To defeat LeBron James and the Lakers 134-120, the Warriors had to use their main threat: the 3-point shot. It's what allowed this team to create a dynasty, and it's also what punished the Lakers last night.
With 26 long-range baskets scored on 41 attempts, the Warriors shot with a 63.4% success rate. This is quite simply the highest percentage in history for a team having taken at least 40 shots from behind the arc. Incidentally, they are also the first team to score 25 award-winning shots while shooting at least 60%. For Steve Kerr, the Golden State coach, this saved his team, which was not that good offensively…
“I don’t feel like we played that well, but we made a million 3-pointers.”, he summarizes. “The ball was coming in, but I didn’t think we were precise. There were a lot of possessions where we were a little locked in and the offense was disjointed, but the ball was coming in. Shooting 63% from 3-point range is crazy. »
A collective success
This record is above all based on collective talent. If the “Splash Brothers” scored 11 of their 16 shots wide (6 for Stephen Curry and 5 for Klay Thompson), they were imitated by the rest of the team.
Andrew Wiggins and Brandin Podziemski each scored 3, including a clear round for the second. Gary Payton II, although this is not his specialty, also shot 2/3 from distance. Jonathan Kuminga and Chris Paul both added one. Draymond Green, meanwhile, put all his points away with a 5/7 from distance.
The Lakers had decided to ignore Draymond Green in the first half, and he punished them with a 5 out of 5 before the break. This season, the Warriors interior is shooting a decent 39.5% from distance, and it's the first time since 2016 that it's above 33%. Like LeBron James, he has changed his shooting mechanics.
Draymond Green also changed his gestures
“Over the years my skill took a dip and a lot of that was due to the fact that I was having hip problems.”, said Draymond Green after the match. “So it’s a process aimed at perfecting my gestures and my movements. I just do a bunch of different things to get my body moving the right way, to take my shot in one motion. I just tried to create that extra force that I couldn't get from my hips. It's been quite a process. »
Symbolized by this record evening, the return to grace of the Warriors comes at just the right time. They who will probably have to play the “play-in” and perhaps even face their evening opponents, the Lakers.
