Winners Club: Warriors Trounce Celtics, Even Finals
We have a series.
The Warriors’ third-quarter run gave them plenty of breathing room heading into the final quarter and the Celtics’ hot shooting didn’t carry over to Game 2 in what became a blowout Golden State win. Now, the series heads to Boston tied, 1-1.
Keep reading for more on the updated Finals odds and series prices, as well as updates from the NHL conference finals and news from around the sports world.
Golden State Regains Title Favorite Status
The Warriors scored a convincing 107-88 win over the Celtics on Sunday evening at the Chase Center.
Their defense was much improved from Game 1, Steph Curry once again did Steph Curry things and Jordan Poole provided a spark off the bench that was missing in the series opener. Golden State wasn’t as good on offense as it was last time out, but it didn’t necessarily matter because of how well its defense performed.
Only one Celtic—Jayson Tatum—finished with 20 or more points, only two Boston starters finished with double-digit points and the team shot less than 40% from the field and turned the ball over 18 times. Al Horford, Robert Williams and Marcus Smart combined for six points in Game 2 after Horford alone hit six threes on Thursday.
The third quarter was the difference in the game. The Warriors mounted a run to enter the final quarter with a double-digit lead in Game 1, but it was still close enough for the Celtics to come back and win with a run of their own. This time, after leading by two at the break, Golden State outscored Boston 35-14 in the third quarter and held a 23-point lead when the fourth began. The C’s could not come back, and the lead ballooned to as many as 29 points with starters on the bench for much of the final quarter.
Jed Jacobsohn/AP
The Warriors are Finals favorites again following their convincing victory. Golden State is -118 to win the title on SI Sportsbook and Boston is -105. Curry, at -120 is still the favorite to win Finals MVP, and the most likely outcome is the Dubs winning in seven games (+260), followed by the C’s winning in six (+300).
Wednesday
9 p.m. ET (ABC): Warriors vs. Celtics (-3.5) | Series tied, 1-1
Avalanche One Win From Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup is within reach for Colorado. The Avalanche have a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals against the Oilers and can close out the series on the road tonight.
If they do, they must do so without forward Nazem Kadri, who was injured on a hit from Evander Kane in Game 3 and is out for at least the remainder of the series. The Avalanche won Game 3 on Saturday, 4-2, and own a +8 goal differential over the Oilers.
Colorado remains heavily favored to win it all (-200), something it hasn’t done since 2001. It’s not yet clear who the Avalanche would play as the Eastern Conference Final has been more competitive.
An Ondrej Palat goal in the final minute Sunday allowed the Lightning to escape with a 3-2 victory against the Rangers. Tampa Bay desperately needed a home win after dropping the first two games in New York. The Rangers are -143 to win the series, while the Lightning are +120.
Jack Dempsey/AP
Monday
8 p.m. ET (TNT): Avalanche (-133) vs. Oilers | Colorado leads series, 3-0
Tuesday
8 p.m. ET (ESPN): Rangers vs. Lightning (-175) | New York leads series, 2-1
In Other News
Jazz Coach Quin Snyder Resigns: The second-winningest coach in Utah’s franchise history stepped down Sunday after eight seasons with the team. The Jazz made the playoffs the last six years with Synder at the helm and All-Star Donovan Mitchell was reportedly “surprised and disappointed” at his coach’s departure.
How Joe Girardi’s Firing Affects Phillies’ Futures: Philadelphia fired its manager early on in his third season after a disappointing start considering the team’s massive payroll. The Phillies swept the Angels over the weekend after Rob Thomson took over. Is there now value in betting on a Philadelphia turnaround?
50 Parting Thoughts from the French Open: Two weeks of tennis at Roland Garros resulted in wins for women’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek and a record 22nd Grand Slam title for Rafael Nadal. Read more about how they each came out on top and more stories from Paris.
Latest NBA Mock Draft: The draft is less than three weeks away and the top three projected picks are holding strong. In what order will Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero be selected? And who are the other risers and fallers?
Thanks for reading! Enjoy the rest of your day—I’ll be back in your inbox Wednesday morning.
