Lakers give Warriors first playoff series loss to conference opponent

Lakers give Dubs first playoff series loss to conference foe originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have been known to make history and Golden State‘s loss Friday night marked a new chapter in Warriors lore.

The Warriors’ 122-101 Game 6 loss in the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena marked the first time in the Kerr era that Golden State lost a playoff series before the NBA Finals.

Before losing 4-2 to the Lakers, the Warriors had won 19 straight playoff series against Western Conference opponents.

The only times the Warriors had lost a playoff series during their dynastic run was in the NBA Finals in 2016 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2019 against the Kawhi Leonard-led Toronto Raptors.

Also, Friday’s loss to the Lakers marked the first time Kerr and the Warriors’ Big Three failed to win a game on the road in a playoff series. Golden State had played in 28 straight playoff series before that streak was snapped against Los Angeles.

However, considering Golden State was 11-30 — second-worst in the NBA — away from Chase Center during the 2022-23 NBA regular season. Its troublesome attributes were bound to show up at some point and they did against the Lakers.

The Warriors often couldn’t defend without fouling and turned the ball over with alarming regularity. The LeBron James-led Lakers took advantage of those mistakes and made the Warriors pay, as evidenced by the lopsided free-throw numbers this series.

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With Golden State’s season officially over, the extra time off gives Kerr, Curry, Thompson and the rest of the Warriors ample time to think about how they want to approach the 2023-24 NBA season.

Perhaps they might be able to start a new streak as they embark on their journey for another NBA title next season.