Like many of cinema’s greatest moments, the NBA Playoffs are better when ad-libbing than when sticking to the script at hand. If all had gone according to plan, Westbrook would be gearing up to make mincemeat out of Mike Conley, Nate “I’m On Fire Like NBA Jam” Robinson wouldn’t have poured in 23 points in the 4th quarter on a Thibodeau-coached team, and Kobe would be breaking ankles instead of nursing one.
Now that the second round is around the corner, more unscripted greatness is on its way. But before the first tip-off gets underway, SJN wants to give you a hand in the outlook department.
To help you navigate through the four second-round scenarios, we’ll be breaking down all of the matchups for you―offering lineups, schedules, and predictions.
Western Conference:
San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)
Schedule:
Game 1 – Mon May 6, Golden State at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wed May 8, Golden State at San Antonio, 9:30p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri May 10, San Antonio at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sun May 12, San Antonio at Golden State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Game 5 – Tue May 14, Golden State at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 6 – Thu May 16, San Antonio at Golden State, ESPN, Time (TBD)
Game 7 – Sun May 19, Golden State at San Antonio, Network & Time (TBD)
Most NBA teams know Tim Duncan as “The Big Fundamental,” but the Golden State Warriors secretly know him as “The Oaktown Butcher.” As a team, the Warriors haven’t won a game in San Antonio since Timmy stepped into the league in 1997. With Duncan manning the command center, San Antonio has carved up Golden State for 29-straight games at home. The Warriors were able to nab two wins this season against the four-time champs, but both went down in the Oracle. One of them against a Spurs team missing its best players.
Andrew Bogut was a big reason why the Warriors were able to pull an upset on Denver, but he’ll have a harder time impeding the Spurs bigs. Duncan, as mentioned, has a sturdy track record against Golden State. In his career, he has averaged 20.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.4 BLKPG against the Warriors. The Spurs are also light years ahead of Denver when it comes to offensive spacing and perimeter shooters. So Bogut’s sturdy frame won’t mean to this matchup what it did against the Nuggets.
Stephen Curry’s silky smooth jumper will help him remain a fan favorite in this series, but he won’t be able to work off as many defensive shortcomings this time around. Unlike Denver, San Antonio has a committed defensive mechanism in place, and it remains as precise as ever. He was able to retain his shooting prowess despite guarding an explosive Ty Lawson, but Tony Parker is no slouch, and is flanked by more consistent weapons. People tend to forget that Parker is a Finals MVP, and has had a week off to return to pre-injury form.
Unlike the Nuggets, the Spurs also match up well against Golden State, as they have a surplus of intelligent, two-way perimeter players. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard (even if he has suffered playing against GS), Manu Ginobili, and Nando de Colo are just some of the many options San Antonio has to strangle Curry, Jack, Barnes, and Thompson. As one of the first teams to buy into the emerging perimeter hyper-focused league reality, the Spurs are masters at inhibiting the play of someone like Golden State.
The only real obstacle standing in the Spurs’ way might be fatigue, but Popovich has watched his team’s minutes like a hawk this year. Surely, a countermeasure to last year’s embarrassing “running out of gas” debacle against another young team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs may not be invincible, but they never seem to lose the same way twice.
Outcome:
San Antonio Spurs 4-2 Golden State Warriors
