Preview of Two Game 5s in the Wild Wild West

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It feels like those players received the unofficial title as faces of the league from the 1980s and onward. The two players who have been carrying the torch in this era are Lebron James and Stephen Curry. James and Curry have met 56 times, have won 8 championships combined, and are role models for the future generation. Sadly, Curry is 36 years old while Lebron is 40, and it means that every playoff run is bringing them closer to the end of their illustrious careers. On Wednesday night, they will face differing circumstances, with Curry looking to seal a series win over the Houston Rockets on the road while Lebron will be looking to survive elimination at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In this article, we will preview Game 5 of both series and make predictions about the winner.

Golden State Warriors versus Houston Rockets- TNT 7:30 PM ET

The odds of winning this series favor the Warriors because teams that take a 3-1 series lead are 95.2 percent likely to win their series. If the Rockets lose this series, they can point back to Game 3 when they allowed the Warriors to win without Jimmy Butler in the lineup. Game 4 was a classic with nine lead changes, and with the Warriors leading by one and 6.4 seconds left, Draymond Green, playing with five fouls, forced Alperen Sengun into a tough missed shot to seal the game. In Game 5, it will be interesting to see whether the Rockets can slow down Jimmy Butler, who has reminded us why he is called “Playoff Jimmy”. Butler scored 23 points in the second half including 14 in the fourth quarter, despite playing with a pelvic contusion.

The omen heading into Game 5 for the Rockets is that the Warriors won Game 4 without Curry having a good game after finishing with just 17 points. It is unlikely Curry will play two bad games in a row, and he relishes cooking the other team on the road in an elimination game. On the other hand, the Rockets’ three losses have occurred in games Jalen Green has scored single digits in points. In Houston’s only win of the series in Game 2, Green scored 38 points, and he must return to form quickly if his team is to fight off elimination. I think this series has been even, although the Warriors have the edge. I predicted the Warriors would win in six games, and therefore, I think the Rockets will win a hard-fought game to force this series back to San Francisco.

Rockets 111-Warriors 107

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves-10 PM ET TNT

The Lakers head home in a win-or-go-home scenario after being the favorites to win at the start of the series. After they tied the series, they went on the road to lose Game 3 when Luka Doncic was visibly ill and suffered a meltdown in the fourth quarter after leading by 10 points. Anthony Edwards has shown that he is the best player in the series after 43 points, nine rebounds, and 6 assists performance in Game 4. The major advantage heading into Game 5 for the Timberwolves is their depth. J.J. Reddick thought the best thing to combat their depth was to play his five best players to the ground for 24 minutes straight in the second half. It showed in the fourth quarter when they were outscored 32-19 and 105-69 overall in this series. At age 40, Lebron seemed to lack stamina because he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Moreover, the Timberwolves are attacking Doncic on the defensive end, and if they are to extend this series, he will have to summon his best effort on that end. I think it would be stunning to see the Lakers’ season end tonight in Gentleman, but they should not underestimate Anthony Edwards’ desire to put them away. I think the Lakers will play with greater intensity, their role players will play better at home, and the superstar duo will fight to live another day.

Lakers 114- Timberwolves 106