5 lessons learned from the Warriors’ crucial win over the Lakers in Game 5
While the Lakers’ supporting cast disappears, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins offer their best to build up a decisive Game 6.
Game 5 was probably the easiest to anticipate in a series that was unpredictable at every turn and pretty much every night.
Why? Because they were at home, down, and desperate, the defending champions. What other advantages would there be for the Warriors, for instance?
With Draymond Green bringing the contagious energy, Stephen Curry sinking a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the first half for a double-digit lead and momentum-grabber, and Anthony Davis getting hit in the head in the middle of the fourth quarter, there was really no suspense in Game 5.
The biggest game of the series, at least until Game 7, was therefore very certainly going to be played in Los Angeles (where the Lakers haven’t lost in either of these playoffs or the AT&T Play-In Tournament).
Then, we will find out whether the Warriors, who have been eerily flat on the road throughout the season, can muster the fire necessary in what will be another elimination game for them; whether LeBron James can add to his close-out legacy with an epic performance; and whether Klay Thompson can have a Game 6 like he once did on a ballistic night in Oklahoma City.
After Golden State’s easy 121-106 victory, the score is now 3-2 in the Lakers’ favour. Here are five conclusions:
- Can Davis get over it?
The scene is set for Anthony Davis to shatter the narrative and show that he won’t be out for the count after falling to the ground. He was struck in the head by an unintentional elbow from Kevon Looney in the fourth quarter, forcing him to leave the game while it was still in reach.
Davis was on track to have another strong night up to that point (23 points, 9 rebounds). When Davis goes to the locker room to get checked out and there is just one day to rest and recover for another game, it is never good news. Just look at his injury history.
However, if Davis played on Friday, he could terrify the Warriors’ defence like he has throughout the series, attract enough contact to force a foul and cause Green to protest to the officials, advance the Lakers to the West finals, and make it a bigger story. The Lakers minimised the seriousness of Davis’ injury and made no mention that it would affect Game 6. Davis was not made available for remark.
James said that “the medical staff said he’s doing better.” The most important thing is that.
Draymond was connected 2.
NBA players will someday be the subject of research to see why they might be aggressive one night and passive the next. Green becomes a wonderful case study because of how inconsistent his energy has been throughout this series.
Given his position as the ferocious commander of the Warriors, it’s unexpected. But a desire to shoot or at least be a danger to score doesn’t always follow from a basketball rage. Even when he is in the paint, Green has a propensity to miss open shots, and he has never been one to post up lesser players. Particularly when he is left alone at the 3-point line, it is obvious that he only feels comfortable distributing the ball.
When Green isn’t a scoring threat, the defence shows him a lot of disrespect and focuses on Curry and Thompson, as the Lakers have done shrewdly to seize the initiative in the series. On the offensive end, that abruptly changed for Green on Wednesday as he took the most of those open shots and was successful enough to score 20 points, breaking the 20-point barrier for just the second time in 12 playoff games in 2023. His change of heart was mostly due to the sense of urgency.
“When he scores a certain number of points, we usually win,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. He provides a new dimension to our team when he is that aggressive and ready to attack. I admired his strategy for tonight’s game. One of the best competitors I’ve ever seen is Draymond. Thus, you anticipate him to bring it.
Curry continues to struggle from deep.
Curry has been struggled to make 3-pointers, which is unusual for a guy who frequently goes entire halves without missing one. Curry is now 6-for-25 in his last two games, hitting 35.8% on 3-pointers for the series and 37.1% overall in the 2023 playoffs after another modest performance (3-for-11) on Wednesday. Both figures are below average for him considering that he has never had a playoff 3-point shooting percentage lower than 37.7% (2018–19).
Curry’s 3-point percentage was just marginally higher (37.8%) in the seven-game first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, which is puzzling. He definitely has to work for his looks because the Lakers only give him a few good ones. Curry, however, has never been stopped by it before, and he moves better without the ball than most.
Curry finished with a game-high 27 points in Game 5, which is good news for the Warriors because his dribbling game is still strong and helps him get to the rim. Even better: Curry is providing his teammates with easy baskets thanks to his passing (he had eight assists on Wednesday, up from 14 the night before). When their area of expertise isn’t working, great players find other ways to contribute, and Curry is no exception.
“If he gets past one defender, they’re sending four,” said Green. But he’s always been a fantastic passer. He always offers to pass.
- The Lakers’ supporting cast leaves the team
James and Davis are the core of the Lakers, but everyone else is responsible for their current situation. Los Angeles is just one victory away from reaching the Western Conference finals thanks to their key players. However, those same players temporarily changed back into pumpkins. And only the previous game, in Game 4, Lonnie Walker IV had outscored everyone in the fourth quarter.
For Game 5, it was a different story because nobody improved. Not Walker, who had four points overall and none in the fourth quarter, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, or even Rui Hachimura. What this series wants to know is this: Is the stage now too large, or was this only a momentary vaporisation? They’ll have another chance, they’ll be back at home, and the Lakers don’t need great play from every one of them—just enough to matter.
Who will it be then? Will they exert sufficient effort to prevent Curry, Thompson, and Green from moving the series back to San Francisco, where the lights would be the most intense?
Guard Austin Reaves of the Lakers stated, “There are clearly things we can do better. We’ll enter the fray with a bit more firepower and assess our options.
Wiggins is welcomed to the series by the Warriors.
The effort made by Andrew Wiggins in the semifinals was by far his most significant and engaging one. Actually, the Warriors hadn’t seen this version of Wiggins since the 2022 NBA Finals. The last time Wiggins was undoubtedly the Warriors’ greatest player on the field was during his dunk on Luka Doncic’s head in the 2022 West finals.
Anyway, enough with the memories. Wiggins provided more for the Warriors when they needed it. Wednesday’s lone criticism was his failure to strike the open 3. In addition, Wiggins was a guy on the floor the Lakers had to respect the whole game, contributing 25 points (10-for-18 shooting), seven rebounds, and six assists. Keep in mind that Wiggins is using energy on both ends because he is also protecting James. On Wednesday, LeBron did not harm the Warriors, while Wiggins finally penalised L.A. offensively.
Wiggins claimed, “I was trapped in. “I am an opponent. It was “do or die” here.
