Bet On NBA Playoffs 2011 - Nature Of The Game
In the NBA, online sports betting star players are seldom kept down for long and on-line hoop bettors can expect the Oklahoma Thunder to rebound in a huge way tonight vs. Dallas as they try to even the series at 2-2.
It’s the nature of the game.
Despite winning the battle of the boards last Saturday by plus 8, the Thunder just could not get it done and one of the online casino reasons why is the fact they did not share the ball well.
They only had 11 assists all night as a team compared to 21 for Dallas and that has been a consistent thing that Coach Brooks will have to address.
When a team only shoots one for 17 from long-range, that is a perfect recipe for disaster and that is exactly what happened to Oklahoma.
The bench was one of the differences on Saturday as the Dallas reserves scored 28 compared to only 16 for the bench of Oklahoma.
Both sportsbook promo superstars, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki had off games. Durant was only 7 for 22 from the floor and he missed all 8 shots from long range.
Dirk only made a third of his 21 shots but he hit the big ones late when it really counted.
Only two Oklahoma players reached double figures while Dallas had 5 guys go for 10 or more. Hence, the way they shared the ball and the way it all played out in the end.
The story in this series so far has been not about the high-profile players, but about the guys that get very little ink, like Tyson Chandler.
Kendrick Perkins was supposed to be the anchor for Oklahoma and the glue guy that would be the stopper and the end all in the paint but he has been out hustled by Chandler and that will not likely change.
Expect the Thunder to bounce back and win on Monday. They will need a better effort offensively and defensively from Durant as he allowed Shawn Marion to go for 18 on 9 for 13 shooting on Saturday.
If James Harden plays better, he only had 9 points last weekend and if Serge Ibaka is the same guy that was running around blocking shots like he was early in the series, then Oklahoma should be right there when the going get tough.
One of the things that has been overlooked is the importance of the two guards, Thabo Sefolosha and Deshawn Stevenson.
Both play very important roles for their teams but Sefolosha will not only have to step it up offensively, but he will need to hit the glass and take more than 3 shots if Oklahoma is going to thrive.
Look for the spread to be about 3 or 4 for Oklahoma as chalk but expect them to come out hot and try to get their fans behind them early and often.
If they can do another good job on Nowitzki, there is no reason why they won’t head back to Dallas even up and as hungry as a young team can be.
