New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 1 06/03
It’s the start of the NBA Finals as the third-seeded New York Knicks make the trip to clash with the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 Wednesday night and we have things covered with our Knicks vs. Spurs prediction. New York swept Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals to get here. They blew out the Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 on the road May 25. The Knicks covered the line as a 1.5-point favorite. San Antonio outlasted defending champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals, taking Game 7 111-103 on the road Saturday. The Spurs won outright as a 3.5-point underdog.
In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Spurs own a 60-47 advantage. The Knicks took two of three meetings this season, including a 114-89 home win in the most recent matchup March 1. In playoff history, the teams have met in just one series as the Spurs took the 1999 NBA Finals in five games.
Knicks Seeking to Keep Rolling
New York ran their win streak in the postseason to 11 games as they obliterated Cleveland in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That completed a sweep and gave the Knicks more than a week of rest leading up to this contest. In Game 4, New York trailed 8-2 just 1:38 into the game and by three midway through the first quarter. The Knicks quickly responded with a 9-0 run and led the rest of the way. New York led by 12 after one quarter, by 19 at the half and cruised from there. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 19 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in the win.
In the postseason, the Knicks are 1st in the league in scoring offense with 119.9 points per contest entering this game. New York is 4th in the league in rebounding as they collect 45.1 rebounds per game. They are 1st in the league in assists by dishing out 26.7 dimes per contest. The Knicks are 1st in the league in scoring defense by allowing 100.6 points per contest. Jalen Brunson (26.9 points, 6.6 assists) is the team’s leading scorer. OG Anunoby (19.7 points, 6.9 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists) provide a good secondary punch for the Knicks in the playoffs.
New York is 1st in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 51.5% from the floor as a team. The Knicks are 3rd in the league in threes per game as they knock down 13.1 triples a night. In addition, they are 1st in three-point shooting by hitting 40% of their attempts from beyond the arc. New York is solid at the charity stripe, ranking 9th in the league by cashing in 75.5% of their attempts.
Key Injury Report for Knicks:
- Center Mitchell Robinson (finger) is questionable.
Spurs Shoot for 1-0 Series Edge
San Antonio survived a war with defending champ Oklahoma City, winning twice on the road, including Game 7 to advance. The Spurs now have home court advantage for the NBA Finals and try to start off on the right foot. In Game 7, San Antonio led by as many as 14 in the opening quarter only to have their lead trimmed in half by the end of the stanza. The Spurs trailed by four with 1:17 to go in the first half before going on a 7-0 run to lead by three at intermission. San Antonio trailed by three early in the third quarter before an 8-0 run gave them the lead for good. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 22 points and seven rebounds in the victory.
In the postseason, the Spurs are 3rd in the league in scoring offense as they average 115.3 points per game on the year. San Antonio is 1st in rebounding by grabbing 47.3 boards a night. They are 4th in the league in assists by handing out 25.1 dimes per contest. The Spurs are 6th in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 105 points per game. Victor Wembanyama is leading the team with 23.2 points plus 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks this postseason. De’Aaron Fox (16.4 points, 5.9 assists) and Stephon Castle (19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists) provide additional firepower offensively.
San Antonio is 4th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.9% from the floor on the year. Meanwhile, the Spurs are 4th in threes per game as they connect on 12.9 triples a night. They are tied for 3rd in three-point percentage by shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. San Antonio is above average at the charity stripe, ranking 3rd in the league by converting 80.1% of their attempts.
Key Injury Report for Spurs:
- No Key Injuries
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The Knicks are on a massive heater right now, having hammered their way to 11 straight victories in the postseason. New York won 10 of those games by at least 13 points, including six straight on the road in that span. San Antonio is tough and their young guys have stepped up ahead of schedule at this point in time. The Spurs have home court but they’ll need their backcourt to step up and avoid getting swallowed up by the Knicks’ wing defenders. In the end though, Wembanyama showed that his team can slay the giants. Look for the Spurs to earn the victory here, snapping the Knicks’ impressive win streak.
Our Prediction: Spurs -4.5 (-110, DraftKings)(-110, DraftKings)
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