Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have overwhelmed teams by making open 3-pointers.
The defending NBA champions couldn’t hit huge shots in the last chapter of a tough season.
Curry and Thompson shot 6 of 26 from three in Friday’s 122-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The Warriors lost in May for the first time since 2014, while the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference playoffs.
When healthy, Golden State’s core three of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green have not reached the NBA Finals since 2014.
“We failed,” Green remarked. “Curry and Thompson missed some shots,” he said. Human beings. I’ll accept it if they can acquire those looks and our season ends early every year. I doubt that. It hasn’t.”
Warriors 3-pointers were 13-48. Steve Kerr appreciated watching his squad get early shots but couldn’t convert.
We were rushing. “I thought we were forcing the issue in the first quarter and missed a lot of open ones that maybe could have gotten us into a better rhythm,” Kerr said. Lakers deserve credit. Starting Dennis Schröder pressured us and made passing lanes harder.”
Kerr believed the Warriors lost Games 1 and 4, which determined the series. Curry and Thompson made 6 of 23 3-pointers in Game 4’s 104-101 loss on May 8.
The Lakers mobbed Curry all series to prevent him from winning. Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who controlled the paint, also defeated Golden State.
Curry stated, “We battled strengths in this series.” “Big team. They removed stuff successfully. They planned to pressure the 3-point line and clog the center. After Game 2, we had no scoring options.”
Curry and Thompson made 16 of 33 3-pointers in Golden State’s two wins but 31 of 97 in the four losses.
Thompson struggled throughout the series, making only 10 of 36 perimeter shots.
Thompson called it his worst shooting series. “I didn’t press. It may have been fatigue.”
Golden State struggled during the regular season and faced the play-in tournament. However, the Warriors won eight of their last 10 to finish sixth in the Western Conference at 44-38.
The Warriors won their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings in seven games after losing the first two. Golden State won two at Sacramento after going 11-30 on the road in the regular season.
However, the Warriors were exhausted after battling the Lakers without rest.
“This team probably maxed out,” Kerr said. “We barely made the playoffs all year. To win an incredible first-round series and then give the Lakers a battle puts us in the top eight teams in the NBA. We’re probably there.
