SAN FRANCISCO– On the brink of elimination for the second time in two weeks, the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors staved off elimination crushing to a convincing 121-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, May 10 at Chase Center. The Lakers lead 3-2 in the Western Conference Semifinal, with Game 6 tomorrow in LA at Crypto.com Arena.
It was the most complete victory of the series for Dub Nation. Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins all scored more than 20 points in the lopsided win.
Perhaps even worse for the Lakers is the health of Anthony Davis. He took an inadvertent elbow from Kevon Looney in the fourth quarter and exited with a head injury evidently bad enough to prevent him from returning to a game that was still within reach.
His availability for Game 6 is shrouded in mystery and only adds intrigue to the dramatic, well played series.
Early on, Draymond Green was looking to score rather than pass up open shots. This was the right decision, as his will and energy powered the Warriors to victory. He took most of those open shots, and was successful enough to score 20 points.
“Draymond is one of the greatest competitors I’ve been around. So you expect him to bring it,” said Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr.
This was easily the most impactful and best performance by Andrew Wiggins in the semifinals. Wiggins had 25 points (on 10-for-18 shooting), seven rebounds, six assists and a player on the floor the Lakers had to respect all game.
Keep in mind that Wiggins is also guarding James, meaning he’s burning energy at both ends.
AD had 23 points and 11 rebounds while LeBron added 25 in the loss. The role players did not show up, Rui Hachimura, not D’Angelo Russell or Jarred Vanderbilt and not even Walker, who scored four points for the game and zero in this fourth quarter.
It isn’t cause for great concern since role players, especially on the road, don’t usually play well away from LA Live. However, the depth and the maturation of the supporting cast has been paramount in this triumphant Playoff run.
Game 6 is tomorrow, May 12 at Crypto.com Arena, where the Purple and Gold have been undefeated this postseason. Warriors fans will be crossing their fingers for another great appearance from “Game 6 Klay.” While the Laker faithful remain optimistic they will knock out the Champs once and for all. Tipoff is 7:00pm and the game will air on ESPN.
