Almost everybody wrote off the Cleveland Cavaliers’ title hopes after star point guard Kyrie Irving fractured his left kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But the Cavaliers rebounded nicely through the heroics of none other than LeBron James, as Cleveland took Game 2 with a 95-93 win in overtime on Sunday.
Can the King continue to lead his team toward its first ever NBA championship? Or will the hot-shooting Golden State Warriors find their groove? Read on as we break down the thrilling hoops action to come.
Still haven’t decided on your pick? Check out what the experts are saying here.
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3 Preview
Series Scores and 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 (-2) at Cleveland Cavaliers (+2); total 194.5 – view all NBA lines
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 Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry had a very salty Game 2 performance, shooting just 5-of-23 from the field (2-of-15 from three-point range). It was the third worst shooting performance an MVP had in a Finals game with a minimum of 15 attempts. His fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson was quick to pick up the slack though, scoring 34 points on 14-of-28 shooting, including making 4-of-12 from downtown.
[sc:NBA240banner ]But don’t expect Curry to remain way too cold. He’s been stellar on the road, especially with his outside shooting. The MVP has made an average of 5.7 three-pointers in seven games on the road this postseason.
Harrison Barnes provided a steady hand with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Draymond Green finished with his 11th double-double of the season (third most in the playoffs). Aside from the four starters, no other Warrior scored in double digits. Golden State’s usually reliable bench also struggled as it was outscored by Cleveland’s reserves 21-17.
To regain the series lead, it’ll be important for the Warriors’ reserves to keep up with Cleveland’s shallow roster. Andre Iguodala should lead in this regard. He’s scoring 11 points on 69 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors are 4-3 ATS in seven games on the road this postseason.
Think Golden State bounces back in a big way? Create a betting account now and get in on the Warriors’ red-hot shooters.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James and his triple double (39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists) may be getting most of the headlines. But Matthew Dellavedova may have just saved Cleveland from getting buried in a 2-0 hole. As per the King, “[Dellavedova] defended. He rebounded. He made timely shots. He gave us everything and more.”
Saying that the backup guard defended may be an understatement after Dellavedova forced the reigning MVP to misfire all over the place in Game 2. Curry finished shooting 0-of-8 when guarded by Dellavedova in half-court offense in Game 2. He may not be the scoring threat Kyrie Irving is, but Cleveland will do just fine if Dellavedova can keep some tight defense on the league MVP.
James also had plenty of help from Timofey Mozgov. The towering Russian center finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but had to sit for most of the fourth and overtime periods when Golden State went to a smaller lineup.
Tristan Thompson is another big man worth mentioning. While the big man just scored two points in the game, he finished with 14 rebounds (seven on the offensive board) as Cleveland out-rebounded Golden State by 10. Thompson’s ability to fight for offensive boards should help the Cavs convert second chance points even when they’re misfiring like they did in Game 2 (32 percent from the field).
The Cavs could also get some timely contributions from reserve guard J.R. Smith at home. Smith is scoring 12.6 points per home game this postseason, making an average of 2.4 threes in those contests. Expect Smith to light it up from downtown on his own floor.
Cleveland has won six of its seven home games this postseason.
