The dynasty was at risk on Monday night. For most of Game 4, it felt like the Warriors were going to tie up the series and re-establish home court advantage.
Instead, Lonnie Walker IV went thermonuclear in the fourth quarter and Golden State collapsed inside the final two minutes.
The 104-101 loss has not compromised the dynasty to a permanent end, but with a 3-1 deficit, it comes close. The Warriors are now on the precipice of elimination.
Curry stellar, but Lonnie Walker IV sinks Warriors
When the Warriors are desperate, Curry provides.
He was relentless and involved in every aspect of the game. Golden State looked lost in the moments he wasn’t running the offense.
By the early fourth quarter, he’d racked up a triple double. It’s just the third time in his playoff career he’s done that along with Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals (vs. Cleveland) and Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals (at. Portland). Both were wins and in both, Curry had 30-plus points.
He even defended LeBron James — and… successfully? — for significant portions of the game. He came up with a one-on-one stop on James with about three minutes left.
Curry had 31 points (12-of-30, 3-of-14 from 3-pt), 10 rebounds, 14 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls.
But his 3-point shooting was brutal, and the Lakers responded to the Warriors at every opportunity.
Lonnie Walker IV, in particular, decided to wage all-out war on the dynasty. He came into the fourth with a goose egg. By the end of that quarter, he had 15, including the go-ahead basket inside of two minutes over Curry.
James followed Walker IV’s clutch basket, driving on Curry inside and getting to the free throw line, hitting both.
Curry made it a one-point game with a massive layup, and he had a chance to take the lead inside of the final 30 seconds.
He missed both opportunities. A floater, with Anthony Davis guarding him, came up short. Draymond Green rebounded it, and Curry launched a — perhaps ill-advised — prayer from 30-plus feet, again guarded by Davis. Clank.
They had a chance to tie it with 15 seconds left, after Walker IV gave the Lakers a three-point lead with a couple free throws.
Instead, collapse. Green had an egregious turnover that somehow resulted in a jump ball with Anthony Davis. The ball ended up, miraculously, in Curry’s hands.
Then he did this:
If this is how the dynasty dies, the image will be, fittingly, of it being thrown away. This season has been damned by turnovers.
Gary Payton II starts… and vomits?
After a spiritless, 30-point loss on Saturday night, the Warriors had to adjust. Stephen Curry seemed to indicate, and fairly confidently, that their pending adjustments would work well.
See:
Instead of JaMychal Green or Kevon Looney in the lineup, Golden State tapped Gary Payton II. The plan, and thesis behind it, was clear. With Davis primarily guarding Payton II, he’d be drawn away from the paint.
Davis has been an absolute menace on the interior against Golden State, and his impact goes far beyond his block numbers in terms of deterring shots.
The result was emphatically positive.
By getting Davis outside of the paint, the Warriors were able to cut far more effectively than in prior games. They also had far more success running in transition.
When games get like that, Payton II thrives. You could argue it’s sort of a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Does the game open up because of Payton II’s heavy, impactful minutes, or does his impact open the game up? It’s probably more the latter than the former.
Payton II had 15 points (7-of-9 from the field, 1-of-2 from 3-pt), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a turnover, and was a human catapult for a crucial third quarter run. The Warriors threatened to pull away in the early third, then allowed a 10-0 Lakers response to fall behind by two. Golden State responded with a two-man game from Payton II and Curry.
The Warriors’ spark plug was the beneficiary of three-straight Curry assists. Then Curry got a drive of his own, finishing at the rim to make it a nine-point run.
Oh, and Payton II had this game after what appeared to be some early, uh, stomach discomfort. You be the judge:
Payton II ran back to the locker room mid play, and it led to a Draymond Green turnover. He did the same thing after checking out in the late third quarter as Kevon Looney — who is dealing with an illness — checked in for him.
Jordan Poole evaporates
The least valuable player on the Warriors roster remains Jordan Poole. He is lost out there, fumbling, stumbling, bumbling.
He’s played basketball like a kid playing NBA 2K with the wrong idea of who Stephen Curry is as a player. There are either poor, or just failed 3-point attempts, chaotic drives and unnecessary high-post spin moves that end up with Poole stopping his dribble too early.
It was evident his brand of basketball, which does not possess the clinical or physical qualities this game demanded, were a poor match.
Steve Kerr recognized that. Poole played just more than 10 minutes, and after a bad turnover and miss, he got a quick hook in the second half. He did not score a point, going 0-of-4 from the field and missing both 3-pointers. He had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 turnovers.
For the most part, Moses Moody played in his stead.
Moody is a bulldog out there. He leaps after every offensive rebound opportunity like he’s fighting for his career. Even if he doesn’t get it, he’ll often come down with an intelligent strip attempt and rip the ball away from whoever grabbed it.
He’s got the size necessary to switch and defend almost every position on the floor, the rim-running and cutting intelligence to secure freebie scores, and hits the occasional, well-timed 3-pointer.
Moody and Payton II are doing the things that win games. When you have Curry on your team, you need to be physical and committed. Contest shots as well as you can without fouling. Cut when openings present themselves. Take your chances.
Moody had 7 points (3-of-3, hit his only 3-pointer), a rebound, a couple blocks, a steal and a turnover.
Even with their effort, it wasn’t enough. Golden State missed one too many 3-pointers, shooting a woeful 12-of-41 from deep. Curry’s 3-of-14, Klay Thompson’s 3-of-9 (and 9 points), and Andrew Wiggins’ 2-of-6 from range stand out.