The Golden State Warriors title defense has come to an end. For the first time in the Steve Kerr era, the Warriors have been eliminated from the playoffs before the NBA Finals.
With a 122-101 loss in Game 6 to Los Angles Lakers, the Warriors 2022-23 season came to an end.
Despite fighting back from an early 17-point deficit, LeBron James and the Lakers continued to answer every run from the Warriors in Game 6.
James paced the Lakers with a near triple-double. James notched 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field with nine boards, nine assists, two steals and a block in 43 minutes.
Steph Curry’s 32 points on 11-of-28 shooting from the field with six rebounds and five assists wasn’t enough for the Warriors to extend the series to a Game 7.
With the Warriors’ season officially over, here are some thoughts and things to know from Game 6 on Friday night in Hollywood.
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Streak Breakers
The Warriors’ defeat on Friday in Game 6 marked Steve Kerr’s first series loss to a Western Conference opponent in the playoffs since he was hired as Golden State’s coach. Under Kerr, the Warriors were 19-0 in previous Western Conference playoff series. Steve Kerr’s only two postseason losses as coach of the Warriors came in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors’ last loss to a Western Conference opponent in the postseason came in 2014 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The loss against the Lakers also broke the Warriors’ streak of 28 straight series with at least one victory on the road in the series. The Warriors lost all three games at Crypto.com Arena in Hollywood.
Long Range Shooting
Starting with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors were ice-cold from beyond the arc on Friday night against the Lakers. The Splash Brothers combined for an uncharacteristic 6-of-26 from long distance against the Lakers.
Donte Divincenzo fared the best from deep, hitting four triples on eight attempts from deep in Game 6.
The Warriors finished the game, shooting 13-of-48 (27.1%) from the 3-point line.
Jordan Poole and Thompson’s shooting struggles continued in Game 6. The duo combined for only 14 points on 6-of-29 shooting from the field and 2-of-15 from long distance in the Warriors’ Game 6 loss to the Lakers.
Austin Reaves
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their thing, the Warriors had no answer for Austin Reaves on Friday night in Game 6. Reaves notched 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field with four made triples to go along with six assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes.
Reaves’ 23-point performance was his highest-scoring effort of the series against the Warriors.
The former Oklahoma Sooner helped swing the momentum after the Warriors were cutting into the Lakers’ advantage before halftime. With time ticking down, Reaves turned a Davis block into a buzzer-beater from halfcourt to jump the Lakers lead back into double figures at halftime.
Highlight of the Night
Via @NBA on Twitter:
AUSTIN REAVES FROM HALFCOURT AT THE BUZZER 😱
WHAT A SHOT. LAKERS LEAD ON ESPN. pic.twitter.com/8ES5Kfv3cO
— NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2023
