Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Typically, a 3-1 lead is insurmountable. But crazier things have happened.
Warriors handle business at home, 121-106, force Game 6 vs. Lakers
Elimination is a daunting beast. Unless you have Steph Curry. He dropped 27 points and eight assists on Wednesday to lead all scorers and help Golden State stay alive. Facing a 3-1 deficit, he and Andrew Wiggins (25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists) secured another shot to stave off an early exit for the defending champions.
LeBron James had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who will have a shot to finish off the Warriors in Game 6 at home on Friday night. Anthony Davis added 23 points and nine rebounds for L.A. before exiting with just under eight minutes remaining; he was hit in the head by Kevon Looney. His status for Game 6 on Friday night back in Los Angeles is unclear and will come into focus following concussion testing ahead of Game 6.
Golden State is trying to come back from down 3-1 in a series for the second time in franchise history; they infamously did so against the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2016. Who knows, perhaps Klay Thompson has another 11-triple performance in his bag. He may need it, after all. The Lakers are 5-0 at home this postseason, and have yet to lose two in a row.
It’s do-or-die time. We know Golden State is built for that. But so is LeBron. We’re in for a battle on Friday.
Knicks stay alive, beat Heat 112-103 behind 38 from Brunson
It seems like Jalen Brunson is able to answer the call every single time the Knicks need him to. (If only a Knick was able to answer the call not in an elimination scenario, but alas.) He scored 38 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes on Wednesday — classic Thibs — to lead the Knicks to victory in Game 5. The win forced a Game 6, which will be back in Miami on Friday night.
RJ Barrett scored 26 points to aid Brunson’s effort, while Julius Randle followed up a horrendous performance in Game 5 by scoring 24. The Knicks are hoping to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, while the Heat are looking to become the second eight seed to reach the penultimate playoff series in NBA history.
Overall, Miami’s offense struggled, particularly from their primary contributors. Jimmy Butler had a nice all-around game, pouring in nine assists and seven boards, but scored just 19 points. Bam Adebayo had 18 and Duncan Robinson added 17. Miami missed 21 of their first 25 triples, and though they cut the lead to four early in the fourth, New York’s win never looked to be all that much in doubt.
Game 6 tips off on Friday at 7:30 ET in Miami.
