Down 3-2 in the series, the Warriors will try to keep their season alive when they host the Rockets in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Warriors vs. RocketsGame 6Saturday, May 266:00 p.m.Oracle Arena
WATCH: TNT
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App and Warriors Radio Network
FACING ELIMINATION
For the first time since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors will face a postseason elimination game when they host the Rockets at Oracle Arena in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. With a victory, Golden State would face a winner-take-all Game 7 in Houston. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (Pacific). Watch the action on TNT, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game, the Warriors Mobile App and the Warriors Radio Network. FIND TICKETS
LAST TIME OUT It was neck-and-neck down the stretch, but the Warriors ultimately fell 98-94 on the road in Game 5 on Thursday night. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney
HOU: Chris Paul, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker and Clint Capela
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Andre Iguodala (left lateral leg contusion) is questionable. Patrick McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) is out. Team Notes
HOU: Chris Paul (sore right hamstring) is out. Team Notes
INJURIES
In an ideal situation, both teams would be able to compete at full strength, but that just isn’t the way it’s played out lately. On the Warriors’ side, Andre Iguodala has missed each of the last two games, and it’s worth noting his hasn’t appeared in four of the five victories the Rockets have over Golden State this year. Then, in the final minutes of Game 5, Houston’s Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury, and the future Hall-of-Famer has already been ruled out for Game 6. The Rockets have played only seven players in each of the last two games, so losing Paul is a significant blow to their rotation, as well as their offensive and defensive strategies. Eric Gordon, who was one of those two bench players, will slide into Paul’s vacated spot in the starting lineup, but it will undoubtedly place a greater portion of the offensive burden in James Harden’s hands. If Golden State can turn Harden into a volume scorer and force him into some turnovers, it could greatly improve their chances at extending their season another game, at least.
TEAM PLAYOFF LEADERS
TURNOVERS
In each of the last two games, the Warriors have posted better team field goal, three-point and free throw percentages than the Rockets, and yet they’ve come out on the losing end each time. It marks the first time in NBA history that a team has suffered back-to-back losses like that in a single postseason. So, how do you explain the results? The Warriors’ turnover bug has reappeared in the last two games. After committing a series-high 16 turnovers in a three-point loss in Game 4, the Warriors upped that number to 18 miscues in a four-point defeat in Game 5. To compare, the Dubs committed a combined 17 turnovers in their two wins in the series thus far. Houston scored 18 points off the Warriors’ turnovers in Game 5, and that was enough to overshadow an otherwise gritty effort. If they want to keep their season alive, placing a greater emphasis on valuing each possession might be a good place to start.