Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors
Game 6 of the NBA Finals will be the last ever NBA game played at Oracle Arena. But will it also be the last game of the season?
The Golden State Warriors — who will most definitely be without Kevin Durant — will be looking to extend their series against the Toronto Raptors for one more game when they collide in Oakland.
The Raptors probably rue their missed opportunities to clinch the championship on their home floor in Game 5. But as they showed in Games 3 and 4, they are more than capable of going into Oracle and beating Golden State.
Talking Points
Raptors can rebound
The Raptors probably feel they should be NBA champions right now. They had the Warriors right where they wanted them in Game 5: they were up by six at home and just three minutes remaining.
However, they failed to deliver the knockout blow and allowed the defending champions to come back and extend the series.
But despite that demoralising defeat, there are still many reasons for the Raptors to remain confident that they can clinch the title.
For one, they played far from their best basketball in Game 5 and still very nearly pulled off the win. Apart from his sudden fourth-quarter explosion, Kawhi Leonard did not have his best game. Neither did Pascal Siakam nor Danny Green, who combined for just 16 points and 0-of-8 shooting on 3-pointers.
The Raptors as a team shot just 8-of-24 from beyond the arc while the Warriors went a sizzling 20-of-42. If those numbers simply regress to the mean, the advantage will shift significantly toward Toronto.
The Raptors are also no strangers to winning at Oracle. They did so in Games 3 and 4 after losing at home in a closely contested Game 2.
While the Warriors didn’t have Klay Thompson in Game 3, he returned and played well in Game 4. But he and Curry weren’t nearly enough to beat the Raptors, who are simply the deeper team at the moment.
What do the Warriors have left?
The Warriors showed what true champions are made of with their valiant effort in Game 5. Despite the devastation of losing Kevin Durant early in the game, they dug deep to successfully stave off elimination.
However, it’s fair to wonder if the Warriors are actually capable of playing any better than they did in that game, which they just barely won.
Curry and Thompson combined for 57 points and hit 12 of the Warriors’ playoff-high 20 3-pointers. But Durant was responsible for three of those triples, and Curry’s effectiveness took a noticeable dip once Durant went down as the Warriors were once again unable to space the floor as well.
They also got a good game from DeMarcus Cousins, which was huge given how shallow their bench is. But as he showed in Games 3 and 4, Cousins at his current physical state can’t be counted on to be consistent from game to game.
Meanwhile, Kevon Looney — who is one of the 6-7 players they can even play at this point — is questionable to feature after aggravating his collarbone injury. That will certainly be big NBA Finals 2019 news if he does miss out.
At this point, the Warriors have proven on numerous occasions that it’s dangerous to completely count them out. And perhaps the crowd at Oracle Arena in its last ever game can provide the lift they need.
But at their current state, it’s a legitimate concern whether the Warriors have enough — particularly on offence — to force a decisive Game 7.
History
It has been a curious NBA Finals so far. Since the Raptors took Game 1, the home team has lost each of the last four games.
But despite that unusual trend, home-court advantage still counts for a lot, and the Warriors will be glad to be playing in front of their own fans in this do-or-die game.
The Warriors have not found themselves facing elimination at home too often during their dynastic five-year run. In fact, it’s happened just four times: Games 5 and 7 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016; Game 7 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016; and Game 6 vs. the Houston Rockets last year.
They went 3-1 in those four games, with their lone defeat coming in that Game 7 against the Cavs.
What are the odds?
If the SBOBET odds are anything to go by, this series looks like it’s going to a Game 7. The Warriors are significant money line favourites to win Game 6 at 1.67 while the Raptors are priced at 2.29. And on the Asian Handicap market, the Warriors have been pegged as 2.50-4.00-point favourites.
But while the Warriors have the advantage of being at home, the Raptors’ NBA Finals 2019 odds to win Game 6 should probably be a bit more even.
They have clearly been the superior team in this series and have already blown out the Warriors twice on the road. It will be difficult to do so a third time, but a win of any kind is well within the realm of possibility for the Raptors.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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