The Golden State Warriors appeared to be dead in the water late in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. They were down by as many as 14 points with less than six minutes left, but Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole came roaring back with one timely shot after another to tie the game at 112 with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter.
While the Lakers answered back with a D'Angelo Russell layup and a LeBron James free throw, the Warriors remained within striking distance down by three with less than a minute left. Everyone in the building expected the Warriors to give Curry the ball at all costs with the game hanging in the balance, and why wouldn't they? Curry is coming off a 50-point night after all.
However, Jordan Poole took it upon himself to seize the moment, and he misfired spectacularly. Poole not only missed a floater that would have cut the deficit to one, he also clanked a deep three-point attempt with less than 10 seconds to go to drive the final nail in the Warriors' coffin for Game 1 en route to a 117-112 defeat.
While Poole received considerable criticism for his decision to play hero ball, All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton saw no issues with the Warriors guard's decision to shoot his shot knowing how much vitriol he'll receive if he misses.
“What's wrong with that shot guys?” Haliburton asked his co-hosts Channing Frye and Taylor Rooks, prompting some laughter from the two. “What do you want him to do, take a dribble? But you're not gonna get a better shot than that. No contest. I'm sorry, I'm cool [with Jordan Poole] if I'm Golden State.”
Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers' talisman, proceeded to defend his take by saying that in a similar situation, he would have done the same thing the Warriors guard did.
“I'm not mad… I'm not mad at that shot. He's wide open. I'm shooting it… I'm shooting that if I'm Jordan. I feel you, Jordan. I would have shot that too,” Haliburton added.
Of course, Haliburton is a much more efficient three-point marksman than Jordan Poole so it makes sense for the Pacers guard to take it when facing that scenario. But the Warriors have Stephen Curry, literally the best shooter in NBA history, on the court alongside Poole, so it may not have been the best idea to let the fourth-year guard take that extremely difficult shot given the stakes.
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