The Los Angeles Lakers knew that they would have their work cut out for them facing off with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinal. Los Angeles had a few days off after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round NBA playoff series while Golden State had just won Game 7 on the road against the Sacramento Kings in theirs.
As the sixth seed, the Warriors had home court advantage in the series with the Lakers. Winning at the Chase Center is no small feat, but the Lakers were able to crack the code for at least one game.
Los Angeles stole home court advantage from Golden State with a Game 1 victory, winning 117-112. Leading the way was Anthony Davis, who showed just how dominant of a player he can be on both ends of the court in the upset victory.
Davis had a game to remember, scoring 30 points with 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Head coach Darvin Ham rode him hard as Davis played every second of the second half, never getting subbed out of the game. He was complimentary of his teammates, who he said got him into positions to succeed.
“The guys gave the ball to me in the right spots,” Davis said. “A lot of it came out of pick-and-roll, post-ups, some offensive rebounds. Just being aggressive when I do catch [the ball], looking to score, looking to play make to the other guys.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors Updates
With that performance, Davis joined an illustrious group. He became only the fifth player in Lakers history to record a 30-20 game in the playoffs, joining Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elgin Baylor.
“The Lakers franchise over the years, over the course of their existence, has always had dominant big men, dominant guys that have been a force at the rim,” LeBron James said. “That’s why their jerseys are in the rafters. AD will be up there when he’s done playing. The No. 3 will be up in the rafters. He continues to show why he’s one of the best players that we have in this league.”
James had a tough night from the field, shooting 9-of-24 for 22 points, but he continued his excellent work on the boards with 11 rebounds while handing out four assists. But, the supporting cast was there to pick up the slack in Game 1.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves also scored in double-figures in the starting five with 19 and 10 points respectively. Jarred Vanderbilt scored eight points but his defense on Stephen Curry was a big reason the Lakers were able to get the win.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors Updates
Off the bench, Dennis Schroder scored 19 points, keeping pace with Warriors’ dynamo Jordan Poole. Schroder also did a great job defensively making the Golden State backcourt players earn every basket. He also heaped a ton of praise onto Davis for his performance.
“I mean, he’s everything for us,” said Schroder. “Defensively. Offensively. He’s a big part for this organization. He wasn’t an All-Star. He wasn’t a Defensive Player of the Year. He’s taking it serious, doing everything for us, and he’s the anchor.”
Just because the Lakers won Game 1 doesn’t mean they can rest on their laurels. There is still plenty of work to do as they know the defending champions are going to come out with something to prove in Game 2.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers & Golden State Warriors Updates
“It’s going to be a different game,” Davis said. “They’re going to make adjustments. We’re going to make adjustments. The building will be probably a little bit louder. Obviously, they don’t want to go down 0-2. The crowd will be more into it. … I’m going to continue to be aggressive.”
If Davis gets close to the level he performed at in Game 1 again in Game 2, the Lakers are going to be a difficult team to defeat.
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