Can Warriors Take Control of Series With Injury Issues?
The NBA Finals have swung back towards the defending champions. The Golden State Warriors dug deep to win Game 2 on Sunday. The win squared this best-of-seven series at 1-1. The next two games will be in Oakland, but an injured Klay Thompson my determine how they go.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC, Sportsnet One (Toronto) LINE: Warriors -4.5; O/U: 213.5
The Warriors opened as 5.5-point favorites and it moved to –6 for a while, but the line seems to have settled at -4.5 most everywhere. Thompson has declared himself ready, but the Warriors medical staff said Kevin Durant will not be cleared play. Durant is still recovering from the strained calf he suffered during the second round. After receiving MRI’s, Klay Thompson is officially listed as probably for tonight after tweaking his hamstring on Sunday. Kevon Looney is out indefinitely in what is now being called a fractured collarbone.
Toronto escaped Game 2 with their health, if not the victory. They shot just 37.2% from the floor and 28.9% from downtown. OG Anunoby was active for the first time in these playoffs after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in early April. Kawhi Leonard is hobbled somewhat by a sore left knee, but has continued to play at a high level. Leonard had 34 points and 14 rebounds in Game 2 and is averaging 28.5 points and 11 rebounds while continuing to carry the team in the postseason.
This, That, and a Dart Throw
Toronto let an opportunity get away in Game 2 with it’s poor shooting. The trio of Leonard (8-of-20), power forward Pascal Siakam (5-of-18) and point guard Kyle Lowry (4-of-11) were all missing their shooting touch. Siakam had just 12 points after putting up 32 on 14-of-17 shooting in the opener. They blew several 10+ point leads up until the Warriors roared back near the end of the 3rd quarter. Fred VanVleet has put up efforts of 15 and 17 points in the first two games. He is averaging 16 over the past five games.
Warriors PG Stephen Curry is averaging 28.5 points in the series but is just 14-of-35 from the field. Thompson led the Warriors with 25 points in Game 2. He has shot 7-for-12 on 3-point attempts in the series. It was his defense that helped the Warriors the most. He was part of an improved collective effort by Golden State that turned a 118-109 loss in Game 1 into a series-tying win. Golden State had near-identical offensive numbers in the first two games. They scored 109 points in both games. The Warriors shot 43.6 percent overall and 38.7 percent on 3-pointers in the loss. They then shot 46.3 percent overall and 38.2 percent on 3-pointers in the win.
The Dart Throw: Warriors 110, Raptors 97
NBA Betting Odds & Trends
| Toronto Raptors |
|---|
| Toronto is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games |
| Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games |
| Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road |
| Toronto is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road |
| Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road |
| The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto’s last 9 games on the road |
| Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State |
| Toronto is 8-16-1 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Golden State |
| Toronto is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games when playing Golden State |
| The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto’s last 10 games when playing Golden State |
| Toronto is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Golden State |
| Toronto is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Golden State |
| The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto’s last 10 games when playing on the road against Golden State |
| Golden State Warriors |
|---|
| Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games |
| Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home |
| Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home |
| The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Golden State’s last 19 games at home |
| Golden State is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Toronto |
| Golden State is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Toronto |
| The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State’s last 10 games when playing Toronto |
| Golden State is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto |
| Golden State is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto |
| The total has gone OVER in 8 of Golden State’s last 10 games when playing at home against Toronto |
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