After failing to eliminate the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series, the Los Angeles Lakers got the job done in Game 6 — avoiding the possibility of playing a Game 7 on the road at Chase Center. A steady performance resulted in a 122-101 victory on Friday, eliminating the reigning NBA champions’ season.
A significant adjustment was made by the Lakers for Game 6 — swapping out Jarred Vanderbilt in favor of Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup. With Schroder’s speed added into the mix, there was a more capable effort to contain Stephen Curry on defense while having maximum spacing with LeBron James at the four and Anthony Davis at the five. Schroder provided another threat to attack with that spacing.
The Warriors never held the lead at any point in the game and trailed by as many as 24 points. Golden State had largely survived Los Angeles’ runs in the first half, but the momentum shifting entirely in the Lakers’ favor broke the game open in the second half. A made half-court heave from Austin Reaves put Los Angeles up by ten at halftime, and Golden State never came within single figures again.
“The better team won, and I can’t fault our players for the effort,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Because these guys are such competitors, it’s going to hurt. But that’s why we play: To compete against the best and see what we’ve got. Didn’t quite have enough, but it wasn’t for a lack of heart or effort.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors
LeBron James set the tone with a highly efficient performance, scoring 30 points and adding nine rebounds and nine assists. He shot 10-14 from the floor, 2-3 from deep, and 8-11 on free throws. He had plenty of help, with Austin Reaves adding 23 points and six assists, including four made 3s. D’Angelo Russell scored 19, and Lonnie Walker IV added 13 off the bench.
“It’s special to get that win to beat a team that’s so established and so good,” Reaves said. “I think the seeding things are just numbers. When you have guys like Bron and AD who have won championships, you always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have, the talent that we have.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors
There wasn’t much help for Curry, who finished with 32 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The most a teammate scored was Donte DiVincenzo’s 16 points, but none of Golden State’s roster even cracked double-figures scoring. Klay Thompson was especially abysmal — shooting 3-19 from the floor and 2-12 from deep. Jordan Poole continued to underwhelm with seven points on 3-10 overall and 0-3 from 3.
The Lakers began the season with a 2-10 record as the team struggled with a lack of depth and a poor fit with Russell Westbrook. After a slew of midseason trades that sent Westbrook elsewhere and brought in current postseason contributors such as Russell, Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles turned its season around. Even withstanding an ankle injury to James after the All-Star Break, the Lakers have gone 16-7 to close the regular season and are 24-11 overall — including the postseason.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors
“It’s been a challenging year, to say the least, but we kept powering through,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Our vibes stayed positive, and finally our new pieces came together. I’m just so excited I get to sit in this seat and enjoy the ride.”
As for the Warriors, they were often unable to achieve consistent success throughout the season. The ups and downs of a typical NBA season are expected for all 30 teams. Still, a continued lack of success on the road and general volatility being a jump-shooting-reliant team proved too challenging to overcome.
“Definitely disappointing,” Draymond Green said. “It’s been a long time since we finished in May, just trying to process the feelings. In the end, they were the better team.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors
The Warriors’ messaging was unanimous: don’t break up the iconic core that has pulled off no shortage of successful seasons. Curry went as far as to call for Golden State to keep the group together “until the wheels fall off” and that it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
“The trust that we’re all going to compete until the wheels fall off,” Curry said. “That’s something that should not be taken for granted in this league.”
On Tuesday at Ball Arena, the Lakers will take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Grant Afseth is an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network and a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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