Late Game Inefficiency
For the Lakers to take the Warriors to overtime twice this season speaks volumes to their ability to play at an elite level. Winning against them, however, would be even better. Since the Lakers are such a young team it is expected for them to struggle during clutch situations. Additionally, the team will need more time to build the chemistry needed for those moments.
Having said that, the Lakers shot poorly from the floor in the clutch. From the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter until the end of overtime, the team shot 35.3 percent from the floor. This is not the first time that the team that the team has struggled in the clutch as stats will show.
The Lakers average the seventh-fewest fourth-quarter points in the league with 24.9 per game. Additionally, the team ranks in the lower half of the league for their winning percentage in close games at a rate of 44.4 percent.