Published Jun 1, 12:35am ET by
James Tillman - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 1, 12:35am ET
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Updated Jun 1, 12:35am ET
Wednesday’s NBA Playoff action features the San Antonio Spurs hosting the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Who has the edge in our Spurs vs Knicks pick?
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| San Antonio Spurs | -5 (-110) |
| New York Knicks | +5 (-110) |
San Antonio faced a series deficit for only the second time in these playoffs. After answering the bell with a blowout win in Game 6, the Silver and Black followed that up with a 111-103 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7.
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The Spurs led by seven after the opening stanza before seeing their lead trimmed to three entering the fourth quarter. While Carson Wallace's 14-point effort in the quarter allowed OKC to hang around, San Antonio prevailed in a game in which it led for 92 percent of the time.
As has been the case during their postseason run, San Antonio got crucial minutes from multiple players. Victor Wembanyama put up 22 points and collected seven rebounds. Juian Champagnie finished with 20 points and six boards, converting six of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. All in all, the Spurs' offense placed seven players in double figures.
While the Spurs had to survive a grueling seven-game set against OKC, the Knicks punched their ticket to the Finals, courtesy of a 130-93 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
New York raced out to a 38-26 advantage after the first 12 minutes and never looked back. The road team went on to outscore its opponent in every quarter on its way to an easy 37-point win.
Karl-Anthony Towns led six double-digit scorers. He scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for a Knicks squad that shot 49 percent overall and 44 percent from 3-point territory.
During its 11-game win streak, New York has outscored the opposition by 23.8 points per outing. Furthermore, they have closed out all their playoff series on the road, averaging a 39.3-point margin of victory per game.
San Antonio enters this contest as a five-point favorite. Here's a look at what you need to know for both teams ahead of Game 1.
The Spurs are 2-3 in the previous five meetings in this series. On the other side, New York is 8-2 in its last 10 road games. The trends favor the Knicks, but the edge goes to the battle-tested San Antonio team that upended the defending champs.
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Pick
San Antonio Spurs (-5)
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