NBA Playoffs 2018: Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 6 live stream: Watch online
By Jason Patt
The Houston Rockets are one win away from the NBA Finals, but the No. 1 seed won’t have Chris Paul for Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors.
The Houston Rockets won another Western Conference Finals thriller over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5, but it came at a great cost. Star point guard Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury in the final minutes of the 98-94 victory, and the Rockets have already announced that Paul will miss Saturday’s Game 6 at Oracle Arena.
It’s a brutal blow for a Rockets team sitting one win away from the NBA Finals. Paul and Co. have been working all season for this moment, only to now see it possibly go up in smoke. It’s not impossible for Houston to close out the series on Saturday, but Paul’s injury makes it extremely unlikely.
If the Rockets are going to pull it off, they’ll need a much better performance out of James Harden. The MVP front-runner shot just 5-of-21 from the field and missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts in Game 5. He has missed 20 straight 3-pointers overall, the longest drought of his career.
Eric Gordon will step into the starting lineup in Paul’s place. Gordon was terrific in Game 5, going for a team-high 24 points off the bench, but he’ll take on more playmaking responsibilities with Paul out. Mike D’Antoni will also have to go deeper into his bench after rolling with the same seven players the last two games.
With Paul sidelined, the Warriors have to feel good about their chances to send this to a Game 7, despite their offensive struggles the last two games. Golden State was plagued by turnover problems once again in Game 5, with 18 turnovers leading to 18 Rockets points. The Warriors’ prolific attack has been taken completely out of rhythm, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find it in an instant.
Getting Andre Iguodala back from his knee injury would help, but Golden State still has its star power if Iggy can’t go. Kevin Durant has to be better after shooting 37 percent and recording three assists over the last two games, and the same can be said of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Date: Saturday, May 26
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Oakland, California
Venue: Oracle Arena
TV Info: TNT
Live Stream: Watch live on FuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. Qualified subscribers can also watch on TNT Overtime.
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The Warriors losing two straight games at Oracle seems crazy, especially with Paul unable to play. It feels like a foregone conclusion that this is going to a Game 7, but don’t count out Houston. The Rockets’ defense has been terrific, and perhaps Harden can deliver a legacy-defining moment.