Game 3 was supposed to be a pivotal game between two of the winningest players of a generation, but it turned out to be a basic Los Angeles Lakers blowout.
After tying the series at 1-1, the Lakers won 127-97 on Saturday to take the series lead at home. Game 4 is scheduled for 10pm ET Monday (TNT) in Los Angeles.
Even with all the celebrities in the Crypto.com arena, it’s not a pretty game. LeBron James, whose son, Brony, announced his commitment to USC the day before went the entire first quarter without attempting a field goal. Such a first start in his NBA-record 275 playoff games.
The Warriors had their moments, but finished the game shooting 35-of-90 (38.9%) and 13-of-44 with 19 turnovers and 22 personal fouls. Four technical fouls were committed during the game. The game ended with a 37-15 free-throw attempt bias in favor of the Lakers.
The game rested in the second quarter, in which the Warriors took an 11-point lead, then lost it and ended the first half on a 30-8 Lakers run, capped by an Anthony Davis buzzer-beating layup.
The Lakers opened the second half with an 11-point lead, but the Warriors never closed it with fewer than 9 points. Golden State struggled to find any consistent offense and defenseman Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble while Los Angeles continued to play.
The Lakers’ postseason so far has been defined by whether or not they have a good Davis on the court, and that was last Saturday. The big man had a monster game on both ends of the floor, scoring 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting with 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 3 steals. James, despite a scoreless fourth quarter, finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.
No one really had a great game for the Warriors, but Andrew Wiggins came close with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. And a poster dunk. Stephen Curry led the team with 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting (4-of-10 from deep).
