LOS ANGELES – One proud franchise has inched itself closer toward NBA championship contention. Another proud franchise enters an off-season riddled with questions about its future.
The Los Angeles Lakers finished with a 122-101 win over the Golden State Warriors in a decisive Game 6 of their second-round playoff series on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.
Not only did the outcome ensure the Lakers meet the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals beginning on Tuesday for the second time in four years, the Warriors failed to defend their NBA championship. Golden State now faces uncertainty on whether its accomplished general manager (Bob Myers), a long-time elite defender (Draymond Green) and an inconsistent young prospect (Jordan Poole) will stay on the team next season.
The Golden State Warriors will have plenty of time to address those questions. The Lakers will have plenty of time to prepare for Denver. For now, here are five takeaways from Game 6.
The Los Angeles Lakers set the tone early
The Lakers did not mess around one bit. They competed in Game 6 with the kind of urgency that most teams show in a Game 7. No need to give the defending NBA champions any chance with winning a decisive Game 7 at home. No need to add further fatigue before playing Denver on Tuesday.
The Lakers stormed out with such aggression and ball movement that they held a 27-10 lead with 4:40 left in the first quarter. At that point, the Lakers already became more efficient from the field (7-for-10) and from 3-point range (3-for-3) than the Warriors could overall (4-for-19) or from deep (1-for-10).
Inevitably, the Warriors stormed back. They always do. Golden State responded with a 16-4 run with key defensive stops and Stephen Curry finding his shooting stroke. But the Lakers always played with more command.
After Lakers guard Austin Reaves ended the first half with a half-court heave for a 56-45 lead, the Lakers opened the second half with a 14-7 run predicated on defensive stops and timely shots. Rinse and repeat. The Lakers held a 91-77 cushion entering the fourth quarter. They maintained the lead after that without any issue.
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LeBron James & Anthony Davis thrived through the fatigue
James carried the toll of 20 NBA seasons and 10 NBA Finals appearances. Davis assumed the burden of a recent painful head injury. But the Lakers’ two stars still competed and thrived.
James finished with 30 points while shooting 10-for-14 from the field. He also produced nine rebounds and eight assists. Davis added 17 points on a 5-for-9 clip along with 20 rebounds. Both James (43 minutes) and Davis (39) appeared prepared to accomplish these feats while assuming a heavy workload. James and Davis at least received some rest when they sat out for the final 3:45 once the Lakers nursed a 116-94 cushion.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham praised James and Davis before the game for their diligence with how they take care of their recovery on off days. Though that has become challenging with the Lakers playing every other day since the series started, they did not show such strain in Game 6. And they will have three days to recover before playing Game 1 against the Nuggets in a high-altitude city.
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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry received little help in Game 6
Through both his makes and misses, Curry stayed aggressive with his outside shot while attacking the basket and with organizing the offense. It became good enough for Curry to finish with 32 points while shooting 11-for-28 from the field and 4-for-14 from 3 along with six rebounds and five assists. If only Curry received enough help.
Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo hustled on defense and added 16 points on a 6-for-12 clip. But the other principles were no shows. Warriors guard Klay Thompson had only eight points while shooting 3-for-19 overall and 2-for-12 from deep, marking the fifth time in six games in this series that he has shot below 50%. Warriors forward Draymond Green played some defense, but he committed too many fouls, collected a technical and then sat for the final five minutes with right calf tightness.
Beyond their first-quarter run, the Warriors mostly looked disorganized and did not play well as a team. It’s surprising given the Warriors’ talent, experience and continuity that they looked so disjointed.
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The Los Angeles Lakers’ supporting cast came through in different ways
The Lakers don’t have a definitive third star. Instead, they have a serviceable point guard (D’Angelo Russell) and role players (Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV) that show varying degrees of consistency. The Lakers received just enough from most of them.
Reaves (23 points) became more efficient as a shooter and attacked Curry relentlessly at the basket. Russell’s shot came in waves (19 points), but his makes came during various momentum swings. Walker had a breakout performance for the second time in three games (13). Hachimura added eight points, including an impressive fast-break sequence with James. All of that absorbed Dennis Schroder’s ejection (two technicals) and ridiculous fouling (four) in the third quarter.
None of these players will thrive every night. But the Lakers will usually have a combination of at least two players that will offer enough support for James and Davis.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Golden State Warriors playoff news – click here for all the updates!
Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins played through a rib injury
As he completed pre-game warmups and absorbed physical contact throughout the game, it became clear that Wiggins could play through a fracture in his rib cage area. Playing well was another manner. Wiggins finished with only six points on 2-for-8 shooting and two rebounds, a far cry from his post-season averages in (17.6 points on 46.8% shooting and 5.9 rebounds). He missed his first three shots. And James made it a point to post up on him early in the game to test him.
Wiggins didn’t back down. He competed. He wore a protective pad so he could absorb the pain. The Warriors surely appreciated that effort, particularly given the stakes. But Wiggins could only do so much through the circumstances.