NBA Finals 2015: Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 4 TV Schedule and Odds Guide
It doesn't get any better than this.
Naysayers quick to discount the King are in full-on backpedal mode, as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers enter Thursday's Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors staggering toward the ropes.
After a Game 3 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers return home again looking to go up 3-1 before a trip west.
There's a lot to go over in a short period before tipoff, so here's the pertinent info, how Las Vegas feels on the matter and more.
Game 4 Info
When: Thursday, June 11
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Where: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
TV: ABC
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds Guide and Preview
LBJ seems unstoppable after a record 123 points over the course of the first three games of the series. It's a record no longer standing the test of time, with the most before this awe-worthy performance coming in the form of 122 by Rick Barry in 1967.
So much for the lack of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving dooming the Cavaliers.
It's interesting, though, as some might not believe LBJ can keep up this incredible pace. Las Vegas doesn't seem to think he can—over at Odds Shark, Golden State is the favorite (-2.5) going into Game 4, despite the Warriors dropping the last two and this one also coming on the road.
Odd, right? There's reason to believe the Warriors can turn things around, though. Stephen Curry shot 10-of-20 with 27 points in Game 3, a bit of a shooting slump he won't remain in for long. It sounds as if he's worked out how to deal with the Cleveland defense, too.
"I think I found something when it comes to how I'm going to be able to attack their pick-and-rolls," Curry said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I'll keep that in the memory bank going into Game 4."
Perhaps more concerning for the Warriors is the plight of wild card Draymond Green, who shot 2-of-10 with seven points and continues to deal with a back injury, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
Things aren't exactly looking great for the battered Cavaliers in this regard, though.
According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, Matthew Dellavedova took a visit to the hospital for cramps and Iman Shumpert needs to undergo an MRI for an aggravated shoulder, one he injured back in December.
"We just can't afford any more injuries," James said, per McMenamin. "We just can't, especially from a guard perspective. I just thought about [Shumpert's] shoulder. As soon as it happened, I knew exactly which shoulder it was, and I was just hoping for the best."
Considering Dellavedova dropped 20 points and four dimes in Game 3 and Shumpert is a key defensive piece, there's reason for concern going into Thursday.
From an odds standpoint, rolling with the Warriors seems to be the best bet. With the Cavaliers hobbled further late in Game 3, Curry seemed to look like the Curry of old, rediscovering his stroke and helping to erase a 20-point deficit to make the final minutes of regulation mean something.
If Curry is back on his game again and Harrison Barnes improves on his 0-of-8 Game 3 tally (it's only up from there, right?), the backs-against-the-wall Warriors can outgun LBJ, who might once again need to deal with lineup shuffles while carrying the team.
The ebb and flow of this series seems akin to two elite boxers trading blows. It's a win for observers no matter how it unfolds, but the trends suggest Las Vegas is right to align with the Warriors, who aren't dealing with notes about hospitalization and re-injuring old issues.
Look for Curry to come out gunning and steal one on the road to tie this epic showdown up before heading back home.
Prediction: Warriors 109, Cavaliers 105
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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