Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game 3 Prediction, Start Time, TV Channel

The San Antonio Spurs have one final chance to make the Golden State Warriors sweat in the 2017 Western Conference Finals. The two teams will meet at AT&T Center Saturday night in what could be another easy victory for the odds-on favorites to win the NBA Finals.

It’s difficult to make a Game 3 prediction without knowing if Kawhi Leonard is going to play. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is considered questionable for the pivotal contest as San Antonio looks to avoid falling into a 3-0 series hole.

“He was sitting nicely on the sidelines. It's going well, as well as it can go,” center Pau Gasol said at Thursday’s practice, via ESPN. “We have a good training staff. He's working with them and trying to get that ankle right. That's what I know.”

It’s become clear over the first two games of the series that the Spurs need Leonard on the floor in order to have any chance of upsetting the Warriors. In Game 1, when the small forward re-injured his ankle that he had sprained five days earlier, San Antonio blew a 23-point second-half lead. San Antonio was never competitive without Leonard in Game 2, losing by 36 points and trailing by at least 20 points in the final 34 minutes.

“He looked good, didn't talk about it that much,” shooting guard Green said of Leonard. “I saw Tony (Parker) also. He was in the building today. He looked good, too. Just asked him how life was, how things were going. He said he's strengthening and working on some things. He's taking it a day at a time, each one of those guys.”

While Leonard has a chance to play Saturday night, Parker is definitely done for the rest of the playoffs with a leg injury. That means LaMarcus Aldridge needs to step up and be one of the best players on the floor.

Aldridge did his part for most of Game 1, ending the series opener with a team-high 28 points, though he struggled once Leonard was sent to the locker room with his injury. The power forward was invisible in Game 2, scoring just eight points on 11 shots.

The Spurs signed Aldridge to a max contract in 2015, hoping he would replace Tim Duncan as one of their star players for the next decade. This postseason, however, Aldridge hasn’t performed as expected, failing to be aggressive when San Antonio needs points.

“LaMarcus has got to score for us. He can't be timid. He turned down shots... He's got a major responsibility in Game 3,” head coach Gregg Popovich said, via Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver.

But the truth is that no matter how much Aldridge raises his game, the Spurs will be hard-pressed to win even one game this series. They are facing the NBA’s best team, which is playing at a higher level than almost any team in league history. Starting the postseason with 10 straight wins, Golden State has beaten their playoff opponents by an average of 17 points per game.

Had Leonard played in Game 2, the outcome likely would have been the same. He can only do so much, and there is simply no answer for the Warriors when Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are shooting this well.

The Spurs missed their chance to challenge the Warriors when they blew Game 1. Leonard’s presence could allow San Antonio to keep things close in Game 3, though his absence will likely mean another blowout as Golden State trots four All-Stars onto the court.

Game 3 starts at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday night. ESPN has the TV broadcast, and fans can watch a free live stream online with WatchESPN.

Prediction: Golden State over San Antonio, 120-105