Warriors, ousted in 6, agree: This was not a championship team - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — As Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr scanned the locker room following Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, the look of fatigue and disappointment was smeared all over his team's face.

It was done — the Warriors' quest to defend their title had ended with a 122-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, and they were left sitting with all the questions that come next.

«To be fair I think this team ultimately maxed out,» Kerr told reporters after the game. «We were barely in the playoff picture most of this year… This is not a championship team.»

That sentiment didn't just pop up because the Warriors were eliminated, snapping their streaks of 28 straight playoff series with at least one road win, and 19 straight series wins against Western Conference teams — both NBA records.

The Warriors' 11-30 road record during the regular season is one reason why this team lacked the championship DNA. Then there were the repeated injuries to Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins. The disconnect the Warriors started the year with, and never fully recovered from.

«From training camp to now, it was just the reality we were living in,» Curry said. «We were trying to keep things positive and optimistic around what we were trying to accomplish this year… but there's also an understanding that this is not good enough.»

But Golden State still held out belief for themselves come playoff time — the second NBA season.

«We did a pretty damn good job of finding something here over the last month,» Kerr said. «We came close to recapturing what we had, but we didn't quite get there. We didn't feel like a championship team all year, but we had the guts and the fortitude to believe.»

«No competitor believes (you're done)