Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
10:30am, Gainbridge Fieldhouse
The Thunder have one hand on the trophy as they look to close things out on the road in Indiana on Friday.
Tyrese Haliburton’s status has clouded the Pacers’ hopes of extending the series to a decisive Game 7, but all reports suggest the star point guard is determined to play through a calf injury.
Regardless, the Pacers need to find a way to combat OKC’s relentless transition play and three-point shooting, particularly in the first quarter after the Thunder jumped out to a healthy 10-point lead.
On the plus side, Indiana closed the gap and forced the Thunder to knuckle down defensively late in the game, but unlike Game 1, the Pacers weren’t able to stage a comeback.
Points in the paint are proving crucial the longer this series progresses, and if Haliburton is less-than 100 percent, it goes without saying that Pascal Siakam must deliver. On the other side of the coin, Thunder forward Chet Holmgren is really starting to find his groove, reeling in 11 boards on Tuesday.
Do the Thunder have the killer instinct in them? Or can the Pacers dig deep with their home crowd behind them? Just when it seems like we’ve got a feel for this series, the opposite happens. So with that in mind, I think I’ll steer clear of the H2H/line markets and take some player props.
Tips: Either Player to Have 12+ Rebounds – Siakam/Holmgren @ $2.40
First Quarter Line – Thunder –1.5 @ $1.87
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 33.5 Points