Can we get a close game in the Western Conference Finals please?! We haven’t had one yet with Golden State looking to take a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets and solidly favored on the NBA lines to do so Tuesday night in Oakland.
How impressive were the Warriors in Game 3? It was the largest win in Warriors postseason history, the largest loss in Rockets postseason history and largest loss in NBA postseason history by team that won 65+ games during the regular season. The Warriors have now won 16 straight home games in the postseason, setting an NBA record. Michael Jordan’s Bulls won 15 straight in Chicago in 1990 and 1991. The Warriors outshot the Rockets 52.2% to 40.0% and had 8 turnovers to 20 for Houston.
Stephen Curry lit up in the second half of Sunday’s Game 3 victory, finishing with 35 points (13-of-23 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), six rebounds, five 3-pointers, one assist and one block in 34 minutes. Curry was a combined 2-of-13 from deep in Games 1 and 2 and began this game 1-of-6 in the first quarter alone, which tied his playoff career-high for 3-point misses in a single quarter. He couldn’t be stopped after halftime, however, and got his offense going despite being relentlessly targeted on defense.
Before the game, Steve Kerr dismissed concerns about the health of Curry’s knee, saying, “Steph is healthy, he’s moving fine … Steph and Oracle [Arena], it’s a good combination.”
How to Bet Rockets at Warriors NBA Lines & Game 4 Info
When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland TV: TNT Stream: NBA League Pass Radio: 790 AM (Houston) / 95.7 FM (Golden State) NBA Lines: Warriors -8.5 (224)Why Bet on Houston?
The Rockets were flat-out embarrassed in Game 3, 126-85 in Oakland but Houston hasn’t lost back-to-back games in these playoffs yet. James Harden led the Rockets with 20 points on Sunday, adding nine assists, five rebounds and two 3-pointers in the blowout loss. Golden State closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run, then opened the second half with another 10-0 spurt to claim a 21-point lead. The Rockets never got within single-digits after that and wound up losing by 41 points, which was the largest margin of defeat in franchise playoff history. Harden made 7-of-16 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws, but he also committed four of his team’s 19 turnovers. Harden wasn’t good defensively, either. Harden’s 16 plays as a primary defender trailed only Chris Paul (19) for most on the Rockets. Curry (4-6 FG) and Durant (3-4 FG) finished a combined 7-10 when defended by Harden. Of the 8 field goals that the Warriors made against Harden, 5 were layups or dunks Paul needed 16 shots to score 13 points on Sunday, making five of his attempts with 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in 33 minutes. CP3 battled soreness in his lower right leg during Game 2 and may not have been 100 percent, but he was playing without any medical restrictions. He began the game 0-of-6 from the field and didn’t score until the 2:59 mark in the second quarter. That’s just not good enough.Who Also Had an Interesting Game 3?
The third member of the Big 3, Clint Capela, played only 22 minutes in Game 3, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds (four offensive), one assist and one block. Capela opened the game with a pair of easy buckets at the rim, but Draymond Green and the Warriors’ defense held him at bay after that. The Rockets struggled in the first half with 10 turnovers and 14 missed shots in the paint, including a ton of layups, and Mike D’Antoni opted to go small to claw back from a double-digit deficit. Capela had played at least 27 minutes in every playoff game prior to Game 3. Trevor Ariza had 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the Rockets’ win in Game 2 compared to a total of 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in the two losses this series. He’s averaging 10.6 ppg in wins this postseason compared to 6.3 ppg in losses. The Rockets have not lost consecutive games this postseason and have outscored opponents by an average of 20.7 points in the first game following a loss.Why Bet on Golden State?
How impressive were the Warriors in Game 3? It was the largest win in Warriors postseason history, the largest loss in Rockets postseason history and largest loss in NBA postseason history by team that won 65+ games during the regular season. The Warriors have now won 16 straight home games in the postseason, setting an NBA record. Michael Jordan’s Bulls won 15 straight in Chicago in 1990 and 1991. The Warriors outshot the Rockets 52.2% to 40.0% and had 8 turnovers to 20 for Houston.
Stephen Curry lit up in the second half of Sunday’s Game 3 victory, finishing with 35 points (13-of-23 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), six rebounds, five 3-pointers, one assist and one block in 34 minutes. Curry was a combined 2-of-13 from deep in Games 1 and 2 and began this game 1-of-6 in the first quarter alone, which tied his playoff career-high for 3-point misses in a single quarter. He couldn’t be stopped after halftime, however, and got his offense going despite being relentlessly targeted on defense.
Before the game, Steve Kerr dismissed concerns about the health of Curry’s knee, saying, “Steph is healthy, he’s moving fine … Steph and Oracle [Arena], it’s a good combination.”
Who Else Had a Great Game 3?
Klay Thompson shot 6-of-14 from the field on Sunday, scoring 13 points with three assists, two blocks, one rebound and one steal. Thompson moved past Rick Barry into second-place on the Warriors’ all-time postseason scoring list (1,786 points). Draymond Green racked up 10 points, 17 rebounds and six assists in the win. Green shot 3-of-9 from the field but he was spectacular otherwise, going 3-of-3 from the line with one 3-pointer, one steal, one block and only one turnover in 37 minutes. He’s notched at least 10/10/5 in 22 postseason games, which is fourth-most in the league since 2000 — he trails only Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James. Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. Andre Iguodala (knee soreness) is being listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s Game 4. Iguodala hurt his left knee during the closing seconds of Sunday’s Game 3 win, and it swelled up on him overnight. He’s headed for an X-ray and his status likely will be decided Tuesday morning. If Iguodala is forced to sit out Tuesday’s game, Kevon Looney would likely move into the starting lineup and there would be more minutes available for guys like Nick Young and Shaun Livingston. In Game 4 of the NBA playoffs all-time, the Warriors have a 28-23 record (10-4 since 2015).Latest NBA Betting Trends
- Warriors are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following a straight up win.
- Warriors are 6-20-1 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Golden State is 4-15 ATS in their last 19 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Rockets are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Rockets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.\
- Houston is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
