We could see two playoff series end by the end of Wednesday's midweek two-game slate. The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers boast 3-1 leads ahead of Game 5 road contests and can close things out to reach their conference finals. The NBA's daily pick 'em contest is offering up prizes ahead of tip-off and we've evaluated three props for teams and players alongside a premier DFS target. You can view the rest of the options here and use the information for DFS purposes.
More points between Kyle Lowry and Josh Hart: Lowry
Hart was unexpectedly relegated to the bench for Quentin Grimes in Game 4 and was an inefficient 2 for 6 from the field in 22 minutes. While he likely would've been more productive on offense had he not gotten in foul trouble, his scoring outlook isn't as promising in a reserve role. Lowry will be a backup for the foreseeable future, but his focus is on scoring and facilitating when he is in, while Hart's expected to hang his hat on defense. Hart's scored less than six points in each of the playoff games he's logged less than 30 minutes and could play far less than Grimes again. Lowry, on the other hand, has reached double-digits in points four times in his previous five games.
Will Bam Adebayo make more than two free throws: Yes
Adebayo hasn't been feasting at the charity stripe, but he's certainly been respectable. The Heat's star center made a pair of free throws in Game 1 before making at least three attempts from the line in three consecutive contests. He faced the Knicks four times during the regular season and averaged five made free throws per game in those contests. Physicality will go up and rotations will shorten in a potential elimination game. I expect Adebayo to enforce his will in the painted area to put pressure on Mitchell Robinson and other Knicks bigs.
Will Austin Reeves dish more than four assists: No
Reeves has been an important part of the Lakers' rotation this postseason, but he hasn't impacted games a ton as a playmaker. The young wing averaged 3.4 assists per game during the regular season. That figure has risen to 4.1 through 10 playoff games this year, but Reeves has only gone over four dimes in one of his five home games. The Dubs adjusted spectacularly at home following their Game 1 loss to the Lakers, and I expect more of the same in a win-or-go-home game at the Chase Center.
Wednesday DFS play
Barrett struggled to find his footing against the Cavaliers early in the first round. However, the Knicks swingman has turned that around in five of his past six outings. Barrett's chucked up 16.7 shots per game overall at 18.3 shots per game at home during that span. He's needed to step it up during Julius Randle's inconsistent stretches, and the Knicks won't go away from one of their most consistent offensive weapons in such a critical game. Barrett should be considered a quality mid-tier option on DraftKings and FanDuel.
