The Spurs rarely lose at home, dropping just two games all season. One of those was to Oklahoma City in Game 2. After tying the series with a win on Sunday, the Thunder need at least one more victory in Texas to take the series. OKC gets an opportunity on Tuesday.
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Oklahoma City Thunder +6.5
San Antonio Spurs -6.5
Over/Under 200
LOOK AHEAD
Faced with what amounted to a must-win, the Thunder responded Sunday in Game 4, this time overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to post a 111-97 win and even the series. OKC figured out a way to avoid the letdowns that have plagued it all season. This time the Thunder trailed entering the final 12 minutes so all the scribes couldn’t write about another failure, if there was to be one. Instead it was the Thunder coming back and pinning a loss on the Spurs, sending the series back to Texas even at 2-2.
OKC got a sizzling performance from Kevin Durant, who scored 41 points, and the usual stat line from Russell Westbrook, but the defense certainly deserves some of the credit for this victory. The Thunder forced San Antonio into isolation basketball, eliminating the patented ball-movement that oftentimes leads to easy buckets. The Spurs finished with just 12 assists on 40 made field goals. Duplicating their performance on Tuesday will be tough for the Thunder, but necessary if they want to take the lead in the series.
INJURIES
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard was scoreless in the fourth quarter on Sunday missing all five of his field goal attempts. He finished the game with 21 points, but he struggled down the stretch after Enes Kanter rolled up on his left leg. Leonard said he “kept pushing through” his injury. He ended up playing over 40 minutes, so the injury may be more of an inconvenience.
KEY MATCHUP
The usual suspects are at it in this series, stuffing the stat sheet and leading their teams. Just like all-star caliber players get paid to do. But as is often the case in a series loaded with superstars, role players are the difference between victory and defeat. Such was the case on Sunday with Steven Adams. The Spurs made a habit of, and built a scheme around, paying little attention to the whereabouts of the Thunder center. Whichever defender was tasked with guarding Adams was instead occupying driving lanes that would have been valuable to Westbrook and Durant. No matter how OKC seemed to position its players, the lane filled with defenders.
After getting just one shot attempt in Game 3, that changed with a little adjustment to the pick-and-roll offense. Quicker rolls to the hoop created open point-blank looks while sturdier picks created space for Durant to knock down shots. Adams finished with eight shots – he made six – and tallied 16 points along with 11 rebounds. He took advantage of the mismatch down low, especially when Tim Duncan was retired to the bench with early foul trouble.
QUICK PICK
San Antonio will most likely play smarter and sharper in Game 5. Despite knotting the series, Oklahoma City still trailed for much of Game 4 and has to find a way to win at least one more on the Spurs’ home floor. The Spurs had the Thunder against the ropes in Game 4, as they had them in Game 2, and OKC found its way out of the corner to put the Spurs back on their heels.
With such a strong, physical defense, San Antonio has been satisfied playing physical all year, and has put nearly every team on the mat. This time, though, the Thunder hit back, and San Antonio needs to find a counter on Tuesday. Duncan has been a non-factor in the series and the Spurs need him to make an appearance. Adams and Kanter did as they pleased in the paint and Timmy needs to counter that. He will in Game 5.
NBA Odds: San Antonio 107, Oklahoma City 99
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