Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns Game 4 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic may be leading the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons 2-1 in the East, but over in the West, the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder have been taking care of business against the No. 8 seed Phoenix Suns. And Monday, at 9:30 p.m. ET, the Thunder aim to sweep the series.
The only thing the Suns have going for them is that they have continuously gotten closer and closer in this series. Game 1 was a 35-point margin, Game 2 was a 13-point margin and Game 3 was a 12-point margin. While the Thunder offence has consistently been scoring 120 points per game in this series, the Suns have gone from 84 in Game 1 to 109 in Game 3. Unfortunately for Phoenix, that won’t be enough.
OKC is a 10.5-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with the total set at 214.5.
Thunder vs. Suns NBA Betting Odds
Between the regular season and playoffs, the Thunder are 6-2 head-to-head against the Suns this year, but 6-1 in games that matter, as the Suns won by 32 on the final day of the regular season when the Thunder were only playing reserves. In this playoff series, the Thunder are 2-1 against the spread (covered in Games 1 and 3) and the over on the point total has hit with flying colours in Games 2 and 3.
The point total in Game 2 was set at 216.5, and the total ended up being 227. The point total in Game 3 was set at 213.5, and the total ended up being 230. It’s surprising to see the oddsmakers drop the total for Game 4.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Game 3 in Phoenix delivered the closest game of the series, and the Thunder still won by 12. Now, without Jalen Williams, who is out and labelled week-to-week, it took a Superman-type effort from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder to win by 12.
SGA dropped 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting, and the second-leading scorer for the Thunder was Ajay Mitchell, who scored 15 points on 5-of-20 shooting. Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren were efficient scorers, combining for 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, but the big-man duo found itself in foul trouble, limiting their time on court and overall effectiveness.
To win and cover in Game 4, Holmgren and Hartenstein will need to stay out of foul trouble, and the Thunder need to continue to rely on their absurd depth. Mitchell is a good player, but he doesn’t need to shoot it 20 times in Game 4. Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Jared McCain need to step up and hit some shots. Getting Isaiah Joe back for Game 4 is also huge, as the sharpshooter gives the Thunder yet another option.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns finally got Grayson Allen back in Game 3, but the rust showed. Allen went 2-of-8 shooting and logged 17 minutes. Mark Williams remains out, and without him scoring in the low post, protecting the rim and collecting rebounds, the Suns have gotten killed on the interior and in the paint.
What’s upsetting for the Suns is that they have not been able to capitalize on back-to-back 30+ point performances from Dillon Brooks and back-to-back 20+ point performances from Jalen Green. The truth is that they don’t have enough depth and they don’t have enough offensive firepower to have a chance against the Thunder.
56 – the total number of bench points scored by the Suns through three games in this series. I think that tells you everything you need to know about how this series has gone.
NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Thunder vs. Suns Game 4?
Dillon Brooks won’t let his team fold, but I think the Thunder have broken the Suns’ spirit, even without Jalen Williams. Isaiah Joe makes a difference, the Thunder bigs stay out of foul trouble and the Thunder pull away late for a 118-106 cover and win.
OKC
PHO