NBA Playoffs 2022/23, Tuesday, 04/18/2023
Game 1 of this series was easily the most entertaining and exciting opening match of the NBA Playoffs so far. Can the Dubs bounce back and get revenge for this weekend’s loss before shipping the series to San Francisco?
That’s a really tough question to answer. But in my Kings Warriors prediction, I’m primarily trying to make the most promising tip of all, which could also prove useful with a verified sportsbook.
For the first time in 16 years, the Kings are back in the playoffs, with their last series win coming another two years ago. But this year, the “Beam Team” is wowing the crowds with offensive basketball at its finest.
The trade of Damantas Sabonis was a complete success – even if he had a tough time in the opening game against the Warriors. Furthermore, De’Aaron Fox is proving more and more to be one of the best guards in the NBA.
The league’s best offense played an expectedly intense game against the Warriors in Game 1 of this series, with a lot of points being scored. However, Sacramento narrowly held the upper hand in the end, 126-123.
A good performance by Damantas Sabonis in Game 1 was actually considered a foregone conclusion for the Kings to build on it. That’s because the Lithuanian enjoys physical advantages over Draymond Green and especially Kevon Looney.
Sabonis’ hand-off skills are also vital to the Kings’ own offensive game. Behind the center, there is a lack of real alternatives in this position, although Trey Lyles can perform well as a small five from time to time.
Nevertheless, the Warriors were able to control Sabonis surprisingly well. Problems arose, on the other hand, in the coverage of his teammate de’Aaron Fox, who in my eyes made the play of his life.
De’Aaron Fox put up an incredible 37 points for the “Beam Team”. It was the second most points ever put up by a playoff debutant. Only Luka Doncic (42) was more successful than the Kings’ All-Star in his 2020 debut.
They also once again underpinned their reputation as the NBA’s best offense with an excellent team performance. So even with Sabonis assigned, SAC can be expected to score in Game 2.
Especially since Malik Monk and Davion Mitchell “off the bench” contributed 32 and 16 points respectively to their team’s success. No matter where you look: The Californians are bubbling over with opportunities to conjure up points on the board.
And the Warriors? They lacked accuracy from beyond the arc. They took plenty of attempts from there (50) but only 16 of them found their target in the end.
Not a good record for a team with the best three-point shooter in the NBA. Consequently, Stephen Curry could have scored more than the 30 points – especially since the point guard missed a feasible three-pointer with the final siren, which would have meant overtime.
However, Stephen Curry also did not get the necessary support from his teammates. Poole had good moments here and there offensively, but especially towards the end of the third quarter, when Sacramento found its rhythm, he simply looked overmatched in the backcourt.
The German oddsmakers make clear in their Kings Warriors odds for Game 2 – which were published just these days – why a prediction on the game outcome is so difficult to make.
Indeed, with almost identical win odds of 1.90 each, the handy Bwin app gives users the understanding that this is a classic coin toss scenario between two evenly matched teams.
While a lot will depend on the form of the various players on the day, if I had to make a Kings Warriors tip of this nature, I’d probably go for another success for the “Beam Team”.
After all, home court advantage is worth its weight in gold in the playoffs. Furthermore, in four of the five season duels, the home team has always been the winner.
Summary: The Kings have the best offense in the NBA – and that is no rumor. The “Beam Team” has proven that not everything has to go through Sabonis and that they can convert their attempts when it counts.
For the Warriors, on the other hand, things were going quite well going forward, only in the backs players like Poole let it be known that their defensive skills are not quite up to this opponent when the tempo is stepped up.
Still, this series is far from over. Primarily, though, I’m assuming a high-scoring game in my Kings Warriors tip for Game 2, where the 234-point mark will be cracked.
