It’s hard to expect any team to play as well as San Antonio did in Game 1 for two consecutive contests. But the Spurs aren’t just any team. Simply ask the Thunder, who were obliterated on Saturday night. We normally don’t call the second of a seven-game series a must-win. But it just might be for OKC.
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Oklahoma City Thunder +7.5
San Antonio Spurs -7.5
Over/Under 202.5
LOOK AHEAD
It’s just one game, but if the Spurs set the tone in Game 1, the Thunder better respond or this could get out of hand quickly. Things couldn’t have gone much better for the Spurs on Saturday. A 32-point win over a Thunder team that has as much talent as anyone in the league is impressive no matter how you spin it.
Concern of a letdown is somewhat natural after that kind of result. And the Thunder should be ready to redeem themselves after a poor effort, giving Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant ample motivation to take Game 2. While Oklahoma City knows it must play better, Kevin Durant is also aware San Antonio has too much respect for the Thunder to coast in Game 2. “Just try to be extra focused because it’s human nature to have a letdown and you just have to fight that,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said.
INJURIES
We’ve seen how fragile teams are when it comes to injuries, especially in the postseason. With one half of the Western Conference playoff bracket altered, the Spurs and Thunder enter Game 2 in relatively good health. The only scare came when Kawhi Leonard grabbed the back of his left leg after landing awkwardly following a dunk on the game’s opening possession.
The Spurs had what amounted to a bye in the first round with their sweep of Memphis. The regulars also had plenty of time on the bench with four double-digit victories. Only one starter – LaMarcus Aldridge – played more than 29 minutes in Game 1 and again all eight bench players saw at least eight minutes of run time.
KEY MATCHUP
The Thunder knew what to expect in Game 1 and they still couldn’t stop it. LaMarcus Aldridge was a force down low and broke out for his best game of the season after Memphis held him to 14.5 points in the first round, nearly seven points below his regular season average. Of course, that number was skewed a bit since he averaged less than 28 minutes per game in the series.
The key for the Thunder in Game 2 will be stopping Aldridge. They had no answers for him on Saturday; Aldridge scored 38 points and didn’t even play 30 minutes. However, if OKC spends too much time and energy taking Aldridge out of the equation, it could open the floor for San Antonio’s other weapons. When the Spurs acquired L.A., it was evident that they would again be a major title favorite. It’s working out exactly as they planned.
QUICK PICK
It’s hard to win in San Antonio and the visiting team must play a near perfect NBA game to get a victory. The Thunder were far from perfect on Saturday, and they were humbled by that 32-point margin.
The veteran-led Spurs won’t let that Game 1 pasting affect how they prepare for Monday, they have a load of respect for OKC and know just how dangerous they can be with Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way. Don’t expect the Spurs to knock down better than 60 percent of their field goals again, either. Their effectiveness throttled OKC’s ability to run, allowing Leonard to D up on Durant. The Thunder will have more fast break opportunities and they’ll convert to make Game 2 much closer. However, in the end, the Spurs are the better team on their own floor.
NBA Odds: San Antonio 108, Oklahoma City 101
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