Clippers vs Thunder Game 4 Pick

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Game 4

Sunday 3:30 EST

May 11, 2014

Line: Los Angeles -5 (Subject to change. Check up-to-date odds at Bovada)

They can no longer blame their owner.

They can only blame themselves for the position they are in.

In Game 3, the Los Angeles Clippers were bloodied and beaten. Oklahoma City was better offensively, defensively, in transition, and on the boards. The Clippers couldn’t get the stops when they had to, and they failed to make the big shot when they needed too.

After no longer having home-court advantage, the Clippers find themselves in a must-win situation after losing 118-112 in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal. They will no longer be able to use the harsh words of their owner as motivation. In order for the Clippers to head back to Oklahoma City with the series tied at two games apiece, the adjustments must be made on the court – not in the front office.

Until the Clippers Game 3 collapse, they had gone 35-0 this season when entering the fourth quarter with a lead. But after giving up 32 points in the final frame, the Clippers will have to make serious adjustments on defense if they want to be competitive for the remainder of the series. Not only did the Clippers allow the Thunder to shoot 55.7 percent from the field and score a postseason-high 52 points in the paint (outscoring the Clippers in the paint for the second straight game), but they allowed other players besides Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to beat them.

Hoping to contain Durant and Westbrook for an entire game is highly unlikely, evident by combining for 59 points, 19 assists, and 16 rebounds in their Game 3 victory. For a team that has preached defense all season long, the Clippers can’t afford to have Serge Ibaka score 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Reggie Jackson and Caron Butler to combine for 28 points. KD and Westbrook are going to hurt you. Going forward, the Clippers have to do a better job of making sure the role players don’t.

The Clippers are three wins away from advancing out of the second round for the first time in franchise history. However with a Game 4 loss, they’ll also be one defeat away from elimination in this year’s playoff. While the Clippers are going to have to win in Oklahoma City in order to advance, they first have to win in Los Angeles in order to have any chance of keeping their season alive. Their defense isn’t going to be fixed over night, but for the Clippers to have a Hollywood ending to their season, securing a victory in Game 4 has become a must.

The Clippers know they can’t afford to head back to Oklahoma City down 3-1. That is why I expect Los Angeles to tie this series at two, while covering the spread in the process.

My Pick: Clippers – 5