During their run to five straight NBA Finals and three league championships, the Golden State Warriors annihilated opponents on both ends of the floor. After a few down seasons that saw superstars Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry miss significant amounts of time, the gang is back together. The Dubs looked in championship form taking the first two games of the series at home by an average margin of 18 points. While they don’t have to win a road game, the Warriors don’t want to prolong the series more than necessary. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic looks to extend the series when his Denver Nuggets host Game 4 of the first round matchup on Sunday.
The NBA Playoff game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets will air live on ABC with tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 24, 2022 from Ball Arena in Denver, CO. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA playoff schedule.
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Odds Analysis
The Warriors had their issues with Denver during the regular season losing three of four games, but they played those matchups without a full complement of players. Thompson missed the first half of the season recovering from injuries that kept him out for over two years. Curry was out the last few weeks of the regular season dealing with a foot injury. Throw in missed games from Draymond Green and the trio that helped the Warriors win those three titles played together sparingly. Things started to come together near the end of the season when they Warriors were in danger of falling lower than third in the Western Conference standings. They won their final five games showing improved defensive numbers while going 4-1 ATS. And they were just as good at the start of this series posting cover wins of 16 and 20 points. They allowed more than 107 points just once in their past eight games and outscored opponents by an average of 14.5 points during their winning streak.
The Nuggets are hoping some home cooking can influence the referees. Many players felt the officiating in the first two games was skewed toward the home team. That and allowing the Warriors to score at will in the second half of each game was too much to handle. The Nuggets imploded in Game 2 with arguments on the bench and Jokic getting ejected. Folks usually think the Nuggets have an advantage playing at home because of the altitude. Well, that theory was debunked during the season. Denver was actually two games better on the road than their 23-18 home mark. They need to defend better and make sure Jokic stays on the court.
Golden State Warriors
We talk about Curry and Thompson as the offensive catalysts for the Warriors, and they’re pretty damn good. You can toss another name into the discussion now that Jordan Poole has postseason experience. Playing his first playoff game, Poole dropped making 5 of 7 triples in the opener. He followed that with 29 points in the Game 2 rout putting him as the team’s leading playoff scorer through two games.
It’s easy to see why the Warriors have spurts of greatness on offense: they have too many weapons. And even more special is that they take pride in playing defense. The Dubs struggled during the regular season to defend big men who score, and Jokic had some big games. But the high-scoring trio has the ability to make sure opponents don’t get too comfortable.
Denver Nuggets
It’s the Nuggets playing shorthanded now. They’ve been without Jamal Murray all season and Michael Porter Jr. played just nine games before back issues shelved him. Denver got used to playing without those guys, but their loss is felt even more now that the Warriors are running at full throttle. They can combat that by playing good defense, at least better than they did in the first two games. And they need to keep their composure or the series is over in a hurry. Matching Golden State’s intensity is a priority since the Dubs have a killer instinct.
Jokic can take over games, but he needs to be on the floor to do that. Getting tossed with seven minutes left in Game 2 probably didn’t cost Denver the game since they trailed by double figures at the time, but when he exited any hope of a comeback went with him.
Warriors at Nuggets NBA Odds Pick
Things will be different in Denver and I don’t expect the Warriors to shoot the lights out like they did in the Bay Area. Still, it seems like the Warriors are on a mission and while the games should in the Mile High City should be closer Golden State is playing solid basketball.
NBA Odds Prediction: Golden State Warriors / UNDER
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