Golden State at Cleveland

The NBA Finals is over, though they still have to go through the motions before crowning Golden State the Champions. Cleveland has been fighting an uphill battle all series. They got kicked in the stomach the last game, falling apart in the final three minutes while Golden State went on an 11-0 run to go up 3-0 in the series. The teams were evenly matched last year, but the addition of Kevin Durant changed everything. Just imagine if he had signed with the Cavaliers instead, how much the balance of power would shift between these teams? Durant is averaging 34 points in this series. There is another huge difference between the teams and that's defense. The Cavaliers have slipped defensively from a season ago. Tristan Thompson used to be a rebound machine and a physical presence inside, but he is killing the Cavaliers with no rebounding and atrocious defense on the quick, finesse Warriors. By contrast, Golden State is a powerhouse defensive team, tops in the NBA during the regular season in field goal shooting defense as well as three-point defense. They are a great offensive and defensive team. The Cavaliers are 19-3 SU this season when they hit 16 or more three-pointers, but the Warriors only gave up more than 14 threes in a game just once. In three NBA Finals games Cleveland made 11-of-31 three-pointers, 8-of-29 and 12-of-44. The Warriors have won 15 straight playoff games and will become the first team in NBA history to navigate the playoffs without a loss. Play Golden State on the moneyline.