The Golden State Warriors could tie one of the most resurgent teams by winning tonight's Game 3 on the road against the Utah Jazz. By tallying a seventh straight win this postseason, they would tie the 1988-89 “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons as the team to win the most games after having lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals the prior season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The two most winningest teams on that list, the Pistons and the 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers both won titles upon starting the postseason in dominant fashion — though they remain a very small sample size compared to the 19 teams to have lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
That small probability shows just how much they had to prove their mettle through the postseason, making another Warriors win yet all the more encouraging for their chances to redeem themselves.
Those 1988-89 Pistons boast a lot of similarities in their dominance, going 63-19 in the regular season and taking out Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals before sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Bad Boys had lost a Game 7 to the Lakers in 1987-88, making their revenge that much sweeter. Both of these Finals were mired by injuries, the first to Isiah Thomas‘ ankle and the next to Magic Johnson‘s hamstring.
The Jazz are 29-12 at home this season and have played their best defense within the confines of Vivint Smart Home Arena, making this a rather testy matchup for the Warriors, who won't have their overwhelming home advantage in the odds.
Tonight, Warriors are -6 at Jazz (2-0 ATS in series); Jazz +1.5 in 1st Q and +2 in 1st H (lines shaded lower due to aforementioned trend)
— Dave Tuley (@ViewFromVegas) May 6, 2017
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