NBA Finals 2015 Schedule: Warriors vs. Cavs Game 6 TV Info and Predictions

The Golden State Warriors have a chance to capture an NBA championship Tuesday night as the 2015 NBA Finals shift to Cleveland for Game 6.

The Warriors hold a 3-2 series edge over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are preparing for a win-or-go-home game at Quicken Loans Arena.

Game 6 is set to tip at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Here is everything you need to know about the game Tuesday. 

Game	Date	Time	Location	TV
6	Tuesday, June 16	9 p.m. ET	Cleveland	ABC
7* (if necessary)	Friday, June 19	9 p.m. ET	Oakland	ABC

Curry Battling Back From Dehydration 

After lighting the Cavaliers up for 37 points, including seven three-pointers, seven rebounds and four assists, Stephen Curry needed to be treated for dehydration.

The NBA MVP played 42 minutes of Sunday night's game, including 30 of the first 33 minutes of the game. After showing signs of discomfort after the game, Curry received treatment in the trainer's room. 

Regardless, Curry is expected to play in Game 6 on Tuesday night, according to ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss, as his Warriors have a chance to win their third consecutive game and close out the series on the road in Cleveland.

Dehydration is just a mild concern and nothing for Curry or Warriors fans to fret over. He also has a day of rest in between the games to fully recover.

Even more positive news for Curry is that he did not have to be hospitalized for treatment like his counterpart, Matthew Dellavedova, who suffered severe cramping after Game 3. 

James: MVP, Win or Lose?

Curry’s 37 points in Game 5 were an NBA Finals high, but there is no denying that LeBron James has been the best individual player on the court throughout the series.

On Sunday, James registered his second triple-double of the Finals (40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists), but had to sit on the bench in the final seconds as the Warriors grabbed hold of a 3-2 series lead. Only three other players in NBA history have recorded 40 points in a playoff triple-double, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, including Oscar Robertson (twice), Jerry West and Charles Barkley. 

Furthermore, West was the only other player to do so in a losing effort. West dropped 42 points with 13 boards and 12 assists in a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in 1969.

Game 6 is critical for the Cavaliers if they are going to try to battle back and win this series. And again, it’ll be on the shoulders of James to get his squad over the hump.

A win in Game 6—or even a loss—may be enough to put James in elite company. James could potentially join the aforementioned West as the only two players in NBA history to earn MVP honors despite their teams coming up short in the Finals.

When West did it 46 years ago, the Finals between the Lakers and Celtics lasted seven games. West averaged 37.9 points per game, which was good for 35.6 percent of the Lakers’ scoring output, according to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton.

This NBA Finals, James is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game while out on the court for 45.6 minutes per contest. James was responsible for 70 of the Cavs’ 90 points in Game 5. 

Even if Curry shows up with an outstanding offensive performance in Game 6 or possibly Game 7, James’ historical tear will probably lead him to nabbing Finals MVP honors, and deservedly so.

It’s a testament to what James has singlehandedly done without the likes of perennial All-Stars in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving and with Tristan Thompson, Dellavedova, Smith and Iman Shumpert as his supporting cast.

Warriors’ Small Lineup Looms Big

Golden State coach Steve Kerr’s decision to bench Andrew Bogut in favor of Andre Iguodala has paid immense dividends for his team, and not surprisingly it has coincided with back-to-back wins and now a chance to win the NBA Finals.

Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov took advantage of the Warriors’ smaller lineup in Game 4, powering his way to 28 points and 10 rebounds against a less sizeable defense. However, the smaller lineup on offense led to a quick 8-2 advantage in Game 5 and forced Cleveland coach David Blatt to pull Mozgov from the game.

In the NBA Finals, Golden State’s smaller lineup has been sharp from three-point range and has been tougher on the defensive end of the court as well. In Games 4 and 5, the smaller lineup was on the floor for 95 percent of plays.

It has allowed players such as Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, who were struggling early on in the Finals, to regain their form. Green scored 16 points and hauled in nine boards in Game 5, and Barnes mustered eight points and 10 rebounds.

Prediction: Warriors Capture NBA Title in 6 

Is there anything more that James can do? That’s the legitimate question Cavaliers fans have to be asking.

In different games this series, Cleveland has received major contributions from, Mozgov and Dellavedova, and J.R. Smith most recently in Game 5, but when James has a sidekick in the action, it has been difficult to sustain for a full 48 minutes of play. 

Filling in for the injured Irving, Dellavedova has been pretty much lost on the court since his Game 3 heroics. Smith was lights-out from downtown in Game 5 but disappeared once the second half rolled in. Mozgov seems to be a liability when the Warriors revert to their smaller, more dangerous offensive lineup.

The lack of consistent role players has forced James to play at a remarkable level, so much so that he is consistently rewriting the record books every time he takes the floor in the NBA Finals. The issue is that even though James is playing at an MVP level, the Warriors are far too good as a team to be defeated by one player.

Curry may not be the Finals MVP, but in the last two games, he has keyed the Warriors’ victories to take control of the series. Curry is coming off the best game of his Finals career, solidifying himself as one of the most lethal scorers in the league. He can further add to his legacy with a duplicate performance at Quicken Loans Arena, where he dropped 27 and 22 points, respectively, in Games 3 and 4.

It would not surprise me to see James and the Cavaliers even the series 3-3 on Tuesday, assuming James can continue playing at this unprecedented level and the rest of his teammates can play up to the moment in front of a raucous home crowd.

However, I can’t help but follow momentum.

Kerr’s lineup changes have sparked the Golden State players who were critical to their regular-season and playoff success. Players such as Green and Barnes, as well as Iguodala on the defensive end of the court, have completely changed the landscape of these Finals.

Curry and Klay Thompson have also been dynamic as scorers, and combined, the two are capable of negating James' offense.

The Cavaliers have been a great story this season, from with the return of James to his hometown to their dominant postseason run. After Irving went down in the fantastic Game 1 of this series, the team showed a lot of grit in evening it at 1-1 and then moving ahead 2-1 after three games. 

However, I believe midnight has struck on the Cavs’ Cinderella story, and the better, deeper and more talented Warriors team is about to finish the job. James may win the MVP trophy, but it will be Curry who shows up big on the road in a title-clinching situation.

Golden State 98, Cleveland 94