The NBA Playoffs have continued to feature thrilling finishes, highlight-reel plays and shocking upsets. Fans were on the edge of their seat when Warriors star Kevin Durant — arguably the best player in the postseason thus far — went down with an apparent calf injury in Game 5.
It’s unclear exactly when (and if) Durant will return to action, but he, at the very least, will miss the remainder of the Warriors-Rockets series. KD won’t be on the court for Game 6, but it still figures to be an entertaining matchup, so here are our picks for Friday’s contest.
Warriors +7.5
No one is giving the Warriors a chance in this game, yet they must be forgetting that the core of this group won a title before Kevin Durant arrived. They were a Draymond Green suspension away from closing out LeBron James in the 2016 NBA Finals and winning two.
And yet, here they are, one game away from closing out the Rockets, yet they’re being viewed as the “underdogs.” We believe they will cherish this rare opportunity, and will thrive in this new role, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s perimeter shooting keeping them in this game, and possibly even winning outright. Don’t ever doubt this group.
Not having Durant changes the Warriors offense, but it’s not the doom-and-gloom
OVER 215.5
The Rockets are playing for their season, and James Harden has yet to go off and have a big game this series. We’re willing to bet he’ll shoot the ball early and often on Friday night, and he’ll score at least 40 points. Chris Paul is due for a solid shooting performance as well, as he’s literally disappeared the past few games. Both teams will rely on the three-point shot, and we see plenty of points.
