The Warriors lost their first game of the second round to the Lakers at home. That in itself is hardly fatal. But they had a game plan and successfully enacted it. They rained down 21 three pointers. Kevon Looney outdid himself (again) with 23 rebounds. And they still lost. Though they were within a missed 3 pointer of tying the game at the end, they had to mount a furious comeback from 10 or 12 points. None of this is in itself encouraging.
If there was fatigue from the 7th game it showed up in defense. They could not stop Anthony Davis. The defensive effort, particularly from Draymond Green who lambasted himself for his game, should be better in the second game. The game plan will likely change to find ways to get to the basket more. That and some defensive adjustment must shrink the extreme difference between the vast number of foul shots taken by the Lakers and the few by the Dubs. They were easily the difference in the score.
Certain Kings players made mild reference to the Warriors' age, which certain Dubs players blew up into an insult. Led by Le Bron James, the Lakers seem to be trying to kill the Warriors with kindness, to flatter them to death. Can the Warriors get a rise out of themselves, or will they be lulled by the crafty King James?
The second game is far from the decider, but winning this game at home is about as must-win as you can get before an elimination game. It would be a pity to lose this series to the Lakers, who probably wouldn't beat Denver or Phoenix, whereas the Warriors could. The matchup challenges the Warriors face against the Lakers have proven to be real. They need to solve them right quick. On the other hand, they were close enough in the first game that they need marginal rather than wholesale advantages. They aren't going to stop Davis completely, and if they try, there's Le Bron James. A more balanced scoring attack, slightly better defense, and cutting the foul shot disparity in half, would probably do it.
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