The Warriors, clearly, are a worse team without Kevin Durant than they are with him.
Duh.
After suffering a right calf strain in Golden State's Game 5 win in their NBA playoff second-round series against the Houston Rockets, Durant has been ruled out for Friday's Game 6, as well as a potential Game 7 (if necessary). That puts quite a damper on the Warriors' chances of advancing, not only past Houston, but ultimately to a fifth consecutive NBA Finals.
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And yet, that is precisely what the Caesar's Palace Sportsbook expects to happen.
Despite losing Durant for the remainder of the Western Conference semifinals, the Las Vegas sportsbook still gives Golden State the best chances of winning the NBA title.
Why so much faith in the Warriors?
Well, for starters, they'll still have three recent (and two current) All-Stars taking the floor. And, the Dubs' track record with Steph Curry but not Durant offers plenty of reason for optimism.
Golden State Warriors
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The Warriors are 26-1 in their last 27 games when Curry plays and Durant does not, including 4-0 against the Rockets.
Golden State will have to play at least one game without Durant, and likely more. They'd certainly love to have him against the Rockets, but clearly, there exists plenty of belief that they're capable of getting the job done without him.