The best versus the hottest pits San Antonio Spurs against the Knicks in a fascinating NBA Finals and take the best to extinguish the New York fire in Game 1.
The Knicks head to the Alamo on an 11-game winning streak, well rested and having beaten San Antonio when they last met back in March.
The Spurs must feel invincible right now having taken down the Western Conference No.1 seeds and reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 Prediction & Player Props
San Antonio Spurs -4.5 (-110)
Narratives can change during the playoffs and it is hard to ignore the messages that have been sent out by the New York Knicks en route to their first Finals since 1999.
Losing 2-1 to Atlanta in the first round, what happened next few had scripted. They won three in a row to see off the Hawks and then swept both the Sixers and Cavaliers to take an 11-0 record to Texas for Game 1 of the Finals.
Whatever caveats you stick next to Philadelphia and Cleveland - and there are plenty - it has been impressive stuff from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the gang.
And being plus-262 over those 11 games, the most dominant any side has been in playoff history, is unquestionably impressive.
But it goes without saying this is an entirely different proposition against the No. 2 seed Spurs, who have just taken out the Thunder in their own house.
And if Victor Wembanyama and co can do a job on MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - and they did - then it's entirely likely they do the same job on a similar kind of guard in Brunson.
The great thing about Wemby is that his stats aren't amazing, but those who said they are a one-man team have been proved so wrong with some real X-factor efforts from the likes of Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie and the outstanding Stephon Castle.
Towns has the pace and muscle to keep up with Wembanyama, but the Spurs can throw more questions at New York than just the giant Frenchman.
Take the Spurs to cover the spread.
Dylan Harper over 17.5 points, assists & rebounds (-110)
A rookie playing a pivotal role for a playoff team is unusual so Dylan Harper, son of five-time NBA champ Ron Harper, needs to take a bow.
The first-year guard out of Rutgers is averaging 25 minutes a game and it's his efficiency which stands him apart.
He boasts a true-shooting percentage of 62.7 and is a decent rebounder for his possession.
More importantly, it looks like he is thriving on the biggest occasions and making statements judged on 18 points in Game 1 against Minnesota and 24 points in Game 1 against OKC.
He averaged 12.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists against the Thunder (remember, the best team in the league), so he can clear 17.5 points, assists and rebounds at home against the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns under 33.5 points, assists & rebounds (-110)
Towns will have to have a career best on both sides of the ball if New York are to make a series of this, especially with so much Spurs' attention focused on Brunson.
Towns will also have to plenty of Wemby-minding, since he has the pace to keep the Frenchman close.
Expect a lot more blue-collar graft from Towns, which might not necessarily translate into a sea of points, assists and rebounds against a team far better than they have played so far.
In two games against the Spurs this season he has averaged 16 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, offering nothing there to suggest he can blast past 33.5 in those three cats combined.
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Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 odds
Knicks | +155 |
Spurs | -185 |
Spread | SA Spurs -4.5 |
Total Points | O/U 218.5 |
Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 player props
Player points
Jalen Brunson (NY Knicks) | O/U 25.5 |
Karl-Anthony Towns (NY Knicks) | O/U 16.5 |
Josh Hart (NY Knicks) | O/U 11.5 |
Victor Wembanyama (SA Spurs) | O/U 26.5 |
Stephon Castle (SA Spurs) | O/U 16.5 |
Dylan Harper (SA Spurs) | O/U 10.5 |
Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 Team news
The Knicks are trying to give center Mitch Robinson as much time as possible to recover from finger surgery.
Robinson has gone on court since the operation, but Game 1 still looks like a major ask for the big man.
The Spurs are blessed with a clean bill of health going into the Finals.
Read the latest NBA news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
