Warriors force Game 6

The Golden State Warriors are still in the playoffs after a convincing 121-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the NBA Conference semifinals. The Lakers now lead the series at 3-2, meaning they need just one more win to advance, while the Warriors need two. But the Warriors are no strangers to the playoff game.

Lakers vs Warriors Game 6 preview

During the Game 5 Lakers loss, Anthony Davis left late in the game after getting hit in the head by Kevin Looney. The hit was so rough, Looney was struggling to walk and he left the game in a wheelchair. However, reports later indicated that he did not appear to have a concussion and was recovering well. His status for Game 6, though, is still unclear.

Game 6 will be played this Friday night at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena. While winning that game and Game 7 may seem daunting, if any team can do it, it’s the Warriors. They are 8-2 in elimination playoff games since 2015 with their most recent loss happening in the 2019 Finals.

The Lakers without Davis is definitely not ideal. In the 114 minutes they’ve played without Davis in the postseason, they lost by 25 points. But the Lakers are also 5-0 at home, while outscoring their opponents by 89 points in those games. A lot will depend on Davis’ status. If he’s healthy enough to play, the Lakers’ chances of closing out the series are much higher. Without him though, the Warriors are looking a lot more likely to be the team to win it and force one last game.