The second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is officially here, with some moments already going to the history books. Now, franchises are getting closer and closer to raising a championship banner. With the Golden State Warriors set to travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, it is time for some Warriors Game 3 bold predictions.
Golden State had many ups and downs in the 2022-23 regular season. After winning the 2022 NBA Finals, the team lost multiple important rotation players and had nine fewer wins than in its championship campaign. Still, with a 44-38 record, the Dubs managed to secure the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors are coming off a seven-game first-round victory versus the Sacramento Kings after being down 2-0.
On the other side of the series, Los Angeles went 43-39 in the regular season, finishing as the No. 7 seed in the West. The Lakers ended up defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-102 in overtime in the Play-In Tournament to officially lock down a spot in the playoffs.
In the first round, the Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
The Lakers took Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals with a 117-112 win in San Francisco. The Warriors then bounced back with a 127-100 blowout victory on Thursday.
As the series shifts down to Southern California, the Warriors will try to steal a game back on the road to open a 2-1 lead. With all this in mind, here are three bold predictions for the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
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3. Kevon Looney leads Game 3 in rebounds
While Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson continue to display their efficiency, another Warrior has emerged as an X-factor for the team this postseason. Kevon Looney is gaining more recognition around the league thanks to his dominance in the paint.
So far in the playoffs, Looney is putting up 7.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. He is making 53.8% of his field goals and 61.5% of his free throws. Most notably, he leads the league with 15.2 rebounds per game, with a whopping 5.2 of them coming on the offensive glass.
In Game 1, Looney grabbed 23 boards, with seven coming on the offensive end. He ended up playing limited minutes in Game 2 as he was not feeling 100%, but still grabbed eight rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
Although he will be facing Anthony Davis, the bold prediction is that Looney will lead Game 3 in rebounds. Also, it would not be a surprise if he surpasses 20 boards once again.
2. Stephen Curry goes off with 30+ points and 5+ 3-pointers
Even though Looney has been crucial for the Warriors this postseason, they still revolve around Stephen Curry. The guard had an epic first-round series versus the Kings and has remained a pivotal piece for Golden State against Los Angeles.
In the playoffs, Curry is averaging 31.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting 48.6% from the field, 39.8% from beyond the arc and 84.4% from the free-throw line.
In Game 1, Curry had 27 points while hitting six 3-pointers. He followed that performance in Game 2 with a double-double with 20 points and 12 assists. His shooting splits for the night were 58-60-100.
Not only that, but Curry recently had a historic display against Sacramento. The two-time MVP ended up breaking a record for most points in a Game 7 in NBA history when he scored 50 points less than a week ago.
The bold prediction is that Curry will once again go off. Although it might not be like Game 7 of the first round, he should still be very impactful. Expect Curry to finish Game 3 with 30-plus points and at least five 3-pointers.
1. Warriors, Lakers battle to the finish
At the end of the day, the Warriors face a big challenge on Saturday. Golden State had one of the league's worst road records in the regular season, going just 11-30 away from San Francisco. As for Los Angeles, the team went 23-18 at home, which was better than its away record of 20-21.
Those dynamics seem to be reflected in the odds for Game 3. The Lakers are the favorites to win this matchup, according to FanDuel. Currently, the spread is -3.5, which is significantly lower than the Warriors' -7.5 for Game 2.
Even after a dominant win in Game 2, the Warriors will need to overcome their biggest problem in the regular season: Playing on the road. Still, based on what they showed on Thursday, the Dubs could keep things close for the most part.
The bold prediction is that Game 3 will be close, similar to the series opener. Expect it to be at most a 10-point game, which means the final minutes might be full of thrilling possessions.
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