NBA Matchups May 13 – Portland vs. Golden State Western Conference Final Betting Preview

Who needs Kevin Durant? Apparently not the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated the Rockets on the road without their leading scorer.

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I said if there is one team that can overcome the loss of a superstar it’s the Warriors, since they’ll just throw a few more superstars at opponents. And that’s what they did to Houston. When Jusuf Nurkic went down with a busted up leg at the end of March, most said the Blazers had a nice season and that’s about it. Yet, they persevered and have another major hurdle to clear for a trip to the NBA Finals.

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors

Series Schedule:

Game 1: Trail Blazers at Warriors, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 2: Trail Blazers at Warriors, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 3: Warriors at Trail Blazers, Saturday, May 18, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 4: Warriors at Trail Blazers, Monday, May 20, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 5: Trail Blazers at Warriors, Wednesday, May 22, 2019 (If Necessary)

Game 6: Warriors at Trail Blazers, Friday, May 24, 2019 (If Necessary)

Game 7: Trail Blazers at Warriors, Sunday, May 26, 2019 (If Necessary)

Series Price at BookMaker.eu: Check Here

They certainly don’t need DeMarcus Cousins to win another championship and the Warriors will have to get by in the early stages of the conference final without Durant, who is expected to miss at least the start of the series with Portland.

KD’s injury was actually a blessing for the Dubs, who went back to being the team that moved the ball, found open players, and hit three-pointers to take down the Rockets on Friday. Durant’s isolation game isn’t what the Warriors are about, and though he scored a boat load of points, KD was actually making them less efficient. It’s a luxury to have a player of Durant’s ability and the Warriors certainly are a great team with him. But we saw them do things they hadn’t done in awhile.

We also witnessed Stephen Curry snap out of the funk that plagued him through the postseason. It’s rare to see the game’s best shooter struggle from behind the arc, but Curry found his game in time to advance the Dubs to the West Final for a fifth consecutive season. Curry didn’t score a point in the first half of Friday’s game, yet the Warriors were still tied in another sign that the champs are a lethal group.

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Curry broke out with 33 second half points to take down the Rockets. The Warriors weathered the storm behind Klay Thompson, who scored 22 of his 27 in the first half. Curry got one-third of his points at the free throw line and still showed some rust from distance, but the Warriors found their groove with Andre Igoudala chipping in.

The Blazers must feel like they’re playing with house money after taking down the Thunder and Nuggets to get to the conference final. If they are to pull off the upset, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will have to play the games of their lives. And CJ got a head start in Game 7 against the Nuggets.

With Lillard off-target, McCollum picked up the slack by hitting 17 of 29 shots for 37 points. The duo has combined to average 54 points per game during the playoffs, which is more than seven points per game more than their regular season average.

With Nurkic out and Enes Kanter dealing with a sore shoulder, the Blazers don’t have much of a presence down low. And an injury to Rodney Hood in Sunday’s game with Denver could rob them of a strong wing player to combat Golden State’s shooters. Portland has done it the entire postseason and there’s no reason to think they can’t give the Warriors a series. Winning it is going to be difficult, however.

Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Free Picks

Taking advantage of the Warriors without Durant is an absolute must if the Blazers are to have any hope of winning the series. You can ask the Rockets how easy that is. Portland has enjoyed success in the matchup lately winning four of the last six games, but the playoffs are a different story. The teams met in 2016 and 2017 with the Dubs going 8-1. This series should be closer with the Warriors being vulnerable and the Blazers having nothing to lose. Lillard could go off and steal a game or two, but the Dubs are focused and will be unstoppable when KD returns.

Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Series Pick: Warriors in 6 Games

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