Stephen Curry says Golden State Warriors have no lack of motivation to win Game 6 of NBA Finals
Watch Game 6 of the NBA Finals in the early hours of Friday morning (2am) live on Sky Sports Arena
Thursday 13 June 2019 12:49, UK
Stephen Curry offered a long list of things motivating the Golden State Warriors to extend their season once more and keep alive the chase for a third straight championship.
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Winning for injured team-mate Kevin Durant certainly ranks No 1 heading into Game 6 of the NBA Finals. A victory in the last game at Oracle Arena is right up there too.
"I don't think much needs to be said about the motivation that we have or are going to have tomorrow," Curry said. "... To protect our home court, feed off our crowd's energy, play for 'K' and try to keep our season alive. There are a lot of things that you can kind of tap into for energy tomorrow. We'll be ready."
The Warriors might have to overcome being both emotionally and physically spent after watching two-time reigning Finals MVP Durant go down again. Durant had returned from a month-long absence with a strained right calf to start Game 5 only to rupture his right Achilles tendon in the second quarter.
Durant announced Wednesday on Instagram the severity of his injury and that he had undergone surgery. The Warriors also lost reserve big man Kevon Looney as he re-aggravated a cartilage fracture in his right collarbone area.
Klay Thompson expects more energy than ever given what the Warriors have recently gone through, not to mention all of the highs and lows during 47 seasons at Oracle.
"We're just thinking about enjoying this last show at Oracle we're about to give our fans. And I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness," Thompson said. "I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organisation. There wouldn't be banners if it wasn't for his presence."
Game 6 will be the final hurrah for Oracle. Golden State's players have said all season they want to leave a legacy on this special home court and winning a Game 6 would be the ideal outcome for Warriors fans. The Warriors already watched LeBron James and the Cavaliers clinch a Game 7 finals win in Oakland three years ago - it's not something the home team want to repeat.
"This has been just an incredible environment in which to coach and play, back in the day," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Even when the Warriors weren't any good, to come in here as a visitor and feel the energy in this building, you could tell that the fans loved the game.
"This was a basketball hotbed. And just the atmosphere out there, the energy, the noise, over the last five years with our team's rise, combined with that organic energy that this place has always had, it's just been an incredible experience to coach here."
Game 6 takes place in Oakland in the early hours of Friday morning (2am) live on Sky Sports Arena.
