The Golden State Warriors evened the series against the Toronto Raptors (1-1) and now want to take the lead in the NBA Finals.
The two-time defending champions came back from a double-digit deficit in the first half (47-35) and claimed the crucial road win.
The Warriors led by as many as 13 points in the second half (65-78) and sealed the deal (104-109), despite the Raptors’ late effort to “steal” the victory (104-106).
On the other hand, Toronto missed a big opportunity to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Now, the series moves to Oakland and the Raptors want to re-claim the home-court advantage.
For its part, Golden State will attempt to protect its home court, while the “Dubs” have to deal with injuries to key players.
Kevin Durant (calf injury) is expected to return in Game 4 on Friday (07/06). At the same time, Steve Kerr saw Klay Thompson (hamstring) and Kevon Looney (collar bone) leave the game, due to injuries.
After having an MRI on Tuesday (04/06), Thompson is questionable for Game 3 and Looney will remain out of action indefinitely. For his part, Stephen Curry was sick in Game 2, but this did not prevent him from scoring 23 points.
Draymond Green came very close to another triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists), while DeMarcus Cousins was very productive for his team, in his second game after returning from a quad injury (11 points, 10 boards, six assists).
On the contrary, Toronto has to regroup ahead of the next two games in Bay Area. In Game 2, only Kawhi Leonard (34 points, 14 rebounds) and Fred VanVleet (17 points) stood out for the team.
The Warriors’ defence stopped Pascal Siakam (12 points in Game 2, 32 in Game 1) and Marc Gasol (six points in Game 2, 20 in Game 1).
Concurrently, Kyle Lowry again played below his usual standards (13 points, 4/11 shooting); identical performances on Wednesday (05/06) will limit Toronto’s chances to win in Oakland.
The Raptors have to improve their shooting percentage as well. They finished Game 2 with 37.2% in field goals (35/94) and 28.9% from the three-point range (11/38). On the contrary, GSW had 46.3% in field goals (38/82) and 38.2% in three-pointers (13/34).
The early bettings odds favor the Warriors at home. For a second time in three games (Game 1, Game 3), GSW opens as the favourite.
Of course, these betting odds can change in all major betting markets, UK included, as we come closer to the tip-off.
With that in mind, get the Best UK Betting Offers For New & Existing Customers and see whether the Raptors will defy the betting odds, just like they did in Game 1.
History has shown that the winner of Game 3 goes on to win the NBA championship. With that in mind, Wednesday’s match-up will be crucial for both teams.
The Warriors will attempt to retain the upper hand in the series, whereas the Raptors will do their best to take back the home-court advantage.
Another exciting game is expected to take place in Bay Area, with both squads fighting tooth and nail for the coveted title.
