What we learned as Warriors' season ends in Game 6 loss

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LOS ANGELES -- The gas tank finally reached empty on the Warriors' road to repeating as champions on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena in their 122-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. 

For the first time in the Steve Kerr era, the Warriors have lost a playoff series to a Western Conference opponent and now will face a myriad of offseason questions.

Steph Curry led the way with 32 points, six rebounds and five assists. The other two members of the Warriors' Big Three couldn't match Curry's production, not even close. 

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green combined to score 15 points, and Green (nine points) topped Thompson in that department.

Questions will come in flurries if this season truly was the last dance for the Warriors. Not so fast. Curry is guaranteed to wear a Warriors jersey next season, and that always will give them a chance.

Everything else after that is up in the air.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors' season-ending loss to the Lakers.

Wiggins Plays Through Pain

The final image of Wiggins' pregame routine was him and Warriors director of sports medicine and performance sharing smiles. Wiggins had to test his left costal cartilage fracture that he sustained in the Warriors' Game 5 win. He was deemed good to go, and the Lakers' plan against couldn't have been more clean.

Their opening offensive possession ended with LeBron James throwing Wiggins to the side before finishing an alley-oop layup. Whenever the Lakers had the chance, they found James on the block and LeBron went to work on Wiggins' injured left side.

Wiggins gutted it out and deserves a ton of credit for doing so. The two-way star also clearly was hampered by a painful injury.

He was limited to 28 minutes and scored six points, two nights after putting up 25. Wiggins was 2 of 8 shooting and only grabbed two rebounds. The Warriors will commend his effort, no matter the blowout loss.

Steph Tries To Save Warriors

There have been countless times, even with Hall of Fame teammates, where the Warriors have relied on Curry to win a game by himself. Even he couldn't save the day this time.

Curry, while trying to find his shot in the first quarter, instead found his way to the free-throw line. The sharpshooter was a perfect 5 of 5 on free throws in the opening period. His five free-throw attempts in the first quarter alone were more than Curry attempted in any of the previous five games.

The Lakers then held Curry scoreless in the second quarter. Golden State began clawing its way back in the third quarter behind a 14-point frame for Curry, his most ever in the third quarter of a playoff game.

But going into the fourth quarter with the Warriors down by 14 points, he simply wasn't getting enough help. Curry was up to 26 points. No other starter had more than nine points.

Curry competed until the end, but he also struggled to find his 3-point shot as he did much of the conference semifinals.

Klay's Nightmare

Facing the Lakers in the playoffs was a dream come true for Thompson. His dream quickly turned into a nightmare, with the final episode of a horror show putting an end to the Warriors' season. 

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Storylines and social media were begging for a Game 6 Klay sighting. He and the Warriors surely were too. 

No heat check came this time, though, just as it hadn't all series for him. Thompson failed to reach double-digit points for the second time, scoring only eight points. All of his shots were short, and Thompson's legs looked beyond worn out. 

The curtains closed on Klay, going 3 of 19 from the field and 2 of 12 on 3-point attempts. He has been through Hell and back from injuries. Friday night's loss and his performance over the six games might weigh on him nearly as much.

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