The first round of the NBA Play-In proved to be everything a basketball fan could have asked for. The showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers lived up to expectations and then some as the Dubs fell just short of securing playoff position.
It is hard to deny, the NBA Play-In Tournament has been a load of fun thus far, even if the Golden State Warriors dropped game one.
It didn’t take much to predict a prolific battle between Stephen Curry and LeBron James. The two have been dueling each other for the better half of a decade at this point. But, just like we never grow tired of watching a glorious sunset, the contrasting beauty of Curry’s flash and James’ brute strength will always provide entertainment.
While James may have gotten the upper hand, drilling a last-second 3-pointer and recording a triple-double to push the Lakers over the top, Curry had himself an arguably more impressive individual game. Curry finished with 37 points and some jaw-dropping plays down the stretch to fight back every time the Lakers attempted to pull away.
Despite the Dubs not being viewed as title contenders, this was a battle of two heavyweights. The Warriors struck first, putting on a defensive clinic in the first half to hold LA to just 42 points. Draymond Green was a mastermind at plugging up the pick-and-roll and managed to hold Anthony Davis to just 10-of-24 shooting overall.
The Warriors could only hold on for so long, however, as the Lakers scored 61 points in the second half and overwhelmed the Dubs with equally aggressive effort on the defensive end. LeBron caught fire when it mattered most, scoring eight of his 22 in the fourth quarter.
Now, we can argue about officiating all day — but, that would be a waste of time and it is better not to take attention away from the great game we just witnessed. Overall, the Warriors had plenty of chances to secure a victory but made some crucial mistakes in the second half.
Turnovers, above all else, were a concern. Golden State coughed the ball up 20 times with 15 turnovers coming in the second half alone. In a game that was decided by three points, this is a bitter pill to swallow.
And yet, the Dubs should be holding their heads high. Andrew Wiggins was phenomenal on both ends of the floor, chipping in 21 points and neutralizing James for most of the first half. The same effort goes for Jordan Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Kevon Looney and Kent Bazemore who did their best in such a limited Dubs’ rotation.
The Warriors were underdogs heading into this game, rightfully so. They fought till the end and continued to display the attributes that made them one of the hottest teams in the league since April. Now, their chance to make the playoffs hinders on one final game against the Memphis Grizzlies.