After another thrilling finish decided by overtime, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors are tied at one game apiece heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jun. 9 and can be seen on ABC as the action shifts to Cleveland.
Initial lines have opened up with the Cavaliers as one-point favorites over the Warriors heading into Tuesday.
LeBron James was magnificent again in the 95-93 win, as he recorded a triple-double, despite not having the help of star guard Kyrie Irving, who will be out for the rest of the series with a fractured kneecap. James’ 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists proved enough to out-duel the unusually cold Steph Curry. The league MVP was just five-of-23 shooting and converted jut two-of-15 three-pointers.
Tuesday’s showdown again pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Cleveland currently ranks third in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Golden State is first in defensive efficiency. It will also be a tale of two tempos, as the fast-paced Warriors are ranked first in possessions per game, with the methodical Cavaliers at 26th.
The odds for Cleveland and Golden State are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Cavaliers come into this game 53-29 Straight Up (SU) and 40-42 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a solid 7-3 SU record over their last 10 games, but have not fared as well ATS (3-7).
Over on the other bench, the Warriors have 67-15 SU and 47-34-1 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Golden State is 25-5 SU and 15-14-1 ATS. The Warriors convert their shots at a high percentage, leading the league at .478. The Warriors are a very unselfish team with a NBA-leading 27.4 assists per game. Golden State is the best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.5 per game.
With the Warriors’ last win against Cleveland, their SU record is now 8-2 over the Cavaliers in the last 10 meetings. The Warriors also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Golden State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while Cleveland was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Both Golden State and Cleveland rank zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Golden State scores 0.0 points per game, while Cleveland allows 0.0.
Golden State and Cleveland are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Golden State scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Cleveland gives up 0.0 points at home on average.
Golden State has a perfect 40-0 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. The Cavaliers do not fare well when they score under 100, earning an 11-24 record in such contests.
The Warriors have a 27-15 record when they allow at least 100 points. The Cavaliers have also performed well when they register triple digits with a record of 42-5 in such contests.
The Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 17th), while the Warriors rank second for their offensive rating of 108.6.
Cleveland has an average field goal percentage of 45.8%, eighth-ranked in the NBA. Golden State is a winning 14-9 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (fourth) than they do for their field goal percentage (eighth). The Golden State Warriors rank first for both their FG% and EFF%.
The Golden State Warriors top the league in assists, earning 27.4 per game this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are also among the best in the NBA, earning 22.1 per game (ranked 10th).
The Cleveland Cavaliers average 4.1 blocks per game for a rank of 25th. The Golden State Warriors rank higher (second), earning 6.0 blocks each contest.
Cleveland ranks in the top half of the NBA in offensive rebounding at 11th, while Golden State ranks near the top of the league (fourth) in defensive rebounding.
Golden State averages 9.3 steals per game (ranked fourth). Cleveland is 16-17 when allowing at least 9 steals.
