The LA Lakers bounced back from the blowout Game 2 loss against the Golden State Warriors with a 127-97 win in Game 3 at home on Saturday. LA trailed by 11 points in the first half, but a 30-8 run to end the second quarter turned the game in their favor.
LA took an 11-point lead into halftime and came out swinging to open the second half. The Lakers outscored the Dubs 108-67 in the last three quarters to seal a 30-point win. LA led by 34 points at one stage. It was a fitting response to their 27-point loss in Game 2.
Anthony Davis, LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell were the key contributors for the home team. Davis finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and four blocks, shooting 7-of-10 and 11-of-12 from the free throw line. James didn’t attempt a single field goal in the first quarter but finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, shooting 6-of-11.
Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell was LA’s biggest threat offensively in the first half. He started the game, scoring their first 11 points, hitting all his 3-point attempts and a layup.
He had 13 of his 21 points in the first quarter alone. Russell shot 8-of-13, including five triples. The Lakers were uber-aggressive, leading to them making 37 free throw attempts. They put in a stellar shift defensively, limiting the Warriors to 39.6% shooting, including 29.4% from deep.
The Warriors made 13 threes after recording 21 apiece in the previous two games. Akin to Game 1, there was a free throw disparity again, which upset the Warriors fans. They only made 17 trips to the line, 20 less than the Lakers.
The Dubnation took to Twitter after the loss to vent their frustrations. One fan wrote:
“F**k em”
Another added:
“rigged game”
More reactions followed:
Lakers have a solid shot to go 3-1 up on the Warriors
Unlike the Golden State Warriors, the LA Lakers manage to secure their home court in their first game of the series at home. The Lakers are now up 2-1 with a solid opportunity to go up 3-1. The script so far has been similar to their opening-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
LA made the right adjustments coming into this game. Darvin Ham introduced some fresh legs off the bench by playing Lonnie Walker IV instead of Troy Brown Jr. He delivered with 12 points and four rebounds, shooting 4-of-6. Meanwhile, the Purple and Gold also found a way to navigate the Dubs reducing Anthony Davis’ defensive threat in the paint.
Golden State forced Davis into pick-and-roll defense last game, allowing them more opportunities to score in the paint. Davis’ staying in drop coverage allowed the Dubs to shoot uncontested threes.
That theme remained the same in Game 3, but LA made in-game adjustments to that plan. Anthony Davis moved better in defensive pick-and-roll situations covering a lot of ground by contesting shots at the perimeter and at the rim.
The perimeter defenders also played with great intensity, closing out the shooters much better than they did in Game 2. Offensively, LA made more shots from the 3-point line, making 15 threes.
They also found a way to get the ball to Davis and create mismatches by getting a smaller player to guard him in the paint. The 17-time champions have a solid chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead into Game 5.
LA will hope Davis continues to dominate and its defense steps up again in Game 4, as that holds the key to their success in this series.
