Warriors vs. Grizzlies Game 6 Preview & Prediction

The Golden State Warriors have pushed the Memphis Grizzlies to the brink of elimination with a big victory in Game 5. Can Golden State clinch the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals, or will Memphis hold serve at home and force a Game 7?

Projected Starting Lineups

(1) Golden State Warriors (67-15)

G Stephen Curry – 23.8 ppg, 7.7 apg, 2.1 spg
G Klay Thompson – 21.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg
F Harrison Barnes – 10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg
F Draymond Green – 11.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg
C Andrew Bogut – 6.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg

(5) Memphis Grizzlies (55-27)

G Mike Conley, Jr. – 15.8 ppg, 5.4 apg

G Courtney Lee – 10.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg

G Tony Allen – 7.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg

F Zach Randolph – 16.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg

C Marc Gasol – 17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg

What to watch for:

What impact will Tony Allen have?

Allen is Memphis’ lockdown perimeter defender, and he has been the biggest reason why Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have struggled for most of the series. However, his offensive game is awful, and he hurt the Grizzlies on that end of the floor when the Warriors made the adjustment of simply not guarding him. Memphis needs Allen to play his usual defense while contributing on offense if they're going to win this game.

Can Memphis convert turnovers into points?

The Grizzlies are +20 in points off turnovers in their two wins over Golden State in this series, while they’re -2 in their three losses. The Warriors need to be careful not to fall back into the turnover-prone enigma of a team they were early in the season — except they’re not hitting open looks, which makes the points off turnovers that much more crucial. Cutting the turnovers and getting back in transition will be key again in Game 6.

Prediction: Warriors win 106-99

Memphis will take an early lead in front of their home crowd, but I think Golden State has figured out a way to neutralize Tony Allen. Once they get going offensively, the Grizzlies won't be able to keep up.