The Golden State Warriors are in a somewhat unfamiliar position, as they lost Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and trail the series 2-1.
They didn’t just lose — they got blown out by 30 points and lost each of the last three quarters by a sizable margin, and a good amount of it was due to their own doing.
Stephen Curry didn’t mince words afterward, as he admitted that the Warriors had a lot of “self-inflicted wounds.”
The Warriors led by 11 early in the second quarter on Saturday, and it looked like they were controlling the game.
But that’s when L.A. turned up its defense and turned the game around, and Curry’s squad couldn’t find a remedy.
Golden State fell behind by 11 at halftime and 18 after three quarters, and even in garbage time, its deficit continued to grow.
They allowed Anthony Davis, who had been held in check in their Game 2 win, to have the type of game that tantalizes people: 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 11-of-12 from the free throw line, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots, and three steals.
D’Angelo Russell, the former Warrior, also got hot for 21 points and five 3-pointers.
Game 4 is now a virtual must-win for the Warriors, as they cannot allow themselves to fall behind 3-1 in this series.
They have come back to win a playoff series after trailing 2-1 multiple times, including in the previous round against the Sacramento Kings, but they have never done so while facing a superstar big man like Davis before.
