Mavs/Warriors Game 6: Now or Never For Golden State?

Tonight the Warriors will try for the second straight game to pull off a monumental upset by closing out the Mavericks, and this time they get to play in front of those loyal fans of theirs. The home court advantage has been a huge factor in each of the last two games. Both road teams had significant fourth quarter leads (Warriors by 9 in Game 5, Mavs by 8 in Game 4), but both home teams were able to come back in time to get the victories.

For the Warriors, this is likely their last and best chance to win this series. If they can't get the job done at home tonight, they will not only have lost two straight in the series, but they will likely have lost all of their confidence as well, and would be headed for a Game 7 on the road against a veteran team. Avery Johnson said after the last game that the Warriors should be feeling "ten thousand pounds of pressure" on them for Game 6, and I would have to agree. If they can't finish things at home, they are going to be dead men walking into Dallas for a Game 7.

Somewhat surprisingly, the shy and introverted Stephen Jackson made a prediction that his team will get the win tonight:

"We're going to close this thing out," Golden State guard Stephen Jackson said of tonight's Game 6.

But Vegas doesn't see that happening (Dallas is a 2.5 point favorite), and neither do I. Dallas is an experienced team who won a Game 7 on the road in San Antonio for a trip to the Conference Finals last season, so I don't think they're sweating a Game 6 in the first round. I think the youth and inexperience of the Warriors will finally be a factor, and will prevent them from doing what it takes to close out the Mavericks. It's been fun Warriors fans, really it has. But go ahead and cancel those plans for Saturday night, because you've almost certainly got a date in Dallas.