Beijing time on February 13, in an NBA regular season game that ended today, the Lakers lost to the Warriors 115-117 on the road, suffered 3 consecutive defeats, from the result of the game, in fact, the Lakers played better than many people expected, they even had a chance to win the game, but in the end the key performance of the two people determined the direction of the result.
First of all, on the Warriors side, Thompson ushered in a big outbreak in the fourth quarter, shooting 6 of 10 in a single quarter, 3 of 4 from three-pointers, including a morale-boosting 2+1, helping the Warriors complete the draw from behind and then to overtake, there is no doubt that Thompson's performance in the fourth quarter is phenomenal. In contrast, the person who stepped up on the Lakers side and tried to take over the game was James, but unfortunately James did not do it.
In this game, James played 38 minutes, 9 of 27 shots to get 26 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists, the first three quarters of the game, James played very well, but in the crucial fourth quarter, James's efficiency plummeted, 1 of 10 shots in a single quarter, 3 of 3 three-pointers 0, including the final key 3 free throws only scored one, only 3 points and 6 rebounds in a single quarter. It can be said that the differences in the respective plays of James and Thompson ultimately determine which side of the Lakers and Warriors laughs to the end.
Speaking about whether his 1-of-10 shooting efficiency in the fourth quarter was affected by blow-offs, James said: "Of course, I hate playing inefficiently, especially when it comes to shooting. I didn't play enough rounds in the final stages to help our team win, I shot just 2 of 15 in the second half and it wasn't like me. However, I like some of the shots I get, and I'm sure I've been hit in some shots. They played well, though, and I didn't finish enough rounds well to help us win. This kind of thing will inevitably happen. ”
It should be noted that throughout the fourth quarter, when Thompson continued to shoot three-pointers, no one in the Lakers could stand up and respond, in the fourth quarter Thompson alone threw 3 three-pointers, and the Lakers totaled 5 to 0, of which Munch and Tucker each lost one, James himself 3 shot 0, whether from the final result or the fourth quarter process, the Lakers are really only 1 three-pointer away from victory.
In fact, James is not unaware that his fourth quarter feel is not good, especially in terms of three-pointers, he has no first three quarters in the fourth quarter, but he has to shoot those three-pointers, because in the decisive moment, he does not have a shooter like Thompson around him, or, a shooter of this level is not in this game. That's right, that person is Anthony, judging by his performance this season, Anthony is James' Thompson, a top catch-and-shoot shooter, and if Anthony is on the court in the fourth quarter, then maybe he can help the team shoot those three-pointers.
So, is the gap between the Lakers and the Warriors really just a gap of Anthony? It's hard to say, after all, the Warriors did not go on Green and Iguodala in this game, but this game did give lakers and Lakers fans some hope, although they did not win, but also let them understand that the Lakers are not without a battle against the Warriors. Judging from the current record ranking, the Lakers still have the hope of entering the playoffs with the top eight in the West or the seventh in the West this season, of course, compared to the Suns, the Lakers' best choice is to play the Warriors in the first round with the seventh place in the West.
As for whether the Lakers can complete the black seven against the Warriors in the playoffs, it will take time to give an answer, but at least from today's game, the Lakers believe they can do it, and today they almost did it. As Thick Brow and Wei Shao said, once the trade deadline passed, the whole team really looked like they had really gathered their hearts together and worked hard towards the same goal.