Hosts seek redemption after holiday collapse
Despite the best efforts of Kevin Durant, Golden State suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Cleveland on Christmas. But is tonight’s rematch bound to produce a different outcome?
The top two teams in the league square off in Oakland at 8 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Warriors odds of -340 to handle their business at home. Conversely, Tyronn Lue’s troops enter Oracle Arena as +275 underdogs.
On Dec. 25, the Cavaliers trailed the Dubs by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving spearheaded the defending champs’ monster comeback, though, securing a 109-108 triumph with a fadeaway jumper in the waining seconds. Durant’s 36-point, 15-rebound performance was essentially rendered moot.
In this instance, however, Steve Kerr’s crew appears well-positioned to gain a measure of revenge. Golden State has had three days off since pulverizing the Pistons 127-107. Heck, Durant and his friends have yet to even venture outside of California in 2017. On the flip side, the Cavs (29-10) will be playing on the road for the sixth time in just a week and a half.
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With No. 35 leading the charge, don’t expect anything less than a full-throttle outing from the Warriors (34-6). Durant’s shooting an astonishing 53.4 percent from the floor over his past six contests and should exploit Cleveland’s tired legs here. Throw in the fact that Kyle Korver’s still getting acclimated to Lue’s system, and we’re looking at a double-digit win for the hosts.
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