The second-seeded Celtics will try to keep their playoff hopes alive and force a Game 7 tonight against the Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT). The Celtics played with a sense of urgency and purpose in Game 5 on Thursday night, winning 110-97 at TD Garden.
Derrick White had one of his best performances this postseason, scoring a game-high 24 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. White was one of four Celtics' starters with 20 points or more. Jayson Tatum also showed out in the double-digit win, recording 21 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. If the Celtics want to win tonight, they will need Tatum to lead the way and have balanced scoring throughout the starting lineup.
As for the Heat, they did not get nearly enough production from their starters. Jimmy Butler (14 points) and Bam Adebayo (16 points) were the only players in double figures, as the Heat were without Gabe Vincent due to an ankle injury. Miami's bench did its best to keep them in the game as Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, and Caleb Martin combined for 47 points. However, they will hope Vincent can give them a spark, who is expected to play tonight, per Ben Rohrbach.
If basketball fans want to bet on more big performances from White, Tatum, Butler, or Adebayo, they can do so on SuperDraft. On SuperDraft, bettors can pick an over/under on two or more player props. If you hit both, you win up to 3X the amount wagered, and the return increases each time you add another prop. Think of it as a "Same Game Parlay." More legs equal more risk, but also a bigger potential payout. However, not all players have the same props, so keep that in mind as you pick your over/under plays and try to win some cash during tonight's game.
SuperDraft Player Prop Picks for Celtics-Heat Game 6
Jimmy Butler, SF, Heat - OVER 0.5 points
We will take advantage of SuperDraft offering a free square on Butler's points prop for tonight's game. The Heat will be looking for the veteran forward to lead the way as they try to close out the Celtics tonight in South Beach. In Game 5 on Thursday night, Butler had 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-for-2 from three-point range. It was the first time Butler took 10 or fewer shot attempts from the field in this year's NBA playoffs.
We expect Butler to score more than 0.5 points tonight and bounce back in a must-win game. The 33-year-old star is scoring 30 points per game at home during the playoffs, which is a great sign for bettors and Heat fans.
MORE NBA BETTING: BOS-MIA preview
Derrick White, SG, Celtics - OVER 2.5 three-pointers made
If the Celtics want to send this best-of-seven series back to Boston for Game 7, they will need White to stay hot from beyond the arc. The veteran guard has been shooting lights out from deep in this series, shooting 58.1 percent on 6.2 attempts per game. The 28-year-old White has not been shy about letting it fly from the three-point line, which has helped Boston win Games 4 and 5.
In Game 5 on Thursday night, White scored a game-high 24 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the three-point range. It was a special performance from White, who hasn't made six or more three-pointers in a game since the regular season against the Hornets on Feb. 10 (8/14 3pt for 33 points). White has gone OVER 2.5 threes made in 10 out of his past 18 games in this year's playoffs.
Max Strus, SF, Heat - OVER 10.5 points
Strus is coming off a rough performance in Game 5 on Thursday night, where he only scored three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range. It was Strus' second-worst performance in this year's postseason, outside of him not scoring a single point in Game 4 against the Bucks in the first round.
However, the good news for Strus is he can change his fortunes tonight at home. The 27-year-old shooting guard is scoring 9.6 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range in this series, which isn't great. But in the first three games against Boston, Strus scored 15, 11, and 10 points. Overall, Strus is averaging 10.5 points per game in the postseason and has gone OVER 10.5 points in eight out of 16 games. We know role players play better at home, so hopefully, this trend stays true for Game 6.
Jaylen Brown, SF, Celtics - UNDER 23.5 points
For our final play, we will take Brown UNDER 23 points, who has struggled to score in this series. The 26-year-old All-Star played great in the regular season against Miami (30.3 points per game) but is scoring 17.6 points per game in the ECF on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
After only scoring 17 points in Game 4, Brown bounced back with 21 points (9-18 FG, 3-5 3pt) in Game 5. If the Celtics want to force a Game 7, they will need Brown to carry that momentum over from Thursday night into tonight. Is there a possibility that Brown erupts for 25 points, which we saw him do in Game 7 against the Sixers? Yes, without a doubt. However, the Celtics need everybody to play their role and not just have Tatum and Brown carrying the offense.
