When the Golden State Warriors fell in game four and fell to a 3-1 series deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers, many believed that the series was all but over and Golden State’s season was everything but concluded. Over LeBron James’ 20-year career, he has never lost a playoff series and notoriously came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
However, Golden State defended their home court and took a commanding win in game five. Along with this, Lakers’ star Anthony Davis suffered an apparent head injury that caused him to leave the game, and even be taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. While Davis will be back in action in game six, it is up in the air if he will be playing at full strength or how much of an impact he will be able to have in game six.
Golden State is in a very good spot, and if they are able to be the first team to steal a win from the Lakers in the 2023 playoffs in game six, they would very likely be able to advance to take on the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Game 5 Recap
The Golden State Warriors were able to take a dominating game-five victory, winning by a final score of 121-106. This game did not come down to the wire by any means, and both teams pulled their starters well before the closing whistle. If the Warriors can continue to play solid team basketball as they did in this matchup, there is little that the Lakers will be able to do to stop them.
Stephen Curry finished the game leading the team with 27 points, however, Wiggins finished in a close second place with 25, while Draymond Green shockingly closely trailed in third with an out-of-character 20-point performance. Green would also lead the team in rebounds with ten, while Curry would pass for a team-high eight assists.
On the flip side, the Lakers were led in points by LeBron James who finished the night with 25. James and Davis would tie for a team-high nine rebounds, and Austin Reaves would step up as a facilitator and dish out five assists.
The Warriors had a great team effort and played a much more physical style of basketball in this game. This led the officials to blow the whistle more in their favor, and the teams would shoot the same amount of free throws for the first time in the series. It is a very promising sign for Golden State that they were able to come out with such a commanding win while Curry shot an out-of-character 3/11 from three.
Final Verdict
If the Warriors are able to keep up the physical style of play and Curry’s supporting cast shows up as they did in game five, the Warriors have a very strong chance of avenging their 3-1 collapse in the 2016 Finals. Players like Wiggins and Green will have to continue to step up on the offensive end, especially if Klay Thompson’s shooting slump continues into game six. This was a very promising performance for Golden State, and if they are able to replicate it on the road in game six, they should have no issues closing out the series at home in game seven.
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