It had to be and that’s how it has been: the Warriors couldn’t lose at home, they beat the Lakers and force the sixth round. In the context of a series that represents the end of an era, five games were going to know little. There will be six and we’ll see if seven. The statistics tell us so: after all, Steve Kerr’s team has won at least one game away from home for 28 consecutive ties. We’ll see if these Lakers, a rock that goes 5-0 in the Crypto Arena, manage to break a colossal streak, unique in NBA history. If so, it would be the defending champion’s first loss in the Western Conference since 2014, just before Kerr took over. It will be an epic, titanic, extraordinary battle. One more in a historic rivalry, that of LeBron James against the last great NBA dynasty. And with the shadow of a possible seventh that inevitably takes us back to 2016. There, it was the Cavaliers who came from a comeback and in ascending dynamics. If it happened again, the story would be very different.. That series, by the way, was one of the 13 in which the franchise that was losing 3-1 ended up prevailing. The balance in those cases is from 264 to 13. Another piece of information.
The Warriors put on a very physical game, always on the limit. In the fourth quarter, a stunned Anthony Davis headed for the changing room tunnel after receiving a hard blow to the face in an image that we have seen repeated many times and that will, for sure, make Lakers fans tremble. Until the extent of his situation is known, we will have to wait. What we do know is that the champion went for it all and won, emboldened by the Chase Center (121-106 at the end), with a brutal start (19-7), a subsequent recovery from the visitors (32-28 at the end of the first quarter) and a triple by Stephen Curry on the horn that indicated at halftime that he was taking the first bite of advantage (67-59), which then increased at the beginning of the third period (75-59). From there, the Warriors knew how to manage the advantage, they survived the attempts of the Angelenos to get back into the game (104-95 with 5 minutes remaining). and they sentenced in the attack, the defense and the conviction that they can win the series. Never, under any circumstances, should this team be considered dead. They have earned that right.
In a game in which there was everything, almost always on the side of the locals, the Warriors went above 50% in field goals and 37% in triples. They moved Davis away from the area again and won the fight for the rebound (53-41). They harassed their rivals, causing up to 14 losses. They dished out 29 assists, went on to win 18 points, scored 38 in the second period and moved well on defense afterwards. Both in the heavenly game and in the mud, the trenches, the Warriors honored their particular dynasty and became strong above all. The option of Lonnie Walker IV this time did not work (4 points and 4 assists), the presence of Jarred Vanderbilt was as ephemeral as it was irrelevant (0 points and 3 fouls in 11 minutes). and neither the good game (again) by Austin Reaves (15+7+5) nor the 15 goals by D’Angelo Russell were useless. Neither did Dennis Schröder’s 14 from the bench. The Lakers had no choice.
Stephen Curry was again the best with 27 points and 8 assists (3 of 11 from 3-pointers, but 12 of 24 from the field) in 39 minutes. Andrew Wiggins showed the character and level his team needs (25+7+5). And Draymond Green was excellent: in defense, in attack and even in protests, well directed, the power forward was not afraid to look at the basket and reached 20 points, with 10 rebounds and 4 passes to the basket, always active, 2 steals, 1 block. His 7 of 11 shooting from the field made up for his 5 turnovers. Klay Thompson still hasn’t started for 10 points and 3 of 12 shooting (but there’s a way to start…), Gary Payton II (starting again) achieved 13+6 and Jordan Poole went to 11, with 4 assists. Between Curry, Wiggins and Draymond the Warriors added 72 of the team’s 121 goals. And it gave time even for the least usual to jump onto the track, already with the game sentenced. It’s not bad for the stars: Golden State’s have already played 12 games behind them in the playoffs. And the Lakers 11, 12 if we count the one they had to play in the play-in against the Timberwolves. Fabric.
LeBron and Davis were fine: 25+9+3 of one (4 losses) and 23+9+3 of the other (with 3). It seems that the King is going up, And that’s how it will have to be in the sixth if the Lakers want to win and not have to face the ignominious situation of playing a seventh away from home, with all that that entails.. and not in any house, in that of some Warriors who at the Chase Center have achieved a 33-8 record in the regular season. The sixth will be the epicenter of the world on the night from Friday to Saturday (04:00, Spanish time). The moment in which the eternal story of a legendary rivalry can end or that we can have one more chapter of it. We’ll see what happens with Davis, if LeBron continues his upward trend and what Darvin Ham’s adjustments will be, who has shown he’s capable of changing key things from one game to another.. There it will be: in a golden opportunity for the Lakers. In a win or go home for the Warriors. All or nothing. Win or die. Let the show continue.
