Pushed to the brink of elimination, and once again without superstar Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors survived with a one-point victory at the Toronto Raptors on Monday to extend the 2019 NBA Finals to a Game 6 on Thursday night.
Without Durant, can the Warriors push this series to a decisive seventh game? Here are a pair of predictions for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. on ABC15.
ABC15 sports director Craig Fouhy
Plenty of intangibles in this one, including this being the Warriors' final game ever at Oracle Arena in Oakland and the team playing for Kevin Durant. Not to mention, the Warriors' backs are against the wall in this one.
But I do like the Raptors on the road. Golden State is just too banged up with injuries -- so despite the intangibles being in the Warriors' favor, I’m going with the visitors. After all, the road team has won the last four games in this series. Raptors 112, Warriors 107
ABC15.com sportswriter Shane Dale
Without Durant, and possibly Kevon Looney, the Warriors face an uphill battle against a deeper Raptors team. But I like the Warriors to send this series to a seventh game in part because DeMarcus Cousins, who returned for this series after missing six weeks with a quad injury, finally started looking like himself again in Game 5.
Home-court advantage obviously doesn't seem to matter in this series, but it's just tough to bet against Steph Curry and Klay Thompson -- as well as a healthy, effective Cousins -- in an elimination game, especially in what will be the Warriors' final game in Oakland. Kawhi Leonard will likely get his usual 30 points and 10 rebounds, but look for Golden State to send this series to what should be a highly memorable Game 7 back in Canada on Sunday night. Warriors 109, Raptors 98
