When halftime rolled around in Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors held a 67-56 lead.
That presented quite a challenge for the Lakers that was made even more intimidating because of a statistic about the Warriors in the Steve Kerr era.
As noted by SportsCenter, the Warriors have a 30-2 record when leading by 10+ points at the half in the playoffs under Kerr.
When it rains, it pours for the Warriors ☔ pic.twitter.com/XIoKnwjsAK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 5, 2023
The Warriors have the ability to get hot in the first half and then come bursting into the second half in a big way.
When that happens, their opponents can’t seem to catch up.
That is exactly what happened on Thursday night.
After a strong first half, Golden State only got better in the third quarter.
By the time the fourth rolled around, the Lakers had all but given up and were resting their starters.
Game 2 was a marvelous showing from the Warriors in many ways.
Several stars had impressive nights, most notably Klay Thompson, who led the team with 30 points and 8 three-pointers.
The threes distributed by the Warriors were nearly impossible to block and it put LA in a very big hole.
The Lakers knew they were in trouble when the second quarter ended.
That’s because the Warriors are a very smart team that is capable of building upon its success.
They know what works for them and are adaptable against most opponents.
That is why they were able to overtake the Sacramento Kings in the first round and it’s why they were able to easily defeat the Lakers on Thursday night.
NBA teams should always be wary of the Warriors, especially when they are leading them at halftime in the playoffs.
NEXT: Skip Bayless Admits He Was Wrong About The Warriors