For one night, the Golden State Warriors looked like champions again.
Stephen Curry scored with efficiency. Draymond Green competed on both ends with ferocity. Steve Kerr coached effectively both with his empowering management style and his effective tactical adjustments. The Warriors showed their strength in numbers.
Golden State finished with a 121-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series on Thursday to keep its season alive and reduced the series deficit to 3-2. The Warriors ensured a Game 6 in L.A. on Friday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). They at least delayed possible off-season roster and organizational changes. And they technically salvaged their hopes to defend their NBA title.
It might be tempting to chalk this up to the Warriors simply leaning on their experience that has entailed four NBA championship runs in six Finals appearances in the past eight seasons. Or to view this just as Golden State proving it can overcome a 3-1 series deficit just as they did seven years ago against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Or to look at it as inevitable since the Warriors have never lost in the playoffs to a Western Conference opponent since Kerr became the head coach nine years ago.
But if it were simply those reasons, then the Warriors would not have been in this predicament in the first place. They would have fared better than finishing in sixth place in the Western Conference. They would have eliminated the Sacramento Kings in the first round without needing seven games. They would have executed better in their losses to the Lakers in Games 1, 3 and 4. The Warriors haven’t, though, because they have shown a different identity even while they still have their main core players and head coach that experience all that championship excellence.
Warriors change tactics in Game 5
Instead, the Warriors prevailed more because they made necessary changes that they lacked in recent losses.
Curry offered more scoring brilliance (27 points) by offsetting his low outside shooting marks (3-for-11) with efficiency elsewhere (12-for-24). But Curry’s most important statistical contributions pointed to his assist totals (eight) since that indicated the Warriors featured a more balanced offense.
Despite his five turnovers, Green fueled Golden State’s ball movement and aggressiveness. He became an effective playmaker with timely assists (four) and quality passes that set up even better passes. He added 20 points by taking advantage of open looks when the Lakers understandably focused on the Warriors’ more effective shooters. He assumed the team’s center position in its small-ball lineup by defending and rebounding (10) with physicality and smarts.
After showing mixed progress with his aggressiveness, Andrew Wiggins became the perfect complementary player that the Warriors valued during last year’s Finals run. He remained patient with his scoring opportunities. But when he had open looks, he canned them with confidence. He attacked the basket with aggressiveness both for rebounds (seven) and putbacks.
After going scoreless, missing four shots and playing little defense in only 10 minutes in Game 4, fourth-year guard Jordan Poole redeemed himself in Game 5 with relatively better shot selection toward 11 points and four assists in 23 minutes.
For the second consecutive game, Kerr started Gary Payton II at shooting guard to bolster the team’s perimeter defense, space the floor and help the Warriors move at a much faster pace than the Lakers appeared comfortable with running.
After Kerr lamented that the Lakers were rewarded with illegal screen and flopping calls in Game 4, the developments played much differently in Game 5. Who knows whether that actually influenced the officiating. Who knew if the Lakers players subconsciously acted differently. After all, the Warriors (18 fouls) and Lakers (17) still drew whistles. Nonetheless, the free-throw disparity became more even in Game 5 between Golden State (14-for-15) and LA (12-for-15).
LeBron James wears down, Anthony Davis injured in final quarter
Golden State also won for reasons that had nothing to do with its experience and more to do with circumstances.
Though Lakers star LeBron James still finished with 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting and nine rebounds, he favored his left foot following a drive late in the third quarter. He stayed in the game and still finished with four points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter. As the Warriors continued to play at a fast pace, James appeared worn down.
Lakers center Anthony Davis also missed the final 7:34 after Warriors forward Kevon Looney inadvertently elbowed him in the face while chasing a rebound. TNT reported that the Lakers’ training staff wheelchaired Davis to a room near the visitor’s locker room for examination, but had not detected any concussion-related symptoms. Lakers coach Darvin Ham later told reporters that Davis “seems to be doing really good already.” Regardless, the Lakers will have to reevaluate Davis late Thursday night as part of the NBA’s concussion protocols to detect possible symptoms. At least in the short term, though, the Lakers sorely missed Davis’ dominance in crunch time on both ends of the floor.
The Warriors didn’t solve every issue. Klay Thompson has yet to break out of his shooting slump (10 points on 3-for-12 shooting). Poole still took some erratic shots. And the Warriors still committed 14 turnovers. But the Warriors made enough adjustments and benefitted from enough external circumstances to keep their season alive.
No doubt, Golden State’s core players displayed enough emotional maturity and leadership stemmed from their past title runs to make this happen. But the Warriors prevailed mostly because they competed and adjusted much better than in their past two losses.
Mark Medina is an NBA Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.