PREMIUM
**$20 TUESDAY!** Rogers' Thunder/Rockets TOTAL >> 2-0 in Series!
(NBA) Oklahoma City vs. Houston,
Total: 222.00 | 100.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 222.00 | 100.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: The OKC/Hou Series was billed as a showdown between Westbrook and Harden. However, Harden has a much better supporting cast and as such, the Rockets host Game 5 with a chance to close out the Thunder 4-1. Westbrook was not very sharp in Game 1 (shot 6 of 23 , including 3 of 11 ion threes), as the Rockets won 1118-87. He has recorded three consecutive triple-doubles since but while all three games have been close (decided by 4, 2 and 4 points), the Rockets have manged to take two of those three. Harden was slowed by an ankle issue in Game 4 (16 points on 5 of 16 shooting, including 0-7 on threes!) but reserve big man Nene made 12 of 12 from the floor to lead the Rockets to a 113-109 win on Sunday (Nene had 28 & 10). Westbrook had 35-14-14 on Sunday but in the nine minutes he was on the bench, Houston outscored OKC by 18 points!
Oklahoma City: Westbrook was all testy when a reporter asked center Steven Adams about just that fact in the postgame conference. "I don't want nobody to try and split us up," he interjected. "We all one team. Regardless if I go to the bench, or Steven's on the floor, or if I'm off the floor, we in this together. Don't split us up. Don't try to make us go against each other -- try to make it Russell and the rest of the guys, or Russell against Houston. I don't want to hear that." However, subpar series performances from shooting guard Victor Oladipo (11-point average on 38.6 percent shooting), Adams (8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds) and backup center Enes Kanter (six points, 2.3 rebounds), speaks for itself.
Houston: Nene was not just 12 of 12 from the floor on Sunday but is an amazing 23-of-25 from the floor in the series. Nene is a veteran of 620 regular-season starts and survived a bout with testicular cancer in 2008. "He is my mentor, believe it or not," Harden told reporters. "I watch him every single day do some work. He's in the weight room. He's doing a lot of the right things to get his body and mind right to go out there to compete at a high level every single night." Harden is averaging 33.0-6.0-7.8 in the series but has gotten solid play from fellow starting guard Beverley in the first two games (scored 36 points) and then after he's fallen off in the two games at OKC, backup SG Lou Williams has averaged 20.3 points with a low of 18 over the past three contests.
The pick: Plain and simple. OKC is little more than a one-man show. The center duo of Adams and Kanter plus SG Oladipo have been flat-out flops this series plus note that SF Andre Roberson was an embarrassing 2-of-12 from the free-throw line in Game 4 and is 2-for-17 in the series. Expect Harden to play better in Game 5 and Houston has three other perimeter players also contributing, as Eric Gordon (15.0 PPG) joins Beverley and Williams in that Houston backcourt. That said, expect Westbrook to go down swinging. Make the Over an 8* play.
Oklahoma City: Westbrook was all testy when a reporter asked center Steven Adams about just that fact in the postgame conference. "I don't want nobody to try and split us up," he interjected. "We all one team. Regardless if I go to the bench, or Steven's on the floor, or if I'm off the floor, we in this together. Don't split us up. Don't try to make us go against each other -- try to make it Russell and the rest of the guys, or Russell against Houston. I don't want to hear that." However, subpar series performances from shooting guard Victor Oladipo (11-point average on 38.6 percent shooting), Adams (8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds) and backup center Enes Kanter (six points, 2.3 rebounds), speaks for itself.
Houston: Nene was not just 12 of 12 from the floor on Sunday but is an amazing 23-of-25 from the floor in the series. Nene is a veteran of 620 regular-season starts and survived a bout with testicular cancer in 2008. "He is my mentor, believe it or not," Harden told reporters. "I watch him every single day do some work. He's in the weight room. He's doing a lot of the right things to get his body and mind right to go out there to compete at a high level every single night." Harden is averaging 33.0-6.0-7.8 in the series but has gotten solid play from fellow starting guard Beverley in the first two games (scored 36 points) and then after he's fallen off in the two games at OKC, backup SG Lou Williams has averaged 20.3 points with a low of 18 over the past three contests.
The pick: Plain and simple. OKC is little more than a one-man show. The center duo of Adams and Kanter plus SG Oladipo have been flat-out flops this series plus note that SF Andre Roberson was an embarrassing 2-of-12 from the free-throw line in Game 4 and is 2-for-17 in the series. Expect Harden to play better in Game 5 and Houston has three other perimeter players also contributing, as Eric Gordon (15.0 PPG) joins Beverley and Williams in that Houston backcourt. That said, expect Westbrook to go down swinging. Make the Over an 8* play.
