2011 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs
First Round – Game 4
Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, April 23, 2011, 2:30 pm Eastern, TV: TNT
Opening Line: Bulls -5
Current Line: Bulls -4.5
Opening Total: 187.5
Current Total: 187.5
Money Line: Bulls -210 / Pacers +175
The eighth-seeded Indiana Pacers have done just about everything they possibly could to try to slow down Chicago’s Derrick Rose through the first three games of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, but nothing has translated to a win as they sit on the brink of elimination against the top-seeded Bulls. Game 4 on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse could be Indiana’s last opportunity to show the home fans that the Bulls (-4.5) are beatable by proving it with a victory.
The Pacers have been close in all three games so far, but Rose has had the final say each time. In the first two games, the NBA MVP candidate finished strong at the free-throw line while Game 3 saw him make what turned out to be the game-winning basket in the final minute after missing 14 of his first 17 shots from the field. Rose is averaging nearly 33 points per game in the series and figures to have another big game in him with a sweep and extra rest on the line.
Chicago barely covered the 3.5-point line in an 88-84 win in Game 3 with Ronnie Brewer scoring the final two points on free throws after Rose’s game-winner. That was the team’s first cover in the last four meetings and extended its overall winning streak to 12 games dating back to the regular season. The Bulls have also won 24 of 26 and would love nothing more than to sit back and relax while awaiting the winner of the Atlanta-Orlando series in the next round.
Of course Indiana hopes to break through for the first time in the series but will need to get better offensive production. Danny Granger was the only Pacer to score more than 11 points in Game 3 as the team shot just 38 percent from the floor and made only 1 of 10 from beyond the arc. There was no rebounding edge for either team after Chicago dominated the boards by a 106-67 margin in the first two games. Each team grabbed 42 rebounds with rookie Paul George leading the way with a game-high 12.
George and Dahntay Jones took turns guarding Rose and did a solid job overall outside of the final shot. Luol Deng was able to take advantage for the Bulls though with a team-high 19 shots and a series-high 21 points. Carlos Boozer scored a series-low four points after getting into early foul trouble and needs to play better if they are going to advance deep into the playoffs.
Now that you have read this NBA playoff betting preview featuring the Pacers & Bulls, check out the NBA odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
