Anthony Davis was the Lakers leading scorer with 25 points, scoring 13 points in the 4th quarter. The Warriors were up 98-95 late in the 4th quarter, then the Lakers scored 7 of the game’s last 9 points.
Despite the Lakers shooting struggles during the game, mostly in the first half, they rallied in the second half to defeat the Warriors 103-100. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined to shoot 14 for 22 in the second half after struggling in the first half going 3 for 19 from the field.
James made a long, go-ahead 3-pointer with 58 seconds left in the game to give the Lakers the victory. The 34-foot shot over Stephen Curry is the longest shot James has made this year. According to ESPN Stats and Information, it is also the longest go-ahead shot in the final 3 minutes of any game in his career.
LeBron finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, having his sixth triple-double of the season despite missing most of the year with an ankle injury.
The LA Lakers defense really kept them in the game when the offense was struggling. While the Warriors shot 44% from the field, the Los Angeles defense also forced 20 Golden State turnovers.
While the 3 biggest offensive threats of the Lakers (Davis, LeBron, Schroder) shot 4/28 in the first half, the second half was the complete opposite. Davis finished with 25 points, LeBron with 22, Schroder with 12, Caldwell-Pope with 10 and Drummond with 4 points and 7 rebounds. Caruso lead the bench with 14 points of his own. The rest of the bench combined for 16 points to help contribute.
Lakers open up as the favorites during their 1st round matchup with the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are -300 to win the best of 7 series and the Suns are +240 according to Caesars William Hill. This is the first time in at least 30 years that has a 7-seed has been favored over a 2-seed.
Crev’s Corner 