Panic Time In Golden State?

All year long, we’ve been told not to worry about the Warriors. Even as the defending champs hovered around play-in territory for most of the season, everything was supposed to be fine come playoff time. Remember this? 👇

And Klay wasn’t alone in his optimism. Despite a 6th-place finish in the West, well-documented struggles on the road, and concerns over the health and depth of their roster, the Warriors still entered the postseason with the fourth-best title odds. But now, it’s officially time to start worrying 😬

• For a team that was a heinous 11-30 away from their home floor this season, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that the Warriors dropped the first two games of their first round series in Sacramento

• But if the first 0-2 deficit of the Curry era wasn’t bad enough already, they’ll now be forced to play Game 3 without one of their most important players. You likely don’t need me to remind you why ⬇️

The infamous stomp has absolutely divided the NBA community, and just about everyone, from Shaq to Dame, has voiced their opinion on it. But whether you agree with the suspension or not, there’s no denying that the Warriors will feel the impact of Draymond’s absence 👇

If it’s any consolation for Golden State fans, oddsmakers are still backing the hometown team tonight, despite the loss of the former DPOY. Take a look at how the lines are shaping up for what should be a high-scoring Game 3 at the Chase Center 👇

Kings vs. Warriors Betting Preview (odds subject to change)

• Spread: Warriors -5.5

• Moneyline: Warriors -230, Kings +190

• Over/U: 239

Trivia Question: Aside from De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, who was the third Kentucky Wildcat taken in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft?

Tonight’s Headlines

Draymond’s suspension is undoubtedly the biggest storyline surrounding tonight’s matchup, which is truly a shame. The controversy shouldn’t detract from what’s been a glorious return to the postseason for Sacramento… just listen to Chuck 👇

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Mike Brown, the first unanimous Coach of the Year in NBA history, and the Kings aren’t just content with being a fun regular season story. Sure, breaking a 17-year playoff drought is cool and all, but can this team actually make a deep run?

• Taking down the reigning champs in the first round would certainly put the rest of the West on notice, and through the first two games of this series, Sacramento has easily been the better team 😤

• Just named the winner of the NBA’s inaugural Clutch Player of the Year Award, De'Aaron Fox has taken his game to another level in his first taste of the postseason, putting up 31 PPG and 7 APG across the two victories

Fox’s old Kentucky running mate, Malik Monk, has been nearly as electric on offense so far (25 PPG), Domantas Sabonis continues to impact the game in so many ways (when he isn’t being stepped on), and glue guys like Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell have all stepped up as well 💪

• For the Warriors, the veteran trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins is largely putting up the numbers you’d expect. But the supporting cast around those three simply isn’t getting the job done 😬

• With Draymond out, Kevon Looney instantly becomes one of the most important players on the floor tonight. After picking up 5 fouls in each of the first two games, can he stay out of trouble tonight?

• Then there’s the 128-million-dollar man Jordan Poole himself, fresh off 4 points on 1-7 shooting in only 16 minutes last game. To say the young guard has fallen from grace over the past year would be an understatement 🥶

The Warriors have lost just eight games at the Chase Center all season, and that home court advantage is a big reason why they’re still favorites in this one despite the circumstances. They also have a guy by the name of Steph Curry, a point that needs no further explanation — it just feels like the type of night for him to go nuclear 🔥

For My Parlay Gurus

As I just mentioned, in what is essentially a must-win game for the Warriors tonight, I expect Steph to put on one heck of a show. But whether or not it will be enough to overcome the loss of Draymond remains to be seen, and for that reason, I think I gotta take the Kings with the points. Check out this parlay 👇

• Steph Curry Over 30.5 Points: -108

• Kings +5.5 vs. Warriors: -112

$100 on this bet would win you $264 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Bam Adebayo was the third player from Kentucky to be selected in the 2017 Draft, going 14th overall to the Heat

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