The Golden State Warriors bounced back from their Game 1 collapse and took Game 2 in San Antonio. Now, the San Antonio Spurs head to Oakland and will attempt to regain control of the series after splitting their home games. The Spurs did not win at Golden State in their two visits during the regular season.
Spurs vs. Warriors Game 3, NBA Playoffs 2013: Time, TV schedule, odds and more
Klay Thompson put on a highlight reel performance in Game 2 and helped send the series to Oakland tied at one game apiece. Does San Antonio have an answer for both Stephen Curry and Thompson, or will the duo continue to win playoff games with their shooting ability?
Klay Thompson's career game evened up the series while Stephen Curry had a rare quiet game for the Warriors. Thompson finished the game with 34 points while going eight-of-nine from beyond the arc and said he "felt like Steph Curry out there."
Will the Spurs take command of the series, or will the dynamic backcourt of Curry and Thompson continue to be the story of the series? Here are three keys to Game 3.
Can the Spurs slow down Thompson?
The Tony Parker Conundrum
Mark Jackson is running Tony Parker ragged and the Spurs' offense and defense are struggling because of it.
San Antonio’s defense gave up 44 points to Curry in Game 1, and a dominant performance from Thompson should force the Spurs to adjust their game plan. The Spurs looked uncharacteristically unprepared to account for Thompson as he outplayed their perimeter defense. Aside from Thompson’s shooting ability, he also moves well off-ball and does not need much time or space to get a shot off. The Spurs are short on individual perimeter defenders to send at both Thompson and Curry and are in a bind defensively.
Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard are the Spurs' best options to send at Thompson, but they are also tasked with defending Curry. The Spurs must adjust at a team level in order to reduce the amount of pressure on their individual defense or continue to watch Thompson take advantage of the mistakes they make.
Can the Spurs find success from beyond the arc?
The story of the series has been the hot shooting of the Warriors, but the Spurs were ice cold from the perimeter in Game 2. San Antonio made only five of their 21 three-point field goal attempts. Golden State’s defense gave up multiple open shots from beyond the arc but the Spurs did not take advantage of the opportunities they were given. Green provided a perimeter scoring punch for San Antonio in Game 1 going six-for-nine from outside, but made only two in Game 2 and was a non-factor through the game.
Who wins the battle of the boards?
The Warriors have outrebounded the Spurs in both contests. Thompson notched 14 rebounds in Game 2, Andrew Bogut has recorded double-digit rebounds in both games, and Golden State has done a good job of cleaning the glass without team-leading rebounder David Lee's 11.4 rebounds per game on the bench. The good news for San Antonio is that despite the Warriors shooting 48 percent through the series and not leaving many errant shots to corral, the Spurs have only been outrebounded by 12 total.
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN
Odds: Golden State Warriors favored by 2.5 points via Oddsshark.com
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