Both teams are coming into this match with winning series. Cleveland Cavaliers have seven wins in a row, after changes in starting roster. Russian player Timofey Mozgov was benched and Tristan Thompson promoted into the lineup. These changes gave Cavs speed from starting minutes of the games. Mozgov now goes onto the court in the first-second shift. Last game against Dallas showed that this decision by coach David Blatt was correct. Mozgov went from the bench, and scored ten points, and took nine boards in under 21 minutes. Quite interesting on how the duo Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova will play against the first shifters of San Antonio Manu Ginobili and Boris Diao.
But the main duel on the court will be between this season’s MVP candidates Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. In the last nine games, leader of the Spurs score 17.8 points, and has league-best 55.6% from the 3-pt range. But in the last game against Pistons, Leonard had only seven points and an ugly 1/7 for the game. In the upcoming game, the main task of Leonard will be personal defence versus James. LeBron doesn’t like playing, when against Kawhi. In this game, I predict seven or more James turnovers.
LeBron in Cleveland series score 26.0 pts, he had 55.9% for the game and 41.5% 3-pt range. In this duel, fate will decide this game. The previous game with the Mavs, Chandler Parsons showed how to spoil LeBron’s game. James made only four points and was only 1/3 for the game.
Cleveland has the X-factor, Kyrie Irving. In their last seven games, Cavs PG scores- 19.3%. In the game against Mavs, he made 22, and a key three in the fourth quarter. Danny Green and Tony Parker changes in personal defence against combo-guard with great dribbles. Spurs like to move the ball in every game and throw open shots. We’ll see if Kawhi can hold James. I recommend betting on Spurs win with margin (-7.5). And the line is 2.10 with Ladbrokes.