Golden State Warriors will host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. The hosts want to bounce back after the latest defeat and finish the job. The away side searches for another success that should move the tie back to Dallas.
Golden State had the first match point on Tuesday evening, but they haven’t converted it. Nevertheless, the home side will have a better chance in Game 5 in front of the home crowd. On the other hand, Dallas managed to celebrate the first victory in this series. However, a long way is ahead of them to a place in the NBA Finals.
Golden State Warriors – Will they bounce back and end the series?
The Warriors’ winning streak ended on Tuesday evening with a 119-109 defeat at American Airlines Center. It was their first loss after four straight successes, and the home side will search for a way back to the winning track. Golden State wasn’t good enough in Game 4, and they trailed 15 points by halftime. It could have been a very tough defeat if there wasn’t the last-quarter performance when they won that period by 19 points. The Warriors had a solid 48.8 field goal percentage while scoring 35.7% of their three-pointer shots. However, that was not good enough to snatch a positive result in that game.
Stephen Curry scored only 20 points on Tuesday evening, but he is still the Warriors’ top scorer with 26.7 pts per game. He also has six assists and 5.1 rebounds in the post-season. Klay Thompson averages 19 points and 4.4 rebs, while Jordan Poole contributed to Golden State’s offense with 18.5 points. Draymond Green tops the rebs and assists charts with seven and 6.1, respectively, while Andrew Wiggins produces 15.7 pts in the playoffs. Gary Payton II, James Wiseman, and Andre Iguodala are still not ready to make appearances, while Otto Porter Jr. is questionable.
Expected Line-Up: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green
with best odds
Dallas Mavericks – Can they move the series back to Dallas?
The Mavericks managed to avoid the sweep, but they are still in a tough position in this series. They trail 3-1 in this series, but a potential upset in this one could provide a bit of drama in the conference finals. Dallas finally dominated a game in this tie, booking a 119-109 win in Game 4. It could have been more convincing if the Mavs hadn’t lost the final period by 19 points. Nevertheless, Dallas hit half of its field goal shots while having a 46.5 three-pointer percentage. They also improved their game in the paint, having three rebs more than Golden State.
However, they need another excellent shooting display on the road to extend this series. Luka Doncic averages 31.9 points in the playoffs, followed by 9.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per contest. Jalen Brunson produces 22.2 pts, 4.8 rebs, and 3.6 assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie scores 13.5 points. Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock have also contributed to the Mavs’ offense with a double-digit number of points. The good news for the away side is that they shouldn’t have unavailable players and can count on all of them.
Expected Line-Up: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell
Expert Pick #1 – Golden State Warriors -6.5 @-110
Golden State missed the first opportunity to end this series, but I don’t think they’ll waste this one. I believe the hosts should celebrate on the home court and cover the margin, and I’ll back them ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 215.5 @-110
Game 2 and Game 4 went over the margin, and I expect the Warriors to drive this match in the same direction. On the other hand, Luka Doncic should lead the Mavs to try to produce surprise, and we might see more than 215 pts in this game. Therefore, I’ll go with the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Golden State Warriors Over 111.5 @-110
Golden State produced 112 or more points in both home games in this series, and I think they will continue that trend. Since the odds are the same as for the first two picks, this will be my second alternative for this clash.
