Darvin Ham FIRES BACK at Steve Kerr for jibe at Lakers
After the Warriors latest Game 5 win, they now trail the series 3-2.
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Steve Kerr and Darwin Ham during Game 5 (NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers–Golden State Warriors series has been a rather rough one for the defending champions so far. After levelling the series after two games, the Warriors lost two games on the road. However, following their Game 5 victory tonight, they now trail the Lakers 3-2. Apart from the players, there have been many talks about the Head Coaches of both teams: Darvin Ham for the Lakers and Steve Kerr for the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors have had some recurring issues in their gameplay this postseason. While some players look a little out of colour, the Warriors’ adjustments against the Lakers have also been pretty weak. However, there also have been many talks by the Warriors and Lakers pointing fingers at each other regarding fouling, flopping and setting illegal screens. Recently, coaches Ham and Kerr, too, got into a bit of a tiff.
Steve Kerr spoke to the press after the Game 4 loss. Talking about the LA Lakers‘ gameplay, Kerr analysed how LA had a tendency to sell fouls to referees by flopping. He also mentioned that Los Angeles players were setting illegal screens making it difficult to score. He said, “The Lakers are a team that understands how to generate some calls. They took some flops and were rewarded. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they were all legal screens but it didn’t feel like it watching live.”
Darvin Ham, Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, then spoke in response to Kerr’s allegations during the second quarter of Game 5. A reporter asked him about a supposed foul not being called on Dennis Schröder. To this, Ham replied, “We don’t teach flopping. We teach our players to play downhill and attack the paint and be forceful,” taking a jibe at what Kerr said a few days earlier.
How is the Lakers-Warriors series shaping up?
The Golden State Warriors have struggled a bit in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. While Jordan Poole has struggled to score, Klay Thompson has consistently failed to make an impact. He had one 30-point game in Game 2. However, apart from that, his stat line has been under par for a player with his experience and calibre.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers have played very impressively in the series. They’ve been smart and quick with their adjustments. While some strategies were made ahead of the Games, some were also made during the course of the matchups. Darvin Ham’s smart strategies to break the Warriors’ defence have led the Lakers to have a huge advantage in winning games. Undoubtedly, they set themselves up comfortably for a 3-1 series lead.
However, the Warriors survived to play another day! The Dubs beat the Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 at the Chase Center Wednesday night. Now the Warriors will go back to L.A. for another must-win game on Friday.
Game 6 holds the Warriors at the brink of elimination once again. Golden State has had its back up against the wall in the past; however, their Game 5 win gives them the opportunity to level the series. Steve Kerr will have to rally up his men and motivate them to play better and smarter. Moreover, Kerr and Co. will have to come up with effective changes in their strategies and gameplay if they want to keep their season alive.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)