The first-ranked offense of the Golden State Warriors (68-7) welcomes the fifth-ranked defense of the Boston Celtics (43-32). The game starts at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 1 and will air on ESP, CNE and GS2.
The Warriors were victorious over the Jazz 103-96 on Wednesday. Stephen Curry was the game’s high scorer with 31 points on 11-for-23 shooting. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 116-109 loss to the Trail Blazers on Thursday. Evan Turner stood out for Boston, recording 14 points, four steals, and four assists.
Over the last five games, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have played at a high level for the Warriors. During that stretch, Green has averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Thompson has put up 29.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 5.6 three-pointers.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Golden State (first in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 112.8) takes on the stingy defense of Boston (fifth in the league with a defensive efficiency of 101.4).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Warriors won the first game 124-119. Green recorded a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors enter the game with records of 68-7 Straight Up (SU) and 39-33-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. The Warriors have the most prolific offense in the entire league, averaging 115.1 points per game. The Warriors, sporting the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.97), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Transitioning to the Golden State defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Warriors, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .434. The Warriors are the third-best team in the league at blocking shots, averaging 6.1 blocks per game.
On the other side, Boston has a SU record of 43-32 and an ATS record of 38-35-2. Boston has records of 43-32 SU and 38-35-2 ATS against the West. They sport the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 105.6 points per game. Boston is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, converting .790 of their shots from the line. Shifting to the other side of the court, they average 9.3 steals per game, good for second in the league. Boston makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking fifth in points off turnovers with an average of 18.5 per game.
Golden State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over the Celtics in the last 10 games. The Celtics hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
“Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games “.
“Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State’s last 7 games “.
“Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State’s last 5 games at home”.
“Golden State is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston”.
“Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State’s last 7 games when playing Boston”.
“Golden State is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston”.
“Golden State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Boston”.
“Boston is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Golden State”.
Boston allows 104.3 points on the road this season. Topping the league in home scoring, Golden State puts up 115.9 points on its own court.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Warriors are 25-1 on the season. When the Celtics score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 6-15.
When the Warriors give up 100 or more points, they are 43-6. When the Celtics hit triple digits, they also have a winning record (37-17).
The Warriors have the top-ranked offense this season, averaging 112.8 points per 100 possessions. The Celtics have one of the best defenses, allowing 101.4 points in the same number of possessions (ranked fifth).
The Golden State Warriors average 102.0 possessions and 1.128 points per possession in games this season. The Boston Celtics average fewer possessions with 101.5, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.041.
The Golden State Warriors have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with an EFF% of 56.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Boston Celtics have a subpar 1-10 record.
Among all teams, Golden State is best in the league in assists, registering an average of 29.0 per game. Boston ranks slightly lower in total assists, at sixth (24.0 per game).
Golden State makes an average of 6.1 blocks per game (ranked third), while Boston makes 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 23rd).
Golden State is ranked 21st when it comes to offensive rebounding. Boston ranks 15th in defensive rebounds.
Making 8.5 steals per game, Golden State is ranked eighth in the NBA. Boston has a winning 23-15 record when it gives up at least 8 steals.
