The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their semifinals showdown.
What was an extremely close game for most of the way ultimately came down to the final moments, where a late run by Stephen Curry and Co. made it seem like they could pull out the victory.
Arguably the most memorable sequence from the outing came when Jordan Poole pulled up for a 30-footer with 10 seconds left and his team down three. It didn’t go in.
JP had a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds left … pic.twitter.com/IE5RRbYjcg
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 3, 2023
After the game, Ryen Russillo posted a video seemingly suggesting that Lakers coach Darvin Ham somehow impacted Poole’s shot.
Look at Ham pic.twitter.com/VeCyPDbw2V
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) May 3, 2023
Some fans genuinely bought it. They really believed that Ham was the reason Poole’s prayer didn’t connect.
Reactions flowed in on social media.
My coach of the year
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) May 3, 2023
— chunk samson (@champagnejuice) May 3, 2023
Late 6th Man of the Year push
— Mason Lowry (@malowry24) May 3, 2023
That said — it didn’t take long for this myth to get dispelled, though.
TV angle made it looks worse. Not even close. pic.twitter.com/dHstPD4rmM
— Myles Pauletich (@BattleTested720) May 3, 2023
Clearly Ham played no role in Poole’s botched shot.
Big picture, this promises to be an extremely fun series. And seeing how hotly-contested the Warriors’ first-round match-up with the Sacramento Kings was, there is a lot to look forward to in this one.
Heck, Ayesha Curry felt so strongly about the Kings that she mocked them after Game 7. Will she do the same with the Lakers? Time will tell.
Baker Mayfield knows how to reward those who are close to him. https://t.co/uxosSaaluS
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 3, 2023
The Denver Nuggets seem poised to punch a Western Conference Finals ticket for themselves sooner rather than later.
Will the Lakers or Warriors be the team to join them there? Time will tell.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
