Portland was oh-so-close to tying up the series in Game 4, but the Warriors found a way to win thanks to the brilliant return of Stephen Curry. Now, the Trail Blazers are in a win-or-go-home situation tonight for Game 5. And what’s worse, they’ll need to gut out a victory in front of a loud Oracle Arena crowd. Can Portland stay alive? Or will the defending champions punch a ticket to the Western Conference finals?
Meanwhile, you can also click here to check out our in-depth preview of Game 5 between the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors.
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Game Two Round Two Preview
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
When: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Portland Trail Blazers (+13) vs. Golden State Warriors (-13); total: 216.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
Even so, when you have someone like Damian Lillard, who can go on a scoring outburst at almost any given moment, on your team, any game is winnable. Lillard’s been sizzling hot throughout this series against the Warriors. The star guard has scored 25 or more points in the first four games, including a 40-point and 10-assist effort in Game 3. And needless to say, the Trail Blazers will need him to continue playing at a high level in tonight’s Game 5.
Apart from Lillard, the pair of C.J. McCollum and Al-Farouq Aminu will also have to deliver the goods to help Portland hang with the Warriors. Both players racked up 24 and 18 points, respectively, despite the tough loss in Game 4.
However, the biggest key for the Blazers will be at the defensive end of the floor. After all, they won’t have to worry about guarding just Draymond Green and Klay Thompson since Stephen Curry’s probably in line for another dominant performance. The league MVP is averaging 28.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists across 40 home games in the regular-season.
Portland is 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry’s back and the Golden State Warriors are as dangerous as ever again. The league’s first unanimous MVP will be looking to replicate his heroic performance in Game 4, and lead his team to its second-straight appearance in the conference finals.
Curry should be able to put on another show again especially with a jam-packed Oracle Arena crowd cheering him and his teammates all game long. Speaking of which, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are also bound to continue to torching the Portland defense. The two are averaging 30.5 and 24.5 points, respectively, in this series.
Ultimately, as long as those three—Curry, Thompson and Green—continue producing their usual numbers, the Warriors should be able to expose once again Portland’s lack of experience and its defensive inconsistencies.
The defending champions are 8-2 SU and ATS in their last 10 games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Warriors (-13) win by double-digits, and move on to the Western Conference finals for the second-consecutive year.
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