Down 2-1, struggling Warriors have 'got to be more poised' - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The Golden State Warriors lost Game 3 of their Western Conference series against the Los Angeles Lakers in a matter of minutes.

After building an 11-point lead through the first quarter and a half, Golden State let it all go in the final five minutes of the second quarter. The Lakers closed the first half on a 30-8 run, and they would score nearly double the number of points the Warriors would have the rest of the game, fueling their 127-97 win on Saturday.

It's a recipe for defeat that the Warriors have suffered multiple times through the season.

«A lot of games [this season] just slipped through in three bad minutes, six-minute stretch. Whatever that is, the whole tone of the game changes,» Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. «It's not a good feeling when you're trying to settle into what's happening in real time.… Last series proved that we can figure it out and overcome something unfortunate. We got to do it again, based on what happened tonight.»

Much of what hurt the Warriors on Saturday also caused their loss in Game 1.

The Warriors let the Lakers attempt 37 free throws to their 17. They committed 19 turnovers for 27 points. They shot 13-of-44 from 3.

After coming off a blowout win of their own in Game 2, Golden State expected adjustments from Los Angeles. But it wasn't anything the Lakers did that caused their issues. Many of them were self-inflicted.

«The game stopped when we sent them to the free throw line,» Draymond Green said.

«It's more just connecting the game, which has been an issue for us,» Curry said. «We had things rolling in the first half. As soon as the game turned, we played right into their hands. I'm not really worried about the adjustments, more so just connecting the game.»

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