2012 NBA Playoffs: 5 Burning Questions for Friday's Game 6 Action

The NBA playoffs throws just one game our way Friday, with the Los Angeles Clippers looking to wrap-up their first-round series with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Many viewed the Clippers as a team that would be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but with a 3-2 lead and home-court advantage heading into Game 6, they are on the cusp of progressing through to the semifinals and proving all the doubters wrong.

With speculation and questions aplenty, here are the five burning questions that will decide Friday's Game 6 action.

1. How banged up are the Clippers?

The simple answer? Very.

UPDATE: The Clippers say Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will play in Game 6 despite their injuries.

Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Caron Butler are all nursing injuries, and keep in mind the fact they already lost starter Chauncey Billups to injury earlier in the year. The Clippers have truly been stung by the injury bug.

Blake Griffin has a sprained left knee which occurred in the third quarter on Wednesday. 

Chris Paul also picked up an injury in the loss on Wednesday to the Grizzlies—straining his right hip flexor to add to his jammed middle finger.

And Caron Butler? Well, he broke his hand during their incredible comeback victory in Game 1 yet continues to be an offensive and defensive presence. 

Nabbing Game 6—not to mention some valuable recovery time—is crucial for the Clippers.

2. Can the Grizzlies dominate in the paint?

Throughout the regular season, both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph dominated inside and outplayed most opponents in the paint. It was assumed they would do the same against the Clippers, but, especially in the first few games, that wasn't the case. Both Griffin and bruiser Reggie Evans had their way inside.

Game 5 looked to be a big turning point for the Memphis big men, who led the team in scoring and rebounds. If they can bring a similar presence to the Staples Center for Game 6, the Grizzlies will definitely have a solid inside-out game from which to work.

Especially with Griffin's knee potentially causing the him some grief, Gasol and Randolph have a huge opportunity to be the deciding factors in the game for the Grizzlies.

3. Will home-court advantage play a part for the Clippers?

Being back home at the Staples Center must seem like a huge advantage for Los Angeles after stomaching its biggest loss in the playoffs in Game 5. And with Game 7 set to take place in Memphis, the Clippers will know their best chance at a series victory will come on Friday.

Memphis lost both of their regular season games to the Clippers at the Staples Center and also lost both contests in this series there as well. The Clippers should have a huge advantage with the home court in this one, but you never know.

4. Who will win the turnover/block/steal battle?

Throughout the playoffs, the Clippers have had fewer turnovers, forced more steals and blocked more shots than their opponents.

However, breaking it down further, we can see just how significant the turnover battle has been in winning games this series for both teams and thus how critical it is for Game 6. Let's say turnovers are negative points while steals and blocked shots are positive points, and apply that to the series:

Game	Winner	MEM	LAC	Difference
1	Clippers	-8	-4	LAC by 4
2	Grizzlies	+8	-6	MEM by 14
3	Clippers	-3	-1	LAC by 2
4	Clippers	-10	+7	LAC by 17
5	Grizzlies	-1	-1	Tied

As you can see, the general trend for the series is that the winner of the game is the same team that wins the turnover/steals/blocks battle. Thus it's of upmost importance for both teams to restrict their own turnovers, but also be active on defense.

5. What kind of impact will Chris Paul have on the game?

The key for the Los Angeles Clippers rests in the play of their point guard Chris Paul, who has been without a doubt their best player of the playoffs so far. As mentioned before, Paul currently has a bad finger and a problem with his hip flexor, but given the importance of Game 6, he's a sure bet to play.

Paul is currently averaging 22.6 points per game throughout the playoffs, as well as 7.8 assists and 2.8 blocks per game—leading the Clippers' offense. For Lob City to clinch the series, they will need their point man to be healthy and firing on all cylinders right from the start.

Overall

With the injury concerns the Clippers have and the Grizzlies' big men starting to gain traction, Memphis will be too strong and push this one to a Game 7.

Memphis Grizzlies by eight points.

These are just my predictions. I would love to hear yours and your thoughts on the five burning questions that will decide Friday's Game 6 action.

Follow @dantalintyre