Warriors drop Game 4 to Lakers as Lonnie Walker IV goes off in the fourth

You gotta be kidding me!

Growing up, there was nothing more annoying than watching the Los Angeles Lakers survive a hotly contested playoff game where a random role player stepped up and saved the day. Guys like Devean George, Trevor Ariza, or Luke Walton would step in and suddenly have a game changing impact that altered the balance of a championship tug-of-war.

So last night when the Golden State Warriors found themselves taking an L at the hands of the Lakers 104-101 in Game 4 to go down 3-1 in the series, of COURSE there was some less heralded guys in purple and gold lighting up those Dubs.

Austin Reaves scored 21 points on the Dubs which was annoying but not out of hte question. He is a starter on that ballclub after all. But it was Lonnie Walker IV who went crazy in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points of the Lakers’ 27 points in the final frame. For reference, the Dubs only mustered up 17 of their own as a team.

The outcome of this game was pretty depressing for any Dub Nation member, as the Warriors held a seven point advantage after three quarters and appeared to have the game relatively in hand. Steph Curry finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in gritty effort, but it was all for naught.

Down the stretch there were some troubling reoccurring gaffes that have haunted the defending champions all season: inconsistency from the bench, questionable shot selection, and bad turnovers.

Back to that bench. Sophomore player Moses Moody scored 7 points on perfect 3-3 of shooting in 19 minutes off the bench, but Jordan Poole missed all four of his shots and missed two turnovers in his 10 minutes of game. He appeared visibly frustrated when Coach Steve Kerr pulled him to the bench to close the game out. And apparently after the game locker room reporters claimed there was a palpable tension as they approached him to chat about his rough outing.

Fellow sophomore lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga has barely seen any floor time as the playoffs have progressed, leading Dub Nation to ponder how Golden State’s developmental process is going.

Annnnd now, there’s one guaranteed game remaining in the season for your reigning, defending, heavyweight champions of the world. They're coming back to the friendly confines of Chase Center, where when they last met the Lakers they stomped them out by 27 points. But in Game 1 the Lakers edged the Dubs, proving that they can win in San Francisco.

TIME TO STEP IT UP WARRIORS, DON’T LET THOSE LAKERS BOOT YOU OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT!