For almost two weeks tensions have been high between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, with the teams locked in a torrid physical and mental battle on and off the court for the NBA title.

In the third quarter of Monday's game five Cavaliers back-up point guard Matthew Dellavedova forgot about the intense rivalry as his heart sunk for his opponent and soon-to-be Australian Olympic teammate, Andrew Bogut.

"The way he went down and had to be carried off, you never want to see that for anybody and especially with somebody you are going to be teammates with in a couple of weeks," Dellavedova said, after the Cavaliers' 112-97 victory at Oracle Arena.

Bogut, the Warriors' centre, went up for a block on Cavaliers' guard JR Smith, toppled over the top of him and crashed to the floor.

The 213cm Melbourne-born veteran writhed in pain and grabbed his left knee.

Warriors officials said they believed Bogut had sprained the knee, but he would have an MRI exam later on Monday to assess the damage.

A healthy Bogut is not only crucial to the Warriors' finals campaign, but is the key to Australia's hopes of winning its first men's basketball Olympic medal in Rio.

"He is huge for our chances," Dellavedova said,

"Last year when we played New Zealand and that European tour, he just brings so much to the game on both ends and is a really smart basketball player and great teammate."

The Cavaliers' and Warriors' rivalry boiled over during Friday's game four when Warriors' All-Star power forward Draymond Green lashed out and hit the Cavaliers' LeBron James in the genitals.

Green was punished with a flagrant foul and forced to sit out game five, leaving the Warriors undermanned.

James also accused Green of trash-talk that he claimed went beyond acceptable NBA standards.

Warriors' back-up centre Marreese Speights tweeted a baby bottle emoji, presumed to poke fun at James' complaints.

"I'm not on social media right now, so I don't even know what Speights said, and I really don't think that even matters," James said.

If the Warriors had won game five they would have claimed back-to-back NBA titles.

The Warriors still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, but game six is in Cleveland on Thursday.

If the Cavaliers win, the NBA championship will be decided on Sunday in Oakland.

Without Green's defensive presence, James and Cavaliers' guard Kyrie Irving ran riot, with both scoring 41 points.

"It's probably one of the greatest performances I've ever seen live," James, describing Irving's 17 of 24 field goals, including five of seven three-pointers.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 37 points while Steph Curry had 25.

Dellavedova and Bogut, despite being great mates, do not speak during the playoffs.

However, Dellavedova said he would be reaching out to Bogut to wish him the best.

"I can't get any reception here," Dellavedova, holding up his mobile phone, laughed.
[null, null, {"document_url": "https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/bogut-goes-down-with-knee-injury/440f6374-c2f6-4053-b07d-262b084735fc", "unformatted_src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/ENLTns5L9VHziQf1oHIgUR1603w=/1000x563/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2016%2F06%2F14%2F14%2F19%2Flebron_a_14616_1000.jpg", "src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/ENLTns5L9VHziQf1oHIgUR1603w=/1000x563/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2016%2F06%2F14%2F14%2F19%2Flebron_a_14616_1000.jpg", "formatted_filename": "http  A F Fprod", "alt_text": "Bogut set for scans after Cavs win Game 5"}, null, {"document_url": "https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/bogut-goes-down-with-knee-injury/440f6374-c2f6-4053-b07d-262b084735fc", "unformatted_src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/9BbLBzYVqhMSM1GYougJgoHOSwk=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F08%2F46%2Fbealewallabies_env.jpg", "src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/9BbLBzYVqhMSM1GYougJgoHOSwk=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F08%2F46%2Fbealewallabies_env.jpg", "formatted_filename": "http  A F Fprod", "alt_text": "Beale's first minute brain-fade sums up Wallabies woes"}, null, {"document_url": "https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/bogut-goes-down-with-knee-injury/440f6374-c2f6-4053-b07d-262b084735fc", "unformatted_src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/mTNcsUtJ0UuZAfj-mDl7MvZwH5o=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F15%2F01%2Fmcgoverneagles.jpg", "src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/mTNcsUtJ0UuZAfj-mDl7MvZwH5o=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F15%2F01%2Fmcgoverneagles.jpg", "formatted_filename": "http  A F Fprod", "alt_text": "McGovern battled 'internal bleeding' before grand final"}, null, {"document_url": "https://wwos.nine.com.au/basketball/bogut-goes-down-with-knee-injury/440f6374-c2f6-4053-b07d-262b084735fc", "unformatted_src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Jy3KX16OI6SnejjXJhh1C347fnI=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F10%2F24%2Fbernardtomicatp_env.jpg", "src": "https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Jy3KX16OI6SnejjXJhh1C347fnI=/200x150/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F09%2F30%2F10%2F24%2Fbernardtomicatp_env.jpg", "formatted_filename": "http  A F Fprod", "alt_text": "Tomic makes first ATP final since 2016"}, null]