Folks, you may not need me back; you may not want me back; but it’s been a while since you ran me out of town after the World Series. I’m back; I’m itchin’; and the Warriors are on ESPN.
Free Pick
Both the Dubs and the Clippers are coming off of a game against the Indiana Pacers with very different results. First,
the Clippers came out a little uninspired on Sunday and lost by nine points at home. Then Indiana went down to The Bay on Monday night and did what a lot of teams probably would have done the day after winning at the Staples Center: they got run at Oracle. Klay Thompson put on the most impressive scoring performance the world has seen since he dropped 37 in the third quarter last January and the Warriors made it an even 280 points scored over their last two games after scoring 138 two nights earlier against Phoenix.
It would be shortsighted to conclude the Warriors will cruise tonight just because of their most recent common opponent and I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if the Clippers came out a little more desperate tonight (because why would Golden State reek of even the slightest hint of desperation?). But I will not overthink Warriors games, either. Golden State is 11-10 against some awful big numbers this season. Now finally, despite this being their toughest test since opening the season at San Antonio, the Warriors are only giving four tonight in LA. They are just so efficient, so good, and so capable of winning by 20 on any night, that taking the Warriors to win any game by five feels pretty good.
I’ll play about one NBA game a week to satisfy the sweet tooth. So let’s hope I don’t lose them. Big game for Durant tonight.
Pick: Warriors -4.0
Golden State Warriors • Los Angeles Clippers