Mike McGraw's preview of the NBA Western Conference finals
Western Conference finals preview
No. 1 Golden State vs. No. 2 San Antonio
Season series: Spurs 2-1
Game 1: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Playoff peak
Golden State seems to be running at top efficiency. Not only are the Warriors 8-0 in the playoffs, they rank first in points scored and second in points allowed during the postseason. With Kevin Durant missing time with a knee injury late in the season and sitting out two games in the first round, Steph Curry is back to the lead role, averaging 27.1 points per game, but Durant is no slouch, shooting 52.6 percent from the field and averaging 23.3 points.
Health story
Veteran Spurs point guard Tony Parker is out for the playoffs with a quad tendon tear, but all-star Kawhi Leonard is expected to play in Game 1 after missing the end of the Houston series with an ankle injury. Of course, San Antonio is going on 20 years of consistent winning and delivered probably its best performance of the playoffs in the series-clinching win over the Rockets without Leonard or Parker. Coach Gregg Popovich started rookie Dejounte Murray in Parker's place, keeping Patty Mills in a bench role. For Golden State, the injury report features head coach Steve Kerr, sidelined by a persistent spinal fluid leak. Kerr attended practice on Saturday, but probably won't coach in this series.
Murky history
The season series doesn't help much in this case. The Spurs' lone trip to Oakland was a 129-100 victory on opening night. The next time they played on Mar. 11 in San Antonio, most of the starters from both teams sat out and the Spurs won 107-85. Kevin Durant was still out with an injury in the last meeting on Mar. 29, which featured the host Spurs jumping to a 16-point lead after the first quarter before Golden State rallied for a 110-98 victory.
Outlook
Even though these teams were separated by just six games in the standings, Golden State is a heavy favorite for a reason. No team can match the Warriors' high-powered starting lineup. The first step for the Spurs to be competitive is for their defense to knock down the 115 points Golden State has averaged in the playoffs. San Antonio needs experienced subs like Manu Ginóbili, Pau Gasol and Mills to go off often.
Prediction: Warriors in 5.