NBA Playoffs Warriors at Spurs betting and match exotics tips

Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 11.05am AEST, Texas, watch on ESPN, NBA League Pass.

THE Golden State Warriors are one win away from making it to the NBA Finals without losing a game in the playoffs.

After scorching through the Portland Trailblazers and Utah Jazz with clean sweeps in the first two rounds, they now face a decider against a San Antonio Spurs side that has been decimated by injury.

The Spurs lost their talisman Tony Parker to a ruptured left quad injury early in the Houston series, but still managed to vanquish the Rockets.

But NBA Most Valuable Player finalist Kawhi Leonard went down with and ankle injury – in what some are calling a dirty play from Warriors’ centre Zaza Pachulia – in Game One and he has subsequently missed each of the next two and is in doubt for Game Four.

Add to that former Warrior David Lee’s partially torn patella tendon and the Spurs are looking cooked.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovic has already said Leonard is likely out for Game Four and, if that happens, this will be a rout as the Warriors book their date with destiny.

Some have criticised the Warriors and, for that matter, the Cleveland Cavaliers, because of their dominance through the playoffs.

But perhaps it is time for people to take stock, sit back and appreciate greatness.

The Dubs dismantled the Spurs in Game Three in a 120-108 rout on Sunday, led by 33 points and 10 rebounds from superstar forward Kevin Durant.

Reigning two time NBA MVP Stephen Curry added 21 points and six steals to the mix – becoming the Warriors all time leading playoff scorer in the process – as his back court splash brother Klay Thompson found his range with a trio of three pointers on his way to 17 points.

Enigmatic centre Javale McGee – in his first career playoff start – added 16 points in what was his career playoff high.

And Draymond Green showed off his versatile passing game with seven assists to go with 10 points as all five Warriors starters achieved double figures.

It was the big guys who were wheeling and dealing, with David West coming off the bench to hand out five assists in just 18 minutes as the Warriors partied.

When the corpse of Manu Ginobili is your leading scorer, you know you are going to have some problems.

And it was the ageing veteran who wound back the clock to score 21 points in just 18 minutes – most of those in junk time – becoming just the second person aged 39 or older to score 20 or more points in a conference final.

But the Spurs starters were unable to get the job done against the might of the Warriors’ quartet of all stars.

Maligned Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points, but was scorched by McGee and finished with a plus minus of -27 in another woeful performance.

It is inexplicable how Aldridge went from a monster in Portland as the number one man in the playoffs to such a meek performer in San Antonio where he has been given all the tools to succeed.

Perhaps he is just not a number one option on a good team.

Jonathan Simmons continued his path to a hefty pay rise with another 14 points, while veteran Pau Gasol provided a double double off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with plenty of turnstile defence.

The Warriors are now only the third team in NBA history to win the first 11 games of the playoffs, with Durant turning it on in the third quarter, dropping a ridiculous 19 points in the term.

Apart from a huge lead early in Game One before Leonard went down with injury and a decent first half in Game Three, the Spurs have hardly mustered a yelp as the Warriors have gone about their business.

We can’t see it changing here.

Our match predictions

Match result: Golden State Warriors to win ($1.11 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Line betting: Golden State Warriors -11.5 (-105.26 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Game total: Over 216 ($1.91 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Suggested bet: Golden State Warriors -11.5/over 215.5 (+250 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Leonard or no Leonard, the Warriors are getting the job done and booking their date with destiny in the NBA Finals. They are simply a better team, with more firepower and have too much to play for. No team has ever won an NBA playoff series from 3-0 down and that isn’t about to change in this one. Look for Curry, Durant and Thompson to party on as the Warriors send the Spurs packing on their home court. We guess it is a bit of a shame that the Spurs were not at full strength to give the Warriors a run for their money in the series, but that is basketball and it really is time to appreciate the greatness of Golden State. Every game in this series has exceeded 216 points and it’s not about to change. The Warriors have dripped 136 and 120 on their own in the past two and the pace of these two teams is such that is it almost impossible for them not to rack up big totals. The bookies might have got that one wrong, so it’s time we took advantage of it.