Preview: Warriors face do-or-die Game 6 on the road against Lakers
Wiggins and Davis are expected to play through injuries in this pivotal contest.
Well well well, the reigning defending NBA champions have their season on the line in Los Angeles tonight, as the Golden State Warriors head down south to play the Lakers in an elimination game.
The Dubs trail 3-2 to LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ seventh seeded squad, and a loss tonight seals a rough ending to a very inconsistent season. But a win tonight means the Warriors get to return back to Chase Center for what would be a very emotional Game 7. Let the game begin!
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
May 12th, 2023 | 7:00 PM PT
Watch: ESPN | Listen: 95.7 The Game
Okay first off let’s check the injury front. Golden State All-Star wing Andrew Wiggins is hurting from a rib injury thanks to a James boxout.
Andrew Wiggins appeared to first show rib discomfort after this box out crack of LeBron James in the middle of the fourth quarter. Kept grabbing at his ribs the next few minutes. Costal cartilage fracture. His Game 6 status is in question.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 12, 2023
Here is a look. pic.twitter.com/9CDwETFvrJ
"[Wiggins] not going to miss Game 6, but maybe he's going to be a little bit limited. Maybe a little less minutes, maybe some other people are gonna have to play some additional minutes and have to guard LeBron," @timkawakami on Andrew Wiggins status tonight.
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 12, 2023
Meanwhile Lakers’ All-Star big Davis is slated to play after leaving Game 5 with an apparent head injury.
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis (head injury) is expected to be available for Game 6 on Friday barring a setback, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 11, 2023
The playoffs are a war of attrition, and each game can present harrowing injury concerns. The Warriors need Wiggins to push through the pain and deliver the offensive punch and defensive intensity that has made him an integral part of their championship expectations.
LeBron when guarded by Wiggins this series:
— SplashBrosMuse (@SplashBrosMuse) May 11, 2023
— 42 points
— 17-39 FG (43.6%)
— 4-18 3P (22.2%)
— 8 turnovers
In 39:55 matchup minutes. pic.twitter.com/sW0kvdUXqC
Of course this would be a great time for the Warriors to activate the legend of Game 6 Klay Thompson, a man who cemented a reputation as a big-time playoff performer by going on scoring binges when Golden State needed him most. How will Thompson show up tonight after struggling for most of this series outside of a quality Game 2 performance?
Then again, James has his own storied Game 6 history, especially going back to his Miami Heat days when he absolutely obliterated the Boston Celtics in an elimination game.
It’s time to make some new Game 6 moments, maybe even we’ll see the emergence of a younger player like Jordan Poole or Moses Moody putting their stamp on the game. I can’t wait to check it out. Keep in mind that the Warriors have never lost a Western Conference playoff series under Coach Steve Kerr, and they’ve won a road game in 28 consecutive series.
They’re due. GET THE JOB DONE WARRIORS!