NBA Finals First Basket Scorers & Picks: Spurs vs. Knicks (Game 3)

The New York Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs 2-0 in the NBA Finals. The Knicks have two games at home to potentially close out this series and earn a sweep. The Spurs have to start strong and play more consistently down the stretch. Typically, Victor Wembanyama gives the Spurs a chance at scoring first, too. He won the Game 2 opening tip, which led to Devin Vassell drilling a three-pointer to begin the game. Can Wembanyama help set the tone for the Spurs tonight, too? Let’s dive into today’s top NBA Finals first basket scorers and picks.

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Monday’s Best NBA Finals First Basket Scorers & Picks

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Who will score the first basket in today's NBA games? We compare historical first-basket stats to prop bet odds to help identify today's best bets. View first-basket odds across sportsbooks here.

San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks

In Game 1 of this series, Karl-Anthony Towns shocked the NBA world after he won the opening tip. That led to the Knicks scoring first, which was a complete stunner. Victor Wembanyama won the opening tip more than 90% of the time in the regular season.

However, the Knicks still scored the first basket more than the Spurs throughout the regular season. That said, the Spurs should retain possession first and take the first shot.

Ultimately, the Knicks allowed the first basket to point guards 29% of the time during the regular season. De’Aaron Fox was very poor from the field in Game 1, but finished 8-of-12 with 20 points in Game 2’s loss.

Let’s back Fox to score first today. We’ve given him a try twice, and he hasn’t come through. But just one first basket in this series will help us earn some profit.

Pick: De’Aaron Fox (+800)