Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Fresh out of the Golden State Warriors’ Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the big story was Jordan Poole’s controversial shot at the end of the fourth quarter.
With roughly 10 seconds remaining in the game, Stephen Curry swung the ball to Poole, who pulled up from well beyond the arc and missed what would have been the game-tying three.
Golden State went on to lose the game, and after the contest, a flurry of criticism and dissension emerged surrounding his shot attempt.
Poole saw nothing wrong with it.
“Good look. Catch and shoot. Open. I just missed it,” Poole said via The Mercury News. “I’ll shoot it again, too, the next time we play and I get the same shot.”
In Poole’s defense, he was red-hot that night. He had already made six threes and finished the game with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting overall and 6-of-11 shooting from distance.
Poole added that he was finally able to get in a rhythm after his varying playing time in the team’s first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, seemingly throwing a subtle jab at the decision.
“Got the opportunity to play more out there and catch my rhythm,” Poole said. “I think that’ll be a big thing. Only so much you can do when you play 15 minutes. It’s huge. Being able to catch a rhythm early and see how they’re guarding us, guarding me personally.”
However, with Curry and Klay Thompson on the court—two of, if not the greatest three-point shooters in the history of basketball—one has to wonder how the game would have turned out if Poole had worked to get one of them the ball.
Stephen Curry Breaks Down Jordan Poole’s Shot in Warriors’ Game 1 Loss to Lakers
Speaking of Curry, he also conveyed some thoughts after the game on Poole’s shot. He shares the same thought process as Poole, noting his success from range throughout the game and overall confidence in his teammate.
“He had made six of ‘em tonight,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “It was decisive and it was a shot he was open. Considering how they guarded us that possession – trapping me at halfcourt and Draymond [Green] swinging it over – it’s one of those where it’s kinda in a rhythm shot. I’m sure he felt pretty good about it, that’s why he shot it. There’s no doubt or regrets on that. It’s just a make-or miss situation. [I’ve got] a lot of trust in his ability to put the ball in the basket.”
Steve Kerr Discusses Jordan Poole’s Final Shot in Warriors’ Game 1 Loss to Lakers
Evidently, the general consensus post-game was that Poole took a good shot. It was a deep one, but he was wide-open, and his unwavering confidence is part of what makes him such a valuable player for the Warriors.
Head coach Steve Kerr had the same assessment when asked about the look.
“Pretty good look,” Kerr said via 95.7 The Game. “That’s a shot he can hit. Really happy with that possession. Jordan had six threes already. It was a great shot for us.”
