To most NBA diehards, this coming Friday is less about the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth and more about the five huge games the league has prepared for that day–none bigger than the highly anticipated clash between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
Will LeBron James and the Cavs score a small measure of revenge from their loss in the 2015 NBA Finals? Or will the Warriors show Cleveland why they’re wearing rings this season by humbling their visitors?
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***Please note that this preview was written prior to the Cavs and the Warriors playing the New York Knicks and the Utah Jazz, respectively.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors Preview
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
When: Friday, December 25, 2015, 5:00 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
[sc:NBAArticles ]Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-7)
[sc:NBA240banner ]The best gift LeBron James will get this coming Christmas Day is a healthy set of teammates.
While the Cavs lost to Golden State in last June’s NBA Finals, it wasn’t because of the lack of effort from James, who busted out mind-numbing averages of 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists during the series that lasted six games.
James’ total takeover was out of necessity, though, and not by design as Cleveland was decimated with injuries to key players. But with the likes of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert all fully healthy, James will be surrounded with a supporting cast that can make basketball a whole lot easier.
Love gives the Cavs a big man who can contribute on both ends of the floor, unlike in the previous NBA Finals, where Cleveland was left with an offensively challenged Tristan Thompson in the middle. So far this season, Love is second on the team with 17.6 points and first with 10.5 rebounds per game.
Irving, meanwhile, will have played just two games this season by the time he faces the Warriors on Friday. But rusty or not, he is definitely an upgrade from Matthew Dellavedova, who Stephen Curry toyed with in the Finals. Irving scored 23 points with seven boards and six assists against the Warriors in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals.
With Shumpert also back in rotation, the Cavs will have a defensive specialist to put on either Curry of Thompson. The Cavs have one of the best defenses against three-point shooters this season, allowing opponents to knock down just 7.3 threes per game on 32.8 percent shooting.
JR Smith is the one Cavs player who must be aching to play the Warriors again after a horror show of a performance in that Finals. Smith put up 11.5 PPG in that series, while shooting a horrendous 32.1% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc.
The Cavs are currently third in defense with 95.6 points surrendered per contest. They are also 2-0 SU and ATS in their last two road games.
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Betting on the Golden State Warriors (26-1)
It wasn’t that long ago when Stephen Curry made Matthew Dellavedova’s ankles burst, and on Friday, he’ll look to lead the Dubs to another win over Cleveland, when they host the Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors are 5-5 SU and 7-3 ATS in Cleveland’s last 10 trips to Oakland.
Golden State has a date with the Jazz before taking on Cleveland, but whatever happens in the Utah game, it won’t change the perception that the Warriors have the best offense in the league. As of this writing, the Warriors are tops in the NBA in scoring with 116.0 PPG. They’re also shooting a league-best 48.8% from the field, which becomes more impressive when considering that they take lots of shots from deep.
The Dubs are launching 30.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc (second in the NBA) and makes 13.0 of them for 42.4% shooting—again, No. 1 in the league.
It’s basically better than the offense they had in the 2015 Finals, when the Warriors made 11.2 3FGM on 36% shooting. Curry is the unquestionable leader of this team, as the reigning MVP is putting up 31.8 points and 4.9 threes per game thus far this season. Splash Brother Klay Thompson, on the other hand, is smoking of late, as he’s averaging 30.3 points on an insane 54.8% shooting in five games prior to meeting Utah.
The Warriors, however, will have to work harder this time around on defense. Golden State held the Cavs to only 93.5 points in the Finals, but that was against a Cleveland team that didn’t have Love, James, and Irving at the same time on the floor. Golden State is 19th in defense overall, allowing 102.6 PPG thus far this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State wins, 110-107
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