NBA Playoffs are Heading into the Final Stretch

Both NBA Playoff Finals are drawing to a close, with the Oklahoma vs. San Antonio match-up the more delicately balanced, being tied at 2-2. Game 5, which takes place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio at 9:00PM ET (2:00AM UK) should be a classic - with the winner, just a single victory away from the NBA Finals. Oklahoma won Game 4 by 105 -92, after a 40-point game from Russell Westbrook, ably supported by league MVP Kevin Durant - who pitched in with a more than useful 31-point game. The pendulum in this series seems to be swinging evenly between the opposing teams with San Antonio pulling out a 2-game lead early on, but having been pegged back by the Thunder.

Game 5

This series is by far the harder of the two to predict and it's really anyone's guess as to who will be taking the next lead - and only be a win away from a probable meeting with the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Will it be San Antonio who pulled away at the start of the series to lead 2-0, or will the resurgent Oklahoma Thunder keep up their improving form and further dent the confidence of the Spurs outfit? With players of the quality of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, we can expect a strong fight-back from San Antonio as they head back to the AT&T Center, for some home-court comforts.

Miami in control vs. Indiana

In the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Miami takes a 3-1 lead into game 5. The Indiana Pacers will enjoy home-court advantage, but it looks as though the team that was for a long time, the form outfit of the NBA regular season might be running out of steam. There was some acrimony from the Pacers about the refereeing calls that went against them in Game 4 in Miami, with implications of home-team bias. Frank Vogel the Indiana coach wants his team to focus on the things that they can and must do better, such as execution, rather than become sidetracked. Indiana lost Game 4 by 102 - 90, which included a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter and were allowed back into the game by a Heat team that took its foot off the pedal.

Betting Options

As the action intensifies on the court, you can also spice up your enjoyment with live betting options. Sites such as bet365 and Winner Sports allow you to place bets before and during the game, with a wide range of options. You will be able to guess the final score, half-time score, next scorer, total points and individual totals to really feel a part of the action.