The Knicks won Game 3 on the road last Sunday to avoid a 0-3 hole against the Pacers, and they’re keen to win their second straight game of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday to knot the series to two games apiece. Doing so will not only put them back in the series but also give them back their homecourt advantage, which they relinquished after losing Games 1 and 2 at home.
On the other hand, the Thunder are one win away from the NBA Finals after taking a 3-1 series lead over the Timberwolves earlier today, which would mark their first appearance in the biggest stage since 2012, with the young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden leading the way back then. The NBA 2025 odds expect Oklahoma City to close the series in Game 5, unless Minnesota has something to say about that.
Check out the latest NBA 2025 updates by reading today’s SBOTOP NBA preview.
New York Knicks @ Indiana Pacers
The Knicks secured a 106-100 win over the Pacers in Game 3 after head coach Tom Thibodeau was forced to make some drastic lineup changes that worked. For the first time in a long time, Thibodeau dug deep into his bench, playing Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, and Miles McBride also gave them meaningful minutes. New York also went with the double big combo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup, relegating Josh Hart to the bench.
Brunson’s shooting struggles and foul trouble necessitated these changes, as New York were down by 20 points. With Brunson on the bench, Karl-Anthony Towns was tasked with taking over the offense, and that’s what he did.
The five-time NBA All-Star scored 20 of his 24 points in the final period, hitting shots in the paint and from the three-point line. New York eventually subbed Brunson back in, and the star guard also made some late shots to keep Indiana at bay.
Towns finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds on 8-for-17 shooting from the field. Brunson had 23 points on 6-for-18 shooting and 10-for-10 from the free throw line. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 16 and 15 points.
The Knicks’ defense also deserves plaudits for slowing down the Pacers’ high-octane offense. Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals on 7-for-15 shooting in the losing effort. Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, and TJ McConnell added 19, 17, and 12 points in the losing effort.
The Pacers are sweating on the fitness of Aaron Nesmith, who sparked the team’s Game 1 comeback with his hot three-point shooting, ahead of Game 4. The 25-year-old swingman sustained an ankle injury during the third period and is questionable to play on Tuesday.
Betting tip: Indiana Pacers Asian Handicap -3.00 @ 2.06
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flirted with a triple-double during Oklahoma City’s 128-126 Game 4 win over Minnesota, recording 40 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists on 13-for-30 shooting from the field and 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Alex Caruso added 34, 21, and 10 points.
The Thunder led most of the night and had to stave off several pushes from the Timberwolves. The game became a free throw shooting contest as the two teams traded punches down the stretch.
With the Thunder up by three points, they sent Anthony Edwards to the charity stripe with 3.5 seconds left to avoid a clean look at a three-pointer. Edwards made the first and intentionally missed the second, but Gilgeous-Alexander tracked the loose ball and threw the ball far to drain out the clock. Minnesota threw a desperate heave from halfcourt with 0.3 seconds left, but Williams stole the ball.
The Timberwolves had meaningful contributions off the bench, as Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Terrence Shannon Jr. combined for 64 points. However, the star duo of Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards failed to show up, with no thanks to Luguentz Dort’s superb defense. Randle only had five points and seven rebounds on 1-for-7 shooting, while Edwards notched 16 points, four rebounds, and six assists on 5-for-13 shooting. Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert added 22 and 13 points in the losing effort.
Moreover, the Timberwolves must do a better job of taking care of the basketball after turning the ball over 23 times, leading to 25 points off turnovers for the Thunder.
Betting tip: Oklahoma City Thunder Asian Handicap -8.00 @ 1.89
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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