Golden State (2-0) at San Antonio (0-2)
When: Thursday, April 19th 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Time: 9:35 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: Golden State -3.5/207
Even without superstar Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors have enough offense to compete with any team in the league, and they are proving it in their first round Western Conference series with the San Antonio Spurs. The two teams will battle in Game 3 as the series shifts to Texas, with the home town Spurs desperately needing a win in the next two games. Last year, the Spurs jumped out to a huge lead in their series-opener with Golden State, until Kawhi Leonard went down with an injury, and the Warriors staged an epic rally to win that game, then the next three. The Spurs had no chance in the first two games of this series, losing by an average of 18 points, but they were 33-8 at AT&T Center this season and hope the home crowd will give them a lift. Golden State’s offense is clicking despite the absence of Curry (knee) as the team averaged 114.5 points over the first two games. Shooting guard Klay Thompson is averaging 29 points in the series and Kevin Durant is contributing 28 per game. San Antonio was just 4-of-28 from 3-point range in Game 2, while the Warriors were 15-of-31. The Spurs are 1-10 in their last 11 games against Golden State.
Thompson is a sizzling 10-of-14 from 3-point range in the series and 23-of-33 as he picks up the scoring slack with the abscence of his backcourt mate. Guard Andre Iguodala, who played just once in Golden State’s last seven regular season games, was sharp in Game 2, hitting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and matched his highest point total (14) of the season. The Warriors have dominated the boards this series, especially Game 1 when they outrebounded the Spurs by a whopping 51-30. Backup power forward David West (ankle) is expected to be available for Game 3. He played 14 minutes in Game 2 and hit all three of his shots from the field and all four from the foul line.
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LaMarcus Aldridge is doing everything he can with Leonard rehabbing his injury in New York, and bounced back from a poor Game 1 (14 points, two rebounds) to record 34 and 12 in Game 2. Head coach Gregg Popovich, who’s not one for caring about what he says publicly, basically called Leonard out while praising Aldridge. “He’s led our team at both ends of the floor. He doesn’t complain about a darned thing out on the court. He just plays through everything. I can’t imagine being more proud of a player as far as playing through adversity and being there for his teammates night after night after night. He’s been fantastic.” I’m sure everyone can read between the lines there. Like Aldridge, point guard Patty Mills shook-off a dreadful series opener (five points) to collect 21 points in the second game.
Aldridge is not good enough to carry this Spurs team by himself, even at home. The Warriors are just too deep and far more superior than San Antonio right now. This game won’t be close.
Pick: Warriors -3.5
- Warriors are 25-7 ATS in their last 32 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Warriors are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Warriors are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Warriors are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Warriors are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Warriors are 5-16-1 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Warriors are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Warriors are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win.
- Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
- Warriors are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
- Spurs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Spurs are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
- Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Spurs are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
- Spurs are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss.
- Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
- Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. Western Conference.
- Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Warriors last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Over is 6-1 in Warriors last 7 Thursday games.
- Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 road games.
- Under is 8-2 in Warriors last 10 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Warriors last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 19-7-1 in Warriors last 27 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 13-5 in Warriors last 18 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 7-3-1 in Warriors last 11 vs. NBA Southwest.
- Over is 7-3-1 in Warriors last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 5-0 in Spurs last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Spurs last 4 games following a straight up loss.
- Over is 4-0 in Spurs last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Spurs last 5 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 5-0-1 in Spurs last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Spurs last 4 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Spurs last 7 overall.
- Over is 5-1-1 in Spurs last 7 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 4-1 in Spurs last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Spurs last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Spurs last 5 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Spurs last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 8-3 in Spurs last 11 home games.
- Under is 12-5-1 in Spurs last 18 games playing on 2 days rest.
- Over is 7-3-1 in Spurs last 11 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in San Antonio.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
- Warriors are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
- Under is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio.
- Over is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings.
- Favorite is 35-17-2 ATS in the last 54 meetings.
