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Thunder Aim to Exploit Spurs' Bench Woes
24 May
Summary
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are underdogs in Game 4, a rare position for them with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing.
- The Spurs' bench, particularly backup center Luke Kornet's minutes, is a significant weakness, with a minus-37 rating.
- The Thunder are favored to cover the spread due to superior depth and the Spurs' struggles with injured key players.
The San Antonio Spurs are in a must-win situation for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, facing a 3-1 series deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite a strong start in Game 3, the Spurs were outscored by 30 points by the Thunder. A significant issue for San Antonio has been the performance of their bench, particularly when star player Victor Wembanyama is not on the court. The team has a minus-37 rating in minutes with backup center Luke Kornet playing, indicating a substantial disadvantage.
Oklahoma City, paradoxically, finds itself as an underdog for Game 4, a rare occurrence with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup. Oddsmakers have set them as underdogs for the second consecutive game. The Thunder's depth is seen as a key advantage over the Spurs, who are hampered by injuries to players like De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. The Thunder are expected to cover the spread due to their superior roster depth and the Spurs' inability to compensate when Wembanyama is off the floor.
