The Golden State Warriors are beat to hell.
Steve Kerr’s available options Wednesday night did not at all resemble what the roster looked like at the beginning of the playoffs.
The Warriors also trail the Toronto Raptors, 2-1, with two more games scheduled to be played in Canada, if the series reaches Game 7.
As such, Bovada now offers the Warriors and Raptors at -110 to win the NBA Finals. The Warriors were a -300 favorite just days before Game 1.
Here are the players who have been impacted in some way by injury in this series for Golden State:
- Kevin Durant
- Klay Thompson
- Andre Iguodala
- Kevon Looney
- DeMarcus Cousins
The Warriors did not anticipate practicing Thursday, trying to rest players like Steph Curry who have carried an inordinate workload.
Kerr also said Thursday that Kevin Durant will not play in Game 4, although Thompson (hamstring) is expected to play.
Especially with Durant still out, it’s almost surprising that Toronto isn’t a favorite to win the series. Game 4 amounts to something close to a must-win for Golden State.
The Raptors are +18 in three games against the Warriors this series, and +41 if you count the two regular-season games (not to mention 4-1 straight-up).
Toronto also has won six of its last seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
If you think Golden State can eke out a win with a depleted roster Friday, and if you think Durant will emerge healthy for Game 5, perhaps there’s some value in the Warriors. But that’s a lot of “ifs.”
If you like Toronto to win Game 4, now is a good time to grab them to win the series.