Klay Gets Injured

Under the Kings' three-big lineup, the Warriors couldn't get their hands on any rebounds.

Especially with Wang Yi, whose ability to read where the ball would come off the rim was downright frightening today. Wherever he went, the rebounds seemed to follow.

The third quarter had barely passed the halfway mark, and he had already grabbed five rebounds.

Kerr was getting a serious case of the heebie-jeebies.

Was there no justice in the world?

Was there no law?

With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and played his trump card: the Death Lineup.

The Death Lineup's greatest strength lay in its ability to swarm opponents.

When the other team passed the ball to the perimeter, they could rush out to defend the three.

And when the other team tried to attack inside, they could quickly collapse and pack the paint.

They were like a pack of wolves tearing into a bull.

On offense, the moment they got the ball, they pushed the fast break.

The speed of five smaller players on the break was something big men simply couldn't keep up with.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Death Lineup had played a crucial role in the Warriors' championship runs.

Bringing out the Death Lineup when a game was tight—or even when they were on the back foot—often produced miraculous results.

But today, their Death Lineup wasn't working.

The moment they brought it out was the moment the Kings launched their counterattack.

The Death Lineup might have been great at swarming opponents, but the Kings' rebounding was even more terrifying today.

You can swarm me and make me miss, but I can still get the rebound.

Without rebounds, you can't start a fast break. That meant the Death Lineup's offense was at least 30 percent less effective.