The Golden State Warriors will be returning home and looking to take control of the NBA Finals. The Warriors were able to steal home-court advantage away from the Raptors with a 109-104 victory in Game 2 after losing the series opener. Golden State is looking for its third straight NBA championship, while the Raptors are in the Finals for the first time ever.
Toronto was able to stun the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals to get a chance at the Warriors. The Raptors rattled off four straight wins to eliminate the top-seeded Bucks in six games. Golden State advanced to their fifth straight NBA Finals by sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals. The Golden State Warriors are -6.0 point favorites over the Raptors in Game 3.
Injuries a Concern For Warriors
It’s hard to imagine an NBA Finals participant that has been more banged up than the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are without Kevin Durant and his 34 points per game in the playoffs, and reserve Kevon Looney is now out for the season. Klay Thompson had 25 points in the Game 2 win but had to leave early due to a hamstring strain. Golden State is anticipating that Thompson will play through the injury, but he will definitely be hobbled a bit.
The two main stars for the Warriors of late have been Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry had a streak of six straight 30-plus point games snapped in Game 2 but still finished with 23 points. Green was coming off of a stretch in which he had three straight triple-doubles and is back to making plays for his team. Curry and Green will both need to be great again in this game.
Leonard Leading Raptors
Kawhi Leonard has been the best player for any team throughout the NBA playoffs, and he is doing all he can to upset the Warriors. Leonard poured in a game-high 34 points in the Game 2 loss and is averaging more than 31 points per game this season. The Warriors are doing their best to try and slow him down, but he just keeps coming up with huge plays and big shots for the Raptors.
The problem for Toronto is that they haven’t always found enough guys to support their star. Pascal Siakam is usually the guy to step up and score, but he managed to score just 12 points in the Game 2 loss. Fred VanVleet has been shooting the ball well of late but is really the only Raptors threat to score off the bench. Toronto plays just eight men a game, and depth is a real issue against the Warriors.
Golden State Cruises in Game 3
The Toronto Raptors have had a terrific season, but they blew a great shot to take a 2-0 series lead at home. Now that the Warriors are back home, things become a lot tougher for Toronto. Golden State is dealing with a ton of injuries, but they still have enough talent to win this game. Bet the Golden State Warriors -6.0 over the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
