With the chance to end the defending champion’s season, the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t miss at home.
Despite the Golden State Warriors showing signs of life after trimming the Lakers’ early 17-point lead in the first quarter, LeBron James wasn’t letting the series return to San Francisco for Game 7.
The future NBA Hall of Famer controlled the game with a near triple-double. James tallied a team-high 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field with nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block in 43 minutes.
Behind James, Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, the Lakers surged to a 122-101 win to end the Warriors’ season and advance to the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
Steph Curry notched another 30-plus point performance with 32 points on 11-of-28 shooting from the floor with six rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. Curry uncharacteristically struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 4-of-14 from deep.
Donte DiVincenzo with 16 points was the only other member of the Warriors to score in double figures against the Lakers in Game 6.
Following the Warriors’ season coming to an end with a loss to James and the Lakers, the NBA community on Twitter exploded with different reactions. Here’s a look at what fans and analysts were saying on Friday night.
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LeBron James:
Ended the Pistons.
Ended the Celtics.
Ended Big 3 in OKC.
Ended the pre-KD Warriors.
Ended the post-KD Warriors.That’s 5 iterations of championship level teams over a SIXTEEN YEAR stretch just wrecked by one man.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 13, 2023
The general sentiment seems to be that the Warriors finally failing will be what pushes Joe Lacob to really try and transition to the second timeline but … I really think it's the opposite. I think this was the gut check that they just have to go all-in on titles while they can
— Brady Klopfer (@BradyKlopferNBA) May 13, 2023
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) May 13, 2023
Had to look twice…the Warriors had 103 FGA. The Lakers had 75 FGA. Both teams had 39 makes. Lakers going 31/42 from the free throw line helped their cause.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) May 13, 2023
Warriors on the road:
Regular season: 11-30
First round: 2-2
WC semifinals 0-3
Total: 13-35So ends their streak of 28 consecutive series with at least one road win
So begins a new chapter for Stephen Curry, a new book for the Warriors— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) May 13, 2023
heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/zLu7OsxWJR
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) May 13, 2023
The Warriors' season ends with a 21-point loss to the Lakers in Game 6 of the second round.
There will be a new NBA champion in June.
Warriors fans,
Leave your thoughts on the season, what moves you'd like to see this summer, and what might come next for Golden State's Big 3.
— C.J. Holmes 🚀 (@CjHolmes22) May 13, 2023
The Warriors had won a road game in 28 consecutive playoff series, an NBA record, but the streak ends tonight. Lakers take the series 4-2 to advance to the WCF. The Warriors never had a lead in game six.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) May 13, 2023
hurts seeing another good year of steph curry’s prime go to waste
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) May 13, 2023
A chaotic, drama-filled, injury-plagued season comes to an end tonight in Los Angeles
— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) May 13, 2023
This is the first time in the Steve Kerr era the Warriors have lost a West playoff series. They were 19-0 in previous conference playoff series. This also snaps an NBA record streak of 28 straight playoff series with a road win for the Warriors.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 13, 2023
this isn’t the first tough warriors loss, they still got steph curry at the end of the day.
make the right moves and get him better help
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) May 13, 2023
Did the Warriors big 3 just play their last game together? 💔 pic.twitter.com/ckPIBeK3F3
— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) May 13, 2023
That was a thoroughly exhausting, frustrating season. Good riddance.
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) May 13, 2023
The Lakers handed the Warriors their first playoff series loss outside of the NBA Finals under Steve Kerr.
Wild 😳 pic.twitter.com/8ZsNu120ZL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2023
Coming off a title, Vibes were supposed to be immaculate going into the season… that shit lasted like 2 days and we got the Dray/Poole incident.
0-5 roadtrip to start season and it was an uphill battle the rest of the way.
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) May 13, 2023
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2023
People, the Warriors cannot sign what would even be considered B-level free agents. The new CBA prohibits it. They cannot retool like they have.
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) May 13, 2023
Final tally from the free throw line:
Lakers: 126/160
Warriors: 60/80
— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) May 13, 2023
Most missed 3-pointers in first 2 rounds of playoffs in NBA history:
2023 Warriors 365
2020 Rockets 358
2022 Mavericks 322— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 13, 2023
LeBron x Draymond. 🤝
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 13, 2023
LeBron and Steph put on another show this series.
Hope we get an encore 🙌 pic.twitter.com/MVrtx2zEEa
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2023
LeBron ends the corgi's streak 😅 pic.twitter.com/ySTkdDeZDV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2023
Teammates to miss 10+ 3-pointers in 1 playoff game:
Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson tonight vs Lakers
James Harden/Eric Gordon vs Warriors, Game 4 2019
Harden/Gordon vs Warriors, Game 7 2018— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 13, 2023
— No Context Warriors (@NoContext_GSW) May 13, 2023
Big offseason coming up for the Warriors Front Office.
-Who takes over for Bob?
-Can they move pieces around to ensure a repeat of this season doesn’t happen again
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) May 13, 2023
This was an incredible effort by LeBron and AD to get to this point when they both were playing with injuries that looked like they might need surgery.
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) May 13, 2023
I feel bad for Curry. He deserves so much better than this. He helped Warriors become immortal and in return, you had an owner building a roster for after he's gone, you have a coach who undermines him on the nightly, and a bunch of arrogant teammates who wouldn't fall in line
— Jim Park🏀🌌 (@Sheridanblog) May 13, 2023
THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER.
LAKERS BEAT THE WARRIORS IN 6! pic.twitter.com/NupdRNz7Lz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2023
Final LAL 122 GSW 101. The Lakers win the series 4 games to 2 handing Golden State their first ever Western Conference Playoff Loss under Coach Steve Kerr.
— Tim Roye (@warriorsvox) May 13, 2023
Steph and Klay in the series loss:
32 PTS 8 PTS
11-28 FG 3-19 FG
4-14 3P 2-12 3P8 points on 19 shots from a guy making $40M+ is pathetic. pic.twitter.com/JNz558Rj5b
— ³⁰ (@StephMuse_) May 13, 2023
The Golden State Warriors have officially lost their first non-Finals playoff series in the Steve Kerr era. 19-1.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 13, 2023