The Golden State Warriors’ ineffective offensive execution late in games has come back to bite them once again, falling to a LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Saturday.
After going over five minutes without scoring in the fourth-quarter of their 125-122 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, the reigning NBA champions scored just seven points in the last 6:23 against the Lakers.
A 109-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers is the latest disappointing and disastrous result in the Golden State Warriors season.
Jordan Poole’s 17 points in the first six minutes of the fourth threatened to dig Golden State out of the six-point hole they were in heading to the final period. But in contrast, his backcourt partner Klay Thompson went ice cold in the final 12 minutes, going scoreless in what finished as a 5-for-21 shooting display from the 33-year-old.
It was that kind of game for both teams early in the matchup, with the Warriors leading by a point after the first period despite recording more turnovers (eight) than made field-goals (seven). Both teams found things easier on the offensive end in the second-quarter as Golden State held a 53-51 lead at half-time.
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The third-quarter proved to be the pivotal difference as the Lakers outscored the Warriors 34-26 in what was once their renowned dominant period. While Poole put the hosts back in position to win the ball game, it was to be another loss after having the lead in the final seven minutes.
Making matters worse was the underwhelming offensive performance from Lakers’ star Anthony Davis. He was largely outplayed by Kevon Looney and Draymond Green, scoring just 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting. To be fair to the 29-year-old he did have some massive defensive plays in the final minutes as the visitors completely constricted Golden State’s uninspiring offense.
Poole finished with 29 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Green provided 12 points, seven rebounds and ten assists. There wasn’t much else to be excited about from a Warrior perspective, with Stephen Curry’s absence being felt majorly.
The Warriors are now back at .500 again to signify their continually substandard and average season. They host the Washington Wizards at Chase Center on Monday before visiting Los Angeles to play the Clippers on the second-night of a back-to-back.