Well, Game 5 certainly didn’t work out the way the Golden State Warriors had hoped. With an opportunity to close the series against a Memphis Grizzlies team missing their best player in Ja Morant, the Warriors were completely outplayed and ultimately found themselves on the wrong end of one of the biggest playoff routs in recent memory. . They lost the match by a final score of 134-95. Even with the loss, the Warriors still lead the series 3-2, and they’ll have another opportunity to close it out in Game 6 on Friday night. To do that, however, they’ll have to play much better than they did in Game 5.

On the other side, the Grizzlies will be looking to extend their season again and force a decisive Game 7 in Memphis. They will be without Morant for the third game in a row, so another total team effort will be needed if they hope to avoid elimination. In Game 6, Memphis had seven different players scoring in double digits, and that’s exactly the type of result they’ll need again.

Here’s everything you need to know about Game 6 between Golden State and Memphis.

• When: Friday May 13 | 10 p.m. ET
• Or: Chase Canter – San Francisco, CA
• TV: ESP | Direct: Watch ESPN
• Odds: MEM +300; GS-380; O/U 218.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Scenarios

Grizzlies: With Morant still out, the Grizzlies will again need a full team effort if they are to extend their season. In the last game, three of their five starters scored over 20 points and four other players scored in double figures. This balanced offense made them extremely difficult for Golden State to keep and led to an offensive explosion. As a team, they had 37 assists on 47 field goals in Game 5 – a stat indicating excellent ball movement. Without Morant, there are more shots to be made, and Memphis’ equal-opportunity approach is key to success.

Warriors: There are a lot of things the Warriors need to improve on from Game 5 in order to close out the series, but getting more of their top contributors would be a good start. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole combined for just 41 points overall in this game, and that won’t be enough. The Warriors need to find a way to move these guys forward, especially Curry and Poole given the firepower they are capable of producing. Look for Golden State to execute certain actions – such as flares, pins or staggers – early to make Curry, Thompson and Poole look good to hopefully get them going.

Prediction

After being hampered in Game 5, you have to think that the Warriors will be eager to bounce back. As a team with extensive playoff experience, they know how important it is to close out a series when the opportunity arises, and they’ve already let one slip away. Don’t bet it will happen twice in a row. To take: Warriors -8