The Los Angeles Lakers are still leading the 7-game series by 3-2. The Golden State Warriors have found a way to inch closer to sliding the series their way with their recent 121-106 win in Game 6. However, there is entirely a different portion that seems to be catching up between the sides.
Darvin Ham, the head coach of the Lakers, made the remark that they teach their players to play downhill and then launch a forceful attack. The words are somewhat paraphrased, but the sentiment matches the level with 100 percent accuracy. The statement came in response to Steve Kerr taking a dig at their flopping.
The Lakers have made 103 free throws throughout the series, compared to 51 by the Warriors.
Steve Kerr interacted with the media and said that something must be done to address the flopping rule. He went on to mention FIBA, citing that the association penalizes players for doing the said act.
The Lakers attempted a total of six free throws in the first quarter of the game, while the Warriors attempted only one.
Game 5 of the NBA playoffs between the Warriors and the Lakers has concluded with the Warriors winning 121-106. The NBA Conference Semifinal Game 5 was originally inclined towards the Warriors anyway. Games 6 and 7 could favor the Lakers, allowing them to not just maintain the lead but also take home the entire series. As a matter of fact, another win could simply do the job of leaving the Warriors devastated.
The first quarter helped the Warriors carry forward the momentum in the following sessions. A lead of 32-28 was enough. Result: Q2 saw 38-31 in their favor again.
Stephen Curry managed 27 points, the highest on the team, followed by Andrew Wiggins with 25 points and 5 assists. The Lakers, on the other hand, continued to see LeBron James in action, as he registered a total of 25 points on the board. Following him was Anthony Davis, with a manageable and crucial 23 points.
It was the third quarter that hinted at the tables changing sides. Golden State bounced back with a positive 4-point margin in the remaining quarter to restrict their opponent to 24 points.
A tally of 121-100 was the pre-game estimate. In all fairness, the Lakes did a comparatively better job of saving their reputation by defying the experts’ predictions. Game 6 and Game 7 will soon be scheduled to advance to the conference semifinals in the NBA.
In Game 5, the Lakers supported their 3-point attempts, making 10/27 compared to the Warriors’ 13/35. When viewed in terms of percentage, it shows a slight difference: the Lakers have 37%, while the Warriors have 37.1%. When it came to free throws, the Warriors were 14/15, while the Lakers were 12/15.
