The Golden State Warriors host the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals series on Sunday. Even though the Warriors are heavily favored, the Spurs are coming off a thrilling series win over the Rockets - and are the only team that had a winning record against Golden State during the regular season. Which team will draw first blood in this series? Here's our preview and prediction for this afternoon's game.
Game Info:
When: 3:30 PM EST
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: ABC
Spread: Warriors (-10)
O/U: 210.5
What They're Saying About The Golden State Warriors:
Curry issues challenge to Spurs ahead of Game 1: 'Please do it'
Draymond Green’s mom is “Mom” to hundreds of kids
Steve Kerr returns to Warriors practice
What They're Saying About The San Antonio Spurs:
'Energizer Bunny' Patty Mills proves he's more than just a bench player
Pushing tempo priority No. 1 for Warriors against Spurs
The Spurs’ path to victory over the Warriors
Key To The Game: How healthy is Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi's availability will determine if the Spurs have any chance at all in this game. He is listed as probable after suffering an ankle injury in Game 5 against Houston, but Gregg Popovich kept him out of Game 6 so he could ready to play today.
I fully expect Leonard to play his usual amount of minutes, but the question is how effective he will be in those minutes. Against a team with as many weapons as the Warriors, San Antonio needs Leonard's defense to keep Golden State from having a field day on the offensive end. He's one of a handful of players (if that) in the world who can adequately guard Kevin Durant, and Popovich has put him on Stephen Curry before when he gets hot.
A healthy and effective Kawhi Leonard gives San Antonio a lot more flexibility in their defensive gameplan. If he's limited, they don't have a great chance to win.
Prediction: Warriors win 116-108
Golden State's long layoff could mean they get off to a slow start as they try to find their footing, while the Spurs are in a great rhythm following their beatdown of the Rockets in Game 6. I think that means San Antonio will have the lead early, but the Warriors are too good to be beaten at home in a game like this. They'll go on one of their patented runs to gain control and win a hard-fought contest.