The Indiana Pacers return home with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
The pregame narrative: The New York Knicks will be fighting an uphill battle trying to do something that’s only been done five times in NBA history. And that’s to win a seven-game series after losing the first two games at home.
I’m targeting Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton in my Knicks vs. Pacers prop picks on May 25.
Knicks vs. Pacers prop picks
Best Bet: Brunson over 38.5 points/assists (-117)
Despite the Knicks’ woes, Brunson has been doing his part to will New York’s offence.
Through two games, he’s averaging 39.5 points and 8.5 assists. That comes with a very efficient 53.8% field-goal percentage.
I was expecting another high-scoring showdown after what we saw in Game 1, but the second contest stayed relatively tame, finishing with 223 total points.
That didn’t stop Brunson from filling the stat sheet with 36 points and 11 assists, though.
Tonight’s contest should get back to the standard. The Knicks and Pacers finished with 247.5 average points in their four previous meetings this year.
A lot of that could be attributed to Indiana playing at the fastest pace among Eastern Conference playoff teams.
That should lead to more production opportunities for Brunson, who’s averaging 30.4 points and 7.7 assists in the postseason.
Key stat: Brunson has cleared this line in five straight games vs. Indiana in which he’s played 35 or more minutes.
Game 3 prop prediction
Haliburton over 9.5 assists (-109): Indiana’s point guard cleared this line in the first two games, dishing out 11 assists in both matchups.
Haliburton is averaging 12.5 adjusted assists (which includes free-throw assists and secondary assists) in this series, according to NBA.com, which further highlights his playmaking ability.
His 17.5 potential assists per game (denoting all passes that lead directly to a shot) in the playoffs rank above any remaining player.
If there is more scoring, like I predict, Haliburton should be able to achieve a double-digit assist total once again.
Overall, Haliburton has cashed this wager in seven of 12 postseason games.
Knicks vs. Pacers prop picks made at 12:32 p.m. ET 05/25/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.