Everything is on the line in the Lakers-Warriors Western Conference semifinal series, which Los Angeles leads 3-2 heading into Friday night’s Game 6 at Crypto.com Arena.
Seasons are at stake, player futures are in doubt and the trajectory of each franchise hangs in the balance. Tomorrow isn’t promised. These are veteran squads, with no one more veteran than LeBron James, who is still putting on a show in his 20th season and has strong opinions about whether the Lakers benefit from flopping. But how much longer can he continue to shine for the Lakers? The Warriors’ Draymond Green has a player option for next season, so his future with the Warriors is no guarantee.
Adding to the intrigue is the injury to Lakers big man Anthony Davis, who suffered a blow to the head midway through the fourth quarter and couldn’t return in the Warriors’ Game 5 victory. With Golden State hoping to keep its season alive, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Thursday that Davis isn’t in concussion protocol and the Lakers later listed him as probable with a right foot stress injury. That’s seemingly a positive for the Lakers, but it’s tough to know what to expect from the standout big man, who has been inconsistent in this series against the Warriors.
Word began to trickle out Wednesday night that Davis would be OK, and that isn’t surprising considering where we are at this point of the season. Still, the game is left to be played. And we’ll have our answer Friday night of how effective Davis will be, and whether the Warriors’ season will continue.
How to watch Lakers-Warriors
Who: No. 6-seeded Golden State Warriors at No. 7-seeded Los Angeles Lakers
What: Western Conference semifinals, Game 6 (Lakers lead, 3-2)
When: 10 p.m. ET Friday
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
TV: ESPN (Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Lisa Salters)