Jaylen Brunson’s goal grabbed all the headlines, but he also set up his Knicks teammates at a blistering clip, which is the focus of one of our NBA picks for Saturday.
It’s a Saturday to show you, with a 4-game NBA playoff slate and a great night for some free NBA picks.
There are multiple scenarios playing out, including the Magic trying to draw against Cleveland and Boston rebounding on home court from the never-ending Heat.
New Orleans essentially has its season on the line with a 2-0 home loss to OKC while the Lakers try to avoid being swept by Denver again.
Through it all, I’ve picked the best NBA parlay picks of the bunch: one featuring role players, the other all-star.
The NBA playoffs are set for April 27
- Stras made over 1.5 threes, Gordon under 14.5 points, Giddy under 3 assists (+720 at DraftKings)
- Brunson Over 6.5 assists, Jokic Over 21.5 rebounds + assists, Ingram Over 20.5 points (+466 on DraftKings)
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The best NBA picks for Saturday
The NBA’s No. 1 pick
Max Strus made over 1.5 three-pointers
Aaron Gordon Under 14.5 points
Josh Giddy Under 3 assists
It’s been rough sledding for Max Struss, who was signed by the Cavaliers in the offseason in hopes of stretching the defense with some dead-eye shooting.
So far against Orlando, that hasn’t been the case, as he’s shot 2-for-14 from distance in three playoff games, a paltry 14.3% clip.
However, the regression to the mean comes as Strus was consistently good from 3-point range during the regular season, making 35.1% on nearly seven attempts per contest.
Only twice this season has he made one or fewer home runs in three or more games – one week early in the season (three games) and once to start the new year (four).
Speaking of regression to the mean, the Nuggets caught a remarkable role performance on Friday night when Aaron Gordon erupted for 29 points and 15 boards to help the Lakers take a 3-0 series lead.
It’s just the second time in 10 games that he’s been 20+, and his goal line for Sunday is 14.5, a number he’d crossed just once in his previous five before showing up in Hollywood.
The Thunder have handled New Orleans so far, and they haven’t needed much from third-year Josh Giddy.
His 4.8 assist average during the regular season was his first season under 6 dimes, and the playoffs dipped even further as he dished out just three assists over the final two games.
There’s an abundance of talent on the Thunder, and there’s no rush to get Giddy going, at least not yet. Until he breaks through, count on Giddy to play a weakly complementary role to the stars.
NBA pick 2
Jaylen Brunson Over 6.5 assists
Nikola Jokic Over 21.5 rebounds + assists
Brandon Ingram Over 20.5 ppg
All that talk about Jaylen Brunson not being able to score the ball against Philly was negated with a 39-point performance in a Game 3 loss to the Sixers.
What doesn’t get talked about enough, though, is his playmaking, as he’s averaging 8.7 assists, including a 13 dime effort last time out.
He topped the 6.5 assist streak set for Saturday twice in three games, missing the third for one plate appearance. As the lone offensive center, Brunson will dish again in Game 4.
Passing is all Nikola Jokic does against the Lakers, his game the epitome of Tupac’s “How Do U Want It?” come to life as he dismantles the Lake Show.
Jokic is averaging 27.7 points, 15.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the series, and the truth is, he’s not even playing at his peak. His rebound and assist line is set at 21.5, a number he’s blown up in the last two games.
Perhaps the chance to shut down the Lakers brought out his best effort and another dent in his rebound and assist line.
We close out this all-star section with one player who has yet to star in the postseason.
Brandon Ingram has picked the wrong time to hit the wall as the Pelicans desperately need someone to pick up the scoring load as Zion Williamson will be out again on Saturday as he nurses a hamstring injury.
Ingram took just 10 shots and scored 18 points in Game 2, looking more pedestrian than an All-Star as the Pels were blown out 124-92.
That’s nine times in his last 11 in which he’s failed to crack the 20-point plateau. To be fair, those games haven’t been consistent as Ingram tries to work his way back from a knee injury suffered at the end of the regular season.
The combination of the home crowd’s rejuvenation, plus DraftKings’ generous line of 20.5 points in a virtual must-win, makes this a worthy stage to play.
Ingram is averaging just 13.5 shots per game in this series – expect him to take at least 20 and surpass that total.
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