five assists against zero turnovers and added a steal. Schroder has dished out 16 assists in the past four games, clearing this prop total each time. With the aging James Harden struggling with his ballhandling (6 turnovers) and defense, look for Schroder to play significant minutes yet again.
Jalen Williams played 37 minutes in his return from a strained hamstring. He wasn't efficient offensively, shooting 11 of 25, but he didn't look hampered. Williams had 16 rebound chances and finished with seven boards. After getting outrebounded 61-40 in Game 1, the Thunder will be focused on a better performance on the glass. It will need to be a team effort against Victor Wembanyama. Back Williams -- who has grabbed seven rebounds in each of his two full playoff games this season -- to go Over.
Rookie Dylan Harper started for the injured De'Aaron Fox (ankle) in Game 1 and played an absurd 47 minutes, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. Fox is a gametime decision Wednesday. Even if he plays, Harper will have a substantial role off the bench. He has cleared this prop total in seven straight games, collecting seven-plus boards four times. If anyone can recover from that massive workload, it's the 20-year-old Harper.
The Thunder have lost eight playoff games in their last two postseason runs. They've responded by going 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS. Look for MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be more efficient Wednesday and for Victor Wembanyama -- who had not played 40 minutes in any game all season -- to be less dominant after an epic 49-minute performance. Following Monday's double-overtime classic, the Thunder's depth should be a big factor in evening the series.
Jarrett Allen likely will be tasked with guarding Josh Hart, which should enable him to roam the paint and collect rebounds. Allen got manhandled by the Knicks in the 2023 playoff series and will be looking to make a statement that he's not the same player. In his most recent meeting with the Knicks, Allen grabbed 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Since the Knicks trailed the Hawks 2-1, they have increasingly run their offense through Karl-Anthony Towns. It has worked to near-perfection, so why would they stop now? Towns has recorded six or more assists in seven straight games. Look for Towns to post at least five assists against a potentially tired Cavs team.
The Cavaliers face a quick turnaround off their second straight seven-game series. Rust could be an issue for the Knicks, but the rest definitely helped them heal up. OG Anunoby (hamstring) is practicing fully and is expected to play. New York has dominated its last seven playoff games, winning those by an average of 27.5 points, and the Game 1 atmosphere at MSG will be electric. I would play this up to 7.
Dylan Harper continues to play a big and important role for the Spurs. He cleared this prop total in all six games of the Timberwolves series. I would play this up to -135.