Golden State at Cleveland NBA Finals Lines & Game 4 Preview

The 2016-17 NBA season seems likely to come to an end on Friday night as the Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-0. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 series deficit and the Dubs look simply unstoppable. The Warriors dominated the first two games at home and we’re able to defeat the Cavs last night in Game 3 by 5 points. They are NBA odds favorite to finish things off.

Golden State at Cleveland NBA Finals Lines & Game 4 Preview

When: Friday, June 9, 9 PM ET Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland TV: ABC Stream: WatchESPN Radio: Golden State / Cleveland NBA Odds: Warriors -6.5 (228.5)

Why Bet On Golden State?

How about because this team is 15-0 in these playoffs as it attempts to become the first club to run the table in the postseason as it looks to make a case for the best single-season team in NBA history. Frankly, the Warriors should have lost Game 3 but as they were down six with three minutes left in the fourth quarter but held Cleveland scoreless from that point on to win 118-113. Kevin Durant hit a clutch 3-pointer on Wednesday with 45 seconds left give his team the lead for good. He finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Durant made 10-of- 18 FGs with one steal and one block, and his two-way play has been essential to the Warriors’ postseason dominance. Durant is going to be the NBA Finals MVP. He has scored at least 25 points in all eight of his career NBA Finals games. He’s one of only three players in NBA history to accomplish that feat in each of their first eight Finals games along with Shaquille O’Neal (21 straight) and Michael Jordan (20). Klay Thompson lit up the Cavs on Wednesday for 30 points on 11-of- 18 field goals, hitting six 3-pointers with six rebounds, two assists and just one turnover in 41 minutes. Thompson notched 16 points in the first quarter alone, all while playing terrific defense, and he helped the Warriors set new Finals records for most 3-pointers in a quarter (seven) and a half (12). Steph Curry added 26 points. Coach Steve Kerr believe fatigue played a part in his team closing the game on an 11-0 run. The Cavaliers missed their final eight shots, and overall, they shot 3-of- 20 on contested shots in the fourth quarter, with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving going 1-for- 10. “We just felt like the way they play, Kyrie and LeBron had it going the whole game, but that’s pretty taxing to go one-on- one the whole game. Both those guys were amazing, 38 and 39. But that takes a lot out of you,” Kerr said. With their 15th straight win, the Warriors now have the longest postseason streak for any team in the four major professional sports. Durant’s arrival into this rivalry has changed everything. A historic 3-1 comeback by the Cavs a year ago is close to being upstaged by not only a sweep of the series, but also a never-before sweep of the playoffs.

Why Bet On Cleveland?

Yes, the Cavs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit last year vs. the Warriors, but they didn’t have Durant then. Frankly, Cleveland should have won Game 3 as it played about as well as it could have. LeBron finished with 39 points (15-of-27 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), 11 rebounds, nine assists, four 3-pointers, one steal and one block in 46 minutes. Irving scored 38 points, making 16-of-29 field goals and 6-of- 6 free throws with six rebounds and three assists. It broke Cleveland’s perfect 4-0 all-time record in the postseason when both James and Irving score 30-plus points. That 77-point total is the most ever by a duo in a loss in the NBA Finals, edging Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who combined for 76 points in a Los Angeles Lakers loss in 1962. And it did appear James and Irving wore down, missing their last five shots during the final five minutes. The lack of outside shooting was an issue for the Cavs, who went just 12-of-44 from deep (27.3 percent), compared to the Warriors’ mark of 16-of-33 (48.5 percent). Five of the Cavs’ final eight missed field goals were from behind the 3-point line. James passed to Kyle Korver for an open 3-point attempt with 52.5 seconds left and the Cavs up by two points. Korver missed. “I said it after we won the Eastern Conference finals that we’re getting ready for a juggernaut,” James said. “It’s probably the most, most firepower I’ve played in my career. I played against some great teams, but I don’t think no team has had this type of firepower.” The Cavs had a plus-minus of plus-7 in the 46 minutes James played and were minus-12 in the two minutes he rested. He is averaging 32 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game in the series, putting him on pace to become the first player in Finals history to average a triple-double. James also passed Sam Jones, Bill Russell and Baylor to move from seventh to fourth in career Finals scoring. James needs two points to pass Michael Jordan (1,176) for third on that list. No team in NBA history has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of- 7 series (0-126)

Golden State at Cleveland NBA Finals Game 4 Betting Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers

That 6.5-point number is a bit too big. I think the Cavs will play with pride simply to avoid a sweep, although Golden State likely wins.