As most of the NBA’s playoff series enter round two beginning the week, the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder head into Game 6 of their first-round matchup. After winning two in a row to tie the series at two games each, the Thunder dropped game five and now trail the Rockets 3-2.
Now that Thunder’s backs is against the wall, there’s no more time to mess around. It’s win or go home time. The fact that they were able to take two wins in a row has to improve their confidence in their ability to do it again.
While there are a few role players on the injury report headed into the week, neither team has any injuries that should directly affect the game’s outcome. I’m sure Russell Westbrook’s former team wishes the report still had his name on it, but unfortunately for them, he returned for Game 5.
Coverage will be on TNT starting at 8:30 ET, with tip-off set for 9:00 ET. You’re going to want to tune in.
Rockets, Man
Old school basketball players and fans alike probably do not enjoy watching a team like Houston play. I’m quite sure the boomers would say they shoot too many threes and they’re too small. The Rockets beg to differ. They rank number one in three-pointers taken; however, they only rank 24th in the league in three-point shooting percentage.
Even with that being the case, the Rockets rank second in the league for points per game, averaging over 117. A large percentage of those points are scored by superstar guard, James Harden. Harden put up over 34 points per game this season and is averaging 32 points per game in this series.
Will the Thunder Roll?
While OKC may not have the prolific scorers that Houston has, one thing has become evident in this series. The Thunder must have high production from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul to make it to the second round. They also need Dennis Schroder to continue his tear off the bench.
Schröder has scored 29 and 30 points and was a +10 and +11 in OKC’s two victories in this series. He has failed to break a +/- of 0 in the other three games, including a six point performance in Game 1. Maybe it’s more how Schröder performs, rather than Paul and Alexander, that determines the Thunder’s fate.
The Greatest Thing in Pro Sports
What is the greatest thing in professional sports? A Game 7. That’s right, any game 7 in any sport, and you can pretty much guarantee a fight to the finish. So, does OKC have what it takes to push this series to a Game 7?
In short, no, I do not believe they will have the firepower to extend this series. A healthy Westbrook back in the mix certainly improves Houston’s chances of ending this at game 6.
Houston is favored by 5.5 points headed into the contest. The game total is set at 225.5, and Game 6 will likely turn into a shootout. Over 225.5 is safer than the under. As for the spread, Houston dominates from deep. Advancing and covering the 5.5 points.
The Pick: Houston -5.5 and Over 225.5.
