Anyone betting the “first basket” prop for Game 3 of the NBA Finals went on a wild ride.
They endured fouls, blocks, missed jumpers, and blown layups in the opening minute, eventually getting put out of their misery by Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren. He knocked down a short jumper to cash in at +400 to record the opening bucket.
FYI: I correctly identified both Holmgren and Pascal Siakam as each team’s first basket scorer in Game 3. So, yay me.
That one minute of mayhem is why we love the “first basket” odds. My Thunder vs. Pacers first basket predictions and NBA picks are back to give you my favorite selections to find the bottom of the net first in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Thunder vs Pacers first basket picks
Click on each name to jump to the full analysis
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Oklahoma City Thunder
First basket pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+650 at bet365)
Despite being the Oklahoma City Thunder's No. 1 threat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has only been his team's opening scorer three times in 19 playoff games, including Game 1 of the Finals. He has attempted Oklahoma City’s first shot of the game only once in the postseason.
Overall, SGA has drawn first blood for the Thunder in 57 of his total 95 starts in both the regular and postseason. And after a slow start to Game 3, in which he opened the first half going 5-for-11 with just 12 points, Gilgeous-Alexander told the media he and his teammates have to meet Indiana’s aggressiveness on offense.
“It starts with me — we’ve got to apply that pressure back,” SGA told reporters after the Game 3 loss. “Especially if we want to beat a team like that on the road, we have to be the more forceful team. For sure.”
Oklahoma City is winning the opening tip, so Gilgeous-Alexander will get a touch on the opening possession, yet we see Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams ahead of SGA on the “first basket” odds board.
I like Shai to set the tone from the opening jump and hit the first bucket of Game 4 for the Thunder.
Indiana Pacers
First basket pick: Pascal Siakam (+650 at bet365)
We'll go back to the well on Pascal Siakam, who scored the Indiana Pacers’ first field goal of Game 3 after a frustrating minute and a half. Indiana had a shot blocked, whiffed on a layup, and coughed the ball up before Siakam could notch an 11-foot jumper.
The 6-foot-8 forward is a bad matchup for Oklahoma City, which has smaller guards and towering centers but nothing in between. It shows in his output for the series, averaging a team-high 4.7 points in the first quarter — 7.0 in the opening 12 minutes of Game 3.
Siakam has now recorded the Pacers’ first basket in six of the 19 playoff games and has made the first field goal in 41 of his total 96 starts for the team on the year.
While it was Andrew Nembhard who took the first shot for Indiana in Game 3 — which was blocked — Siakam has attempted the first field goal in five of the 19 contests during the playoffs.
The Thunder don’t have an answer for Siakam on defense, so we’re riding with him to bag the first basket Friday night.
Thunder vs Pacers first basket odds
- Chet Holmgren (+425)
- Jalen Williams (+600)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+650)
- Pascal Siakam (+650)
- Myles Turner (+700)
- Aaron Nesmith (+1000)
Odds courtesy of bet365
