How the Golden State Warriors abandoned a productive strategy to lose Game 4

The Golden State Warriors squandered their opportunity to even the series against the Los Angeles Lakers and steal back home-court advantage, suffering a 104-101 defeat in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

With all the defensive attention directed his way, Stephen Curry did just about all he could, posting a 31-point, 10-rebound, 14-assist triple-double across 42 minutes of action. As expected, adjustments were made on Monday night, and chief among them was an uptick in Curry’s on-ball usage.

Game 4 was a tale of two halves as the Golden State Warriors fell into a major hole, now needing to win three-straight games to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Curry pick-and-roll is an under-utilized feature of the Warriors’ free-flowing, high-tempo, at times random offense, but it’s an extremely reliable go-to option. In Game 4, Steve Kerr opted to empty the clip, spamming the Curry PnR repeatedly in the first half.

Like clockwork, Golden State targeted Anthony Davis in the pick-and-roll, using his man as the screener for Steph Curry, subsequently luring AD away from the paint, and forcing the big man to creep out near the three-point line. This created a disadvantage along the backline of the Lakers’ defense, which Curry and the Warriors relentlessly exploited.

Golden State seemed like they’d found the recipe for success as they consistently broke down the Lakers’ defense for easy paint touches and high-quality looks.

Unfortunately, this contest was a tale of two halves. The Warriors ran 24 pick-and-rolls involving Anthony Davis as the screener’s defender in the first half of Game 4. That number shrunk to just 6 in the second half. Darvin Ham and the Lakers coaching staff deserve credit for adjusting their matchups and having Anthony Davis guard Andrew Wiggins, altering the spacing around the Curry pick-and-roll. But Ham’s slight modification caused Steve Kerr to practically abandon the action altogether, to the detriment of the Warriors’ offense.

Golden State reverted to their usual motion sets, and as they’ve done throughout this second round, the Lakers were more than content to switch everything and force the Warriors to beat them from three-point range. The Warriors fell right into the Lakers’ trap, and it didn’t help that their bench was once again outplayed by LA’s second unit.

The Warriors haven’t been able to rely on their bench in the postseason, and their depth issues have been magnified in the second-round against a Lakers team that boasts multiple quality second-stringers. Jordan Poole offered next to nothing at either end of the court, and Game 4 saw Steve Kerr pull the plug on the struggling 23-year-old. Poole was a -6 in just 10 minutes of action, shooting 0-of-4 from the field and committing two turnovers in his limited minutes. Poole’s opportunity has been on a steady decline, but Poole has done very little to help himself, looking flat-out unplayable for the majority of this series.

Aside from Moses Moody (who has been a revelation for Golden State), no bench player saw north of 15 minutes of action, and it’s become clear that Coach Kerr is running out of dependable options in the second unit. With little to no support from his supporting cast, Curry was left to orchestrate everything for the Warriors offensively, but the Lakers made it a point to go at the two-time MVP on the other end of the court and make him work defensively.

In contrast to the Warriors, who let the Lakers off the hook by ceasing their pursuit of Anthony Davis in the pick-and-roll, the Lakers went right at the Warriors’ stars, baiting them into foul trouble and disrupting their rhythm as a result.

Golden State’s shot selection was horrendous down the stretch, and the Dubs committed some unforgivable turnovers in the clutch that would cost them the game in awe-inspiring fashion.

The Warriors now face their biggest test of all, their dynasty teetering on the brink of collapse. Stephen Curry has pulled his weight and showed up when the team needed him the most. His teammates have yet to pick up the slack and do their part. In order for the Warriors to stave off elimination and save their season, it will take a complete team effort.