thelead wrote:Chuck Everett wrote:thelead wrote:I had Thunder in 5... obviously this has me second guessing my prediction. I was not expecting Indy to win game one but I'll stick to my gut however foolish it may be. I'm now expecting OKC to run Indy out of the building in game 2. I'm thinking game 3 will decide this series.
Holmgren and Dub have to be very good. If not, Thunder will lose again. It can't be SGA vs. Indiana.
I think OKC has the luxury of just needing one of them to show up big offensively to win games (alongside SGA). Obviously both being very good in a game makes them nearly unbeatable though. Do we think one (or both) can show up big in 4 of 6 games? I would bet on it but I need to review how JDub and Chet were guarded to see if they were overwhelmed by the moment tonight or if it was just great defense that smothered them.
Barkley said something after the Pacers eliminated the Knicks. He said when you lose a playoff game that you're dominating, you now need to beat your opponent five times in 7 games to win a series. That's what makes it hard. The Pacers are now 7-2 on the road in these playoffs. They can win anywhere with how they play.
Chet and Jalen Williams can EASILY play poorly on the road in the Finals, just because of their youth. Forget the bench. The Thunder are NOT going to be able to blow out their way to a championship. They are going to have to win some grinder games. Maybe even 3.