They said the Golden State Warriors would win the series in four games. They said the series would be a one-sided affair in favor of the Dubs. But after the Cleveland Cavaliers dealt the Warriors a 96-91 defeat in Game 3, the former’s critics might be singing a different tune right now.
Will the Cavs move one win closer to the franchise’s first-ever NBA title? Or will Stephen Curry and Co. break out of their funk and crush Cleveland this coming Thursday?
See what the experts are saying about Game 4 by clicking here. Meanwhile, read on below and check out our comprehensive preview of the next game in this fascinating series.
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Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions Game 4 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – June 4 – Cleveland Cavaliers 100 at Golden State Warriors 108 (OT)
Game 2 – June 7 – Cleveland Cavaliers 95 at Golden State Warriors 93 (OT)
Game 3 – June 9, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors 91 at Cleveland Cavaliers 96
Game 4 – June 11, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors (-2.5) at Cleveland Cavaliers (+2.5); total: 193.0 – view all NBA lines
Game 5 – June 14, 8:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
Game 6* – June 16, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 7* – June 19, 9:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
*If necessary
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Cavs are paying Matthew Dellavedova less than a million this season, but the point guard is playing like a max-contract player in the Finals. While LeBron James provided the usual monster numbers to lead the Cavs, Dellavedova’s excellent play on both ends of the floor was a huge reason why Cleveland beat the Warriors in Game 3.
Dellavedova scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists, and made Stephen Curry bleed for his points Tuesday night. Curry shot just 5-for-12 in Game 3 when guarded by Dellavedova, while he went 5-for-6 when other Cavs were on him.
James, on the other hand, nearly eked out his second straight triple-double, as he finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists—not to mention a block—in another terrific performance. Three games into the series, it has become very clear that the Warriors can’t stop James. But the Cavs can make life even harder for Golden State if guys like Dellavedova can deliver the scoring support James badly needs.
Dellavedova has averaged 14.5 points over the last two games, while J.R. Smith has put up 11.5 points during the same stretch. Smith, however, must develop some form of conscience on offense, as his terrible shot selection often leads to wasted possessions.
Among the big keys for the Cavs in this series has been their rebounding, particularly on the offensive end. Over the last two games, the Cavs have averaged 39.0 boards, far more than the Warriors’ 31.5 rebounds a game. Tristan Thompson is averaging just 4.7 points in the finals, but his 8.3 boards a game (5.7 offensive rebounds) have helped minimize Golden State’s possessions. Cleveland grabbed 18 offensive rebounds in Game 3, while the Warriors only had nine.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s incredible defense has held down the Warriors down to just an average of 92 points on 39.9 percent shooting over the last two games.
If there’s one positive takeaway for the Warriors from their Game 3 loss, it’s that Stephen Curry will probably be Stephen Curry again in the next game. Curry had extreme difficulty finding the bottom of the net in the first half, as he scored just three points on 1-for-6 shooting from the field over the game’s first two periods, but found his stroke late in the game.
Curry almost single-handedly brought the Warriors back to life in the fourth quarter, where he buried 17 of his 29 total points—including a 5-for-8 line from the three-point area. Hopefully for the Warriors, Curry’s fourth-quarter explosion on Tuesday will mean that the reigning regular season MVP is bound to be back to his usual form. In 18 games thus far in these playoffs, Curry has averaged 28.3 points on 45 percent shooting. In the Finals, Curry is putting up 24.0 points on an uncharacteristic 39.7 percent from the field.
That being said, Curry isn’t the only solution to the Warriors’ current struggles. They’ll also have to find a way to win the rebounding battle. As mentioned above, the Cavs are killing Golden State beneath the boards over the last two games. Partly because of that, the Warriors have managed to take just 87.0 field goal attempts per game. That’s fewer than the 90.8 shots per game the Rockets allowed them to take in the conference finals.
Harrison Barnes, meanwhile, can’t go on a cold-shooting night again just as he did in Game 3, where he went 0-for-8 from the field and finished with zero points. Barnes, along with the other Warriors peripheral players, must make their shots to take away some of the defensive pressure off Curry and Klay Thompson.
Golden State is 3-2 SU and ATS in its last five road games.
