“We just got outplayed,” said Kerr. “The Lakers did a great job of holding serve here. You go home, take care of business, get a win, and the momentum is right back in your favor.”
If the Warriors are teetering on the edge, well, they’ve been in this situation before. Or have you forgotten their most dramatic playoff series to date? That was the conference finals in 2016, made famous by the Klay Game, the Comeback and ultimately the breakup of their most serious threat then, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We made history before,” said Thompson.
Here’s a refresher: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook ambushed the No. 1-seeded Warriors with a 25-point win in the opener, then used a 24-point romp to take a 3-1 series lead. Then Thompson delivered his signature moment with 41 points (with 11 3s, a playoff record) in Game 6 at OKC which tied the series and completely flipped the tenor. They took Game 7 and the defeat was doubly crushing for the Thunder — they also lost KD that summer when he bailed in free agency to join the Warriors.
Klay is certainly due to revisit that performance in this series, coming off a virtual no-show in Game 4 filled with misfires and only nine points.
Also, the Warriors had more dependable reserves then: Andre Iguodala (currently injured and old), Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa. Right now? Their most qualified support player, Jordan Poole, just went scoreless in Game 4, can’t shake his demons and is unreliable and unplayable.
