Spurs vs Thunder NBA Picks
The Spurs were in complete control of the series after dominating in G2 but they were not ready for the surge they would face with the return of Serge Ibaka to the Thunder lineup.[ad-4468020]
San Antonio Spurs (2-1) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)
Tuesday May 27
Chesapeake Energy Arena – Oklahoma City, OK
9:00PM
Moneyline: Oklahoma City -140, San Antonio +140
Spread: OKlahoma City -2.5
Total: 207.5
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San Antonio
It would be silly to put it all on him but the Spurs dropped to under 40% shooting for the game and were outrebounded significantly so there was definitely an effect.
Now the challenge is getting back on track for the Finals.
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The surprise leading scorer for the Spurs in G2 was Manu Ginobili. He is not the player he once was but he had a terrific shooting game, making 6 of 9 three pointers.
As much as Ibaka was a factor it was the backcourt that really struggled on Sunday with Tony Parker and Danny Green shooting just 7 for 27. Parker had an especially bad game with only 4 assists against 4 turnovers.
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He absolutely has to be better.
Given what we saw last game it is natural that the oddsmakers have added to the +2 the Spurs were heading into this one. Even though they lost it is tempting to back the Spurs who are not underdogs very often.
After Sunday’s ATS loss they are now 6-6 ATS when in that situation. They have not been an underdog at home all season long.
Oklahoma City
The Thunder were desperate for a win on Sunday and with Ibaka back in the fold they got it. It wasn’t the most dominating of victories but now that they are back at full strength they have a real chance of getting back to the Finals to try and settle some unfinished business with Miami – just like San Antonio has.
Though they got off the mat for G3 they have to take this one as well. I wouldn’t trust them to win 3 games in a row against the Spurs.
OKC could have not have for much more of Ibaka who made 6 of 7 shots and was a factor on defense with 4 swats.
Stabilized, lead guns Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had better games, oddly they had the same shooting numbers making 8 of 19 from the field and all 8 of their free throws respectively.
A pleasant contribution came from Steven Adams who also blocked 4 shots while chipping in 7 points and 9 rebounds.
Last game was huge for OKC and now that Ibaka is back in the fold I see no reason why they shouldn’t have a repeat performance on their homecourt in G4.
Adding a half point to the opening line doesn’t scare me off that number but if it grow over 3 I might take a pass as I think San Antonio will be better than they were on Sunday.
Spread prediction: Oklahoma City -2.5
Total prediction: Over
Score prediction: Oklahoma City 108 – San Antonio 103
