- The Warriors' Jordan Poole missed a game-tying, 28-foot three-point attempt with 10 seconds left against the Lakers.
- Some argued it was a good shot because it was an open look and Poole was 6-of-10 from three at that point.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, 117-112, in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday.
The defining moment arguably came late in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors trailing the Lakers by three with under 15 seconds left. Stephen Curry was double-teamed near half-court and gave up the ball to Draymond Green, who swung it to Jordan Poole on the left wing.
With 10.8 seconds remaining in the game, Poole, who was wide open, launched a 28-foot three-pointer, standing several feet behind the three-point line. The shot missed to the left, and the Lakers grabbed the rebound. The Warriors were forced to foul, and the Lakers hit their free throws to put the game away.
Poole's decision instantly became the talking point of the game — specifically, was it a good shot in that situation? Poole was 6-for-10 from three to that point, and he was open. There's no guarantee the Warriors would have gotten a better shot.
Of course, there was also still 10 seconds left. Poole could have dribbled into the paint to try to open up a three-pointer for another player. He also could have gone for a quick two, allowing the Warriors to foul the Lakers to stop the clock, then go for another shot in the final seconds.
The NBA world has had mixed feelings on it.
Here is the sequence:
—Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 3, 2023
The Warriors backed Poole's shot after the game.
"I knew somebody was going to be wide-open if we could just get the ball out, and Steph did a great job," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game. "He got the ball out of the trap and Jordan was wide-open, and pretty good look, and you know, that's a shot he can hit."
Curry said during his postgame press conference: "I'm sure he felt pretty good about it. That's why he shot it. There are no kind of regrets about that. It's just a make-or-miss type situation and a lot of trust in him and his ability to put the ball in the basket."
Poole did not speak to reporters after the game.
On his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," Draymond Green also defended the shot.
"You got a guy that's 6-for-10 that you know can shoot the piss out of the ball and you get an open three, you live with it," Green said.
Others weren't as sure, however.
On TNT's "Inside the NBA," analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith all uniformly disapproved of the shot.
"I don't like that shot," Barkley said.
Smith argued that Poole had time to take one dribble closer before shooting it.
ESPN analyst and former NBA player Tim Legler argued that it wasn't a good shot. Legler said on ESPN's morning news show "Get Up" that if Poole had run to a different spot on the court, it would have opened up the floor for an additional play and perhaps a better shot.
Meanwhile, on a live Twitter stream of the game, former NBA player Channing Frye was aghast at the shot, particularly because of how much time was remaining. When Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said he had no problem with it, Frye quipped, "That's why you're here with us."
—Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 3, 2023
The Warriors now trail the Lakers 1-0 in the series, with Game 2 on Thursday in San Francisco before the series shifts to Los Angeles.