NBA
NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller says the Warriors are on ‘life support’ as they prepare for tonight’s Game 5 vs. Lakers
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All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated10 May 2023
This edition of the NBA Playoffs seem to be going down as one of the postseasons with most upsets in league history, as we saw in the first round how the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks lost to No.8 Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference clash.
The reigning champion Warriors also defeated the third-seeded Sacramento Kings, even though they entered the playoffs as the sixth-best team in the West. And now, Golden State are trailing 3-1 in their semifinal encounter against No.7 Lakers and now face the brink of elimination.
NBA great Reggie Miller, who is now a basketball analyst, was invited to “The Dan Patrick Show” this Tuesday to talk about Game 5 of the series between both Californian squads, and feels that Golden State already have their foot out the door.
“I’m not here to say that this series is over for Golden State. I will give the champs somewhat of a leash, but I will say that they are on life support right now, and it’s getting close to the end,” Miller said in his morning interview with Dan Patrick.
Even though the Warriors possess a 13-1 mark when losing 3-1 in a playoff series, the former Pacers star still shared some advice for the Bay Area team if they are to pull off a historic comeback.
“[Andrew] Wiggins has tried to do it, but we expected Jordan Poole to be that guy, and he just hasn’t been,” he said in reference to how badly Golden State require a third scoring alternative.
The Los Angeles team enjoyed a surge of inspiration from an unlikely source, as youngster Lonnie Walker IV dropped 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the purple and gold to victory in Game 4 at the Crypto.com Arena.
The show’s host then asked Miller how Walker was able to produce near-perfect exhibition late in the contest.
“It’s about staying ready,” the Hall of Famer said. “And, if you remember, Lonnie Walker was playing major minutes early on this year. I believe he started a few games as well. And he was gonna be counted on as part of this young, up-and-coming core along with Austin Reaves to help LeBron and AD but fell out of the rotation.”
Coach Steve Kerr always believes the Warriors are going to come through and win the series
“We always believe we’re gonna win every series,” head coach Steve Kerr said about the current mentality inside the Golden State locker room.
“I think we can be better, in terms of cleaning up the flopping. In the mean time, I give the Lakers credit for the plays that they’ve been able to sell.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr wants to see the NBA address and penalize flopping.
Thoughts? 🤔pic.twitter.com/K1xUg0YW3P
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 10, 2023
Kerr believes his squad’s experience is unprecedented in the NBA, as the San Francisco team haven’t missed a postseason run in a long time.
“The main thing is to focus on the process, just fill up the cup today, recharge and get ready. We’ve been in this series for a while, for a decade now, we understand the swings, back and forth. We gotta get ready for tomorrow,” he concluded.
The Western Conference semifinal series between Los Angeles and Golden State shifts back to the Bay Area on Wednesday. The match is set for 10 p.m. ET at the Chase Center.
