Litany Of Injuries Impacting Warriors' Odds To Three-Peat

Litany Of Injuries Impacting Warriors' Odds To Three-Peat

The Golden State Warriors are still favored to win their third straight NBA championship, but a litany of injuries is impacting their odds.

Jun 4, 2019 by Adam Zagoria
Litany Of Injuries Impacting Warriors' Odds To Three-Peat

The Golden State Warriors are still favored to win their third straight NBA championship, but a litany of injuries is impacting their odds.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who exited Game 2 of the NBA Finals in the fourth quarter due to left hamstring tightness, is listed as questionable for Wednesday night's Game 3 at Oracle Arena.

"If there's any pain, it will be a no-go just because of the position we're in," Thompson said Tuesday. "This could be a longer series so there's no point in trying to go out there and re-aggravate it and potentially keep myself out of the whole entire Finals instead of just one game. So it will be a game-time decision, but I really want to be out there."  

Center Kevon Looney has a "non-displaced first costal cartilage fracture," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and is out indefinitely. Looney's absence makes the play of Boogie Cousins --- who went for 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in 28 minutes in Sunday's Game 2 win -- even more critical.

Meantime, Kevin Durant (calf) was ruled out for Game 3.

So the Warriors look like they could be down three key players as they look to take a 2-1 series lead on their home floor.

According to the betting sites reviewed on MyTopSportsbooks.com, the Warriors are 5.5-point favorites over the Raptors for Game 3 and -270 favorites to win the series.

The Warriors would be heavier favorites but for the litany of injuries. They opened at -275 to win the series and earned a split in Toronto. Normally, that would lead to the odds shifting their favor, as they now have home-court advantage. However, with the injuries to Thompson and Looney, oddsmakers are holding firm on the series price.

Games 3 and 4 are at Oracle on Wednesday and Friday and if Thompson and Durant are unable to go in those games, the window opens wider for the Raptors to win back home-court advantage by grabbing one of those games.

Games 5 and 7 (if necessary) would be played back in Toronto, where the Raptors have advantage.

Steve Kerr Speaks Out After Virginia Beach Mass Shooting

Before Game 2, Warriors coach Steve Kerr wore a "Vote For Our Lives" T-shirt in honor of the 12 slain victims of the Virginia Beach shooting.

“The shirt is a reminder that the only way we can get out of is to actually vote, and to vote for people who are going to to create some change in our gun laws in our country,” he said, according to The Washington Post.

“So I offer my support to them and to all young people, and hope that we can create a change where we don’t all have to walk around scared we’re going to get shot in our country,” Kerr added.

Kerr, whose father, Malcolm Kerr, was killed by terrorists in Beirut in 1984, has previously spoken out on gun violence, calling it a public health issue.”


Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who runs ZAGSBLOG.com and contributes to The New York Times. Follow Adam on Twitter.