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In the Christmas War of the NBA2023-24 season, the Lakers faced the old rival Celtics at home, which was another contest between two traditional giants and a duel between two superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, the outcome of the game disappointed the Lakers and their fans, who suffered their eighth loss of the season with a 115-126 loss, and James also swallowed the bitter fruit of a three-game losing streak in the Christmas game.
The game was in the rhythm of the Green Army from the start, and they quickly built a double-digit lead with a 16-4 attack wave with excellent teamwork and strong defense. Although the Lakers, led by James and Davis, struggled to close the gap, the Green Army was more intense, and at the end of the first quarter, they led by nine points at 36-27.
In the second quarter, the Lakers began to fight back, they increased the pressure on the defensive end, limiting the Green Army's scoring, and on the offensive end, they took advantage of Davis's interior advantage and constantly attacked the basket, Davis scored 14 points in the quarter to help the Lakers chase the score to 54-55, only one point behind. The Greens relied on the inside combination of Pozin and Horford, as well as the outside firepower of Smart and Brown, to stabilize the situation, and at halftime, they led by five points at 63-58.
The Lakers continued to push back, and they played a 10-2 spurt at the beginning of the third quarter to tie the score to 68-65, which was the first time they had taken the lead in this game. However, the Greens didn't panic and regained their rhythm under head coach Stevens' adjustment, and they unleashed a stunning 23-4 attack wave in the second half of the quarter to stretch the score to 88-72 and lead by 16 points.
The Lakers completely lost their defense in this wave of offense, and their guards Russell and Reaves were blown up by the Green Army's outside in turn, but head coach Ham did not make timely adjustments, leaving the Lakers in a passive position. At the end of the third quarter, the Greens led by 14 points, 94-80.
In the final quarter, the Lakers did not give up, and they launched a final comeback under the leadership of James, and they scored six consecutive points at the beginning of the quarter to chase the score to 86-94, only eight points behind. The Greens didn't give the Lakers a chance, as they regained their footing with Pozin's inside dominance and Smart's outside outburst to stretch the lead to 108-92 with just over five minutes left in the quarter.
The Lakers didn't give up, but their shooting percentage was sluggish, they just hit six shots in the quarter, compared to 11 for the Greens, and in the end, the Lakers lost the game 115-126 and missed out on the Christmas game. In terms of statistics, six Green players scored in double figures, Pozin scored a game-high 32 points and 12 rebounds, Smart contributed 22 points and eight assists, Brown and Horford scored 16 points each, and Tatum and Rozier scored 10 points each.
The Lakers only had three players in double figures, Davis had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists, James had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, Prince had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and the rest of the players were mediocre, Russell and Reaves each scored 8 points, Hachimura had 12 points and 3 rebounds, and Van der Biao had 6 points and 6 rebounds.
The Warriors suffered a Christmas tragedy, and Curry and the head coach angrily scolded the referees
Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year for NBA fans.
Every year in the Christmas War, there will be some wonderful showdowns that attract the attention of the world. In this year's Christmas game, the Golden State Warriors welcomed the challenge of last season's championship team, the Denver Nuggets.
This game was originally a strong conversation, but the result was a big surprise. The Warriors played very badly in this game.
Their defense was lax and their offense was weak, with only Stephen Curry scoring 30 points in the game, and no other player scoring more than 15 points. The Nuggets played team basketball, with six players scoring in double figures to easily beat the Warriors 120-114 and give them a heavy Christmas present.
Warriors star Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr both expressed their dissatisfaction with the referee's blowing in their post-game interviews. They believe that the referees were too harsh on the Warriors' foul decisions and ignored the Nuggets' foul rules at critical moments.
They even hinted that the referees were intentional and wanted the Warriors to lose the game. Curry and Kerr's remarks attracted the attention of NBA officials.
An NBA spokesman said they would investigate Curry and Kerr's remarks and would fine or suspend them if they found anything wrong. At the same time, the NBA official also released the last two minutes of the game, confirming that the referee's decision was correct and there was no favoritism or misjudgment.
There is a rift within the Warriors, and Kuminga is unhappy with Curry's dominance of the ball and the Warriors' loss in the Christmas game, which not only caused them to slip down the Western Conference standings, but also exposed problems within their team. Jonathan Kuminga, a young player for the Warriors, spoke to reporters about his thoughts on the game.
In the same vein, he expressed his frustration with the team, believing that he should have more possession and tactical position. Jonathan Kuminga said: "I'll be honest, when I'm on the ball, no one can guard me.
I was able to play better, but I didn't get enough chances. I think the team's tactics are too reliant on Curry, who always has to control the ball, while everyone else just stands in the corner and waits for a three.
This kind of play is not good for the development of the team, and it is not good for my growth. The 21-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, in his third season of career, is averaging 12 points per game this season.
He is currently shooting 50 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Jonathan Kuminga has been doing well lately, with a lot of impact.
However, his status with the Warriors is not high, his playing time and ball possession are inconsistent, and he is often limited or replaced by the head coach. Jonathan Kuminga's dissatisfaction caused discord within the team.
It is reported that Curry and Kerr are very unhappy with Kuminga's remarks, believing that he is provoking the core and leader of the team. They believe that Kuminga is not yet qualified to question the team's tactics and distribution, and that he should improve his technique and consistency before talking about his status and requirements.
The Warriors' infighting could affect their season performance. The Warriors currently have a 22-15 record and sit sixth in the West.
They are already eight wins away from the Nuggets at the top of the West, and if they want to make a difference in the playoffs, they will need to fix their internal problems and regain their unity and trust. Otherwise, they could suffer an even bigger setback in the playoffs or even miss out on the championship.
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