The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Boston Celtics heading into Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. With a win they’ll keep their championship hopes alive and force a decisive Game 7. With a loss, their season will come to an end and the Warriors will win their fourth ring in the past eight years under coach Steve Kerr.
At one point, Boston held a 2-1 lead in the series and things looked to be going its way. However, two straight poor performances in the fourth quarter now has the Celtics on the brink of elimination. Especially deflating for the Celtics is the fact that they held Steph Curry scoreless from beyond the arc in Game 5 and they still weren’t able to walk away with a win. It seems unlikely that Curry is going to have two consecutive poor shooting performances. The good news for the Celtics is that they have proved adept at bouncing back after losses in this postseason. They’re 7-1 directly after a loss in the playoffs, with their only loss coming in Game 5 against Golden State. Plus, they get to play in front of their home fans, so perhaps they’ll get a boost from them.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 6 between Boston and Golden State.
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Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors
- When: Thursday, June 16 | 9 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: BOS -170; GS +145; O/U 210 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
Storylines
Warriors: When Steph Curry struggled in Game 5, the pieces around him stepped up. Andrew Wiggins had his best game of the postseason with 26 points and 13 rebounds, Klay Thompson dropped 21 points and Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II combined for 29 points off the bench. Is Golden State going to get similar contributions from those guys in Game 6? Because if so, Warriors fans should get ready to pop the champagne. The Warriors have gotten in trouble this postseason when they rely too heavily on Curry on the offensive end, but if he’s getting help they’re exceedingly tough to topple. Plus, we can probably assume that Curry will shoot at least a bit better from the field than he did in Game 5.
Celtics: If Boston is going to extend its season, it’ll going to need to take care of the ball. The Celtics had 18 turnovers that led to 22 points for Golden State in Game 5, and that simply isn’t going to cut it against a team as dangerous and explosive as the Warriors. Live ball turnovers are especially tough against the Warriors since they’re lethal in transition. This has been a trend all postseason. Basically, when the Celtics take care of the ball, they win. When they don’t, they lose.
Boston will also need a big-time performance from Jayson Tatum, who has been held under 30 points in every Finals game so far. Tatum was selected to the All-NBA First Team this season, and simply put, he needs to play like it. Tatum needs to be aggressive from the jump and set the tone for the Celtics. If Boston can take care of the ball and get a standout game from Tatum, then perhaps this series will go the distance. If not, then the Warriors will likely be celebrating in front of the Boston faithful.
Prediction, picks
With their season hanging in the balance and playing in front of their home fans, one would think that the Celtics will be able to muster enough energy and focus to pull out a win and extend the series. That’s what most fans outside of California should be hoping for, at least. After all, there’s no better two words in sports than “Game 7.” The NBA Finals haven’t gone to a seventh game since 2016 when the LeBron James-led Cavaliers came back from 3-1 to defeat the Warriors, but they could this year. Pick: Celtics -4
