The NBA Playoffs feature three games on the Friday slate. The Atlanta Hawks and the Minnesota Timberwolves will look to avoid falling into 3-0 deficits. There are also two guards I love to have big games in tonight's matchups.
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Here’s how I would approach Friday’s slate in the NBA Playoffs.
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Jalen Brunson More Than 23.5 Points
The series shifts to New York and is tied at one. I am focusing on Jalen Brunson to have a bounce-back performance in Game 3. In Game 1, Brunson was plagued with foul trouble for much of the first half. However, in the second half, he came out and led the Knicks to victory, finishing with 27 points. In Game 2, Brunson had his worst game of the season and postseason against the Cavaliers, scoring 20 points on 5-of-17 shooting. He was also a woeful 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Brunson does a phenomenal job of getting to the free-throw line and was able to attempt 10 free throws in Game 2. In the 37 games Brunson played in Madison Square Garden, he averaged 24.5 points on 48.6% shooting, including 41.7% from 3-point land.
I'm not convinced Cleveland's perimeter defense will be able to stay in front of Brunson, especially considering how great Brunson's footwork is. I expect Brunson to get off to a fast start in front of the home crowd. Despite having a bad shooting night in Game 2, Brunson has gone over this projection in two of the past three games against the Cavaliers, dating back to the regular season.
Jamal Murray More Than 23.5 Points
The Denver Nuggets have a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jamal Murray has been a large part of that success. In the first two games, Murray scored 24 and 40, respectively. Despite Nikola Jokic being the focal point of Denver's offense, Murray has taken on the scoring responsibility. In fact, in the first two games of this series, Murray is averaging 22 shot attempts per game.
Additionally, Murray has attempted exactly 10 3-point attempts in each of the first two games. This play is a purely shot-volume play. With the attention the Timberwolves’ defense is putting on Jokic, opportunities have opened for Murray. As I mentioned above, the shot volume is ample for Murray. Over Murray's past five games, he's shooting 50% from the field and 43.6% from 3. Given the number of attempts he's taking in this series, he should get more than 23.5 points.
