The NBA Finals Start on Thursday

The much-anticipated NBA Finals start on Thursday, and we’ve got all the info you need to make sure you don’t miss a minute of the action. Stay up to date on the schedule, the teams, and the storylines with our comprehensive guide.

What to Know About the Matchup

It’s the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Part IV. For the fourth consecutive year, these two teams will meet in the N.B.A. finals, with the Warriors looking to win their third championship in that span and the Cavaliers hoping to repeat as champions.

Regular Season Records

In Thursday’s opener, the Warriors will have home-court advantage despite having a worse record than the Raptors. That’s because Golden State won the season series 2-1.

Over the course of an 82-game regular season, it’s not uncommon for teams to have losing streaks, or even months, in which they play .500 ball or worse. The true measure of a team is how it performs when its best players are on the floor together and at full strength.

The Raptors had the best record in the N.B.A. this season, but they will be without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, for at least part of the series because of a left knee injury that caused him to miss nine games down the stretch.

Head-to-Head Record

The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers will face off in the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year. The Warriors have won two of the three previous meetings between these two teams, but the Cavaliers took home the championship in 2016.

In the regular season, the Warriors finished with a record of 58-24, while the Cavaliers went 50-32. However, it should be noted that Cleveland was without star player LeBron James for a significant portion of the season due to injury.

When these two teams met in December, the Warriors came out on top with a final score of 99-92. However, the Cavaliers won their most recent matchup in January, 124-114.

Looking at these numbers, it’s clear that anything could happen when these two teams take the court against each other in the NBA Finals. It’s sure to be an exciting series!

Key Players

The NBA Finals are finally here, and it’s sure to be an exciting matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. While both teams are stacked with talent, there are a few key players who will be crucial to their respective team’s success.

For the Warriors, Kevin Durant will be one to watch. He’s been averaging 34 points per game in the playoffs and is coming off of a 50-point performance in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Durant is a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the court and will be a tough matchup for the Raptors.

Stephen Curry will also be important for the Warriors. He’s been shooting well from three-point range lately and will need to continue that hot streak if the Warriors want to win. Curry is one of the best shooters in NBA history and can score from anywhere on the court.

On the Raptors side, Kawhi Leonard will be the key player. He’s averaging over 31 points per game in the playoffs and is coming off of a 36-point performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Leonard is a great all-around player who can score, rebound, and play defense at a high level.

Kyle Lowry will also be important for the Raptors. He’s been averaging over 19 points per game in the playoffs and is coming off of a 25-point performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Lowry is a great shooter and playmaker and will need to have a big series if the Raptors want to win.

How the Teams Match Up

This year’s NBA Finals feature the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. The Warriors are looking to repeat as champions, while the Raptors are looking to win their first ever NBA Championship. Both teams are very talented and have been the two best teams in the league all season. Let’s take a look at how the two teams match up.

Offense

No team in the Finals scores more efficiently than the Warriors, who are averaging 113.5 points per 100 possessions. The Cavaliers, at 108.6, rank sixth in that category.

The Warriors have also been better on the glass, collecting 50.7 percent of available rebounds during the playoffs, compared with 48.2 percent for the Cavaliers. And Golden State has been better at taking care of the ball, committing turnover on only 12 percent of its possessions, compared with 14 percent for Cleveland.

But while the Warriors have had an edge in those areas, the Cavaliers have been much better at one important part of playing offense: getting to the free-throw line and converting those opportunities into points.

Defense

The Raptors ranked fourth in defensive efficiency this season, while the Warriors were sixth. Golden State allowed 103.5 points per 100 possessions, while Toronto gave up 104.9. The Warriors had a defensive rating of 101.1 in the playoffs, while the Raptors had a rating of 102.5.

Both teams have great individual defenders. Draymond Green is a tremendous defender, both as a big man who can protect the rim and as a versatile defender who can guard just about any position on the court. Kawhi Leonard is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he has the size (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) and strength to guard bigger players in the post as well.

The Warriors have more depth on defense than the Raptors do. In addition to Green and Leonard, Golden State has Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney, all of whom are very good defenders. The Raptors have Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, and OG Anunoby, but they don’t have anyone who can match up with Iguodala or Thompson on the wing.

Bench

The Golden State Warriors will have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive year. They are seeking to become the first team in more than 50 years to win three consecutive championships. The last team to accomplish that feat was the Boston Celtics, who won eight championships in a row from 1959 to 1966.

The Warriors will have to contend with a talented and deep Milwaukee Bucks team that swept the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs and then dispatched the Toronto Raptors in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks are led by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in the playoffs.

Golden State has plenty of firepower of its own, led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who is averaging 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the playoffs. The Warriors also have All-Stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, as well as All-NBA forward Draymond Green, providing them with a significant advantage on paper against most teams in the league. However, all three of those players are dealing with injuries heading into the NBA Finals.

Durant missed Golden State’s final two games against Portland in the Western Conference Finals with a calf injury and his status for Game 1 against Milwaukee is uncertain at this point. Thompson aggravated a hamstring injury in Game 2 against Portland and did not play in Games 3 or 4, but he is expected to be back for Thursday’s opener against the Bucks. Green sprained his ankle in Game 2 against Portland and did not play in Games 3 or 4, but he is also expected to be available for Thursday’s game.

X-Factors

The Golden State Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors on Thursday in what should be an exciting series. These are the two best teams in the NBA and it should be a great series. However, there are a few things that could make or break either team. Here are the x-factors for the series.

Home Court Advantage

The home court advantage is the phenomenon whereby teams show significantly better performance when playing at their home arenas or stadiums. The increased performance has been attributed to a wide range of psychological factors, such as increased support from fans, more comfortable surroundings, and greater familiarization with the court or playing field. While the home court advantage exists in a variety of sports, it is most pronounced in basketball.

Experience

There’s no question that the Warriors have the edge when it comes to experience. They’ve been to five straight Finals, winning three of them. The Raptors, on the other hand, are making their first Finals appearance in franchise history. All of Toronto’s players have Finals experience, but they’ve mostly come from watching from the sidelines. This will be a new experience for most of the Raptors, and that could prove to be a disadvantage.

Predictions

The Golden State Warriors are seeking their third straight NBA championship, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to repeat. The Warriors played well during the regular season, but the Cavs have been on a hot streak lately. Who will win the Finals?

Game 1

The much-anticipated NBA Finals start on Thursday, with the Golden State Warriors taking on the Toronto Raptors. Here are our predictions for how the series will play out.

In Game 1, we expect the Warriors to come out strong and take an early lead. The Raptors will make a comeback in the second half, but ultimately Golden State will take the win, with a final score of something like 119-113.

Steph Curry will be the top scorer for the Warriors, while Kyle Lowry will lead the way for the Raptors.

Series

This year’s edition of the Finals is a particularly intriguing one, as it features the league’s two best teams in the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This will be the third consecutive year that these two teams have met in the Finals, with the Warriors winning in 2015 and the Cavaliers winning in 2016.

The Warriors are coming into this series as the favorite, having won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season. They also have home-court advantage, which could be crucial given that they went an incredible 34-7 at home during the regular season.

The Cavaliers are not to be counted out, though. They have arguably the best player in the world in LeBron James, who is looking to add a fourth NBA title to his already illustrious resume. They also have plenty of playoff experience, having reached the Finals in three straight seasons.

Given all of this, it should make for a very exciting series. Here are my predictions for how it will play out:

Prediction 1: The Warriors will win in 6 games
Prediction 2: LeBron James will be named Finals MVP