LOS ANGELES – Stephen Curry’s triple-double performance was not enough to keep the Warriors from the brink of NBA playoff elimination Monday night.
Curry finished with 31 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds but missed two shots inside the final 30 seconds as the Warriors took a 104-101 loss to the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
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The Warriors took a 84-77 lead into the fourth quarter but faded down the stretch under the orchestration of LeBron James and the offensive assault of Lonnie Walker IV, who scored 15 points in the final quarter.
Here are three observations from a game that has the Warriors facing a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series when it resumes Wednesday with Game 5 Chase Center.
The Adjustment
Coach Steve Kerr sent out his third different starting lineup in this series. This one was effective enough to be worthy of another opportunity.
Golden State Warriors
Gary Payton II, who averaged 11.3 minutes through the first three games, took the floor with the starting unit, replacing JaMychal Green, who replaced Kevon Looney for Games 2 and 3. The move paid off quite well.
Payton was a pest on defense, silencing D’Angelo Russell (four points), which was a point of emphasis. GP2 also delivered on offense, sneaking around the rim to give the Warriors 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 1-of-2 from deep.
For good measure, Payton grabbed three rebounds and two assists. He was plus-3 over 23 minutes.
The move to insert GP2 gave the Warriors a jolt of energy and additional dimension at both ends of the court.
Given Walker’s late offensive burst, making 6-of-9 shots from the field, it was curious that Payton played only two minutes in the fourth quarter.
Cracking the paint
Rather than concede the paint to rim-protecting Anthony Davis, the Warriors devised ways to attack up close even when was on the court.
Using pick-and-roll actions and smart passing to draw Davis away from the rim opened clear paths for wings to sneak in and find layups. That gave the offense a quick start, accounting for 32 points in the paint on 69.6-percent shooting in the first half.
At one point in the second quarter, the Warriors cracked the paint for five consecutive buckets, forcing a Lakers timeout.
Whatever was discussed didn't change much. The Warriors went into the locker room with a 52-49 lead. The Lakers, who lead all playoff teams in blocks and averaged 6.3 through the first three games of his series, went into the locker room without a block.
Golden State totaled 52 points in the paint, on 65-percent shooting.
Klay’s troubles, Pt. II
This series was one of the few things remaining on Klay Thompson’s NBA bucket list. And now that he is here, it has been a personal horror show.
After committing a career-high six turnovers in the Game 3 loss on Saturday, the five-time All-Star who grew up in Orange County cheering for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers submitted yet another performance he’d love to delete.
Thompson played 37 minutes and scored only nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. He had five rebounds and two assists and one steal, with only one turnover.
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There were several occasions during which Klay’s frustration was visible, from uttering profanities to smacking his hands to shaking his head.
If the Warriors are to climb back into this series, Thompson will have to be a factor, no matter where the games are played.