The San Antonio Spurs had a huge lead and a healthy Kawhi Leonard in the first game of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon. By the end of it, they had neither. The Golden State Warriors rallied from a huge deficit to claim Game 1, and Leonard re-injured his ankle in the third quarter.
Leonard’s availability will be a huge storyline for Game 2, which will once put San Antonio on the road against the best team in the NBA. The Warriors looked off early on and had to put together a furious rally to knock off the Spurs, and hope this one is much easier as they aim for a 2-0 lead.
With Leonard banged up, Golden State will be a comfortable favorite next time out, although it would be silly to completely count out San Antonio.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Tuesday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Warriors were 10.5-point favorites in Game 1 and the Spurs easily covered. The gut punch came to those who took San Antonio on the moneyline, as it seemed to be a great bet and would have paid off handsomely, but it didn’t come to fruition. The “over” was the correct choice on the scoring total.
In Game 2, the Warriors are listed as 13-point favorites since Leonard very well could miss the contest. The scoring total is set at 210 points.
Golden State is 76-15 straight up and 45-42-4 against the spread. The Warriors have played in 46 home games on the season, covering in 22 of them and pushing three times. Golden State is 43-41-4 against the spread as the favorite.
The Spurs are 69-26 straight up and 49-44-2 against the spread. San Antonio is an impressive 26-20-2 against the spread on the road after covering in Game 1. The Spurs have also been good as the underdog, covering in 8 of 11 attempt with one push.
Last Time Out
The Spurs got off to a quick start and led by 20 points at halftime Sunday, before the Warriors came roaring back. Steph Curry had 19 points in the critical third quarter where Golden State ignited on an 18-0 run to make it a game again.
Behind 12 points from Kevin Durant, the Warriors outscored the Spurs 32-21 in the fourth quarter to help seal the come-from-behind 113-111 win. It’s important to note that the Spurs played the final quarter-and-a-half without Kawhi Leonard.
Injury Report
Leonard -- The Spurs star re-injured his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 1 on Sunday and did not return. Leonard’s injury was aggravated twice, tangling feet with Spurs teammate David Lee and then Warriors center Zaza Pachulia.
Leonard had 26 points and eight rebounds before his early exit and the Spurs were rolling until he got hurt. Golden State went on an 18-0 run immediately after Leonard left, and it’s hard to overstate his importance to San Antonio in this series. His absence would be a huge loss for the Spurs in Game 2 and beyond, depending how severe the injury proves to be.
He is expected to undergo an MRI this week. Leonard told reporter’s following Sunday’s loss that he was in a lot of pain, which isn’t a great sign for his availability next time out.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Warriors are huge favorites in this one since they are 9-0 in the playoffs and the Spurs figure to be without Leonard. However, the Spurs easily covered in Game 1 and showed their ability to win without Leonard when they cruised past the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the second round.
San Antonio is also missing point guard Tony Parker, and it’s fair to wonder if the personnel losses will be too much to overcome. While Golden State is unquestionably great, the Spurs are greater than just one player.
They should be able to keep this game competitive and cover the spread once again, although Golden State will almost assuredly come away with the win.
NBA Odds: Warriors 107, Spurs 99
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
