A loss to Rockets in Game 6 could snap Warriors’ NBA-record 20 straight playoff series with road win

The Golden State Warriors will go into a daunting Game 6 on the road against the Houston Rockets with much more at stake than punching a ticket to the Western Conference Finals for a fifth straight season.

The two-time defending champions will also put on the line their NBA record of winning an away game in each of their last 20 postseason series — a record that spans throughout the entire postseason lives of this championship core (h/t Tim Kawakami of The Athletic).

This record dates back to six seasons ago, when the 2013 Warriors first beat the San Antonio Spurs on the road in Game 2 of the series. Since then, the “road Warriors” have won while going away in each of their playoff series, a feat that has characterized this core group of players.

Friday’s Game 6 against the Rockets has more implications that history, however, as a win can also give the Warriors a three-day rest — one that would prove vital after the starters have logged heavy minutes in this grind-out series against their Western Conference rivals.

A win would signify a miracle water-type of blessing for this team that has been forced to trot out its best talent against the team that showed the most potential to dethrone them last season.

A Golden State victory would also give the Warriors an edge over the winner of yet another grind-out series between the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers, who will face each other for a chance to reach the conference finals on Saturday.

With the start of the Western Conference Finals set for Tuesday, winning Game 6 could be the difference between having a one-day rest advantage or going from one series to another with only 24 hours in between them if the Rockets can force a Game 7.

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