Poole needs to keep letting it fly
Late 3-pointer drew groans but was the right shot to take
SAN FRANCISCO >> The Warriors had nine seconds left Tuesday night to force overtime in Game 1 against the Lakers. After a Steph Curry 3-pointer punctuated a 14-0 run and erased a deep fourth-quarter deficit, the Chase Center crowd had every reason to believe a victory was in reach.
The Lakers had reclaimed the lead with a D’Angelo Russell driving layup and a free throw with plenty of time for a Warriors counter. They trapped Curry up top, leaving Jordan Poole wide open on the other side of the wing.
About a half-second separated Draymond Green’s swing pass and Poole’s shot release from 27 feet out. The ball bounced off the side of the rim, all but securing the Lakers’ 117-112 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night.
After his rough series against the Sacramento Kings, Poole’s gutsy 3-point attempt might have made Warriors fans groan. But if Poole has the space and rhythm to let those open 3s fly, this Warriors team can only hope he’ll take those. They’ll need him to get into a scoring groove in order to overcome an early 1-0 series deficit to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
“It was a shot (where) he was open and flowing,” Curry said. “I’m sure he felt pretty good about it. That’s why he shot it. There’s no regrets on 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.”
Poole loved the look. “Good look. Catch and shoot. Open. I just missed it,” he said. “I’ll shoot it again, too, the next time we play and I get the same shot.”
A confident Poole in shooting rhythm will be key to taking advantage of the Lakers’ defensive limitations. Despite the brutal miss and perhaps a more costly missed floater 30 seconds earlier over an outstretched Anthony Davis, Poole had his best game of these playoffs yet.