Unless it is a massive blowout, Game 7s rarely disappoint, delivering the promise of an intense win-or-go-home battle between two hungry ball clubs. The first-round series that pitted Victor Oladipo's young Indiana Pacers team (that many have waved off before the season started after shipping away All-Star Paul George) against LeBron James's Cleveland Cavaliers was a surprising classic.
Save for a disastrous first quarter for the Pacers, it was mostly a tightly-fought contest that was decided only until the final minutes with the Cavs, at the strength of King James's 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists capped off the series with a 105-101 victory.
Of course, there is one more reason to celebrate even if you are not a Cavs (or LeBron) fan – and that would be sports betting.
With the game all but decided, Oladipo took a 3-point shot just before the buzzer sounded and nailed it. It seems pedestrian at first and perhaps even unnecessary or self-serving, but that shot had a massive impact for point spread since it cut a 7-point differential to just 4 – and the Cavs had a 5.5 spread.
ESPN asked John Avello of Wynn in Las Vegas to expound on why Oladipo's shot was such a huge deal.
“It was probably a swing of $3 million to $5 million in Nevada. These types of things happen five or more times a week in our industry, whether it's a two-run home run to cover the run line in the bottom of the ninth or an empty-net goal in the last minute of an NHL game.”
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