The New York Knicks need a win on Thursday night to keep their season alive.
The pregame narrative: New York is a -175 favourite at home against the Indiana Pacers, who are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years. Indiana typically deploys a balanced approach, but Tyrese Haliburton exploded last game with a 32-point triple-double.
I’m targeting Haliburton and fading a banged-up Karl-Anthony Towns in my Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks for Game 5 on May 29.
Pacers vs. Knicks prop picks
Best bet: Haliburton over 9.5 assists (-122)
Haliburton is coming off an absolutely masterful performance against the Knicks in Game 4, when he finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists.
That matched his highest assist total of this playoff run and brought his postseason-long average up to 9.8 APG.
Haliburton, 24, has been an elite passer in the NBA for years now. Since being traded to the Pacers in the middle of 2021-22, he has averaged 10.1 assists in regular-season play.
Last year, Haliburton was the NBA assist leader (10.9 APG).
All of this is to say that a 10-assist night is well within reach for the Indiana point guard. After all, he’s cashed this bet in three of four games in this series — and eight of 14 in the playoffs.
One of the Pacers’ greatest strengths is their scoring depth. They had eight players this season who averaged north of 9.0 PPG.
What that tells me is that Haliburton has no shortage of scoring outlets to dish to. He leads the NBA playoffs in passes per game (76.1) and should continue to rack up assists.
Key stat: Haliburton is 4-2 vs. this prop when facing the Knicks this season, cashing the bet in both matchups in New York.
Game 5 prop prediction
Towns under 21.5 points (-125): Towns is clearly playing hurt, and I’m sure he’ll gut it out again with the Knicks’ season on life support. I’m just skeptical about his ability to put up big numbers on a bad knee.
Towns suffered a knee-on-knee collision late in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and was in obvious pain. He stayed in, but he didn’t mask his discomfort.
Towns has gone over 21.5 points in three of four games in the Eastern Conference finals. But the under is still 9-7 for him at this number in the playoffs.
The 7-footer, who is officially listed as questionable with a knee contusion, is already a target on switches when Indiana gets into its half-court offence.
Assuming his mobility is hampered by this injury, Indiana should only attack him more. If so, that should lead to foul trouble or the necessity of a lineup change.
Knicks vs. Pacers prop picks made at 9:12 a.m. ET 05/29/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.