CLEVELAND — The Celtics are still far from guaranteed to make the NBA Finals as they head into Game 6 against the Cavs on Friday night with a 3-2 series lead. Still, it's hard not to view a potential Finals trip for Boston with a little more intrigue in the fallout of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
Whether it ends up being the Cavs or Celtics representing the East, the end result of the Finals had largely been a foregone conclusion for the past couple months. The Warriors and Rockets were considered heavy favorites over everyone after spending the entire year on a different tier than the rest of the league from a winning and talent perspective.
The talent disparity has slowly started to level out over the past week, however, thanks to injuries. The Rockets now have a 3-2 series lead with a potential Game 7 on their home floor, but a hamstring injury to All-Star point guard Chris Paul — who will miss Game 6 — makes them look vulnerable all of a sudden. That's particularly true considering Mike D'Antoni has only been playing a seven-man rotation for the past few games. Paul said he's going to be "alright" in the postgame, but that's far from a sure thing for the 33-year-old guard, who has been hampered by hamstring injuries in the past postseasons.
With Marcus Smart dispatched against James Harden and a highly switchable lineup to use against the Rockets high-powered offense, the Celtics should have a puncher's chance in that potential series whether or not Paul is suiting up.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are dealing with several key injuries of their own.
Not subscribed yet? Click below for access to all content: