43-16. It's not the rebounding stats of the meeting between Lakers and Warriors, but the shot differential. In a meeting which delivered its verdict after two overtimes, with a small point difference, this difference of 27 free throws is enough to make the Warriors cringe a few teeth. Starting with those of Steve Kerr.
“I could comment on Lakers free throws, but my mom is here right now and I want to be on my best behavior.” quips the coach. “So I'm not going to comment on their 43 free throws against our 16. I'm also not going to comment on the fact that Steph [Curry] shot three free throws in 43 minutes. »
Stephen Curry precisely mentions this difference, and he recalls that he had already highlighted it last season.
“We’ve had this debate before, specifically against them,” he recalls. “They cause a lot of mistakes. Last year, they had an incredible advantage and disparity on free throws. Tonight was one of those meetings where it wasn't consistent and that's what's most frustrating. Because we want to be in a situation where it is the players who decide the fate of the match and for that, the whistles must be consistent on both sides. »
Incidentally, he recalls that the Warriors have a different style of play from the Lakers, with more long shots. This does not prevent the fact that there are also faults on the arms, even if they are less visible.
“I know it’s a different style, with a lot of 3-pointers…. But there's probably three plays that I'm involved in where there was clearly a bad decision, and they gave them unnecessary free throws. And then, on the other side, there were contacts on actions where they looked elsewhere… In the same match, the inconsistency on both sides is what is most frustrating. This doesn't mean we're going to go to the line 58 times. It just means it's a style of play that we can adapt to and adjust to. And that wasn't the case tonight. So it's difficult. »
