On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors will host Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals against the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers. Game time is set 9PM ET at the ORACLE Arena in Oakland, CA.
Cleveland and Golden State will meet for the third time in the NBA Finals. The Warriors won in 2015 while the Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to snatch the title in 2016. Golden State has a 12-0 record in the playoffs this season as they swept their way against Portland, Utah and San Antonio.
Cleveland also has a good run in the playoffs as it accumulated a 12-1 record as they dispatched Indiana, Toronto and Boston. This third match up in the NBA Finals will have a lot of story line. There would be seven All-Star players competing for both teams. Golden State will have a new guy in the lineup who was not in the first two Finals, enter 4-time scoring champion and 2014 NBA's MVP Kevin Durant.
Cleveland must find a way to defend a starting line-up that has a four top-caliber players. Golden State has showed its defensive tenacity during the regular season as well as the playoffs and our confident they could match up well with the Big 3 of Cleveland. Although, they will be without head coach Steve Kerr who is still feeling after effects of the procedural spinal fluid leak. He will be in the dugout at ORACLE Arena and will join the team when the NBA Finals shifts to Cleveland in Games 3 and 4.
Acting head coach Mike Brown took over when Steve Kerr decided to take a leave from coaching in the sidelines. He is confident on how his player responded about their internal situation and believes that they will handles themselves well in the NBA Finals as if coach Steve Kerr is on the bench.
The bench players will be the x-factor in the 2017 NBA Finals. Cleveland's bench lacks the consistency to hold the fort while their main players goes to the bench. Golden State has a deep bench that could spell minutes to its 4 All-Star players which is quite evident during the playoffs.
The basketball handicappers have installed the Golden State Warriors as a 7-point favorite to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals on Thursday night at the ORACLE Arena.
SportsBet ®
your source for betting information