Lakers tear into wayward Warriors to take 2-1 lead in NBA playoff series
LeBron James didn’t take a shot in the first quarter of Game 3 for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ home crowd rumbled with uncertainty each time he passed the ball instead. But James and his Lakers were just taking a while to warm up before they steamrolled the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, a slow-starting James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory on Saturday night.
D’Angelo Russell hit five three-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions. Los Angeles seized control in the middle quarters, outscoring the Warriors 63-38 to turn Game 3 into a non-contest.
“We’re one of the best defensive teams in the league, if not the best,” James said. “For us to reach our potential, we have to defend at a high level. Not one team in this league tests you more in that than Golden State, so we have to be alert for a test on every single possession.”
James curiously didn’t shoot the ball until well into the second quarter, yet he led the way while Los Angeles pulled away. The 38-year-old also mixed in a handful of plays that defied his age, making a deft spin move and blocking a shot on the other end shortly after he leaped the front row of fans and ran well up into the stands following a deflection.
“That’s just how the game was going,” James said of his unusual start. “I didn’t want to force it. Just let the game come to me and make my imprint when needed.”
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on three-pointers – making just 10 while the game was still competitive – after hitting 21 in each of the series’ first two games in San Francisco.
“You can’t get distracted by stuff you can’t control,” Curry said. “As much as it’s frustrating, it’s the test that every team has to go through throughout the series, blocking out that stuff as much as we can. We obviously know who we are and what we’re capable of, all the things we always say after a loss.”
Game 4 is on Monday night in Los Angeles.
In Saturday’s other game, defense – still the Miami Heat’s staple – came through, and moved them two wins away from another trip to the Eastern Conference finals.
Jimmy Butler returned from his sprained right ankle to score 28 points, Max Strus added 19 and the Heat topped the New York Knicks 105-86 to take a 2-1 lead in their East semifinal series.
“It’s about figuring out how to compete at a really high level,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “What’s necessary for that game to be able to win.”
For as poorly as the Heat shot, the Knicks were worse – 34% from the field, 20% from three-point range, 46% from the restricted area around the rim.
“We couldn’t get stops early so we couldn’t get any easy buckets,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So, we paid the price.”
Source: The Guardian
