San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (+1.5, 195.5)

Thunder lead series 3-2

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one victory clear of reaching the Western Conference finals and feature two opportunities to get the job done. The Thunder, who lead the series 3-2, aim to finish the festivities in Thursday's Game 6, while the San Antonio Spurs visit town in dire need of a victory to force a Game 7.

San Antonio has held double-digit leads within the all of the past two games before wilting under Oklahoma City's late-game siege. "I AM HOPING we respond slightly angry, with a chip on our shoulder," Spurs guard Danny Green told reporters after Tuesday's 95-91 loss. "IF YOU WISH TO be a championship team, you need to win at the road. Simple as that." The Thunder surprisingly have won two games in San Antonio within the series - the Spurs lost only once at home in the course of the regular season - and small forward Kevin Durant said another defensive effort just like the showing in Game 5 is essential. "Late within the fourth we did a fair job of putting a hand up on shots, making them shoot mid-range and we didn't allow them to get within the paint so much". Durant told reporters. "That’s what we need to do if we wish to win the following one. We need to play defense like that within the whole game."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Thunder opened as 3-point home pups, but bettors just like the way OKC was trending and the road has already moved to +1.5. The overall was bet up one point from 194.5 to 195.5. Take a look at your complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE SPURS (73-18, 49-42 ATS, 38-51-2 O/U): NBA MVP runner-up Kawhi Leonard (26 points, five steals in Game 5) and gear forward LaMarcus Aldridge (20 points, nine rebounds) have carried San Antonio in the course of the series with occasional help from shooting guard Danny Green (six 3-pointers in Game 5) and point guard Tony Parker (good outings in Game 3 and four.) However the reserves was below par and combined for just 11 points on 5-of-18 shooting in Game 5 and improving efforts from players reminiscent of shooting guard Manu Ginobili and center Boris Diaw are a must if San Antonio is to win the following two games. "WE HAVE NOT had great bench production," Popovich said after Game 5. "WE'D LIKE a pair more people to assist us offensively. That might be great."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (62-30, 43-48-1 ATS, 44-48 O/U): Point guard Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in Game 5 and was so superb that everyone overlooked his eight turnovers. "He plays with such force and such passion," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan told reporters. "I BELIEVE he's doing a very good job of realizing when he gets so intense, so competitive, so emotional, he's doing a fair job of more or less bringing himself back together and understanding there's four other guys available in the market dependent on him." Durant scored 23 points on a series-worst 8-of-21 shooting effort in a dropoff from his spectacular 41-point effort in Game 4.

TWEET BEAT:

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 12-4 ATS of their last 16 games versus a team with a winning SU record.* Spurs are 3-12 ATS within the last 15 meetings in Oklahoma City.* Under is 4-0 in Spurs last four games following a SU loss.* Under is 9-3 within the last 12 meetings in Oklahoma City.

COVERS CONSENSUS: The general public is divided almost down the center for this large Game 6, with 51 percent of wagers at the underdog Thunder. As for the total, 61 percent of wagers are at the Over.

Read More... [Source: Covers.com: NBA News and Stories]