Draymond Green expects to face Celtics in NBA Finals

BOSTON -- The Golden State Warriors punched their ticket to the NBA Finals on Thursday night. They don't yet know which team frmo the East they'll be facing ... but Draymond Green has a pretty strong feeling.

Not long after the Warriors' 120-110 victory that eliminated the Dallas Mavericks, Green sat on the TNT set, where he spent plenty of time as a part-time analyst over the past several months. Green was pressed by Shaquille O'Neal on which team will make it out of the East to face the Warriors.

"You're asking me who I want to play. I'm gonna tell you who I think we're gonna play. We're gonna play Boston," Green said. "That's who we're gonna play. We're gonna play Boston."

Green was quick to point out how challenging it will be to go against Boston, too.

"Boston causes problems, especially offensively," Green said. "Their defense is incredible."

Of course, the rest of the world can't make Celtics-Warriors preparations just yet. The Celtics still have a game to win in order to earn that spot, and if they slip up on Friday night at home against the Heat, then they'll be facing the prospect of playing a Game 7 on the road in Miami on Sunday night.

Yet with the banged-up Heat seemingly running out of gas, there's no doubt in Green's mind that it'll be a Boston-Golden State NBA Finals.