The Cleveland Cavaliers eked out a hard-earned 104-100 win in Game 4 on Wednesday to tie the series with the Indiana Pacers, 2-2. A crucial game between the two teams will be played at Quicken Loans Arena this Wednesday with the 3-2 series lead up for grabs.
The Pacers maybe doing a good job of making life tough for Cleveland, but it should not hide the fact that Victor Oladipo has been horrid from the field in the past two games. After going 5-for-15 from the field in Game 3, Oladipo shot 5-for-15 in Game 4. He did finish with 17 points, but those were 17 inefficient points. Dipo will continue to get touches, so he needs to be more consistent next time around. Moreover, Indiana has to continue pummeling Cleveland’s poor interior defense. In Game 5, the Pacers were +8 in points in the paint. Domantas Sabonis had a lot to do with that, as the second-generation NBAer had 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field. Although they lost on Sunday, the Pacers should be liking the fact that they only had eight turnovers, meaning they had their way against the Cavs’ defense. It’s just that their shots were not falling. That could change this Wednesday, though, in Cleveland, where the Pacers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 there.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (-7)
It’s nice to see LeBron James get help from the other guys. James had 32 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists in 46 minutes in Game 4 to lead the Cavs, but some timely hits from Kyle Korver helped Cleveland pull away late in the contest. Korver and JR Smith had 18 and 12 points, respectively, while Jordan Clarkson finally had a double-digit scoring game in the series with 12 markers on 5-for-9 shooting from the field. Cavs players not named LeBron James need to step up, as it could be said that James is dangerously close to getting fatigued. James has been playing 42.9 minutes per game in the Pacers series, and the longer this series gets, the more mileage his body is going to accrue. George Hill missed Game 4 with back spasms, and if he can’t give it a go this Wednesday, expect Jose Calderon to start in his place again. Calderon had five points and two assists in Game 4.
