Game 5 Preview: Warriors vs. Lakers - 5/10/23

ONE AT A TIME
Down 3-1 in their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Lakers, the Warriors need a win to extend their season, and three straight wins to advance to the conference finals. The series comeback attempt begins with Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and all fans in attendance will receive a special edition Warriors Gold Blooded playoff T-shirt, courtesy of CarMax.

LAST TIME OUT
Stephen Curry recorded a triple-double, but it wasn't enough as the Warriors lost to the Lakers 104-101 in Los Angeles on Monday. Curry led the Warriors in points (31), assists (14), and steals (3) while tying Draymond Green for a team-high 10 rebounds. The Warriors led by seven entering the final quarter, but were outscored 27-17 in the fourth, including 15 points from Lakers reserve guard Lonnie Walker IV.  » Full Game Recap

PREVIOUS GAME STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Draymond Green
LAL: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis

INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (left toe; soreness) is questionable. Andre Iguodala (left wrist surgery) and Ryan Rollins (right foot surgery) are out. Team Notes
LAL: Mo Bamba (left ankle soreness) is questionable. Anthony Davis (right foot; stress injury) and LeBron James (right foot; soreness) are probable. Team Notes

OVERCOMING A 3-1 SERIES DEFICIT 
Winning a series after trailing 3-1 is a daunting task. In the 277 times a team has faced a 3-1 series deficit, only 13 have come back to win the series. One of those teams, however, was the 2016 Warriors, who overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green delivered memorable performances in that series, which was followed by LeBron James’ Cavaliers overcoming a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals to stun the Dubs and capture the 2016 Championship.

“You definitely use it as confidence that we can figure this out,” Curry said following Monday’s Game 4 defeat. “Obviously, just focus on winning Game 5 and take it from there.”

The most recent team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit were the Denver Nuggets, who overcame back-to-back 3-1 series deficits in 2020. In 2023, these Warriors will attempt to be the 14 team to accomplish that feat and do so for the second time in franchise history.

L.A. LAKERS SCOUTING REPORT
The insertion of Lonnie Walker IV back into the rotation has been a significant factor in this series. Walker IV was a starter to begin the season, but after suffering a mid-season injury, he found himself out of the rotation. However, Walker has made the most of his opportunity this series. After not playing in Game 1, he saw his first action in this series with his team facing an insurmountable deficit in Game 2. He scored nine points in 12 minutes, so the coaching staff gave him a larger role in Game 3. This time, the Lakers won by a 30-point margin, with Walker scoring 12 points in 24 minutes. Game 4 was a tight game down the stretch and the Lakers relied on Walker, running their clutch time offense through him. He led all scorers with 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers won 104-101.

"We don't win this game without Lonnie Walker tonight. That's for sure," LeBron James said following Game 4.

The Lakers now have a 3-1 series lead, the 18th time of LeBron James' career that his team has had such an advantage, and he hasn’t lost one of the previous 17 series. The Warriors will look to put an end to that streak, but it all starts with Wednesday’s Game 5.