3 key statistics to watch out for as Golden State Warriors look to close out the series in Boston | NBA Finals 2022
Game 6 of the NBA Finals will see the Golden State Warriors take on the Boston Celtics. The Dubs will look to maintain their momentum from Game 5 and secure the title.
Star guard Stephen Curry has averaged 30.6 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game in the series so far. Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, has averaged 23.2 points, 7.6 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game.
One win away.
See you tomorrow, #DubNation https://t.co/tNPvHVPOR1
Before we head into Game 6, here are three crucial statistics to watch out for.
#1 Turnovers for the Boston Celtics
Turnovers have proven costly for the Boston Celtics throughout the postseason. They are 14-3 in the playoffs when they have 15 or fewer turnovers and are 0-6 when they have 16 or more.
Jayson Tatum is having a wild playoffs:
— 1st in points
— 1st in assists
— Most turnovers ever https://t.co/yi7FKnbDTB
The Warriors, on the other hand, have done a great job taking care of the ball. They are 8-1 when they have 13 or fewer turnovers this postseason, and 7-5 when they turn the ball over more than 13 times.
We discussed how the Warriors are forcing the Celtics to turn the ball over. But the lack of a true point guard is really hurting the Celtics.
#2 Rebounding for the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are the premier three-point shooting team in the NBA. With three-point percentages inherently low, controlling possessions becomes a key factor when it comes to winning games.
The Warriors are 10-1 in the postseason when they have outrebounded their opponents. This implies that when the Golden State Warriors rebound the ball well, they win games.
However, the team with the most rebounds has not always won the series in these playoffs. The Denver Nuggets lost 4-1 to the Warriors but outrebounded them over the course of the series.
#3 Points in the paint for both teams
One stat that has stayed consistent is the correlation between the 'points in the paint' leader and the eventual winner. This stat becomes a little more crucial when one factors in how many turnovers the Celtics have had driving into the paint.
In each game in the series so far, the team that has outscored the opponent in this category has emerged the winner.
PITP: Points in the paint
All the data above has been provided by NBA.com and Second Spectrum.