Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers Prediction & Match Preview - May 12th, 2023 | NBA Playoffs, Game 6

The Golden State Warriors raced to a 70-59 first-half lead then held off the LA Lakers’ desperate rally to win Game 5. Golden State’s win kept the team’s season alive and cut the Lakers’ two-game advantage to just one.

Draymond Green, who had a costly error late in Game 4, played his best game of the series. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. The Warriors will need him to play with an even more sense of urgency on the road in another close-out game.

Steph Curry had another tough three-point shooting night. He was only 3-11 from behind the arc but was 12-24 overall. “Chef Curry” added eight assists and three rebounds to his contribution.

The Golden State Warriors will need Klay Thompson to shake off his shooting slump. He had another so-so performance, hitting just 3-12 shots, including 2-6 from deep. Thompson had nine points in Game 4 and scored just 10 points in Game 5.

If not for Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins taking up the scoring slack, Thompson would have been blamed for a disastrous ending to their season.

Meanwhile, the biggest concern for the LA Lakers will be Anthony Davis’ status. He was accidentally hit on the head by Kevin Looney. AD reportedly did not suffer any concussion and has been ruled probable by the Lakers.

LeBron James had a team-high 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. He will need to be at his best to close out the defending champs on Friday night.

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Where to watch

Game 6 between the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers will start at 10:00 p.m. ET. ESPN will air the game on national TV.

Basketball fans can also catch the action by streaming the game via the NBA League Pass.

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Game preview

Klay Thompson, who has a long history of spectacular Game 6 performances, will need to regain his shooting touch. He has had back-to-back rough shooting nights and could be due for a big bounce-back game for the Golden State Warriors.

Andrew Wiggins, who had a superb Game 5 on both ends of the floor, has been ruled questionable due to a fractured costal cartilage. He was huge on offense and helped contain James to a decent outing. If he’s compromised or unavailable, Thompson’s performance will be even more crucial for the Warriors.

The LA Lakers have been unbeaten at home and will treat Friday night’s encounter as their must-win game. Los Angeles will face a much taller task of closing out the series on the road against the Warriors.

Anthony Davis, who took an inadvertent shot to the head in Game 5, is expected to play. He has proven to be arguably the biggest thorn in Golden State’s side. Davis is looking to put on a spectacular display to eliminate the defending champs.

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Game prediction

Spread: Lakers (-2)

Total (O/U): 222

Moneyline: Warriors (+110) vs. Lakers (-130)

The Golden State Warriors had one of the worst road records in the NBA this season. Steph Curry and crew, however, have come up big in the playoffs with a spectacular Game 7 win in Sacramento.

The Warriors have no choice but to play even better than that against the LA Lakers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena to stay alive.

“King James” is all too familiar with what the Bay Area team can do even without Kevin Durant. He doesn’t want a winner-take-all affair in San Francisco.

The LA Lakers will hold serve and dethrone the Golden State Warriors via a thrilling back-and-forth slugfest.

LA Lakers 115, Golden State Warriors 112