NBA Finals 2019: Raptors vs. Warriors TV Schedule, Odds and Game 6 Predictions
June 11, 2019
The Golden State Warriors earned one final home game at Oracle Arena with their Game 5 win over the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Monday's one-point victory at Scotiabank Arena handed the Warriors new life in the series, but they were also dealt a difficult blow in the process with Kevin Durant suffering an Achilles injury.
In order to fend off elimination for the second straight game, the Warriors need an extra contributor to step up in the points column alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Even though Toronto enters Game 6 off a defeat, it will still have confidence it can win at Oracle Arena like it did in Games 3 and 4.
Game 6 Information
Date: Thursday, June 13
Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app
Odds
Golden State (-155; Bet $155 to win $100)
Toronto (+170; Bet $100 to win $170)
Predictions
Cousins Turns in Best Game of Postseason
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins produced his best performance since returning from injury in Game 5 by scoring 14 points in 19 minutes.
In order for the Warriors to have a chance of sending the series back to Toronto for Game 7, Cousins has to be effective once again in the paint.
In Game 5, Cousins went 6-for-8 from the field and knocked down one of his three three-point attempts.
If the Warriors can get similar efficiency at a higher rate Thursday, they will develop a fourth potential 20-point scorer in the lineup to complement Curry, Thompson and Green.
Not only would an uptick in production from Cousins benefit the offense, but it would help a defense that has dealt with a size disadvantage in the paint for most of the series.
With Cousins on the floor, the Warriors will not be stuck in many mismatches against Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam that could lead to easy baskets for Toronto.
Having an effective Cousins on the floor gives the Warriors a better matchup against Gasol, which in turn leads to Green taking on Siakam and more advantageous matchups for Curry, Thompson and Andre Iguodala against Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and Danny Green.
If Cousins is able to use the confidence gained from knocking down a few high-percentage shots in the paint to help him defensively, the Warriors could be in much better shape down low.
Conversely, if Cousins is unable to at least match his production from Game 5, the Warriors will put too much reliance on their top three scorers and could be outmatched down low, which will lead to crucial second-chance opportunities for Toronto's offense to capitalize on.
Siakam Complements Leonard's Production with 25 Points
At some point in Game 6, Toronto will pick out the deficiencies in Golden State's defense with Durant out and Cousins on the bench receiving rest.
In those moments, Toronto must take advantage of its length through Siakam, who has not scored over 20 points since Game 1.
Golden State's defensive rotations will likely lean toward its biggest player focusing on Gasol, which in a situation without Cousins on the floor would be Green.
If that is the case, Siakam would be matched up with Iguodala or one of Golden State's guards, which creates a mismatch in his favor.
In order to stun Golden State at home, Siakam needs to turn in a performance similar to Game 1 of the NBA Finals and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
In those two games, Siakam eclipsed the 25-point mark, knocked down a pair of three-pointers and contributed across the board in other offensive categories.
Siakam should also be able to take charge on the offensive glass, which has been one of Toronto's biggest strengths in the NBA Finals.
In Game 1, Siakam added three offensive rebounds to his 32 points, five assists and two blocks.
If Siakam is able to increase his effectiveness on both sides of the floor to complement the high level of play out of Leonard and Lowry, the Raptors could have the perfect formula to clinch the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the road.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.