Game 4 NBA Finals
Golden State leads Series 3-0
Spread: GSW -6.5
Total: 229
Odds c/o Bovada
The Golden State Warriors are on the verge of becoming the first team to sweep through a playoff run with a 16-0 mark en route to a title. Despite heroic efforts by Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Warriors have proved indefatigable in their quest for another title.
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The title, should the Dubs secure it tonight, will be the first of Durant’s already impressive career, and will give the Warriors two titles in the past three seasons, with last year’s the lone exception, having gone to the Cavs. NBA oddsmakers are expecting the Warriors to complete the sweep, with Bovada listing Golden State as 6.5 point favorites in the game with an over/under set at 229 points.
Despite Cleveland giving the Warriors a tough Game 3, Golden State ended the game by scoring its final 11 points to emerge with a 118-113 victory. The storylines emerging from it have oft hovered around the debacle of whether the series MVP will to go Durant or Curry, but the Warriors played another masterful game and saved its most powerful run for the game’s final four minutes. The Cavaliers led as the game winded down, but James was unable to stifle the Warriors as the team heated up and showed how difficult it can be to stop a team with so much firepower and a veritable quartet of superstars.
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Shooting guard Klay Thompson had his best game of the series in hitting 11 of 18 from the floor, including 6 of 11 from three-point range, to score 30 points in addition to six rebounds and two assists. Curry had another big game on the glass with 13 rebounds, six assists and 26 points, and Durant was an efficient 10 of 18 from the field for 30 points. Do-it-all forward Draymond Green had just eight points, but he contributed eight boards and seven assists while posting the best plus-minus of any Warrior at +14.
James was brilliant, and he played nearly the entire game, missing only two minutes, but two minutes which basically sank the Cavs. LeBron finished +7 for his 46 minutes on the court and the team lost by five, meaning the Warriors outscored Cleveland by 12 in the mere two minutes of rest James received. He finished the night with 39 points, nine assists and 11 rebounds (3 offensive) while shooting 15 of 27 from the field.
The weak game of Kevin Love is really what spelled the Cavaliers demise. The power forward was just 1 of 9 from the field for nine points, and though he had six steals and 13 rebounds, the Cavaliers are not getting enough scoring outside of Kyrie Irving (38 points) to keep pace with the Warriors over the course of an entire 48-minute game.
The Cavaliers bench was a non-factor, with only Kyle Korver connecting on a field goal (3 of 7) and Iman Shumpert, Deron Williams and Richard Jefferson combining to shoot 0 of 7. Even if the Cavs can get production outside of their bench, it seems to require an absolutely perfect performance on the part of Tyronn Lue’s club just to stay in the game with such a loaded Dubs squad.
We expected the Cavaliers to rebound in Game 3 and emerge with a narrow victory; but now, with their backs in the corner and on the rail, most are expecting the Warriors to complete the sweep tonight, and in impressive fashion they likely will manage to cover the 6.5 point spread, as well.
