The last two games in the Western Conference semifinal between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have been anticlimactic blowouts. The reigning NBA champions won game 2 by 27 points, while the Lakers followed up with a Game 3 victory by 30 points.
That Game 3 win by Los Angeles was key as they are now up 2-1 in the series. Teams who win Game 3 of a series tied at 1-1 have gone on to win the series 73 percent of the time. So, for the second straight series this postseason, the Warriors have their backs up against the wall.
Golden State was able to overcome some adversity in the first round of the playoffs against the Sacramento Kings, coming back from an 0-2 deficit to win in seven games. Monday they are facing what can be taken as a must-win game as they cannot afford to fall down 3-1 to the Lakers.
Stephen Curry has continually answered the call whenever the Warriors needed him. He has carried the team through portions of this postseason and is ready for anything that he faces. Some of his teammates, however, have never experienced anything like this and will lean on him and the other veterans for guidance.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
This Warriors team is battle tested with championship mettle. That will be needed on Monday night when they take the court against the Lakers in Game 4 on the road. Curry delivered a bold message to his teammates ahead of the game tonight.
“There’s been a lot of [talk] about Memphis in the very first [championship] run that we had, to Houston in ’17 and ’18 for different reasons. Memphis last year, Game 4 in Boston last year,” Curry told reporters recently. “There’s a lot of things you can kind of tap into in terms of experiences that we’ve had where we’ve been on the road kind of against the ropes, and we responded. This is a very similar situation, but it requires something different based on this team. And I’m excited about that opportunity.”
While those experiences in the past will certainly help, every situation is unique. Those opponents in the past didn’t have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their roster. Davis has been one of the best players overall in the postseason as the most dominant player on the court in Games 1 and 3.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Curry has shown capable of carrying the Warriors but he will need some help getting past the Lakers. They have proven a capable adversary with their role players stepping up while Golden State’s supporting cast has been inconsistent.
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