NBA Props and Pick'em

Karl-Anthony Towns hit 3 shots from long range in New York’s Game 2 victory over Cleveland, but that marked a rare night of prolific perimeter shooting for the big man during these playoffs. Entering play this evening, Towns has made fewer than 2 3-pointers in 7 of his last 10 contests.

Towns doesn’t have extreme home-and-away shooting splits like some players, but the primary angle here is simply a lack of volume. Towns hasn’t attempted more than 5 shots from beyond the arc in any postseason game to date this year. Even if he has 5 attempts, it’s far from a guarantee that he knocks down multiple such shots.

Cleveland’s defense should play with an abundance of urgency in what is essentially a win-or-go-home situation. No team has ever come back from down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals to win a series. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Towns struggle from the perimeter in this matchup.