We have two games this Sunday, and what will they be? Better than Scooby snacks I can imagine. The Knicks and Heat have revived what was once one of the fiercest rivalries of the late 1990s. The teams have been in the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, and they’ve had fierce battles, defined by defense and physicality. I feel nostalgic now just thinking about it.
While the teams’ iterations in 2022 are different, both teams play methodically and take pride in playing good defense. Madison Square Garden will be rocking, but Jimmy Butler has been a player of extraordinary size so far in these playoffs.
On the other coast, we have Game 7 in Sacramento. Remember when the organization was getting slammed for swapping Terese Halliburton for Domantas Sabonis? Well done, Monty McNair. I did well. There is a team available in the 30-team fantasy basketball league that needs to be rebuilt. I think you’ll do well with it.
I subscribe to the Game of Death philosophy when it comes to sports, where teams must climb each set of ladders, defeating the boss in each level before facing off against Karim. This was one of the reasons I was skeptical of the Kings in the post-season. The other was due to the defense or not.
Well, the offense is very good, they play at a high tempo and Mike Brown has used his intimate knowledge of the Warriors to frustrate them at times. Will Game 7 be too much for the young and inexperienced Kings? Or have they reached their winning streak on the road in San Francisco and are ready to advance to the next round?
During the NBA Playoffs, the athleteTheir writers will make their direct choices. You’ll find picks, coverage, and the latest odds here. Our in-depth coverage of the NBA is linked below to the picks. For live NBA odds from BetMGM, click here.
No. 5 Knicks vs. No. 8 Heat
1 p.m. ET on ABC
What are the odds for the Knicks vs. Heat?
String odds: Nix -160, temp +135
This could be a dirty draw for the series, conjuring up images of the dapper Pat Riley patrolling the bench per side.
During the regular season, the Knicks were 26th in offensive speed while the Heat was 29th. There is, however, a glimmer of light for those who agonized over the odds of watching a Knicks Heat streak from the 1990s, in which teams combined between 247 and 242 points. In two head-to-head matches during the regular season.
Offensive and defensive ratings were mirror images of each other. Miami was ranked ninth in the defensive rankings, while New York was nineteenth. On offense, the Knicks finished fourth while the Heat ranked twenty-fifth.
During the regular season, these teams met four times, and New York won three times. The home team won three of those contests, with the Knicks getting their only win on the road. Miami was 17-24 on the road during the regular season, while New York was an impressive 24-17.
Julius Randle’s stature would be huge for the series. He suffered an ankle injury against the Heat on March 29, causing him to miss the last five games of the regular season.
In the playoff run against Cleveland, he shot just 33 percent from the field and 23 percent from downtown. Against Miami during the regular season, he had 43 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one block in one game, and had 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three pass breakups in another game.
The Knicks have a home court in this series, and it will be a daunting task for Miami. I’ve been getting night calls from my buddies in New York City, and I can feel the exuberance and energy from all the yelling in my ear. It’s not Linsanity levels, but it’s pretty close.
Expert picks for the Knicks vs. the Heat
Number 3 Kings vs. No. 6 the Warriors
3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
What are the odds of kings versus warriors?
The series is tied 3-3
This series was going as expected, with the home team minding business in the first four games. Then the unexpected happened. Warriors beat on the road! It was almost as surprising as it was when I learned WWE was scripted.
The Warriors were 11-30 on the road, the second worst mark in the NBA during the regular season. They were 33-8 at home, so the series wrapped, right?
With Game 6 at home, with all that playoff experience, with episodes from last season still shining. The Kings marched to Chase Center, held Golden State to 37 percent shooting, then stormed off the court as Duke Warner Bros. with a 118-99 victory.
Now they’re back in the friendly boundaries of the Golden 1 spot, where they were 23-18 during the regular season, and looking to light the beam to advance to the next round. As the children say, it will be lit in Sastown on Sunday.
Expert Picks for Kings vs. Warriors
More NBA Playoffs
Knicks Heat Preview: Jimmy Butler, Jalen Bronson’s Game Plans, Matchups, X-Factors
Giant Warriors loss, serene locker room and summoning the energy and will of Game 7
The Kings adjust the series, and the Warriors explode to set up Game 7
(Photo by Malik Monk and Stephen Curry: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)