The Golden State Warriors suffered a brutal 104-101 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4. The Warriors stretched the lead to double digits multiple times in the second half, and were up 84-77 heading into the final frame. That is when Lonnie Walker IV arrived, almost outscoring the Warriors entire 17 points in the final frame with his own 15 points. The Warriors collapsed in the final minute, as Stephen Curry missed multiple looks and Draymond Green committed a costly turnover that resulted in a jump ball with just seconds remaining. The subsequent jump ball ended with Curry knocking the ball out of bounds, leading to a simple in bounds pass by the Lakers to run the clock out.

The Warriors now find themselves down 3-1, in extremely unfamiliar territory for their dynasty. They head back to San Francisco with their backs against the wall and a must-win Game 5 in order to keep their season alive. The Lakers have looked like the better team, but Los Angeles knows if anybody can rattle off three straight wins, it is the defending champions. However, this year that will not be the case, as the Warriors are officially “cooked” against the Lakers, in the words of the great Charles Barkley. Here are three primary reasons why the Golden State Warriors have no chance of advancing to the Western Conference Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers after a devastating collapse in Game 4.

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Golden State Warriors' Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole is having an extremely rough Western Conference Semifinals. Over the course of this series, Poole is shooting 35.3% from the field and 31.6% from the 3-point line. Even worse, he was basically nonexistent in Los Angeles, combining for 5 points total in the two games. In Game 4, Poole went 0-4 from the field and ended up only playing ten minutes in the game. He seemed to have lost the confidence of Steve Kerr, ultimately riding the bench in the Warriors' loss. If the Warriors wanted to repeat this season, they needed to have substantial production from Jordan Poole. Unfortunately for Golden State, that isn't the case and will remain the same for the rest of this series.

Poole just looks uncomfortable on the court and rigid in his shot. He went 2/13 in Los Angeles and didn't make any shots from beyond the arc, something the Warriors can simply not afford. Not only has his play been an issue, but there is reportedly resulting tension in the locker room because of it. Poole is simply more of a problem both on and off the court right now; when the Warriors gave him a max contract extension, this is the last thing they expected. Nevertheless, it is the reality, and it is a major reason the Warriors are cooked against the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James 3-1 leads

LeBron James has already established himself as potentially the greatest player of all time, and a fifth ring would only add to his legacy. With a 3-1 lead, James can taste the Western Conference Finals and being another round closer to the NBA Finals. A 3-1 lead all but guarantees that James will advance; precedent says LeBron James literally does not lose in these situations. In his career, James is 17-0 when he has a 3-1 lead in a series. It is the most wins in such situations without a loss in NBA history. It is safe to say James will be ready to close out this series in Game 5, let alone in general.

Even if the Warriors do find a way to win Game 5, it is highly unlikely they come back and win three straight games. James looks like he has his team on a mission. The determination to bring a 38-year-old James a ring is palpable across this roster, exemplified in the performance by Lonnie Walker IV last night. Not many teams would be able to keep all of their young stars engaged and ready to play when they are not receiving the minutes they would like. With a chance to give a legend like James another ring while he ridiculously still dominates play, it is clear that just the opportunity be on this roster is once in a lifetime. With a 3-1 lead and a determined LeBron James, the Warriors do not stand a chance much longer.

Stephen Curry shooting struggles

No one denies that Stephen Curry is the best shooter of all time and will go down as one of the best players of all time with his four rings. However, in the NBA Playoffs, he has not been the clutch time shooter he would expect to be. In his postseason career, Curry is 0-12 on potential go-ahead shots in the final 45 seconds of the fourth quarter/overtime. For the greatest shooter of all time, it is shocking to see such drastic struggles shooting the ball in clutch moments. He had another opportunity in Game 4, and once again came up short.

Curry will of course not be defined by clutch time struggles, as he has four rings under his belt. However, in terms of this series, the Warriors are undoubtedly going to need to hit clutch buckets if they want to miraculously win three straight games and come back from a 3-1 deficit. History says that is not somewhere Curry wants to find himself, and if he does, he will not succeed. Curry is a great shooter and a great player, but he simply will not be clutch enough to bring the Warriors back in this series. The 2023 season for the Golden State Warriors is all but over.