Warriors vs. Cavs: Point Spread, Total & Prediction for Game 6
Golden State was awaiting final results of an MRI exam on Bogut, the Australian who suffered a left knee injury early in the third quarter Monday, to know his status for the remainder of the series.
If Cleveland is to complete an NBA Finals comeback unlike any other - the Cavaliers pushed the series to Game Six with a win at Golden State - then getting something out of Love might be a huge help.
The Warriors’ “death lineup” all comes back to Green, whose freakish length can let him play an effective center despite only being 6-foot-7. In 11 career playoff games against Golden State he’s averaging 32.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving found more space to operate and relentlessly attacked across the floor on a night the Cavs shot 53 percent and the two stars each scored 41 points - the first teammates in Finals history to score at least 40 in the same game.
The Aussie’s absence would partly be offset by the return of forward Draymond Green from a one-game suspension for accumulated flagrant fouls, but still require Golden State to dig deeper into the bench for help.
Curry even joked about screwing up their chance to clinch on Monday at Oracle Arena with Green watching the game next-door at the Coliseum.
“Yeah, that’s a good reminder”, Klay Thompson said Wednesday of last June’s triumph.
The salary cap is already expected to rise next year because of the money the Warriors have brought in via playoff revenue and another game will only continue to benefit the entire league.
As such, the ever-struggling Kevin Love was given some public advice from James after scoring only two points in 33 minutes of Game 5. “He said that, but we’re not going with that”.
Green will be coming off a one-game suspension, and wants blood - LeBron James’ blood - in Game 6. Thompson is one of the biggest threats that Golden State have on offense.
Coach Nick of BBallBreakdown looked back at Kyrie Irving’s big night in Game 5. With Green at centre during the first four games, Golden State had outscored Cleveland by 51 points and shot 56.5 per cent from the field.
“Me not being on the floor to battle with my guys is being a bad teammate”, Green said, via ESPN’s Marc Spears. He won’t play that way again because those types of special shooting games don’t happen in consecutive games. We were able to come back and get a victory there.
“So we’re in a good spot”.
“He helped us win”, James said of Love. “At this point it doesn’t matter anymore, we lost Game 5 and we’re here for Game 6 and I have to be better and not put myself in a position, to where it isn’t a decision, and there isn’t an investigation….”
“I understand we’re doing this to stretch it out and have more media sessions or whatever”, Kerr said.
“Draymond directs things, and he makes these immediate decisions that are nearly always correct”, said assistant coach Ron Adams, the team’s defensive coordinator.
“So we’ll miss the minutes he has been giving us”.
If Cleveland wins, the National Basketball Association title will be decided with a game-seven finale in Oakland on Sunday. Just try to find something where you can fit in at - helping on the glass, defensively, playing off blocked shots.