NBA Playoff Schedule 2019: TV Info, Live Stream, Predictions for Friday Matchup

There's a lot on the line in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors.

For the Rockets, down 3-2 in a best-of-seven series, it's a win-or-go-home situation.

But for James Harden and Chris Paul, their legacies are riding on the outcome of not just this game but also the series.

For the Warriors, it's gut check time.

Kevin Durant left in the third quarter of Game 5 with a strained right calf and will not be available for the remainder of this series.

Golden State managed to eke out the 104-99 victory on Wednesday night, but the real test is upon them.

It's up to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to win one more game to make it to the Western Conference Finals. If they can do so, there's a small chance Durant can return during that series, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

With stakes this high, it can only mean one thing: great basketball for NBA fans.

TV and Live Stream for Friday's Semifinal Matchup

All Times ET. 

Friday, May 10

No. 1 Golden State Warriors at No. 4 Houston Rockets | GSW 3-2 | 9 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN

Game Prediction  

Houston Forces a Game 7

This series has been all about home-court advantage. Each team has won its home games, and this time should be no different.

The Rockets have had time to recalibrate and game-plan for the Durant-less Warriors, who will have to rely on ball movement and the shooting of Curry and Thompson moving forward.

Luckily for Golden State, the Splash Brothers showed they could pick up the slack for their injured teammate with a strong showing in the fourth quarter of Game 5.

Curry had 16 points after Durant went out, and Thompson—who finished with 27 points—sealed the win with an improbable layup with 4.1 seconds left in the game.

There's no doubt the Warriors will miss the 34.2 points per game Durant is averaging this postseason, but they have history on their side. Their record with Durant out and Curry on the floor over the past three seasons is 29-4.

Sure, the playoffs are a different story, but Golden State has won in the past without KD and they can lean on that experience for the rest of this series.

That means Curry and Thompson will come out hot and heavy at Toyota Center for Game 6, looking to establish themselves early on, but Harden and CP3 will be hungry to hold home court.

That is especially true for Harden, who basically disappeared down the stretch in Game 5. He only shot once in the last seven minutes in a game without Durant.

Even he couldn't explain how that happened.

"I mean, I don't know," Harden said during the postgame presser. "I have to go back and look at the game, but whether it's other guys were getting shots, open looks, trying to make the right plays at certain points in the game, uh, I'm not sure."

Harden and CP3 have to see Game 5 as a missed opportunity and will be out to right that wrong in Houston.

The Beard will be in his bag, putting on a show for Rockets' fans, and Eric Gordon will be there to hit the open three when the double teams come. But he will need his future Hall of Fame point guard to have a breakout game too.

Paul is averaging a respectable 16 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game this postseason, but Houston will need him to have a monster game Friday night if it wants to force a Game 7 back at Oracle Arena.

Follow Maurice Bobb on Twitter, @ReeseReport.

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.