In the fourth quarter of the Heat's 116-99 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, lead guard Gabe Vincent injured his left ankle trying to keep a possession alive after getting his three-point shot blocked. Ahead of tonight's pivotal Game 5 matchup in Boston, Vincent is officially listed as "out," as his ankle isn't quite ready to be tested in a game of this magnitude.
The 26-year-old undrafted free agent out of UC Santa Barbara has been just as critical to the Heat's deep postseason run as star wing Jimmy Butler. Vincent's sporting a respectable 6.8 net rating this postseason to go along with 17.5 points per game on 57.9 percent shooting in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Vincent's absence undoubtedly puts more pressure on the rest of the Heat's rotational players to step up with a chance to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. From a player prop perspective, pinpointing which players will likely see an increase in usage can lead bettors to a profitable night on the hardwood.
MORE GAME 5: Betting preview | Best props
When analyzing the available Heat player props on SuperDraft, we've pinpointed three props users should consider when crafting their Fantasy Props entries.
Best Celtics-Heat Game 5 prop bets: Best Miami Heat player props in the wake of Gabe Vincent's ankle injury
Kyle Lowry OVER 9.5 points (Promotional Pick)
Miami's yet to announce their starting five for tonight's matchup, but chances are either Kyle Lowry or Caleb Martin gets inserted into the lineup sans Vincent. Regardless of which player Erik Spoelstra gives the starting nod to, both Lowry and Martin figure to see an uptick in minutes with Miami now down two backcourt pieces after Tyler Herro injured his shooting hand in the first round.
Although Lowry's amid a shooting slump in the ECF, shooting just 35.5 percent from the field while averaging 6.8 points per game, we'll take our chances on the veteran guard scoring in double figures, especially when SuperDraft discounts his points prop 25 percent down to 9.5. In games in which Lowry has logged at least 30 minutes a game this postseason (including the Play-In Tournament), he's gone OVER 9.5 points three out of five times.
Jimmy Butler OVER 6 assists
Butler's another good bet to see the ball in his hands even more so than usual, making his OVER 6 assists prop a worthwhile wager. In the ECF, Butler's gone OVER 6 assists only once, but we've yet to see how a Heat offense operates without their lead guard.
With Butler's assist prop not moving much since the Vincent news broke, this is a worthwhile gamble. Butler's complied a relatively high 29.5 usage percentage this postseason, a number which likely climbs towards the 30s given tonight's game doesn't end in a blowout.
Kevin Love OVER 5.5 points
Although he's not a backcourt piece, Love should see more run tonight after averaging 8.5 minutes per game throughout Games 3 and 4. His floor-spacing abilities can lend themselves to two made threes for Miami's second unit. Love's shooting 66.7 percent from deep over his past five games and has stepped up for the most part when Coach Spoelstra calls his number.
