One of the distinct advantages the Golden State Warriors had over the Los Angeles Lakers entering their exciting second-round playoff matchup is their ability to stretch the floor. Led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors have revolutionized the game by weaponizing the 3-point shot unlike any other, which has led to plenty of deep playoff runs and four championships over the past eight seasons.
And in Game 1 against the Lakers, the Warriors showed that there's not a single team in the league that's quite more dangerous from deep than them when they're on a roll. Despite the Warriors' 117-112 loss against the Lakers, Curry, Thompson, and even Jordan Poole showed their mastery from long range, even if Poole ended up being more confident for his own team's good by the end of the contest.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Warriors trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Poole have become the first in playoff history to make at least six triples each. That is an amazing feat; the Warriors led the NBA in three-pointers made this past regular season with 16.6 per game for the entire team. So to go beyond that among just three players is simply astounding, a testament to their ability to make deep shots even against the toughest of defenses.
However, the Warriors' concerns will definitely grow as they still couldn't quite secure the victory despite getting incredible shooting performances from the aforementioned trio. The Warriors had their fair share of troubles dealing with the sheer physicality of the Lakers; their 45-point advantage from the three-point line was essentially cancelled out by the Lakers' 25 made free throws and 54 points in the paint.
In fact, even with Kevon Looney doing his best for the Warriors, the Lakers ended up outrebounding them, 53-49.
Still, even with the impressive output from beyond the arc, the Lakers' inside-the-arc defense proved to be too stifling for the Warriors to overcome. Stephen Curry shot 4-11 on two-pointers, and Klay Thompson was even worse, shooting 3-9 on non three-pointers.
Nevertheless, the Warriors have been in this position before, so count on them to bounce back for a much more solid performance in Game 2 against the Lakers on Thursday.
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