The Lakers bounced back from a big loss in Game 2 and earned a comfortable 127-97 win over the Warriors in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead at home on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Los Angeles center Anthony Davis led all scorers with 25 points; He added 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell each collected 21 points.
- Stephen Curry advanced Golden State with 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting (4-of-10 from 3-point range). The Warriors shot a total of 39.6 percent from the field.
- The Lakers went off the free throw line 28 of 37 while the Warriors made 12 of 17 free throw attempts.
- Game 4 is Monday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Los Angeles smothers the Golden State’s offense
The Lakers fell into an 11-point hole early in the second quarter as Russell cooled and James spent the first quarter giving way to his teammates. In the first 15 minutes, the Warriors were still able to hit 20 more 3s, just like they did in the first two games of the series at Golden State. But that game changed when the Lakers started forcing turnovers and drawing fouls.
By halftime, the Lakers had surpassed the Warriors 17-4 from turnovers and 15-4 from the free throw line. James and Davis’ ability to pull fouls and prevent the Warriors offense from doing anything outside of Curry’s throw ensured the 22-point turnaround from the second quarter would sustain and define Game 3. – Murray
The third quarter was again a crucial factor
In Game 2, the Warriors embarrassed the Lakers and led by 30 points by the end of the third quarter. The Lakers returned the favor in Game 3, leading by as much as 34 points. That’s a 45-point turnaround, with garbage times littered with dunks and layups. But that series was tied 1-1, and the Lakers needed to maintain home field advantage. The stakes were not as high in Game 3 on Saturday as they were in Game 4 on Monday night.
If the Lakers took a jolt from the way Game 2 went and got their home crowd Saturday night, they can expect the Warriors to respond appropriately to the humiliation — especially with the Lakers aiming for a 3-1 lead. – Murray
What went wrong with the Warriors?
Let’s start with the disaster in the second quarter. They were up 40-29. At this point, Klay Thompson wasn’t even looking as Curry threw a hit-ahead pass in transition. Curry screamed in frustration. It was one of nine sales in the second quarter and the sign of an imminent collapse.
Moses Moody was shamelessly booed for tripping Davis. Draymond Green and JaMychal Green fought their way into tech. Draymond was bench strapped in dire trouble. The Warriors scored just 18 points in the second quarter and had a 30-8 run to finish the half, going down from 11 to 11. – Slater
What questions need to be answered before a massive Game 4?
Will Golden State stay in the starting lineup with JaMychal Green? It worked well in Game 2, but the Lakers corrected their matchups, pulling Davis off Draymond Green and letting him screw up the paint again. JaMychal missed all three of his 3s and the Warriors were outplayed by 11 points in his 10 minutes. They could go down a notch and go to Jordan Poole, but he’s not playing very well. Their traditional starters (plus Kevon Looney) have always been coach Steve Kerr’s safety blanket, but the gap is close and Looney’s recent illness appears to have weakened some of its impact.
The Warriors mostly just need better performances from their big names. Draymond Green fouled five times and was limited to 23 minutes. Thompson missed nine of his 14 shots and committed six turnovers. Curry was pretty calm. – slate
climax of the game
key stat
In Game 2, the Warriors combined for 84 points (43 and 41 points) in the second and third quarters. In game 3 they only scored 38 (18 and 20 points).
NBA Playoffs Bracket
Follow The Athletic’s NBA playoffs.
required reading
(Photo: Gary A Vasquez / USA Today)