The Warriors lost a thrilling game Monday night to end up in their present do-or-die situation. Game 4 was a close 104-101 loss by Golden State, but they are now 1-3 and must win each game or be knocked out of the playoffs. The defending champs have their backs up against the wall in Game 5 on Wednesday, May 10 in San Francisco. 264 out of 277 times when a team has a 3-1 series lead, they win the series. Only 13 times, they’ve lost. Those are really tough odds.

Game 4 Was in the Bag

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors have to bring their best game on Wednesday if they hope to turn the tide. By all accounts, they should have won the last game. They were leading by 84-77 going into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers came back and tied the game in less than two minutes.

Stephen Curry had two chances in the dying minutes to complete a three-pointer, but both shots went off the rim. That could be a reaction to the Lakers altering their defensive style and putting Anthony Davis on Curry. Davis might have kept Curry from sinking some of his shots, but Curry was still able to make his passes all over the court and get 14 assists. 

Curry vs. James

Curry only shot 12 for 30 but still got 31 points on the night. LeBron James was able to net 27 points in the game. The Warriors need to build a better defense and stay out of trouble in the next game. What probably hurt the most was that the Lakers were able to win all 20 free throws. If the Warriors can create a big lead early and keep the Lakers from building any momentum, they might stand a chance in Game 5. But the Warriors have to win three times. The Lakers only have to win once. 

Oddsmakers are expecting another close one in Game 5. 

• Los Angeles Lakers: +6.5 (-110) vs. Golden State Warriors: -6.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: 226.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Golden State (-270) vs. Los Angeles (+225)

The Lakers’ win in Game 4 did not give the impression that they are the dominant team in this series, but it did show that they can rally back when it counts. The Warriors don’t seem to have the same confidence that the Lakers do. They need to have a considerable lead to keep from panicking when the game gets too close. 

What’s Going on With Those Fouls?

The Warriors have to reduce the number of fouls because it’s costing them games. The Lakers led the NBA in free-throw attempts during the regular season. The Warriors finished last. That’s a big gap. That trend seems to be continuing in the playoffs. I wonder if it has anything to do with Golden State complaining to the refs regularly, especially about LeBron James and his extra steps. He tends to take little steps that the refs let him get away with. But he’s been doing that his entire career. It’s not something the refs are going to focus on now. 

With the Lakers having such a nice lead in the series, it is difficult for the Warriors to play with confidence. They may fight in desperation and cause even more fouls in the next game. Get ready for some interesting bets. This series has a huge audience anticipating the outcome.

Join the Best Pay Per Head Sportsbook Software

If your pph sportsbook is not as successful as you know it could be, maybe you’re not using the right pay per head software. BossAction bookie software on average, has improved agents’ profits by 23%. We know how to make your sportsbook successful because we’re bookies too. We provide you with the best tools to manage your business, and the most features for your players so they have an unlimited number of opportunities to place bets. 

Join now and choose which plan works best for you.

• The Starter plan gives you all our basic features plus billing reports, your own layoff account, and pay and collect online.
• Choose the Pro plan and get everything in the Starter plan plus professional reports and advanced player and agent management tools.
• Pick the All-Star plan and get everything in the Starter plan plus a Master set of reports plus the full suite of players and agent management tools.

Also, get a $500 referral bonus whenever you bring another bookie to BossAction, and get up to 17% of their deposits for a year.

Call 1-800-339-4108 today and get the industry’s safest, most secure, and most trusted online bookie software.