Germantas Kneita
Alot will be on the line in the NBA Playoffs on Saturday. To begin the day the Miami Heat will be hoping to avoid a 3-0 hole that the Memphis Grizzlies already find themselves in. They will be trying to dig themselves out of that situation later which will also be followed by the Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers. A great day of continuous basketball ahead!
You can find our NBA previews here. But for now check out my favorite player props for NBA Saturday below.
Tyler Herro (MIA) over 25.5 points (-115)
Tyler Herro’s offense has been a bright spark for the Miami Heat, especially his performance in Game 2. There he went off for 33 points on efficient 58.3 percent shooting from the field. He should continue being aggressive in Game 3 too. He is one of the few Heat players who is capable of creating his own shots off the dribble. Also has a size advantage over both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, which should allow him to continue getting his shots off with efficiency. The Cavaliers have also allowed the Heat to take 38 3-pointers per game, the 3rd most allowed to opponents in the NBA during these playoffs. With Herro being 37.5% shooter from beyond the arc, he can punish them here. With increased usage, Herro should put together a big night.
Scotty Pippen Jr. (MEM) over 10.5 rebounds & assists (+100)
With Ja Morant confirmed out for Game 4, Scotty Pippen Jr. should see a big bump in minutes. He has been a triple-double threat in those situations. His season stars reflect that, with the guard averaging 7.7 rebounds and assists in just over 21 minutes of action. Considering he played for 38 minutes in the last meeting against the Thunder, and with him carrying an added playmaking burden without Morant in the lineup, he should be able to contribute across the board. The Thunder do have plenty of size and rim protection at the rim, which should encourage an undersized guard like Pippen Jr. to dish the ball out on drives to the rim. And with the likes of Holmgren stretching the floor, the Grizzlies bigs will have to vacate the paint, giving a chance for the guard to jump in and grab boards.
Nikola Jokic (DEN) over 27.5 points (-105)
After a loss in Game 3 of the series the Nuggets have their backs against the wall, and I expect Nikola Jokic to come out firing. He has been less aggressive looking for his own shot of late, with 30 combined attempts in the last 2 games as opposed to 24 in Game 1. Considering that was the game they won, do not be surprised to see him revert to that here. Jokic was also able to score at least 28 points in 2 of the 3 regular season games, including a 41-point performance. Ivica Zubac does have the size to make things difficult for him, but Jokic has shown he is more than capable of overcoming the challenge. So far the MVP is making 46.7% in the series and should have the ability to stretch the floor and pull Zubac out to a territory where he can take the Croatian out of his comfort zone.
