As the NBA postseason unfolds with Conference Finals matchups coming soon, we take a closer look at the upcoming Western Conference Finals series between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. Game 1 of that series will be played on Sunday afternoon at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Since both teams are dealing with personnel issues it's going to be interesting to see how this matchup developes.
Golden State storms through the first two rounds
After finishing the regular season as the number one seeded team in the Western Conference and with the best overall record in the league, the Warriors dominated throughout their first two round of playoffs. They faced the eight seed Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round and dismantled them with a 4-0 sweep. Stephen Curry dominated the Blazers as he averaged nearly 30 points and 6.5 assists in the series. After sweeping Portland, Golden State's next opponent were the Utah Jazz. The Jazz had beaten the Clippers 4-3 in their first round and it appeared that they might give the Warriors trouble.
That assumption was soon shut down as Golden State swept the Jazz as well. Kevin Durant was the leading figure in that matchup averaging 24.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in four games of the series.
San Antonio holds on without Leonard and Parker
San Antonio's trip to the Western Conference Finals was a bit tougher than Warriors'. In the first round the Spurs played against a grit-and-grind Memphis Grizzlies team. They won the series 4-2 thanks in large part to Kawhi Leonard's performances. Leonard was a man on the mission as he averaged 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds while shooting 55% from the floor during those six games. In the Conference Semifinals the Spurs met the Houston Rockets in a much anticipated duel between Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
When Tony Parker went down injured in Game 2 of that series and Leonard in Game 5, it looked like the Rockets were the favourites to advance. In a deciding Game 6 on the road it was LaMarcus Aldridge with 34 points who carried the Spurs past the Houston Rockets. Without Parker and Leonard in crucial moments of the series, San Antonio showed once again why they are considered as one of the premier franchises in the NBA.
The clash of the Titans
The matchup between the Warriors and the Spurs will be the series that many have been waiting for. In their back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals, the Warriors along the way managed to avoid the Spurs. Many believe that San Antonio is the biggest threat in the West to the Warriors and the three games these two teams played during the regular season show why.
In the season-opener the Spurs won on the road by 29 points (129-100) behind Leonard's 35 and Aldridge's 26 points. In their second meeting this season, San Antonio ended up winning it again in a blowout fashion 107-85 at home. Patty Mills was the leading scorer in that game with 21 points. In their third and final game during the regular season, Golden State was on the road at San Antonio and playing without Kevin Durant. Stephen Curry with 29 and Klay Thompson with 23 points led the Warriors to a 110-98 win in that game.
With Tony Parker out for the remainder of this season and Kawhi Leonard dealing with a sprained ankle, the Spurs are the underdogs in this upcoming series. Golden State's only problem will be the absence of their head-coach Steve Kerr who is having back issues and will be sidelined indefinitely.
San Antonio will be looking for LaMarcus Aldridge to make his presence felt in the paint early in games. Aldridge has been inconsistent so far in the playoffs but did step up in crucial moments, especially in Game 6 against the Grizzlies and Game 6 against the Rockets.
We expect a fully packed Oracle Arena on Sunday afternoon as this series gets under way.