Manu Ginobili didn’t look 40 years old down the stretch in Game Four, putting up 10 points in the fourth quarter on a night when he would put up 16 and the San Antonio Spurs would avoid a sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors with a gutty 103-90 win. The Spurs’ head coach, Gregg Popovich, missed Games Three and Four (and will miss Game Five) because he is still in mourning for the passing of his wife, Erin, and Ettore Messina will lead the Spurs once again as the series moves to Oakland. Can the Spurs push the Warriors again? Or will returning home give the Warriors what they need to bring this Western Conference quarterfinal round to an end? Take a look at our NBA lines preview for this playoff clash.
San Antonio at Golden State NBA Lines & Game 5 Betting Preview
When: Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 10:30pm ETWhere: Oracle Arena, OaklandTV: TNTRadio: WOAI 1200 AM San Antonio / KGMZ 97.5 FM OaklandLive Stream: NBA League PassNBA Lines: Golden State -11, O/U 204.5
Why should you bet on the Spurs?
While Ginobili got the headlines for his tough play down the stretch in Game Four, it was LaMarcus Aldridge who led the team with 22 points and 10 boards. Rudy Gay chipped in 14 points, and Dejounte Murray added a dozen points. San Antonio shot a respectable 45 percent form the floor and went 15 for 28 from downtown. They had the early momentum in Game Four, taking a lead that grew as large as 17 in the early going before Golden State mounted a comeback to bring the game as close as four points.
If you like San Antonio in Game Five, you’re likely relying on them to cover that spread as opposed to winning outright. The Spurs are a proud team, and eliminating them from this series — especially with their head coach away for bereavement leave — won’t happen without a fight. Golden State should come out with more energy than they did at the beginning of Game Four, but the tenacity of Ginobili, Aldridge and Gay has an excellent chance of keeping this game within single digits.
Why should you put your money on the Warriors?
Kevin Durant basically scored at will, putting up 34 points in the losing effort, along with 13 rebounds. However, Klay Thompson had an off night from the floor, scoring just a dozen points, and Shaun Livingston was the only other player in double figures, putting up 10 points. Draymond Green dominated the inside, pulling down 18 boards to go along with nine points and nine assists, but on the whole, the Warriors were ice-cold from the floor, shooting just 37 percent overall and making just 7 of their 28 attempts from three-point land. They also had poor ball security, committing 16 turnovers on the night.
San Antonio has failed to cover the spread in nine consecutive road games now, and they’ve only covered once in their last five games overall against a team with a record above .500, and once in their last six games against all competition. If you see Durant remaining hot and Thompson coming back to join him in the shooting column — and the Spurs showing their age and some road fatigue after this trip — then you should like Golden State to cover.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The home team has covered in nine of the last 11 games between Golden State and San Antonio — and the Warriors have covered in eight of the last 11 meetings overall. Game Four represented a mighty effort by a proud team looking to play hard for their coach, but it’s hard to see an aging roster putting up that same effort after having to travel across the country. I see the Warriors rolling to a 122-108 win. If you’re worried about that 11-point line, though, take the “over,” because I see this point total crossing 220 with relative ease.
