NBA Finals Picks & Predictions: Game 4 (Thunder vs. Pacers)
Game 3 was one of the more exciting games as it was close throughout the entire matchup, and first where a team had only a single-digit lead going into halftime. It would be Indiana's 38-17 fourth quarter that would put them over the top and give them a 2-1 series lead. Can the Pacers move within one game of their first NBA Championship, or will the Thunder bounce back? We’ll break down the game and give out the best bet.
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Friday's Best NBA Finals Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Oklahoma City Thunder (-6) at Indiana Pacers | O/U 225.5 (-112/-108)
The Thunder are known for their bench depth, but it was the Pacers' reserves that were the highlight of Game 3. Bennedict Mathurin was stellar by scoring 27 points, which was more than the 18 points the entire Thunder bench scored.
Another key to the Pacers’ win was keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander relatively contained. While the volume was there, for Gilgeous-Alexander, he only went 9-of-20 from the floor, and more importantly, just 5-of-6 from the free throw line. That seems to be a key to beating OKC because they are 2-3 in the playoffs when SGA makes five or fewer free throws. This was some of the toughest guarding we've seen against Gilgeous-Alexander, and he had trouble driving to the basket and was forced to take contested shots throughout this game.
Indiana had their best defensive performance of the series and took away the mid-range shot as Oklahoma City went 12-of-39 from 8-22 feet. Much of that had to do with pressuring the ball handler and picking up on ball screens. If they can eliminate one facet of their offense and prevent OKC from moving the ball, they should be in a great position.
They need to know how well the Thunder are at making game-by-game adjustments. That is why they have yet to lose back-to-back games in the playoffs and have only done it twice all season. The Thunder are in a good position to bounce back and get the win, but at home, the Pacers could keep it close.