Following Game 1 in San Antonio, reports have surfaced that Jalen Brunson was the target of some ugly behavior from fans near the court. He handled it the right way, walked away, and did not engage. That is the mature response. It is also worth acknowledging that not every situation ends that way, and history is full of reminders of what happens when it does not.

One of the most notable examples was when Ron Artest charged into the stands in 2004 after a fan threw a beer at him. The resulting brawl produced the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history, cost players over eleven million dollars in lost salary, resulted in criminal charges for fans and players, and remains one of the most damaging nights in the league's history. A fan threw a cup. Eleven million dollars and 146 games in suspensions followed.

That’s not the only time. Russell Westbrook got fined and a fan got permanently banned from Utah Jazz games after a courtside confrontation in 2019 that both sides disputed. NHL’s most notable example was when Tie Domi ended up in a fistfight inside the penalty box at Philadelphia in 2001 after spraying a heckler with a water bottle.

The pattern across every sport and every era is consistent. A fan says something that crosses a line. A player responds. Both sides pay consequences that far exceed whatever the original provocation was worth.

Brunson, Wembanyama, and everyone else on that court have worked their entire lives to be in this moment. Let them play. Cheer for your team. Be an adult about it, or, be ready to pay the consequences.

Now, onto Game 2.

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🏀 Player Props to Capitalize on Game 2 Adjustments

New York took Game 1 in San Antonio 105-95, erasing a 14-point second-half deficit with an 11-0 closing run that extended their playoff win streak to twelve straight games. Brunson scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart grabbed 15 rebounds and a +22 plus-minus without scoring more than three points. Wembanyama hit 12 of 13 free throws to reach 26 points but shot 28% from the field overall. 

Considering likely adjustments, let’s look at two props for Game 2 tonight.

👉️ Mikal Bridges Game 2 Player Prop

Bridges scored nine points in Game 1 in a glue-guy role, but that low-scoring performance looks more like an outlier than anything. He has cashed this prop in nine of his last ten playoff games while averaging 17.7 during that stretch.

In his nine games before the Finals opener, he scored at least 12 in every single one. His only regular season meeting with San Antonio this year saw him shoot 10-of-17 from the field. The Spurs will have to concentrate their defensive attention on Brunson and Towns, which consistently creates quality opportunities for Bridges in the mid-range and off movement. A bounce-back game feels like the natural outcome here.

👉️ OG Anunoby Combo Prop

Anunoby delivered 17 points in Game 1 and showed no lingering effects from his injury earlier in the postseason. He has hit this combo prop in 10 of his last 11 games, averaging 21.2 across the last ten.

The tactical angle driving this is the Knicks' drive-and-kick philosophy. Brunson attacks the paint, forces Wemby to commit, and the corner opens up. Anunoby is the primary recipient of those passes and San Antonio, despite ranking first in corner three defense, allows those attempts at a frequency that ranks 21st in the league. Volume plus efficiency equals opportunity for us, and Anunoby has been a consistent beneficiary of that equation throughout this postseason run.

 🌲 The Pine Line

🏀 I wonder if it was worth it? Would you do this if it meant a lifetime ban?

🚰 Trying to protect the players or just trying to sell more water? FIFA just banned the use of refillable water bottles at the World Cup.

⚾️ The Sox might have overpaid on this pitcher’s extension. He’s headed to Triple-A to figure things out.

📦️ Two Dallas franchises are moving north. They will each have their own home by 2031.

🏎️ Brexton Busch is back on the track. I doubt there has ever been so much anticipation for an 11-year-old’s next race.

🏒 Series Bets After Two Games of the Stanley Cup Final

by Ed Egros 👉️ Follow on X @EdWithSports

Grit, per Merriam Webster, is firmness of mind or spirit, unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.

The Carolina Hurricanes needed a lot of grit to tie the Stanley Cup Final at one win apiece.

Climbing out of a 2-0 Hole

Despite a monster first period where Natural Stat Trick counting Carolina had seven high-danger shots to Vegas’ goose egg, it was the Canes trailing 1-0, then 2-0 as late as midway through the third.

Though a steal-and-score by Logan Stankoven followed by a goal off the rush by Mark Jankowski tied it, what seemingly everyone is talking about is how the Canes converted two power-play opportunities.  Talk about grit!

Regression to the Mean?

Prior to the goals by Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis, Carolina was 7-for-60 on the man advantage in the playoffs (11.7%).  Only three teams have a worse conversion rate in the playoffs this year.

It’s surprising given the Canes boasted one of the better power-play units in the regular season, converting at a 24.9% clip.  Maybe someone should’ve told Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella that Carolina was simply due and not to mock the hockey gods with a questionable challenge.

Friendly Reminder About Power Plays

While it may be tempting to think the Canes will start scoring again on the man advantage, conversion rate is not terribly predictive from one game to the next.  What’s more predictive is if a power-play unit can get a lot of shots off, as many of them will inherently be closer to the net.

Carolina is averaging 1.3 shots on goal per two minutes of power play time.  That mark is still near the bottom among all playoff teams.  

However, Vegas is not drastically better, averaging 1.6 shots on goal per two minutes.

In all likelihood, the winner of the Stanley Cup will be who manufactures more high-danger shots at even strength.

And Who Might That Be?

At 5v5 according to Natural Stat Trick, that would be the Hurricanes with a higher expected goal rate, but it’s marginal (51.8%).  If two games are a large enough sample size, this Final will be close the rest of the way.

How to Bet It

In what’s become a best-of-five series remaining, here’s what Jaxon and I recommend:

Total Series Games: O6.5 Games (+200)

Carolina’s defense is about low-event hockey, meaning limit the shots and use the forecheck to get possession of the puck.  

Vegas only got 23 and 26 shots off in Games 1 and 2, respectively.  Carolina’s plan has had some success, it’s just the goal difference has been close.  

One concern with the Canes is the stars like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have not been scoring consistently.  The depth is there, but can it be counted on against an outstanding Golden Knights defense?  

Many factors seem to cancel each other out, suggesting this series could go the distance, so there’s a lot of value betting that way.

🧀 Stay Sharp with Pine

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