Stephen Curry had an opportunity to win Game 1 of his team’s NBA playoffs showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, but he just couldn’t capitalize on it.
With the seconds winding down in the fourth and the Golden State Warriors down three, Curry tried to free himself up for a game-tying basket.
He couldn’t do it. Instead, with ten seconds left, it was Jordan Poole who threw up a 30-foot prayer of a heave in hopes of sending the game into OT. It wasn’t even close.
Afterward, Curry offered an emotional reaction to Poole’s missed shot.
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It’s hard to blame Curry for being upset. For the way L.A. hounded him all game and despite Anthony Davis having an incredible night, the fact that Golden State still had a pathway to victory that late was pretty incredible.
To see it slip away in that fashion had to have hurt.
That said, after the game, Curry tried his best to publicly support Poole’s decision.
“It was a shot he was open and flowing,” Curry said of Poole.
“Considering how they guard us on that possession, you know, trapping me at the half court, Draymond swinging it over to him, it’s kind of an in-rhythm shot.
“I’m sure he felt pretty good about it. That’s why he shot it. There are no kind of regrets about that. It’s just a make-or-miss type situation and a lot of trust in him and his ability to put the ball in the basket.”
It will be interesting to see how the Warriors bounce back from Tuesday night’s disappointing loss. Ayesha Curry was no longer talking trash afterward and the entire squad seemed to understand that they really needed to get their minds right ahead of Game 2.
Kuz is having himself a wild offseason. https://t.co/F35NGb9m1N
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 2, 2023
Coming into the second round, Golden State was the clear favorite over Los Angeles.
The Lakers proved a lot of doubters wrong in Game 1. Can they keep that momentum going? Will Poole be able to recover from that terrible final shot? One way or another the answers to both those questions and more will reveal themselves in the coming days.
Related: Lakers Coach Darvin Ham’s Role In Jordan Poole’s Botched Shot (Video)
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
