Game 6 notes: Who will present Larry O’Brien Trophy to Warriors with NBA
commish Silver out?
Adam Silver will miss Warriors-Celtics Game 6 in Boston
>Golden State Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber receive their
2018 NBA Championship ring from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during
their NBA Championship ring ceremony before their game against the
Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday,
Oct. 16, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
>Golden State Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber receive their
2018 NBA Championship ring from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during
their NBA Championship ring ceremony before their game against the
Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday,
Oct. 16, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By MICHAEL NOWELS | mnowels@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 16, 2022 at 2:49 p.m. | UPDATED: June 16, 2022 at 6:25 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/16/game-6-notes-who-will-present-larry-obrien-trophy-to-warriors-with-nba-commish-silver-out/

The Warriors have a chance tonight to secure their fourth NBA
championship in eight years.

They won’t receive it from NBA commissioner Adam Silver if they close
out the Celtics in six games, though.

Silver has been in the NBA’s COVID protocols since before Game 5 Monday
in San Francisco. The league has not specified whether he has tested
positive or is a close contact of someone who’s tested positive.

In Silver’s stead, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum will present the Larry
O’Brien Trophy to the Warriors, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Golden State leads the NBA Finals 3-2 heading into Thursday night’s game
in Boston.

A Celtics win in Game 6 would buy Silver three more days to get healthy
in time to present the trophy to whichever team wins Game 7 Sunday night
at Chase Center.

VAN GUNDY DEFENDS JACKSON

Ex-Warriors coach Mark Jackson has been the frequent subject of
criticism by Golden State fans since Steve Kerr took over for Jackson
and the Warriors went to five NBA Finals in his first five years.

There were also some more serious allegations leveled against Jackson
last month via reporting from Ethan Strauss.

In a radio interview Wednesday on 95.7 The Game’s Damon & Ratto show,
former NBA coach and current ESPN color commentator Jeff Van Gundy, who
works alongside Jackson, defended his broadcast partner.

“As a friend and as a basketball person, I’m frankly quite tired of the
slander that gets put out by some of the media members that goes
unquestioned by some of the Warrior people who very well may be behind
it,” Van Gundy said.

The former coach of the Knicks and Rockets was quick to point out that
he has great respect for Steve Kerr, too, noting that he admires “the
humility and the respect that both have shown to each other” since Kerr
took over and Jackson began working as a commentator.

As for a prediction on tonight’s game coached by Kerr?

“I thought Boston would win in five, then when that didn’t come through
I thought Boston would win in six. So the best thing for Warrior fans is
when I pick Boston because I’m never right — like literally never. So I
will say it’ll go to Game 7, which should be absolute music to the ears
of every Warriors fan.”

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3 KEYS TONIGHT

Take it away: Much has been made of the Celtics’ turnover woes — and
with good reason: They are 1-7 this postseason when they turn the ball
over 16 or more times. They’re 13-2 with 15 or fewer giveaways.

Boston turned the ball over 18 times in Game 5. But a less obvious
statistical outlier was Golden State’s seven turnovers, roughly half as
many as they have averaged throughout the regular season when their mark
of 14.3 turnovers per game were second-worst in the NBA, and the
playoffs (13.7).

Helping hand: The Warriors got major contributions from Andrew Wiggins,
Gary Payton II and Jordan Poole in Game 5. But they’ll need someone to
step up on the road in Game 6.

Every Warriors rotation player aside from Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and
Kevon Looney is averaging fewer points in Boston this series than in San
Francisco. Looney likely won’t be the third-leading scorer for the
Warriors, so who will hit shots to help out the Splash Brothers in enemy
territory?

Stay cool: TD Garden was an intense environment in Games 3 and 4 of this
series. That intensity will only increase for a potential elimination game.

The Celtics have shown they are susceptible to collapsing under
pressure, but the Warriors are relying on a good number of players who
haven’t played in a game like this before, even if the stars have.

Golden State hasn’t closed out a team on the first attempt yet in this
postseason. It also hasn’t had to play in a Game 7. One of those trends
will end tonight.

--
Michael Nowels | Digital Sports Strategist
Mike covers sports.