The Golden State Warriors were ahead of the '95-'96 Bulls' pace coming into their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. With 55 wins already on their ledger and the Lakers having only 12 coming into the game, it seemed like a foregone conclusion the Warriors would get win number 56 and be on their way.
That's not exactly how things went down though, as the Lakers not only won, but they won very convincingly, 112-95. This outcome is a very good sign for the Lakers and their future, but it mostly shows that even the Warriors, one of the best teams in NBA history, can have off days and they are clearly beatable on any given night.
Despite how good the Warriors have been the last two seasons, they are still a team that relies on the three pointer a lot. Regardless of how good your shooters are - we know Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are two of the best - they are susceptible to games like this. Curry was just 1-10 from three-point range, while he and Thompson combined to go 0-17 on shots that didn't come directly off a pass.
This game is almost certainly just an anomaly for the Warriors because more often than not they shoot the ball very well. But what it does show is how hard it is, and will be, to get to 72 wins or more. The Lakers are the worst team in the Western Conference and the second-worst team in the NBA, so if they can beat the Warriors, almost anyone can if they catch them on an off night.
These types of games are rare for the Warriors so it isn't a huge concern entering the playoffs because teams have to beat them in a series, but it will hurt their chances to win 73 games and break the record. Golden State is still on the same pace as the record-setting Bulls team, but add this reality to the fact that head coach Steve Kerr has said rest is more important than the record, and you quickly realize it isn't as likely as we may have thought.
