It was only fitting that the Golden State Warriors 2022-2023 season ended after another dreadful road performance. Stephen Curry continued his struggle from beyond the arc, Jordan Poole got in foul trouble quickly with four, and Klay Thompson continued to miss from three.
Still what was surprising is that the effort was not there to start the first quater as the Los Angeles Lakers opened up a 27-10 lead. Sure there was a push by the Warriors to get back in the game and late in the second quarter trailed by five. Yet as so often the case during the season and playoffs, unforced errors resulted in a momentum swing going the other away. In this case an Austin Reaves buzzer beater near mid-court to push the lead back to 10 at halftime.
Golden State needed a quick start to the third quarter and that did not happen. Los Angeles was able to put a little distance between the two teams with a 14 point lead to start the fourth quarter.
A three-point play by Poole got the Warriors within 11 with plenty of time left to at least make a run. Yet the Lakers did not letup, Rui Hachimura made two free throws, Thompson then got his layup blocked, and LeBron James finished with a three-point play of his own to push the lead to 16.
The Warriors did not get any closer and Steve Kerr emptied the bench with the final score 122-101.
Now Golden State will have some tough questions to answer in the off season. Specifically if Bob Myers comes back as general manager as his contract is about to expire. Will Thompson and Draymond Green re-sign?
Kerr answered that by saying “Draymond, Klay and Steph have plenty left to offer and have plenty left in the tank.” One can only hope that this blowout loss to the Lakers fuels that championship drive for the 2023-2024 season.