The Golden State Warriors are in a 3-1 hole after losing Game 4 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, and it was a sore loss for them, as they blew a 12-point lead and lost in the closing moments, 104-101.
Guard Jordan Poole was a nonfactor, and he was apparently frustrated and upset in the locker room after the game, according to NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke.
.@KerithBurke describes a tension-filled locker room when Jordan Poole talked to the media pic.twitter.com/VCWpciaq3C
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 9, 2023
“The visitor’s locker room is really cramped, so when that music went off, all of the other players were listening as well,” said Burke. “… It was like all eyes and ears were on Jordan right there, and it just heightened the tension. … I was like, ‘Jordan, we know your work ethic is good. When you feel like you’re in a little bit of a funk — when things don’t seem normal, what’re you doing? Are you getting back in the gym?’ And he said, ‘Well, my work ethic doesn’t change. My routine doesn’t change. Maybe opportunity changes, but you can only control what you can control.’ So, the frustration very clear coming through from Jordan Poole.”
Burke reported that Poole was initially reluctant to talk to the media during postgame media availability. He did relent though, and as he started to talk to the press, his teammates took notice and paid close attention to him.
When asked questions about his poor play (he shot 0-of-4 from the field and went scoreless in just 10 minutes on Monday), he gave short answers, seemingly out of frustration.
Last season, when the Warriors won their fourth NBA championship of the Stephen Curry era, Poole was a major contributor off the bench, but he has struggled this season, and for most of these playoffs, his shot has been on vacation. He came into Game 4 shooting just 35.5 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc in 10 postseason games.
For much of Monday’s contest, it looked like Golden State would find a way to defeat the Lakers and tie the series, even when the Lakers made a couple of runs to either tie the game or take a slim lead. Curry was magnificent through three quarters, scoring buckets and setting up teammates. He finished with a triple-double of 31 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
But his shot deserted him in the final minutes, while Lonnie Walker IV, a guard who has barely played for L.A. since midseason, came off the bench to score 15 points in the final frame.
Now the Lakers will have the opportunity to end the Warriors’ season with another win, while Curry and the rest of the squad will have to dig deep and find something it really hasn’t found all season long.
