Follow our live broadcast of Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Golden State has been waiting a week since taking down Dallas, and Boston is just days away from winning Game 7 in Miami. Will the extra rest of the Warriors help fresher or will it cause early rust?
BetMGM prefers the Golden State by 3.5 points to the Celtics in Game 1, and all of our experts chose the Warriors to win the opening game of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at Chase Center.
Warriors are also preferred to win the series. How will this match develop?
What time is Warriors vs. Celtics Game 1?
Time: Thursday, 21:00 (ET)
Channel: ABC (ESPN streaming)
During the NBA playoffs, The Athletic writers will make the right choices. Here you will find selection, coverage and the latest odds. Our in-depth coverage of the NBA is linked to the election. For live NBA odds from BetMGM, click here.
NBA Finals Schedule
Game 1: Celtics in Warriors Thursday, June 2 21:00 ET
Game 2: Celtics in Warriors Sunday, June 5 | 20:00 ET
Game 3: Celtics Warriors Wednesday, June 8 | 21:00 ET
Game 4: Warriors at Celtics | Friday, June 10 21:00 ET
Game 5 *: Celtics in Warriors Monday, June 13 | 21:00 ET
Game 6 *: Warriors at Celtics | Thursday, June 16 21:00 ET
Game 7 *: Celtics in Warriors Sunday, June 19 | 20:00 ET
What are the odds for the Warriors against Celtics Game 1?
TeamSpreadTotalMoneyline
+140
-3.5
212.5
-165
Preview game 1 of Warriors vs. Celtics
Unstoppable force, meet a stationary object. Golden State, the forerunner of the current era of NBA attack with free shooting, running and fun, will meet the Celtics, a return to the era of hard noses, sharp elbows, hard and snuff at the Eastern Past Conferences. They will decide the title. Let’s borrow.
Besides, shhh, here’s a secret: The Warriors are the second best defensive team in the league this season, just half a point behind Boston in the defensive rankings. With Draymond Green, Golden State can lock half of its court with the best. And the Celtics have been a more effective attack than the Golden State this season. Behind Jason Tatum, they were more than one point better in the rankings.
Usually before the finals we will wonder which team will dictate the style more effectively. If a team imposes a game on its own, it usually wins. In this case, do we even know what kind of game each of these teams prefers?
On paper, the Celtics have a significant advantage in size, with a muscular front court full of players who look as wide as they are tall. And this kind of team traditionally wants to break the paint. Warriors, on paper, can shoot 3 and this type of team usually wants to spread the court and draw the big ones.
But in the last two series, Boston has reduced its squad to seven deep rotations and is already battling a declining return. The Warriors were in trouble when the inferior Mavericks found a way to overtake them from the depths. Maybe the paper is worthless.
History has it that the Warriors, winners of three titles since 2015, have a foothold in the growing Celtics. They have reached the finals in six of the last eight seasons for a reason. But the Celtics are not lazy. They were hardened in a more difficult way during the playoffs of the Eastern Conference.
Golden State has the advantage. But something we can’t see yet – some twist of fate, a little bit of extraterrestrial science – will solve this series.
Expert elections and predictions of Warriors against Celtics for match 1
WriterDirect choice
Andrew Schlecht
Jason Jones
Richard Deitch
Michael Beller
Dave DuFour
James Edwards III
Or Moyal
I am Eternal
Cole Huff
Mike Vorkunov
Connected coverage
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(Photo by Jordan Poole: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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