Jason Terry is known for making big-game predictions, and he added to his history of bold proclamations on Tuesday, guaranteeing a Houston Rockets victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 on Wednesday.
The Rockets are currently on the brink of elimination, trailing the Warriors 3-1 in the series, but they do have one thing going for them. Stephen Curry, who returned from a sprained ankle in Game 4 only to injure his knee, will be out for the remainder of the series after being diagnosed with a sprained MCL. In other words, Houston will be playing a drastically different team when they meet the West's No. 1 seed at Oracle Arena.
This is hardly the first time Terry has made such a claim, as he declared that his 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks squad and 2011-12 Boston Celtics team would win an NBA championship. The Mavs made good on Terry's promise, while the C's did not.
Even without Curry, oddsmakers are pegging the Warriors as near 10-point favorites for the closeout game. Though the NBA MVP will not be in action, the defending champs still boast a loaded roster from top to bottom, led by All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Shaun Livingston has proven more than capable of stepping into a starting role for Golden State, and new backup point guard Ian Clark was one of the best players on the floor for either team in Game 3.