The Golden State Warriors aren’t supposed to be in Round 2 of the 2013 NBA Playoffs after being a heavy underdog in Round 1. Yet here they are, having upset the Denver Nuggets only to have to face the favorite to come out of the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs.
In their last meeting a little less than a month ago, the Warriors defeated the Spurs by 10 points behind a three-point barrage by Stephen Curry. It was the sharpshooting of the Warriors and especially Curry that helped them get by a speedy Nuggets team that thrives off the fast break from missed shots. Curry and his teammates are going to need an encore performance to beat the seasoned Spurs and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
You wouldn’t know Curry has been playing injured by the numbers he has been putting up of late. He enters tonight nursing a sprained ankle suffered in Game 2 versus the Nuggets. The odds are favorable that by game’s end, no one will even mention the injury as it won’t be reflected in his play.
The Spurs enter tonight with their aging and often injured trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and, especially, Manu Ginobili. It’s the other players on the Spurs like Kawhi Leonard that stepped up and helped sweep the injury riddled Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and will again be called upon to play large in tonight’s Game 1.
History is not in the Warriors’ corner for this series. The last time Golden State won a game at San Antonio was way back in February 1997. They have to win at least one on the road to come out on top in the series. Either the trend remains intact or the Spurs could be looking at another unexpected NBA Playoffs exit following getting knocked out by the Grizzlies a couple years ago in Round 1 as the number one seed.
Tonight’s NBA 2013 Round 2 Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs gets underway at 8/7c in high definition on TNT. Satellite or cable subscribers with TNT included have the option of watching a free online live streaming version of Game 1 at San Antonio here at TNT Overtime via an iPad, mobile phone, laptop or other Internet connected device. I believe the Warriors are fired up after their Round 1 upset of the Nuggets and will break the trend to steal home court advantage from the Spurs 97-96 in overtime.
