PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOP TOTALS TICKET >> JAZZ/WARRIORS!
(NBA) Utah vs. Golden State,
Total: 204.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 204.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Win
The set-up: The Warriors fell just shy of covering in Game 1, winning 106-94 as 13-point favorites. However, Golden State controlled the flow in the series opener and sure didn't look rusty form an eight-day layoff. The Warriors got balanced scoring (all five starters were in double digits) and the lone negative was the team's poor three-point shooting (7 of 29 or 24.1%). However, the team held Utah star forward Gordon Hayward to just 12 points and Utah was almost as bad from three-point range as the Warriors, making only 9 of 29 (31.0%).
Utah: The Jazz were never able to get their offense in gear, as Hayward and postseason standout Joe Johnson both struggled. In fact, center Rudy Gobert was the club's high scorer with 13 points. "We just didn't execute like we wanted to and missed some shots," Hayward said during postgame festivities. "So definitely not the way we wanted to start, but just one game. Have to figure something out and be ready for the next one." Hayward was just 4-of-15 from the floor and Johnson has just 11 points, on 4 of 10 shooting. George Hill had just seven points in the opener, after averaging 16.9 points in the series against the Clippers.
Golden State: Curry suffered a left ankle injury during Game 1 (led with 22 points) and missed practice on Wednesday. However, he isn't expected to be hampered in terms of Game 2. He only played 21 seconds in the final quarter and insisted after the contest that it was "just routine maintenance" and "it's nothing to worry about." Small forward Kevin Durant scored 17 points in the opener and looks nearly fully recovered from the calf injury that caused him to miss two games in the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. Green added 17-8-6, so don't worry about the Warriors in this one.
The pick: No way either team shoots as poorly again from three-point range (see numbers above) and this over/under remains low for a Golden State team averaging 116.8 PPG in winning its first five postseason games. Make the Over a 10* play.
Utah: The Jazz were never able to get their offense in gear, as Hayward and postseason standout Joe Johnson both struggled. In fact, center Rudy Gobert was the club's high scorer with 13 points. "We just didn't execute like we wanted to and missed some shots," Hayward said during postgame festivities. "So definitely not the way we wanted to start, but just one game. Have to figure something out and be ready for the next one." Hayward was just 4-of-15 from the floor and Johnson has just 11 points, on 4 of 10 shooting. George Hill had just seven points in the opener, after averaging 16.9 points in the series against the Clippers.
Golden State: Curry suffered a left ankle injury during Game 1 (led with 22 points) and missed practice on Wednesday. However, he isn't expected to be hampered in terms of Game 2. He only played 21 seconds in the final quarter and insisted after the contest that it was "just routine maintenance" and "it's nothing to worry about." Small forward Kevin Durant scored 17 points in the opener and looks nearly fully recovered from the calf injury that caused him to miss two games in the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. Green added 17-8-6, so don't worry about the Warriors in this one.
The pick: No way either team shoots as poorly again from three-point range (see numbers above) and this over/under remains low for a Golden State team averaging 116.8 PPG in winning its first five postseason games. Make the Over a 10* play.