LeBron James is back in the NBA Finals! Making his fifth straight finals appearance, King James has a stern test ahead of him in the Golden State Warriors. Not only do the Warriors have a deep and dangerous roster, they also have the reigning league MVP in Stephen Curry leading the team. Which superstar elevates his team to make the first dent in the finals?
Still deciding which team to side on? Check out our collection of experts picks to aid in your selection. You can also see how well these teams matchup with our feature piece here.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors Game 1 Preview
Series Scores and Schedule
Game 1 – June 4, 9:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers (+5.5) at Golden State Warriors (-5.5); total: 202.5 – view all NBA lines
Game 2 – June 7, 8:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
Game 3 – June 9, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 4 – June 11, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers
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
If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be riding the excellent game of LeBron James. He leads the Cavs in points (27.6 per game), rebounds (10.4 per game), assists (8.3 per game) and steals (1.8 per game) this postseason.
[sc:NBA240banner ]James played in just one regular season game against Golden State. He finished with 42 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in that game. Expect him to fight tooth and nail in Game 1 to set the tone for the rest of the series. But even with James on the roster, the Cavs will be even stronger if Kyrie Irving is healthy and ready to go in the NBA Finals.
Irving has had plenty of rest sitting out Games 2 and 3 in the conference finals, and will have a little over a full week off before the NBA Finals tips off on June 4. Irving was impressive in his return to competition, scoring 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting (2 of 3 from downtown) with four rebounds and five assists in 22 minutes of play against Atlanta in Game 4.
But if Irving isn’t fully healthy, the Cavs still have firepower to counter the Splash Brothers’ otherworldly three-point shooting. J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova could all catch fire from downtown. Smith and Shumpert, in particular, shot 47 and 43 percent from three-point range respectively in the conference finals.
The trio of guards is also competent on the other side of the court. Smith is averaging 1.8 steals per game this postseason, while Shumpert is averaging one per game. Dellavedova is also a good hustle player when it comes to fighting for loose balls.
But even if the Cavs can match Golden State backcourt for backcourt, they’ll have plenty more success by bullying their way inside. The frontcourt duo of Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov are strong inside players capable of dominating against the smaller lineup of the Warriros. Thompson averaged in the conference final with 11.8 points, 11 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, while Mozgov averaged 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.
The Cavs are 3-1 SU/ATS in their last four games against Golden State.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors
Look out because the Splash Brothers are in town ready to wreak havoc from the perimeter. Throughout the postseason, the Warriors have been getting the brunt of their offense from the incredible backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The two combine to score 48.9 points per game this postseason, accounting for almost half of what the entire team manages per game (104.3).
The Splash Brother may have their hands full against Cleveland’s suffocating defense. The Cavs are the best defensive team this postseason, limiting opponents to 92.6 points per game. But Curry should have a favorable matchup with Irving. The reigning MVP’s excellent movement and ball handling should test the Cavs point guard’s injured legs.
But if Curry can’t get going, then Golden State will need the rest of the Warriors to step up if it’s to win its first championship since 1975. Draymond Green (14.0 points per game) and Harrison Barnes (11.3 points per game) lead the way for the rest of the team as the only other Warriors scoring in double digits this postseason.
Green, in particular, isn’t just a scoring threat. He’s gives just about everything the team needs. He is averaging 10.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.67 steals and 1.20 blocks per game this postseason. Green should be James’ primary defender in this series.
Andrew Bogut should also be a strong rim protector in the series. He’s averaging a team-best 1.9 blocks this postseason to help tighten up their defense in the paint. But he’s quite a liability on offense. Bogut didn’t scored in three of the five games of the conference finals.
The Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings at Oracle Arena.
Writer’s Prediction
James has another kingly performance in a big Cavs victory in Game 1. Cleveland goes on to win its first ever championship in seven games. Create a betting account now and dive into the tantalizing NBA Finals.
