The Golden State Warriors scored a pivotal 134-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday because the race to climb above the second play-in line seems prefer it’ll come right down to what transpires in the course of the closing 5 days of the common season.
With the season set to conclude this Sunday, the Warriors are at present No. 10 however management their very own future to complete at the very least above the Lakers for No. 9 as they’ve now clinched the season tiebreaker. Catching the Kings for the No. 8 seed, which might give them two photographs to safe one win for a playoff spot, is inside an inexpensive attain as Sacramento leads Golden State by an efficient two video games (Sacramento is up by one loss however owns the tiebreaker) with three to play.
The Kings additionally lead the Lakers by an efficient two video games as they’ve cliched that tiebreaker as effectively.
All of which is to say, it’s trying increasingly possible that the Warriors will face the Lakers in a one-and-done elimination sport because the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds. It is only a matter of who will get to play that sport at house, and the Warriors took a giant step towards securing that benefit with their win on Tuesday by pulling down 26 3-pointers at a scorching 63.4% clip (26 for 41).
Over the course of NBA historical past, a staff has made at the very least 22 3-pointers in a sport 237 instances. Not one has completed so at a better proportion than Golden State simply did. The 26 3s is three off the NBA file of 29 held by the Milwaukee Bucks, who set the mark in opposition to Miami in 2020, and one off the Warriors’ franchise excessive of 27, which they notched in opposition to Portland final April and in 2021 in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis.
Solely the Rockets, who hit 27 triples in opposition to Utah final month, have made extra 3s in a sport this season, and Golden State’s 26 is probably the most 3s the Lakers have given up in franchise historical past.
“I did not really feel like we performed that effectively, however we made 1,000,000 threes,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “I did not assume we have been sharp. Lot of possessions the place we weren’t fairly locked in, or our passing was off track and we have been a bit disjointed, however the ball stored getting in. And Draymond [Green] going 5 for five in a half, you do not see that always. All people bought going, and to shoot 63 p.c from three, that is loopy.”
To Kerr’s level, all people was feeling it for Golden State. As Kerr famous, Draymond Inexperienced hit his first 5 3s out of the gate and completed 5 for 7 from deep. Inexperienced has been a way more assured shooter this yr and has made 38% of his 3s, albeit on low quantity, however the 5 he made on Tuesday are the identical quantity of 3s that he had remodeled the earlier two weeks, and probably the most he is made in a single sport since 2017.
In the meantime, Stephen Curry made all six of his 3s. Klay Thompson, who’s moderately quietly capturing over 41% from 3 on over 9 makes an attempt per sport since March 1, made 5 of his 10, whereas Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins and Brandin Podziemski completed a mixed 8 of 11 from past the arc. Chris Paul and Jonathan Kuminga every chipped in with one.
“That they had guys step up and hit photographs,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham mentioned. “It is a make-or-miss league … We really feel comfy with our sport plan and for probably the most half we executed it … The fellows you needed capturing the ball made their photographs … They have been blazing sizzling.”
