NBA Finals 2018: Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 4 TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds
For the second consecutive year, the Golden State Warriors have only needed three NBA Finals games to push the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of elimination.
The similarities go deeper than the 3-0 lead, too. Golden State's series net rating is plus-13.8; it was plus-13.3 through three contests last year. Both this Game 3 and that one featured the narrowest scoring margin in the series and a last-minute, left-wing, long-range dagger from Kevin Durant.
"Different game, different season, different feel," Durant said, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. "Just a different vibe around the team."
Perhaps Durant is stressing the differences because he knows what following the same script would mean for Friday's Game 4. That was the Cavs' lone victory last season, a 137-116 rout that featured 86 first-half points for Cleveland.
Will history repeat itself, or is this the year Golden State breaks out the broom? After laying out the Game 4 information below, we'll spotlight three things to track in the contest.
Game 4 Schedule and Odds
Time: Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Point Spread: Warriors-4.5, per OddsShark
What To Watch
Cleveland's Fight
While the series scoring advantage favors the Warriors by 37 points, the Cavs have kept things close in two of three contests.
But will that be a source of confidence, or just a reason to feel deflated about missed opportunities?
Cleveland had two different leads in the final minute of Game 1 before a comedy of errors rendered the Cavs unable to close in regulation. They also climbed within one point with under two minutes left in Game 3, but they misfired on three of their final four shots and were outscored 9-2 the rest of the way.
"It's almost like playing the Patriots: you just can't have mistakes. They're not going to beat themselves," LeBron James told reporters after Game 3.
Are the Warriors in the Cavs heads now? Does that even matter with a talent gap this wide?
Cleveland probably needs a near-perfect game, plus some help to extend this series. Remember, it wasn't enough when James had 51 points, eight rebounds and assists in the opener. Do the Cavs still believe they have a pulse? If not, Game 4 could get out of hand quickly.
Golden State's Focus
Stat geeks will point to one factor in Cleveland's Game 4 upset last year—the Cavs going an absurd 24-of-45 from distance.
But the key to what went wrong for the Warriors might have surfaced within the first 12 minutes.
The Cavs came out with the desperation of a team determined to extend its season. The Warriors took too long to counterpunch, and by the time they blinked, they were trapped in a 49-33 first quarter hole.
Golden State can't afford a similarly unfocused start. Even if Kyrie Irving is gone, James is here and dangerous as ever.
The Warriors look like the juggernaut everyone has said they are. They have the 3-0 lead. They have the superior star power. They own an average victory margin of more than 12 points per game.
Those are all advantages they'd want, but they're also potential reasons to ease up on the gas.
"It's natural to be on a high because we're 48 minutes away from the championship. But that's the feelings you have to fight," Klay Thompson said, per Bay Area News Group's Mark Medina. "You've got to fight complacency. You've got to fight the feeling like you've already won this thing. It's far from over. This is not a team that will roll over and just give you the game."
Golden State hasn't swept an opponent in this postseason. This would be the ideal time to find its killer instinct.
MVP Race
Barring a historic collapse, this series has already been decided.
The Finals MVP race, then, becomes the biggest thing left to sort out.
Oddsmakers see it as a three-player race with Durant now in the driver's seat after his 43-point, 13-rebound, seven-assist eruption in Game 3:
LeBron James' numbers are incredible. He's leading the series in minutes (46.1), points (37.7) and assists (10.7). He's also pacing in Cleveland in steals (1.7) and blocks (1.0), while sitting second in rebounds (9.0).
But his stats don't look so superb that he should join Jerry West as the only players to secure Finals MVP honors while losing the series, especially if Cleveland gets swept.
Durant, meanwhile, has earned his spot as the favorite. Even after shooting 8-of-22 (1-of-7 from three) in the opener, his slash line for the series is 55.9/47.4/95.2. That's remarkable efficiency by itself. It looks like an MVP effort when attached to 31.7 points, plus 10.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.0 blocks.
That said, Stephen Curry could make things interesting with a monstrous Game 4. He looked like the front-runner through two contests (31.0 points, 8.5 assists, 7.0 threes, 6.5 rebounds), but he pulled himself out of first place with a 3-of-16 (1-of-10 outside) showing in Game 3. He needs to gain some ground, and he's certainly capable.
Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com.
