I typically try to defend my picks with as much objective information as I possibly can. I’ll provide some in the over/under and in the prop picks. But if you’re asking me why I, the writer of this column, have bet my own personal funds on the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA championship on Thursday, it’s really this simple: They can taste it. It was apparent when they separated themselves in the fourth quarter, when Draymond Green was scoring points in the first, when Jordan Poole made his second bonkers buzzer-beater of the series, when Andrew Wiggins started making every contested jumper he took. My entirely subjective memory is struggling to recall many instances of a team seemingly separating itself this deep into the Finals and not walking away with the title. The Warriors know this feeling well. They’ve been on both sides of it in the Finals. Six years ago, they were in this exact situation. They had a chance to close out the Finals on the road against Cleveland. They failed, and lost Game 7 at home. There are strategic and statistical reasons for me to lean Golden State, but at this stage of the Finals, you ultimately have to trust your gut a little bit. Mine is telling me that the Warriors are about to become the NBA champions. The pick: Warriors +3.5
OK … NOW we can get a little bit more objective. Let’s take a look at the Boston Celtics’ offense, by the numbers: